Factor E Farm Blog

Meet Lawrence. Lawrence arrived two days ago, and is collaborating as our first Dedicated Project Visitor. He is here developing a Replicable, Low Cost, High Performance, Open Source, Multipurpose, CNC XYZ Table based on our previous work.

We are making even further simplifications over the last design, and trying a laptop (not recommened) instead of a desktop for the controls. We are using a proprietary controller from Xylotex (RepRap controllers were not available at the time we purchased this), but we are also looking into adapting the the open source RepRap controller. We will be using a plasma cutter head initially, and we are looking into developing a dual plasma cutter handle that can be used either on or off the torch table.

Listen to Lawrence’s introduction, impressions, and goals about the project and about Factor e Farm:

Lawrence’s Commitments for CNC Torch Table Project from Marcin Jakubowski on Vimeo.

Meet Lawrence. Lawrence arrived two days ago, and is collaborating as our first Dedicated Project Visitor. He is here developing a Replicable, Low Cost, High Performance, Open Source, Multipurpose, CNC XYZ Table based on our previous work. We are making even further simplifications over the last design, and trying a laptop (not recommened) instead ...

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Today’s Factor e Live Distillations focuses on Personal Fabrication. We discuss our goals of establishing a robust and replicable, high-performance flexible fabrication facility for producing just about anything – while relying largely on local resources – and while participating as a producer in a global market economy.

This post is a good overview of the type of tools that are already available – today – and which could be put together into a high-power, digital fabrication package – the Open Source Fab Lab. While the tools are already available and significant development has already been done, their integration into a meaningful productive ecology is the remaining task – in terms of providing a useful toolset for Global Village construction. The Personal Fabrication package is perhaps the most important piece of the Global Village Construction Set – in that these tools are used to create supporting hardware and machinery – for tasks ranging from agriculture to wireless communications. We hope that this presentation will help you see for yourself the kinds of applications and power that is already available to anyone who chooses to use these tools, as a step towards taking advantage of these tools. As was said about one particular example of the available technologies – the 3D printer called RepRap – “Think of RepRap as a China on your desktop.”

Our work in general is aimed at building the infrastructure for real-life Global Villages – which you can replicate in whole or in part. You can also see our earlier presentation on the Global Village Construction Set. To support this work, join the 1000 True Fans – 1000 Global Villages campaign – by committing to $10 per month for 24 months. Here is the PayPal subscription button, where you can use either PayPal, credit card, or bank account to commit to the subscription.

Here is the transcript and supporting links for this video. (more…)

Today's Factor e Live Distillations focuses on Personal Fabrication. We discuss our goals of establishing a robust and replicable, high-performance flexible fabrication facility for producing just about anything - while relying largely on local resources - and while participating as a producer in a global market economy. This post is a good overview of the ...

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As we go about finishing the CEB workshop addition, we are setting up our open source torch table development in the greenhouse. It’s been a long time since we started this development – but building the open source tractor and other details took priority over the torch table.

We discussed the computer-controlled torch table in a prior post about our digital fabrication facility for producing The Liberator – the open source, high performance CEB press. After almost one year of CEB infrastructure development and testing – we are back to the fabrication aspect – as we get ready to produce Prototype 2 of The Liberator.

As we go about finishing the CEB workshop addition, we are setting up our open source torch table development in the greenhouse. It's been a long time since we started this development - but building the open source tractor and other details took priority over the torch table. We discussed the computer-controlled torch table in ...

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We have moved a 1600 pound battery bank and a 500 pound stove into the workshop addition:

Now, how about some walls and a roof? Please contribute – we are short on the building materials, and the month is coming to an end:

By the way, our blog views are growing 20% each month.

We have moved a 1600 pound battery bank and a 500 pound stove into the workshop addition: Now, how about some walls and a roof? Please contribute - we are short on the building materials, and the month is coming to an end: By the way, our blog views are growing 20% each month.

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We have released v0.1 of the OSE CEB Proposal, which is a summary of our product release plan for the CEB press. This helps put the entire CEB project in perspective to supporters. The abstract reads:

Herein we provide a short overview of the Open Source Ecology (OSE) enterprise development model and deployment plan. The plan is for Community Supported Manufacturing (CSM) of a high performance, open source, Compressed Earth Block (CEB) press – The Liberator – to begin by end of March, 2009. This is OSE’s first product release. We propose an innovative economic model, with replicability as one of its key features.

Here is a simplified product ecology from the proposal:

You can download the proposal here. Please circulate widely. Please comment here or at the OSE wiki.

This is your last chance to support us for the month of October. We have under a week left, and are over 3/4 of the way to reaching our proposed goal. Please donate here.

We have released v0.1 of the OSE CEB Proposal, which is a summary of our product release plan for the CEB press. This helps put the entire CEB project in perspective to supporters. The abstract reads: Herein we provide a short overview of the Open Source Ecology (OSE) enterprise development model and deployment plan. ...

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Here is the continuing saga with the open source tractor. We built a quick attach plate for rapid interchanging of implements. We built an open source rototiller as the first such implement. Now we can switch readily between the tiller and loader bucket – as needed for CEB construction.

We also show how we put together our biodiesel reactor. We document further solar panel fabrication and testing, and other fruits of Factor e Farm.

The next step is an enhanced program of core technology tree development and crowdsource research. In the next 6 months, we hope to have the following infrastructure technologies designed, built, and deployed:

This is not a small task. To get there, the immediate plan is:

• Get people here – 4 others in total, plus Brittany and I. We will house the team in 7/16 inch, painted, oriented strand board (OSB) Hexayurts – temporary for the next month as CEB housing comes into place.
• We work on housing and central heating as the prime objectives. Uninsulated Hexayurts are good only for about another month – until winter comes. Thus, we’ll dedicate one person of the team to work full time on central heating. Two options are a CEB brick stove – and Babington-burner flamethrower with heat exchange coil, running on waste waste vegetable oil – waste oil of insufficient quality for biodiesel production.
• This is not happening without some crowdsource contributions. We’re setting up a crowdsource funding basket for this phase
  • The budget is $7.18 per sheet of OSB, times 18 pieces, or $130 in materials, plus flashing to make the joints (tape is not strong enough), for a total of about $150 each – times 3 temporary buildings like this, or a grand total of $450:
  • $400 stipend per month for new recruits, times 4
  • $1100 in cement, gravel, insulation, doors, and other building materials for CEB construction
    • $3150 total for the next month

  Chip in at our wiki. The main program is getting people here and building. The background work is crowdsource research to get the technology tree above growing – mainly the biofuel, fab, steam engine, and solar turbine integration. More on this later.

Here is the continuing saga with the open source tractor. We built a quick attach plate for rapid interchanging of implements. We built an open source rototiller as the first such implement. Now we can switch readily between the tiller and loader bucket - as needed for CEB construction. We also show how we put ...

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There is a significant set of open source technologies available for rapid prototyping in small workshops. By combining 3D printing with low-cost metal casting, and following with machining using a computer controlled Multimachine, the capacity arises to make rapid prototypes and products from plastic and metal. This still does not address the feedstocks used, but it is a practical step towards the post-centralist, participatory, distributive economy with industrial swadeshi on a regional scale.

• RepRap – open source 3D Printer – has just achieved self-replication. In itself, this is a rapid prototyper for objects in plastic.

• Small-scale metal casting technology is readily available for backyard-scale metal casting, such as the melting of hubcaps in this picture – using free waste vegetable or motor oil: (source)

• In particular, a waste oil burner such as the Babington burner may be utilized as the heat source.

• Multimachine – an open source multipurpose machining tool is available for milling, drilling, lathing, metal forming, and other applications.

The interesting part is that the budget is $500 for RepRap, $200 for the casting equipment, and $1500 for a Multimachine with CNC control added. Using available knowhow, this can be put together in a small workshop for a total of about $2200 – for full, LinuxCNC computer controlled rapid fabrication in plastic and metal. Designs may be downloaded from the internet, and local production can take place based on global design.

This rapid fabrication package is one of our near-term (one year) goals. The research project in this area involves the fabrication and integration of the individual components as described. Factor e Farm is willing to provide materials funding for students interested in taking this on as a development project – please contact us if you are an engineering or independent student, or if you know somebody who is qualified to take on this project.

Such a project is interesting from the standpoint of localized production in the context of the global economy – for creating significant wealth in local economies. This is what we call industrial swadeshi. For example, I see this as the key to casting and fabricating low-cost steam engines ($300 for 5 hp) for the Solar Turbine – as one example of Gandhi’s mass production philosophy.

There is a significant set of open source technologies available for rapid prototyping in small workshops. By combining 3D printing with low-cost metal casting, and following with machining using a computer controlled Multimachine, the capacity arises to make rapid prototypes and products from plastic and metal. This still does not address the feedstocks used, ...

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Here is an overview of our overall program of action:

On the CEB Press for building – we are presently building the LifeTrac tractor – an agriculture, construction, and general utility device. This device is remarkably pedestrian in appearance – so one has to appreciate the details to grasp its versatility and lifetime design features. A big shipment of most of the parts for LifeTrac is coming in tomorrow – the Freight truck missed today. The status of the Solar Turbine is preparation for construction in August. On the digital fabrication front, CNC torch table is in progress – http://openfarmtech.org/index.php?title=Torch_Table. As far as the CNC-controlled Multimachine – we are preparing an implementation path.

Here is a big point to consider, if you haven’t heard it before. If we can generate a repository of open source design – then with computer controlled fabrication capacity – people can download design and produce anything anywhere. The key is the repository of open source design – plus availability of a low cost multipurpose production capacity – run with open source computer control software. That is the promise of digital fabrication – decentralization of production and, thereby, peer production. You can read more about peer production and free enterprise here. We are contributing by implementing the torch table and multimachine – both coupled to LinuxCNC.

The basic idea on progress is – as soon as collaborators surface to move the project forward – progress accelerates. Our main need is technical collaboration and per-project visitors to Factor e Farm to implement the technical components one by one – towards creating a replicable option of an Unplugged Lifestyle.  (more…)

Here is an overview of our overall program of action: On the CEB Press for building - we are presently building the LifeTrac tractor - an agriculture, construction, and general utility device. This device is remarkably pedestrian in appearance - so one has to appreciate the details to grasp its versatility and lifetime design features. ...

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Factor e Farm would like to announce that we are finally in the process of converting our operations from generator-based electricity to 100% solar electric.

Thanks to Ronny’s behind-the-scenes work while he was with us this winter, we recently received a donation of solar cells from Ersol. Ersol is a German wafer and solar cell manufacturer, based in Erfurt, which specializes in silicon-based photovoltaic products.

If you are interested in their products, please contact Nicole at global sales – nicole.thierfelder@ersol.de.

The solar cells that we received are sufficient to run all of our needs: internet, lights, shop tools, juicer, etc. We look forward to running a freezer without having to turn on the generator. Perhaps we could even start to keep up with washing our clothes with our old-style Philco Bendix washer-wringer from the 1950s.

The Lister 3 kW electric generator – which we ran on oil, diesel, and biodiesel, will stand proudly as ever-ready backup and as a showpiece.

If you observe our digital fabrication program for CEB machine production a few posts ago – you’ll see that the solar cells are its central power source. This is 100% off-grid eco-industry – and not bad for the humble beginnings of Factor e Farm.

We have a large forklift battery pack to support the operations. Our present challenge is to frame the solar cells into panels so that we can charge this battery bank. We are looking for help from any of you who have framed or encapsulated cells into panels – we’d like to learn from your experience. The solar cells look like this from the front and back:

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Factor e Farm would like to announce that we are finally in the process of converting our operations from generator-based electricity to 100% solar electric. Thanks to Ronny’s behind-the-scenes work while he was with us this winter, we recently received a donation of solar cells from Ersol. Ersol is a German wafer and solar cell ...

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It’s time to take our open source product development to the next level.

The next on the Compressed Earth Block (CEB) press prototype development is a computer controlled XYZ table for automating acetylene torch cutting of the metal. You may see the fabrication procedure here to see metal cutting requirements. We have experienced about 140 hours of labor for the first prototype. Now we are testing and refining the prototype, and expect about 40 hours to build the next one. We want to use the XYZ table to optimize fabrication, so it will reduce fabrication time down to 20 hours for production runs. The point is, you can lay the raw metal on the torch table, hit return on your computer, and the table cuts out all the metal, including bolt holes.

We have a year-long plan for the CEB, such that we aim for production runs in October. It is part of a larger product development program, shown here.

We are beginning to test an innovative way to fund the developments. Step one is to gather a Core Team for each of the development projects. Step two is to deploy our funding strategy, which we call the Ecotechnology Buying Club. Basically, a large number of stakeholders micro-funds product development, up to the building of a fabrication facility. Sounds impossible, but we are proposing a concrete set of steps to do this. The set of steps is basically a product development cycle, with the twist that stakeholders fund the development. We are just developing products like anyone else, but attempting to optimize the process. Optimization (lowest cost) is the same thing that traditional businesses promise, but always fail to deliver, because if they delivered, they’d go out of business. This is where we step in. Stay tuned.

It's time to take our open source product development to the next level. The next on the Compressed Earth Block (CEB) press prototype development is a computer controlled XYZ table for automating acetylene torch cutting of the metal. You may see the fabrication procedure here to see metal cutting requirements. We have experienced ...

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