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PEP Badge: Oddball

BB oddball - sand badge
 
steward
Posts: 15447
Location: Northern WI (zone 4)
4815
7
hunting trees books food preservation solar woodworking
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Approved submission
I made a rock jack inspired chair for use on steep terrain.  I actually made two chairs and the mistakes and learnings from the first lead to this series of photos.  

My process was to fiddle and mess about with putting flats on the two horizontals and the base of the vertical so that they'd splay out at the right angle.  I also miter cut where the two horizontals met (which wasn't easy by myself).  I nailed them together and then could artistically carve flats in the angled legs and the spots where they touched the horizontals and vertical.  It was very rigid after attaching all that together and putting the reclaimed boards on for the seat made it even more stable.   I used a 5 gallon bucket to prop up the back as I built it but for steeper slopes you could use a higher device.

It seats two very well.  If one person gets up the other doesn't tip over.
Logs-I-started-with.jpg
Logs I started with
Logs I started with
First-complex-joint.jpg
First complex joint
First complex joint
Same-joint-from-other-side.jpg
Same joint from other side
Same joint from other side
20210719_155449_resized.jpg
[Thumbnail for 20210719_155449_resized.jpg]
All-joints-attached.jpg
All joints attached
All joints attached
Squirrely-looking-top-view.jpg
Squirrely looking top view
Squirrely looking top view
Ready-for-some-butts.jpg
Ready for some butts
Ready for some butts
Staff note (gir bot) :

Mike Barkley approved this submission.
Note: I certify this for 1.5 oddball points.

 
pollinator
Posts: 141
Location: Limerick, PA
343
hugelkultur kids monies foraging trees earthworks wofati cooking building rocket stoves
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Y'know what cats love? Cat trees! And what better thing is there to make one from than and actual tree, huh? There is none! For this submission, I capitalized on the natural beauty of a dogwood stump to make a piece of furniture that is intended to be used exclusively by a cat. Ahh... first world living.

Some PEP-informed plusses and minuses:

+Used only upcycled materials ('cept screws, everything else was scrap or got for free)
+Non-coated wood; natural beauty, baby
+Strong enough to hold a 200-lb man. Safe to say no cat will come close to putting that weight on

-Toxic gick used (liquid nails and plywood in the base; carpet and particle board on platforms [20 years old means they're safe now?])
-It's literal cat furniture
Debark_and_level_stump.jpg
While stripping the bark I decided on how the limbs would support the platforms. Used concrete slab to get the top cuts co-planar.
While stripping the bark I decided on how the limbs would support the platforms. Used concrete slab to get the top cuts co-planar.
Cut_tile_base.jpg
The base shape prevents tipping-over. Made from plywood sandwiched between two cut 12" tiles.
The base shape prevents tipping-over. Made from plywood sandwiched between two cut 12" tiles.
Platforms_cut_with_jigsaw.jpg
Putting carpet on the platforms using staples was easy.
Putting carpet on the platforms using staples was easy.
Finished_piece.jpg
Covering the base with carpet that wraps around the sides and protects the floor, then securing it with liquid nails and every clamp I could access was not easy.
Covering the base with carpet that wraps around the sides and protects the floor, then securing it with liquid nails and every clamp I could access was not easy.
Staff note (gir bot) :

Mike Haasl approved this submission.
Note: Certified for 2 oddball points.

 
gardener
Posts: 1561
Location: Washington State
981
6
forest garden trees rabbit earthworks composting toilet fiber arts sheep wood heat woodworking rocket stoves homestead
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Here is my submission for Oddball Points.

During the PTJ 2021, I decided to learn a new skill and make coat hooks, hat hooks, and shelf brackets out of salvaged railroad spikes.  Jim, one of the PTJ instructors, showed me how to do this project and I improved 25 spikes.  I plan to use them in my shop and/or garage when I get home.

To document the completion of this Oddball project, I have provided the following photos of railroad spikes
  - as found with Jim's Bending Bar
  - marked for bending and drilling
  - started centerpunching
  - drilling pilot and counter-sink holes
  ​- grinding ledge off of shelf brackets
  - heating and bending
  - vinegar bath to remove rust
  - using raw linseed oil to protect from more rust
  - all hooks and brackets - sorted by type
  - shelf bracket - nine total
  - coat hook - ten total
  - hat hook - six total
1.JPG
scavenged railroad spikes
scavenged railroad spikes
2.JPG
marking for bending and drill locations
marking for bending and drill locations
3.JPG
centerpunching
centerpunching
4.JPG
collection of tools and spikes for initial process
collection of tools and spikes for initial process
5.JPG
drilling
drilling
6.JPG
grinding shelf brackets
grinding shelf brackets
7-back-of-shelf-bracket-ground-flat.JPG
back of shelf bracket ground flat
back of shelf bracket ground flat
9-Shelf-Brackets-Drilled-Countersunk-and-Ground.JPG
Shelf Brackets - Drilled, Countersunk, and Flattened
Shelf Brackets - Drilled, Countersunk, and Flattened
10-Coat-Hooks-Drilled-and-Countersunk.JPG
Coat Hooks - Drilled and Countersunk
Coat Hooks - Drilled and Countersunk
11-O-J-Lesson.jpg
Jim Teaches me the tricks of heating and bending spikes
Jim Teaches me the tricks of heating and bending spikes
11-1-Heating.jpg
My turn - heating metal to red hot
My turn - heating metal to red hot
11-2-Bending.jpg
bending
bending
11-3.jpg
bending
bending
11-5.jpg
bending - finished
bending - finished
12-Bent-Spikes.JPG
bent spikes
bent spikes
13-Vinegar-Bath.JPG
Vinegar Bath - Before
Vinegar Bath - Before
13.JPG
Vinegar Bath - In Process
Vinegar Bath - In Process
14-Oil-Spikes.JPG
Raw Linseed Oil and Cleaned Spikes
Raw Linseed Oil and Cleaned Spikes
14-Oiling.JPG
Oiling
Oiling
15-all-Brackets-and-Hooks.JPG
All Brackets & Hooks - 25 in total
All Brackets & Hooks - 25 in total
16-Coat-Hook.JPG
Ten Coat Hooks
Ten Coat Hooks
17-Hat-Hook.JPG
Six Hat Hooks
Six Hat Hooks
18-Shelf-Bracket.JPG
Nine Shelf Brackets
Nine Shelf Brackets
Staff note (gir bot) :

Mike Barkley approved this submission.
Note: Certified for 1.5 oddball points.

 
gardener
Posts: 578
Location: Pembrokeshire, UK
434
2
dog forest garden gear fungi foraging trees building medical herbs woodworking homestead
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I had some bird seed that I wanted to put out but I lacked the correct type of feeder - all I have are a pair of peanut feeders and a cage for fat balls, nothing to hold the smaller seed that I wanted for attracting a greater diversity of birds.

I'd learned that you could improvise using a plastic drinks bottle. I routed around in the trash and found such a thing and washed it out. I also found the handle for an old, broken bucket that I'd pulled out of a skip over the weekend to use for the perch. The bucket was a little too broken to use as a bucket so it is now a large plant for (and the tomato it is resident to is happier for the extra space!).

I hacksawed off a length of the bucket handle and rounded over the ends using a big file. This took off any sharpness and made it safe, for us and the birds.

I then used the tip of a knife to make two opposite holes in the plastic bottle, about 2" from the bottom; these holes are for the perch. I added two more holes, directly above these, and enlarged them with a pair of scissors; these holes will allow the birds to get the seed.

I made some more, smaller holes in the bottom for drainage. Finally, I added two small holes in the neck of the bottle, perpendicular to the perch holes, for hanging the feeder.

I used a darning needle to thread some yarn through the holes in the neck of the bottle and tied them together to create a loop. This is now hung over a branch in my garden.

I filled the feeder using a funnel and, once full, screwed the cap back on to keep out the rain.

Not a long job - I think I spent 30 minutes on this, all in all - but a nice use of waste materials. If the plastic ever degrades due to UV damage then I can recycle it and make another - there is always waste on our road.

EDIT: in some of the photos there is visible glue on the bottle from the label. I cleaned this using a little tequila (!) which dissolved it and then wiped it using a paper towel. You can see that it is no longer present on the final, completed shot.
bucket-handle.jpg
The bucket handle
The bucket handle
rounded-over.jpg
I rounded over the hacksawn edge
I rounded over the hacksawn edge
cut.jpg
Cut and tidied
Cut and tidied
materials.jpg
The bill of materials
The bill of materials
hole-cut.jpg
Perch and access hole
Perch and access hole
assembled.jpg
All finished and full!
All finished and full!
Staff note (gir bot) :

Mike Barkley approved this submission.
Note: Nice recycling. Certified for 1/2 odd ball point.

 
steward
Posts: 21476
Location: Pacific Northwest
11950
11
hugelkultur kids cat duck forest garden foraging fiber arts sheep wood heat homestead
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Approved submission
I think this goes down in the books as the most time-consuming and non-awe-inspiring BB I've done. But, here it is!

Back in highschool, I made this medieval gown:



and the laces are very NOT-medieval. Not only that, they are satiny and untie constantly. So, I thought I'd make a cord for it like they did in the medieval times, with fingerloop braiding. I used this flax thread from EcobutterflyOrganics

I followed this method:



"Fingerloop braiding" sounds so easy, so gentle, so genteel. HA! After three+ hours of braiding, I had blisters on fingers, a wild sunburn on my neck and I was sore from the aerobics I did to make it work. Probably 1 of those 3 hours was spent untangling the thread.  Though, looking online, it seems like it always takes people a long time to do this sort of thing. So, I don't feel toooooo bad.

Because I needed the cord to be long, I used my feet to tighten the braid since my arms couldn't stretch far enough apart (I also tied the ends shorter)



thanks to my 7 year old son for capturing me in the process of braiding!


When I finally braided enough, I got to sit down to braid--that was nice!

nearing the end!


Here's the seriously-strong...and seriously unimpressive cord:

were the blisters worth this?


it sure does look nice, though!
Staff note (gir bot) :

Opalyn Rose approved this submission.
Note: I hereby certify this badge bit complete and award 1 point.

 
pollinator
Posts: 253
Location: North Island, New Zealand
306
chicken food preservation fiber arts woodworking homestead
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Since the textiles badge has pants -> shorts, but no long-sleeve -> short sleeve, I'm putting this entry here. I had a lovely linen blouse with 3/4 sleeves that was incredibly thinned out/damaged at the elbow. The rest of it was in good order, so I decided to try to save it by making it into a short sleeved shirt. The fabric was so fine that I decided to do it by hand for the most control of the fabric and my stitches. Now a wearable garment again!
mb-bb-oddball-005-shirt-sleeves.JPG
Long sleeves into short sleeves!
Long sleeves into short sleeves!
Staff note (gir bot) :

Nicole Alderman approved this submission.
Note: I hereby certify this for 0.5 BB points! Good job keeping the shirt going!

 
M Broussard
pollinator
Posts: 253
Location: North Island, New Zealand
306
chicken food preservation fiber arts woodworking homestead
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We have a stone rolling pin, which is great for pasta and dumpling wrappers, but it's a bit heavy for things like biscuits and scones. To address this, I decided to make a wooden one out of a big chunk of reclaimed oak wood. It's turned on an electric lathe and finished with a mixture of grapeseed oil and beeswax.
mb-bb-oddball-006-rolling-pin.JPG
Turning a rolling pin out of oak
Turning a rolling pin out of oak
Staff note (gir bot) :

Someone approved this submission.
Note: Certified for 1 oddball point

 
M Broussard
pollinator
Posts: 253
Location: North Island, New Zealand
306
chicken food preservation fiber arts woodworking homestead
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I submit here a wooden flax breaker, for taking retted flax and removing the worst of the chaff off it so it can be processed into linen.

I used a design I found used in a dark ages textile find, as it was relatively small and portable. I started with raw logs of Japanese maple (handle), and a spalted wood (possibly sycamore?). These were being pruned along places I cycle by, and I popped the logs onto my bike for further processing.

Logs were split with a froe, cleaned up with a sideaxe, cut to shape on a band saw, the handle turned on an electric lathe, cut out with a chisel, and the teeth were also finished with a hand chisel. The axel is a piece of scrap bar stock we picked up off the side of the road, and the whole thing is finished with a mixture of beeswax and grapeseed oil. Like the original, it has two holes so it can be pegged into a workbench as needed.

It works great, and is easy to tuck away when not in use!
mb-bb-oddball-007-flax-breaker-1.JPG
The raw Japanese maple and mystery (sycamore?) logs, split with a froe; beginning to shape
The raw Japanese maple and mystery (sycamore?) logs, split with a froe; beginning to shape
mb-bb-oddball-007-flax-breaker-2.JPG
Chiseling the handle; assembled breaker without teeth
Chiseling the handle; assembled breaker without teeth
mb-bb-oddball-007-flax-breaker-3.JPG
Finished breaker with chiseled teeth
Finished breaker with chiseled teeth
Staff note (gir bot) :

Opalyn Rose approved this submission.
Note: I certify this badge bit complete and award 3 points for the woodworking including a bonus for salvaging the wood and using your bike.

 
M Broussard
pollinator
Posts: 253
Location: North Island, New Zealand
306
chicken food preservation fiber arts woodworking homestead
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I believe I now have enough points for the Oddball sand badge!

PEP Oddball Oddball
 - Hand towels - 1/2 point
 - Replace handle on lawnmower - 1.5 points
 - Restore vintage locks - 1/2 point
 - Triangular screwdriver - 1/2 point
 - Long sleeves -> short sleeves - 1/2 point
 - Rolling pin - 1 point
 - Flax breaker - 3 points
= more than 5
Staff note (Opalyn Rose) :

Congratulations on your new sand badge!

 
M Broussard
pollinator
Posts: 253
Location: North Island, New Zealand
306
chicken food preservation fiber arts woodworking homestead
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Approved submission
I submit this horsehair shaving brush. Have a low-quality boar bristle brush in a plastic handle for using with a straight razor, and the brush is on its last legs. In a process which took quite a long time (much of which was indecision and research), I decided to make a new one from local materials. Active working time: ~5 hours (0.25 pipe, 0.5 cylinder & mould, 2 sorting horsehair, 1 tying, 1.25 turning and finishing wood handle)

Materials:
 - Lock of horse tail hair. A local woman was bobbing her horse's tail for dressage showing, and I managed to get a lock from her.
 - Stainless pipe. From local scrappers
 - Silicone. Leftover from patching a leaky garage at the flat I was living in at the time
 - Wooden cylinder. Turned from scrap hardwood
 - Nylon fishing line. Picked up off of the beach
 - 2-part epoxy for making the shaving brush knot
 - Plum wood for handle. Sourced from local woodturner's offcuts--saved from the firewood heap!
 - Shellac
 - Danish oil

I started off by getting a piece of used scrap stainless steel pipe. I cut it to length with a hacksaw and then filed all the edges so there were no burrs to catch on the horsehair as it needs to be able to slide right through. I turned a wooden cylinder about 3mm thinner in diameter than the interior of the pipe (not pictured) and sanded it until it was very glossy. I then coated it with some silicone to create a mould for the butt of the shaving brush.

Then I sorted the horsehair by hand, selecting pieces with low crimp, reasonable length, and no split ends.

Bit by bit, I then stuffed the horsehair through the tube until it was well packed. I then secured one side with a piece of fishing line. Using my barber's scissors, I cut the unsecured end flat. I then pushed the hair through the pipe, tying it every couple cm to keep the brush in place. I made a longer brush to sit deep in the handle, as horsehair is much softer than the traditional badger bristle. Once I'd pushed out the desired length, I cut the secured bundle with a very sharp knife. I then put epoxy in the silicone mould and set the brush in it overnight to create the knot.

I turned a handle for the brush from plum wood--going slowly and using calipers to ensure that the dimensions were exactly right. I carved away the point of attachment to the chuck, sanded it and finished it, inside and out, with Danish oil. I then attached the knot with shellac. Since shellac is alcohol-soluble, this means I can remove the knot when it wears out by dissolving the shellac in ethanol and popping the knot out.

So here it is--a lovely horse-hair shaving brush with a replaceable knot. It has just the right amount of give to apply a good lather!
mb-bb-oddball-008-horsehair-brush-1.JPG
The lock of horse hair
The lock of horse hair
mb-bb-oddball-008-horsehair-brush-2.JPG
Tying and cutting the horsehair knot
Tying and cutting the horsehair knot
mb-bb-oddball-008-horsehair-brush-3.JPG
Setting the knot with epoxy
Setting the knot with epoxy
mb-bb-oddball-008-horsehair-brush-4.JPG
The knot mounted in a plum wood handle
The knot mounted in a plum wood handle
Staff note (gir bot) :

Mike Barkley approved this submission.
Note: We certify this for 1.5 oddball points.

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