Lollyland

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Re: Lollyland

Postby pa_friendly_guy » Wed Jun 06, 2012 6:36 pm

Are you planning on making an open log shed? Sort of like a log cabin but open on one side for the equipment? Will you be trying to close it in as much as possible, or will you let the space between the logs open? Skinning the logs would be a good thing if you plan on closing it in, the bark will rot and fall off eventually anyway, but if you remove the bark befor you build, the logs will dry better, the space between the logs will stay about the same, and if you chink between the logs it will stay put better. When looking at a log there will be a natural bow to it. Try to place the top of the bow upwards when you place a log. It will help hold the weight of the building better and the weight may help it to level out with time. That is about all I know about building with logs. ;)
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Re: Lollyland

Postby Lollykoko » Thu Jun 07, 2012 2:08 am

Guy, I will pass along your information to my work crew: brother in law, sister, brother, nephew, cousin, whoever I can wrangle with the promise of a good meal on Saturday night and swimming in the spring fed lake two miles away on Sunday. I probably wouldn't have thought about putting the bow up, but it makes good sense.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Knowing that doing a hand sketch would have taken about 5 minutes but I have no way to get it on the computer ... I booted up Sketch-up and drew up the basics of what we're talking about building. Of course, all things depend on what is available to work with and the kind of help that shows up. Four people can do 2X the work of two people working twice as long. Anyway, the cut out in the hill is about 30 feet east to west. On the east side there is a notch (defined by trees) that currently is about 6 feet deep and 15 feet (north to south) long. The west side is a long gradual slope into the current drive area. Terry would like to have 30 feet of wall there too.
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The upper level on the east side is for storage, but should be large enough that two people can sleep there. A barn ladder for access, with a work bench and RMH of some sort below. A shed roof will top it all off. The walls will go 12 feet in the back, or until we run out of logs. The front opening should be somewhere around 8 ~ 9 feet in height and wide enough to drive both large pieces of equipment in at the same time. The cut out height is about 8 feet at the back right now, and the priority is to get the walls up at least that far and backfill as needed. I am flexible about the whole thing; all sizes are approximate and I could change my mind if something better comes along. We haven't talked much about door options yet, though I'm sure the subject will come up between now and October when we need to be able to use the space for winter.
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Re: Lollyland

Postby Lollykoko » Fri Jun 29, 2012 7:01 pm

The temperature here is hovering just under 100, so it's a little cooler than yesterday was. With heat index, 106. I'm getting ready to make a trip north for a couple days of relaxation. No help or company this weekend, so I can lay around with a novel, or walk around with the two books I just grabbed from the library to help me identify the different species of trees in the old growth woods.

Somehow I don't have much hope for my pepper or tomato plants. There was a little rain last week, but probably not enough to make a difference. :(

How quickly things change! I stopped writing to take a (10 minute) phone call. The wind whipped up and rain started to fall. It may only last another ten minutes, but that is an improvement. Of course, it also means that I'll need someone to mow the yard next week.
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Re: Lollyland

Postby matt walker » Sat Jun 30, 2012 8:58 pm

I'm glad you got a little rain Lolly. Summer isn't summer without at least a few tomatoes from the garden. Have fun up North, hopefully you can cool off a bit. Feel free to send some warm this way, we still can't get out of the 50s and rain here.
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Re: Lollyland

Postby pa_friendly_guy » Mon Jul 02, 2012 12:08 pm

You are right Lolly, things do change very quickly. I went to camp for 3 days and when I got back the potatos were all dying back, lost one large zuccinni plant the beets look all dried up and the leaves are all wilted and things just generally went to pot. No rain here in a good while, nothing in the rain gauage when I got back. It has been Hot here, but not as hot as Indiana. I couldn't believe how much longer it stayed light out your way at night. You are really at the far end of the Eastern Tine Zone. Enjoy your trip North.
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Re: Lollyland

Postby Lollykoko » Wed Jul 04, 2012 3:40 pm

I did make the trip on Saturday, and found myself very glad I didn't drive up the night before. I took this photo standing next to the limb that was lying on the space where I normally park my pick-up. The wire is run between a car battery in the outhouse and some 12V florescent lights that my BIL salvaged from the ambulances he refurbishes.
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To my surprise, most of the stuff I recently planted was still living. The peppers and tomatoes that were planted inside larger plastic pots with the bottom broken out all made it through, while the ones relying on ground moisture alone didn't survive. Next year I'll know to have more pots handy, or cut the bottom out of some cottage cheese containers. Leaving an inch (or more) of room between the top of the container and the dirt you put around the plant inside seems to leave room to collect moisture from dew and funnel it to the roots. I was amazed to see that the cabbage, brussel sprouts and cauliflower were still vital since they had no assist of any kind. Thank goodness for my high water table and peat rich soil!
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Almost time to make the drive for today. The backhoe and a chain will make short work out of cleaning up the storm debris in the campsite. The tree that broke off and is lying in the ditch will be left to the county to take care of when they get around to it. It's beyond my ability to take care of myself AND it's part of the tax assessment. FYI, the ditch bank is about 8 feet above the water level.
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Re: Lollyland

Postby matt walker » Fri Jul 06, 2012 6:08 pm

Lolly, your soil looks amazing. That the plants survived the heat without much help from you bodes well for your future gardens there. I'm glad you weren't parked under that limb!
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Re: Lollyland

Postby Oddmar » Thu Aug 02, 2012 10:04 pm

Nice looking property Lolly...looks like you've got some elevation there, so much nicer than just a flat field.

I'll be building my friend a house this fall in Arkansas, based loosely on Mike Oehler's designs ($50 and up Underground House Book). He has 7 acres about 7 miles southwest of Arkadelphia, currently with a foreclosed-upon double-wide tornado magnet sitting on it.

Plans are for a fairly large earth-sheltered home, double-skinned roof, uphill patio, barbecue windows so you don't heat up the house in the summer but you can still see the food cooking outside the window, papercrete/ stucco walls everywhere not backed by dirt. Probably earth tubes inside all the landscaping, circulate air through those to keep the house cooler. Salvaged patio doors will make an airlock-style entrance to reduce the exchange of outside/ inside air. Otherpower homemade 10' wind generator + some homemade solar panels + some salvaged and de-sulfated lead-acid batteries will hopefully provide enough power to get them off the grid.

Neither he nor i have any money to finance this project, but i've never let that stop me. I'll ask for free materials on Craigslist, offer to mow someone's grass in exchange for that old pile of lumber/ glass/ metal siding/ etc. I'll ask at building or demolition sites if i can take that old brick/ lumber/ insulation...usually they are glad to reduce the load/ help out. Offering a case of beer usually works wonders. I can drive my Toyota 4x4 around and scrap for enough money to buy the expensive magnets for the wind generator, find/ restore old batteries for the battery bank until he can afford new deep-cycle ones.

I'll make sure to post pics in this section. I've (mostly) learned that i can tell people (not y'all, i mean all those sheep out there) my revolutionary ideas all day long, and they will look at me like I'm nuts. But if i build it and they see how well it works, they are amazed/ converted...lol. Maybe pictures/ video of my finished project will help you 'solidify' your family's indecision over what type of home to build.
Darrell "Jake" Jacob, Oddmar on all the forums, KC9PZN to all you amateurs.
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Re: Lollyland

Postby pa_friendly_guy » Fri Aug 03, 2012 1:04 am

I was wondering how you de-sulfate your batteries? I have heard that there was a way to do that but I have not tried it myself. From the little bit I have heard you run 3 times the voltage through the battery and that knocks the sulfer off the plates. The process sounded a bit dangerous to me, batteries can explode. Lead acid batteries are pretty forgiving though . You really do need deep cycle batteries for what you want to do with the wind generator. You might try getting old Golf Cart Batteries, they hold more amps combined than 1 12 volt battery and I am guessing that you should get old ones for the Core charge. Automotive batteries simply are not designed to give up all of their power and then be recharged. The deep cycle batteries have much heavier plates that can take that abuse. Auto batteries have a very thin mesh that looks like a sponge with alot of holes through it, that lets more acid hit the lead, which gives Max cranking amps for starting the car, but it will not stand being drained down and recharged often. I am intersted in wind power, how high do you plan on putting your tower? 10 foot blades are Big, have you made them yet? How many blades do you plan on using ? What electric out put are you hoping for when it is turning at 15 mph wind speed? Alot of questions I know but I have always liked the idea of wind power. Maybe you can start a thread and post some pictures when you build it. I for one would love to see it.
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Re: Lollyland

Postby Oddmar » Fri Aug 03, 2012 5:46 am

Thanks for the advice, yes, i am aware of what type of battery is BEST, but it's alot harder to find the Proper deep-cycle batteries salvage than it is to find 'junk' car batteries. With enough car batteries i doubt it'll make a whole lot of difference. Car batteries will work until we can afford the deep-cycle ones.

Golf cart batteries are kinda hard to come by...i've looked around...most are probably sitting in some would-be electric-vehicle home hobbyist's garage and will never be used or seen again...lol.

I have done tons of research into earth-sheltered homes, wind/ solar power, you name it...i've saved thousands of links...now i've begun building all the stuff i've been dreaming of. I'll be sure to post my build of the house and the wind generator on this forum.

Here is a link to the battery desulfator, and another to the wind generator.

http://home.comcast.net/~ddenhardt20126 ... desulf.htm

They changed their site around so just click on the links to the left when the page loads... 'Stator', 'Blades', 'Coils', etc. Be aware the right magnets for the stator are about $12 apiece...you need 24 of them...Ouch...but building their low-speed alternator looks like a better idea than trying to gear a car alternator to turn really fast. They tried that...it doesn't work so well.
http://www.otherpower.com/turbineplans.html
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