North Rockies Design

So I’ve been on a survival bracelet kick lately. What’s a survival bracelet, you ask? It’s essentially a huge length of 550 paracord that is braided into a cool looking bracelet for quick access when you’re in the need for something to tie. I’ve made a few different ones. The cobra weave, the king cobra weave, the ripcord, and the millipede. Thanks to all those folks for making how-to videos, and especially the folks at Army Surplus in Idaho Falls. One last mention is a gentleman from Kinnewick Washington, who makes them for folks associated with the Sheriff’s department up there.

Anyway, so I’ve been making bracelets for myself, teaching my family and my Venture Scout Crew, and plan to train some Cub Scouts in the near future. I decided to make a belt out of 550 paracord. Why? My (over ten years) old leather belt is falling apart, people have been talking about it. I needed a challenge, and got it it. I’m a big guy, but losing weight, so I’m looking at a 40 inch belt. I’ve picked up a length of 120 feet of 550 paracord in black.

Now I’m not going to go into the details of how to do the king cobra weave, there are plenty of tutorials out there about that. Instead I’m going to show you a little trick I picked up to keep the two 60 foot ends of cord from getting all tangled up. Right, at first I could tell you I put it on a spool (actually an empty spindle for blank DVDs) but it just was too cumbersome to work with effectively. My daughter made fun of me. Instead I figured out this trick…but I could attribute it to anyone who has ever knitted anything. Those folks know their knots!

First, get the length split into two sections. You can run it out and find the middle and mark it, or put it on a bigger spool, or just have it marked when you buy it at your local supplier. After you’ve got the middle marked, start with one end and make a “yarn ball”. You know, just wrap it around itself until it’s a ball, like so:

Next, take a sock, preferably nylon because it will slide easier on the nylon cord. Sorry for the black cord and black socks. I realize it would have been easier to see with another color, but I’m making a black belt, and I only have black nylon socks!

Once the cord ball is inside the sock, slide the ball to the bottom (toe) of the sock like this:

Now, just roll the tops down until the ball is near the opening, but still at the toe.

Finally you’ve got 60 or so feet of 550 paracord all nicely tucked into your socks. All that remains is to use the sock balls in your weave of choice:

Now that you know how to get a better hold on great lengths of cord, you can look into making longer bracelets, belts, gun straps… you might even try to weave a paracord shirt!

Thanks for reading.

Ryan
North Rockies Design

Google SketchUp is awesome!

I’ve been using Google SketchUp version 7 Pro, and it’s just plain awesome! I use it for architectural rendering, fabrication and engineering planning, landscaping, hobbies, and even to build virtual studio sets for use in green screen video production. While I use the Pro version, the Free version is quite powerful.

Let me show you how I started and finished a 3D copy of my Hummer replica build in SketchUp.

Since I already have the plans for the TremorMUV Hummer replica, a real 1984 Suburban in my garage…or what’s left of it. I’ll follow along with SketchUp.

Start with this 1986 Suburban from the Google 3D Warehouse:

Remove the Body… like I already did to my 1984 Suburban:

Now in this case, I removed the engine already, and traded up from the model’s existing chassis to one I built from the dimensions of the one in my garage.

For fun, I added an engine, transmission and transfer case, and swapped the wheels. These wheels are 40 inch INTERCO Super Swampers I found in the 3D Warehouse here. The 454 Chevy engine was also from the 3D warehouse.

Then from a clear file, and using the aforementioned plans, I build the cage or body skeleton of the Tremor MUV, accurate to dimensions given, so I could test it out in pixels before I start cutting steel.

And incase anyone asks, no I’m not sharing this file, because of the license agreement I’m in with Rocky Mountain Coachworks. Anyway, legal stuff out of the way, back to sketching. Next, I put the cage on the chassis model.

Looks great! But of course, it’s not finished there. I need body panels, doors, a hood, and all that stuff. I found the taillights, seats, and doors from a Jeep Wrangler model (since I’ll be using the real parts for my real build.). I modeled the body panels, doors (with movable glass), hood (because all others I found were incorrect), bumpers, bumper step, front pushbar, and winch housing. The winch and hood lights were from another model, but I regret I don’t have the reference for it. But, here’s the steering wheel I found for now. I may change it later. That’s one beautiful thing about SketchUp. It’s easy to change a component at any time. You can literally destroy your model and start over without going over budget in the garage.

But, the beauty of SketchUp is that you can “fabricate” anything you want, to try it on for size, style, etc. Here’s a shot with a removable top, to turn the open top Hummer replica into a Hummer wagon replica.

For anyone who has been following my build, I’ve posted some screenshots of hypothetical look influenced by the new Batmobile, the Tumbler from the newer Batman movies.

The Tumbler model comes courtesy of the Google 3D warehouse, linked here.

What else can one do with SketchUp? Nearly anything 3D! I’ve used it for modeling before metal fabrication, small home projects, and in projects for real estate developers. Maybe I could even do something for you…(hint, hint, nudge, nudge).

Thanks for your time!

Last time I talked about the recession and household goods, I realize it may have sounded like I was complaining without offering any sort of solution. This issue finds me in a different situation. I’ve found something else to complain about, while at the same time, I’ll offer up a solution.

The topic of today’s discussion is laundry soap. We’ve seen bottles of soap turn from regular to condensed soap claiming “more powerful blend” so they can still sell it at a higher price without really improving the operation. We used to purchase the cheapest bottle of laundry soap at Walmart, usually Sun or Purex, but found the price increasing by sometimes 150% to 200%, with no reason. What used to cost $0.06 per load has increased to $0.11 per load. Our household income hadn’t increased by as much and our washing needs certainly hadn’t decreased, so we had to find a solution.

My wife happened upon a recipe to for DIY laundry soap at Broulim’s. It touted a price as low as $0.02 per load. But, it caused me to ask a few questions: 1) Can we make it? 2) Is it effective–does it get the clothes clean?, and 3) How does it smell?

First, here’s the recipe:

• 5 Gallons boiling hot water
• 1 cup Washing Soda
• 1/2 cup Borax
• 1 Soap bar

1. Grate the bar soap and add to a large saucepan with hot water. Stir over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
2. Fill a 5 gallon pail half full of hot water. Add the melted soap, Borax and Washing soda, stir well until all powder is dissolved. Top the pail up with more hot water.
3. Use 1/2 cup per load, stirring soap before each use (will gel).

Our batch looks like this in the process:

Next, grate the Fels-Naptha

Next, we add the grated soap to a saucepan to water and bring it to a boil:

You may want to pull the saucepan off the stove if the soap gets close to boiling over. Once boiling you can turn it down to medium-high until the soap is dissolved.

The next step is combining all the ingredients. First, pour the soap mixture into a 5 gallon bucket.

Then, add the boiling water, I used the saucepan as a ladle, because who wants to try to lift and pour five gallons of boiling water? Not I!

Finally, put a lid on it and wait.

Once you add any scents if desired, let the mixture sit, covered, for at least twelve hours. It will gel, Use your long spoon again to stir it into a kind of lumpy jello consistency.

So that answers whether we can make it. Is it effective? We’ve been using this detergent for six months now, and the clothes come out both looking and smelling clean. I’d love to share the smell over the net here, but we’re not to that point yet technologically. Sorry.

If you’d like a different smell, or looking for a dry powdered version, here’s a link with a few different options (http://tipnut.com/10-homemade-laundry-soap-detergent-recipes/)

I recently saw an episode of “18 kids and counting” on TV with the Duggar family, where they used the same recipe. So it’s obvious I’m not the only one doing it.

But, even if I were the only one, my clothes get clean, there’s no weird chemicals to mess with my skin, and the best part is the money we’re saving!

Make something fun!

Check it out. In my spare time, I’m building a Hummer. Well, not an AM General H1 Hummer, but a replica.

I got the idea last year when I was looking around the internet and found two other people who had done it. Here: Built on a F150 Chassis, and here: http://www.tremormuv.com.

I thought, “hey, if they can do it, why can’t I?” So, I bought a 1984 Suburban for $50,, ripped off the body panels, and began the transformation.

As for the details, I haven’t decided what the details will be yet. I still have some time. From the side it will look like a Hummer. The front and rear views will give away the solid axle 4wd Suburban chassis. Otherwise, my goal is for it to look authentic, just as any other replica should.

The frame and body panels will be steel—none of that fiberglass kit stuff—mounted on a Suburban chassis. I may end up doing the plans build from TremorMUV, or I might just strike out on my own and build it all from scratch. Not quite sure yet. I have my two hands, some hard working helpers, a welder, and a shop that my wife doesn’t mind if I keep cluttered up with a project truck.

Some things I definitely need to do are the following. The engine needs to be relocated back a few inches and the front and rear of the frame rails will be cut to match the H1′s length. Actually I bought it without an engine simply because it would make tear-down easier and I haven’t decided on gasoline or diesel. I still have the THM400 that was sitting in the trunk. I need to fab up the entire body to sit on the frame. The body mounts need moving and then I’ll be looking for some surplus parts—hood, doors, etc., whatever I don’t build. The wheels will need replacing.

I’ll try to post updates regularly, but as this is a project based on extra funds, it may be slow going and far between.

Want to help me along?