I wanted to take up woodcarving as a hobby. It would have given me satisfaction from doing something with my hands, other than delivering babies and performing operations, which I do for both happiness and making a living. The main problem was that I could not find any woodcarving tools in the local market. I gave up that idea because there was no way to make it work. But if I had those tools, I would have been able to at least repair our potato peeler much more easily. It was a simple instrument, with a metallic peeler fitted over the end of a cylindrical wooden handle. The metallic part remained fine, but the wood rotted inside the grip of the metallic part, and the handle came off. I tried to fit it again, passing small nails through them both. But the rotted end of the handle would not hold the nails. I could not find another piece of wood that would fit in place of the old handle. I had no tools to shape any other piece suitably.
Then I had an idea. I reversed the handle, so that its other end would fit into the metallic part. But it was broader than the cylindrical base of the metallic part. I had to shave off the extra portion so that it would fit. I was back to my old problem - no tools. I knew it would be a lot easier to buy a new one. But there would be no sense of achievement in it. Besides, the ones available in the market have flat plastic handles, which do not sit well in the fist when you peel potatoes. Luckily I had another idea. We have this machine that we use to sharpen our kitchen knives and scissors. If it could grind metal, why would it not grind wood? I tried and it did that very well.
In the figure above, 'A' shows the metallic part (golden colored) and the handle. Please do not say the other end of the handle does not look rotted. I had to spend a very long time making these 3D drawings. To show one end of the handle rotted would have taken ages. 'B shows the upper end of the handle ground all around such that the cylindrical part of the metallic part would fit over it. 'C' shows the two fitted together. I passed two small nails through the base of the metallic part and the handle within it. 'D' shows the finished potato peeler.
A note of caution for those who want to try this out. Try to fit the base of the metallic part over the handle periodically as you grind it, so that you do not make it too thin. If it gets too thin, you will have to find a new handle and start all over again.
Then I had an idea. I reversed the handle, so that its other end would fit into the metallic part. But it was broader than the cylindrical base of the metallic part. I had to shave off the extra portion so that it would fit. I was back to my old problem - no tools. I knew it would be a lot easier to buy a new one. But there would be no sense of achievement in it. Besides, the ones available in the market have flat plastic handles, which do not sit well in the fist when you peel potatoes. Luckily I had another idea. We have this machine that we use to sharpen our kitchen knives and scissors. If it could grind metal, why would it not grind wood? I tried and it did that very well.
In the figure above, 'A' shows the metallic part (golden colored) and the handle. Please do not say the other end of the handle does not look rotted. I had to spend a very long time making these 3D drawings. To show one end of the handle rotted would have taken ages. 'B shows the upper end of the handle ground all around such that the cylindrical part of the metallic part would fit over it. 'C' shows the two fitted together. I passed two small nails through the base of the metallic part and the handle within it. 'D' shows the finished potato peeler.
A note of caution for those who want to try this out. Try to fit the base of the metallic part over the handle periodically as you grind it, so that you do not make it too thin. If it gets too thin, you will have to find a new handle and start all over again.
