Glenn's Underground Cabin Update

glenn kangiser · September 17, 2013, 03:27:36 PM

Two welders running and mounted on the truck... 2 tool boxes and filling them up. When I get things straightened up a bit I'll post a pix.

I sent in billing for testing and supplies to see how the process was going to work with this company. I have not done much with them but I did work for them once years ago ...referred to them by the same friend as I recall. I got a call back with a couple of questions for clarification... no problems though. I think this is going to work out just fine.

Keeping me pretty busy full time just getting ready. I did take a late afternoon ride up into the park into the fire area on Sunday late afternoon. Skidded 80 feet and swerved around three cars who stopped dead in the highway in front of me.... the front one decided he wanted to turn left but thought he would stop in the lane to look for oncoming traffic... there was none that I recall... avoided him as he turned too... missed all of them by at least 2 feet though I was unable to stop in the allotted space.... note to self... give them even more room... [ouch]

Panorama.... still smokin'

glenn kangiser · September 21, 2013, 11:09:27 PM

Finally got down to my spring pond to get some mosquito fish for the pond at the house. Mosquitoes decided it would be a good place for them to take up residence. I had just a few mosquito fish in there earlier this year but.... don't know where they went... do frogs eat them?

Anyway... I took a swimming pool skimmer net and easily scooped up several hundred of them I think...

So on to the Bushhog to take them up to the pond so they could begin their feeding frenzy. Chow down kids...

Speaking of chowing down... I got a nice melon... Crenshaw? from the garden. Almost as big as the plate. Yummy.

September 22, 2013, 09:17:04 AM

Some birds will eat those small fish.I'm not sure what birds ya'll have out there,so I am going on my experience out here.

glenn kangiser · September 22, 2013, 02:02:12 PM

I did a little research.... seems crows, robins and blue jays might eat them but one day I saw a snake in the pond swimming under and in the water...I would guess he is the criminal here......

In one day the mosquito fish have eaten all of the mosquito larvae visible...... must have been thousands of them. I tried the mosquito dunks with the water bacteria in them but they didn't work... maybe too old or the summer heat destroyed them...

ben2go · September 22, 2013, 08:28:03 PM

BINGO! Snakes will do it every time.I was told by my local WLM official to use 1/2 cup chlorine per gallon,or drop pool tablets in.We don't have ponds,but be have areas that collect water after the rain.

September 25, 2013, 03:52:31 PM

I don't really want to put chlorine in there as I want the frogs to grow there for eating bugs. The mosquito fish are totally efficient... no more larvae in that pond....

I got the diesel welder going. It is a Miller 300 about 10 years old but only a couple thousand hours on it.

The First Miller plastic fan went through the radiator in about a year. The second one flew apart in about 8 months yet they swore they had fixed their problem and would not guarantee it. I tried to replace them this week with an electric fan and it was OK with no load ...but loaded I overheated it in about 1/2 hour of battery charging at 220 amps (just for a load)..... Looks like I am back to the third Miller un-guaranteed take your chances fan.

I was able to repair the radiator core so I guess that is considered a free ride?

murrini · September 25, 2013, 10:31:36 PM

Hello! I recently found out about these wonderful underground houses and we are very seriously considering building at least 1, possibly 2 houses & shops (& maybe horse barns? lol!)... We recently bought 15 acres in Northern California (Trinity County) that doesn't have anything resembling a flat spot on it, that we definitely want to go underground on; and we may be moving part time back to Pennsylvania (North Western Penn, Forest County) where the property we have available is fairly flat (some gentle slope), but on top of a ridge, so we are considering the possibility there. I have a couple of technical questions that I have been unable to find the answers to, though I may have missed them in this huge thread!! If so, please feel free to direct me to a page number for the thread if you would be so kind instead of re-writing anything, I don't want to make more work for anyone if it's my ignorance making me miss something.

Ok, #1- Septic systems... Our cali set-up we think is simple, just set septic and leech into the ground below the elevation of the house... For the possible Penn set- up, where we are on a much flatter plot of ground what are the possible (cheaper is better) septic solutions? and #2, Windows - Are double pane windows actually a hindrance to the over all temperature control if you are trying to use solar for passive heating efforts? It seems that many people building these homes with recycled/ cheap materials (which is where we are looking at our approach from- mostly for the cheap aspect) do not find a problem with the single pane? and on that note the aspect of insulation on any exposed walls... Does the earthen portions act as enough of a 'heat/ cool battery' that it fairly negates the need for [heavy] insulation (we will be looking at heavy snow loads around 6-8' feet on average and temps down to single digits in the cali location, lower temps but less snow for the Penn. location) on those exposed walls? I think those are the two main things on my mind for this project at the moment, we will be ordering Mike's The $50 & Up Underground House Book soon, but those were extra pressing on my brain at the moment... If ( I mean when!!) we do undertake this project I hope to do some photo journaling on it as we will be using timber harvested from our property mostly using our team of draft horses (except for the bigger 5' trees that need to come out, they are a bit too big for the horses...) and milling it all onsite and such... The crew that will be recruited (blackmailed?) to help all has extensive above ground carpentry experience in building rural mountain housing, so we hope to make this a very successful project!! Thanks all, looking forward to starting this project!!

glenn kangiser · September 26, 2013, 01:52:18 PM

I have a friend who put in a composting toilet with two bins away from the house. They use sawdust as I recall and use each bin for a year then let it set for a year before cleaning out and alternating bins. Free version of Humanure Handbook..

http://www.weblife.org/humanure/

...or a newer version you can buy

http://humanurehandbook.com/store/THE-HUMANURE-HANDBOOK.html

The ground tempers the air keeping it at the soil temperature rather than at the cold or hot temperature outside. I just used the double pane windows where I wanted to keep out the cold or heat. You would likely get a lot more heat through the single pane windows but may want to add insulated curtains to pull at night and retain the heat.

Yes .. the earth acts as a heat flywheel keeping you much warmer than winter cold and much cooler than summer heat. Only insulate the above ground portions if necessary. In the very cold areas I would recommend a few inches of earth then organics piled deeply on top as Bruce (Lodestar) has done in Minnesota. A good layer of compost- straw and brush pieces - chips etc would be good insulation. I would use the dirt first for fire protection.

I just talked to Mike Oehler when he called a couple nights ago to see if the fires were near us. I not only recommend his book but his videos also for additional information on more techniques and ways to do them. Still at www.undergroundhousing.com I think.

ben2go · September 26, 2013, 02:11:06 PM

We're using the compost bucket toilet as described over on permies. http://www.permies.com/t/16231/composting-toilet/bucket-toilet

September 26, 2013, 02:12:30 PM

Note I am using a standard septic system as you described with the greywater plumbed separate so in the future I can use it for landscape watering.

glenn kangiser · September 30, 2013, 11:02:20 AM

Dropped by my coming job jobsite to check things out on the way to our extended international family members wedding....

The beginning of steel at the Tehachapi Hospital and soon the beginning of my long career of welding the ends of rebar to the columns and plates on the side of them...

Rick... we also went by the Tehachapi Loop on the way home...

rick91351 · September 30, 2013, 11:26:59 AM

Thanks Glenn does me good they credit the Chinese Labor and good old 'Yankee' know how and the importance of America's Railroads in building California

Today how many years of studies and environmental impact statements would have to be logged and still get nothing done. From what I last seen Union Pacific who now owns it is now running close to 40 trains over that single main corridor in 24 hours. That is no small feat on a single main line corridor. I know - I worked on mostly single main lines. They require a whole lot of cooperation between good managers and even better employees. They are also running trains that would be two to three times longer and heavier than that line was originally engineered for.

glenn kangiser · September 30, 2013, 12:20:12 PM

Yes Rick... We watched a train go by then about 5 minutes later another one was following it right up the hill. I hope to get more time to lok it over and get some better photos. Not much to see from the vista point there and it was late too.

Here is a bit of train stuff from town...

They have a nice little display and station there - maybe a museum... haven't checked it out yet.

I will get plenty of time to check it out when I get there...

Much of the town is fixed up beautifully ......

and lots of good food.... did I mention that?

I just found a fully furnished studio apartment to rent for half the price of a dive motel... Room to park my truck and Motorcycle....

rick91351 · September 30, 2013, 01:14:02 PM

Holy Cow!! Who is the good looking chick

you are traveling with? Hope Sassy does not see that.

Beg your pardon sir but is that snow in the one photo. I thought you were in sunny warm California?

The apartment looks nice and the baked goods looked so inviting - I have one of those and three of those and a German Chocolate Cake.

September 30, 2013, 01:32:52 PM

Ummm Rick... Don't tell Sassy.. she wanted to go with me but I told her no girls...

OK... the jig is up... it is her and she is getting around so much better with her new hips I decided she could tag along too....

There were many more pics of the apartment... very nice place and much more than I had hoped to find. Going to send off the deposit on it now. I was a bit scared of the reasonable rate motel I had found last Friday.

I'll be sure to eat more of the cakes - pies and chowder, etc for you, Rick.

OH yeah... snow... yes - 4000 feet elevation and gets nippy in the winter....

rick91351 · September 30, 2013, 02:24:59 PM

Good thinking taking her to the wedding - ladies seem to like them - guys seem to like car shows and boat shows better.

Chowder, pies and cakes three of my favorite food groups by the way................. In and Out Burgers - Like a double double and then there is the taco wagons and the .................

Your apartment looks a lot better than the usual Reasonable Rate Motel I have seen around. Unless your are selling drugs, hot guns or car stereos then that is the place to be unless you want'a sleep or have a real fear of drive by shootings and parking lot fights.

glenn kangiser · October 01, 2013, 12:20:51 AM

I think it is going to be perfect, Rick. I am sure the project will go overtime several months at the rate they are going. I don't care though...if it went 6 months or longer I'm still good. [ouch]

I could rent the apartment for a year and still come out OK.

The wedding... our friend, Feng, came over from China, stayed with us 3 days about 2 years ago... went to Yosemite with us....had no beliefs because he said they don't believe in anything in China....we emailed back and forth a bit as well as stayed in contact on FB... Sassy and I went to his Baptism a year later... and this year he invited us and we went to his wedding. He is part of the family. We got to meet his parents as they came over from China for the wedding.

glenn kangiser · October 02, 2013, 07:25:04 PM

Don't see that I mentioned it but the electric fan did not move enough air to cool the Diesel Welder in a 1/2 hour load test .... so ordered the Miller fan.

I assumed it would go a few months before breaking but when I got the new one I found that it had been redesigned a third? time even after they told me they did not have a problem with the old one... guess they changed their mind. Got the new one on - working great and swapped the diesel welder out for the back gas powered welder.

I guess I'll take a pix... added a tool box under the diesel welder today to have room for my microwave ... hot lunch on the job now.

ben2go · October 02, 2013, 10:05:11 PM

Nothing like a good ole micerwave to nuke some fresh GMOs.

rick91351 · October 02, 2013, 10:09:30 PM

Quote from: ben2go on October 02, 2013, 10:05:11 PM
Nothing like a good ole micerwave to nuke some fresh GMOs.

So true ben

MMMMM!!!! GMOs

October 02, 2013, 11:37:54 PM

Thanks guys. Being on the edge of town and not wanting to roll up my welding leads everyday for lunch makes me just want to nuke something.... think of it... a nice ice chest full of freezer burgers and thawed out bean burritos... should be a great way to increase my usable welding time. [idea]

There is a Denny's within a half mile but I'd lose so much time rolling up every day... and my apartment is about 4 to 5 miles away from the job.... looks good to me... Ohhh yes... I'll bet that bakery will have some nice dinner rolls I can nuke and put a couple pats of butter in...

Windpower · October 03, 2013, 03:44:37 AM

get a gas grill and set up a mini kitchen

you might even sell some lunches to the other construction guys --- oh wait CA probably requires a environmental impact study for that and then there is the licensing and permits and --- good luck with that

Was the wedding a traditional Chinese wedding with multiple dinner courses and multiple wedding dresses or more western

ben2go · October 03, 2013, 07:19:09 AM

Quote from: glenn kangiser on October 02, 2013, 11:37:54 PM
Thanks guys. Being on the edge of town and not wanting to roll up my welding leads everyday for lunch makes me just want to nuke something.... think of it... a nice ice chest full of freezer burgers and thawed out bean burritos... should be a great way to increase my usable welding time. [idea]

There is a Denny's within a half mile but I'd lose so much time rolling up every day... and my apartment is about 4 to 5 miles away from the job.... looks good to me... Ohhh yes... I'll bet that bakery will have some nice dinner rolls I can nuke and put a couple pats of butter in...

Glenn,please be careful.The bi products produced by consuming that can cause massive explosion,and could possibly be ignited by a welding spark.

rick91351 · October 03, 2013, 08:18:39 AM

Gee Glenn you could put a 'rosebud' on the torch fire it up and open a kitchen. Few cast iron dutch ovens and a pot of beans..............

The railroaders that would move from Ca. to Idaho. Or Idaho guys having to go to Ca. to work. They all had these tales of the switch crews and section crews that about meal time would light a fire. They would let that burn down to coals while they were working. Then out the cooler would come the foil wrapped goodies from home or a pot of chili. The way they made it sound some were really masterful at foil cooking. (This was before those wonderful, wonderful frozen plastic wrapped culinary concoctions we all have had to fall back on from time to time. Back when microwave ovens were the size of a whole kitchen counter, or a small travel trailer.)

glenn kangiser · October 03, 2013, 10:32:28 AM

Hey you guys.....

In the old days we used to make little ovens for the exhaust of our welder or throw a foil pack of food on the hot engine manifold.... yep that was real cookin'

I will have my giant weed burner with me for pre-heating welds too... that could do some real damage to a foil wrapped burrito...