David Wieland

Phil Stevens wrote:
...
The bigger issues I need to solve if I want to get a better yield are humidity control and light.
...

I don't have as severe a humidity issue, but I've learned that air movement is important to reducing fungal problems. An oscillating fan has been a big help.

Anne Miller wrote:If I were in this situation I would want a rocket mass heater to keep the greenhouse warm.

That's what I've done in my 12x19ft polytunnel greenhouse in rural Ottawa. I designed and built a "shorty" stove (Thanks for the advice, Peter!) that warms a bench made of salvaged concrete patio slabs and filled with stones and gravel.

That's not enough to warm the entire space in our truly cold weather, so I built a smaller plastic covered greenhouse within it, leaving the stove outside it in a "vestibule". A small fan heater with a thermostat adds enough supplemental heat to ensure it doesn't freeze in the coldest weather (~-30C).

That's my setup for cool and cold weather. Summer overheating is a different problem to solve.

John C Daley wrote:The bit i find hard to understand is having a septic and a well on the same property.
How is that safe?

You wouldn't put a relatively shallow dug well near a septic leach field, but a drilled well, required in most jurisdictions, draws water from an aquifer at a much greater depth, so there's no risk of contamination. Water testing easily confirms that.

I don't see any mention of using a filter on the outlet. After learning about them, I had one installed in my septic tank over twenty years ago. It pretty much guarantees that the leach field won't get clogged. It is necessary to check the filter at least every few years and clean it before it gets clogged and keeps the tank from draining at all.

Gaurī Rasp wrote:Our septic guys said to just flush the contents of a big box of baking soda down the toilet.

That sounds weird. It certainly doesn't do anything to aid the micro-organisms working on digestion.

Richard Henry wrote:Connie:  I would counsel prudence in all things.  Pumping a septic tank can cut both ways.  Once a tank is empty of the sludge and water, the tank becomes quite buoyant. ...

I presume that you're not talking about a concrete tank. I can't imagine one like mine ever floating.

Joylynn Hardesty wrote:Good info, Kaarena! Brrr!!! Lake!!!

I've never heard of adults not liking showers or anyone getting cold from them.

At the time the OP wrote the original post, I'm pretty sure he was at Wheaton Labs, taking rocket heated showers in an unheated outdoor facility. In the Montana winter.

Okay, now it makes some sense. I didn't know my attitude and practice regarding showers was so unusual. I normally shower to get clean and have a hot shower only rarely when I"m trying to ease muscle ache.

In the summer, I take a quick shower in cool water to rinse off the sweat before bed. In cooler weather, I shower to get clean, starting with washing my hair in warm water (using a very modest amount of 'poo), followed by a quick loofah rubdown and warm water rinse, ending with a full cold water final rinse. Then I towel off while still in the shower. When I step out onto the bath mat to do a final towel drying, I find the cooler air to be pleasantly bracing. This isn't a sauna experience, but it's leaning in that direction. All in all, it feels healthful and part of what keeps me going strong at 80.

Riona Abhainn wrote:I know next to nothing about substack, I think one or two people on here have it...

Surely there are more. I discovered Substack in its first year and have found it an excellent way to a broader and deeper understanding of a variety of topics. I'm sure it has some dubious content, but what I've subscribed to is is informed, thoughtful observations, research, and analysis. (There's some humour too, such as Dave Barry.) Permies is a worthy addition.

r ransom wrote:...We usually use Methyl alcohol (also known as methanol or wood alcohol) is the simplest alcohol...

Some light research suggests that ethyl alcohol is the usual solvent for shellac -- but denatured with methyl alcohol.
From a Duck-Duck-Go search assist:
The best solvent for shellac is ethanol, often found in the form of denatured alcohol.