The Toaster Project - guy makes a toaster from scratch (from the raw materials)

[Liberal_in_LA]

heard this guy on NPR the other day. I think he's releasing a book about his project - to produce a toaster from scratch, including smelting the iron, producing the plastic and copper. crazy looking toaster!



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Thomas Thwaites has travelled to mines across the country to get the raw materials for his toaster. Processing these raw materials at home, (for example he smelted iron ore in a microwave), he has produced a 'kind of half-baked, handmade pastiche' of a toaster you can buy in Argos for less than five pounds.

Thwaites’ toaster has cost £1187.54 and has taken him on a 9 month quest around Great Britain.

WHY?

The project is a reaction to the idea that it's possible or desirable to be self-sufficient, but also to the view that having more stuff, more cheaply is better.

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“The real cost of objects is hidden. You wouldn't want iron smelted or plastics being melted in your back garden, trust me. Though my neighbours have been quite nice about it,” he continues.

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However, the practicalities of the project came as quite a shock when he realised that he'd need to find and process nearly 100 materials to make a true likeness of the Argos Value Range toaster he used as his model. Thwaites’ toaster uses just five materials; iron (for the grill), copper (for the pins of the plug and the wires), plastic (for the casing, plug and wire insulation), nickel (for the heating elements) and mica (around which the heating element is wound).

http://www.yourcareerguide.co.uk/article.asp?sid=6&aid=1379

[ret5hd]

1. I think maybe he has missed SOME of the point of self-sufficiency...

The part where you decide you don't really need a toaster.

[Liberal_in_LA]

2. I was thinking that the self sufficient types would toast on open fire, return to non-tech toasting

lol!

[ret5hd]

3. If he REALLY wanted to show us something, show us how to build a home made solar panel...

to run that ugly thing.

[Speck Tater]

5. Better yet, a solar toaster that focuses sunlight directly on the bread to toast it. nt

[OffWithTheirHeads]

6. Exactly. My grandmother made toast on a cast iron, wood fired stove

useing a ^ shaped piece if metal you put on top of the oven. Worked just fine, in fact, probably better than my shitty toaster.

[sinkingfeeling]

4. I think his home-made plastic melted.

[spanone]

7. looks like an old toaster with pancake batter poured on it