Week Assignment: RECYCLE

[Bushman5]

All of our vegetable scraps, stale bread, coffee grounds & filters, paper and cardboard trash, eggshells, newspapers and used grounds from starbucks go into vermicomposting bins and become worm castings. These are quite expensive in garden shops and make excellent fertilizer and compost tea and producing them at home yields an endless supply of bait for fishing and chicken treats. The bait is MUCH fresher/ livelier than any I have ever bought.

man i have seen literally thousands of big fat earthworms in my mothers compost pile. Best bait is right! but dear god the wrath of mom when she sees me rummaging thru the compost for worms.......

 

[DOC-CANADA]

Hey coote, that's an excellent wood burning stove that you fashioned. It reminds me quite a bit of one we bought many years ago, made by ZZtove.

A view from the top, showing the firebox:

And the write up that was in American Survival Guide that prompted the purchase:

Anyway, on to what I've recycled:

Coffee cans to make a wood burning stove:

Mussel shell to make an oil lamp with a Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) wick:

My wife used to work in a variety store, and she was dismayed about all the white/blue polypropylene cord, originally used to bundle newspapers, that was thrown out. So I'm using it as the core in this coiled jute basket:

Recycled jean (denim) material - unraveled, and reverse twisted and used successfully for bow drill fire:

Recycled web belt used as above:

Book as a deadfall, pencils as Fig. 4 (had a happy face here, but wouldn't let me post - 11 images )

Thought I'd better add this one as well:

Doc

 

[Switchblade61]

Wow!
Doc, that's a great post and funny, too. :thumbup:

 

[65535]

Here's an oil candle I made. It's the bottom of a 14.1oz propane bottle cut off, then heated to burn off the paint and leave a nice finish. The "candle" is a steel bushing with slits cut on the bottom in a big + about 1/16" deep. A piece of tissue paper, TP, paper towel is rolled up in the middle as a wick. Produces a nice flame if your wick is too large it can produce a lot of unburned carbon, it does settle down after burning in though. And a wick lasts indefinitely if babied.

Old image from when I first made it.

Today when I put in a new wick and added oil.

Runs off straight Vegi Oil. DO NOT USE A FUEL OIL IF YOU MAKE THIS. VEGI OIL HAS A VERY HIGH FLASH POINT FUEL OILS DO NOT.

 

[coote]

This is a really good thread. Great creativity.

Err.... well Doc, my stove was kinda based on the Z Ztove :foot:

Those oil lamps are interesting....both the old primitive shell and the neoprimitive recycled cylinder. And I was intrigued to read that a paper wick could last a long time. I've never considered using paper.

Dang Doc, you seem to be getting a nice, clean, smoke-free burn in that coffee can stove. I can't picture how it is all put together. What is the purpose of the cut-down smaller can sitting on top of the firebox? Is it some sort of a duct or sheild to ensure that the heat stays close to the can you are cooking in? Does the top of the can have holes through it, or is the only hole near the top of the stove the one we can see in the picture? How does air get into the can?

 

[65535]

Those oil lamps are interesting....both the old primitive shell and the neoprimitive recycled cylinder. And I was intrigued to read that a paper wick could last a long time. I've never considered using paper.

The paper actually burns in the first few minutes leaving pretty much just a weak carbon wick behind, the oil wicks up and burns leaving the carbon from completely burning away.

I think Doc's stove is a heat shield that channels the heat around the food, and also helps as a wind break. I'd imagine the can fits over a similarly sized whole that the food can sits in on a grate.

 

[coote]

Your idea about Doc's stove makes sense 65535. And I reckon I will be playing around with vege oil for lighting before too long. Thanks.

 

[DOC-CANADA]

I think Doc's stove is a heat shield that channels the heat around the food, and also helps as a wind break. I'd imagine the can fits over a similarly sized whole that the food can sits in on a grate.

Pretty much right on, 65535 - the only difference is there is no grate, the top is solid.

Since we're on the topic of stoves and recycling, this is my favourite. I don't cook outdoors - I find it to be a big PITA, for me, anyway. Rather I use things like cup 'o soup, instant noodles, vegetarian chili - things that are reconstituted with just boiling water and this fills the bill.

It's a combo stove that I use for heating up water in my Guyot. It runs on canned heat or a little alcohol stove I have. Here it is using the Guyot.

I call it a combo stove, because by changing the positions of the shelves, it can be used for heating water in a cup.

You can see the shelf supports that fit in different holes to change the height of the stove floor and the stove shelf. Here it is in action:

It was made out of an empty (recycled ) apple juice can and a coat hanger for the adjustable shelves.

Doc

 

[coote]

Thanks for the explanation Doc. Good pictures.

 

[vector001]

Wow!
Doc, that's a great post and funny, too. :thumbup:

i second that, brother. :thumbup:

a class act.

vec

 

[DOC-CANADA]

Thanks for the nice comments, guys.

Doc

 

[Bushman5]

that mouse deadfall cracks me up everytime i see it...

 

[silenthunterstudios]

Recycling? Probably not, but here goes. Finally got the compost heap going, cut down on trash tremendously.

 

[Joezilla]

typical bastard-trash found along my urban wilderness river walk. cut the bulbous top off a water bottle.

put four relief cuts in the "bulb" so that it would set nicely in the cylindrical body of the bottle.

two components mated together, after about twenty minutes setting in some weeds where bait fish were seen.

scored two mosquito fish and some invertebrates. for some tasty Bait/Soup.

no curs were injured during this fishtrap experiment. :thumbup: this one was eyeballing the catfish a little too hard though and went in a couple times....

great thread, brother 'zilla.

i love cleaning up the woods and beaches while making useful things.

vec

WOAH!!!!! Of course this nerd would be most impressed with that.