Here are just a few ways you can replace modern technology with old-fashioned tools. Sometimes simple is better!

1. Horsepower
This could also be mule power, but draft animals will be critical once again for many things we assume machines will do. And yes, you can argue for gas-powered vehicles and tools, but refineries require significant amounts of electrical power and a robust economy. We would all run out of gas soon after the grid fails.
Horsepower applies to various activities, from transportation of people either individually in a wagon or a sleigh in winter.
Horses and mules also haul materials, pull plows to furrow and harvest crops, and offer a relative amount of speed to transportation of communication. The pony express is the benchmark for that idea.
2. Lumber, timber and woodworking
My great-grandfather is a great example for this area. He used bucksaws and backsaws to cut timber and do finish-cuts on milled woods.
Some of the bucksaws used to cut timber were two-man saws, while others were a single set. All of them featured large saw teeth that needed to be aligned and sharpened on a regular basis.
Backsaws had a finer cut on the saw teeth and used a turnbuckle, rope or wire that was twisted at the top of the saw to tighten the saw blade into the saw frame.
There were also handrills for not only boring small holes for nails, but large holes for the insertion of legs and joints for larger construction. Some handrills had a feature that allowed someone to press the drill against their chest to drive deep into hardwoods or for larger drill bits.
Other woodworking tools I’ve come to appreciate include large corkscrew drills for furniture making and timber-frame construction, and planes, clamps, levels and squares. All of them areused to align, design, and frame the construction of everything from houses to furniture.
There were also axes that had specialized uses from chopping wood to actually finishing timber. One example is the broad-head axe which was used to shave the sides of a log to create large timbers.
3. Water
Most municipal water is pumped into large water towers. Many homes depend on electric well pumps. All rely on electricity. Old-world alternatives are worth considering.
One is the hand powered well pump. You physically have to pump the handle to pull the water from the ground, but once it starts flowing buckets are easily filled.
An alternative is the windmill powered hand pump. In this instance a gear mechanism and attachment allows the windmill to do the work and fill a large tub that is then directed to various watering points from livestock to kitchen.
Ram pumps are another alternative for water pumping. They use the flow of water to power the pump and drive water through a pipe up significant inclines to deliver a steady flow of water. This water is usually collected in a tank or tub and distributed to the house and livestock pens in various ways.
Quite often, there was a large barrel or cistern in the basement underneath the kitchen. This stored water was then pumped up into the kitchen sink with a small, kitchen hand pump over the sink.
Another common fixture in any kitchen was the wood-fired cook stove. This provided heat for the home in the winter, heat to boil water or cook on the stovetop, and an oven for baking.
Quite often, a separate building was constructed to hold a second cook stove and served as a summer kitchen. Due to the high heat that any cook stove kicks out, a summer kitchen away from the main house kept for a cooler home in the summer.

Would you consider using any of these old-fashioned tools? Have you ever used them? If so, what did you think of them? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
Article Source: Off the Grid News