Jerry Work asked:


Bamboo wood flooring is a truly beautiful form of flooring that will greatly add to the appeal of your home. For hundreds of years, bamboo flooring has taken the form of portable mats made from long slices of bamboo strips bound together with twine, which is often also made from bamboo. This form of bamboo flooring is still popular today. However, modern bamboo flooring (which has only been in existence for around a decade) takes the form of flat, machined planks. These planks can be treated so that the wood is comparable to other forms of hardwood in terms of longevity and toughness.

Bamboo flooring is available in several different forms for use, such as snap-together and floating flooring. Each form has its own advantages. Snap-together flooring has purpose made joints that fit into each other. It is a relatively easy way to install flooring, although there is certainly still cutting involved to get complete floor coverage.

Floating flooring is a very interesting way of laying bamboo flooring. In this technique, a thin bamboo veneer sits atop a high density fiberboard core. Two major advantages of this technique are that the flooring is stabilized by the core and that it makes for a much less messy and complicated installation than nail/glue down solid flooring. You just roll out the underlayment and then lay the bamboo on top.
Bamboo has an advantage over many other forms of wood flooring in that it is a much more environmentally friendly resource. Bamboo is a renewable resource in that bamboo reaches maturity in just a few years, compared to decades for other forms of wood. Bamboo is actually a tall, tree-like grass that grows all over the world, although much of the bamboo used for flooring comes from China. Some species of bamboo grow well in poor geography, and most species can grow very quickly (sometimes as much as three feet a day!). Bamboo reaches full maturity in four to six years and can be harvested at a rate of around 25% per year. So bamboo is a short-rotation plant that can be harvested over and over. In addition to being a good material for flooring, bamboo also has edible parts which can provide sustenance for both humans and wildlife.

From a cleaning perspective, bamboo should be treated like any other wood flooring. Sweep regularly to avoid buildup of abrasive particles and lightly damp (not wet!) mop with a wood cleaner. Any excess water that gets on the flooring during cleaning should be removed immediately. Never use ammonia-based chemicals or cleaners. The flooring should be vacuumed and cleaned regularly. Furniture placed on bamboo flooring should have protected padding. And it is strongly suggested that a high quality door mat be used to prevent dirt and moisture from getting spread to the bamboo.

Bamboo is an environmentally friendly flooring option that is extremely beautiful. If properly cared for, it will last for many years, and there are installation options that can make installing it a breeze. It will add to the value of your home and to the quality of your home life.



CLIFTON

John Mowatt asked:


Shelf clocks and wall clocks with all wooden works were made by some American makers in the early 1800s.Long case grandfather clocks were commonly made in the 1700s with wooden gear movements.The long case of the grandfather clock allowed greater drop distance for the weights which drove the movement.Shelf clocks of the pillar and scrill type were popular in the 1800s and were made by American makers.
In the late 1700s and early 1800s there was a shortage of metals due to the British embargo.This caused some clock makers to produce wooden gear clocks.If you want to purchase one of these wooden works clocks from this period be prepared to spend thousands of dollars.They are now prized antiques and much sought after.Several thousand dollars is commonly the asking price which is beyond the means of many clock fanciers.

The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago has on display a very fine wood gear clock which was made in the early 1800s.This clock is still in good running order after 200 years.Those who would like to build a reproduction of this wonderful old clock can do so from detailed drawings and plans which are available.

This beautiful antique clock can be reproduced in your wood . working shop.A wonderful clock with,excellent time keeping capability,can be made from these plans with careful workmanship.To build a wooden works clock is not difficult but it does take time and careful workmanship.

Hundreds of years earlier wooden clocks of more primitive design were commonly made.You can also build a fifteenth century wooden gear clock from available plans.This is a wall clock and is weight driven.This is a much simpler clock building project which has fewer moving parts.The clock will however keep time and looks great on your wall.

Building wooden works clocks is a wonderful hobby.Craftsmanship and wood working skills are involved.You do not however need an array of power tools.The original makers of these clocks used only simple hand tools and the modern craftsman can do so also.The individual parts of the clock are of simple design and quite easy to make. The skill comes in finishing the parts accurately and fitting them together properly so that the clock will run smoothly and keep good time.

Today there are a few makers of wooden gear clocks which are mostly sold in the form of kits and plans.The average home workshopper can quite readily build a really beautiful wooden clock from a plan.With attention to detail and careful workmanship the end product is a fine time piece which will be a center of attention in any home.Your own hand built wooden geared clock produces sweet music as it tick tocks time away on your mantel.



PHILIP