My 15.75 x 30 Jemez Cabin

[MountainDon]

I completed the insulation in the walls...



...(even though some of the pictures don't show it all done.) We temporarily placed the cabinets in the area they will occupy.





Next weekend it's on to the ceiling insulation. And maybe the floor insulation as well. We hauled the floor insulation up there this weekend... no sense driving up without taking a trailer load of building materials. 

[Redoverfarm]

Looks like you are making good progress on the short trips.  Nice to have visitors even if it wasn't finished.  Always good to put a face with the name.  Not too many do here.  I had pictured Frank completely different.

I see you installed the insulation with the tack strips over the studs.  Drywall contractors hate that. >:. (Around here most tack it to the interior of the stud edges.  Anyway what ever floats your boat as I would guess you will be installing the drywall or what ever interior walls you are going to use.

Yeah I know what you are saying about the bees.  I had just made the comment to a couple of people that there are more bee's this year than normal.  At least here anyway since 1996.  Got to be some kind of a sign but I will be darn if I know what it means.  Not so many yellowjackets (still some) as ther are wasp, honey, mud dobbers.  Try to leave the honeys and mud dobbers alone as they are really benifical. 

Glenn will disown you for cleaning up the wiring nice and neat .

[MountainDon]

I had pictured Frank completely different.

Frank is completely different.      

He's a nice sincere guy. So's the whole family. Great girls.

[MountainDon]

Yep, the drywall will be done by ourselves.    Some walls will be T&G; ceiling too, MTL.

I keep a hammer handy and go over all the staples giving them a rap to seat them flush. Is that what the paid installers don't like... the raised staples that are usual; at least that's what I get a lot of with my venerable T50 Arrow spring stapler.??

[considerations]

You are really making progress!  Wow.

[MountainDon]

Thanks. I should maybe point out that my weekends usually comprise of Saturday, Sunday & Monday  (until 2 to 3 PM.) On occasion I set out Friday night.

It is very nice having the wood stove operable to make the place warm while working.

[glenn kangiser]

Great looking bunch of people there.  We have near weekly tours here at the underground complex and always enjoy good company.

Good to hear there are a few bees there.  We seem to have just gotten our first honey bees here this month as far as I have seen.

Uh hummmm...... did you have to do that to your wiring?

[Redoverfarm]

Don I think it is viewing the stud demensions.  With the tacking strip covering the stud you can't see the stud surface.

[MountainDon]

Yes John, that hit me this morning as I got up. Must be seeing the studs.

[John_C]

Don,
The cabin looks great but with all due respect I think you are out of proper sequence....

1. Finish electrical system
2. Install freezer
3. Fill freezer with elk
4. Back to your previously scheduled programming

It would be a bit of field testing for the 45-70. 

[MountainDon]

 

I'd need the solar PV completed first.   
My only source of AC is now the fossil fuel generator

[John_C]

So the important questions are:

How far are you from solar PV completion?

How long is hunting season?

[MountainDon]

Solar is scheduled for spring/summer '09   

K wants the interior done so we can move in (and out of the RV we've been living in since spring 2007. I don't blame her.

[John_C]

Pity.  I assume the elk there are as much of a nuisance as the deer here.  We are over run with deer.  The bag limit this year in GA is 10 does + 2 bucks.  It's not high enough.

My daughter used to be against hunting.  Well they studied game management a bit in one of her college biology classes and now she thinks hunters should shoot several young does instead of one buck (to get the same amount of meat) as better herd management.

I often see 6 - 12 deer in my front yard.  I don't know why, they've already eaten everything.

[glenn kangiser]

As a result of our 35000 acre fire the deer are starving and eating everything from anyplace that is not fenced or guarded by dogs, including things they would not normally touch according to my miner friend who lives in the burn. 

I have decent dogs and fences.

[MountainDon]

NM has about 90,000 elk all told. hey are plentiful.

[John_C]

1.2 million deer in GA according to DNR

[MountainDon]

 
yikes!!!

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

Wow, Don.  Been a while since I checked this thread.  You're making pretty good progress and it is looking great. 

[MountainDon]

Today's UPS delivery brought an incentive to get the ceiling done.      Oh yes, and to also get the solar in place.   



That's an RCH ceiling fan, the vari-Cyclone model. http://www.fanworks.com/

It will be running on 24 VDC with power controlled by a solid state speed controller and reversing switch. It uses scientifically designed air foil blades (4) to deliver maximum air movement with minimal power use. The perfect fan for off grid use, IMO.The blades have an air foil profile, have a twist to them, thicker at the leading edge tapering down across the blade. It's all finished in white and the materials are all paintable with spray can acrylics.

There are a few AC fans made that also use these blades; not many though

Trivia: The blades were designed by the guy who designed the propeller blades for the Gossamer Albatross; first man powered flight.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossamer_Albatross

Oh, the RCH business is for sale. The guy wants to retire. I could be interested if I didn't have my sights set on full retirement as well.

[soomb]

Small world:  RCH is located in the town I would like to move to!

[MountainDon]

... do you a couple hundred thou to invest??

[soomb]

The bigger question is do I have any idea about electronics?  Answer: no  The business aspect would be ok, I just could not answer a technical question, and I think that would upset the customers. 

[MountainDon]

Well, for what it's worth... from what I can see the manufacturing of these fans doesn't involve much electronics knowledge. The motor is an off the shelf Dayton DC motor. The blades appear to be molded; no idea how. The other parts could be purchased or maybe he has the equipment for molding them himself.    The electronic speed control is an off the shelf part from Solar Converters. I'm getting that item from another supplier actually.

The ability to understand the manufacturing process and operate a business in a profitable manner is probably more important than the electronics know how. That and having the needed purchase price.

The big question to me is whether or not the business really can make enough money to pay off a $200K investment? The fan blades MTL have a royalty fee attached to them. They also make a fan with standard wood paddle blades. It sells for less.

I do like the fan. Perfect for our use. There will be many times it will be the only thing electrical operating. With it drawing directly from the batteries there will be no inverter losses. The 10 gauge wire supplying it there keeps the voltage drop to less than 0.5%.

[Sassy]

You've made great progress - getting pretty comfy now, eh?  Wood stove, power, insulation, throne...  what more could you ask for?