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Feb 16
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The Quest for a Proper Workbench

By Hand Tools, Woodworking

woodworking-workbench

Things are about to get serious. Very serious. Ever since spending time with Greg in his workshop in Tennessee last winter, I’ve realized just how critical it is to have an appropriate space to work on projects. In this case, woodworking projects. Greg has a big 6′ long maple workbench — it’s heavy, solid, and outfitted with extremely useful (and well-made) vises and clamping devices. Using his shop and bench really put the bug in my head that I would like to build my own bench at some point, when space, time, and other factors allowed.

And now I’m graced with having a bit of available time on my hands, and soon, at least some temporary space to set up a workbench. The time has come to build a heavy duty workbench in the traditional style.

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Feb 11
Love0

Axes We Love

By Carpentry, Woodworking, Wood Carving, Hand Tools
John Neeman Tools Goosewing Broad Axe

The very artful John Neeman Goosewing Broad Axe

I’ll admit, I spend perhaps an inordinate amount of time looking at images of axes. There’s just something about them. I think it’s their timeless functionality and dashingly good looks. Over the hundreds of thousands of years they have been in use by humankind, any number of styles, shapes, and sizes have been made to perform a variety of splitting, chopping, carving, and shaping work. It’s the sheer variety and the craftsmanship that I’m most attracted to, I think. Of course I love using them, too, probably more than any other hand tool.

To celebrate the axe and the people who continue to make them, here is a selection of 26 modern day hand forged axes made by a variety of blacksmiths that are beautiful, functional, and swoon-worthy.

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Feb 05
Love0

Paradise Lot: Creating Eden in the Suburbs

By Resources, Gardening, Homesteading, Permaculture

ParadiseLot-bookAs I enter a new phase in life with the goal of obtaining raw land to create my own slice of homesteading delight, my appetite for books and stories about permaculture, especially of a more personal account is ever greater. This is a fortunate time, as the number of books over the past decade have only been increasing as people have had more time to take permaculture principles to the field, garden, and home with new results to share. Landowners and prospective owners should consider themselves lucky to not have to go in quite as blind as before with books like Paradise Lot, by Eric Toensmeier and Jonathan Bates.

Actually, in this case a landowner could mean anyone with even a tiny backyard to their name, as this dynamic duo have created an unbelievable patch of perennial goodness on a mere 1/10th of an acre. Their experiment and book are a testament to the idea that even supremely ravaged land in suburban deserts can be transformed into thriving ecosystems, providing an abundance of soil, food, habitat, and ultimately reward.

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Jan 29
Love0

Death is Life: Gene Everlasting Book Review

By Resources

GeneEverlastingThe next time I feel desperate about the state of affairs in the world, I should turn to this book for a quick and thorough pick-me-up. Which is ironic, I guess, because the real theme of the book (as you might guess from its title) is death. Death and dying are usually not a welcome topic of conversation.

However, Gene Everlasting is an evocative opportunity to step into the well-worn shoes of our favorite contrary farmer/writer Gene Logsdon and consider what it’s like to have lived 80 years on this crazy green earth, possibly waiting for death around the corner, questioning immortality, but discovering what it means to savor life in all of its colorful moments, big or small, happy or sad.

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Jan 26
Love0

Do You Have WordPress Technical Experience?

By Uncategorized

Wordpress LogoUpdate: Thanks for all the many offers of assistance! Things are now under control.

The Year of Mud website is needing somewhat advanced technical work, more than I can currently provide. After years of using the software, I know some of my way around fairly well, but an issue is at stake that could use a code-savvy individual to get in and clean up some stuff. Are you that person? Do you have WordPress technical experience? Spam links have been embedded in the background of some of the pages, and the result is that this website’s ranking on Google is suffering. Yikes.

I would appreciate any help that can be provided. Perhaps we can work something out. The results will be for the better of the site and its readers. Please contact me if you think you can possibly be of assistance! Thanks!

Jan 20
Love1

Beautiful Shingles in Poland

By Photos

Zakopane, Poland

This is mighty impressive roof work from Zakopane, Poland. This building specifically is a hotel in a ski resort town near the Tatra mountains. I keep going back to look at this image to wonder who had the patience to lay those wooden shingles out so beautifully and precisely.

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Jan 11
Love0

Tool Drool

By Hand Tools, Woodworking, Resources

2013_04_katalog_teaserThis post (I hope) is not encouraging materialism, although it may seem mighty close. I just got my free copy of the newest (to me) Dictum tools catalog. Dictum (formerly Dick Fine Tools) is based in Germany, where they offer the topmost of the top of the line woodworking (and gardening, leather working) tools in the world. That sounds like a bold claim, but I think it’s true. It’s full of the best Japanese, German, & American wares. Their catalog is very finely made to boot, with beautiful photos, and a wealth of information about each category of tools.

Why am I writing about this… well, the catalog is free, and I encourage anyone curious to go ahead and get a copy (by mail, or by PDF). Sometimes, it’s helpful to know what quality means and looks like. I have no doubt the stuff in here is top notch, most of it exceedingly so that it easily surpasses my budget. Maybe this is a stretch, but I think it’s educational, too. The range of items they offer is big, and some things I have frankly never seen anywhere else. There are profiles interspersed of individual toolmakers, so you get a sense of who is making the knives, saws, where they live, etc. I especially like that.

I am a firm believer that you shouldn’t waste your time with inferior tools (because time and energy are ultimately our greatest asset), and the refined craft of tool making is unfortunately going by the wayside. This is a way to keep those ideas alive.

Jan 06
Love0

Making a Windsor Chair: Slideshow

By Woodworking

When I made my most recent continuous arm Windsor chair, I set out to take a photo every step of the way. I mostly did that, but I did miss a few. Namely, I missed a good bit of the assembly, and some of the turning. Can’t blame myself for having my hands full and all, I suppose. It’s way easier to document some one else building something. I guess I’ll just have to build another chair some day and be a bit more diligent with the photos.

Nevertheless, this slideshow should give a decent impression of the myriad steps that accompany making a chair from scratch. Enjoy!

Dec 30
Love0

2013: The Year of Chairs, Stairs, Workshopping, & Moving

By Homesteading, Natural Building Workshops, Carpentry, Strawtron, Woodworking
Spreading Seed: Living Roof

High up in the sky, spreading seed on the living roof of Strawtron

Now is the typical time to think back on the past year, and to try my darnedest to remember everything that has transpired. 2013 was a particularly memorable year, not unlike the others, I suppose. But this year has been pretty different in several big ways, too. Most notably, this year we decided to move to Berea, Kentucky and sell our two homes at Dancing Rabbit. But that didn’t stop us from squeezing in a few more natural building workshops before we left. Oh, and we had to wrap up a lot of work on Strawtron before we could even sell it. Somehow, we found a way to cram it all in.

Here’s a look at how events and projects unfolded in 2013.

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Dec 26
Love0

And The Winner Is…

By Uncategorized

ricefield-winner

Yesterday, we drew the lucky winner’s name out of a bowl for the Ricefield Collective mittens giveaway. The winner is Diana Sheppard. Congrats, Diana! I wish we had enough mittens for all the folks who entered, but alas…

Keep warm and have a great New Year, folks.