Tribe.net. Local Connections Tanemon http://intentionalcommunity.tribe.net/thread/92692b82-1172-4c9d-b4c2-53b65d9ce245#34d225c2-e660-4d78-a6ad-74d9a8bc8fa1 2009-06-03T13:58:53Z 2009-06-03T13:58:53Z

Thought maybe I'd revive this, in ase anyone has anything (Web sites, discussion forums) new to share. Hope everyone has been enjoying Spring.

Tanemon 2009-06-03T13:58:53Z Tanemon http://intentionalcommunity.tribe.net/thread/92692b82-1172-4c9d-b4c2-53b65d9ce245#673b4a5a-a5fd-4f13-9fe0-2a79bedf6ace 2009-01-26T17:08:54Z 2009-01-26T17:08:54Z

Yeah, that's an interesting and useful site, Tony.

Tanemon 2009-01-26T17:08:54Z Tony http://intentionalcommunity.tribe.net/thread/92692b82-1172-4c9d-b4c2-53b65d9ce245#e4075bde-d206-42cf-846a-285b7c4bf575 2008-12-25T14:37:49Z 2008-12-25T14:37:49Z

Here's some people making things for farming, like tractors and solar turbines and stuff. http://openfarmtech.org/weblog/?paged=3 Tony

Tony 2008-12-25T14:37:49Z Tanemon http://intentionalcommunity.tribe.net/thread/92692b82-1172-4c9d-b4c2-53b65d9ce245#d19d5c31-3e53-4081-963c-e2779533dc07 2008-12-21T23:15:46Z 2008-12-21T23:15:46Z

One thing I can tell you is that intentional community is about something more than a dream or vision... the nuts & bolts aspect comes in very strong very fast. Whether that's building or maintaining things, providing the food, cooking, cleaning, opening up land (or conversely, planting trees), keeping cars and trucks on the road... on and on. These things have to be taken into account and ya gotta cover them off. Or pretty soon you got nuthin. You can't build a community of any sort on just ideas and good feelings.

Tanemon 2008-12-21T23:15:46Z ChangNoi http://intentionalcommunity.tribe.net/thread/92692b82-1172-4c9d-b4c2-53b65d9ce245#8057afc3-4a1a-4886-a9d9-d46be3d990ac 2008-12-10T00:32:45Z 2008-12-10T00:32:45Z

Oh man that's the most awesome thing I've heard all day. I did that with Boy Scouts a few times, we had 200' 3-ply twists of twine stretched down the block many a weekend! I have been studying a lot of Ray Mears over the past couple years, and practicing some of his great techniques. I recall one 10-min episode in which he finds a willow tree and cuts off a couple suckers, and finds a pine tree and traces out a couple roots for withes. He then uses the inner bark of the willow to roll out some twine in twisted strands on his thigh. Carving the willow, tying the pack frame together with willow bark string, and plaiting the pine-root withes into shoulder straps. He now has a backpack. I have also seen his great technique for removing the pith from Nettles, rolling each plant's fibers on his thigh, and then rolling several of them together, just like a rope making machine, with his hands. Very strong, light, flexible twine. With rope, a knife, and cleverness... you can make a lot of useful things without some of the more modern joinery techniques and materials. Since rope is such an indispensable part of our lives, does anyone else have any stories about making rope, string, twine, thread, yarn, etc? Or tools that are indispensable? Or techniques, etc for this discussion?

ChangNoi 2008-12-10T00:32:45Z Davie http://intentionalcommunity.tribe.net/thread/92692b82-1172-4c9d-b4c2-53b65d9ce245#8845fd19-fee2-4bce-9412-5fd85245856a 2008-12-09T22:27:19Z 2008-12-09T22:27:19Z

Not exactly an answer to your question, but I've found having a rope maker very useful. The one I have now is made out of wood. Back in the day, they were geared and made out of iron or brass.

Davie 2008-12-09T22:27:19Z ChangNoi http://intentionalcommunity.tribe.net/thread/92692b82-1172-4c9d-b4c2-53b65d9ce245#c53c1e0c-85ce-4db4-b335-738ab4a2586f 2008-12-08T19:57:33Z 2008-12-08T19:57:33Z

"And it's true that talented, patient people could make a lot of the nifties themselves. " And probably the essentials or super-essentials as well! In a pinch, necessity being the mother of invention etc ;-}

ChangNoi 2008-12-08T19:57:33Z Tanemon http://intentionalcommunity.tribe.net/thread/92692b82-1172-4c9d-b4c2-53b65d9ce245#c2c99872-1896-4984-8db8-6937049753b6 2008-12-08T18:36:37Z 2008-12-08T18:36:37Z

I know a lot can be done with bicycles & flywheels, and it would be especially so with a tandem "bike" or with two bicycle-like pedal places so that more than one person could put their muscle power into the job over a sustainede period (getting exercise, but not just getting bored and exhausted). About the essential tools from which many others can be made: The list of essentials would include tape measure, level, pliers, wrenches, drills, a vise, marking tools (straight edge, compass), wood and metal (hack) saws, grinder, cutting/welding equipment, and so on. The super-essentials might make a pretty short list... the first tier of the time-savers and great-to-haves would expand the list quite a bit... the nifty little "right tool for the job" list would of course include many more. And it's true that talented, patient people could make a lot of the nifties themselves.

Tanemon 2008-12-08T18:36:37Z ChangNoi http://intentionalcommunity.tribe.net/thread/92692b82-1172-4c9d-b4c2-53b65d9ce245#01109a72-c120-4905-ba2f-69e896cdaf08 2008-12-07T18:33:23Z 2008-12-07T18:33:23Z

One of my projects for the coming year is some sort of treadmill or direct linkage interface between bicycles and a rotating flywheel system made up of heavy, balanced car parts like tires/wheels/brakes/flywheels etc. This could be used to drive a classifier like you're talking about, eccentric rocker box, or a tumble classifier to separate materials like clay, silt, and sand from each other for building. Also the intent is to be able to gear it up and make a pencil-sharpener type grinder for chipping up woody farm waste for easier compost, or growing mushrooms or mulching etc. Ideally, two or even three bikes could attach, with freewheel and deraileur-type gearing, so they could spin up and maintain a flywheel shaft. How to unhook them for riding without stopping the apparatus? Hmmmmm ;-}

ChangNoi 2008-12-07T18:33:23Z Tanemon http://intentionalcommunity.tribe.net/thread/92692b82-1172-4c9d-b4c2-53b65d9ce245#883a1da3-92fd-4197-818d-3f66a2241f09 2008-12-07T15:18:21Z 2008-12-07T15:18:21Z

Yeah, that looks great and I want to see it! THANKS. One thing I've been thinking of building this winter would be a vibrating compost sifter - a metal frame (probably made of square tubing), with a one-third horsepower electric motor turning an ecccentric and then vibrating a frame/screen. I've seen a home-built one in use on an organic farm in Latin America.

Tanemon 2008-12-07T15:18:21Z ChangNoi http://intentionalcommunity.tribe.net/thread/92692b82-1172-4c9d-b4c2-53b65d9ce245#0f624f4a-1dc8-4d02-9830-9496ea524d65 2008-12-06T17:45:35Z 2008-12-06T17:45:35Z

Yeah the entire journey to forever website is a great resource! My brothers are both metalworkers: structural and functional, welding and cutting all day and sometimes forging on the weekends. I know there are a few tools they can not do without, but I'm not sure which those tools are. I also feel that with certain tools in their bag, they can make every other tool that is needed. So which are the tools that, if you have one, you can use it to make other tools? For instance, I know a guy who sez if you have a lathe, you can make a better lathe. I bet if you have an accurate straight edge, you can make other accurate straight edges from it. Is that the kind of stuff you're looking for, Tanemon? I am very interested in this idea myself. Who knows how to turn a car into tools? There's bound to be plenty of them rotting around in the near future...

ChangNoi 2008-12-06T17:45:35Z Shadoan http://intentionalcommunity.tribe.net/thread/92692b82-1172-4c9d-b4c2-53b65d9ce245#8336547d-9724-47de-a22e-9283888d31d2 2008-12-06T00:52:55Z 2008-12-06T00:52:55Z

awesome source!

Shadoan 2008-12-06T00:52:55Z ChangNoi http://intentionalcommunity.tribe.net/thread/92692b82-1172-4c9d-b4c2-53b65d9ce245#197fb365-1578-4b70-b72c-2c2ec8275136 2008-12-05T21:18:15Z 2008-12-05T21:18:15Z

http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library/device/devicesToC.html

ChangNoi 2008-12-05T21:18:15Z Tanemon http://intentionalcommunity.tribe.net/thread/92692b82-1172-4c9d-b4c2-53b65d9ce245#c6fe0dfb-c58b-4d34-a211-f6dd6ce2bee0 2008-12-05T15:58:32Z 2008-12-05T15:58:32Z

I'm a long-time gardener, carpenter, handyman, tinkerer, etc - living on rural land. Not too long back, at an estate sale, I bought an oxy-acetylene welding rig (complete with medium and large wleding tips, and a cutting torch). I'm interested in finding ideas and plans for making things that are useful on a small farm, or for the home. Materials like wood, ferrous metals, brass, or rubber (e.g., tires) are all acceptable. What I'm really looking for good sources for concepts & plans. I realize this may all seem a little vague, but bear with me... I'd really appreciate any advice about books that I could investigate and possibly buy, plus Web sites that may offer plans (either for sale or for free) and on-line forums where people discuss such projects and maybe show pictures. Thanks. All the best, Tanemon

Tanemon 2008-12-05T15:58:32Z