Liv Smith

More experiments at Wheaton Labs: batch box rocket heater efficiently burns large fire wood loads using a smart steel air intake system.

Is that time of the year again.

Stocking stuffers and holiday gifts, permaculture playing cards to the rescue!

There are pebble rocket mass heaters and there are cob rocket mass heaters.

The folks at Wheaton Labs combine the two:

Winter is approaching for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. Rising heating costs and unpredictable income are a reality for many folks.

Over the last few years Paul has put together a collection of movies about rocket mass heaters to answer questions like: how to build them, how and why they work, why they're a great solutions for a lot of folks, troubleshooting and so  on.

This year the movie collection has a shiny new web page and you can check it out here: Better Wood Heat.

Tell us what you think about rocket mass heaters and if you plan on building one soon.

Cob is an amazing material – once it dries, it turns into a rock-solid structure that holds everything together, providing both strength and durability.

We take a closer look at how cob works its magic in rocket mass heaters. From starting as a water-soluble clay to becoming a solid rock, cob plays a crucial role in locking everything into place. We’ll show you how we apply it, rub it into a soup of clay to make it stick, and use it to hold everything, from the barrel lid to the heater structure, securely together.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• How cob transforms into a strong, solid material
• Why properly applying cob makes all the difference in strength
• Locking the cob into place for long-lasting stability
• Aesthetic improvements after the functional build

More experiments at Wheaton Labs: a door that doesn't need hinges!

Great design and easy build of a smokeless firepit by the folks at Wheaton Labs.

For those of us who manage woodlands, here is a really cool tool for felling trees safely:

About this time each year my days are filled with harvest, clean, chop, and preserve the garden bounty. I make pickles, sauces, freeze some of the stuff, and dry some.

My dehydrator right now is electric, and I am really considering having my husband build one of these, now that Paul, Mud and the bunch have done all the experiments, and created the best version of a solar food dehydrator!

Sorry about that! I think I fixed it.

Earthen floor build in a yurt at Wheaton Labs.

During the recent Permaculture Technology Jamboree event at Paul's place, folks started building a massive root cellar Sepp Holzer style.

If you're using a wood stove or a rocket stove in your home, you will need a lot of kindling. Here is a video showing a home made kindling cracker and how to sharpen it. It sure makes the kindling splitting work easier!

If you like cordwood here's an interesting idea from Paul at his place:

Organic matter is the lifeblood of the soil. Tilling destroys it in a much bigger proportion than we like to think. Alternatives to tilling:

incorporating manure - good

raised bed - better

hugelkultur - best