In any courtyard you can see flower beds and playground elements made from old tires. On river cruise ships and at docks they are used as fenders. But that is far from all the uses for automotive “footwear” that has served its time. Take swings, for example… If you replace the traditional seat board with Read more…
Around the house you often have to make non-standard furniture, especially when bought pieces don’t fit the room. The author ran into this when it came to a shelf unit in the utility room of an apartment. If you took the traditional route, you could put up the shelf quickly and cheaply. But on a Read more…
Designing internal stairs — for example, attic stairs — is often troublesome. For comfortable, large flights there is usually not enough room, and they end up very steep, which is quite dangerous, especially for older people. In one issue of an old Czechoslovak magazine, an interesting compromise design was proposed, which we offer to our Read more…
The so-called architecture of small forms is undeservedly forgotten on garden plots. For example, pergolas and trellises are light openwork structures, usually covered with plants and forming freestanding “green” walls, gazebos, or covered alleys. Blending organically into the surrounding plantings, they create cozy corners sheltered from direct sunlight. In this KDM issue we want to Read more…
No matter how small a rural plot may be, cultivating it takes a fair amount of work and daily chores. One moment you need to plant something, the next you need to loosen the soil or hill plants up. And all of this usually has to be done bent over or squatting, which makes your Read more…
In two evenings I built a simple but productive concrete mixer that makes work on country-site construction much easier and faster. I was building a garage from 400x200x200 mm concrete blocks that I formed myself using formwork and this very mixer. It is made from an old 50–60 litre barrel. Anyone can assemble something similar Read more…
More and more often the editorial office receives letters and phone calls with the same request — to publish drawings and explain how to build a simple flour mill with your own hands. The need for such a device is felt not only by rural residents but also by city dwellers. “Modelist-Constructor” has already written Read more…
Presented tabletop milling machine will come in handy for craftsmen who enjoy working with wood to obtain relief surfaces on workpieces, various geometric ornaments, as well as to cut grooves, channels, pockets (both simple and shaped), etc. The machine consists of two main parts: a base with guide posts mounted on it, and a spring-loaded Read more…
After building a country house, we try to protect it from the destructive effects of fire: we use heat-resistant finishing materials, buy fire extinguishers, and install a fire alarm system. Yet lightning protection is often overlooked. One possible reason why our compatriots pay little attention to this issue is that building codes do not consider Read more…
Special inexpensive and practical furniture for a garden cottage is not available for sale yet, so people usually bring all sorts of old things there. But what looked good once in a city apartment will look out of place and feel uncomfortable in a small country room: dark polishing on cabinets, worn upholstery tapestry… So Read more…
