Tuesday 7 November 2006
treadle treadle treadle
This recent thread on Treehugger reminded me of a longterm project I have in mind, namely to build a muscle-powered multi-appliance built into a countertop. If we can run pottery wheels off a foot treadle, why not use the same principle to power an interchangeable set of blades and mixers? Imagine a countertop with a little socket set into it, maybe a little cover to keep food-gunk out, and a treadle tucked away in the cabinet below. A gearing system might be a good thing to have too, but I’m not sure yet. Might have to investigate how much torque and how many RPMs it takes to blend soup or make hummus.
I really have no way to build any such thing at the moment, but that may soon change. Our new office will likely be upstairs from a cooperative metal and wood shop. I’ve always wanted to learn more of that sort of stuff, and there are tons of projects I could finally bring out of the “nice idea” stage and start making into reality. Including musical instruments, of course! And of course, it’ll be some time before I have enough know-how to build anything more complicated than a set of shelves, but give me time, and a long enough lever and a place to stand…
Meanwhile, a little web browsing turns up an e-book called Make Your Own Treadle Lathe, an FAQ on treadle lathes, and a page on Leach Treadle Wheels, apparently a classic among potters. I gots lots to learn.
(Sidebar, on human powered appliances: I find electric can openers a dumb idea for anyone who doesn’t seriously need one, and worse yet, the ones I’ve used have been crap. That said, most manual can openers I’ve encountered are crap too, with blades that don’t cut and grips that do cut - into the user’s hands. We’ve finally found a couple of good ones, however. I know one of them is from Ikea; I’m not sure about the other. But my favorite is the one my mum has, handed down from her mum, I think. It’s wall mounted, with a big lever to lock the can in place, a long, easy-to-turn crank, and a magnet to snag the lid, and it swings out of the way when you’re done.)