So. A guy named Thomas Thwaites decided to build his own toaster. From scratch. At first he was going to use nothing but pre-industrial tools, but he discovered that it was impossible (or, at best, highly improbable).

He required the following materials:

  • Copper, for the electric plug, cord, and wiring.
  • Iron, for the steel grilling device and the ‘pop-up’ spring.
  • Nickel, for the heating element.
  • Mica (the heating element is wound around it)
  • And plastic, for the plug and cord, “and for the all important sleek looking casing.”

He even, for example, mined his own iron-ore to make his steel.

He has a book documenting the project (coming out this fall).

For more information, visit the website: http://www.thetoasterproject.org/

I first heard about this on CBC Radio’s Spark program