Memory Lane, August 2023: Cabbage for everyone

Posted on July 2, 2024 by james

Later in the year I picked an even heavier one, but at the time this was a record for me…

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Getting close with the compost toilet

Posted on July 2, 2024 by james

Now it’s in situ, I grabbed some scrap timber and 15mm hexa ply from the waste bin at work and today made the “throne” for the compost toilet. Hopefully I have sufficient left over to make some doors and perhaps even a little “splashback” around the top. Then I just need a toilet seat to allow me to get the size and position of the hole over the bucket correct and it is effectively usable.

There are still a few jobs needing to be done — completing the windows, a little of the boarding to be done and some trim around the roof as well as a lock for the door but at that point I think I could declare the project complete.

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Testing the solar wax melter

Posted on July 2, 2024 by james

I’m afraid the photos here really aren’t that great, mostly because the melter needs to face the Sun as much as possible, but what we have is the tray full of “crumbled” comb, mostly from old brood frames. I’m told this works better than leaving the frames intact. As allegedly does washing the remnants first, but I couldn’t be bothered to wait for that.

So, I cut/broke the comb out of the frames and put it into a large plastic bag in the freezer. After a day or two I crushed the frozen comb and then packed it into the melting tray.

Once the Sun was hot enough, wax started to drip out.

I’m only going to claim a qualified success though. The spout isn’t working well and I’ve temporarily bodged a foil version in behind it made from a few layers of kitchen foil. Once I get my hands on a foil food tray I’ll make one from that instead. Otherwise it does seem to be very effective. What a shame then that suitable weather for using it seems so rare this year 🙁

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Fun moving the compost toilet

Posted on July 2, 2024 by james

When I designed and started building the compost toilet, my intention was that it should sit comfortably on the pallet forks I have for my compact tractor so I could move it around. I’ve now reached the stage of wanting to move it so I can finally finish it off and it is indeed possible to slip the forks underneath, lift it up and drive.

Unfortunately, quite where you drive is rather less under control. Despite the 60kg of weights on the front, the toilet very neatly counterbalances the tractor and the front wheels float, barely touching the ground, meaning steering is impossible.

It did try steering using the independent brakes on the rear wheels, but it’s a bit hairy when the front end is in the air 😀

So, instead I have bodged the Mark 1 Dunny Dragger: a pair of 4″ gateposts, some wheelbarrow wheels, 20mm conduit and a few other bits put together to make a trailer to shift it to what will probably now be its final resting place at the edge of the veggie plot where I can finish it and at last start using it.

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Memory Lane, 28th August 2023: Huge tomatoes!

Posted on July 2, 2024 by james

These are all Amish Paste. Not the largest I’ve ever grown, but certainly right up there.

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Solar Wax Melter mk2

Posted on July 2, 2024 by james

A few years back I took apart my original solar wax melter to rebuild as a steam-powered version. The original worked well enough, but it just didn’t have the capacity I wanted. Now I’ve reached the point where the expensive of the electricity to generate the steam is just too much and I’m going back to solar. So, reusing some parts again, taking as much as possible from the scrap pile and redesigning the entire thing, this is what I’ve come up with:

The black tray needs another coat of paint and I need some latches to lock the door down, but otherwise I think I’m done. It must be time for a test drive.

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First van out of the door

Posted on July 2, 2024 by james

Since I started in the job, at least. A Renault Trafic hi-top. At the back is a bed with a central section that lifts out to leave bench seating and towards the front a small kitchen with an oak worktop. Overhead lockers and storage over the cab.

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New job, new toys

Posted on July 2, 2024 by james

And here’s one. A CNC router capable of taking an entire 8’x4′ (1.2m x 2.4m) sheet. Mostly we’re using it for cutting ply and that’s generally 5.5mm unfinished sheets for lining vans and 15mm ply in birch, eucalyptus or poplar that we’ve either bought in finished or laminated ourselves.

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A month without a post?

Posted on July 2, 2024 by james

Indeed so. It’s been somewhat busy. And not a little stressful. All down to the new job, but I’ll fill in some of the details as I go along and hopefully I can find the time to keep writing posts now.

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Memory Lane, 26th August 2023: Tunnel of love apples

Posted on June 3, 2024 by james

Not yet ripe, but looking promising 😀

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