What natural material has the tensile strength of steel and can grow 12″ in a single day? Bamboo! On today's show, I'm chatting with my friend Palo Coleman about alternative and old-school building methods and materials that are better than what we do today. We'll also go in depth on Shou Sugi Ban, which is the (now popular again) technique for preserving wood by burning it.
In This Episode:
- Shou Sugi Ban: How, why, and which wood to use
- What other materials do you need?
- Lifespan and proper maintenance of Shou Sugi Ban
- How to set you Mac to Do Not Disturb (yep, you read that right)
- The don’ts of Shou Sugi Ban
- Let’s talk bamboo: is it only an invasive plant?
- How does Palo use bamboo?
- Do you need special tools to use bamboo?
- Did Palo really haul wood on top of his Honda Civic?
- More old techniques that Palo likes
Links and Resources:
- Bamboo Fences by Isao Yoshikawa
- The Pine Furniture of Early New England by Russell H. Kettell
- American Barns and Covered Bridges by Eric Sloane
- Just Enough: Lessons in Living Green From Traditional Japan by Abzy Brown
Guest Bio:
Palo Coleman
Palo Coleman grew up unfettered in Northern California where he spent a lot of time in the woods taught himself building skills and developed an interest in small-scale living. Now living on the East Coast, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, he continues to experiment in myriad woodworking techniques and is a tiny-house builder. Recent projects include a living playground in Waitsfield, Vermont’s elementary school; making a vertical garden system; constructing medieval games for the Fuller Craft Museum; and developing a portable studio with Japanese-wood siding.
https://www.facebook.com/palo.coleman
https://www.instagram.com/palocoleman/
https://www.etsy.com/shop/PaloColeman
https://www.palocoleman.com/
This week's Sponsor:
Tiny House Forum
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Tinyhouseforum.com is 100% free to use and joining is easy. Head on over to tinyhouseforum.com to participate in the discussions or start a new topic of your own today.
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Thank you to Tiny House Forum for sponsoring today’s show!
More Photos:
Borgund Stave Church By Ximonic (Simo Räsänen)
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