JacobCoffinWrites

@JacobCoffinWrites@slrpnk.net

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Countries across the world use more land for golf courses than wind or solar energy⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Windmills are a staple feature in mini golf so really it was just a matter of time

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Trump Says He Wants No Wind Turbines Built During Administration⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  For a long while Savonius wind turbines were popular with the DIY self-sufficiency crowd. Solar panels blew them away in terms of home power generation and lack of maintenance but they were easy to DIY and they work well in the kinds of locations where the big prop windmills don’t make sense, like bolted to roofs and to the sides of building.

  They do sell premade wind turbines ranging from ones intended for yachts to full size ones but the permies forums have a lot of neat discussions on home small wind and small hydro.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Looking for some (re-)use cases for older Android smartphones⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  If the device doesn’t need to be portable removing the battery could improve safety a bit (and bypass some issues from the damaged USB port).

  It looks like it’s possible to connect an external power source where the battery normally links up www.reddit.com/r/…/run_pixel_3_without_battery/

  Not sure if that’s helpful but it might make turning the phone into a reliable embedded device easier?

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Turning automotive engines into modular chemical plants to make green fuels (discussion: is this a useful tech?)⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Thanks for bringing me in! Both these articles are great, and both are good additions to resource lists I’ve put together for solarpunk writers/artists - I’ve added the auto engine one to my list of alternative uses for car parts, and the battery ship info to my nautical solarpunk piece. Thanks again!

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Breezeway Greenhouse Help?⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  This is a really good point! Thanks for the dates that’s quite useful

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Breezeway Greenhouse Help?⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Sounds like a great location! I’m in a very different climate zone so most of my advice would have been around keeping the temperature warm enough through winter, while it sounds like you won’t have to deal with a lot of that.

  I’ve seen some cool designs that made glass houses out of secondhand windows or slider doors - if that appeals I can share some links but it’s a certain kind of look, and Povoq’s suggestion of clear corrugated sheets is probably easier and more uniform. Rain collection from the house roof and greenhouse roof would be very useful.

  I’ll see if I have any good links for you

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Breezeway Greenhouse Help?⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Very cool project! I have a couple questions:

  Do you get snow in your area? If it sheds from the house roof that could be an issue.

  What is the siding on the house? Greenhouses can get pretty humid/damp so you’ll probably want to ensure it doesn’t/can’t rot the house. It can still be done but it’s good to plan for. If your house is concrete that would be much less of an issue.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Lithium-ion batteries have ruled for decades. Now they have a challenger. | Sodium-ion batteries are emerging as a possible alternative.⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  I mean, you can’t have everything

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Mechanical engineering uni project⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Just to add, the way I pictured this working was to set up a basic smithee, probably a three sided shed so I’d have a dark place to work (helps to gauge the temp of the metal by color). I’d get some of those gas welder’s goggles with the flip up flip down lens (or use my electronic welder’s hood) so I could safely look at the work in the firepot (solarpot?) then take it inside to quickly work on it. I’d stow the forge inside the smithee (or in an attached lean-to) when not using it. One feature that might be good would be a way to cover the lens and unclip it from the forge so it can be stored in a box or wrapped up, to reduce the risks of it starting a fire.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Mechanical engineering uni project⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Sure! Generally they’re just an old coffee can with a thick layer of plaster of Paris and sand or firebox cement on the inside. They cement in some torch parts so they can attach a can from a burnzomatic torch and blow fire into the small, contained space from the side while having a hole on the front (usually with some loose firebrick for a door) to insert the work.

  Image makezine.com/…/making-your-own-tin-can-forge/

  m.youtube.com/watch?v=xv9nnEhgfuY

  I don’t know that the design itself is actually applicable here, just that they’re a good demonstration that even with a small forge, you can do some pretty cool blacksmithing.

  In practice I think a solar forge would have to be open from the top, and couldn’t really benefit from the tight space confining the heat, so it’d probably be closer to using a portable ferrier’s anvil like you might see reenactors use at the fair, or something like this:

  Image

  Though it’d look more like that artist’s smelting rig with the big lens and all.

  Thanks! I’m really excited to see what you come up with

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Mechanical engineering uni project⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  That’s great! I don’t have specific dimensions in mind (only because I haven’t sourced a lens yet). I’m not sure about the beam width. I think no matter what, it’ll be a narrower heat than you normally get with a coal fire or propane forge, so the blacksmith would probably have to adjust beam and shift the position of the piece to distribute the heat. But people make all kinds of things using little coffee can forges so if it allows for even that scale of project it’d be very useful.

  It might not be a drop-in replacement for a traditional forge, but it could be a really cool way to preserve a lot of the practice without burning coal or gas. Let me know if I can help at all!

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Mechanical engineering uni project⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  So I’m not sure this would qualify, it may be too simple. I’d been thinking about trying to build a solar forge (I got to learn forging from a really good blacksmith who worked with coal for a couple years, though I am very much an amateur). I’ve seen videos of people using old fresnel lenses from rear projection TVs to burn through skillsaw blades and if you can melt steel, you can certainly forge it. It might just be slow, or too focused on one spot, requiring some movement to distribute the heat, something I’d have to mess with. It’d also be a bit of a safety hazard overall, but at least it’d be outside on a paved driveway instead of of inside a shed like my old coal forge.

  I was picturing something similar to this smelter but with a reused TV lens, and a fire pot where his crucible is. The mechanical parts would be for rotating it to keep the sun shining through the lens, and possibly for adjusting the focus. Stability and safety would be a big consideration, don’t want the wind blowing it around too much.

  Again, not sure if it’s what you’re looking for, but I’d like you to get some usable answers here. Best of luck with your project, thank you for reaching out to involve the community!