"Mad Scientist" Infrastructure 1 (Robot roads)

[screamme2sleep]

i am 17 years old, and have just discovered your videos for the first time. when i started watching your 7 part alaska build, i thought that it was inpirational, and that you are a modern day dick prenokey.

when i was young I watched alone in the wilderness, and for years, i have dreamed of going out and building a cabin. the problem is, that i lack the land, the money,the time and the ability. i get this feeling need, to be in the wild, yet i have the building skills of a 7 yearold. help.

[webworkhere]

Very exciting video, watch out for BIG FOOT!

[99lunalupis]

MAN! I really appreciate this inspiration! After two weeks of scheduled laziness, I needed something to get my butt back out on our homestead projects!

[Mobon1]

Real men do not cut trees. Real men pull them straight from the ground.

[MoowChair]

You should make a suspension and a seat for the robot... Then you could just ride the robot through your robot road...

[JFM135]

I live in Chile and I've been using your videos for training ( attitude) purposes. Keep up the great work. You're an inspiration and you're making a difference. 

[aNdYmAtTeR]

Humans are funny! Great job! We will bring a few of those back to Zkorgon next visit, and hope they will survive the atmosphere. We have looooots of stuff to build!

Seriously though ... I'm impressed! I gotta watch what happens in that forest!

[davyjames]

I've watcheda bout 30 of your videos so far and this one is my favourite! I know there are environmental undertones to the self-sufficiency stuff, but personally I just love watching Man Against nature like this. Bending it to your will. Making it more useful than what it once was. This is probably the only video on youtube of a man single handedly building a road. FKN awesome!

[jeremiahruth]

been there b4.....i was in the woods on the klamath river for a year....

[jin455]

this guy is the original minecraft.

[Fragalishus]

I think the only way for you to earn an honest living that could possibly equal your manliness would be Deathmatch Cagefighting Bear-sharks.

[kamden1980]

@Fragalishus

Deathmatch Cagefighting Bear-sharks with lasers.

[rironin]

@CingularGyrus I agree that the pipe seems too small. Snowmelt in the spring, as well as storms... I fear that part of the road will be flooded.

[MadMacheart]

nicholas cage!

[ak12543]

Lets see.... you broke your shovel handle in the woods. You are surrounded by hundreds of trees with slender trunks. And you actually were able to find a way to fix your shovel? You are a god! Well, at least a legend in your own mind.

[ronjersan]

Where is the real working please post the video?

[Elephantintheroom01]

I sure do wish i could do kool projects like you! GRAB IT BY THE FACE! carpe facio!

[possenti]

Nice work, Jaimie!  My motto: Improvisation is the key to success.

[CingularGyrus]

I fear that the pipe is under sized... for a big storm event...

[mcklack]

JME you are one man demolition team!!! Awesome video!

[dodeca3]

you ware out our you rust out its your choice.good job dude mad respect!

[JMEMantzel]

heh heh. Ya.... I plan to go out fighting.

:-)

[urfavorits]

dang hes strong thats a lot of work

[ArtistsForEarth]

Improv is the key to survival.

[shalylol]

The beginning with the lighting and no shirt looks really Fight Club-y.

[rwhendrix]

Your a crazy guy but funny too. I love to work outdoors too. I have a much larger stream I am wanting to build a bridge across maybe this year or the next. I dont live off the grid like you, but do try to be more independant than most others. Keep at it!

[JMEMantzel]

Thanks! I wish I had a bigger stream! That would be soooo sweet.

[zogworth]

@JMEMantzel

If you stream runs closer to your home you could do as you've done to make the bridge and install a microhydro turbine to produce power.

Apologies if you've already done such a thing and i've not been paying enough attention.

[8182junebug]

you are the one that inspires me to build r/c lego robots. so far i built a 8 legged walker and a 6 legged walker. thx

[Gilmourist]

Dude you give me a laugh, inspiration and peace of mind all in one video.

[talsnesss]

nice DBZ reference! hehe

[Basicpiviot]

do you have a job? where do you get this time and energy from? money too!

[JMEMantzel]

well.. it actually cost an incredibly small amount of money to live in the woods off the grid, building ones own house, etc. ....that leaves me with lots of time! Now the energy thing.... hmm.. I dunno. I just don't want to die feeling like I did nothing!

[k1mpman]

Can you just decide to live in the forest and do that?

You're a huge inspiration source!

[JMEMantzel]

yes, you can.  :-)

[Basicpiviot]

@JMEMantzel What are you going to do when you need to retire or get hurt around all those sharp power tools!?

[JMEMantzel]

You mean like.... am I planning to get old and decrepid? Nope. I'm going strong until I drop dead.  If I get hurt, I heal, if its something I can't heal from, I die.

[Elephantintheroom01]

@JMEMantzel

Hey i do that too! Body is a vehicle.

[imaginenoreligion]

Problem solving is fun.

[ho0orn]

the best spirit ever

Thanks for the tips, think I will use them a lot.

[kino261988]

nice video...BTW how many days until you finish the road to your house?

[JMEMantzel]

not sure how many days. About a month and a half, though. like 45 days...?? maybe?

[idy26]

YOU BUILT...A ROAD...ON YOUR OWN!!! Do you have any idea how awesome that is?

[JMEMantzel]

umm.... ya, actually. ha ha. ....although it seemed more awesome before i did it. Now its just soemthing I did. ....but ya, I still think its pretty cool.

[anyusmoon1]

So... Jaimie- Your property is landlocked, ie no easement? If so, the permission you got is permanent access?

[JMEMantzel]

the permission i got is just the guy saying, "sure, go ahead."

No legal mumbo jumbo necessary. ....as long as everyone is nice.

[anyusmoon1]

Everyone 'can' be nice ;-) most of the time it's temporary- especially once they get married! lol just kidding.

I would highly recommend getting a 'nice' letter off to the guy thanking him for the egress/easement right.

[JMEMantzel]

uhh... ya. i'm not doin that.

I get a lot of recommendations. I generally disregard them. Life seems to go best when I do what feels right, not whats legally or morally covering my arse.

[slopedarmor]

well at least you're getting enough exercise!

[JMEMantzel]

Ya, thats half the reason I like doing things myself. :-)

[mydeardiaries]

what state are you in?

[JMEMantzel]

Well, part solid, part liquid, and heh heh.... some gass too! haa haa

Vermont. What state are you in?

[mydeardiaries]

JOISY-----High prices, High Crime....sigh...

[ilovearcher2]

damn your good

[JMEMantzel]

aw, thanks!  I do my best!

[palmisano]

dood . . . wouldn't it have been so much cooler (easier?) to just rent out some dirt moving equipment? and that road over the water is totally gonna wash out =P

[JMEMantzel]

Allow me to happily burst your bubble. Several rainstorms later.... the road over the water is in perfect condition. I've driven over it about 40 times. Thanks for the vote of confidence, though.

....and no. It wouldn't be cool to get "equipment". It would be lamer.... and wussier..... an way more boring. :-)

[palmisano]

and faster =P

Serious tho, real men use heavy machinery =P

At least when you have kids, you can brag that 'back in my day, not only did i walk barefoot in snow everyday, i built the darn road with my bare hands'

[JMEMantzel]

Ohh.... and "real men" are fat and lazy too! I've heard about these real men.

...and exaclty! What would I brag about if I didn't do anything interesting!?

[BrotherBabylon]

You dug your own road.

All of your videos are phenomenal.

[JMEMantzel]

Thanks! You wanna see the end of the road? I'm 20 lbs lighter at the end. :-P

ha ha.  I just uploaded it.

[Theegg00]

Just got done watching all your videos... in one sitting... in which time you've build half a tower, I cant tell how much of a robot, 3/4 of a log cabin, and countelss other things. That just makes me feel really lazy. So I've been inspired to go try something. It won't get anywhere but thats no point not to try right?

[edjorg]

Don't limit yourself. How do you know it won't get anywhere? You may surprise yourself. Let me know what happens!

[JMEMantzel]

ROAAAAAAAARRR!!!!

[JMEMantzel]

ohh... you wouldn't believe how many times I started "impossible" projects which siddenly became possible just by starting them. :-)

[gibbyrockerhunter]

sick vid.

i dnt know if u remember me or not but im the dude that got an idea on how to power a 6 leged robot with a single moter and a cam from ur early robot vids.

anywase, ya, i finally got a vid camera, but know i hav to rebuild that robodeal(for some dum reason) i steped on it, than threw it away cuz i was pisseed i broke my lil buddy.

so when i get it posted i'll let ya know cuz id want ur input.

Grassi

[JMEMantzel]

Aw, crap! Thats a bummer! don't throw those things out! ...but ya. I'd love to see when you get it back together.

[Repeatlessness]

Oh jamie oh jamie... where art thou?

[JMEMantzel]

Uhh.... I'm in Vermont. ...currently at the local law school using their public wireless internet. Where are you? Sorry I've been slow to make updates. Rest assured, when I'm too busy to edit video's, I'm doing the things that make them interesting!

[Z3NZ31]

Whoa, what's the story behind that knife?

[JMEMantzel]

aw crap. I knew someone would ask that. I even made a vide oanswer but it didn't fit in the time. I made the knife. You know... blacksmithery. It used to be way longer, but I brok it cutting down frozen oak trees.

There was still 2+feet of blade that brok off, though, so I made it a new handle. Thats the big knife.

[borriszan]

Love you videos Jamie! puts a smile on my face awatching them. think ive watched all of them in two days! Keep it up! your giving me some good ideas for some projects ive been meaning to do! just need to get around to them thats all

[JMEMantzel]

2 days, eh? Man, thats a lot of video in 2 days. ha ha. Any time I'm not posting videos its because I'm too busy doing things! :-)

[fjaw]

Do you get much sun in Alaska? I was doing some reading and it seems it's a lot less efficient than in, say, California.

[JMEMantzel]

Whats less efficient? ...the sun???

Well, when I was in Alaska, it didn't get dark. Thats the summer. In the winter it barely gets light.

Look at a model of the solar system.  It should lay it down for ya.

[fjaw]

I've seen models. I know how hours of sunlight work, but it's not as much power as at the equator. I meant that up north you get sunlight at an angle, so a panel flat on the ground will provide less power. Unless maybe the solar panel were at an angle... What I meant was that solar power produces power more easily closer to the equator, and I was wondering how fast it makes power there/how cost efficient it is.

[edjorg]

Since solar is the ONLY source in McCarthy if you don't want to use gasoline to power a generator, all that matters is if it's sufficient for your needs. Year-round residents rely on solar for three seasons, but it's not practical in winter. And our needs are pretty simple since we are heating with wood and not running big energy-gobbling houses with washer-dryers and microwave ovens. Sure you can do that in California. But then you'd have to live in California :D

[fjaw]

Ok. That makes sense.

[JMEMantzel]

Oh good. I'm glad she covered that one. feuf! I didn't know how to answer. I was going to make up a rating system and say its a 3 or something. :-P

I've been told countless times that solar power is useless in Vermont. ...and I laugh every time the towns power goes out and I'm watching movies at home. :-)

[CobraKing95]

Maybe that's why all evil scientists are OLD! They've spent their entire lives building the cool secret lair!

[JMEMantzel]

ohh..... good point. Hmmm. Crap. I've been noticing that problem myself. I feel like I'm in a race to finish things so I can have a family! If I wait too long, I might go crazy!

[edjorg]

"go crazy"?

That presumes you aren't already...

:P

[JMEMantzel]

hmmm... I uhh... guess I can't really agrue...

[Gnomesmusher]

Ok ok. So the robot minions are out for the road building. But how about an automatic motorized shovel?!! You can still dig and get strong but you'll do it faster!

[edjorg]

There's a certain bone-deep satisfaction that comes from doing this just the way he's doing it. "Automatic" and "motorized" don't have a place in this particular part of the project, I believe...

[Gnomesmusher]

Oh I understand the joy of doing some things by hand. But it's just so much fun to poke fun at Jamie anyway! People nowadays take the easy way so it's great that someone comes along and does things the old fashioned way even when he's capable of building a giant robot to do all the work!

[edjorg]

Ha Ha, yes, it's IS so much fun to poke fun at Jaimie. Just watch out he doesn't program the spider tank to hunt you down and annihilate you later!

[edjorg]

"It's IS"? Drat, I'm really not fully awake yet...

[JMEMantzel]

poke poke. Yay! fun!

[icecream005]

after having viewed this video, i was so inspired that me and my friends went into this forest next to a lake and started building a raft. we also had to deal with the less glamorous stuff as well. poison ivy.

[JMEMantzel]

augh!!!  poison ivy! I hate that stuff!

How'd the raft work out? I'm almost done the road. :-)

[edjorg]

Cool! When I was at UMass I decided on a whim to float down the Connecticut river for awhile on something rickety. Unfortunately after doing it for a bit of I realized I was eventually coming to a dam with a waterfall so I got scared and got out of the water.

[JMEMantzel]

ha ha. thats great. Sounds like tons of fun! ....kinda like something I'd do.

[kukelz]

wow very inspiring man! If you want something, you can do it. You are right!

but why didnt you rent some mini bulldozer or something? Thats what i would do. But maybe i choose the easy way :)

[JMEMantzel]

That way is less fun, would still be very difficult digging along a steep slope, less exercise.... etc. How am I supposed to be strong if I make machines to all my work!

[edjorg]

No robot minions for you, then! Though I guess you could have a troll army if you led the charge...

[hxcoug]

i just stayed up till 4 in the morning watching your videos haha. had to catch up on a hand full that i missed. keep on posting! can't wait to see you start up on the robot again!

[JMEMantzel]

Ya, me too! Its tough doing this stuff all by myself. ....but it seems like thats the only way to avoid red tape. I spose I'd rather spend time digging a road, building a workshop etc than doing tons of paperwork to get a place to work. :-P

[LBA1R]

Man, this is so great... Here you'd need a permit for each tree you cut, but before that you would need to plan that road, get a load of permits, and it would take like a year what takes you like a month! :( This Pioneer needs a beaver hat!

[JMEMantzel]

Ya, no kidding! I'd SOOOOO rather do this by hand than dig though a mile of red tape!

[jamesx6x]

That's why you gotta be a good guy when you build your fortress.

[edjorg]

Yeah, but I guess if you are a good guy then you end up digging the road by hand like Jaimie!

[JMEMantzel]

Ya. I don't want my fortress getting blown up. I already have plans for it. ha ha

[Fezandsword]

If you're lair is destroyed by your arch, then you're relocated within one week.

[Asdayasman]

BAHAHAHAHAHAHA, nutter. Yay!

[Fezandsword]

I'm a super villain, and I shouldn't be telling you this, but I think you should become one. When you are a super villain, you're sent an Iphone that leads you to your lair.(It used to be just a screen until 1993) They're typically on islands, underwater, or in the jungle. When I was sent mine I got sort of the lottery; volcano island. It's beyond awesome. As for henchmen you have to sign up for the Axis package.

[edjorg]

Do you have to pay them a mortgage on the lair? What about lair insurance to cover the damage from your arch? How do I sign up?

[JMEMantzel]

No way! I'd be a super villian for that!  island island! or... underwater! Sweet! Actually.... popular culture might brand me a villian anyway.

[Skyver]

Man, you sure seem like you live in the middle of nowhere in a very safe place!I live in Colombia and one time I left my truck outside the countryhouse and the mirrors got vandalized and they tried to take the wheels and the bumpers :O.

By the way, with some help I made my countryhouse as well. It's a DIY home :)

[JMEMantzel]

ouch. I'd hate to live there! my truck isn't even locked.

[TheGreatSteve]

My Volvo locks itself when I drive off and also If I leave it unlocked.

[JMEMantzel]

Thats annoying! I hate when technology is used to make like more annoying!

[TheGreatSteve]

No it's brilliant, it means I don't get car jacked!

[jangalomph]

Yea but im saying a NEW video.

[JMEMantzel]

ohhh... ok ok. I'll see what I can do. I'll be digging as fast as I can! :-)

[jangalomph]

Thanks :D

[MrBozzio]

My favorite part is at about 2:28 when he man-handles a tree out of the ground.

you're famous dude.

[JMEMantzel]

Woah! Manhandled. Sweet. I thought I was just dude-handling it. Oh. wait... now I'm a famous dude. Man?  Dude? What am I! I'm so confused!

[brambruinsma]

You are like a man-beast making his way through the forest, I bet you eat trees for breakfast...

Following you from amsterdam, good job!

[JMEMantzel]

Thanks! Ya, I eat trees.  .....but only broccoli trees. .....but I' m REALLY REALLY scary when I do! RAAR!

[TheGreatSteve]

You eat broccoli? I didn't know you we're that tough, I hate veg. :-)

[JMEMantzel]

vegetables are super!

[TheGreatSteve]

I'm getting into fruit next year, I've decided.

[JMEMantzel]

into fruit, eh? So... you like guys? ha ha. or do you mean like apples.... or.. BANANAS! ha ha

[TheGreatSteve]

No! I do mean apples and Bananas!

I regret writing that comment now! :-)

I'm totally into the ladies.

You like veg, I like vag! :-)

(Can't believe I just wrote that)

[edjorg]

I can't believe you wrote that either, ha ha!

[TheGreatSteve]

Sorry for lowering the tone :-). This is a clean channel after all, but I couldn't help myself.

[edjorg]

I actually thought it was kind of funny since it was out of character for you. And you seemed so appalled after you'd written it :-)

[TheGreatSteve]

I got that you found it funny because of the ha, ha at the end. And I was glad, cause some people can be so uptight.

It just goes to show I've got you all fooled into thinking I'm a nice, wholesome kinda guy! :-)

[JMEMantzel]

Hey now. Fooling people into thinking I'm a nice wholesome guy is my plan too. Don't blow it by letting everyone know! ;-)

[TheGreatSteve]

Hey we're all doing it!

[soundslave]

One man bulldozer. you can probably see that road from space lol. Good video

[JMEMantzel]

Ya, I'm just hoping I can get through to rest of it with enough time left to finish my robot sometime this year! sheesh!

[antishay]

That is SO AWESOME. I can't believe you're building a ROAD. Something about this makes me very, very happy :D Thank you for sharing your ways with us! :P

[JMEMantzel]

Oh, no problem. I'm glad I could brighten your day. Funny thing is... I have so much fun doing this stuff. ....but for some reason no ones else wants to join. They must be wimps. :-P

[jangalomph]

Very nice man. Also can you PLEASE put up a vid of you lumbermill. I want to see more man.

[JMEMantzel]

I did put up a video devited to my lumber mill. Its "Giant Robot Project" number 2. ....its alll lumbermill

[doop01]

Jamie > Chuck Norris

Period.

[Diphallia]

Jamie > Chuck Norris

Period.

[JMEMantzel]

Woah. hey now. You're starting to freak me out. Thats like saying... uhh... Thats like saying I'm more than... uhh.... hmm.... can't think of anything that is as much as Chuck Norris.

[Asdayasman]

You.

[lemuelbecc]

I thought you were going to have to build a bridge over the dip, but nope. Was there a specific layering of materials to it or did you just pile on wood and dirt as you saw fit?

Dang. I saw that slope and wondered how on earth you could make that work. You just shovel your way through it. You are amazing.

I understand what you mean about the fortress getting destroyed. Seems like a waste to blow everything up.

Really looking forward to your next video.

[JMEMantzel]

hmm... as I saw fit. :-P I but the big pointy stuff at the bottom. Thats about all the plan that went into that.

Ya. ....believe me. I wasn't sure how the road digging along a steep slope was going to go either. I was.... slightly skeptical..? ...but knew it could be done.

[craigington]

LEGEND!

Love the way you just make things happen dude!

[JMEMantzel]

Aw, thanks, man. Speaking of happen. I can't wait until that road is done! Tomorrow isn't raining so.... I should be able to get lots done! ....more than today anyway. It was a monsoon out there.

[edjorg]

Glad to see that valuable Buzz-Off hat is being put to good use :P

[JMEMantzel]

Ya! its actually pretty useful. :-)

[robotwo]

hehe , Loved your way of climbing the trees and bringing death from above.

And i do believe Wily built 8 robot-masters to build his evil lair for him :B

[JMEMantzel]

hmmm. I see. Thats some seriously advanced robotics. Its a chicken and an egg situation for me.

I need the lair to build to robots. ....but need the robots to build the lair! AUGH!

[robotwo]

messes quite a bit with your mind Ay ? :B

[uokel]

ill be your minion !!!!!

[JMEMantzel]

oh... uhh... you're hired. Road digging commences tomorrow. Hmm. Moaybe tonight. it stopped raining.

[Gnomesmusher]

As a mad scientist, you need minions. Then they can build roads and secret lairs for you. I say you create some robot minions!

[penguinx42]

Or you could hire some evil mad contractors

[JMEMantzel]

ohhh.... ugh. contractors make me want to vomit on my own feet.

[JMEMantzel]

hmm. Ya. Minions are apparently much harder to come by than they are in the movies. Oh wait. incompetent minions are easy to get. I guess thats why they're always screwing up on TV.

[carzak]

Hopefully your culvert doesn't wash away in the next spring melt!

"What Would Jamie Do?"

Words to live by. Much better than the one with that silly messiah character. I don't see anyone claiming he dug a road by hand. :)

[JMEMantzel]

Oh.... I'm going to pack that thing with so many rocks and so much dirt before the winter. The pipe is 8inch diameter. I think it can handle it. :-) ...I hope.

Well, worst case, I fill it in again with a bigger pipe.

[Asdayasman]

Wow, jeez, I wonder if I'd be able to keep up with you.

We'll see. ^^

Loving the videos, Jaimie, keep 'em coming! :3

[JMEMantzel]

OH! OH! If you wanna come over and try to keep up. ...uhh... I have no problem with that. :-P No, seriously. .....please come over and help! I mean... uhh... race. Ya.

[Asdayasman]

As I said, I'm only lickle, gimme a few years. (Try and stay alive) Nyeh heh heh...

[greenfireflytime]

U are like a one man machine dude.

[JMEMantzel]

Ya, just wait 'till I finish the road. I'll probably be jumping up and down yelling about how I'm a human bulldozer. ....before deleriously passing out.

[greenfireflytime]

cant wait to see that.

[CobraKing95]

Dude, you are a total inspiration. Question: Do you wake up every morning and eat a bowl of awesome for breakfast?

[JMEMantzel]

haa haa. Oh, thats good. I think I'm going to start calling it that. I've been eating this...

Use Big Bowl.

-dump in milk

-dump in raw rolled oats (like a lot, and not quick oats. Those are for wimps)

-throw in handful of raisins.

Voila. Bowl of Awesome.

[DannysCam]

jaimie you so strong!! next time your drving to florida, on the way back pick me up in georgia and i will help you build a road.. i have allmost 3 shovels i had to re stick them i put the shovels in the fire place and burn what wood is left then i cut a small oak tree and use it as the stick make sure to sand it well

[JMEMantzel]

Oh, nice. Ya. Some silly people would throw out their shovel and buy a new one. ...the fools!

[DannysCam]

yeah we save money in 10 years we may have like 100 dollars we saved from not buiyng new shovels

[gordo4444]

You make me sad... I would have been first if I didn't actually watch the entire video! =D

[JMEMantzel]

aw... sorry, man. heh heh.

[gordo4444]

Some uh, things apart worked... Uhh what a terrible sentence...

Lol, I wonder how many time I will say "What would jamie do?"

[JMEMantzel]

Ya. I don't have time for retakes, so... the terrible sentences stay! ha ha. I think its funnier that way anyway.

[JMEMantzel]

Ha! 1st comment!  Booyakashaw!