Building a Saxon House with Hand Tools: THE PIT Bushcraft Project (PART 2)
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Date: 2019-09-10
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Comments and reviews: 10
ioatommyboy
I did a lot of digging when I was younger. A few tips: If you use a pick or adze, or mattock (or whatever term everyone agrees on, start at one end and work your way forward, not backward. That way, you pull the loosened soil or rock into previously loosened soil, not firm earth. You also only move it once until scooped with the shovel. If you can get a long handled shovel, it will work better, preferably a round point. The long, narrow, straight tiling spade is made for digging troughs, not clearing ground. There isn't enough angle to the blade for filling the scoop. The round point shovel will work it's way through rough diggings (dirt/rock combo) better than the blunt end if a square point. When scooping, use your legs to scoop and your arms/shoulders to lift and throw. Set the shovel almost parallel with the ground, lay the handle (behind your front hand) on your thigh and lean into it. When tossing the shovelful, never lift any higher than needed to clear the ground or other obstructions. The dirt doesn't care if it stays inches off the ground or 3 feet in the air, it still falls wherever you toss it. I've worked as an archaeologist, where significantly more time is spent removing dirt than discovering artifacts. I hope this helps.
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I did a lot of digging when I was younger. A few tips: If you use a pick or adze, or mattock (or whatever term everyone agrees on, start at one end and work your way forward, not backward. That way, you pull the loosened soil or rock into previously loosened soil, not firm earth. You also only move it once until scooped with the shovel. If you can get a long handled shovel, it will work better, preferably a round point. The long, narrow, straight tiling spade is made for digging troughs, not clearing ground. There isn't enough angle to the blade for filling the scoop. The round point shovel will work it's way through rough diggings (dirt/rock combo) better than the blunt end if a square point. When scooping, use your legs to scoop and your arms/shoulders to lift and throw. Set the shovel almost parallel with the ground, lay the handle (behind your front hand) on your thigh and lean into it. When tossing the shovelful, never lift any higher than needed to clear the ground or other obstructions. The dirt doesn't care if it stays inches off the ground or 3 feet in the air, it still falls wherever you toss it. I've worked as an archaeologist, where significantly more time is spent removing dirt than discovering artifacts. I hope this helps.
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enerZise
Reminds me of my son and I installing our 11 Meter galvanized culvert by hand with shovels, buckets and one pole tamp. We had to dig the ditch down 1 meter by 1 meter wide and then hand tamp in 6 pickup trucks of gravel around the new culvert. We have to still clear out 7 meters wide by 100 meters long driveway and that drive has to be a half meter raised above ground level in some places. I am 52 and he is 25. Today we had a family meeting to look at compact tractors. Our wooded property here in Florida is 51 meters wide and 405 meters deep(167 foot wide by 1330 foot deep. (imperial 36 foot long by 18 inches is the galvanized steel culvert) And we had to slide it into place by hand too. (land is 2 hectors = 5 acres of mixed Florida Woodlands and Saw Palmetto)
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Reminds me of my son and I installing our 11 Meter galvanized culvert by hand with shovels, buckets and one pole tamp. We had to dig the ditch down 1 meter by 1 meter wide and then hand tamp in 6 pickup trucks of gravel around the new culvert. We have to still clear out 7 meters wide by 100 meters long driveway and that drive has to be a half meter raised above ground level in some places. I am 52 and he is 25. Today we had a family meeting to look at compact tractors. Our wooded property here in Florida is 51 meters wide and 405 meters deep(167 foot wide by 1330 foot deep. (imperial 36 foot long by 18 inches is the galvanized steel culvert) And we had to slide it into place by hand too. (land is 2 hectors = 5 acres of mixed Florida Woodlands and Saw Palmetto)
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dorkgirlalamode
The archeology programs I've seen speculate that the grubenhauses were sunken for temperature regulation, where anyone was brave enough to venture an opinion. I live on the West Coast of the US, where the weather is supposed to be very similar to London and I can tell you that most of the year the pit would be really soggy and boggy. I've wondered if this was because that's were the kids would be sent for punishment. I've also wondered if the iron age hillforts were occupied during the wet season for similar reasons.
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The archeology programs I've seen speculate that the grubenhauses were sunken for temperature regulation, where anyone was brave enough to venture an opinion. I live on the West Coast of the US, where the weather is supposed to be very similar to London and I can tell you that most of the year the pit would be really soggy and boggy. I've wondered if this was because that's were the kids would be sent for punishment. I've also wondered if the iron age hillforts were occupied during the wet season for similar reasons.
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Craig Parse
Where I come from (Northwest US Pacific Coast) we would call the grain shovel a clam shovel. We would use it for digging clams on the ocean shore. For digging, we would mostly use a spade shovel. I have also used a 'mattox' but I'm not sure it's called that everywhere. Where I live now, a pick-axe is the only way you can dig because we have potato to bowling ball sized rocks just a few inches below the ground. I liked your pallet shack, I missed the Viking House and now I'm picking up on the Saxon House. Great job
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Where I come from (Northwest US Pacific Coast) we would call the grain shovel a clam shovel. We would use it for digging clams on the ocean shore. For digging, we would mostly use a spade shovel. I have also used a 'mattox' but I'm not sure it's called that everywhere. Where I live now, a pick-axe is the only way you can dig because we have potato to bowling ball sized rocks just a few inches below the ground. I liked your pallet shack, I missed the Viking House and now I'm picking up on the Saxon House. Great job
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Danny Manthorpe
Loving the new series, been following you for years. For your research there is an Anglo-saxon village in West Stow Suffolk. It is an actual archaeological site occupied by the anglo-saxons from AD 420-650, over 400 years before the Norman conquest. We visited the site last year and they have 8 buildings in the village including a sunken pit house. Check out their website. Keep up the good work and we look forward to meeting you when we stay at The Bushcraft Show this year. Cheers Danny & Cheryl.
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Loving the new series, been following you for years. For your research there is an Anglo-saxon village in West Stow Suffolk. It is an actual archaeological site occupied by the anglo-saxons from AD 420-650, over 400 years before the Norman conquest. We visited the site last year and they have 8 buildings in the village including a sunken pit house. Check out their website. Keep up the good work and we look forward to meeting you when we stay at The Bushcraft Show this year. Cheers Danny & Cheryl.
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Syrkyth
That has to be the stoniest ground I've seen outside of a gravel pit. Then again those trees seem pretty young (25-30ish, so I wonder if it used to be a worked field that was re-wooded at some point because it was too rocky, which would explain the shallow soil and consistency. We have similar patches here in SW Ontario that seem to just produce stones year after year through frost heaving/tillage. Strangely satisfying to watch though.
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That has to be the stoniest ground I've seen outside of a gravel pit. Then again those trees seem pretty young (25-30ish, so I wonder if it used to be a worked field that was re-wooded at some point because it was too rocky, which would explain the shallow soil and consistency. We have similar patches here in SW Ontario that seem to just produce stones year after year through frost heaving/tillage. Strangely satisfying to watch though.
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Luis Cardenas
Fascinating videos Cheers from Washington DC. I have been binge watching your videos, simply amazing. In this video, while you and your father took a quick break to heat up the kettle and eat what appears to be sandwiches, I began to wonder. What is it about the fire, not gathering around it to warm up, but to sit or stand there and just stare at it? Just a tiny thought. Thanks for making these videos amigo.
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Fascinating videos Cheers from Washington DC. I have been binge watching your videos, simply amazing. In this video, while you and your father took a quick break to heat up the kettle and eat what appears to be sandwiches, I began to wonder. What is it about the fire, not gathering around it to warm up, but to sit or stand there and just stare at it? Just a tiny thought. Thanks for making these videos amigo.
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Riverbend Longbows Outdoors
Looking good gentlemen Congratulations Mike on making onto my wife's like list. I was sewing up some leather tonight as she was watching videos on her phone and I said that sounds like Mike. She said it is, I like him. She found you through the Wooded Beardsman Facebook and started watching. So feel lucky. There's only maybe four of us on the list. At least I think I'm on there
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Looking good gentlemen Congratulations Mike on making onto my wife's like list. I was sewing up some leather tonight as she was watching videos on her phone and I said that sounds like Mike. She said it is, I like him. She found you through the Wooded Beardsman Facebook and started watching. So feel lucky. There's only maybe four of us on the list. At least I think I'm on there
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William Beck
As someone who has used all these tools, you always need to wear leather gloves or you will ruin your hands, the shovel work is hard, but the little crosscut saw is a strain to use and the mattock is the worst, these guys are working their asses off, and if you ever go camping, get yourself one of those small folding saws, wish Id had one when I used to camp
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As someone who has used all these tools, you always need to wear leather gloves or you will ruin your hands, the shovel work is hard, but the little crosscut saw is a strain to use and the mattock is the worst, these guys are working their asses off, and if you ever go camping, get yourself one of those small folding saws, wish Id had one when I used to camp
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Matthew Tanner
Thumbs down to all those people who left a thumbs down. They obviously don't appreciate how hard these two Gentlemen work for their audiences/viewers. Keep on Trowling Youtube and being jealous. Graeme has got more energy in his little finger than the've got in their whole bodies. Well done Team Pullen on another excellent video which was a joy to watch.
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Thumbs down to all those people who left a thumbs down. They obviously don't appreciate how hard these two Gentlemen work for their audiences/viewers. Keep on Trowling Youtube and being jealous. Graeme has got more energy in his little finger than the've got in their whole bodies. Well done Team Pullen on another excellent video which was a joy to watch.
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