Okanogan 14x24 by a lurker :)

Started by Oljarhead, September 21, 2009, 02:53:09 PM

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OlJarhead

Quote from: JavaMan on October 21, 2010, 08:45:49 PM
Yeah, but do they have enough extensions for my weight? ???  Those might reach all the way across the mountains to my house! d*

I am working on getting rid of the excess, but it's not going very fast (I married a good cook!)

(We now return you to your regular oljarhead thread)

At 260lbs in my birthday suit (scary sight!) I'm sure I need the XXXXXL set!  But I plan to look into it :P

Speaking of losing weight, I found a way that works well for me anyway :)

1.  Drink two 20-24oz bottles of water mixed with ACT a day
2.  Skip lunch 3 days in a row and then eat whatever the heck I want on the 4
3.  Repeat until you've lost enough weight
4.  Repeat as needed to keep the weight off.

I dropped from 280 to 260 in about 2 to 3 months and have kept that 20 lbs off for 3 years.  Doc tells me all my blood work has improved (High BP) and to keep it up -- though I know ACT is part of the reason.

You can check out ACT here: http://www.drinkactweb.com/19001444

I don't normally mention it and hope it's ok to do so now but this is a small business that I got into about 4 years ago and while I don't really make any money off of it (I suppose I could if I actually tried to) I drink the product twice daily and the doctor keeps saying:  I don't know what you are doing, but you keep doing it!!!

Sign up is a bit of a pain in the rear but signing up (for free) gets you the product cheaper ($1/drink with the Act Packs) -- just scroll to bottom repeated and hit 'skip this step'.  Or you can try it retail if you want.

I am also willing to send free samples to anyone who doesn't want to go through the hassle of signing up to try it but keep it to a dull roar please becuase I'm sending what I drink!  So it's MY SUPPLIES hehehehe.....and I need it to keep cabin building :D :D :D

OlJarhead

Once again I have to thank MountainDon for his fantastic ideas and excellent engineering!  [cool]

I now think I know how I'm going to improve composting waste (Sunmar Centrex AC/DC 2000 model) during the winter!  I've been working on the enclosure for it and plan to complete it soon and have decided that Don's food heating idea is for me! :D

So, I'll steel the 6 gallon hot water tank from the camper (or get another one) and install it inside the enclosure with the Composting tank for the toilet.  I'll set it up with the pilot light running whenever we aren't at the cabin and will turn on the hot water when we are there (to improve composting).  I'll super insulate the enclosure also and use a heat exchanger (oil cooler/tranny cooler) to keep the enclosure warm enough to prevent the composter from freezing.

Also while at the cabin I can crank up the generator for 4 hours in the AM daily (if need be) in order to run the dehydrator which has an additional heater.

Between these steps (and insulating the vent stacks and sewage pipe) I should be able to continue composting long after daily temps don't get above 55 degrees :)

Thanks Don!


Shawn B

Erik,

You may be able to get a few feet of left over hydronic baseboard, just the copper pipe and fin, from a local plumbing and HVAC contractor for free or scrap price.  Some outfits throw out or recycle pipe if it is not a certain length. Get a few short lengths and solder them together. Either way good luck.
"The natural liberty of man is to be free from any superior power on Earth, and not to be under the will or legislative authority of man, but only to have the law of nature for his rule." Samuel Adams

JavaMan


OlJarhead

Josh and I made it up last weekend to try our hand at Elk hunting...this meant we spent loads of time just trying to find out WHERE the Elk were.  We did eventually find an area that looked very promising...at the end of hunting light on Saturday :(

But we have a place to start at next year I guess :)

One person once said to me "don't you just go out in the woods with your rifle, shoot your deer and then go home"?  Ya sure, and pigs fly too!

Anyway, we have been burning less then idea wood in the stove and it began to breath less efficiently by the end of the weekend.  So, upon coming home I read the manual and discovered I can do a few things:

1.  Clean out the air outlet/inlet (??) from ashes etc.
2.  Remove the ashes daily before refueling.
3.  Get some dang seasoned wood instead of burning somewhat still green pine.

Not sure if I'll get to #3 soon, but I've got a chimney brush and will clean the stove air inlets next trip.

We also managed to score a small sink and counter from work yesterday which will serve as a temp counter/cupboard/sink for the cabin until we have time to put in a larger counter etc.

And finally, we've decided that while the camper stove works, it's a bit dangerous becuase it needs to be rebuilt and leaks a little -- so you can't leave the propane on.  So we're thinking of looking at the Sears stoves that I think Don and Yonderosa bought. 

Besides, we'd have an oven then too :)

Cheers
Erik


MountainDon

With our VC Aspen I've found that if I pull and dump the ash tray every day I have virtually no ash spilling out of it and into the bottom area where it fits. When the ash piles up in the ash tray it can then be knocked off the top when the tray is extracted. In the depths of winter when we might be burning more wood I sometimes dump the ash tray twice. Dry wood makes a big difference.
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

considerations

Dry wood makes a big difference. .....actually, its pretty much the whole show.   

I rattled my faith in my ability to get a fire going when I started camping in the cabin.  I had a heck of a time. 

After a few months, the cord I was working through got plenty dry....and fires became a piece o cake.. duh.

This year I stacked the first cord in June.  When the weather got cold, it was ready to go and fire tending is a breeze, and I'm going through a fair amount.  I think this winter will be colder than the last one.

Shawn B

Erik,

Did you install the fresh air intake yet? That may help things a little.

I second what Mt Don, and Considerations said, burn the most seasoned wood first.
"The natural liberty of man is to be free from any superior power on Earth, and not to be under the will or legislative authority of man, but only to have the law of nature for his rule." Samuel Adams

MountainDon

Erik, Trying to burn wet/green wood can be an exercise in frustration as well as accelerating the need to clean to chimney more often.

Our cabin range is a 20" Hotpoint we got through Lowes. There are many models. From what I could tell from reading do not get one with electronic ignition. Even though the burners can be lit with a flame when there is no power, the oven won't work at all, at least on one of the ones I investigated.
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.


JavaMan

Erik,

Sorry I didn't make it up there last weekend - I was caught up in a remodel of the downstairs bathroom!  Since I'm off work, there are a bunch of "Honey-do's" that are magically appearing.  So I figured I'd head up this weekend, but the truck tells me otherwise. it is missing badly.  I thought it might be one of the COP (Coil Over Plug)  modules but apparently not, so now I'm trying to track down what it actually is.

If I can't find it by Tuesday I have an appointment with the local garage.

I still am planning on trying to get in up there for late archery deer season in December.

Sounds like you had a good time, tho.  Sorry to hear that no elk were seen.  They were all probably hiding at my place, knowing that I wasn't going to be there.  d*

OlJarhead

Thanks All,

Being an old camper I've had no trouble firing the stove.  With my set up it requires priming first but I've got that down (just put 3-5 crumpled pages of newspaper in the back of the stove, light with the door open and let burn out.

I try to use the driest kindling I've got and rarely have an issue.

But, perhaps two things got me:

1.  I didn't empty the ash tray every day -- for some reason I thought it better to let the fire die off first -- not so!
2.  Burning pine isn't great to begin with, burning wet pine is worse still!  But it's what I've for for now.  My neighbor tells me that it's ok as long as it's burned hot.

I bought a chimney brush etc so am set to clean regularily but didn't expect the loss of incoming air!  The draft is working fine as long as the door is ajar but that won't do so next trip I'm pulling the ash tray and air plate and cleaning everything before starting a fire.

I didn't get the intake installed yet either but haven't been concerned since the cabin is open at the peak until the ceiling is installed etc....but perhaps it might help anyway?

Anyway, I'm drying wood as we speak but it will take 12-18 months before it's truly cured so I may just have to break down and buy a cord or two of seasoned firewood...ug

Redoverfarm

Quote from: OlJarhead on November 13, 2010, 05:54:26 PM
Thanks All,

Being an old camper I've had no trouble firing the stove.  With my set up it requires priming first but I've got that down (just put 3-5 crumpled pages of newspaper in the back of the stove, light with the door open and let burn out.

I try to use the driest kindling I've got and rarely have an issue.

But, perhaps two things got me:

1.  I didn't empty the ash tray every day -- for some reason I thought it better to let the fire die off first -- not so!

Seldom empty the ashes out until I see that the loading capacity is being deminished.  Even then I don't completely empty them all and leave an inch or so in the bottom as insulation and protection for the bottom of the stove to keep it from burning out prematurely.

2.  Burning pine isn't great to begin with, burning wet pine is worse still!  But it's what I've for for now.  My neighbor tells me that it's ok as long as it's burned hot. 

Burn very little of large pine.  Only use some small stuff as kindlin.  If it is extremely dry it will burn without too much cresote but wet I would try to stay away from

I bought a chimney brush etc so am set to clean regularily but didn't expect the loss of incoming air!  The draft is working fine as long as the door is ajar but that won't do so next trip I'm pulling the ash tray and air plate and cleaning everything before starting a fire.

Cold fllues will not operate efficently.  So unless you have burned alot of wet or semi wet at low draft it is doubtfull that the flue needs cleaned this soon after installation.  If you can start a light fire and leave the door open until the hot air draws up it should burn better until it is left to go out.  If I am lucky and catch a good day mid season I might try to clean mine.  If not it will burn from Mid Oct to March.  Occassionally if it has died down I may take the elbow/damper assembly off and give it a quick clean.  I have an alternate to divert the smoke when I clean the primary joints.
I didn't get the intake installed yet either but haven't been concerned since the cabin is open at the peak until the ceiling is installed etc....but perhaps it might help anyway?

Anyway, I'm drying wood as we speak but it will take 12-18 months before it's truly cured so I may just have to break down and buy a cord or two of seasoned firewood...ug

If you can split a portion of it smaller it will take less time to dry out.  Yes it may take a little more wood to fill it up but smaller pieces do dry faster.

MountainDon

For John and everyone else's info... The VC Aspen has an ash tray under the firebox bottom. The firebox cast iron plate has slots for air to enter from underneath and for ashes to fall through. I think VC should have built it with a slightly deeper pan, but they did not. Under that is the cast iron stove bottom, then the sheet metal heat shield.  When the wood is thoroughly burned there is little left on the grate; it falls through into the pan. The VC Aspen is also not meant to be burned with the door open. With the door open the secondary chamber will not fire properly resulting in more smoke and gases out the chimney. It will also use wood faster and make more creosote.

I found a vast improvement in the burn after the fresh air kit was installed. And absolutely no need to open a door or window for draft.

I have mentioned this elsewhere before, but will repeat. I have a turbocharger on our air inlet. A muffin fan, approx 4 to 5 inch dia. It fits (is taped with aluminum tape) onto the vent hood I used. I place a good handful of pine needles in the firebox, a few pieces of kindling, then split wood on top of that. I hit the needles with a blast from my propane torch and they ignite quickly. Close the door and hit the switch to blow air into the stove. The fire never goes out, always gets of to a great start. I can not tell any difference in the stove operation with or without the fan left on the intake and turned off.

http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=2335.msg91874#msg91874

In many parts of the west there is not much choice in firewood, you choose between pine, spruce and fir. Not much difference there. I think Oljarhead is in the same boat as we are. We have no problem with creosote build up but I'm using wood that has sat through at least 2 summers.

FYI, creosote will not form on the chimney walls when the interior surface of the flue is 250F or higher. I haven't figured out how to measue that inside the flue with a fire going.  d* ;D  Wet wood will produce a lot of steam and that holds the temperature of the flue gases down.
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

OlJarhead

Looks like we may finally get back to the cabin next weekend :)  I've told my step son it will have to be a wood chopping winter prepping only weekend.

We plan to bring in a couple rolls of insulation to help with the cold; it looks like it will be -26 degrees on Wednesday night but warming up to 11 on Thanksgiving day and 9 Thursday night.  With luck it will be closer to freezing on Friday and not drop too much over the weekend!  We will need the warmer weather (yes freezing is MUCH warmer then MINUS 26) to get some wood chopped and stack and maybe cut down some dead dry trees (their wood will be drier then some of what we have now).

Once we've stuffed in a couple rolls of insulation we should set to make it through the weekend as long as we sleep near the wood stove (and I can get it cleaned out well enough).

Going to be a COLD COLD winter!


OlJarhead

QuoteFriday: A 40 percent chance of snow. Cloudy, with a high near 20.

Friday Night: Snow likely. Cloudy, with a low around 14. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Saturday: Snow likely. Cloudy, with a high near 24. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Saturday Night: Snow likely. Cloudy, with a low around 15. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Sunday: Snow likely. Cloudy, with a high near 26. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Looks like it might be nice and balmy this weekend :)

OlJarhead

Still haven't made it to the cabin this month!  Grrr....but I think we'll make it this weekend.

I had to work most weekends which hurt a little (but pays off) and then needed a new alternator and header in the Jeep (Banks header broke for the 2nd time).

Now the XJ is happy and I might escape work for the weekend!  SO it will be serious wood cutting time and some insulation work to help keep us warm -- also have to clean out stove.

While I'm at it I decided to buy a BIG radio for the XJ :D  Ordered a factory refurb Galaxy DX 959 :D :D  My local 2-way shop told me to get the refurb because Galaxy does it right and then to bring it in to them for a peak and tune ($12).

Then he tells me he can do mild to wild on the radio :D  for those using CB's out there who aren't familiar with the 959 it's both the 40 CB channels plus SSB (Single Side Band) and is made on a 10m radio platform (sold as a 10m in Europe I believe) -- thus, this 11m (CB) radio can be tuned to 10M (Ham) also :D

Of course you have to have a HAM license to get it converted to 10M (theoretically).  In my case I won't be modding it to 10M but like that I 'could' have it done some day if I get my HAM license.

On a side note, the Single Side Band mode allows skip which means that when you'd up at the cabin and in trouble without cell coverage you can use skip (if weather/atmospheric conditions are right anyway) to reach out a LONG ways -- some have skipped 11M over 2000 miles!  (FCC allows only 155miles but um, ya right).

Anyway, with a full power CB and 12watt SSB you can talk to folks a LONG way off :D  And with a 108" antenna you will REACH out to folks....and that is what I want.

phalynx

Hehehe,, you just took me back a few years.  I had a RCI-2950 with shoes.....  I loved that radio!

MikeOnBike

We don't have phone or cell service at our camp.  We do have a fairly good access to a Ham 2 meter repeater.  It's about 30 mi. north.  This allows someone in camp to communicate with someone in our home town a 100 mi. away.  In addition to communications for emergencies my wife who has been at camp all week can contact me to make sure I bring up ice and TP on my way up Fri. night.

The first level Tech license is real easy to get and if you can hit a repeater you can cover a lot of distance.

OlJarhead

Quote from: phalynx on November 30, 2010, 09:39:39 PM
Hehehe,, you just took me back a few years.  I had a RCI-2950 with shoes.....  I loved that radio!

From what I've read the 959 doesn't need the shoes :)  but then maybe with shoes it would really kick it out there!  I imagine the 108" antenna and the 959 peak and tuned will give me some serious 11m range...but I'll have it tweaked into the 10M band once I learn how to use it and go get my HAM>

phalynx

Quote from: MikeOnBike on November 30, 2010, 09:51:20 PM
We don't have phone or cell service at our camp.  We do have a fairly good access to a Ham 2 meter repeater.  It's about 30 mi. north.  This allows someone in camp to communicate with someone in our home town a 100 mi. away.  In addition to communications for emergencies my wife who has been at camp all week can contact me to make sure I bring up ice and TP on my way up Fri. night.

The first level Tech license is real easy to get and if you can hit a repeater you can cover a lot of distance.

A repeater with a phone patch is really useful.  I don't know if there are any around there but we have a couple around here.
Quote from: OlJarhead on November 30, 2010, 11:47:23 PM
Quote from: phalynx on November 30, 2010, 09:39:39 PM
Hehehe,, you just took me back a few years.  I had a RCI-2950 with shoes.....  I loved that radio!

From what I've read the 959 doesn't need the shoes :)  but then maybe with shoes it would really kick it out there!  I imagine the 108" antenna and the 959 peak and tuned will give me some serious 11m range...but I'll have it tweaked into the 10M band once I learn how to use it and go get my HAM>

Ham license is really easy now.  No code... I have a General license.  Rarely EVER use it.. :(  Internet is so much faster  :)


OlJarhead


Friday night we arrived to find the inside of the cabin at 18 degrees.  It took two hours to get it above freezing and dinner was Ham and Potato soup from a can that was trying to burst and ravioli from another swollen can.  Figured better eat them now!  Defrosted them on the stove :)

Note:  A quick cleaning of the stove and using dried pine was the ticket!  The stove really cranked out the heat all night -- indeed all weekend! 


We cheated a little in that we used the Kerosene heater in the back portion of the cabin where there was no insulation....good thing too!  It was 65 in there all night long :D


We stuffed two rolls of R19 into the walls (which we will have to drill and pull wire in when it thaws so we didn't staple the bats down) and put 3 feet of R19 across the peak from one end to the other.  This worked to get it to 65 and keep it there.  The loft stayed at 50.

On a side note the porch (uninsulated and unheated) got to 50 degrees during the day!  It was 25 outside at the warmest.  When it was 4 outside the porch was 14 :D  With a little insulation I think it might even keep the batteries above freezing.

JavaMan

Quote from: phalynx on December 01, 2010, 12:30:56 AM
Quote from: MikeOnBike on November 30, 2010, 09:51:20 PM
We don't have phone or cell service at our camp.  We do have a fairly good access to a Ham 2 meter repeater.  It's about 30 mi. north.  This allows someone in camp to communicate with someone in our home town a 100 mi. away.  In addition to communications for emergencies my wife who has been at camp all week can contact me to make sure I bring up ice and TP on my way up Fri. night.

The first level Tech license is real easy to get and if you can hit a repeater you can cover a lot of distance.

A repeater with a phone patch is really useful.  I don't know if there are any around there but we have a couple around here.
Quote from: OlJarhead on November 30, 2010, 11:47:23 PM
Quote from: phalynx on November 30, 2010, 09:39:39 PM
Hehehe,, you just took me back a few years.  I had a RCI-2950 with shoes.....  I loved that radio!

From what I've read the 959 doesn't need the shoes :)  but then maybe with shoes it would really kick it out there!  I imagine the 108" antenna and the 959 peak and tuned will give me some serious 11m range...but I'll have it tweaked into the 10M band once I learn how to use it and go get my HAM>

Ham license is really easy now.  No code... I have a General license.  Rarely EVER use it.. :(  Internet is so much faster  :)

Yup, no code (grumbles.... can you tell I'm an old timer?  ;) ) ... But seriously, I waited until the code requirement went to 5 WPM for all classes before upgrading from Advanced to Extra ... couldn't see putting in the work on the code for the tiny sliver of extra bandwidth.  Glad I did get the Extra tho...

I have a bunch of repeaters plugged into the radio in the truck that I can hit from my property.  Some consistently, others, not so much.  I keep telling Beautiful that I'm going to send her a message from the Ranch one of these days.  Maybe next year I'll get up there for Field Day and have some fun with the step-son.


JavaMan

Jarhead,

I wish I could make it up to my place these days... but it will take snowshoes or a snowmobile (or quad) to get up there this time of year.

Yours looks great!

MountainDon

That's cold!  Once all the insulation is complete it should warm up faster. With the Aspen going and the propane wall heater we can gain 20 degrees an hour in our 15.75x30, no loft cabin.  I remember well how long it took when the ceiling only had a thin layer of insulation.

Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

OlJarhead


This is what we did to help with heat loss :)

I think I might take Don's advise and screw in 1" furring strips and then install the R19 which will give me about 3/4" of venting. Guess that's kind of a 'drop ceiling' then....


When we leave now we always chop and stack a weekends worth of wood inside the cabin near the stove.  This location is probably pushing it a little (maybe a tad closer then called for) but seems to work nicely and the wood does not get overly hot.

It's nice walking in with a fair amount of dried wood and kindling.


I call this shot my 'obligatory, we have to leave but I don't want to' shot :)

We'd love to stay a LOT longer but alas we also have to work in order to pay for the cabin build :) 

So, maybe in a week or two we'll be back to stuff more insulation, take more pictures and burn more wood :)  Oh and to keep warm of course!