I had a couple of solar panels that were bad and not much chance of being fixed so I decided to put them to good use anyway. This is the one I just built a few days back and I still have one to go. Makes a darned good small coffee table.
Decided that the battery hut needed a name and I didn't like BH so... I've named it BB for Battery Box instead. That's pronounced Bee Bee just in case you were wondering. I was hoping to get the mud on it today and maybe the corrugated metal curved roof on it to, but unfortunately the wind got up before I had a chance to do either. I got about 1/3 of the lath on it yesterday and as soon as I was going to head out the door to finish that this morning the damn wind came up.
The domed looking gizmo on the top is just there. Something I thought about using for a vent and then changed my mind. The curved 2x4s the roof will be tied to came from the ladder I made for the bunk back when I was still in the dungeon. I figured I needed to use it for something else and I didn't need a rocking chair. Well come to think of it I probably do need one, but Oh Well!!!
I plan to cut a hole in the center of the roof and then I have a vent that came out of an RV. I'll put that in the bottom of the door and there will be vents on each end under the roofing metal. I'll make plugs for both for use in the winter.
There you have 9 Points again, but this time that isn't fog! Its dust/sand in the air. The wind feels like its blowing at least 45 or 50 MPH and gusting a good bit higher. Its out of the south west so its pretty warm air and its up to 84 degrees in here because I can't open the door or windows on that side for ventilation because of the blowing sand. I'm sure considering filling up the swamp cooler with water and using it. Should feel pretty good with the low humidity.
Dust is bad here too. I can hardly see Sawmill Mountain! I have been hiding out in the house as the dust gets in my eyes...maybe a nap..
ReplyDeleteI like tghe coffee table. Neat idea.
ReplyDeleteI have been trying to call I think your phone is off the hook ot rings busy
ReplyDeleteFrann, Might as well get used to it cause there will be a lot more of it. Hopefully not for over a day and night at a time though.
ReplyDeleteThanks DD, They were just sitting around outside and it was either keep them doing that, find some place to dump them or figure out something else to do with them. I think they will work out just fine with the new use for them.
RN, as far as I know the phone wasn't off the hook. Don't know if it was down or what, but about 5:00 I said to hell with all the rocking and rolling in this trailer and headed for the legion. Just got back and all though the wind has died down a little its has changed directions and its cooling down quick. I think it must be out of the north now.
Tffnguy
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you ok. The battery box looks good and I see that the winds and sand in that part of the country have not changed (nor will they ever change) nothing new here, just hot humid winds coming off the Gulf of Mexico with lots of salt. I gotta run the truck through a special car wash that rinses off the bottom of the vehicle to keep the rust down. Every few months or so, I hose down the outside A/C unit (on my house) to keep the corriosion down also. I will trade your dust for my humidity and salt.
CC, yep and its back now. Was real nice earlier though. Looks like another day of sitting inside. I'll pass on the salt spray. Been there before, but fortunately my mom still had the falcon back then or it would be rusted away by now.
ReplyDeletePretty nice way to reuse the solar panels!
ReplyDeleteLooks like the BB is coming right along! Good deal, my friend!
HJ, the tables will make it nice in here. I'll probably wait until I get BB finished before I build the second one though. Both actually still put out a little voltage even in here provided they aren't completely covered so I'm thinking I may use them for recharging small NYCad batteries just from the day time light in here.
ReplyDeleteLooked like it was going to be a nice day early, but then the wind started howling again later. Now it has died down again so I MIGHT get some work done on the BB if it doesn't get up again.
Have a good one.
like yer battery box!
ReplyDeleteNick, I got the front and two sides mudded before it was getting too late to do the back. This afternoon turned out to be real nice so that helped. Hopefully tomorrow will be nice enough to finish it. I have several other projects I want to get done two. Like wire up 4 more of the 15 LED lights like the ones I got at AutoZone and posted about a while back. Of course when the weather cooperates I'm always coming up with other ideas to try so I guess I'll be staying busy.
ReplyDeleteHey Unc,
ReplyDeleteI like the tables too, especially if they are still somewhat usable, how cool is that! Night have a good amount of things up before we can get back that way this summer. Keep us posted!!!
Cool re-use of solar panels - and added bonus, put 'em in the sun and you got an extra charge or two for nowt...
ReplyDeleteAlso love the BB - gotta show my man later when he's home...
Dale, have any idea when you'll will make it down here? You might as well forget bringing the Harleys because you'd never be able to get here on them with the sand pits on both ends of this road. I had hell getting through there on the dirt bike when it was here and its a good bit worse now.
ReplyDeleteDani, I won't need to move the tables outside in the sun. They put out enough voltage from the ambient light in here during the day to charge small batteries. I'll just have to make sure they aren't totally covered when I want to use them for chargers. They still work to an extent, but no where near the voltage needed to charge 12 volt batteries.
Just got back from the Grub Shack/mailbox and found out that the fridge at the GS went out some time during the high wind the other day. The GS was closed Sunday and Monday so no one was there to know about the fridge being down. Jerry was having to throw away all of the food that had been in the fridge so that meant nothing was being served there. He said about $150 in food had to be thrown away and they don't have the $ for a new fridge so I guess we'll see what happens next. Eva is out of town for a while caring for a relative who has cancer, so that doesn't help the situation either.
ReplyDeleteJW and a couple of other guys were sitting around BS'ing when I got there so I joined in with the BS for a while before heading back here with the mail and a block of ice.
And for now its real close to 70 degrees and just a slight breeze so I guess its time to start work on BB again.
Love the little solar panel table! And BB is starting to look great! You have a very creative mind.
ReplyDeleteI hate it when those dirt storms kick up. Now and then I see that out here but life goes on. A lil dirt cant hurt no one. Yer doin' great out there. ~Jen
Jen, its usually a lot more than a little dirt here. Its a lot, but something that has to be lived with. Right now its smoke from a wild fire about 30 miles north of here and the smell form it isn't helping much. When I get the chance to add another thread it will be about that.
ReplyDelete