“507 Mechanical Movements, embracing dynamics, hydraulics, hydrostatics, pneumatics, steam engines, mill and other gearing, presses, horology, and miscellaneous machinery, and including many movements never before published, and several which have only recently come into use“. Henry T. Brown, 1908. Via Doug Berch.
507 Mechanical Movements (1908)
November 4, 2009 by Filed Under: Books & Reference, Mechanics, Obsolete technology, Random
Plastics in the World of Tomorrow – Plastics in the World of Today
Plastics in the world of tomorrow (1944).
Plastics in the world of today (October 2009).
Low-tech Indoor Truck
The Monark Transport kick-scooter is a fast and healthy way for staff to easily move supplies and tools around large indoor spaces. Its load capacity is 150 kg (330 lbs) and it can be equipped with a second platform level and a platform edge rim.
Streetcar Scooter
October 20, 2009 by Filed Under: Hybrids, Random, Scooters, Trams or streetcars, Travel
Found at the Italian Motoblog. Probably a service vehicle for trams/streetcars.
How To Make Everything Yourself – Online Low-Tech Resources
October 12, 2009 by Filed Under: Books & Reference, DIY, Random
Energy Bulletin pointed us to the website of Practical Action (previously known as the Schumacher Centre for Technology & Development), an online resource devoted to low-technology solutions for developing countries. The site hosts many manuals that can also be of interest for low-tech DIYers in the developed world. They cover energy, agriculture, food processing, construction and manufacturing, just to name some important categories.
We would like to add to this the impressive online library put together by software engineer Alex Weir. The 900 documents listed here (13 gigabytes in total) are not as well organised and presented as those of Practical Action, but there is a wealth of information that is not found anywhere else. The library is also hosted here (without search engine).
Other interesting online resources that offer manuals and instructions are Appropedia, Howtopedia and Open Source Ecology. These are all wiki’s, so you can cooperate. The Centre for Alternative technologies has many interesting manuals, too, but the majority of those are not for free. Previously: The museum of old techniques / A do-it-ourselves guide.
Scale Models of Dutch Windmills
October 8, 2009 by Filed Under: DIY, Random, Scale models, Wind Power, Windmills, Wood
Penterbak shows a dozen scale models of traditional Dutch Windmills. The text is in Dutch, but that should not stop you. Above: a saw mill. Some building plans are here, here and here. Related: Wind powered factories – the history (and future?) of industrial windmills.
