Jack Watson

Timothy Norton wrote:I have a whole bunch of old slate pieces that were used for roofing in a past life.

The majority of my old roof slate is not suitable for roofing anymore and just sits in a stack behind my shed watching the days go by. I have sizes from 24"x12" to 12"x12" as well as broken pieces of all sizes. If anyone knows roofers in Chicago who might have use for this old slate, let me know.



The old sidewalks of my village use to be big pieces of thick slate chunks that would be super slippery when it rained or if there was snow. Much of this has been swapped out for modern materials but there are still a few sections that exist. If only I could get my hands on that material!

Any ideas?

I also encountered a pile of old slate that was left after the roof repair. I used it for garden paths and small wall trims. I also made a sample of small pieces for the flowerbed - it turns out unusual, and the material does not spread over the area. If the pieces are large, you can try to make a garden bench or small table by simply laying them on bricks.

I tried to burn the tube both horizontally and vertically. In a vertical position, the thrust is noticeably stronger because the hot air moves up and creates a stable draft. When the burn tube is horizontal, the thrust is worse, the flame moves slowly, inside often smoke accumulates, and the temperature drops. Even if the horizontal section goes up, it still does not work as effectively as a fully vertical option.

I also made a rocket oven with a horizontal channel, and faced a similar problem: the heat was trapped under the mass and left slowly, especially if the mass is large and poorly insulated. I tried to reduce the layer around the pipes, add sand and straw to speed up the heat transfer, but the result was average. I think it is important not to overdo it with the mass and immediately foresee how it will heat the room.

I also made a metal Peter channel for my rocket. I first drew the pattern on a cardboard, then transferred it to a sheet of steel and carved it out with a bulldozer, like you. I had a similar problem with the edge of the ceramic board, so the idea of a new channel seems to me useful. It is interesting how long this will last and how steel will behave over time.

I also made beds with wicking system of 55-gallon barrel, and I can say that the water does not always rise well above 30-35 cm layer of soil, especially if the ground is not very loose. When the layer is too thick, the top dries faster and the bottom may be raw, but plants do not use this. I would advise not to make a layer of soil above 1/3 barrel, otherwise it will be inconvenient to work and the moisture is distributed worse.

Pearl Sutton wrote:A link was posted by Cynthia Quilici that sent me down a rabbithole of LOVELY old things!  
Antique Pattern Library
It's PDF scans of old books (most seem to be 1890-1925) about things like crochet patterns, and how to make lace, and wax flowers!! (Hey beekeepers, something neat to do with wax!) All KINDS of neat stuff!

I have a thing about hating to see old skills lost to modern tech, so I try to save things like this when I can. There are at least two generations that have lost not only most of these skills, but the concept they exist at all. The idea of "this is current fashion, I'll make one! Is SO much different than "this is current fashion, I'll go to the mall and buy one made in factory that looks like the other 8,652,386 that were made that month.

Come down this rabbithole, learn things, teach them to your kids, share the link around. This is WAY too cool to be lost to the modern madness.

A picture to be the thumbnail for this thread, a stained glass design from a random PDF on that site.

I also like to look for old schemes and instructions, sometimes there are unexpected and useful ideas that you will not find in modern books. I have tried to repeat such patterns for glass and noticed that the quality and attention to detail in old works is often higher than today. Thanks for the link, I will look at this archive, maybe take something for my projects.