Friday, January 23, 2009

Tank on Top!

Well...not a drop of rain last night....not even a mist. Only just partly cloudy by morning. Pushed myself right into the project at hand this morning. Flushed the tank 2 more times. All sorts of mineral deposit chips just kept coming out. Think I got enough out so I won't have to worry about a clog in the line. Next I built the insulated base for the tank which will be resting on it's side. Plumbed in one line to the tank...the low point which passes through the base - which will feed the colder water down to the thermosyphon. Mounted the base on top of my shower stall and drilled the appropriate hole through the deck on top of the stall.

Now the fun part - getting the tank on top of the stall. Fought with it about an hour trying to get it up my 2x4 ladder. Close but no cigar - was being extra cautious as I was working alone. It's not real heavy...but just enough to be unwieldy. Took a breather to think about it for awhile. Suddenly I saw in happen in my mind by using my long extension ladder. Got that ladder set up and in about 2 minutes, the tank was on the high perch! Was so easy, I thought about bringing it back down and trying again see if I could do it even faster. Decided not to press my luck.

Ended the day by adding some bracing to the shower stall structure. Filling the tank up there will add about 400lbs of dead weight above my head. I would rather it all stay up there until called upon to lightly sprinkle down on me. Word at the Field Lab is: I'm good for at least 3 more days without a shower!

Got an email this morning from the writer - the article was out in the Big Bend Sentinel today, and he apologized that they credited him for the fab photo I sent.....no big deal as far as I'm concerned. This was the reporter I happened upon when I stopped by to see my friend Bennett last week in Alpine. The writer offered to buy me lunch next time I come in out of the outback - I'll order the most expensive thing on the menu to get even. Nice blurb about the Field Lab.

3 comments:

Sherry said...

Hi John

I purchased 5 arces from Kathleen
last week.Haven't seen it yet will be coming out there in April.
She said is not very far from her place.I have been reading your blog.I hope we can meet while I am out there.
Sherry

Anonymous said...

I'm sending a link to this place to my buddy,Dale. He has a hunting cabin in northwest Oklahoma. The old place has never been _on_ the grid. Showers when we hunt are from two five gallon jerry cans painted black and use a sink sprayer.

Since his dad built the cabin they have been using humanure to fertilize the wild garden. They have a handful of clay holes that every year they rotate the outhouse over. They fill it in and three years or so later they dig it out and spread it over the garden. Never been there for that operation so I don't know what else they do to prep.

It's not really set up for full time occupancy, but I'd bet Dale will get some ideas out of your site and blog.

MsBelinda said...

Lol John, you have been saying you are good for another three days without a shower for quite a while jejeje...just kidding.

Sherry - who is your realtor? I too am looking for 5 to 10 acres in the surrounding area.