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 "Pic-Of-The-Week" Homemade doughnuts by AL |
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"Pic-Of-The-Week" Homemade doughnuts by AL |
Sufficient Self ForumLiving a more Self Sufficient & Sustainable Lifestyle |
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I like both of those projects.
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I love that fence! The chair is certainly interesting as well...looks comfy.
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That's what I thought Bee!
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Here's an owner-built "ball mill" (presumably using steel ball bearings inside that repurposed plastic jug). A ball mill can be used for grinding semi-hard granular or chunky materials into powders - food materials, mineral paint pigments, dry clay chunks, lots of things.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Ball-Mill-from-mainly-recycled-parts/
Article conveys the guy built it from re-used washing-machine/drier parts and motor, available hardware-store components, lumber, plywood, etc.
This Wikipedia article explains the principle of a ball mill.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball_mill
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This is a fun video. A power hammer machine that relies on an old tire as an essential component - along with re-purposed (but fairly common) machine parts, building/auto-supply parts, standard steel tubing materials, etc. To me, this device is both entertaining and impressive for it's basic effectiveness.
Toward the end of the short vid, the guy turns it on and demonstrates its function. Seems to be hammering out a piece of aluminum bar. Could as easily be a piece of steel heated into the orange-hot range.
http://www.farmshow.com//videodetail.php?v=64
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On this page (link given), scroll down about 60% on the page to see how old but reliable boat winches have been adapted for use in hauling a whole roof's-worth of trusses and purlins into place - for a barn.
http://www.rural-revolution.com/2011_08_01_archive.html
Very nifty idea.
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Here's a cute idea... a useful idea. It's a waterwheel/pump made from spare & repurposed parts like garden hose, an old wire spool (used as the spoke hub surrounding the hub bearing or sleeve), and other bits.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWAfnqH1w2g&feature=g-vrec
Simple concept. Sited in a little creek, it turns by current and picks up water - which is then pumped out (at fairly low, but still useful, pressure). Can be used to fill and refresh a pond, or could be routed through a system of shallow ditches to carry water through a garden.
What's nice is that the pumping action does not depend on an electrical or fuel-powered pump of any kind, hence is not vulnerable to power outages or fuel price hikes.
This vid, by the same man, shows the pump in use after a year:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbklIccv2CI&feature=channel&list=UL
This fellow made one using a larger-diameter hose and a plastic fitting that serves as an intake funnel. At one point in this vid, the hub is given a close-up. I'm still not sure what kind of casing that is at the hub. Obviously, it allows the support of the wheel axle, and it has a chamber that serves to transfer water from the wheel portion into the static on-land hose system.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN9iLNHGOYI&NR=1&feature=endscreen
Last edited by Joel_BC (08/07/2012 10:37 pm)
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Hey Joel, Have you ever researched the consept of a Ram pump? It too is water powered. I used to use one to fill a pond from a intermittent stream. worked well during the rainy season and very well during flash storms which is how we got most of our dry season rains. I can't tell you much because it was installed by the previous owner but it was darn handy for watering stock and limited irrugation.
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~gd wrote:
Hey Joel, Have you ever researched the consept of a Ram pump? It too is water powered.
Yeah, I believe that there are a few in use in my valley, from what I've heard. Haven't seen them in action. I've read about them.
As I understand it, you have to have a lot of vertical drop between the location of the water source and the ram pump itself, so that the gravity/mass of the water can drive the pump. And then the pump pressurizes the water to be delivered.
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Joel_BC wrote:
~gd wrote:
Hey Joel, Have you ever researched the consept of a Ram pump? It too is water powered.
Yeah, I believe that there are a few in use in my valley, from what I've heard. Haven't seen them in action. I've read about them.
As I understand it, you have to have a lot of vertical drop between the location of the water source and the ram pump itself, so that the gravity/mass of the water can drive the pump. And then the pump pressurizes the water to be delivered.
Well let me assure you that the verticle drop does not have to be large ours worked best when when the water velocity was higher. Mass does not drive this pump, kinetic energy of flowing water does. maybe it would help if you knew that they are sometimes called hammer pumps because they work like the effect called water hammer in pipes. I think if you search around this site http://practicalaction.org/hydraulic-ram-pumps you will find lots of usefull stuff because Practical Action is pretty much aimed at third world problems/ ~gd
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