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  • From: Keith Johnson <keithdj@mindspring.com>
  • To: dbneeley@yahoo.com, permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Cc:
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Re: Soapstone
  • Date: Tue, 03 Feb 2004 23:08:46 -0500

Soapstone is lovely to work with. I got 1/2 a ton from an old quarry in Virginia in Nelson county. I cut and polished it to use as heat sink mass around a woodstove that I sank 8 inches below floor level in our clay/straw (or light clay) house at Earthaven Ecovillage (the pit handily confines the wood and ash mess around the stove). With the soapstone I built a fairly massive surrounding shelf which I use for drying stuff. There's insulation behind it and it holds heat quite well. The stone is easy to work and takes a polish with finer and finer sanding. I finish with 3 subsequently finer wet sandings and, apply a simple beeswax and linseed oil blend to give it a rich gloss and bring out the complex deep colors.
On sunny days no wood heat is required as the solar gain is quite sufficient. As long as I close the insulated drapes, the solar heat keeps me warm through the night and into the next day. I can go a long time without burning wood as long as the days are sunny. My 300 square foot, zone 7 home consumes about a third of a cord of wood per winter.
Keith

David Neeley wrote:

Andrew,

It appears that the last commercial production of soapstone
in Greece was in 1994.

When you search for it, there are several other words to
look at, by the way: talc (since soapstone has a high talc
content, they are often found together), and steatite
(perhaps the most common form of soapstone).

Considerable production appears to be done in Italy, and
there may also be some in Bulgaria or Romania. You may have
to inquire at the stone merchants in the nearest larger
city to determine if and how you can get it.

David

--

Keith Johnson
Permaculture Activist Magazine
PO Box 1209
Black Mountain, NC 28711
(828)669-6336

also Patterns for Abundance Design & Consulting
Culture's Edge at Earthaven Ecovillage
http://www.permacultureactivist.net
http://www.earthaven.org
http://www.bioregionalcongress.org







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