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Utopia Talk / Politics / OT- Quarintine projects
Habebe
Member
Fri May 15 13:37:51
Any new hobbies/projects?

I put a hitch on the other day and started fixing up an old hauling trailer.

Started a 40x40 garden all rototilled up.

Ive been thinking about fetmenting my own food lately, goodngutnhealth and all.

I also want to build a new bridge to my sister's house since hers is a pos.
Rugian
Member
Fri May 15 13:54:45
Drinking.
Rugian
Member
Fri May 15 13:55:26
Also you need to explain that last one. A bridge?
Habebe
Member
Fri May 15 14:00:31
So down here in SC we have trenches all over since the soil does not drain excess rain quickly so we park at my sisters place and have a small bridge ( like 5-6 ft long) to walk over the trench to get to her house.
hood
Member
Fri May 15 14:06:36
As if it wasn't obvious enough that hot rod jr is a troll...
Forwyn
Member
Fri May 15 14:09:44
Creek bridge, I assume.

I'm going full redneck, wife and I ordered 15 hens of various breeds, so I have a coop to build over the next two months
Habebe
Member
Fri May 15 14:19:22
Hood, Of course you would jump to big nosed creatures standing around trying to collect money.j/k

Forwyn, Pretty much.

Also I highly recommend

www.instructables.com

All sorts of projects with instructions.
Average Ameriacn
Member
Fri May 15 14:48:37
Cleaning all my guns.
sam adams
Member
Fri May 15 15:11:06
ALL the firewood is split.
Paramount
Member
Fri May 15 15:56:58
I’m not in quarantine because we don’t ban freedom in Sweden. But, I have been working from home since sometime in March and I have finally finished RDR2. Two years after I got it. The game wasn’t actually that bad. It was just slow. Game is well made, they have put a lot of effort into it.
Habebe
Member
Fri May 15 15:59:03
SC isn't under any ban either, I just put it that way since I see a lot more people doing similar projects as we spend more time at home.
Nimatzo
iChihuaha
Fri May 15 17:21:10
Im gonna start studying for my hunter license and get a gun.
Nimatzo
iChihuaha
Fri May 15 17:23:41
I’m also going full redneck I guess...
CrownRoyal
Member
Fri May 15 18:04:07
Going to fuck your sister? Never go full redneck
Habebe
Member
Fri May 15 18:42:06
Nimatzo, Have you ever gone before?

I noticed in SC I dont think there is any age restriction. I remember growing up that 12 was a milestone where I could finally have my own gun to care for and go hunting with it.I see 6 year olds down here going hunting with there dad.
sam adams
Member
Fri May 15 20:12:12
"Im gonna start studying for my hunter license and get a gun."

Thats the style! We will make a good murrican out of you yet!
kargen
Member
Sat May 16 00:14:22
I'm still recovering from total knee replacement so a lot of physical therapy during the day. Since I wasn't planning on going out and about much anyway not much has changed for me. THe knee surgery hit just right.
Nim you don't need a hunters safety certificate to buy a gun. You only need the certificate if you want to legally kill furry things.
jergul
large member
Sat May 16 03:32:35
I am getting in a godawful amount of skiing. We had a snowstorm yesterday. I regret changing to summer tires a week ago. Premature.

Still waiting on that goddamn American rowing machine (helping you with your trade deficit since 2003. As my Amazon membership proves).
jergul
large member
Sat May 16 03:53:29
It is getting rediculous.

Sunset: 00.15 (quarter past midnight)
Sunrise: 01.30

Snow at metstation 1.15m (3.5 feet).
jergul
large member
Sat May 16 03:56:56
Sammy
How do you grind your axe?
Nimatzo
iChihuaha
Sat May 16 04:00:36
Habebe
I have not.

Kargen
Not in Sweden, here you need the hunter’s license and then you can send an application to the police to get a gun. It is like a drivers license it has a theoretical test and a shooting test. Very reasonable, very Swedish.
Nimatzo
iChihuaha
Sat May 16 04:03:09
Jergul
Is it one of those water rowers with a water tank?
jergul
large member
Sat May 16 04:04:30
As featured on house of cards :D.
Nimatzo
iChihuaha
Sat May 16 04:06:12
Yea those look sweet.
jergul
large member
Sat May 16 04:13:07
Nimi
Hunting is fine incidentally. Very social if you join a elk felling group, but rather expensive.

The small game stuff has the disadvantage of having to deal with recovering and cleaning small carcasses if you do actually shoot something.

To this day, I will still spot and mark stuff like grouse when hiking and make a small, internal *bang* sound to indicate when I would have fired the shotgun.

Just as satisfying and a lot cleaner.
Habebe
Member
Sat May 16 04:13:42
I was wondering if you did need a hunters license to get a gun. In the US hunting regulations vary greatly from state to state.

I feel like in the south they just hand out guns like halloween candy.

I was also amazed to hear its totally kosher and legal to hunt over bait.

Habebe
Member
Sat May 16 04:16:31
Jergul, That doesn't sound nearly as satisfying. Not that I was huge into rabbits and squirrel. That just seems wierd and very jerguly.
jergul
large member
Sat May 16 04:19:29
*Shrug*, the ability to find joy in small and silly things is a counter-indicator for depression.

Lots of things seem trite and meaningless if depressed.

This is actually me being serious in trollish way. You have had a lot of big changes recently. None of them nice. You may want to talk with your GP.
Paramount
Member
Sat May 16 04:19:46
What is there to hunt in Malmö/Skåne, or where do you live Nimi?

Have you considered taking up fishing instead? You don’t need a gun for that.
jergul
large member
Sat May 16 04:23:02
The hunting test is a big deal here. Some armed forces put less effort into training their recruits than the hunting test demands.

I never bothered myself. As I said, I grew up in a really rural community. Quite a few laws and regulations were considered advisory if known at all.
Habebe
Member
Sat May 16 04:23:25
I didnt say it was meaningless, I said it seemed less satisfying and jerguly.
jergul
large member
Sat May 16 04:25:35
Para
I think nimi should go with the gun and join an elkfelling team. He may very well be the first Persian-Swede to do that.

It would be a magnificent symbol of Swedish integration.

The kg price of his share after all costs is horrendous, but those groups often form lifelong ties.

Its a good idea when moving to a new place. His suburbia should have a group or 3 active.
jergul
large member
Sat May 16 04:27:01
Habebe
I have killed way too many things to get a kick from killing creatures. Its exactly as satisfying and a lot less mess to clean up.
Nimatzo
iChihuaha
Sat May 16 04:33:35
Passing the tests is the first hurdle but probably not the big one. I need access to hunting grounds and I have zero connection to the hunting community and a hunting party to get a chance at big game like elk and moose. If I can find grounds close by I can probably get into it hunting birds and hares until I find people.
Paramount
Member
Sat May 16 04:39:08
I have never heard of an Persian Moosehunter before. But someone has got to be the first.

Maybe Nimi can go to Hunneberg and hunt. There is a lot of moose there. It is actually a royal hunting ground and is a so called ”Table mountain”. I have been there and it is nice place. Not sure if anyone is allowed to hunt there though. It may only be the King and his fellows/team that is allowed to hunt on the mountain.
jergul
large member
Sat May 16 04:40:22
Nimi
Connect. Hunting is not actually a solitary thing. It will take forever to figure out something as simple as where to hunting if you try it on your own.
jergul
large member
Sat May 16 04:41:57
That is not actually a terrible idea. Join a hunting community and go on the first trip they set up to Poland or whatever. Make friends there.

Contacts is also a good reason to sign up for hunting courses. You meet people.
Habebe
Member
Sat May 16 04:42:26
Perhaps its a cultural thing, but hunting here is generally a solitary or familial thing like father and son.
Average Ameriacn
Member
Sat May 16 04:44:51
Learning to shoot "animals" might come in handy later in your life.
jergul
large member
Sat May 16 04:47:09
Habebe
People can hunt on their own and do more often than not. But that is within a framework of greater social setting.

I could pick up a shotgun and go hunting now (though it would be very illegal). Nimi could try the same, but would just be going on a glorified walk until he was arrested for illegal hunting or attempted terrorism.
Paramount
Member
Sat May 16 04:50:14
I’m thinking that is the real reason why Nimi is applying for a gun license. The hunting animal thing is just a charade :o)
Habebe
Member
Sat May 16 04:52:56
Well considering his persianness , likely terrorism.

I could go hunting now and, probably not get arrested. Its common place to hear gun shots and it's kind of whatever goes down here.
jergul
large member
Sat May 16 04:53:02
Para
Just no. That is not what jegerprøven is at all.
jergul
large member
Sat May 16 04:54:09
I frown on hunting in the spring.
Habebe
Member
Sat May 16 04:54:26
That said I much prefer fishing or camping to hunting, I often would fall asleep hunting when I was younger.
jergul
large member
Sat May 16 04:55:01
But my point was that so could I, because I know stuff. Nimi could not.
jergul
large member
Sat May 16 04:57:35
Hunting from a blind or set position would be like work for me. I have no idea why people do that.

Even fishing is something I will only do in rivers I know well. I would want to know where the pools are and systematically work my way upriver to check them out.
jergul
large member
Sat May 16 04:58:37
(Ocean fishing is different. That is just to fill the freezer and is a job so to speak, but is effecient use of time).
Habebe
Member
Sat May 16 05:03:47
I havnt fished for a few years, but I used to love pond and lake fishing as much as river fishing.

Deep sea fishing is ok but, yea not as enjoyable.
Habebe
Member
Sat May 16 05:05:46
Now. Ice fishing, thats a social beast, mainly because your just sitting around not fishing. The rod does it for you, good time to drink.
jergul
large member
Sat May 16 05:22:23
hehe, funny how we always mean different things with the same words.

By ocean fishing, I mean: Drop line in. Wait a few minutes. Pull up 100 pounds of cod. Repeat until estimated freezer capacity is reached :D.
Nimatzo
iChihuaha
Sat May 16 05:30:52
Hehe I actually do expect to be the only immigrant in this crowd. I don’t just want a gun, then I would have bought one illegally and without all the trouble, I want to hunt. The idea of joining a gun club has crossed my mind for handguns, but that just seems boring and ALOT of work and I still can’t hunt.

I live in the southern third of the country Paramount. It’s all new ground, what I know about hunting fits in a thimble. I have one super power thiugh and it’s that I don’t really suck at anything, I can get a C or B grade in almost everything. But I’m also not grade A at anything.
sam adams
Member
Sat May 16 13:04:59
Learn to shoot first. Practice practice practice! Make the actions of your rifle second nature. Practice shooting from all sorts of jacked up body positions with all sorts of barrel rests.

Dont be that rookie that misses an easy shot, or worse wounds the poor beast. Dont take a shot until your retical is stable and you know to a high level that your shot will be a clean kill. Better to let an animal go than take an unstable shot.

Jergul. I use a fiskars 8lb maul... i touch it up with a fine file from time to time but its good quality steel that keeps its edge for a while and has enough momentum that it doesnt even need the sharpest edge.
TJ
Member
Sat May 16 14:03:18
One of the first projects I did was dismantle and clean what I'll call for this purpose "The Magnificent Seven".
Habebe
Member
Sat May 16 15:31:00
Ive used fiskars hatchets, great quality, was a little shocked for being sold at Wal-Mart.
Habebe
Member
Sat May 16 15:32:15
I think I'm going to start growing mushrooms next.
sam adams
Member
Sat May 16 15:47:44
Ya fiskars is quality. Not even expensive. The big mauls were just on sale for 40 bucks at amazon. Got my brother one and myself a spare at that price.
TJ
Member
Sat May 16 17:39:29
I used a Truper 12 Lb. splitting maul with 27 In. steel handle for years. If you split a lot of wood it is an excellent tool. It's a work horse.

http://www...-Woodbuster-Maul/dp/B00D8G722W
Habebe
Member
Sat May 16 18:12:05
My next maintenance day I would like weld all of my yard tools as one solid piece of steel, I dont like wood/fiberglass handles on tools.

However my fiskars hatchets are some sort of super strong plastic that works great.

Part of my spring cleaning is maintenance days where I clean up and prep my tools, its oddly relaxing.
sam adams
Member
Sat May 16 19:18:13
Part of me wants to find a 16 pound monster maul for the knotted ugglies, but im told the new fiskars mauls and axes actually do a better job than the old heavy ones for 99% of the rounds.
TJ
Member
Sat May 16 19:38:37
That Truper was great for those sections. They never split clean, not even with a gas powered log splitter, so saved them for camp fires. I'm picky when stacking.
sam adams
Member
Sat May 16 20:04:54
Haha, your stacks sound neater than mine. So long as mine dont collapse im good. Plus i want extra loose extra airflow... we live in the rainfirest foothills where we get 75 inches of rain a year.
Habebe
Member
Sat May 16 20:17:44
Sam, I thought you lived in the NE?
TJ
Member
Sat May 16 20:58:53
It helps when you can fall your own oak trees. Equal measurements keeps it fairly clean. I was lucky enough to have a large building for storage and didn't need to deal with the weather, rain or snow.

That is a lot of rain to deal with and keep dried.
Habebe
Member
Sat May 16 21:30:51
The humidity kills me down here, everything that isn't stainless rusts like immediately.
sam adams
Member
Sat May 16 21:36:40
"Sam, I thought you lived in the NE?"

That was a long time ago.

TJ i wish we had oaks. Our best wood here is usually doug fir... its easy to split and dries out fast and leaves almost 0 ash but it doesnt come close to oak density for overnight burns. Its always questionable whether it lasts until we wake up.
sam adams
Member
Sat May 16 21:39:45
You have a secondary stove or a cat stove?
TJ
Member
Sat May 16 22:41:19
Sam:

I had two large wood burning fireplaces. I've converted them into gas with blowers remotely operated and thermostat controlled. I'm not getting any younger, unfortunately.
jergul
large member
Sun May 17 06:00:58
Rowan has almost the same energy density as oak and is really easy to work with if you are cutting logs yourself (its been decades since I've felled trees for firepurposes). I am a birch man, detest pine anf fir, and think cedar is the funnest to split and the funnest to burn (the wood by the fire gives off a nice aroma that my mind thinks comes from the fire itself - which is silly).

Birch is nice because is burning without poping, no sap to get on hands, and provides its own kindling in bark.

Fiskars is really good quality, but I use the reverse side of the axe if I do not split the log with one blow (I reverse the axe and hit downwards on the splitting stump backside first with the log on top). Doing that is really hard on the axe and will eventually loosen the head from handle. So I prefer wooden handles because I can repair that.

I could discuss wood stacking techniques for hours :D.
patom
Member
Sun May 17 07:53:36
The house we live in now has two wood fireplaces. We never use them. I learned a long time ago that fireplaces suck more heat out of the house than they are worth. I was going to put wood pellet inserts in them till I read up on that.

Current project for us is the wife decided to paint the kitchen cabinets. We've discovered that Kilz doesn't cover dark wood all that great. It still takes two coats of white paint to cover the dark stained wood.

Speaking of firewood if you want a good aroma burn cherry or apple. Never burn willow. Stinks to high heaven.
Nimatzo
iChihuaha
Sun May 17 08:28:05
New addition to the quarantine project. As the result of losing my temper with a not-even-3-year-old, I now have to repair some drywall.
Nimatzo
iChihuaha
Sun May 17 08:30:43
Speaking of chopping wood, I understand nothing is more manly than an axe, but does anyone have a kindling cracker?

http://www.kindlingcracker.com/

Looks so practical.
jergul
large member
Sun May 17 08:42:38
I bought one of those for my father. Its fine.
TJ
Member
Sun May 17 11:06:56
Oak splits easily when freshly cut. I've split 3ft across sections 18 inches long in one blow with the Truper. Look at the core and you'll see spider cracks(same with most varieties of wood. Align your axe with the largest one and swing away.

Avoid willow, sycamore, hedge, and thorny locust known as natural iron. The locust will chew up a chainsaw blade in short order. The willow stinks when burned, sycamore grain has no pattern and the hedge burns too hot.
sam adams
Member
Sun May 17 11:27:39
"that fireplaces suck more heat out of the house"

Ya, an open uncontrolled fire is going to barely heat your home at all... basically a waste of wood. It allows too much airflow and the unburnt smoke carries away plenty of energy too. I think the average open faced fireplace is only 10% efficient?

You really want an enclosed wood stove or fireplace insert... something with air control and a method for reburning the smoke to increase efficiency and drastically decrease pollution.

Modern wood stoves will get you about...75% efficient... and easily heat most houses. Indeed they will very easily overheat many homes. Our stove cranks out some serious heat... its a conscious effort to not feed it too much on anything but the coldest windiest days or we get way to warm.
sam adams
Member
Sun May 17 11:40:09
Ya that makes sense TJ. Collecting splitting and stacking is basically my only upper body workout these days. And my back is allready a little displeased.

What stove/insert do you have jergul? A nice scandanavian cast iron Jotul by chance? That was on our shortlist but we went with one of these:

http://vonderhaar.com/alderlea-t5/

Ya we could chat for hours about splitting and burning im sure. It could really bring UP together... at least those of us fortunate enough to be in cold rural or low density suburban areas :)
jergul
large member
Sun May 17 12:33:58
TJ
Birch is a bit gnarly. Hence the technique.

Sammy
Freestanding quite similar to yours. I like the small volume as it allows for singlefeeding wood and still getting complete combustion

One thing I have to say. For energy efficiency, always keep the vent fully open. C->CO gives a lot less energy than C->CO2.

Hence the importance of singlefeeding wood as the way of keeping heat production down.

The UK produces some magnificent woodburning ovens. I have my mind on a model for the cabin, but am waiting on Norwegian certification (insurance demands).

jergul
large member
Sun May 17 12:42:16
http://www...onheart-wood-fired-cook-stove/

That is pretty close to woodporn.
TJ
Member
Sun May 17 12:58:15
It is true that fireplaces without inserts are extremely inefficient, especially considering all the work that accompanies them. I had inserts in both. I wouldn't have done all the work to waste it with 90/95% of the heat going out the chimney. If I hadn't owned the wood I wouldn't have bothered at all.

I couldn't be happier with my gas controlled inserts with 4 speed blowers. Pushing buttons to control is the cats meow. Cutting and burning wood for a heat source has been abandoned with exuberance.

If the wife and I didn't enjoy the ambiance a fireplace provides we'd saved the cost and use the natural gas furnace. We are at the point in our lives where we can spend rather than save.



TJ
Member
Sun May 17 13:09:02
jergul:

About the only birch you'd see in my area would be white birch used in landscaping yards. I don't doubt what you said and sure you know.
sam adams
Member
Sun May 17 13:31:09
"I like the small volume as it allows for singlefeeding wood and still getting complete combustion

One thing I have to say. For energy efficiency, always keep the vent fully open. C->CO gives a lot less energy than C->CO2.

Hence the importance of singlefeeding wood as the way of keeping heat production down. "

Ya my parents in law do the exact same thing. I usually go inbetween during the day and load 2 splits at a time with 50% or so air.

The full overnight loads are when you really need to get air down to min ASAP.

I wish i had a larger firebox for longer overnight burns but anything more would just be too much heat while maintaining efficient burn temps. our house is too well insulated and our maritime climate too mild to allow anything bigger.
Nimatzo
iChihuaha
Sun May 17 14:48:02
Our primary heat source is geothermal we have a stove, a Swedish ”kakelugn”, in the livingroom. Those are pretty good also at retaining heat in the structure and release it over a longer period.

One of these
http://lindholm-kakelugnar.se/produkt/nr-25-a/

Additionally a wooden cooking stove, even the sauna is a stove :)
kargen
Member
Sun May 17 19:19:21
"If I can find grounds close by I can probably get into it hunting birds and hares until I find people."

If you were President Trump tumbleweed would be claiming you admitted to being a cannibal.
jergul
large member
Mon May 18 04:35:01
Nimi
Slap on some solar and you have the best home energy system ever. Well, assuming you can control the electrical heating bits with your iphone.

I suspect sammy likes embers in the morning to save him the hassle of relighting the fire from scratch.

I have an ap for that shit. I dont light the fire until early evening and let it die out when I go to bed.
patom
Member
Mon May 18 05:55:07
For those of you who still split your own wood, google using old tires in the splitting process. saves you a hell of a lot of work.
sam adams
Member
Mon May 18 10:33:48
"I suspect sammy likes embers in the morning to save him the hassle of relighting the fire from scratch."

You suspect correctly.

Embers usually last 8.5 to 10 hours on my stove with moderate density doug fir... which covers most weekdays but only some weekends... haha.
Nimatzo
iChihuaha
Mon May 18 10:41:12
Jergul
Mhmm solar is on my radar, been looking at the type that follows the sun.
jergul
large member
Mon May 18 12:42:33
Nimi
Aestetically unappealing and with moving mechanical parts - failure prone.

The panels are virtue-signalling more than anything else. But virtues are by definition good :).

I would just go with the simple to install, hasslefree panels. Assuming your house is angled to optimize sunlight (many are).
jergul
large member
Mon May 18 12:49:13
Patom
I juryrigged something like that when I was a teenager and our house @71N inland climate was heated almost exclusively with wood.

It was built out of an old German runway and I had a hole beneath my window I could see stars and the Northern Lights through. Very beautiful once temperatures fell below -25C -31F. Crispy, dry air :).

With two full-sized wood stoves that both were lit at 6 am and kept burning until evening...

We went through a lot of wood and it was my job to saw and split. It was close to an actual job and I needed to be effecient as I was also chopping it in -35C/-31F.

We are all dilletantes these days. Chopping mostly for the upper body workout. Efficiency gets in the way of hunkering down for some butt sculpting :D.
jergul
large member
Mon May 18 12:56:36
Why did I not saw and chop in summer/fall you may ask?

Well, seasonality. Tons of other stuff to do according to the season. The trees themselves are felled in Febuary-March and stacked to dry, but not brought down until snow allows in the fall.

January - chop wood
Febuary-March fell trees
April-May - Nothing much going on.
May-June - potatoe field
June-July - river fishing
July-August - Haymaking (literally)
September - Berries, mushrooms, senna grass
October - Get wood
November-December - Chop wood.

I am glad we did not own part of a reindeer herd. No fucking time.

This is a long time ago of couse. Life has changed up there.
jergul
large member
Mon May 18 12:58:14
September is also grouseshooting* I was never into elk hunting.
patom
Member
Mon May 18 13:17:07
With the added benefit that frozen wood splits a hell of a lot easier. Most will pop on the first touch of the axe or maul.
patom
Member
Mon May 18 13:21:07
-30 Farenhite ain't no fun. My first winter driving for Irving oil we had to top load at the refinery in Saint John NB. Holding onto a lever on the spout over your head for almost an hour with winds coming in off the Bay of Fundy was just a pure pleasure. I would almost be warmed up by the time I got back to Calais border :)
TJ
Member
Mon May 18 15:10:54
If I was younger I'd definitely invest in a solar system properly sized for my home. I also think jergul is right about stationary systems with one exception, that being location.

In Illinois, if you generate more power than you use within a good year, the utility company reaps the benefit. In a bad year you could end up paying for energy you produced the previous year at the utility rate.
jergul
large member
Mon May 18 15:16:16
Patom
For some reason I am to lazy to figure out, cold never combines with wind. It seldom was below -25 when windy.

A different matter in the Barents Sea of course, but that is a whole other kettle of fish.
sam adams
Member
Mon May 18 15:24:36
Ya thats more serious woodworking than i am ever gonna do. -25 ... nuts.

I like those crisp clear 40 degree F fall mornings where i split wood for an hour before football comes on.
TJ
Member
Mon May 18 16:24:42
It takes stacked oak anywhere between 6 months and two years air drying for prime burning. A high moisture content causes it to pop embers. From doing a lot of splitting you can tell by weight if it is ready or not. I Burned 90% white oak with the other 10% being walnut and shag bark hickory.

I agree with Sam. I'd have to be really desperate to split wood in excessively cold weather. I don't care how much easier it would be with a frozen moisture content.
patom
Member
Mon May 18 16:52:10
Not recommending splitting or any other real physical work when it's -30 The wood just has to be frozen. It'll split a lot easier.
jergul
large member
Mon May 18 17:24:17
Ach, its fine. With the proper breathing technque :-).

I would never to it again, but it was not something I ever thought of questioning back in the day. It was only 4 years anyway. I was not allowed to play around with chainsaws before I turned 12 and I moved away at 16.
jergul
large member
Mon May 18 17:38:07
We brought the logs down in 7 meter lengths (I did not do that alone), then I bucked and chopped at my leisure.

So many things I will never fucking do again :).

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