Milkweed

[gmcttr]

...and a free down alternative...

Yes, as long as we continue to forget our labor.

Edit....smiley face added for those that need it.

[riverjoe]

Here is a guideline of sorts ......



A 19th-century magazine article reported that milkweed’s “chief uses were for beds, cloth, hats, and paper. It was found that from eight to nine pounds of the coma [seed hair] . . . occupied a space of from five to six cubic feet, and were sufficient for a bed. . . . A plantation containing 30,000 plants yielded from six to eight hundred pounds of coma.” That seems an awful lot of plants and trouble to go through for about 100 mattresses, which may explain why milkweed mattresses are a thing of the past

So 30,000 plants yield 800 pounds . 300 plants yeild 8 pounds .

8 lbs will fill 5 or 6 cubic feet . That is a bit of labor thats for sure . Wonder what one goose yeilds . Might be ahead to get a waterfowl stamp and nail a few ganders .

[Lost_Biker]

Yes, as long as we continue to forget our labor.

Always! Can't put a price on fun and knowledge.

[zooshooter]

Yes, as long as we continue to forget our labor.

I really don't understand this obsession with counting "labor" or time put in as part of the cost. We do this on our free time, not as a job. You don't complain about how you don't get compensated monetarily while you sleep, yet that is time spent as well. It's called FREE time for a reason. If you don't want to spend your time on things that you don't get paid for that's your choice, but please leave it out of this thread.

[Lost_Biker]

I don't think gmcttr meant anything by his statement. I also personally don't believe that there is anything "free". Everything has a cost - good or bad.

I'm off my soap box now.

[Shotgunred]

Have you thought about how milkweed down would compare to cattail down? It seems that cattail would be easier to harvest, not sure on fill power and weight comparisons though. I have read that native Americans used cattail down effectively.

[mudsocks]

Have you thought about how milkweed down would compare to cattail down? It seems that cattail would be easier to harvest, not sure on fill power and weight comparisons though. I have read that native Americans used cattail down effectively.

Looks like cattail down has been discussed before right here on HF.

[Deadphans]

Wow I am surrounded by cat trails every day as party of my job...I coups harvest so much while keeping clients happy and make money doing so. :-)

[zooshooter]

Got my goose down last night after work! Now I gotta get my butt in gear processing that milkweed. Fabric and misc materials order should be in either today or early next week and I can start laying out fabric for the underquilt project. Hoping to have this thing licked before Sept 18th so I can take it on a trip that weekend up to Finland, MN.

[Boston]

It was found that from eight to nine pounds of the coma [seed hair] . . . occupied a space of from five to six cubic feet

Based on this the FP of milkweed is between 67.5 and 72. It may be warm, but it will be heavy! Same problem as the cat tail "down".

For reference 8lbs of 850 FP down fills about 63 cubic feet.