Thomas Vogel

More pics thanks to feather meal, rock dust, wood ash, decayed wood mulch compost.

I spent good money on good results adding feather meal to my October planting of garlic. 8,000 cloves in four backyard this season which turned out roughly 500 pounds. They are generally larger every year now on my fourth year. Studies I've read suggest nitrogen does more for garlic than phosphorus or potassium. Feathers take a season to break down and are an excellent source of nitrogen. Roughly a fourth of my crop weigh in at three to four bulbs per pound-- porcelain hard neck. 50% at 6-7 bulbs per pound and the balance dribble down (grown on the edges,in shade, less water etc.) I've some goose down I intended to make into pillows but time being what it is... it'll serve us better feeding my crop.

Consider checking out Scott Davis's yahoo special interest group titled, "simply solar." Scott's a great guy, scientific in his approach, and eager to help others. This link is in regards to DIY passive solar hot water storage. I thought about applying this method to the heat riser in my RMH. This can provide hot water to both baseboard and potable water. Hope it helps.

I always thought that super power meant power greater in scope or magnitude than that which is considered natural or has previously existed. Isn't there someone out there with super powers who is "faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound?" Maybe even walks on water, heals the sick, drives away demons, raises the dead, or forgives people their sins!? "I Am." And that's not me!

Some things never change. It paints a strange image; freeloaders in frontier Montana. How could they slip in unnoticed?
https://youtu.be/bVpypcLbbIE

After walking my dog Smiling Jack around the park I would compost those compostable scooper bags. After a year in the mound they sure looked like pooper scooper bags. BUT, what was in them was gone! To be fair, they did break down eventually. But we were definitely garden -raking the shreds. And then finally, at the end of his lovely life I mournfully laid Jack in a cotton blanket in a bed of sawdust on the edge of the garden where his body won't be disturbed by so many kitchen peelings.

That's obviously a bell over feed tube with a masonry door in front. Can't tell what the door to the left is about. The main door opens to what appears to be an L-Feed. Fire is back in. Doesn't appear to relate to my query. Maybe you can clarify for me S.A., thanks.
Tom

Tom R.,-- the gap in the kettle was just for the experiment. E&E have a chapter in their DVD on Building RMH's (8" Bonnie on the cover) where they keep a couple of fire bricks near the feed for adjusting air flow. It shouldn't always be 7.5"x7.5" Thank you for the consideration!

Glenn-- I never considered the old, "big hot container of pyrolizing gases" trick. Therein, lies the rub. Flashback... end of story. To that end I recall once (and only once) covering the embers on some burning sticks (using a spare piece of refractory wool) to concentrate airflow. Wrong. I should have covered the open space-- the other side of the feed tube so the concentrated air would pull the smoke in. When I lifted the wool to peek in, WOOSH, a big ball of smoke right in the face. Lesson learned! Yah, I can see that happening with a stove door. Thank you!

S.A.-- I guess the search terms I put up didn't jive. I've not read thoroughly through all the threads. But FWIW, I've been studying two years before making the leap to build my current heater. This is just a quick question with a short answer and I got it in just over two hours. Thank you anyways!