Due to a recent flooding problem, we had to have gutters installed along a short section of our roof. Two old men turned up on a Saturday morning toting several lengths of guttering and a flaming canister, sparks flying off the back of their ragtag motorcycle. While they measured and cut they kept feeding charcoal into the canister, fanning the embers through a big hole cut in the bottom. Two long handled tools- metal shafts with heavy wedge shaped heads- were stashed in the canister. The heavy heads were irons used to solder the seams of the gutters and downspouts. Using their hands and feet with equal dexterity, the men meticulously sealed every seam, switching between the long-handled tools as one lost its heat. Hardly a drop of molten metal was wasted and the gutters have done well to keep the rain from flooding the upstairs and trickling down the stairs.