Fixes water tanks holes
I have been successfully using standard toilet-gasket wax to patch holes in my plastic stock water tanks. I thought it up some time ago after becoming frustrated with existing products and while racking my brain for a stiff, yet flexible substance that would flex with the tank and be sturdy enough to not bow to the weight of 200+ gallons of water.
Simply make the wax into a wad and push it gently into any gap or hole. I smooth the edges of my fix down flat to the interior surface of the tank to minimize the chance of the big wad of wax moving.
After many years of using sprays of various kinds, or silicone calking, I found that most products did not have the flexibility or durability that the wax offers. Wax will not shrink or tear away like silicone.
Hot summer days are perhaps the biggest enemy of wax, but as long as the tank stays reasonably full of water, the heat of the summer sun isn't too much of a concern; but long hot days and an empty tank will result in the patch melting a bit and sagging out of place.
The fix can even be done when the tank is wet/damp or done under water if necessary. The wax can be re-used and re-moulded if water pressure or summer heat compromises the fix, but if enough wax is used from the start, this rarely happens.
Cattle don't find it palatable, so there's never any worry about them licking it off, and even if they did, it's benign.
Cory Ollikka, Omega Cattle, Waskatenau, AB
A greenhouse made from school buses
I wanted to share with you some pictures of my father’s homemade greenhouses he's made from recycled school buses! They are located on the Coates Farm, in the Codroy Valley of Newfoundland. With these greenhouses my mother is able to get a head start on growing seedlings, lettuce, tomatoes and other delicate items. To build these, Dad obtained some junked school buses, cut them in half, and used the frame from the back half to hold two rows of windows, creating myriad ventilation configurations. They are located close enough to the house to share a water hose, and make it easy to pop out and get some greens for supper. The tops are covered in chicken wire and polyethylene. Aside from having to replace the polyethylene every few years these greenhouses are rock solid.
Julia Coates, Codroy Valley, NFLD
To make this greenhouse, junked school buses were cut in half.