I have lived in two different US cities that planted native fruit trees in the public spaces. Apples, pears, serviceberries, pawpaw fruit, etc. People were encouraged to enjoy. That isn’t what you call a food forest, but it’s a “do-able” thing that cities could undertake that would help the local pollinators and residents.
Building your own musical instrument sounds like a daunting project at the beginning but one with very satisfying results. :)
Not knowing much about marimbas or woodworking, I’m super curious about the actual hand-tuning process! Is it carefully trimming the boards down? And how much do the tubes (?) at the bottom affect the tuning vs the wood pieces on top?
So each of the keys is cut to specific dimensions (I just stole these from an existing Marimba) where deeper keys are larger and higher keys shorter, then you cut an arch into the bottom of the key. The arch is where the real tuning comes from, the size of the key just gets you into the general neighborhood.
Each key has 1 primary tone and 2 overtones (actually way more, but these are the 3 that the human ear can actually pick up on), and each of the tones is tuned by specific regions of the arch, so if you trim material from the center for instance, it will affect the primary tone. I tuned my marimba so that the 2 overtones were the fourth harmonic and the tenth harmonic, which is standard for marimbas, and is what gives it it’s unique deep sound.
The tubes are called resonators - they’re sort of natural amplifiers, without them, the whole thing sounds like you’re just smacking wooden blocks (which you are, to be fair), but with them you get a very powerful, room filling sound. Each one is “tuned” to the resonance of the key it sits under!
That looks awesome. What about the frame of the wheels cracking the kayak frame? Also, most kayaks go through sandy or muddy ground, would you want fat wheels for better surface area?
Are the handles made of pipes or just made to look like pipes? If it’s the first, what would you Google for if you want that kind of pipe. I love the pipe estethic but when I look for it on Google I always get ugly or plastic piping.
Yes, they are metal pipes/fittings that I got from Lowe’s (local hardware store). I used a spray paint with the term “hammered” in the name, it gives a nice textured metal coating, since they don’t look this nice off the store shelves!
I used strong dish soap and a scrub brush to get them dirt and grease free, then assembled and put them in the oven at 200 degrees (F) for 30 minutes to dry. Then put on rubber gloves to handle (no skin oils) and painted them. Have had no issues with the paint chipping off or anything like that.
I have been working toward a permaculture garden and landscaping with native species. Mostly consisting of small slow changes to increase insect habitats and food sources for local fauna. A local nature conservation program nearby sells permaculture plant sets to encourage the use of non-invasive species. I think the idea is gaining awareness. You might enjoy the documentary biggest little farm.
Saw this and replied to it from my sh.it account, but of course that wouldn’t show up here now >_<
How thick is it? I use quite heavy arrows, and I’m currently using a “normal” foam target. I’m also curious to hear how it works out in the longer term, some of my friends use cardboard but I’ve held off because they always seem to be faffing about with it
Well done. I can fix a dryer but I wouldn’t deal with a washing machine. The combination of water and electricity scares me. Mostly because my own washer gives me a static shock everytime I empty it. The grounding just doesn’t work for that.
Are you actually up on a higher floor where there’s little chance of anyone trying to get in that way? If the lock has a key, maybe you could hide a copy on the balcony? Alternatively I would wedge something into the lock, it’s not like it actually DOES anything. Anyone who wants in your house will simply go through the screen without making enough noise to alert the neighbors.
The chemical reaction that binds concrete in a matrix takes place after you add the water and continues until you dry it out. Anything you put in the crack will be a temporary fix only. The material will work itself out over time, and you will additionally be trapping a certain amount of moisture in the crack with it. You will now have a concrete pad with a ‘pocket’ and a ‘plug’ made from different materials. Materials that are likely to expand and contract at different rates exposing an opening for moisture and debris at least once through the year.
You only get (1) chance to successfully pour concrete i’m afraid. Your pad is damaged for all time. The crack will certainly grow from thermal conditions alone. It’s incapable of healing itself. What you need to stave that off is good chemistry for binding and something that expands and contracts at approx. the same rate as the concrete. I’d call the company that poured it. They’ll know what repair product best matches their chemistry. If you put the wrong products in it, it’s going to accelerate the degradation.
I am a refractory designer, and the company I work for makes several ‘patch’ type products of different chemistries. They all have a use. Temperature, application, chemistry, elevation even. While these do work, they are again only temporary.
They come in different consistencies. One of those is what we call a plastic. It is very much like a putty until it dries. It does contain some moisture so it will shrink as it dries out. It does not contain as much moisture as a self flowing castable would.
Yeah, I called the company and they did a big fat “cracks are normal and we do not guarantee concrete against anything.” Was really frustrating. Found out about half way through the project they just subbed the whole thing out… but reality is around here if you aren’t a contractor willing to do a big order for multiple jobs at once, you aren’t getting a concrete guy. Called 10 different people and these were the only ones that answered…
Honestly though, I’m not expecting a miracle to “undo” the damage. Just trying to see if there is something that can minimize the amount of damage water seeping through might do.
It feels like a very specific print because it's literally for this wrench but guess I'm going to post them when I am done with all the tools. Follow me on printables I guess. I use the same username for printables and thingiverse that I use here.
Do It Yourself
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