Homestead & Self-Reliance

12V and 24V DC Power Systems Wire 12V and 24V DC power systems: wire sizing and voltage drop, fusing and overcurrent protection, switching and contro 72-Hour Emergency Kit 72-Hour Emergency Kit - comprehensive guide from Nored Farms. Adobe Rammed Earth Build with adobe and rammed earth: soil testing, mixing and curing adobe bricks, rammed-earth forms and compaction, and Amateur Radio for Emergency Communication Amateur radio for emergency communication: licensing, radio fundamentals, VHF/UHF and HF bands, digital modes, and anten Automotive Electrical Systems: Practical Diagnostics and Repair Automotive Electrical Systems: Practical Diagnostics and Repair - comprehensive guide from Nored Farms. Battery Bank Design and Construction Design and build an off-grid battery bank: battery chemistry comparison, electrical fundamentals, system sizing, wiring, Biodiesel From Waste Oil Make biodiesel from used cooking oil: choosing feedstock, titration, transesterification, the two-stage process, equipme Biogas Production Produce biogas from waste: digester types for every scale, sizing and design parameters, startup and operation, gas hand Candle Making Topic: Candle Making — From Raw Materials to Finished Product Scope: Complete practical guide covering combustion scienc Chainsaw Operation and Maintenance Operate and maintain a chainsaw safely: chainsaw anatomy, selecting the right saw, chain types, cutting technique, and r Concrete and Masonry Fundamentals Work with concrete and masonry: Portland cement chemistry, mix design, reinforcement, formwork, and pouring and curing s Constructed Wetlands for Water Treatment Treat wastewater with constructed wetlands: wetland types, the treatment mechanisms at work, design parameters, plant se Cordwood Masonry Construction Build with cordwood masonry: choosing and seasoning log ends, mortar formulations, wall construction, and insulation for Diesel Engine Maintenance and Repair Maintain and repair diesel engines: how they work, the fuel system, oil and lubrication, cooling and air systems, and ro DIY Chainsaw Mill Build and run a DIY chainsaw mill: equipment options compared, a full rail-mill build specification, setup, and milling Earthbag Construction Build with earthbags: filling and laying bags, barbed-wire courses, plaster and stucco finishing, and getting earthbag c Farm and Property Security Secure a rural property: perimeter design, intrusion detection, surveillance, lighting, and layered measures that deter Farm Pond and Small Dam Construction Farm Pond and Small Dam Construction - comprehensive guide from Nored Farms. Field Medicine Field medicine for remote settings: rapid assessment, airway and breathing emergencies, bleeding control, and splinting Fire Starting Methods and Fire Management Fire Starting Methods and Fire Management - comprehensive guide from Nored Farms. Forge and Blacksmithing Setup Forge and Blacksmithing Setup - comprehensive guide from Nored Farms. Generator Maintenance and Repair A comprehensive guide covering Generator Maintenance and Repair. Gravity Fed Water Systems Design a gravity-fed water system with no pump and no power: pipeline design, tank sizing and elevation, and distributio Greywater Recycling Systems Recycle greywater at home: sources of greywater, system types, design principles, and safely reusing household water for Hand Tool Restoration Restore old hand tools to better-than-new: where to source them, assessing what is worth saving, tuning hand planes, and Heat Treating Steel: The Complete Practical Guide Heat-treat steel for tools and blades: metallurgy basics, annealing, normalizing, hardening, and tempering for the right Herbal First Aid Build an herbal first-aid kit: wound-care herbs, natural infection fighters, pain and inflammation remedies, and digesti Hide Tanning Tan hides into leather: fresh-hide handling, fleshing, bucking and liming for hair removal, bating, and the traditional Hydraulic Systems How hydraulic systems work: Pascal’s law and force multiplication, components, fluids, pump and cylinder types, and dire Land Navigation and Orienteering Navigate with map and compass: reading topographic maps, the compass, declination, taking and following bearings, and tr Leather Working Fundamentals Leather working fundamentals: selecting leather types, essential tools, cutting with the grain, edge finishing, and the Mesh Networking for Off-Grid Communication Off-grid mesh networking: how mesh networks work, Meshtastic and LoRa fundamentals, hardware builds, and designing a res Micro Hydro Power Build a micro-hydro power system: site assessment, matching turbine type to your water, penstock design, and installing Natural Swimming Pool Design Build a chemical-free natural swimming pool: the biology of clean water, design types, regeneration-zone sizing, constru Off-Grid Solar Power Systems Build an off-grid solar power system: panel types, the equipment needed, system sizing, batteries and charge control, an Pneumatic Systems How pneumatic systems work: compressed air as a power source, compressor types, air treatment, shop piping, tools and ac Pole Barn Construction Build a pole barn (post-frame): design and planning, setting posts in the ground, framing girts, purlins, and trusses, a Portable Sawmill Operation Choose and run a portable sawmill: mill types compared, chainsaw mills, bandsaw mill operation, and milling logs into us Portable Water Purification Purify water in the field: the difference between filters and purifiers, pump, gravity, and squeeze filters, and choosin Pottery and Ceramics Make fired pottery from local clay: clay science, finding and processing clay, hand building, wheel throwing, and drying Practical Electronics Learn practical electronics: the core components, the tools you actually need, soldering fundamentals, and building clea Rocket Stove and Rocket Mass Heater Design Build a rocket stove and rocket mass heater: core combustion principles, the cookstove, the mass heater, materials, and Root Cellar Construction Build a root cellar that keeps produce all winter: site selection, four design types, passive ventilation and humidity c Rope Making and Essential Knots A comprehensive guide covering Rope Making and Essential Knots. Shipping Container Conversion Shipping Container Conversion - comprehensive guide from Nored Farms. Small Engine Repair: The Complete Practical Guide Repair small engines: engine types, the fuel and ignition systems, compression and lubrication, and diagnosing common fa Small Wind Power Systems Build a wind power system: assessing your wind resource, turbine types, sizing the turbine, tower options, and wiring th Smokehouse Design and Construction Design and build a smokehouse: how smoke preserves meat, cold- vs hot-smoke layouts, safe materials, fireboxes, and maso Soap Making from Rendered Fat and Lye Make soap from rendered fat and lye: source materials, equipment, the saponification chemistry, and the step-by-step col Solar Panel Wiring and Installation Wire and install solar panels: reading a panel datasheet, wire sizing, overcurrent protection, grounding, and connecting Spinning Weaving Spin and weave your own textiles: fiber sources and preparation, drop-spindle and wheel spinning, yarn design, and weavi Steam Engine Fundamentals: Heat In, Mechanical Power Out How steam engines work: the Rankine thermodynamic cycle, boiler and engine types, fuel flexibility, and turning heat int Stone Masonry and Dry Stack Construction Stone masonry and dry-stack construction: stone types and tools, the two-over-one rule, mortared joints, retaining-wall Timber Frame Construction Timber Frame Construction - comprehensive guide from Nored Farms. Traditional Bow Making Make a traditional wooden bow: selecting and sourcing stave wood, bow design and taper, tools, stave preparation, and sh Water Purification Methods: A Complete Practical Guide Purify water at home: filtration by pore size, UV disinfection, boiling and chemical treatment, DIY systems, and testing Welding Fundamentals: Joining Metal Permanently Learn to weld: stick (SMAW), MIG (GMAW), TIG (GTAW), and flux-core processes, joint types and preparation, and choosing Well Drilling and Development Drill your own water well: how groundwater works, reading the land for a site, matching well type to geology, and driven Wood Gasification: Converting Solid Biomass to Engine-Ready Fuel Gas Build a wood gasifier: gasification chemistry, gasifier types, constructing the unit, feedstock prep, and running an eng Wound Care and Closure Field wound care: assessing wounds, cleaning and irrigation, closure methods, dressing, and recognizing and managing inf