technique

Furoshiki: Traditional Japanese Cloth Wrapping

December 2, 2006 by Justin Thomas 5 Comments

A “Furoshiki” is a traditional Japanese cloth used to wrap gifts, clothes, and other goods. Recently this practice has been revived in Japan. The appeal of this form of wrapping is that the cloth is reused for other purposes, and it is an eco-effective technique in this regard. Furoshiki means “bath spread” and it derives… [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: ebay, edo period, form, Furoshiki, furoshiki wrapping techniques, Furoshikis, Japanese, product navigator, public baths, technique

Solar Water Heating: Book Review

September 22, 2006 by Justin Thomas 3 Comments

Solar Water Heating is the first book I’ve seen that focuses solely on solar water heating. It’s a technique that’s been practiced since ancient times, but until now there’s been strangely few resources on the topic for a North American audience. The author, Bob Ramlow, examines state-of-the-art solar heating systems. He covers not only solar… [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Hot Water Systems Tagged With: audience, Book, pool heating systems, review, solar heating systems, solar pool heating, solar pool heating systems, solar water heating, technique, topic

Raw Cacao Butter: An Efficient Dessert & Skin Moisturizer

March 3, 2006 by Justin Thomas 8 Comments

Raw cacao butter — this is the pure oil of the cacao bean, extracted using a cold-press technique — the temperature stays around 104 degrees Fahrenheit, instead of 300 degrees which is the norm. The oil is edible and possesses a rich, delicate chocolate aroma. You can add a piece of the cacao butter to… [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Food and Drink, Medicines and Remedies Tagged With: aroma, bean, cacao, cacao bean, cacao butter, chocolate aroma, raw cacao, skin, skin moisturizer, technique

Book Review: The Beauty of Straw Bale Homes

January 7, 2005 by Justin Thomas 1 Comment

Straw bales are a renewable resource, and they are becoming a widely used construction material in some parts of the U.S. Many localities have specific codes for strawbale construction, and some banks are willing to lend on this technique. Bale walls can be erected quickly, even by amatuer builders. This book, The Beauty of Straw… [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Architecture, Book Reviews Tagged With: amatuer, Bale, bale walls, Book, design possibilities, Resource, straw bale homes, straw bale houses, straw bales, technique

Danko Persing: Gotham Stackable Chair and Lounge Chair

July 28, 2004 by Justin Thomas Leave a Comment

These chairs are made from bent maple plywood, using a technique that consumes 1/8 of the wood normally used in construction. The seats are webbed with recycled automobile seatbelt material. As you might expect, this material is extremely strong and does not sag. Danko produces a range of similarly designed furniture in their Pennsylvania workshop.… [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Chairs, Furniture, Tables Tagged With: automobile, chairs, lounge chair, peter danko, plywood, range, sag, seatbelt, technique, wood

Hyper-Optimal: Create an Oasis with Greywater

July 28, 2004 by Justin Thomas Leave a Comment

The book “Create an Oasis with Greywater” by Art Ludwig is packed with information about how to reuse greywater by diverting it into your garden. What is greywater? It’s all the “waste” water produced in a house besides sewage — e.g. water from showers, sinks and washing machines. This is a key meta-efficient technique because,… [Continue Reading]