A master craftsperson explores the ways in which working with our hands reveals the essence of both our humanity and our relationship with the natural, material world

In our present age of computer-assisted design, mass production and machine precision, the traditional skills of the maker or craftsperson are hard to find. Yet the desire for well-made and beautiful objects from the hands (and mind) of a skilled artisan is just as present today as it ever has been. Whether the medium they work with is wood, metal, clay or something else, traditional makers are living links to the rich vein of knowledge and skills that defines our common human heritage. More than this, though, many of us harbor a deep and secret yearning to produce something – to build or shape, to imagine and create our own objects that are imbued not only with beauty and functionality, but with a story and, in essence, a spirit drawn from us.

Nick Kary understands this yearning. For nearly four decades he has worked on commission to make fine, distinctive furniture and cabinets from wood, most of it sourced near his home, in the counties of South West England. During this time, he has been both a teacher and a student; one who is fascinated with the philosophy and practice of craft work of all kinds.

In Material, Kary takes readers along with him to visit some of the places where modern artisans are preserving, and in some cases passing on, the old craft skills. His vivid descriptions and eye for detail make this book a rich and delightful read, and the natural and cultural history he imparts along the way provides an important context for understanding our own past and the roots of our industrial society.

Personal, engaging, and filled with memorable people, landscapes and scenes, Material is a rich celebration of what it means to imagine and create, which in the end is the essence of being human, and native to a place. As Kary puts it, “Wood and words, trees and people, material and ethereal – it is here I love increasingly to dwell.”

The post Material (Audiobook) first appeared on Chelsea Green Publishing.

Learn how to design and build your own domestic-sized water tank to collect, store, and use rainwater for your home and garden. Save money with this low-cost method of construction and reduce your water bills too!

The combination of cheap, easily available materials, margin for error, suitability for amateurs and flexibility in terms of size and shape, make ferrocement tanks an ideal choice for anyone looking for long-term water security on a budget, and they work well in all but the harshest environment.

With hands-on experience, the authors provide a detailed guide to enable confident and safe construction by anyone interested in building their own ferrocement tank. Felicity and Lee share their reasons for choosing these tanks, how they calculated their water needs and how they constructed and maintain the tanks that cater for all their needs. With our weather patterns drastically shifting between drought and flood due to the changing climate, it is vital to have reserves of water to rely on. Felicity and Daniel self-built their own house and included water tanks, achieving water security for less than the cost of joining the local water network!

Whether you are creating your own off-grid home, or want to reduce your carbon footprint and reliance on mains water, the ferrocement tank offers a simple, achievable and robust DIY solution. 

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From the author of The Humanure Handbook, an expert guide to compost toilets you can build yourself

The Compost Toilet Handbook is an illustrated instructional manual explaining how to make, use, and manage compost toilets, which are waste-free toilets that rely on the biological process of composting to recycle toilet material. It is based on the author’s 40+ years of first-hand experience with “composting as a sanitation alternative.” The 254-page indexed book has 161 pages of color photos including 203 photos or illustrations from 13 countries where compost toilet systems are in use. The 2^nd half of the book includes case study reviews of compost toilet projects in African prisons and schools; Haitian schools, orphanages, and villages; schools in Mozambique; neighborhoods in Mongolia; a school and village in Nicaragua; and an ecovillage in the US. Along with the nuts and bolts of compost toilet construction, use, and management, the book covers emergency preparedness, cold weather composting, pharmaceuticals, heavy metals, health, and safety.

The post The Compost Toilet Handbook first appeared on Chelsea Green Publishing.

A soup-to-nuts guide to straw bale construction, written by the founders of the Spanish Straw Bale Network

Straw bale buildings are warm in winter and cool in summer. The natural materials used create beautiful healthy homes that also have a low environmental impact. Highly affordable for self-builders, in professional construction, the relationship between quality, price, and long-term savings can easily be achieved. Straw bale is also especially suited to community-based projects as it generates curiosity and often needs groups of enthusiastic volunteers.

This complete guide gives detailed descriptions about how straw bales react to different applications and enables anyone to design and build these natural homes in different climates.

Included are:

• Step-by-step instructions for many processes
• Tips, tricks, advice and warnings
• Over 600 photos, drawings and diagrams
• Materials, tools and building techniques
• Solutions to common problems
• Plans for a practice straw bale building

Since every build is unique (availability of materials, skills, budget, climate etc.), many different and varied building techniques are explained. Self-builders will learn a vast array of skills and the confidence to build their own, while professionals will be enabled to successfully incorporate bale building into their portfolios. 

The post A Complete Guide to Straw Bale Building first appeared on Chelsea Green Publishing.

“An important book, brimming with insight.”—Nicholas Evans, author of The Horse Whisperer 

A master craftsperson explores the ways in which working with our hands reveals the essence of both our humanity and our relationship with the natural, material world

In our present age of computer-assisted design, mass production and machine precision, the traditional skills of the maker or craftsperson are hard to find. Yet the desire for well-made and beautiful objects from the hands (and mind) of a skilled artisan is just as present today as it ever has been. Whether the medium they work with is wood, metal, clay or something else, traditional makers are living links to the rich vein of knowledge and skills that defines our common human heritage. More than this, though, many of us harbor a deep and secret yearning to produce something – to build or shape, to imagine and create our own objects that are imbued not only with beauty and functionality, but with a story and, in essence, a spirit drawn from us.

Nick Kary understands this yearning. For nearly four decades he has worked on commission to make fine, distinctive furniture and cabinets from wood, most of it sourced near his home, in the counties of South West England. During this time, he has been both a teacher and a student; one who is fascinated with the philosophy and practice of craft work of all kinds.

In Material, Kary takes readers along with him to visit some of the places where modern artisans are preserving, and in some cases passing on, the old craft skills. His vivid descriptions and eye for detail make this book a rich and delightful read, and the natural and cultural history he imparts along the way provides an important context for understanding our own past and the roots of our industrial society.

Personal, engaging, and filled with memorable people, landscapes and scenes, Material is a rich celebration of what it means to imagine and create, which in the end is the essence of being human, and native to a place. As Kary puts it, “Wood and words, trees and people, material and ethereal – it is here I love increasingly to dwell.”

Perfect for fans of The Hidden Life of Trees or Norwegian Wood, Material is a rich, inspiring read for woodworkers, potters, craftspeople, bibliophiles and anyone who enjoys working with their hands. 

The post Material first appeared on Chelsea Green Publishing.

A classic text on slate roof construction, now back in print

Master slate roof builder Joseph Jenkins has brought back into print the classic “Slate Roofs,” first published in January, 1926, by the then nascent “National Slate Association.”

Other than a slight adjustment to the title, to be more compatible with a 21^st-century readership, and a few corrections and stylistic changes, almost all the information is presented exactly as in the original publication, including anachronistic references. For example, in the editor’s 52 years in the slate roofing industry, he has never heard of nor seen a “flat slate roof” other than in this publication. However, this book contains a wealth of information on which today’s modern slate roofing industry is based, and therefore remains a valuable addition to the library of anyone interested in roofing, construction, architecture, and history. Included at the end of this publication are 21^st-century guidelines for slate roof installation, repair, and restoration as published by the Slate Roofing Contractors Association of North America, Inc., as well as excerpts from Jenkins’ own 2016 Slate Roof Bible (3^rd edition).

The post Slate Roofs 1926 first appeared on Chelsea Green Publishing.

A new edition of the classic book on traditional timber framing

Since building his famous Woodland House from his own woodland, author Ben Law has evolved his own style of natural building, now tried and tested on many other builds across England. Ben has built houses, workshops, a classroom, lean-tos, a shop and a store to industrial specifications. Whilst this style’s origins can be found in traditional forms of building, Ben has developed an entirely new vernacular using many innovative ideas and techniques.

Filled with detailed colour photographs and drawings, this unique and practical how-to book, is unquestionably a benchmark for sustainable building. Roundwood Timber Framing encourages communication between woodsmen, planners, architects and builders, and helps to close the loop between environmental conservation, use of renewable local resources and the regeneration and evolution of traditional skills, to create durable, ecological and beautiful buildings.

The post Roundwood Timber Framing first appeared on Chelsea Green Publishing.

If you want to introduce alternative power supplies around the home and garden or even live totally off-grid in your boat, caravan, or yurt and need a practical introduction to solar power and 12-volt supplies, Do It Yourself 12 Volt Solar Power, 3rd Edition is the essential guide on the subject.

Not only will it save you money, it will show you how to run your lights, laptop, DVDs, and music, and even your tools and household products, from a simple 12-volt system. Be in control of more of your home’s own energy supply, develop a low-impact way of living, and be prepared for power outages in the future!

Do It Yourself 12 Volt Solar Power begins with a lesson on how electricity works and the main components of a DIY solar system. The author uses clear diagrams and terms. There is, of course, more technical information as the book progresses, but don’t worry, this no-nonsense guide provides a useful, back-to-basics approach for the layperson.

This is a reference book that will help you troubleshoot and get the best value for money from what you can find hidden in the back of the garage. It is also quirky and humorous and shows you how to make a sun-following system using just a bicycle wheel, a pallet, and the motor from a CD player!

The post Do It Yourself 12 Volt Solar Power, 3rd Edition first appeared on Chelsea Green Publishing.

Joseph Jenkins climbed on his first slate roof in 1968, authored the first edition of The Slate Roof Bible in 1997, and published the second edition in 2003. Both editions received national awards. Now, a dozen years later, Jenkins is still very active in the slate roofing industry. The third edition of the book reflects more than a decade of additional experience being passed on to the reader by the man who is arguably the foremost expert on slate roofs in the United States today.

The third edition, hardbound, completely updates and expands the material in the second edition, with more emphasis on the craft of slate roof installation. Expanded sections include slate siding, eyebrow dormers, turrets, soldering, flashings, international slate, American slate history, slating styles, installation and repair tips, and trade secrets. Dozens of new color photographs have been added, as well as step-by-step illustrations and line drawings.

This book is sure to become a classic. It belongs on the shelf of every architect, roofer, slate roof owner, architectural consultant, history buff, and anyone in the roofing industry.

The post The Slate Roof Bible first appeared on Chelsea Green Publishing.

In Building a Low Impact Roundhouse, Tony shares his many years of experience, skills, and techniques used to build this unique and affordable low-impact home. Always witty and inspiring, the author explains the process of visualizing and designing a house through to the practical side of lifting the living roof, infilling the walls, laying out rooms, and adding renewable, autonomous technology.

Building a Low Impact Roundhouse has become a classic text sold all over the world. Tony’s home and lifestyle have attracted much media interest, and he and his partner continue to inspire many individuals and communities to seek out ways of living more sustainably.

Now in its fourth edition, with a fascinating ten-year update including a major new section on the couple’s marvelous straw bale den, Tony also includes sections on the physical design, and he writes about the lifestyle required for living in a roundhouse. He offers advice on roofs, floors, walls, compost toilets, wood stoves, kitchens, windows, and planning permission. There are additional photographs of life in and around the dwelling and illustrations from the construction plans for one of the UK’s most unique homes.

This true and captivating story covers the realizing of a lifetime’s dream as well as being a practical “how to” manual for anyone who loves the idea of low-impact living and wants to self-build an affordable, organic home.

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