Oh! Assuming this means New York State, then I understand now. I thought you taught in Pennsylvania. I've heard really great things about services across the board in both New York and California. Like in California, any child with an autism diagnosis automatically gets 15 hours a week of one-on-one ABA therapy completely paid for by the state. Amazing.

I'm in Pa and I've found the IEP and the teachers willing to do whatever is best for my son. We have tried a number of different strategies and have changed things based upon his response to what we've done. I've found the teachers more than willing to try whatever I and/or the docs think may work. Some things have, some have not.
My situation is a little different though. I have communicated with other parents in other areas who have not had the experiences I've had. Many times it has come down to the individual who is working with him.

That's really cool! It's even pretty!

I'm still waiting for brother to come through. It's not like him to blow things off, but he's been busy hobnobbing and doing radio spots and such. He did a segment of 'fracking' for some radio program, in C-bus, I think.

I'll keep trying.

Thanks, you are teh awesome. ;)

This time, I'm certain it's black walnut, since the tree was ours, and we cut it down in the interests of neighborliness. The neighbors had been complaining (in a nice way) for a few years about how the walnuts were dropping on their cars in their driveway and staining everything. So we agreed to let them cut it down. And I asked the tree guys to cut the trunk into 6 foot lengths and leave them for me. That was 2-3 years ago, and I tired quickly of the thought of doing anything with them, so I threw the logs in the far corner of the back yard, where I piled leaves on them.

A week ago, I wondered about the logs, because I read in a book that even if a log is rotten on the outside, it can still be really good on the interior, so I went out there and used a steel brush to brush off all the mud and bugs and fungus. There were a few deep checks, and the outer inch or so was rotten, but the interior at the ends was sound.

So I cut off a two foot length, and brought it inside to rip it in half. I spent an hour and a half ripping that log, and decided it was for the birds, because I was only half way through. So I got the axe out and put it in the kerf, and used a framing hammer to pound it through and split the log.

It was really nice inside. I left the good half alone, and took the half of the log that was most rotten and had the largest checks, and I split that a few more times. This released more bugs, but I squashed them. I eventually ended up with some really nice straight grained billets. Makes me wish I owned a froe for easier splitting.

Anyway, used a drawknife, spoke shave, a gouge, and a hooked knife to make the spoon on the right. The tip is flat and sharpened so it will be a good ground meat browning tool. It will be able to break up those meat chunks very easily.

And I used a couple planes and a saw to make the toast tongs on the left. I still need to clean up the glue squeeze out.

I researched the toxicity of black walnut and saw that it's really just fine. Many horses are apparently allergic to it, so the shavings shouldn't be used for bedding, and some people are allergic to it, just as some people are allergic to actual walnuts, but for the vast majority of people, it's just wood. Lots of places offer black walnut kitchen ware.

Sorry for the crappy cell phone picture. I couldn't tell it was out of focus until I loaded it up on my work computer.

edit: I switched pictures with a sharper one.
Attachment 36922

Yep - THAT looks a lot like the black walnut I have in the basement.

I LOVE the thongs ...err tongs.

What did I make today?

A Tree. And a hernia (not shown).

Attachment 37293

Ok, it came in kit form. Last winter, three good sized Douglas Firs were blown over at my girlfriend's house. All's well, the damage has been repaired, etc. But the firewood has been endless. I've tried splitting this with a maul and a pair of splitting wedges. I give up. You might see stumps of branches on some of these rounds--those are unsplitable with muscle power. So tomorrow (depending on the efficacy of the ibuprophen), I'm going to rent a hydraulic log splitter. THAT should be fun.

Paul Bunyan, I'd tip my cap to you ... if I could raise my arm above my shoulder.

Pro-tip on splitting big logs:

Work off the outer edges first, avoid the knots, use only Snow and Neally products.

Will actually be faster than the hydraulic splitter, not including the time to go fetch one and return it either.

I use a round (conical) wedge (aluminum) and a sledge hammer.

Starting in the center, it automatically finds the weak areas in the rounds... much less intensive work than wedges.

Today I bought the ingredients for a new cake I am planning.

I intended to check the cupboards to see what we did and didn't have, but I put it off as too boring and then my parents were ready to go to the supermarket so I just jumped in the car with the ingredients list :headshake

So as it turned out I did not need to buy plain or self-raising flour or bicarbonate of soda. I'm going to keep the flour as it will be used - I intend to make this cake at least three times if all goes well. One practice at home this week, one for the staffroom when we return to school Monday-week, and one for the School Fayre.

The cream, the buttermilk, the eggs and the two types if sugar were valid purchases. This will be my first attempt at a ganache. I love the look of them, but if I don't succeed I'll go back to good old Betty Crocker, goes down just as well and is a lot cheaper after all.

The School Fayre isn't until May ( think) but I want to plan ahead. I will be revisiting the success of my Dalek cake and possibly some Banana Bread. No cupcakes or fairy cakes, they have far too many of them, it is the large handmade cakes that are in short supply.

BigV, it's also helpful to make a couple of very crude wooden wedges to have on hand. If you find you are buryind the iron wedges in the wood, having a couple wooden wedges you can put into the split and rescue the iron wedges is a real help. Since they are wood, they can't damege the iron wedges if they make contact with them. They are easy to make, just take the axe to a couple smaller pieces you have layin around and sharpen them until one end can fit into the agerage sized split you have started. So the blunt point is maybe an inch thick. ETA: You want the wooden wedges to be bigger than the iron ones.

Sundae, your cake sounds like it is going to be great. I look forward to seeing how it goes.

Agreed. A go-devil or an axe will split things a lot faster just keep working your way around the piece. I heat with wood and always start with my pole axe and only increase weight as necessary. Protect your body for the long haul. I sometimes think about it like hitting a baseball its about speed through the zone and precision not muscling up.

I've helped others use a hydraulic splitter. They are frustratingly slow. And you have to keep lifting the logs up into place and rotating them. They are almost as much work as splitting by hand and quite a bit slower. The worst is waiting for the splitter to slowly raise up again.

and Glatt, that certainly is walnut there. Regarding the toxicity that a lot of people mention, I think they may be referring to Juglone.

that's racist

and demeaning to women

I looked for go devil. I eventually figured out is is not a boat, and it is not a minibike. I didn't actually find one locally, but this dude uses a Fiskars tool that seems similar in construction and is apparently as sharp as the variable sword from Ringworld. Wow. Stay tuned for the later parts where he lassos the wood, including the branches and just scares them into splits. Damn.


As I was trolling through the videos, I saw this one. Wow, that is some serious machinery.


And this one is trailerable, but I can't justify $9000. Damn cool though.



Really though, this has been me, but with more cussing and complaining. Might setup the camera for a timelapse movie too, cool idea.


what I **really really** want to use is this: the most dangerous tool ever invented. Hell yeah.

kid stuff. Check this shit out:

Sundae, I shall try to remember to send you my Banana Bread recipe. It is teh awesome.

I'll read it carefully, Wolf.

This week I am making one for Mum, and it will have to be her traditional recipe.
She's such a curious mixture of broad-minded and small c conservative when it comes to food.
But if yours sounds good I might adopt it for the Fayre.

Obviously I won't be doing much tasting myself...

Regarding Unicorn Log Splitters
 

from practical machinst:
and...

from yesterday's tractors board:
these are typical comments (though funnier than most) about the unicorn log splitter. I've been dreaming about how to rig one up to ... to... to a Hole Hawg, strong motor and a wide two handed grip for leverage on my part. But then I experience a brief spasm of reality and understand that I can't do this in a handheld configuration. Then I start thinking about what motors I have down in the basement, can I scavenge the bench grinder, etc etc.

Very appealing. Does this mean I have a death wish? Or merely a desire to be maimed?

You got away without harm in your chainsaw episode and now you are pushing the limits even further... ;)

V DO NOT , I REPEAT DO NOT PUT RIG one for those unicorn thingees to a Hole Hog !!!
it will twist you in ways that Yoga masters would admire and be VERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRY Painfull !!!

Made the cake and the ganache.
I feel this might be a disappointment.
Cooled cake is in tin and ganache setting for now.

The cake was supposed to be made in a single 20cm tin, then sliced into three.
Feedback on the internet suggested that it could only reasonably be split in two, so I made it in two 20cm tins.

It didn't rise as much as I hoped, although I adhered to the recipe.
Other internet feedback suggested it would sink in the middle and be very gooey, but my two halves cooked within the expected (reduced) time and were firm. So now I worry they are overcooked.

I have yet to ice (frost) with the ganache, although that does look wonderfully glossy. It just doesn't taste all that good to my mouth. Of course I am not a huge choc fan and I don't have a sweet tooth.

The cake and ganache were easy-peasy I admit.
But not cheap.
I have a feeling this will not be a School Fayre cake after all.

I'll hold out for Wolf's 'Nana Bread.

Just send it over here!

I'll send photos at least.

This was supposed to serve 14.
Given the poor rise, it's really just an average sized cake.
Eight tops.

I think I will still make for the staffroom.
As above, Mum rarely compliments anything new I've made.
She has her own special chocolate cake recipe, which everyone goes wild for but to me it's just a brown Victoria sponge.

I'll learn from this and hopefully make something the staffroom will adore.

Pics will follow when I ice it.
As will reviews.

Holyshit. Ok ok


Ok. Got it.

Thanks man.

Nice, Zippy. Thanks. You've deprived us of a Darwin Award Winning Video on yutube.

3 overripe bananas (they should be just ahead of science project stage. Well, at least ripe. If the skins are totally black, toss them. But if there's yellow on them, you're good. I've done this with everything from nicely ripe to a day before it's time for the bin. According to the original recipe, you can freeze and partially thaw newer bananas. I've never tried that. Banana bread is not something you make in an emergency.)
1/2 cup milk
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves.

If you like nuts in your bread, you can throw in 1 cup of walnuts. I do not like nuts in my bread. However, I do often like chocolate in my bread and put in a 12 ounce bag of chocolate chunks or morsels. Elvis fans may use the peanut butter flavored chips. I don't.

The original recipe (from Anne McCaffrey's Serve it Forth cookbook) has all kinds of complex instructions involving more bowls than I think are necessary. I am providing my assembly instructions.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

butter and flour a loaf pan. I have also done this in a regular cake pan, muffin tins, and a tube pan. It's pretty forgiving, that way. The recipe recommends lining the inside of a loaf pan with foil and spraying it with non-stick cooking spray to make clean up easier. it works, but the outer surface of the bread looks all wrinkly. I like a smooth outer surface, so no foil.

So, now you're ready for the actual mixing.

Pour the milk into a mixing bowl. Add chunks of banana. With a mixer, whip it up seriously until you have something that looks like a banana milkshake.

That was the hard part. Really.

Now add the rest of the ingredients in the order listed, mixing well after each.

Pour it into the baking pan. I usually remember to throw a little raw sugar onto the top of the batter before I put it in the oven, for a bit of extra crisp, but it's not necessary.

Bake for about 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.

If you use chocolate or peanut butter chips, it's harder to judge doneness, because they will show on the toothpick and you might have trouble deciding if there's any banana bread goo. You might want to use the spring-back method of doneness testing for those varieties.

Cool for about 15 minutes in the pan on top of a cooling rack. It will shrink away a bit from the sides, but run a sharp knife around before you invert the pan to take it out. I have only had a (minor) issue with releasing once. Butter and flour the heck out of that pan! Cool completely (upright, you don't want marks on the top!)

Cheers, chick.
That seems basic enough for Mum to swallow without protest.
Looks good to me too - excepting the 'nanas.

Oh and you know I am coming to you when the zombie apocalypse cpmes.
So I am pleased to know that Banana Bread is not something you whip up in an emergency.

I still have a vehicle, and a video camera, and a desire.... just no unicorn.

Your perverse desire may still be fulfilled. :nuts:

Maybe you need to re-assess the purity of your heart...:D

That unicorn works on an excellent principle.

It needs some kind of pushing device so the human is not holding (or within a few feet of) the log as it is pressed on to the horn.

It needs a safety shut-off switch that both disconnects the power and immediately stops the horn from turning.

With these, it would be a reasonable device.

Oh and that machine FFF posted - damn, that's efficient!

danger! Dad and I being unsafe.

I'd love to sit in front of a real fire with both you and your Dad.
I'll even bring the whisky (in a can).

All the ladies in your lives are welcome too of course.
As long as you can deal with me bursting spontaneously into "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire..."

Not completely unsafe. Your ears are protected. That way, you'll be able to hear the screams of agony when one of you cuts your arm off.

On Sunday afternoon I was messing around with "whittling" a ball in cage.

I started by splitting off a hunk of walnut with an axe.
Attachment 37484

Then I used a draw knife and a couple different planes to get two sides flat and square enough to take the wood over to the table saw.
Attachment 37485

I cut a nice 1.25" square blank off to work with.
Attachment 37486

I drew a pattern on each side, based on a photo I saw online. I was going to need to carve out the areas on either side of the ball to hollow out the cage. I started by drilling a big enough hole to pass the blade of my coping saw through, and then I cut into the corners to make paring with a chisel easier.
Attachment 37487

I started chopping and paring wood out with a small chisel.
Attachment 37488
The ball is the tricky part, but I just eyeball it and try to make it round. The circle drawn on each face helps a lot.
Attachment 37489
I'm getting close to finishing it.
Attachment 37490

I ran out of time, but hopefully I'll have more time soon. I'll whittle the ball a little smaller and then use a pen knife to break it loose from each corner. Then it will roll around in its little cage, and people will wonder how it got in there.

Very nice work! Question, will the posts be square in cross section all the way up? Or will the ball be ... nevermind. I just answered my own question. But I was uncertain because the circle outlining the top picture of post #218 seems to show a ball larger than the inside distance post to post.

Of course the ball will be smaller than the post everywhere, otherwise it couldn't roll and rattle around. Looks like a fun project.

I, too worked with wood recently, with straights and curves. I'll post the pics soon.

Yeah, the ball's too big right now. I need to reduce it in diameter all over. I think I drew the circle too large initially. I was working from a photo and not measured plans.

The diameter of the ball will be greater than the distance between the pillars on each side, but smaller than the distance between the pillars on the diagonal.

Lookin good. Thats a neat project.

Not sure if you will be able to use this technique inside the cage, but...

You can smooth something to a near perfect sphere using a circle slightly smaller than the diameter of the sphere. A circle intersects with a (larger) sphere all around the circle's circumference, meaning that if the circle is moved around on the surface of the sphere, it should abrade all the protrusions.

Saw it on mythbusters when they were trying to polish turds.

ETA: if you really want a ball in a cage ... aren't you married already? ;)

Next time trim the final length from the blank as the last step. The extra length gives you summat to muckle onto.

eta: nice job, you slacker. ("messing around" imagine what you could do if you applied yourself?) :D

Yeah, I realized that as i was trying to clamp the thing down. Next time. :)

Very cool. I've wanted to make one of those for a long time, but never got around to it.

I made a pile of little ones out of stacks of big ones.
Attachment 37497

Dear Paul Bunyan

And by Paul Bunyan, I mean Griff, footfootfoot, glatt, zippyt.... and any other dwellar that's likely to have experience chopping/splitting their own firewood... I have a question.

I was gonna split all this by hand originally. You can see the stacked stuff in the back that I did actually split before my splitting maul and my back and patience wore out. And by wore out I mean broke off right at the head. I had to go to four stores today to find a replacement handle for my double bitted axe. And I could not find one at all for my maul/splitting axe. I did see new splitting axes like the godevil for around 40-50 bucks. But I didn't get one, I kinda want to fix what I have. And therein lies my question.

Should I buy a new fiberglass handled splitting axe with the built in wedgiewingie thingies or get a pickaxe handle and whittle down the head end so it fits into the hole on my maul/axe?

Thanks in advance.

Whatever it is, get an overstrike protector.

I have it on YouTube authority that the difference
between the splitting maul and the godevil is about $30,
and what you call it depends on whether you are from
the northern or southern side of the Mason Dixie line.
Godevils are of southern descent.

here's a picture of the kind of axe/maul head I have. I just don't have this handle and I want to shop locally. I don't mind paring down a pickaxe handle ($16, hickory). Just wondering about your opinions.

Attachment 37505

I'm guessing that the pickax handle is gonna be a bit too big in diameter to grip effectively? Around here we usually can get a good hickory handle for about anything between the feed and and local hardware (not big box) stores. That's the direction I'd go.

I'm an old school kind of guy. I like hickory and when I've purchased replacement handles that's what I've always gone for.

But I've never tried fiberglass handles, so I could be missing out on a great thing. I wood also be curious to hear other opinions.

I do think there is a difference in handles between chopping wood (ax) and splitting rounds (maul).

For splitting, my preference would be the fiber glass,
because it is carrying a heavier head (maul) so it's job is to carry on thru the wood.
But with the ax, I expect to have to pull the head back out of the cut.
So the shape (thinner and slightly curved) of the ax handle feels more "right"
Maybe it is just opinion and how I was raised !

Over time, leaving it out in the weather, the fiberglass beats wood,
but it's not at all pretty. :rolleyes:

P.S. I've never tried a maul with the "wedgiewingie thingies",
but it might be interesting to see if they really help more than the traditional maul.
For the first break of a round, they might be better,
but then for splitting pieces into smaller firewood, I'm not so sure.

I hate fiberglass handles, but my experience is mostly with hammers. The vibration tends to be pretty bad and when they fail, they fail spectacularly. Never had a wood handle fail on me (I soak them in oil for at least a week before using them).

Once again, I direct you to snow and nealley products. I see they let their domain name lapse, but they are still in business. http://cspoutdoors.com/snowneal8lbs.html here is a link to the maul. All mauls are not alike; the balance, weight and geometry of the head make a significant difference. Even if the difference were minor, multiply that difference by 10,000 reps and it adds up.

Replacing a fiberglass handle sucks like a bucket of ticks. Usually you will throw away the maul head before you can get the fiberglass out of the fucker. And as Perrywinkle and other point out, they suck.

Hickory has been prized for handles for a reason, or many reasons.

Stop fucking around and buy a Snow and Nealley maul.


eta: http://woodtrekker.blogspot.com/2011...xe-review.html
This guy does not share my opinion and is worth reading. My feelings are based on a product bought over 25 years ago and may not reflect today's product.

I was going to make another keychain lanyard today, but the mob violence class turned out to be way more interesting that I expected and I actually paid attention through the whole thing.

I finished my ball in cage today.
Attachment 37554

Cool !!!

Neato. Now you just need to spend about 60 hours on ornate carvings around the legs and the ball, and you'll be done! :)

Thats very cool. Love the before/after shots the best.