How about recycling some plastic at home? (#2 HDPE)

So, have you been looking for a new project to tackle/melt?

[I've not had a lot of time for projects lately, but I have run across something I really want to try, and it's definitely a mesquite huggery thing.]

Recycling, it's been a bummer this year.

The writing has been all over the wall. We've pushed way past peak recycling. The problem? We create garbage far beyond our ability to recycle it. More and more recycling facilities are shutting down or turning away the garbage we send to recycle. In that whole Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle mantra, we've focused way too much on just Recycle.

What's a Mesquite Hugger to do? (Focus on Reducing and Re-using, you dummy!)

Recently, I learned of a way to do some plastic recycling at home: recycle #2 plastic at home! (And use it on some DIY projects I've been wanting to tackle.)

Longer, More Detailed HDPE Recycling with Slingshots!

Shorter, Easier Version with a Blender!

While most recycling is a bigger process than you can (practically) tackle at home, it appears that high density polyethylene is something you can tackle with a toaster oven, a blender, some baking paper, and some shop scraps.

Examples of recycled HDPE lawn furniture

If you've seen recycle-plastic lawn furniture and playground equipment, it's more than likely HDPE, so why not make your own recycled lumber and build whatever you want?

My brain has been swimming (maybe dog-paddling) with things I can build with recycled HDPE stuff. Imagine being able to make your own waterproof building blocks for all kinds of stuff. I've even been eyeing all the #2 recycling around me. Who knew bottle lids and laundry detergent bottles came in such great colors? When I get the cargo bike built, it's gonna need some rear decks...

What are you gonna build?

For the really ambitious among you, this could turn into something big - imagine siding a house (or maybe a solar-powered backyard shed) with HDPE planks/brick you've made. How about building that little white picket fence you always dreamed of? Create your own HDPE samurai armor for special occasions? Panniers? A canoe? Paddles for your canoe? (Yes, I know, my imagination is a little limited today, but I'm hoping your mind is now swimming with some very plastic ideas.)

Maybe we're looking at this whole recycling idea all wrong - maybe it's time to stop relying on others, to get our hands dirty, and to build our own stuff instead of contributing more to the mountains of unrecycled recyclables! (Me, I need to finish this post so I can clean the garage to make some space to practice what I preach.)

Go get 'em, melt 'em, and make 'em into something else!

¡Viva la HDPE revolucíon!

May you be well and joyful. May we all work for better (for all)!

A Cool Project Is Born: Lubbock Pedal-Power Water Pump

Grizz and I are stoked! We have been invited to help out on a very cool project right here in Lubbock. And it's a project we've talked about a great deal but we haven't actually tried - yet!

As you know, we love bicycles here at Mesquite Hugger. The bicycle is a very simple solution to a lot of complicated problems. Speaking of which...

Check this one out in great detail at permapai: Bicycle Pump Power

Beth (our favorite of all Lubbock gardeners) asked if we would help put together a bike pump to help with rainwater irrigation over at the Heart of Lubbock Community Garden. Can you imagine a cooler project for the likes of us? Nope, me neither.

So, Grizz and I have been scheming on the best way to go about this. We have a few old bikes around we thought about using, but then we'd need to build a platform to stabilize the bike. Then we realized that there are bikes around that would make an even better pump station - stationary bikes!

Here comes the Request Part

If any of you Lubbockites happen to have an old stationary bike lying around unused that you would like to donate to a very worthy cause, we could definitely put it to good use. We are looking for something similar to this:

My mom had this exact same exercycle when I was a kid!

I only posted this pic because I think Randy

may be my Tennessee doppelganger.

We could also use a rotary pump or parts of a pump that we could adapt for the project. If it has to spin to operate, we'd love to find a way to adapt it for the bike water pump.

If you have a stationary bike or a pump you'd like to donate, please email me from the contact portion of this page or contact Beth through the Heart of Lubbock Community Garden Facebook page.

And if you want to get involved with the HOL Community Garden, there is a spring cleanup day happening this Saturday at 12:30 (February 4), so swing by and get yourself involved.

To learn more about the garden, check it out on one of these three platforms:

https://www.gofundme.com/lubbockcommunitygarden

https://www.instagram.com/lubbockcommunitygarden/
https://www.facebook.com/heartoflubbockgarden

For those of you who want to build your own pedal-powered pump, here are some more resources to check out:

Instructables: Portable Bicycle Water Pump

(Have I mentioned lately that I love Instructables?!!)

A little different approach from Make Magazine.

Community Garden: Blog Drill Pump

To sum up, this project involves upcycling, rainwater harvesting, bicycle-power, local food,

petroleum-free power, and spending time with good people. Beth, thank you for inviting us!

May you find yourself in the middle of something worthwhile, and may we all be better for it. See you in the garden!

A Visit to Lubbock's Maker Space: ULabs

So there we were - a pack of unruly scooter hooligans looking for some trouble to stir up. Or more realistically, there we were - two middle-aged dorks on old scooters heading over to see another middle-aged dork who also rides a scooter, but this is no scooter post.

ULabs Lubbock Website

This is a post about the maker movement in Lubbock and a peek inside their lair. I mean space. I mean ULabs.

 

Wait - you don't know what a maker is? Well, a maker is essentially one who would rather make it than buy it. What's the "it"? Pretty much anything - from a tiny piece of jewelry to a tiny house and pretty much anything in between. If you come to this blog looking for DIY/re-use/upcycle, there's a good chance that you are or want to be a maker. (I consider myself a low-rent maker.)

 

One of the big holdups for most makers is lack of access to tools and space and expertise to build the stuff their dreams are made of - things like welders, 3D printers, laser cutters, etcetera.

 

And that's where a maker space comes in. Imagine a place where you can pay a small monthly fee and have access to all that stuff and to people who know how to use it AND love the idea of learning and experimenting and making cool stuff happen.

 

Oh yeah, they offer classes for all this stuff too!

The rather cool patio area.

 

Besides a patio, there is also a metal shop, a wood shop, a welding shop, a textile shop, an electronics/robotics lab, and there are more in the works. There's even an art gallery/meeting place. 

I love Rule 0!

You have to love anything with a big, red Emergency Stop button!

Lathe, anyone?

Yep, I can barely print in one dimension - this thing can do it in three! 

Really - this a place where you want to pay attention to signs!

4 3P0

The important stuff

The jewelry maker room

It's not fair - we missed the Faire!

A robot and a rubber band-ball walk into a bar...

 

For those of you who want to learn more - check out the grand opening!

 

If you just can't wait - here're all their digits: 

 

May you find a place where you can truly make your dreams come true!

 

PS. A special thanks to Keith and Rusty - scooters dorks who are so much more.

DIY Tiny Biosphere

Do you ever stumble your way into somewhere else?

I have been looking lately ways to build convertible greenhouses and dome greenhouses and other garden structures. Sure, I have plenty to do, but spring looms. So, how did I find myself looking at a Make article on making your own mason jar biosphere? I blame it on the ghost shrimp.

 

Ghost Shrimp Care, Feeding, and Breeding (It gets a little personal sometimes.)

 

You see, crustaceans fascinate me. If you have ever watched a crawdad having lunch, you might feel the same. Part of it is just the alien-ness of crustaceans - once you get past the two eyes and a mouth thing, they just don't look much like us.

Ghost shrimp have that crustacean appeal - not only are they radically different, but you can see through them. (I am very thankful not to have that attribute, but it might make for healthier eating habits - "You've been eating Snickers again?!!!!")

[Make] Your Own Tabletop Biosphere

 

So, for those of you dreaming of a greenhouse or aquaponics system but keep telling yourself that you don't have the time, money, space, chutzpah, or whatever, this may be the project for you.

 

May the scope of your DIY project be just right, and may your shrimp, snails, and plants thrive!

Instructables Contests: Green Energy and Indoor Gardening!

Artist's rendition of the killer in question - buy here.

I did a little refurbish on my Instructables aquaponics setup over the weekend. To be honest, I do very little with it. It plugs along pretty successfully on its own, but I needed to condense tanks a bit - one of the playa-lake perch refugees had gone on a killing spree, so it was time for some changing, and I wanted to make arrangements to share the light with some potted cherry tomatoes.

As does seemingly everything, it got me to thinking. This time I was thinking about Instructables.

So I swung by the Instructables site and found a few contests that I thought would interest you too.

Instructables Green Energy Contest

Instructables Indoor Gardening Contest

And there's lots of good news. First, they are both still open for entries. Second, they reward people for doing things that dorks people like us like to do in our spare time anyways. Third, you can win cool stuff like electronic gizmos and home aquaponics setups! Fourth, Instructables is just plain cool.

So go build something and get it posted, you lazy hippie wonderful inventor!

May you gain fame and prizes for doing cool and productive stuff!

PS. Here is my own Instructables project blog post: Personal Goal Accomplished - Aquaponics

What Rusty stuff do you get when you combine an anvil, a forge, and 3 railroad spikes?

One of the best parts of my day is the morning coffee. We have our own little daily dramedy going on where there are a few constants and a number of special guests. And you never quite know what is about to walk through the door. (Also, a Cafe Americano with a nice crema on top makes me pretty happy too.)

This morning's special surprise came when Rusty showed up and started pulling knives out of the cargo pockets. He brought three today. All had started their lives as railroad spikes. He brought stages of completion so that we could see the process.

Rusty builds things because he can or because he has never built a [insert random object] before. And his t-shirt tells no lies, he does indeed void warranties! And he roasts his own beans!

 

If you'd like to see more of his handiwork, be sure to swing by 5701 Avenue P after dark and check out the Christmas light show.

 

May you have a Rusty in your group of friends!