Räfspinne med knopp. En hantverksundersökning i att fästa räfspinnar i koniska hål

Abstract

This survey investigates a specific method to fasten the teeth in a wooden hayrake. The holes in the head of the hayrake are conical and the teeth are shaped with a small head which keeps it from falling out. There are very few descriptions of this way of making the rake teeth and details of how it’s done are often missing. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the method from a crafts perspective. Through analysis of written descriptions, interviews with craftsmen, studies of wooden hayrakes and practical craft experiments the basic steps of the process are investigated. Local traditions from Gotland, Dalarna and Ångermanland are compared with each other to give examples on variations and mutual features. The result shows that there is not one uniform way of making this kind of rake teeth. Instead there are several different variations, but they all use the same principle with the small head on the rake teeth. The differences lie mostly in the order in which the steps in the process are done and in the way of measuring and marking out where the head should be. The discussion also points out possible pros and cons with this method. Hopefully the descriptions in this essay can be a part of keeping this knowledge alive.