Building an Off Grid Forge on My Alaskan Homestead

Luke here with the Outdoor Boys YouTube channel and welcome to the homestead.

Two years ago, I bought an off-grid homestead here in the interior of Alaska and it was full of abandoned equipment.

For the last 4 months, I've been building roads, getting ready for winter, and finally building that blacksmithing forge I've always wanted.

And I've put everything we did this summer into one video.

[Music] Congratulations.

>> Well, guys,, it's, springtime, here, at, the homestead and me and Nathan are going to walk into the cabin and get the ATV cuz the K truck's still leaking oil. Trails

usually in terrible condition this time of year cuz everything's thawing and melting.

>> Yeah,, there, no, bugs, yet., That's, a, nice >> You, can, see, all, these, potholes, like here.

>> Oh, >> in, the, winter, time, the, water, underneath the ground expands and then when it thaws it collapses and makes these little sink holes. Someone's going to have to come in with a grater and level

it out. But look at the these ruts.

it out. But look at the these ruts.

>> Any, sort, of, heavy, traffic, in, the springtime will just destroy the trails.

Hey Jason.

>> Here's, the, moose, prints., Look, at, that.

The moose's toes are spread apart.

They're trying to get their balance. But

then you get over here and the toes are together. You spread the toes apart when

together. You spread the toes apart when they feel like it's slippery.

>> Stop, put, that.

We haven't been here in a few months.

>> Oh,, wait., Very, nice.

>> Looking, good, in, here., We're, not, going, to be able to do much without the batteries in the winter time. I think we're s Look at this road we built. I mean, doesn't that feel good?

>> Feels, solid.

>> Oh,, look, at, this., Look, what, the, frost heaving did. This post right here got

heaving did. This post right here got pushed up by the frost and it knocked that board out.

Just add that to the fix list.

>> Yep.

>> Oh,, it, started, up., Sh., Let's, start, them all up and let them run a little bit.

Battery's a little dead on this one.

[Music] Let's see if we can go to the car.

Excavator's good.

I'll tell you what, things are actually in pretty decent shape. I'm pleasantly

surprised.

Who left a cheeseburger in here?

>> E.

>> Oh,, gross.

>> Oh,, close, that., It, That, does, not, smell good. It It touched me. It touched me.

good. It It touched me. It touched me.

All righty. Well, let's figure out what's wrong with the K truck here.

[Music] [Applause] Coming out right.

Oh, that sounds terrible.

This hose is where the K truck is bleeding oil. It got melted a little bit

bleeding oil. It got melted a little bit when I was trying to reheat the engine during a real cold snap. That looks like a pretty simple fix. I'm just not sure if I can get that part here in the US.

I'm gonna send a video to my mechanic in town and see what he says. Right, cool.

I'll talk to you later. They think it's going to be a real easy fix. And they

offered to actually bring the part up to me and fix it while I'm away. So, that

is going to be hugely convenient.

Yeah, that is that's a little sticky.

Okay.

>> Yeah,, we, got, electricity., The, Yamaha Rhino's got a dead battery. I've got to charge that up. And I've got to go ahead and charge one of the batteries on the four-wheelers. We'll get that set up.

four-wheelers. We'll get that set up.

All right, let's check the battery here.

12.5 volts. That should be enough. Why

is that not turning on?

Yeah, I don't know what that was all about. I think she was just mad at me

about. I think she was just mad at me for neglecting her all winter.

It's going to run the well.

>> Are, so [Music] >> Look, at, how, green, that, is., Water's, been sitting there for a while. We got to get all the old nasty water out.

I'm just going to let that well run for a nice long time and see if the water doesn't clear up.

[Music] Looks a lot cleaner.

And try to charge this battery up. Says

it's got 12.8 volts.

Nice.

This area was such a mud hole last spring. And look at it. It is rock hard.

spring. And look at it. It is rock hard.

That drain must be doing its job. Let's

go see how much water's coming out.

Check it out. This is the drain I installed last summer.

>> It's, really, clean,, too.

>> Yeah., Look, at, all, that, water., Man,

that's all water that would be in my roadway if it wasn't for that drain.

That is moving a lot of water out of there.

So, this drain pipe that I've got feeded underneath my roadway is doing a good job, but I want to extend it. I want it to come down around here. I want to put it underneath this mud hole over here.

That's going to be a job for the excavator.

[Music] [Music] I see all the water that's coming through here.

Why are you ready for some dinner Nathan? Let's do it.

Nathan? Let's do it.

>> You, got, to, go, inside, and, take, your money's clothes off.

>> So,, Nathan,, have, you, been, waiting, to watch a movie with me all day?

>> Especially, ML.

>> I, am >> an, eye, exam., All, right,, we're, going, to try to get a little bit more done before bedtime. Think I can get this filled in?

bedtime. Think I can get this filled in?

>> You, know,, one, thing, I, want, to, do, Nathan, is I want to take all these scraps of wood and chuck them in the hole. Okay. Any chunks of wood

hole. Okay. Any chunks of wood >> young, man, need that?

>> Yeah,, I, just, found, this., It's, a, shooting target. Yeah, we got to save it.

target. Yeah, we got to save it.

[Music] [Applause] Well, made some progress today, but it's getting late. I think I'm going to get

getting late. I think I'm going to get Nathan to bed.

>> That, looks >> We'll, see, you, in, the, morning., Good

morning.

It's 9:00, bud. We slept in way late. We

better get ourselves dressed and get out of here.

[Applause] [Music] We can go in the can truck.

>> Yeah, >> it, got, fixed.

>> Yeah., Okay.

>> All, righty., Went, ahead, and, replaced, the hose with a metal one. So, next winter I won't have to worry about melting it.

>> Oh,, I, could, open, it.

>> What, else, is, inside?

>> Warm, buns.

All righty.

>> Like, >> oh,, it, is, muddy.

>> Yeah, >> probably, break, that.

>> Got, the, lights., Well,, listen., Are, you guys cold? Do you want me to warm it up

guys cold? Do you want me to warm it up a little bit?

>> Yeah., My, nose.

>> Let's, see, how, things, are, going.

Well, first thing on my agenda, I need to finish this project.

I'm going to go right here that >> I, was, thinking, I, just, throw, some, scrap wood over this mud hole, but man, I don't think that's going to cut it. It's

pretty soft. I'm going to go get some more dead trees, and we're going to we're going to do this properly.

[Music] >> So,, I, can, pick, it, up.

I don't know what it is with this battery. Every time I charge it up, I

battery. Every time I charge it up, I come back and it's dead. Like, not just a little dead, like fully drained. I've

had nothing but problems with this battery.

>> All, right.

[Music] We had a really big snowstorm this winter that knocked down a ton of trees.

So, I'm just going through and chopping those up first. The really thick trees and the birch trees like this, I'm going to chop up for firewood. But the

skinnier trees like this one, I'm going to use those to fill up the hole. And

all the limbs work well for filling up the mud holes, too.

Where's the funnel?

[Music] This thing cracked in a way that [Music] You know what happened?

>> Imagine, this.

>> Well,, guys,, it's, almost, 8:00., You, guys want to go in and just kind of take it in for the night?

>> Yeah.

>> No., No., Everyone's, died.

>> Jungle, warfare.

>> Well,, we, had, a, little, bit, of, an incident. Somebody jerked their

incident. Somebody jerked their controller a little too aggressively and it pulled the console and all the DVD players off the shelf and they smashed pretty hard and now none of them are working. I think we might have just lost

working. I think we might have just lost our game system. But I

>> think, it's, time, to, get, these, kids, to, bed maybe together. You guys don't let the

together. You guys don't let the daylight fool you. It's about 9:00 at night. I'll see you guys in the morning.

night. I'll see you guys in the morning.

Oh, good morning.

>> All right,, let's, get, up, and, make breakfast to do >> no.

>> Me, and, the, kids, have, been, listening, to the Lord of the Rings on audiobook. So

go ahead and put that on while I make breakfast.

>> On, the, rocks, of, the, rapids, below, it >> now., The, tail, of, life.

>> now., The, tail, of, life.

>> Yeah,, you, open, it.

>> Sometimes, you, open, that.

>> You, guys, going, outside?

>> Yes.

>> All, right., I'll, call, you, when, breakfast is ready.

[Music] Good.

>> All, right,, guys.

[Music] >> Put, on, a, fresh, layer, of, bug, spray.

>> Wait,, what, are, you, doing?, So,, why, did you drive into the back of my trailer?

Um, I'm going to get this one right here that fell on the path. We're going to get rid of that one. There's a couple right there. A couple right there.

right there. A couple right there.

>> Isn't, there, a, forest, fire?

>> No,, it's, from, the, beetle, kill., Invasive

Japanese beetles killed all those trees.

[Music] I like [Music]

[Music] What?

Yeah.

>> Can, I, still I think it's time for a lunch break.

All right, anybody who wants lunch, come and get it.

>> You, know, what, that, means?

>> Nutella, >> peanut, butter,, and, we, got, jelly., I'm

going to use the air fryer to warm up some pizza.

>> Oh,, my, pizza.

>> Watch, out., have, seen.

>> The, east, wind, was, screaming, through, the eyes of the servants of Sauron.

>> All, righty.

[Music] [Music] Oh, maybe one or two more loads and I

should be done.

[Music] [Music] Oh jeez.

Whoa.

I don't know if this thing's still working or not.

>> There's, the, lens.

>> And, I, put, a, nice, dent, in, my, trailer.

>> Yeah., Look, at, that.

Well, dang it. That wasn't great. Well

that's uh the only GoPro I got on me, so I think that's all the filming I'm going to get done.

All right, live and learn.

Got a brand new GoPro. Let's try this again.

All right, I'm going grab a quick dinner. And uh since it's just me, I

dinner. And uh since it's just me, I figured I'd eat an entire rotisserie chicken by myself.

Well, I put a dent in that gorgeous weather, but the bugs are bad.

Bugs are out in force today.

It's been hot and dry since we left here, and that is good news. It's making

things firm up very nicely. You see, I got all that wood laid down. That's

looking really good. Now, I just need to lay some dirt on top of that.

I'm finding that bluish gray clay with gravel in it about a foot and a half under, the, top, soil., So,, I'm, going to, go ahead and excavate out a trench, working my way back towards the road, and I'm going to, stockpile, a, big, pile, of, this, on

the road. But, I got to work quick

the road. But, I got to work quick before my hole fills up with water.

[Applause] All right, now I just got to let that dry. We keep having this warm, dry

dry. We keep having this warm, dry weather. It should happen pretty quick.

weather. It should happen pretty quick.

And it'll end up being just as hard as this., All right,

this., All right, getting ready to close up shop for the day.

Oh hello.

Oh, look at that. It's a mama moose with two babies.

Thought I heard something. Now that's

cool. I'm surprised the excavator noises didn't scare her away. Well, it's almost 10:00. I think it's time to go inside

10:00. I think it's time to go inside and get ready for bed. Got a long day tomorrow.

All right,, for, breakfast,, I'm, going, to have a berry kiche. It may look like a pie. It's a berry kiche.

pie. It's a berry kiche.

I once heard a nutritionist say that there's enough calories in one slice of pie for an entire meal. That gave me an idea.

All right.

Charge up the batteries a little bit.

[Music] [Music] I'm pulling that old nasty plywood off the skirt of the cabin and seeing some

problems. Oh yeah, that's leaning way off. Those two are also leaning. That

off. Those two are also leaning. That

one in the middle is leaning quite a bit. That one's leaning. That one's

bit. That one's leaning. That one's

leaning as well. You look at the quality of this piling, too. I mean, they got exposed rebar and air pockets.

Definitely looks like they didn't use a vibrator when pouring that concrete in.

And look at this. About half the floor insulation's falling out. That would

explain why the floor is so cold in the winter time. It's not uncommon for these

winter time. It's not uncommon for these cabins to slip off their foundations. We

get a lot of earthquakes up here in Alaska. We had a pretty good size one a

Alaska. We had a pretty good size one a couple years ago. So, that's definitely something I got to think about.

[Music] Well, that was about 5 hours of work.

Got me a little bit of an appetite.

Got some curry rice for lunch.

Well, we had breakfast pie. Now we're

going to have lunch pie.

[Music] Oo, this clay is drying up quickly. Once

that clay road dries, I'm going to need the compaction plate to smooth it out.

But it's a little busted right now. I

need to go fix that.

[Music] All right, that's good. Now, the other thing I need to fix is this. So, I need to trim those down and repair all that.

[Applause] While the fire is burning, I went over here on the road. Man, this soil is firming up quickly. I think I might want to take the compactor and just hit this

little first bit a little bit. Shape it

up before it gets too dry.

[Music] Well, there we go.

I think I'm going to go get some dinner.

Ooh,, chili,, reffried, beans., All right, going to make some papooseas. Got some

corn flour pepper.

Oh, I wish I had some pickled cabbage to go with this, but That's it for this trip, but I got a lot more to do.

Hi.

>> You're, bringing, this, stuff,, but, just, be careful at the door. We don't want to let mosquitoes in or they'll get us in our sleep. Come on.

our sleep. Come on.

>> I, love >> All, right., Well,, let's, take, a, look, at things. Oh, man. This is dry.

things. Oh, man. This is dry.

Yeah, this is hardened up very nice.

Yeah, that is hardening up very nice.

Might hit it again with the compactor one more time. Look at that >> bigger, froggy.

Then try to >> Look, at, that., These, little, Alaskan, wood frogs are awesome. They can freeze solid in the winter and then thaw out.

>> That's, how, they, hibernate, pretty, much.

>> Yep., There's, a, bunch, of, them, around here. It's been a good year for them.

here. It's been a good year for them.

>> Yep.

>> Let's, see, if, there's, any, water, draining out of the property. That's the pipe I buried. Still got a good amount of water

buried. Still got a good amount of water coming out of that.

[Music] This part that's in the shade needs to dry a little bit more, but man, it's pretty much there. Looking good.

There you go.

It says the price. Do you need to run an error?

>> Simple, lunky., It's, only, pizza.

>> Oh,, don't, talk, about, that.

>> David,, don't, you, dare, drop, that, milk.

>> I, don't, know, about, you,, but, I, killed, a lot of mosquitoes with my face.

>> A, moth, just, went, over, and, hit, me, in, the face.

>> That, uh, thing, of, gas.

[Music] My chainsaw bar is overheating even though I got plenty of oil. I think I bent the bar just a little bit and the chain's chafing. Chainsaw still works

chain's chafing. Chainsaw still works but I don't think I should be doing a big job like that until I get it fixed.

Well, it's a good time to quit and make some dinner.

[Music] Well, last time we were here, the boys knocked all this stuff off the shelf and broke the Nintendo and DVD players. So

hopefully we've learned a lesson from that. And uh we're going to go ahead and

that. And uh we're going to go ahead and install a new one. The DVD players were on their last legs. Anyways

for Smash Bros.

[Music] >> I'm, in, charge, here.

[Music] >> Did, you, make, fun?

that you can't >> clear, the, video, game, system.

>> Come, on., Set, the, table., Kill, each, other both the same amount of times. Inside

the >> No,, no,, no.

>> You, got, one, for, me,, right?

>> No.

>> This, is, a, very, Alaskan, soda, pop., It's

spruce tip flavored soda.

>> My, head's, up, very, much.

>> Oh,, see, you, guys, tomorrow., All, right,, we got a lot of work to do.

Good morning. Let's get this place cleaned up and get breakfast.

>> You, waste, my >> got, some, cereals, and, donuts.

[Music] >> All, right.

>> When, you, wash, your, hands Hello. Hello. Stay in touch with the

Hello. Hello. Stay in touch with the walkie-talkies and I'll see you guys in a little bit. Okay.

Well,, first, thing, I'm, going to, do, this morning, is, trim, a, bunch, of these overhanging branches on the trail.

[Music] [Music] It's important to cut back this vegetation, not just to keep it from

scratching my K truck, but also it helps you to see down the trail better. Helps

prevent collisions with the other ATVs or even moose or bears.

Well, there we go. Looking pretty good but it's been about 4 hours and I think I'm going to go grab some lunch.

[Music] >> You, guys, hungry?, How, about, this?, Will

you help me clean up the place a little bit? It's real small spot.

bit? It's real small spot.

>> I, had, a, show, alive, as, a, bomb.

You won.

>> Tommy, won.

>> All, right,, I'm, going, to, take, my excavator down the trail and see if I can't work on it a little bit.

[Music] [Music] Well, there we go.

Cut a nice big trench through this burm to let water flow off the trail and down in this goalie. But it also is exposing some good gravel, which I'm going to mine out to fill up the holes in the trail.

>> You're, hopping., Pull, both, of, them, up.

Both joysticks up. There you go.

>> There, we, go., The, trail's, looking, pretty good. Instead of pooling up here, the

good. Instead of pooling up here, the water's going to drain out that way.

Going to take the excavator further down the trail.

[Music] and you park it and I'll go get the other thing ready.

We're going to go ahead and grab some dinner real quick.

>> Yellow, place., It's

>> not, really, raining.

>> Yeah,, it's, in, the >> All right,, guys., I'm, going, to, head, off and start hauling gravel.

[Music] Heat. Heat.

Heat. Heat.

Heat. Heat.

[Music] [Applause] You [Music] you got to turn the key to on.

>> Hit, the, starter, while, you're >> I'm You guys want to catch a fish, do you? I

do want to catch a fish.

>> Oh,, got, one., First, cast.

>> There, we, go.

There he goes.

Yeah.

>> Yeah.

>> Okay., Here., here., Oh,, he, got, one.

>> Let's, lift, him., Let's, take, him, over, to the boat ramp.

>> Pike, tastes, good.

>> He's, off., All right.

>> Well,, it's, getting, late,, guys., It's, way past your bedtime. Pun.

>> And, when, are >> all, right,, dude?, Caught, fish.

>> All right,, it's, bedtime, for, these, boys.

It's late. See you in the morning.

Somebody left the door open and let a bunch of mosquitoes in yesterday. So the

they were biting on Nathan's head in the middle of the night.

Oh, this tongue is loose. Look at how much play is in that tongue.

Every time I come to the property and try to use my dump trailer, my battery is just as dead as can be. But it holds the charge just fine. And I finally figured out what's going on. But I think the little sensor for the remote control

that operates the dump trailer always uses a little bit of electricity. So

after I'm gone for a month or two, I come back and my batter is completely dead. So, I'm going to disconnect the

dead. So, I'm going to disconnect the battery and see if that helps.

All right. If that solves the problem I'll just get a switch so I don't have to undo the bolt every time I put the trailer away.

You're getting headed home. But this is not the end.

headed home. But this is not the end.

While I was gone, my neighbors spread that stockpile of gravel around. Trail

looks in good shape.

Oh, full battery. I just need to get a battery switch and install it on there so I don't have to unscrew it every time. Oh, I'm glad it was an easy fix.

time. Oh, I'm glad it was an easy fix.

And keep the charger here. Just lay the charger on the ground. 12.45 volts. It's

not actually low. It should be turning over, Tom. So, I don't know if this is

over, Tom. So, I don't know if this is going to do anything. I think we got a starter, problem,, Tom., All right,, we'll just we'll just let that charge.

So, I've got the crooked footings on my cabin here. I need to find out whether

cabin here. I need to find out whether they're moving or whether this was a one-time event. If it's more or less

one-time event. If it's more or less stationary, it's not that big of a deal.

If the cabin's leaning more and more each year, that's a huge deal. So, I'm

going to set up a little bit of a marker so I can track it.

The closest distance between these two pilings is 3 and 1/4 in. I'll just keep measuring that and see if it changes.

That's all charged up.

Well, there you go, Tom. Got it running.

Why don't you go burn up some gas? We

need to get new gas in that thing.

Well, it's taking a while, but I'm finally doing it. I'm building a blacksmithing forge here on the property. I'm going put a little awning

property. I'm going put a little awning right here for all my tools and the forge. Got to dig some holes for my

forge. Got to dig some holes for my foundation. Well, that's a good stopping

foundation. Well, that's a good stopping point for tonight.

>> Do, you, want, to, go, fishing?

>> Wait,, we, can, do, that, now.

>> Yeah, >> do, it., Go,, go,, go.

>> Oh,, it's, warm, out.

>> Of, your, child up there.

Fast.

>> Oh,, look, at, that, little, shad, worked., Oh,

I got one.

>> Oh,, he, popped, out, again.

>> Oh,, right, there.

Look at this.

>> Feels, of, my, sho.

>> That, was, pretty, good., I, mean,, we, spent about an hour there and I think we hooked like eight or nine pike. See

that, Tommy? What's that?

>> That's, a, grouse.

>> Ah,, hunting, season's, a, couple, months away still, though.

>> I, wonder, if, Leave, it, alone., Uh-oh.

>> Oh,, the, starter.

[Music] Hurry, hurry fast.

>> Well,, guys,, it's, about, 9:00., I, think it's time to get to bed. We got a busy day tomorrow. Got a lot of things to

day tomorrow. Got a lot of things to build. I'll see you then.

build. I'll see you then.

Well, good morning, Tom. We've got milk and cereal. Or would you rather drive

and cereal. Or would you rather drive into town and go to a restaurant?

>> I, lost, one.

>> Strawberry, rhubarb., M., That's, really good.

>> All, right., Not, too, shabby.

as >> Oh,, we're, behind, the, truck, delivering our gravel.

[Music] Another truck's coming with 3-in rock.

[Music] I'm leveling out the ground and getting the footings ready. And I realize I made a bit of a mistake. In the winter time when the snow and ice builds up on the roof, big chunks will slide off. And I

don't want that to land on the roof of my forge and destroy it. So, I think I need to scoot the forge a couple feet closer to the road. I'm not quite sure how far from the roof I need to put the forge. So, I'm going to do a little

forge. So, I'm going to do a little test.

It's about five feet. That's right about there. That's right there in the middle.

there. That's right there in the middle.

[Music] All right. You got to walk this all the

All right. You got to walk this all the way down to the stockpile.

Come on. Come on. Now

>> there, you, go., You, loaded, a, trailer.

>> All, right,, let's, uh, let's, stop, it, right here.

I don't want to just dump the whole thing in. So, I want to get it till it's

thing in. So, I want to get it till it's about to dump and then stop.

>> Nice, and, close.

All right., Search, you [Music] Well, I got it in the hole.

Oh, that wasn't smart. Look at that.

That front wheel is wonky now. Bent that

axle arm right there.

That bent wheel is rubbing on the other wheel. That's causing major problems.

wheel. That's causing major problems. That's going to destroy the wheel if I keep driving on that.

[Music] >> Yeah,, you, can, see, it, really, good, here.

This arm right here. I can grab something and pull it, but the whole trailer is just gonna move. So, how do we anchor the trailer? I think maybe I'm gonna use that tree.

>> All, right,, we, got, some, nylon, straps here.

>> There's [Applause] [Music] [Applause] broke my winch. My next move is let's

take the tire off. Socket even reach down.

It's pretty bent. I got a I got another idea. Try

idea. Try put a wedge it back.

[Music] Nope.

>> That, did, not, not, do, it., All right,, I'm going to see how this thing performs with just three wheels.

[Music] [Music] Oh. Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to.

Oh. Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to.

[Music] >> All right,, here, we, go.

[Applause] [Music] [Applause] No.

[Applause] Wow.

[Applause] Oh, it's raining.

>> Look, at, that., Just, put, the, last, screw, in and it started to rain. Looks awesome.

Yeah, we need to get our tools out of the rain.

It's the first rain we've had in 3 weeks and the fire danger is pretty high. We

get some crazy wildfires here in Alaska.

It is late. I'm going to bed. Oh, I

should eat some dinner, too, while I'm at it.

>> Take, this, massage.

>> Well,, it's, 1000, p.m., I, think, it's, time to go to bed. I'll see you guys in the morning.

Tommy's still asleep and I'm going to use this as a chance to get a little jump on work. All right, I need to landscape this a little bit and level out the ground.

Two moose.

Oh, it's a mama and a baby. You can tell she doesn't like me. She just folded her ears back and the hump on her back is fluffing up. I think that's the same

fluffing up. I think that's the same mommy and baby I saw last time. I've

been seeing their tracks all over the place.

[Music] Heat. Heat.

Heat. Heat.

[Music] All right, that's looking pretty good.

Now for the tough part. I've got to go get my forge.

Go, get, I'm, going to, go, out, to, the campsite and get the forge. I could use your help. Well, it's 11:00 a.m. and

your help. Well, it's 11:00 a.m. and

Tommy's up. I think it's time to get some breakfast or lunch or brunch or something.

>> This, is, I, cut, and, I, had >> or, we, can >> the, old, breakfast, burrito, still, good.

>> Oh,, this, is, going, to, be, a, chore., Um,, my forge, anvil, and charcoal killed are all at a winter campsite off in these bogs. Luckily, it's so dry now. I think

bogs. Luckily, it's so dry now. I think

we can get there on foot. The K truck might be able to get back here, but uh I don't want to find out.

>> Oh,, here.

What' you do there?

>> See, this, song?

>> We're, on, water, now.

>> Here., Hop, up, and, down., You, feel, it?

>> We're, on, top, of, water,, aren't, we?

>> Yeah., The, tundas, creeped, over, the, top, of the lake.

>> That's, deep.

>> Oh,, you, punched, through.

>> Yeah.

>> Firm, grounds, to, your, left.

Oh, >> it, hasn't, rained, for, almost, a, month.

Imagine how wet it would be if we came in August.

I assume that's where you slept.

>> Yeah,, that's, where, I, slept., Those, stakes were shoved into the ice and snow and so when the snow melted, they fell.

It's my charcoal.

Still looking good. Oh my

>> That's, pretty, bad.

>> Yep.

>> No,, I, seriously, I, had, to, do Give it a pull. Come on, Tom.

How about this? Do you want to keep it upright and I pull?

>> Yeah.

>> All, right., All, right., I'm, going, to, give you one good shot of me pulling this thing. I'm putting the camera down. This

thing. I'm putting the camera down. This

is a two-hand job.

>> No,, this, looks, easier, than, it, actually is.

I should have done this in the winter time huh?

>> Oh,, my, legs, are, jelly.

>> Yeah,, I'll, sit, down, for, that.

>> Well,, we, need, an, anvil, stand.

>> Log need a big thick tree to use as an anvil stand, but I don't want to cut down a live one. That one's pretty thick.

live one. That one's pretty thick.

Take it like that and then it free spools.

>> Ah, >> I, can, grab, the, log, turner, if, you, need.

[Applause] Hold on the side.

[Music] That's looking good.

That's looking good.

That might be a little tall, but I think it's okay for right now. I'll tell you what, this turned out really nice. Well

that is all the time I have for this trip, but I'm going to be back.

[Music] There she is. Got her all fixed up.

Hey, look who's here. My sister and her family are going to be joining me today.

Hey Curtis, how you doing? Hey Melissa.

So I have a lovely toolbox you can sit on. Sorry.

on. Sorry.

>> Do, you, want, the, seat, or, do, you, want, the >> uh, here?, Let, me, get, the, uh, automatic door locks for you.

>> Perfect., A

>> All, righty.

Get this thing all nice and charged up for tomorrow.

>> Time., They, don't, work, well., Cold.

>> Oh,, that's >> You, don't, belong, up, here.

>> Kiss, you, with, my, mouth, in, a, second.

>> Yeah,, Mario, Kart.

>> A, That, was, some, good, times,, but, it, is late., All right,, we'll, see, you, guys, in

late., All right,, we'll, see, you, guys, in the morning.

Oh, it's a beautiful day.

We got about half an inch of rain yesterday and you can see the shelter did its job. But over here, you can see there's a line where the ground's quite wet. The water's coming down off this

wet. The water's coming down off this roof and this roof. There's splashing

and the splashing is getting into the shelter. So, any tools or metal that's

shelter. So, any tools or metal that's in this little zone is going to get wet.

So,, I, think, I'm, going to, want, a, little backsplash back there.

Good morning.

>> Morning.

>> You, guys, sleep, okay?

>> Oh,, yeah.

>> All, right,, guys., I, need, some, help getting rid of bad gas.

[Music] That's run. That's kill

That's run. That's kill your helmet.

>> Why, don't, you, hop, in, this, one?, See, if, it turns on, Calvin.

Hey, >> nice wagon.

You want the wagon right next to the pile.

All right.

All right,, Sean., Lower, your, blade, a little bit.

Ra raise it up with your right joystick a little bit. There you go.

All right, put the bucket down.

Stay to the right side.

>> Take, that, off, right, now.

>> Yeah.

>> Oh,, for, whatever, reason,, the, wireless feature on my dump trailer just isn't working at all. I hit the button and absolutely nothing is happening. I don't

know what's going on in there.

All right,, we're, going, to, go, stop, for breakfast here.

>> What?

>> Sausages,, but, they're, so, good.

>> Got, a, little, remote, and, you, push, a button.

>> Oh,, and, it's, not, working, now., Yeah,

because >> Okay., So,

>> Okay., So, [Music] >> yeah,, we, want, down, to, low., Yeah.

>> Okay., Oh,, hey Yeah, >> it's, really [Music] >> you, know.

>> Yeah.

>> All, right,, guys., You, go, get, a, load., I'm

going to work on the Porsche.

Working on the forge, I found this.

That's the quill to a porcupine.

Porcupines like to get underneath cabins and chew out the beams. They're notorious for causing damage that way.

That's a big part of why the previous owners put the plywood around the cabin is to keep critters out from underneath it. But I just got to add that to the

it. But I just got to add that to the list of things to do. I got to work on this first.

Well, there we go. That's looking

better. Oh, mosquito got me.

Well, my sister and her family are packing up. They got to get going. I'm

packing up. They got to get going. I'm

going to go ahead and drive them back to the trail head.

>> Can, help.

>> It's, been, fun,, guys., Make, sure, to, come back. Okay

back. Okay >> we, will., Thank, you,, sir.

>> See, you.

Got a fair amount done, but that's it for this trip.

I'm going to be back to finish this project soon.

Hey Everest.

>> How, you, doing?

>> Well,, I, got, my, buddy, Everest, from, the YouTube channel Traveler's Tale. He's

here and him and his girlfriend Aaron are going to be visiting and we're going to see if we can't put him to work at the cabin a little bit.

>> I, would, love, to.

>> All, right,, guys., I, need, your, help.

>> Here,, Jake., Can, you, grab, the, anvil, and uh I'll grab >> That's, too, heavy.

>> That's, too, heavy., Okay,, then, here., Maybe

take that.

Why don't Why don't you take this? Could

you put this stuff in the fridge?

>> Hey,, you, put, a, wall.

>> When, was, that?

>> Right, across, the, highway., Right, when, we left.

There you go.

>> All, right,, I'm, going, to, see, if, I, can, get this trailer fixed.

Or it might have gotten cut off and removed but >> it's, like, a, reset.

>> Yeah.

>> Oh,, it's, working., That, That's, all, it was. That's nice when it's an easy pro.

was. That's nice when it's an easy pro.

It's an easy fix.

All right. Well, we put a dent in that.

>> Yeah,, that, was, a, lot, of, wood.

>> Let's, go, check, on, the, trailer, to, see, if the battery is charged. Oh

>> it's, got, a, big, blade, you, put, on, there.

All right.

Understand why?

[Music] I think one man's death is a tragedy.

I don't think maybe I should do that.

Good to see you. Just hop up and down.

>> My, shoes, are, filled, with, rock.

>> Oh,, you're, almost, there.

>> Well,, and, and, that, means Going to make some dinner.

Nice.

>> All, right., Right, there.

>> The, rocks, help, keep, it, from, getting muddy and the sand makes it more pleasant to walk on. Well, let me go check on dinner here.

>> Even, if, I, did,, I, don't.

>> I, don't, know.

>> I, don't, know.

>> All right,, guys., You, like, the, food?

>> I, love, it.

>> Love.

>> Nathan,, did, you, just, pull, a, baguette, out of your pocket?

>> All, right.

[Music] [Music] [Music] All righty.

All right.

There we go. Me and Nathan filled up some potholes on the trail. It's getting

late, though. I think we better get going to bed.

All right, it is late. We got to get these kids to bed. I'll see you in the morning.

>> I, mean,, you, have, to >> I'm, getting [Music] here.

>> Yep.

>> I, love, the All righty.

[Music] [Music] >> Why don't, you, go, put, the, four-wheeler, in the garage? Okay, we're getting ready to

the garage? Okay, we're getting ready to leave. All right, I'll pull the car up

leave. All right, I'll pull the car up and you guys can start loading the car.

I'll do the dishes.

>> All, right,, that's, all, we, got, time, for today. Still got a few more things to do

today. Still got a few more things to do to finish that forge. We'll be back soon.

[Music] Well, it's been about a month, but man the propertyy's looking in good shape.

It has been raining quite a bit, though.

It's been raining for weeks, and despite that, I'm walking around the property and no mud. That is so nice.

Everything's nice and dry. Really glad

to have my roads now.

Everything seems to be doing okay.

Had a little bit of trouble starting the K truck today. I think the battery might be a little bit low. So, go ahead and charge it up.

Well,, the, first, thing, I'm, going to, do today is build myself a workbench for the forge.

Heat.

[Music] [Applause] Heat.

[Applause] Well, one thing I noticed, I got a little bit, of, a, mud, hole, going, right here. The more I walk on this, the worse

here. The more I walk on this, the worse it's going to be. So, I really want to fix it.

It's not a sophisticated solution, but it'll work. My wooden forge handle

it'll work. My wooden forge handle caught fire and broken, so I replaced it with a bit of 1-in aluminum. Let's uh

see if this replacement handle works.

[Applause] Oh, my belt broke. Oh

I have no idea how to fix that.

Yeah,, I'm, going to, have, to, give, that some thought. I'm going to go make

some thought. I'm going to go make myself some dinner and put it up for the night. This will give me a chance to

night. This will give me a chance to think about what to do with this.

It's the end of a cold, rainy day, and dunking some cookies in hot chocolate is a nice way to end it.

All right,, guys., It's, time, to, get, to bed. I've got a lot to do tomorrow. I'll

bed. I've got a lot to do tomorrow. I'll

see you in the morning.

Well, I spent a lot of time thinking about this forge last night and how to get a replacement belt. I've got some ideas on how to repair the belt, but none of them I can do today. I need

materials and equipment I don't have on me. I'm going to run to town and I'm

me. I'm going to run to town and I'm going to pick this up later.

There is one final thing I've been meaning to do. I want to get my well water tested. Not all well water is safe

water tested. Not all well water is safe to drink, so I figured I'd better be safe rather than sorry.

[Music] Okay, let's get out of here.

Says I got almost 12 volt. What's going

on? Fully charged my battery last time I was here.

All right, says I got 12.4 volts. N

battery's been weird. Let's see

what is up with my starter. I've got

juice.

>> Yeah,, you'll, have, to, turn, your, key, on.

>> All right.

>> I, got, something, about, Hey,, thank, you very much.

>> Hey,, appreciate, it., There's, a, plug, that goes to the starter solenoid and there's a short in that plug. And I think that short is draining the battery. But we

just got down there and wiggled that plug and then it started.

Let's see what we can do to fix that forge.

All right. So, the nylon in this ratchet strap is almost the same dimensions as my belt. So, I going to sacrifice the

my belt. So, I going to sacrifice the nylon strap to the greater good here.

Put some epoxy on this.

All right, we'll let that glue set up and I'm going to install some hooks up here.

Well, there you go. Starting to look like a proper blacksmithing forge. I've

got to let that glue sit for a couple hours before I can test out the forge.

So, I think I'll kill some time by taking a couple loads of rocks and dumping them on the trail.

Filling up the ruts with these rocks will keep them from getting bigger. It's

a lot easier to fix it now than to let the problem get big and then try to fix it.

Let's see. Been curing for a few hours.

Let's see if it's uh any good.

There we go.

I was monkeying around with the forge and the glue for the belt started coming undone. According to the back of the

undone. According to the back of the bottle, I'm supposed to let it cure for 24 hours. And uh so maybe I should let

24 hours. And uh so maybe I should let it do that this time. Think I'll leave it alone and let that glue set up properly. Well, I got a lot done today

properly. Well, I got a lot done today but it's going to be a short trip. I've

got to get heading back home.

It's doing that thing again.

I need to get that starter fixed.

Oh, there's a grouse.

So, a couple weeks ago, I had my wellwater tested and it's safe to drink but it does have a lot of iron in it and that affects the taste and can also gum up my pots and pans. So, I bought a filter.

This is a spawn pool pre filter for when you're filling up your pool. And it

takes out iron and copper and other metals.

It's going to freeze up any day now, so I don't want to leave that filter out.

It tastes a lot better. A lot less iron in it.

Cold, wet, and rainy. It has been raining for 3 weeks. It's going to be snowing here pretty soon.

[Applause] Yeah, that's doing a lot better.

>> That, seems, to, be, working., Now,, I, need, to check my cabin foundation.

Well, the good news is it hasn't changed any in the last 3 months. So, as long as that's all it does, it should be okay.

But if it starts to get worse and worse that's a problem. We'll see what happens over the winter time when the ground freezes. Then we might see a lot of

freezes. Then we might see a lot of changing.

It's cold and wet out here.

[Music] The sand acts as a binder and helps keep the rocks in place. It also kind of makes it a little bit smoother and less bumpy to drive down.

All right, one more load.

There you go. That looks pretty nice.

It's a lot more pleasant to drive on too. I am looking forward to going

too. I am looking forward to going inside and warming up. Oh, that feels good.

Well, guys, it's good to get some food in me and warmed up, but it's getting late. I need to get home. But I'm glad

late. I need to get home. But I'm glad to get these projects done, and it's a good place to stop the video. But this

is not the last video I'm going to film here at the abandoned homestead. Stay

tuned for that.

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