Tag Archives: ferrocement

by Wizard of Eutopia | November 14, 2021 · 8:23 am

A new start on hobbitholes

Just had the epiphany to simplify OUR lives by building that long delayed hobbit hole for the grandsons… and LIVING in it for a while, while we look for some land sell or rent out our Appletree haven here in Gisborne…

This all because we are vax dissidents, now mandated, and we’re going to HAVE to reduce costs, find a new income now Raewyn’s not allowed to teach at the early childhood centre. Dreamhavens are built fir such a time as this! And with economic dusaster threatening with the ‘almost everything bubble’ surely bound to burst soon, why not act now… downsize now and avoid the rush!

So, follow this blog, and we’ll post updates as we build.

Focus, focus, focus…

The work goes on to get design details and techniques right and efficient… invented a couple of new ways to make sandcasting concrete rings for door and window frames; almost set up the hinge blacksmithing shed; made a square mesh bender, and more.

The longer, wooden square mesh bender

The vacuum sandcastle. .. this cuts a profile through packed damp sand and vacuums away the tailings…

This is the shorter square mesh bender. The bolt heads hook onto the rebar beside each strand to be bent and curls them around the tubing as the lever is pulled.

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Filed under cabins, news, Setup, tools and inventikns, Uncategorized

Tagged as ferrocement, ferrocement cabin, ferrocement tools, prototypes

by Wizard of Eutopia | April 20, 2019 · 11:01 am

Putting my energy where my heart is – hobbithavens Elfhaven and mokohavens

Thanks to the enthusiasm of Hayley who wants to build her own whare and learn ferro and other skills, I’ve dragged hobbithavens back to centre stage and the long-awaited ‘Moko whare’ aka grandsons’ hobbit haven in the woods, is happening. First we had to clear the back yard though. .. Autumn flame colours in tge leaves of the vine, and hot flames of cleanup… lining a hobbit office in a corner of the long sheds, and then we start… after a tangi and (paid!) writing stint with big brother john in Auckland, and a long-awaited party for his 75th. ..

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Filed under cabins, news, playhut

Tagged as cabin, children's playhouse, ferrocement, hobbithouses, tiny home

by Wizard of Eutopia | April 2, 2015 · 3:00 pm

Hobbit Haven no.2 – 5 windows

This is a plan for a slightly bigger Hobbit Haven (4.4 by 3.2 metres, or approx 14 1/2 by 10 1/2 feet), with its width determined by the two windows and one door in the middle with sufficient space between them all. The depth (from front to rear wall) is determined by the height (1.8 metres or 5 foot 11 inches – for Big Folk this would be adjusted to 2.5 metres or 8 ft approx) and the arc from that – I like the idea of sticking to simple circles and part circles, which any sensible Hobbit would (I think) approve of.

Regarding the finials (the decorations above the door and the end walls): Hobbits are generally agreed to have a great fondness for flowers, and fruit, and therefore would I believe have in the classical period have carved finials in floral or fruit shapes. Likewise trees and tree forms of all kinds, including knotwork (now referred to as ‘Celtic’ knots).

Bruno’s cabin design revisited

This is the latest plan of HobbitHaven no.1 for grandson Bruno in Gisborne – a chimney (all children like and EXPECT chimneys), and a rounded back which will be covered and blend the lines of the roof with the bank behind… The chimney can be a skylight, a lookout place, or even have a little potbelly stove under it.. Apologies for the fuzziness – my cellphone lens seems to be terminally fogged up – but very soon I will make a scale model and photograph it with the Big Camera.

One window faces down the path of the ‘Deep Dark Forest’, the other up it towards the back garden (and safety). The door (note the lattice windows) faces across the gully.