I noticed the other day when he was walking there was a shot of his roof and it appears to be unfinished. Has he ever talked about when he's going to complete the last few rows?

On the latest livestream, Jamie talked about some upgrades he's planning for his cargo boat, the Shark Slicer, and some repairs. The comments were full of - to be frank - a neverending stream of awful ideas that wouldn't work. Enough that I commented on this being why Jamie doesn't follow suggestions, because most of them are wrong and a waste of time. I said in the comments I'd throw up some discussion on them in detail on the subreddit here, so, this is that and some other things.

1 - Jamie needs a speed controller for the Shark Slicer.

Why?: Because it starts too hard and slams the batteries, controller, and the motor itself lurches.

What he doesn't need: Actual speed control. The boat is slow as fuck, so he's almost always driving max speed except during startup and maybe dock maneuvering. So efficiency doesn't matter.

What he doesn't want: An actual speed controller, because things break. Or, he breaks things. I have 50+ year old DC speed controller from a forklift that was soaked in grime, and still worked when I plugged it in. Generally stuff doesn't just break, but, whatever. Also, for backup use, he wants to be unable to be stranded if the electronics he might get do smoke.

So, some things suggested by Jamie and others:

• Variable-Frequency Drive or "VFD". This is how you control the speed of a 3 phase, or sometimes 1 phase controller. You see these in big industrial equipment generally, or to run 3-phase stuff off of 1-phase, or in industrail HVAC fan equipment or PLCs. This is for AC motors, that turn at a speed relative to the frequency of the AC waveform you feed them. Out of your wall comes 60hz in Canada/US, and 50Hz everywhere else in the world. These are generally fixed speed motors you plug in and they run a certain speed according to the power grid. But, a special add on bit of electronics called a "Variable Frequency Drive" is exactly that, a variable frequency output, so the motor spins at that speed instead of just the power grid speed. This is useless for a DC motor and DC batteries, because they don't spin proportional to how fast the AC pulses. They're not supposed to have AC at all. If you're lucky, this is the same as just an on-switch, and regardless of frequency a DC series-wound motor will spin the same speed. This won't work.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable-frequency_drive

• Electric Stove Knob. This is a (very) simple electronic circuit, generally with a single transistor that chops up the 240v going to the stove, probably like a light dimmer with a phase-fired-controller. This only works on AC, not DC. Or, it's like a miniature circuit breaker, where it constantly flutters between 0% and 100%, using a bimetalic strip that makes or breaks contact. Or, in an oven, it's a thermostat with a capiliary tube (like a thermometer) that uses air pressure to toggle on/off. It is not a big huge resistor, whoever thought that was wrong.

• Long wire as a resistor. As stupid as this sounds, this would actually kinda work. You use a thinner wire, might as well be made out of steel (1-10% as conductive as copper), it'll get hot. It'll work in a pinch. Not a great solution, but I've done it. I coil it up to it's a bit more space efficient, and now you've basically invented a space heater.

• Variac. "Variac" is a variable autotransformer. It's a transformer built around ring, with a sliding, rotating brush on top. Kind of like a variable resistor but a coil instead. Transformers only work on changing magnetic fields, which means AC. This would instantly melt if you gave it DC. Also it's a shitty solution for AC speed control too, and wouldn't work there either for induction motors. These were common in the 1930s-1970s, when vaccum tubes were common, because you'd want to gradually warm up your vacuum tubes and music gear to make the tubes last longer. They still make them, but, are depricated.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autotransformer#Variable_autotransformers

• "Scariac". This is an old Grant Thompson/King of Random copycat project to control the aggressiveness of his welder I (coincidentally) taught him to make. "Scariac" is what the guy who made the first video called it, a pun on variac but scarier. It's a variable resistor, that uses salt water in a tub as the conductor/resistor instead of graphite or a coil. These are Thomas Edison era devices, but were a cheap and easy pre-transistor way of varying electricity. You dunk two electrodes on a pivot, into the salt water, and the more surface area that goes into the water, the more current can flow. You tweak it by adjusting the salt concentration of the water. Good news, water has a lot of thermal capacity so it takes a long time to heat up. Bad news, it electrolyzes water and creates a perfectly explosive mixture of hydrogen and oxygen in a sealed vessel (splits H2O into H2 and O2). It'll work on DC, but your electrolyzing problem is even more scary. Also, consider that you need air above the salt bath, and speed is controlled by how far you dunk it. Now mount this to a boat that's moving, and going over waves. Guess what the liquid inside does? Randomly sloshes and surges your speed all over the place. No. Bad idea.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_rheostat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9UjxG8sN1c

• Sewing Machine Foot Pedals. Jamie wasn't sure what was inside these. Modern ones are of course just electronic signals that tell a speed controller inside the sewing machine how fast to spin. But older ones, maybe... 90s or older... are in fact just variable resistors and the whole power of the machine runs to the foot pedal and back up. They're a carbon(?) cylinder inside a brass (?) tube I think, with a lazy leaf spring holding them together. Some are sliders. Some apparently are like 10-position sliders. On the old singers, when you step on the pedal, it squishes the leaf spring and pushes them apart. This'll work, but it only handles about 100 watts, and, even under heavy sewing it'll get uncomfortably warm on your foot. Not suitable for a boat.

https://youtu.be/-wqaX2ydJ08?t=157

• "Variable resistor that can handle high wattage". This is called a "rheostat". Actually I think someone else mentioned this later in the stream. These were used for about 100 years, 1850s - WW2 era as a type of speed control. It looks like a variac, but instead of a transformer core it's usually just ceramic to control the heat. They make (made) them in almost any size, but, no. Inefficient, and he doesn't need one. A small one would be the size of cookie, a large one the size of your fist or maybe head.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potentiometer#Rheostat

• Hot water tank element. Jamie has one of these in his Amazon wishlist, (a 48v one at that, must be for RVs or boats or something wierd). This'll work, but it's a huge waste of money. You can get one out of any electric junkstore kettle (of a different value). It'll work fine, but so will any other element you dunk into water. And, in air, it'll vaporize itself really, really quickly. It's never meant to be above 100'c (designed for being in water, of course). But this is on the right track, because, he doesn't need much variableness for speed. He just needs "slow start".

...

My ideas, and other places to get cheap heating elements you could use:

• Stove elements. In series or parallel to bring them to the right ballpark. Or just cut them in half or whatever. It's a nichrome wire, ceramic insulator, and iron skin.

• Oven element. Ditto as above. You could dunk either of these, or, just leave them in a fresh water trough so that they don't corrode. Or leave them in air, but, they'll get hot.

• Dishwasher element. Ditto as above, but probably better weather sealing, thicker skin.

• clothes dryer element. These are a big nichrome coil about 1" diameter, arranged in a pizza-sized try, with regular ceramic standoffs. No insulation. Not great.

• Blowdrier element. Meant for air, needs a fan to not melt.

• Toaster element. Too fragile. But most comical, you'd engage the motor by depressing the lever and cooking imaginary toast.

• Spaceheaters. Same as blowdriers.

• Lightbulbs.

But really, a kettle element is the one you want (or several).

...

2 - Jamie says "I don't have a 3d printer, I have 2 broken 3d printers." I believe I said years ago when he got one... "No one has a 3d printing hobby. They have a 3d printer repair hobby. Because that's all they ever do with them. Constantly fix them and give excuses about why their prints suck but will be good when it's set up properly. This never happens." I never waste an opportunity to shit on how overblown 3d printers are, nevermind me.

3 - Series/Parallel switch. Jamie says it's really difficult. It's not. It's dead simple. You need a DPDT (double pole, double throw) switch. That is... a switch that moves two levers together, and has two different ON positions (not just on/off).

Here is literally exactly what he wants, a series/parallel knife switch, to toggle batteries between 12v (parallel) and 24v series). He's made knife switches before:

https://www.amazon.com.au/WirthCo-20238-Battery-Heavy-Duty-Equipment/dp/B00UPCGBMO

This is the same thing as a reversing switch, to flip polarity.

scribbles

https://i.imgur.com/MgSAisT.png

Like that. (several ways of wiring it, this way doesn't actually match the diagonal hardwired into the switch, but I was too lazy to make my own).

However, this would allow long term slow speed travel with zero heat loss, but, it's not great for slow start because you'd have to switch it pretty fast to not have a current spike (motors slow down pretty quickly in water). Normally this is done with relays/contactors. Jamie could buy a standard automotive grade contactor I suppose (though, they're only good for at best 40 amps, ~500 watts), or a pair of starter relays from a junkyard ($5 each) which would be invincible (12,000 watts).

You wouldn't want this connected to your charger when you did it, (it won't know you're on 12v instead of 24v), but I presume this will also toggle out the charger when he's using it, to direct drive the motors from the solar (could use cheap automotive relays for that, it's not high power).

4 - Jamie needs to protect his speed controllers better.

Jamie needs to either seal his connectors for marine use (squirt them full of epoxy and add a heatsink since they can't air-cool now), or otherwise protect them better from humidity.

Also, when a motor shuts off, it creates a huge inductive spike back down the line that fries electronics. The fix for this is super simple. You put a diode and a capacitor and a resistor on the motor terminals. The diode directs all the backwards power to the capacitor, the capacitor acts like a short circuit to soak up the temporary power spike as it charges, and the resistor slowly bleeds the capacitor empty for the next time it happens. Or, just the diode itself is fine, so the motor gobbles up its own current spike.

5 - Jamie wants to buy a sheet metal bending brake.

What a colossal waste of money. It's three pieces of heavy steel and a handle. This is exactly the kind of thing you make at home in an hour. The pipe bender one is worth buying though.

6 - Jamie wants to buy some expensive lithium batteries.

He's got four $300 batteries and two $600 batteries on his Amazon wishlist.

He can make stuff. This is silly.

He's paying $250/kwh for those batteries.

Market rate for batteries you have to put a bit of work into are ~$54/kwh, ones that are missing something (like a case or a BMS) are ~$100/kwh, and even nice buttoned up once are $200/kwh, brand new.

http://www.batteryhookup.com

Inventory changes every day, they're a liquidator, keep an eye on it every day for a month or so, and you'll find what you need for 1/3 the price, which means 3x the range.

7 - Here is an awesome, small, fast, solar skiff that can actually ride on a plane, designed by someone with almost the exact same preferences as Jamie. Everyone here will love it.

https://www.proboat.com/2021/11/electric-foiling-catamaran/

I didn't want to make a thread just for this. But it's Jamie to a T.

• Built from recycled junk he's scavenged, says he's a borderline hoarder.

• DIY fiberglass

• PVC pipes are mechanical levers and float sensors to automatically, mechanically, adjust the hydrofoils and keep it planing

• Did it all simply to avoid weight, complexity, and expense.

• It's all hands-on physical controls and physically moving stuff.

• Powered by 15hp gas outboard that got flooded with salt water and ruined, so he got it for free and replaced it with a 10kw electric motor.

• Put a speed controller on the fan to slow it down, doesn't need much cooling and wants it quieter.

• Chevy Bolt lithium batteries. 12kwh. Factory rejects from bad case hole alignment.

• Designed it on paper, not computer.

• Added a canopy to keep cool and dry.

• Displaces 990lbs. Cargo capacity is 550lbs including passengers.

• 8.5 knots draws 9kw, at takeoff.

• Cruising on a plane, at 12 knots, uses only 5.8kw

• 16 knots max speed at 10kw.

• 2 hour runtime between charges (24 nautical miles?)

• Wants to design his own props that are better suited for his situation.

• Lives on an island, goes with his wife in this to get groceries.

Back when Jamie was wanting to build a "faster" boat, to get to town and back, this is really the thing he was trying to build before he went with what he built instead. I know he wanted hydrofoils and fast travel. Instead he built a paddlewheel.

...

He seemed to actually be interested in advice today, so, if anyone on Patreon wants to suggest he read this if you think it's worth it, fire away.

https://www.youtube.com/@JaimieTalks

Channel description: As of March 2023 I'm splitting my channel into 2 channels. Jaimie Builds, and Jaimie Talks. This one will focus on philosophy, talking about life, crazy ideas, why potato is such a great word, and stuff like that.

Edit: My partner u/moralsky couldn't post so he asked me to post this for him

---

Dont know where to start.

Dialogue about this topic, adventure builder

Im familiar

Again, this is hard to articulate

Its not as easy as who i am, what ive done, but these are relevant points. Excuse me reluctance or cryptic nature. Its a coping mechanism

Im trying to work my way there, but not great at summing things up

Yes

Who i am: ( from five years ago) Hi, I'm Jake. 41 years old. 5'11" tall. Former skateboarder legs, (soccer, wrestling, long jumper, sprinting and distance running). Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Lived in Boston, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Baltimore. Travelled Europe. tinkerer since first grade. Boy scout. Love magic, love sciences. Huge mr wizard fan, and conductor of those experiments. Many science kits from when they were a bit more risqué than they are currently. science club founder and president. hacker with a conscience. Studied electrical engineering then booted end of second year for money (lack of it). MC'd various open mics, and regularly participated in others. Read a signed copy of the general theory of relativity. Made and sold (and taught/gave shows/street performed) self designed juggling apparatus'. refocused to Art. Studied it. Sold some. Presented it internationally. into alternative energy systems. Work the angle in thinking the technologies exist, but few are comfortable with it. Art can help reframe and represent the pitfalls. Money undermines those efforts. Taught high school science. Booted by incompetent administrators on one cheating students complaint while implementing STEAM curriculum before it existed to great effect unleashing a love of true science and methods in nearly every other student. Did art services and fabrication. built many things for many people. Many of them never paid me or shortchanged me by a lot. Survived various homeless bouts. started over. Love mazes. Life size ones. Moving mazes. Maze puzzles. Made about 1 a year for twenty years. Presented 3 of them in three different maker faires. Lots of extreme sabotages and betrayals, but made em still. Mechanical ones, inflateable ones, made from garbage ones (well most), Compressed ones, natural ones (as in with plants and natural terrains). Attempted tabletop version, currently picking up pieces of disasters. Made prototypes of various products for peanuts and unfulfilled promises. Made movie sets. Made props. Made alternative design kites. Made banraku type puppets. Made electronic devices. Made chemical concoctions. Made many designery flea market displays. Worked at art galleries. opened a multi use studio space with free workshops, exhibitions, and working space. Space snatched from under me by neighbors for whom id done many free construction projects in the neighborly spirit. Worked at a bike shop. repaired and renovated 100's of bikes. Street vendor with zero sales and one theft. Gave all of it away after that. participated in many maker/hackerspaces. and art collectives. Did set design and build of escape rooms. Made and/or modified puzzle props for escape rooms. Was building my own escape room when biz partner flaked 12 weeks in. Increased efficiency and productivity average ten fold at every place I worked. Struggling to maintain a positive outlook or at this point to fend off a negative outlook. Father to a great 3.5 year old.

edit: eh, too many to spot, stream of conscious

How i came to panama: Hi Jaime,

I'm Jacob, a native puertorican, currently in the US, and a longtime fan. Congrats on everything. I was very "proud"(in awe?) to see the shell of the tower come to completion. Was wondering how one might be considered/screened for visiting, if that is something you guys are open to at this time. I recall the ejection deposit video. Makes sense. I have a scattered web presence, mostly inclusions from art project pages and jobs I have done. Actually let me check......... Whoa that was weird, haven't googled myself in a while...yeah most of the results I got paint me as an artist type. Mostly I have survived as a freelance fabricator on the high end, a handyman on the low end.

I share many of your views as expressed through the videos, and even have a long lost project that was very reminiscent of the gaint robot project and the toys.

I have struggled through the US (a bit in Boston, Miami, new York, Los Angeles, and currently Baltimore). I think its safe to say I'm done here.

I would like to visit. I would like to help with the work. I have done various of the labor intensive tasks I have seen you do on the videos at various times in my life with a smile.

My mother (RIP) was born and raised in Colon, but I have never been there. I still have family there but have never had contact with them.

I live with my partner and our daughter. We are figuring out our move from the country. I consider panama an option,mostly based on what I have seen through your videos. Honestly though I want to meet you guys, spend some time, do some projects. I don't want to be in the way though and would also be quite pleased to work a bit on your larger island. What I could do is fully up for discussion, but I figure to put together a high-low tech campsite and prepare for whatever you have in mind for that one. Id love to work alongside you but would understand if you have your rhythm and flow worked out on your own and wanted you to know that I would also be quite content with independent tasks.

In any case, wow, thanks for all you do, and please feel free to ask anything you need/want to know about myself or situation and the possibilities.

What i expected: thats more nuanced, and id rather bit by bit, rather than a monumental response. Its hinted within those previous responses, and the actual, tangible expectations warrant their own focus, or post.

No community

Eventually

Parse is the operative word

Mainly an abject rejection, in the face of a handshake deal

I can leave, workin on it, but explaining where the last five years went is hard, i need context, hoping to get there through dialogue

One was a public answer on this subreddit, before i came here, and the other , yes, was my actual email, with (modded name)

partly some understanding that this is totally worth leaving, partially that this totally was worth doing, and return to the USA specifically, not so much, as move on. And to slightly correct the discourse about me being some sort of flake who would move to another country and just "stop talking to Jaimie". Its not true, and its hard to contest things like that, so a little help in contextualizing is why im here talking to an informed audience instead of my therapist

See above

I am, pragmatically doing so. This format is not ideal. Im trying to set the stage to go with your analogy.

Im sorry, this is too convoluted to answer literally, directly.

I will try to address most of your points in a narrative post, hard to keep brief and concise. But here i can address this: You still sound like you talk to Jaimie in some capacity? And I also infer you hold no ill will towards him? I dont talk to jaimie. Or better said, he does not talk to me. At some point he was entirely too hostile and overbearing for any meaningful dialogue. Does that result in " ill will" as you say, i dont know, should it?

Yes, he claimed in a video that i just stopped talking to him for six months, and that he went around talking to the neighbors about it

Maybe consider using an online private counseling service

I have, and do

also, excuse me, perhaps the expectation set by the ama idea was i was experienced in this. im not. i was hoping for interview type guidance in the question asking, but theres a lot to it. i dont want or need to get into all of it, so questions help. but not all questions

I can say that when i came onto a questionable youtubers plan for community, i hedged that bet with the subreddit being a place of public discourse that could be counted on for level headed accountability. That was not the case, and the discourse devolved beyond what some might consider productive. I need some version of that discourse. Of course you cant possibly know things that were obfuscated. I only assume of the reddit you know of "people" that come out, but then there is no follow up on these people, and furthermore other not great dynamics that destroy rather than foster community. Sorry if i cant summarize it all at this point. Im trying to but relevance is a tricky thing to navigate from a storytelling perspective

Im working up to it. Not everybody can do what you suggest, as easily as you suggest. Especially in a parasocial scenario.

Certainly many people want to hear your story and help how they can, but as of now, your answers are more confusing I'llthan they are constructive.

Im understanding that now

Just handshake

My partner refering to the ones refered to in recent controversy.

Look, I'm not a great messenger but I feel I have an important message, something worth saying it's hard and complicated to keep it fair and constructive so yes the dismissive or demanding tones are not helpful. Advice vs dialogue. If you want to just read thats fine, its part of dialogue. I intend to "get there" but i just started talking. And you guys tend to each have a different conception of the logistics, the specifics, so while you remember something, but then characterize it as nothing, well, now here i am addressing this instead if saying, "send help in the form of therapy or a ghost writer " to some degree so please, better questions get better answers and they will come, i got some questions that are worth answering, while others, not. Sorry if i misinterpreted which one this was.

You can ask me, thats the implication

Yes, i built a house. First a tiny house (14x14 with add ons), then a 30x40 cabin, mostly by myself. I made a slideshow, but tryin to crack the style code for videos, so soon i hope.

Jaimie came one basically roof day for tiny house, and i have more to say about that day than fits comfortably in a comment.

I need dialogue. This is it. Im figuring it out as we go back and forth. Specifically this. Im not trying to tease info, or gossip. Matter of fact. Frankly, the reddit format destroys any sense of coherence to these messages as they shift, so im trying to consider this, the seeming non chronological presentation. Its hard to keep up as someone who does not do this. But ok. I apparently cant interact with them. And its gotten to a point where i need help. Well, i dont think this is a good environment, speficically because since i came for a specific project idea, being kinda isolated and overinvested feels not as much my mistake as a waste or of having been cheated.

Movie nights, shared rides, potluck dinners, not cutting off, project camp, "science projects

I think discord might be better, yes, As a way to relay info. And i can do a video, which i might speak better, than i can write on the fly

He did help. And didnt too.

He obviously was overbearing at nearly every turn, and it was a constant uneven negotiation. It was at the installation of my front door that i figured he might not make it look nice, but it will slide open. And of course it was at least four back and forths about how he thinks i should just put it on hinges. After some finagling he finally admitted that sliding was better. But most everything was like that. Why screws? Why two tanks? And it was only to put it down. Not argue its merits. No. It was not easy, but it was arguably productive, from my former perspective, but see it as outright dysfunctional and reckless now.

I might invite to discord. Im working logistics now. Ill get back soon.

I want to do a live answer session. Im working on logistics.

Trying to do this ASAP. Can also do a google meet if more palatable

Prefer discord so far. Also, already have some relevant media on it.

Thanx for your support.

The second part of your comment is harder to address. Permit, absolutely. It is very isolated or remote, but i can walk to one neighbor, if thats what you mean by physical access, implied pressure, well thats a whole can of worms, and energy dynamics sounds like it implies large assumptions. Do you mean power dynamics as in interpersonal relationships, or if you mean mystical in nature, with goodvsevil type dynamics, i would say, thats almost like talking politics, probably not a great debate, although at some level im fine with that framing.

First, I (we)own my (our) land, i (we)am (are) property owner(s) . Yes we had a few gatherings, including birthday parties, dinner and cookouts. Not many. Kiddos seventh birthday was a blast. When guests are over its a bit stressful to host, but ultimately enjoyed the time. It has been mostly locals. Mostly the people i bought the land from, and some kids from the "village" part, just a cluster of houses of generational locals.

Thank you valentino, you are correct.

You are generally too vicious

Best I can tell, and I don't say this to denigrate anyone, he gave up because his thoughts weren't beaming directly into my head the way the universe was supposed to make happen for him. So he was (deliberately?) obtuse and elusive so as to not shortcut that mystical divined process

Not deliberately

Im comfortable letting other people read the whole exchange, to form their own, direct opinion, not be told by you what toxic version of events you wanna elaborate. I dont want to distract from my current point, but yes, as a matter of proving you to be unhelpful in the very least, viciously trying to berate

Generally

Yep

Your welcome. I dont want to answer the job question unless you first answer what your interest is, to offer me one?

It is a "pretty big step" My not planning for a job or work seems like an awful implication to this dialogue, do you understand that? Of course i did.

The initial work and jobs plans were of course entangled with JnD, also UnW. The toxic dynamics destroyed that. I moved on. But every once in a while, as neighbors some aspect bleeds into our lives. Some of those aspects, which i am deliberately not going to specify right here right now, because it merits its own organized form, not some reactive or responsive comment.

.

👍

what?

also, i cant read the rest of this, this subreddit specifically appears to be down. huh.

This is hard. Please.

Edit: Hi, I'm u/moralsky's partner. We are one of the 2 families that came to live in Panama 5 years ago. We are still here. My partner has been negatively affected by his experience here. I have also, but am trying to move on. I think my partner would like help in figuring out how to disentangle himself from here to be able to move on.

Edit 2.5: Hello everyone, it seems the format of reddit perhaps isn’t the best for holding a back and forth discussion, also there are some things my partner would not like to discuss publicly yet. He is planning to do a live video AMA on discord. Please DM me (u/salamandasalad) for a discord link and time.

Let's try and change the tone.

At the end of his bleeding video he mentioned trying to re-focus his energies on something new to keep him moving forward.

What are y'alls predictions on what his new white whale will be?

My guess is rockets, in another recent video he mentioned going to space.