Heirloom Technology

Forgotten, old-school technology

Articles in this series:

Composting Toilets Made Easy from MAKE: 32: Design for Makers
Poop in a bucket, save the Earth. by Tim Anderson

Instant Cozy Kimono Robe from MAKE: 29: DIY Superhuman
Everyone loves this robe, and there’s room in it for everyone! by Tim Anderson

Chinampa Gardens from MAKE: 26: Karts and Wheels
Can ancient Aztec agriculture save the sinking Sacramento Delta islands? by Tim Anderson

Carve Inscriptions in Stone from MAKE: 25: Microcontrollers and Arduino
Send a message to eternity. by Tim Anderson

Carve a Stone Bowl from MAKE: 24: Space
Make a gift to eternity in about two hours. by Tim Anderson

Tree Moving from MAKE: 23: Gadgets
Transplant a big tree with a giant two-wheeled dolly. by Tim Anderson

Crooked Knife from MAKE: 22: Remote Control / Wireless
The northern nomad's tool. by Tim Anderson

Instant Paddle from MAKE: 21: Desktop Manufacturing
Here’s a better, quicker, inexpensive way to make a paddle. by Tim Anderson

Papuan Speargun from MAKE: 19: Robots
This speargun gets its power from a strip of red rubber. by Tim Anderson

Maker Family Portrait from MAKE: 18: ReMake America
A family of inventive blacksmiths in Indonesia supply the locals with just about everything they need. by Tim Anderson

Island Tricks from MAKE: 17: Lost Knowledge
Here are just some of the island tricks you should know about. by Tim Anderson

Handy Tricks from Guatemala from MAKE: 15: Music
Maize tips compiled over 3,000 years of cultivation. by Tim Anderson

All-Purpose Swahili Bed from MAKE: 13: Magic
In Kenya, the most common and most useful piece of furniture is the rot- and bedbug-resistant Swahili bed. by Tim Anderson

Heirloom Technology from MAKE: 12: Upload
The widowmaker: cutting down a tree. by Tim Anderson

Cooking With Trash from MAKE: 11: Alt Vehicles
The Chinese make fuel briquettes from coal dust, farm waste, scrap wood, and a bit of local red dirt. by Tim Anderson

Tire Sandals from MAKE: 10: Home Electronics
Solve multiple global problems at once when you make your own sandals from an old tire. by Tim Anderson

Instant Hammock from MAKE: 09: Fringe
Make your own hammock in less time than it takes to read this. by Tim Anderson

Charlie Asquith's Jet Dory from MAKE: 08: Toys and Games
Charlie is 78 years old and he's been fishing for mullet in Hawks Nest, Australia, for over 60 years. by Tim Anderson

Shopping Cart Chair from MAKE: 07: Backyard Biology
Turn a shopping cart into a comfortable and stylish wheelchair. by Tim Anderson

Totch Brown's Pit Pan Gator Boat from MAKE: 06: Robots
Start your boat-building hobby by building this one. by Tim Anderson

Jackhammer Headphones from MAKE: 05: Science, Weather, and Outdoors
And a discourse on blind men, chipmunks, whales, and the future. by Tim Anderson

Chinese Ingenuity from MAKE: 04: Music and Kits for the Holidays
Look for the technology of the future in the oldest civilization! by Tim Anderson

Swamp Tech from MAKE: 03: Cars and Halloween
Revisiting, revamping, and reusing forgotten technology: living free in the Florida Everglades. by Tim Anderson

Nicaraguan Know-How from MAKE: 02: Home Entertainment
Revisiting, revamping, and reusing forgotten technology. Tim Anderson describes the homemade solutions he saw on a recent trip to Nicaragua: hand-pedaled bicycles, reused school buses, horse-drawn carriages, sock coffee filters, and ancient cooling systems and water filters abound. by Tim Anderson

Heirloom Technology from MAKE: 01: Make Premiere
Finding the technology of the future from the forgotten ideas of the past. by Tim Anderson