Category Archives: thinking out of the box

We started the block box today

Posted on December 10, 2010 by wroughtn_harv

The day started with a visit to the Republic recycling center in Plano Texas. There we loaded up some number 3 to number 7 plastics for testing the block box, aka bottle brick machine. Tommy Kirk is the manager of … Continue reading →

Posted in creating industry in the third world, recycled plastic building blocks, sustainable housing, thinking out of the box, Tips and tricks | Tagged China, Dr. Owen Geiger, Haiti, Pakistan, recycled plastic trash, Ronald Omyonga, South America | View Comments

Bottle Bricks

Posted on November 21, 2010 by wroughtn_harv

A bottle brick is a building block made from empty plastic bottles. It is a form of recycling plastic bottles. The bottles are compressed together in a mold. Depending upon the pressure used to compress the plastic bottles in the … Continue reading →

Posted in creating industry in the third world, recycled plastic building blocks, straw bale houses, sustainable housing, thinking out of the box, Tips and tricks | Tagged China, Dr. Owen Geiger, Haiti, Pakistan, recycled plastic trash, Ronald Omyonga, South America | View Comments

A better way to build a stucco fence or screeen wall

Posted on July 19, 2009 by wroughtn_harv

In the southwest, stucco walls are constructed with a concrete beam or footer for a foundation. Then a cinder block wall is built on top of that. The excavation for the footer is labor intensive if heavy equipment can’t be … Continue reading →

Posted in loafing sheds, metal barns, steel and stucco fencing, tack rooms, thinking out of the box, Tips and tricks, Uncategorized | Tagged Add new tag, do it yourself barns and sheds, do it yourself stucco walls and fences, flying by the seat of one's pants, loafing sheds, new product for do it yourselfers, steel fence, stucco fence, stucco walls, unique fence design, V-Mesh fence | View Comments

A Better Way to Make a Barn or Shed

Posted on June 28, 2009 by wroughtn_harv

I’ve been building small barns and loafing sheds with four inch C purlins oriented horizontally instead of vertically for about ten years now. My reasons for framing like this instead of the conventional way of welding the purlins vertically … Continue reading →

Posted in horse stalls, loafing sheds, metal barns, tack rooms, thinking out of the box, Tips and tricks | View Comments

DNA Fence Project

Posted on May 25, 2009 by wroughtn_harv

I was asked for input on a theme for the fencing at a research center of a major university. When I suggested a DNA top rail pattern they asked for a sample. It wasn’t as easy as it looks to … Continue reading →

Posted in rolling a spiral in 1 inch pipe, thinking out of the box, Tips and tricks | Tagged bending .065 galvanized toprail into a spiral that's repeatable, flying by the seat of one's pants, unique fence design | View Comments