Technology for Luddites
“A rivet spacer was originally designed for evenly spacing rivets on aircraft, but it can be used for evenly spacing anything, from buttons on a sweater, to finish nails on those infernal Ikea drawers you are trying to put together nicely.”
“It completely eliminates any need for calculations and weird fractions. You just stretch the fan to the end points with the number of holes you want. It is one of those tools that you never knew you missed until you use it once.” Found at Cool Tools.
“Brazilian, London-based designer, artist and all-around maker Paulo Goldstein has lended his model-making talents to such films as The Fantastic Mr. Fox and Frankenweenie, but after receiving a Master’s Degree in Industrial Design from Central Saint Martins in London, it appears he is opening a whole new chapter. His graduate project, called Repair is Beautiful focuses on repairing broken objects from a craftsperson’s eye.”
Via REculture.
The repair process of all objects (a chair, an anglepoise, headphones, an iPod) is explained step by step with photographs.
The Sailrocket, a sailing boat that we have talked about before, is the fastest craft under sail, after breaking the 2010 record held by a kiteboarder.
During the last run in Namibia in November 2012, an improved version of this unconventional boat reached an average speed of 65.45 knots (121.21 km/h or 75.31 mph) over a distance of 500 meters. Earlier this year it set speed records of 59.23 and 59.37 knots.
Record sailing speeds have almost tripled since the beginning of the 1970s. Those who think that sailboats are a technology from the past, think again.
See and read more at YachtPals and Sailrocket.
“Ryan Frank is South African born designer who learned about re-using materials from a childhood in a country where recycling was par for the course. He has spent most of his life as a designer in London and Barcelona where people are less accustomed to making furniture out of trash. So he launched a collection to get consumers more involved in making their own upcycled lamps.”
“The A(dd)Y(our)O(wn) lighting range gives everyone the chance to be part designer, part manufacturer. Made from rebar and natural rubber, the lights are designed without lampshades to encourage the re-use and re-cycle of everyday objects from garden, house or street. For Roomservice Design Gallery Ryan fitted the lights with a series of iconic Spanish objects salvaged in the streets of Barcelona such as fruit crates, olive oil tins and pickle jars.” Check out the video and the product page.
“Straw Bale Gardening is simply a different type of container gardening. The main difference is that the container is the straw bale itself and is held together with two or three strings.”
“Once the straw inside the bale begins to decay the straw becomes ‘conditioned’ compost that creates an extraordinary plant rooting environment. Getting the straw bales conditioned is an essential part of the process, and should be started two weeks prior to your target planting date wherever you are located.”
“This gardening technique works well anywhere in the country or the world for that matter.” Read more: here and here.
The Solar Spark Lighter is a pocket-size solar firestarter and lighter. It is a stainless steel parabolic mirror, like the one used to light the Olympic torch. It is designed to focus the sun’s radiant energy to a precise focal point that can reach hundreds of degrees. Just point it at the sun and it lights in seconds. Measures about 4.5″ diameter.
