DIY Insulator Pendants and Sconces

I love the teal insulator lights, so I set out to make my own. I saw the DIY kit is resonable on Etsy, but I didn’t like twisted cord. Honestly, this kit may be the better way to go. See the Seller: GlassInsulatorLights

Tools:

• Drill Press (Alternatively, there are pre-drilled insulators on Etsy)
• 1/2 Diamond Hole saw bit $16
• Wire Strippers

Parts:

• Insulator Light
• Candelabra Socket $5.27 / 2
• Pendant Kit $18.32
• Vanity light/sconce of choice
• LED Candelabra bulb $10 / 2
• Threaded rod (I bought the variety pack in the lighting accessory aisle)

How To Pendants:

The pendants were simple. I purchased the Pendant light kit from Home Depot for $18 (Westinghouse Mini Pendant). To drill the hole in the insulator you need a 1/2 diamond hole saw bit. It’s important you have water while cutting. I created a duct tape water dam, but some use plumber’s putty. Once the hole is drilled, you are ready to start fitting. Take the Edison socket out of the pendant kit and wire in the Candelabra base. You will need add a longer threaded rod for the Insulator. I bought the variety pack and played with different options.

How to Sconces:

Essentially it’s the same, but you will have to take apart the sconce, remove the wiring and rewire for the Candelabra sockets. It is tricky to get the insulator light tight onto the sconce without twisting the wires too much.

DIY Outdoor Shower

I built a simple 3’x3′ outdoor shower. The base is pressure treated 2x4s with (4) 4×4 corner posts. I connected the post with Timberlock screws. I used roofing material cut 2/3 the height of my posts. I offset the 2×4 supports so the lip of the roofing would be flush with the corner posts.

 

Here’s my simple plans:

For now, I use a garden hose that runs from the Eccotemp L10 water heater to the shower. In the future, I will have the hose to a copper faucet. 

Boat cleats are used for towel holders 

Leftover Trex from the Sauna is used for the decking. There is gravel underneath and it drains well with the larger spacing. 

 

I purchased a copper rain shower head from ebay for $30. This was the hardest thing to find as the prices range from $90-$300. Being an outdoor shower, I wanted to keep it inexpensive.

This is how I’d like the faucets to look.

Winter Gear for Alaska

When I went swimming in the frigid fall water this year, my friend told me”for you, there is never bad weather, just bad gear.” He was right. I had my shorty wet suit on. I felt like a wimp in the river. Meanwhile my niece and nephew spent hours with their swimsuits. I use to be like that. Now I have to have the right gear. It’s taken trial and error. Most cold weather gear reviews are skiers or mountaineers. While somewhat helpful, Outdoor Magazines “Gear of the Year” and Backpackers Gear Guide gear gets shredded, tested, tried, torn. It leaks. It’s cold. It’s fragile.  Alaska is a different test. Here’s what I’ve found for winter flying,.

 

 

DIY Alaska Fur Beaver Mittens

I made a special gift for my niece: her first beaver mittens. Because I didn’t want her to outgrown them, I made them a little bigger. I think they should fit until she is five! (edit: I made them 4 years ago, and they still fit her. She loves them alot more now she’s figured out how to put the thumb in)

I scaled down the adult pattern I have on a copy machine until I had a size I thought was just right. Because I wanted the mittens to grow with her, and I knew she would use other mittens inside them, I just did a single layer of fleece.

I used mostly beaver scraps so I had to do alot of matching together for her mittens. 

Complete mittens! Of course every pair of mittens needs a loop for the mitten leash, especially mittens for a child! 

I also finished my second pair of adult sized gauntlet mittens. These have double reinforced leather palms and double layer of fleece. 
All hand sewn mittens! These took less than the first pair but I know I have alot of hours into them! I used one large beaver pelt for this set of mittens. Again I did have some scraps, but these mittens are pretty large and use alot of fur! I trimmed the mitten tops with leather and added mitten loops. I don’t have a total time on these mittens because I worked off and on over the last several months. Sewing the top leather tab took two hours alone, so I can only guess how much time the entire mittens took! 

DIY Alaska Fur Trapper Hat

Introduction

Sewing beaver trapper hats was how I got started into fur sewing. My current project is a Lynx hat. I have tried to chronicle the hat making so others get an idea how to make their own Alaskan Trapper hat. My first hat took me 3 days to complete (I stopped counting hours after 20). As you get faster at sewing by hand this time is drastically reduced. I think the lynx hat will come in at 10 hours or less.

Supplies

1 Medium tanned beaver

Deerskin/Moose/Cowhide -theleatherguy.org has great prices

Sinew (Artificial)

1/2 yard fleece or wool (I probably only use 1/4 yard)

Glover’s needles (size 006)

Thimble

Razor blades

Scissors

Sharpies

Lots of clips

Pattern: 

The Alaska Cooperative Extension has a pattern for $5 with a booklet. Edna Wilder’s book also has a pattern.

I start with the fleece liner. I used Windpro fleece. I always like to double the liner so the hat is super warm. Sewing machine was out of reach, so the fleece had to be hand sewn, which doesn’t take too long, but longer than using a machine!

 I label my pieces so I don’t confuse them. I include the hatches (1/2/3) so I piece them together correctly. I did a double layer for this hat so I sewed them all at once.

Next I move onto the leather. I use elk or cowhide simply because it’s nice and not as expensive as moose. The Leather Guy has great prices and a good selection. He also ships USPS to Alaska so you don’t get gouged on shipping.

Cut the two ear flap pieces and two back pieces (shown folded over)

I start with sewing the back pieces together. I sew from bottom to top. Make sure everything is line up so the hat top looks ok.

Here is the back piece complete.

 Next sew the ear flaps to the back pieces. Make sure they are oriented the right way. Clip together and sew again from bottom to top.

 Next cut out the fur. I used lynx for this hat. When I sew beaver, the ear flap piece (labeled 2) is one piece. With the lynx I had to patch this piece together. Make sure the fur flow and coloring matches. You need to cut out two fur ear flaps and one head piece. Pick a head piece that will be the focal point of the hat!

Now sew piece to the leather. You can also forgo the leather and do all fur. I didn’t have enough lynx, but an all beaver hat would be nice and warm! The leather hat with double insulated fleece is still very warm. I can’t wear it above 0F because it gets too hot while working.

Make sure the top lines up nicely together.

Now sew the fleece to the ear flaps. Sew wrong sides together.

Complete shell of the hat.

Sew leather strings or laces to shell.

 

Once the shell and liner are complete, clip right sides together.

Make sure everything is aligned. Start with the front of the hat. I make sure everything is clipped together and precisely how I want it. Don’t forget to put the laces so they are hanging on the “right” side of the hat.

Leave a gap in the back of the hat. Since you sew the right sides together, now you need to pull the right side out! Once you do this, stitch up the back. Completed Hat!

The only thing left are the lynx pom poms.

Here are some other hats I made:

AKCub’s survival gear

Here’s what I take in the woods, whether flying, hiking, rafting, or boating. Here is what I carry in my pockets:

Signal mirror – It seems like an overlooked piece of equipment, but I think it is very handy for survival because it doesn’t require batteries.

Space blanket – A must have item.

Photon flashlight – I use a small Inova microlight. I have used Photon lights too, which are a little better quality. Inova has held up for the last couple of years.

Firestarter – The best firestarter for packability and ease of starting a fire are cotton balls dipped in vasoline packed in a ziplock bag. Starting a fire fast can be important in late Fall river trips or spring winter trips where I have taken unexpected swims. 

Windproof matches

Bic Lighter – I like having a lighter. Bic is cheap. In the winter, you have to keep it warm or it’s useless. There are better, more expensive lighters but this does the trick. 

Flint – Fire is essential, that’s why I have a couple ways to start a fire if I need to.

Compass – I like the Suunto A-30L compass. The color and print make it easy to read, as well as the the luminescent bezel is a nice feature. It is very accurate. 

Whistle – I have the SOL Rescue Howler, which is small. It isn’t as loud as some other whistles but I liked the size. It is very flat. 

Leatherman – I’ve got a couple different leatherman’s I use, just depends on which one I can find. I like the file and saw attachments. The Wave is a nice Leatherman.

Ka Bar Becker Necker BK11 – Why are two knives essential? I’ve used a leatherman to fix things many times, but you also need a knife for driving and splitting wood. This is a nice strong knife for that.

550 Cord – Many uses, including snares and shelter. I cut my pieces in 10 – 10’ sections, then daisy chain them together. The 10’ sections are perfect for shelter and makes it so I’m not constantly cutting the 550 cord into smaller and smaller pieces.

Small roll ducttape – I either have duct tape wrapped around a water bottle, or these small rolls.

I also carry some food which varies. I like to bring high calorie food, like peanut butter, energy bars, and almonds.

Here is what I carry in my pack:

Pruning saw 

Candle

Spoon

Headlamp

Canteen cup

Empty platypus

Garmin Foretex

Fishing Tackle

Fire starter

Flares

Sil Nylon Tarp

Sleeping bag

Beanie hat

Wool gloves

Aqua mira water purifying drops

Snaring wire

First Aid kit – guaze, SAM splint, wrap, tape, super glue, ibuprofen, nitrile gloves, sutures

Duct tape

Ziplock bag with wipes

Blue shop towel squares

Hand sanitizer

Write in the rain paper and pencil

Heavy duty sewing needle 

  
Winter 

Snowshoes

Heavy mittens

Down parka

Thermarest pad  

-25F Western Mountaineering or -40F marmot sleeping bag 

2004 Tundra oxygen sensors

I needed to replace my upstream oxygen sensors. It was a simple process that saved me some money (around $300).
My 2004 Tundra check engine light was on. I checked the codes and got P0135. This is the driver’s side left front sensor. Since once side needed done, I decided to do both banks. 

  
Oxygen sensors were ordered from Amazon Denso 234-4169 for $41.85 each versus the local autoparts store price of $80 each. Make sure you use Denso sensors, like Toyota did. The Bosch will continue to throw the code. The Denso part referenced also is NOT universal meaning you don’t have to splice the wires.

Parts:

Denso 234-4169 $41.85 Amazon

Oxygen Sensor Socket 7/8″ $10 Autoparts Store

PB Blaster or WD40

Codes: 

P0135 Driver Side Bank 1 Sensor 1

P0155 Passenger Bank 2 Sensor 1  

Finding the Sensors:

There are upstream and downstream oxygen sensors. Downstream oxygen sensors are after the catalytic convertor. If the codes are above, then the sensors are upstream. Find the exhaust and you will see the front crossmember. The drivers side is behind the exhaust flange.   How to Fix: 

1. The upstream sensors are on the end of the exhaust manifold, behind the front crossmember. 

2. Soak the sensor with PB Blaster or equivalent

3. Unplug the electrical sensor connection. This was by far the hardest part, since you can only reach one hand. I wedged a small screwdriver in the tab to disconnect.

4. Remove the sensor using the socket. My engine has 150,000 miles and this wasn’t difficult. Some sensors have seized in, but I got lucky.

5. Apply anti-seize (supplied with Denso sensors)

6. Install new sensor and torque 32 ft/lbs (Toyota Service Manual)

7. Connect electrical sensor connector

8. Disconnect Negative terminal of battery to clear the code.

   
 

Driving a shallow well

It’s amazing how much you appreciate water when it’s not readily available or drinkable. Having a clean water source is important for remote cabins. We usually haul 5 gallon jugs of water for drinking and dishes. We would pump river water for showers. Drilling a well has been on the list of things to do for several years to simplify our cabin experience and allow us to stay out longer. We are next to a river, so water is shallow, however  we drove the well below the low water mark of the river. 

 

Tools

• (2) Quality pipe wrenches 
• Extra length of pipe for breaker bar or 48″ pipe wrench 
• Jack hammer with 2″ attachment 
• Water pump
• Air compressor and hose

Supplies

• 5′ sections of 2″ well pipe 
• 2′ well pipe for height of pitcher pump
• 2″ couplings 
• 2″ Gravel point
• Thread lubricant for wells
• Pitcher pump
• 2″ to 1 1/4″ adapter (pipe to pump)

Cost $465

• 2″ galvanized pipe $35 x 3
• 2″ couplings $20
• Well point $75
• Thread lubricant $5
• Pitcher pump $75
• Adapter $5
• Jack hammer rental $180 (weekly rate, lower daily but cabin is remote)

A friend helped provide “well prospecting” expertise. We used 3/4″ pipe shown below, with an adapter to a water pump. We pumped water from the river to push the pipe down and kept adding sections of pipe. Using hydraulics helps easily find the best spot for drilling without having to drive the 2″ well pipe. 

The basic idea of using the 3/4″ pipe is to find water. Water goes down into the ground and flows back up. When you hit gravel or something that holds water the water won’t flow back up. If it can take water then it can (usually) give water. We went about 18 feet (3 5′ pieces then the well point) which is below the low water of the river. We hit gravel at 12′.   
Once we found the location, we readied the well pipe. We cleaned the threads and applied thread lubricant and attached the drive couplings. Many of the rental companies have the jack hammer with the attachment for driving 2″ pipe. We used a sacrificial piece to drive the pipe. 

Once the pipe was driven, we used the same T setup we used with the water pump. This time we changed the fittings to attached to an air hose and compressor. Every 15 minutes or so, air pressure is applied to help create the aquifer and get rid of some of the large sediment. 

  After the aquifer was created, the pitcher pump was attached. The pitcher pump is an older pump, so I soaked the leathers overnight.  
The time to drive the well was under 2 hours. I may use a 1/2hp pump in the summer for water.  A 1/2hp electric pump can be driven off a 2000w Honda or Yamaha generator. The pitcher pump is the best for the winter because it can be used even when it’s -40F. I like the pitcher pump because of this, and the simplicity.