How to make a boot scraper

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How to make a boot scraper

BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

Published: Thursday, 26 September 2019 at 1:56 pm

Keep your boots free of mud and muck with the help of this DIY boot scraper.

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This boot scraper is handy to keep by the back door. It only takes a couple of hours to make and costs next to nothing.

Of course, if you're dealing with muddy paths, you could improve them by laying a path or stepping stones. Find out how to do it in these video guides to making a brick path and making a decking path.

Learn how to make this handy boot scraper, below.

You Will Need

Chisel
Hammer
Saw
Large log
Thick slate tile
Wood glue

Total time: 2 hours

Step 1

Sawing the log

Stand the log for the boot scraper upright and saw off a third, cutting vertically down to make a flat surface.

Step 2

Stand the larger piece of wood on its flat side and saw two parallel lines about 10cm deep along its length. They should be a few millimetres apart, slightly wider than the width of the slate.

Step 3

Use a chisel and a hammer to remove the wood between the lines, creating a channel for the slate to sit in.

Step 4

Slot the slate into the channel so it protrudes about 10cm – cut it to size if necessary.

Step 5

Adding wood glue to the channel

Remove the tile and squirt a line of wood glue along the channel then push the tile back in. If the tile wobbles, insert some small pieces of wood into the gap to hold it firm.

Try to choose a log that has attractive bark. Your boot scraper will mellow as it ages and attract moss. We used a birch log with appealing white bark.

Pruning saw

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