permaculture

[venaurafarm <venaurafarm@bellsouth.net>]

On 1/1/2013 8:05 PM, Cory Brennan wrote:
> Damn Laurence, you went off on me there! :-) Gasp, you're a machine
> nerd!! :-))

I took a really good course in manual machining fundamentals.

Wouldn't mind putting myself to work in the shop developing useful green 
tools and equipment. My present intent is to make hand garden tools. See 
my website: http://www.avantgeared.com. I wrote a garden handtool 
sourcelist that you can access from there.

> What was explained to me about local turbines  (and I am just
> mindlessly repeating what I've been told here :-) is that it takes
> the right equipment to tool them correctly so that they work with
> maximum efficiency, especially on a broadscale - it's very precise
> work and the factories that do that work specialize in large turbines
> and it would cost some bucks to retool or build one that could custom
> create small turbines.

You are talking precision machines made with special alloys and 
manufacturing processes that have very long service lives an are 
rebuildable.

We do not need such fancy technology for local small steam turbines.
Make them so they can be rebuilt or repaired or replaced without a lot 
of expense. Set this up so that local shops can do this; shops located 
within communities employing community members.

> I'm looking at broad scale solutions that
> millions could access as well as what machinists might be able to do
> in their garages. One acquaintance was using a diesel motor as part
> of the hookup which was primitive compared to a custom turbine. Where
> you really start getting efficiencies from what I've been told is

> when combining things like steam solar and fuel cells that can hold
> the charge.

Never heard of this, please explain: "steam solar and fuel cells that 
can hold the charge".  thought that fuel cells use hydrogen and operate 
along. How would one combine a fuel cell with a steam turbine? How do 
fuel cells "hold charge". I thought they generated electricity that 
would be stored in batteries.

> Would love to hear about the new steam turbine, and I cc'ed a couple
> of people who will be able to appreciate your description below.

I haven't Googled a single thing about small steam turbines yet or asked 
in the machinist forum I frequent, Practical Machinist. I am sure I will 
find much material in those two places that will be worth looking at. I 
have a machinist website and a machinist mailing list, if anyone is 
interested.

Machine Shop
http://www.ibiblio.org/machineshop/

Machinist Forum
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/machinist

Here are pix of a shop made anvil a friend welded up for me out of 
recycled materals I had on hand:
http://www.ibiblio.org/machineshop/flfork+drawbar-anvil/FLFork+Drawbar-ANVIL003.JPG
http://www.ibiblio.org/machineshop/flfork+drawbar-anvil/FLFork+Drawbar-ANVIL005.JPG


Onward.

LL