Glenn's Underground Cabin Update

[glenn kangiser]

New toy at the Underground Cabin.  I got a new (used) 1999 Dodge 300 HP 24 Valve Cummins 4x4 dually with a 9' flat bed and beefed up overloads and main springs.

What does this have to do with the Underground Cabin?  Lots.  The 4x4 part will get me up the hill in the winter when it snows and muds ...   or else get me stuck so bad I won't get it out until spring. :'(

This picture shows me welding -- thanks to a camera timer and the Gorilla Pod a friend gave me-- wrapped its little legs around a piece of steel and shot myself-a photo.



"What's significant about this?" you ask.  Well -- its welded, cut, fitted, bolted etc. using 100 percent solar power.  Not hooked to the grid and I can still do pretty heavy duty jobs with my own power.  I added four 40 watt panels today.  They didn't seem to be helping sitting on the ground by the side of the shop.

Today I am making the flatbed into a dump bed by adding a hoist --squeezing it in with only fractions of inches to spare.  This will dump loads of dirt, lumber, blacktop - nearly any thing I want to dump -- well --- maybe not those bad burritos I had the other day but everything else... :-/  The hoist is rated at 14000 lbs -- hope I don't overload it.  This thing will be handier than pockets in my underwear.

For others interested in this sort of thing, I bought a new saw the other day -- It cuts steel the way you would cut wood -- a few seconds slower but not much -- It cuts cold - the blade runs at 1300 RPM and will cut 4"x 6"  heavy steel tubing or anything smaller - does 45 degree miters on smaller stuff.  I cut 5" standard channel tonight.  A piece that I cut off is in the saw.



That's enough for now -- I think I heard something on the roof.  (At least it's not a black one. :-/)

[desdawg]

Wow Glenn, I could sure ask a lot of questions but I will keep it brief. Is that a 110 volt wirefeed or do you have stacked inverters to give you 220 volts? What do you have for battery storage? Seems like a welder would draw it down fairly rapidly. OK, I will stop there for now.  

[glenn kangiser]

No problem, desdawg.  Ask away.  It is a 110v wire feeder -Miller 135.  The miller 110v wirefeed is MUCH better than the Lincoln.  It welds on longer cords with less trouble and most important is the motor frame is aluminum -- Lincoln is plastic and it breaks -I broke 2 before I learned my lesson-- good thing - the Miller is so much better I consider the Lincoln a toy for people who don't know better.  I am doing 1/4 inch welds.  I used it for a couple hours last night.

I have 12 L16 batteries -375 amp hours at 6 volts each series/parallelled for 24 volt system.  I pump 600 gallons of water per day and run a freezer and refrigerator full time too plus everything else most places have.  Not totally camping out here.  I run 2 Trace 4000 watt sine wave inverters stacked together to make 220 also for my standard 1 1/2 HP pump pumping from 320 feet -Static water is 169' -draws down to 320 in about 40 minutes at about 10 gallons per minute rate.  Has to recover as well produces 1 gallon per minute.  I have a 1000 watt wind generator -seldom producing over a couple hundred watts or less, and about 2000 watts PV panels if I remember right.

[desdawg]

Sounds like you have a good system. I have a modular system you might say. I have four 75 watt panels and just four batteries (24v with a single inverter) for now since I am not there much. I will add storage first and additional pv as needed. I also have wind generator that I have never installed. I don't believe in my location it will contribute much. On a seperate system I have 4- 5 watt panels running a single 12 volt battery mainly just for for a few 12v lights. Refrigerator, water heater and space heater are propane.
Anyway I never considered running a welder on the solar electric system so I was surprised to see you welding. I have a little cheapie Harbor Freight wire feed that runs on 220v, 20 amp and I figured I would run it off the generator if I needed to weld something. It is good to see there are other options.

[glenn kangiser]

Mine is all cobbled together by me, but I know how to expand it and do whatever I want to do with it.

[benevolance]

working on a farm in the summer when I was a teen ager there was always a 22 bolt action rifle loaded by the grain silo...You would get up to the parlor barn real quiet like at 5 am...Still dark....Slide the door open flick the light on all in one motion with the gun under your arm trying to shoot a racoon...They were there every night...You could usually get one if you were quiet.

We swept up the grain and tried to make sure no food was out for them...It did not matter....Lil bastards are smart and they figured out how to flick the switch on one night to run the grain chute....The only way you are going to keep racoons out of trash is to lock the lids with a padlock...They are smart enough to get just about any lid off

The only way to rid yourself of Racoons is to poison them to death....If you had all the time in the world you could shoot or trap them... but it would take a lot of effort...

Find out what their favorite food is and poison them....

I am not a big cat person....But I cannot say I would like to see the family pet as dinner for a Coyote or Racoon...

Glenn maybe you need you a good hunting dog...Something big enough that 2 or 3 coyotes will not mess with it....

Train it well and let it sleep outside...It will get hungry Coyotes...Especially if the Coyotes keep getting a whiff of chickens....The coyotes will keep coming back and you can let Rockford the Dog take care of them...

[glenn kangiser]

At this point the raccoons are not too big a problem -- I locked the two chickens that are left in their pen - that will keep them from the coyotes and the raccoons.  I think the remaining cat learned her lesson the first time she attacked the raccoons - hasn't tried it again.  They seem to ignore her if she leaves them alone.  The coyotes are a different story -- they lay and wait then when the cat is hunting they swoop down on them and crunch their little heads.  I'm hoping the one dead one will be a warning to the others.  The coons are kind of comical as long as they don't get to being too much of a nuisance.

I tried a dog here but when I am gone for a week they tend to get into trouble looking for  company.  I've always had dogs since I was a kid, but with my work schedule it isn't fair to the dog.  Cats seem to be alright until they get eaten. :-/

[benevolance]

Glenn

I find dogs stay home well enough if you have them Fixed...I have had a few male dogs with their equipment in tact....No way possible to keep them from roaming...

they get a whiff of a nearby female and they are long gone man...I learned the hard way with dogs...You have to really train them well when they are very young...Walk the proprty with them over and over with a pussy willow switch....when they approach the property line you know what to do..

Carrot and the stick approach...Reward them for learning... discipline them for not...Hopefully they take to it...And they will never walk off the property kind of like the Elephants that are tied up with string.....the Elephants could not break rope when they were babies so that have given up trying as adults...

I think we both know that one dead coyote will not make a bit of difference as long as they feel that there is easy pickings with chickens and cats...

You might as well scoop up some local roadkill bring it home and see if you can keep the Buzzards away...

I prefer a Black Lab for a dog... but be careful...Do not make it too much of a pet....They are very affectionate and I learned the hard way... if Signifigant other spoils dog you will never unlearn it of bad habits...

For example...I lived with a girl once...She came to live with me and my dog...She taught it all kinds of bad, bad things...I would be away at work she would get the dog up on the sofa and the bed..

So when I would come home he would run back to his bed... but I would have to endure hearing him wimper half the night because he was sad or lonely or whatever....

I dunno who is the softie between you and sassy....but it never pays to spoil the pets too much in my opinion

[Sassy]

We usually get adult dogs - we got 3 dogs from a family that was moving - they live at our place in the valley - we just have one left (the other 2 were really old) Gypsy ran away for 3 days when we 1st got her but has never left since... she only likes me - everyone else she barks at.  We got an adult dog from a family for Mariposa, but he ran off all the time (he was fixed) & would be at the neighbors or the animal control would find him... finally brought him to the valley where he stayed because there was another dog - he liked a lot of attention but smelled so bad & shed like I've never seen a dog shed, besides, he had a very bad gas problem   - one pet with gas problems is enough    

We aren't in one place long enough to train a puppy - that is the problem.  So don't have the time to train them.  My favorite dog was a huge Great Dane that my son brought home one time - black & white spotted, never saw a dog that big, but he was the sweetest thing - acted like he was a lap dog - so utterly stupid but I really loved him.  He'd scare the heck out of you if he didn't know you - his bark was so booming.  

I usually like cats - they are more independent - I like them to sit in my lap & let me pet them but not be totally dependent on me.  Our last couple cats were wonderful - Sheba, the cat we have now is pretty useless (doesn't hunt) & very persnikedy (sp) she only likes Glenn, she will put up with me when she wants to eat or when he isn't around  :-/ .  

[benevolance]

So glen is the animal softie....The cats only like him....

My wife wants a cat...I told her no....I rarely say no to her...so when I did she knew it was open for discussion...

I do not hate cats...Just that she has a 12 year old Spitz terrier mix and he is particular...He does not like new people...barked at me for months after I moved in here...Still does not like me... He expects to be a lap dog and wants all the attention...Another dog or cat would devastate the old fella...I tell my wife all the time to let the old guy have his day in the sun...And when he has lived his last we can think about another pet.... But because we both know he would not take well to another pet...It would be cruel to get another one while he is here.

I want another Black Lab....They are the best....Good with Kids...Protective...Big enough to scare away nasty things...Good hunting dogs...Good in the car...And not destrtuctive by nature....I could not have a dog that chewed and scratched all the time...

A buddy of mine has a Irish Setter...They have to be one of the least intelligent animals I have ever seen....They will lay in their own fecis...

I would not mind having a jack russel...Another one of my friends has one and it is a incredible dog....Very smart, affectionate.. a little hyper but a lot of fun....Get the coarse hair one so they will not shed much

[glenn kangiser]

I've had a lot of different dogs but the one I would like to have another of is a German Shepherd.  I had one who was very smart- you would think he was human.  Just not enough time to give them the attention they need now.

[benevolance]

Glenn

That is all my dad has ever had..German Sheppard dogs...Good dogs...Very protective...And clean..Good choice..they shed something awful though

BTW I agree 100% on the welder...I recently bought a hobart and I like it...The lincoln welders are JUNK compared to the Miller...

welding in my dad's auto shop I learned on a Miller and they are pretty much the benchmark...Yes they are expensive...But worth every cent...Dad has a miller Cricket and it is 14 years old...Never spent a dime on it other than replacing worn out ceramic inserts for the nozzle

[glenn kangiser]

Well -- the truck was back together about a day or so after the last posting, but I had to work out of town so didn't show the rest of the story.



The bed will go up to about 50 degrees - looks more like near straight to me.  Only part way up here to keep from dumping my tool box.

For any DIY's interested in doing this - it can also be done to a pickup.  The hoist comes as a drop in package with the pump and all parts except cables.  The installation was so clean I'd swear I thought someone else did it.  I made the frame rails to take care of the dip in the frame and misc. other steel parts as necessary.  About 30 to 40 hours time considering Fred helped me the last day.   The bed is about 1 inch higher and 2 inches back from the original location.  I moved it back as I thought it was too close to the cab before and it gave me room for latches later.

Happy dumping. :-/

[glenn kangiser]

Worked a bit on the house today.  

Tonight I heard a thump on the roof -- deer or those crazy racoons I thought.  Dang things are more destructive than a carload of cops in a donut shop.

Got the flash light -- yup -- orange eyes staring at me ..

They disappeared so I thought i would see where they went.  

Up into the shop and looking up on the straw bale wall I shined my light -- thump --- drop --- plop ---

Whatever it was fell to the ground  --I didn't see it but it landed about 5 feet from me --- gotcha this time you crazy raccoon --

I shined my light over at the little beast.   Tail up in the air - butt towards me.  Wait a minute ---

That's not a raccoon.

It's a SKUuuunnnnnNK-   Glad it wasn't facing me.

I just remembered I had something to do somewhere else. :-/

[desdawg]

 
"carload of cops in a donut shop"? That is good.

[glenn kangiser]

I made that up --- they pulled a DUI checkpoint the other night ---  had me thinking about them.  

It is a bit invasive but the DUI part being for a good purpose is the excuse to check your seat belts - drivers license - and more revenue generating laws I guess.  I went through it anyway as I didn't have any reason to avoid it but you know how I am with authority types.

It just seems a bit like Germany in the early 40's --- "Papers Please"

You guys should be proud of me -- I didn't even make any wise remarks that would get me pulled over to the side and searched.

Guess I'm getting old --- I just rolled over. :-/  

The city of Oakland, California actually stopped doing it because the Latino (read  illegal alien) community protested highly.  Many don't have and can't get drivers licenses or insurance and said they were being discriminated against because they didn't have licenses.  They claimed they were otherwise law abiding citizens.  I wish I was kidding about this , but it's true.  Am I being discriminated against because I have a license and insurance?  :-/

Note that in one state I researched it is legal to turn off on a side street without them chasing to avoid the checkpoint if you do it in a safe manner.  I'm not saying that you will always get away with it - the police state being what it is.  

I don't mind them checking others but don't they know I'm special?

[PEG688]

It's twisted state , you guys let murders off scot free,don't hassle illegal aliens   but run down law abiding citizens with random traffic stops. Then you export trained Californicators to Washington state to riun our state  
Oh brother

 

[glenn kangiser]

Sorry 'bout that PEG.   :-/

It just seems to me they keep moving the line farther over onto my property.  Soon we will all be begging them to monitor us on our computer microphones as they are talking about doing just in case we may have a notion of doing something wrong-- then we could leave the sound turned up on the computer and they could read us our rights without us ever having to leave the house --- "Stay right there with your hands in the air ---Enus will be over to haul you in in about a half hour."  

"You are still banking at the same bank, I see.  Would you like us to extend you our courtesy bail posting service from your account.  You do have just enough in the bank to cover it."  

You didn't move up there from California did you, PEG?

[PEG688]

NO I'm a native New Englander ,I do have one sister who lives in the Peoples Republic of Ca.  

[glenn kangiser]

Great, PEG.  I was a bit worried about you there for a few minutes.

I'm a PNW'er turned traitor.  Never grew the web's between my toes. :-/

[glenn kangiser]

http://www.nps.gov/archive/petr/vc/sitebullitens/sbhornos.htm

Came across this information on using a clay oven per NPS while doing some research.  Here's ours.  We have roasted a couple turkeys - pizzas-bread - rolls etc.  An independant one outside would work better but I had to do something with the space.  Note that this was done early - maybe 3 years ago.




How to Use a Horno

     Depending on what the bread baking is for, family use or for an activity within the village, Pueblo women would be very busy making dough the day before the actual baking. Bread loaves are placed in pie pans or on cookie sheets and covered. These loaves of bread that are going to be baked can number from four to forty.

On the morning of the bread baking, gather cedar wood for the fire. Build the fire inside the horno, and monitor it so that it lasts for at least 45 minutes to 1 ½ hours. Allow the fire to die down, and use a shovel to remove the charcoal and a damp mop to sweep out the ash. Test the oven temperature (Pueblo women often used a quarter-sheet of newspaper or cornhusk). If it burns up quickly, use the damp mop again to cool down the inside floor, or leave it alone so that heat can escape on its own.

When the temperature is right, place each loaf of bread inside, beginning from back to front. Once all of the bread loaves are inside, cover the doorway with a homemade door or a sheet of galvanized steel. (In the old days, Pueblo women used to seal the doorway with adobe and rock each time they baked). Look and fell for any escaping heat, and cover leaking areas with a damp burlap sack.

After 30 minutes to 1 hour later, remove the door cover and carefully take out the baked goods. Bread is one of the many different food items that can be baked inside an outdoor oven. Cookies, corn for stew, meat, corn pudding and chile are other mouth watering examples of what can be baked in a horno.

More info at the NPS link above.

[glenn kangiser]

If you follow Mike Oehler's revised  instructions and use EPDM or his simple shed roof structure you are not going to have too many problems, but if you get weird like me you may have an occasional problem creep up.  One thing I have noticed is that as Mike stated, the gophers don't seem to bother the plastic but they will scoot right along it merrily digging their trails.  They think that nice plastic floor feels good on the little ones feet, I guess.  In my case, there are a lot of rocks in the covering soil so inevitably, there are a few punctures in the plastic.  When the soil is tight against the plastic capillary action pulls the water away from the hole or at least keeps it from running through.  It just creeps in and out through the hole-- but get a gopher hole over a puncture and things get wetter.  

This year -- the 4th year, the little ravine where the lowest point of the twisted ribbon roof and the corkscrew roof come together had a leak.  My wife said I should fix it so I didn't look like a failure to all the people on CountryPlans.  She has this way of twisting the facts. :-/  Maybe she could get a job in Washington D.C.

So I did it.  I used the help of Fred - my associate in my various ventures.  You remember
Fred.



Fred and I dug fairly carefully down to the upper moisture barrier on the roof.  Here he is sticking Bituthane or Grace Vicor patches on the plastic where we punctured it digging out.  Yeah -- I know -- Vicor is a bit high tech but I didn't have much time and it was given to me free, so doesn't violate my policies.  Next we put a double reinforced poly membrane into place (read that we stapled a Costco tarp to the wall)  and we left it fairly loose then sealed the entire upper edge to the good existing moisture barrier on the roof with strips of Vicor.



On top of that we fastened jute erosion control fabric then plastered it with stucco to make a more permanent surface similar to the Indian light duty concrete floor.  If the UV is kept from the plastic it will stay for years -maybe hundreds.  Since this is an area we walk on it was more susceptible to damage.  Landscaping will make it look like a mountain stream bed and things underneath will stay dry.

Repair time was about one day.  I have a few more improvements I need to do before winter sets in.

Just checked it a few minutes ago and --- Yup - it's drier than a popcorn fart.

[PEG688]

 A forum collection could be taken for Fred

 Along with these,

 

[Sassy]

Fred's 6'8" tall...

[glenn kangiser]

Butt he is so proud of it, PEG.