Rusty Bowman

Eric Rich wrote:My cooperative house based in Salt Lake City is looking to build a greenhouse on my land.  We decided on using a Chinese design for the exterior, with a climate battery, but I keep wondering, there's all these different schools of thought, why not merge the elements that make the most sense from each?  I like the idea of a pit greenhouse especially in our residential neighborhood, so we can grow tall plants without having such a high structure.  I love climate batteries, and geothermal and really want to incorporate them both.  I've poked around the internet for a hybrid greenhouse that uses both geothermal and a climate battery, but cannot find any that have adopted both means of heating.  Is there such a thing?  If not, why doesn't it exist?

Thanks for any and all help.

Around here (just north of you, in Idaho), the term geothermal is typically used to describe a means in which to heat floors with hot water. Is that what you are referring to as well?

That said, I have wondered the same thing... using a pit greenhouse with climate battery tech. It might be a good combo in some areas/contexts. Wouldn't be workable with a high water table though, obviously. Excavation isn't cheap either... but, if you had a friend with a backhoe...

I'd build a climate battery greenhouse in a heartbeat if I had room for one. Attended a workshop a few yrs ago and was sold on them. Was picking figs and eating them during breaks taken while pruning a banana tree. At 7,000'! Can't wait to get some property to build my own!

Thanks for the additional info, Jocelyn!

Well, here it is, shortly after building. It's on its third winter now. The hole in my first flush proved to be a touch big, allowing water to leak out faster than a drizzling rain could overcome. Because of this, I've just left the valve closed so as to completely bypass the washer until I have time to dial it in.

I'm very pleased with the system otherwise. Works really well and the cistern fills quicker than I thought it would. This spring, I'll be running the overflow downhill to a wood-fired hot tub I made.... then extend the roofing on the harvester to collect even more water, to help flush the hot tub.

Joylynn Hardesty wrote:That is... just beautiful! How does it shoot? In my limited knowledge, I'd gotten the idea a bow HAD to be long for accuracy. My klutzy self might could carry one of these with out snagging it everything within 10 feet of me.
Do you have a link to a simple and reliable tutorial? I'd love to see the process. Though as a project, it would be waaay down the list.

Thank you, Joylynn.

My experience with longer bows is limited. However, they certainly feel different... easier to shoot which probably means easier to shoot accurately.

As strange as it may sound, I've never really "target" practiced with any of my replica bows. I just find a style that appeals to me then try to replicate as close as I can, not caring about my draw length or the pounds (never measured how strong any of my bows are) then find open spaces and start flinging arrows. I do like the way this one shoots compared to my other bows though. Feels smooth.

Sorry but I don't have a link to a tutorial. I can tell you though, a sinew backed bow like this is quite the process... a labor of love, lessons in humility, and probably the cause of a couple gray hairs...

Glenn Herbert wrote:Nicely done! If it is only used a dozen times a year more or less, it will probably last a good number of years, maybe as long as the enclosure. Certainly worth the work of building it and diverting the materials from the waste stream.

Thank you! This is its second winter. Been fired up a ~dozen times total. Really enjoyed building it and have enjoyed using it even more.

While getting reacquainted with this site, I noticed this hunting forum so thought I'd post a little video of the most recent bow I made.

While I no longer hunt and have little knowledge of modern archery, I do have a fascination with prehistoric bows and their vernacular architecture. This one is fashioned after those collected in Southern California during the 19th century. It's ~40" long, made from the branch of a Juniper tree... the handle and recurves wrapped with buckskin. Made the string from elk sinew and the glue from sinew scraps. The black pigment on the tips is charcoal. I used no man-made materials. The materials are the same used prehistorically. 100%. Shoots nicely but needs retillered.

Yrs ago, my aspirations were to don a loincloth, go into the wilds and make a bow with stone tools I made... then shoot dinner. Someday. Maybe. For now, I'm content building them at home and flinging arrows through the air... mostly clothed.

With another lesson in humility, and the utmost respect for the indigenous people...

Here's what I came up with. (sorry, it's the best video I have of the stove). The stove itself consists of 4 pieces: the firebox (14" dia 5/16" pipe), feed tube (7" dia 3/16" pipe), 6" chimney, and the top which is a disk from an old farm disk... welded on concave side up so it serves as a place to melt snow or steep water with essential oils. The stove does not have a bottom. It just rests on the cinders that insulate the sauna's floor. Very simple and solid.

Very happy with this set-up. The stove burns very fast and hot and seems perfectly suited for this 6' diameter sauna.

The sauna itself is a grain hopper/silo that was headed to the scrap yard. The walls and benches are redwood and the ceiling a mix of redwood and cedar. The floor is fir, bearing on cinders harvested nearby. With the exception of two stove pipe elbows, some silicone, and nuts, this sauna was made entirely from materials being discarded or burned.

r ranson wrote:

Rusty Bowman wrote:Thanks, R Ranson! That worked... so then I added "www." and ".com" and got it to work that way too.

Thanks to both of you!

glad it works.
looks snazzy!  Have an apple.

These forums and features have grown and changed quite a bit since I used to visit. So the "Pie" and "apple" things are new to me. At any rate, thanks! 

Thanks, R Ranson! That worked... so then I added "www." and ".com" and got it to work that way too.

Thanks to both of you!

Thanks much, Karen! I did as you suggested but wasn't able to make it work. You can see my signature to see what I mean. What did I miss?

rusty