Busy Summer
- Thread starter forgeblast
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forgeblast
Elite Member
M7 we have two sometimes creeks that run through our property. Sometimes they run sometimes they are dry. This year we had two flash floods in the creek bed, and stone/gravel were pushed all over. To make sure our driveway would not flood out I had to clear out the bank, and I would shovel gravel and pick stone. I would shovel it into 5 gallon pails and haul it out. Some of the areas were just deer paths and they were a bit sketchy walking up. I also saved a lot of the stone from when we would try to put in fenceposts or do gardening. I grow stones better then any other crop. I still have piles of stone that I need to start stacking but thats for next year.
Thank you all for the replies, If you have any questions about a project let me know. Ill be doing a full write up with suppliers on the solar heaters as soon as I get them installed. I am going to wait until it cools down a bit before I put them in.
Thank you all for the replies, If you have any questions about a project let me know. Ill be doing a full write up with suppliers on the solar heaters as soon as I get them installed. I am going to wait until it cools down a bit before I put them in.
MotorSeven
Elite Member
Nice to have abundant stone. The solar heaters, do they go on the South wall? If so you don't need fans, just an opening on the bottom and on top, and convection takes care of the rest.
tcreeley
Elite Member
That's wonderful stone work. I like your anvil base. Is that just poured cement? Does it crack ever? When my stump rots out, it is always a pain to find another big enough to put under the anvil. I like the cement idea. Did you make your forge as well or use a firepot- seeing as you use fire brick. cement, and stone so easily!
Goodluck!
Goodluck!
OP
forgeblast
Elite Member
tcreely:
The anvil base is just sack concrete that I had left over from the bread oven. Before that I had sand in the base, but the sand would work its way out. So i reinforced the base with rebar and fencing and I will let it cure a while before I go pounding on it.
The forge is made from an old wheelbarrow, mounted on an old gas grill base. I put fireclay in the bottom to sheild the barrow from the heat. A squirrl cage blower is mounted under it to provide air. (If you do a search you will see pics of it and my aluminum casting gear). I wanted a movable forge so that I can get space in the barn if needed.
M7:
The solar heaters will be on a true south facing wall. I could have gone without fans like garygarys build it solar.com build on his barn, but I wanted the fans due to the fact that I will be trying to heat a great room during the day, with the fans I will have more airflow and more heat being pushed into the room.
The fans (I hooked one up yesterday) are so quiet but push out a lot of air. I am happy with them.
The anvil base is just sack concrete that I had left over from the bread oven. Before that I had sand in the base, but the sand would work its way out. So i reinforced the base with rebar and fencing and I will let it cure a while before I go pounding on it.
The forge is made from an old wheelbarrow, mounted on an old gas grill base. I put fireclay in the bottom to sheild the barrow from the heat. A squirrl cage blower is mounted under it to provide air. (If you do a search you will see pics of it and my aluminum casting gear). I wanted a movable forge so that I can get space in the barn if needed.
M7:
The solar heaters will be on a true south facing wall. I could have gone without fans like garygarys build it solar.com build on his barn, but I wanted the fans due to the fact that I will be trying to heat a great room during the day, with the fans I will have more airflow and more heat being pushed into the room.
The fans (I hooked one up yesterday) are so quiet but push out a lot of air. I am happy with them.
MotorSeven
Elite Member
"The solar heaters will be on a true south facing wall. I could have gone without fans like garygarys build it solar.com build on his barn, but I wanted the fans due to the fact that I will be trying to heat a great room during the day, with the fans I will have more airflow and more heat being pushed into the room.
The fans (I hooked one up yesterday) are so quiet but push out a lot of air. I am happy with them."
Sounds good, I would like to see them, maybe another thread is in order? My log home design with a covered South front porch knocked out any passive solar...for now. I am thinking about adding a flat doormer later and making it passive solar for winter, and fitting a window for summer.
The fans (I hooked one up yesterday) are so quiet but push out a lot of air. I am happy with them."
Sounds good, I would like to see them, maybe another thread is in order? My log home design with a covered South front porch knocked out any passive solar...for now. I am thinking about adding a flat doormer later and making it passive solar for winter, and fitting a window for summer.
OP
forgeblast
Elite Member
I have all the parts now for the solar heaters, I have to stain the wooden grills to match the knotty pine inthe house and then I will install them. Ill post another thread about the solar air heater once im all done.
Lloyd_E
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2003
- Messages
- 1,417
- Location
- South Shore Nova Scotia Canada
- Tractor
- 2008 Kioti DK 45 sc
I was young once!
Man you got a lot done. If you ever get bored I could use you help for about a month.
Beautiful work - love when a plan comes together.
Lloyd
Man you got a lot done. If you ever get bored I could use you help for about a month.
Beautiful work - love when a plan comes together.
Lloyd
OP
forgeblast
Elite Member
Thanks Lloyd!!
It was a productive year my winter will be a bit slower.
I want to teach myself how to carve wooden spoons and turn bowls on my springpole lathe. Just something that I have always been interested in.
Next summer my little one will be 3 1/2 and I want to work with her making a treehouse/fort.
My plan is to get her a tool box and when she uses the tool right to give it to her. That way she has tools, knows how to use them and doesnt have to use "dads" tools. She already has her own garden tools.
It was a productive year my winter will be a bit slower.
I want to teach myself how to carve wooden spoons and turn bowls on my springpole lathe. Just something that I have always been interested in.
Next summer my little one will be 3 1/2 and I want to work with her making a treehouse/fort.
My plan is to get her a tool box and when she uses the tool right to give it to her. That way she has tools, knows how to use them and doesnt have to use "dads" tools. She already has her own garden tools.
Lloyd_E
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2003
- Messages
- 1,417
- Location
- South Shore Nova Scotia Canada
- Tractor
- 2008 Kioti DK 45 sc
I just chunked some clear poplar and beech. I will slap with a fro later. I bought some carving tools in the spring...
Good plan for the daughter... as I was cleaning up my shop(with my daughter) the other
day I mused over the fact that my son and daughter will be inheriting a lot of tools some day!
My daughter has been helping me for the past 3 days - we chunked, split moved and stacked 3+ cords of wood. We have a little clean up to do today... She rides the mower pretending to mow - gets great joy out of it. Yesterday I let her mow a bit in the back field. No worries of hitting anything. She did a great job. I can see my self retiring from lawn mowing in the next few years!!!
Good plan for the daughter... as I was cleaning up my shop(with my daughter) the other
day I mused over the fact that my son and daughter will be inheriting a lot of tools some day!
My daughter has been helping me for the past 3 days - we chunked, split moved and stacked 3+ cords of wood. We have a little clean up to do today... She rides the mower pretending to mow - gets great joy out of it. Yesterday I let her mow a bit in the back field. No worries of hitting anything. She did a great job. I can see my self retiring from lawn mowing in the next few years!!!
