Reader F.J. spotted this: Very strong shopping bag rope – no tools needed
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By way of a link posted by Ol’ Remus, we learn: In Middle Ages, Societies Surprisingly Responsive To Natural Disasters
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Third Colorado gun grabber ousted among public outrage.
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Joe K. suggested this article: Compost Water Heaters From Jean Pain
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“Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.
A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool’s wrath is heavier than them both.
Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?” – Proverbs 27:1-4 (KJV)
Today we present another entry for Round 49 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $8,500+ worth of prizes for this round include:
First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), F.) A $300 Gift Certificate from Freeze Dry Guy. G.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. H.) A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com. The current value of this roll is at least $225, and I.) VPN tunnel, DigitalSafe and private e-mail annual subscriptions from Privacy Abroad. They have a combined value of $265.
Second Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. C.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. D.) $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P.), E.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials F.) A full set of all 23 of the books published by PrepperPress.com. This is more than a $210 value, and G.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).
Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security., F.) A MURS Dakota Alert Base Station Kit with a retail value of $240 from JRH Enterprises , and G.) A Nesco / American Harvest Gardenmaster Dehydrator with an extra set of trays, and the book The Dehydrator Bible, from Mayflower Trading. (A $210 value.)
Round 49 ends on November 30th. The queue is now full, but you can write an article for Round 50. E-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.
When I wrote my first article for SurvivalBlog back in July, I thought I covered about everything I knew or wanted to say about gardening. As I have worked in my garden over the past few months, I’ve realized how much more there is to gardening and how a garden changes with the seasons. Perhaps with the exception of August, something is happening every month in a Desert Southwest garden. The salsa garden goes through many changes as it morphs from summer salsa garden to winter salad garden. Each year there are new surprises in October and November as some vegetables are harvested and others are pulled and new plants put in their place. Autumn temperatures have been especially warm here this year, but the evenings have finally been cooling down so the plants can rest and respirate at night.
Last year at this time I had many ripe tomatoes, but because it stayed hot longer this year the tomatoes took longer to come back so all of the tomatoes are small and green right now. Some of the Romas are getting big. I hope the weather will hold long enough to let them ripen. One surprise this fall was the green peppers. They did well in the spring and summer, bur have really come on this fall. Every plant has multiple, beautiful peppers, some of which I’ve used fresh and some I’ve chopped up and frozen. Bell peppers are great in fried rice, stir fry, sweet & sour, or stuffed and steamed. Chopped up smaller they are excellent to have on hand for egg scrambles, quiche, and omelets. One of my favorite uses of green peppers is to slice long, thin strips and use them as dippers, along with carrots, on a veggie platter. The jalapeno peppers have done exceptionally well this fall as well. A little jalapeno goes a long way. That being said, too many were planted this year. Next year the jalapeños will be cut back to two plants only. The Swiss chard and Chinese cabbage are doing well and will keep greens on the table until the other lettuces and spinach come on.
A new garden box (see previous post on how-to instructions) was added to the others this fall. It’s planted entirely with onions. A shallow, but long spinach box was also added to the others because spinach has replaced lettuce in many of our salads. Other new plantings include garlic, elephant garlic, dill, basil, chives, carrots, beets, radishes, okra, lettuces, and Chinese cabbage. There wasn’t room for peas or broccoli this fall since so much space is still being taken up with peppers and tomatoes. Peas will be attempted in January. The timing may be wrong, but it won’t hurt to try. Okra is out of season and should be planted in the spring, but I had to try it anyway. I only planted four plants and there are still many seeds left to be planted seriously in the spring. I just wanted to see what the plants look like and how they come up.
One activity that was done this fall, but should have been taken care of long ago, was to sort seeds by season and store them in water proof containers in the refrigerator. Previously seeds have been stored here and there at room temperature without any kind of inventory. Now lists of each container are placed on the outside and spring seeds are stored in one container and fall seeds are stored in another. There is also a separate container for herbs and flower seeds. Seeds that can be planted in both seasons (such as radishes and carrots) are stored in both containers. I now have a much better idea of what we have and what we need for the upcoming season. I’ll order seeds in December from Native Seed Search (making sure that the desert seeds are ordered and not the mountain seeds!).
In January I’ll start heirloom tomato seeds and pepper plants indoors near the south facing French doors. My gardening friend has already started his tomato plants in his greenhouse to get nice and big before he sets them outdoors in the spring. I’ll also root some sweet potatoes from the grocery store in canning jars using toothpicks and water. Sweet potatoes like it warm, but shady with lots of water. They will do well under my Elm tree. I’ve had pretty good success with sweet potatoes in the past. As long as they don’t get too much sun, and have plenty of room to spread out, just plant and water and leave them alone. When it’s time to harvest, just dig them up and store in a cool, dry place.
Another autumn activity (pruning takes place in the spring as well) is to cut some branches off the large Elm tree that shades part of the garden. The shade from this tree helped the tomatoes survive the summer heat. During the winter (not yet, but soon) the Elm will lose its leaves so the three garden boxes shaded by it during the summer will get more sunlight. Then, as it gets hotter in the spring, the new leaves will grow in and protect the plants from too much sun as the temperatures soar. The other beds, which haven’t got a shade source, require sun screens later in the growing season. Cutting some of the branches in the fall also helps to open up the garden area and give more hours of sunshine to the plants. The pruned branches are cut into about one and a half foot lengths and stacked on pallets as a small wood pile. These smaller branches are perfect to use in volcano and rocket stoves. I need to make a cover for the woodpiles to protect them from our infrequent, but heavy rain storms. This has been brought to my attention over the past two days. More rain fell in two days than during the entire monsoon season this year. The water for my garden has been wonderful. Weeds will now become an issue.
One of my favorite surprises as I have gardened is to talk to and encourage other people to start gardening. At work I told one man about my garden and he told me how much he liked fried green tomatoes. I brought him some green tomatoes from my garden. He got so excited about planting a garden that he took some classes and started his own. The garden was so prolific that even being gone on vacation for a month this summer, he came back to a jungle in his backyard! He has now surpassed me in his knowledge and success with his garden. He brought me beautiful eggplants which I made into eggplant parmesan. Recently, I brought jalapeños to work and asked who would like some. Many co-workers took some home or just put them on their salads for dinner. One man made guacamole with fresh cilantro, avocados, lime, tomatoes, onions and seasoning which he shared with all of us. It was delicious! Work has almost become a mini co-op with people bringing in produce to show off and share from their gardens. As we talk of gardening and what we are going to try next, or how our plants are doing, others listen in and decide to try gardening, even if they haven’t been successful with it in the past. I try to encourage them to do as much as they can. They should look at gardening differently than they have in the past, especially if they are from Northern states where the seasons are different.
Any success is a step in the right direction when it comes to gardening. The goal is to grow 25 to 35% of your own food. A small or medium size yard just can’t produce enough grains, potatoes, etc. to completely feed a family. A large lawn can easily be replaced with fruit trees and vegetables. My gardening friends tell me that they produce about 10% of their total food consumption each year. Mine is probably less than that, but even so, I relish that 7 or 8% because the things that I produce will help me ward off food fatigue in times of need. Those peppers and onions, greens and beets will make a big impact on daily rice or soup consumption. I can change up the menu with just a few added ingredients. Every little bit helps.
Another important thing that I’ve thought about lately with gardening is my hands. Taking care of your hands is very important always, but especially if a survival situation were to happen. A small wound could be life threatening if infected. I ripped a fingernail part way off one day while sewing and found it to be painful and annoying. It bothered me during all my tasks whether working in the garden or around the house. A friend taught me a neat trick if fingernails rip part way off. Use tea bag material and super glue it to your nail/finger. It will act almost like a silk wrap and keep your nail from falling all the way off. Keeping fingernails short and clipped smoothly is important as well as always wearing gloves while working in the garden. Tools should be used to make tasks easier and take the strain off your hands. Gloves help prevent blisters, although sometimes they can’t be avoided. Always clean and dress wounds immediately. Another trick to deal with wounds is to super glue the edges of a cut together. This keeps germs out of the wound while it’s healing. Two people may need to help you do this, especially if the cut is bleeding. Calluses may begin to form on your hands or cracked skin may be a problem. I’ve found that a product called Bag-Balm
In addition, a great source of information is the internet. My gardening buddy from work said he was going to start a pallet garden. A friend was giving him a bunch of pallets and he thought he could improve (tame) the jungle with some pallets. I was unfamiliar with this, so I looked it up on-line. Pallets can be taken apart and the wood used to build garden boxes such as the ones in my garden (although smaller in size because the pieces of wood are smaller), or the pallet can be put on top of loosened, rich soil and seeds planted in the spaces between the slats. This keeps the seeds evenly spaced, gives the growing plants some support, keeps weeds down, gives the gardener a place to walk, and shades the growing plants along with keeping moisture in the ground. Also from the internet I learned how to make my tomato plants produce more. It has to do with pinching off the lower leaves and the small shoots that come out between the main stem and the branches. I think I did this without knowing it to my pepper plants and that’s why they are doing so well. I can’t wait to try it on my tomatoes next year. If yields are low or you have a question of any kind, there is so much information out there. Just search by topic to find the answers.
My fall garden is growing well. Carrots, onions, beets, radishes, and garlic, which were planted the beginning of October, are all up and growing well. Now the garden must be prepared for winter. We do have some freezing temperatures here, but the ground has never frozen (that I’m aware of). The greens, carrots, onions, garlic, and herbs should be fine as they are. I will mulch them with the Elm tree leaves when they fall. The beds with the peppers and tomatoes will need to be covered when the temperatures dip. I’m working on some sewn covers for the garden boxes because sheets or other fabric used in the past have come off the plants and blown away. Ordering seeds, planting starts indoors, and planning next season’s additions (apple trees, grapes and raspberries, moving the artichoke plant so that it has more room to grow) are all part of winter gardening tasks. In addition, I’ll be harvesting greens and protecting plants in the garden so they can thrive in the spring.
If you haven’t tried gardening, I encourage you to give it a try. Plant some seeds indoors this winter in preparation for the warm weather. Choose a space where you can grow a garden and prepare the soil. If you already have snow on the ground and it’s too late this year, plan a garden on paper and begin in the spring. Do everything in your power to be self-sustaining. Talk to other gardeners and learn all you can. It’s a worthwhile use of time and will pay off in the future as food prices continue to skyrocket or even worse…don’t procrastinate, now is the time to learn to survive. You can do it!
Dear Mr Rawles,
Mr J’s submission makes interesting and useful reading, however I would like to add a few observations on the subject to possibly aid the decision making/wallets of people who are building/upgrading photovoltaics systems.
– Batteries: if at all possible get used golf cart batteries that have been properly maintained. Around here they get recycled for a $25 core charge which is easy to beat. My deep cell batteries are now 4-5 years old (2 seasons in various golf carts and 2.5 years in my battery bank. They are in like new condition as they take really well to charging with photovoltaic panels. The biggest enemy of deep cell batteries is repeated fast discharge / too deep discharge cycles. The smaller your bank the more likely it is that your batteries will be subject to these.
3 batteries delivering 300Ah may sound like a lot of power but isn’t. If you are pulling a 500W load @ 85% efficiency, the batteries must deliver (500/.85)/12.5 = 47A. That is 16A each, while their safe discharge rate (C20) is about 6A (114/20). If the wiring in the bank is not ideal, 1 battery may even have to provide half the load (see last year’s submission on photovoltaics for details). This is the real reason why batteries don’t last in small banks. I know this sucks but if you think Wal-Mart won’t be there to provide cheap replacement batteries in 2 years, one needs to pony up now and get as big a battery bank as one can afford. On the bright side: a basement full of batteries beats getting bailed in ….
– 24 volt systems have certain advantages as stated in the article. However when used with photovoltaic panels you will need to create a serial-parallel setup of panels to charge them. This isn’t a big deal for a static installation but less than ideal for small portable systems. Personally I decided to go with 12V on all systems because I don’t want to deal with multiple voltages. Furthermore 12V tools, lighting, etc. are plentiful but 24V or 48V units are harder to come by.
– Though its true that larger panels are cheaper per Watt; they also are less mobile which may or may not be a problem depending on how you plan to ride out the storm. My setup includes 95W, 60W and 15W panels so I have more options. Even 1W panels are useful for charging phones, rechargeable batteries, trickle charging car batteries, etc. Our lawnmower uses a 5 yr old motorcycle battery for starting. Last year we had some starting problems with that battery toward the end of the season, so this year I hooked it up to a 1W panel that was shaded by a roof overhang. Never had a problem all season and, to my surprise, at the end of the season the battery showed a resting voltage of 12.8V. Don’t overlook these little things – you need reliability first and foremost.
– Mr. J. got a pure sine wave inverter which is great if you have the money for it, but it isn’t really needed unless you run sensitive electronics like medical equipment. Power tools and consumer electronics can handle dirty power supplies up to a point. Having said that, I agree with Mr. J. that its quite possible for your power tools to sound ‘raw’ and feel underpowered. I believe this is due to the size of the inverter being used; most likely the number/size of its capacitors is inadequate to sufficiently smooth out the inverter’s stepping at higher load factors. I have 300W, 1000W, 2000W and 2500W inverters at my disposal. The 1000W unit really causes trouble with medium size power tools (rated @ 500-600W) but on the 2000/2500W units, the same tools sound/behave like they are running on power line supply. So, for the same money I prefer to get twice the size inverter even if its modified sine wave.
– Another note on inverters: though its always good to be careful with your wiring, there is no need to get obsessed about it. The inverter’s micro controller monitors the outputs and will shutdown the inverter at any sign of trouble like shorts. And it reacts a lot faster than a standard fuse or circuit breaker. This is a key difference between inverters and generators or power line supplies where only passive components stand between you and possible disaster. Sticking to the manufacturer’s installation guidelines should be sufficient.
– My system is stand-alone so I don’t need transfer switches and the like, but I will add my voice to JWR’s note: be very careful with male-to-male wires and other un-standardized solutions. You do not want to come home to find your precious inverter has blown its mosfets (or did something far worse) because someone plugged that cable in the wrong outlet. The second danger is that you will make that mistake yourself because after being half awake for a few nights you will not be thinking as clearly as you like to believe. How seriously do I take this? Some of my circuits are monitored by micro controllers. If I flip a switch the controller will go through a checklist to see if my request can be executed under the circumstances without causing harm to the system, if not I just get a blinking light.
– I can see someone topping up their batteries with a car’s alternator in a pinch. However using a 14.4V alternator to run an inverter to run a battery charger to charge a 12.6V battery doesn’t sound particularly efficient. Expect to lose 15%+ on each step. Why not buy the heaviest starter cables you can find and make a direct battery to battery connection? The thing is that being inefficient is not a big deal when gas is plentiful. Once you are going through your last tank, a person may feel different about it. If at all possible try to take such scenarios into consideration when designing your system’s layout. At the end of the day you are going to find something will limit your system. The question is: can you live with that bottleneck? If the answer is ‘no’; well, there is still time to do something about it.
I hope my notes will be of help for some of you. – D.P.
Items from The Economatrix:
Stamp Prices To Go Up 1 Cent In January
Anyone looking for tree felling rigging and climbing gear for arborists should check out Sherrill Tree.
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Reader B.M. mentioned a web page of interest to anyone living in cold country and of great interest to anyone who lives on Alaska’s Tanana River: Dangerous Ice. JWR Adds: BTW, I learned riverine operations in power boats on the Tanana, when I attended Northern Warfare School, back in 1980. That was great fun.
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Outrage of the Week: Do as I Say, Not as I Do–New York Elitists Ray Kelly and Mayor Bloomberg Think Their Safety is More Important than Yours. OBTW, some pundits have suggested that one reason that Bloomberg wants to keep his entire armed guard entourage intact and well-paid is to keep them quiet. (That is, quiet about what they might have seen or overheard while guarding His Honor.)
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More Nanny State tentacles: US seeks to fine websites if disabled are unable to use
“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.” – Psalm 2, (KJV)
Today is the birthday of Clive Staples (“C.S.”) Lewis (born 1898, died 1963.)
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Today we present another entry for Round 49 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $8,500+ worth of prizes for this round include:
First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), F.) A $300 Gift Certificate from Freeze Dry Guy. G.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. H.) A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com. The current value of this roll is at least $225, and I.) VPN tunnel, DigitalSafe and private e-mail annual subscriptions from Privacy Abroad. They have a combined value of $265.
Second Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. C.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. D.) $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P.), E.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials F.) A full set of all 23 of the books published by PrepperPress.com. This is more than a $210 value, and G.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).
Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security., F.) A MURS Dakota Alert Base Station Kit with a retail value of $240 from JRH Enterprises , and G.) A Nesco / American Harvest Gardenmaster Dehydrator with an extra set of trays, and the book The Dehydrator Bible, from Mayflower Trading. (A $210 value.)
Round 49 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.
What follows is what I’ve done and why I did what I did. As they say, “At least have the sense of an old cow; eat the hay, and leave the sticks.” I hope there is some hay herein. I have links to vendors/manufacturers/forums/whatever, which I have found to be useful/interesting.
Precious Metals: Sb – Sn – Pb aka 51, 52, and 82. These are the atomic “names” and numbers on the Periodic Table for Antimony, Tin, and Lead, respectively. Most people think of AG and AU, 47 and 79 on the Periodic Table, Gold and Silver respectively, as precious metals. If you are into “cast boolits,” as cast bullets are affectionately known, then “Red-Neck Gold” is lead, aka Galena. The silver stream which makes bullets. I’m not going to get into the details of lead and lead alloys other than to make a few observations.
For some reason when I think of lead bullets, I think of Mel Gibson’s character in the great movie, The Patriot
Lead melts at 621 degrees F. Tin melts at 450 degrees F. Antimony melts at 1,167 degrees F. Fortunately, you can “dissolve” small bits of antimony into lead, so you don’t need some super-hot foundry, just a small electric melter. Regardless, antimony is toxic and a pain to deal with so most casters start with a lead alloy already containing antimony. Bottom line, you want about 2% tin to get your bullet mold to fill out nicely and to make the lead harder and more malleable. Also, varying amounts of antimony, depending on how hard you want your lead alloy to be. A tiny amount of arsenic can be a benefit, but again, a dangerous substance to alloy. These three elements combine to make a fantastic and useful alloy. The lead bullet can expand/mushroom in a target and give the maximum energy dump, or be hard enough to shoot through most any target.
There are free sources of lead alloys in the form of Clip-On Wheel Weights (“COWW”) and Stick-On Wheel Weights (“SOWW”). Scrap yards sell linotype, monotype, plumbers lead, roofing lead, etc. at decent/great prices. If you can find a tire shop which will give wheel weights away, you will have a free source of a lead antimony alloy which just needs a dash of tin to make great bullets. You can also “mine” for lead bullets at shooting ranges, both indoor and outdoor, smelt the lead cores, and sell the copper jackets for scrap and make a potential profit.
For the average person, you will probably have to purchase your lead/alloy unless you have access to a free source. As a commodity, lead is currently selling for about a dollar a pound (Presently, $.95 per pound.) Tin is far more expensive at around $17 per pound. The tin price would normally include shipping from a reputable source like RotoMetals. Lead alloys will cost anywhere from $1.50 to $3.00 per pound delivered. You can buy pewter from thrift stores which has a high percentage of tin and alloy with that, but for me it has too many other “ingredients” so that I would rather just get some pure tin. But you can save some money by using pewter. Also keep an eye out for tin solder which can save you some $$$.
The following is the short version of how I accumulated 500 plus pounds of lead alloy for around $700 including about 20 pounds of tin: I just got 50 lbs of COWW for $57.00 – that is a great deal from a great vendor. I traded an old reloading press and other items that I was not using for about 60 lbs (50/50) of “soft” lead and COWW. The lead/alloy was worth around $75.00. I found a local scrap yard that had some lead and got 160 pounds of various types of lead/alloy: fishing sinkers, a large chunk of lead, wheel weights, etc., and best of all, 50 lbs of “Magnum Shot” with 5% antimony and some arsenic. The two 25 pound bags of shot were worth $100.00. I paid $80.00 for the whole 160 pound lot. A great source for “Hardball” (92% lead, 2% tin and 6% antimony) is Missouri Bullets, www.missouribullet.com where you can get 66 pounds delivered for around $150.00. This is certified foundry alloy and a good deal. I got 66 pounds of the Missouri “Magic Alloy” as they call it. I also purchased three 25 pound boxes of COWW for $1.50 per pound delivered from another vendor. I have three more coming. Smelting costs for the lead/alloy into ingots for future use in your melter can run anywhere from around $.03 per pound to around $.08 depending on the efficiency of your propane burner. Casting energy cost is approximately $.27 per thousand bullets using 700 watt melting pot. Cost can be zero using wood/coal to smelt/cast. It is much harder to control your pot temperature using wood/coal/propane for casting as opposed to smelting where the temperature is not as critical. Casting/smelting can be low tech as it gets, perfect for hard and crazy times.
Realistically, I will not make a lot of money on my stash of lead/alloy short of TEOTWAWKI, but I will not lose money in a stable societal environment. I could sell it all within a week and get my money back, and then some. But the real value is in the ability to cast my own bullets exactly as I want them. Using a 150 grain bullet as an example, each pound consisting of 7,000 grains of lead will produce 45 plus bullets. So 45 x 500 = 22,500 150 grain bullets. That is about $.03 per bullet. That is sweetness. The end result of my smelting will be 96% PB 2% SN 3% SB. I’ll get more into the costs below.
If you want to learn about bullet casting you can read the articles in this link from the Los Angeles Silhouette Club including the fantastic free e-book “From Ingot to Target: A cast Bullet Guide for Handgunners” by Glen E. Fryxell / Robert L. Applegate. http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm There are many great articles on the LASC site. Also, there is Lyman’s Cast Bullet Handbook, 4th Edition which I highly recommend. I also recommend Beartooth Bullets’ web site http://beartoothbullets.com/ with much good information, resources, calculators, and articles. Finally, I would strongly recommend spending many, many hours on the Cast Boolits web site. There is much to study and learn in the “sticky” threads and the various forums. One serendipity, is the fact that both Beartooth and Cast Boolits sites/forums are owned and operated by Christians, and both have Christian sub-forums, “Cross-Wire” and “The Chapel,” so there is much prayer, in response to prayer requests, going on, along with cast bullet/firearms talk.
Here is a recipe for 100 plus pounds of 96/2/3 lead alloy that would serve you well: Lead Pig Ingot 52-55 Pounds-99.9% with Free Freight $112.00 from RotoMetals plus two 25 pound bags of Magnum shot from Zip Metals with 5% antimony for $98.98 delivered www.zipmetals.com/ and two pounds of tin from RotoMetals at $17.49 per pound, $34.98 delivered for a total cost of $245.96. We will call it $2.50 a pound for top of the line alloy with no fuss or scrounging and you get 4,666 150 grain bullets for approximately $.054 per bullet, around a nickel a bullet. That is sweet. If you want a harder alloy, 93/5/2, use 100 pounds of magnum shot and two pounds of tin for about the same cost. But there is really no need as you can heat treat or water quench the “softer alloy” and get it as hard as any sane person could want.
Now I personally enjoy the entire process, sourcing the lead/alloy, smelting, casting, lubing, sizing, and reloading, as much as the shooting, and I am not alone. I also feel the independence is invaluable. But setting all that aside, I can save a bundle by reloading.
I recollect an article on SurvivalBlog regarding the economics of reloading and the conclusion was that the savings were minimal. Nothing could be further from the truth. Let’s compare apples to apples. From Midway USA www.midwayusa.com Remington HTP “High Terminal Performance” 158 grain .38 Special +P Lead SWC HP $29.99 for a box of 50. That is a time proven round. Also under consideration is the same style of bullet from Buffalo Bore in standard pressure which has similar ballistics to the Remington HTP. According to Buffalo Bore their version “…utilizes a 158gr. very soft lead cast, SWC-HC gas checked bullet … designed to expand and then penetrate quite deep. (Approx. 14 inches) This bullet is gas checked and will NOT lead your barrel.” Again, that is a time proven effective round which costs $24.99 for a box of 20. Buffalo Bore has been reviewed repeatedly on SurvivalBlog and for good reason. BTW, If you have the money, don’t cast or reload, spend it on Buffalo Bore, or Underwood, or Cor-Bon ammunition. Underwood seems to have come out of no-where to make a splash, and manufactures incredible ammunition. But I digress, you can spend $.60 per round for the Remington or $1.25 per round for the premium Buffalo Bore, or roll your own for about a dime, or less if you get free lead/brass, that is every bit as good or even better than ammunition costing 8 to 10, or 25 times as much. I have not included shipping costs/taxes for the store/internet bought ammunition which can be crazy. About a dime a round for ammunition is sweetness.
There are a number of reloading cost calculators out there, including this one from the Beartooth Bullets’ site under the Ballistician’s Corner. I will start with “Hazmat” shipping fee, around $27.00, for 1,000 primers and 8 lbs of powder. That will be less than $.01 per round, but we will go with that. Clean once fired brass (nothing wrong with that, many vendor sources) figure $.01 ( $.10 per case with 10 plus reload life expectancy) powder $.015 and primer $.025 and gas check (deluxe add-on) $.02 and bullet/lube $.05, using for total cost of $.12 per bullet. Add $.01 in energy cost for smelting/casting cost per bullet and we are at $.13 per “deluxe” projectile. That is sweetness. Better yet, that bullet is sized exactly for my gun and has the exact lube I want, the exact bullet shape I want, the exact hollow point/meplat I want, the exact ballistics I want…It is exactly what I want for far, far less money.
So what are the downsides of Leadcentric Survival? First off lead is crazy heavy. A Small Flat Rate Box weighs 25 pounds when full of lead, and a Medium Small Flat Rate Box can weigh 60 + pounds. Such a good deal for shipping lead via priority mail at around $6.00 and $13.00 respectively. When a “box” arrives at my mail place, the staff is all-a-twitter about my “boxes.” There was even speculation that I was receiving gold, I wish. I opened up a couple boxes just to prove to them it was Redneck Gold. Now until you actually handle a 25 pound SFRB of lead, you have no conception of the density. Heavier by a bit than a box of gold, for my friends at my place information. It is surreal. One plus to the density; a few hundred pounds of lead takes up little space. Be careful, one fellow had so much lead in his garage that he cracked his slab. And for sure don’t drop a box on your foot.
Another, and more pernicious threat, is governmental regulation. The last lead ore smelter in the U.S. was recently forced out of business by EPA regulations. Lead COWWs are outlawed in California and New York so the supply of lead wheel weights is diminishing as the two big gorillas in the room have affected the market. If you a business making wheel weights, why manufacture different wheel weights for different states? California, a cauldron of many stupid laws and regulations, has just outlawed lead bullets for hunting. But lead is a long, long, way from dead. The only reasonable substitute is copper which is three times as much money per pound and is less dense.
Lead is toxic, so wash your hands whenever you touch it. Most harmful lead exposure for shooters is from primer fumes emitted by shooting in enclosed spaces/ranges. Smelting/melting lead emits fumes which are to be avoided. Lead fumes are to be avoided period as that is the most dangerous form when inhaled. Proper hygiene/ventilation will eliminate any threat of lead accumulation in your body. So don’t fear having lead around, just use common sense and it is absolutely no problem
At higher velocities, say north of 2,500 fps, jacketed bullets, aka “J-words” are a better choice. But for most every purpose nothing beats lead. It is far easier on you gun’s bore, and uses less gun powder, and due to lower friction, functions at lower pressures. The Brinell Hardness Number (BHN) of the lead/alloy needs to be adjusted to the velocity/pressure of your particular round. Lead is around 6 BHN and lead alloy can be heat treated way north of 20 BHN which will cover you up to 50k psi loads. This description from the Beartooth Bullets web site FAQs gives one an idea of what can be done:
“This brings us to the reason that we use a 3% Antimony alloy at Beartooth Bullets. Although we too heat-treat our bullets to a BHN 21-22 hardness, this low antimony alloy retains the ductile toughness of the un-heat-treated alloy. This alloy, is hard, and tough, not brittle and prone to breaking or shattering like the alloys containing twice to four times the antimony content of our alloy. Our bullets have proven themselves on moose, grizzly bear, Asiatic water buffalo, African cape buffalo, elk, nilgai, zebra, wild boar, moose, eland and multitudes of other heavy boned game animals the world over… usually with complete penetration, and what few bullets have been recovered, most are near perfectly intact, retaining 90-100% of their original weight when fired at handgun velocities and retaining 70-100% original weight when fired at rifle velocities.”
The joy of independence/insulation from bullet/ammunition shortages, and making the exact ammunition you want/need is priceless. Go to the “BuyMart” store right now and try and get ammunition in .22 LR or 9mm or .308 or whatever. Not a whole lot of choices, if any. The ability of being able to manufacture ammunition for barter in a time of chaos is invaluable and could save your life. Shoot it, sell it or trade it in TEOTWAWKI situations. Be aware of the fact that merely manufacturing bullets for sale/trade, as opposed to personal use, requires a 06 FFL and paying the yearly ITAR fee of $2,500.00. Not only shootable ammunition, just the projectile alone. Rest assured the Feds will be more than happy to prosecute.
I have settled on five calibers: 9mm and .38/.357 and .223/5.56 and .308/7.62 x 54 and 12 gauge. Why, because they are the most popular calibers and will have the most demand under any circumstance. Further, they cover all ranges and applications from zero to 1000 yards and any threat. I have everything I need for these five calibers; Four types of primers, SP, SR, LR, and 209. I have four powders that cover the whole range as well, Unique, Blue Dot, RL7 and RL 15. I have various bullet molds, smelting and casting equipment, reloading equipment and components (even some J-words aka jacketed/copper bullets) to reload tens-of thousands of rounds of ammunition.
I’ve settled on 94% lead and 3% tin and 3% antimony as my favorite alloy, but most/many would say anything more than 1 to 2% tin is a waste. I like tin, and it will hold a softer lead bullet together better upon impact and subsequent expansion. If you don’t want to cast your own bullets, then there are many cast bullet manufacturers out there including Beartooth Bullets. It took me about a year to accumulate all the accoutrements for lead/alloy smelting and bullet casting and reloading. You are never really done accumulating “stuff.” I would encourage anyone prepping to consider casting their own bullets and will recommend leadcentric survival to all interest persons as a means to self-defense, self-reliance, and as a means of barter/income when there is a societal breakdown.
May God Bless you all richly.
Hello James,
While researching availability of a First Person Video controlled RC plane I have come across two viable contenders. One is incredibly affordable (less than $400) and the other I’m awaiting pricing on. These are ridiculously valuable tools to scout remote areas, perform surveillance/security, and get a lay of the land.
The first is the Spyhawk. It is for sale at their web site or at Amazon. On the controller is a small display and you can pilot the craft from that controller. You can watch a good video here. The second is the Zephyr II. There are some people who have expanded it’s range up to 27 miles. For some exhilarating video of it flying through the mountains, urban areas, and downtown New York City, check out this Youtube channel.
The mini-UAVs are massive force levelers, IMHO. Imagine knowing the ground around you in a 27 mile radius as if you had walked every canyon, climbed every ridge, and mapped out every drainage. Limitless possibilities! Imagine scouting out your local town to see what is around you or what the easiest way out of town is. Keep track of local herds of wildlife and predators. In a grid down situation you could quickly and stealthily find out how the larger population centers are doing or if traveling down a road scan ahead for roadblocks and the like. Where I live many people have summer homes and we’ve had suspicious vehicles driving by; what better tool than to follow them and get great video of them and their vehicle. Need to drop a message to a friend; just fly over and drop a note by adding another servo. Know of a drone doing surveillance? Crash into it. The possibilities are endless.
There are many, many criticisms to be had regarding these. I’m sure soon we will see new regulation banning/licensing these (get one now!) I’m sure there are a ton of ideas for how they can be modified. One idea I have would be to control it via a cellular USB modem as it might be less susceptible to getting jammed. Well I’m looking forward to other readers comments. I know these have been mentioned here before but I’ve never seen such a readily available out of the box solution. Incredible! – Michael H.
Hi,
Here in Alaska, people often block incoming light with a single layer of aluminum foil.. the kind from the supermarket. It is difficult to sleep here in summer when the sun never sleeps. This same method would work to keep light in.
Advantages:
Inexpensive
light weight
easy to store
non-permanent
non-toxic
Regards, – Carol S.
In case you missed seeing it, there was a good summary documentary released in 2012: Overdose: The Next Financial Crisis
Items from The Economatrix:
Prepare For What’s Coming: “The Largest Financial Collapse This Planet Has Ever Seen”
Is The Federal Reserve Looking At Monetizing Student Loan Debt?
Paul Craig Roberts: Federal Reserve And Wall Street Assassinate US Dollar
Reader Gregg P. suggested this piece: Blackwater founder Erik Prince on why private militaries are the future. Gregg asks: “How will mercenary armies behave, after the Schumer Hits the Fan?”
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JRH Enterprises is continuing their Black Friday sale on New Gen 3+ Pinnacle Autogated PVS-14s, all ITT made tubes, with 5 year warranty. Comes with all the accessories plus a free weapons mount and shuttered eye guard. JRH is also throwing in an Infrared Beacon as well, all for $2,595. They also have other Black Friday sales in progress on FLIR Scout Thermal Imagers and
Dakota Alert (MURS band) perimeter security alarms.
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T.C. in Minnesota mentioned a video from American Family Now about adding a wood stove to an RV camper for $200. T.C. notes: “Their blog is also full of good information. They are a family of six living in an RV.”
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Montie Gear (one of our newest advertisers) has announced some Black Friday/Cyber Monday specials.
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Camping Survival has announced three upcoming specials: Mountain House Sale – Black Friday – Cyber Monday
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Ready Made Resources is running a pre-Christmas sale on Mountain House foods until the 13th of December with 25% to 42% off , free shipping and upon request they are willing to mix and match varieties in six-can cases with the varieties that they have on hand.
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U.S. Tactical Supply is having their first ever Thanksgiving / Black Friday sale. Though they are not a SurvivalBlog advertiser, you will recognize some of the items as products that Pat Cascio has reviewed for SurvivalBlog in their sale and clearance. These include the X-Products 50-round drums, M14/M1A Juggernaut stocks, and the Sage EBR M14/M1A stocks. The sale ends December 6th, 2013.
"I would rather stand against the cannons of the wicked than against the prayers of the righteous!" – President George W. Bush, April, 2002