Isolation chamber

[FerdieJ]

Not sure this is the correct spot in the forums, but it is creative so here goes.

 

I have just today broken ground on my latest project to build an isolation chamber in my backyard.

This will consist of a tank and soundproof room with the insulation being mushroom mycelium.

It is a very ambitious build, but something I have wanted to do for a good 20 years, and now I finally get to do it I am super excited.

I will include a few pictures of the process here, all I have so far are digging shots, but they will get more exciting as the build goes on.

Please add comments, questions, advice as you see fit, I am not quite sure about certain details just yet, am talking to a bunch of other people about their opinions on things, and value the input.

So for some boring digging shots read on..

 

I will have plenty more digging shots tomorow, plus hopefully, if I get the hole dug, I will have some pictures of starting to build the framework that will hold it all together.

 

Thanks for watching,

FerdieJ

[FerdieJ]

Ooops, please fix the multiposts, sorry.

[Meditator]

Lol cool

[FerdieJ]

As promised, more digging shots.

 

 

Tada, one hole.

Just in case you’re wondering, that’s about 2 cubic metres of space excavated, all by hand, all in a day and a half, well 9 hours in total if we want to get specific, which I do, because heck yeah, that’s gotta be some sort of record!

 

Thank life the universe and everything that most of it was beautiful sandy loam, that will be a pleasure to use on the garden, and only hit clay with 100mm to go.

 

I actually go to work tomorow, which is going to be odd, but hopefully I will get time to work on this some more and keep you posted, the pictures get more exciting than boring old digging ones I promise.

 

[Northerner]

Seems like an awesome project. Have you got an idea of what you're going to use to build the structure with? Why mycelium for the insulation? Which species? Grown on what medium?

[FerdieJ]

I have mostly sussed out most things about the build, just haven’t fully tested certain aspects so some details are not quite 100% just yet.

 

The framework will be pine and ply, just cheap 18*40mm sticks and 4mm bracing ply, this will be plenty strong enough for the purpose as the mycelium will add strength as well as insulation.

 

I am all about mushrooms, it is who I have been for a number of years now.

I like eating them, I like talking about them, I like growing them and thinking about growing them, mushrooms are the best.

So it has to be mushrooms.

Also I am all about science, and tying tradition and modern science in any way.

The traditional cob hut style building meshed with the science that mycelium offers a structure in terms of strength, flexibility and insulation all combined, well it is obviously a match made in heaven for me.

 

I will probably use Reishi spawn, as a few have told me of the extra strength it will give the structure and the extra fluffyness of the myc when fully colonised, I will need to do extensive testing to confirm this as my chosen species, but I am pretty convinced that’s what it’ll nd up being.

 

As for substrate, well, I need a substrate that the myc will just tear through, my biggest issue will be contams, and so speed of colonisation is important because of the size of the build and the fact it will all be grown once, as a single piece.

 

I would like to be able to use waste cardboard from the local businesses, this will cost me nothing which is great, get the locals involved, which is the whole point of this project, and because I will need a lot of help when I finally get to adding the substrate and spawn to the structure, telling people I am building a paper mache igloo makes them want to join in the fun!

 

I will still have to do some testing for the best substrate and spawn, but I imagine reishi and cardboard in some configuration with added nutes will be my go to.

 

 

 

[Meditator]

Dude i dont have the concentration to read all that rn but keep going haha, its a sick project man.

[Cimi]

23 minutes ago, Meditator said:

Dude i dont have the concentration to read all that rn but keep going haha, its a sick project man.

Agreed sick as. I'm being reminded of watching Primitive Technology: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAL3JXZSzSm8AlZyD3nQdBA

 

And you can have a bonus mushroom harevest on your roof it includes food as well. And extra insulation when it's fruiting. Self-sufficiency A+

Edited May 17, 2020 by Cimi

[FerdieJ]

I will work on doing some working drawings and better pictures with less novels when I get the plan a little more settled in my head, and then it will all be easier to understand.

I do tend to babble a lot in the early stages of a project because I am so excited, but that will settle down when I get into it, digging the bloody big hole filled me with so much adrenaline that I was a wee bit over the top for a few days, but work was good for that.

Anyway, today starts the framework so expect an update this evening.

[FerdieJ]

So I got some framing done, so you can start to see the idea, as you can see from my ‘working drawings’ the plans are mostly in my head but the basic concept is there to see.

Some random shots starting to build.

 

I need 10 of these pieces, they get bigger as they go round the float-tank, as the ceiling height changes from standing height at the back of the tank to standing height to get into the tank and the entranceway.

 

Then where the entranceway is to be I will have straight walls at 1900mm high or so,  I will continue the ceiling angle to make it easy on me, so it will be about 1950/2000 at the far end.

 

As I get further into the build it will become a little more obvious from the pictures just what I am trying to achieve so on thta note, I best go get some more done.

[FerdieJ]

This is the walls bits that I have put together standing up in their approximate final position, so you can start to see the chamber taking shape.

 

 

So I still need a couple of walls bits to finish the round, and then the straight wall bits and the end bit, and the roof.

 

It all makes perfect sense in my head, sorry I haven’t got round to better drawings, but you’ll get the idea as more gets done.

 

Which will probably be in a few days, I have to source more materials which won’t happen for a while, so for now you’ll just have to be content with these random thoughts and photos, but feel free to shoot questions at me if you have them.

[FerdieJ]

So it has been a few days, and while not much has happened in the way of building, I have finally hashed out a working drawing of the base of my chamber so you can get an idea of what it looks like.

I have had to really play with it to get it in under council reg building permit size, I have 10 square metres to work with, so smooshing it all in there was a fuck-around, but I think it should be easily workable, and I am large, for some of my smaller friends they will have heaps of space.

 

So there you go, a visual of the ideas I threw at you.

I have to go shopping, that might just happen tomorow, and if so expect more exciting pictures in the next few days!

[Enjaytee]

Wow Ferdie! this is a fucking great!

[XavierDass]

Keep it coming!

[FerdieJ]

I got a couple days work yesterday and then again today, so will go shopping on wednesday.

I also have some stuff ordered and on its way, a mini aquarium filter to get me started, eventually I’ll get a better one but for the price and my current budget it’ll get me started.

I have some spawn on the way, and from another forum user will be getting a different variety so will have two options to grow out and test.

 

and finally some pictures, not specific to the chamber but as part of the build I have to build a temporary structure around the chamber, so I can control the temperature and humidity throughout the grow.

 

So I have been coming up with an interlocking panel design I can make with mycelium panels that can go together and come apart quite easily.

 

 

these are a few early attempts, but I have come up with a way to make interlocking panels that stack on top of each other like lego, and just hold each other together.

 

this is a long term business idea I have for mycelium, so down the line I will work on making them structural and I have a few friends thinking along the same lines, so hopefully in a few years time this project will have spawned a new line of work for me..

 

but that’s a side note, maybe when things start happening with that I’ll make a seperate post.

[XavierDass]

How will you be making the inside water-tight?

[FerdieJ]

This inside of the chamber?

The inside of the chamber will be painted in ultra high gloss bathroom paint, and the roof slants to the back of the chamber so any condensation should run down the walls and back into the tank, and there will be air vents to keep the air moving and hopefully keep the condensation down anyway.

Depending on how it goes I may change practices, like keeping the water in the resevoir until I want to use it which leaves the inside dry most of the time, this is a working dynamic prototype after all so I can imagine I will discover lal sorts of problems that must be somehow overcome, but that’s the fun of it!

 

[XavierDass]

1 minute ago, FerdieJ said:

I will discover lal sorts of problems that must be somehow overcome, but that’s the fun of it!

 

Absolutely! You'll learn a lot and probably hone some skills

 

Have fun, keep at it, and make sure to keep us posted

[FerdieJ]

So while I didn’t get to the hardware today, I did get around to visualising the design of the outside of the structure.

 

I have always wanted to have a TARDiS something, and now I get one.

Because of the alien ceature eating it, I create the illusion of the old girl being indeed bigger on the inside too, I reckon that nails it!

 

So while that quick sketch is n absolute work of art, I went ahead and mad a bit of a model too, so you can really get the idea.

 

So tomorow I get some more supplies and start building the rest of the frame, can’t wait!

[FerdieJ]

I have been busy making frames and now you can start to see what’s going on.

 

As you can see I’ve laid out the base so you can see the size I have to work with.

obviously there’s still a long way to go but things are coming together quite nicely.

[FerdieJ]

Just a few progress pics, getting to look like a proper structure now!

 

[rottenjonny]

I'm really enjoying this build. the monster eating the tardis sculpture put me over the edge it's great!

[FerdieJ]

That really got me going too, when I figured it out.

I have since seen the indian police wearing covid masks and I think the monster may be covid related, I might do the covid blobs aruond the body to tie it all into the whole covid isolation isolation chamber project!

I am just having so much fun with this thing.

 

I did a little more today, finished the curved walls so I can start figuring out how to tie the rest of the frame together.

 

But I ran out of materials, so off the hardware I go at some stage, there is still plenty I can do before then though, so boring waiting for new frame pics I know but I am feeling the same, I just want this project to rocket forward, but I am waiting on the tank for at least two weeks so I am stuck a little.

 

But I have various components now to get me started and soon it will look like it’s supposed to, and I have mycelium to play with now, and more coming from saguaro so I can play with more, and things should start really kicking off in a couple weeks.

but for now, tedious waiting..

[sagiXsagi]

Very cool project. Wont the mycelium gradually eat away the structure?? 

[FerdieJ]

Once I have grown the structure, I have to time it right,before the myc starts to pin after full colonisation I switch the humidity from 100% or close to, to 0% or close to.

 

Hopefully I can time it right but if I get it before it starts to fruit, with the reishi even if it does pin, and start to grow shrooms, I will play with oxygen/CO2 levels and try to get the funky antler growth but the idea is to dry it out before it gets that far.

 Once growth and pinning has slowed, or stopped, because the moisture level is too dry, then I just have to keep the humidity nice and low and draw the moisture out of the structure, essentially rendering the myc not quite dead but very dormant.

 

Then.. in this stage the myc is perfect food for all sorts of things, I can’t have that, so I am going to fire the outside with a flamethrower/blowtorch type thing, and then paint it with a varnish of some description, possibly a natural resin one, I am playing with a few things, to protect it from slugs and snails, and other things.

 

So the myc will get a stranglehold on the framework I have in place,(which helps to tie it all together structurally) but the drying process will mean it never can go too far.

Hopefully.

 

As I keep saying, not 100% sure on much really, a lot of the planning is centred around untested theories but if the science and the theories are correct, this thing should be strong, and well insulated, and if I can then protect it could last a very long time.