What did Santa bring you?

[Wiley]

Re: What did Santa bring you?

Archena,
Here's a link to an article by NASA in english:

NASA - Severe Space Weather--Social and Economic Impacts

One would grow very old, very fast if one fretted about every possible scenario of calamity or doom. That being said, my family is probably several times more prepared to survive calamities (as comfortably as possible) than the average citizen. But that's saying: We're prepared against those calamities which have a higher likelihood of happening.

I expect that it is sort of a chicken and egg sort of question... which came first? Does having a natural inclination toward self-reliance cause one to gravitate toward certain lifestyles or does the pursuit of certain lifestyles cause one to become self-reliant?

This could get really off topic quickly but there is a world seed repository on Spitzbergen Island as a hedge bet against a truly civilization changing calamity. Link:
Svalbard - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
and

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=seeds-of-future-agriculture-enter-doomsday-deep-freez

Bests,
Wiley

[Archena]

Re: What did Santa bring you?

Oooh, would you please post the link anyway? I need to practice my German and that's a lot easier with something interesting!

[Frances]

Re: What did Santa bring you?

Great article! Fascinating.

In a way that's just what I'm talking about - if anything like that came to pass, people with actual practical skills would be in a far better position than people who buy everything they own or use in a shop. The knowledge of how to make something from scratch would become very valuable. And we have a lot of very capable and talented people on the forum.

Of course we're spread out all over the world, and we'd no longer be able to comunicate... but apart from that (very minor and irrelevant) little fact, we'd probably do quite well.

That's why I like the idea of clay ovens so much, cos sourcing firebrick and insulation blankets could become a tad difficult.

Talking of which I read this aricle about solar flares recently (in German unfortunately, or I'd post the link) where they said we're due for a big one any moment now (in the next couple of decades) and when it comes it may well fizzle out every single electronic connection we have worldwide... could be interesting.

Wooohooo, doom and gloom! Happy New Year everyone!

[nissanneill]

Re: What did Santa bring you?

Yes Archena, but that is the one thing that we today cannot change!
Only learn from our mistakes or the mistakes from the past.

Neill

[Archena]

Re: What did Santa bring you?



Way to spoil the delusion, there, Wiley.






















(Actually, thanks for the article - medieval history is an interest of mine! )

[Wiley]

Re: What did Santa bring you?

Not wishing to turn this too dark, but I came across this little article and it gives a less optimistic outlook should things go poorly:

FT.com / Comment / Opinion - Call this a recession? At least it isn?t the Dark Ages

Bests,
Wiley

[Frances]

Re: What did Santa bring you?

You know, after writing that last post I thought that if we all landed on the same deserted island or all got taken back to the stone age together - we'd rebuild civilisation in no time! Heck, with all the skills we combine here, we'd probably make something a whole lot better while we were at it!

About spinning dog hair, I think the trick is mixing it with quite a lot of regular wool - apparently you can mix in quite short hair then, too, and the smell is less of a problem. If you like Elizabeth, I can recommend you a really good beginner's book on spinning - then you buy a couple of small bits of wood from the DIY and away you go!

Like this.... its fun!

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Re: What did Santa bring you?

are you planning on using it gasless or hiring the argon bottles?

Hey neil.. They claim you dont need the bottles with the flux coated wire, I bought this more as a learning tool, for the price, I figured I could get some practice before I invested in a "Lincoln or Miller" Unit.. (they are the big names here) I may set it up today with some scrap and just try to get the feel of it... I think by the summmer I can buy a "real" welder after I gain some experience

Thanks
Mark

[nissanneill]

Re: What did Santa bring you?

Mark,
are you planning on using it gasless or hiring the argon bottles?
I tried the flux coated wire and found it to be terrible. It defeats the basic principle of flux free smooth welding and not much better if at all than stick welding.
By all means try it, be prepared for a hell of a shock on the price of the wire and I think you will agree that the gas is the way to go.
Unfortunately, if you want to weld stainless or even aluminium, (which is a bit messy using Mig when compared to Tig), you need different gases and then it really becomes doubly expensive. I still stainless weld with a stick and stainless rods but you need to passivate the welds to stop them from rusting, but occassionally use the Mig on really light stainless sheet, only painting the welds.
Anyway, enjoy the new toy, watch out for the duty cycle time, (I'd hate to see you cook it early), you will sort it all out over time.

Neill

[Archena]

Re: What did Santa bring you?

Think handbag. Dog Hair Handbags - Catty Shack Creations

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Re: What did Santa bring you?

Neil...

Surely a person with a workshop like yours can find something special that will fit that spare niche in your garage. Than tool that you just might use one day or the other one that you've been wanting for ages.

Went to harbor freight today.. Got me a Mig welder,, You were right, Something that I have wanted for ages.. it was also on sale and I had a 20% off coupon, so I got all the accesories.. So tomorrow after a bunch of reading and some youtube videos on welding I will try it out

Cheers
Mark

[egalecki]

Re: What did Santa bring you?

Ah. I don't think I have enough fur saved up to do anything more than a nice scarf. Thank goodness. My house smells enough like dog already without wearing the smell as a sweater! The current crew of culprits (who don't shed the right kind of hair to spin, unfortunately. too short)

[Wiley]

Re: What did Santa bring you?

Elizabeth,
A heads up on the dog hair knitting project. One of our daughters saved up years and years of her collie's hair. Literally bags and bags full of dog brushings. My wife, as a gift to our daughter, swapped with a spinner to have the hair carded and spun into yarn. Then, as this yarn proved to be fairly weak, she added an additional thread with the yarn and knitted a beautiful sweater and matching hat.

And now for the pros, the sweater is beautiful and extremely warm, hot even. And surprisingly not prickly (unlike camel hair, which feels soft to hand but is torture to wear as clothing).

The downside: inspite of washing before and after and even dry cleaning, whenever the sweater gets wet or even damp it smells of wet dog. And it is so warm that one's own prespiration causes the smell. And I mean a "head turning" strength smell. The hat and sweater stay in a double plastic bag in a trunk.

Now I love dogs, and have two at present, but this sweater is intolerable. Your Elkhound's hair might have different characteristics regarding strength and smell than this collie's hair; but you might consider knitting a small sampler before committing to a large project.

Bests,
Wiley

[egalecki]

Re: What did Santa bring you?

Well, Frances, if it comes to that, bring Wilson (and me!) along- we have butchered many a deer in the kitchen. I don't do the slaughtering part- that's up to Wilson.

I don't spin, but I knit pretty well. I have all this dog hair bagged up from my beloved departed Norwegian Elkhound I'd love to learn to spin into yarn!

I can see it now- we'll all be living in mosaic'd dome houses, each with it's own wfo, eating sourdough and venison and wearing hand-knit socks (I'm really good at those, you see) and drinking homemade mead and beer (Wilson's gotten really good at that). Now we need to bring on board someone who can make good wine and cheese.....

[Archena]

Re: What did Santa bring you?

Actually there is some kind of method to this madness.

I recon that if I ever get stranded on a desert island, or civilisation as we know it collapses, or something like that , I will be very well equipped to deal with it. I now know how to build and cook in a WFO, I could spin and weave my own clothes, know which weeds are eidible (danelions and such) and I could even brew my own mead. Slaughtering and butchering of animals I would probably want to outsource though...

I'll handle fishing - somebody else is handling the livestock.