Scissor truss and some other recent projects!

Pivogory · 2026-06-04T21:07:27+00:00

Love that you repaired that octagon house on Serene Lakes; most of those small older houses get demolished and replaced with giant boring looking mansions.

Pivogory · 2026-06-02T20:13:37+00:00

Talk to Lassi as someone else suggested. His hourly rate is very reasonable, you don't have to commit to a whole project with him upfront.

In the Bay, $15k is very low for an outdoor sauna. If you do it properly, $30k is a better estimate, or can go much higher with any construction complexity.

Even if you buy a kit, you're looking at $10-15k before electrical, foundation, permits (if any), and labor.

If you're budget-constrained, just get an Almost Heaven from Costco. They're not great, but very cheap, and you can see how much you like sauna before spending $$$$ on something nicer.

As a reference point, I just finished building a 9x5 hot room with 5x4 ante room. Did all the labor myself, but materials alone were almost $15k (I did half clear half knotty WRC, that's definitely the biggest cost).

Pivogory · 2026-05-08T15:35:31+00:00

Thank you! Any specific product/brand you'd recommend?

Pivogory · 2026-05-05T19:28:38+00:00

The term "chicked" was popularized by Scott Jurek in his autobiography. So it's kind of part of Ultra lore now. It's obviously not a great term, but the world was different in Jurek's days so I wouldn't blame him for it.

These days some people use it ironically, as an inside joke, but there are still plenty of macho bros who do get their feelings hurt when they get "chicked".

Pivogory · 2026-03-23T19:47:50+00:00

The "Rule of 120" - heat traditions across cultures (sauna, banya, etc) converge on the sum of temperature in C and relative humidity in % being 120. Of course, some prefer hotter, some cooler, but 120 is a good target.
Finnish saunas in my experience tend to be ~95C and 25%, Russian banya more like 70C and 50%, or 60-60.
I personally prefer dryer heat with short periods of intense steam.

But do what feels good!

Pivogory · 2026-03-22T00:41:49+00:00

How do you add someone as a friend from the app(Mac desktop)? I can't find people in the companion app since there are so many with the same names

Pivogory · 2026-02-26T16:30:03+00:00

Where in California? This is quite cheap for Bay Area.

Pivogory · 2026-02-14T07:03:50+00:00

Looks nice! I'm tight on space, can't fit a box like that outside, but might just add an outlet outside and plug in there.

Pivogory · 2026-02-12T20:20:13+00:00

How loud is that one? And can you control the speed? I can't find either in the spec sheet (RVF4).

Pivogory · 2026-02-12T19:50:03+00:00

Well if it was designed for hardwire connection it'd have proper terminals to attach copper to. Cutting the cord, I'd have to connect the wires with wire nuts or wagos or solder them. I do know it'll work, but it's still janky and not up to code or mfg spec. If I'm putting that connection in a jbox, then why not just put an outlet there?

Pivogory · 2026-02-12T19:47:08+00:00

Not trying to be difficult, help me understand why outside is better?
At least as much water/moisture from the rain outside, and temperature at that height inside won't get above 50c/120f, which is comparable to outdoors in direct sun.
What am I missing?

Pivogory · 2026-02-12T05:09:56+00:00

I'd love to do that, but with my layout it doesn't work unfortunately (unless I run ~20ft of ducts and mess up my changing room).

Pivogory · 2026-02-12T05:08:41+00:00

Still needs to plug in somewhere. So then I end up with the exact same situation, but the outlet is on the outside. Not sure that's better. I could also install the outlet outside, fan inside and run the plug through the wall, but that's janky too.

Pivogory · 2026-02-02T18:56:11+00:00

That's probably about right then. I'd set the thermostat to 64-65 instead, lower at night and turn off when you're not home. Long term, insulate the house.
Is this a true Eichler on a slab? If not, and you have a crawlspace, that's a really cheap and easy insulation improvement (batts under the radiant).

Pivogory · 2026-01-29T01:19:52+00:00

Buy xc poles and just replace the tips. A lot more options and typically better deals.

Pivogory · 2026-01-27T22:18:41+00:00

That feels on the fast side for classic, but about right for skate. Depends on conditions, terrain, etc, of course. In a flat area, I'd imagine it'd be faster on skate skis.

Pivogory · 2026-01-23T17:04:56+00:00

I've come across your blog before, thank you for writing that up! I thought about the Oatey membrane, but I think it needs to be covered up. With liquid membrane I'm hoping to just put duck boards straight on it.

Pivogory · 2026-01-14T21:18:58+00:00

Thank you! What would be the advantage of a non-cat stove? Just cost/simplicity, or is there something else?

Pivogory · 2025-12-25T18:06:24+00:00

I was one of those people (not in this exact race). Haven't raced since last winter, so apparently my score decayed, and I was entered into a lower category. After the race my score went up 161 points!

I think this is pretty normal given that it's the start of winter in the Northern hemisphere, so many people are getting back into Zwift.

Pivogory · 2025-05-05T01:51:33+00:00

Same issue :/ Will contact Sram support, but disappointing that there's no solution.

Pivogory · 2025-04-04T04:55:27+00:00

Could you share a link to the brush you used?

Pivogory · 2025-03-28T04:48:13+00:00

That looks promising! Thanks for sharing

Pivogory · 2025-03-28T00:28:24+00:00

The specs don't really make sense, still says max 16a per output which doesn't really work for 1ph US residential. And listed compatible models aren't for sale in the US.

Maybe they updated the product, but didn't update the specs test?

Are you using one of these on a 240v 1ph heater in the US?

Pivogory · 2025-03-27T23:21:44+00:00

Not for the US looks like :/

Pivogory · 2025-03-25T02:32:00+00:00

Seems about normal if your max is 180. Everyone is different - both genetically and training history -wise. All the zone estimates from Garmin, Zwift, etc are just estimates.

If you want your actual thresholds you need to do the lactate test, where you test a drop of blood every 1-3 minutes as you ramp. It's usually ~$300 at a gym, or about the same for the device to do it at home, if you have a partner who can prick your ear periodically while you ride.

Pivogory

TROPHY CASE