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Funding(Most Likely) Secured
03/22/2022 at 16:34 • 0 commentsTo date, this is the most important update to this project. I've recently accepted a position that pays well enough to to fund the entire project in a short few years. There are a few stipulations, but they're easy enough to handle. As long as I don't screw this job up(note likely), I will be able to start the search for land immediately and purchase 50 to 100 acres within a year or two. I have a few key projects to fund here in Ohio first, which will set this one back. I also can't start living like rock star and still be able to afford to build The Village. It's either rock star lifestyle or Village. I choose Village. The Village is my retirement plan, so things need to be done carefully and protected against as many problems as possible. I already live a very simple, cheap, and reasonable life. I have a few life upgrades planned, but will largely keep my lifestyle the same.
The first project to get funding is the restoration of my old pickup truck. As this truck can run indefinitely on fuel sources that I can produce myself, it is a powerful tool. A work truck, that has been paid off for decades, that can run on fuel made from human, animal, and food waste. When everything else fails in society, that truck could still function and do useful work. Right no it needs an engine, transmission, and rear end upgrade. After the truck is mechanically sound, I'll get the bodywork fully restored and protected from future rust attacks. After the full restoration is done and I am happy with its performance, I'll build a nice camper on it. The setup will sit unused much of the time, but it is a fall back plan in case I lose this job or things hit the fan. I'd be able to jump in, drive where I need to be, and start a new life. I am assuming that I could lose this income at any moment and plan accordingly.
As for funding The Village itself, I am working with a few people to get the research going and make documentation. I've got a good friend who seems quite interested in some of my data organization projects, and actually works with the exact types of systems I need to utilize. He'd be the first person I hire to get the critical research done. The plan is to treat this project like a massive scale business and keep it as efficient and organized as possible. Aside from "The Data Guy" I've got a Founder in mind. I haven't heard back from him in a few days, but he often takes a while to get back to me. Hoping he is ok. I have another friend in mind as another Founder, but I haven't spoken to them in a few years. I will get in touch with them soon and see if they're still the same adventurous, ambitious genius I remember. If so, I'll see if they'd want to join the project. I am currently only offering spots in this project to those I personally know very well and show the type of ambition, drive, and interests as myself. I have been burned countless times by people who get excited at the idea of what I'm doing, only to lose interest when it comes time to actually put in the work. I may hire outside contractors at some point, but I will reserve the most involved positions for close friends.
There's a part of me that didn't believe I could ever make this dream come true, but I refused to give up. There are times where my dreams where the only things keeping me going. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and a far shorter path to completing this project.
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Right Hand Man Chosen
02/19/2022 at 05:16 • 0 commentsFor years I've been quietly working on this project alone. When I moved out to South Dakota I met a guy at the steakhouse where I got hired that shares my same passion for the type of life I want to live. He was as excited about this project as I am and still gets worked up with me over it. I just confirmed that he would be willing to do the land surveying and travelling as I work full time to find the project. As much as I want to go travel and see all the possible sites myself, it won't be possible for quite a while. I may end up with the money in the bank, no time to scope out land, and miss out on the perfect place to build. Instead if send Ben out with a credit card and a sense of adventure. He already knows exactly what I'm looking for and loves adventure. I know it's a lot of work to ask of someone, though it can definitely be fun. I'd happily pay him well and make sure he's got everything needed to find the best place to build. This is a huge development for me and this project as it means I will officially not be alone in this whole crazy adventure. I will likely be staying in Ohio for years at this point to rebuild my life and get things moving on various projects. Having a trusted friend do the exploring for me would be an excellent way to ensure things still get done, while helping a friend have the adventure of a life time.
The most likely scenario at this point is buying land in the high desert that no one wants, and bringing my own custom milled lumber out to the site to build the structures. I'd likely do earthbag structures with timber framing and wood accents and furniture. Buying anything that I want to furnish this Village will be far too 2xpensove so I plan to build it. I've already found a nice retired flatbed tow truck I could rebuild and use to haul limber and supplies to the site. I've got a friend with a dump truck for sale that I could buy and restore as well. Between those two trucks and my pickup, Ben would have everything needed to haul equipment, tools, people, and building materials to and around the build site. Restoring 30+ year old trucks for such work can be expensive and time consuming, but it aligns perfectly with the overarching philosophy of the project: long term sustainability. New vehicles are far too complicated to maintain independent of modern shops and dealerships. I still drive a 1983 Chevy C20 pickup every day. The tow truck and dump truck I've found are both Chevy trucks from the same era. I already know them well and they've proven themselves for decades. I'd restore them both and deliver them to Ben out in South Dakota so he could use them as needed to gather materials.
With Ben out and about, I could focus on the details of the project, such as building codes, various systems like water collection and purification, and farming. The amount of documentation needed is staggering. Much of the research has been completed by others over the years, but does not seem to have been compiled in a manner or scale that I desire. If Ben can find the land, I'd check it out to make sure it will work, then buy it and have him move out there of he'd be willing. It may take me a while to get out there and start building, but he would at least have an incredible home out on a giant chunk of land and could work on stuff until I can get out there. My dream is to be able to retire early and start living on the land right away, but working longer would give The Village a far better chance of success. I'll work as long as I need to in order to secure its future.
I don't want to say too much or get my hopes up too early, but I may be switching to a career that pays far better than anything I've ever had. The work is far more serious, but I'll accept the responsibility and stay as long as I'm treated well and can be useful. I still plan to live very cheap and simple. Instead of buying a house and new car, I'm going to continue to rent from my friend, restore my old pickup, and build my truck bed camper. I still love living at camp sites. It feels like being on vacation all the time, which makes me very happy. It's also far cheaper than buying a house. For the price of a house in Ohio that I'd want to live in, I could buy the land and a tractor for this project. I do need to get another vehicle so my truck can be stripped and properly restored. It's running rough these days, and I can't afford to miss work if it goes down for repairs.
Naming my right hand man for this project is a massive step forward and it's an honor to have such a good friend who could fill the role. It's humbling to know someone would actually want to take this journey with me. It was an easy choice though. I've worked with the guy in a very fast paced, high stress environment and spent countless hours daydreaming and problem solving with him. We have even forged steel together on a forge he built. That's exactly how I want to spend my life and the type of person I wish to be around.
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Choosing Hardship
01/22/2022 at 03:32 • 0 commentsI don't often talk about how I live, mostly out of past shame and embarrassment. I've never had a remotely "normal" life, as defined by the standard of living in The United States. All I'll say on this right now is that I come from a broken home and spent my childhood unsure of where I'd live or what I'd eat. I wouldn't normally wish it on anyone, but it has made me who I am. There are certain types of people who would benefit from certain types of hardship.
I've had a few chances in life to live a "good" life. Such as when I worked for a software company or the recent towing company I left. Plenty of money for which to spend on rent, bills, and treating depression and emptiness. I've tried that route and it drove me nearly to the edge. I've found that the will to live seems to be a mental resource that an be depleted, much like physical and mental energy. "Normal" life depletes my will to live quite rapidly, and it took me many years to realize and accept this fact. I've stayed with friends, had a few places of my own, and even in homeless shelters as a kid. My distinct lack of a steady "home" has caused me much stress and loneliness over the years. It's also taught me the immense power of simplicity and letting things go. In the past, as recent as a year or two ago, I held onto things very tightly. Physical items, people, beliefs, grudges, emotions. I currently live in a 16 foot by maybe 8 foot camper. I don't have room to be holding onto things. Everything here has to serve many purposes and be of high quality and reliability. That means that there is no physical room for duplicates, extras, or luxuries.
I recently had my first visitor to this camper recently. He's never known the lifestyle I have. I don't hold it against him at all. I envy him at times. When he saw the 1973 box I live in, he felt bad for me. I don't blame him, not do I actually feel bad for myself. I have everything I need here, just smaller. I have hot and cold water, shower, toilet, filtered drinking water, microwave, gas and induction stove tops, fridge and freezer, large kitchen sink, gas furnace, diesel heat, electric heat, a table, couch, bedroom, and storage space. I manage to have everything I need here because much care and thought has gone into designing the space. I don't want anyone to feel bad for me here. I chose this, and for good reason.
I feel bad for most people, actually. Not to be smug or arrogant. My total loving expenses, per month, are around $1,000. That's food, gasoline, rent, phone, and gym bill. I don't need much else. Rent is often near my entire expenditure for many people. I'm getting ready to return the gigantic service truck I'm borrowing when I get my truck on the road again. This will mean I'm eliminating my debt as my truck will be paid off in full very soon, gasoline costs will go down significantly, and the option to take road side service calls for extra income becomes available. I'll have to pay insurance, but that's easy enough to make up for.
The point of all of this rambling, which I'm quite good at these days, is that I chose this life in order to avoid making large commitments to anything. I need my freedom in order to build this gigantic dream of mine and enjoy life. I would never be happy with a big house and 30 year mortgage. Nor would I enjoy a high paying job that treats me like I'm disposable and uses me up. I belong out in the world, making videos, recording adventures, building, and trying new things. The only way I'll be able to do so is by living as simple and frugal as I can tolerate. So when I have to go buy diesel fuel for my furnace instead of just having it come from the wall, I remind myself that my diesel heater is mobile and paid off. It can go with me to the other side of the country. So can my fridge full of food, and even my bathroom. I could make a smoothie in the desert, or at the beach. If I needed to leave for months at a time to check out a piece of land, I could do so without the hassle of upcoming bills such as a mortgage or car payment. When all is in order, I won't even need to rely on a particular boss or place of work. I'm basically buying my freedom later by choosing a simple and frugal life now.
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New Skill Acquired: Plasma Cutter
01/21/2022 at 01:37 • 0 commentsEarlier this week, I spent about 15 hours with the cutting torch. Just hacking apart a massive railroad dump truck I'm rebuilding. Hacking away at the truck, burning myself with slag and splatters, and leaving behind some truly hideous cuts as the torch got caught up and extinguished itself. Multiple tip cleanings later and I'd had the bulk of the cutting done. It was honestly pretty irritating.
Today's one key cut was a very important one. I had to take off the remaining parts of the main top bed rail. This is a square steel tube 4 inches wide on each side, with a triangle on top, like one very long house. The cut was about 113 inches long. Almost 10 feet. It needed to be as straight as possible to avoid me wasting an entire day grinding it down. For this task, the resident shop old timer(meant with all the respect in the world), brought in the plasma cutter. I told him I was hesitant to use the torch, as it's been unreliable and leaves a ton of clean up work. I'd considered using an angle grinder and cut off wheels, but it would likely take a few hours and destroy my upper body to do so. The metal cutting circular saw had crossed my mind, but he informed me that it doesn't do well cutting through welds, of which there were many. This is precisely why it's best to ask for advice in new and unknown situations. Something I used to be quite hesitant to do. After determining the proper tool to use, I had to figure out how to get a nice straight cut. Cutting free hand with a magic wand that blows through steel like scissors through paper is quite difficult. I thought the cutting torch was fast, but this thing is scary fast. The shower of sparks and fire that shoots from the end as it cuts is quite a spectacular sight to behold. Without the steadiest of hands, a straight line is an impossibility. I came up with the idea to take some L shaped steel strip I'd bent and use it as a guide for the plasma cutter tip. I used self drilling screws to secure it to the steel wall, a half inch below the line I'd drawn for the actual cut. To make that line, which resides on the inside of the bed, I used a drill to put a few holes just under the weld we needed to cut under, and then connected the dots on the inside with a straight edge. I set up the plasma cutter and did all of the prep work, then went off to do something else while I waited for the nice man to come hack off the giant piece of bed. I hadn't left the set up alone more than a few minutes before he'd made the vast majority of the cut. I couldn't believe how fast that went. The set up time was significant, but the end result was excellent. I've never seen such a clean cut in such thick steel before. I ended up finishing the rest of the cut after a bit more set up, and loved the machine. I'm quite confident that I'll be able to gain proficiency with a plasma cutter in the next few weeks. I have much more cutting to do on this truck, then a third truck like it up next. After that I have at least two huge crane trucks to rebuild. There will be plenty of steel to cut.
The main differences between the cutting torch and the plasma cutter are their fuel sources. Both excel at blasting through impossibly thick steel with ease, but there is one key difference that would make a plasma cutter a better choice for The Village in the long run: sustainability. While the torch requires high pressure tanks of explosive gasses, the plasma cutter requires only electricity and compressed air. Both of which are easily renewable. If the economy collapses, it's going to be far easier to make electricity than huge tanks of compressed oxygen. While the torch is far more portable, and will likely have a place in The Village at some point, the added expense of fueling it makes it a poor fit. If needed, a plasma cutter can be stuck in a truck bed with a generator and air compressor and carted around nearly as well as a large torch.
As for how I'd actually use such tools in a medieval style village, that was easy enough. The main reason to keep such tools around is to enable the repair of other tools, such as tractors, vehicle frames, and various bits of heavy steel. What might take hours with saws and abrasive methods can be done in minutes or seconds with a plasma cutter or torch. It's the combination of countless small time and energy saving methods like this that will enable this project to actually move forward. If I can save a few hours here and there, a tool or method will earn it's keep. On the list of tools I'd like to acquire for this project is a CNC plasma cutting table. I've seen them in use, and one could be the difference between a build or repair taking days or hours. Such a device could also be used to generate income in the form of custom fabrication of various structural, or even decorative items. Every tool needs to pull it's weight, earn it's keep, and help generate income if needed.
The plasma cutter does have a few consumables to consider. From what I've gathered, there are a few copper or brass nozzle pieces that do wear out and take damage and need replaced. With this in mind, I can plan for such things, and use a lathe and mill to eventually create replacement tips for a plasma cutter, reducing the need for yet another specialty piece from the outside world.
And with all that said, and today's good introduction to plasma cutters, I give the humble plasma cutter the sustainable seal of approval, despite being a power hungry industrial beast of a tool. With this new Skill, I'm one tiny step closer to bringing this dream to life.
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New Tool: Underwater Notebook
01/09/2022 at 18:13 • 0 commentsThis isn't a typical tool, but an organizational tool. I spend significant amounts of time in the hot tub at the gym, where I just sit and do my thinking. I don't use my phone for free of water damage, and fear or making people uncomfortable by having a camera in a pool area with kids and strangers. I'm not interested in them, but you just don't want to take any chances of freaking people out. In the hot tub yesterday, I had some good ideas for my YouTube channel and a few projects. I thought on them for a while, but ended up forgetting them. I do this often, as busy as my mind is these days. I'd had it on my list to order a waterproof lab notebook for a while now, but ended up finding one locally.
I ran into a guy in the hot tub and we ended up talking about sustainable life and adventures. He told me he owns a store that sells survival gear, adventure gear, and custom kits of all sorts. I ended up going in after my thinking session and was blown away by how nice of a shop and how nice of people they were. Sadly, being broke right now, I couldn't just pick up all the very specialized and hard to find things I needed. I was able to chat for a few hours and start up a friendship. I ended up buying a small waterproof notebook as well. I was amazed to see one in a store. It was $11 with a special pen, and my favorite color: neon orange. Turns out the owner shares my favorite color as well. He also shares my love of kits and organization. I'll be resurrecting my leather working business to get him a few custom items he can't find anywhere, which is great for both of us. Part of me wishes I still had my towing job so I could afford to go on a shopping spree there, but I'd have never met him if I did have that job.
Anyways, the notebook. I finally have a way to record thoughts and work through ideas while in the hot tub. It doesn't work very well with my fountain pen, unfortunately, but pencils work fine. It fits nicely in my back pocket, and is one of the very few things to ever make it into my evey day carry. I'm very minimal at and picky about anything I bring into my life, so it's quite amazing to find something worthy of pocket space. I haven't used it yet, but I plan to after work tomorrow if I have the energy. I was supposed to sit down with my laptop and organize video ideas and start writing scripts, but I met this guy and went on an adventure. Such adventures are what create the best stories, so it's well worth it to skip work and go play when possible. I'll be taking my notebook with me and using it to help me keep things organized as I go. I normally use Google Keep, but it's not always possible to do so. I'll report back on my notebook experience later.
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New Tool: Underwater Notebook
01/09/2022 at 16:14 • 0 commentsThis isn't a typical tool, but an organizational tool. I spend significant amounts of time in the hot tub at the gym, where I just sit and do my thinking. I don't use my phone for free of water damage, and fear or making people uncomfortable by having a camera in a pool area with kids and strangers. I'm not interested in them, but you just don't want to take any chances of freaking people out. In the hot tub yesterday, I had some good ideas for my YouTube channel and a few projects. I thought on them for a while, but ended up forgetting them. I do this often, as busy as my mind is these days. I'd had it on my list to order a waterproof lab notebook for a while now, but ended up finding one locally.
I ran into a guy in the hot tub and we ended up talking about sustainable life and adventures. He told me he owns a store that sells survival gear, adventure gear, and custom kits of all sorts. I ended up going in after my thinking session and was blown away by how nice of a shop and how nice of people they were. Sadly, being broke right now, I couldn't just pick up all the very specialized and hard to find things I needed. I was able to chat for a few hours and start up a friendship. I ended up buying a small waterproof notebook as well. I was amazed to see one in a store. It was $11 with a special pen, and my favorite color: neon orange. Turns out the owner shares my favorite color as well. He also shares my love of kits and organization. I'll be resurrecting my leather working business to get him a few custom items he can't find anywhere, which is great for both of us. Part of me wishes I still had my towing job so I could afford to go on a shopping spree there, but I'd have never met him if I did have that job.
Anyways, the notebook. I finally have a way to record thoughts and work through ideas while in the hot tub. It doesn't work very well with my fountain pen, unfortunately, but pencils work fine. It fits nicely in my back pocket, and is one of the very few things to ever make it into my evey day carry. I'm very minimal at and picky about anything I bring into my life, so it's quite amazing to find something worthy of pocket space. I haven't used it yet, but I plan to after work tomorrow if I have the energy. I was supposed to sit down with my laptop and organize video ideas and start writing scripts, but I met this guy and went on an adventure. Such adventures are what create the best stories, so it's well worth it to skip work and go play when possible. I'll be taking my notebook with me and using it to help me keep things organized as I go. I normally use Google Keep, but it's not always possible to do so. I'll report back on my notebook experience later.
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New Skill Acquired: Oxy-Acetylene Torch
01/09/2022 at 16:01 • 0 commentsI came into work 2 hours late Friday as the pain and tingling in my hands kept me up all night Thursday, which was scary. After multiple weeks of grinding steel, it's finally caught up to me. Thankfully the new guy took over the rest of the work on the old dump truck bed is started rebuilding and it looks great. Turns out we went to the same tiny college, at the same time,studying the same courses, and ended up working at the same place 11 years later. Amazing how small the world seems. He got his degree in industrial technology, but I dropped out. He seems like a good person, so I'm happy to work with him.
I ended up moving to the main shop where the other guys and the Amish build new tow trucks. They'd brought in a collosal dump truck with train wheels on it for me to work on. Nothing major, just needs some new panels welded onto the sides of the bed and outside of the tailgate. In order to get the new panels in place, I had to cut away some 1/4 Inch thick steel flat bar from the sides, and the welded safety chains on the back. There were probably 20 cuts that needed to be made in very thick steel, which would have taken me a very long time, and destroyed my hands. Luckily I was given a cutting torch. I'd never used one before, but I had watch a video on it by The Essential Craftsman on YouTube, which gave me the confidence to try. One of the very nice Amish guys showed me how to use it as well.
Within a few minutes of getting it going,I was able to make very clean cuts I very thick steel. I'll admit I burned myself a few times, but I've accepted that. It amazed me how quickly that torch cut through steel. A cut that would have taken multiple minutes and destroyed a cut off wheel took only a few seconds with the torch. I'm no expert, but I can confidently cut and heat with a torch now, which is another step towards building my dreams.
I'm not sure how I'll use this new skill in building The Village, but it can't hurt to have such a skill. I imagine this will come in handy when working with things like a tractor or building heavy braces for things. The torch can cut steel, but also gently heat it and make it easy to bend. If I ever needed to cut something like the bucket of a tractor, the torch is the fastest and easiest way to do so. Cutting metal can be a very difficult and expensive task. Having something that can blow straight through it like a torch can only make life easier. I also believe there is a way to weld with a torch, but need to research this further. I had an idea yesterday to make tools and blades from the leaf springs of my old pickup truck when I go to upgrade the rear suspension, and being able to cut such steel easily will be very helpful. I plan to build a forge at some point and make all my own blades and tools if possible. I've got some forging experience already, so it's quite possible. I may be able to use a cutting torch to forge in a pinch, but I expect that will be quite expensive. I know a biogas forge can be made, as I've seen it done.
So, with my new torch skills, I'm feeling just a little more confident in myself and this project.
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Possible Location: New Mexico
01/03/2022 at 00:15 • 0 commentsAs much as I enjoy the 4 seasons, I would like more sunny days and less irritating government interference in my life. New Mexico is looking very good for setting up an off grid life, even if only a small one for myself. The laws are favorable for energy production, sewage disposal, tiny homes, trash disposal, and even actively encourage and reward rain water harvesting. I'm not sure there would be enough rainwater to support a village, but the land is cheap, the government is friendly towards my goals, and there's plenty of sunlight. I also love the desert. Looking into land for sale, I've found 5 acres in Socorro NM for $6,500. I find this quite reasonable as I can save that up in a few months of regular work, living from my camper. The city looks quite nice and has everything I'd need. There's even a Tractor Supply Company there, where I like to get my clothes and various weird bits for projects. As much as I hate it, there is a Walmart there as well, in case I'd need it. I try not too. Looking at the map of the area, it seems a very livable area at a glance. The idea of moving out there to buy land is making me nervous though. I suspect it's the old "leaving everything you know behind" fear cropping up again. Still, I find the idea of being able to save up for a few months to buy land and go explore to be quite exciting. Maybe I'll go do this after I've got my truck ready and camper built. I'll need money saved and a remote income source of some sort though.
Choosing where to spend the rest of my life and invest the majority of my energy is the most difficult decision I can imagine making, aside from who to spend my life with. I've been in Ohio most of my life and know I don't really care for it. I spent a year in South Dakota and loved the people there, but got bored and came back to Ohio. I took a 3 week road trip to the west coast and loved it out there. I'm torn between making life as easy as possible with a lush and rainy area, or being out by the desert where it's always sunny and dry. The only way I think I'll be able to make such a decision is to explore the country. I might not even build my village on this continent, as there are many options. Australia comes to mind immediately. As do Greece and a little tropical island in the Bahamas. The best way to handle this is to just get mobile and start exploring. Narrow it down to a general climate type, start exploring the one I enjoy the most, and move there to see if it will work. New Mexico seems to be the most viable right now as it's so cheap and relaxed out there. Northern California also looks quite lovely. I've got a YouTube channel to build up, and I think visiting the various places I'm considering spending my life would make excellent additions. I've gotta go be dumb all over the place before I know where I want to be dumb for the rest of my life.
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Possible Location: Georgia
01/02/2022 at 18:40 • 0 commentsI've been living in Ohio for all but 1 year of my 29 years of life so far. That other year was spent in South Dakota. I loved it out there. I hate Ohio though. Mostly the weather and people. There's not much to do here and the land can be quite expensive.
As much as I hate the climate on the eastern part of the US, I can't ignore the fact that the high moisture content is good for not dying of dehydration. A few years back I did some research into off grid friendly states and Georgia came up a few times for legal reasons. Reasons I've forgotten. I checked back in my notes on the matter and was able to remember why it made my final list as a possible location. Between the abundant life supporting moisture, useful tree species, and clay rich soil, it offers excellent resources to actually build things with. As much as I love the western United States, I'm starting to think it would be unwise not to consider the eastern portion. Especially the south eastern parts. As much as I hate humidity and mosquitoes, I'll take those over having no natural resources, and wild fires. Buying land in Georgia would also put me closer to an ocean than I am now, which would be great as I intend to take up sailing very soon. As in "this year" soon. It's been a dream of mine I can't ignore, so it's worth considering. I intend to sail the world and need to get an early start. I'll be buying a small sailboat very soon, getting my certifications, then teaching sailing to Buy Scouts in Ohio while I save up for land. I'll likely be stick in Ohio for a few years, but I have enough fulfilling things going on to make it worth dealing with the weather and people here.
As for the actual land in Georgia, I know very little about what's available or what it would cost. I do know that it's a very green state, so there are trees around. If I have to buy cheap and barren land, I will. I'd simply start a tree removal service a d use that to harvest the lumber needed to build. Earthbag construction would likely work well with clay rich soil, and there is stone, which is my ideal building material. Some quick searching on landwatch.com confirms that the climate should be less hostile than Ohio, though I don't know how I will do with the heat. The land prices are far more reasonable than Ohio from what I've seen, and wooded land isn't too far out of reach. Even if I don't buy the land for The Village there, I might actually move there on a small piece of land some day to build a small test house and business to get things started. I don't have many deep ties to Ohio and would like to get out of here for a while. Considering that I'm building a mobile lifestyle, It wouldn't be too hard for me to head out there and start working and exploring.
Just having a piece of land where I could harvest trees, water, and grow food would make me very happy. I'd finally be able to have my own home and live how I've always wanted. I'm actually more excited about moving to a place like Georgia than I am out to the west coast. The west coast is nice, and I've been there, but the idea of surviving out there with so little natural resources is scary. I've seen just how hard it is to live in the desert. The travel distances between anything of value and interest are huge. With lush, resource land of my own, it would be easy to just get started building my life at last. A few years back I almost bought a plane ticket and went to Savannah for Halloween, but let someone talk me out of it. I regret never going, so I may plan to go this year if all is going well. I'm quite excited to think about this again, as I've had nothing but doubts and stress for a very long time.
Georgia would also make it far easier for me to spend more time at the beach. Road trips to Florida would also be possible and I could work on boats, do some deep sea fishing, and enjoy some time not being cold all the time. I write this as I'm huddled in my sleeping bag, with the electric space heater sucking my wallet dry, as I wait on my diesel heater to arrive. Sure I'll likely be running air conditioning, but at least I could roam around in what amounts to underpants and not lose any various body parts to frost bite. I think my hatred of summer in Ohio comes from the fact that I don't have my own land here and end up stuck with a crappy job and nothing meaningful to do with my time. I am changing that this year by adding meaningful work to my life, but I still have no land.
Anyway, that's my rambling about Georgia. I'll do more research into land, laws, travel times, work available, and so forth.
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Food, Waste, and Fuel
01/01/2022 at 02:05 • 0 commentsA Quick Word About This Log
With my new job comes tons of extra time to work on projects and the documentation of projects. One of the biggest ones on my list is a YouTube channel I'm working on, where these projects will be documented. It's quite barren now, but will start to fill up shortly. I'm making this channel to explore my deep passion for film making and silliness. It can be found Here. Opens in a new tab. The main reason I mention this is because I plan to use my logs here as base scripts for future videos, so they will be written with video production in mind from this point forward. I'll keep them free from production notes on here, but I want an easy way to get information for upcoming scripts. I'm still short on some basic equipment and workable scripts, but it's slowly coming along. This log is the very first video production minded log I'm writing as I just had the idea today. I'm hoping that doing this will force me to keep things more interesting and fun as I work on projects. I know many of my logs are very info dense, which makes for long reads, but great videos for the kinds of people I relate best to, which is my target audience. My main inspiration for doing this, and the voice in my head these days, is Robert Dunn over on Aging Wheels and Under Dunn, which are car and woodworking channels, respectively. Much thanks to him for sharing my own sense of humor, work ethic, and love of the ridiculous. I've been rather depressed up until recently when I decided to just start taking myself, my projects, and my video production seriously. That's the big change here, and for all future projects, and I hope you find them more enjoyable. I'm also trying to be less lazy and format these logs in a more useable and enjoyable manner.
And Onto The Actual Log
If I could only study a single thing for the rest of my life, I think it would have to be energy. I could cheat and say "science", but that's not as fun or easy to talk about. With the end goal of a fully self sustaining village in mind, energy production and storage is vital. It is possible to live with very little modern systems, much like the Amish do around here, but I want to enjoy what I've built as fast and long as possible. This means modern tools, methods, and energy. There are many different options for both energy generation and storage, but not all will be viable. I've been exploring various options and have decided on a system that will produce energy, recycle organic waste, and create chemical energy in the way of food production for the various people and creatures.The heart of this system is the simple biodigestor. It takes water and organic matter, breaks it down into a few useful things which can be made into various fuel sources. It can produce methane gas for burning, a disposal option for sewage and waste, very high quality liquid fertilizer, and money. The last one comes from burning methane to power a printing press that would print the money. Not really on the last one. That's just a lazy joke I threw in. The fertilizer can be sold for a profit, assuming it isn't needed to make food for the village. The food could also be sold. Heck, the methane could be sold if needed as well. I could even just sell the whole system and have all the money. Then I'd freeze and starve to death, so I might not go that route. Maybe I could sell extra systems and help other people not die when the power grid and such goes down for whatever reason. Many possibilities.
How It Works
The biodigestor works by using bacteria, underwater, to eat up and fart out food and poop waste. Their farts can be burned right away to do stuff like heat your coffee or heat the water to scrub butts. It can also be compressed into standard propane tanks and you can take the concentrated farts with you as needed. When the waste breaks down under water, it does so in an anaerobic environment, meaning there is no oxygen. This is what causes methane to be produced, instead of other gasses. The bacteria need to be introduced from an initial source such as cow manure or even rabbit manure. Human waste does not seem to contain much, if any of the proper bacteria. It can be broken down after the system is established, which is important for this project.once the system is established, organic waste goes in, useful methane gas bubbles out of the top, liquid fertilizer is displaced, and the cycle repeats as long as proper conditions are met. The mixture needs to be kept fairly warm at over 80 degrees Fahrenheit or so, which will consume energy outside of the warmer months. Outside of these ideals warm days, and once established, gas could be diverted to heat the tank directly, creating a self sustaining system. Poop goes in, compressible gas comes out for burning, liquid fertilizer comes out for growing crops or selling. It's quite an elegant system for something so crude in nature.
Uses for Gas
Heating
In The Village, gas will be used for many different things. Mostly heat and light. I intend to construct buildings that don't require much, if any active heating in cooler months, but that may only keep the living spaces livable, not comfortable. On top of direct solar and wood, methane will be used as an extra heat source if enough is generated. The distribution system for the compressed gas is still being researched, but I do plan to implement one. For heat, either modern furnaces will be converted and used, or something custom made up. One option I've been considering is to heat large quantities of water and do in floor heating per building. The thermal mass of the water will help buffer against temperature changes, and the distribution of hot water will make for a practical and comfortable living space. I don't have too much else to say on this matter at the moment, as it's a rather simple idea: burn the gas for heat, be less cold.
Lighting
In regards to lighting, I'm very interested in gas lighting in all buildings and even outside in common areas such as roads and the town square. Gas lighting isn't as bright, consistent, or efficient as electric lighting, but it is magical. With the scale of system I'm considering, I may end up with an excess of gas that would need to be burned off safely. Lighting the streets would be a good way to do this. A wireless mesh of smart devices, such as those using Z Wave could be used to control each lantern as well, eliminating the need for someone to walk around and light or extinguish the lanterns. Gas lamps indoors may also be possible, but research is needed to comfort it will not create possible health risks. Having a gas lighting system would excellent if the power goes out as well.
Mechanical Energy Storage
Mechanical energy storage can take many forms. The one I'm most interested in lately is that of compressed air. I've been fascinated with it for a very long time and want to thoroughly explore the possibilities in the near future.Compressors will be a vital part of the energy system as they can be run from multiple sources, reducing the load on the electrical system. I've seen Amish workshops that run entirely off of compressed air, which is generated by wind turbines. I plan on installing compressed air in every structure that could use it, and providing a good wind driven compressor for each structure. This has nothing to do with the biogas system, but I'll get to that in a minute. Devices like large tools, electrical generators, ceiling fans, and various hand tools can be run with no energy required from other storage systems. Air power is simple, cheap, and effective. Another good use for it is feeding a forge blower, which I plan to do at some point as I love forging iron. Water pumps could be run from compressed air as well. Nearly anything could be done with compressed air if needed. This is what makes compressors so important. They afford cheap, reliable energy storage that can be converted into nearly any other energy form needed, including gravity storage in the form of pumped hydro storage. There will be many compressors required, likely scattered about the property. Normally they run on electricity. This is fine, but storing electricity can get expensive quite quickly, which would slow down the building of The Village by consuming resources very quickly. There is an easy way to use biogas to run air compressors though, and one I've seen done already: internal combustion engines. Specifically those powered by gasoline. A normal gasoline engine can be run on compressed biogas. I'm not sure for how long, or how efficiently, but I know it can be done. Now I could just use a small gas engine to turn a belt connected to an air compressor, but that's boring. Another method that I really enjoy is to take a standard engine, say a V8, and turn half the cylinders into air compressors. This works by taking away fuel and spark from those cylinders, and messing with the valves a bit to get it to pump out compressed air. I've not done proper research, but I have seen this in action personally many years ago. A few seconds of thinking has led me to a theory as to how I could do this. In a pinch, I'd take out the camshaft and grind off the lobes for the intake and exhaust valves for the cylinders I want to compress air, so they no longer open. Then I'd remove the spark plug and thread in something that could be converted to standard air fittings. I'd put a tee fitting on the end, with one way check valves on each end. They'd be opposite each other. When the piston would go down, it would suck air in from through the spark plug hole through the check valve that allows air to go in. When the piston goes up, it would close this intake check valve, forcing the air out of the other check valve and into an air tank. Once the piston went back down, it would close the output valve and start the cycle again. I could just use the intake valve in the cylinder head as an intake valve, but that would allow the air and fuel mixture to be sucked in and compressed. Having a flammable gas mixture sent out to a tool that grinds metal could be very bad. It would also make maintenance on the air valves difficult as they're inside the cylinder head and require shutting down the entire system for upgrades, modifications, and maintenance. This will also allow me to feed whatever I'd like into the intake, whether it be air, or even biogas. Feeding biogas into each of the cylinders would let me compress it into storage tanks. The end result would be an old engine that both runs off biogas and compresses it at the same time. Using an engine as a compressor offers some theoretical advantages over using standard air compressors. While compressors are designed to compress air, they do so on a smaller scale, and are often less robust than an engine. An engine is essentially an air pump that's meant to run very hard, hot, and for sustained periods of time. They're also designed to be fully rebuilt as needed. I could go to any decent auto parts store and get parts for a Chevy 350 V8 as needed and fully rebuild a compressor unit. Finding parts for various air compressors might not be as easy. The significant cooling system on an engine will also help the compressor live a longer service life and enable nearly infinite run time. Compressors get incredibly hot, which can reduce life through extra wear on mechanical components. Having something that's designed to dissipate massive quantities of heat, in a closed system, is an added bonus. The radiators for the compressor engines could be located wherever they're needed. This would allow them to heat, or not heat, whatever space they're in. If I have a dedicated compressor building that doesn't need heated, the hot engine coolant could be pumped elsewhere to large radiators in areas that need heat, such as living spaces. The waste heat could also be used to heat water or thermal mass of various types. With this in mind, placing the compressor building either near, or attached to the pool house would enable the waste heat to heat a swimming pool, hot tub, saunas, and steam rooms. Areas that require significant amounts of energy to heat, right next to equipment that generates significant amounts of waste heat. The compressed air from the pumps could also be used to run ventilation fans and electrical generators for the bath house as well. With that thought, I suspect I've covered compressors quite thoroughly, though they will play a part in other systems to be mentioned shortly.Food Production
So far we've covered how it works, using biogas for heating, and biogas for mechanical energy storage in the form of compressed air, and compressed biogas. The next use for the biodigestor is the concentrated liquid fertilizer that results from the break down of organic matter. Technically, this is energy stored in the form of chemical energy. The energy stored in the liquid will be used to grow plants, which will store energy within their structures and edible parts. Us living creatures will consume the energy in the edible parts of these plants, which we will use to not die, and to do useful work, like hitting unsuspecting people with Dad jokes or building liveable structures. The plants will be grown until they are no longer useful, then put back into the biodigestor, turned to compost, or fed to animals. They will not be wasted. The plan is to use the liquid fertilizer as the base for a hydroponic system, eliminating the need for most traditional gardening headaches, such as pulling weeds and unintentionally inhaling various flying insects. There are many ways to build a hydroponic system, but I think I'll start with large containers of still liquid, and oxygenate it using compressed air. Any guesses where the compressed air might come from? Most likely from the large compressors in the pump house, as the essential structures will likely be constructed around the biodigestor. Otherwise, small electric pumps could be used, or a wind turbine could also be used. Either way, the liquid will need to be agitated constantly, so a reliable energy source will be needed. Aside from the liquid and compressed air, not much else is needed for the plants. A comfortable temperature will need to be maintained, but this should be fairly straight forward using a proper greenhouse, waste heat from the pump house, biogas heaters, and geothermal. All can be combined to ensure a comfortable living space for the main food crops. This system will need to be scaled up over time, so proper planning must be done to ensure the biodigestor and greenhouses can grow as the population grows. I'm not planning to build a massive village, but producing a large excess of resources, assuming it isn't detrimental to the environment, is very beneficial. I'll cover income generation in more detail at some later point. Being able to sell fertilizer, crops, fuel, and even rent out spaces powered by the system, will only help The Village grow over time and make good use of excess resources.Transportation
All of the uses for biodigestor byproducts have either been stationary, or made portable but to power stationary equipment. I've already established that internal combustion engines can run on biogas, but haven't mentioned to what end yet. The end goal is actually to produce my own fuel for vehicles and do useful work with them. A carbureted engine can be run on compressed biogas with little modification, in theory. I've not personally tested it, but am working on plans to do so. Those plans consist of getting an old engine rebuilt and running on a stationary stand and doing thorough testing. After that, large tanks will be fitted to a truck and used for transportation and work around the property. The forklift I use at work runs on compressed natural gas, which is similar to compressed biogas. The poor thing has over 110,000 hours on it or so, which tells me the system can be reliable. Being able to produce one's own fuel for transportation is not very common as far as I can tell, but would eliminate dependence on fuel sources that will be getting more expensive and scarce as time goes on. Electric vehicles are excellent these days, but they're often incredibly expensive, heavy, and require very large and expensive electrical systems to charge at a reasonable rate. Having driven a Tesla for a year or so, I've got a good understanding of what it entails to run one. Biogas has the potential to make a decent fuel source for older vehicles, which are also very robust and easy to maintain. They may not be very modern, safe, or efficient, but they can be updated and made safer. My truck restoration is going to be a test for the viability of biogas as a fuel source for a full sized vehicle. If this proves successful, biogas may end up being a very viable and sustainable fuel source for the foreseeable future. Outside of a fart powered grocery getter, biogas could be used to fuel things such as small off road vehicles, small tractors, motorcycles, and all manner of horseless carriages. Much research and testing is needed in this area, and the laws may prevent the vehicles from ever hitting the roads, but a homemade fuel source for various vehicles could go a long way in building a self sustaining lifestyle where things actually get done.Feeding The System
In a system fueled by poop and food scraps, it shouldn't be too difficult to find things to shovel into it. Starting off with just myself might be a problem if I don't manage my energy consumption carefully. Without proper planning and management, the system might not even generate enough gas to heat it's own tank, allowing the system to stop working. To combat this, I plan to get a few animals fairly early on to help me fuel the system and get other things done. I might start with rabbits as they produce good manure for starting a biodigestor, are good at recycling plant and food scraps, can be sold, and can be used for meat and fur. They're also adorable. I'm not big into harvesting animals for food as it makes me very sad, but I will have to at some point. I've made rabbit jerky and stew before and it was excellent. Having them supply the bacteria needed to start the process is an added bonus. As things scale up, larger animals such as goats, pigs, and sheep will be brought in. They all produce meat for food, fat for soap, and the goats can produce milk. Sheep produce excellent wool as well. They all produce waste that will be used to generate fuel. I'll be turning animals into fuel, essentially. As more people join The Village, I'll need to start collecting human waste for the system, if possible. This is a tricky system as human waste can cause serious health problems if not dealt with properly. I'll likely start with temporary composting toilets until testing is complete with human waste in the biodigestor. Between food scraps, plant waste, and human and animal waste, the biodigestor should be kept running indefinitely, producing various fuel sources to help sustain the entire Village indefinitely. Having decided the main fuel source for The Village, planning can move forward on areas such as the overall layout of all the buildings, infrastructure design, and various energy systems. It's a very large and complex system, but one I feel worth working on until it's complete. The end goal is too wonderful not to strive for. Especially when I could tell people I own fart powered village.