tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-906217424699189688.comments2022-12-26T08:08:51.595+00:00Engineering Our Freedom4ndyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08675315515117082792noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-906217424699189688.post-7364629241815169742015-06-16T10:15:31.036+01:002015-06-16T10:15:31.036+01:00Hi buddies, it is great written piece entirely def...Hi buddies, it is great written piece entirely defined, continue the good work constantly.<a href="http://www.3dprintinggeeks.com/" rel="nofollow">Read more</a>Jeorge Robberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04346783308391500693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-906217424699189688.post-88627319104579970592015-04-03T19:18:27.982+01:002015-04-03T19:18:27.982+01:00N.B. Most of those pictured didn't survive, an...N.B. Most of those pictured didn't survive, and I would suggest taking a combination of the best of two parts of what I did there to give them a better chance of survival and not make the same mistakes as me:<br />First off, cut the stem low down in a thick woody section; you might not even want to bother with the thin wispy shoots near the tip and just discard them, as the woody sections will have a better chance of survival. Then give them a few days of soaking in water / rooting hormone to have time to form tiny roots - I rushed this too much. Then let them all establish in compost before transplanting outside - the thick briars that I stuck outside initially grew back some leaves, but were not strong enough to survive the weather long-term.<br />Hopefully I'll find time for a proper update soon...4ndyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08675315515117082792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-906217424699189688.post-10659938768525966102015-04-03T15:57:35.177+01:002015-04-03T15:57:35.177+01:00Really enjoyable and informative article. I will b...Really enjoyable and informative article. I will be planting an army of brambles over the spring using this method!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-906217424699189688.post-56342927610530478622014-08-07T12:45:58.458+01:002014-08-07T12:45:58.458+01:00Amazing! So many bits in a printer that could have...Amazing! So many bits in a printer that could have further use! Temple Knighthttp://www.templeknight.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-906217424699189688.post-66693302507472416432013-06-03T00:07:40.581+01:002013-06-03T00:07:40.581+01:00Possible identifaction on some of the photos from ...Possible identifaction on some of the photos from top: Rowan - does OK on Skye, maybe this isn't from local seed stock; Centaurea; hogweed; Alchemilla mollis (lady's mantle); possibley laburnum; possibly privet - this is a native plant- again good hedges on Skye; Not sure maybe a sedum?; Caltha palustris (marsh marigold); Filipendula ulmaria (meadowsweet); poppy; Cardamine pratensis (cuckoo smock); Vetch - we have this too on Skye pretty pink-mauve flowers; orchid; potatoe; not sure; potentilla reptans (creeping cinquefoil); fiddleneck = phacelia lovely curled furry mauve flowers;<br />Love your blog warts and all!<br />SkyeEntAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-906217424699189688.post-21594291161018575042013-05-10T23:22:30.532+01:002013-05-10T23:22:30.532+01:00Wow...
I've gone through your permaculture-re...Wow...<br /><br />I've gone through your permaculture-related articles. Respect for keeping documenting your progress, despite almost no comments being made to your work. So much consolidated experience!Nicolahttp://nmr.ionoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-906217424699189688.post-22569633606828602422012-11-04T09:34:58.244+00:002012-11-04T09:34:58.244+00:00For room temp printing with PLA scotch blue painte...For room temp printing with PLA scotch blue painters tape worked best for me. Wth heatbed (at 60 deg C) dilute pva glue over glass working well too. Mikeynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-906217424699189688.post-32492418579796103962012-10-11T21:41:23.431+01:002012-10-11T21:41:23.431+01:00I should probably write another update, the most e...I should probably write another update, the most effective machine I've seen for this so far was this chopper made from water-jet-cut steel, which is supposed to be OSH, though the designer hasn't made many files available yet:<br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFhDy7lpn0E4ndyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08675315515117082792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-906217424699189688.post-12443357834629852242012-10-11T21:34:34.369+01:002012-10-11T21:34:34.369+01:00Tree chipper. Precisely what I was thinking. There...Tree chipper. Precisely what I was thinking. There are (relatively) small units that will turn hardwoods into sawdust... though the sharpening problem will still exist, it might be a good way to go if enough 'feedstock' of waste is available. James Aydelottehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10475977726306273070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-906217424699189688.post-22833699078501831352012-08-27T10:45:57.761+01:002012-08-27T10:45:57.761+01:00I should probably mention I'm not using my hal...I should probably mention I'm not using my half-arsed bungee cord idea anymore, since that itself got tangled up a couple of times, but now I have fitted nuts and washers either side of the spool on that piece of scrap studding that I've been using as an axle (having now cut a paint-clogged section off one end), with a disc of cardboard between the spool and nearest washer to provide a bit of extra friction, but it's still not as good as a ratchet.4ndyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08675315515117082792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-906217424699189688.post-50965923035570645212012-08-27T10:37:46.482+01:002012-08-27T10:37:46.482+01:00I'm pretty sure it does have merit, I just hav...I'm pretty sure it does have merit, I just haven't got round to trying it yet, on account of not finding a spare fishing spool to try it with.4ndyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08675315515117082792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-906217424699189688.post-33377417306147197172012-08-27T09:51:15.913+01:002012-08-27T09:51:15.913+01:00did my thought of using a fishing reel mechanism t...did my thought of using a fishing reel mechanism to maintain tension on the spool have no merit Andy? surbitonPetehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01663656700688271047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-906217424699189688.post-31367637946171824992012-08-18T04:41:38.310+01:002012-08-18T04:41:38.310+01:00With regards to the anisotropy of the dried leek: ...With regards to the anisotropy of the dried leek: You might obtain a pretty strong material if you get two "sheets" and layer them so that the grains are set in a right angle, and then gluing or pressing them together. A bit like papyrus was made in ancient egypt: layer several thin sheets across each other to make a single sheet that's tear-resistant in all directions. wirrbeltierhttps://diasp.eu/u/wirrbeltiernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-906217424699189688.post-32104448418519201282012-08-06T06:48:15.430+01:002012-08-06T06:48:15.430+01:00Damn, you're probably right there, I have been...Damn, you're probably right there, I have been worrying a lot about watering plants enough, usually giving them some water every 2-3 days and leaving a big pool in their drip-tray if I'm going away for several days.<br /><br />Permaculture theory might suggest using a structure to exclude the unwanted 'element' of a neighbour's sheep, i.e. a bigger fence. Common courtesy might suggest animal 'owners' have fences big&strong enough to keep them in, but that's rarely practiced as it's hard to contain animals on a tight budget.4ndyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08675315515117082792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-906217424699189688.post-35400257600515072282012-08-06T05:50:56.391+01:002012-08-06T05:50:56.391+01:00That looks and sounds to me like the seedlings are...That looks and sounds to me like the seedlings are getting waterlogged. Happens to a lot of mine, and anything from fungal infections to stem rot seems to be the manifestation. Making sure the soil has good drainage and that you're not watering them more than they need might help.<br /><br />I had good luck germinating fresh goumi berry seeds just in damp soil stored in a loosely-closed plastic bag kept at room temperature for three or four weeks.<br /><br />Wish I had any worthwhile advice about the sheep. But nobody has any worthwhile advice about the sheep.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-906217424699189688.post-77426349153829554822012-06-06T14:45:08.671+01:002012-06-06T14:45:08.671+01:00That's right, I've been trying that method...That's right, I've been trying that method too, with quite limited success. Some plants that I had sprinkled crushed dried egg-shells around still had slugs attacking them, since they were stubborn enough to make their way over the shells for a snack, probably evening-out the points with thick slime.<br />It probably works to some extent if the border of eggshells is extremely heavy, but I don't know its overall effectiveness because it wasn't enough for me to notice a difference in plant attacks, and I don't currently have enough time for that rigorous task of marking out a square metre to pick through it and count every slug.<br /><br />A lot of those other uses there are quite good too :) it's funny to see though how after composting kitchen waste for well over a year and producing some nice rich humus, the only thing that remains visibly intact are egg-shells. I have no idea how long it takes nature to break them down.4ndyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08675315515117082792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-906217424699189688.post-5827515584698573202012-06-06T12:33:04.934+01:002012-06-06T12:33:04.934+01:00I just read that you can keep snails and slugs awa...I just read that you can keep snails and slugs away from your plants by placing a border of crushed egg shells in the dirt around the plants.<br /><br />http://thesecretyumiverse.wonderhowto.com/blog/10-unusual-uses-for-discarded-eggshells-0135541/Super Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06395181208927668723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-906217424699189688.post-13032963290252244682012-05-24T13:07:37.752+01:002012-05-24T13:07:37.752+01:00I ran across a gardening tip today that looked lik...I ran across a gardening tip today that looked like your style:<br /><br />http://lifehacker.com/5912590/use-old-paper-towel-rolls-in-the-garden-to-protect-seedlings-from-pests<br /><br />Cool blog...I can't wait to see how you approach DIY power generation.Super Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06395181208927668723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-906217424699189688.post-18045532588638098442012-05-15T00:01:11.230+01:002012-05-15T00:01:11.230+01:00Justin that's all kinds of awesome. I'm gl...Justin that's all kinds of awesome. I'm glad to hear your sister took up researching orbitropism; sadly at the uni I went to the course structure was quite rigid about what we could do for our final-year project. I would have loved to have taken on any of the projects that I've barely started in the last year as my FYP, since I would have had far more resources at my disposal there and things would probably go a lot quicker.<br />Oh well, anyway from the sounds of your sister's findings, it may be worthwhile for us to research how well a root crop can do in a rotary hydroponic system. That might require some adaptation in growing medium however, such as something spongy other than rockwool (for food safety) that could expand to make room for thick roots. Perhaps something like onions, radishes, baby carrots or even ginger could be grown that way.<br /><br />In the next couple of months I'm aiming to get my conceptual design of a cowled wind turbine to be more at the stage of design completion that the rotary hydroponic system is currently at, which will probably happen once my mad rush to plant seeds in spring dies down a bit. Once I get that figured out, I think I'll see whether I want to prototype energy or food production first, probably depending on what materials I have to hand and whether there has been any oil scare here by that time.<br />I'm not sure whether it would be wise to try a kickstarter/indiegogo campaign to fund prototyping such a piece of open hardware. I loathe all the people who send out silly wasteful trinkets like keyrings, CD's, etc. as rewards to people donating a bit. I'd probably want to send little pot-plants to people. :3<br />Please don't ever stop being curious.4ndyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08675315515117082792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-906217424699189688.post-56750968434660095632012-05-13T13:14:36.671+01:002012-05-13T13:14:36.671+01:00Wonderful post and blog. I noticed your comment re...Wonderful post and blog. I noticed your comment reply to mine at http://blog.thezeitgeistmovement.com/blog/ben-bishop/designing-food-systems and the sneaky detective that I am, found your blog and this post.<br /><br />I'm very much interested in rotational hydroponics for improving hydroponic yields. The problems I saw was with the lack of scientific data supporting orbitropism as the Omega Garden guy likes to call it. After contacting him, he does admit that published research hasn't been done yet which really needs to be in place to get this growing method better known and utilised.<br /><br />So I suggested this to my sister who was looking for a topic to research for her Hons dissertation in biology. And she thought it was a great idea and so built a scaled done version and made a comparison between plants (lettuce) grown rotationally (tested at various rpm) compared to non-rotational with all other variables such as nutrients, light intensity, distance to light etc. all controlled for as best as possible. The end result was statistically significant additional root and stem dry mass for the rotational plants but no significant difference in leaf dry mass. Unfortunately due to limits on time the plants weren't able to grow to maturity so the leaves were very small - but with more root and stem mass for the rotational plants you would expect faster growth later on as they would have more access to nutrients leading to bigger leaves and more energy for faster growth etc.<br /><br />She's yet to publish it and she's now doing a PhD on a totally different topic so the trail has ended a little. But I am planning on designing my own version to do my own testing (and eating of course). It won't be published as I'm not affiliated with any university but with complete transparency over the methodology and video documentation all posted online it will at least provide more data.<br /><br />Unfortunately I won't be able to start for another 6 months or so until I can get some spare funds and time together.<br /><br />So this is really a 'brother in arms' message with some thoughts for possible collaboration.<br /><br />Regards,<br /><br />Justin (just9700 aht yahoo doht com)Justinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-906217424699189688.post-44315156464066249612012-04-04T11:19:04.311+01:002012-04-04T11:19:04.311+01:00Where exactly can you find info on plants/seeds on...Where exactly can you find info on plants/seeds on cambia's site? As far as I can see the site is heavy on simply promoting a very small NGO that has quite a few dodgy investors/partners with a lot of money, although its stated aims about open-sourcing biotechnology are quite noble.4ndyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08675315515117082792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-906217424699189688.post-85377946956173360942012-04-04T04:48:44.813+01:002012-04-04T04:48:44.813+01:00Hi 4ndy, concerning PFAF do you also know,
http://...Hi 4ndy, concerning PFAF do you also know,<br />http://www.cambia.org/<br /><br />it's a good resource too for open source info on plants / seeds, etc<br /><br />Cheers,<br />AlphydanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-906217424699189688.post-63659489637099966372011-12-05T13:05:02.749+00:002011-12-05T13:05:02.749+00:00Zebedee would be so proud of you for saving all th...Zebedee would be so proud of you for saving all those springs :)naesknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-906217424699189688.post-78384254635130588802011-09-24T20:15:02.031+01:002011-09-24T20:15:02.031+01:00Of all the things you could salvage a ratchet from...Of all the things you could salvage a ratchet from, that's got to be the coolest I've heard yet. :)<br />Probably worth looking into.4ndyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08675315515117082792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-906217424699189688.post-30487572601545136862011-09-02T14:29:53.840+01:002011-09-02T14:29:53.840+01:00What about using the ratchet mechanism from an old...What about using the ratchet mechanism from an old fishing reel?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com