Title: bucket-yokes-msg
Subject: History, design and construction of bucket yokes for carrying a pair of balanced buckets on the shoulders.
Author: Edited by Mark Harris
Last saved by: Mark S. Harris
Keywords: bucket, water, carrying, yoke, pail

bucket-yokes-msg - 1/24/98

History, design and construction of bucket yokes for carrying a pair of balanced buckets on the shoulders.

NOTE: See also the files: basketweaving-msg, coopering-msg, p-backpacks-msg, rope-msg, travel-msg.

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    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous
                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
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Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 10:21:00 -0500
From: "Gray, Lyle" <Lyle at Quodata.Com>
To: "'sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu'" <sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu>
Subject: RE: Info Sought:  Wooden Bucket Yokes

>I am thinking of making a bucket yoke--you know the kind, a bar that spans
>the shoulders and supports a bucket at either end.  It's made of wood, and
>has a curved middle section for resting on the shoulders.
>
>Has anyone made one of these?  Can you give me some general guidelines or a
>pattern?  My buckets are two gallon sized, rope handled,
>narrower-at-the-top-than-at-the-bottom wooden ones.  My period is
>mid-ninth-century Norse.

All of the extant ones that I've seen have a broad section over the
shoulders, rather than a curved section, with a cutout for the neck and
scooped-out section for the shoulders.  That way the weight is born on
the entire shoulders, not just at the base of the neck.

I can't speak for Norse versions, though.

>>How do you plan to use it? I got an immediate vision of picturesque water
>>bearers, but it doesn't sound >comfortable.

They're very comfortable, especially when lined with sheepskin.  The
trick is the shaping of the hollow.

Lyle FitzWilliam
Bergental, East
lyle  at  quodata . com                            inceptum perage

Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 11:05:12 -0500 (EST)
From: Jenne Heise <jenne at tulgey.browser.net>
To: "'sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu'" <sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu>
Subject: RE: Info Sought:  Wooden Bucket Yokes

On Thu, 17 Dec 1998, Rikki Mitman wrote:
> How do you plan to use it? I got an immediate vision of picturesque water
>bearers, but it doesn't sound comfortable.

Made properly, they are much more comfortable than regular bucket
hauling-- I speak as one who used a nineteenth century one when I was
kid.

Jadwiga Zajaczkowa (Shire of Eisental; HERMS Cyclonus), mka Jennifer Heise
jenne at tulgey.browser.net

Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 11:36:47 -0500
From: "Helen Schultz  (KHvS)" <meistern at netusa1.net>
To: <sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu>
Subject: Re: Info Sought:  Wooden Bucket Yokes

I don't have a pattern or anything, but I thought I'd just send you all an
interesting way I saw one used several years ago in Germany at a commercial
Medieval Dinner in a castle on the Mosel River....  they had a "servant"
carrying two buckets of water -- one soapy and one clear -- in them for the
guests to wash their hands in, his "tabard" was a towel, you wiped on
either the front of back side of it.... great schtick!!!

KHvS

Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 15:54:00 -0500
From: rmhowe <magnusm at ncsu.edu>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: Info Sought:  Wooden Bucket Yokes

Jenne Heise wrote:
> On Thu, 17 Dec 1998, Rikki Mitman wrote:
> > How do you plan to use it? I got an immediate vision of picturesque
> > water bearers, but it doesn't sound comfortable.
>
> Made properly, they are much more comfortable than regular bucket
> hauling-- I speak as one who used a nineteenth century one when I was
> kid.
>
> Jadwiga Zajaczkowa (Shire of Eisental; HERMS Cyclonus), mka Jennifer Heise
> jenne at tulgey.browser.net

Speaking as someone who frequented very large flea markets for more
than 20 years, I've seen a number of them that were turned before
being hollowed out. Cuts the work down considerably and gives a nice
balanced shape. Then I should take a saw and cut out where the neck
shall go, keeping in mind to go over half way through because of how
the neck sits in the shoulders. After that a quick way to get rid of
most of the wood remaining in the shoulder areas would be to chisel
away or drill near where the shoulders end, then enlarge it by
using a hatchet or chisel with the grain to pry out the chunks
between the neck hole and the place where the shoulders will end.
If you don't have a bowl adze, at this point you will be down to some
careful gougework, scraping, or a hell of a lot of whittling.
I should think a small throwing hatchet would come in good for some
of the axework. Over the shoulders they are fairly thin. Maybe 1"
and tapering to an edge near the neck. Keep in mind the natural
taper of your shoulders both ways. A cardboard template cut both
directions would be a good start.

I would make the length shoulder width, plus one bucket width, plus
about 10-12 inches figuring for room at the ends to tie your cords,
and room enough for your legs to move - unless you're shaped like a
pear - in which case we have half a windmill. ;)

Magnus

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