Tead's Indoor-ish, Winter, Hempy, OGK, SOG

I'm blaming SweetSue...

Drug out the monster diesel gen this weekend. Had to get it out of the way and had a better place to store it. The blue tarp on the shed was folded and protecting the generator, so I had to find another tarp and shove it around some... seemed like a good time to crank it up.
Drained it's oil and replaced it with fresh. Cleaned the "oil filter" which consists of a screen that looks a lot like my coffee filter.
Cleaned the air filter.
Unclogged the fuel valve... it seems to clog every year. I use a plunger on the fuel fill hole to push fuel thru the valve till it flows freely. I tried to cheat this year and used the output side of a shop vac... way too much airflow... blew diesel fuel everywhere.
Drained all the fuel and replaced it adding the appropriate amount of diesel fuel preservative. I use the preservative whenever I've not run it or if I'll be storing it. It seems to be keeping the fuel in the system 'edible' between runs.
Nice thing about diesel... no spark plug or ignition system to deal with.
Opened the fuel valve, pushed the run-stop lever to run, clicked the compression release, pulled it just once... just once, and she cranked right up. She sputtered for a moment as the air in the fuel line was purged, but she did great.

It's been stored for a year outside under a tarp. After she settled, I powered the shed (AC, lights, fans) for about 3 hours. Used about 1/4 tank. In the past, I've run indoor AC window units, fridge, chest freezer, plus lights and AC in the grow shed for days. She drinks a bit more running all that stuff, but she's an incredibly strong performer.

Oh... and I pulled a muscle in my back yanking the gen around the yard. SweetSue's fault... she guilted me into all the manual labor!
 
Hope all your hard work pays off and your backs not to bad :)
 
So... I'm shocked. A medical mj bill for LA has passed both houses and sits upon the desk of our Governor. I suspect it will shortly be signed into law.
It will be years before the program designed in the bill will actually hit the pharmacies... yes, it's being distributed by pharmacies apparently. There are "first right of refusals" give to 2 of the larger state run universities... if neither jumps, it moves to "commercial growing programs".

One can really see many problems with the program as envisioned by the lawmakers. Then there are the inherent problems with adding large piles of cash to any equation. When I consider the every day historic examples of any sort of government run program in our region, I instantly realize that there will be graft and huge buttloads of stupidity involved.

I'm afraid.
 
Ahhhhhhhhhh the joys of the diesel genny. Just got a face full of diesel a couple nights ago myself, when I was bleeding air out of the fuel lines on one of the monsters here. Kind of brings a macho suffering into life, and a lovely perfume for the clothing which lingers through many washes. I wondered if ladies would flock to my heroic scent, but apparently....no.
Lots of competition here though, for those diesel loving maidens. If they even exist.


I think that the more separation you have between your roof and the tarp- the better.
But an increased gap brings with it increased work, and increased engineering obstacles when coping with wind.

Jack leg article- Jackleg « The Word Detective
 
Good Lord Weas... links are just falling outta yur ass today!
Thanks!

After I tried to blow out the clog in the valve with a shop vac, I was very manly indeed. The tank was about 1/2 full and diesel flew everywhere. Happy none of my buddies witnessed the event... there would have been long stretches of laughter.
I had a gas gen for a while. The new hybrid ones (LP + gasoline) tempt me. Seems the tanks of propane have a pretty long run time. We have gas at the house as well, and I'd be tempted by a natural gas powered one as well as it seems the gas usually works during and after storms... tho Katrina flooded the gas lines with water.
The diesel gen has been the best and easiest by far. The lack of the ignition system and carb really make the whole system simple. Hell... I can even easily clean the fuel injector. It has a starter on it, but I bought it used and have never even tried to power up that subsystem.... one pull on the string works just fine... tho that would probably change if I lived in a cold climate.

Between the solar panels and the diesel gen, I can run the house and the grow shed in minimal power mode for less than 5gal/day... including the AC.


flock to my heroic scent
Click to expand...

Ya know... I've tested many different "heroic scents" over the course of my lifetime.
I was always a fan of "I've been tromping thru the woods for a month with 4 changes of clothing" scent, but find that all other humans don't seem to share the opinion.
 
Weaselcracker said:
I think that the more separation you have between your roof and the tarp- the better.
But an increased gap brings with it increased work, and increased engineering obstacles when coping with wind.

Jack leg article- Jackleg « The Word Detective
Click to expand...


You hit my concern directly on the head. Wind. If the tarp even vibrates in the wind, it will wear and tear. I want to put some 2 inch sticks under there to create an air gap, but I gotta tie down the sides and corners better before I do it. I think I'm going to secure one end to fence so that I can just roll it over the shed and put it on the ground between the fence and the shed when the wind blows hard.

... and who would have ever imagined Jackleg was any sort of a real word, let alone one actually in a dictionary!
 
Tead eyes his wallet from across the room. A wild thought tickles some neurons deep in his brain.
The wallet is well worn and cracked with age... tho not thru frequent use.
He pulls it from it's resting place. Upon opening, a small dusting of ancient fibers puffs from it. A rectangular piece of plastic screams out at him. "Use how you want to big boy.... you know you need to!"
Tead pulls the plastic from it's storage pocket. It seems to emit some sort of Kirlean effect.
He quickly decides to move forward and commit his financial misdeeds. His fingers dance over the keyboard. His razor-like mind quickly sorts thru the available options and balances the desires vs rewards.
Purchase button hit, he returns the plastic temptress to it's dungeon for future punishment uses.


Purchase:
3x Dinafem Critical Plus 2.0 Feminised Seeds
3x Barneys Pineapple Chunk Feminised Seeds
1x Original Sensible Kali AK Feminised Seeds

Freebies:
1 X Dinafem Deep Cheese feminised
1 X Delicious Candy Feminised Seed
2 X World Of Seeds Pakistan Valley Feminised Seeds
5 X Afghani Regular Seeds

For the record, 7 seeds purchased, 9 seed free. I'm a happy customer so far!
 
So... some grow room design shots.
I've thrashed around a bit, but have settle for the moment on a curtained in design. I gave the curtain support with some Romex wire.

Note the fine engineering attaching the feed hose for the veg tent to the AC output
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Romex attached to insulation with metal tape
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A shot of the top
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I'm not so sure of the effect of the blue tarp yet. I think it's not doing much. I'll look at putting a gap up there.
Jeez... waiting for seed to arrive.... I know... I just ordered them, but I find myself frequently reviewing the "Despatched" email from Herbies.
 
It's quite windy here as well, reaching low level hurricane force regularly in the winter, and very rainy. There are a lot of tarps around here in various stages of decrepitude. Tarps are part of the way of life I suppose. I make elevated tarp structures pretty often, to cover up things around the yard. I really haven't found a way to cheat and easily make a structure that's strong enough to keep rain out from above, yet can handle the crazy forces of the wind from below. It always seems to come down to building some sort of legitimate structure.
In your case you have a good structure already though. The most sturdy way that comes to mind would be to lay some more rafters on the existing roof- 2x4s probably, or maybe even 2x6 depending how strong you need things, and fasten them to the roof wherever you can without making too many holes that need to be treated with caulking or whatever. I would make these rafters longer, probably long enough so that they reach the ground on both sides if possible. Or maybe just one side... Best would be to the ground on both sides- with overhangs at both ends as well. (From there it's easy to make walls and you have a whole new building). There should still be room for your swimming pool.
Then a tarp, or much preferably, metal or whatever opaque roofing is cheapest, on top. You need strapping running crossways if you use rigid roofing. But with a tarp you need to try and stretch it out, then hold it down with a lot of wooden strips or something- while trying to put the minimum number of holes in it. It's not that easy and it's always a leaky short term thing, needing to be taken apart and redone in a few years, and potentially an eyesore in the meantime. Metal roofing, or opaque fiberglass or whatever is available, would give you a large working space around the shed, while retaining that level of classiness I know you like to uphold. It would also do better job of blocking heat, I think. A tarp roof is much cheaper- but takes probably more work in the long run after you replace it once or twice.
I realize that this sounds like work, and money, and probably isn't telling you anything you don't already know.
 
It always seems to come down to building some sort of legitimate structure.
Click to expand...

Doesn't it always turn out that the shortcuts suck?
A long term structure would be the next natural step. A real building with a real roof and real room in the walls for real insulation.
When I got the metal sheds, it was acknowledged and accepted that it was a temporary situation.
Of course, now I wish I had just poured some footings and put up a small elevated structure using traditional techniques. I keep waiting for a storm to take it out.

For the moment, I have some 2x2s that would give a layer. For the moment, friction and gravity can keep some in place. One has to be careful about how much weight you put up there. I have the tarp anchored to a fence on one side using a wood strip and screws. I can easily un-anchor the other side and toss the tarp over the shed during any significant wind event then easily roll it back.

I touch the top of the tarp and it's quite warm. This leads one to think that some UV is being absorbed. I'll get the 2x2s in there... should make a large difference.

and probably isn't telling you anything you don't already know
Click to expand...

One never knows what might tickle another's neurons... fire away baby!
 
One never knows what might tickle another's neurons...
Click to expand...
. Yeah that's the principal I was operating under. It seems like we all have blind spots and gaps in our skill sets, sometimes very surprising ones. Even entertaining ones (mostly entertaining for others, not so much for us)
 
Glad you made it through the storm. What a weird spring we're having.
 
As promised...
She's had 2 challenges so far. She had a touch of Calcium def. I detected it and corrected it. The second challenge was not really a challenge... I was just pushing it's feeding schedule because I'm not so familiar with the 2L variety yet and I gave it some burn spots and a few clawed leaves. I've cut 4 clones from her so far and just cut 2 of them 2 days ago, so she's looking a touch naked too.

She's the 2nd 2L I've grown. I like them. I'm gonna do some more. They do OK on my day schedule, but a 2 day schedule might be better. I plan on putting out more of them.

20160521_121226.jpg



The veg tent as a whole. 2L lower left. Osmo lower right. 2 clones just moved to pots from their jiffy-plug clone box on the top... the one on the left may not make it. You can see the little jiffy clone box down in the lower left.

20160521_121217.jpg


I'm just so friggin anxious to get my seed order in. Can't wait. Not the best time of year to be starting any plants, but if I have to shut down the flower area, I'll just keep the new strains going in the veg tent over the summer and have some monsters to flower when the heat breaks. Hopefully, I can keep the flower area going thru the summer this year.
 
They're out in full force here in The Burgh too. I was surprised at the numbers this spring.
 
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