The Cedar Workshop Blog

Running water in an Outhouse

2017-09-15T14:52:00.000-07:00

Running water in an outhouse is a pure luxury experience. It is wonderful to be able to wash your hands in clean water and grey water flows to a suitable location.
This feat was achieved when I was running PVC pipes to fill the Cowboy Hot Tub. It was a matter of making a few extra lengths that ran to some rain barrels. For now, water from the lake is pumped into the rain barrels. In the future, runoff from the metal roof we flow into the barrels.

I did have a proper "P" trap, so a coil of garden hose was used for the drain pipe. It was hooked up to a vent pipe that leads to the pit for the outhouse. At first, I was concerned the human waste odours would come up the sink, but the extra coil in the hose seems to prevent it. See pictures below for more info.

1.5" PVC pipe running from the water pump to the rain barrels

Water in one of the rain barrels. Yellow rope is just in case for movement. A 1/4 cup of bleach was added for safety.

A simple hose bib attached a "Rain Barrel Spigot" kit from the hardware store.

Portable Green Waste Processing Table

2017-02-14T12:22:00.001-08:00

Wood Stove Generator Project - Part 1

2016-09-19T22:00:00.000-07:00

Since the winter season was approaching, I started to think about new ways to generate power to charge the "electronics battery". This a 12-volt, 55 amp hour, AGM battery I keep inside the main cabin. The main purpose was for the kid's low voltage electronics, my wife's laptop and to charge the on-demand hot water heater. I like to save the main battery bank for big stuff; running the vacuum cleaner, LED lights and the occasional use of the DVD player for movies. This system works, especially in the winter time when snow is covering the solar panels and the batteries charge life was short. In my mind, it doesn't make sense to run a big inverter to charge a small device.
I had an idea on how to generate a few watts of power from the wood stove heat. I would use a bunch of Peltier thermoelectric modules, two pieces of aluminum and an ammo box. I was hoping to have it all self-contained in the ammo box, placed next to the woodstove and charge a battery. The overall budget for the project would be less than $100.

The project started off with (10) 100W TEC Thermoelectric Cooler Peltier from eBay, The cost was $3.83 each with free shipping. The model was #TEC1-12709 (12 volts at 9 amps). I should have purchased a TEG module, but the cost was too much money at the time. The TEC doesn't necessarily generate 100 watts, it consumes 100 watts when a battery was applied.
The "hot side" of the modules would be placed on a piece of aluminum and secured into place. It would then be attached to the side of the ammo box and the box would be filled with water or snow. A water jacket or block would be perfect, but I have quite wrapped my head around it.
In the next week, I will mess around with this idea and see what I can come up with. Below is a few pictures of the progress.

Aluminum plate. Actual an old bus stop sign

Assembling the modules on the plate (white wafers)

For the first test, all the positive on one and negative on the other. (Parallel wiring)

Used Silver Arctic thermal paste and electricians tape

Made a crude cooling fin from a Starbucks aluminum can.

Overhead shot of the rig

Basic cooling fins for the "cold" side. Worked better with a 12-volt fan blowing over the fins.

Ammo box on it's side. That is where the generator will be fixed too.

2015 Channel Recap for the Cedar Workshop YouTube Channel

2015-12-30T14:01:00.001-08:00

Put together a Year 2015 recap of all videos produced on the Cedar Workshop YouTube.

Would like thank everyone for watching and sharing these videos. Happy New Year!

Make a Cheap 360 Degree Smartphone Mount

2015-11-11T22:48:00.001-08:00

A short, 1 minutes video that will show you how to make a cheap 360-degree mount for a smartphone. It can be used to film a 180-degree pan or a complete 360-degree shot.
Total cost for this project was $16.00
The materials consist of an egg timer from IKEA, 2 part epoxy and a car mobile phone mount from a dollar store, like Dollarama.

Works fantastic with a time-lapse function on an iPhone camera and capturing activity happening around the camera.

Music creditL HTML by YouTube creator music library

Fixing a Pull Cord for a Vintage Homelite Super XL-12 Chainsaw

2015-11-06T15:24:00.003-08:00

The first chainsaw I had purchased for our off-grid property was an used 1979 Homelite Super XL 12 for $75.00. It worked great, lots of power (54 cc), a 18" bar and with a sharp chain, it cut through Pine logs with ease.
The only negatives, no chain brake and the pull cord rope breaks. I used it for firewood season and the rope broke twice. We had a handy family friend that fixed it the first time, but after the second, the saw was parked and the backup electric Poulan chainsaw was used.
Four years later, after an aggressive purge of the work shop, I saw the protective plastic chainsaw case sitting in the corner. Thought I would pull it out and take another stab at fixing it. Started to dismantle the case that housed the pull cord. It was easy enough, but, after removing the last bolt and taking out the round pulley that contains the pull cord, a coiled up banding jumped out and unravelled all over the shop. I watched a few YouTube videos on how to fix the coiled up spring inside for the pull cord. I took a stab at coiling up the spring, off camera. Had to put the pull cord pulley flat on a board. I kept turning the pulley until it was pretty tight. Then with the aid of zip ties and my spouse's help, I managed to slip the coil into the pull cord case. Wow, that was difficult for a beginner. I wonder how the old timers do it? There must be an easier way.
Once the white and blue case was back on, bolts tightened, chain was sharpened and fuel mixed, I tried it out on a fresh piece of Douglas Fir. Boy, did it tear through the wood. Only had a the throttle open a quarter and it made easy work of the log.

The bar is 18" long. Good length for the weekend warrior.

The exhaust adds a cool sound to these saws!

On the Bench- Dismantling a Thermoelectric Coleman Cooler

2015-05-26T10:52:00.000-07:00

Found a PowerChill 40 Quart Thermoelectric Coleman Cooler at the city recycle centre (junk yard). It's a fairly large, insulated cooler that has a 80 watt Peltier Cooling Module. The cooler would be connected to a vehicles battery through the 12 volt DC power plug. As you drive to your favorite campsite and it keeps food cool while in transport.
Unfortunately for me, a scraper that was looking for copper had cut the 8 foot long cord, fuse and male power port. Went online for a replacement cord and found out it requires 12 Volts DC at 8 amps to run properly. I'm sure I could rig up and power cord from all my spare cords and DC parts.

But before I do that, I wanted to check out how the unit actually works and maybe build something similar to use in the Frost King Ice Box refrigerator. We currently use the ice box to store beverages and vegetables. The fan on the back, running via solar panel, during the day would do a good job.

Exterior of the fan housing. Notice the cut cord at the bottom right.

How to Make Swedish Candle for Roasting Marshmellows

2015-04-15T08:49:00.001-07:00

The Big Splurge: Snowmobile Dollies

2015-03-10T10:28:00.001-07:00

On the Bench- The Valentines Day Closet Project

2015-02-16T10:13:00.003-08:00

For the last couple of months, my spouse wanted the downstairs closet cleaned out, painted and new organizers. The painting was finished the day before Superbowl and the shelves/organizers on Valentines Day. It was a chance to work on an organizer project and, best of all, it made my spouse happy again with our 30 year old house.

The material used for the shelves was called Melamine. Similar to a type of countertop, it is thermally fused, resin saturated paper finish over a particle board core. Had mixed feelings working with melamine. Prefer to use real wood, which is structurally stronger, but the two faces of Melamine are already finished. I went out and purchased (6) 12" x 97" and (2) 16" x 97" shelving. It's a tad more money than a 4' x 8' sheet of Melamine, but the facing edge is already been banded with a white trip.

Started the new shelves for the closet on Saturday. Some of the work could be completed outside. We were having a mild February, it made it easier to do the cuts outside. The units were assembled and joined at the bottom by a swing up bench. Since there was an access door under the stairs the seat had to swing up. The overhead shelf and hanger rod is still left to install.

For this project, I needed a tool to hold the shelves in place while the wood dried. Rented a Paslode Cordless Finishing Brad Nailer from Home Depot. It worked awesome! No worries with a hose or loud compressor. Only setback was the fuel cell ran out. Originally, the plan was to put in a few brads for just tacking boards until the glue dried. The employee at HD was really helpful, he threw in a couple of used fuel cells and sticks of 16 gauge brads. Unfortunately, the fuel cells all ran out around 9pm and the store was closed. Did what I could with glue and clamps and came back the next day and bought a new fuel cell. All in all, about $40.00 for the rental and parts, but it made the project so much easier.

Hopefully in the next few days, should get the rest of the parts in-place and finishing touches completed.
I love to make things and try out new tools.

Plus, my spouse is happy with the process. It's a Valentines Day win, win!

On the Bench- Building a Bigger Plywood Battery Box

2015-01-22T11:41:00.001-08:00

Project for January, 2015

With my birthday coming up, I wanted to work on a project of my choice. In this case, it was a bigger battery box made from plywood. This project has been lingering in the background for 6 months.
The box would hold up to ten 6 volt deep cycle batteries. The batteries are an important component of an off grid power system. The primary use is to store the power generated from the solar panels and wind turbines. An inverter is then hooked up to the batteries and it converts the battery electricity (DC) to regular household electricity (AC).

Batteries are expensive and should be looked after.
They can range from $90 - $240 each. Three years ago, I purchased (4) 6 volt Exide batteries for $98.00 each (on sale). In the Spring of 2014, managed to pick up another four, used, 6 volt US batteries (brand) off craigslist for $40.00 a piece.

If the batteries have a clean, ventilated, safe, dry place to sit, they will last many years. With my experience, it's best to take care of them as long as I can. Don't let the charge get below 60% and check the levels of acid. I felt a little bad, that I had left the batteries just sitting under the cabin and not being tended. Batteries will slowly lose their charge over time and die a horrible death.

Back to the box... for the last couple of outings to the cabin, the plan was to get started on the box. I had even pre-cut all the plywood, but it just sat in pieces, waiting to be assembled. The winter chill made it hard working outside using the cordless tools.

The other day when I was driving to work, I thought, why not work on it during my lunch hour and get it knocked off. So, a few days before an outing to the cabin, sat down at the kitchen table and sketched out some rough plans.
Next, I went to the computer and figured out how the get the best use of a piece of plywood and made a cutting guide. It helps if you have all the information from the battery manufacturer. Using this as a guide, designed a plywood box that measures 24 inches wide by 48 inches long by 15 inches tall. I purchased a 4' x 8' sheet of 3/4" thick Oak plywood. It was a damaged on one side and got it for $10.00. Sweet! That saved me at least $50.00.

With the sweet tablesaw at work, I ripped all the plywood up and started to assemble the box. Used 1-5/8" screws and Gorilla Wood Glue for all the joints. Got 80% of the box finished on my lunch break. Came back after work and put in another 20 minutes. Took the box home and applied 2 coats of Kilz Odorless Primer on the inside and Varathane America Walnut Wood stain on the outside. It came out pretty sharp.

Next, was a stand for the battery box to sit on. I personally hate bending over to work on stuff, it eventually hurts my back. I came up with a stand made for 2" x 4" and 4" x 4' posts for legs. The legs will be notched to fit directly under the 2 x 4 frame. I might add a 2" x 6" to tie in the legs with the frame for some added support.
Below is some of the videos of making the boxes.

Christmas Stocking Stuffer Ideas: Jelly Wax Fire Starters

2014-12-17T13:52:00.001-08:00

These simply fire starters make great stocking stuffers the for the outdoorsy type of people. It's one of the projects my family likes to work on and give to the rural neighbours as a small Christmas gift. They work fantastic in getting the wood stove fire started, especially when it's super cold or the firewood is damp.

Testing Out Wind Turbine Made from Recycled Parts

2014-10-20T14:44:00.000-07:00

Great news! The wind turbine I was messing around with back in 2012, is working! (no load)
Now, I know that sounds really odd, but it has been on the back burner for quite sometime. I had a special location picked out and was planning to use it with another set of deep cycle batteries.

This particular wind turbine project started back in October 2012. My good neighbour, traded the wind turbine generator for a portable boom box. He mentioned that it wasn't working after an accidental shorting out of some wires. (He was extension cord style of wire ($69.00) than (2) 100' of 6 gauge welding cable ($140.00). Click on the links below below for more information.

drilling a hole into the tower and the drill bit struck one of the wires). So I took it home and messed around with the factory rectifier. Once it was removed, it was modified to a three wire AC system which would then be rectified closer to the battery box. To handle a 20 amp load, its much cheaper to run 100 feet of 12 gauge, AC, 3 prong,

Made a series of YouTube videos:
Part 1- Recycled Mount for Wind Turbine
Part 2- Recycled Wind Turbine Mount- Stronger standoffs and a fancy cowling
Part 3- Recycled Wind Turbine Upgrades
Part 4- Homemade Wind Turbine Project v1.0
Part 4- Buck Rogers Upgrade to Wind Turbine Project 2.0
Part 5- Fancy Tail Fin for Wind Turbine Project

So, with the completion of the new side deck, it was an

ideal spot for the big wind turbine. The plan was to erect the tower on top of the deck, next to the cabin and use the roof line as a support. Ended up moving the location 3 times before I found an ideal spot where it could be raised and lowered easily. Finally, a good location was found at the corner of the cabin. Once it was in place, my next concern was the sound of the blades spinning and vibration. But the next day, (the last day) there was no wind and I couldn't complete the test, bummer!
So, I let it sit for 3 weeks and see how it does. On October 17th, 2014, came up to the cabin to do some work on the insulation and check on the wind turbine. It was still there is one piece. Nice! Plus, it was a windy day and I heard it working. Boy, did it make a racket. Sounds just like a working power drill being pushed into a some wood with no drill bit. Quite loud and annoying!

So, the next plan of attack is move the wind turbine tower to a different location, but close to the cabin, with good wind and eliminate some of the noise. Below is a video of it working.

Cedar Workshop Facebook Page

2014-10-08T21:41:00.001-07:00

If your looking for more up-to-date information on some of the Cedar Workshop projects, be sure to check out the Facebook page.

I'm finding the more I get busy with YouTube videos and projects, the less time I spend updating the website and social media sites.
So the plan was to update the Facebook page with current projects, a weekly video on YouTube and then every other week post a project in the works on the Blogger site.

I have tons of videos, but not all them are very interesting and should be edited. Plus I really suck at doing the commentary.

The Epic DIY Deck Project- Part 6 First Time Building a Railing for a Deck

2014-08-12T07:57:00.001-07:00

Early morning shot of the completed railing on the Epic DIY Deck Project

The rail system came from a children's homemade tree fort that I dismantled a few years ago. It was a Craigslist find by my spouse. The catch was, I had to do the demolition, but got to keep all the lumber. It had tons of 2 x 6, 2 x 12, decking lumber and these pre made rail sections.

Put the shorter rail section near the corner. Add more strength to the railing

I actually had to trim an inch off the bottom rails, but it worked out just fine.

This style of railing is actually quite easy to put together. It consists of a 6 foot long 2 x 4 rail at the bottom and the top, then (15) 3/4" holes were drilled 4.5" apart. A powered coated black, aluminum spindle was inserted in the holes.

I need to make my on section for left over lumber and it took about 30 mins to turn out a 6' long by 42" tall rail section.

Epic DIY Deck Project -Part 5- Cedar Decking and a Helping Hand

2014-07-24T10:15:00.001-07:00

Another instalment of the Epic DIY Deck Project series. The last of the joists were secured in place with joist hangers and hurricane ties. Then it was time to dig out the 2" x 6" x 16', 18' and 20' cedar boards. A big bonus for the weekend, I hired my 10 year son as a worker. He was a huge help in carrying lumber, air nailing and using the impact drill. (All my kids are trained on power tools) All I had to do was keep him busy and break for a soda on coffee break.

Hope this series has been interesting and helpful for other people who plan on building a deck by themselves.

Thanks for watching!

Music Credit: Eviction, by Silent Partner

http://youtube-audio-library.storage.googleapis.com/25c42ce2e052d37e, http://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary?

The Epic DIY Deck Project- Part 3B- More Joists & Minor Fix

2014-07-07T09:25:00.001-07:00

Scarfed a newer 2" x 10" into the beam

Side view of the deck project

My son gave a hand measuring

Lake side picture on July 13th

Road side view of the deck

The Epic DIY Deck Project- Part 3- Installing Joists, Brackets & Blocking

2014-07-04T08:58:00.001-07:00

The good weather is finally here and most of the crisis projects were completed. Next on the list was the Epic DIY Deck Project. It called that because it such a huge deck (24′ x 11′) and time consumer. Since I work behind a computer for the day job. I really enjoy building something. I think it’s all the outdoor summer jobs that help out with times like this.
Anyway, once the work site was prepped with material, equipment set up and the plans consulted, the project start. After a few hours a structure started to take shape and it was really gratifying to see the deck take shape. Also, I will add, I’m no expert, nor claim to be one. I’ve consulted with the building codes and have created a plan to follow. I wish I could hire someone to finish it off during the week, but the budget doesn’t allow a professional builder. I’ll keep you posted with a few videos of the weekend builds.

The Manly Man Weekend

2014-06-06T09:03:00.001-07:00

The long weekends have always been the cottage or cabin season opener. That’s when the ice has finally melted and moved off the lake. Most of the snow is gone and the recreational home was prepared for the summer. Lucky for me, a bunch of pals offered to give a hand and make this transition much easier.

Check out the Facebook page for updates https://www.facebook.com/cedarworkshop

Update to Making Copper Coils for a Wind Turbine

2014-04-19T08:21:00.000-07:00

An update to the making copper coils for a vertical axis wind turbine. The coils will be used with the gear system from the breadmaker. (Update for that video will be coming soon)
Music credit
Title: Heavy, by Huma-Huma, YouTube Library
http://youtube-audio-library.storage.googleapis.com/f8fd1f22533dae80,

Hey! What about those copper coils?

2014-03-17T20:33:00.001-07:00

I'm working on it. First had to take care of some stuff at the cabin. i.e. keeping the water from pooling on the roof and leaking inside.

Anyway, here's a few pics of where I'm at.

Enjoy

2nd coil, 86 turns, Krazy glue every 10 turns

A screw for the start (A) and finish (B)

Winding jig from an old shelf bracket

Spool of wire. Yep, it almost unravelled on me. Had to stick a piece of painters tape as a stop

10 Videos in 22 Seconds - January Compilation 2014

2014-03-04T14:08:00.002-08:00

Made another YouTube Fan Finder style of video. It's special recap of the latest videos.
It's called "10 in 22" (10 videos in 22 seconds)
Thought it would be a quick way for existing and new fans to check out the latest offerings.
Enjoy!

Video Titles and links are posted below.

A Present from YouTube Fans and Subscribers

Make a Wood Stove Fan (Reco Fan)

Update to the Wood Stove Reco Fan (Build #2)- Works Like a Dream!

A Sweet Find at the Local Dump: Denon Workshop Radio

Flower Pot Heater was a BUST!

Hauling Firewood with a Snowmobile

A Rare Visit from a Winter Weasel

Part 1 of the Breadmaker VAWT Project - Pulley & Shaft

Part 2 of the Breadmaker VAWT Project - A Fail & Plan B

Learn How to Make Copper Coils for a Wind Generator

Music credit: Strange Ways by Silent Partner. Provided by YouTube Audio Library

http://youtube-audio-library.storage.googleapis.com/64f7fac1a154f79f,

Great Bearings for Small VAWTs

2014-02-24T14:35:00.000-08:00

The bearings are from portable gas generator tire hubs. The 2 piece hubs are 8" diameter, air fill, rubber tires. Used for carts, dollies and generators.

Once the bolts are removed, the hubs will come apart.
• Air fill only
• 1/2" - 5/8" arbor

In Canada: Princess Auto in Small Wheel Assemblies 2.80 x 2.50-4 Wheel Assembly@$15.99

In the US, Notherntool.com has "Northern Industrial Universal Generator/Water Pump Wheel Kit - Model# 2006Q000" for $33.00.

Also, look on Amazon or eBay for Generator Wheel Kits, dolly or wagon wheels

Check out this video for reference for a close up

Cedar Projects

2014-01-28T09:57:00.000-08:00

Cedar gate with Arbor

Two cedar Adirondack Chairs finished in red latex paint

Had a comment from a viewer about the lack of woodworking projects. Good point. Yes, I have been quite busy with wind turbines and solar panels, which in-theory, has little in common to woodworking.

So, to show good intentions, I dug into the photo albums and pulled out a few summer freelance projects. As I remember, it was quite enjoyable and help pay for college. Feel free to browse through cedar structures, Adirondack chairs and pergolas.
More pictures found at the Cedar Workshop Google+ Page

Garden Corner Pergola for grapes and shade

The Plan to Build a Tree Mounted Wind Turbine

2014-01-22T18:13:00.002-08:00

Surrounding Lodgepole Pines

I've been thinking about mounting a wind turbine to a tree for quite awhile. Not happy with the wind turbine on the deck. It's not getting clean, undisturbed wind. If I could just get the turbine above the trees, I could maybe generated a couple more watts.

I have two wind turbines, a small 175 watt DC and a larger 700 watt 3 phase AC turbine. The small one works good at throwing a few watts in and keeping the deep cycle batteries topped up or trickle charged. It's a nice peace of mind in the below zero winter nights.

Haven't installed the large turbine yet. The 1" keyed shaft did not fit into the tower pipe. So it was back to the drawing board. Have found a fencing pipe that would be big enough thou. Another problem the 700 watt is very heavy and the tow raising turns into a two person job.

One thought was to find a dead tree and fasten a tower to it. The only catch was it would have to be lowered for servicing once or twice a year. There are a few "standing dead" pine trees on the property, but are only 12' to 15' below the tree canopy. I estimate the average height of the trees is 40'.

The next idea, was to select a live tree and safely mount a wind turbine to it. I don't want injuring or impede the growth.

The ideal tree was directly behind the cabin, is a large, triangle shaped, White Spruce. It's quite magnificent to look at and would make a fine mount for turbines. Almost 90% of the wind comes rolling down the mountain and hits the back side of the property.

The cabin is located in a forest of Lodgepole Pine trees. I measured a tree that fell down and it came out to 40' tall.

Large White Spruce

Still have to mount the large turbine, but, the height factor is cancelling out the project.

On my lunch hour, I did a few sketches. I think about what resources are available: lumber, bolts, nuts, etc. Instead of what could be purchased.

Concept 1- Tree fort support

Concept 2 - Clamp platform

Concept 3 - Swing up

Concept 2- Is a Birdseye view, looking down on a "platform". The tree would be sandwiched in-between.

Also, I have to think, "how does one person climb up the tree and hoist the lumber up?" That's what it comes down too.

Then went to Adobe Illustrator and hashed out some more ideas. See below for the animated gif.

Updated January 24, 2014