Rust and Resolve - DIY Rural Resilience

23/10/2025

At Rust and Resolve, we’re all about breathing new life into old kit. Whether that’s timber, tools, or tech that’s been cast aside.

Apple may have abandoned this 2011 iMac, calling it “obsolete”, but we don’t give up that easily. The hardware is still solid, so after a bit of wrestling with Apple’s lock-ins, we installed Kali Linux and brought it roaring back to life.

A 2009 MacBook Pro has had the same treatment, revived with Linux Mint and now running better than it has in years.

This is what Rust and Resolve is all about:
Don’t bin it. Don’t submit to planned obsolescence.

Outsmart it.

15/10/2025

Time for another game of find the hidden fireplace! I left the sink as it's still in use for now, but not for long 😅

14/10/2025

I'm on a fireplace hunt today! When was this wallpaper put on the wall?

30/09/2025

Saturday was a belter up at John O' Groats Football Club. Good football, cracking burgers, and to top it all off, I won my favourite whisky in the raffle: Wolfburn Whisky Langskip. 🥃🍔⚽

Stepson picked up two awards as an added bonus :)

Wolfburn’s made just up the road in Thurso, and there’s something fitting about raising a local dram to celebrate local footballing success.

Community, family, and a whisky with backbone 🫡

25/09/2025

Just had a timber delivery! This project requires new, rather than the usual reclaimed ... info coming in over the next few months :)

07/09/2025

I picked up this old twin-burner gas stove from the local auction. It was rusted and barely worked.

I gave it the Rust and Resolve treatment — stripped it down, wire-brushed the internals, cleaned the jets, reassembled it with the original connector...
..and now it’s back in service, boiling over 2 gallons with a strong flame! No mods, no upgrades (yet), just a proper clean and a second chance.

Blog post is live now with photos of the full tear-down and reassembly: 👉 https://wp.me/pgAZBR-5X

I picked up this twin-burner gas stove from the local auction for a mere £3. It looked like it had been left outside for twenty years. Rusted, blocked, lifeless. But under the grime, the bones were…

25/08/2025

When Storm Floris hit us with 85 mph winds, it exposed a glaring fault in the old guttering.
Turns out it was fighting both gravity and the wind.

I pulled the lot down, reset the clips, and let gravity do its work.

Sometimes all it takes is a string line, a level, and a bit of stubbornness.

Full write-up (with photos) here: 👇

👉

When last week’s storm drove rain up under the eaves and into the house, it became clear the old guttering wasn’t just tired — it was actively working for the enemy. Pooling in the middle, flapping…

19/08/2025

Just pulled a lovely batch of Golden Ball turnips from the veg patch! Some are going straight into tonight’s curry 🍛, the rest getting blanched and cubed for the freezer 🧊 (siege prep, obviously).

A few plants have been left to bolt so we can save our own seed again ... nothing like closing the loop and being on the path to self-reliance 💪🌱

Are you growing any “old-fashioned” veg this year? Which ones are earning their place in your survival pantry?

11/08/2025

The Baler Who Wasn’t Brought Tea ☕

Baled all day in the blazing sun. Not one offer of help. Not one brew brought forth. 😪

This is the story, told in full ballad form. 😅

📜 Full link in the comments

It was one of those blazing days where the sun doesn’t just shine — it stares you down. The kind of day where even the flies seem to sweat. And there I was, out in the field, baling by hand. Bale a…

08/08/2025

It's a worthy competition :)

Win the last remaining bottle of this year's May Highland Games.

We’re offering the last, very regal bottle as the prize in an exclusive competition for our loyal supporters. The competition is open now and closes at 12 pm (UK time) on 14 August. Over 18s only. One entry per person.

Aged to perfection, made with pride, and worthy of The King. The Mey Highland Games 2025 edition.

To enter the ;
👉 Answer one simple question here: https://wolfburn.com/blogs/competitions/win-the-last-remaining-bottle-of-mey-highland-games
👉 Like and share this post

08/08/2025

I just got this digging bar from Allans of Gillock – my new favourite shop!!!

Finally, a tool that makes the ground fear me for a change ... and now I feel like a Spartan 😄