Friday, April 9, 2010

New Projects

I used some tape to cover the upper part of the window. It works a little like solar film and is highly reflective, but still lets some light through. It helps a lot as far as cutting down on the heat from the sun heating this place up. I'll be working on a solar powered evaporative type cooler for the bottom which will block the sun in the lower part of the window and provide cooling also.

While we were in Alpine to get pallets, lumber and supplies I scored a couple of the small auto fans that plug in to the cigarette lighter. I found that my solar battery charger will run one of them just fine so during the day time there won't be much drain on the battery. The fans only draw 10 watts each so I'll use the solar battery charger to offset battery drain and it should cut down on how often I'll have to charge the dedicated battery I'll be using for the cooler. I also picked up enough of the cooling pad material to make the evap out of. The second stage part will have to come later on, but I'll still have some cooling in the mean time.

Here you have RN standing by all of the pallets and stuff we  scored in Alpine. By the time he had gone to pickup pallets in Odessa someone else had already hauled them off so fortunately McCoys in Alpine had plenty of free ones. We went there yesterday and loaded up! With all the new stiff and 4 more bags of concrete I'll have plenty to do to keep me busy for some time. Plans are to get my battery hut built, build a full time walk in shower so I can shower even in windy weather, Build the evap cooler and no telling what else. Like I said I'm going to be real BUSY for a while.

Note the beautifully warped stud setting on the pallet. While we were loading up studs I spotted this and thought it would make a perfect jig for the S-Rotor generator blades that I plan to build using the old car rear end. I asked the guy about it and he said load it up because they just threw away stiff like that so that worked for me! I love McCoy's!
This morning's project was the above. More later on what it was.


16 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. When I get through with that warped stud O'l BB can use it to build a bigger boat out of.

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  3. Sweet! Looks like yall did good and you have quite a bit to keep you busy. Looking forward to seeing the progress on the cooler.

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  4. Been working on Half A and I'll let you figure out what the A stands for. That's what I'm calling my new battery hut mainly because I've done a half A__ job on it so far. I've got so much stuff I want to do and have a lot to do it with so I can't settle down to any one thing yet. ;)

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  5. I got a "lumber?" yard up here that consideres that stud a #2 or better, they are only 4 miles from the house, I choose to drive 25 miles for my lumber. No they aren't a big box store. Lowe's(2), Home depot and McCoy's are all about 25 miles depending on my preference for going north, south, east or west.

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  6. BfA, I recon a person could build a house out of those if you had a stud finder to find out where to drive the nails. It might not be quiet as high as a normal house and the corners would probably look real strange.

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  7. If your looking for salvage materials look for construction sites. They will have those big dumpsters. I scored a steel door that the upper part has about 9 little square windows..Have gotten used plywood also. Then there is craigslist FREE section.. Free carpet in dumpsters behind carpet stores..

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  8. shoot this Job site Im on is a buffet of free stuff, but it doesnt do you anygood being its in california.

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  9. Yep, that's the way with job sites. They're all many miles away from here. Carpet is basically useless down here other then for putting in driveways for traction after rains. Just way too many sand storms.

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  10. I used to have several rent houses I put in used carpet all the time. I live in a motorhome now and use it outside my door and for my dog's bed and used it to insulate the generator compartment. I also carry a piece in the back of the truck to put on the ground incase I have to change a tire ect. as sometimes the road can get hot.

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  11. frann, no doubt some people use carpet down here, but unless you had some sort of positive pressure filtered ventilation system I'd think it would be a constant battle trying to keep the carpet clean. I can sweep in here and 5 minutes later its hard to tell it.

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  12. "I can sweep in here and 5 minutes later its hard to tell it."

    Ugh. Please don't tell me that.

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  13. MC, you're wanting hard core off grid so best I can say is go for it!

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  14. Glad to see that RN made it down there.

    Loved the new and improved version of the snake screen. Have you seen any by your place?

    Looks like you are going to be busy for quite a while.

    BTW I loved the rules you wrote on BB blog, hehehe :-)

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  15. MsB, I haven't seen any snakes so far. Lizards is about all. Don't hurt my feelings to not see any unless they are hidden under a bush as I walk by. ;)

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