Fly swatter

[Klara]

I wanted to show you this not because I am proud of the work (I'm not that deluded and it took me about 10 minutes) but as a public service: This simple leather flap (3.3 mm veg tan) is a much better tool for killing flies than the usual plastic thingies (which my dog loves to destroy) 

Edited June 16, 2021 by Klara
info added

[DJole]

So your dog loves eating plastic and not leather, eh? ;-)

[Klara]

Strangely, yes! She has often lost or taken off her martingale collars, but not once tried to chew them up.

Apparently Europe is so infused with environmental concerns that even dogs can't stand to see plastic around...

 

[chuck123wapati]

awesome i was wondering just the other day if that would work, you may have some redneck tendencies lol.  And a clicker press and rivet gun and you could be turning out "genuine handmade flyswatters" lol 

Edited June 16, 2021 by chuck123wapati

[JayEhl]

Ha!  never would've thought to have done this.  What a fun idea.  My dog likes to snap at/eat our sky raisins.  

 

[tsunkasapa]

I have a Bug Assault, a "shotgun" that shoots table salt. I like to take them on the wing. 

[Klara]

2 hours ago, chuck123wapati said:

awesome i was wondering just the other day if that would work, you may have some redneck tendencies lol.  And a clicker press and rivet gun and you could be turning out "genuine handmade flyswatters" lol 

I admit, it wasn't my idea. My neighbour in the Craft Association's Christmas Market had one with a shiny metal handle which he tried to sell me at a ridiculous price (over € 10 - possibly justified for the handle, but much more than I'm willing to pay for a fly squatter). Guy started out making leather shoes with a "hippie" look, now he mostly switched to simple wallets, purses and jewellery. Much less work and much easier to sell...

I figured I'd make one or two for the market in September. Emphasising not the genuine handmade aspect, but the functionality and durability. I was impressed when I killed a monster fly with a flick if my wrist yesterday. Try it, you'll be surprised! The leather is relatively floppy, btw, much softer than the plastic ones. 

 

 

[chuck123wapati]

3 hours ago, tsunkasapa said:

I have a Bug Assault, a "shotgun" that shoots table salt. I like to take them on the wing. 

man i want one so bad, do they work well? whats the range? 

[mike02130]

I make and sell them.  They're better with a series of holes so the fly doesn't get the warning from the wind it creates.

[Klara]

May I ask what you are getting for them?

As for the holes, both the other guy and I have discovered that they are not necessary... (I thought they were, at first, but no.)

[fredk]

Simple and, I expect, useful

The only aspect I'd be worried about are the screws into the dowel. Did you poke or drill a pilot hole for them? In my experience screws driven directly into a dowel will split it. If you have any ready-rivets might I suggest you drill a hole for them and use them to attach the flappy bit

Very oddly I've had very few flies around these past few years. Only maybe 3 so far this year.

[tsunkasapa]

2 hours ago, chuck123wapati said:

man i want one so bad, do they work well? whats the range? 

4 feet on the wing, about 6 if they land. It's all I use anymore. And the grandson loves it too.

[Klara]

11 hours ago, fredk said:

Simple and, I expect, useful

The only aspect I'd be worried about are the screws into the dowel. Did you poke or drill a pilot hole for them? In my experience screws driven directly into a dowel will split it. If you have any ready-rivets might I suggest you drill a hole for them and use them to attach the flappy bit

Very oddly I've had very few flies around these past few years. Only maybe 3 so far this year.

I pre-pierced the second hole after the first started splitting the dowel Doesn't matter, it's something like a proof-of-concept prototype  - before I had only my market neighbour's word that leather swatters work. It's only now that I see how very well it works that I think about selling it...

I don't have rivets that would work and I believe that screws are better because they allow to change the dowel if it breaks. Or the dog chews it up...

Where do you live that there are no flies? Does Nothern Ireland still accept immigrants from the EU? Have they sorted out shipping and mail from England? Living without flies sounds like a dream come true (what about the blood-suckers, though?)

[fredk]

1 hour ago, Klara said:

Where do you live that there are no flies? Does Nothern Ireland still accept immigrants from the EU? Have they sorted out shipping and mail from England? Living without flies sounds like a dream come true (what about the blood-suckers, though?)

N.I. still allows EU citizens in to live and work. Post is ok but other items are being held up by customs eg; we now can't get sausages or processed meat in from Britain without it having a veterinary certificate. We are actually running short of certain foods in the shops eg fresh fruit & veggies. Rationing is in place; no more than two or three of certain items.

I've problem coming up; Its going to be hard and/or costly to get new leather from my supplier in England. Each hide needs a veterinary certificate, which has to be obtained by the courier. A couple of hides from England are going to cost about £90 in courier fees (used to be £16) and will take up to 2 weeks to go through customs (used to take 2 days & no customs). I can buy the leather from Tandy in USA. Courier fees including customs/taxes  is £31 and 48 hour delivery

I'm seriously worried about the lack of insects here. Hardly any mosquitos here but we have a big black non-biting midge. One thing about this island is there are no insects or animals that want to injure or kill a person. Even the sharks along the coast are friendly - they are Basking Shark and they only eat plankton

[Klara]

I knew that there are no snakes in Ireland, but I wasn't aware of there not being any biting insects - though maybe that contributed to the success of my bicycle tour 1987 (maybe the best holiday ever).

Couldn't you get your hide - and shops their food - from EU countries? I believe you wrote that N.I. economically is still in Europe? 

[chuck123wapati]

bamboo would work well for the handle, then maybe a flap of leather that wraps around the  rod then that would be wrapped tightly with thread or string.

3 hours ago, fredk said:

N.I. still allows EU citizens in to live and work. Post is ok but other items are being held up by customs eg; we now can't get sausages or processed meat in from Britain without it having a veterinary certificate. We are actually running short of certain foods in the shops eg fresh fruit & veggies. Rationing is in place; no more than two or three of certain items.

I've problem coming up; Its going to be hard and/or costly to get new leather from my supplier in England. Each hide needs a veterinary certificate, which has to be obtained by the courier. A couple of hides from England are going to cost about £90 in courier fees (used to be £16) and will take up to 2 weeks to go through customs (used to take 2 days & no customs). I can buy the leather from Tandy in USA. Courier fees including customs/taxes  is £31 and 48 hour delivery

I'm seriously worried about the lack of insects here. Hardly any mosquitos here but we have a big black non-biting midge. One thing about this island is there are no insects or animals that want to injure or kill a person. Even the sharks along the coast are friendly - they are Basking Shark and they only eat plankton

What no open borders? 

[Klara]

1 hour ago, chuck123wapati said:

...

What no open borders? 

Brexit...

[fredk]

3 hours ago, Klara said:

Couldn't you get your hide - and shops their food - from EU countries? I believe you wrote that N.I. economically is still in Europe? 

ah, there be the double catch, we are still UK as well so food etc still needs to go through the customs of EU - UK. It has to go through the customs and paperwork which ever place it come from. Thats why there is a row about it and nightly riots on our streets

[fredk]

2 hours ago, chuck123wapati said:

bamboo would work well for the handle, then maybe a flap of leather that wraps around the  rod then that would be wrapped tightly with thread or string.

A small piece of scrap leather glued onto the main piece to form a pocket for the end of the dowel or bamboo, which would look nice, to slip into. Bamboo can be bought from the likes of gardening centres as plant supports.  A few years ago I made bamboo cane pens from the plant support canes. 10 x 4ft canes cost me £0.99. 

[chuck123wapati]

1 hour ago, Klara said:

Brexit...

but , but , but thats inhuman, or so we are told.lol

[chuck123wapati]

1 hour ago, fredk said:

A small piece of scrap leather glued onto the main piece to form a pocket for the end of the dowel or bamboo, which would look nice, to slip into. Bamboo can be bought from the likes of gardening centres as plant supports.  A few years ago I made bamboo cane pens from the plant support canes. 10 x 4ft canes cost me £0.99. 

Thats the bamboo i was thinking about, maybe we need to have a flyswatter building competition lol.

[Samalan]

I think with the whole leather around the handle thing it's becoming more like well you know .

[Klara]

3 hours ago, fredk said:

ah, there be the double catch, we are still UK as well so food etc still needs to go through the customs of EU - UK. It has to go through the customs and paperwork which ever place it come from. Thats why there is a row about it and nightly riots on our streets

Really? Northern Ireland is now separated from the rest of the UK AND from the EU? How is smuggling from the Republic going? (Seriously, when laws get too crazy, reasonable people need to disobey them.)

[fredk]

3 hours ago, chuck123wapati said:

Thats the bamboo i was thinking about, maybe we need to have a flyswatter building competition lol.

you're on! 

 

2 hours ago, Samalan said:

I think with the whole leather around the handle thing it's becoming more like well you know .

No, I don't know. A fancy 'hand made' real genuine leather and real wood / grass diptera exterminator?

 

47 minutes ago, Klara said:

Really? Northern Ireland is now separated from the rest of the UK AND from the EU? How is smuggling from the Republic going? (Seriously, when laws get too crazy, reasonable people need to disobey them.)

N.I. is both IN and Out of both the UK and EU. Confused?, so are we. I no longer do any smuggling, latest smuggling, afaik, has just been fuel, alcohol drinks, tobacco and illegal type drugs. I'm sorry this has hi-jacked your fly swatter thread

[tsunkasapa]

13 hours ago, fredk said:

I'm seriously worried about the lack of insects here. Hardly any mosquitos here but we have a big black non-biting midge. One thing about this island is there are no insects or animals that want to injure or kill a person. Even the sharks along the coast are friendly - they are Basking Shark and they only eat plankton

Here where we live, we don't have mosquitos either. Too hot, dry and windy (sometimes all at one time). Nor do we have skunks, living above the irrigation canal. I'm sure there are a few kicking about out in the sagebrush, but I've only seen one in 35 years.

What we DO have is hordes of Wetsiders from what they call "The Greater Seattle Area", that descend on us and make life a nightmare. I'd actually prefer the mosquitos and skunks.