Low Tech Laboratory Movie 2 - kickstarter starts September 19, 2023!

I just saw a super early version of the kickstarter video:  nice!

holy guacamole!  That's a lot of content!  

I am super stoked for this one.  there were a lot of really cool projects this year.  Last year too, but I mean, they worked on the rocket hot tub this year (wee!)

OMG, 20hours! Wow!!

The rocket hot tub is my second favorite thing!

Looking forward to see as much as I can get my hands on. Makes up a little for not being there in person.

Do we have a link to the Kickstarter yet? If not, when do we expect to have one? If you are shooting for an August release for the Kickstarter, I’d imagine we’d want to get one out soon.

—matt

Matt Goto wrote:Do we have a link to the Kickstarter yet? If not, when do we expect to have one? If you are shooting for an August release for the Kickstarter, I’d imagine we’d want to get one out soon.

—matt

It should be very soon, Matt!  Just know that work is being done tirelessly behind the scenes to get it up and going.

We still need a primary image, a video, and a story.  We are still plugging in all the rewards.

Once the whole page is set up at kickstarter, we must submit it for approval.   Once it is approved, then we can do the thing where the "notify me on launch" button is available.

should the bob project be in this movie?

Was Bob part of the PTJ?  I think since you have plenty of footage and projects to work with, I'd focus on ones that would be most desirable for the kickstarter "customers".  Maybe big things, pretty things, things involving lots of helpers, things that proved/disproved an experimental theory, things that were filmed well and will look good on the screen, etc.

Although it seems a simple project, the principles used in it can be applied to a variety of situations and it is certainly a low tech way of cooling. But if you do have a lot of footage of 'sexier' low-tech projects, I'd showcase those instead.

I would back that. Would there also be the plans for each project?

I will back this at the $100 level. One note it would be nice if the KS video had good sound of the rocket stove in use. Maybe a voice over of "hear that, that is the sound of a rocket tech making/heating (input thing here)". I like the bumper sticker idea and maybe at a higher level a person could get say five stickers? Also I am happy that more rocket things are getting made!

I feel like we have recorded the sound many times before.  I'm not sure if we recorded it this time.

Saralee Couchoud wrote:I would back that. Would there also be the plans for each project?

Each set of plans take a LOT of work!   And, at the same time, we need this kickstarter to be all wrapped up by dec 31.  So we are intentionally going a little lighter on plans this time.

Just my opinion but I think plans are more important than the movie. Could the plans come after the fact?

Saralee Couchoud wrote:Just my opinion but I think plans are more important than the movie. Could the plans come after the fact?

Possible!

Saralee Couchoud wrote:Just my opinion but I think plans are more important than the movie. Could the plans come after the fact?

Yes, I'm sure the movie will be inspiring, but plans are the key to actually to get stuff done!

I think plans make sense when a thing has been experimented on and built enough that it should be repeated.  And where it's not built in place to the shape of the site.

So plans for a rocket oven make a lot of sense to me.  Or for a rocket "engine".  Or a sauna bench.  By comparison, plans for the sauna wouldn't make sense to me since it was a repurposed building.  An ideal sauna may be a different shape/size.  Same for my log staircase.  It would only make sense to copy my exact design if your slope is exactly the same.  

In some cases I think these projects could benefit from "Construction guides" or the like.  So they aren't plans necessarily but a guide to constructing the thing to suit your local conditions.  

IE: Sauna construction guide that includes where the vents go, how air tight it should be, wood species that work best, how to avoid wood slivers in your butt, how to prevent rust/rot from condensation, etc, or

Log staircase guide that gives step-by-step instruction on how to size the steps, how to lay them out to your hill/slope, order of cuts when fitting a piece, tricks/tips to installing the pegs, etc

I'm in.

It sounds like we will have some people coming here in october to finish up some of the projects.

Jules Silverlock wrote:Here's a stab at the story - do feel free to break this apart and build upon :) :

little nip/tuck, then putting this in place for now.  

Our last Kickstarter was our most successful movie Kickstarter ever! It goes to show you, people really are interested in real-world, low-tech things that anyone can do to make the world a better place - especially when you can live a more luxuriant life in the process.  

The 2023 Permaculture Technology Jamboree brought together some great instructors, projects, and innovations, and we captured over 50 hours of video featuring:

Rocket Engine
Rocket Forge
Rocket Hot tub
Moon gate
Log Picnic Table 3.0
Log Stairs
Bob
Grape Arbor
Ash Cement
Mycoinsulation
Mycoinsulated roof for the new well pump house
Root Cellar
Sawmilling
Yurt
Earthen Floors
Natural Textiles
Wool Processing
Sauna
Humus Well
And much more!

We were thrilled with the results and have much to share!  As always, we seek to infect new minds with our exciting projects, and we want to share the new projects with our existing community.

Now for the big kickstarter question: are folks hungry enough for more of this sort of thing to back the editing and distribution of another Low Tech Lab Movie?

Any ideas how to make it better?

Proposed tweaks:

Our last Kickstarter was our most successful movie Kickstarter ever! It goes to show you, people really are interested in real-world, low-tech things that anyone can do to make the world a better place - especially when you can live a more luxuriant life in the process.  

The 2023 Permaculture Technology Jamboree brought together some great instructors, projects, and innovations, and we captured over 50 hours of video involving fire, earth, wood, rock, fungus, earthworks, structures, textiles and more.  Projects include:

Rocket Engine
Rocket Forge
Rocket Hot tub
Moon gate
Log Picnic Table 3.0
Log Stairs
Bob
Grape Arbor
Ash Cement
Mycoinsulation
Mycoinsulated roof for the new well pump house
Root Cellar
Sawmilling
Yurt
Earthen Floors
Natural Textiles
Wool Processing
Sauna
Humus Well
And much more!

We were thrilled with the results and want to share them with you.  There is something in this movie for you if you're new to permaculture or if you've been involved in our community for years.

Now for the big kickstarter question: are you excited enough about these innovations to back the editing and distribution of another Low Tech Lab Movie?

Yes! I love it all!!

I was just visiting Wheaton Labs!  

It was really great to see all these projects getting done and finally getting the attention they deserve.

building those drystack skills ...

Wow!

What a piece of art!

Thank you so much Paul for making these things come  into existence.

We are all blessed by your vision.

Oh wow that is gorgeous!  I am super impressed.  I would love to see more rock stack functional art

I brought my draft and this draft together and made a Kickstarter story baby.  Let me know what you think.  Too wordy?  The list of projects is in image form.  using the images from the top post.

Welcome to the Low Tech Laboratory movie "the Sequel", where we continue to take DIY innovation to the next level!  Our last Kickstarter was our most successful movie Kickstarter ever! It goes to show you, people really are interested in real-world, low-tech things that anyone can do to make the world a better place - especially when you can live a more luxuriant life in the process.  We now have new, useful, and progressive projects to share from our most recent event - fresh outta the (rocket-powered) oven!

In the first Low Tech Laboratory movie, we showcased a handful of low tech, DIY solutions for your house and homestead that can make your life more luxuriant, and easier on both you and the environment.   The annual Permaculture Technology Jamboree event, held at Wheaton Labs continues to push the boundaries, move forward permaculture innovation, and ultimately bring low tech solutions to you - the keen as beans homesteader, quietly capable with bundles of enthusiasm to provide a healthy, efficient, low-cost, earth-friendly and abundant lifestyle that benefits you, your family and community.

The 2023 Permaculture Technology Jamboree brought together some great instructors, projects, and innovations, and we captured over 50 hours of video involving fire, earth, wood, rock, fungus, earthworks, structures, textiles and more.  Projects include:

Rocket Engine
Rocket Forge
Rocket Hot tub
Moon gate
Log Picnic Table 3.0
Log Stairs
Bob
Grape Arbor
Ash Cement
Mycoinsulation
Mycoinsulated roof for the new well pump house
Root Cellar
Sawmilling
Yurt
Earthen Floors
Natural Textiles
Wool Processing
Sauna
Humus Well
And much more!

We were thrilled with the results and want to share them with you.  We have loads of footage.  The first draft of the edit is looking amazing.  There is something in this movie for you if you're new to permaculture or if you've been involved in our community for years.
Now for the big kickstarter question: are you excited enough about these innovations to back the editing and distribution of another Low Tech Lab Movie?

Who says a sequel can't be stronger than the original?  Hello Terminator!  We'll be back!

This is a sneak peek at the grape arbor project. Hot off the press!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBoaYFSSeAg Building such a large project without any mechanical fasteners just blows this city girl's mind.

It was so great to watch the grape arbor go up!   All the steps and hearing the pros and cons of the different joinery options.  These things used to be way outside my scope.   The more I see the pieces come together, the more I want to play and build some stuff.

I love the idea of making strong, tight joints with no metal fasteners!

Wow! What a fun action shot, Samantha! It's so cool that people like me, who have never been and may never go to Wheaton Labs, will get another chance to 'be at the PTJ' and see all the great projects they've done.  In fact, we may get a better and closer view than the attendees through the movie!

Last fall we did a rocket mass heater workshop that was sold out.  We did take some video.  We are talking about the $1 level having about 60 minutes of movie covering that.  

We built a whole new 7 inch batch box triple barrel rmh in the woodshop.

We built a whole new 6 inch j-tube pebble-style rmh in the red cabin.

We did a lot of overhaul of the 8-inch j-tube rmh in the library.


Deets:

  https://permies.com/wiki/179543/Rocket-Mass-Heater-Workshop-Oct#1608014

Only $1!! I can't wait to see it!

Some screenshots of the video we got from the Rocket Mass Heater Workshop! Looking behind the scenes theres so much awesomeness on rockety tech!!