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22 May 13 9:49 AM

o(0OO0)o, I share your sentiments – the politics of who is ripping of whom is not relevant here. Here is some practical advice for those of you unsure about MgO board. Be warned - there are many diffe......read more

21 May 13 10:57 AM

Hello Russell, This subject was covered under 'Treatments' (select any post with that heading). You may find some of the answers there - regards Rex...read more

25 Apr 13 4:11 PM

Hello Lastmanever, The link supplied by ‘nofear’ 4th June 11 (first post) works for me. The subsequent posts answer a number of your questions and from your link, I have selected at few paragraphs for......read more

24 Apr 13 10:54 PM

And YOUR technical experties 'tearai' would be? As a kiln munufacturer I have some qualifications in this area and I understand that Neville can back up his claims. However without a reasoned backup t......read more

19 Apr 13 1:43 PM

Hello Sarfari, A stressed skin panel (or torsion box) uses light weight thin skins which I would not consider for a work bench surface. You are not trying to span a distance using light weight materi......read more

17 Apr 13 8:08 AM

Hi Lastmanever, I’ve found another ‘climate denier’! And guess what – her profile is diametrically opposite to your definition. I found this 83 second video hilarious – http://wattsupwiththat.com/2013......read more

16 Apr 13 11:43 AM

Hello SavvyPeasant, Writing in black and white tends to make it easier to comprehend but you should not infer that that is how I have lived. I know there is ”so much in between” as my previous posts ......read more

16 Apr 13 9:41 AM

Hi Lastmanever, I’ve figured out who this ‘climate denier’ is! I must admit I had not realized that he had relocated his massive toy making business enterprise to the Antarctic (the only place on Eart......read more

15 Apr 13 3:16 PM

Lastmanever, Please define the what "climate denial" means and show the how "capitalism and western industry and practices may have led to it"(presumablly climate denial). Curious......read more

15 Apr 13 11:54 AM

Hello Lastmanever, Please tell me you sent this link on ‘junk science’ to bring a smile to my face, the same as when I first checked it out on 31st March? If not, then you should have got a clue from......read more

14 Apr 13 10:00 PM

Hello again SavvyPeasant, It may surprise you to find that I agree with a number of the points you raise. Yes, industry and transport produce by-products of water vapour (by far the most important ‘gr......read more

13 Apr 13 11:27 PM

Hello SavvyPeasant, Your opening statement, “arguing against Anthropogenic Global Warming” is in conflict with your second “There's so many other reasons why we should reduce pollution”. What has “Ant......read more

27 Mar 13 8:22 AM

Hello ‘cam’, After listening to Alan Savory, I was left asking these questions: Can this natural method of grazing recover or reduce desert areas with higher natural temperatures outside the growing b......read more

23 Mar 13 8:45 AM

Well today is ’Earth Hour day’, when about 1 Billion deluded ‘green’ devotees will try to ‘save the world’ without have any clue as to what this means. Why deluded? Well they believe what they are tol......read more

15 Mar 13 4:10 PM

Greetings, This would be a good value fun exercise even if you did not intend to build your own residence using this method. My question is – how do you obtain a building permit for this type of const......read more

8 Dec 12 7:44 AM

Hello Ecovator, I hope you are not using the Ecobob forum to promote propaganda from the AGW religion, because you will be chopped, sliced, diced and julienned like ‘Ecobuilder’ in the thread - ‘Exter......read more

17 Nov 12 8:07 PM

Hello Nikoftime, Both Kresta and Luxaflex also supply double / tripple cell blinds, however I rejected them for a kitchen envioment as the ends are nor sealed (unlike the American blinds), so that gre......read more

6 Nov 12 10:19 AM

Hello John, Don't like your chances of finding a permanent solution, There are no chemical coatings to block oxidation that can take the wear requirements for a sink. Flood coat epoxy resin comes to m......read more

28 Jun 12 5:17 PM

Hello samiam, I would agree with you IF we were selling off our energy supply companies but we are NOT. I consider our energy suppliers to be a strategic asset that must never be sold to an outside c......read more

27 Jun 12 11:35 PM

The Government has three choices and seeing each of us is the “Government”, YOU have to make this choice. Just pretend this is your household budget you have to balance. Borrow more fiat money and pay......read more

19 Jun 12 10:23 AM

Hello Lastmanever, Whoops - you are correct. Just because I have a Rinnai instant hot water system that does not suffer this potential problem, I should not extrapolate that advantage to a convention......read more

18 Jun 12 9:03 PM

Hello rodney007, Your will gain a continuous saving by turning the HW Cylinder element down to 50 oC. It is cheaper to boil an electric jug for 95oC tea making or topping up the sink washing water to......read more

14 Jun 12 1:47 PM

Hello Lastmanever, I disagree – world affairs are primarily controlled by finance before politics. Examples are the Federal Reserve as a cartel of major American banks with the stated objective (from......read more

13 Jun 12 11:32 PM

Hello ‘lastmanever’, Conversely, I might argue that government intervention adjusting the Classical Gold Standard into the Gold Coin Standard, and then the Gold Bullion Standard and then the Qualified......read more

13 Jun 12 7:34 PM

Hello all, Do not be surprised - I agree completely with all of you and I do know exactly what fractional reserve banking means and how it functions. An excellent wach on TV lately was 'The Inside Jo......read more

13 Jun 12 4:54 PM

Thank God the UN does not rate NZ as a ‘developed country’. The RIO+20 financial commitments to convert the world to ‘green technology’ with a ‘sustainable base’ calls for financial commitments from e......read more

2 Jun 12 11:45 PM

“Is there a present consensus about what a Natural product is? Do we all agree about what a Green cosmetic really means? Does the consumer understand what natural means? Does the industry along with c......read more

7 May 12 4:51 PM

Hello ‘2oldies’, From your answers, I would suggest the following: I would imagine no problem for delivery of a Transportable (subject to road inspection) but this would not necessarily be the best op......read more

6 May 12 7:03 PM

Hello ‘2oldies’, So to answer your specific requests rather than continue on in a theoretical mode - My first question would be is “where do you intend to build?” And “have you selected a site, or do ......read more

6 May 12 4:59 PM

Ok ‘Guess what?’ – Let’s put your comments to the test. I offer for NO CHARGE, to design a semi-passive transportable two bedroom home for ‘2oldies’ to meet a budget of not more than 15% surcharge ove......read more

6 May 12 3:58 PM

Hello 'Guess what?', If you had calculated the glazing that I indicated in my suggested part 'passive' design, then you would know that it exceeded 30% Rex...read more

6 May 12 3:50 PM

Because if your budget is too tight at the time of building and the rather large $ difference can be more beneficially applied toward increasing your building size, then there is an alternative way of......read more

6 May 12 12:38 PM

I thought it wise to give ‘2oldies’ some practical answer to their real ‘needs’ which appear from their previous posts, to limit them to a design and build contract with an established building manufa......read more

5 May 12 10:59 AM

Hello 2oldies, I have designed transportable houses and know of no transportable manufacturer in NZ specializing in a true passive design. You can specify the following design options in a transport......read more

4 May 12 11:03 AM

Hello Mark, A few comments from a person who hopes he will not be considered either hypocritical or angry. 25 years ago I made composite polyurethane core panels for my garage and when machining, expe......read more

30 Apr 12 12:04 PM

JK is right – every residential house design is a compromise. A survey of my Architect friends backs my own experience that we have NEVER been given an open end design brief where cost is not a consid......read more

12 Apr 12 1:08 PM

Hello Blue sky, I would suggest ignoring the third decimal point of perfection as you still have a one decimal point problem with background radiation, carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, sulphur dioxide,......read more

11 Apr 12 2:29 PM

Hello Blue sky, I am told that all volatiles are given off in the baking process, so you have nothing to fear. Using tracks of this type are usually reserved for drapes that are open at the top. If......read more

8 Apr 12 10:09 AM

Hello Dejan, Your post is worth a reply. (Sorry to hijack your thread yet again Red & Black). You ask about my background – it is rather diverse in retail, manufacturing, teaching, industrial designi......read more

7 Apr 12 11:33 PM

Hello Red & Black, I was writing on healthy home construction years before “guess what?” joined Ecobob so his myopic strident comments annoy people like me who are trying to effect positive change. Yo......read more

7 Apr 12 2:40 PM

This is the tirade from a one man crusade to change the NZ building industry that does not have the courtesy to acknowledge that there are many innovators designers and Architects who also wish to mak......read more

7 Apr 12 10:31 AM

According to ‘guess what?’ our building industry should be importing German expertise and systems - all designed to service a population 100 times greater than ours, ignoring massive freight costs to ......read more

22 Mar 12 11:14 AM

Hello Smeaton, Industry needs a constant local power supply – the Sahara desert may be perfect for generating solar energy but it is a long way from Invercargille. If you were to try and run the Tiwai......read more

18 Mar 12 9:55 AM

Hello ‘greenman’, These panels are very energy efficient, have a good span, are fire retardant and excellent for roofing although the ceiling aesthetics might not be to everybody’s’ liking. PIR is ri......read more

12 Mar 12 8:05 PM

Guess what? is right. A sink bench of any material should be protected from direct sun unless it is early morning winter sun which lightly warms a cold granite bench. After 10.00am, no sun should rea......read more

24 Feb 12 6:32 PM

Greetings James, I trust the link and my comments were of some help -For others interested, suggest - www.cubular.co.nz Rex ...read more

2 Feb 12 3:07 PM

Hello 'Hannawak'. The posters here have given you some excellent advice and also referred you to Dean Buckeridge. It was great to read his latest post “Magnesium Oxide board and MgO SIPs” , which c......read more

27 Jan 12 3:49 PM

Hello Solar Chris, Ok Chris, my mistake, I will put it into a more easily understood format. I am dashing this off before going on holiday, so no research and no spreadsheet - assume these figures as ......read more

26 Jan 12 11:39 AM

Hello again Solar Chris, The basic characteristic of all subsidies is to reduce the market price of an item to BELOW its true cost of production by applying Government derived taxation or borrowings. ......read more

26 Jan 12 8:12 AM

Guess what?, How many times do I have to tell you – I do not approve of subsidies. If Spain wants to use subsidies to bankrupt itself and you don’t think that is silly, then I give up. You obviously ......read more

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Member Profile: sceptics


Architectural Designer / Engineer / Potter / Etc

15 May 09 5:12 PM

I actually practice, rather than just talk about a 'green' philosophy and hate waste or pollution in any form.
35 years ago before it was fashionable, I designed and build a solar power house - it failed against the criteria of excessive cost and value for money.
Also at that time, I filed a patent for an economical panel house construction, insulated to twice the NZ standard, a very similar method to the latest 'cornerstone’ system.
In 1979, became involved with developing the NZ building Standard NZS3604 so have a slight working knowledge of current light timber frame construction.
Currently retired for the third time, making models for my Architectural student Son, maybe will take up teaching and making Studio Pottery again - but don't know how to fit all that and fishing into a 24 hour day.
Consider myself always open to new suggestions and materials with a sustainable basis but am practical enough to balance that with economic reality.
Rex

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