Conor Wright

On 21/07/2022 at 20:10, openspaceman said:

Has she tries sauerkraut? I'm told as long as there is some cabbage other vegetable can be added.

 

You and @gary112 put me to shame.

Yes, of sorts, with red cabbage. Just layer it into a jar with a sprinkle of salt and pack it down. Not my favourite but it does go well with duck!

Theres no shame in growing anything. Believe me, our first attempts were nothing to be proud of!

2 minutes ago, Mick Dempsey said:

 Well, yes.

Or no? An older applicant may have their mortgage paid and kids could be grown up and be paying their own way in life?

11 hours ago, trigger_andy said:

I was thinking of filling ton bags. How much do you charge for them?

 

I had really hoped to get on with the Cabin this summer but just no time for it just now. Been concentrating on other outdoor projects plus firewood production. Then the missus wanted a kitchen island and a breakfast bar last time I was home.

 

Had my building warrant approved today for removing an internal structural wall between the kitchen and dining room so that will be on the cards soon. Then its a new kitchen to install. Never ends.  

 

I've a few new parts for the Logosol that I need to mill the beams so I think I'll make a start on molding them in September on rainy days. Ive 5 Sitka Trees to remove from the Cabin site, then I need to get a man in with a monster Stump Grinder to grind out all the stumps that where there. Then its prep for a cement pad, drainage, services etc. 

 

Ive 60 x 6" Beams drying though and the more dry they get stickered the less settling I'll have to deal with when I build the cabin. Silver linings and all that.  

 

 

25 quid for the shavings collected or two delivered locally for 75 (euro) it's not exactly a money maker but it beats throwing it on the compost heap.

Sounds like you've got a few irons in the fire there! Looking forward to seeing your progress, I started a "self build" thread a week or two back. Sounds like you'll have a few bits to add to it soon. So will I hopefully.

6 minutes ago, sime42 said:

I reckon your plan stands a very good chance of succeeding, judging by the impressive lot of stuff you're producing.

You mentioned jarring things, is that in vinegar? How else do you store things?

I don't, my better half does! I just eat them! But yeah, mostly vinegar although tomatoes are lightly salted and vacuumed in reusable jars, a lot of the veg is blanched and frozen or just straight frozen. Jams obviously sugar based and herbs are dried.

While vinegar is the base adding a few bay leaves, a ring of onion, star anise etc adds another dimension of taste. Beetroot in vinegar with 2 cloves half a star anise and a bay leaf is delicious!

The ogorki I mentioned earlier can be kept in salted water for a good few weeks, a bloom forms on top but that actually helps protect them. 

I can't claim to have much knowledge of the preserving side of things but it might make an interesting thread of its own, there must be a few others out there doing similar.

1 minute ago, trigger_andy said:

Ive a good extractor for the workshop and a dual bagger 3ph unit for when I start log molding for my Cabin. 

Mines only a single bag which does fill up a bit fast but as luck would have it the bags I get my bareroot hedging in fit it perfectly.

There's a local crusty hippie that gives me a fiver a bag for planer shavings for her chickens. We use some ourselves and the odd sheep farmer buys a ton bag for lambs

When you going at the cabin? 

Somethings gotta kill ya,

re alaskan milling, I just take a deep breath squint and push. 

I did get a dust extractor for the shed, I find the woodmizer and circular saws the worst. No real need for a mask then.

9 hours ago, gary112 said:

That’s a great crop of onions 👍

It is, our best yet by far. Looking like we will have all our own veggies this year and if our stores and preserves keep enough to see out the hungry gap and keep us going until next year's plants come ready to harvest. Such is the plan!

Good to see you back by the way.

1 hour ago, Stubby said:

Especially when you strim through it ....

Or when the dog rolls in it...

That's heavy staining for a nail or even a wrap of wire or two. 

Reminds me of the time I found an old axe head in a maccie.

I see your point. It is a way of getting rid of waste wood. 

Still, it's not going to change my mind about it.

If you wernt in Scotland I'd suggest a solar kiln for your kind of volume!

Have toyed with the idea myself but I'm still using ibcs in a repurposed mushroom tunnel. For my needs it works well, just have to keep ahead of demand with the splitting which has been hard this year. I'm selling more logs this summer than I did any other year.

Interesting. I could never see the reasoning behind it other than impatience driven by greed.

11 minutes ago, Joe Newton said:

Do people really wear chainsaw trousers in this weather?

Honestly, no. 

But then again I did spend most of today lying in a hammock so they were surplus to requirements!

We are well in from the coast, but only one proper frost this winter. plenty of cold easterly and northerly breezes, in fact today is only the second time this year its been nice enough to lie off on the hammock for a few minutes!

In 2014 (I think, could have been 13) we had a late frost on the 3rd of June. Knackered me spuds! 

We are reasonably lucky here, we have a sheltered site but its not a frost pocket either.

1 minute ago, david lawrence said:

Nice

What part of the country you on mr wright?

Thanks. Galway, Ireland.

Had a late start in the greenhouse but making up for it now, Tom's are just starting to turn, peppers on the way, cauliflower too. 

Outside the carrots have just swelled this week and we are thinning them as we go. Most of the garlic is out and drying, first harvest of onions too.

Beetroot are in full swing. My better half is jarring about half a dozen every night, along with strawberry, gooseberry, red and blackcurrants for jams. Ogorki (similar to gherkins) are coming steady. She jars them too. Looking at about 30 jars worth so far and not even halfway through yet. 

Jesus, could people cop on a bit. It's manageable. Hydrate, wear appropriate clothing, start early, have a long early lunch and a short, handy afternoon. (If you didn't manage to finish by lunchtime in the first place)

I can honestly say I've never missed a day because the weather was too good. Yeah, too windy, serious downpours I can understand but literally half the world has temperatures like this regularly and still manages to function.

Says more about people's inability to manage themselves than anything else.

On 16/07/2022 at 08:08, Stere said:

Totally bonkers and surreal.

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2022-mbs-neom-saudi-arabia/?utm_source=pocket-newtab-global-en-GB

 

 

 

More money than sense. 

14 hours ago, AHPP said:

**************** the modern world. Let it grind to a halt and starve through competitive ignorance. 

Be careful what you wish for, you'd have nowhere left to post such stuff if it ever did happen. Just sayin'.

Saying that, Scaling back a bit on our general consumption could only be a good thing. A complete breakdown of "the modern world" would be uncomfortable at best and that's just for those who survive it.

It's been a strong start on this thread, so I'll bring it down a notch, I made this dog kennel during the winter, big enough for our three dogs, with a bit of insulation and electricity for heat in the winter. Apart from those luxuries it's bet together with nails and took about zero skill! 

Had to make ear slots in the door of course!

1 hour ago, KWarb17 said:

Thanks mate.

I was intending to mill the timber myself but couldn't find the right lengths I needed (in excess of 6m) to mill up so ended buying it in rough sawn!  I had many weeks of machining to do as it was with mortice and tenons, dowels, half housings and curved braces so I figured it would be worth buying in on this occasion.  Something rather pleasing about doweling up a shoulder joint and it pulling up tight😁 .Recommend these drawbore pins. Really enjoyed the brickwork and figuring out the fireplace design too.

Well worth it considering the quality of the finished product.You missed out on an opportunity to try out a few scarf joints by buying in though! 

2 hours ago, Stere said:

What type of wood is that greenhouse frame raised beds etc all locally milled stuff etc or stuff from builders merchant?

 

Saw a really nice similar one that was made from larch and vistalux sheets .

 

 

 

The beds are larch sleepers from a local sawmill, I bought a few bales for various jobs and, ahem, may have over ordered a few here and there over the past few years!

The frame is all western red which I felled, milled, planed and erected myself. As is the cladding. 

The sheeting is twinwall polycarbonate with a 10mm cavity, we also sealed the ends (top end breathable to allow evaporation) to boost its insulating capabilities. Seems to have worked very well, better than I expected to be honest. Compared to the polytunnels the temperature is much more even and overall environment inside is much nicer.

13 hours ago, KWarb17 said:

Cracking job Conor👌 

Got to love a project as a bit of relaxation...one that just happens when you feel like it!

 

Currently working on an outdoor area at our place.  Just need to complete the patio around it over the next few weeks.  Kinda design and build as you go tbh so no doubt will be adding to it but progress so far...

That's built stronger than most homes! I must admit that I've never built a project of my own from a plan , always been a case of I've got x y or z amount of materials or this much space or it needs to be whatever size etc etc! 

I'm gradually improving though, the first shed I built wasn't even square or level, still standing though! 

I think eggs has a picture of it!!

Cracking job though, did you mill the timber yourself?

That's a huge project! Must say I'm impressed with the look of the wood effect cement board. 

Some high quality work on show here already from just a few posts.

Great stuff!

Pretty much what it says above. Thought it would be good to have a few projects together under one thread.

I'd like to see more of people's own projects, whether it be a full on renovation, build from scratch or a weekend project. Basically anything from a dog kennel or man cave to complete house. 

Any stage of construction or condition, updates, etc etc.

I'll kick it off with a few pics of our 3/4 finished greenhouse. My latest project and possibly the last one before I begin work on an actual house.(eek)

It doesn't have to be a timber structure, anything requiring a bit of craftsmanship is welcome. Also, if you just happened to be passing through wherever and saw something worthy, please do post it. 

Looking forward to seeing what's out there

Exactly one year between top and bottom photos!