! Josiah’s Bootcamp Log

169

Today I was scratching my head trying to figure out how to transcribe a line onto the greenhouse roof that is square to the south wall. I gave up head scratching and just started building some scaffolding out of dimensional lumber, mocking up the south wall and squaring it to itself as I went. I reached the roof and now I have the line for the roof edge that I was looking for. I'm not a very good carpenter, but I will figure it out if left alone for long enough.

Also, Dez gave me a much needed haircut! Thanks DEZ!!!

I've missed out on the online meetings lately, so it was refreshing to see that you all are back on to it and to note all your progress.

And I completely agree: a fresh haircut can make a body feel like a million bucks. :)

Keep up the great work, all!!!

170

I was surprised to wake up to an inch of snow blanketing everything. Funny how a common occurrence just a few weeks ago feels like an unexpected oddity now. Spring has me twined around its little tendrils.

Lots of meetings today, making good use of the winter weather. We are trying to structure the permaculture bootcamp to accommodate more bodies with as few infrastructure expansions as possible. It's complicated, but we have so very much to accomplish and always need more hands.

Paul, Fred, and myself went up to the Lab to talk through some plans for installing a cistern, well pump, and plumbing. It is so exciting to be this close to having running water on the land.

I spent a few minutes working on the Wofati greenhouse and thought some thoughts about the glass wall. I recorded them in this little video, maybe you have feedback?


Here is just a simple front view video clip in case you want to see it


Kyle is making stew now so I gotta go!

Great observation!  E and W walls in insulated greenhouses are a mixed bag.  Glazing lets in light through one side while you lose a lesser amount out the other in the morning (or afternoon).  Replacing it with insulation holds the heat better.  I'd probably insulate the triangles, assuming you're morning and afternoon light is about equal.

Regarding the mirror, I'd suggest you just do a white wash on the logs instead.  White reflects light in lots of directions whereas a mirror will blast one spot.  And have you ever noticed that when there's a mirror on the wall it always feels dark?  Unless the sun is bouncing off it in your face...

Plus the SKIP event people can white wash it for you  

With the dimensional lumber already blocking a little bit of that light, I'd fill it in with insulation and install reflectors. Early morning eastern light will bounce off the west wall and back into the space, vice-versa in the late afternoon, and the less glazing resulting in heat loss the better for maximizing the growing season. I believe that UV light is desired on the plants right? So would white washed wood reflect the ideal light for the plants, compared to a mirrored surface?

Edit: I forgot to mention the well! That is seriously awesome that it's in and now the bits and bobs to get it running are next! Is there already a cistern in mind to get, or already purchased? I'm really excited to come out there and help out, and find a spot to put in a stake for next year!

I wrote my comment in youtube (where I watched the video). Don't know if you read it, so I'll reply here too. In my opinion mirrors work well for reflecting light. I have some mirrors next to my living room window, for that purpose.

Josiah Kobernik wrote:170

I was surprised to wake up to an inch of snow blanketing everything. Funny how a common occurrence just a few weeks ago feels like an unexpected oddity now. Spring has me twined around its little tendrils.

Lots of meetings today, making good use of the winter weather. We are trying to structure the permaculture bootcamp to accommodate more bodies with as few infrastructure expansions as possible. It's complicated, but we have so very much to accomplish and always need more hands.

Paul, Fred, and myself went up to the Lab to talk through some plans for installing a cistern, well pump, and plumbing. It is so exciting to be this close to having running water on the land.

I spent a few minutes working on the Wofati greenhouse and thought some thoughts about the glass wall. I recorded them in this little video, maybe you have feedback?

Here is just a simple front view video clip in case you want to see it

Kyle is making stew now so I gotta go!

if you block that window, how much morning sun (m^2) from the east will you lose for how long (minutes/60)? You can measure this right now so you'll now how many Wh watt hours you'll lose in the morning versus how many watt hours you'd gain with a reflective surface instead of that window.  If it's a single pane window you'd being doing without, I believe the black body radiation lost on nights you don't cover that side window to be of a magnitude sufficient to out weigh the morning gain.  Lastly, if you have an internal shutter that swings into place over the east window around noon, you'd get all three: morning wattage; insulation at night; and a source of reflected light starting at one second after solar noon until probably 4pm.

171
Thanks for all the feedback! I am currently planning to insulate and mirror those side walls as the mirror will receive significantly more direct sun hours compared to the opposite side window due to wing wall eave shading.

Getting closer to the end of the head scratching (for this part of the build) as we now have some dimensional lumber installed level, plumb, and square to base the rest of the glass support structure off of. I just need a couple more dimensions measured and acquired via theoretical mathematics before I will be able to proceed to ordering the glass. Exciting!

Jennifer made delicious black bean chili and Matt baked up some sourdough garlic flatbread that was out of this world. I'm so ready for bed!

If you ever want anyone to double check math I'm a super math geek type Josiah :)
Are you guys framing the glass in a way that if the main framing and mass shift a little that it won't drive that force to crack the glass?  Not sure if that's a real concern or not....just figured with the build being over the winter that it could be.  
Looking fantastic!

172

despite starting at 22 F and only reaching mid 60 F, today felt hot.

The plants feel it too. Many of the perennial spring flowers are poking their tender leaves up through the mulch.

Nothing is better than gardening gardeners.