Comments on: It might be winter, but we’re working right along

By: jackie clay

jackie clay — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:13:56 +0000

Brian,
Thank you for your interest in our project. We understand the vapor/moisture issue. Will has been a carpenter and teacher in a carpentry school for several years. There is an air gap above the fiberglass insulation to help vent this. We understand doubling the vapor barrier may possibly cause problems, but the way Tom framed the roof, we really need more insulation in it than we could get, otherwise. It’s a case off “it ain’t perfect, but it’s the best we can do right now”.

Jackie

By: Kathy

Kathy — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:38:35 +0000

Re: Plastic 55 gallon drums
When we rinse them out, we put in a box of baking soda, fill them with water and let them sit out in the sun for a day. Then rinse thoroughly. The baking soda neutralizes anything from the soaps.

By: Tim

Tim — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:31:14 +0000

Some information about pressure canning butter. I water bath dairy products for the very reason of scorching and because of the lactic acid in dairy products makes this fairly safe. I do pressure can margarine because it’s oil based and low acidity, (30 min processing time) and I have not had any problems with scorching. If you are wondering why I can margarine, it’s because I found 30 lbs for $7.50.

By: Howard Tuckey

Howard Tuckey — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 03:59:45 +0000

Re: Plastic 55 gallon drums:
Check at your local car wash. Around here the car wash gets their soaps and wax mixtures in white plastic 55 gal drums, and when they’re empty, they sell them for $10 each. Apparently they can’t send them back, so they sell them. I’ve bought several, and use them to haul water from a local spring when the weather gets too dry. They come with plugs and all, and are real handy. There were three of them out there the other day. I think they could be painted black, so they’d absorb solar energy to warm a greenhouse.
Just be sure to rinse them out well, if you’re planning to use them to water your garden.

By: Rose

Rose — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 00:03:13 +0000

Jackie,
A great source for 55-gallon drums is a soda bottling plant if there’s one in the area. They get concentrates in them and their food-grade, just need a good cleaning. Other food manufacturers get things in plastic drums, too, and they can buy new ones cheaper than they can sterilize the old ones, so they sell them to the public. Our local soda companies sell the drums for 5 bucks.