No Tech Magazine

How to Set Up and Run a Bicycle Repair Company

What you need.

How To Transport Oil in a Post-Oil World

"Barriques tournantes pour le transport des denrées" or "Turning barrels to transport goods", from the "Bulletin de la Société d'Encouragement pour l'industrie Nationale", june 1822.

Building With Whole Trees

Whole Trees Architecture via The New York Times.

Online Multimedia Museum of Machine Motion

Reader Mathew Lippincott (check out his mutoscope) points us to Kinematic Models for design (KMODDL), an open access, multimedia resource for learning & teaching about kinematics and the history & theory of machines.

The core of this wonderful museum is the Reuleaux collection of mechanisms and machines, a set of 19th century models built to demonstrate the elements of machine motion (more collections here). Also of interest are the tutorials and this extensive list of online references.

KMODDL also has 3D-printable models (see the multimedia section) and some of these have stereolithography files. They can be viewed with Meshlab. Thank you, Mathew!

Floating Citadels, Powered by Wind and Water Mills

This engraving, published in 1798, shows the gigantic St. Malo raft, designed in 1791 during the French Revolution. The engraving informs us that this extraordinary structure was 600 feet long by 300 broad, mounts 500 pieces of cannon, 36 and 48-pounders, and is to convey 15,000 troops for the invasion of England. In the midst is a bomb-proof, metal-sheathed citadel.

Ran Prieur

Radical low-tech blog.

507 Mechanical Movements (1908)

 
"507 Mechanical Movements, embracing dynamics, hydraulics, hydrostatics, pneumatics, steam engines, mill and other gearing, presses, horology, and miscellaneous machinery, and including many movements never before published, and several which have only recently come into use". Henry T. Brown, 1908. Via Doug Berch.