Our version of retirement: Living a childhood dream

Well, the Christmas rush depleted my tiny abode inventory

so

I'm back in production
Heh, visited the outlets today
Sold some for Christmas
They took what I'd built
need more

This is what I do my best to avoid
Being retired (to me) is no pressure
Just build and sell or give away

Oh well
I'll just crank up the sounds and hammer away

My latest;

Happy to keep it simple
Not so busy that the grain is hidden
bhs 1-6.jpg


The grain on this one crowns the entry
(always a desire)

close up.jpg

I did run the root thru the roof
happy with that

thru roof.jpg

bhs 1-6.jpg4.jpg
 

Heh, visited the outlets today
Sold some for Christmas
They took what I'd built
need more

This is what I do my best to avoid
Being retired (to me) is no pressure
Just build and sell or give away

Oh well
I'll just crank up the sounds and hammer away

My latest;

Happy to keep it simple
Not so busy that the grain is hidden
View attachment 261003


The grain on this one crowns the entry
(always a desire)

View attachment 261002

I did run the root thru the roof
happy with that

View attachment 261007
Congratulations on having your work sold at the outlets! I liked the idea of the "root" going through the "roof."
 
Ouch! Many years ago I did that with a framing gun when I was building, and selling sheds. Working late to fill orders, and put one through my hand between my thumb and finger. Was quite the deal getting myself detached from the building. Be careful out there my friend.

Managed to drive a 2" staple thru the tip of my middle finger yesterday
Rather quick
Place hand too close to the work
Press trigger
Those air driven staplers do the job thru meat

View attachment 261789



Next, I'll see how it does thru bone
 
Speaking of birds

Got a bit of snow

and

My little buddies are feasting

Heh, a tin of cracked corn can do a tiny body good
....for a grizzled ol' geezer's soul too

ywLsJcF.jpg


0jb4orr.jpg


YqvTtOt.jpg
 
beautiful works, and enjoyable read... i participate in off-grid installations of various extremes as well. it's inspiring to see the possibilities through other people's eyes. thank you for sharing!
 
As mentioned, my stock shelf for avian abodes is rather barren

shelf.jpg

Lousy weather tends to promote wood butchering
Of late I've come to build these tiny dwellings in lots of three

I center on aligning the entry with the grain
giving the grain a crowning effect
Highlighting it all by feathering in a dark stain on the rises

grain.jpg

I love it when a knot dictates entry placement

grain.jpg3.jpg

I missed the mark with this one

grain.jpg2.jpg

The fix will be widening the entry (pardon the cut/paste)

entry fix.jpg
 
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Are you involved in solar, or other amenities?

yes, and there's been several different iterations though i've never really spec'd them out myself. there are several individuals more capable than i who fill in the details. be happy to field any questions and pass it by the crew if it's beyond me.
 
yes, and there's been several different iterations though i've never really spec'd them out myself. there are several individuals more capable than i who fill in the details. be happy to field any questions and pass it by the crew if it's beyond me.
I chose to shy away from solar up there
Mainly cost to 'do it right' was the factor
(I've seen cobbled messes)

So, in a nutshell, what's the rough estimate price of a turnkey household solar system these days?
 
I chose to shy away from solar up there
Mainly cost to 'do it right' was the factor
(I've seen cobbled messes)

So, in a nutshell, what's the rough estimate price of a turnkey household solar system these days?

all of our recent installs are 80% reuse/repurposed materials so priced far short of retail. a group would purchase a semi or two of used panels, divy it up and sell the rest. some have used wind generators so we have a collection of them as well. i'll poke around to find out and give you a window if you can tell me what you need for output. 12v refrigerator would be key if you don't have one already.
 
i'll poke around to find out and give you a window if you can tell me what you need for output. 12v refrigerator would be key if you don't have one already.
Just future considerations for our off grid mountain cabin
rough numbers for standard household
220 elect cook stove
med size refer
Large shop saws (not sure the draw on those)
stuff like that

No time window
just rough numbers for future (likely years away) considerations

I certainly won't hold you to any estimates, since the market is so freaking volatile, and you deal in excess inventories
 
wow! that would need quite a stack of batteries... we're minimalists in that regard. i was checking out some old edison/exide glass a while back that was tied into a century old powerplant off a waterfall (on hawaii). now, that would have definitely filled your needs.
 
wow! that would need quite a stack of batteries..
That's the other end of it.
Never could find a good source
So, I put the skids on that notion

Heard rumor of a sorta Morman source that supplied used batteries (their cast offs) for less than half the new price
Not attractive to me
a waterfall
Yeah, no close water fall up there
Just the purest of well water
I could sell it
Love that well
Rumor was it's an underground lake, from Crater Lake run off
I do spread that rumor
 
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i scoped out a 50 ah rig today which would've cost $20k but this guy shopped the resale route and with outback everything dude came in at $4k invested. each of these batteries weigh in at 325 lbs, they retail for $1,400 each... purchased for $100 each.
 
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Working on the three tiny abodes

Going pretty basic

sGdolHa.jpg


The root on this one resembles an ol' Texas longhorn skull

I didn't have the heart to cut off the lower end, so it'll not have much of a place to perch.....except for the root

pi7ux7V.jpg


This one has such a nicely defined grain and the entry is so low, I may not put a root on it

qIjtIWy.jpg


qTAjK62.jpg
 


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