Discovering my freedom in Minnesota

A lot of dust pushed through them.

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Yes the canvas was definitely too restrictive. It also seemed a bit damp so my charcoal may also not be dry anymore.
I am changing to this material which is a wool/cotton blend. It’s only about 1/16". My wife got it cheap from the thrift store she works at. There’s enough to make at least 12 filters with it.

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Can you breathe through it really easily?

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That should work Bill. I used old cotton/blend socks, and they work good on my charcoal gasifier. Wool/cotton blend will be better.
Bob

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Yes, much easier. Now I need to make more charcoal.

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We had visitors today all the way from Indiana. Mary and I were honored to have Ron and Rhonda Lemler visit us in the northwoods today.

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Before the Lemler’s showed up today I tried to get my modifications on the wheeler done. Unfortunately I didn’t have enough time.
I found out the way @JocundJake and I piped the air in the gas line, was too restrictive. I found a chunk of exhaust pipe in my scrap pile and welded a half of a coupling on it. This run I was able to get up to 35 mph.

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Looks good. I kinda expected you would change that eventually

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I bought a 100:1 gear reduction box years ago thinking I was going to use it as a chunker. I was informed it was going to be too small so it sat on the shelf. Fast forward to this year. We increased our production of maple syrup and the demand for maple sugar has also increased. We sell sugar at the markets and use it to make pine cone syrup.
Pine cone syrup has many health benefits. Its antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and has many other vitamins and nutrients. It increases t cell response according to a NIH study.
Well my son in law is a stainless steel fabricator at his dad’s shop so I asked him if he would build a food grade sugar maker. I gave him my vision and the reduction box. He, my daughter and grandsons chose to spend a week vacation with us this summer and he brought the new sugar maker with him. Here it is in action.

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What does the stirring do? Help agitate to let water evaporate from the syrup to dry into granules faster?

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Bill, you and Mary are amazing in all that you do in the time that you first moved up there. You should really document your life in a book. It might be a best seller!

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The syrup is heated up to to 265⁰ to evaporate most of the water prior to stirring. If it wasn’t being stirred as it’s cooling down, it would turn into rock candy. Stirring it allows it to granulate.

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I think more people would rather read the book, ‘My Life so Far’ by Don Mannes.

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Putting up a new building this week. The cabin portion is 16x20’ and the screened in porch is 16’x16’. I want it closed in before the snow flies.

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Lookin good Bill. Did you saw that lumber or buy it?
EDIT: Or trade it :smile:

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Hi Don, I bought it from a friend of mine. I wish I had enough mature pine that size to make my own lumber. The big trees I have are maple and birch.

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Birch might be good for construction timber also. I hadnt yet built with it but l know people used it for the beam that connects horses on wagons, as its light and strong when dry.

I too was looking to buy spruce or pine for when l built my house, then a neighbour politely hinted that l might be some kind of an idiot, since l got a forrest of lime trees. And indeed, this is premium stuff. No knots, no resin pockets, a bit hevyer and harder thain pine or spruce thugh… and from what l heared, bugs and rot dont like it!

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For building and construction, at least in our state, it needs to be kiln dried. It kills anything that might be living in it. Then running a kiln drier requires I believe a permit and you need to have accurate records and such of every batch. I believe that also extends to other wood for like furniture as well. There is an exception, but it has been whittled down, and I don’t even know what it is, even the bundles of firewood at the gas station are kiln dried now.

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My problem is i use the birch and maple for syrup. We tapped over 700 of each species this year.

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Yes i realize kiln dried is better but we don’t have building inspections in our county. We also don’t have to worry about termites up here. I believe the buildings I’ve built will last my lifetime. After that, it’s someone else’s problem.

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