There has been some progress since my last post, but it’s just short of success in a couple of key areas as discussed below.
Niko (left image) has been working on the solar electrical system and the solar hot water system. The electrical system has charged up the batteries to full capacity, a significant success. However, there’s still work to be done with the wiring from the inverter that will provide 120 V AC power. It has worked, but there’s come clean up needed yet. The Solar hot water system (middle photo) has also gone a long way, but it’s not complete. The difference from this post and the previous post is that I now think there’s a good chance both systems will be up and running soon. The right photo shows the board with the electronics for the electrical system.
I tarped the tractor just before a nice storm moved in. This isn’t much of a deal, but it was the last thing I wanted to get buttoned up before the snow flew (other than the solar systems of course), so it felt good to finish up with my plans. A nice storm came in shortly after this, but the snow has already melted.
The left photo shows the wall behind the stove after a first coat of polyurethane and the right photo shows the wall before the polyurethane. The angles are not the same, but you can see how the polyurethane sealant really brings out the colors and character of the logs.
Above is a little video of the stove with a fan that is powered by the heat from the chimney. This was it’s first run and it worked even at fairly low temperatures, but I fear it won’t last long because the shaft seems bent that causes a considerable wobble that might wear out the fan bushing.
All four walls of the cabin now have their first coat of polyurethane, as does the table with the chess board (left photo). Wylie was a great help putting on the polyurethane, although his expression indicates somewhat less than complete enthusiasm.