My issue was much, much more serious:  two porcupines, mom and 2-year-old son, were absolutely destroying my trees.  First the leaves and fruit, then bark and whole branches.

If you are raising fruit, get porkies off your property ASAP.

I’ve tried catching the big mama, and taking her for a ride across town, but no luck, so far.

There are ICF forms up to at least 20” wide, and possibly 24”(?)

I see another issue if you are in a hard freeze location.  If you get frost in the “cantilever space”, for lack of a better term, it could exert significant upward force, which might damage the structural bond between your wall elements and the footer.

I’ve seen an old house with a stone foundation with a smooth(ish) wall on the inside, but a very uneven surface on the outside.  The wall was eventually ruined by frost getting between the stone projections below grade, and forcing them apart, like little hydraulic jacks.  I would plan for a sheet foam skirt angled away from the wall to help move moisture away, and prevent some of the frost penetration.

I could be wrong here, but I would check into that.

Figured out how to log in with my phone, so I can now access a few photos (I hope) 😜

I'm struggling with how to attach photos, especially if they're cloud based and not on my hard drive...

Just discovered this thread today, some 3 years after the OP...

I'm sitting in a 12-year-old straw bale home in northern Vermont (serious winters), and my experience has been NOTHING like that of the OP.   While I'm hoping the originator of this thread has resolved these issues, I agree with Dustin that something is wrong here.

Our home is a straw bale wrap, with the bale walls around a recycled 1850 timber frame from about 30 miles away.  Great attention to detail went into the interfaces between walls and wood frame, so the different expansion and contraction wouldn't open up gaps and cracks.  The lime plaster is about 1.5" thick on both inside and out, applied in 3 layers -- Steen coat, scratch coat, and finish coat, with increasing levels of lime to the outside, and increasing proportion of clay to the inside.  Lime wash on the exterior, and milk paint on the interior.  Bales are supported by a 20" wide R-22 ICF (concrete) beam over 4' x 4' rubble filled trench for drainage, and an insulated concrete block toe-up to keep the bales 24" off the ground.

We have a 5" thick black stained concrete slab with radiant tubing in place, but we've never used that to heat the home.  (The original design/hope was for a pounded earth floor, but we needed to get into the house, and the added labor would have been more costly, so we took a big hit on embodied energy footprint for getting the house finished on time and within a reasonable budget.)  We have heated exclusively with a small wood stove, and only need 2 to 2-1/2 cords of wood for 1450 square feet and 8,000+ heating degree days.  A boiler could be hooked up at any time, but we've never done that.

We had one mouse get in -- it scrambled in through the door while we were shuttling a laundry basket -- and caught it in a mouse trap within about 10 days.  Besides that, no pest or vermin issues.  This year, for the first time, we have either Mason- or Miner bees forming little tubes around the 6" square vent for the HRV unit we never installed, and they appear to have tunneled under the flashing above one window.   The lime paint may be thinner in these places.  I found this thread while looking for others with similar experiences.  I'm trying to decide what action to take regarding the bees, which so many people actively cultivate.

I do wonder if many of the critter issues are from staged construction, and animals finding there way into a partially finished structure, before the plaster and lime are complete, etc.  I've seen some straw bale houses that were built by well meaning first-time builders who were learning on the fly, and left quite a few gaps in the wall structure.  That's probably what would have happened to me, too, but I got the bright idea to start a small solar company the year before deciding to build a straw bale house, so I was far too busy to put in all the labor, so we hired a very experience alternative builder in the area.

Its really disheartening to read how many have struggled with straw bale homes, since we have had a wonderful experience with ours.  I'm very keenly interested in the resale and bank financing issues, since we're about to put this house on the market (very reluctantly) so we can be closer to our family, especially our two grandsons.

I've used the on-demand propane showers, and they work very well, though they do use fossil fuels and require water pressure -- ether from a hose at household pressure, or a gravity feed with adequate head.

The solar heating options are all more in line with the OP questions.  I've installed around 3 dozen solar hot water systems, plus a few designed for space heating.  The only time hot water can go BOOM! is if its a closed system that can develop pressure.  If you circulate water in a tank or other vessel, make sure its either open to atmospheric pressure, or there's a pressure relief valve in your design.

For a thermosyphon system, the solar collector must be lower than the tank.  I've seen -- but not designed or installed -- a small system that used a small home-made solar collector (black plastic tubing in an insulated box with a plexiglass cover) plumbed in series with a 55-gallon barrel supported by a wood frame structure about 3' higher than the top of the collector.  There are small 12-volt circulator pumps that can be purchased online and powered by a 10-20 Watt solar (PV) panel, so the system only runs when there is enough sunlight to heat the water, and runs faster in bright light than dim -- a nice feature.

Probably the best tubing choice is standard black plastic water pipe, commonly available in hardware stores and building supply businesses here in the US;  hopefully, in France, too!  It is stable in direct sunlight, not very expensive, and will last for many years.

Haven't posted here in forever...

There are a number of variables here:

* Making a walking stick (or anything) from the full diameter of a "stick" of green wood with the pith running through the center makes checks/cracks likely as the wood dries.  Small diameters will be fine, but above a certain size (depends on species and use) they will crack.
* For walking sticks, where durability and strength really matter, consider picking a really tough, hard wood from your area (Osage Orange, Black Locust, Teak, etc...).  Some woods are naturally rot resistant (like Locust), so those might make be a good choice.
For a walking stick, no finish is also an option, allowing it to develop a patina from use.  If you want to protect carvings and such, read on...
* Ideally, a wood finish would penetrate INTO the wood and harden as it cures INSIDE the wood, and not form a dipped-in-plastic coating on the outside.  If you actually WANT a glossy, dipped in plastic look, there are many polyurethanes or "wipe-on poly" products available at local hardware stores.
* Oil finishes should utilize a "hardening" or "drying" oil -- one that polymerizes as it dries/cures to form a sort of organic plastic-like substance that protects the wood.  Some are very slow to dry, so chemical agents, or driers, are added.  These often contain lead or other metals and can be very toxic.
* One school of thought is that ALL wood finishes are food safe once they are fully cured; I'm not 100% convinced of that.  It depends on the use and the finish.  I tend to stay away from anything with toxic driers in it -- your experience may differ.
* If you want a non-toxic finish you can use for these products as well as other bushcraft items (spoons, bowls, cutting boards, etc...), consider what sort of stuff you would be willing to put in your mouth.  Some companies only make non-toxic finishes (Tried & True -- a favorite -- was mentioned earlier)
* "Boiled Linseed Oil" is generally not boiled.  Many years ago it was, but heating raw linseed oil to the boiling point (to help it polymerize and harden more quickly) is dangerous, and there were too many shop fires and burn injuries to continue the practice.  "BLO" contains heavy metal drying agents.
* Oil finishes have to be used properly to avoid forming a sticky mess.  Many of them instruct you to apply liberal amounts of oil, then after a 15-minute wait, to remove as much of it as you can with a towel, rag, or paper towels.  If you don't do this, you'll have a mess.  Some say to use multiple very light coats, and wait for drying between each  -- just wipe on with a rag or paper towel, then wipe off.
* Rags used in oil finishing should be considered a fire hazard!  The drying (polymerizing) process releases heat, and under some conditions, they can self ignite!  I tend to burn all these items in a wood stove or fire pit.
* Some oil finishes are very water repellant -- others are not.  Pure Tung oil resists water, but takes a loooong time to cure -- like months.  Many nut oils are so-so, but dry much faster, and are very easy to re-apply.
* NON-TOXIC HARDENING OILS:  Walnut oil, Hempseed oil, Linseed oil, Safflower oil, Tung oil (careful here -- many so-called Tung oil finishes contain no actual Tung oil), and a few others.  I especially like Mahoney's Utility Oil (pure heat-treated Walnut oil), Tried & True Original (Linseed oil plus Beeswax), and Tried & True Danish Oil (just pure Linseed oil with no hardeners), and have found light applications of Hemp seed oil from the health food store to work very well.
* Linseed oil is very common in Scandinavian countries for all manner of woodworking.  It can be "cleaned" with water (look up on-line) which helps it dry faster, smell better, and darken the wood less, though that process takes a few weeks.  Cleaning usually involves mixing with water, sand and salt (below).
* Most raw cold pressed nut oils found at your local health food store or food co-op are OK, but generally won't harden as quickly or completely as those which have been heat treated (kinda like boiling) and cleaned to remove impurities.  They may remain sticky due to all the good stuff for salads that's not-so-great for polymerization.  Oils intended for wood finishing will usually perform better.  I haver not seen Hempseed oil that's been treated for woodworking, but the organic salad oil stuff does seem to work quite well.  I may try cleaning some I have on hand...
* Scandinavian oil cleaning method here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi4YweOes5E

That's all for now, folks, hope there's something helpful in here for you.

Meant to attach a photo, but had trouble... maybe things will work this time

Our house was completed in 2010, a straw bale wrap with a reclaimed timber frame from an 1850 home that was dismantled about 35 miles away in New Hampshire.  Passive design (needs lots of active management in this climate!) with black stained radiant concrete slab.  We use roll-up thermal shades to manage heat loss through the large south windows.  Nothing hooked up to the radiant tubing at the moment; we’ve been heating with a small wood stove.  Fuel consumption is about 2 cords against about 8200 Heating degree days.

Hello Jim and Bob!

I wanted to chime in earlier, but couldn’t remember my password after a hard drive crash 🙄

I’ve lived in a straw bale home in Vermont for 9 years, with the bale/plaster work done by the authors of The Natural Building Companion — another great book in the trade.

I haven’t seen Bob in many years, but waaay back in the mid-sixties, we were next-door neighbors!  What are the chances that 2 random kids start life in a tight little neighborhood (Gerrymander Drive, if you can believe it 🤪), grow up, live on opposite coasts 3000 miles apart, and both end up involved in straw bale homes?

I’m no expert on the matter, but have learned s good deal working through design and implementation issues.  My involvement in solar energy systems led me to work on a team offering design, engineering, and construction management for clients looking to create zero energy buildings.  That partnership has dissolved, but I’m still working in solar electricity.

I wish you great success with your book, and many sunny days to come!

Darryl and Sean have raised some excellent points, and I’m glad Bob Theis chimed in what I was going to add.

Moisture management is everything in straw bale structures.  You might be wise, in the long run, to hire a consultant with expertise in thermal envelope performance, moisture management (incl. drainage planes, condensation issues, capillary breaks, etc...) PLUS the needs of straw or light straw clay.

Maybe this forum could help you find a skilled person, or a green building group near you that could help.  Otherwise, you could end up with brick walls surrounding a pile of compost 😨

Very Basic Info On Off-Grid Battery Banks:

Marine "deep cycle" batteries are adequate (and far more affordable) for many very small systems, but they are not true deep-cycle batteries, but rather a compromise between auto/truck starting batteries (give a brief, but huge pulse of power to start a cold engine), and true deep-cycle batteries (designed for a smaller load over a longer time period).

For systems powering household items like a refrigerator, furnace fan, or other larger loads, real deep-cycle batteries like Trojan T-105, or L-16H (and many other options) will work better.  These are often used in 6V units instead of 12V, though really big systems are often designed with 4V or 2V batteries, strung together to achieve 24- or 48-volts to the inverter.  BTW:  for systems larger than tiny ones, and those using AC power (inverter systems, instead of 12V DC), if you have the option to use a 24-volt inverter (or 48 volt) there are advantages in efficiency and wire costs if power needs to travel over long wires.  You have to configure your batteries to match the inverter voltage (so you might need to trade in 4 or 8 batteries at a time), but for full-time off-grid living with medium loads, there is often an advantage to this.

BUT -- to achieve the staying power of true deep-cycle batteries, you usually need to perform routine maintenance, including replacing lost water, checking specific gravity, and equalization (and venting the fumes and sopping up messy acid spills).  For a decent almost maintenance-free alternative (at much higher cost per Ah), you can consider AGM batteries (Absorbed Glass Mat).  They don't need water added, don't spill, and don't need to be vented, but you'll spend 2x as much for 1/2 the capacity to get there.  For AGM batteries, you'll need a charge controller with at least enough sophistication to have settings for the different charge rate of Gel, AGM, or flooded batteries.  Cheap-o controllers can shorten the life of some batteries, and for flooded batteries, usually don't offer an EQ charge (not needed for Gel or AGM).

I've advised most of my off-grid customers that if you live there full time, year-round, you need to get a good MPPT charge controller, and you should consider getting the messy flooded deep-cycle batteries, if you can deal with the maintenance.  If only for summer use, or a low latitude (lots of sun and not much cold) you may not get much benefit from the MPPT controller, which really earn their keep in colder conditions.    MPPT stuff:  Cold ambient temps => higher voltage from the solar array, which is converted to higher amperage at a voltage just above the battery bank for fastest charging.  Extremely useful for cold, cloudy places, where you want to get the very most out of every minute of sunlight.

Clear skies,

Brad Vietje
Newbury, VT

General note about micro-hydro power:

You are much, MUCH better off with a small flow and large head, than large flow and small head.  The only equipment that can tackle high flow and low head are expen$$$ive, industrial, commercial, municipal-scale plants that just don't make any sense for an off-grid application.

And -- it's all about the loads.  If you use very little juice, you have many more options.

There are low-head options for heads of 4-10 feet and relatively high flow rates, like the ES&D LH-1000, and some low-efficiency home-brew options (search Home Power for articles), but the tiny ES&D Stream Engine, Water Baby and Water Buddy are all tried & true commercial products: http://www.microhydropower.com/.

I've only helped install 2 systems (micro-hydro is all but impossible to push through permitting here in Vermont, so don't-ask-don't-tell off-grid power is about it), and both came from ES&D.  Those crafty Canadians have some really good stuff.

Clear skies,

Brad Vietje
Newbury, VT

NOT addressed to any particular person or post:

What we can see here -- very much like the past election cycle in the USA -- is that there is a lot of "information" out there from questionable sources, taken out of context, or just plain wrong, but strongly pushed by a group with an angle and an agenda.  The take-home lesson is that just because we see a fascinating post with really grabby graphics on social media, we still need to take the time to verify the source and validity of the information.

In one article cited, as soon as I saw reference to "massive subsidies" going to wind or solar, I knew I was reading an opinion piece written by someone with an axe to grind.  There certainly are instances of misused and maybe unwise subsidies, but since the fossil fuel industry gets the vast majority of the subsidies in the USA, not to mention the security and imperialism by the world's most powerful military (somehow always missing from those subsidy estimates!), I'd say RED HERRING to that one.

BUT, we really do need to look at not only the EROEI, but the life cycle costs and the environmental costs of making these various gizmos -- including the keyboard beneath my fingertips and the "cloud" that hosts all this information.  There are very real energy and environmental costs to all this.

There's just too much half-true or completely false click-bait out there, and you may regret having your name attached to it!

Clear skies,

Brad Vietje
Newbury, VT

Nice video!

Here in Northern New England, Morels are up a bit later -- usually found around mid-May to late May -- sometimes into early June. A good indicator in our area is Apple flowering -- Morels tend to be up when Apple trees are in flower. I have found them under/around Ash and Elm trees. Some people report Apple trees to be a host, but I've never found that to be true.

Here in Northern Vermont, I start to look for stands of Ash now, when there are very few leaves out. Ash trees leaf out last (except Bl. Locust, which rarely form a stand in the woods), so as the other species leaf out, you can often spot an Ash stand from a distance, when surveying a panoramic view -- they're the only ones with no leaves. Both Ash and Elm have distinctive bark and distinctive forms. Ash leaves are large and compound, so the twigs need to be strong to support them. Thus, Ash trees have no small twigs, only "fat fingers". Elm bark and the form of the trees are pretty distinctive, too, but many are dead or dying. When Am. Elm trees are clustered in the woods -- often around old cellar holes and abandoned farm sites, that's another great place to look. Here's a big tip: the pattern of White Ash bark and White Morels is really quite similar!

True Morels are not slippery or slimy; they have a very firm texture. If you find something that smells bad, it's not a morel -- some Stinkhorns have vaguely similar-looking, phallic shapes, but they are usually found later in the season, and they stink. False morels look disorganized and can be slimy, and the stem is not hollow with thin walls, like the true Morels. I saw a big bloom (flush?) of False Morels on a log landing after lots of trees were removed and the ground was covered in wood chips from all the tops/slash. 50 or more popped up the following year - haven't seen them since.

Last year we found a lot of White Morels -- 2 of them were about 10" tall! Black Morels are much less common here, and usually smaller. I'm told they are sometimes found near Aspen/Poplar trees, and a bit earlier in the season -- haven't found enough to confirm that. Maybe I just haven't learned to find them as well as their larger & easier-to-spot White Morel cousins. Unlike the West, we almost never find Morels associated with evergreens; not enough experience to know if burn sites are better than not.

I find that they can be tough to spot against the leaf litter and forest duff, but that getting your eyes down low -- close to the ground -- can help because you can see things sticking up a lot better, and get a better 3-D view of the forest floor. Remember to be careful of the $@^#%^ ticks -- they are bad, and only getting worse as our climate warms >

Safe, fun 'shrooming...

Brad Vietje
Newbury, VT

OOPS! Correction Time...

I thought the Bob Wells 5-part biochar series was from a workshop he held in Western Mass., but I was entirely wrong. It was done at Living Web Farms, in Mills River, NC.

Nonetheless, he gives a great deal of detail on how and why to make and use biochar. Too bad that the two main speakers are also in the business of selling biochar products, but since they give away the basic trade "secrets", they are also helping all of us on limited budgets to make our own. Many Permies will decide to make their own, while commercial farmers, strawberry growers and nursery owners might opt to buy the stuff. I'm keeping my eyes out for barrels and stovepipe to build my own retort.

As for the charcoal in the Amazon and the formation of Terra Preta, that will work -- obviously, since it is now an accepted historical fact -- but it could take a very long time to reach maximal benefit, and burning the wood in air puts more pollution into the atmosphere than burning off the gasses to make true char.. The ancient people who built up those soils may have done so for hundreds, or even thousands of years. We don't have that much time. AGW and Climate Chaos is already upon us, so I favor making clean biochar instead of charcoal since 1) we know how; 2) it's pretty easy with some tweaking; and 3) its really inexpensive, or even free if you are a good scrounger and have access to woody biomass.

Attempting to quote John Elliot here -- not sure I'm using the Quote function correctly:

3) When you rake leaves or trim brush, throw it in the swale and let it dry out. Then burn it (assuming you are in an area where the local fire department won't have a fit). Get a good bonfire going in the swale and let it burn down until it is mostly coals and not much flame. Like when you get ready to barbecue. Then douse it good with the hose. By not letting the fire completely burn out, what you have done is to create a lot of biochar in the swale. If you pile the brush and some pieces of scrap lumber 18-24" high, it will burn down so that you may have 3" of charcoal (biochar) in the bottom of the swale. Making biochar really reduces the volume of biomass.

UM, while I like your method of making shallow swales, I'd say that's not really biochar -- that's charcoal. By burning the wood in open air you're getting aerobic combustion, and not forcing the gasses out, burning them, while leaving the cellulose structure. Lots of CO2 and smoke released, too.

To create biochar, here's one simple way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svNg5w7WY0k&index=1&list=PLCeA6DzL9P4vhMbHjDUmL2hlEPMssyL1i

This is a workshop held in Western Mass (Northfield or Colrain Elementary School??) by Bob Wells, who has a whole series of videos and pretty regularly runs workshops about enriching soil and sequestering carbon with biochar. Not the only way to go, but certainly something any of us could do on our homesteads, community gardens, etc...

Dave Redvalley wrote:The biggest difference is the depth of discharge (DoD) that you can achieve with these batteries. Lead acid batteries should really only be discharged to 80% max, while the NiFe's can routinely be drawn down to 20% with no damage, thus the 3 times smaller battery bank, with better performance. I do like that math by the way, I see now problem with it at all! LOL. The only reason I have a 24v system vs. 48 or 12 is that is what it was when we bought the place. I would rather spend the money on the batteries than on replacing all of the inverters and switching gear. The 24v seems to be working good for us.

Dave,

I have no doubt the NiFe batteries can take a lot of pounding, and can survive extended discharge without damage (no small feat at all!), but what you wrote is not technically true. BTW: 80% DOD and 20% SOC are actually the same thing -- these terms are inversely related.

Flooded (true) deep-cycle lead-acid batteries (like Trojan T-105, L-16, etc...) are designed to withstand a depth of discharge -- or DOD -- of up to 80%. That means a state of charge -- or SOC -- of 20%, but they should be promptly re-charged, and the longer they sit in a discharged state (below their float voltage), the more sulfation occurs. Sulfation is normal, and can be reversed if the batteries are charged soon after discharge, but the sulfate crystals become more permanent the longer they are allowed to sit on the plates. After a while, they are more or less permanent, and can lead to reduced storage capacity and premature battery "death". If you size the solar array and so your loads only discharge the batteries by 50%, the batteries will last a lot longer. Another critique of the flooded lead-acid batteries is that even though the can handle this rough treatment, the more often it happens, the sooner they die. Sealed lead-acid batteries, either AGM or VRLA, are more like what you describe. They should never go below 50% and really should stay at 70% SOC or higher (30% DOD or lower) for good battery life.

NiFe batteries can be very deeply discharged, and can be left at a low SOC for extended periods without significant damage, and that is a really big deal. They are clearly better batteries, and we do need more companies to manufacture them.

As for the question about the battery bank voltage: most inverters are more efficient at 24 volts, and even better at 48 volts. Higher battery voltage affects the way the solar panels and batteries are wired, but higher voltage systems need smaller gauge wires and smaller gauge battery cables, and smaller gauge wire means a lot less copper or aluminum. If your solar panels are a long distance from the batteries and charge controller(s), you can save a LOT on wire by designing your system to operate at higher voltage. I have a few customers with solar panels about 300' away from the house, and when voltage drop and all that are factored in, they saved about $1000 on copper wire by using a 48-volt inverter.

Hey Cam,

The Iron Edison batteries do look like great performers, but don't be lulled into thinking that a strong alkali is any better than a strong acid. In fact, some solar pro's are worried that the electrolyte could even be worse, since all you need to clean up a battery acid splash is baking soda. There are concerns that getting the alkaline solution in your eyes, for example, might be worse that hydrochloric acid.

The incredible long life is absolutely spot-on, though, and I agree that if there was greater demand, and more manufacturers, the price would be a lot more reasonable.

Clear skies,

Brad Vietje
Newbury, VT

'Nuther Safety note:

Watch the color coding on those battery cables..... People tend to rely on them for their own personal safety, so you really want them to be correct. Notice in the photo of Alivia leaning over the batteries that the nearest battery has a red-labelled cable coming off BOTH terminals One of them is lying, and if you are relying on the red/black colors to know what to touch (and what NOT to touch), you could experience the meat fuse concept. Get out the black electrical tape, and correct the red color on the (-) terminal -- or reverse the cable if it is wrong on both ends.

Also note that her right hand is fairly close to a red (presumably +) terminal.... this is where you need to be careful. If that hand moves just a wee little bit (like when struggling to reach something or loosen a bolt, etc...), and that shiny wrench touches a (-) terminal SNAP!

Clear skies,

Brad Vietje
Green Works Solar Store
Newbury, VT

Nice photos & great progress.

The photos of Alivia putting a wrench to the batteries in the electric cart really gave me a start, though. HO - LEE- S#!T !!! This is MIGHTY dangerous stuff!!! Safety note for anyone reading this: Big cables on batteries are big so they can carry a lot of current. A good way to help remember this is: "the size of the fire depends on the size of the wire". Those appear to be 2-0 copper cables, which can handle 283 Amps, which is PLENTY to kill a beautiful little girl, or even a big strapping daddy. Really. Dead.

I have had off-grid customers tell me that they'd do all the battery work in order to save money, but also based on the very much mistaken idea that the 12-/24-/48-volt stuff must be easy, since the voltage was so low. I had one young customer that had a 12-volt battery bank, and a 5,000 watt inverter capable of a 8,500 watt surge. As a solar installer, I have to run the numbers and if he draws those batteries down as low as 10.7 volts when that beast surges to run his stupidly inefficient well pump, that's 8500/10.7 = 794 Amps !!! That means his cables need to be 4-0 cables doubled up. I tried to convince him to go to a 24 or 48 volt inverter and get rid of the well pump, but since his dad gave him the inverter.... Anyway, it turns out that the 120 and 240 volt AC power is MUCH safer to work with -- just look at the sizes of the wires! It's the low voltage (high amperage) stuff that can kill you. Remember: big wire => big spark.

SO -- when working with batteries:

* Wear heavy-duty rubber gloves
* Use only insulated tools -- no shiny chrome handles!
* Use a wrench that is too short to bridge the gap between + and - terminals whenever possible
* Safety glasses/goggles recommended. Batteries can explode -- though only rarely -- but if they do, the stuff you'll be sprayed with is really nasty
* Watch what your other hand is doing/touching -- don't be a "meat fuse" !
* Watch for anywhere the terminals could possibly come in contact with metal, and make sure it can not touch.
While we're on watches, don't wear one with a metal band -- or any metal jewelry on your fingers. Gold and platinum are much better conductors than human flesh, and you would not be the first to burn off a ring finger when that wedding band touches the (+) terminal
* No loose or dangling metallic objects (think glasses that won't stay on or are on a chain, bracelets, gold necklace, etc...)

Sorry to be such a wet blanket, folks, but working with batteries can be very dangerous, indeed, and you never want to touch a battery with a shiny metal tool held in a sweaty hand. It appears the photo is from a year ago, so Alivia must have survived the ordeal, but let's be sure to be really, really careful around batteries and big cables.

Hey Gilbert,

I completely concur that ventilation is the key here. Do you intend to fix this yourselves, or hire a builder? Since you are correcting amateur building mistakes, be careful to avoid making new ones if you are doing this yourself. If hiring this out, not that many builders will understand the Permaculture view of the world, and think outside their conventional building box and consider alternative materials and methods.

Jay's comment is right on: no one can give you a definitive answer without knowing more about the construction details. If you root around enough to make accurate drawings of how the walls and ceiling are constructed (I'd aim for cross-sections that show any nooks and/or crannies), you may need to hire a consultant or get added comments here to make sure the cure is better than the disease.

One word of caution: There are plenty of examples out there of "greenhouses gone bad"! A greenhouse, trombe wall, or other passive solar element still has to be thought through, and adequate air circulation and moisture management is extremely important. A greenhouse or solarium can add a lot of heat and light to a building, but usually a LOT of moisture, as well.

On the equipment side, if you are on-grid, Panasonic makes pretty nice small bathroom vent fans, and even some with heat recovery built-in. For smaller, tighter homes, these could even replace a heat recovery ventilator. In some cases you really want an ERV, not an HRV, so again, consulting someone like Jay that does this professionally will be very beneficial.

Dave,

Two thoughts and a comment:

1) Oak is porous, and that might be an issue for keeping it clean enough for food production.

2) Careful with glues, in case there is any issue with toxic gunk or tastes getting into your cheese. I'm not sure what sort of glue is used for pizza peels, but maybe that would helpful to know(?)

Many woodworkers consider all finishes to be food safe after fully cured, but I'm not entirely in that camp. When I make bowls intended to be used for food, I use Tried & True Original -- polymerized linseed oil and beeswax, with no solvents, driers or anything else. Not very tasty, but you could eat it right out of the can without poisoning yourself.

I've been pondering planting trees for coppicing -- both firewood and pole/fence stock on the land.

I'd like to do it in such a way that I can harvest these via hand-drawn cart, and use the plantings for privacy screens and for wind, dust, and sound mitigation from the nearby "town shed", where the highway department has all its heavy equipment, gravel pit, sand and salt piles, etc... (these are common in rural New England towns).

It occurs to me that this sort of coppice plantation is another approach that would help provide urban lumber -- or maybe the smaller-diameter stock I'm looking for. Still achieves shade and biomass production and carbon sequestration, but probably not larger diameter saw logs.

If someone on this thread has ideas about planning this sort of coppice plantation, please let me know.

Thanks to David for bringing these issues to the public via his TedX talk.

David -- if you are still checking in -- I think making small, unique items from odd pieces is one very good way to go (was that Ariel's question?) Connecting the sawers and local crafts people might be a good strategy, and building connections to crafts and fine art galleries for the end products.

I am a woodturner, mostly making hollow forms and bowls like the Stephen Hatcher and Dale Larsen pieces in The Real Mother Goose gallery you linked (but no mother of pearl inserts like Stephen does -- those are amazing!). Turning, spoon carving, furniture and sculpture are great uses for small oddball pieces that occur to me, though turners usually want the wood green, while sawmills want to cut it and start drying it, so these needs need to be addresed.

Certainly where there's a will, there's a way. Just starting the conversations is step one.

OH, -- and a Question for David:

Q #1: What do you see as the best way to raise awareness of the need for more tree plantings and the development of avenues to make use of urban/suburban lumber?

Q #2: I hate parking in a lot with nothing but HOT pavement and no shade! How can we convince urban planners and developers to build shade into their plans instead of packing the highest # of spaces per acre?

Q #3: Seems to me, better use of public transportation => smaller lots and fewer cars to accommodate, which could lead to more space allotted to trees for shade and future lumber... any real hope there?

Excellent solution to deforestation, sprawl, water retention, CO2 sequestration, adding cool shade, etc, etc, etc...!

There are some challenges that need to be addressed, too:

* Urban lumber is often peppered with metal objects, such as screws, bolts, cables, etc... While these can sometimes create beautiful changes to the wood, they also damage saw blades and can create a real safety issue for people sawing the trees or working with the wood. We would need a campaign to raise awareness about how we use these trees during their active growing years to avoid this problem;
* We'd need to develop a network of small businesses to handle small volume, scattered wood lots, and more awareness of urban forestry
* We'd need to develop a system for dealing with sudden windfalls -- literally -- from storm-damaged trees, especially as our warming climate causes more frequent and more violent storm events
* We could develop community/city/county connections to local wood crafters to encourage the use of urban lumber from both planned harvests as well as storm-damaged trees.
* We need to raise awareness that planting trees, maintaining them, and harvesting them does NOT have to follow the current big-business paradigm (large company with huge, very expensive equipment only deals with large tracts of land in non-sustainable ways), and encourage the use of even the smaller trees and trimmings -- mulch and piles of free material for hugelkulture are both good, too!
* Dead and damaged wood can be made available for hugelkulture (or allowed to compost in place), instead of an energy-intensive process to use stump grinders to turn everything into chips and mulch.
* Some wood lots can be managed to supply raw materials for district heating plants, biomass heating of public buildings, pain mounds, hugelkulture, landscaping, etc...
* Many communities are so worried about liability that access to logs is severely limited -- where it exists at all. These are very real concerns -- walking around and selecting logs from a large pile is intensely dangerous. We may need to change the status quo and develop a position for qualified persons (arborists, loggers, etc...) to assist in getting these resources to people who can use them. This could save lots of money as opposed to the stump grinder and/or burn pile methods currently used in many places.
* Education needed: Awareness seminars, as well as tree planting, pruning, and maintenance workshops are probably needed in small and large communities across the land, and I suspect these would be very popular events.
* Photo galleries, art shows in galleries and public works projects to showcase products made from local, "found" wood could be a powerful way to raise awareness!

Those are a few ideas off the top of my head, but as a person who gets almost all the wood I use for turning bowls, vases, hollow forms and other wooden objects from local "stump dumps" or from leftovers at logging sites -- for free -- I know these systems can be developed, and we can plant and harvest millions of trees if we decide it must be done.

Keep up the good work -- well done!

While urinating directly on living plants is a challenge, peeing on your compost pile is NOT, so long as you have enough carbon in there.

It's all worked out, folks -- please read The Humanure Handbook, by Joseph Jenkins. He's spent over 30 years studying all impacts of composting out feces and our urine. Since Paul doesn't like the Loveable Loo concept -- at least for his property and the need for a portable pooper during the building phase -- maybe people here are not giving Joe Jenkins proper respect (?).

The book is available in print form, and as a download from his web site here: http://humanurehandbook.com/

We've been using a Jenkins "sawdust bucket toilet" for 2-1/2 years now, and our guests -- even those who know quite a lot about green building and alternative construction methods -- still express amazement that we have no odors and no flies, with no ventilation or forced air flow. People seem to be far more grossed out by the idea than the reality, which Jenkins calls "feco-freakin-phobia", but the truth is, his system works very well, indeedy.

If you handle it properly, urine is not only not a monster, it turns out to be more nutritious for building soil than the solids. See also Holy Shit, by Gene Logsdon, which goes into some detail about managing pee and poop on farms, and building up a manure pack under enclosed animals as a way of saving and recycling nutrients with very little labor. He also discusses human feces and urine in some detail -- a really good book and a great conversation starter!

Hi Folks,

Just getting caught up after having the "creeping crud" a.k.a. bronchitis for ~10 days, and not much energy for reading and discussion.

I must say, I'm getting really frustrated with this web site... I find it very cumbersome. I can't seem to use the quote function -- I'm not getting hi-lighted text, but the entire post (?) -- though a few weeks ago, it seemed to work fine, as in very differently. Am I supposed to click Reply, (reply to exactly whom, one might ask?, which is not the same as "Discuss") and then scroll back 2-3 pages and try to pull out a quote from someone's post, or start with the quote part and then write a response.? Neither method is working for me today :~(

I'm also finding that when there are multiple pages in a discussion, I scroll down to the bottom of each page, and there is no provision to just jump to the next page without scrolling all the way back up to the top, and then clicking on the next page # or the little arrowhead... I'd also like to be able to post a reply to a particular post, which can sorta be done via the quote function, but that's just not working for me.

I've had fun looking at other people's projects, because there are little links like "see my project page here", but I have not found how to have a project page of my own, and have wondered how people do that? Is there a guide somewhere as to how all these functions are supposed to work?

I know, I know -- some people have real problems, and here I am whining about little buttons! Maybe I'm getting a little less tolerant, or more edgy, having been sick and sore for days, but I sincerely do wish this site were a little easier to use.

If I were able to quote Ann's thoughts about B.M.'s distrust of science in Ch 2, I would have done so -- he's perfectly wrong about this -- but most of the time specialists are observing tiny subsets of a system -- sometimes a single species, more often a single molecule. Ecologists, or population biologists have a very different task, and these system-level scientists do have to incorporate their own presence in and interference of the system as well as their biases and any possible sources of error in measurement. Not all scientists do this, perhaps, but all good scientists do.

I'll continue reading with great respect for Mollison's brilliant ideas and insights, but hey -- he was a mortal man, after all, and can be allowed a few imperfections.

Jennifer Wadsworth wrote:@CJ -
ANOTHER GREAT FREE ACTIVITY!!!

Join us in reading Bill Mollison's seminal work, "Permaculture - A Designer's Manual" starting Jan 1st here on this site.

Jenifer, this is SUCH a good great idea -- thank you for the idea and the re-direct! I'd like to see how the group read & discuss goes -- maybe this is a whole new way I can keep my mind and body immersed in what really matters, and a new way -- at least for me -- of interacting with the Permies site. This could be a real eye opener!

I was not trying to be a wet blanket, since I really do have a great deal of respect for Geoff Lawton's knowledge and accomplishments, but his style is a huge turn off. The costs for me to take his on-line class were prohibitive; there was just no way I could even consider it, even if it turned out to be a great value. Along these lines, my 45 mpg VW TDI died about 9 months ago, so I have had to drive around (only when needed!) in my work truck, which only gets 18 mpg. All the comments about a new TDI, an electric hybrid or a used Prius are great ideas, but I can't afford to buy anything until I make a little more money, so I'm stuck at the moment.

Since I have a great deal of passion about the urgency of spreading information about Permaculture, Climate Change, Peak Oil, and the coming economic collapse, I have a hard time with people charging money to help save the world. If there's no money, do we all just stop trying? Seems to me the importance of the work is so much greater than the need for $$$, but I do acknowledge there are very real costs to pulling off such a course, and a better class that costs more is probably more valuable than a quick & dirty class costing less. Since I'm convinced this entire world-wide economic system is long overdue for an overhaul (and that it will soon collapse utterly anyway), I'm probably just too impatient about the need to exchange currency for goods -- but that is the world in which we live

Many thanks to you and anyone else involved in the PDC book discussion.

Please count me in -- great idea, and such an excellent use of this forum! Now I gotta find some time to read... Well below zero for the next few days, so a little time by the wood stove with a mug of tea is sounding pretty good right now!

Cj Verde wrote:BTW, I've been to Ben's place and it is awesome. My only question with the video is I can't understand why you would place your cold storage right next to your greenhouse??? Maybe it keeps items from freezing in the winter? But then you couldn't use it for cold storage for half the year???

I had the same thought, CJ. I have not been over to Ben's place, but my wife took a Permaculture class and tour there about 4 years ago, and we had Ben over to our place assist us with planning our PCD about 6 years ago. - Looks like his hugel-swales and water works have matured very nicely since then.

I think Jennifer has it right -- looks like the greenhouse was added on after the root cellar was established. Was it there when you visited? I'd want a LOT of insulation between the cold storage and the hot-house -- especially with those corrugated metal walls, which can get mighty hot. There are also a number of moisture issues to deal with when bringing hot, very humid air into our living spaces.

I also feel that Geoff could coarse-tune his delivery and fine-tune his content. There is a LOT of self-promotion, which really turns me off. He is spontaneous and passionate, but he also rambles and repeats himself quite a bit. When I learned that his on-line course would cost over $1000, there was not even a tiny chance that I would -- or could -- consider it; that's just WAAAY too much money for a course that can be taught at little expense, and which is the sort of essential information that should be shared widely -- and quickly. I have no problem with the guy earning a living at this, but the Earth's inhabitants need this information if we are to save ourselves and survive the coming century. The clock is ticking and time's running out. Get a few hundred people to pay $250 each and get on with it -- rinse & repeat multiple times at very low cost, so once the on-line content is established, small bits can be updated, and the model be rolled out to thousands and even millions of people at a lower cost each time. For those using the class interactions to work on their own designs, perhaps a higher cost would be needed to guarantee adequate feedback and round-table discussion, so I'd suggest a 2-tiered pricing structure for learners vs. doers.

Anyhow, its good to see Ben and Geoff working together, and hopefully a lot more people can be reached that way. They both have such excellent information and experience to share; hopefully in a more affordable way.

Hey Sean,

Can you tell me more about the foundation demands of your region? Is it simply a greater frost depth than most people design for, or is there also movement or other forces acting on foundations that complicate things?

We do not have a traditional poured foundation under most of our house, though we do have a 10' x 15' section with an 8' tall "basement" for the mechanical room and root cellar, and this is made of R-20 ICF, with 2' of crushed stone below it, contiguous with the drainage system around the entire structure. We use a 4' x 4' rubble filled trench with fairly coarse stone (4" minus) drainage and 4" perforated drain pipes at the bottom of the trenches protected by filter fabric, and so far (about 6 years since it went in), everything has worked very well. The whole system drains to the low point below the root cellar, and then sloped 1/4"/ft to daylight -- we just happen to have a steep bank to the west that allows us to drain everything below the basement level. The wall system is supported by a 22" wide, R-20 ICF "beam of concrete that's 12" high.

We also protect the Rubble Filled Trench (RFT) from frost penetration with a 4' skirt of 2" foam boards sloped a little bit away from the structure, and attached with a little Great Stuff expanding foam to the outside of the ICF beam.

I believe RFT's have been used successfully in very cold climates with deep frost penetration like you have. My shoot-from-the-hip best guess would be to extend the foam board skirt out to 6 or 8 feet, to help keep frost from getting down below the protected zone near the ground level -- but that's just a well-educated guess. I know that foam insulation has a list of nasty characteristics for green builders, but might be an example of a toxic product, manufactured from petroleum, that could be seen as appropriate because it saves so much energy when used carefully and wisely (?) We do need to exercise great care in dealing with and eliminating waste, which can end up polluting water, and floating in the Pacific for generations to come -- if we survive that long.

Great progress.

The door handle is a pretty cool design, but I'd put a wooden handle on it before it gets really cold.... that could be really cool when it's -30 outside!

Annie,
Rufus,

Big heavy-duty 2-Volt cells are common for serious off-grid solar applications. Usually the big 2 volt fellas are flooded, and require more maintenance; "sealed" would usually refer to AGM, or Absorbed Glass Matt batteries, which would be fine for your application.

The major difference between flooded cells and AGM's is that flooded cells store more usable energy, but require more maintenance. Heavy duty flooded cells can handle an occasional discharge of up to 80% (meaning 80% depth of discharge ,or DOD), but the discharge should be limited to about 50% if possible for longer battery life, and if you can routinely limit the discharge to 25 - 30%, all the better -- the batteries will last longer. AGM batteries can only handle a maximum discharge of 50%, and routine discharge should be limited to 25% - 30% whenever you can. In other words, true heavy-duty flooded cells can occasionally deliver up to 80% of the power stored, while AGM's can only deliver 50% at most.

Loads and Capacity: 24 Volts at 800 Amp-hours = 19,200 Watt-hours at 100% discharge, so for sealed (AGM) batteries, you'd only be able to use the top 50% of that, or roughly 9,600 watt-hours. That equates to a 100 watt item running for 96 hours. BUT, routinely draining these batteries to a 50% DOD (depth of discharge) will shorten their useful life considerably. If you can limit your usual and customary discharges to around 30%, they will last longer (but you'll only have 5760 watt-hours to use to stay within that limit, or 57 hours per 100 watt load).

Charging the Batteries: Charging these is no big deal at all with the proper equipment, but the good stuff ain't cheap. Assuming you will use an inverter to produce AC power from the DC power stored in the batteries (NOT 100% efficient, BTW -- expect additional losses of around 10%), what you really want is an inverter/charger. Stick with a name brand like Magnum (shown at Paul's place, above), Outback, or Xantrex (now Schneider). These have a built-in ac charger and internal transfer switch, so when connected to AC current by plugging in at home, or from a generator, they will charge the batteries. For Magnum equipment (my preferred brand), you'll need the Remote (RC-50), and the battery monitoring kit (BMK). Instead of screwing the unit to a wall, it's best to get the MMP, or Mini-Magnum Panel, which has all the AC and DC switch gear, as well as a calibrated shunt so the battery monitor can take accurate readings of power in and power out. The RC-50 is the black display shown in the photos above showing the voltage and amps being used.

The top-shelf equipment mentioned can be set up for different battery types, and you tell it how many Amp-hours of battery bank, and let them do their thing. 24 volt batteries are typically bulk charged to 28.8 volts, then held there (Absorb, or "Acceptance") for 2-4 hours, and then reach the Float stage , where they are held at a slightly lower voltage to keep them ready to go. For 800 Amp-hours the absorb is probably 3 hours to start, and longer as the batteries age. Sealed batteries should be fully charged at least once per week, and NEVER equalized. (Flooded cells are typically equalized monthly during periods of heavier use). Batteries are not considered fully charged until they have gone through the Bulk and the complete Absorb charge cycles. In other words, if you are using a generator, don't stop charging when you reach the target of 28.8 volts -- you need to keep them there for at least 2 hours, and longer for larger battery banks, probably 3-4 hours for yours. If you are trying to be a good citizen and want to avoid burning fossil fuels, generating smoke and noise and all that (or just saving $$$), you will be sorely tempted to turn off the gen-set when you reach 28.8 volts, but you will be killing the batteries if you do it. Either use a "cleaner" source of power (ha-- often a trap!), by plugging into grid power (a.k.a. "shore power"), or realize that you are making a trade off between your very real and sensible environmental concerns, and destroying batteries by causing them to die prematurely. Since batteries are made of pretty toxic stuff, and the recycling of these components is often handled by barefoot 12-year-olds in Mexico, you probably don't want to ruin those batteries, either. Thus, the dilemma.

Solar Charging: If charging with solar panels get a first rate charge controller from Midnite Solar ($$$), Outback ($$), or Morningstar ($$). I typically use the Outback FlexMax-60 for smaller systems. Not cheap, but until the Midnite Classic came out, the best of the best. The charge controller shown above with the cover removed is a Morningstar TriStar MPPT, and appears to be the 45-amp model. TriStar MPPT controllers are very efficient, but they don't have an auxiliary output to run a vent fan, which is essential with flooded batteries in a confined space (though not needed for AGM). Since I don't like having to add an expensive voltage-controlled switch, I use Outback, which has the fan control circuit built in. You still want those batteries FULLY charged at least once per week, so if you need to use them daily, you'll probably want to plug the inverter/charger in to grid power whenever there is not enough sunlight to recharge them fully.

OK -- this is getting pretty long, and a little too close to a textbook, but I hope it helps. Don't leave your batteries in storage for a period of years -- make sure they get a charge every few months to keep them from aging while doing nothing -- like staying in shape with a little gentle exercise.

Good luck, and best wishes getting your power cart set up.

Hi Annie,

Please provide more info on the batteries. You mentioned 2 volt "dry" cells rated at 800 Amp-hours -- are these sealed batteries (either AGM or VRLA)? If you can supply the brand name, or post a photo of the label on a battery, that would help a lot. I own a solar design and install company, and would be glad to help if I can; seems like a few others here have accumulated a lot of know-how, too.

Flooded batteries might not be much fun to slosh around, but there are a number of job site trailers like the one pictured that use 4 or 8 L-16 batteries, and as long as they are secured against tipping over, and vented so the fumes can escape, the dangers are very low indeed.

There are some batteries that could be a potential hazard, but your description (so far) doesn't scare me at all.

The AGM batteries that I have used won't even leak if you smash through the side wall with a golf club, so I suspect the local "experts" you mentioned are the typical know-everything busybodies, with no real experience from which to speak -- the "nattering nabobs of negativism", wasn't it?

S. Carreg,

I think most American furniture makers are predisposed to kiln dried wood, but in the wood turning world, as well as spoon carving, most people us green wood. For bowls, it is most common to rough turn the bowls and such from green wood,leaving them a little thicker than their final dimension, then season these "rough-outs" for finish turning at a later date when air died. These rough-turned bowls shrink in width, but not in length, resulting in an oval bowl that usually has a wavy rim. These air-dried rough-turned bowls are then re-mounted and turned a second time to create round, functional bowls.

Another route practiced by many is to turn or carve to finished dimensions at one go with green wood, then sand and finish to create slightly out-of-round bowls or other objects. This works quite well if the crafts-person understands the limitations of the wood, and how it will shrink & warp, and if the thickness is uniform and the **** pith removed there will only rarely be significant losses due to excessive warping or checking. Some woods, such as Apple and Lilac tend to check a lot more than other woods, so these should be dried very slowly. Seasoning them in paper bags or waxing the end grain will help a lot. Wax can be scraped off later when the wood is dry, and using a cabinet scraper or similar is a great way to achieve a smooth finish anyway.

****Oddly enough, one of my spoon-carving friends and off-grid customers just called at this point in the above paragraph -- Small world!

All the spoon carvers I know carve them green -- usually Apple and Black Cherry. Taking care to prepare carving blanks that have good grain and wood fiber orientation, they rarely lose more than a few percent to excessive checking and warping, but that takes experience in reading the wood.

I'm not a big spoon maker, but do a lot of wood turning, and I must say, if you get to know the habits of wood, the drying, shrinking, warping and even checking become pretty predictable. I have friends who carve hundreds of spoons per year for farmers markets and craft shows, and they don't lose many because they have learned to work with the wood and respect its ways. With experience, you'll only rarely have a spoon bend in a way that surprises you, but it can happen. Wood was once -- and some would say is still -- alive, and it swells when it takes on moisture, and shrinks as it dries, so in manner of speaking it is still "breathing" many years after being cut from the tree.

I made a few spoons & spatulas years ago from some fresh-cut Apple, and air dried a number of spoon blanks, too. I ought to dig them out and try carving them now that they've been drying for 8 - 10 years... probably a lot harder work! I can still make nice spatulas with turned or carved handles, which might be the path of least resistance that I end up taking.

Hello Ken Grunke! Glad to see a familiar name here from the wood turning world.

I was going to point out that Boxelder (a.k.a. Manitoba Maple in Canada) can sometimes harbor that fantastic pink streaking (from a fungus carried into the wood by the Ambrosia Beetle), and sometimes can form large, benign tumors, or burls, which make fantastic craft, carving, or turning wood. Not related to either Box or Elder trees, but one of the softest of the Maple species that grows in eastern North America.

I find burls often form on larger trees grown on a steep slope (holding back erosion on a stream bank, for example), or when squeezed between rocks, buildings, or fences. When the trees are stressed or irritated, such as growing between rocks that move with the frost, they can produce burls around the roots almost like a big fleshy scab. The wood of Boxelder burl is highly prized by woodworkers of all sorts.

The straight grain wood is also good for carving. Like Basswood, it is soft, and has a fine, even texture, so it carves well. Has an odd smell when green -- especially if not fresh -- but won't transfer bad tastes to food if you carve spoons or salad tongs out of clean, fresh-cut green wood.

Nice thread -- just discovered it today after Paul hi-lighted it.

RE: Cherry Log to Country Chair: Nice work, which can be scaled up to a full sized chair. Notice that at 2:57 the guy nearly chops the fingers off his left hand! Needs to find a different way to split the slats with his froe!

Spring Pole Lathes: The videos and links about building and using a spring pole lathe are great. John Lucas in the first video is a friend of mine from wood turning circles -- he's using a small, portable pole lathe and the slapping could be addressed with a larger, stronger spring pole, and a higher "kick" so it didn't smack against the base board on every down stroke. Yes, indeed, a treadle lathe is a continuous turning motion instead of a reciprocal turn, but unless they have a pretty massive flywheel, they can't match the power of a pole lathe for rough turning or taking bigger cuts. They're great for small work like bobbins or pens, but only with a big, heavy wheel can you make the heavier cuts.

I'll have a spring pole lathe set up at my home and try to post some photos of a larger spring pole lathe in the next few weeks.

TIP for spring pole lathe turners or those trying it out: If you leave a little extra length on something you are making (can be cut away later), reduce the diameter at one end where the string wraps around the workpiece. By wrapping the string or rope around a smaller diameter, the piece will turn faster, and also make more revolutions per cycle. If the string wraps around a fatter part (say 2"), you might get 2 turns at say 50 - 60 RPM; if you reduce the diameter to about 1", you'll get twice the revolutions at twice the speed, which will speed up the work.

Great Photos, and best wishes on this new adventure!

I design and install solar electric systems for a living, and I can report that for small systems -- especially where portability might be important -- Goal Zero products are excellent quality. I wouldn't use their stuff to create larger systems to run a house year-round, but their products are excellent, and they don't overstate their capabilities like some companies do. Good Choice!!!

BTW: For any Permies that want assistance on off-grid solar design or sizing, feel free to contact me with questions -- I'm happy to help folks make good choices (at no charge or obligation) whenever I can fit it around my schedule.

The land looks beautiful!