tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post1186734381379012046..comments2023-08-15T06:33:53.114-07:00Comments on Bison Prepper: homesteading for morons 2James M Dakinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-78609530806422306822019-02-15T18:09:58.320-08:002019-02-15T18:09:58.320-08:00Sure, alternate building methods might not be the ...Sure, alternate building methods might not be the snake oil "cures everything and cancer" we do tend to want it to be. There is danger there, granted. But it might also be a needed step moving back towards Local Material and temp structures. Not everyone necessarily will be forced to move, but ONLY building for several generations might also be limiting in its own right. Nomadism might be more common than assumed, soon.James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-39696725584597735862019-02-15T17:59:40.680-08:002019-02-15T17:59:40.680-08:00I just looked at my digging project as how much I ...I just looked at my digging project as how much I saved verses a backhoe-which would be about your $15 an hour. James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-21799102854511022019-02-15T17:55:28.720-08:002019-02-15T17:55:28.720-08:00I think I would want to ferrocement it, both as a ...I think I would want to ferrocement it, both as a cheap roof and to bind it together. But, sure, as advertised it might give false hope. Probably the last thing we need more of :)James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-18873438010409327212019-02-15T17:38:54.200-08:002019-02-15T17:38:54.200-08:00Well it DID say hurricane. But say they didn't...Well it DID say hurricane. But say they didn't MEAN hurricane, then how much wind did they mean? I could spend some time and figure it out, but I just don't really care. That is, the weight of the total yurt materials and the resistance of the hold-down methods, vs the measured uplift from the top of the yurt acting like an airplane wing. <br /><br />Buffeting from wind may not be ample to destroy the building if the wind is light, but it has the tendency to do hidden damage within the structure and you won't know it at first. But come winter and that north wind is creeping in through all those now expanded seams will tell the story.ghostsnipernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-69819079374079363112019-02-15T17:31:58.616-08:002019-02-15T17:31:58.616-08:00Why a dollar amount? It's the most common way ...Why a dollar amount? It's the most common way to find value, and value is a sliding point. Remember awhile back I mentioned I was making about $100 a day working on a building and another person skoffed at that amount. Value.<br /><br />But yeah, in my prime that $15/hr figure I quoted would have been very low. Today it would be high. So I figured it as a base number and anybody can substitute as needed. <br /><br />The point was though, that a few hundred hours, as Marge mentioned, still has value. Further, moving dirt is pretty hard work even under ideal conditions. That's one of the reasons for my preference to build on top of the ground rather than under. It is easier to insulate a building on top of the ground than to put the whole thing under the ground. From my perspective. And with each passing year from here on out that becomes more true.ghostsnipernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-77334418008732117952019-02-15T14:51:51.615-08:002019-02-15T14:51:51.615-08:00Why would you value your own labor at any dollar a...Why would you value your own labor at any dollar amount? Not sure I see the point in that. You are doing it for you. It kind of sounds like a divorce settlement "Why, your Honor, my long suffering client labored in the home, equivalent to several domestic servants earning three thousand dollars a month, and furthermore, to replace her loving tender care with a child care service would equate to $2300 a month. And that is just the beginning! In short, Sir, I demand my client receive all the proceeds from liquidating her husbands employers corporation!"James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-88719032596292525372019-02-15T14:44:02.545-08:002019-02-15T14:44:02.545-08:00When I read "hurricane winds" I translat...When I read "hurricane winds" I translated that as "withstand high desert winds". It never entered my mind I'd try to ride it out in an actual hurricane. Give us SOME credit. I think all of us have exposed to enough hype and lies ( red uranium! MAGA! ) that we automatically turn on our BS detectors to "stun". James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-59924373237685826822019-02-15T14:36:49.157-08:002019-02-15T14:36:49.157-08:00My library kept only oversized "coffee table ...My library kept only oversized "coffee table books" on almost all subjects non-fiction. Except WWII which was three shelves to every thing else's 1/3. Must push Evil Nazi narrative. They got rid of about half of ALL books. Now just really bad quality crap coming in new.James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-84556701358809234152019-02-15T13:44:23.454-08:002019-02-15T13:44:23.454-08:00anonymous lots of good books libraries are fgetti...anonymous lots of good books libraries are fgetting rid of kipling twain and others sometimes you ge them free load up deb harveyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05110992898072146282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-25904560868294893212019-02-15T11:33:40.808-08:002019-02-15T11:33:40.808-08:00"The Haiti version (linked below) is intended..."The Haiti version (linked below) is intended for Hurricane winds."<br /><br />Oh dear. It keeps getting deeper.<br /><br />I have designed, and built, hundreds of buildings on islands that are capable of sustaining Cat 3 winds.<br /><br />But guess what? Saying something is "intended for hurricane winds" doesn't mean what you think it does. Know what FEMA does? In areas of the country where all buildings must be capable of resisting category 3 winds there are built in exceptions.<br /><br />See, high wind velocity's themselves are not the only thing that damages a building during a hurricane. Things flying off of buildings frequently do damage to adjacent structures. FEMA has rules that govern this. Some things, like 8'x8' prefabricated ribbed metal sheds for example, do not have to meet the category 3 requirement as their impact on adjacent structures is minimal. Another example: all poured concrete within the flood plain must be score cut on 48" centers both ways and shall not receive reinforcing. This is so that, in the event of a tidal surge large slabs of concrete are not lifted and floated to do damage to adjacent structures. The concrete must break up in 4'x4' pieces.<br /><br />I looked at that yurt in the link. In a 150mph wind, due to Bernoulli's principle, it will instantly turn into a kite and be gone, in pieces, and everything inside will be strewn or killed. <br />ghostsnipernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-87572360996022028632019-02-15T11:19:58.886-08:002019-02-15T11:19:58.886-08:00"...few hundred hours of labor..."
300 ..."...few hundred hours of labor..."<br /><br />300 hours at $15/hr = $4,500.00<br /><br />"...for centuries of stability..."<br /><br />This is embarrassing, for many reasons, and it's obvious.<br /><br />"...discarded wood chips from tree-trimmers..."<br /><br />Doubtful. It is horticultural waste and by law must be treated as such, and disposed of in accordance with laws. If it has profit the professional trimmers (Asplund, etc.) already have in place company's that buy the stuff. Do it yourself trimmers don't produce enough to be worth while. Further, tree trimming frequently harbor dangerous things that will be difficult to deal with in short order. <br /><br /><br /><br />ghostsnipernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-81796572010582420722019-02-15T11:11:09.413-08:002019-02-15T11:11:09.413-08:003/4" plywood as a structural entity, are you ...3/4" plywood as a structural entity, are you wacked out? As a bridging BETWEEN structural members, but on it's own? Suicidal. And you're right about those winds in open areas. Buffeting (when wind racing along a linear plane) will tear that thing apart in hours, even with Simpsons strongest along all seams. BTW, the only way you're going to anchor Simpsons to plywood is with drilled through bolts, so add that into the budget.<br /><br />Ya know, there's a reason why things are built the way they are these days and people that aren't in the business have no idea why. Until they get all the way into an alternative at which time it's too late. I'm speaking - structure.<br /><br />Why do you suppose "stick-built" has been the most common way of constructing buildings for more than a century?<br /><br />It's the most efficient way.<br /><br />EVERY other method of creating a building worth living in is far more inefficient, hands down. When I see someone down talking stick built I just smh and think, "That retarded idiot hasn't the first clue."<br /><br />A classic example is Dennis Weavers rammed earth house. Novices frequently think they're going to get a couple truckloads of tires and them and their friends will spend some spare time building an earth friendly domocile. Silly knaves. I saw an interview with Weaver in the late 90's and he was thoroughly disgusted with the project. He estimated that in time, labor, and materials that house cost 7 times as much as a conventionally framed house.<br /><br />Now, if you're starting from the ground zero, that is, living right on the ground in a tent, that yurt thing can look attractive, and may very well be. But soon, very soon, probably just days, you're going to see the error of your ways. Same with all the trendy stuff coming down the pike.<br /><br />I suggest anyone that is considering building a place to live they spend some quality time deeply analyzing the various methods that are popularized with a scrutinous eye, but remember, the problem is that if you are not already knowledgeable in construction you don't really know what to look for, and you'll most likely fall for the cheapest of tricks.<br /><br />2x4's and plywood are available every where across the country right now and can be bought and constructed with the money you have in your pocket. I have described this in detail, right here, many times, but everybody just wants to take mind vacations in la la land and I guess that's because nobody is really serious about it. <br /><br />The first step in my "Escape Cabin" designs series, the entry level "Economy" model, is under way. Last week I ordered and had delivered a bunk of #1 lumber in sizes 2x4, 2x6, and 2x8, in 8' and 16' lengths. A bunk is 144 sticks. I have a 40 sheets of 1/2" plywood and 12 sheets of 3/4" PT plywood on order and will be delivered on Mon. Also have the pier blocks and various other necessities being delivered too. All of that stuff will be stored in the workshop until it warms up. I bought now to avoid price increases. Soon, I'm gonna light this rocket. ghostsnipernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-54704595012248411742019-02-15T06:48:34.959-08:002019-02-15T06:48:34.959-08:00And to reiterate. This is likely only going to be ...And to reiterate. This is likely only going to be a temporary shelter, to be used where I currently reside (family farm). Once out at the high desert permanently, I will immediately begin construction on an earth sheltered abode, so I might only need to stay in a tent for a few months, and probably would not build the Hexayurt.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-80171854787897653292019-02-15T06:17:35.957-08:002019-02-15T06:17:35.957-08:00Re: Hexayurt from above:
Thanks for the input all...Re: Hexayurt from above:<br /><br />Thanks for the input all. @peace out; I believe that the taped seam model that you saw was the portable version intended more for temporary use, such as at Burning Man. I saw mention of the use of boards to tie the panels together for the basic plywood model. The Haiti version (linked below) is intended for Hurricane winds.<br /><br />I’ve looked into the Earth ships before, and wouldn’t rule one out. But as Jim has pointed out, the work involved might be beyond what this 50 something year old can realistically perform (Remember; it will likely be just me, with no help from anyone at all). I should also be clear on my hermitage status. I’m probably the biggest loner that I know of. That said, I’ve always lived near at least a few relatives. This on the other hand will be complete isolation, with no one else around for miles. (I believe that Marge has a partner? Not the same for me, and not likely in the future either). That said, I will be doing it. My main challenge will be combating said loneliness. <br /><br />http://files.howtolivewiki.com/hexayurt_in_haiti_v1.1.pdf<br /><br />http://www.appropedia.org/Hexayurt_PlywoodAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-88542225630485802152019-02-15T05:19:39.974-08:002019-02-15T05:19:39.974-08:00GS-so, what? Eating Forever Soup is a hallucinoge...GS-so, what? Eating Forever Soup is a hallucinogen? Let's can that up and sell it. :)James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-74315817212410019592019-02-15T05:17:33.819-08:002019-02-15T05:17:33.819-08:00I think mostly mobility and Turd World cheapness i...I think mostly mobility and Turd World cheapness is the factor in the design. Nothing wrong with beefing it up. James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-5253171171976422562019-02-15T05:14:45.987-08:002019-02-15T05:14:45.987-08:00The Earth Ship really is perfect. And you must be...The Earth Ship really is perfect. And you must be young and in shape to build it. Each tire requires LOTS of compacting with a sledge hammer. I theorized that perhaps using mud would work, but have no idea. The $50 & Up Underground book will work in the place of an Earthship. James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-31046776112607557122019-02-15T04:27:55.216-08:002019-02-15T04:27:55.216-08:00re:
'Hexayurt'
You may be over-thinking s...re:<br />'Hexayurt'<br /><br />You may be over-thinking shelter.<br /><br />Taos architect Mike Reynolds developed his EarthShip homes from discarded used tires. For cheap and indestructible, this sounds perfect.<br /><br />EarthShip YouTube videos make it sound easier than easy, cheaper than cheap, a one-time investment in a few hundred hours of labor for centuries of stability.<br /><br />EarthShip structures include an integrated greenhouse with pond.<br /><br />For gardens:<br />*** the Eden fellow in Washington (the state) uses discarded wood chips from tree-trimmers.<br />*** Mel Bartholomew developed his Square Foot Gardening for poor soil, deflecting detractors by pointing out his complete unneed of ground by a one-time investment in packaged potting soil, then continuously amending.<br /><br />Here in Eugene Oregon, Grape Solar occasionally has a sidewalk sale of scratch-and-dent panels for thirty cents a Watt. Peripherals add to that number.<br /><br />Some folks see problems with isolation.<br />I cherish distance from humans.<br />If you aren't cut-out for hermitage, stay in town.<br />I realize I sound harsh. Probably cranky. Definitely fed-up.<br /><br />But, no, I am not working on my manifesto. Sheesh.LargeMargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01530497760743766465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-87262961444650618142019-02-14T21:21:00.652-08:002019-02-14T21:21:00.652-08:00I went back and watched the Hexayurt assembly vide...I went back and watched the Hexayurt assembly video. No way would I trust those materials in the desert winds. Forget the taped seams and use piano hinges and/or Simpson Strong Ties for the joints with the 3/4" plywood. Maybe you could do 1/2" plywood, but I wouldn't. After everything is adjusted square and level, I'd go back with a putty knife and fill in all the gaps between the panels with wood putty, then seal the gaps with paint.<br />Peace outAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-87316435850951416932019-02-14T20:23:34.986-08:002019-02-14T20:23:34.986-08:00A few years ago I read about this swedish (I think...A few years ago I read about this swedish (I think) survival dood that was heavy into the viking thing and he kept a giant cast iron vat on the fire all the time and just kept adding to it. He'd trap an animal and throw the whole thing in that kettle and boil it for days. The first time he tried a spoonful of that stuff he tripped for 3 days and had an extreme fever for a week and after that he was Ragnar complete with horns. hard core mother fucker. lol ghostsnipernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-91029218017502894532019-02-14T20:13:35.696-08:002019-02-14T20:13:35.696-08:00OK, that makes sense. I didn't have enough det...OK, that makes sense. I didn't have enough detail before.<br />I have actually thought over a similar scenario a long time ago when our son was young and my wife was on the warpath. I hired a lawyer just for my own sanity and found out how the laws worked, from the horses mouth, and then gauged my behavior accordingly. Right then I saw lawyers from a different set of eyes. Now educated eyes. I knew that if she called this marriage quits I would have no choice but to drop completely out and leave the country. I would never be her slave. My own criminal, yes. But never her slave. That's just the way I am. Loyal to the death, but fuck me over and I'll blow your ass to hell and back and not blink an eye. ghostsnipernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-1849105139954676222019-02-14T17:50:33.448-08:002019-02-14T17:50:33.448-08:00You can always boil insects and the fat rises to t...You can always boil insects and the fat rises to the top for skimming. Not that there seems to be that many of those, even. Good stuff-thanks.James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-5252622803824153112019-02-14T17:39:52.257-08:002019-02-14T17:39:52.257-08:00Hexayurt...
3/4" CDX plywood at the Elko Home...Hexayurt...<br />3/4" CDX plywood at the Elko Home Depot is $37.98 per panel. Times 12 panels (tax?) is $455.76. I would paint all six sides of each plywood panel with two coats of the highest quality exterior paint available to seal it, at least $200 worth of paint. You need a foundation, at least two courses high of 8x8x16 concrete blocks, filled with concrete and anchored to the bottom of plywood (with pressure treated 4x4s screwed/nailed and glued to the bottom of the plywood). If you don't have a heavy foundation, the winds out there may blow it away. You could wrap the whole exterior with 30# roofing felt before you decided on a more permanent exterior, but two layers of 30# roofing felt would probably last the rest of your projected lifespan if you can get over the summer heat gain and the stark contrast of black against the desert landscape that would make your shelter easily stand out to anyone in the area. I would stiffen up the inside with 2x4s screwed flat against the plywood, with the insides filled with 1-1/2" rigid reflective foam insulation. With two 20 20 windows (one facing south, the other facing the most likely angle of approach by "others"), plus a custom homemade hobbit door, there's no way you're building it any less than $1500. I didn't spend too much time on the website to see how they join the panels together.<br /><br />On the Elko Home Depot website it appears they're hiring part-time employees, so maybe that's something?<br /><br />Desert food, infertile soil...<br />Don't forget to harvest sagebrush seeds this summer. Your local Indians mixed them with other seeds because the taste wasn't the greatest. Also, you can trap your local rodents (pack rats, kangaroo rats?). There was a university study many years back that I don't feel like looking up right now, but basically there was an unexpectedly high rodent population in random areas of uninhabited Nevada desert, something like 1000 rodents per acre? Use a metal rat trap.<br />https://www.amazon.com/made2catch-Classic-Metal-Traps-Galvanized/dp/B0190GMLUG/ref=sr_1_11?keywords=rat+trap&qid=1550193897&s=gateway&sr=8-11<br />The wooden ones won't weather as well, and supposedly once rodent blood is spilled on them the wood absorbs it and other rodents will avoid it because it smells like death to them. The metal ones can be boiled and then run through the smoke of a fire to kill any scent. Use tarred bank line to secure your traps to a nearby sagebrush so an off-angle impact doesn't allow the rodent to scurry away with your trap. The bank line makes it easy to dip your traps in boiling water and run them through the smoke. Don't trap any closer than 50 yards from your camp. When the rodent dies, the fleas will leave and you don't want them looking for a new home around your camp. When you initially handle your catch, use long-handled needle nose pliers so you can keep it as far away from you as possible in case any fleas are still there. Toss your catch in a metal pot with lid. Dump the still intact rodents directly into a fire to singe off the hair and kill any slow fleas. Then pull them out, gut them, and cook. Crush the bones and eat those too. Once the fires go through your area, the ant population will greatly expand. You may already have large ant populations out there. I think the large black carpenter ants taste pretty good, no gross factor.<br />Peace outAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-65525753127264024722019-02-14T16:47:41.278-08:002019-02-14T16:47:41.278-08:00Having just re-watched, now I'm worried that a...Having just re-watched, now I'm worried that any sexbots would not be waterproof. James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-39966204564628164612019-02-14T16:01:38.703-08:002019-02-14T16:01:38.703-08:00Here, let me help :) A fat suit. Used to be, the ...Here, let me help :) A fat suit. Used to be, the fat was in the two correct places. It spread from there, but the two never kept pace. Double dose of bleach, please. James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.com