Homemade V.S. Store Bought

[Lazy Farmer]

I do not watch much TV except for weather updates and occasionally documentaries. I do enjoy PBS programs like Nature and Nova. The rest of my free time I spend with my pets. Work around the home improving/fixing things. I also enjoy re purposing things. I did many things such and here is one notable one.
View attachment 1047003
Transformed a Lil Tykes playhouse into a coop for my chickens. Plastic lasts a long time and my cost was basically my time only. Materials were leftover scrap type items. The playhouse was also a post played item that was destined for recycling.
I will post other things as I get the photos. Some things are just improvements to existing things.
This is something I DO ENJOY

Does this qualify for this thread?

This is when I first met my friend,, Caveman

 

[jvls1942]

I just saved $60.oo by tearing an old broken drill apart and salvaged the chuck.
I sent for a $5.oo MT1 morse adapter and made a chuck for my wood lathe.

I picked up this lathe for $0. and repaired it. I still have $0 into it.

I picked up a belt/disc sanding table.
$5.oo.. rummage sale.. just needed a good tune up.. but I will be making new rollers for the sanding belt and changing them from bushings to ball bearings.
cost $10.oo..
I made a drill sharpening jig for the disc sander part.. cost: scrap wood and 3 wood screws.. saved $70.oo by not buying a Drill Dr. .
built my own house, barn and 3 chicken coops. and 2 leanto's off of the garage.
saved $thousands ..

planted a grove of black walnut trees.
(100 of them) I will never see any profit from them, but my great grandchildren will.
I trimmed the branches high up so they should make super veneer logs some day.

.......jiminwisc........

 

[cavemanrich]

I just saved $60.oo by tearing an old broken drill apart and salvaged the chuck.
I sent for a $5.oo MT1 morse adapter and made a chuck for my wood lathe.

I picked up this lathe for $0. and repaired it. I still have $0 into it.

I picked up a belt/disc sanding table.
$5.oo.. rummage sale.. just needed a good tune up.. but I will be making new rollers for the sanding belt and changing them from bushings to ball bearings.
cost $10.oo..
I made a drill sharpening jig for the disc sander part.. cost: scrap wood and 3 wood screws.. saved $70.oo by not buying a Drill Dr. .
built my own house, barn and 3 chicken coops. and 2 leanto's off of the garage.
saved $thousands ..

planted a grove of black walnut trees.
(100 of them) I will never see any profit from them, but my great grandchildren will.
I trimmed the branches high up so they should make super veneer logs some day.

.......jiminwisc........

We would like to see pix. That way we can duplicate those items for ourselves,,

 

[jvls1942]

I will take some pics..
I modified a GQF sportsman incubator to hold 552 chicken eggs.. normal is 288..
for the extra $48.oo it is like getting an extra $750.oo incubator.
I have two of these..
plus I have an old 1502 that can hold just the 288 eggs.
I have had them all full several times.
I did custom hatching.
I don't do any hatching anymore.
I am thinking of selling everything..

.......jiminwisc.....

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Necessity is the Mother of Invention.
How many of you guys out there have chicks in a brooder right now? It's spring time, so I know some of you are fighting to keep shavings out of your water dishes.

Several times a day those little monsters fill up the rim with shavings and several times a day I USE TO HAVE TO CLEAN THEM OUT!

All you need is a light weight plastic lid from a cool whip container or something similar. A sharpie marker and a sharp pair of scissors.
Trace the water tray at the bottle threads and outside rim. Cut to fit. Make some sipping holes. THAT'S IT! Water stays way clearer and not restricted.

These are time savers and life savers. Work smarter, not harder.

Cost of project=zero dollars.

If you just happen to have a pudding pie project going on.

 

[HoopyFrood]

Some family were remodeling and gave me permission to raid the construction dumpster... another time they needed a shed torn down and said I could keep anything I wanted... So I started collecting reclaimed lumber.

That's is what I've used as I've learned to build. Apart from five sheets of new plywood sheathing (which I needed and didn't have) my entire coop was build out of reclaimed lumber and roofing.

I continue to collect any reclaimed lumber I can get my hands on. I really dislike buying new lumber, though that does have to happen at times.

This season I have to take down a lot of small trees so I'm trying to devise ways to use them in the garden as trellises, squash teepees, row cover ballast and the like.

I'm just getting started learning to weld and I'm hoping I can eventually make ourselves a small wood stove (our place is a little over 500 sq ft). We have a heat pump and a propane heater right now, but I'd REALLY like to get away from fossil fuel-based heating.

Near-term stretch goals include building a composting toilet (Lovable Loo style). Long term goals are going off grid and using PV solar for electrical needs and wood and solar thermal for all our heat needs. LONG long term include making charcoal and taking up blacksmithing

 

[cavemanrich]

I'm just getting started learning to weld and I'm hoping I can eventually make ourselves a small wood stove (our place is a little over 500 sq ft). We have a heat pump and a propane heater right now, but I'd REALLY like to get away from fossil fuel-based heating.

I have been welding for yeeeeeeeeeeeears. I suggest you consider using Truck Tire Rims, about 4 welded together will make a nice size. The thick steel will last long VS a barrel type. (55 gal). Holds more heat as well when fired. I have seen some made from car tire rims, but were small diameter IMO.

 

[HoopyFrood]

I have been welding for yeeeeeeeeeeeears. I suggest you consider using Truck Tire Rims, about 4 welded together will make a nice size. The thick steel will last long VS a barrel type. (55 gal). Holds more heat as well when fired. I have seen some made from car tire rims, but were small diameter IMO.

That is too funny! I was just watching YouTube videos about EXACTLY that! Tire rims for a wood stove. Since we're only heating about 500 sq ft I think a smaller one (say three car tire rims) might be good. Also we're on a post foundation so I don't want to too heavy of a beast

Thanks for the thoughts! Great minds, eh?

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Neighbor was about to burn 120 ft of privacy fence. Our next project.

 

[igorsMistress]

We got this picnic table super cheap a long time ago, used to be part of a display in a store. Since we don't use it any more we attached shade cloth to it and I run the hose on a trickle for a while when it's hot. Makes a nice cool spot for the girls to hang out.

The thing in the top right corner used to be a swing but the material rotted in the sun. We attached shade cloth to it and it's a cool spot with cover in the late afternoon. I run the water under it a bit every day too when it's hot.