BudDIY Podcast

When you don't want to run electricity to every part of your property it is time to learn about solar power. However, if you don't know much about electricity and what you need, where do you start. n this episode I talk through a few basics to get started with electricity and solar as a way to get started in your own research to help build electric projects.

Welcome back to a new year. Lets take a look back at the break, and the year 2022 and how it went. Then lets talk about what is coming ahead, and how things are going to change.

So some things need to change. In this episode I talk about what is changing and some of what the future holds for BudDIY. I also give an update on the porch, hydroponics, and my shop.

Welcome to porch week. This last week has been nothing but building a front porch on the house. It has been a crazy time, and a huge learning process. Listen in on this week to hear how it went, the good and the bad. Also a few of the things I learned along the way. Plus what is next for the porch.

This coming week is the week to build a porch, and I am quite unsure about how it will go. In this weeks episode I talk through the process I am going to through. Some of the materials and tools I that are needed, and overall what needs to be done. It isn't a long episode as I have put most of my attention into prepping to do this project, but there is an update on the hydroponics system. Next weeks episode should be very interesting as it will be a discussion of the work I do this week.

Getting children involved in making, farming, chores etc is something I am unaccustomed to. This weeks episode focuses on 5 things I have put into action over the last few months, and seems to be working, at least a little bit. Having my kids involved in what I do has been a tough challenge, but things seem to be getting better. I am learning more to let go. Also a couple updates on the hydroponics, and front porch build.

Trailering a truck can be super nerve wracking if you have never done it before. This wek was my first time. So lets talk about it. I talk about the ups and downs, the process I went through, and an important lesson learned along the way. Next time I will be better prepared for hauling a vehicle on the trailer. I also discuss the upcoming porch project, and give one of the last updates on the hydroponics project as it is winding down. This week is short, but packed with information.

Search Engine Optimization is important, but it isn't as hard as a lot of people make it out to be. There are some key principles that if you can follow will go a long way before you need to get to the advanced and intricate stuff. In this episode I go over a few of those things which can be especially important to get your local farm or business going to gain some traffic. One of the craziers parts about SEO is fairly simple for most of what you need to do, but it can be hard to do it at times. So lets walk through some of the basics and the easier approach to getting things going.

When it comes to a lot of stuff going on this last week has been right up there. In this weeks episode I walk through a few things that happened around projects, and talk through a math problem I had on some product design. This week it is short and simple with a couple of lessons to take away along the way.  

There is a lage project coming up to finish off fixing part of our house. Actually it is a series of smaller projects, that leads to a better whole. This week I walk through the steps to the project to lay the groundwork for upcoming work and projects. I also update on a few things that happened this week towards making more 3d printed products to sell.

If you have ever wanted to sell something on ebay and been intemidated by it, well you are not alone. I was super nervous to sell something on ebay because of all of the unknowns, and not wanting disappoint a customer. Well I finally sucked it up, posted something on ebay and it was purchased. The process had some hiccups, but that was because the customer wanted to buy a bit of a different way than I posted. Other than that selling on Ebay was a breeze.  So join me in this episode where I tell you about the process of listing, selling, customer interaction, shipping and results. All things I wish I could find information on in one place before I also jump into some hydroponics updates, and a future project update.

Making progress on the hydroponics setup this week was great, but it didn't come without its challenges.  This week I talk a bit more about my 3d printing stuff I am working on, and how that is going. Can you say fear of success, and the unknown? Then in the main segment I walk through the latest with the hydroponics system, and some of the challengs I hit with and not with the hydroponics build. Also a couple of takeaways as well. Reminder. I am now trying to sell stuff on my site if you would like to support my work please visit my shop and if something interests you please feel free to buy it.

This week we discuss the basics of lithium batteries for deep cycle applications. I have recently made a few decisions on where to go with some project, and figured it was time to learn more about lithium batteries. In this episode we talk about cells and how to combine them to make your battery for different applications, as well as the specific type of lithium battery most used for home applications.

Summer is hot, and so are your chickens. As the summer warms up we need to keep our feathered friends cool so they don't die on us. This year we are having the hotest summer ever since I got chickens, so it will be a great learning experience on keeping chickens cool. In todays episode I go over things I have don in years past, plus a couple of things I want to try to make sure my chickens stay alive, and thrive.

When your prints fail it is time to do some fixing. This week I had a couple of failures on my 3d prints while working on some new designs. That was quite the shock as the printer has done really well up to now. Listen in this week as I talk about some interesting lessons when modeling prints, and what maintenance you should do to your 3d printers. Just don't be like me and how I have been when it comes to maintenance.

This week we had crazy water problems from our system, and not knowing anything about how our entire system works. I had to fix it. Rural off-grid water can be hard. Listen to this weeks episode to find out what happened, how I fixed it, some background on a few of the things, and things I would like to change int he future.

Some weeks are just an amalgamation of everything which leads to randomness. That has been this past week so I am bringing you a variety show today where we talk about a lot of things. First up is the work I started on a product I want to sell, but I need to develop it and I have gone through a few prototypes I have 3D printed. I talk a little bit about the design process and what I am going for. Then we move on to more homestead stuff where I fixed some underground electric, torched some grass and finally hit a fork in the road on the hydroponics. Oh, and followed through on a great suggstion for my gate. Finally we wrap up the episode with some bitcoin investment data I compiled for dollar cost averaging. I actually crunched some numbers for this data.

Last week I got things situated for the tubs to sit on the racks better. That came in handy this week working on doing the plumbing. The plumbing went reasonbly well, and I learned a few things along the way. I also had ot design myself out of a situation I put myself in. If you are interested in check this weeks episode out to learn more.

The hydroponics project has been started. I finally got through some of the other projects and did some testing for the hdyroponics project. Also designed a new set of clips for hanging the barrina lights I have for the hdyro system. Give this episode a listen to find out what is happing, the changes, and next steps.

Sometimes when you build stuff it does not go as you had intended. I had this great idea for a temporary gate, that would work like a normal gate. It did not go as expected. Fortunately it died early on in the process so I was able to reasses and figure out a solution for a gate as I needed one soon because of rain. In this episode I talk about what happened and what I did in the end. Plus a few lessons along the way with some suggestions.

Summer is coming up and it is time to cool the shop, or at least try. To that end I worked on installing an exahust fan in the shop from "junk". In this episode I talk through installing the fan, and how I approached doing it considering I haven't done this before. It was a super stressful project that really stretched me in doing DIY projects. Hopefully there are a few lessons to learn along the way.

It is all fun and games until someone loses an eye, or the top part of their pinky finger. With the weather changing it is time to get back to fixing and building from our long winter hibernation and early spring procrastination. In this episode I talk about safety. A few things you should consider and just generally remind you to keep safety in mind so you have a successful summer doing stuff.

Electical can be a scary thing to deal with, but if you keep some principals in mind it isn't that bad. Plus there are a few projects around the house you can take care of on your own which are fairly simple. In todays episode I talk about 3 of those projects you can do to start gaining a little confidence in working with electrical "stuff" in your house or on your property.

Canning can be a great idea, but is the the right idea for you? In todays episode I talk a bit about the history of canning, our family experience with it, and about canning. It is a topic I never thought I would end up covering on this channel, but here we are. Finally, we talk a bit about the economics of it and I give you my opinion on is it worth doing or not.

So I went back to the ER again this week so this episode is a short episode where I update on some projects and tell you what happened.

Incubating eggs is that next step to providing a full service of chickens on your own homestead. It is great because you can get chickens ever year and you don't have to keep buying them. Plus if some pandemic happens, new avian flu, you can still get chickens, with good biosecurity. This is something I have wanted to learn for a long time and I always thought there was some deep complicated thing about it. Turns out it is pretty simple. Check out this weeks episode as I talk about what it takes to incubate eggs. I also talk a bit about new projects, and some interesting lessons along the way.

A lot has happened this year already, and as a planner that is not a lot of fun. I have taken the time to re-group and figure out the direction I want BudDIY to go this year. Join me in this episode as I talk about finishing up the garden, and talk about the future projects here on BudDIY.

Keeping predators out of your hen house is a good idea, but sometimes you need to keep the hens out of the garden. One problem that we have had with this round of chickens is they like to jump out of our fencing. Which during the day is fine and does not matter. However, they also like to get into our garden. So we decided to put up some fencing to see if it keeps them out. Plus it might even help keep other animals out as well which has been annoying.

Sometimes when we are doing life we get stuck in the doing, and let the part that makes the gears of life move, personal finance. Doing well with money is an annoyingly critical part of life, and is deeply personal. Which is why it is call personal finance. Living by a personal set of principals and thinking out how you will react to life in those stressful situations can help set you up for long term success. In this episode I talk about my personal history, the good and the bad. Also discuss how I view money and what I try to do to keep the wheels of life from not falling off.

My internet card got punched and I lost my internet. However, there was a rebound and I was able to get a new service to my house, but I needed internet to my office. In this episode I talk through how I got internet to my office. The process I went through. The things I bought and what I did to make it all work. Even why I made a few of the decisions along the way.

The keyboard is finally done. It has been an intersting couple of weeks finishing it, butI have learned a lot so that my next projects go better. I did paint my 3D Printed case and attempted to get a nice smooth finish. I was mostly successful so in todays episode I will talk about that plus some other craziness going on in life.

I was on vacation and while gone my internet died. I can't do a full episode until I figure out this issue. Have a great week.

A couple of months ago I found out you can build your own keyboard, and it started me down a journey that lead me to building a keyboard of my own. In this episode I will walk through the experience of researching, buying, and building the keyboard. It was an interesting experience to say the least so give this episode a listen to find out more as a precursor to a build video I plan to produce and put out.

The more you use your garden the more you can do to make it better. After a few years of use, and a few changes of our circumstances we need to make a few changes. In this episode I talk about 5 changes we need to make to our reaised beds to make them better, and hopefully more successful.

If you want to 3d print your own products you need to learn how to do some 3d modeling. Since I have some time off work that is what I am doing. This week I have worked quite a bit learning blender, and it has been quite the exeperience. I feel like I am on the right track. So listen to this episode for the top 5 experiences and thoughts I have had this week while learning blender.

I finally got a job, but it was a greulling process of interviews. I finally made it through, and learn a ton of stuff along the way. In this episode I walk you through what I went through to get a Sr. Software Engineering job. Things I learned from the process, and what I would do differently if I had to do it all over again. Finally, I touch on what I did not like in the process, and did not enjoy. Plus what is my new job?

It is getting to that time where you need to plan your year. Spring is right around the corner, and it is going be time to get some work done. In this episode I talk about a few things I am working on and planning and hopefully it will spring some ideas and thoughts for you of what you can get done. Also a little update on the job hunt.

I hate that I have not been able to do any DIY projects for the last couple of weeks, but instead I am looking for a job. It is a weird anxious and busy time. In this episode I talk through my experiences and next steps. If you only really want DIY stuff go ahead and jump to the next episode, hopefully.

This week has been a busy week doing setting up interviews, doing interviews, and studying for a homework of an interview. So this weeks episode is super short.

I talked last week about what I plan for the future this year, and what I want to get done. Well the day after that posted, I was laid off as part of a reduction of 10% of our workforce. This has derailed my brain more than anything. So in this episode I talk through things. To be honest I hope it is coherent as I just kind of walk through my thoughts, plans and wishes. I also give an update on a DIY project.

If you don't prepare for the future then you probably wont get anything meaningful done. Wandering through life isn't the best way to accomplish your goals. With that in mind this week is about what to look forward to on content I plan to produce this year. Projects I plan to do, and some attempts to just be better this year. I list out several projects I want to do as well as how I came to the conclusion to do some of them, I also review last year and the partial failure it was as well. Then we cap it off with my dismal failure at eating well for the last week.

Being overweight has been a way of life for the last 25 years. I have never had good control over my weight. This year I was finally able to take control of my weight and bring it down to be healthy. In todays episode I talk about that journey and the things that I did along the way, and what I would do again if I were to start over.

I hate spending money on things that break regularly. Keyboards are one of those things. I get a new keyboard every couple of years because I wear out a key and it basically makes the rest of the board useless. Recently I found out you can actually build your own high quality keyboards that could last for decades. In this episode follow along as I talk to you about how you can do this, and the plans I have coming up to build my won keyboard.

When you stretch yourself out of your comfort zone you can learn a few things. This last week I helped my dad do more cement, but this time it was more than we had ever done before. It was an interesting experience trying to cement 3 things in one hour to keep costs down. Give this episode a listen if you are curious what we did, and a few of the takeaways.

Sometimes out of failures we can rise to the occasion and help to get things done. This last weekend there were several problems in the project I was helping with that needed to get done. It took leadership to help get them accross the finish line in a reasonable fashion. In this weeks episode I walk through what it takes to be a leader, types of leadership, and how to use that to be effective when the people around are not being as effective in the moment. It is also a great introduction to being a leader when you are not the designated leader.

It was the week of Thanksgiving, and while there was a lot to be thankful for. There was also time to get some things done. And some time to make a few mistakes along the way. Join me this week as I go through the install of a new vanity and sink, and wrap up with my failure of the week. Overall a good week even if it didn't go completely as expected.

We had to make some hard decisions this week due to finances. With that in mind and talking to a couple of people recently that have not had a good grasp on finances I think we should talk about them. One of the biggest hiccups I run into with people is a lack of understanding of basic finances. Or how to move that basic understanding into project planning. It isn't hard, but if you don't know how then you don't know. In this episode we cover some finance basics, then I move into planning for pigs to show the points I took into consideration for costs and how to cover those. Then to forecast future expenses so you know if you will make a profit, or when you might. These skills are essential to longterm success in any endeavor, and just takes a tweak to your thinking. This is one of my favorite topics so I hope you enjoy it as much as me, or at least learn something from it.

Part of the last week I spent my time at the The Survival Podcast Fall Workshop, and it was great. I was able to meet a lot of people I have never met before as well as catching up with old friends. I even learned a few things along the way. in this episode I give a bit of a recap of the highlights.

Here is a bit of an update on a couple of projects I am planning, and some of the stuff I have learned that is new about them. It has been a bit of a crazy week to the point I haven't had hardly any time. However, I was able to move the ball forward on my hydroponics and trailer build projects. So today I am going to discuss a couple of updates on those, and a couple of new things I have learned.

So my class is finally over, and the question is was it worth the money? In this episode I breakdown what we did, the structure of the class, things that I learned and finally hone in on was it worth it. I do that by asking the question would I take this class again? I also talk about some good news on a side project I am working on as well as a repair that is finally done. Remember sign up for the email news letter and I'll see you in the episode.