Hal Schibel

C. Letellier wrote:Here we line the pond with a mixture of bentonite and soil and then cover with a layer of soil.

Suggest looking up gleying a pond.  There are a number of permies posts on it as well as else where.

Thanks for the suggestion! I just found this thread on gleying ponds: https://permies.com/t/80/3409/Gley-technique-sealing-ponds-dams

I'm wondering if I put the poopy chicklet/duckling bedding in the pond and maybe mix it around with the clay if that wound help reduce the cracks enough to keep water in there for longer. And when the ducks are old enough to go outside I can get them to poop in the ponds and it could help seal them more over time (I dug out several small ponds and started experimenting with the smallest one to get the technique down). Another option would be to try and find someone in the area that could give me some manure, but I like the thought of using what I have. The next question would be does it matter what type of bedding - would straw be better than pine shavings for this? Could I also use leaves to create the seal in the pond?

Hello all! I recently dug a small pond and am struggling to seal it. The bottom is very clay-ey with a little bit of sand.

I dug out a couple spots in the chicken area to try and control the flooding and give the chickens something fun. I was all ready to tamp it down to seal it but found a bunch of clay at the bottom. I tried tamping the stuff at the bottom and then I tried smearing some on the sides and tamping the walls, but the clay just fell right off.

I ended up just smearing the clay around all the sides and letting it dry (like pottery, right?) and it dried hard but it cracked and won't hold water. I tried repeating this process to see if another layer of clay would eventually crack in different places and seal up the cracks but it's still not holding water after three or four iterations.

I am struggling to figure out the proper amount of moisture to have in the clay to seal it and how to tamp it without the clay just falling off. Do the sides of the pond need to be extended to be shallower? That might make tamping easier. I tried filling the hole to keep it from drying out but it drained pretty quick on me. I also tried covering the hole with a large piece of cardboard to try and make the clay dry slower but it is still cracking.

Does anyone have any ideas for how I can get this to seal?

Thanks!

Wow, I'm the first one to submit this one!

I made my first dress for the button-up shirt BB (link here by following a pattern, but after wearing it a few times I decided I wanted the skirt to be bigger so I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to learn how to alter clothes!

Mike Haasl wrote:I'd also like to mention that this thread is to get clarification on the requirements, scope, scale and proof needed for a BB.  Not for debating why a BB was approved/rejected/unfair/etc.

Hi Mike,

My apologies for putting my question in the wrong thread. I had another staff member direct me (via purple mooseage) to this thread to ask my question about the application of the plastic requirement.

I'd also like to thank Paul for his response so I can get more clarification into why my BB was rejected.

This situation brings up a question on the clarity of the instructions - the instructions state "Plastic touching the food, including cooking utensils and zip lock bags" is forbidden. If your goal is to completely remove plastic from every photo, then the instructions should read something like "plastic of any kind is forbidden, even if it is not directly touching food."

What are your thoughts?

Hello!

I have a question about the BB's requiring operating a Rocket Mass Heater.

I don't think this product was available and UL-listed at the time that the BB's were created, but I have a Liberator Rocket Heater installed in my house.

If I want to use this rocket heater for the BB, would I need to install a mass around it or will it work as-is for the BB?

Thanks!

Hello! I was just made aware of this thread!

I have a question about why my BB was rejected for "plastic touching food." I thought I was being super careful about not letting anything plastic touch any food and I am not sure where the reviewer saw this in any of my pictures so I cannot figure out what I need to fix.
Could someone please take a look and clarify what needs to be fixed?

Here is my submission: https://permies.com/p/2968054

Thanks!

I see that the BB20 was automatically added to my signature, but I wanted to add my list here anyway. These are my first 20 BBs, the first one was approved 4/4/2025 and the 20th one was approved 5/10/2025, so about 5 weeks.

Are the Sepp Holzer grains still available?

1. Fry an egg so that it slides around
2. Salt brine pickle something
3. Vinegar brine pickle something
4. Grind 2 different grains into flour
5. Cook stir fry
6. Make soup/stew/chowder
7. Make pizza
8. Make 6 quarts of stock from veggie scraps
9. Make 2 dairy foods
10. Mend a hole (quick darning)
11. Sew a patch
12. Knit/crochet hot pad or dishcloth
13. Deep clean the fabric on a couch or chair using natural cleaners
14. Cook >= 2 cups grain on stovetop
15. Button-up shirt
16. A (functional) grocery bag
17. Weave a basket
18. Start a button jar
19. Clean the shop
20. Clean an area rug

Good morning!

I recently completed the Make 20 ft of Twine BB (link to my post here) and got really excited about all the possibilities for making homemade dog (and cat) toys. I made my twine out of grass, which is apparently not the strongest, but was still able to get a decently strong tug-of-war rope out of it. I've also started processing wool and hope to make some little wool balls for my cats, which is one of their favorite things to play with.

Anyway, I started wondering what other ideas people have had for making homemade dog and cat toys out of natural materials or just anything toys you've made that you're proud of.

Post pictures here!

Hi Paul, where is the plastic touching food in my pictures? Is it the lids on the containers? The blender is glass.

I added a picture of the back of the button, but it is all caught up in fluff from the pillow. Will that work? If not, could I use the buttons from this dress that I already submitted for another BB (make a button-up shirt) and just be sure to include all the required pictures here?

https://permies.com/p/2948304