Finishing an 80% AR Lower Receiver – Part 2, by 2A Advocate

13

(Continued from Part 1.)

WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO?

You will need to create a space within this block of aluminum to install the fire control group: The trigger, hammer and safety selector control. Here is how that’s done:

Setup of the Easy Jig 2
Photo 1

So, the Easy Jig 2 is a very cool tool! It is extremely heavy duty. Several of the parts do double duty; it is very well-engineered. Assembly is simple: (Photo 1) attach the two square side plates to the top plate. The words “AR-15” are at the top and there is a right and left. (If milling an AR-10 lower receiver the plates are rotated and attached in the same location with the words “AR-10” facing up and out). The red buffer screw holder is attached with 2 bolts with the letters “AR-15” facing up. (Turn it over, rotate it and use the 2 outer holes for an AR-10). The drill extension pieces are bolted to the two side plates. (These are not used on the new Easy Jig 3). Start the buffer tube screw into the red holder. Done.Continue reading“Finishing an 80% AR Lower Receiver – Part 2, by 2A Advocate”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

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To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year. Note that as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in the Comments. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

Another quiet week here, out-of-state.  While staying with my elderly relative, I’ve been helping with some yard work, including removing a small dead tree. Since this is in a suburb, all the branches must be laboriously cut up and put in a rolling bin green marked “ORGANICS”, for disposal. (For a fee.) So that will probably take three or more weeks (with weekly collections) to get all of that off the property.  Whenever I visit the suburbs, and have to play these “multiple bins of different colors” recycling games, I find it aggravating.

I can see now that I am spoiled, living at the Rawles Ranch. There, for eight months of the year,I can burn anything that I want, and whenever I want, without having to ask “Mother May I?” of a county official. By the way, I’ve only requested an out-of-season burn permit once, by phone, and that resulted a summary telephonic okey-dokey. The call took all of two minutes. When I called the county office, I told them that I had a just 6-foot tall and 20-foot long slash pile in a safe spot, and that it had been hand-piled. The reply:  “Okay, you have our approval.” Why was this so quick and easy? We don’t do “government” much, in our corner of the American Redoubt. Good ol’ common sense and consideration for the safety of neighbors are the guiding principles. That modest scale of government does not require many rules, permits, regulations, inspections, 8″-by-10″ glossy photos, fees, hearings, variances, or completion of Form 27 Stroke B, in triplicate.

Now, over to Lily…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.

 If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him.

 If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.

If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double.

If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another man’s field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution.

If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field, be consumed therewith; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.

If a man shall deliver unto his neighbour money or stuff to keep, and it be stolen out of the man’s house; if the thief be found, let him pay double.

If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall be brought unto the judges, to see whether he have put his hand unto his neighbour’s goods.

For all manner of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing which another challengeth to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbour.” – Exodus 22: 1-9 (KJV)

 

Preparedness Notes for Friday — September 18, 2020

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Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown tonight (Friday, 18 September 2020) and ends at sunset on Sunday. I pray that it is meaningful for everyone. Pray, repent, repair relationships, repay debts, return borrowed items, and make amends!

—

Today is coincidentally the Paratus Holiday, created for preppers by Commander Zero. He’s the Editor of the  great Notes From The Bunker blog.

—

The 18th of September is also  Chilean Independence Day. On this day, in 1810, Chile declared independence from Spain.

—

Before anyone pats themselves on the back for “ending” the 110+ days of nightly rioting in Portland… I suspect that many those paid leftist black shirt riot troops are being re-deployed to Washington, D.C. for the planned Occupy D.C. Extravaganza–which will probably feature Riots Like Clockwork, starting fairly soon. Those will likely continue until the election. All, of course, with the connivance of the D.C. Mayor.  I believe that their goal is to provoke a shooting incident to make the DJT administration look bad.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 90 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  4. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  5. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Round 90 ends on September 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.

Finishing an 80% AR Lower Receiver – Part 1, by 2A Advocate

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Editor’s Introductory Notes: This is a three-part article.

Consult your state and local laws before buying any 80%-complete lower receivers.

Proceed with caution. Remember the eternal rule of machining:  You can take metal away, but you can’t put it back.

I recommend buying the Easy Jig 3. Or, if you plan to complete a large number of lowers, then invest in a Ghostgunner 3. Once you’ve completed all of your lowers for your family, you will probably find a private buyer who is willing to pay you 90% or more of your purchase price for your Ghostgunner. The advantage to him will be that he is buying it with no paper trail.

—

With the 2020 presidential election just weeks away, it seems timely to revisit the subject of finishing an 80% complete AR lower receiver. There have been nice articles in SurvivalBlog relating to this subject in 2014 by JAG  in 2017 by Tupreco, and in 2018 by Hugh Latimer. There are new laws and tools to discuss since these articles have been written.

What are we talking about?

An 80% lower receiver is an unfinished version of a stripped 100% finished lower receiver. It is not a firearm, it cannot be used to fire a projectile without significant machining operations, it doesn’t have a serial number, and it can be shipped directly to your home without a background check or going through a dealer who possesses a federal firearms license. There is no FFL transfer fee. You get the privilege of doing the mechanical work on this chunk of metal or plastic to make it a functional firearm.

Why bother?

It takes quite a bit of planning and time to complete this project. You will do research into materials needed including the 80% lower receiver itself, tools to do the machining, lower parts kit to make the lower fully functional, a barreled upper receiver, bolt carrier group and charging handle. You will read all the instructional materials that come with your jig and watch videos from the jig manufacturer and others who have kindly recorded their experiences and given their assessment of their project for your benefit. The cost of doing this is not insignificant. So, what do you get out of it? You have the basis for a very flexible firearm that has bypassed the usual paperwork trail; a firearm that has never been registered or purchased subject to a background check. You learn a new skill, not only to build this firearm, but you learn how to install and remove parts and repair and replace parts if something breaks or isn’t functioning. You will have pride in building a high-quality firearm that can last potentially for generations. You may be able to build a custom firearm not available commercially at any price.Continue reading“Finishing an 80% AR Lower Receiver – Part 1, by 2A Advocate”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

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Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at the worsening shortage of ammunition and magazines in the United States. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

Greyerz – Institutional Investors Are Following Warren Buffett Into Gold As Central Banks Panic

o  o  o

Gold, silver gain as greenback erodes

o  o  o

Net long!  Hedge funds still bullish on gold price; waiting for a breakout

Economy & Finance:

Business Insider reports:  Goldman Sachs upgrades third-quarter US GDP forecast to 35% after stronger-than-expected August jobs report

o  o  o

At Zero Hedge: Ron Paul: Debt Is The Real Pandemic

o  o  o

And at Wolf Street: Subprime Auto-Loan Delinquencies, Loan Deferrals & Stimulus Curdle into Curious Phenomenon

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

5

“Beware whenever you hear the word “activist.” Activist judges, activist clergymen, activist journalists, and activist politicians all share one thing in common: They have consciously decided to abandon the truth in favor of enforcing their political will and their particular agenda upon others. That self-centered conscious choice is the root of all of the world’s extreme “isms” and tyrannical regimes. It is antithetical to true justice, to human liberty, and to ground truth. Looking back on history, such activism has been the progenitor of all totalitarian governments and genocides. The urge toward collectivism is the ultimate willful disobedience to God’s Law. It is the abandonment of genuine altruism in favor of a feline fanaticism. I say feline, because in essence, it follows the same cruel urge as a cat that plays with a cornered mouse until it is dead. It is a sickness of the mind. “Social justice” is not true justice. It is activism that quests for power and control over others. Consequently, it requires disarming others. A collectivist activist with a police force under his command can be a truly fearsome dictator. The recognized right to keep and bear arms — in our nation enshrined in the Second Amendment — keeps the Activist from becoming the Tyrant.”  – James Wesley, Rawles

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — September 17, 2020

4

Today, September 17th, we celebrate Constitution Day in these United States.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 90 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  4. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  5. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Round 90 ends on September 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.

Privately-Owned Weapons in Modern Military Service

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Introductory Note:  This feature article that I’ve written is a bit unusual for SurvivalBlog.  I wrote it mostly out of my personal interest in military history. It only has limited practical application, but I’m sure that many readers will find it interesting. You will note that I’ve made it heavy on photographs, since those images often speak volumes, just by themselves.

There has been very little documented about privately-owned weapons used by members of modern military organizations. Regulations on Privately-Owned Weapons vary widely, but generally, they have grown more restrictive with the passage of time. Because of these regulations, personal memoirs often gloss over the possession of such weapons. But you often see them pop up in circulated photos taken in combat zones.

Up until the Spanish-American War, U.S. military officers and NCOs could carry whichever sidearm they chose. But increasingly, standardization became an issue–at least stateside. Overseas, in combat, things even today are still more freewheeling, especially at the sharp end. And there definitely seems to be a double standard for special operations forces. More recently, with the advent of private security contractors, some additional “gray areas” have developed.Continue reading“Privately-Owned Weapons in Modern Military Service”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

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SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “JWR”. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. Today, we look at the La Niña winter Weather Pattern.

The India-China Border Standoff

Linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site: India-China border standoff has negated notions of ‘asymmetry in power’

Winter 2020/2021: La Niña Returns?

Reader C.B. sent this: La Nina forms in the Pacific – here’s what it means for hurricanes, wildfires. Here are the article’s opening paragraphs:

“A La Nina climate pattern has appeared in the Pacific Ocean, which could lead to an increase in activity during the ongoing Atlantic hurricane season and create conditions more prone to wildfires out West, forecasters say.

La Nina, Spanish for “little girl,” is a naturally occurring phenomenon in which sea surface temperatures across the central and eastern Pacific Ocean are cooler than average, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It’s the opposite of the warmer-than-average “El Nino” — and scientists believe this time the pattern will last through at least February.

“La Nina can contribute to an increase in Atlantic hurricane activity by weakening the wind shear over the Caribbean Sea and tropical Atlantic Basin, which enables storms to develop and intensify,” Mike Halpert, the deputy director of NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, said in a statement.”

Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

2

“There is no such thing, at this date of the world’s history, in America, as an independent press. You know it and I know it. There is not one of you who dares to write your honest opinions, and if you did, you know beforehand that it would never appear in print. I am paid weekly for keeping my honest opinion out of the paper I am connected with. Others of you are paid similar salaries for similar things, and any of you who would be so foolish as to write honest opinions would be out on the streets looking for another job. If I allowed my honest opinions to appear in one issue of my paper, before twenty-four hours my occupation would be gone.
The business of the journalist is to destroy the truth, to lie outright, to pervert, to vilify, to fawn at the feet of mammon, and to sell his country and his race for his daily bread. You know it and I know it, and what folly is this toasting an independent press?
We are the tools and vessels of rich men behind the scenes. We are the jumping jacks, they pull the strings and we dance. Our talents, our possibilities and our lives are all the property of other men. We are intellectual prostitutes.” – John Swinton, a Scottish-born trade unionist and former writer for The New York Sun and The  New York Times, from a speech in 1880. As quoted in: Labor’s Untold Story, by Richard O. Boyer and Herbert M. Morais, published by United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America, New York, 1955.

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — September 16, 2020

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September 16th is the birthday of “Mad Jack” Churchill (1906-1996), who was a true eccentric. He went to war in WWII armed with a broadsword and a longbow. (The latter was successfully used to dispatch several German soldiers.) He later became a devoted surfer.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 90 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  4. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  5. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Round 90 ends on September 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.

 

Composting Your Black Gold – Part 2, by Hobbit Farmer

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(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.)

After your pile is built you wait. The microbes do the work. One helpful tool in this part of the process is a compost thermometer that will probe temperatures 18”-24” into the pile. The internal temperature tells you what is going on inside the pile so you know when to turn the pile. We will only be turning the pile once.

CompostAs you can see this pile is cooking at around 140 degrees, which means my microbes are in turbo mode. You probably don’t want it much hotter than this. The lower portion of this pile is probably not that hot since the bottom of the pile is ~5 months old and has already decomposed quite a bit. If I were to insert a metal rod into this pile and pull it out after a minute, the end of the rod would be almost too hot to hold. This pile has been between 120-140 degrees for several months as I keep adding to it. This is why manure, weeds, and diseased plants can be put in compost. The heat, and beneficial microbes take over and wipe out most of the bad stuff. However, please use common sense, compost won’t kill everything, so don’t treat it like a hazmat disposal. If you know the material contains human or animal biohazard or a recurring soil disease/pest organism, find somewhere safe to dispose of it.

I checked the temperature about 6” from the edge of the pile on the same day in the same pile. The temperature was about 20 degrees cooler than the center, but that is still very warm. This means the material is decomposing all the way to the edge of the pile. This is why I used solid sides for my bins.

After I finish adding materials to a pile, I monitor the temperature of the pile. When the temperature drops to near ambient temperature I know the microbial processes are stabilizing and the pile is ready to turn. If you are not monitoring temperature actively you will want to wait 3-4 months from when you stopped adding materials to the pile. If the pile was finished in late fall, you will want to add a couple months since winter temperatures can slow the process down. The other major consideration while waiting for the pile to finish is moisture. If you live in a wet climate you may wait to cover your pile or build a roof over your bins. If the piles get soggy it will slow down the process, and might stink. If you live in an arid climate you may want to cover your pile to keep moisture in, and you will probably need to water your little microbe workers to keep them cranking away.

When the pile is ready to be turned, I take some of the sides off for easier access and fork the pile over into the adjacent bin, put the sides back on, and leave it for about three months. The pile will probably heat back up again due to all the extra oxygen, but will not get nearly as hot as the fresh materials did. After it cools, additional organisms that cannot survive the high heat of the initial pile will move in and help finish the pile (earthworms for example). It is important to allow time for this to happen.

You want a balanced finished compost. It is hard waiting for your first batch, but if you are always building new piles, you will be producing a continuous supply of compost. Some people advocate turning compost more often to speed up the process. It will certainly help break down the organic matter faster, but I expect there will be a tradeoff. If you are constantly turning your pile and keeping it in high heat mode, you will not get a balanced mix of microorganisms in your compost. Remember, we are trying to mimic the natural system which means a balanced mix of soil organisms. Most of them will not be present in a high heat environment.

CompostThis photo is of compost from a pile that is almost finished up. After the initial decomposition and turning it has compressed to half the initial volume. The compost has a fresh earthy smell, is moist and crumbles easily in your hand.Continue reading“Composting Your Black Gold – Part 2, by Hobbit Farmer”

JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

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Here are JWR’s Recommendations of the Week for various media and tools of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. The focus is usually on emergency communications gear, bug out bag gear, books, and movies–often with a tie-in to disaster preparedness, and links to “how-to” self-sufficiency videos. There are also links to sources for both storage food and storage containers. You will also note an emphasis on history books and historical movies. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This week the focus is on some important items for your medic bag that you might have overlooked.  (See the Gear & Grub section.)

Books:

Killing Crazy Horse: The Merciless Indian Wars in America (The latest in Bill O’Reilly’s outstanding book series)

o  o  o

This standard reference book has been in print since 1983, for good reason: Garden Way’s Joy of Gardening

o  o  o

The Big Book of Kombucha: Brewing, Flavoring, and Enjoying the Health Benefits of Fermented Tea

o  o  o

Phil Robertson’s latest book, released in August: Jesus Politics: How to Win Back the Soul of America

o  o  o

And a bit of shameless self-promotion: QUORUM RADIO: James Wesley, Rawles The Ultimate Preppers Survival Guide (Part I). And here is a link the shorter Part II of that interview. This will surely be the first of many interviews about my newest book. But rest assured that I won’t clutter the blog with links to most of these interviews.

Continue reading“JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:”