It’s been more than four weeks since I started my buckets. I was about to give up and open one up just to see my failure. But today:
AHA!
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Yay!!
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The firestarters I’ve been making since scouting is take a cardboard egg carton and fill with sawdust. Then pour melted paraffin over them all. You can easily tear off one or two egg sections whenever needed.
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I use cotton balls impregnated with Vaseline. They ignite with one spark from a ferrocerium rod (flint stick). They’ll burn for a minute or so, not as long as some but enough to get tinder and small twigs going. They weigh so little you can carry a lot in a small vial or ziplock bag.
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That’s how I make 'em, too. The last couple times I haven’t even bothered with the egg carton – I’ll just melt old candles, mix in sawdust, and pour out onto a baking pan covered with wax paper. When it cools, just break into chunks like toffee.
That’s a good one, too. You can stuff a lot of these “inferno balls” into a pill bottle for backpacking or paddling trips.
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Thought I’d post this since there’s been peanut butter mixing discussions in the past, prompted by @markfrauenfelder recommendations.
A few months ago, I quickly designed and printed a peanut butter tumbler. Since I wasn’t sure it would work, I didn’t spend much time making it “correctly” (no bearings or anything like that), just a proof-of-concept hack job using materials I had on hand – such as nails, rubber bands, and a surplus timer motor that’s been in my parts bin since the early '90s.
I’ve used it twice now, and I’m quite happy with the results. When I used it the first time, I opened the jar and was disappointed to find the PB very soupy. I thought the oil hadn’t been fully mixed in, but it turns out that warm, tumbled PB is very much a liquid. After chilling in the fridge, it was proper butter.
I don’t know the minimum amount of time needed to get an adequate mix. Both times I just set it running and forgot about it until the next time I went into the kitchen (a few hours). It takes me a couple of months to consume 28oz of PB, so experimentation will be infrequent.
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This is great! Ok for me to post on the site?
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ha, nice. reminds me of a “rock” tumbler I made upthread:
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Have at it!
Had I thought it would generate that kind of interest, I would’ve made a more interesting video.
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Perhaps you didn’t reckon on @frauenfelder’s enduring love of kitchen gadgets? 
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Today’s project was fix up a bike I picked out of the trash this morning.
Two tires, a new basket, a bell, and a good cleaning, rust removal, and a wax job.
Our 37 year old wanted a bike to go to the local farmers market and some grocery shopping.
It’s just a cheap Huffy but free. Has some age but they all look the same so no idea how old. And coaster brake.
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I’m really bored so I BTSed it up for my 12 year old, oops, I mean 37 year old daughter who’s obsessed with BTS.
It was either that or Disney.
All it needs now is a liscense plate for the seat with her name or something silly.
As I was typing this she texted me and said everyone in her fan group thinks her dad is cool and they want the bike.
Kind of makes it all worthwhile.
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Bathroom vanity. Starting to loosely fit it together. Some tweeking to do before i start fitting the side panels to it.
Edit: cut the side panels to the wrong width… d’oh!
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That has a tendency to happen…
Or as my dad likes to say “I cut it twice - and it’s still too short!”
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Yeah, measure twice and all… At least I figured out what happened. I set my widths based on a 1/4" deep tongue, but I milled it all with a 1/2" tongue. So my finished width was 3/4" short!
I have more material, so I’ll probably just remake one piece each side 3/4" wider.
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So Doc, & @ClutchLinkey, at what point can I start harvesting? I’ve got two good sized “blooms” now, but not much else.
Should I wait a bit longer?
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I’m a total noob at this, but from what I’ve read, you want to harvest before they start drying out, sometimes indicated by turning up at the ends.
I think I might’ve harvested mine too soon, I don’t know. Then it got really hot here and I haven’t gotten a second bloom while @anon29537550 has gotten at least one more.
But poor timing on your part, as the doctor is “out” this week (I think) so might not hear back from him until next week.
Good luck, though! They look pretty! I’m totally trying the pink oysters next time. And putting my buckets in the woods for fuller shade.
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Well, we ate them, and they were ■■■■■ delicious.
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