Homestead Update

So we thought we would give you a little update about how things are going on our homestead since we have been here.  We moved into our homestead in March of 2014 and most of our projects have been home improvement type stuff but we have started some homesteading projects.  Currently we have been only maintaining two of the seven acres, letting the other five grow natural for now until next year and we have seen tons of honeybees tending to the wildflowers that are growing out there, which is exciting for us as future beekeepers.  Liz and I have also discussed purchasing some of the surrounding lands, acre by acre, if finances allow so we can one day expand our homestead.

Liz has been hard at work canning, preserving, propagating crops and planting various fruit bearing plants and trees.  So far we have planted muscadines, fig trees, blueberry bushes, tomato plants, a peach tree and a plum tree and some butterfly bushes for our bees next year; unfortunately one of the blueberry bushes has died and the peach tree is in rough shape as well.  We are trying to plant as many of the perennial fruit bearing plants, bushes and trees as we can in the first few years, with much of the trees being planted this coming fall.  Liz has also processed (cored and sliced) about thirty pounds of apples and has filled four one-gallon bags of blackberries, which were harvested from our field- all of which are stored in our freezer.  She has canned five jars of apple butter and two jars of pesto and two jars of tomato and has additional canning to do this week and next week.

Our firewood supply is off to a decent start for this winter.  I built a small firewood rack out of some left-over lumber treated wood I had and filled it with red oak and poplar.  This weekend we will cut more firewood and I’ll be building another and even larger rack.  Hope to at least get one cord of firewood this weekend (one cord= four feet high by eight feet long by four feet deep) and we will be installing a wood-burning insert into our fireplace this fall to heat our home this winter.  My goal is to run the heater as little as possible, if at all, this winter and just heat the house with firewood, though I don’t know if our wood supply for this year will allow us to do so. 

Other than that not much else has been going on around here homestead wise.  We are trying to make our old home more efficient and we had insulation blown in our attic to help keep the place stay cooler during the day.  I haven’t completed our rain barrel collection system yet and it bothers me every time I walk past the downspouts that would empty into the rain barrels that I haven’t purchased yet.  It will be nice when we get it up and running though, and it will save us a lot of money in the long run when it comes to watering plants.  

If you are interested in carpentry and beekeeping please keep following us; we have a lot of carpentry projects coming up this fall and winter to include our chicken coop project, fence replacement and building some hive stands for our beehives, along with a lot of other carpentry projects.  This fall we will start preparing for our first bee season which we will start around March of 2015.  I have a feeling 2015 will be a very interesting year and we hope that you will join us.  Thanks for reading!

Man of Stihl: A Short Overview of Stihl Saws

Trees are beautiful.  The trees that I enjoy looking at the most are the one’s burring in my fireplace on a cold winter day, keeping the house nice and toasty!  Contrary to popular belief you don’t have to be a nut and berry eating tree-hugger to be a homesteader.  You use the resources available to you from the land as part of your preparations to include firewood for the winter.  This will mean you will need the proper saw for the job.

Just as a quick disclaimer, Stihl did not endorse me for this product review; I wanted to review them on my own accord because I believe they build a top-notch machine.  I want to save you the time, money and aggravation of buying a low quality machine that will fail you.  I’ve been there when a low quality tool fails and it costs twice as much money and time to get the job done.  This won’t be the case with Stihl products.

So why Stihl?  I love both Stihl and Husqvarna equipment and we run both on our seven acres.  You really can’t go wrong with either. But there are a few things to consider. Stihl is a German company and Husqvarna is a Swedish brand.  The first thing to consider is parts and service; there are more certified Stihl mechanics in the United States than Husqvarna mechanics and parts for Stihl are also more readily available.  Second is durability.  Husqvarna, once again is an outstanding product and it seems that they produce higher RPMs (Revolutions Per Minute) in the wood, resulting in a faster cut.  However, it seems to me that Stihl puts a lot more emphasis on durability and their saws seem to have more metal components than that of the other competing brands.  When you pick up a Stihl chainsaw it feels like a saw should.  You can tell you have picked up a well built and powerful machine when you pull it off of the shelf.

The first thing that you will notice about your Stihl saw is that there is only one selector lever to the left of the throttle that controls the saw as opposed to separate controls.  On the professional models, and some of the farm models, there is a decompression valve that you depress before starting the saw so that you won’t be pulling against the compression of the engine during starting.  My Stihl saws always start up without any issues and they run all day just as well.  The newer Stihl saws are equipped with quick-release fuel and oil caps.  Some people don’t like the quick-release system but after some getting used to they are actually pretty convenient.  Most of these features you will notice on the Husqvarna saws as well, just in case you are leaning towards one of their products.

One of the features I like the most about Stihl saws is the inboard clutch.  The clutch on Stihl saws are on the inside of the chain as opposed to the chain running in between the body of the saw and the clutch such as on a Husqvarna.  This is a great feature because it is much easier to remove and install the chain and bar because the chain does not have to be maneuvered around the clutch.  It also makes installing the clutch cover much easier because their are less parts to line up upon installation.  There is one advantage to an outboard clutch, however, and that is that they tend to get bogged down less because there is plenty of space for the wood chips to clear the clutch.  This rare problem with the inboard clutch is cleared easily though, by revving the saw while manually rolling the chain across a log until the chain begins to spin under the power of the engine.

I guess this turned out to be more of a recommendation for both Stihl and Husqvarna… whichever brand of saw you choose you can’t go wrong.  Before you know it you will be sitting around a warm fire with wood you cut yourself.  Remember, be safe and thanks for reading!

Survival Tins and General Preparedness

Nobody likes getting caught with their pants down, unless you are just plain weird.  But being caught off guard happens to us all, does it not?  No matter how good you are, no matter how thorough you are, occasionally something is going to happen that you did not expect.  Don’t let that unexpected moment be during a life and death situation.

I think we can all agree that homesteading and preparedness go hand in hand; further I believe that a common thread amongst homesteaders is the love of the outdoors.  One of my favorite things to do, though I don’t get to go as often as I like to anymore, is backpacking.  I love getting in the truck and driving down some dirt road in the middle of nowhere to get to a trail head that leads out into the middle of a wilderness area.  There is no place I would rather be than in the back country hiking along a river that nobody ever sees. There are day that I have been backpacking and I do not see a soul.  But one wrong slip, one wrong turn or a severe unexpected weather change could turn an enjoyable two night trip in the woods into many days and nights out there, possibly without food or water.  This is the scenario I think about every time I head out to the woods- whether it be for just a simple day hike, fishing trip or a backpacking trip.

One of the simplest ways I find to be prepared for such a situation are survival tins.  A survival tin is a simple small metal box containing basic survival gear to help you live through a potentially deadly situation.  The tin itself does not have to be any particular shape or size but I would use a metal container rather than plastic.  The metal container can double as a pot to heat water over a fire or to cook food in and the shiny interior surface can be used to reflect light and can therefore be used as a signal mirror; a plastic container would not be able to do those things.  The survival tin that I use for backpacking is a G-Shock watch container.  I also have a larger camouflaged survival bag that I keep in the truck every time I drive through the woods.  The reason why I use a small tin for backpacking is because of weight and the larger truck bag would be too heavy although the truck bag does provide more space for what I would call “luxury survival items” like a fishing net and pocket chainsaw.

The contents of your survival tin should include fishing lures and fishing line, fire starting gear, some small first aid supplies, a whistle, space blanket or survival blanket, a couple of iodine water purification tablets and, if you still have more space a small pocket knife and a small compass.  I wouldn’t get too caught up with the pocket knife and compass- I keep a multi-tool on my belt when I am backpacking and there is always a compass and a fixed blade knife in my pack.  Every time I return from my backpacking trips I keep the survival tin, knife and compass in my pack so that I don’t forget them on the next trip- they are never removed.  My survival bag for my truck contains all of this plus a fishing net, pocket saw, additional first aid gear, signal mirror, water bottle, power bars and rope.

Now you can buy pre-packed survival tins in the store but I would recommend building your own.  For one, it will probably be cheaper that way but also you will be able to custom taylor your kit to your needs.  Plus you will know that everything you are putting into your custom kit is of good quality and that it probably won’t fail when it is needed the most. 

I plan to write a lot more on preparedness in later posts.  Being prepared and aware is what I call the sheepdog mentality rather than having a victim mentality.  Remember, there is a difference between awareness and paranoia.  Enjoy your trip but always be aware and prepared for such a survival situation to occur- it may be your life or your child’s life that depends on it.  As always, thanks for reading. 

Building Your Own Muscadine Trellis

What’s better than muscadines?  Muscadine wine!  But before you harvest your own muscadines to produce your own wine you need to first build a trellis.  If you would have asked me a few months ago how to build a muscadine trellis I wouldn’t have been able to tell you.  However, I did know one thing about muscadine vines and that is that they can be very heavy.  As the saying goes: “necessity is the mother of invention” and I knew just enough about the vine to design and construct my own simple trellis system.  I have to apologize in advance, this will be a detailed read, and may be a bit boring, but if you are looking to build a sturdy system that will last for years then I think this will be a useful post for you.

My design consists of three “T” shaped posts spaced ten feet apart from each other and two “dead-man” posts, one at each end, and spaced five feet away from a T post.  A 3/16’s galvanized steel cable is supported by the T posts and is what vines will grow on.  Each dead-man post is buried in the ground at a forty-five degree angle and they are what the 3/16’s cable is anchored into; the dead-man posts are also what support much of the weigh of the vines themselves.  Now, let’s get started.

I'm going to include a brief materials list here:

-Four 8' pressure treated 4x4's
-Two 12' pressure treated 2x4's
-Eighty feet of galvanized steel 3/16th's cable.
-Twelve 1/4" bolts (4 1/2") with twelve nuts and twenty four washers.
-Three 3/8" lag bolts (6 1/2") with three nuts and six washers.
-Two stainless steel or galvanized turn buckles.
-Eight stainless steel or galvanized 3/16" cable clamps.
-Two 3/8" eye bolts with washers and nuts.
-Six 3" galvanized deck screws.
-Five bags of concrete

First let’s start by cutting our lumber.  Make sure that all of the lumber that you are using for this project is pressure treated.  Cut three 4x4’s at 66” and two 4x4’s at 36”.  Next cut three 2x4’s at 48” and six 2x4’s at 22 1/8” (twenty-two and one eighth inches).  While we are talking about lumber you will also need five bags of concrete to properly anchor the posts into the ground.  Now that you have all of your lumber cut let’s talk about the hardware that you will need.  The total length of this trellis, if you use the same spacing I did, will be thirty feet; the cable will run the length of the trellis system twice and it angles down into the dead-man posts so you will need approximately seventy-five to eighty feet of 3/16’s galvanized steel cable.  If you decide to add more posts you your system then you will need more cable.

To anchor the cables you will need two eye bolts with washers and nuts (I used a 3/8’s galvanized eye bolt but a 1/4” eye bolt should work) and you will also need two galvanized or stainless steel turn buckles which will be used to tension the cable.  Eight total cable clamps will be needed to properly secure the cable to the turn buckles.  Lastly, you will need twelve 1/4” by 4 1/2" bolts (with twenty-four washers and twelve nuts) and three 3/8” by 6 1/2" bolts (with six washers and three nuts).

So going back to the lumber, clamp and glue two 22 1/8” 2x4’s to a 48” 2x4.  In doing so, leave a 3 3/4" (three and three-quarters) space in the center, between the 22 1/8” boards, which will create a notch for the 66” 4x4 post; the 22 1/8” boards will be flush with the 48” boards on the ends and along the edges.  Then drill a half inch hole 2” from each end and 1 3/4” down; these will be the holes that the 3/16’s cable will run through.  Next, make marks at 5” from each end, at 15” from each end and one mark at 24” from the end (the 24” mark will be dead center).  Excluding the mark at 24”, measure down 1 3/4” and drill a 5/16’s hole; run your 1/4” bolts through these holes using a washer at each and and Loctite the nuts on.  If you decide not to use bolts for this portion of the design you could probably use 3” galvanized deck screws.  Drill a 1/2” hole at the 24” mark (also at 1 3/4” down); this will be the hole that the 3/8”  bolt travels through to attach the 48” 2x4 post to the 4x4 post.  You will need to repeat this process three times if you are going to be using three T posts.

Moving on the the 4x4 posts, mark a line at 18” on all three of the 66” posts.  These posts will be  buried in the ground, 18” deep, and this line will help you determine if the post has achieved it’s proper depth.  Then, at the other end of the post, drill a half inch hole 1 3/4” (one and three-quarters) down from the end of the post and centered in the 4x4.  Don’t attach the 2x4’s yet; wait until the posts have been secured and concreted in the ground.  If you add the 2x4’s before the posts have been concreted into the ground they will be top-heavy and may fall over while the concrete is drying.  Take your 36” 4x4 posts and mark a line at two feet; these posts will be used as the dead-man posts and will be buried two feet in the ground at a forty-five degree angle.  Drill a half inch hole four inches down from the end and centered in the 4x4 post; go ahead and run your 3/8” eye bolt through the hole, slide the washer over the threaded end and thread the nut on with Loctite.  I know that you won’t be able to tighten the nut until there is tension on the eye bolt but it will be one less step you will have to complete in the field if you do it in your workshop.  Repeat this process with the other dead-man post.

Now that you have everything fabricated and ready to go, put your boots on and let’s head out to the field.  Using a rope at least thirty feet long, stake one end of the rope into the ground and make a straight line with it where you want your trellis to be and then stake the other end down such that the line is tight.  You can also use a chalk line if you prefer- I just used a rope because I didn’t have a chalk line.  This will help you to keep all of the posts in a straight line.  Starting with one of the 66” 4x4 posts, dig a hole one and one half feet deep and then dig another one ten feet away or however far away you decide to space your posts; repeat this process until all of your 66” post holes are dug.  Next, using a level and two temporary support legs (per post) made out of some scrap lumber, insert a post into the hole and make sure that it is at the proper depth; remember that once the 66” post is properly buried that it will stand 48” as measured from ground level.  Then level the post vertically and screw on the support legs to hold it in place while you pour the concrete into the hole and once again, you will repeat this process for all of the posts.

Moving on to the dead-man posts you will need to dig a two-foot deep hole five feet away from each of the last 66” posts.  The posts will then be buried at a forty-five degree angle leaning away from the 66” posts with the eye bolts facing up.  Once you have achieved this you can pour the concrete in and let it set up.  Now it is just a waiting game.  While we are waiting I would like tell you about a product that will make your day a little simpler- the tool caddy.  I purchased a simple plastic tool caddy before we moved out here and it has been a great purchase.  Before I do any work out in the field I load all of the required tools and hardware into the caddy and I take it out to my worksite and it minimizes the amount of trips I have to make back to my workshop for tools.

So now that the concrete is set-up and dried according to the instructions on the bag, we can remove the temporary supports off of our posts; next go ahead and attach the 48” cross members you made out the 2x4’s by running the 3/8’s inch bolts through the half inch holes using the washers and Loctite.  Then place a level on top of the 2x4 cross member and level it out.  Run two 3" deck screws through the 2x4 into the 4x4 post to lock it into place.  This will finish the T posts and we are ready to attach the cables and hardware.

Run your cable through the half inch holes in the 2x4’s on the T posts so that the cable runs through all of the holes on one side of the trellis and run the cable down and through the eye bolt in one of the dead-man posts.  Keep pulling the cable through the eye bolt and feed it through the half inch hole on the other side of the 2x4’s and run it back through all of the T posts.  By the way, wrapping the end of the cable in some electrical tape will help you feed it through the holes; you may also need to use bolt cutters to cut the cable.  Once you have run the cable through all of the posts you are ready to attach the turn buckles and tension the cable.  It may also help to have another person out there with you to run the cable through the posts.

If you have vice-grip pliers go get them, they will help you tension the cable before you attach the turn buckles.  Clamp down on one end of the cable with the pliers where it feeds into the last 2x4 nearest where you are going to be attaching the turn buckles.  Then go over to the other side of the same T post and pull tension on the cable with your hand; then attach another vice grip clamp once the cable is tight.  This procedure will allow you to attach the turn buckles easily with a tight cable.

Next, make sure that the eye bolts in the turn buckles are screwed out all of the way.  If they are not and you attach them to the cable you may not be able to tension the cable properly.  Using the cable clamps and a socket wrench, attach the turn buckles to the cables; use two cable clamps per eye bolt- there will be four cable clamps per turn buckle.  If you just use two cable clamps per turn buckle there is a chance that the cable will slip under tension; use electrical tape the clean up the ends.  Now I forgot to mention the cable on the other side of the turn buckles but it’s simple- you will just use another section of 3/16’s cable and run it through the other dead man post, attaching the ends to the turn buckles.  Once everything is tightened down, remove the vice-grip pliers and tension the line with your turn buckles.

If you stuck with me this long and read this post I would like to thank you… I realize that this was a detailed read but I think that you will be happy with your trellis.  The only thing left to do at this point is to add your muscadine vines!  I hope that you will be able to use this post to construct your trellis or I hope that it at least gives you some ideas about how to design your own.  If you have any questions please leave them in the comment box and I will get back with you.  Thanks for reading.

Happy 4th!

                       We just wanted to wish everyone a happy and safe 4th of July!  Semper Fi.