Solar Panels

Posted on October 2, 2012 by Steve

Solar Panels

Up until two weeks ago I thought I had my solar panel mount plans finalized – a single pole mount to the east of the cabin.  That WAS the plan until I found out someone had gone through a lot of effort to steal from my property – more about that later.  I’ve now settled on two separate locations and mounting systems for my solar panels.  Phase one, last weekend, was installing a permanent roof mount for two panels where theft should not be a concern.  Phase two will be a ground mount with a quick attach/detach feature so the panel(s) can be stored in the cabin when I’m away. Continue reading →

Posted in Power | 13 Comments

Greywater Drywell

Posted on September 21, 2012 by Steve

Drywell

I finished building my drywell last weekend with the help of my neighbor – the one with the earth moving equipment.  Two weeks earlier my oldest son (21) dug the 2′ deep by 17′ long trench for the drainage pipe.  The trench took him about eight hours to dig, with a fair number of texting breaks mixed in.  In all fairness to him though, the ground is pretty rocky around here, and it’s also kind of hard to dig while on your hands and knees under the cabin.  The drywell pit, on the other hand, only took my neighbor about 10 minutes to dig with his excavator.  I can’t even imagine trying to dig a hole that large by hand in this soil. Continue reading →

Posted in Plumbing | 7 Comments

Bathroom 1.0

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Steve

Bathroom 1.0

I’m going to start this post off with a container construction tip.  If you plan on having exposed metal walls or ceilings, by all means try to have them painted with a spray gun early on in the construction phase.  I discovered too late that standard diameter paint rollers are too large to deposit paint in the concave portion of the corrugations.  Instead, I had to use a mini roller which took much longer than I had planned.  My arms and neck are still feeling the effects.

Although the bathroom is close to being functional, it will probably be a work in progress for a bit longer – hence the 1.0 designation.  Aside from all the accessories I need to add, I’m still not sure about the shower.  Because I had to raise the shower on a platform due to the interior discharge plumbing, the 20″ combined height of the tub and platform makes it difficult to get into.  What I’d really like to find is a 30″ diameter tub that’s only 6″ high, with little to no slope on the sides.  I’ll probably end up having to make one myself someday out of epoxy coated wood.  In the meantime, it’s at least functional. Continue reading →

Posted in Design, Plumbing | 19 Comments

Water Projects

Posted on June 4, 2012 by Steve

Old well

Some readers have emailed me lately asking what’s going on and if I had stopped posting. There’s nothing to worry about, it’s just that it was a long and busy winter away from the cabin. I try to keep this blog focused on building the cabin, without any off topic posts or personal ramblings, so when I’m not working on the cabin, I’m not posting. I’ve started several new projects over the last couple of months and, interestingly, they all have to do with water. Continue reading →

Posted in Plumbing | 14 Comments

Kitchen with Temporary Plumbing

Posted on November 29, 2011 by Steve

Kitchen with temporary plumbing

The kitchen will be a work in progress for a while longer.  The cabinets, countertop, sink, and cooktop are in, but the plumbing probably won’t be installed until spring.  As a temporary measure I’ve modified an old galvanized steel cooler to serve as my kitchen faucet and water supply.  It works fairly well even though it does have a low flow rate.  I can even add water heated on the cooktop or wood stove to it if I need warmer water for dishes.  Continue reading →

Posted in Construction, Furnishings | 20 Comments