How'd it go today?

[Cobleskill]

You can pop the wheel off and see if you have flint left.

 

[cory]

If I'm going to mess with it (hats off to you, John), I think I'd rather find a way to collect the unused butane fuel (it's almost full/brand new) and make some sort of explosion with it...

 

[Treeaddict]

If I'm going to mess with it (hats off to you, John), I think I'd rather find a way to collect the unused butane fuel (it's almost full/brand new) and make some sort of explosion with it...

Throw it in an outdoor fire pit and stand back.
Maybe shoot it with a BB gun?

 

[Kaveman]

Yall need to Elsa them dead lighters.

Ya know, "Let it Go"...

 

[cory]

Good call, but 'splain Elsa

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Frozen. Song. Let it Go.

 

[cory]

Oh ok, I dint see Frozen but yeah.

Ya know, imma go out there right now and 86 it, maybe along with some old gloves and a pair of shoes

Thx for the boost

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Yes, go be Elsa Today!!!

 

[Treeaddict]

Installed a sump pit and pump with discharge line in a 100 year old home which never had one. A little difficult the 120’ 10* snow covered driveway to bring all gear/tools in and out.

200’ of True Blue was on our doorstep when I returned home from work . I’m sick of the Arborplex and the 300’ of 5/8 Stablebraid isn’t for normal use.

I believe I’ve officially become my father. Yesterday when sledding with the kiddos, I sat at the top of the hill seriously contemplating grabbing my helmet. In all fairness, the course takes you across a street and past a tree…….

 

[treebilly]

@cory You could put a pipe sticking up out of your fire pit and drop the lighter into it. Drop some wadding and something to propel out. 20 some years ago we got drunk and did this with spray paint cans and other types of aerosol cans. I don’t remember which one went the furthest but it was fun at the time. All in the name of science.

 

[Nutball]

I already do that, just wondering about "repair" of the lighter

They are not that complicated. If I had pictures, I could help wih disassembly. I tried taking apart a bic long stick lighter to see if I could turn up the flow on it somehow, but even with the front cap off and the rear screw out, they had glued it together or something, and I had it half way separated before I judged the risk of snapping it in half too high.

 

[stig]

My day started badly.
I was hiking in to today's trees, carrying saw and fuel ( I leave wedges, maul and so on on the site over night). Same route I've been going all week at the edge of a water hole..
There was a large branch in the way, so I detoured a few meters and promptly fell through the ice.
Thigh deep.
I had extra boots in the truck and long underpants and socks in my bug-out bag, but logged all day in wet saw pants, no fun.

Gotta say that whole Cory thing: " Just take a dip in ice water, it'll brighten your whole day and make you feel great" is absolute bullshit!

Hottub for the win.

Then later I got BOTH saws stuck in a split and splintered beech and had to make the walk of shame over to the apprentice and ash her to come cut me loose.
She enjoyed that no end.
She has a Mona Lisa smile that she reserves for situations like that.
Hurts more than straight ridicule, I tell ya!

 

[Burnham]

That is truly a bad day, Stig. Condolences. Tell Mine to behave.

 

[treebilly]

That’s a miserable day. I enjoy the cold plunge but being wet all day sucks.
My guys live for the time that I stick a saw or toss a chain. As soon as I do it I hear “day one”.

 

[lxskllr]

Off again today. My central heat may have come on last night. It was 47° when I got up this morning. I don't think I've had a year yet where I didn't use central heat whatsoever. I'm trying to get to '80% more efficient than my efficient neighbors' on my energy report. Best I've done is 77% if I remember right. I got my report today, and it was 67% better. Not that it matters one way or the other, but I like making other people look bad :^D

Went to my new favorite grocery store today. It's a discount grocer that deals in distressed merchandise. I got a bunch of deluxe tins of tuna for $3/each, and some fantastic Moroccan olives that were prepared with chili, and have a real kick to them. Usually, I have a hard time detecting the heat, but it's very noticeable with these. I'm definitely buying more next time I go. Same with the tuna and FinnCrisp. There's no guarantee they'll get more, so I have to stock up while I can.

 

[cory]

#frugalAF

#ifitsfreeitsforme

#ihatewaste

#nowaste

 

[Burnham]

You are an animal, @lxskllr . 47 degrees is friggin' cold for indoors. If I get up in the morning to even 57 degrees, I am thinking "dummy, you didn't put enough wood in the stove before bed". Of course, since we don't have central heat and don't use the Cadet backups unless we're away for days, it's all on me to keep the house warm enough to suit us .

I don't think our electricity provider has a report like that...or maybe I just am ignorant of it, a definite possibility. But I'd bet we are up there in the same range you are. Average usage is well under 400 kwh per month.

 

[Nutball]

Off again today. My central heat may have come on last night. It was 47° when I got up this morning. I don't think I've had a year yet where I didn't use central heat whatsoever. I'm trying to get to '80% more efficient than my efficient neighbors' on my energy report. Best I've done is 77% if I remember right. I got my report today, and it was 67% better. Not that it matters one way or the other, but I like making other people look bad :^D

Went to my new favorite grocery store today. It's a discount grocer that deals in distressed merchandise. I got a bunch of deluxe tins of tuna for $3/each, and some fantastic Moroccan olives that were prepared with chili, and have a real kick to them. Usually, I have a hard time detecting the heat, but it's very noticeable with these. I'm definitely buying more next time I go. Same with the tuna and FinnCrisp. There's no guarantee they'll get more, so I have to stock up while I can.

Do they tell your neighbors that they are 67% less efficient than their most efficient neighbor?

 

[lxskllr]

Not precisely, which is unfortunate. It's normalized over a general area. This is how they say they compute it...

You: 365 units

Efficient neighbors: 1,100 units

Average neighbors: 1,520 units

Units represent a combination of electricity (kWh) and natural gas (therms).​

Efficient neighbors are the 20% of homes in your comparison group that used the least energy this period. To create the comparison group, we use your home profile to look for 100 single-family homes in your area with a similar heating source and square footage​

 

[Burnham]

I just poked around on our providers website...they have some tools to help you be more efficient in usage, but not that sort of comparison, that I could see anyway.

 

[lxskllr]

It's just an amusement for me. I don't have too many places I can cut more usage without spending money, and even if it were free I wouldn't do it. Biggest thing is the windows. They're old, and *very* drafty. The curtains will move when it's very windy out. I like a house to breathe. I think it's healthier for humans, and it puts you closer to nature. Yea, I'm using more energy than I absolutely have to, but the numbers speak for themselves. When people start topping my efficiency numbers, they can then bitch at me. Otherwise, it's what I like. Mostly anyway... I'd rather have a drafty old cabin in the Maine woods where I can go out in the snow, hear almost nothing, and see only stars. Can't have everything :^D

 

[Burnham]

We have very good windows...replaced the 1987 vintage aluminum framed double pane units a dozen years ago with Anderson composite framed double pane. Those old units had lost seal between the panes in many of them, and always had been prone to condensation on the frames in cold weather.

I agree that houses need fresh air. But tbh, I think our house still breathes well enough. Both front and back doors are not sealed completely by their weatherstripping. The flex seal between fixed and sliding portions of all the windows allow some small air movement. If we lived where @FireFighterZero does, it might be critical to keep the house tighter.

 

[lxskllr]

Yea, for sure. I have no concept of Montana cold, and you're right out there. No trees to buffer the wind.

 

[Treeaddict]

Do they tell your neighbors that they are 67% less efficient than their most efficient neighbor?

Not that detailed. We’re usually among the least efficient and even with every energy saving steps we have taken it hasn’t budged.

 

[pigwot]

Not sure if I shared this one. I like how the bands of wood appear to go up and bend over the outer edge as they change direction and run down the underside/backside.

Thick rubber flooring going down to ease these old bones on the concrete floor. They used to make it in other colors (like the clay-colored under the lathe, but the company only sells it in black now.