Bridges To The Future

  A new year requires a new project. So look at this picture. I ask, What do you see? ...  Some may say a nice winter scene. Or an ax throwing target. Maybe a sculpture made of old junk parts...

http://bridges2thefuture.blogspot.com/2022/12/what-do-you-see.html

 Thought I would take on a new project and make it a Christmas gift for my neighbors 6 kids ages 2 to 12. They are pretty handy and help a lot around their farm. This should be a good challeng...

http://bridges2thefuture.blogspot.com/2022/12/tipi-project-for-fun.html

  Got a bit distracted last week. Saw this in the latest issue of my Timber Frame Guild publication and decided to give it a go. How would this design compare to the Town Lattice truss bridg...

http://bridges2thefuture.blogspot.com/2022/09/woven-rainbow-arch-bridge-project.html

  I hear it I forget. I see it I remember. I do it I understand. This is the mantra that I try to live by in teaching what KidWind is all about to coaches and students. Take the picture above ...

http://bridges2thefuture.blogspot.com/2022/07/kidwind-guyed-tower-raising-for-real.html

  The time has come for a change in tactics. Since 2004 I have been collecting rolls of Duct Tape from world countries. To date I have 91 rolls of Duct Tape in the World Duct Tape Collection. ...

http://bridges2thefuture.blogspot.com/2022/06/new-duct-tape-roll-list.html

 The learning opportunities continue to pile up as I work to design a blade pitching system for KidWind teams to study and learn from. After seeing what the College Wind Challenge teams put toge...

http://bridges2thefuture.blogspot.com/2022/06/kidwind-blade-pitching.html

 OK this post is going to be about some serious fun. Darlington Quilt Block KidWind team making their presentation to the Manage and staff at EDP Renewables Quilt Block wind farm in Darling...

http://bridges2thefuture.blogspot.com/2022/03/kidwind-students-and-maple-syrup.html

 Did you ever design a set of blades, attach them to your turbine hub, place it in the wind tunnel and not have the blades turn?  Could the resistance in the gear ratio be to high? What to do? ...

http://bridges2thefuture.blogspot.com/2022/01/multiple-gear-ratios-for-kidwind.html

Well looks like it has been several months since my last post. Have been enjoying log cabin #6 and the treehouse. Interesting to see the scenery changes from the treehouse as it goes from summer ...

http://bridges2thefuture.blogspot.com/2022/01/micro-maple-syrup-cooker.html

  To many LOTO may mean something that has to do with a weekly drawing where you buy a ticket to win money. My goal here is to change that for KidWind students to mean Lock Out Tag Out. A s...

http://bridges2thefuture.blogspot.com/2021/10/loto-101-for-kidwind-turbines.html

  This post is meant to be for the KidWind team that wants to go the extra mile and learn a bit more about the process and keep the engineering going. So what goes into designing and planning a...

http://bridges2thefuture.blogspot.com/2021/08/gin-pole-calculations-for-tilt-up-tower.html

  So what you see here is a 300w Air-X 12 volt DC generator mounted on a 6 meter guyed tower with an NRG micro site Wind Explorer Data Retriever attached to the tower. Now if you are involved...

http://bridges2thefuture.blogspot.com/2021/08/wind-turbine-guyed-tower-raising-with.html

 Decided to go all in as they say and put electric floor heating in the cabin. As the cabin is built on a concrete slab this should make a big difference in the winter comfort level and enjoymen...

http://bridges2thefuture.blogspot.com/2021/06/in-floor-heating-of-cabin-6.html

  OK so with the reassembly phase complete it was time to put on the rubber membrane roof material. It was a calm day so I took advantage of it. Now if you have been following this process y...

http://bridges2thefuture.blogspot.com/2021/06/treehouse-phase-v-enjoyment-phase.html

  With the floor done it was now time to begin to reassemble the corner posts that would support the hexagon roof frame. The elevator would come in very handy for this task. Here are the corne...

http://bridges2thefuture.blogspot.com/2021/06/reassembly-of-hexagon-and-roof-frame.html

So in this phase of the project the solution for getting up into the treehouse will be solved. Plumb bobs were dropped from the top of the floor to locate exactly where the guide rails for the...

http://bridges2thefuture.blogspot.com/2021/06/the-elevator-goes-up.html

  So weighing in at about 75 pounds per section rigging and lifting the floor frame halves to the top in the correct orientation and getting them to clear the braces and supporting structure w...

http://bridges2thefuture.blogspot.com/2021/06/floor-deck-in-place.html

  The first step in dissembling the treehouse was to remove the hatch and rubber roof membrane. With this done I could begin to take off the roof sheathing. The upper portion of the treehouse ...

http://bridges2thefuture.blogspot.com/2021/06/treehouse-packed-and-ready-to-roll.html

First step in the process was setting up the mixing station. As there is no running water at the cabin I would need to bring in my own supply. This would be done by filling a 30 gallon garbage c...

http://bridges2thefuture.blogspot.com/2021/05/chinking-101.html

  Just as the foundation is one of the most important parts of building a house so is the supporting structure for a Treehouse. Fortunately this Oak tree is dead so I did not have to keep the ...

http://bridges2thefuture.blogspot.com/2021/05/phase-iv-treehouse-support-structure.html

  Phase IV involves the building of the supporting structure in the top of the tree that the Treehouse will be attached to.  Pictured is the model of the structure that I am talking about. Th...

http://bridges2thefuture.blogspot.com/2021/05/phase-iv-on-treehouse-project.html

  Would a window for the treehouse even fit through the opening? Well using a copy of the windows cross section profile, nailing flange and all it looks like it will just clear ("Just the way ...

http://bridges2thefuture.blogspot.com/2021/05/window-and-parts-delivery-system.html

  Phase I - The Idea and the sketch Phase II - The Blueprint and the Model Phase III - The Treehouse Structure Things have gone well so far... The roof framing for a hexagon was a chall...

http://bridges2thefuture.blogspot.com/2021/04/phase-iii-of-treehouse-project-complete.html

  It was not supposed to go this way. I had "planned" to do all the construction in my pole shed but the shed roof trusses were in the way of the Treehouse roof rafters. So I was left with no ...

http://bridges2thefuture.blogspot.com/2021/04/build-airplane-in-your-basement-who.html

  So with some head scratching I came up with this orientation for the 3/4 BCX flooring. Going this way minimized the scrap and only left two areas that I need to reinforce with 2x4 back-up pi...

http://bridges2thefuture.blogspot.com/2021/04/treehouse-main-frame-complete.html