Thomas Wright

I would use an angle grinder or 7" grinding/cutting disc in a circular saw.  Just make sure to secure your work pieces so it doesn't bind up or go flying.

I would split the dome into north and south halves.  The north half would be framed to hold insulation, likely perlite, inside of it.  I would probably try to insulate the south wall at night from the inside, by hanging quilts or something or possibly even building a shutter that would slide around to the north half when not being used.  Elevating the beds and using reflective surfaces would definitely be involved.  A climate battery to draw the rising heat back into the earth would probably be used as well.  There would only be one entrance to the greenhouse, so it's not a high traffic area.  I'm ok with having to walk around the house instead of cutting through the shortest path.  I would hope that adequately isolating the house would be achieved by a layer of scoria bags, and the earth filled bags would be on the interior of the house.  Do you think a vapor/moisture barrier would be needed?  It could be placed between the bags if so, with ventilation for the living area and greenhouse separated.  Snow accumulating on the southern roof did cross my mind, but I just figured I would manually remove it, unless I came across an easier or more efficient way.  Wouldn't the shape of the dome shed most of the snow down to the lower, outer roof?  I also need to consider how to seal the seams with something capable of withstanding low temperatures.

I've considered the walipini, but I'm waiting to see how far down I can dig.  I'm also planning on multiple structures, whether they're guest houses, sheds, or a garage.  Money isn't really a factor to me for this property, because it's more like a hobby or experiment.  A large part is just finding out what works, and being as hands on and diy as possible with it.  After that, I can evaluate where costs could be cut or what could be done differently to help other people interested in building in similar climates.

Most of the title just seems a bit irrelevant if all he wants to know is what vegans serve for supper.  Then people make suggestions, but it's not enough protein or calories.  If the concern is that you'll show up to a vegan's house and not get the nutrition you need, bring along what you feel you'll be missing.  I'm pretty sure Clif Builder bars are vegan, just grab a box of those for 7.50 or whatever and you've got 6 days worth of supplementary protein.  I'm lacto/ovo vegetarian so it's not as strict as veganism, but I still have a backup plan for if I visit someone's house or get invited out to dinner somewhere.  My diet throughout the day varies based on how it starts.  I try to vary the amino acids I get, and if I am lacking them early in the day then I eat them before bed.

Edamame noodles coated with hemp seeds, sesame oil, and soy sauce
Grilled or broiled portobello mushroom, marinated in soy sauce and peanut protein(PB2),  with sundried tomatoes and greens on sourdough
Beans and rice on corn tortillas
Lentil curry and quinoa/brown rice mix

If it's not enough, combine any of the combos and/or sides like soup, bread, or salad.  But like I said before, a big part of a vegan or vegetarian diet likely spreads out its nutritional needs over the day, not in one meal.

Well, I tried driving out to the property in February.  Apparently, they only plow halfway up the mountain, and it was about 2-3 feet deep after that.  I guess the good thing is that I can make a ski slope or half pipe going down the north side of the property.  Between building igloos, snowboarding, and making anatomically correct snowpeople, maybe this project is just what I need to make me stop liking winters.

So next month I'll drop my data logger onto the property to monitor the temperatures over the next winter.  I'll also be seeing how far down I can dig, as well as trying to determine how much clay and rock is in the soil.  Hopefully this will give me a more complete picture and I can start narrowing down the most efficient design.

Has anyone ever thought to build a donut shaped home with a geodesic dome over the hole in the center?  The living area could be the outside ring, with the greenhouse being in the center.  I was thinking double layer earthbag walls with the outside and greenhouse facing sides filled with scoria.  Maybe I could even add a strawbale layer to the exterior for extra insulation.  The dome could be built insulated on the north side, with polycarbonate on the south side.  The growing area could be raised a bit and mylar could be used to help reflect light around.  The roof underneath the outside of the dome could be a sloped metal roof with an insulated crawlspace.  If size is a question, let's start with a 22' total radius- 8 greenhouse, 2 inner wall, 10 living space, 2 outer wall.  I would think that this style of building would offer the greenhouse more protection from the cold than if it were placed independent of the structure or along the south side.

Try hanging a sheet or other cloth over the bucket to let the water strain out.

Some people it seems to affect more than others. My girlfriend and I chopped down and mulched one of these from along our canal, and I developed a minor rash that went away pretty quickly. She wasn't so lucky, and everywhere she handled the mulch with exposed skin broke out in a serious rash and swelling. It was so bad that we ended up going to the emergency room. It took her a good week to recover from that. She handled more of the mulch than I did, while I handled the bulkier pieces and breaking them down into sizes that could be fed into the chipper. It could be the sap that causes the rash. The mulch was used around trees and in a walk row, and there didn't seem to be any adverse affects to the plants.

I bought a book years ago for like $50 called "Homebrew wind power", which details all the steps to making your own turbine. I think they run the website otherpower.net or something as well. I skimmed through the book briefly when I got it, but have been waiting until I moved out to my property to start work on it. So I'm not an expert on the subject.

While you're building your alternator, I believe it's the size of your copper wire and the amount of times that you coil the wire that determines the voltage. As long as you or someone near you is able to cut and weld metal, work with fiberglass resin, and carve the blades, you can build a turbine based around your needs. The book is also pretty good about explaining theory behind all of the steps they take when building.

A 7' diameter turbine from their book will generate around 275 watts at 400 rpm.

If you're worried about trucks running into your home, you could build a moat around it with a drawbridge.