gapper love

In another thread, somebody said:

There are people in this world that are desperate to help out. We have been trained to throw money at problems when we can't figure out how to help specifically.

Their suggestion was that I should set up a patreon account. But that strikes me as a little odd - but that is only because I am wired in a weird way. I would feel a sense of obligation and that would be problematic for me.

On the other hand, if I had more money I would just spend it on more projects here.

Then it occurred to me: what about direct support of the gappers? Lately, the gappers have started to put together a library. What if they listed stuff that they wanted for their library as amazon links. And then not only does that augment their library, but if the link has the empire affiliate code, then we get something like 8% from amazon.

Then I started thinking about the gapper that wanted to build a treehouse with a rocket mass heater in it. Plus a zipline.

Tools? Gloves? Project materials?

What about sending a care package full of old books and DVDs. Maybe gappers would like some fiction as well as permaculture stuff. I'm very strict about not allowing pirated stuff here - so I think there is some need for fun movies.

So I thought I would start this thread so that the gappers might be able to start a wish list.

So a few tidbits of information:

Please send packages to:

gappers c/o paul wheaton
2120 s reserve #351
missoula, mt 59801

If a package arrives for "gappers" then the assumption is that the contents stays here and does not leave with any gappers that might be leaving. If a package arrives for a particular gapper, then that can go with the gapper when the gapper leaves - or if there is a note inside that says "gappers can take this when they leave". But the default is that it stays at the lab for all future gappers.

Here is what an amazon link looks like:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00FBXAFQA/rs12-20

The part that says "B00FBXAFQA" is the ASIN or ISBN number. Change that to be the ASIN number for the product you think gappers would like to have.

For big care packages .... somebody who was here for a workshop arranged to have about 300 pounds of stuff picked up here. Some guy in a car picked it up. Apparently the person (who lived in portland) went to http://uship.com and said "I want 300 pounds of stuff picked up near missoula and brought to me in portland." and then a guy that was driving to portland that day said "I would like to get an extra hundred bucks for the hassle and fuel." Our impression was that the guy picking stuff up had picked up two or three other things and was going to end up with more than double the money he spent on fuel. What a cool idea.

When I had my farm on mount spokane, Tim (my brother) told me about a widow that needed her dead husband's workshop full of tools to go away. She knew Tim and asked him to just take it all. So I ended up with a pickup truck full of nuts, bolts, screws, nails and hundreds of old, rusty hand tools. The nearest hardware store was 45 minutes away. And that truckload of "junk" saved me about 40 trips to town.

I like the idea that we amass a small mountain of hand tools and nuts and bolts and stuff. But so far we have not had the call from a widow saying "please take all this stuff out of here".

I suppose we should hit yard sales, estate sales and stuff, but we are a long way from most yard sales. Maybe somebody will use the uship thing to send us 20 buckets full of bolts. Or other stuff sitting about in their shop they want to get rid of.

Thank you to everyone who's supporting us!

Some items for the list:

Amazon items:
The Beginner's Guide to Hunting Deer for Food

Camp Chef Portable Outdoor Oven
(or similar propane oven)

Non-Amazon:

We need axes - preferably with good handles but I can sharpen them here.

Any rugs (not carpeting scraps) that aren't atrociously worn or dirty.

Wool: We urgently need raw wool for insulation projects. We can also use wool blankets or shearskin for textile hangings and projects.

Leather: Preferably cowhide, but I'll use anything I can get. Preferably not super nasty chemical tan.

There are many inexpensive tools to bid on at a website called "Everything but the house" EBTH.com. It's a service for widows and such that need to clean out an entire house. They often have lots of tools and hand tools that go for little to nothing. They sell everything but the house and sometimes even the house.

Getting in with the local estate sale people might be an idea to start hauling off the dregs of estates heavy on tools and such.

Ben, Tom, thanks! We're in the last crunch of digging before the freeze, but I'm hoping Violet and I will be able to get out to sources like that later in the winter.

Another amazon item for wofati 0.7:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B004Y6V5CI/rs12-20

mike jastram wrote:Ben, Tom, thanks! We're in the last crunch of digging before the freeze, but I'm hoping Violet and I will be able to get out to sources like that later in the winter.

Oh definitely, they are low priority tasks/projects/things.

mike jastram wrote:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B004Y6V5CI/rs12-20

Is there some way to get a communal amazon wishlist? Then we won't get the problem of duplicate buying (at least from amazon).

mike jastram wrote:

Non-Amazon:

We need axes - preferably with good handles but I can sharpen them here.

Amazon totally sells axes!

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=ax&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aax&ajr=0

What kind are needed? ... I'm guessing it's not this one... http://www.amazon.com/California-Costumes-Axe-Toy-Weapon/dp/B002QAIWJI/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1413444569&sr=8-11&keywords=ax ... guessing.

... that might be kinda funny though...

THANK YOU TOM RUTLEDGE!!!
We received an awesome care package yesterday from Tom. He sent us several boxes of awesome DVDs for entertainment purposes!
Thank you!

Sam Barber wrote:Thank you!

It is I that must thank you. They needed a new home and new friends to love them.

Here are some fairly cheap items that would help a lot:

Work Gloves!

Bits!

Flashlights!

Rechargeable Batteries!

Also, at any given time, at least one of us is looking for a new pair of boots/shoes. Especially the big footed people. So if you're looking to get rid of some old and or unfashionable shoes, I'm sure we could take them!

Thanks

jesse markowitz wrote:Here are some fairly cheap items that would help a lot:

Work Gloves!

Which sizes?

jesse markowitz wrote:
Also, at any given time, at least one of us is looking for a new pair of boots/shoes. Especially the big footed people. So if you're looking to get rid of some old and or unfashionable shoes, I'm sure we could take them!

Sizes?

Medium and Large size gloves would be great. I don't think anyone here would need an extra large pair.


As for shoes, there are at least 3 different people here who wear size 14s. There are a couple of guys that are 10.5-11, and another person who wears 9.5-10.

Wow, more gapper love from Mr. Rutledge! Thank you!

(Pardon the hasty pic in the parking lot of our mailbox place.)

Something that would be quite appreciated to have at wheaton labs for gappers to use are some good region specific field guides, such as these,

Plants of the Rocky Mountains (Lone Pine Field Guide)

Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies

Foraging the Rocky Mountains: Finding, Identifying, And Preparing Edible Wild Foods In The Rockies (Foraging Series)

Scats and Tracks of the Rocky Mountains (Scats and Tracks Series)

Wild Berries & Fruits Field Guide of the Rocky Mountain States

Your portable out door oven as shipped runs off of 1 pound Propane tanks. I Googled and Dealers who sell Mr Heater Big Buddy and Tough Buddy
propane heaters are all over the ground in that that location. You can get an adapter hose that will screw directly on where the 1# Tank goes now
and then will hook to a 20# or larger propane tank. This turns a toy into a cooks tool !

There is also a propane refill adapter part #F276172 that lets you invert a 20 # Tank and refill the 1 # tanks about 3/4 full you drop them in water
and watch them float, and you will have a good idea how close to full you got them, this would actually be handy for people transitioning to simpler
cooking methods, it gets a real cooking oven out in back of beyond when you outer choice is soup/ coffee in a pot and soup/coffee in a frying pan !

For the food needs of the Good Craftspeople ! Big AL

Something that would really help out here with the projects we are working on would be a good planer for smoothing, squaring and sizing boards. The saw mill makes some beautiful boards but they are rather rough for making things indoors. A planer would make wood working here so much easier. Like one of these ones.

DEWALT DW735X 13" Two-Speed Planer Package

Steel City Tool Works 40100 13-Inch Bench Top Portable Planer

I've had problems with that particular Dewalt model vibrating itself out of alignment. Every other Dewalt tool I've ever had has proven its worth, but not the planer.

Interesting what planer would you recommend?

Dewalt planer is a pile.

A delta is what I have had and it's runs awesome $250

I have a Delta that has never let me down.

Delta Power Tools 22-555 13 In Portable Thickness Planer

Yup.
That'll get you home.

What is with the dog training stuff?

paul wheaton wrote:What is with the dog training stuff?

Reading for winter.

Thank you so much! We'll post action shots soon I hope, got the oven fired up last night for the first time and we are very very excited to get bakin.

We do need an adapter hose please!
Camp Chef Bulk Tank Hose Adapter

This bit's a luxury but it'd help us since we don't have a ton of room in our kitchen:
Propane Fitting Tee

Tim and Kristie are letting us use their GoalZero solar system, it is WONDERFUL and we would like one or two more light strands in 0.7. We appreciate anything!
100-light LED strand

Thank you! We aren't dead yet.

What about magazine subscriptions? I see Sam posting several good ones...any that you would like that you aren't already subscribing to?

A big thankyou to Tom Rutledge! You are awesome! He sent us some awesome Gloves, Goggles, Flashlights,torx bits, some more books as well as two axes! I think he was the one that sent the plastic one but I am unsure.
-Sam

Tom, thanks for the oven! This is our first chance to use it, a little baby loaf of bread going in for dinner:

Thanks again to Tom. I appreciate what your doing immensely. But wouldn't it be easier if you lived here? Hint hint. And here is Sam our safety glasses model.

B.T.W. there are 2 gappers here that use XL gloves. I would say that the cheaper pig skin type gloves are a favorite all around work glove. The more expensive leather gloves seem to not be a better value and sometimes worse. Just my two cents. While I'm thinking of shopping, a great website for tools and gloves and other great stuff is Harry J. Epstein Co.

http://store.harryepstein.com/

This video is fantastic. and it seems even bigger in person.

If that doesn't make you wanna buy from them then I'm sorry.

People I know used to go there all the time. Their prices are great. They actually had to raise their web pricing to get stuff to sell. Apparently people thought it was to good to be true.
They are where I get all my fancy knipex tools from and Mora knives.

These are a great pair of pliers for $19 just sayin' for those electricians out there
http://store.harryepstein.com/cp/Knipex/1301614.html

We just bought these at napa for 17 or 20. here they are 11.60
http://store.harryepstein.com/c/WildeChrome.html

Oh the knives and a leather mora sheath. I own one and it works great. also the Electrician mora is one of my favs.
http://store.harryepstein.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=1930&Category_Code=Knives

These are new! wont get lost as easy. large and extra large Hi-vis pigskin gloves for $7.25
http://store.harryepstein.com/cp/Gloves/125-368L.html

The good ole stand by. pig skin for $5.50 in small through extra large. The rawhide ones are $9 and i dont know how they compare.
http://store.harryepstein.com/cp/Gloves/70-361XL.html

Okay, can go on forever so i'll stop jacking this thread. Gonna start one up sometime soon talking about my favorite tools and accessories I've built up over the years. It's an idea I've had for awhile. My take on "if you could only have one" but also a little bit of "and if money were no object"

Many thanks for these books which have arrived.

Thanks so much for the batteries! They will be really useful around the farm.

Got no time for pantry runs any more, we're hungry! Thanks!

Oh man this bread is the BEST thing right now

Gapper LOVE!

Thank you! We recieved this awesome book on saunas today!

A massive thankyou to Tom Rutledge for giving us this amazing planer! This will make the woodworking around here so much nicer and sliver free!
Thank You!!