BudDIY Podcast: Recent Episodes
Buddy Lindsey
A podcast about living a better life through DIY. Topics range mostly from woodworking, but extend to shop improvements, keeping animals, to intellectual pursuits.
When you don't want to run electricity to every part of your property it is time to learn about solar power. However, if you don't know much about electricity and what you need, where do you start.
n this episode I talk through a few basics to get started with electricity and solar as a way to get started in your own research to help build electric projects.
Welcome back to a new year. Lets take a look back at the break, and the year 2022 and how it went. Then lets talk about what is coming ahead, and how things are going to change.
So some things need to change. In this episode I talk about what is changing and some of what the future holds for BudDIY. I also give an update on the porch, hydroponics, and my shop.
Welcome to porch week. This last week has been nothing but building a front porch on the house. It has been a crazy time, and a huge learning process.
Listen in on this week to hear how it went, the good and the bad. Also a few of the things I learned along the way. Plus what is next for the porch.
This coming week is the week to build a porch, and I am quite unsure about how it will go. In this weeks episode I talk through the process I am going to through. Some of the materials and tools I that are needed, and overall what needs to be done.
It isn't a long episode as I have put most of my attention into prepping to do this project, but there is an update on the hydroponics system.
Next weeks episode should be very interesting as it will be a discussion of the work I do this week.
Getting children involved in making, farming, chores etc is something I am unaccustomed to. This weeks episode focuses on 5 things I have put into action over the last few months, and seems to be working, at least a little bit.
Having my kids involved in what I do has been a tough challenge, but things seem to be getting better. I am learning more to let go.
Also a couple updates on the hydroponics, and front porch build.
Trailering a truck can be super nerve wracking if you have never done it before. This wek was my first time. So lets talk about it.
I talk about the ups and downs, the process I went through, and an important lesson learned along the way. Next time I will be better prepared for hauling a vehicle on the trailer.
I also discuss the upcoming porch project, and give one of the last updates on the hydroponics project as it is winding down.
This week is short, but packed with information.
Search Engine Optimization is important, but it isn't as hard as a lot of people make it out to be. There are some key principles that if you can follow will go a long way before you need to get to the advanced and intricate stuff.
In this episode I go over a few of those things which can be especially important to get your local farm or business going to gain some traffic.
One of the craziers parts about SEO is fairly simple for most of what you need to do, but it can be hard to do it at times. So lets walk through some of the basics and the easier approach to getting things going.
When it comes to a lot of stuff going on this last week has been right up there. In this weeks episode I walk through a few things that happened around projects, and talk through a math problem I had on some product design.
This week it is short and simple with a couple of lessons to take away along the way.
There is a lage project coming up to finish off fixing part of our house. Actually it is a series of smaller projects, that leads to a better whole.
This week I walk through the steps to the project to lay the groundwork for upcoming work and projects.
I also update on a few things that happened this week towards making more 3d printed products to sell.
If you have ever wanted to sell something on ebay and been intemidated by it, well you are not alone. I was super nervous to sell something on ebay because of all of the unknowns, and not wanting disappoint a customer.
Well I finally sucked it up, posted something on ebay and it was purchased. The process had some hiccups, but that was because the customer wanted to buy a bit of a different way than I posted.
Other than that selling on Ebay was a breeze.
So join me in this episode where I tell you about the process of listing, selling, customer interaction, shipping and results. All things I wish I could find information on in one place before
I also jump into some hydroponics updates, and a future project update.
Making progress on the hydroponics setup this week was great, but it didn't come without its challenges.
This week I talk a bit more about my 3d printing stuff I am working on, and how that is going. Can you say fear of success, and the unknown?
Then in the main segment I walk through the latest with the hydroponics system, and some of the challengs I hit with and not with the hydroponics build. Also a couple of takeaways as well.
Reminder. I am now trying to sell stuff on my site if you would like to support my work please visit my shop and if something interests you please feel free to buy it.
This week we discuss the basics of lithium batteries for deep cycle applications. I have recently made a few decisions on where to go with some project, and figured it was time to learn more about lithium batteries.
In this episode we talk about cells and how to combine them to make your battery for different applications, as well as the specific type of lithium battery most used for home applications.
Summer is hot, and so are your chickens. As the summer warms up we need to keep our feathered friends cool so they don't die on us.
This year we are having the hotest summer ever since I got chickens, so it will be a great learning experience on keeping chickens cool.
In todays episode I go over things I have don in years past, plus a couple of things I want to try to make sure my chickens stay alive, and thrive.
When your prints fail it is time to do some fixing. This week I had a couple of failures on my 3d prints while working on some new designs. That was quite the shock as the printer has done really well up to now.
Listen in this week as I talk about some interesting lessons when modeling prints, and what maintenance you should do to your 3d printers. Just don't be like me and how I have been when it comes to maintenance.
This week we had crazy water problems from our system, and not knowing anything about how our entire system works. I had to fix it. Rural off-grid water can be hard.
Listen to this weeks episode to find out what happened, how I fixed it, some background on a few of the things, and things I would like to change int he future.
Some weeks are just an amalgamation of everything which leads to randomness. That has been this past week so I am bringing you a variety show today where we talk about a lot of things.
First up is the work I started on a product I want to sell, but I need to develop it and I have gone through a few prototypes I have 3D printed. I talk a little bit about the design process and what I am going for.
Then we move on to more homestead stuff where I fixed some underground electric, torched some grass and finally hit a fork in the road on the hydroponics. Oh, and followed through on a great suggstion for my gate.
Finally we wrap up the episode with some bitcoin investment data I compiled for dollar cost averaging. I actually crunched some numbers for this data.
Last week I got things situated for the tubs to sit on the racks better. That came in handy this week working on doing the plumbing.
The plumbing went reasonbly well, and I learned a few things along the way. I also had ot design myself out of a situation I put myself in. If you are interested in check this weeks episode out to learn more.
The hydroponics project has been started. I finally got through some of the other projects and did some testing for the hdyroponics project. Also designed a new set of clips for hanging the barrina lights I have for the hdyro system. Give this episode a listen to find out what is happing, the changes, and next steps.
Sometimes when you build stuff it does not go as you had intended. I had this great idea for a temporary gate, that would work like a normal gate.
It did not go as expected. Fortunately it died early on in the process so I was able to reasses and figure out a solution for a gate as I needed one soon because of rain.
In this episode I talk about what happened and what I did in the end. Plus a few lessons along the way with some suggestions.
Summer is coming up and it is time to cool the shop, or at least try. To that end I worked on installing an exahust fan in the shop from "junk".
In this episode I talk through installing the fan, and how I approached doing it considering I haven't done this before.
It was a super stressful project that really stretched me in doing DIY projects. Hopefully there are a few lessons to learn along the way.
It is all fun and games until someone loses an eye, or the top part of their pinky finger.
With the weather changing it is time to get back to fixing and building from our long winter hibernation and early spring procrastination.
In this episode I talk about safety. A few things you should consider and just generally remind you to keep safety in mind so you have a successful summer doing stuff.
Electical can be a scary thing to deal with, but if you keep some principals in mind it isn't that bad. Plus there are a few projects around the house you can take care of on your own which are fairly simple. In todays episode I talk about 3 of those projects you can do to start gaining a little confidence in working with electrical "stuff" in your house or on your property.
Canning can be a great idea, but is the the right idea for you? In todays episode I talk a bit about the history of canning, our family experience with it, and about canning. It is a topic I never thought I would end up covering on this channel, but here we are.
Finally, we talk a bit about the economics of it and I give you my opinion on is it worth doing or not.
So I went back to the ER again this week so this episode is a short episode where I update on some projects and tell you what happened.
Incubating eggs is that next step to providing a full service of chickens on your own homestead. It is great because you can get chickens ever year and you don't have to keep buying them. Plus if some pandemic happens, new avian flu, you can still get chickens, with good biosecurity.
This is something I have wanted to learn for a long time and I always thought there was some deep complicated thing about it. Turns out it is pretty simple. Check out this weeks episode as I talk about what it takes to incubate eggs.
I also talk a bit about new projects, and some interesting lessons along the way.
A lot has happened this year already, and as a planner that is not a lot of fun. I have taken the time to re-group and figure out the direction I want BudDIY to go this year.
Join me in this episode as I talk about finishing up the garden, and talk about the future projects here on BudDIY.
Keeping predators out of your hen house is a good idea, but sometimes you need to keep the hens out of the garden. One problem that we have had with this round of chickens is they like to jump out of our fencing. Which during the day is fine and does not matter. However, they also like to get into our garden. So we decided to put up some fencing to see if it keeps them out. Plus it might even help keep other animals out as well which has been annoying.
Sometimes when we are doing life we get stuck in the doing, and let the part that makes the gears of life move, personal finance.
Doing well with money is an annoyingly critical part of life, and is deeply personal. Which is why it is call personal finance.
Living by a personal set of principals and thinking out how you will react to life in those stressful situations can help set you up for long term success.
In this episode I talk about my personal history, the good and the bad. Also discuss how I view money and what I try to do to keep the wheels of life from not falling off.
My internet card got punched and I lost my internet. However, there was a rebound and I was able to get a new service to my house, but I needed internet to my office. In this episode I talk through how I got internet to my office. The process I went through. The things I bought and what I did to make it all work. Even why I made a few of the decisions along the way.
The keyboard is finally done. It has been an intersting couple of weeks finishing it, butI have learned a lot so that my next projects go better.
I did paint my 3D Printed case and attempted to get a nice smooth finish. I was mostly successful so in todays episode I will talk about that plus some other craziness going on in life.
I was on vacation and while gone my internet died. I can't do a full episode until I figure out this issue. Have a great week.
A couple of months ago I found out you can build your own keyboard, and it started me down a journey that lead me to building a keyboard of my own.
In this episode I will walk through the experience of researching, buying, and building the keyboard.
It was an interesting experience to say the least so give this episode a listen to find out more as a precursor to a build video I plan to produce and put out.
The more you use your garden the more you can do to make it better. After a few years of use, and a few changes of our circumstances we need to make a few changes. In this episode I talk about 5 changes we need to make to our reaised beds to make them better, and hopefully more successful.
If you want to 3d print your own products you need to learn how to do some 3d modeling. Since I have some time off work that is what I am doing.
This week I have worked quite a bit learning blender, and it has been quite the exeperience. I feel like I am on the right track.
So listen to this episode for the top 5 experiences and thoughts I have had this week while learning blender.
I finally got a job, but it was a greulling process of interviews. I finally made it through, and learn a ton of stuff along the way. In this episode I walk you through what I went through to get a Sr. Software Engineering job. Things I learned from the process, and what I would do differently if I had to do it all over again. Finally, I touch on what I did not like in the process, and did not enjoy. Plus what is my new job?
It is getting to that time where you need to plan your year. Spring is right around the corner, and it is going be time to get some work done.
In this episode I talk about a few things I am working on and planning and hopefully it will spring some ideas and thoughts for you of what you can get done.
Also a little update on the job hunt.
I hate that I have not been able to do any DIY projects for the last couple of weeks, but instead I am looking for a job. It is a weird anxious and busy time.
In this episode I talk through my experiences and next steps. If you only really want DIY stuff go ahead and jump to the next episode, hopefully.
This week has been a busy week doing setting up interviews, doing interviews, and studying for a homework of an interview. So this weeks episode is super short.
I talked last week about what I plan for the future this year, and what I want to get done. Well the day after that posted, I was laid off as part of a reduction of 10% of our workforce.
This has derailed my brain more than anything.
So in this episode I talk through things. To be honest I hope it is coherent as I just kind of walk through my thoughts, plans and wishes.
I also give an update on a DIY project.
If you don't prepare for the future then you probably wont get anything meaningful done. Wandering through life isn't the best way to accomplish your goals.
With that in mind this week is about what to look forward to on content I plan to produce this year. Projects I plan to do, and some attempts to just be better this year.
I list out several projects I want to do as well as how I came to the conclusion to do some of them, I also review last year and the partial failure it was as well.
Then we cap it off with my dismal failure at eating well for the last week.
Being overweight has been a way of life for the last 25 years. I have never had good control over my weight.
This year I was finally able to take control of my weight and bring it down to be healthy.
In todays episode I talk about that journey and the things that I did along the way, and what I would do again if I were to start over.
I hate spending money on things that break regularly. Keyboards are one of those things.
I get a new keyboard every couple of years because I wear out a key and it basically makes the rest of the board useless.
Recently I found out you can actually build your own high quality keyboards that could last for decades.
In this episode follow along as I talk to you about how you can do this, and the plans I have coming up to build my won keyboard.
When you stretch yourself out of your comfort zone you can learn a few things. This last week I helped my dad do more cement, but this time it was more than we had ever done before.
It was an interesting experience trying to cement 3 things in one hour to keep costs down. Give this episode a listen if you are curious what we did, and a few of the takeaways.
Sometimes out of failures we can rise to the occasion and help to get things done. This last weekend there were several problems in the project I was helping with that needed to get done. It took leadership to help get them accross the finish line in a reasonable fashion.
In this weeks episode I walk through what it takes to be a leader, types of leadership, and how to use that to be effective when the people around are not being as effective in the moment. It is also a great introduction to being a leader when you are not the designated leader.
It was the week of Thanksgiving, and while there was a lot to be thankful for. There was also time to get some things done. And some time to make a few mistakes along the way.
Join me this week as I go through the install of a new vanity and sink, and wrap up with my failure of the week. Overall a good week even if it didn't go completely as expected.
We had to make some hard decisions this week due to finances. With that in mind and talking to a couple of people recently that have not had a good grasp on finances I think we should talk about them.
One of the biggest hiccups I run into with people is a lack of understanding of basic finances. Or how to move that basic understanding into project planning. It isn't hard, but if you don't know how then you don't know.
In this episode we cover some finance basics, then I move into planning for pigs to show the points I took into consideration for costs and how to cover those. Then to forecast future expenses so you know if you will make a profit, or when you might.
These skills are essential to longterm success in any endeavor, and just takes a tweak to your thinking. This is one of my favorite topics so I hope you enjoy it as much as me, or at least learn something from it.
Part of the last week I spent my time at the The Survival Podcast Fall Workshop, and it was great. I was able to meet a lot of people I have never met before as well as catching up with old friends.
I even learned a few things along the way. in this episode I give a bit of a recap of the highlights.
Here is a bit of an update on a couple of projects I am planning, and some of the stuff I have learned that is new about them. It has been a bit of a crazy week to the point I haven't had hardly any time.
However, I was able to move the ball forward on my hydroponics and trailer build projects. So today I am going to discuss a couple of updates on those, and a couple of new things I have learned.
So my class is finally over, and the question is was it worth the money?
In this episode I breakdown what we did, the structure of the class, things that I learned and finally hone in on was it worth it. I do that by asking the question would I take this class again?
I also talk about some good news on a side project I am working on as well as a repair that is finally done.
Remember sign up for the email news letter and I'll see you in the episode.
Sometimes you want to get into programming as a DIYer, and you just aren't sure where to start or why. Hopefully this episode can give you a reasonable area to start from.
I breakdown programming, 3 programming languages, and 3 platforms you can program against to start your DIY projects. I then give my opinion on what to start with.
The goal is to give an overview and not an in-depth discussion as I could do that for hours. I wanted to arm you with encouragement, and motivation to maybe move towards the project you have been putting off by giving you a starting point.
Knowing how to grow food is a good thing. Especially knowing how to do it before you have to make it look good.
I have been researching doing a hydroponics setup in my office so I can grow food while I work. All in preparation for an in the house aquarium aquaponics setup, and an outdoor mini-pond aquaponics setup.
So in this episode I go over the latest goings on with life, especially my truck. Then in the main segment I discuss what I am going to build so I can actually have a bit of a clue of what I am doing before I build an in-house aquaponics aquarium.
My family and I have worked for a few years now to get us closer to making money with our homestead. We are finally on the cusp of being able to produce things for others and charge for it.
Today I talk about what are the baby steps we are taking to move us closer and closer to that vision we have. These steps are really the ones that make it seem like things are getting real. We have done a lot of work learning, now it is time to start the last step and open for business.
You ever have a week that has been fun, long, and terrible all in one. That was my week in a nutshell. A lot of high highs and several low frustrating lows. However, that is what I promised to bring with this podcast the good and the bad. Along with some education.
Join me this week as I talk about my super expensive pulley to fix my truck, plus a decision I have made about a future computer, and software to use while 3d modeling. Welcome to a wild ride this week, at least it was for me.
A lot of people don't know what goes into a content creation business, or what the basics of are. What is interesting is that it is fairly simple, but that doesn't mean long term it isn't hard.
I have been doing content creation of some form or another for nearly 20 years. Studied the business side for the last 15'ish. The one thing I have learned is most of it is the exact same no matter your niche. However, if you don't get it right to begin with you will struggle.
In this episode I break down the principles. If you have ever wanted a full picture of what you need to get started with this will be your episode.
Some weeks are good, some weeks go crazy, and other weeks you get both in just two days.
This last week I completed my second week of welding classes, and got a 50 year old tractor.
The welding class is going great, and I am learning a lot. The tractor sent me to the ER.
If you are interested hearing about my successes and failures this week give this episode a listen. I also talk a bit about what I learned and how I can apply that in the future.
Sometimes life can be going along and seem fine, then bam, all of the things that have been weighing you down just hit you and you have to start solving your problems.
This last week I was off work to work on a project, and ended up need to work to solve some personal issues. Mentally I have had a lot of baggage because of letting things go in life and not concentrating on them.
In this episode I talk a little bit about what some of the problems I have been having and a few of the ways I plan to start solving them so I can get past a barrier I have in front of me.
The robots are here, and there are more on the way. The landscape and life is going to change in crazy ways over the next decade. From autonomous cars to autonomous chefs.
It is important to understand what is coming, and how to adapt to it so we can stay prepared for the future. Paying attention gives us the opportunity to not only survive the changes, but to thrive.
In this episode I talk about what I see coming in the places I can predict, and areas that automation is staring to creep in and the effects they are going to have. Some you might not have known about. I know I didn't until recently.
As a maker and DIYer 3d printers seem to be a tool of the future we will all eventually get. To that end I purchased a new Prusa 3d printer, and got it put together.
I have always thought 3d printers are the wave of the future for small scale manufacturing, and amazing niche businesses for people. To that end I have always wanted to develop a product and get one.
Now armed with a few product ideas, and some motivation I took the jump to get a 3d printer. Listen along with this episode to hear my thoughts on the assembly and how it went. More on why I got one, and what the next steps are.
If you have never worked in a machine shop or done metal working you have no idea what is there, and what it can do. needless to say over the last few weeks of me learning I am impressed.
In this episode I go over some of the tools a hobbiest or small business might have doing metal and machine work. I also discuss some of the things that they might do with those tools as well.
Coming from a background of doing no DIY then falling down the crater that is woodworking, and then on to metal working. Learning all of these new things has expended my mind of possibilities of projects.
So if you would like a summary of some of the things in a machine shop give this episode a listen as it is a decent start, especially if you, like me, have never explored this area before.
When traveling, especially by yourself, one of the best things that can happen is it breaks you out of your normal routine. It forms new neural connections in your brain. It allows you to consider things you had not considered before.
On my drive to and from a business trip I had a lot of time to think, and a lot of time to just enjoy where and what I was doing. It re-invigorated in me what I am doing, and why I am doing it.
Along those lines I made a few decisions that will affect the next 8 to 12 months of things I am going to do. So in todays episode I discuss those things and more.
One of the prerequisites to building a trailer and a bandsaw mill is to be able to weld. It is also a good idea to know about metal as well. These are all new topics for me as I have about 30 minutes of welding experience.
If you have something you want to learn and are not sure if you should take a class or try it on your own. Give this episode a listen as I discuss 5 reasons I have decided to take a class. I believe it could be a good framework for deciding for yourself as well.
Some weeks are just out there, and packed full of crap and busy work. This last week was that week for me. If you are interested in the craziness of the week I had. Here you go.
I talk about everything from my batter backup dieing to a new power supply for my ham radio, even some truck features I plan to do. It is a whirlwind of an episode that goes all over the place.
And then stay tuned for the end for a well done phishing attempt.
You may have grown up around chainsaws, but do you really know about them or how to use them? This was my life. I would go out and help my dad and others clear trees, but since we were always in a hurry or in a group I did the clearing. I never learned about or how to use chainsaws.
I did pick up a lot of things through observation and logic, but it really doesn't compare to actual experience. So, much like a lot of the rest of my journey with this homestead, here is an introduction to chainsaws.
If you are in my position definitely give this episode a listen as I start with the basics of chainsaws, tools you probably need, and some safety equipment you will need. I thought I had a good handle on the basics until I started actually learning them.
When you are doing woodworking or homesteading or DIYing you are probably going to use some wood. What is interesting is learning where your wood comes from, and how you get what you buy.
If you have ever been interested in some of the basics around a sawmill and milling wood. What some of the terms are or even some of the tools. As well as a little bit of the processes then I go over what I have learned in this episode.
Next year we will start a bandsaw build so it is imperative to actually understand something about this part of the industry so I am sharing what I have learned so far. I hope it not only helps you in your woodworking to understand what is going on before you, but also to have a greater appreciation for the things you create.
One of the interesting things about milling would is it can help give your work more of a story. This is not only more fun to show it off, but if you sell the work you can command a higher price for it.
So join me in this episode as we start the process of learning about sawmills and milling.
Have you ever wanted to get pigs, but are a bit on the fence about getting them?
In this episode I discuss 5 of the main reasons we are looking to get pigs next year. We have kicked around the idea for a few years now, but if nothing goes awry between now and the new year we will get them.
I think pigs are going to be a great addition to the homestead for the income, work, and knowledge they will bring. To find out more, and to see what has gone on recently around here give this episode a listen.
Trailers are important to life when you can't get everything in your car or truck. However, they are easy to ignore learning about because they are so "easy" to use. You hook them up, load stuff in there, and go. Right?
While that may be possible, and you can get away with that with light loads. When you have to do heavy loads to get some work done it is a good idea to actually know something about trailers. You especially don't want to go to jail right?
I have ignored trailers, and understanding them for a longtime. However, this last week I was prompted to start learning about them, and I dove deeeeeeep. I have an all new understanding of trailers from how to properly use them, and especially how they are constructed and built.
In this episode I go over a bunch of things people should probably know if for no other reason so they can understand a few things when they get around trailers. The better part is understanding these things so if you have to do something you don't use the wrong trailer.
The bandsaw I bought back in January has finally been restored, and put back into service. It didn't need a lot of work, but I ended up replacing a lot of parts so that now it is almost like a brand new bandsaw.
I had some interesting experiences along the way, and learned a ton more. If you want to learn more give this episode a listen.
I also talk a bit about a couple of future projects that will be super exciting once I can get to them. So definitely listen to find out more.
The end of having meat chickens is the processing. Over the weekend was processing day, and it was long and tiring.
This was the first time I have been "in charge" of doing the processing. The last two times I have processed chickens a friend who has done it a lot came over to help and taught me a lot. This time I had to do all the steps.
Not only did I have to do all the steps, but I had the opportunity to teach other people as well. To be perfectly honest I enjoyed teaching how to process the chickens more than I did the work.
It was a long day, but we now have 29 chickens in our freezer. We raised and grew the chickens on our property, eating our grass and bugs on the ground as we cared for them. They worked the ground, and had a good life. In the end they are performing their final duty of feeding my family some of the most nutritious food we will eat.
Join me in this episode as I talk through what happened, the process, and the ups and downs. If you have ever been curious what it is like, without actually doing it, this episode is for you.
It is going to be a hot year this year, much like every year. It always seems when we get to summer we want to figure out ways to stay cool in the shop. Or to at least not have the shop as hot.
I recently made some changes that will effect the future of my shop, and force me to deal with the heat in the shop for a longer period of time. So I have spent some time researching how to keep the shop cool.
In this episode I discuss several ideas on how to keep your shop cool. Many of these things can work together to make your life a lot easier. I think my shop was build the worst way possible, so I am going to have to employ several of them.
Learning to sell is a huge weakness of mine. This year I stepped out and worked to sell a cow, granted it was to family. With guidance from my father-in-law who has done it before my wife and I figured out what needed to be done, and we got a cow sold.
It was definitely and interesting experience, and a lot of learning had to take place. We had to negotiate cuts with customers, coordinate with the butcher to do those, we had to find a butcher date when most where backed up a year and half.
However, we saw an opportunity in the market, we had to resources, and we took advantage of it. That is exactly what you should do as a sales person. In the end we walked away with some profit, and some meat so it was all great.
There were definitely problems that arose to be sorted out, and we will do better next time.
Working in the garden can be hard work. Whatever you can do to make life easier is a great idea. In this episode I talk about 3 projects that you can do to make life easier.
I think the most exciting project for my wife is an outdoor sink. My favorite is an actual hoop house that is affordable, and wont fall apart on you. The other project just makes sense to do so you don't keep losing garden tools.
Sometimes you have weeks where a lot of stuff goes wrong, or the culmination of a lot of problems hit all at one time. This week was that week for me, and my chickens.
The week started out with some problems with the chickens, and ended with delays and figuring out I was feeding my chickens the wrong feed.
In this episode I talk about the failures I had, and how I worked through them to get to resolutions. It wasn't my funnest week, but it was the conclusion to a lot of things.
Experiencing putting in electric is very different than the planning. This last week we did all the work to run new electric wire that can push 200 amps to the shop. Now I can run anything I want in the shop.
In today episode I walk through everything we did to put in the electric along with some lessons learned. I also talk about the mistake I made that cost us a half a day of time.
Reading is super important to expand the mind, keep your brain active, and to learn and do more things. I try to make sure I average 1 book a month. Sometimes that is batch of five or six in a month, and podcasts for 6 months. Other times it is methodical listening once a month.
In this episode I talk about 3 non-fiction books I have recently read that I have found most beneficial. They help to expand my thought process around business, as well as helping me around the homestead to make things better. They have given me a lot to think about so I can try to do everything better.
These books are actually good enough I will probably listen to them one or two more times. I think they are packed full of information most people need to hear, especially if you are a small business owner.
The other book I talk about is a fiction series I absolutely love. If I am wanting to just do some casual, but I am not sure what to listen to I turn to this series.
This last week we had a scare with my dads health, and it lead to a lot of thinking. Because when you are in the hospital you have a lot of time to think. The question is what happens to your stuff and your family after you die?
Do you have a plan so that your loved ones don't have to stress over what to do next? Do you know where to get started with this line of thinking?
While we have spent time working on this over the last few years, we come up short in several ways. However, in this episode I go through the things I have set in place, and the framework I use to develop what needs to be available for my family if I pass. The idea being they need to do as little as possible.
It is almost time to put the meat chickens out on pasture to eat what chickens eat naturally. It has been nearly 3 weeks since getting the cornish cross, and they are growing nicely. Now it is time to decide whether to put them on grass permanently or not.
In this episode I talk about what I move the chickens live in, and what goes into deciding if it is time to actually move them out of the brooder. There are several important things to consider, and we go over them in this episode.
I also talk a bit more about prep work, and research, done for the electrical work that is coming up. Unfortunately it continues to be delayed by weather, but the longer it takes the better the solutions, and more expensive lol.
Emergency projects never seem to go well. Upgrading the electric on the property has turned out to be an emergency project because if we are going to do it, it needs to get done now.
With that in mind we planned out what all needs to be done. The materials we need to get the job done. Plus a little scope creep to add to the excitement. All of that combined made for a long and interesting week.
In this episode I talk about what needs to be done, the plan and how we figured out our materials list. Then finally the extra stuff we have decided to do a long the way to make life just a bit easier.
Your first week of having chickens can be a roller coaster of things to do and emotions. Here you have these living creatures, and you are responsible for them.
I also had the twist of having 2 different types, not breeds, of chickens. There are meath chickens and laying chickens. One of the issues is how fast the meat chickens grow.
In todays episode I talk about actually getting my chickens, and the first week of having them. I discuss whether my prep work actually worked. What has gone good and bad. It has been an interesting week.
I don't often spend money to go to conferences or workshops. Mostly because I am skeptical, I probably shouldn't be.
However, I have heard a lot of good things about The Survival Podcast workshops that Jack Spirko holds. Especially when it comes to homesteading, entrepreneurship, and networking with other people.
2 years ago I took the plunge, and went. It was worth it, and changed how I looked at these types of events for the better. I now intend to go to as many as I can.
This brings me to the Spring 2021 workshop where we got to do some really cool builds, and really was able to see function stacking in action to make an efficient homestead.
I also got to touch on electric, solar, and butter making. Listen to this episode to find out more about my experience. What I learned, and even walk away with some new insights yourself.
Herbal teas have been a game changer in my health over the last few years. The only tea I grew up drinking was black lipton tea, which I still drink.
I never knew there were alternatives, that could be good for me.
In this episode I talk about what lead me to learning more about herbal teas. What teas I enjoy, and my family use regularly. Also a what we plan to plant this year as well.
Do you want a 3D Printer? I know I do, and I have researched them for a long time.
In this episode I am going to talk about the 5 main reasons to buy a 3D Printer. I also go over my reasons for not buying one as well.
For me the biggest reason is to be able to fix stuff that I own, but there are others and there are more details than just that.
If you are on the fence maybe this episode will help push over the edge, and buy one. If haven't considered it maybe you will now.
Sometimes you just aren't productive in hitting the goals you want to hit. Life can get in the way, and you just have to roll with the punches.
This last week was that for me. I was trying to get a metal roof on our chicken shack, but the weather kept hounding us preventing us from getting it done. This caused a cascade of problems.
As it turned out I took the time I did have to just get some tasks done I have been putting off. Like we all should from time to time.
I also spent some time learning new things, and share them as well in this episode.
Learning about replacing a roof, and actually doing it are very different. This week I had a hard lesson with that.
Part of the problem comes from the fact the building I am replacing the roof on is nearly 100 years old. The other part is I learn by watching YouTube, and everything they do is "the right way" from the beginning.
So trying to transpose from scratch builds to retrofit of a 100 year old building has been quite the exercise. Plus just learning to do a metal roof in general was a great step forward in my skillset.
Follow along in todays podcast to find out what it takes to do a new roof, and the fun time I had doing it. While replacing the roof sucked at times, it was totally worth it.
February of 2021 brought unprecedented cold blast across the entire United States. Parts of the country were brought to its knees.
A lot of people had a really bad time of the weather due to lack of preparedness for bad weather. There are a few things if everyone had done it would have made life more manageable for all.
In this episode I go over what happened during the winter storm. Some statistics on power outages that all people deal with. And finally I talk about 5 sensible precautions I think everyone could make to help in future bad events like this.
Learning 3d modeling as a DIYer is not an obvious thing to do. However, I think learning how to 3d model at least basic things can save you a lot of time and money.
While time and money are super important things to save there are other reasons to learn 3d modeling. With the swath of options and tutorials out there now is a great time.
In todays episode I will go over the 5 reasons I think you should learn how to 3d model.
Everyone should really have an Air Quality Monitor in their workshop so they can stay safe and healthy.
Unfortunately, they can be pretty expensive to buy off the shelf. However, there is an alternative to an expensive machine. Just make one yourself.
In this episode I talk about what I did to make one, future development plans I have, and the quality difference from the research I did.
I also talk about the future plans I have to help others make their own.
Health, safety, and good food are all things to a great life.
In this weeks episode I talk about a couple of projects I worked on this last week that leads to better health, safety, and food.
First I talk about the new raised gardens I built, and some of the lessons learned. This should hopefully lead us to more nutritions, and good food.
I then jump into the Harbor Freight dust collector my dad and I customized for his shop so he has the most efficient dust collector he can from harbor freight. I also go into what is a bit different about this build vs others builds.
Is understanding aquaponics complicated? I used to think so.
Once I made a breakthrough at understanding the basics of how aquaponics works. It all clicked into place.
I now have a plan for this year to start an aquaponics system in my living room, of all places. So I can learn more about how it all works before I move to a much larger system outside.
If you have been confused by "what" aquaponics is, and the basics of how it works. Give this episode a listen.
Also don't forget to subscribe and follow along on the site, and youtube, as I take a journey over the course of this next year to build my aquaponics system which I fully intend to document all the way through.
Running a bull dozer for the first time can be an interesting experience. Especially with only 5 minutes of "training".
That is what happened this last week for me to level out my driveway/parking lot in order to put down some fresh gravel.
This week I talk about the lessons learned using a bull dozer in a trial by fire manner. As well discussing the "in office" things I did since I felt sick for the first part of the week.
This weeks episode is a topic round table and a list of problems from this week.
In this weeks episode I discuss the importance of paste wax, tool maintenance. I hit on my top 5 podcasts and why I like them, from a listener question. And wrap it up with some chickens
There is also a bit of a larger segment where I talk about some of the problems I had this week, and how I am working to solve them. Some weeks are just more productive than others.
How do you use a wood router? I know I didn't know how.
In fact I started using one just by adding a bit and turning it on to have fun. I started not knowing anything about how it works, I was totally safe.
Now that I am ready to jump into the next level of woodworking skill, and I ordered stuff to fix my 3 hp router I need to actually figure out how they work.
To that end this episode is all about the theory of using a router that I learned with several hours of research, it is a summary to refer back to at any point if I forget something. Hopefully it helps others as well.
The loft bed is done, but there is no way to get up to it.
In this episode I discuss the build and construction of the combination dresser and stairs that I have built. This was a fun project as it was fairly large and put my skills to the test.
The project didn't go perfect, but I was able to get it done while still looking great. So I want to walk through the process and talk about some of the "how", and a few of the mistakes. Also talking a bit about some preventative measures I could have taken.
Looking back and analyzing the last year is great, and in fact we did that.
However, looking forward and figuring out what you want to do in the future is just as important. If not more important. And making sure it aligns with long term goals.
2021 is going to present some interesting challenges. Especially since I plan to up my content creation this year.
I also plan to attempt to make money from this thing called woodworking and teaching. We will see how that goes.
Give this episode a listen if you are curious what is in store for 2021.
Was 2020 a wild ride for you?
Overall 2020 was a pretty interesting year in a lot of ways. For me and my family it was productive, and I am super thankful for that.
As is the tradition at the end of the year I take this episode to look back at successes failures, and a few other random things that happened this year. It is a great start to a reflection to setup for next weeks episode.
Even when successful you can do have things go wrong. However, it is what you do with those failures that really help to to setup in skills.
The best thing you can do when you get done with a projects is to stop and think through the work. While thinking through everything think about all of the steps, what went good? and what went bad?
In this episode I discuss each of the things that I came across that went wrong, and my attempt at how to rectify those problems. Or if I don't have a solution what I plan to do to figure one out. Fortunately, or unfortunately, some of these problems are just a purchase away. Others are woodworking skill development
Building a large project can be hard. This week I built almost an entire loft bed from start to finish. I also learned a lot along the way, and there was a lot to learn.
I think one of the biggest problems in building projects that are outside of your skill level is lack of planning, and lack of confidence that you can do it. I know I am guilty of these same things.
However, on this project while I knew it was above my skill level in several areas. I also had skills in a lot of it to tackle the project, and it was a, mostly, great experience.
Listen to this weeks episode where I talk about the experience, and the things I learned.
Deer hunting can be an interesting experience especially when you have no experience. I know before my trip I knew next to nothing about deer hunting.
After going on my trip I knew a little bit more, but had some memories and experiences to learn from. I'll just say the trip had some cold moments, and moments where I had to question what I was doing.
In this episode I walk through my days of hunting, and some of the experiences I took away from it. It wasn't the greatest of trips, but I definitely learned a few things.
You tend to do a lot of projects working with wood as a DIYer. To be honest I never thought about the joinery that I might use doing those projects.
I never thought about the strength of the joints. Nor did I think about how to cut the joints, or even that you can do joinery that looks nice.
However, as I do more and more "furniture" building I find myself bringing those same skills into my homestead projects, and wanting them to look nicer and last longer.
So in this episode I decided to talk about 3 types of joinery, plus a bonus one, that I think all DIYers should learn and have in their pocket.
Do you know how your tools work? And is it hurting your ability to do better work?
Over the last year I have come to realize when I don't understand how my tools work, or how to set them up I don't always get good results.
I also tend to wonder if I am bad at whatever the task is I am doing. I think being able to clean, maintain, and restore tools is a skill everyone should develop so they can get maximum effectiveness and life out of their tools.
Sometimes the family gets sick with a novel virus, that sounds fun. This last week my family got sick with Covid-19. So I decided to talk a little bit about it.
I also had some extra time on my hands so I went ahead and tore apart my jointer. I finally have it dialed in properly, and I learned a lot along the way. I talk a little about my experience with that, and some of the reasons that lead to me working on it.
Finally, my failure of the week has to do with my chickens again. So if this episode sounds interesting to you click play below.
Making the decision to learn how to deer hunt, and actually going hunting are two different things.
I decided a couple of years ago that I wanted to go hunting. However, learning about it and actually getting to go has proved to be more difficult. There is/was a wide knowledge gap between wanting to go and going.
Fortunately, I am finally getting to go and I talk about how I am preparing, and they why I even want to go hunting. It is going to be an interesting experience I can't wait to go through.
Are you ready for the first freeze and a potentially hard winter?
I don't know why, but it seems like winter always just sneaks up on me almost every year. I think it is because I am so busy I don't pay much attention to long term forecast. Then boom freeze.
However, we all still need to prepare for winter. So in this episode I go over about 75 things that are possible things you can do to prepare for winter.
Some of the tasks are short, some take more effort. There are even some tasks you don't need to do at all depending on where you live.
The goal is to give ideas and jog memories, and maybe save you from freezing your butt off this winter fixing a problem.
The wrong clothes can lead to a very bad time. The right clothes can lead to not even noticing something is wrong.
Since winter is coming on I wanted to run through some of the clothing I wear. Clothing that helps me stay warm in the winter and comfortable year round.
Hopefully this will help give others ideas so when you are out working on projects you can be comfortable instead of hot, cold or sticky.
Have you ever wondered if you should build or buy something?
Well that question is not always easy to figure out. However, if you apply a series of questions you can generally figure it out.
In this episode I go over my general series of 10 questions to help me determine whether to build or buy something.
This last week we had a bit of an accident that really cost us some money. It was not a fun experience, and I learned a lot more about propane tanks.
However, we were able to get through it with minimal stress and burden compared to what it could have been.
In this episode I go through what happened, how we became debt free and some of the freedom it has allowed us. Also discuss how to become debt free, and some resources to help others along their journey.
It is never fun to create projects, and they just look bad. It is also frustrating to try and make projects, and they never seem to come together correctly.
One of the things I am learning is if I concentrate on my skills, and work to upgrade my tools to better tools I can do both. Not only can things work better and look better, but I can also get projects done faster.
In this episode I talk about some of the tools I have purchased or upgraded to that is helping me to do better work over basic tools, or no tool.
I was able to get go from no ham knowledge to Amateur Extra in Under 2 months. That can seem daunting, and impossible. However, it really isn't.
In this episode I walk you through how to move up in your licenses quickly. I go through what I did, how I did it, and mistakes I made along the way.
Overall I am glad I was able to get my license, but there are a number of things that could have gone better. I hope I am able to articulate many of them to help other people out.
Maybe even see a few more people on the waves, literally Fast Scan FTW!!!
Ham radio is not a dying technology. On the contrary it is growing, and I am totally fascinated by it.
I used to think Ham radio was just one thing, and was even convinced by some for a while that it was going to die. However, that has all changed recently.
I decided to start learning about Ham radio almost on a whim, and it has been a super awesome experience that has expanded my understanding of the world. There were things I just did not understand about wireless tech that now make a lot of sense.
In this episode I walk through some of the cool things about ham radio that I have learned over the last couple of months. I think these are all things that will lead to a lot of fun in the future.
Trying to learn a lot of new things, and get better at them, can lead to an abundance of projects. It seems like there is always one or two ready ago as soon as one is done.
Today I talk about 5 projects and where they currently stand, what has gone right, wrong, what I have learned from them, and what are the next steps. Even a little bit on why.
Have you ever wanted to get organized, but think "Oh I'll find the perfect way to track my todos". Only to never find the right thing, and to never get organized.
In this episode I talk about it from my perspective, and tell you what I do when I get into these situations. Hopefully there is a morsel of advice that can help you when you are hit by this.
I also talk briefly about a new service I am uploading my videos to as an alternative to YouTube.
We all have things to do, and a short amount of time to do it. I have always been able to do a large amount of things.
I feel like one of the main reasons for doing a lot is I treat everything as a project. I goal set, plan and execute as if every aspect of my life is a project that needs to be Project Managed.
In this episode I walk a bit through my process and use 1.5 examples to illustrate it better.
I recently hired a Permaculture Design Consultant to do an assessment of my property. We spent several hours walking over the property, discussing it, and coming up with ideas about it.
In the end we made some good decisions, and I have away froward.
But was it worth the price? Was it worth the time spent doing it? And did I learn anything along the way which is part of the reason I am doing any of this?
Hard times they are a coming. I have seen many people deny this, but if you pay attention to what is going on. You can see things are about to get real.
In this episode I break down a few indicators I have heard about, read, and piece together myself. It paints a bit of a bleak picture of the future for the next couple of years.
However, knowing that something is coming helps us to prepare. So at the end I give my suggestions on things to do to make it through to the other side that are a bit different than most people may come up with.
I think they are good suggestions to do not only for the coming times, but in good times as well.
Permaculture is quite involved, and super fascinating. The lazy side and science side of me both really like it.
In this episode I talk a little about what permaculture is, and why I am learning more about it. Along with some of the goals with permaculture.
Hopefully by the end of this episode it might spark more interest in doing more with it.
In the middle of summer in Oklahoma the weather is hoooooot. A/C makes life a bit more bearable at 4 in the afternoon. I was fortunate to get to help my dad install an A/C unit in his shop this past weekend. It was a beast at the 36k model of the Mr. Cool DIY Mini Split.
This episode I talk a bit about the ups and downs of it, as well as what I think of the A/C installation process. And I give a super important note about receiving your unit if you are having it shipped to your house.
Clamps are Clamps, or are they. Before I got into doing Woodworking I never realized all the types of clamps that exist. Especially when things got hard to glue up.
Recently I had an experience where I didn't have long enough clamps so I made some 10 foot pipe clamps, and called it a day. Then I decided maybe it is time to research better clamping.
In this episode we cover 10 clamps you might use in your DIY work, or woodworking. Several are pretty cool, and can make life a lot easier.
Next I need to learn clamping strategies.
The drill press is a fairly simple machine, but if you don't know what it can do then it may as well be useless.
I feel like this is kind of my history with the drill press. I used it, but never really knew what all it could do until I started researching it to buy a new one.
In this episode I go over all the things I wish I had known when I started using a drill press to give me a better idea of what to do.
Plus I also talk about the drill press I ended up buying, which I think is an amazing value for the price.
With more than the year half over, and the 4th of July over it is time to get back to work.
I spent sometime over the holiday thinking through the things I really wanted to get done, and I am going to over them in this episode. A few of the projects are going to really stretch me.
Other projects I am just going to have to gut out and get done. With that said it will be a fun and productive last half of 2020, and I am ready to attack it.
Failures are a part of life, and sometimes you just need to push through.
In my recent project for my chickens I designed a mobile cooling station for my chickens, and part of the designed worked out great. However, another part was almost a total failure.
In this episode I will walk you through the good, the annoying, and what I see as a fail in the project.
This is all about learning, and I think I have done a lot of that. My goal has always been to make mistakes, and let other people learn from them. So this is 100% an episode accomplishing just that.
Problems are inevitable, and sometimes we just put them off. When I had a problem with my chickens show up this week I decided it was time to stop procrastinating and take care of it.
In this episode I go through what is happening with my chickens, and why I need a new project for them.
I also go through the project, and what I hope it will accomplish. I really hope this solves a bunch of problems I am having in one go.
Understanding all the different grades of wood is frustrating. Even when you know what they are trying to keep everything lined up can be tough as well.
In this episode I walk through a bunch of grades that people will hit most often to at least start defuddling your brain when trying to figure it out.
I hit softwood, hardwood, and plywood. While this isn't comprehensive if you have wanted an intro to learn more than the basics you gather from the big box stores this is a great place to start.
We need to recharge our brain. The best way I have found to do that is to stop doing what you normally do, and do something different. Do those hobbies you enjoy, but don't get to do often.
Another method I have found is to find a way to dis-engage your brain for a while from the day-to-day.
In this episode I talk about things that I do, and as part of that some of my favorite books that are fun to read and take a while so it is a good way to dis-engage.
Inefficiencies can kill your productivity long-term. If you don't stamp them out you can have death by a thousand cuts to long term goals.
However, if you do stamp them out you can find ways to get more done faster, and more reliably. I know this is a lowly DIY podcast, but going through this exercise I would say is even more important because you have less time to waste.
In this episode I walk through 5 things I try to do to help become more efficient in my tasks, or add barriers so I stay on task and efficient.
Learning something new can be a major exercise in frustration if you don't have a good strategy. Almost to the point you don't want to learn about the topic after all.
Probably two or three times, or more, a year I get a wild hair and want to learn about a completely new subject, or hobby. I have no idea why that is. I used to spend a long time trying to get a good grasp on the topic, ultimately to drop it because it wasn't interesting.
I now have come up with a process that narrows it down to several hours instead of weeks to get me to the same result. I have used this method countless times, and had consistent results each time.
So in this podcast I walk you through the steps I go through, and why. Hopefully it can help you when you want to learn something new.
Safety in our homes are super important. So I am going to cover 10 things you can buy and do your self to help stay safer at home.
We cover prevention of somethings, and resolution of the situation if possible. Plus we go over a couple of ways to make life a bit easier when you are trying to figure things out.
Finally, we hit on a couple of things you should do right now if you haven't already.
We already covered getting your chickens at the first couple of weeks of life. Lets talk about the rest of their lives, but we'll do it behind their backs.
In this, part 2, we discuss getting your chickens out on pasture, along with feed and other things they need.
We also talk about different coops, and ways to house your chickens so they have a nice safe place to stay at night. I also give you my recommendation on coops to checkout, and to make for your chickens.
Also in my failure segment I talk a bit about how I messed up killing my rooster, and it didn't go as smoothly as it should have.
Raising chickens is a lot of fun, and very interesting. It also isn't all that hard. I spent way to much time researching it before I got my first chickens.
In this part 1 of walking you through raising chickens I disstil down the most basic things you need to know about getting and raising chickens.
We start with where to buy, and how to get them. Then move on to the first few weeks of their life in a brooder, and the things to consider along the way.
In my failure segment I talk about how I messed up with my first batch of chickens and lost many of them.
Chickens are awesome, and not for just living in the country. There are a ton of benefits beyond just getting eggs everyday, but those are good too.
I recommend everyone try having chickens at least once not only for all the things they can do for you, but for the life experience and skills they give you.
Give this episode a listen if you are curious what you can get beyond eggs and meat from owning and raising chickens.
The last 4 months have been very interesting. I made a commitment to get stuff done this year like I never have before. So in this episode I talk about the successes, and the failures.
I would like to say I have had nothing, but success... but I can't.
I also go into the progress I have made on the weekend woodworker course, and a few of the mistakes I have made with making the paper tray.
Please give the show a listen to find out more.
Traditionally DIY Projects are made out of Metal and Wood, maybe concrete, but what about all of the other things you can make stuff with.
In this episode I talk through 5 things materials I want to try using in future projects.
1 of the materials I didn't even know about. I have seen it all over the place, but I didn't realize I saw it or what it was. Another is really useful for mass production, or at least repetitive production. That, again, I didn't realize you could do at home.
When your injured you probably did something wrong. So this last week I did a dive into tablesaw safety, again.
This episode is a run through all of the ways to stay safe with your tablesaw. It is meant either for new people looking to use a tablesaw or as a refresher for old hats. For me it is an opportunity to make sure I get it right in the future.
It is a tough day when you end up at the Emergency Room. Over the weekend I was working on making a table for my wife, and ended up putting my pinky into the table saw blade.
In this episode I talk about what happened, and a bit of the fallout from it. I also discuss a couple of options for trying to figure out how to move forward without stopping woodworking.
Overall I have learned a few valuable lessons, but the price in pain makes me wonder if it was worth it.
With all the Covid-19 stuff going on thinking about the future can be a bit, not fun.
In this episode I want to talk about the hard times we are going into, and discuss if you are prepared for it. I also want to discuss how can you be ready for one.
Most of all how we can all be ready to pop out of the other side ready to go to take on the world.
Is it hard for you to get started learning a new hobby, or some new skill. Sometimes you just need some inspiration.
In this episode I will tell you a little bit about some people that inspire me, and why they are inspiring. They help me to focus when I get a bit down, and de-motivated helping to realize I can do what my goal is.
Hopefully they can help to inspire you as well to step out there, and learn something new. Or learn that thing you have always been curious about.