Self-Sufficient Meta Thread - Discussion about the board, not the topics of self-sufficiency.

[Pure Autism]

I'll just do a quick dump of literature that can easily be accessed and downloaded on the internet archive, that I find interesting or insightful.

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Agriculture, Survival & Self-Sufficiency:

The Complete Book of Self Sufficiency
The Complete Book of Butchering, Smoking, Curing, and Sausage Making
The Hydroponic Hot House
The New Hunter's Encyclopedia
The Village Technology Handbook
The Ashley Book Of Knots
The Survival Handbook, Essential Skills for Outdoor Adventure
Tools For Survival
Passport To Survival

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Metalworking, Blacksmithing & Bladesmithing:

The Modern Blacksmith
Knife Sharpening
Step by Step Knifemaking
Metallurgy of Steel for Bladesmiths & Others who Heat Treat and Forge Steel
Illustrated Sourcebook of Mechanical Components

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Gunsmithing & Reloading:

Bolt Action Rifles by De Haas, Frank
Mr Single Shot's Guns Idea Book by De Haas, Frank
Building A Single Shot Falling Block Rifle Action
Practical Gunsmithing
Advanced Gunsmithing
Black Powder Gunsmithing
Black Powder Hobby Gunsmithing
Modern Reloading
Lyman Reloading Handbook
Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook
Hatcher's Notebook

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The Foxfire Book, Volume 1
Like Verdun said there are multiple volumes to be found and the books have interesting tidbits scattered around

The Foxfire Book series is also pretty good, a lot of stuff in those books have been useful even to me

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I might update or add more books to the list in the future.

 

[Optantrix]

Over the last two years I've been building a homestead.

Just recently I finished replacing all my cookware with cast iron.

I hatch my own chickens and ducks and soon will be breeding rabbits.

Next year I plan to get goats.

I built a greenhouse out of scrap (but was able to replace it with a great deal from facebook marketplace)

Its been a slow process because I don't have any seed money to get started, just small leftovers every month after bills. I think I'll be "done" (you're never done) in maybe 3 more years.

Whatever I can answer or help with I will, I'll keep an eye on this thread.

Here is a photo of my first cucumber growing, I plan to pickle and can everything for overwinter.

What breed did you decide to go with for your first ducks?

I've been very interested in getting some runner ducks whenever we expand the fenced in area of our yard and curious how it's been going with yours. I hear some breeds are more beginner friendly than others.

Also I used to have a lot of heirloom seed sites saved that weren't huge bank breakers, I'll try and post them if I can find them again!

 

[Burekbossman]

Has anyone looked into bioreactors (algae farms) and how to convert it to biodiesel? I've seen some videos of people making small ones, but they just eat the algae. Thought one in conjunction with ducks could be a good project.

 

[ThinkThankThunk]

Think there'd be interest in a dedicated thread for native horticulture? I've found that rearing wild plants is much different than working with domesticated varieties, and it ends up feeling a little intrusive posting about it in the existing gardening threads. It's been a fun experience exploring untapped resources and self-sufficiency for me that I'd like to share with people here.

 

[TETRABAX]

Has anyone looked into bioreactors (algae farms) and how to convert it to biodiesel? I've seen some videos of people making small ones, but they just eat the algae. Thought one in conjunction with ducks could be a good project.

I think CodysLab was running one. Here I'll find a link

As far as covering into biodiesel, I'll try to find some resources

Looks like this has some of the answers you are looking for. You also get some byproducts that can be used as precursors to create explosives so that's a plus

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiesel_production

 

[Crypto Six Gorillionaire]

Haha time to post about my niche hobby (composting)

 

[Rock Eater]

Would this be a good board for a security camera / security system thread?

 

[Null]

Would this be a good board for a security camera / security system thread?

Yes.

 

[Happy Little War Painter]

What breed did you decide to go with for your first ducks?

I went with Cayuga ducks, I think they are a hearty duck that are great with foraging. .
We used an online hatchery to buy 7, 2 had birth defects. So now we have 5.

I have a decent amount of wooded land near me, the ducks eat very little in the morning then go forging or swimming in the dollar store pool I setup for them.

Also I used to have a lot of heirloom seed sites saved that weren't huge bank breakers

I would also like to add, if you live in a more rural area you would be surprised how many roadside shops and stalls sell starter plants and seeds.
My first year I got a lot of seeds from a large commercial store but this year it was really easy to jump between a few home farm stands and swap meets to grab everything I wanted and support local farmers.

 

[Happy Little War Painter]

Haha time to post about my niche hobby (composting)

I need more composting knowledge.
I want to make a large bin for next season.

 

[Booby Jones]

Does the self defense part warrant anything having to do with non lethal combat/training. I find it sickening that fellow autists either think that karate/aikido bullshit works or they think it's over and nothing works so you need a gun because big guys will just stab you to death and kick your head.

EDIT: You do need a gun anyway, but there's a million scenarios that would benefit from non lethal defense of one's body and property.

 

[I mean I'm just saying]

Home Fermentation (or maybe some new granular threads like "yogurt/dairy", "sourdough/bread", and "pickling/kimchi/sauerkraut") would be a great candidate for this. Beyond being an essential self-sufficiency skill for preserving food, home fermentation is a very achievable and fulfilling hobby that anyone with basic grocery access can get into even if they're otherwise an apartment dwelling cooklet.

My special interest is kefir, which I've been making consistently for a few years now. It's a lot like yogurt but thinner, and importantly is much more full of yeast and bacteria which can easily fight through regular supermarket milk at room temp without any pre-boil. If you'd rather have Greek yogurt than a drink, you can strain the kefir through a cheesecloth like I do and get a similar product. The whey drained off is full of yeast and bacteria which can kickstart other ferments like sourdough or the wine-adjacent blaand.

 

[Rock Eater]

Yes.

It has been done

https://kiwifarms.st/threads/security-camera-security-system-thread.194953/

 

[Optantrix]

I went with Cayuga ducks, I think they are a hearty duck that are great with foraging. .
We used an online hatchery to buy 7, 2 had birth defects. So now we have 5.

I have a decent amount of wooded land near me, the ducks eat very little in the morning then go forging or swimming in the dollar store pool I setup for them.

View attachment 6147326

I would also like to add, if you live in a more rural area you would be surprised how many roadside shops and stalls sell starter plants and seeds.
My first year I got a lot of seeds from a large commercial store but this year it was really easy to jump between a few home farm stands and swap meets to grab everything I wanted and support local farmers.

What a bunch of cuties!
I'm thinking of starting with some Indian runner ducks myself, how do you like duck eggs compared to chicken eggs? I hear they are much richer and ducks tend to be more prolific layers compared to chickens. Right now I just have a flower garden but after I recover from my surgery I'm hoping to get a fall vegetable garden going.

I definitely keep my eye out when I'm out! Our monthly market is more crafts based than produce based and the ones around me that do more produce are a bit of a drive but I plan on exploring more to try and expand my garden. You're 100% correct that supporting local is always best!

 

[Null]

Home Fermentation (or maybe some new granular threads like "yogurt/dairy", "sourdough/bread", and "pickling/kimchi/sauerkraut") would be a great candidate for this. Beyond being an essential self-sufficiency skill for preserving food, home fermentation is a very achievable and fulfilling hobby that anyone with basic grocery access can get into even if they're otherwise an apartment dwelling cooklet.

My special interest is Kefir, which I've been making consistently for a few years now. It's a lot like yogurt but thinner, and importantly is much more full of yeast and bacteria which can easily fight through regular supermarket milk at room temp without any pre-boil. If you'd rather have Greek yogurt than a drink, you can strain the kefir through a cheesecloth like I do and get a similar product. The whey drained off is full of yeast and bacteria which can kickstart other ferments like sourdough or the wine-adjacent blaand.

Kefir is wonderful and a little spoon of sugar makes it a really nice eating experience by itself. One of my favorite things about Ukraine and Serbia was discovering Kefir. Those little square sugar blocks the British have gets it really active and the granules of sugar add to how it eats.

 

[BohrokSwarms]

My personal power fantasy which I’d like to research the practicality of is improvised, home made armored/increased survivability vehicles. Taking commercially available civilian vehicles and applying resilient materials which would decrease the chance of success of an ambush, be it a typical Philly red light attack or a coordinated attack against a perceived HVT, such as a one-man maintainer for an Internet archive forum. Though armored vehicles are available for sale to civilians, they will set you back hundreds of thousands of dollars. I would like to know if it would be possible and cheaper to take something like a 4x4 pick up and improve its survivability. Would that fit here?

 

[Happy Little War Painter]

how do you like duck eggs compared to chicken eggs?

they are a lot more "eggy" than chicken eggs. But if you have had fresh chicken eggs, they are also more "eggy" than store bought eggs. It just keeps compounding.

I rather enjoy the taste of egg but I know that can be a deal breaker for a lot of people.

Another important thing with ducks, they will eat acorns during the fall season, and it will turn their eggs a greenish brown.
This is completely normal, but the first time it happened to me I was very surprised and thought the eggs were spoiled.

 

[TETRABAX]

My personal power fantasy which I’d like to research the practicality of is improvised, home made armored/increased survivability vehicles. Taking commercially available civilian vehicles and applying resilient materials which would decrease the chance of success of an ambush

The only problem I see is the increased weight so pick your starter vehicle carefully. But yes you can put steel plates inside the doors for a bit of protection. The glass is a bit trickier though and if you are actually building vehicles for the end of the world and not just getting shot at by nigs at a stop light, youre going to need armor underneath to for those IEDs

 

[LikeAStone 2.0]

Can we have our own version of plantation slave songs made? If we all wind up in a field together come the apocalypse, I would like some tunes to keep us together.

 

[TETRABAX]

Can we have our own version of plantation slave songs made? If we all wind up in a field together come the apocalypse, I would like some tunes to keep us together.