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  • The awesome MakerMoot is coming up (13-15th Nov 2026), Visit the TORM & ARM markets,and have space back at camp to work on projects and enjoy great company. PLEASE CLICK HERE for more information.
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    Sold Fallkniven F1 Anniversary Edition - brand new

    I would like the F1 please, pm sent GC
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    WHAT DID YOU MAKE TODAY?

    Hoop and set of primary shaped ribs for a big cynell basket, plus some hoops for other sizes of cynell baskets.... (need to make some smaller rib formers to go with the smaller hoops). It's not really the rightnti e of year but if you use second season biomass willow and leave a week between...
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    Watering the crops

    Ah @Woody girl , it is so heartbreaking...... ....but look. You have the sense to understand the issue, salvage what you can and have a Plan B to get some tins in. Not ideal but WAY better than waiting until fresh stuff runs low in the shops. From what you describe I don't think it's just the...
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    Watering the crops

    I really feel for you @Woody girl Whilst runner beans don't like heat (a good year for runner beans is usually bad for French beans and vice versa), and peas don't like heat either, courgettes should be OK so long as they get enough water, feed, and some shade on hottest days. I have pattypan...
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    Petition has a really good idea

    I found a petition today that is asking for legislation to require online retailers to disclose what courier service they are using up front, so that consumers can make an informed choice about whether to buy from the retailer if they use a courier which is known nationally or locally for poor...
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    National Risk Register/National Resilience Update - Nothing new to us.

    Some would- probably a higher proportion in older generations who grew up without electronic everything and with practical classes in school. Tools: how many people can use hand tools (i.e. tools that do not need electricity to operate), even tradespeople? Can they sharpen their hand saws or...
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    The Elusive “One Knife” for Bushcraft…?

    Indeed- large chopper plus something small seems to cover a lot of bases. Perhaps the modern equivalent is a big skarma with either a small skrama or a small jaakaripuukko mounted on the sheath- https://varusteleka.com/en-gb/products/varusteleka-skrama-240-and-jaakaripuukko-85-with-double-sheath...
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    WHAT DID YOU MAKE TODAY?

    Over a few days.... I made a full size cyntell basket (under tuition)- that's a traditional south Welsh frame basket. This one is 24 inches across as that was the size of my hoop former (an old bicycle wheel). I started a few weeks ago learning to make the hoops and frames- finding/making...
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    Watering the crops

    I had a couple of 250L barrels from the centre aisle of Lidl in March.... £30 each. They are OK, not free of gremlins, but they are acceptable. Another 4 were 300L barrels from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DP4ZZMCQ again several months ago and before the other ones appeared in Lidl...
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    Watering the crops

    So, after a few weeks of dry weather, the usual hosepipe bans commence. Although the first hosepipe ban in the Dwr Cymru area doesn't impact us, it did remind me to get my emergency extra folding water butts out and fill them, and to use a transfer barrel to move my main water butts 30 metres...
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    What are you growing?

    I have had quite a few cucumbers this year so far, and yes Mini Munch is very good. Picked the first tomatoes yesterday. Had a handful of strawberries off the new plants and I will have some cranberries this year. Peas are about finished so I am letting the last few pods ripen so I have seed...
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    Plug & Play Solar

    Hmmm, resilience is maybe a different calculus as you then want it when the grid falls over in a power outage (whatever the cause). However plug-in solar must stop feeding in power at that point..... When I had the new place fully re-wired during the renovation, I had a proper (manual)...
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    Plug & Play Solar

    Indeed. What makes the grid stable and resilient is having large heavy spinning mass generators, they provide inertia and also help balance the "reactive power" due to how the electromagnetic fields of traditional spinning turbine generators can be managed Whereas solar is "grid following"...
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    What did you buy today?

    I have ordered some solar kit for my New Old Truck The polymer roof of the rear being flat and smooth, I ordered some self-adhesive CIGS panels, plus a new charge controller (they have come on a ways since I had one in my Big Van), a reel of solar cable and some connectors. Oh, and the crimp...
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    Coping with the heat.

    Squash is a concentrate that is diluted with water to make a flavoured drink..... For example...
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    Coping with the heat.

    I put a couple of 1.5L old pop bottles filled with my favourite low sugar squash in the freezer the other day. Got one out today, been stood in a bowl to catch the condensation, gradually drank the thawing chilled squash. Good way of having a constant supply of chilled liquid, little and often...
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    The End of an Era : The day Long Wave died.

    Sad that Long Wave has finally been switched off. I am not convinced about the "old tech" argument, in spite of everything its a lot more repairable than new tech, and so are the receivers. Oh, that vaunted DAB. Which cannot be received along much of the Heads of the Valleys Road in south...
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    Raised bed options

    Many thanks everyone for your replies. Much food for thought, and indeed @TeeDee's suggestion has reminded me I have a pile of corrugated metal sheets in a pile in a corner (salvaged during the renovation. @HorseGuy : yeah the sleepers do seem the logical choice, not least because I can add a...
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    Raised bed options

    Well, my polytunnels are up and running on a mix of a couple of small raised beds, growbags and various buckets/pots etc, but i am starting to plan for doing the main raised beds properly after the tomatoes etc have finished. But I'd like to garner some thoughts on my options from the forum...
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    Coping with the heat.

    My tomatoes have curled their leaves inwards as they are hot. The polytunnel covers have slackened as they got so hot. Hoping the forecast thunder and rain arrives and cools things. Still about 31 C outside. A 10 degree drop in temp is forecast by morning, here's hoping.... GC