Mike Haasl

Thanks for the explanation Esteban! I don't have much experience with J tubes so I'm mainly going from the experience of cutting firewood to 15" for Paul's wood burners.  I'm assuming you're currently using those woody bits so you're getting direct feedback on how well they work.  Keep at it!

Hey Esteban, what does "processing woody bits" mean?  Where is the wood coming from that you're processing?  It seems you're making them into short chunks. I thought J tubes liked longer pieces?  Curious mind wants to know :)

No problem Tess, it's at the Straw level of PEP...  Welcome!

There's a BB for making a dust pan already: dustpan

It definitely wouldn't work to make one for an RMH BB, doubly so since there's a BB for it already

Here's another pile for your enjoyment!

This is a badge bit (BB) that is part of the PEM curriculum.  Completing this BB is part of getting the sand badge in Earthworks.

Swales are an excellent way to Slow, Sink and Spread water on the landscape.  Let's get out the shovel and make one happen!

 
 

Here's a video of what we're after:


Minimum requirements:
  - Create 36 feet of swales on sloped land
      - Can be two swales that add up to 36 feet
  - On contour
  - Deep enough so when completely full of water it's at least 8" deep
  - Level berm on downhill side
  - Immediately seeded and mulched
  - Has a spillway

Provide proof of the following as pictures or video (<2 min):
  - Landscape you're starting with
  - Contour marked out with the device you used to ensure it's on contour
  - Excavation underway
  - Depth of excavation (perhaps a level resting on the berm at one end and a tape measure showing depth)
  - Finished swale(s) showing length is at least 36'
  - Seeding the swale and berm
  - Mulching the swale and berm
  - Spillway

A pro tip for burning the router grooves...  Use the oxy acetylene torch to put a tiny, focused flame in the groove. You get much less charring outside the lettering so the planer has an easier time cleaning up the surface.  That's how I did the sign you're not supposed to read in the classroom.  In lieu of the oxy torch, I'd use a small propane torch flame and try to just hit the grooves.

That scale is hard to read so the blue color out west might be 3 or 8 on the scale, not 1.

I have solid pallet fences that are about 4.5' high and the chickens don't jump onto or over them.

Nothing specific that I know of.  I believe mainly high winds pushed them over, as opposed to trees crushing them.  So the failure was likely fasteners giving out on the horizontals or rock jacks tipping over. Contributed heavily by the fence being a 12' high sail in some cases.