Primitive Technology: Forge Blower Primitive Technology 2024-10-11 | Primitive Technology: Forge Blower
Primitive Technology: Geopolymer Cement (Ash and Clay) Primitive Technology 2024-05-02 | Primitive Technology: Geopolymer Cement (Ash and Clay)Subscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!Watch my newest content: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Follow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Newest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1&index=2Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1&index=2Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1&index=2Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1&index=2About This Video:I have made wood ash cement before under the assumption that it was the calcium in the ash that gave it its cementitious properties. It may however be a type of geopolymer cement, where the cement is activated by and acid or a base (in this case a base). The acronym NASH is used to remember the material needed: sodium, alumina, silica and H2O. All of these are present in the materials used here. I did some experiments to see how to produce the cement using ash and fired clay from broken bricks. The first method was to take ash from a cold fire and form it into pellets. One pellet was left aside to dry while the others were calcined by firing them in a forge with wood. The calcined pellets were then mixed with terracotta in different proportions (ash: clay 1:0, 1:1, 1:2, 1:3). All samples survived a water test after setting for a week except for the sample made from cold ash that had not been calcined. This demonstrates the need to calcine the ash at a high temperature before use.Next I built a furnace with a grate for calcining ash to prove it could be done with natural draft rather than the more laborious blower method. An ash brick or clinker was made from a cold fire and was placed on the grate and fired. The clinker was then taken out, mixed with terracotta and formed into various shapes. One sample was mixed with sand as an alternative to terracotta. The samples all survived the water test after 2 days of setting though the sand sample isn't as strong as the terracotta ones.Finally, I took the ash from the furnace and used it as is without forming it into a clinker and calcining it. My theory was that ash from the furnace gets hot enough just from burning on the grate that it does not need further calcining. The ash was mixed as is with terracotta and left to set for only 6 hours. It passed the water test without dissolving suggesting a quick setting time.These experiments have shown how it might be possible to scale up and simplify the production of ash cement. I'm considering it as an alternative to brick making as it's potentially a simpler method (no brick forming, hours stoking the kiln etc.). The structures would have to be adapted to the new material and might be insitu formed walls. More experiments need to be done.About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.#PrimitiveTechnology #GeopolymerCement #cement
Primitive Technology: Wet Season Destroys Thatched Workshop Primitive Technology 2024-04-04 | Primitive Technology: Wet Season Destroys Thatched WorkshopSubscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!Watch my newest content: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Follow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Newest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1&index=2Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1&index=2Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1&index=2Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1&index=2About This Video:The thatched workshop where I produce bricks, pottery, cement and charcoal for various projects was destroyed by prolonged rain from the wet season. Built less than a year ago, the thatch had deteriorated due to moth larvae and mold consuming it. The rain got through and rotted the lashings holding the roof up and it collapsed. In contrast to this, the brick and wood ash cement hut still stands after 2 years due to the permanent building materials. A second smaller thatched hut was built to continue the brick making process but even that was made difficult by the weather with that thatch rotting in less than a month. In the long term, a workshop made of permanent materials, similar to the main brick and wood ash cement hut, will have to be built in order to continue production of ceramic materials. The problem is that there needs to be such a structure to produce the building materials needed to build that very structure.About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.#PrimitiveTechnology #Wilderness #ThatchedHut
Primitive Technology: One-Way Blower Iron Smelt & Forging Experiment Primitive Technology 2024-02-29 | Primitive Technology: One-Way Blower Iron Smelt & Forging ExperimentSubscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!Watch my newest content: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Follow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Newest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1&index=2Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1&index=2Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1&index=2Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1&index=2About This Video:I tested the one-way spinning blower in an iron smelt and it is more effective than the previous both way spinning blower. Using the same amount of ore and charcoal, the original blower yielded 30 g of iron where as the new blower yielded 51 g. The previous all time record was 41 g from several years ago but the new blower it beat that by 10 g on its first run. The energy saved by having the fan spin constantly in one direction no doubt contributes to the better performance of the blower. As with the old blower, the new one produces high carbon iron prills (cast iron blobs) in slag. The brittle slag crushes easily while the iron prills remain intact to be picked out by hand or gravity separated with panning. The iron prills were also quite large and more numerous than smelts done with the old blower.Also in this video is a forging experiment. Using iron from previous smelts, a crude bar of iron was melted together into in a mold. The iron prills were placed in a clay mold, put into a forge and heated with charcoal using a flat nozzle tuyere. The process produced a 8cm long, 2.5cm wide bar. This bar was then heated to a red heat with wood for a while to anneal it, making it malleable in theory. However, when I tried to forge it, it crumbled apart. The waste iron was set aside in a pot for re-smelting so as not to lose it. About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.#PrimitiveTechnology #IronSmelt #Forging
Primitive Technology: One Way Spinning, Rope Stick Blower Primitive Technology 2024-02-01 | Primitive Technology: One Way Spinning, Rope Stick BlowerSubscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!Watch my newest content: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Follow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Newest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1&index=2Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1&index=2Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1&index=2Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1&index=2About This Video:I made a type of forge blower that spins continuously in one direction only, driven with a simple rope and stick, using a novel technique I developed. The rope, wrapped around the rotor, is pulled down and back via the stick on the power stroke, tightening and causing the rotor to spin clockwise. The stick is then lifted up towards the rotor and pushed forward on the return stroke, loosening the ropes grip around the rotor, allowing it to continue to spin in the same direction due to its momentum. The cycle is then repeated producing uninterrupted, one way, high speed rotation.Until now the blowers I made intermittently spun clockwise, stopped, and then turned anti clockwise driven either by a stick and rope mechanism or by a string passed over a groove in the top of the rotor (see start of video). Energy was wasted each time the rotation was halted and reversed. This also meant that only symmetrical blower housings could be used, more efficient volute shaped housings could not. But with the new operating technique producing one way rotation, a volute shaped housing was built and tested, working as intended. The other change to the blower was that it is now mounted vertically rather than laid out horizontally. The rotor is suspended between two upright stakes that have a single hole partly bored into each of them. These hold the ends of the rotor, acting as thrust bearings. This simple frame allows the rotor to spin freely.The new blower will be used for iron smelting and will be compared with the older blower designs. The potential advantages are better efficiency and ergonomics. Less effort seems to be expended due to the continuous momentum being conserved through each cycle. Also, one hand is left free during use which might be an advantage during forging (i.e. using tongs, adding charcoal etc.). The disadvantage is that it's less portable than the original, the wooden stakes need to be driven into soft ground meaning there's less places it can be used. But this is a negligible issue if the forging area is permanent. Contents:00:00 Current blower design (spins both ways)00:35 Frame for new blower 03:33 Making rope05:28 Making fan spokes07:10 Setting up the mechanism07:35 One way spinning technique08:33 Fan blades09:40 Test with old symmetrical housing14:29 Making new volute shaped housing21:57 Setting up new housing23:52 Testing with new housingAbout Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.#PrimitiveTechnology #ForgeBlower #Pyrotechnics
Primitive Technology: Crab and Fish Trap Primitive Technology 2024-01-04 | Primitive Technology: Crab and Fish TrapSubscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!Watch my newest content: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Follow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Newest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1&index=2Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1&index=2Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1&index=2Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1&index=2About This Video:I made a fish trap from cane and tested it over the course of a year catching various aquatic animals. Initially, I intended catching eels with it but instead it caught fish, crayfish and even a fresh water crab. These were then released back into the wild. This type of trap is made in two parts, a basket and a funnel. The funnel is inserted into the the opening of the basket so that animals venture into the trap easily but have difficulty exiting. The trap requires no bait to work and can be reused over as long as it's intact. The video also shows the huts in the rain season.About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.#PrimitiveTechnology #crabtrap #fishing
Primitive Technology: Natural Draft Iron Smelt Primitive Technology 2023-11-30 | Primitive Technology: Natural Draft Iron SmeltSubscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!Watch my newest content: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Follow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Newest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1&index=2Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1&index=2Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1&index=2Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1&index=2Contents:00:00 Building the furnace04:39 Ore5:28 Charcoal7:15 Smelt 1 (fresh ore)11:12 Result/processing product13:57 Modifying furnace16:33 Smelt 2 (recycled slag)20:50 Result/processing product21:40 ConclusionAbout This Video:I built a natural draft furnace and smelted iron ore in it, producing a small amount of iron. A natural draft furnace is one where the draft is supplied by convection alone. This is opposed to a forced draft where bellows or fan is used to supply air flow instead. Natural draft furnaces are typically taller than forced draft furnaces to make use of the stack effect. They also often have multiple large air entries or tuyeres to help reduce resistance to air flow. Natural draft furnaces where used to smelt iron in ancient times in Europe and up to more recently in Africa where some are still standing. The lack of the need for bellows reduces labor and complexity.The furnace was 1.5 m tall and 25 cm internal diameter with 4 tuyeres 5 cm internal diameter. Charcoal was used as a fuel and iron bacteria was used as an ore. The smelt produced about 4 g of iron prills but could probably be improved with a longer preheat and a higher charcoal to or ratio. A second smelt was run with slag from previous smelts using 8 tuyeres this time to increase air flow. But it made only about a gram of iron, possibly due to the slag not having much iron left in it. Natural draft furnaces do not rely on bellows or blowers and so labor is significantly decreased during a smelt. They are also simpler to operate with less components to break down or maintain. However, I've read that they use more charcoal per iron made, possibly because part of the energy from the fuel goes into supplying the air flow through the furnace. With further experimentation, I believe that my natural draft furnaces can make better yields of iron.About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.#PrimitiveTechnology #Iron Smelt #Draft Furnace
Primitive Technology: Volute Shaped Blower Primitive Technology 2023-11-02 | Primitive Technology: Volute Shaped BlowerSubscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!Watch my newest content: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Follow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Newest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1&index=2Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1&index=2Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1&index=2Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1&index=2About This Video:I made a volute shaped blower where the housing for the fan is volute shaped, that is to say a widening spiral to test the effectiveness of a one way spinning impeller. The previous blower design is tear drop shaped so that the direction that the fan spins is un important. Also with the previous design the impeller spins one way and then the other as it is powered by a simple string mechanism. In the new design, a weight was employed in the form of a heavy log attached to the rotor. The top of the rotor is held and the weight spun to create rotation. This method produces less rpm than the original but allows the fan to be spun continuously in one direction only. To compensate for the lower rpm, the fan was doubled in size (from 25 cm to 50 cm) to increase blade tip speed and so air speed.Now with a fan that spins in one direction only, a housing could be used to take advantage of this fact. A volute is an expanding spiral and housing for fans that are volute shaped help guide the air from the center to the outlet more efficiently than a tear drop shaped one. This was made using mud on the ground as opposed to a clay portable one as it was starting to get too big to transport.The fan was tested in an iron smelt. Disappointingly, it only produced a bit of iron in the form of much smaller prills than usual due to the low rpm and hence air pressure than the original blower. After some rough calculations from research, this design might become competitive with the original blower if the fan diameter was scaled up to 1m diameter from the original 25 cm diameter fan. The advantage of this design is that it is simpler and has fewer components than the original as there is no string that needs replacing. The dis advantage is that for it to produce good pressure it's diameter needs to be scaled up to the point where it is no longer compact and portable.About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.#PrimitiveTechnology #volute #fireblower
Primitive Technology: Brick and Charcoal Production Primitive Technology 2023-10-05 | Primitive Technology: Brick and Charcoal ProductionSubscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!Watch my newest content: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Follow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Newest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1&index=2Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1&index=2Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1&index=2Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1&index=2About This Video:In this video I use the thatched hut to fire bricks and make charcoal in for the first time. To make and fire bricks, a workspace protected from the rain must be made to protect the bricks from dissolving before they are fired. Built in a previous video, the hut was used as a space to fire the bricks. The firing went well with no issues with the thatch catching fire due to the height of the roof above the kiln.In addition to the hut being a place to make bricks, I made a charcoal mound in the space left over to make charcoal, a fuel for smelting iron. I had a previous charcoal mound out in the weather but the rain was an issue keeping the wood damp before getting a chance to fire it. So I made a 75 cm diameter re-useable charcoal mound and it produced 6 and a half pots of charcoal. About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.#PrimitiveTechnology #brickmaking #charcoal
Primitive Technology: Downdraft Kiln Primitive Technology 2023-08-31 | Primitive Technology: Downdraft KilnSubscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!Watch my newsest content: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Follow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Newest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1&index=2Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1&index=2Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1&index=2Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1&index=2About This Video:A Phoenix kiln is a type of downdraft kiln where the firebox is below the ware chamber. It was developed in America in the 1970's by George Wright and gets it's name from the Phoenix workshops. It is classified as a downdraft kiln because the flames go up into the ware chamber and then down to the exit flue of the ware chambers before going up a chimney. I built one from mud to learn about how it works and to see how hot it gets. The mud I used for the kiln is white clay from a flood area and it less than ideal for making pottery. I tested it and it worked ok but I knocked out the exit flue wall to make it behave more like a cross draft kiln before firing the pots. The kiln worked well in firing pottery despite the poor quality clay which cracked easily. If run for longer it probably would have reached higher temperatures. About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.#PrimitiveTechnology #downdraftkiln #kiln
Primitive Technology: Wood Ash Insulated Furnace Primitive Technology 2023-08-03 | Primitive Technology: Wood Ash Insulated FurnaceSubscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!Watch my newsest content: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Follow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Newest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1&index=2Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1&index=2Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1&index=2Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1&index=2About This Video:I made a furnace insulated with wood ash to smelt iron in. Furnace insulation stops heat being lost from the walls of a furnace and so increases the heat within the furnace. Dry wood ash makes an excellent insulator for heat as the fine particles separated by small air gaps don't allow heat to conduct very well. To make the furnace a double layered wall of clay was made and the space between was filled with wood ash from different fires. The clay needed to be completely dry before doing so however as it was important the the ash not get wet, which would cause it to loose its insulating properties.The furnace was tested with an iron smelt and it produced 34g of iron from 10 charges of ore. It was going quickly to start with but then I had issues with the blower towards the end of the smelt (broken housing). The furnace design is promising though as this produced the third best smelt I've done in the wild with natural tools and materials (the best were 39g and 41g over a year ago). I'll try it again later when I've replaced the broken forge blower. About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.#PrimitiveTechnology #woodfurnace #furnace
Primitive Technology: Undercover Brick Workshop Primitive Technology 2023-07-06 | Primitive Technology: Undercover Brick WorkshopSubscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!Watch my newsest content: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Follow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Newest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1&index=2Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1&index=2Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1&index=2Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1&index=2About This Video:I built a thatched shelter to make bricks in so that they are protected from the rain before they are fired. Despite it being the dry season, it still rains unpredictably in this climate. This can undo lots of labor in dissolving bricks. I built a shelter from wood and palm thatch to house the entire brick making process from the rain. This was no easy task with primitive technology. Leveling the ground took a week with digging sticks and clay pots to move the soil down the slope to form a flat floor. Another week was spent cutting the timber with a stone axe and then lashing the frame with lawyer cane to form the 3 x 3 pyramidal hut with a total height of 3.5 m. A final week was spent cutting, splitting and thatching a total of 1850 palm fronds to cover the roof. I then made 50 bricks (enough for one firing) along one side of the huts floor and made a kiln from other bricks right in the center of the hut's floor under the highest point of the hut. A space for firewood was put in the corner. Though I didn't fire the kiln in this video due to time constraints, it should work well without burning the roof. I've previously had a kiln under cover and it worked well. This pyramidal roof design should funnel the smoke up preserving the thatch from mold and insects. The reason I went back to using thatch instead of tiles is that I need bricks and tiles to make such a hut so this hut needs to be built before obtaining those materials.About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.#PrimitiveTechnology #1 #2
Primitive Technology: New Brick Kiln Design Primitive Technology 2023-06-02 | Primitive Technology: New Brick Kiln DesignSubscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!Watch my newest content: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Follow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Newest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1&index=2Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1&index=2Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1&index=2Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1&index=2About This Video:I cleared an area as a workspace for making bricks, trialed a new source of clay for brick making and tested a new kiln variant that uses fewer bricks than the previous design. Near the existing brick hut, there is a area on a slight slope near a seasonal creek with a possible source of clay. The area had a large fallen tree in it that I burnt into 3 pieces and rolled out of the way with logs as levers. I may build a hut in this area and so cleared it.Next, I dug a pit to mix clay in and collected the new source of clay. The old brick mold (made in a previous video) was used to make 50 bricks that were then allowed to dry. While this was happening I dismantled the old kiln and used its bricks to make a new one. The new configuration uses only 74 bricks instead of the previous 100, a significantly simpler design. Its firebox is formed by crisscrossing 2 layers of bricks so that air enters in the first layer channels and wood enters the 2nd layer channels at right angles to the first. The new kiln has 3 firing holes instead of the previous 2 of the last design. The new design also has all the bricks stacked on their sides so there is less chance of breakage.I fired the bricks and the kiln went ok. There were some cold spots at the top but this may be due to the fact I used less wood than usual, with the firing only taking 2.5 hours (ran out of wood). 3 hours would be better and more wood should be collected beforehand ( a 75x75x100cm pile as opposed to 75x75x75cm pile used this time). The bricks in the coldest area still passed a water test without dissolving though, so it was a success.Ash from the firring was made into bricks for storage as they can be used for mortar by calcining (firing in the kiln) later and mixing with sand and water.About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.#PrimitiveTechnology #BrickKiln #Kiln
Primitive Technology: Roasted Ore and Shell Flux Smelt Primitive Technology 2023-05-04 | Primitive Technology: Roasted Ore and Shell Flux SmeltSubscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!Watch my newsest content: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Follow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Newest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1&index=2Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1&index=2Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1&index=2Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1&index=2About This Video:I tested 2 ways of improving iron smelts by treating the ore, roasting the ore and using snail shells as a flux. Then finally I recycled old slag to see if it would produce any more iron.The first way was to roast the ore before smelting. This drove off the moisture and volatiles in the ore as well as burning off any sulfur present. The resulting ore produced a higher yield of iron than normal (33g iron as opposed to about 15g iron as usual for the same volume of ore, charcoal and time). Next lime was added to the smelt as a flux in the form of snail shells. The theory was that the lime would lower the melting point of any silica in the ore to make a runnier slag and help the iron come together more. The result was very bad, no iron was produced apart from 1 or 2 prills. I suspect the ore is already basic in chemistry and adding a basic flux in the form of lime made it so basic that the slag was too viscous. The ore probably won't benefit from a basic flux but might benefit from an acid flux such as sand or slag from previous smelts.Next I tried smelting slag from previous smelts to see if anymore iron would come out. It did surprisingly, less than fresh ore but still worth doing. For this reason it might be useful to add old slag as a flux to future smelts to help the slag form more easily, while contributing some more iron to the smelt.About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.#PrimitiveTechnology #RoastedOre #ShellFlux
Primitive Technology: Making Charcoal (3 Different Methods) Primitive Technology 2023-04-06 | Primitive Technology: Making Charcoal (3 Different Methods)Subscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT - Never miss a video by enabling ‘ALL’ notifications!Watch my newest content: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Follow Primitive Technology:Patreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comWatch More Primitive Technology:Newest Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1&index=2Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1&index=2Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1&index=2Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1&index=2About This Video:With more iron smelting experiments coming up, I demonstrate 3 different methods to make charcoal, ranked easiest to hardest. The first method was in a simple clay lined pit where a pile of wood was neatly stacked over and lit from the top down. The pile then completely carbonizes without turning to ash. When the sticks at the bottom burn the coals fall into the pit and are extinguished with water. This method is the easiest and takes the least time. But the charcoal is wet and smaller pieces are made as it tends to over burn before extinguishing. The second method is the mound which involves making a conical pile of wood and coating it in mud leaving openings around the base and one n the top. Again the pile is lit from the top and the fire burns back down against the draft carbonizing the pile. The fire is then snuffed out by closing the openings. This method produces better quality charcoal of larger lumps with less fines. But it takes more time and labor to make as the mound is demolished each time a batch is used.The final method was the charcoal kiln. This was a cylindrical furnace with holes in the base that was filled with wood and only the top was covered with mud. It works the same way as the mound method but instead of coating the whole mound with mud each time, only the top was covered. This makes good quality charcoal with less labor once the kiln has been built.About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.#PrimitiveTechnology #MakingCharcoal #Charcoal
Primitive Technology: Iron Bacteria Cement (no fire/water insoluble) Primitive Technology 2023-03-02 | Primitive Technology: Iron Bacteria Cement (no fire needed/insoluble in water)Subscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!Watch my newsest content: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Follow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Newest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1&index=2Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1&index=2Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1&index=2Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1&index=2About This Video:I developed a cement made from iron bacteria, then made pots from it to test its ability to set and not dissolve in water. Iron bacteria lives by oxidizing dissolved iron 2 oxide in the water table, converting it to insoluble iron 3 oxide, which precipitates out of solution forming an orange slime. This material can be concentrated to a paste that can be shaped into objects. After drying out completely, the material becomes insoluble in water just as cement does.I don't know for sure why it does this but I suspect that while it's wet, there's still some dissolved iron 2 oxide in the material. When air gets to the iron 2 oxide and converts it to iron 3 oxide it precipitates out. It then becomes a solid, cementing itself to the other iron 3 already present. This is probably why iron bacteria sometimes forms solid lumps known as bog ore. Bog ore was once primarily used for smelting into iron but was also occasionally used as a building material (not as a cement but as solid building blocks).The potential use for this material could be as a cement-like material or mortar used in structures when iron bacteria can be found in large quantities. Fire is not used in the process as is the case with limestone or wood ash cement, and so reduces fuel consumption. It may be an appropriate use for iron bacteria contaminated with mud that might otherwise be unsuitable for smelting. Aggregates such as sand and gravel could also be added to bulk out the volume. More experiments need to be made.About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.#PrimitiveTechnology #Cement #Iron
Primitive Technology: Decarburization of iron and forging experiments Primitive Technology 2023-02-02 | Decarburization of iron and forging experimentsSubscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!Watch my newest content: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Follow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Newest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1&index=2Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1&index=2Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1&index=2Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1&index=2About This Video:I took a brittle, high carbon/iron alloy (cast iron) made from local ore and used a decarburization method to reduce it's carbon content making it malleable and forged it flat by hammering. Rather than producing a single bloom of soft iron in my furnaces, as was done in most of history, I tend to produce cast iron prills from the ore. Cast iron is iron that has a very high carbon content. Its good properties are that it's very hard and has a low melting point. The drawback is that it's relatively brittle compared to regular iron. So I set about trying to find a method for reducing its carbon content. In this video I smelted local ore (iron bacteria) and obtained cast iron prills. I then tried melting it in a small crucible to obtain a solid ingot to begin the experiment. This gave a poor result though with an incomplete melt. Next I tried rusting the prills first with the intent of creating iron oxide (rust ) in the iron so that the next melt would combine the materials in an exothermic reaction that would burn the carbon out. In the past, rusty iron was added to cast iron to decarburize it (wet puddling/pig boiling). But this also gave poor results. Finally, I did away with the mold and simply melted the iron prills by dropping them into the forge in front of the hot air blast of the forge. The reasoning was that the high oxygen would burn out the carbon from the metal. This caused them to melt together to form an ingot. After a few attempts I took one of the ingots and hammered it while still white to yellow hot and hammered it with a stone. The ingot was able to be flattened as it had become malleable. This was the result I wanted.This method of decarburization (melting cast iron in a open hearth to make it malleable) was used throughout history at different times. In ancient China it was known as "stir fried steel/ 炒钢" and in the west known as the "Osmond process". I also read that in India, cast iron ingots from the crucible were brought to a temperature just below melting point before becoming forgeable. In future experiments I hope to use this technique to decarburize iron ingots to make into forged metal tools as opposed to the cast knife I made in a previous video. Chapters: 00:00 Overview of my standard smelting process00:50 Crucible ingot (failure)02:21 Decarburization via rusting (failure)04:22 Decarburization without crucible (inconclusive)05:45 Decarburization without crucible/forging (success)07:01 Decarburized and forged iron resultAbout Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.#PrimitiveTechnology #1 #2
Primitive Technology: Cane Water Filter/Siphon Primitive Technology 2023-01-05 | Primitive Technology: Cane Water Filter/SiphonSubscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!Watch my newest content: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Follow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Newest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1&index=2Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1&index=2Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1&index=2Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1&index=2About This Video:I made a water filter from cane that siphons clean water from a dirty water while simultaneously using the xylem present in the the cane as a filter. MIT engineers had already proved that pine branches can be used as water filters as the thin membranes connecting the straw like xylem filter out 99% of bacteria such as E.coli which make water unsafe to drink ( https://meche.mit.edu/news-media/mit-engineers-make-filters-tree-branches-purify-drinking-water ). Taking this concept, I used a type of cane in the forest and bent them into hook shapes, tying them in place with vine. Then I put dirty water into a raised pot and siphoned clean water from it into a lower collection pot. Initially some sap comes (which is also harmless to drink) out but then water flows through the stem. It does take a while for it to work but the process can be sped up by adding multiple canes working in parallel. The water that came through is clean and I was able to drink it without ill effect. After a few days the canes clog up and need replacing though one cane lasted longer than the others for some reason. Also in this video, I test the effectiveness of filtering water through a clay pot submerged in a creek, the ceramic walls acting as a filter for the creek water. Both methods seem to work but the clay pot method is more useable and needs less maintenance. But, the cane siphon would be better if no clay pots were available, simply filtering water from a puddle into a lower collection container such as a folded leaf.00:00- Making filter/siphon02:12- Using filter/siphon03:53- Alternative pot filterAbout Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.#PrimitiveTechnology #waterfilter #survival
Primitive Technology: Pottery Wheel Primitive Technology 2022-12-01 | Primitive technology: Pottery WheelSubscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!Watch my newest content: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Follow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Newest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1&index=2Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1&index=2Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1&index=2Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1&index=2About This Video:I made a small pottery wheel to form pots on. A pottery wheel is a small table on which pottery is formed that is able to be rotated about an axis to form more symmetrical pots. In this case it is a slow pottery wheel meaning that it is turned by hand rather than being turned at high speed by foot power or other means. A wooden frame was made to hold the axle for the wheel and a cane strip was used to hold the axle on to the frame while allowing it to turn. Then a clay table top was made to fit on top of the axle. A stone bearing block held the lower end of the axle. A clay pot was then formed onto it whilst turning the table to better access all points of the pot. The pot was then fired and tested. The slow wheel is good for forming pots but is hard to set up. It also turns too slow for pot throwing (spinning the pot at speed and forming with the hands by drawing the clay up). Future iterations might be a kick wheel with a fly wheel for momentum or some other means of powering the while leaving the hands free to form the pot.About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.#PrimitiveTechnology #pottery #potterywheel
Primitive Technology: Purifying Clay By Sedimentation and Making Pots Primitive Technology 2022-11-03 | Purifying Clay By sedimentation and Making PotsSubscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!Watch my newest content: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Follow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Newest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1&index=2Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1&index=2Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1&index=2Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1&index=2About This Video:Naturally occurring clay usually has impurities such as rocks and sand in it. There's a way to remove these by mixing the clay in suspension and draining that water off leaving the impurities behind. I started by digging a pit to receive the clay. Then dug clay from the creek bed and put it next to the pit in a pile. Water was mixed into the pile and it was allowed to sit for a while. The water/clay mixture was then drained off into the collection pit where it settled. This was done a number of times. After settling and the water seeping out, the pure clay was mixed with grog (crushed old pottery) and made into pots. The pots were fired and of good quality, making a ringing noise when flicked indicating no cracks or weakness. This method of purifying clay saves a lot of time and effort by removing the step of manually removing rocks from the clay body. About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.#PrimitiveTechnology #claypot #howtomakeclay
Primitive Technology: Smelting Iron In Brick Furnaces Primitive Technology 2022-10-06 | Primitive Technology: Smelting Iron In Brick FurnacesSubscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!Watch my newest content: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Follow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Newest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1&index=2Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1&index=2Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1&index=2Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1&index=2About This Video:I made 3 furnaces from bricks using different configurations to test their effectiveness. The benefit of using bricks to make a furnace is that it's quicker, easier, re-useable and portable relative to a furnace constructed in-situ from clay. This is because the old furnaces crack and need repairs where as the brick ones can be assembled and re-assembled with any broken bricks being swapped out as necessary. Also, the shape and height of the furnace is easily changed by adding/subtracting or re-arranging bricks. The first furnace used a square plan with the bricks laid on their sides with a inner cross section of 18 cm square. A 2.5 cm diameter tuyere was used and about 15 g of iron was made. The second furnace was the same but used a 5 cm diameter tuyere. It made about the same amount of iron. The 3rd furnace was a haexagonal plan furnace with a diameter of about 22 cm. The bricks were laid on their ends for this type. The smelt yielded the same as the square ones for the same input of ore, charcoal and effort.I'll probably stick to using the square design made from bricks in future. Things I may try later would be to increase the height of the furnace by adding more brick layers. I'd put in all the charcoal and ore for the smelt after preheating. Then I'd be able to operate the smelt without the interruption of needing to charge the furnace every 5 minutes with ore and charcoal.In conclusion, bricks make a useful furnace in a shorter time and with less difficulty than in situ made furnaces, are re-useable and can be disassembled and rebuilt in various locations if needed while the bricks can be stored out of the way when not in use. About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.#PrimitiveTechnology #iron #bricks
Primitive Technology: Making Iron From Creek Sand Primitive Technology 2022-09-01 | Primitive Technology: Making Iron From SandSubscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!Watch my newest content: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Follow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Newest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1&index=2Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1&index=2Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1&index=2Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1&index=2About This Video:I made iron from ordinary sand in the creek. Sand contains a minor proportion of iron in the form of magnetite (and some hematite), the rest of the sand being other non iron minerals such as silica. In this form it is not concentrated enough to use as an ore to produce iron metal. However, it is possible to concentrate the magnetite grains from the silica sand using gravity separation, as magnetite is heavier than silica sand. So, I made a sluice box from a spare roof tile I made in an earlier video. The curved tile acts as a chute and grooves were carved into the concave surface perpendicular to it's length. When sand was put into the sluice and water was run over it, the heavier magnetite got trapped in the grooves and most of the lighter sand was washed away. The trapped iron sand was then tipped into a collection pot. This sand was then sluiced a second time to concentrate it further. From experiment, it was found that sluicing twice yields the best result for effort, sluicing a 3rd time does little to further concentrate the ore. A furnace was then built and the ore tested. About 500g of charcoal and 200g of iron sand were charged every 5 minutes, for 6 charges. The result was a small amount of iron in the form of some cast iron spherical prills (similar to other smelts I've done) and jagged coral like formations, also of cast iron (a form new to me). When comparing the result to my usual ore, iron bacteria, it produces about the same amount of iron but with a different shape. The benefit of using iron sand as an ore is that it can be found in almost all geological areas that have a creek or river, though the iron will be more concentrated in some areas than others. I did this experiment in a basalt rich geological location but have heard that sand formed from granite produces even better results. In summary, Iron sand, though laborious to process is easily found in most creeks, rivers and beaches and so this technique of benefiction is worth learning. About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.#PrimitiveTechnology #iron #sand
Primitive Technology: Rock-Throwing Catapult (Trebuchet) Primitive Technology 2022-08-04 | TrebuchetSubscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!Watch my newsest content: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Follow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Newest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1&index=2Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1&index=2Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1&index=2Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1&index=2About This Video:I built a trebuchet, a type of catapult that uses a counter weight to store gravitational potential energy which is then used to fire a projectile via a sling. I first built the frame which was made of two tripods set close together. They were of wood and lashed together with cane. Then I made a basket from cane to hold the large rocks that would act as the counterweight. For the sling I used bark fiber from dead branches of a certain type of tree. The bark was stripped and the inner bark woven into rope. The rope was then made into a sling using 2 knots and thinner rope was used to weave the sling pouch. A simple toggle release was used hold the throwing arm in position and act as the trigger. The counter weight was then filled with rocks and pulled into position to be held by the toggle. A shot-put sized stone was then placed into the sling pouch. When the toggle was released the stone would be launched 18- 20 meters (the length of the clearing) but could undoubtedly shoot further if more weight was added. Targets were set up and destroyed. Range can be adjusted by adding or subtracting weight from the basket, while shooting to the left or right is done by turning the whole catapult while the basket is empty. The whole build took 5 weeks, the hardest part being collecting the bark fiber to make the rope. The trebuchet is a simple but effective way to deliver payloads to a target destination.About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.#PrimitiveTechnology #Trebuchet #Catapult
Primitive Technology: Iron knife made from bacteria Primitive Technology 2022-06-30 | Iron knife made from bacteriaSubscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!Watch my newsest content: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Follow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Newest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1&index=2Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1&index=2Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1&index=2Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1&index=2About This Video:I smelted iron from iron bacteria and then cast the iron in a mold to form a rudimentary knife, making this the first iron tool I've produced yet. The ore was a species of bacteria that lives by oxidizing iron dissolved in ground water. It appears as an orange/yellow cloudy precipitate in creeks and ponds. It's a very common natural occurrence and can be found on all continents. I collected the diluted ore and poured it into a large, porous ceramic pot I made. The water leaked out, leaving behind the concentrated iron bacteria "mud" like substance. I dried it out until it resembled rusty earth. It took a month to collect the ore for one 2 hour smelt, from a stretch of creek about 20 meters long. Charcoal was then made simply by burning a pile of wood in a small pit and then extinguishing it with just enough water once it had visibly carbonized. It was quicker to make than the charcoal I normally make in a mound (1hr vs 2.5hrs) and took less preparation time making than the mound from mud. A small furnace was made and the multiblade blower (made in the last episode) was attached to it for air supply. The furnace was preheated for an hour with wood and filled with charcoal at the end, using the blower periodically but not full blast. Then over the next hour, 3 double handfuls of charcoal (about 500g) and 2 single handfuls or ore (about 200g) were added every 5 minutes while blowing air into the furnace to burn it at this rate. Then there was a 30 min burn down still using the blower till the charcoal reached the level of the air entry. The total operation took 2 hrs. A lump of slag was taken from the furnace and broken up. Iron prills up to about 1 cm in diameter were retrieved. For the sake of experiment I weighed the iron produced on modern scales= 40g iron from an estimated 1.2 kg of ore. Even though this is a low yield by modern standards it is a marked improvement over my previous smelts that produced much smaller and fewer prills over all. I did another smelt that almost exactly reproduced this result (80g of iron stored). The increase in efficiency is due to the much better blower design (8 blades vs the original 4). Next I cast the iron in a mold. The melting point of pure metalic iron is 1538 C. However, the iron prills I produced are cast iron, an alloy of iron and carbon where carbon is about 2-4% by weight. Cast iron has a relatively tepid melting point of 1150 C. Such a temperature is easily attainable in an open hearth with charcoal and a forced air supply. So, I put the prills into a triangular clay mold and put it into a simple pit forge that took very little time to make. Importantly, I made a special flat air pipe that spread the incoming air into a sheet that blew over the width of the mold to heat all of it evenly, a round one would only heat the middle of the mold and not melt it completely. Charcoal was then put on top of the mold about 12.5 cm deep and the air blast started. The fire became white hot, exceeding the 1150 C needed to melt the iron. The iron melted filling the mold and the iron triangle was taken from it. Initially, I was going to make it into an axe head, but decided it was too brittle (cast iron is actually harder than pure iron but brittle) so I sharpened it into a knife. It took many hours of sharpening to bring the end to a point. It's not a sharp blade it works well for drilling holes in timber (like for making fire drill sockets). This represents the first iron tool I've made completely from scratch in the wild. Future experiments will focus on obtaining greater yields of iron, exploiting richer sources of ore and ultimately making better iron tools.
Primitive Technology: Improved Multi-Blade Blower Primitive Technology 2022-06-02 | Primitive Technology: Improved Multi-Blade BlowerSubscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!Watch my newest content: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Follow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Newest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1&index=2Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1&index=2Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1&index=2Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1&index=2About This Video:In the 6 years since I developed the first forge blower (youtu.be/VVV4xeWBIxE) I had made very few improvements to it's design. So I decided to do some research and development to see if I could improve it's efficiency. From my research, increasing the number of fan blades from 4 to 8 yielded an increase of 19% volume of airflow. So I set about building a better fan. Instead of splitting the rotor and inserting blades made of bark into it, I made spokes from split cane to hold the blades leaving the rotor intact. This increased the longevity of the rotor as well as the spokes being heavier contributing more momentum, assisting the impeller in winding back in the other direction after each rotation. Instead of bark being used to for the blades, simple (and easier to find) folded leaves formed the blades. These, being flexible, are less likely to break against the walls of the housing as stiff bark does. Finally, a lid was added to the housing to make maintenance easier. The new blower works better than the old one with more airflow occurring. I experimented with different numbers of blades on the impeller (4,6 and 8). The more blades used, the slower the impeller can be spun to produce the same airflow. This makes it easier to operate as the users arms don't have to move as quickly, making it more ergonomic. This conservation of effort will be important in iron smelting later.About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.#PrimitiveTechnology #MultiBladeBlower #Pyrotechnology
Primitive Technology: Wood Ash Cement & Fired Brick Hut Primitive Technology 2022-05-05 | Primitive Technology: Wood Ash Cement & Fired Brick HutSubscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!Watch my newest content: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Follow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Newest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1&index=2Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1&index=2Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1&index=2Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1&index=2About This Video:I built a hut from fired clay bricks and mortared them together with a cement made from wood ash left over from the firing process. When I developed wood ash cement years ago in a previous video, it was in response to the need of a cement made from material other than lime stone, which is absent in my location. Wood ash was suitable because it contains calcium oxide, the active cementitious material for making mortar. I made clay bricks and fired them in a kiln made previously. Then I collected the wood ash and made them into pellets storing them for later use. When it was time to make the mortar, I put the pellets in the kiln and fired them. Here it's important to note that the ash needs to be fired at a high temperature with oxygen, ordinary ash from a camp fire won't work as is because they don't get hot enough. It needs to be pelletized and fired again in a kiln before use. I mixed the fired ash pellets with sand (1:3 ratio by volume) and used it to mortar the bricks together. It's important to use a trowel (flat piece of wood here) instead of bare hands to handle the mortar due to lye burning the skin (I got mild lye burns on my fingers). The ash left over from firing the bricks was enough to mortar those same bricks together. The hut was 2x2 m and 2 m high at the gables. Wooden beams were placed onto the gables to form the roof and secured in place with mortar. Then I made barrel roof tiles and lay them onto these beams. The whole project took 6 and a half months to build. The hut sheds rain well and the mortar is water proof (won't dissolve in water), surviving many rainstorms even before the roof was up. The main take away from this video is to always look for a way to take a waste material (wood ash) and make it into a resource (cement).About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.#PrimitiveTechnology #WoodAshCement #FiredBrickHut
Primitive Technology: Brick kiln, brick mold and bricks Primitive Technology 2022-03-31 | Primitive Technology: Brick kiln, brick mold and bricksSubscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!Watch my newest content: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Follow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Newest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1&index=2Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1&index=2Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1&index=2Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1&index=2Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1&index=2About This Video:I made bricks using an old brickmold made in a previous video. The bricks were made from red clay from an old tree throw that became enlarged by when wild pigs used it as a wallow. This red clay was carried to a pit near the work site and tread on till it was the right consistency. The bricks were then allowed to dry. While this happened, I obtained good quality clay from the creek and made a new brick mold, a rectangular clay pot for washing mud from the mold and two other clay pots. I then made a kiln out of bricks and fired the mold, pots and some bricks. I then used the new mold and pots to make more bricks. The kiln is easy to build and has a 50 brick firing capacity. The bricks should be useful for building permanent structures in future.About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.#PrimitiveTechnology
Primitive Technology: Thatched Workshop Primitive Technology 2022-03-02 | Primitive Technology: Thatched WorkshopSubscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Enable "all" notifications to never miss a video I built a Brik Firing Kiln last time: youtube.com/watch?v=wrTDJbaxhOI&list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4FjFollow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Latest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1About This Video:I built a thatched workshop as an area to do future projects in out of the rain and weather. The structure was a 4 x 4 m square covered with a gabled thatched roof where the lowest point was 2 m above the ground and the highest point was 4 m. This is the largest hut I've built to date taking 5 weeks to build. The structure sheds rain quite well and being open and without walls allows smoke to exit without issue. About Primitive Technology: Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.#PrimitiveTechnology #ThatchedWorkshop
Primitive Technology: Pot Made of Wood Ash - New Clay Alternative Primitive Technology 2019-12-13 | Primitive Technology: Pot Made of Wood Ash - new clay alternative created by me.Subscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!I built a Brik Firing Kiln last time: youtube.com/watch?v=wrTDJbaxhOI&list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4FjFollow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Latest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1About This Video:I invented method of making pots from wood ash instead of clay. The ash is mixed with water and formed into shape, left to set for 3-7 days and will then be water resistant like normal clay pottery. Unlike conventional clay pottery, no firing is required, the pot will set by itself in the air due to the high lime content of the ash. First the wood must be burned at a high temperature, well ventilated fire. The white ash is then mixed with water, molded into a pot using conventional pottery techniques and will then set due to the calcium oxide in the wood ash turning into calcium carbonate by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The pot can then optionally be polished with a smooth object such as a shell while it's semi dry to give it a shiny finish. The resultant pot was then put in water for 24 hours without dissolving. It then held water for another 24 hours though some of the water seeped out. It should make a good alternative to clay pottery if there are no sources of clay around. A brick was also made to test it's ability to form bricks. The ash brick also passed the water test after spending 24 hours in the creek without dissolving. About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.
Primitive Technology: Brick Firing Kiln Primitive Technology 2019-11-29 | Primitive Technology: Brick Firing Kiln – building a brink firing kiln from scratch.Subscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video, enable ‘ALL’ notifications.Watch my 4 year anniversary video: youtube.com/watch?v=-cgQUrdBoaM&list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4FjBuy my book here: https://penguin.com.au/books/primitive-technology-9781529105834or here: http://hyperurl.co/PrimitiveTechnologyFollow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881 Watch More Primitive Technology:Latest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1About This Video:I built a kiln from bricks for the purpose of firing bricks. I started by using a brick mold made of fired clay from a previous video and made bricks from clay. The bricks were allowed to dry and were then transported to my hut using a brick carrying harness I made from cane and a piece of wood. They were dry stacked onto the wall of the hut to keep them out of the rain while waiting to be fired. I then constructed a brick kiln using mud as a mortar for adhering the bricks together. The kiln had 2 fireboxes side by side and was of the updraft kiln type. The kiln was open at the front and back so it could be stoked from these areas. This gave a more consistent firing I found then a kiln only with firebox opening at the front. I put 40 un-fired bricks into the kiln and fired them for 2 hours 30 minutes. All the bricks were fired sufficiently. I then tested an un-fired brick and a fired one by putting them in water. The un-fired brick dissolved quickly while the fired one survived completely intact. The test was a success. My only issue is the bricks are a little weak due to the clay they're made of. I'll look at refining clay or finding a better source somewhere in this area. About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.#PrimitiveTechnology
Primitive Technology: 4 years of primitive technology Primitive Technology 2019-10-25 | 4 years of primitive technology... please read my personal note from me to you, below.Subscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!Pre-order my new book, out Nov. 1: http://po.st/PrimTechBookJapanese eddition: gihyo.jp/book/2020/978-4-297-11498-5This video coincides with the release of my new book "Primitive technology", which releases exactly 4 years and 6 months since my first video post on this channel. This video compilation, as well as the book, outlines all the skills and achievements I've attained in this time period using research, hard work and trial and error. Writing this book is something I wanted to do even before making videos and launching this channel. I wanted to offer something tangible that benefited those who had the same keen interest in primitive technology as I do. With that, I thank each and every one of you for your continued support throughout the years, and I really hope you enjoy the book. You can pre-order here: http://po.st/PrimTechBook- John PlantFollow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Latest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.
Primitive Technology: Adobe wall (dry stacked) Primitive Technology 2019-09-05 | Join me for my first Reddit AMA on Friday 1st November 9am BST / 6pm AEST. My username is u/JohnPlant. The AMA will be on the “r/IAmA” subreddit. Primitive Technology: Adobe wall (dry stacked) - Building an adobe wall from scratch.Get my new book: http://po.st/PrimTechBook | Subscribe: http://bit.ly/subPTMy hut burned down, so I built a new one: youtube.com/watch?v=YmFTK-rnzfk&list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4FjFollow Primitive Technology:Patreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Latest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1About This Video:I made clay bricks, air dried them and then built a dry stacked (no mortar) wall from those bricks. Brick making is a time consuming process. To amass enough bricks for a large scale firing will take a long time to do. In the previous hut (that burnt down) bricks were stored inside the hut out of the rain to dry before firing. This took up considerable space within the hut. So with this hut, bricks were stored under the eves of the hut forming a temporary wall around the work space. Clay was taken from a pit and carried to the hut site. The clay was mixed with water in a pit. The ceramic brick mold (made of fired clay in a previous video) was soaked in water and wood ash to make it slippery so that the clay would slide out easily. Bricks were then formed on the floor of half the hut. When the bricks had dried enough they were then stacked under the eaves to form a growing wall. I'll continue making clay bricks and when an opportunity rises, I will take them out and fire them, upgrading them from adobe bricks to fired clay bricks. These will in theory be used in a permanent hut constructed from bricks and mortar. About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.
Primitive Technology: Hut burned down, built new one Primitive Technology 2019-08-09 | Join me for my first Reddit AMA on Friday 1st November 9am BST / 6pm AEST. My username is u/JohnPlant. The AMA will be on the “r/IAmA” subreddit. Primitive Technology: My hut burned down, so I built new one - Building a hut from scratch.Get my new book: http://po.st/PrimTechBook| Subscribe: http://bit.ly/subPTMe building the hut, before it burned down: youtube.com/watch?v=Ka2Eu6LxAKo&list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2Follow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Latest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1About This Video:My hut burned down after I left a fire untended in it. I needed a new one quickly. Fortunately I had already cleared a new spot earlier in the wet season for such a purpose. I constructed the new hut from wood and palm thatch. It was 3 x 3m in floor plan and a total of 3m high with 1.5m high side walls. 4 posts were put into the ground and a pyramidal roof was built on top of this. The frame was then thatched with palm fronds (which are less flammable than grass thatch but don't tend to last as long in wet weather). After finishing the hut I collected the possessions from the last hut and moved them into the new one. Yams from the garden were dug up but there weren't many due to the soil being compacted and low in organic matter. A yam was cooked by wrapping it in clay and baking it in the hot coals for 30 minutes. Now I have a larger hut where I can continue to make projects despite the minor set back that has just occurred.About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.
Primitive Technology: Crossdraft kiln Primitive Technology 2019-07-12 | Join me for my first Reddit AMA on Friday 1st November 9am BST / 6pm AEST. My username is u/JohnPlant. The AMA will be on the “r/IAmA” subreddit. Order book: http://po.st/PrimTechBookPrimitive Technology: Crossdraft kiln - Building a crossdraft kiln from scratch.Subscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!Last time, I made Polynesian Arrowroot Flour from scratch: youtube.com/watch?v=lMZY_9QNe4I&list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4FjFollow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Latest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1About This Video:I built a cross draft kiln and fired a pot in it to test ideas about how cross draft kilns operate. A cross draft kiln is one in which the flames travel from the firebox and across a horizontal wear chamber before traveling vertically up a chimney and out of the kiln. Unlike an updraft kiln there is no perforated floor that the pottery sits on. Instead the pot sits on the floor of the wearchamber as the flames pass around it. Taking soil from a previous kiln and mixing it into mud, I formed the kiln so it was less than a meter long. It was 25 cm wide and tall inside the tunnel formed by the kiln though a slight curve was added to the tops of the side walls. The walls were covered with sticks and a roof of mud was put in place onto this. A chimney about 25 cm wide and 65 cm in total height was made at the end of the kiln to draw flames through the kiln due to natural draft. 5 grate bars made of clay were installed in the firebox to make combustion more efficient. A side door was cut into the kiln to access the ware chamber (25 x 25 cm).Clay was taken from the creek bank and mixed with previous crushed pottery as grog. It was formed into a pot with a pouring spout. This was dried and then placed into the kiln. The kiln was fired with the flames acting as planned and the pot was fired in a relatively short 1 hour and 20 minutes. It would have been a shorter firing time had the kiln not still been wet. The pot was tested with water and held it satisfactorily. Cross draft kilns are an apparent improvement on updrafts with the reasoning being that more efficiently retain heat as the hot gasses don't immediately exit the kiln leaving the colder gasses inside. Hot spots are less likely to develop giving a more uniform firing of the pottery. Cross draft kilns developed early in Asia, evolving from the practice of excating tunnels into the side of hills to fire pottery. It's unknown whether the European cross drafts were adopted from the east or were the result of the gradual extension of the firing arch outwards from the conventional updrafts. My personal experience is that this type of kiln fires quickly and evenly though I need to experiment more to understand the positive and negative aspects more fully.About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.
Primitive Technology: Polynesian Arrowroot Flour Primitive Technology 2019-05-31 | Primitive Technology: Polynesian Arrowroot Flour - Creating Polynesian arrowroot flour from scratch.Subscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!More videos, watch me build stone planters for Yams from scratch: youtube.com/watch?v=1Ph_ORewpE0&list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4FjFollow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Latest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1About This Video:I gathered polynesian arrowroot, grated it, extracted and dried the starch and cooked it into gelatinous, pancake shaped food that tasted like rice noodles. Polynesian arrow root is a plant in the same family as yams but with a different growth habit. It has a single, branching leaf and a single tuber below ground. They were brought to Australia about 5000 years ago as one of the "canoe" plants carried by Polynesian seafarers and grow wild in the hills near my hut to this day. The tubers are rich in starch but have a bitter compound that needs to be leached out with water to be made edible. This same compound is traditionally a medicine in small quantities for treating a range of illnesses from gastrointestinal upset to snake bite. I dug up the tubers which took about 3 minutes to do per plant, yielding one golf ball sized tuber each. These were then washed and grated into a pot using a roof tile. The resulting mash was mixed with water and allowed to settle. The white milky water was then scooped into a second pot and the starch was allowed to settle. The water was then poured off and more starch water was tipped in. At this stage the starch was still bitter, so it was mixed with water, allowed to settle and the clear water above was poured off several times removing this bitterness. When it tasted good, the paste was put onto a tile to dry over a fire. Some of it cooked and became small rubbery pieces of starch. The dry flour was stored in a pot. Some of this was then mixed into a paste and cooked on a tile like a pancake. It turned clear when cooked and has a rubbery texture. It tasted just like a rice noodle which is unsurprising considering the ingredients are nearly the same. Starch is the largest carbohydrate in the human diet. Polynesian arrowroot starch contains 346 calories per 100 g (wheat contains 329) and so the discovery of this staple food is fairly significant. It can be stored indefinitely if kept dry and away from weevils or can be stored as live tubers for six months (then they begin to sprout and should be planted). The live tubers bitterness means animals will not eat them which is good for storage. I may cultivate some in a small plot in the hills near where I dug them up. They are numerous in the wild but may produce more if the soil is tilled.About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.
Primitive Technology: Fired Clay Bricks Primitive Technology 2019-04-26 | Primitive Technology: Fired Clay Bricks - Creating fired clay bricks from scratch.Subscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!More videos, watch me build a grass thatch, mud hut: youtube.com/watch?v=Ka2Eu6LxAKo&list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4FjFollow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Latest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1About This Video:I made some fired clay bricks as an experiment to see if I could make a permanent, waterproof, building material. A brick mold was fashioned from clay and then fired in existing kiln. This was then used to make bricks formed from clay from the creek bank. These bricks were then stored in the hut I built last episode to dry. Using half the hut I could fit 40 bricks. These, when semi dry, were then stacked around the fire to dry out. A small kiln was then assembled from un-fired bricks and used to fire 4 bricks as an experiment. It was about 50 cm tall and 25 cm square in cross section. The fired clay bricks were water resistant, they didn't dissolve when submerged in water. I will use these bricks to make a larger kiln and hopefully larger huts later on. I estimate that a kiln with a 50 cm cube ware chamber could hold 40 bricks without being so cramped the flames can't get through. The good thing about using bricks to make kilns is that they can be constructed quickly without waiting for the layers to dry, they only crack along the joints between bricks while remaining structurally stable, they can be disassembled and built elsewhere or they can be reconfigured/enlarged to make different types of kilns. Repairs are also possible too.About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.
Primitive Technology: Grass thatch, Mud hut Primitive Technology 2019-03-22 | Primitive Technology: Grass thatch, Mud hut - Creating a grass thatch, mud hut from scratch.Subscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!More videos, watch me make stone yam planters: youtube.com/watch?v=1Ph_ORewpE0&list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4FjFollow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Latest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1About This Video:With the wet season at it's peak, a shelter was needed to keep tools and materials dry as well as providing a dry work-space for future projects. So after some procrastination, I decided on a low roof design. A 2.5 m by 2.5 m hut with a ridge 2 m above the ground and side walls 75 cm high. Upright posts were put in at about 60 cm intervals along the 3 walls. The front was left open as this is more of an open workshop than a dwelling. Grass was collected from high up in the hill as it will not grow in the darker, lowland forest. Carrying the thatch to the hut was the most labor intensive part taking approximately 36 hours over the course of more than a week. The walls were then coated in soft, grey mud from a nearby clearing. The floor was coated in the same material. A large amount of rain fell due to a nearby tropical cyclone passing to the north. Despite this there were only a few leaks (mainly on the ridge line) that were subsequently patched with more grass. A fire was then lit with fire-sticks despite the damp conditions. This was done to help dry the mud walls and floor. The end of the video shows the yam mounds behind the hut doing well from of the torrential rain. The shelter will suffice for the remaining two months of rain that is expected to fall.About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.
Primitive Technology: Stone Yam planters Primitive Technology 2019-01-18 | Primitive Technology: Stone Yam planters - Creating Stone planters for Yams from scratch.Subscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!More videos, watch me cultivate and cook yams: youtube.com/watch?v=J8MLpv_utfM&list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4FjFollow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Latest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1About This Video:With the wet season here, it's time to plant this years crop of yams. The previous yam garden, a large basket type enclosure, worked well in discouraging predators from eating the growing tubers. But with time the cane enclosure rots. So I switched to a method of protecting yams by planting the seed yams under a pile of rocks. Early tests prove that this method protects them from being eaten. The rocks are too heavy for scrub turkeys to lift and wild pigs seem not to associate the pile of rocks with food.So the next step was to make a garden consisting of individual mounds fortified with neat stonework. This was done by building layers of stone circles around the mound while adding soil with each layer. A yam bulb was planted in each mound during this process. A wooden stake was placed in each mound for the yam vine to grow up and horizontal rafters were tied to the top of these stakes to give the vines something to grow across. By the end of the project the yams had started growing with some coiling around the stakes.About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.
Primitive Technology: Pit and chimney furnace Primitive Technology 2018-12-16 | Primitive Technology: Pit and chimney furnace - Creating a pit and chimney furnace from scratch.Subscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!More videos, watch me build Iron Prills from scratch: youtube.com/watch?v=DyGLE0usN_I&list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4FjFollow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Latest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1About this video:While I’m working on other projects I’ll put up this video of an experimental furnace I built that operates by natural draft and uses charcoal as a fuel. The furnace burns the fuel on a grate for maximum area of air entry. The chimney attached to the furnace is 2 m tall above ground level. The pit is 25 cm cubed and extends below ground level. The whole structure took about 2 weeks to build.A brick of iron oxide (from iron bacteria) mixed with charcoal powder was made and placed in the furnace sitting on a grate about 12.5 cm tall. The furnace was lit with wood and fired. Charcoal was added after this point and a high temperature was reached. The ore brick melted and produced some tiny beads of cast iron.In contrast to the other furnace I made in the previous video, this one produced less iron while consuming the same amount of charcoal. I’d actually built this furnace before the previous video in an attempt to reduce labour by having a tall draft chimney replace the work and complexity involved with using a blower. I’ll keep experimenting with natural draft furnaces, the principle is sound but the method of introducing the ore (batches of ore on a grate instead of continuous addition of ore pellets) is probably inefficient or could be improved on.About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.
Primitive Technology: Iron prills Primitive Technology 2018-08-17 | Primitive Technology: Iron prills - Creating Iron prills from scratchSubscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!More videos, watch me make wood ash cement from scratch: http://bit.ly/2nNG45CFollow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Latest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4Fj&playnext=1Pyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJ&playnext=1Shelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2&playnext=1Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2Awp&playnext=1Popular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zla&playnext=1About This Video:I smelted iron bacteria in a short furnace and produced a small quantity of iron prills (small iron spheres). In my ongoing quest to reach the iron age, further experiments were conducted concerning furnace design and the treatment of ore. I began by making a very short furnace. A pit 25 cm wide and 25 cm deep was dug and the tuyere of the forge blower placed in a 15 degree downward angle into the pit. Onto this, a furnace stack made of mud and grass was built 25 cm above ground level. The furnace was fired at various stages to help dry it. It took less than a day to build.Eucalyptus wood was collected dead off the ground and stacked into a re-useable charcoal mound I had made previously. The top was sealed with mud and the mound lit. It took about 2 hours 30 minutes for fire to reach the air entries, at which time the holes were sealed and the top closed with mud.Iron bacteria from the creek was gathered and brought to the smelting hut for processing. Charcoal was ground into a powder and mixed with the ore and water in the proportions of 1:1 char to ore by volume. This mixture was formed into 59 pellets 2.5 cm in diameter and then dried on top of the furnace.To make the smelt, a wood fire was made in the furnace and allowed to burn for about an hour by natural draft and blowing. When the wood burnt down to the tuyere the furnace was filled with charcoal and 10 pellets were added to the top and the blower was engaged. Three handfuls of charcoal and 10 pellets were added at about 7 minute intervals totaling about 42 minutes. Charcoal was then continuously added after the last charge until the basket was empty. It took a total of about 3 hours working the blower until the operation ended.The mass of slag and iron prills was prized out of the furnace using a log and wooden tongs. It was hammered flat while hot but no large bloom was made. Instead many small iron prills were found. These mostly seemed to be cast iron. So far this is the largest amount of iron I've made in the wild and it used less charcoal than previous attempts, so I consider it a success of sorts. The ore must be mixed with carbon to ensure the correct reduction chemistry normally provided by carbon monoxide in a taller bloomery furnace. The fact that cast iron was produced suggests that next time less charcoal powder be added to the ore pellets or perhaps none at all considering that dead iron bacteria may also contribute some carbon to the ore. Alternatively, cast iron can be re-melted in a "finery" furnace, a small highly oxidizing furnace, to remove excess carbon, producing steel or iron. Alternatively cast iron can be converted into malleable cast iron by heating it in an enclosed container at 800-1000 c for long periods. Further experiments will be conducted.About Primitive Technology:Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.
Primitive Technology: Wood Ash Cement Primitive Technology 2018-07-17 | Primitive Technology: Wood Ash Cement - Creating wood ash cement from scratchSubscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!More videos, watch me cultivate and cook yams from scratch: http://bit.ly/2L5HmqYFollow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Latest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4FjPyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJShelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2AwpPopular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zlaPartial credit for this idea goes to James Keane who I discussed this with on my wordpress site (see conversation): primitivetechnology.wordpress.com/2018/03/06/lime/#comment-9736 I developed an experimental cement from made only from re-fired wood ash as its cementitious material. It was mixed with crushed terracotta as an aggregate and formed into a cube. The cement set hard after 3 days and did not dissolve in water after this period. Process: First I burnt bark and leaves in a kiln at high temperatures to produce well burnt, mostly white wood ash. The ash was then mixed into water and stirred well. The excess water was poured off and the resulting paste was made into pellets and allowed to dry. A pellet was then re-heated in the forge until it glowed about orange hot. This was then taken out, cooled and dropped in a pot of water. The pellet dissolved and boiled due to a chemical reaction with the water. The paste was stirred and crushed terracotta (old tiles from previous projects) was added and mixed to form a mouldable mortar. This was formed into a cube and allowed to set for three days (in the video, a cube made exactly the same way 3 days previously was used due to time constraints). The resultant cube was strong and made a slight ringing sound when tapped with a finger nail. It was placed in water for 24 hours to simulate a very heavy rain event and did not dissolve or release residues into the water. My current theory: The main component of wood ash consists of calcium in some form (e.g. calcium carbonate, calcium oxide). This can be up to 45% from my research. Calcium is in higher concentration in the bark and leaves of a tree. When the ash is mixed with water, the soluble component of wood ash (10% pot ash) dissolves into the water. But seeing that it does nothing for the cementing process, it is drained off leaving the insoluble calcium (and other components) in the paste. Doing this probably raises the relative percentage of calcium in the paste to about 50% or more. Most of the other 50 % consists of silica and alumina which are pozzolans, materials that chemically react with calcium hydroxide to increase the durability of the cement product. The paste was then made into a pellet and fired again to high temperature to convert all the calcium compounds to calcium oxide. It also reduces any charcoal in the pellet to ash if it hadn’t already been burnt the first time. This step seemed important as un-fired ash pellets only partially hardened and would fall apart in water, though retaining a weak undissolved 5mm thick crust. I can only surmise that re-firing the ash just gave a greater conversion of the calcium components to calcium oxide. The pellet is slaked in water converting the calcium oxide to calcium hydroxide. This cement was mixed with crushed terracotta which may also help in some way that I’m not aware of as I only did this one experiment and did not test other aggregates yet (e.g. sand, gravel etc.). Terracotta is porous and might hold together better than other materials. The mixture is allowed to set in air where carbon dioxide reacts with calcium hydroxide to form calcium carbonate cementing the aggregate together. After this, the cement will not dissolve in water.Use: I think this material might have a potential use as a mortar holding rocks or bricks together in wet environments where limestone or snail shells are unavailable for making cement. Wood ash is a pretty ubiquitous material to most natural environments inhabited by people using biomass fuels. Wood ash cement turns a waste product into a valuable building material. From my research, wood ash is already being used as a partial replacement for cement in the building industry without decreases in strength of the final product. But I’ve only just started experimenting with it and don’t know its full capabilities and limitations. Calcium content of wood ash differs depending on the species of tree, the part of the tree burnt and the soil it’s grown on. Cautious experimentation is still required before committing to a hut built from this material.
Primitive Technology: Yam, cultivate and cook Primitive Technology 2018-06-15 | Primitive Technology: Yam, cultivate and cookSubscribe: http://bit.ly/subPT | Never miss a video! Enable ‘ALL’ Notifications!More videos, watch me build a natural Blower & Charcol next: http://bit.ly/2MuwEr5Follow Primitive Technology:Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon: patreon.com/user?u=2945881Watch More Primitive Technology:Latest Uploads: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBR4xqf3FO-xFFwE-ucq4FjPyrotechnology: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBVRqu5lz5JGaQxjPs7q3CJShelter: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpBBsdKZb-vy30o88SIxItp2Weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpA-XGDrrmVgBnSXx15i2AwpPopular Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnWLXjIDnpAb29Lrdki5BPjTpMon8zlaAbout This Video:I planted a yam in a large basket like enclosure and then 6 months later harvested, cooked and ate it. My previous attempts at growing yams were stymied by wild pigs and scrub turkeys. On learning that yams are in the area, these animals will seek out any tubers planted and eat them. So my solution was to build a large basket like enclosure to protect the growing vine. 13 wooden stakes were hammered into the ground (an odd number being important in any weaving project) and lawyer cane harvested from the forest was woven between these uprights. The basket was about 1 m in diameter and about 75 cm high. A large yam, partially eaten by wallabies from a location further down the creek, was dug up and carried to the site. A small pit was dug in the enclosure and the yam simply placed in it. The enclosure was then back filled with dead leaves for fertiliser. As time progressed the vine grew above the basket and a long pole attached to it so it could climb into the canopy making full use of the sun. After 6 months and no maintenance, weeding or watering the yam had grown into two large tubers whereas the original yam had rotted away leaving a thin husk. The new tubers were dug up using a digging stick. As carful as I was, the yams sill broke off with more tuber still under ground. This portion will probably strike next season anyway. In the canopy, the vine also produced smaller tubbers called “bulbils”. These were collected in a pot to be used as seed yams for a larger garden I’m planning. You can eat bulbils as well but the larger yam is generally eaten instead due to its larger size.To cook the yam a fire pit was dug about 30 cm in diameter and about 20 cm deep. Wood was piled above the pit and set alight. The hot coals then fell into the pit where rocks where added to retain heat. The coals were scraped aside and the large tuber was broken up and thrown on top. The coals were raked back over it and a fire started on top. This cooked for 30 minutes before being pulled out of the coals. The outer layer of the yam was charred black and burning but the inside was soft and well cooked. The yam was eaten while steaming hot and tasted similar to a potato but with a crunchier texture near the outside much like bread crust. Although bland, yams provide a good deal of carbohydrates and are eaten as a staple in certain cultures. The remaining large yam tuber was tied up in a tree where rats could not eat it (hopefully).This form of farming is a good way to get around the conventional farming practice of clearing trees to make fields. Instead the yam vine uses the trees as scaffolding to climb on, allowing it to reach the light in the forest canopy. The basket enclosure worked well to keep forest creatures from eating the investment. It also formed a good in-situ compost heap to nourish the yam as it grew. In future, I’d add sand to the mix as yams tend to do well in sandy soil and I expect it would be easier to dig up. Yams do well in dry conditions but will yield more if well-watered so digging a water retaining pit might help. Despite the large size of the yams I grew relative to ordinary potatoes, much larger ones are possible and are indeed routinely grown. The largest one from my research was 275 kg, grown in India. Yams have 116 calories per 100 grams compared to potatoes at only 93. They store well in the dry season as they are adapted to having a dormant period during these conditions. They are versatile in that they can be cooked into chips, roasted, boiled, mashed and made into a type of dough called “fu fu” typically eaten with stews.
Primitive Technology: Blower and charcoal Primitive Technology 2018-05-18 | I made a blower and some charcoal at the new area in order to create higher temperatures in for advancing my material technology. I took Fan palm leaves and fashioned them into an impellor (about 25 cm in diameter) held in a split stick as a rotor. I then built a housing from clay (slightly more than 25 cm diameter with inlet and outlet openings about 8cm in diameter) and assembled the blower. I opted not to make a bow or cord mechanism as I’ve done before due to the complexity and lower portability of such a device. The lighter impellor material (leaf instead of the previous bark) made it easier to spin by hand anyway as it has a lower momentum. Each stroke of the spindle with the hand produces 4 rotations, so about 2 strokes per second gives 480 rpm. The blower increases the heat of a fire when blowing into it and I would guess it’s more effective than a blow pipe and lungs but don’t how it would compare to a primitive pot or bag bellows for air supply. A small furnace was made and then fired with wood fuel. The wood was wet but managed to fuse and partially met sand in the furnace. To get better performance, I made charcoal from the poor quality wood. I made a reusable charcoal retort to make it. This was different from the previous reusable mound I built as it consisted of a mud cylinder with air holes around the base. To use, it was stacked with wood and the top was covered with mud as opposed to the previous design which had a side door. The fire was lit from the top as usual and when the fire reached the air entries at the base (after an hour or two) the holes were sealed and the mound left to cool. The top was the broken open the next day and the charcoal removed. Another batch was made using significantly less effort as the main structure of the mound did not need to be rebuilt each time, only the top.Iron bacteria was again used to test the furnace. Charcoal and ore was placed in the furnace and the blower utilised. After an hour of operation the furnace was left to cool. The next day the furnace was opened and only slag was found with no metallic iron this time. I think increasing the ratio of charcoal to ore might increase the temperature so that the slag flows better. Further experiments will be needed before I get used to the new materials here.The new area I’m in is significantly wetter than the old area and this has affected the order in which I create my pyro technology. The old spot was a dry eucalypt forest with an abundant source of energy dense fire wood. As a result, I developed kilns early on, powered with wood fuel and a natural draft, before developing charcoal fuelled forced air furnaces. In contrast, the new area is a wet tropical rainforest, where wood rots nearly as soon as it falls off the tree in the damp conditions. Wood is also more difficult to collect here because of hordes of mosquitoes (away from the fire) and unpleasant, spiky plants. Because of this I developed a forge blower first as it allows higher temperatures from a lower quantity and quality of fuel. This poor quality wood can further be improved by converting it to charcoal first. In future, it may be necessary to cut fire wood green and dry it as opposed to picking it up off the ground dead as was preferable in the Eucalyptus forest I came from. The blower is also handy for stoking a tired campfire back into flames, I simply scrape the coals into a small mound around the nose of the tuyere and spin the impellor. I use the blower each day I’m at the hut for this purpose to save blowing on hot coals each time I need a fire for something. Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon page: patreon.com/user?u=2945881I have no face book page, instagram, twitter etc. Beware of fake pages.
Primitive Technology: Round hut Primitive Technology 2018-04-20 | I built a round hut using palm thatch and mud walls to replace the damaged A-frame hut built a few months ago. The A frame hut was damaged due to torrential rain and poor design elements considering the wet conditions. The thatch had rotted in the part of the roof that gets shade. Moth larvae and mold grew and consumed the thatch in these places. The hut also tilted forward due to the back post being hammered in only 25 cm into the ground. So on returning to the property (it was cut off by flooded bridge) I began work on a new hut.The new hut was positioned further into the open clearing to get more sunlight. A 3 meter diameter circle was scribed and 12 wooden posts were hammered into the ground, each 50 cm deep for a sturdier structure. Lintels were then tied to the top of the posts joining the posts together. A tripod ladder was made from poles lashed together at the top and a platform lashed to its frame. The roof poles were then attached to the top of the lintels and lashed together at the top to form a conical roof frame, 3 meters at the highest point. Loya cane was then tied on the eaves to act as support for the ends of the palm thatch. 700 palm fronds were then cut split and thatched onto the roof. The tripod ladder was used to climb up and thatch the roof from the inside. A cap was then made to put on the very top of the cone when the roof was almost finished.A drainage moat was dug around the hut and the excavated soil was placed on the hut floor to raise its level above the damp ground. A deluge tested the hut’s water shedding abilities. Torrential rain fell while a fire was kept going inside the dry hut. The drainage moat flowed like a stream during the heavy rain event. Loya cane was then harvested and woven between the posts. This formed a low wall. It was then daubed with mud inside and out. The clay from this was taken from the drainage moat. Rain falling into the moat meant that water didn’t need to be collected from the stream to mix the mud. This is another benefit of the drainage moat.The low wall allows light and air into the hut. With a fire going in the central pit, mosquitoes are kept at bay. The central fire pit produces smoke and heat that will hopefully prevent moths laying eggs in the roof (the caterpillars of which eat thatch) and will prevent mold from growing. The hut will be used as an undercover work space for future projects.Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon page: patreon.com/user?u=2945881I have no face book page, instagram, twitter etc. Beware of fake pages.
Primitive Technology: Lime Primitive Technology 2018-03-06 | At the old hut site (the new one being temporarily cut off by flooding) I made lime mortar from the shells of rainforest snails by firing them in a kiln, slaking them in water, mixing them into lime putty. Limestone is basically calcium carbonate (CaCO3). The general source of lime is limestone and various other calcareous minerals, though shells, egg shells and coral are other sources of lime (for more information see video on Corporals Corner channel: youtu.be/tOhAfaFboNU or Skillcults channel: youtu.be/jOxaOTUGuKo). When heated above 840 degrees Celsius, the lime decomposes into calcium oxide (CaO) or Quicklime and releases carbon dioxide (CO2). When water is added to the quicklime it becomes calcium hydroxide Ca (OH)2 or lime putty. From here the calcium hydroxide can then be shaped into a form and allowed to set. Carbon dioxide enters the lime putty as it dries causing it to turn back into calcium carbonate. The new calcium carbonate has then set, remaining solid and water resistant. In my local geography, calcareous rocks such as limestone are absent leading to a difficulty in acquiring the feed stock for lime making. However, I was still able to make lime by collecting the shells of large terrestrial snails that are native to the rainforest here. The unoccupied shells of these snails were gathered up and stored at the hut. Fire wood was gathered and packed neatly into the kiln. Importantly, the firewood was stacked on top of the grate rather than underneath it in the firebox as is the normal procedure for firing pottery. Using an ordinary updraft pottery kiln in this configuration allows it to reach much higher temperatures than would be possible during normal use. The wood was lit from above and the fire burned down towards the grate. Alternate layers of shells and wood were added on to this burning fuel bed. After adding the last layer of wood to act as a “lid” to prevent heat loss from above I left the kiln to finish on its own, unsupervised. The whole process took about an hour and a half.When the kiln had cooled down a few hours later, I took out the calcined shells. Not shown in the video was the fact that some shells got so hot, the dirt stuck to them turned into slag and fused to them, possibly with the lime acting a flux lowering its melting point. This extreme heat (+1200 c) should be avoided as the over burnt lime becomes “dead lime”, unable to slake in water. Most shells were still useable though. They were taken out of the kiln and had water added to them. An exothermic reaction then ensued. Heat was produced as the lime quicklime turned into slaked lime. The water heated up creating steam and the shells decomposed into a white paste. The paste was stirred and crushed pottery was added to it as an aggregate (sand is normally used for this, I just had a lot of old pot sherds lying about to dispose of). This lime mortar mixture was then formed into a block shape and left to dry. It took about a week and a half to set as we have had extremely humid, wet weather. The block was observed to have set demonstrating its properties.What I created is actually lime mortar, typically used for mortaring bricks and tiles together. It’s basically the ‘Glue’ that holds together the building blocks of masonry structures. From my research 20 kg of lime mortar is used on a 1 m square section of brick wall. 5 kg of lime to 15 kg of aggregate (sand, grog etc.) per a 1 m square section of bricks. The shells, though large, are not terribly abundant. A method for finding shells efficiently needs to be made before considering making lime mortar in this fashion. From my experience sand bars in a creek sometimes accumulate snail shells from higher up in the mountains. In these spots, water velocity decreases and shells in the water tend to drop out of the water column. Additionally lime may be partially replaced with ordinary wood ash in mortar without a corresponding decrease in strength. To conclude, making lime in a land without limestone is possible but can be problematic when trying to do so on a large scale.Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon page: patreon.com/user?u=2945881I have no face book page, instagram, twitter etc. Beware of fake pages.
Primitive Technology: A-frame hut Primitive Technology 2018-01-19 | I built an A frame hut as a large work space for projects. First I made a celt hatchet to cut timber for the hut. The axe head was made of amphibolite and the handle was made of a species of wattle. For the hut the floor plan was 4 X 4m. The height of the ridgeline was 2 m above the ground. +A post was planted in the ground to support the ridge pole at the back of the structure and an A frame was put in the front to support the ridgeline. The rafters of the hut were then attached to the ridgepole. Palm fronds were then collected, split and lashed to this frame. The dome hut was disassembled and its thatch was added to the structure. Approximately 1200 fronds were used in total. For the ridgeline, thatch was lifted in place and rested on without lashing it down. Instead, pairs of sticks lashed together were lifted in place sitting over thatch preventing it from blowing away. These are known as “jockeys” as they resemble a rider sitting on a horse.A wall of wattle and daub was built at the back of the structure. Wooden poles were planted into the ground and lawyer cane was woven between them. Soil was dug from around the hut forming drainage trenches while also supplying the mud used to daub the wall. No fibre was added to the daub, just straight mud. Pegs were stuck into the wall to form a convenient rack to hold the stone axe off the ground when not in use. Later, pegs were added to support the fire sticks too. A bed was made by hammering in wooden stakes and lashing timber to the frame. This was covered with palm fibre to act as bedding. Atherton oak nuts were then collected and eaten/stored in a pot. Latter, heavy rain fell testing the huts ability to shed rain. The hut stayed dry while the water flowed off the thatch and into the drainage trenches left over from digging the mud for the wall.The A frame hut is a simple shelter that can be built quickly and simply. It’s basically a large roof built directly on the ground. The shape is strong and should resist strong winds. This hut is the biggest one I’ve built on this channel and could fit both the tiled roof hut and wattle and daub hut inside it with room left over along the sides. It requires no scaffolding or ladders to build. A person can walk right down the centre without ducking while the sides that are too low to stand in are used for storing firewood, tools and other things. A fire lit in the entrance will greatly reduce the number of mosquitoes in the hut though it will get smokey occasionally. To reduce smoke, a small stove could be built to burn the wood more efficiently. A chimney and fireplace could be built also, but would take more time.Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon page: patreon.com/user?u=2945881I have no face book page, instagram, twitter etc. Beware of fake pages.
Primitive Technology: Pottery and Stove Primitive Technology 2017-12-22 | I made some pottery from the clay in the new area to see how well it performed. A large bank of clay was exposed by the side of the creek. I dug it out using a digging stick and took it back to the hut. Small sticks and stones were picked out of the clay and the whole mass was mixed to make sure there were no dry lumps. When this was done the clay was then left next to the fire to dry slightly so that it became a stiff workable material to form pots from. No further processing was done to the clay.I formed small pinch pots from the clay by taking balls of it and pinching out the shape of the pots. Small cracks that formed while shaping were simply mended by wetting and smoothing over. Several pots were made this way. They were then left to dry completely next to the fire until they were completely dry. To fire the pot, it was placed upside down in the hot coals and covered with sticks in a tipi fashion. The wood both acts as fuel and protects the pot from sudden changes in temperatures such as those caused by sudden winds. When the fire was burning well, I increased the temperature of the fire by fanning it with a fan palm frond. The pot glowed red hot amongst the coals and so was fired to a sufficient temperature. After waiting overnight, the pot was retrieved from the ashes and struck with a stick. The pot gave a clear ringing sound indicating it was strong and had no cracks (hollow sounds indicate the opposite). Now I had a small bowl to carry water in.A larger pot was then made from the same clay. This time the walls of the pot were built up using the coil technique where long rolls of clay were rolled and then squashed onto previous layers. The last layer was pinched outwards to form a pot lip. A lid was made for the pot by making a flat disk of clay with a small handle for lifting. When dried the pot was then fired as before but in a larger pit outside the hut. Again, the pot was covered with wood protecting it from sudden breezes that might cool or heat the pot suddenly, possibly causing cracks. The firing went well and the pot sounded strong when struck.The pot was then placed on 3 rocks and a fire lit underneath. It took close to 30 minutes to boil this way with lots of sticks. But it did eventually come to the boil. I then made a stove inside the hut. The fire pit was dug and extended into a trench, sticks laid over the entrance and mud mixed from the excavated dirt was then used to form the walls of the stove over the trench. The stove was about 30 cm internal diameter but came in to about 20 cm. Three raised lumps were made on the top of the stove to hold the pot above. Then the stove was fired. Note that wood can be placed over the entrance of the stove at ground level and lit in a hob firebox like configuration. The flames then get sucked down and then up into the stove. I show this because it’s an easy way to manage the fire without making it too big which might burn the thatch.When the pot is on the stove, it’s easier just to put sticks straight into the top of the stove between its open top and the sides of the pot. If over stacked with wood, wood gas is produced burning in a second fireball above the stove. It’s best just to keep the flames big enough to surround the pot (to reduce fire hazards). The pot was quicker to come to the boil then over a three stone fire.The clay here in the new place is good, it didn’t take me long to make pottery here. Notably this clay doesn’t seem to need grog or temper added to it to prevent it from cracking. I think this is due to tiny specs of mica that weren’t present in the clay from my old area. The clay seems stronger and there also seems to be much more of it everywhere. The pot boiled after a while of tending, in future I’ll probably make thinner walled pots so that they boil quicker. The stove was useful for boiling the pot. It also seems to reduce the amount of smoke in the hut and increase the life of the coals in the base so that the fire could be re stoked at a later time.Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon page: patreon.com/user?u=2945881I have no face book page, instagram, twitter etc. Beware of fake pages.
Primitive Technology: New area starting from scratch Primitive Technology 2017-11-24 | I bought a new property to shoot primitive technology videos on. The new area is dense tropical rainforest with a permanent creek. Starting completely from scratch, my first project was to build a simple dome hut and make a fire. First, I took some wood, Abroma mollis, for fire sticks. I knapped a small stone blade and used it to strip the fire sicks. Palm fibre was then taken for the tinder. The fire stick kit was then placed under a palm leaf to keep it out of the rain.Next, a stone from the creek was fashioned into a simple hand axe. This was used to cut a staff that was used to clear a path to the hut location. The location for the hut was a clearing densely crowded by native raspberry. This was then cleared using the staff and a small 2.5 m circle was levelled ready for building.Eight 2.75 m long saplings were cut using the hand axe and brought to the site. Eight holes about 25 cm deep were hammered into the ground in a circle 2.5 m in diameter and the saplings were then planted in. The tops were brought together at the top and tied with vine. A door lintel stick was lashed to the front about 75 cm off the ground giving a low door way. A stone flake was used to cut about 600 palm fronds. These were split and lashed horizontally to the frame creating a thatched dome. Mosquitoes are a real problem here so a fire was lit. The fire sticks from before had a hole carved in the base boards and had a notch carved to let the powder pour out. The spindle was twirled in the socket and smoking powder poured out producing a hot coal. This then ignited the palm fibre tinder. The fire was transferred to the hut and a small hearth was made of stones. The fire makes a big difference in the number of mosquitoes which seem unable to tolerate the smoke. The dome was completed up to the top and a small cap was made from lawyer cane and fronds to place on the top to keep rain out. When not in use the cap can be removed to let in more light like a sky light. Finally wood was cut for a bed. This consisted of wooden stakes hammered into the ground at the back of the hut behind the fire pit. Part of the bed frame is attached to the sapling uprights that form the dome. This works ok without the frame shaking too much due to the low attachment point of the bed. Wooden boards were then placed on this and were covered with palm fibre for bedding. Firewood is stored just inside the entrance on the left side of the door looking in. The bed sits behind the fire pit so smoke and flames deter insects or large animals reaching the occupant. Fire sticks and tools are kept just inside the right side of the entrance.The small hut is simple to build and creates a small, dry shelter for camping and storing tools. Though it is dark, the cap can be removed in fine weather to provide a fairly well-lit workspace protected from annoying insects. This new area has good stone, clay and materials lending themselves to elaborate shelters. A permanent creek runs through it. Mosquitoes are abundant here though and will be an issue. The Cassowary, a large, horned, flightless bird lives in this forest. It’s the most dangerous bird in the world, but generally only attacks when threatened.Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon page: patreon.com/user?u=2945881I have no face book page, instagram, twitter etc. Beware of fake pages.
Primitive Technology: Natural Draft Furnace Primitive Technology 2017-10-27 | I built a natural draft furnace to test ideas about how hot a furnace could get without the use of bellows. Natural draft is the flow of air through a furnace due to rising hot air. The hot gasses in the fuel bed are more buoyant than the cold air outside the furnace causing them to rise. Fresh combustion air then enters the base of the furnace to replace the rising combustion gasses, keeping the fuel bed burning. This effect increases with: 1. the average temperature of the fuel bed relative to the outside air and 2. The height of the furnace. Two other important factors are the size of the tuyere (air entry pipe) and lump size of the fuel bed as these effect the resistance to airflow through the furnace. The furnace was tested with wood fuel and some ore was melted but produced no iron. High temperature were indeed produced (probably about 1200 c). These types of furnaces were once used for smelting copper and iron ores in around the world in ancient times, usually using charcoal as a fuel and in some cases wood too.I designed the furnace using a formula from the book “The mastery and uses of fire in antiquity” by J.E. Rehder. It was designed to have a space velocity (air speed within the furnace) of 6 m per minute which is recommended for iron smelting. The furnace was 175 cm in total height but with a height of only 150 cm above the tuyere. The height between the air entry and the top of the furnace is what determines the strength of the draft, the space beneath the air entry is not included in the formula. The internal furnace diameter was 25 cm. The walls were about 12.5 cm thick at the base but got thinner with height. The tuyere (air entry pipe) was 7.5 cm internal diameter and about 20 cm long. The tuyere was placed into an opening in the base of the furnace and sealed with mud. The whole thing took about a week to make due to the slow drying time that was assisted by keeping a fire burning in side it. The furnace was designed to use charcoal (which in this case should be 2.5 cm diameter lumps) but I used wood to test it instead as it was easier to acquire. To test its melting ability, bog ore was found further down the creek and roasted. The roasted ore was then crushed and stored in a pot. The furnace was filled with wood and lit from the top. The fire burnt down the furnace producing charcoal. On reaching the tuyere the fire then started burning the charcoal. Wood was also continually added from the top along with a few small handfuls of the roasted bog ore (not shown in the video). The temperature of hot objects can be visually estimated from their incandescence. After about an hour, the light coming out of the tuyere was high yellow to white hot indicating a temperature of at about 1200 c. Colour temperature charts vary but white hot is usually given to be at least 1200 c, examples of these charts can be found on the internet for reference. It was uncomfortable to stare into the tuyere and doing so left an after image when looking away, indicating the strength of its brightness. After about an hour and a half the furnace was left to burn out. When opened the next day the tuyere was covered in slag with bits of slag found on the furnace floor also. This experiment shows that high temperatures can be achieved without the use of bellows or charcoal, which might significantly reduce labour in the production of iron. The furnace was technically easy to build as it was a simple vertical cylinder. When running, the wood added to the top of the furnace converts to charcoal in the upper part of the stack and is consumed in the lower part. The ore I used was new to me, normally I use iron bacteria as an ore. This new ore produced no metallic iron so I’m inclined to use iron bacteria in future. Natural draft furnaces were once used to smelt copper and iron ores in the past, usually with charcoal fuel and less frequently with wood. The main benefit of these furnaces seems to have been the reduction in labour they provide and simplified infrastructure (fewer workers and no bellows required during operation).
Primitive Technology: Mud Bricks Primitive Technology 2017-09-22 | (Turn on captions [CC] in the lower right corner for more information while viewing.)I made a brick mold that makes bricks 25 x 12.5 x 7.5 cm from wood. A log was split and mortise and tenon joints were carved using a stone chisel and sharp rocks. The mold was lashed together with cane to prevent it from coming apart when used. Next, I made a mixture of mud and palm fiber to make the bricks. This was then placed into the mold to be shaped and taken to a drying area. 140 bricks were made.When dry, the bricks were then assembled into a kiln. 32 roof tiles were then made of mud and fired in the kiln. It only took 3 hours to fire the tiles sufficiently. The mud bricks and tiles were a bit weaker than objects made from my regular clay source because of the silt, sand and gravel content of the soil. Because of this, I will look at refining mud into clay in future projects instead of just using mud.Interestingly, the kiln got hot enough so that iron oxide containing stones began to melt out of the tiles. This is not metallic iron, but only slag (iron oxide and silica) and the temperature was probably not very high, but only enough to slowly melt or soften the stones when heated for 3 hours.The kiln performed as well as the monolithic ones I've built in the past and has a good volume. It can also be taken down and transported to other areas. But the bricks are very brittle and next time I'd use better clay devoid of sand/silt, and use grog instead of temper made of plant fiber which burns out in firing. The mold works satisfactorily. I aim to make better quality bricks for use in furnaces and buildings in future.Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon page: patreon.com/user?u=2945881I have no face book page, instagram, twitter etc. Beware of fake pages.
Primitive Technology: Simplified blower and furnace experiments Primitive Technology 2017-08-25 | Blower description The purpose of this project was to test a simplified blower design connected to a furnace. I purposely did this to show that people in most natural environments should be able to replicate this design without difficulty. This blower differed from the previous one in several ways to simplify the construction method.Firstly, the impellor was simply a stick as a rotor with a 40 cm wide rectangle of bark tied into a split in its end with a bark fibre cordage. A stone with a pit carved into it acted as a socket for the lower half of the rotor to spin in. If spun in the dirt the rotor can drill down and the position of the impellor can reach ground level causing the blades to bump into rocks and dirt. Later, I plastered the stone socket into the ground with mud to hold it securely in position (not shown in the video, just be aware of this solution if the socket shifts around too much).Secondly, the housing for the blower was made in situ of ordinary mud (dirt and water on site). It was a bit more than 40 cm in internal diameter. The walls of the housing were solid mud and the roof was made of sticks covered with mud. An opening more than half the length of the impellor was left in the roof to remove the impellor for maintenance and to admit air into the blower during operation. In use, the portion of this opening near the front of the blower was covered with a tile. If left opened the blower still worked but covering it improved performance by preventing air escaping near the front. In places where water is not available, a housing shaped pit covered with sticks and dirt might work instead.Finally, a simple length of cordage was used to drive the rotation of the impellor. This cord was placed in a notch carved into the top of the impellor rotor. The cord was wrapped around the rotor about 2.5 times. During operation the cords were pulled outwards causing the rotation. When fully unwound, the momentum of the impellor then wrapped the cord back around in the other direction. Then the cords were pulled outwards again causing the impellor to spin in the other direction. Note that this is a centrifugal blower with a symmetrical housing, therefore it doesn’t matter whether the fan spins one way or the other (clockwise or anti clockwise), the blower will always suck air in to its open top and force it into the furnace. This design is easy to make and use. It can be made with minimal materials by unskilled people. The impellor design is simple yet effective. A stick, some bark and lashing of some sort should be available in most areas. The housing being made from mud, is easily sourced also. For the drive mechanism, I chose this method because the first blower I built had too many parts. There was a frame made of wood and vine to hold the rotor in place which kept causing issues with the rotor seizing or jumping out of the socket. Also, the bow that was used to drive the rotor added unnecessary complexity. In the new design, the simple cord in the notch of the rotor did away with the frame and the bow of the old design and the associated difficulties. Furnace experimentsThe blower was used to power a furnace attached to the front of it. Note that with minimal materials, the blower could simply force air into a hole in the base of the furnace and work satisfactorily. But I wanted to test a different configuration so I used clay grate from a previous kiln I made. Fuel in the form of wood and charcoal was used in this furnace by being placed on top of the grate instead of under it. During operation, the blower forced air up through the grate into the burning fuel bed increasing the rate of heat production relative to the use of natural draft (convection) alone. I made 3 pots and fired them with charcoal. The first pot was painted with iron bacteria (iron oxide being the active ingredient). When fired, the oxide melted slightly showing minimal glazing. The clay became quite hard, possibly stoneware. The second pot was painted with wood ash and placed on a three sided clay plinth to hold the pot in the position of highest temperature in the fuel bed. The pot softened and sagged apart catastrophically. But the ash glaze gave a dark green smooth finish (difficult to see in the video). Finally, a pot was place upside down on the grate and a cylindrical brick made of iron bacteria, charcoal powder and wood ash was put on top of this. The brick melted over the pot, covering it in a viscous blob of slag rather than a thin glaze. On inspection, the slag had 1mm sized spheres of metallic iron in it. Some of these were picked out and stored in a pot. The reason for experiments like these to gain knowledge that might be of practical use in future projects that have not yet been determined.Wordpress: primitivetechnology.wordpress.comPatreon page: patreon.com/user?u=2945881I have no face book page, instagram, twitter etc. Beware of fake pages.
