Mike Haasl

This is a badge bit (BB) that is part of the PEM curriculum.  Completing this BB is part of getting the Straw badge in Traditional Skills.

Music often draws people together and builds community.  Let's make a flute!

 
 

Here's one way to do it:


Minimum requirements:
  - Make a flute from wood
  - At least 1/2" internal diameter
  - Sounds like a flute
  - Protected with a natural oil or wax finish
  - This bb can only use materials that existed 200 years ago

Provide proof of the following as pictures or video (<2 min):
  - The wood you're starting with
  - Midway through making the flute
  - Finished flute
  - Short video of playing the flute to show that it makes flute-like sounds

This is a badge bit (BB) that is part of the PEM curriculum.  Completing this BB is part of getting the Straw badge in Traditional Skills.

In the days before computers, people wrote letters on paper.  Let's make our own paper!

 
 

Here's one way to do it:


Minimum requirements:
  - Make 6 sheets of paper
  - At least 8" by 11"
  - Starting with plant material or wood (not recycling paper)
  - This bb can only use materials that existed 200 years ago

Provide proof of the following as pictures or video (<2 min):
  - The material you're going to make the paper from
  - Your tools and equipment to make the paper with
  - Midway through making the paper
  - 6 finished sheets of paper showing their size

This is a badge bit (BB) that is part of the PEM curriculum.  Completing this BB is part of getting the Straw badge in Traditional Skills.

In the days before computers, people wrote letters on paper.  Let's make our own paper!

 
 

Here's one way to do it:


Minimum requirements:
  - Make 6 sheets of paper
  - At least 8" by 11"
  - Starting with plant material or wood (not recycling paper)
  - This bb can only use materials that existed 200 years ago

Provide proof of the following as pictures or video (<2 min):
  - The material you're going to make the paper from
  - Your tools and equipment to make the paper with
  - Midway through making the paper
  - 6 finished sheets of paper showing their size

This is a badge bit (BB) that is part of the PEM curriculum.  Completing this BB is part of getting the Straw badge in Traditional Skills.

How did they keep food cold in the summer in the olden days?  They had an ice house.  If you have one, you might need to collect ice for it.  Let's collect some blocks of ice!

 
 

Here's one way to do it:


Minimum requirements:
  - Harvest 12 blocks of ice from a lake, pond or river
  - At least 1 cubic foot per block
  - This bb can only use materials that existed 200 years ago

Provide proof of the following as pictures or video (<2 min):
  - The ice you're going to harvest
  - Cutting the ice
  - 12 blocks of ice after transporting some distance from the harvest site

For sure!  The wood can come from on site and the maple trees likely will be on site too.  Other than maybe $50-80 of equipment, the main cost is time.  Andres' team did a really good job putting my footage together into something I think is useful :)

This is a badge bit (BB) that is part of the PEM curriculum.  Completing this BB is part of getting the Straw badge in Traditional Skills.

How did they keep food cold in the summer in the olden days?  They had an ice house.  Let's try to build one!

 
 

Here's an idea of how they're used:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKmSav64bR4

Minimum requirements:
  - Make a traditional ice storage building
  - At least 8 cubic yards of ice storage
  - Very well insulated
  - Drainage for melted ice to leave
  - This can be combined with the Building badge, just extra points here to cover ice house nuances
  - This bb can only use materials that existed 200 years ago

Provide proof of the following as pictures or video (<2 min):
  - The place the ice house will go
  - Midway through making the ice house
  - Finished ice house showing the interior dimensions

This is a badge bit (BB) that is part of the PEM curriculum.  Completing this BB is part of getting the Straw badge in Traditional Skills.

Meat preservation and/or flavor can be improved by smoking it.  Let's make a smoker!

 
 

Here's one way to do it:


Minimum requirements:
  - Make a traditional smoker or smoke house
  - Can be a hot, cold or dual smoker
  - At least 2' by 2' by 4' high smoking space
  - This bb can only use materials that existed 200 years ago

Provide proof of the following as pictures or video (<2 min):
  - The place the smoker will go
  - Midway through making the smoker
  - Finished smoker showing the interior dimensions
  - Running the smoker

This is a badge bit (BB) that is part of the PEM curriculum.  Completing this BB is part of getting the Straw badge in Traditional Skills.

How did they keep food cold in the summer in the olden days?  They had an ice house.  Let's try to build one!

 
 

Here's an idea of how they're used:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKmSav64bR4

Minimum requirements:
  - Make a traditional ice storage building
  - At least 8 cubic yards of ice storage
  - Very well insulated
  - Drainage for melted ice to leave
  - This can be combined with the Building badge, just extra points here to cover ice house nuances
  - This bb can only use materials that existed 200 years ago

Provide proof of the following as pictures or video (<2 min):
  - The place the ice house will go
  - Midway through making the ice house
  - Finished ice house showing the interior dimensions

Craig Weiser wrote:Chaining/winching the tree in the direction of the fall is essential but perhaps use heavy equipment to add force, to flush out any weirdness?  So make the wedge, then do the big pull.  If the tree resists, go back and do the cut.

I'd say the chain/winch is only needed if you worry that it wants to fall a different way than how you want it to fall.  I'd caution against the idea of only doing the wedge cut and then pulling.  If you put a bunch of tension on it and then go to do the back cut you can cause a barber chair.  If they're that worrisome, hire the pros (with insurance)

This is a badge bit (BB) that is part of the PEM curriculum.  Completing this BB is part of getting the Straw badge in Traditional Skills.

When the snow comes, the wheelbarrow becomes a bit less useful.  Let's build a sturdy sled to haul stuff across the snow with!

 
 

Here's something kind of like what we want:


Minimum requirements:
  - Make a traditional wooden sled
  - Strong enough to carry 200 lbs
  - Ski tips can ride over a 6" snow ridge
  - At least 5 feet long
  - Include a rope to pull it with
  - This bb can only use materials that existed 200 years ago

Provide proof of the following as pictures or video (<2 min):
  - The wood you're starting with
  - Midway through making the sled
  - Finished sled