Cameron Carter

Green wood Spoon,

Started off with part of a recently trimmed oak branch.  Hatcheted in half and hatcheted down to basic shape.  Whittled down with a knife and then realized my leatherman sucked as trying to get the bowl of the spoon carved out.  By the time I got the curved knife it had dried out a bit, but still got it done.  

That doesn't look like green wood - so i suspect it took about ten times longer! I certify that this BB is complete!  

No it wasn't green.  I got a lot of dead trees and wood laying around and figured I would use that.  Last time I make that mistake!  I kept saying to myself, seven minutes?!!, there's no way!  But I can see after doing the other mallet head in green that it would be possible with some practice.

Compound Mallet

Green wood is of oak cut off of a branch which was found over a bedroom with a metal roof and sleepless inhabitants.  Handle is also oak and dry.  Everything cut via chisel and the previously made mallet (which I must admit I liked better than a rubber head mallet).  

Youtube sharpening tutorial video dump for adding to BB instructions:



Knife Sharpening Video (although he strops as well)



Chisel Sharpening Video (short)  -this guy is generally very good resource for dimensional wood working with hand tools in general.


Chisel Sharpening Video (long)

[youtube]   [/youtube]
Basic saw sharpening Video

Greenwood mallet

paul wheaton wrote:

Site Design

That is what a PDC is for.

Water.  Water Capture, Acuaculture, Acuaponics . . . maybe, pond building, dam building, swale construction, etc.  

PEP won't contain aquaponics.  Maybe PEC will?  (Permaculture Experience according to Cameron?)

A lot of water stuff will be in plumbing.  Pond stuff will be in earthworks.  Aquaculture will be in animal care.

Sounds good. I hadn't seen that plumbing part.  Would that also include rainwater catchment?

One suggestion for categories:
Site Design (or simply design in general).  Each of the pep "areas" are great in and amongst themselves, but only solid thoughtful design can bring about synergistic interactions among all of them. Perhaps, this is a category that would be unlocked only after having completed a set number of other badges.  Bits could be measuring/surveying (ie, measuring the space to be designed, and then laying out features of the design), energy flow diagrams, interaction paths, nutrient capture and paths, water capture plans, zone layout, etc.)  

I understand design is an integral part of everything that is already mentioned even down to the club mallet, but I think that it is of great importance to emphasize the purposeful alignment of all the elements for their maximum potential with the fewest input.  

Perhaps also part of the same category or an entirely different category would be Water.  Water Capture, Acuaculture, Acuaponics . . . maybe, pond building, dam building, swale construction, etc.

Just a few ideas.  

We're thinking about selling some soaps and hand sewn things which would probably do well in this upcoming season.  I don't anticipate that this will generate large amounts of profits, but hopefully it will be something.

My question is what are the best options in terms of business options when selling things on a small scale?  Do you setup a business with a registered name?  Do you keep records of income and losses?  Do you report that on your taxes? What kind of business do you setup: a sole proprietorship or something else?  Do you charge sales tax?   I guess I'm just curious at what point can you just kind of sell things person to person, and at what point do things need to get formalized to avoid issues with our beloved tax collection agency/agencies.  

Thanks!

Thanks for the responses. I think I'll just let the plentiful scavengers do their thing since the pile is pretty close to the house and I'll need it some what soon.  None the less, that is good information from both takes of composting (hot and no-turn).

On Thursday afternoon I started a hot compost pile (just over a cubic yard).  Today, Saturday, I awake to a wafting skunk smell and a few circling vultures over the way.  The presumptive carcass is close enough to keep our house stinking for days if it does turn out to be a dead skunk.  I'm have this crazy idea.  Given that I'm probably going to have to remove the darn thing anyways, maybe I should throw it in the middle of the compost pile with lots of sawdust and see if that wouldn't be a better solution to the problem.  Do you think the compost would absorb the odor?  The pile is closer to the house than the current position of the remains....