What did you make today?
Maybe it was a sandwich, maybe something else.
Today I made a whistle. My son found instruction in a book he had on how to make a whistle from a tree branch. So we tried it out. A willow tree is apparently the best, but a tulip poplar will work, and that's what we have. We messed the first one up, but the second one works! We cut the branch sections before lunch. Soaked them in a bucket while we had lunch, and then spent about 20 minutes after lunch making them.
Any chance we could get a sound file?
Lemme see what I can do. It's kind of quiet. If you try to blow too hard, it doesn't work. I think if we play around with various dimensions and stuff, we could make a really sweet sounding one.
Hopefully this will work. Don't know if Youtube has the video file fully processed yet.
[YOUTUBE]fV_ThJ6-vNI[/YOUTUBE]
If it's not embedded, this is the file name.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fV_ThJ6-vNILOL! That is great! The sound alarmed my dog! Happy fathers day BTW...I can't find the proper thread...
I'm in the (ongoing) process of making and installing base and case moldings. This weekend I'm working on the big bathroom, which is divided into an upper and lower area. I hope to finish the upper area today, but the house is not cooperating.
The moldings are hickory, to match the floors that we put in last summer, 3 inch case and 4 inch base.
I'm also making a presentation for the Department of Homeland Security.
I made a meatloaf. Well, it's in the oven.
I tried putting some pickles in it this time, at a friend's suggestion. I'll have to see how it is.
The whistle is amazing glatt.
Shawnee :greenface
I might have to put you on ignore just so I don't accidentally read about the pickles in your meatloaf again. :greenface:greenface:greenface
Just as long as somebody else isn't putting their pickle in your meatloaf! :eek:
I made a ceramic napkin box. Well finished it anyway. I rolled and cut the pieces last week.
Cool Whislte, glatt -can you post the instructions, please?
The whistle is amazing glatt.
Shawnee :greenface
I might have to put you on ignore just so I don't accidentally read about the pickles in your meatloaf again. :greenface:greenface:greenface
I'm frightened. I won't be eating it until later, though. We'll see.
monster, pic of ceramic napkin thingy, please. :D
didn't take one yet. It needs fire then glaze then fire.....
I made cheeseburgers and hotdogs on the grille, made the dishes go into the dishwasher and made the pots and pans clean by hand, made the downstairs bathroom clean, and made Selene buy me a new chainsaw and a new set of lopping shears.
I just made a peanut butter and banana sandwich.
It was good.
Grilled poppers. Also guacamole and grilled plantains.
OMG I want those stuffed peppers, jinx.
Yesterday I made Grandad two red salmon and cucumber rolls.
Today I am making my bro happy by housesitting.
And later I may be making Candied Yams for the first time ever.
I just made thread today about how to make a whistle, and it took longer than actually making a whistle!
Paranoid remarks, vague accusations, veiled threats.
Yesterday I made Grandad two red salmon and cucumber rolls.
Is that like sushi?
No - just white bread rolls filled with tinned salmon and sliced cucumber. He's 87 you know...
And later I may be making Candied Yams for the first time ever.
Was too hot in town. By the time I'd done Grandad's shopping and paid my bills I'd completely forgotten that yams were on my list.
I didn't make it to the library either (I want
Small Gods by Terry Pratchett).
Still, I did make my mind about about Mum's birthday present.
It's not until 3 September but I like to plan in advance :)
Shawnee :greenface
I might have to put you on ignore just so I don't accidentally read about the pickles in your meatloaf again. :greenface:greenface:greenface
It wasn't too bad. I chopped them up really small so mostly it was just a slight pickle flavor. I won't do it again, though, and detract from my killer meatloaf.
I wish I had time to search for a graphic of a killer meatloaf, but it's time to go back to work.
I made pickles!
Well, am making. The pickle press is sitting on my counter, crammed full of cabbage and pickling salt. We shall see what horrors may or may not result tomorrow.
Funny that I'm not fond of cucumbers but I do like pickles! What is the cabbage for????
Pickled red cabbage?
It's a staple pickle here, especially over Christmas.
This one's green, but you can pickle pretty much any vegetable (or fruit, for that matter.) I'm trying to recreate this amazing soup I get from the Chinese place, that has pickled cabbage, pork, tomatoes, and snow peas in a clear broth.
Today I made music.
I played Eb bass in the Brass Band for a programme including such popular numbers as Annie's Song, Blaze Away, I Got Rhythm and Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, and Sousaphone in a little jazz combo (me, cornet and geetar) with things like When Somebody Thinks You're Wonderful, Darktown Strutters Ball, Muskrat Ramble[SIZE="1"]*[/SIZE] and Didn't He Ramble.
Ah'm knackereddd!
[SIZE="1"]*Now renamed by us Mustn't Grumble![/SIZE]
I wish I had time to search for a graphic of a killer meatloaf, but it's time to go back to work.
Killer Meatloaf?
And the monster is loose! Good find, Pie.
Clodfobble, do you plan to pickle any peppers?
And the monster is loose
Clodfobble, do you plan to pickle any peckers?
:lol:
Last night, I made a carrying case for some memory cards.
I had ordered 3
double packs of SD memory cards off Amazon for an upcoming vacation to the 4 corners region. They were cheap. But these memory cards didn't come with protective cases. Including the two I already owned, I now had 8 SD cards to keep track of. It's an embarrassment of riches, but a potential problem if I lose a card containing a couple hundred priceless vacation pictures.
Eyeballing an SD memory card, I realized that each one was about the height of a 35 mm negative. I thought they might fit perfectly into the plastic sheets you used to have for organizing 35mm film negatives. So I dug through a box of old photos to get
a sheet of negative holders. Cut two pieces out of it in a way that each will hold 4 cards with easy access from both sides of the sheet. I had a plastic box from a pocket first aid kit that was the perfect size. I padded the inside of the box with a little thin foam packaging from a cell phone, and the card sleeves fit in there perfectly. An Altoid tin would probably also be just the right size.
It's super simple, and very effective. The cards are easy to slide into and out of the sleeves. I should post a picture.
You can buy very similar
card organizers for like $10 online. But it's cheaper, faster, and more fun to make one out of stuff you may have lying around.
Great, keep 'em all together so you can lose 'em all at once. :haha:
Bruce beat me to it - I was just thinking about keeping all your eggs in one basket...
Sure, but in reality, when we have a lot of stuff to carry, we put it in a bag or container of some sort. It's just what we do. It's easier.
No, glatt...just in case you should keep one in your shoe, one in a closet, one above the door frame, one in the glove compartment, one in a safe deposit box, one in...
While you're at it, please also scatter your dishes, your tools, and your clothing.
I mean...WTF?
monster, pic of ceramic napkin thingy, please. :D
not the best pic, but....
Sure, but in reality, when we have a lot of stuff to carry, we put it in a bag or container of some sort. It's just what we do. It's easier.
Of course, it's an excellent idea, I was just fucking with you. How about a layer of that anti-static plastic that comes on electronic gizmos?
Sure, but in reality, when we have a lot of stuff to carry, we put it in a bag or container of some sort. It's just what we do. It's easier.
I must have missed something - Why are you carrying them all with you? Why not leave the ones with the past vacation pics at home?
Its not like you pack everything you own and take it with you on business trips ;)
He's got to take the pictures first, and needs the cards to do that.
8 of them? Thats a lot of pics no? I take mine and they stay on the camera till I get home. I guess you're taking a lot more than I thought.
The idea is they are empty when I leave for the vacation and full when I come home. It's a lot of cards, but they were cheap. And this way, I can take movies without worrying about having enough space left on the card.
I was wondering about the static when I was making it. I'm going to assume that static isn't a big issue. Hope I'm right.
Today I made myself two cheeseburgers. Turned out quite tasty.
Good ol' American cheese.
Tonight I made a single serving of frosting for just one cupcake. It worked out tremendously.
Damn, I didn't think that was possible... without a lot of bowl licking. :haha:
2 Tbs powdered sugar
1/2 Tbs grapeseed oil
1/4 tsp almond milk, adding up to another 1/4 tsp as needed.
Mix vigorously with a fork in a small tupperware container.
(Of course I took pictures, but I won't post them until I've got photos of the accompanying cupcake recipe as well.)
With a fork? Sounds like a job for when you're really pissed off at something.:D
monster, I just saw your napkin thingy! It's lovely.
(grumble grumble more freaking talented people)
However, late last night I made the mother of all meatloafs, after drinking way too many beers with friends. I didn't burn the place down or anything!
Wow - thats really good Jim. I didn't know you were so artistically talented.
I like that, Jim. You captured the surly teenager, there.
I made a house clean...ish.
thanks kero, he's 11 in that pic though! i dread him at 14.... shiver.... kidding.. he's a great kid.
this one is pretty OK too:
LJ those are gorgeous.
Of course I've only ever seen your kids in photos or videos, but as far as I can tell you have captured them perfectly.
Like Shawnee (grumble, grumle talented people).
Yesterday I blitzed my room. This fits because I made a room clean, okay?
At Mum's request - natch.
But when Diz woke me up at 05.00-ish this morning I did revel in the fact there was nothing to trip over on the way to the bathroom. I'm not really messy, I just have a tendency to store things on the floor. Especially library books, which reside in at least three piles (read, unread and worth another look).
And I could easily access the window to open the blinds. Maybe she has a point.
this is the one i used to do ippy:
I LOVE her hair colour there!
jim - you're a true renaissance man.
She has the most beautiful eyes and you really captured them, jim.
Lovely kids, Jim - and I envy you your drawing skills.
I finished this shawl today - for my SIL's birthday. Took 20 days to knit ...
Lucky SIL!
When I blitzed my room on Friday I came across the gloves you made me.
They were tucked away because it's summer of course.
Made me smile all over again.
I'll definitely be bringing them with me in January.
very pretty, Limey. I like the coloUr too!
I just noticed the shawl. Very nice, Limey!
Didn't get around to posting this until today, but yesterday I made this sieve. I wanted to take the kids fossil hunting at Calvert Cliffs yesterday, but I planned poorly and didn't realize it was 2 hours away instead of 1 hour away. 4 hours round trip requires a little more planning, and the trip was scrubbed.
Anyway, I took the suddenly free time and built this sieve so that it will be easier to find the sharks' teeth in the mud when we do get around to going. Made it from scraps and some boards the neighbors were throwing away. Total cost: free.
You could also use that for cleaning out your kitty litter.
So yesterday I took that sieve to the beach to go fossil hunting, and it was horribly disappointing. Found some shells. Big whoop. I had found fossilized shark's teeth on that beach in the past, but absolutely nothing this time. I had high hopes with the sieve. Oh well.
But I'm here to show the movie I made this morning as a test of MonkeyJam, a stop motion photography program. It's nothing special, but I'm hoping to have something better to show for it tomorrow.
[YOUTUBE]vOCAy4TpdTA[/YOUTUBE]
I made this to enter a contest at another website.
[YOUTUBE]k6N2n-Z6oJs[/YOUTUBE]
reminded me of this William Wegman short film. It's only about 10 seconds long.
[YOUTUBE]9xYxxcqbPeU[/YOUTUBE]
I made old-fashioned dill pickles from scratch (using
this recipe.) They turned out great!
glatt,
Did you have to make multiple drawings of the girl and horse and switch them between every shot?
yes. There were 5 of the girl, and 4 of the unicorn. The film was made of 194 individual frames.
Thanks! It took several hours to get everything drawn and set up and to take the 194 frames.
It would be cool if I won the
contest. There were roughly 20 entries for 3 prizes. A laptop, a PC, and a monitor. The odds aren't horrible, and I think my entry is in the top tier of entries in terms of quality and subject matter, so I'm hopeful.
I couldn't figure out how the winners are determined. Can we vote?
No voting. It's completely arbitrary. The Boing Boing judge or judges will decide based 25% on how awesome it is, 25% on how original it is, 25% on how funny it is, and 25% on how closely it conforms to Boing Boings ideals. My entry and two others are the only ones that reference Boing Boing in any way, so I hope that gives me an edge. The girl and the unicorn are both Boing Boing memes/logos.
It's totally arbitrary, so I just have to cross my fingers and wait. They also don't say when the winners will be announced. The running of this contest is kind of amateur, but in a way that's good, because it was not publicized much at all.
Poo...sorry...that's all I made today.
Jim, those are some great pics.
Birthday present for a friend. I wish I had made the front wheel a little shorter, it's kinda awkward. But they're awkward to begin with.
That's very cool. :thumb:
Cables, ALLLL day , i can still smell the solder
Birthday present for a friend. I wish I had made the front wheel a little shorter, it's kinda awkward. But they're awkward to begin with.
That is sweet! You do all the glass work and everything? How do you fill it with neon? Where do you get the neon? It needs a ballast, right? How did you get into neon sign making?
That is sweet! You do all the glass work and everything? How do you fill it with neon? Where do you get the neon? It needs a ballast, right? How did you get into neon sign making?
The
school I'm at has a nice neon shop, which makes everything easier -- I got into neon here, through an art class on the topic about 4 years ago. Recently I realized that (although often extremely frustrating) it's one of the most satisfying things I've ever tried.
The glass comes in straight tubes which you bend into shape. 99% of what I use is donated off-spec tubes from EGL, one of the main producers of neon products. Once bent you seal on electrodes, which give a vacuum-tight electrical contact through the glass. The whole piece is then connected via glass tube to the manifold, a system of valves which let you control how much vacuum is in the neon piece, as well as measure in an appropriate (minute) amount of neon / argon. Before adding the neon, you bombard the piece to remove impurities, moisture, etc: pull the tube into a light vacuum and apply a lot of electricity (~15kV @ 200-800 mA.)
I've got this neat old card table that came from my FIL's apartment and won't fit into his new digs at the assisted living facility. Unfortunately, it's really rickety. Before I start to fix it, I want to make sure it's not worth a fortune and I'd be ruining its value by even regluing the joints. I'm also really curious about what the story is behind this table, because it's got some very unusual features. I was hoping maybe a someone in the Cellar might know a thing or two about antiques or can point me to a forum about them.
Here's an overview of the table. I think it's in the federal style, but I really don't know anything, so if you know, please let me know.
The rear leg swings out to support the table top when it folds out.
This is the open table top. It's got some stains on it and could use some cleaning or even stripping and refinishing.
This is where it gets interesting. See how this support leg has a little notch cut in it so it can wrap a little bit around the apron? The other legs also have this, but they don't wrap around anything, so they have all been patched.
See this leg? It has a patch where it was notched just like the leg that folds out. Also, see the mortise and tenon joint that has been cut apart, showing the end grain of the tenons? This leg was cut off of another card table before it was added to this one! And the rest of the stationary legs on this table are also that way. See the horizontal saw kerfs in the apron joint to the right of the leg? They are there to hold splines that will reinforce the joint, and they are all different depths. They were hand cut. Also, look at the pocket hole for the screw that holds the apron and table top together. That was definitely chopped out by hand with a gouge.
This picture shows the structural problem with the table. The legs are connected to the apron with dowels, and the joints are really loose. You can see daylight through the joint, and clearly see how the legs are loose. Also at some point, somebody must have dragged the table forward, because the upper dowels on both front legs broke the aprons and made the veneer flake off in places.
This table needs to be disassembled and re-glued, but I'm not sure if it's something I should touch. I'm confident in my woodworking skills, but portions of this table are clearly hand made, and I see no evidence of machinery use on the table anywhere. So it might be fairly old and possibly valuable. Thoughts?
I'd take it to Antiques Roadshow if they show up in your area. Failing that, it might be worth paying for an appraisal before you start working on it. It's a very lovely piece, and certainly isn't the first thing that comes to mind when I think "cardtable."
I know from my close reading of Lovejoy that it wasn't unusual to take two pieces of furniture and stick them together, however, depending on when that was done, it might have some value.
Yeah, you always hear on Roadshow how "it would have been worth 40 billion if you hadn't fixed that wobble. But you can still get about 1000 at auction."
Or, conversely "Sure, get this fixed up and you can sell this for 50,000 dollars."
I wouldn't touch anything before having it appraised.
It's a beautiful piece. It would look lovely in my home. If it turns out to only be worth, like, a grand...and you want to get rid of it. ;)
My old Philco needs some work done on parts of the wood, but who to trust, where to go?
I've got this neat old card table that came from my FIL's apartment and won't fit into his new digs at the assisted living facility. Unfortunately, it's really rickety. Before I start to fix it, I want to make sure it's not worth a fortune and I'd be ruining its value by even regluing the joints. I'm also really curious about what the story is behind this table, because it's got some very unusual features. I was hoping maybe a someone in the Cellar might know a thing or two about antiques or can point me to a forum about them.
This table needs to be disassembled and re-glued, but I'm not sure if it's something I should touch. I'm confident in my woodworking skills, but portions of this table are clearly hand made, and I see no evidence of machinery use on the table anywhere. So it might be fairly old and possibly valuable. Thoughts?
STOP! DON"T DO A THING. That looks like a VERY VALUABLE ANTIQUE. I'm not kidding. Let me direct a knowledgeable friend to this thread.
Well that would be interesting. I'd actually be a little disappointed if it was extremely valuable, because my FIL is still alive, and it still belongs to him. So I would need to tell him and let him decide what to do with it. But if it's not valuable, then I can keep it and just fix it up and put it in the living room. On the other hand, if it's super valuable, he could use the money. The facility ain't cheap.
Thanks, footfootfoot!
Oh, so I was right.
DON'T TOUCH IT GLATT. You heard it straight from the horse's foot.
What did I make today - final payment on two debts!
Three if you count paying Dad back for Diz's attempted suicide vet bill - and I do count it, it was the largest payment every month for four months!
Yay me.
As you were.
Yay Sundae! That must feel [COLOR="Magenta"] SOOO [SIZE="5"]GOOOOOOOD!![/SIZE][/COLOR]
Oh what a beautiful piece of furniture. It reminds me a little of a table my gran had years ago. I wonder if that was a card table? She just used it as a phone table but if a lot of us were gathered for food, she'd sometimes pull it out and it would fold out similar to that.
Lovely pics. I found your breakdown of the subject really interesting.
I actually saw something very like that on Antiques Roadshow a week or two ago. It was pretty valuable, but I don't remember the number.
I just took another look at it, and don't know how I missed this before, but the top was stolen from another table too. It currently has hinges on the edges like this:
But it also has old broken hinges that are not evenly spaced. They are hidden by the apron, but one of them becomes visible when the table is upside down and you swing the movable leg out:
The other old hinge is barely visible and is in totally the wrong spot for the table as it's built right now:
I love this table more and more. It's a real Frankenstein piece. It was made of bits and pieces of other table(s) a long time ago.
I also sent an e-mail to a local auction house that does assessments to see what they have to say. I'm sure they would charge for a written assessment, but I told them I might be interested in selling it, and hopefully they will give me a ballpark.
of course, you could just fix the damn thing, it would certainly make it as valuable as a wooden card table, of no particular interest to your FIL and you'd get to play cards on it.
I would really enjoy fixing it. It would be beautiful and sturdy when I get through with it.
I used to have a job right after college in an antique furniture repair place. We fixed them and refinished them, but didn't know a damn thing about provenance or value.
I also sent an e-mail to a local auction house that does assessments to see what they have to say. I'm sure they would charge for a written assessment, but I told them I might be interested in selling it, and hopefully they will give me a ballpark.
Sotheby's will do it for free. Just email them some photos. They'll email you back with an estimate. It's their bread and butter.
I would really enjoy fixing it. It would be beautiful and sturdy when I get through with it.
I used to have a job right after college in an antique furniture repair place. We fixed them and refinished them, but didn't know a damn thing about provenance or value.
My friend who I sent the photos to started out in a antique restoration shop and was given a highboy with a missing drawer. The owner told him to match the drawer. After fifteen years there the owner would hand a drawer and tell him to make the highboy.
He's very very good, he's made a lot of antiques.
Fascinating table. I suspect that because it is a Frankenstein job, you wouldn't get super-top dollar for it. Buyers like original condition. On the other hand, it has such a great character and story this itself becomes a plus.
[echoing] Appraise first. if it isn't crazy expensive, you'll have a fun little project. [/herd]
I suspect that because it is a Frankenstein job, you wouldn't get super-top dollar for it. Buyers like original condition.
Sometimes the Frankensteining makes it more valuable because it's part of the history, like
this part is definitively pre-Civil War, and we can infer that
that part is newer and had to be added after half the table got burned in Atlanta...
I heard back from Sotheby's!!
Dear Mr. [glatt],
Thank you for your email. It is a period early 19th century games table from Massachusetts however unfortunately is has experience a fair bit of restoration. The top is replaced and the legs have been broken out and restored. Therefore its value today is somewhere between $300 and $500.
Sincerely,
Erik [redacted]
ERIK [redacted]
Sotheby's New York
American Furniture Department
So now I can fix it up!
Good news, good news.
Keep an account of your restoration, and it will make it much more interesting to anyone you bequeath/ sell it to. And also mean they are never disappointed on Antiques Roadshow.
Today I am considering making Cheese and Onion Monkey Bread, and/or cookies.
I have the ingredients.
I would prefer to make things out of Yummy Dough (edible PlayDough) but they are supposed to be eaten within 24 hours. Maybe on Sunday then.
And I've love to make my Dalek cake, but I can't get a lift to work on Monday and I fear he would shake himself loose on a mile walk.
So now I can fix it up!
Cool!
I mean, it would be cooler if it were worth half a million dollars, but hey, getting to start a new project is cool too. ;)
I'm surprised that it's worth so little. It's a nice looking, hand made, 200 year old table. A
similar quality new table without the fancy inlay designs would cost close to $1000. So I figured that would be the starting point. Oh well.
But I really am happy that I get to just keep the worthless table now, because it really is nice and will look good in our living room.
Now, a question for you woodworkers, when I re-glue these joints should I just use regular wood glue like I would use in new construction, or should I invest in a glue pot and get some hide glue for a more traditional approach?
grind up some horses! If you're going to go old school, don't pussy foot about it!
Now, a question for you woodworkers, when I re-glue these joints should I just use regular wood glue like I would use in new construction, or should I invest in a glue pot and get some hide glue for a more traditional approach?
Go hide glue, it's much more reversible, especially if you get good at this and want to remove the frankenstein parts and make it "right" Then, if you are really good, it will be worth mad loot.
have fun
Go totally old school - no modern glues, no power tools. Use 18th century cusses while working, dangnabbit.
grind up some horses! If you're going to go old school, don't pussy foot about it!
for the win
Where is the goddamned glue?
I made this last week for the mm who has been very keen on archery since she hit a bullseye her first time shooting an arrow. The look on her face was pure victory and empowerment.
It's Ipe with maple and cedar grip. The string is made from some carpet thread I had around. Shot an arrow about 200 feet.
Did she wash her finger first?
Have you let her watch Top Shot yet?
Where is the goddamned glue?
It's still in the horse.
Shot an arrow about 200 feet.
She did? or the bow did?
Did she wash her finger first?
We can only hope...
Have you let her watch Top Shot yet?
She can watch Top Gear, once she's done with the Gs we'll move her up the alphabet.
It's still in the horse.
(It's
Hide glue)
She did? or the bow did?
The bow did, she shot about 10 yards.
Awesome!
I should post some of the wooden swords glatt Jr. has been making. I taught him how to make a half lap joint for the guard, and he loves using a draw knife to shape the blade. I always figured we would be the dorky family that nobody would come visit, but he's very popular with his friends because he has shop privileges (with limits.)
Today I nearly made a very silly mistake.
I got a PayPal receipt for three month's worth of online number rental from Skype.
My mouth dropped open - WTF?!
I was a second away from clicking the Dispute link handily included in the email when my brain kicked in.
Hang on...
Sure enough, went to the official PayPal site and no such payment has been issued.
I knew there wouldn't be, but I did have to check.
I'd never fall for a bank scam because I do not have online banking and my bank does not have my email address. But the sneaky buggers nearly had me today - sheer paranoia because I know I'm already slightly overdrawn.
Last night I think I fixed the refrigerator.
There had been mysterious puddles of water under the refrigerator off and on for a few weeks, which I traced to an area under the crisper drawers. A couple of water drops on the back wall showed the water was coming down from up near the freezer. This machine does not have an ice maker or water filter, so it had to be a condensation issue.
So I pulled everything out of the freezer, which is on top, and started looking up there. I figured there was a drain that was blocked or frozen shut or something, forcing the water to find another path. It took a while to figure out how to remove the rear panel of the freezer to get to the condenser, and it was so cold working in there that I had to go find some winter gloves to wear. There was a rack to remove, and an ice cube shelf, and an unused ice maker hookup to snap off, and a frozen brittle plastic vent grate to snap off without breaking, and one screw to remove. And once I did all that. I could pull the back panel off. I saw the drain hole under the condenser, but didn't see anything blocking it. No water or ice was visible up there under the condenser either, but there was a little water in the drain hole.
So then I pulled the refrigerator out into the middle of the kitchen and saw that there was a drain hose on the back of the thing that leads from just below the freezer down to an evaporation pan at the base of the fridge. I got my wet-dry vac turned on, and then popped this hose off. Sucking all the spilling water up as I did so. Then I put the nozzle of the shop-vac right up to the hose. It made a perfect seal. And the shop vac whined like crazy for a bit while making a slurping sound. The hose was sucked clear. I tried blowing into the hose, and there were no obstructions.
Then I put it all back together and put the food back in.
I could have just pulled the stupid thing out into the kitchen and pulled the hose out of the back and sucked it out in the first place. It would have taken a minute or two. But now I have an intricate understanding of this refrigerator. And I found some year old food in the freezer that I got to throw away.
And since this is kind of a boring post, I'll throw in a picture of the condenser, because most people will never see what theirs looks like.
Frozen peas down the drain tube are notorious villains.
I have several ongoing projects at the moment ... a hoodie that I've been crocheting since last winter, another hippie market bag, and a gimp lanyard thingy which I'm hoping will work for wrongwaycorrigan's orienteering compass (the one that comes with it just snaps on, and I don't think it's anything like secure, since the cord just snaps into the plastic thingy too ...
I want wrongway to be able to go the wrong way with confidence.
... I got my wet-dry vac turned on, and then popped this hose off. Sucking all the spilling water up as I did so. Then I put the nozzle of the shop-vac right up to the hose. It made a perfect seal. And the shop vac whined like crazy for a bit while making a slurping sound. The hose was sucked clear. I tried blowing into the hose, and there were no obstructions.
...
Shouldn't this be labeled NSFW?
I was counting on the Cellar to comment on that. Thanks for doing your part.
Ooh, I was just thinking of bumping this thread the other day! I built a stairstep thingy for one of my cabinets so I could organize my spices vertically instead of laying them horizontally in a drawer as I have been doing up until now. I used the mitre saw all by myself! (Well, not strictly by myself. I had to message Mr. Clod to help me find the safety switch.)
(Well, not strictly by myself. I had to [COLOR="Red"]massage [/COLOR]Mr. Clod to help me find the safety switch.)
Sheesh - This thread is becoming totally NSFW.
I want to marry all of you. Yes, you too Clod. ;)
Glatt, you are teh awesome. Our fridge died a week ago and I have been on deadline all week and have not had a chance to look at it. Thanks to you, I have a great step by step starting place.!
Well I don't want to marry YOU. Fridge slacker.
I didn't mention the part about how two weeks ago I was looking for the answer to this problem at the base of the fridge, which is the warm side of the cooling loop. I had been using an over-sized pipe cleaner style brush for years trying to keep the warm coils under there free of dust bunnies for efficiency's sake. But my long brush could only clean about half of the coils. So when I pushed the thing away from the wall last time, and took the panel off the bottom in back, I saw that there was a tremendous amount of dust bunnies back in there. I vacuumed as much up as I could, but by using a can of compressed air, I was able to blow most of the dust out the front (and all over the kitchen floor).
There's an evaporation pan down at the bottom next to the compressor and warm coils and a cooling fan. All that heat and warm air down there evaporates the water in that pan pretty quickly. Anyway, the hose from the freezer drain leads to that evaporator pan, and that clogged hose led to the puddles of water on the floor.
Then the only other bit is the control panel inside the fridge up near the freezer.
That's pretty cool glatt!
Well I don't want to marry YOU. Fridge slacker.
Maybe we could just go steady?
Maybe we could just go steady?
Hi. Have we met? Steady, I'm not. :p:
Today I made hard boiled eggs and mashed them, as a treat for the chickens. Yes. I have cannibalistic chickens. :eek:
I've been working on this ladle off and on all weekend. It's bigger than it looks. Holds about a cup. Made from a hunk of black walnut. It was fairly time consuming since the wood had been drying out in my shop for about ten years, and was pretty hard.
I doubt it will see any use. It's not terribly practical, but it was fun making it.
Lovely, but I wouldn't use it for food. Black Walnut is toxic.
It's lovely :) Today i made soup. yesterday I made jewellery.
Lovely, but I wouldn't use it for food. Black Walnut is toxic.
Good to know. It also stains your fingertips, when you are carving and sanding it.
Today I made music with a lovely bunch of people. Yesterday I made music with the same lovely bunch of people. Tomorrow most of that lovely bunch of people are going away on the ferry (weather permitting). Or not :)
I've been making little crocheted bags that are sized to hold tarot card decks.
I've moved on to trying to make a cozy for a Kindle Touch.
Glatt, is the color off on that? It looks more like black locust to me, or olive wood, especially the grain.
The color is correct, but it's unfinished, so it might look a lot darker with a finish on it. But now that you mention it, I'm not positive it's black walnut. It was a long time ago that I cut up that log. The tree's leaves and bark looked like black walnut, but there were no walnuts present at the time it came down. I don't think it was black locust though since there were no thorns anywhere.
time to dust off this lovely...
The color is correct, but it's unfinished, so it might look a lot darker with a finish on it. But now that you mention it, I'm not positive it's black walnut. It was a long time ago that I cut up that log. The tree's leaves and bark looked like black walnut, but there were no walnuts present at the time it came down. I don't think it was black locust though since there were no thorns anywhere.
can you take a close up with a sheet of white paper next to it?
Black walnut is really chocolaty brown, Locust is orange when freshly cut down, greenish yellow when dried turning cafe au lait brown when exposed to light for a long time. The grain is very open somewhat like oak or ash but not quite as large pored. Very similar to Mulberry or Osage Orange if you are familiar with them, I think you have those down near you. Black walnut has very fine grain structure, a lot like mahagony.
Perhaps
Definitely not Mulberry or Osage Orange. The leaves were all wrong. But black locust and black walnut leaves are similar enough that I could have confused them. And I was actively looking for spines, and saw none, so I ruled out black locust in my mind. That's about all I remember from that day a decade ago.
Nice bright colors. I bet they taste great too. Well done!
Actually they don't - far too sweet!
But the staffroom will gobble them up :)
Actually they don't - far too sweet!
NOT possible. :)
They look wonderful!
can you take a close up with a sheet of white paper next to it?
Spoon in front is older and has darkened for a year or two. Spoon in back is a day old. The wood is yellower when cut into and noticably darker when aged.
Does not look like black walnut from here. manymany variables, sure, but the color seems to be far too light, and variable.
I made a social story for a boy who hates the cleanup transition. First day was a positive step.
a boy who hates the cleanup transition
I know you're dealing with this on a different level, but that sounds like every boy I know.
Congratulation on the positive step. Was this the first day back after a long break? If so, was that a good thing, or a more difficult thing?
Often it is more difficult, but he really missed school and had a nice day over-all. His behaviors are usually not too intense, but he has no sense of time. Past, present, and future all run together so between the picture schedule and hopefully the social story, I hope to have him ready for an integrated kindergarten next Fall.
Oh good grief! that's what Thor's like and he's 5th grade. And he's not alone. I read an article somewhere that postulated that the increase of IEPs/diagnoses in boys was due to society deciding that "girl" behaviour is a more acceptable norm, so we are trying to make boys behave more like girls in the classroom. I brought up all of my kids the same -they all had dolls and cars and were dressed in bright colors (same clothes handed down). I was sure the behavioural differences between the genders were all bullshit. I was so wrong! My daughter is strong, confident, and independent, and my sons are sympathetic and not sexist, but you can sure tell the difference by their behaviours which one is which gender.
You do not know this autistic child, bite me.
I hope to have him ready for an integrated kindergarten next Fall.
How does that work where you are? Would he simply join the class along with everyone else, or would there be some sort of special needs helper who would be in the classroom to work with him as needed? Or would he leave the classroom at times to have special sessions with someone?
I ask because my wife just started this year as a school based substitute teacher in my son's elementary school. So she's been having all these random experiences with special needs kids as she moves from class to class in the school, and she's got no training at all (and isn't required to) for working with them. So she's been winging it, and mostly doing pretty well, but it's been exhausting at times. I was surprised there are so many kids who are on the spectrum at this school. Some of them seem to have staff in place there specifically to help them, and others don't.
How does that work where you are? Would he simply join the class along with everyone else, or would there be some sort of special needs helper who would be in the classroom to work with him as needed? Or would he leave the classroom at times to have special sessions with someone?
I'm interested to hear how this works in your are as well.
Some of them seem to have staff in place there specifically to help them, and others don't.
This is what we have here. They also have dedicated classes with specially trained Special-Ed teachers and "Paras" or assistants that work with specific children on an as needed basis.
Glatt,
I did a color correction with the white paper as reference to get a better idea of what kind of wood that may be. If you are sure that the leaves of this tree resembled walnut then I would guess this is butternut, especially if the wood is somewhat woolly when you sand it. It also looks a little like cherry depending on how I balance it. It seems like it was shot under fluorescent light which is usually lacking in some of the wavelength of light so it is difficult to fully color correct it.
Cherry tends to have small, very black pitch pockets, there appears to be a pitch pocket on the back of the top spoon.
First guess would be butternut, tannish brown.
Cherry, reddish brown, spicy smell, pitch pockets.
Butternut, eh? Well, it was a long time ago, but I figured it was walnut at the time, based on the leaves.
Here's butternut on the top and walnut on the bottom. Or maybe vice verse.
[ATTACH]36485[/ATTACH]
Could very well be butternut then.
How does that work where you are? Would he simply join the class along with everyone else, or would there be some sort of special needs helper who would be in the classroom to work with him as needed? Or would he leave the classroom at times to have special sessions with someone?
It will be based on his IEP. We will have a meeting with all stake-holders at the end of this year. Parents (child if parents desire), teachers, therapists, and district officials will all sit down and figure out what supports the child will need to be successful. We have to meet the legal requirement of least restrictive environment in his placement. There are a whole gamit of settings available based on the child's needs for success. Everything he needs goes on his IEP, so it will change dramatically from child to child. Hopefully Mrs. Glatt gets regular work across a few classrooms so she can get to know what the individual children require and what the school is legally required to provide. My buddy will hopefully go to an integrated classroom which is visited daily by a special ed teacher who can advise the gen ed teacher. What he needs mostly is social interactions with typically developing peers. I believe based on his development so far that he will not need an individual aide and is far too strong academically for a special needs classroom. He may need pull out for speech but we'll see. He hopefully will not return to the potentially self-injurious behaviors we've seen fade and will learn to attend with minimal supports. It is way too early to say what he will be capable of come next Fall.
the latest tiny wafer, about the size of a nickel.
Parents (child if parents desire), teachers, therapists, and district officials will all sit down and figure out what supports the child will need to be successful. We have to meet the legal requirement of least restrictive environment in his placement.
Is this the way it really works in your school, in your honest opinion? I know you obviously have the best interests of the child at heart, as do most of the teachers in our district--except in our district, they are expected to keep their mouths shut during the meetings. It is an absolutely adversarial process with parents on one side and "the district" on the other, and all district members are expected to toe the line of 'offer the most minimal services we can possibly get away with.' I had heard stories, and I was so sure that it wouldn't be that way with us, that we were going to work positively and constructively with them... but it turns out, no.
In our district, it is a given that you bring a legal advocate with you to every IEP meeting, unless you are a brand new parent and don't know any better yet.
I'll assume that was directed at foot. ;)
the latest tiny wafer, about the size of a nickel.
I don't quite understand what holds the arrow on the shaft. Do you have component pictures?
Right now it is pinched in the slot of the arrow end, somewhat like an old fashioned clothes pin.
We (the inch and I) had to come up for supper before we could glue it in place with pitch. (Tree resin)
Is this the way it really works in your school, in your honest opinion? I know you obviously have the best interests of the child at heart, as do most of the teachers in our district--except in our district, they are expected to keep their mouths shut during the meetings. It is an absolutely adversarial process with parents on one side and "the district" on the other, and all district members are expected to toe the line of 'offer the most minimal services we can possibly get away with.' I had heard stories, and I was so sure that it wouldn't be that way with us, that we were going to work positively and constructively with them... but it turns out, no.
In our district, it is a given that you bring a legal advocate with you to every IEP meeting, unless you are a brand new parent and don't know any better yet.
If parents know what they want and are assertive, they tend to get good results. In NYS parents have veto power over any placement. If the parents don't show up, which happens, the district has free rein. We are contractors for the district, so we don't have leverage outside of the detailed reports and testing. The teachers who get the children in the next placement, actually have substantial power at these meetings and work among themselves to try to divy up slots appropriately. One weakness I see is in one to one aide assignments. They are expensive and I think the district would rather a child be placed in a 12-1-1 than in an integrated room with an aide. Money is tight so any district feels pressure to give less. In that case, a teacher won't advocate to get a difficult child placed in their room if they fear that no aide will be available. If you have a good open meeting though, all the possibilities will be discussed. Our district tries to be flexible about 1/2 integration etc... if that is attractive to parents. By law there is a parent advocate at the meeting but some parents do as you mention and get legal counsel (none of mine yet). The new chair-person in our district has begun calling parents prior to the meeting to get a sense of what they feel the child needs. That way if her teachers feel the parents' wishes may not be reasonable/workable she can go into the meeting with an acceptable compromise. That happened with one of my kids last year. I've only been to one meeting that simply blew-up and everyone was caught off guard even yours truly. The parent later relented and accepted services.
This is only my experience and it is limited to CPSE transition. I don't know how it plays out later.
In NYS parents have veto power over any placement.
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.
Right now it is pinched in the slot of the arrow end, somewhat like an old fashioned clothes pin.
We (the inch and I) had to come up for supper before we could glue it in place with pitch. (Tree resin)
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.
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.
[ATTACH]36922[/ATTACH]
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).
[ATTACH]37293[/ATTACH]
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.
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.
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.
(from wikipedia: Juglone occurs naturally in the leaves, roots, husks, and bark of plants in the Juglandaceae family, particularly the black walnut (Juglans nigra), and is toxic or growth-stunting to many types of plants. It is sometimes used as a herbicide, as a dye for cloth and inks, and as a coloring agent for foods and cosmetics.)
Juglans nigra
that's racist
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.
[YOUTUBE]MVSwICvpIVE[/YOUTUBE]
As I was trolling through the videos, I saw this one. Wow, that is some serious machinery.
[YOUTUBE]5Mter4umkJg[/YOUTUBE]
And this one is trailerable, but I can't justify $9000. Damn cool though.
[YOUTUBE]SbYp0bVn4pI[/YOUTUBE]
Really though, this has been me, but with more cussing and complaining. Might setup the camera for a timelapse movie too, cool idea.
[YOUTUBE]OUgPBinKzRQ[/YOUTUBE]
what I **really really** want to use is this: the most dangerous tool ever invented. Hell yeah.
[YOUTUBE]N1HZztie5ac[/YOUTUBE]
kid stuff. Check this shit out:
[YOUTUBE]5TQBSyWTpfM&start=68s[/YOUTUBE]
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...
from practical machinst:
I have one that runs off the PTO on my 1953 Ford Jubilee. It is scary fast. This particular one was built by my father. It takes 2 people to operate: One to feed it the wood and one to be ready to push in the clutch on the tractor. Since I have both, this one and a ram type one, I can honestly say the screw type is at least 5 times faster but about 300 times more dangerous. Although it is still the one I use the most.
and...
from yesterday's tractors board:
They are an excellent companion piece to a buzz saw...if the saw doesn"t kill you, you can get screwed to death by the splitter. Both are covered under Rube Goldberg patents #1 and #2.
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?
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.
Made the cake and the ganache.
I feel this might be a disappointment.
Cooled cake in tine 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.
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 !!!
Holyshit. Ok ok
Ok. Got it.
Thanks man.
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 !!!
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.
Nice, Zippy. Thanks. You've deprived us of a Darwin Award Winning Video on yutube.
I still have a vehicle, and a video camera, and a desire.... just no unicorn.
Your perverse desire may still be fulfilled. :nuts:
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.
[youtube]z8bfpzvGTVA[/youtube]
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.
[ATTACH]37484[/ATTACH]
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.
[ATTACH]37485[/ATTACH]
I cut a nice 1.25" square blank off to work with.
[ATTACH]37486[/ATTACH]
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.
[ATTACH]37487[/ATTACH]
I started chopping and paring wood out with a small chisel.
[ATTACH]37488[/ATTACH]
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.
[ATTACH]37489[/ATTACH]
I'm getting close to finishing it.
[ATTACH]37490[/ATTACH]
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
The extra length gives you summat to muckle onto.
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.
What did I make today?
A Tree. And a hernia (not shown).
[ATTACH]37293[/ATTACH]
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.
I made a pile of little ones out of stacks of big ones.
[ATTACH]37497[/ATTACH]
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.
[ATTACH]37505[/ATTACH]
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/2011/01/snow-nealley-hudson-bay-axe-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.
[ATTACH]37554[/ATTACH]
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.
Since you asked.
I love ...
the light play on the water
the light play under the water
the blue of underwater
the feel of the water flowing past
the feel of the muscles in my body working
the watery sounds
the sounds of the bubbles of my breath
the rhythm of the swim-breathe thing
the feeling of buoyancy
the excellent shower afterwards!
I don't love the busy.
Today I sewed two little oddly-shaped bags--they have a trapezoid silhouette in front, but then there's a fifth seam extending underneath from the bottom of the trapezoid, and everything spreads out into a thick round elastic band in the back.
They are designed to slip over the front and cover up the hand dryers in the PPCD bathrooms, because my friend's daughter is scared of them, and they think that's why she is still refusing to use the toilet at school even though she is potty-trained everywhere else. But my friend can't sew, so I offered to make them for her.
The fabric had to be gender-neutral at the very least, but since boys usually outnumber girls 3 to 1 in this type of classroom, I leaned more towards boy decor. So it's light blue, with little dogs and fire hydrants all over it.
See, because it's fire hydrants, in the room where everyone pees. God, I crack myself up.
Those sound great Clod.
Can't get my head round them though - any chance of pictures?
I think I am way off beam in the type of hand-dryer I am thinking of.
Today we made pirate booty bags for Pirate Day (29th at my school). And the children cut out templates for making their pirate biscuits (to go in said booty bags). When we made pirate hats, Rabbit conned me into doing his skull and crossbones for him. This time he did it himself. Little future-fashion-designer that he is, he made a good fist of it, leaving me to realise he is more competant than he lets on. I admit I cut it out for him though.
Our literacy work at present is Instructions, so the children are alternately making items and then writing them up. I think it's great, as the writing up stage is usually when I'm in Class 2 :)
Oh and just a pat on the back for me - I held 31 7-8 year old children spellbound with the first chapter of Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator (Roald Dahl) this afternoon. There was no assembly, so from the time the HLTA left at 15.00 until 15.15 I was in sole control. It was probably Dahl's wonderful prose, but I was pleased with the response regardless.
Can't get my head round them though - any chance of pictures?
I think I am way off beam in the type of hand-dryer I am thinking of.
They don't photograph well since the elastic makes them all bunchy, but I'll try to remember to take one tomorrow when I drop by the school to put them on.
The hand dryers look like this:
Nope, that's what I was thinking of.
Can they still be used when the cover is on? Is it about hiding the chrome?
Or is she stressed by the noise and this is just a masking device for when she is in the toilet?
They don't get used; paper towels are closer and faster, and many children are afraid of the noise after all. But these particular machines are motion-sensor instead of push-button, so when someone moves too close it may turn on, and according to my friend even the sight of one is enough to scare her daughter. She says the cover should solve it, though--when they go to the doctor's office, her daughter is similarly afraid of the otoscope, but they hang a napkin over the apparatus and all is well. The thing I made is like a giant pair of underwear, but without leg holes.
They don't get used; paper towels are closer and faster, and many children are afraid of the noise after all. But these particular machines are motion-sensor instead of push-button, so when someone moves too close it may turn on, and according to my friend even the sight of one is enough to scare her daughter. She says the cover should solve it, though--when they go to the doctor's office, her daughter is similarly afraid of the otoscope, but they hang a napkin over the apparatus and all is well. The thing I made is like a giant pair of underwear, but without leg holes.
That issue can be fixed with some lightly frosted sticky tape (translucent but not transparent) over the movement sensor.
Effective against a wide range of motion detectors, and almost unnoticable unless you're looking.
Don't ask why I know*.
*because the truth is nowhere near as interesting as what you're imagining.
Hand dryer cover, freshly installed this morning. I had wanted it to sit more symmetrically than this, but the right side just wouldn't stay sticking out without a chrome piece to push against it. Oh well.
That's fantastic! Even better than I pictured.
So I'm still not clear. Is it permanent, or does the mom carry it around in her purse to put on before the kid goes in the bathroom?
It's hopefully permanent. This girl will be in this classroom for another year and a half, and even after she leaves, there are lots of overly-sensory kids who are scared to death of those things, so it makes sense to just leave it there. They don't use the dryer for that very reason, but maybe kids other than my friend's daughter will also appreciate having it hidden.
What if they're afraid of puppehs? Or hydrants? ;)
Looks good!
Clod that's an excellent piece of work!
I'd commission one just for aesthetics.
I had a fail on my making this afternoon.
Because 2a made their pirate bags in approx 20 minutes I grossly underestimated the time it would take for Class 2 to make them. I didn't factor in that I would be having groups of 3-6 at a time. I forgot that the children with higher ability in 2a were able to get on virtually unsupervied, meaning we only worked intensively with the ones who needed it. And that 10 x three children @ 20 minutes each does not fit into a 50 minute slot.
I'm still relatively new at all this TA malarky...
And after all, the teacher thought it was possible too.
The ones we got made looked good though.
And I did get through the lower ability children. Including one extremely high-achieving child academically, who cannot glue anything to anything except himself, and cuts like Edward Scissorhands before he learned dexterity.
Oh and quite a few children asked if we would have the next chapter of Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator today :angel:
I made this last week for the mm who has been very keen on archery since she hit a bullseye her first time shooting an arrow. The look on her face was pure victory and empowerment.
It's Ipe with maple and cedar grip. The string is made from some carpet thread I had around. Shot an arrow about 200 feet.
Dude.
[YOUTUBEWIDE]2zGnxeSbb3g[/YOUTUBEWIDE]
I. Am. Impressed.
Also impressed by the woodcraft and lore so many Dwellars have up their sleeves. Just ran across this thread. Also love the juxtaposition of the archery and wood topics with the baking and handcrafting posts. Maybe I'll try to get some pics of my loom and spinning wheel to post. Sort of on hiatus right now, though.
I love the posts about identifying and working with wood. My father taught me a little but I haven't had the opportunity to do anything myself - mostly buy him fine woodworking books and enjoy what he makes.
Re: BigV's video
Why in God's name would you have a computer narrate that? [/bitter voiceactor]
Yes, oh, I'm sorry dear voiceactor. I know, maybe the creator is deaf.
I. Am. Impressed.
Also impressed by the woodcraft and lore so many Dwellars have up their sleeves. Just ran across this thread. Also love the juxtaposition of the archery and wood topics with the baking and handcrafting posts. Maybe I'll try to get some pics of my loom and spinning wheel to post. Sort of on hiatus right now, though.
I love the posts about identifying and working with wood. My father taught me a little but I haven't had the opportunity to do anything myself - mostly buy him fine woodworking books and enjoy what he makes.
Please do this. I would love to Be. Impressed.
:)
Yes, oh, I'm sorry dear voiceactor. I know, maybe the creator is deaf.
Are you being serious, do you know the person who made the video? I know you're tied in to the deaf community... Sorry if I offended.
A birthday cake, d'uh.
RE V's link
Lajos Kassai is my hero. I'd love to move to Hungary and live there and study. I think I posted a link of him in super slow motion.
The red headed Russian gal is equally astounding. I showed her video to the older home school girls who were taking a bow making class with me.
Are you being serious, do you know the person who made the video? I know you're tied in to the deaf community... Sorry if I offended.
nononnoonononno
shit. I spoke very poorly, ambiguously. I'm sorry. I meant, "Yeah, I know! Computer voice?! What a dumb choice."
then, a separate thought, but mashedrightthehellinthere
"Wait, maaaaybe the video poster was deaf, and used the computer text to speech to narrate his video."
really poor articulation of my thoughts. No offense meant, none taken, but I'm a little embarrassed by my poor communication.
nononnoonononno
shit. I spoke very poorly, ambiguously. I'm sorry. I meant, "Yeah, I know! Computer voice?! What a dumb choice."
then, a separate thought, but mashedrightthehellinthere
"Wait, maaaaybe the video poster was deaf, and used the computer text to speech to narrate his video."
really poor articulation of my thoughts. No offense meant, none taken, but I'm a little embarrassed by my poor communication.
goddamned cheap whiskey! Those Fusel oils are wrecking my brain.
Great thread resurrection.
Please do this. I would love to Be. Impressed.
:)
It's not impressive, not a floor loom - that's for my fantasy future house, in front of the window. That energy-efficient small maybe log house with a woodstove that I have in my mind's eye. Anyway - for now my favorite thing is weaving blankets, and on my current loom they're lap blankets/sofa throws. I'd like to get into bigger stuff. Placemats etc. bore me to tears.
So, it may not Be. Impressive. But I'll try, after this week or two go by. :)
It's not impressive, not a floor loom - that's for my fantasy future house, in front of the window. That energy-efficient small maybe log house with a woodstove that I have in my mind's eye. Anyway - for now my favorite thing is weaving blankets, and on my current loom they're lap blankets/sofa throws. I'd like to get into bigger stuff. Placemats etc. bore me to tears.
So, it may not Be. Impressive. But I'll try, after this week or two go by. :)
I share a similar dream of living off grid in a beautiful mountain valley. It would be a small ranch, self-sustainable. Oh to be able to sit on the porch and smoke a fine cigar while I feed the deer and elk
I share a similar dream of living off grid in a beautiful mountain valley. It would be a small ranch, self-sustainable. Oh to be able to sit on the porch and smoke a fine cigar while I feed on deer and elk
Not today, but last Tuesday and Wednesday and, by Christmas, on eight other occasions in this increasingly festive time ....
In the Bleak Midwinter
We wish you a Merry Christmas:santa:
and so on.
I'm playing tuba :tuba:. Mr Limey is playing cornet, and we are ably assisted by two chums (another cornet and a trombone player).
Lovely! Wish I could listen ... haven't heard In the Bleak Midwinter in ages.
Don't forget the mulled wine/wassail/glog!
Lovely! Wish I could listen ... haven't heard In the Bleak Midwinter in ages.
Don't forget the mulled wine/wassail/glog!
Just click on the links, or are you reading this on your iphone while you are at a concert or something?
:facepalm: No such luck ... lying around drifting in and out of naps and not firing on all cylinders, is all ...
Sounds beautiful, Limey!
Naps are the best, I love that feeling of drifting in and out of dreams and sleep.
They're helping this afternoon. It's such a luxury, drifting. And drinking gunpowder green tea, and not having any more essays to write right now!
Naps are the best, I love that feeling of drifting in and out of dreams and sleep.
seconded.
I've only gotten up recently, and the other three kids in the house are still sleeping or quietly alone in their rooms. It's 1:45. In fact I've only gotten my own damn self up to reply to another thread I read on my phone (from bed). Where is that thread, or was that a dream too?
...
there
was a dream about a cellar thread... footfootfoot had posted a lovely picture of some well forested hills, somewhere country. I playfully replied that I wished he'd said something about being there because I was in the same area at the same time, or so I thought. footfootfoot had taken and posted the picture a long time ago, years, from a trip where he'd been helping a friend survey some land. He was in an elevated location, and the picture was the result. *my* picture was very similar, but was from a recent trip. I, too, had been out in the woods and at a high elevation but because I had been repairing some high tension lines that had failed. I had a whole diy repair photojournal of the repair/replace process (in my dream) and also took a scenic shot from on top of the tower.
When I realized I'd replied to a years old thread, I was embarrassed.
Dreams are our time machines ...
I referenced this in Jim's apartment thread so I figured I'd best post a pic. Our leather couch turned out to be really poorly made so I took the refund money and built this. I was afraid it would look terrible, but decided that would be bending to other people's opinions and this is my house done my way so I give you, Moose Couch.
I LOVE it! I love the entire look, the beamed wood ceiling, the wooden floor, beam over the windows, and what you built - I want to sit in the sunbeam on the top level and do my work there today!
That is far better than anything you could buy.
Thanks! I know its not everyone's cup of tea but for me it's nice.
I LOVE it! I love the entire look, the beamed wood ceiling, the wooden floor, beam over the windows, and what you built - I want to sit in the sunbeam on the top level and do my work there today!
That is far better than anything you could buy.
I just re-read that, I built the whole house beams and all. :)
Griff -- wasn't there a thread where you posted pictures of the house?
I just searched it. Here is the thread with the video...
http://www.cellar.org/showthread.php?t=16480&highlight=beam
and here is my entry project...
http://www.cellar.org/showthread.php?t=25682&highlight=beam
Long strange trip continues.
Oh Griff, that looks really nice! That's a modern architectural feature, not some college couch design. Very cool.
I just re-read that, I built the whole house beams and all. :)
I just looked at the video and entranceway threads - fantastic. I've always loved post and beam houses, and yours is wonderful. What a dream project. It's so great that you were able to use cherry from your wood lot, build your own cabinets, etc. - and the fireplace! A central thermal mass column that radiates heat all day and night ... and that's an oven above the firebox, isn't it? I looked at Temp-Cast when we built but couldn't swing it.
What a beautiful place you've built, Griff. :)
Griff has exceptionally good karma, it seems. Plus he's a great craftsman.
I LOVE it! very cool!
today I made gingerbread. It's for the little children I am going to woo into my candy house and ....well, that's a story for another time.
Griff - I truly envy your skills. Outstanding!
Today my son was sick again, so I stayed home with him and knocked out this bedside table. It's pretty basic but it'll do the job. I'll put some polyurethane on it over the weekend.[ATTACH]42997[/ATTACH]
I didn't make it today...Matter of fact, I didn't make it.
A couple weeks ago, me and best friend are finishing up dinner at the local Mexican joint, knocking back a few beers after dinner. The waiter comes w/the bill, we figure it out and give the waiter the amount for the bill w/a fair tip. A few minutes pass and the busboy comes by with a tray loaded with dirty dishes. We had already noticed the guy was the only busboy, and was positively working his ass off. He stopped and asked if we were done with our dishes he would go ahead and take them out of our way. When we got up to leave, my friend grabs the guy as he goes by, and lays a ten on our table, and makes eye contact w/him and taps the ten on the table, and points to him. The guy tells him (in barely understandable English) that he's just a busboy and not a waiter and he doesn't get tipped. Friend picks up the ten and w/one finger, gingerly pokes into his the guy's pants pocket, "No, you're working your ass off. This is yours, the waiter got his."
The other day we were in there again and the busboy comes up to us and tells my friend, while reaching into his pocket, "This is yours. I make for you." He had obviously practiced this phrase.
This is what he gave my friend:
[ATTACH]43131[/ATTACH]
Made my friend's day. And mine, kinda.
That's really cool looking! I'd buy one for $10. Someone should teach that guy how to use Etsy.
Most excellent story and friend.
I love it. Curious how he made it. Parts of it are obvious, but the body looks complicated.
I've handled, fondled and seen it in person, and I can't tell how he did the body. All the ends/twists are hidden inside. I guess.
Maybe it's some kind of Mexican voodoo scorpion and he now has my buddy's soul in a jar at home?
That is extremely cool!
I like working with bell wire. It's very forgiving, very fine and malleable. I've got a pic around here somewhere of a tree I made once. Nothing as dramatic as your friend's scorpion though. That's cool.
Breakfast.
Sausage, eggs, grits, blueberry waffles, and the biggest glass we got filled to the brim with ice cold moo juice.
Breakfast, it's what's for lunch.
A pile of saw dust
[ATTACH]43597[/ATTACH]
And an admirable pile it is.:thumb:
Better than what I accomplished today ... :(
Not made yet, but started.
Got a New York Style Baked Cheesecake mix (silly, really - Mum grew up in a Jewish part of London so we know it's Jewish-style really).
Suggestion on the box to soak some sultanas in bourbon and add to the mix.
Seemed a small way to personalise it. So I bought a JD miniature. And gave it to Mum for safekeeping. I know me too well.
She handed it over yesterday and they have soaked overnight, so I'm ready to start the arduous procedure of making the mix...
Hey, when I was young and easy under the apple boughs I used to make cheesecake from scratch, soaking the gelatine and all that.
But I did it too well. People just asked where I bought it.
So no more.
Although there was one Baileys and orange one that even I swooned over.
Grav - missed your scorpion post first time round.
Absolutely marvellous.
As Foot says, love the story and love the outcome.
When I come visit, promise you'll take me there?
Well, today is obviously a tail-posting day.
Cheesecake mix in bin.
Sultanas in food recycling bin.
Turns out you need to add 300g of soft cream cheese to the mix (as well as milk & butter, which I had expected). Which makes me wonder what's in the mix to start with?!
Why in the bin though?
Because when I went into the living room and sat down all exasperated, Mum was completely steely-cold. "Well I wouldn't know, I didn't buy it" with a smug little smile. It wasn't a silly one-off comment either, she held my gaze.
So fuck her.
Like I bought it for myself or something. I'm sure I'll calm down at some point, but she was just so self-satisfied and downright nasty about it. Pleased I'd failed.
I've obviously stepped over some line somewhere today since cleaning the bathroom.
Nasty old bitch.
So, after many trips to the coast and a bit of $, Sam's unusable attic
has been re-worked into 2 bedrooms and a half (?) bath.
The most costly and difficult thing thing was the new requirement for AFCI circuit breakers.
The breaker for the 240 line (2 heaters) was $107 +shipping !
In any case, it's essentially done !!!
[ATTACH]43720[/ATTACH][ATTACH]43719[/ATTACH][ATTACH]43718[/ATTACH][ATTACH]43721[/ATTACH]
Nice job! And good for you, following the new electrical rules.
Congratulations, Lamp, ya done good. :thumb:
Job well done.
(Visa price list meme)
Taking your morning dump in a heated bathroom. Priceless
After I re-did my entryway I started agitating for the permissions to build a new door. I wasn't getting my way until Pete hit a piece of gravel with the mower and shattered the glass door. Hooray! Full steam ahead. I built the door over the winter in my very limited free time. So here it is, still waiting on door handles...
Now that is neat !
Curved doors and frames have always intrigued me.
Did you do a paper-pattern, or all by pencil-n-paper ?
... combined with superior intellect ;)
Next year, Pete gets to dig the moat and you do the draw-bridge !
I used a string with a pencil tied to it... a board stock pattern would have been smarter. :)
Damn nice looking work! I so want to visit Grifftopia.
Love it. I can't imagine the sense of ownership and pride that must come from having built your own home. There are a dozen houses on our street with our same floor plan.
Thanks all. It started out as a way to reduce economic uncertainty but has become something more.
So very much more, and bear proof to boot. :thumb:
Grifftopia gets cooler every year. I hope you end up with at least one grandchild who is similarly inclined, who can take over the place and keep it in the family after you and Pete are done with it.
I never really thought about it that way... I pity the fool who does the upkeep on my ah, casual building style.
Very nice door. I'm not 100% sold on your hinge placement. Usually it would be more like 1/6 - 1/3 - 1/3 - 1/6. and extend past the center line.
As long as the thing keeps the barbarians, white walkers, Greyjoys, and Lannisters out you are golden.
Where'd you get the sun, by the way?
eta: sorry, it's like nails on the blackboard.
When I tinker with my house, I imagine the people coming after me and hope they aren't cursing me. The truth though is that the next owner will bulldoze this place. The land is too valuable for a house like ours.
Heh. Maths. ;)
You havum snow, white man? (careful comma)
Property values only fluctuated because of gas here. Land was $600 an acre forever. We are a little too far from everywhere, which is cool by me.
Heh. Maths. ;)
You havum snow, white man? (careful comma)
Property values only fluctuated because of gas here. Land was $600 an acre forever. We are a little too far from everywhere, which is cool by me.
Rain. Check out the creek:[YOUTUBE]cvjagMeiYw4[/YOUTUBE]
I'll try to find one with the water at normal levels. The overspill is usually a small trickle.
Damn you feetz now i have to Pee !!!!! ;)
Grifftopia just keeps getting cooler and cooler
Thanks Zip.
Longer hinges would be better but when you salvage you gets what you gets.
Thanks Zip.
Longer hinges would be better but when you salvage you gets what you gets.
Just use photoshop, that's what I did.
I love the door. Love curved doorways, even though they're a pain to construct. I also want to visit Grifftopia someday! I would absolutely love to see a TempCast woodstove and baking oven. And that beautiful woodwork. :)
Actually, I may be moving by next year ... maybe have the chance to incorporate a TempCast into a new place? Maybe, if all comes together.
I made something on Saturday. The old black soaker hose had sprung a few huge leaks, and I had similar poor luck with the previous one, so instead of buying another one, I made a new one out of a really old hose we had. I chucked the smallest bit I had into the drill press and drilled clean through the hose and out the other side, once every inch for about 25 feet. Then I capped the end. It works really well.
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Just got back from a pal's house where we concentrated 4 gallons of corn/barley beer into a more portable and longer keeping form. It's now about 1½ Qts. Tastes pretty yummy. I may make a small oak barrel to store it in. There's another 5 gallons that has to be reduced as well...
Just got back from a pal's house where we concentrated 4 gallons of corn/barley beer into a more portable and longer keeping form. It's now about 1½ Qts. Tastes pretty yummy. I may make a small oak barrel to store it in. There's another 5 gallons that has to be reduced as well...
Concentrated. I like this word. Very tactful.
I made something on Saturday. The old black soaker hose had sprung a few huge leaks, and I had similar poor luck with the previous one, so instead of buying another one, I made a new one out of a really old hose we had. I chucked the smallest bit I had into the drill press and drilled clean through the hose and out the other side, once every inch for about 25 feet. Then I capped the end. It works really well.
I think you just recreated the original soaker hose design, well played.
Don't let the revenuers see that corn liquor, boy.
Don't let the revenuers see that corn liquor, boy.
Shortly after WW II (the big one) my dad was selling Fords in North Carolina. He would routinely get questions like, "Can the back seats be removed?" and "How many cases of 32oz Mason jars can I fit in the trunk?"
Being a young kid from NYC it went over his head at the time.
Oh, we spell it 'Likker' to throw 'em off the scent.
Nice door.
#grifftopiaenvy
Griff, I should think all the sets for Thrones and Vikings would yield some spiffy hardware, when they move on to the next big thing.
Or re-purpose some cool agricultural equipment.
There is a sulky cultivator in the woods, maybe a steam punk door opening system?
Just got back from a pal's house where we concentrated 4 gallons of corn/barley beer into a more portable and longer keeping form. It's now about 1½ Qts. Tastes pretty yummy. I may make a small oak barrel to store it in. There's another 5 gallons that has to be reduced as well...
I am VERY interested in your oak barrel construction. I looked into it and it looks like a big hassle. I opted instead for storage in glass with a mesh bag of toasted oak chips in the carboy for oaking.
... combination burglar decapitator ...
I am VERY interested in your oak barrel construction. I looked into it and it looks like a big hassle. I opted instead for storage in glass with a mesh bag of toasted oak chips in the carboy for oaking.
There is a great video
http://www.history.org/media/videos.cfm
put out by Colonial Williamsburg on coopering, from selecting a tree to the finished barrel. The link goes to short clips of the full length video. I highly recommend watching it as an entirely humbling experience.
he measures the curve and taper by rack of eye using a broadax.
Yeah. Not helpful.
eta: harsh. I should say that it wholly reinforced my previous conclusion that I'm no cooper.
I went to Colonial Williamsburg a couple years ago and asked the cooper how the hell they get all the angles correct on the staves to get a water tight barrel, and the woman said that you just do it. It's muscle memory and done by eye. It's astounding to me because they had to make these barrels to very precise tolerances because they were legal measurements in commerce. Being off by 5% in volume when making the thing meant that either a buyer or seller was getting screwed during a transaction. I'm still not satisfied with her answer.
On a different note, today I am making trouble for myself. I've decided to improve my very small bathroom by installing a larger medicine cabinet.
Here's where the trouble starts. I have wall mounted lighting that was alongside the previous surface mounted cabinet. The new cabinet will be large enough to cover these lights completely. I don't mind losing them, I've never been really happy with the light they provide. However, rerouting the electrical is going to be a challenge for me as I have very limited experience in this area and a strong allergic reaction to electrocution.
Next trouble, I am exploring the idea of flushmounting the new cabinet. The old one was a surface mount (I installed it twenty years ago) because I wanted a cabinet wider than the space between two wall studs. So I put a plywood patch on the hole left by the previous flush mounted cabinet, surface mounted the bigger cabinet and moved on. Now, that surface mounted cabinet is removed and I'm looking at the guts of my wall, thinking about how I'm gonna safely make a bigger hole in it.
My old house has walls made of lath and plaster, it's pretty unforgiving. I'll have to remove sections of at least two studs. I looked in the hole and I see the pipe for the vent for the sink drain very close to where I want to put the cabinet. I'M NOT MOVING ANY PLUMBING. So, if I choose to make this hole bigger, the bottom edge of the hole is going to be no lower than the top of that vent pipe plus the thickness of a 2x4. Enlarging the hole will also give me more room to move the electrical, so, side benefit there.
More trouble/complexity. I want to install an exhaust fan in the ceiling. The bathroom is very close to a vent in the attic that I can route the exhaust through. But, more electrical, yikes. Also... well, how can I say this. My house was built before electrical grounding was invented. Is it a giant deal to run a whole circuit from the bathroom through the walls/ceiling/floor/basement to the electrical panel in the basement? I have excellent access to the basement and the modern 200 amp electrical panel. Should I run two circuits? I expect to have to power in the bathroom one electrical outlet (GFCI, right?), one light circuit (maybe two fixtures, perhaps a third if the fan I get has a heatlamp in it), and one ceiling mounted exhaust fan. That doesn't seem like a very heavy load. I have lots of room in my electrical panel for another breaker for just the bathroom.
Then there's the carpentry needed to demo and create the opening for the cabinet. I won't be able to fully flushmount the cabinet, my walls are not as deep as the cabinet is and I don't really want to be hammering against the plaster keys on the other side of the wall. But a bit of flushmount would help, since my bathroom is really tiny. I've even contemplated getting a very narrow/shallow (measured from the wall to the edge of the sink) sink to facilitate ingress/egress. But I digress.
Demolition, enlarging wall openings, moving electrical circuits, installing new fixtures, lath and plaster renovation and preservation. All in the sole bathroom. No biggie, right? I mean, what could possibly go wrong?
...
Actually, that is my question (perhaps a new thread is in order...) What *could* possibly go wrong and how should I avoid it?
A heat lamp will be a big load. If you are adding outlets on the same circuit (I didn't really follow all of what you were saying) imagine a curling iron plugged in to get warm and a hair dryer being used while the heat lamp is on.
Any outlets must be GFCI, I'm pretty sure the fan must also be GFCI, and I bet if you get a fan with a heat lamp, it will need a dedicated circuit it draws so much.
If you're fishing wires through the wall, fishing two is just as easy as fishing one. Put in two circuits. One for the heat lamp and one for the GFCI outlet(s) and lights. I'd do a 20 amp circuit for the outlet(s) so it can handle a hairdrier and curling iron simultaneously.
FYI, Panasonic makes the best fans. It's worth ordering one online to get one. Use a calculator chart to find the CFM rating you need for your specific room volume and then maybe even go up one size. Their fans actually move air and are pretty quiet.
Oh yeah, and if you are adding two circuits to the panel, keep in mind that you should try to balance the load to the two legs in the panel. So you probably don't want to add both circuits to the same leg.
I went to Colonial Williamsburg a couple years ago and asked the cooper how the hell they get all the angles correct on the staves to get a water tight barrel, and the woman said that you just do it. It's muscle memory and done by eye. It's astounding to me because they had to make these barrels to very precise tolerances because they were legal measurements in commerce. Being off by 5% in volume when making the thing meant that either a buyer or seller was getting screwed during a transaction. I'm still not satisfied with her answer.
Good card mechanics (or printers for that matter) can tell you exactly how many cards or sheets of paper they have between their fingers.
Think about riding a bike, once you learn how, it's easy. If you have ever done any long distance bike touring (a month or more in the saddle) you get very comfortable. I could pick up a quarter from the ground without stopping. I'd probably fall over if i tried that now and certainly if I'd tried that when I first learned to ride.
And, I'm sure the cooper's first hundred barrels were for inconsequential things that were sold by weight, like nails.
he measures the curve and taper by rack of eye using a broadax.
Yeah. Not helpful.
eta: harsh. I should say that it wholly reinforced my previous conclusion that I'm no cooper.
Here ya go:
http://www.thebarrelsource.com/First, talk with your city's planning dept to see what the current standards are for your proposed work.
In Oregon...
Grounding is required on all circuits, and in bathrooms specifically...
A separate line (circuit) is required for the (required) GFI receptacle,
and that line miust be dedicated. i.e., it can not have anything else on it.
All receptacles have to be the new type that prevent kids from
poking paper clips, fingernail files, etc into the openings for the plug.
The light(s) and fan can be on the same circuit.
Separate switches for the light and fan were optional.
The fan vent-duct required "metal tape", not the usual duct tape.
Our ventilation fan required a "timer switch", instead of the usual off/on kind.
At the circuit panel, I think for what you have described, you just need 2 circuits (no heater).
You already have 1... the original, for lights and fan.
So maybe you only need 1 more... for the GFI, and
that will probably have to be 12 gauge wire (20 amp) to accommodate hair dryers, etc.
But you also need advise on what they will allow for the needed ground wire(s).
And it's "illegal" to wall off a circuit that simply terminates.
You must use a junction box at every branch or termination.
FWIW, if you install the fan and vent, a licensed electrician might
do the GFI circuit and wire up the fan for about $200,
and so the permit and safety would be on his shoulders.
Why I quit early today:
http://forums.finehomebuilding.com/breaktime/general-discussion/cut-out-stud-without-cracking-plaster
that little voice that says... are you sure this is a good idea?
Answer: I'm pretty sure it's NOT a good idea.
So, more research.
This is what you need and what the guy in the first comment said, tell them there is a 100% chance the plaster will be damaged, but you'll do your best to avoid it.
Then whip this out, cut the stud, et voila! no broken plaster and you are a hero. 4:20 shows the small saw. The best money I EVER spent on a tool. The only thing this tool is good for is getting your ass out of a tight spot. If you don't need to be rescued then any other tool will out perform this thing.
[YOUTUBE]e8kchItjNBE[/YOUTUBE]
I've only heard good things about the Multimaster. And there have been a few times I could have used one. But amortizing the cost, it would be like $50 per use. HArd to justify.
I doubt like hell it's a supporting wall, which means EVERYTHING is cosmetic except the pipe and wire, and they can be turned off while you play with them. Go crazy.
Multi-tool -like tools can be rented @$10/day.
But you may have to provide your own blade.
So, before you return the tool to the rental shop, keep blade blade.
Today I made a clay tablet with my name and city written in Akkadian cuneiform for my archaeology class. What fun! Hoping to practice some more tonight.
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Cool indeed. Now go bury it near some ancient Indian ruin and in ten years read about some hapless archeology postgrad who has discovered proof of ancient Mesopotamian trade routes to Florida.
It'll probably run on Fox. ;)
lol but what ever you do don't crush it up and let the wind blow it away or you might start a war...
First I made foil molds, then I made these coconut flour hot dog buns in them. Turned out perfectly. The kids are going to flip their shit when they see them...
Those look awesome! I don't care for coconut, but they look so good, I'd try one.
They don't taste coconut-y to me, but I have an admittedly dull palette. To me the closest flavor match is kind of a sweet, moist cornbread.
Nice, I assume you have some not nasty hotdogs?
Yeah, they're officially sausages made on site at Whole Foods, but they're in a lamb casing, which is a whole lot skinnier than pork casing. Same size and diameter as hot dogs, but filled with nothing but ground meat and fresh seasonings. Ketchup and mustard are touch-and-go (I do have some that they can eat, but they don't taste that great,) but sauerkraut is all good.
I've never come across coconut flour ... does it rise better than, say, rice flour?
I remember the days of trying to find substitutes for all the unhealthy 'fun' foods when my kids were little. It was tough. I'm grateful to have reached a stage where I can eat fresh, whole foods and not be criticized or considered crazy. And the irony ... after a childhood of complaining and accusing and raging, my kids now prefer whole foods and rarely or never eat the stuff they clamored for when younger.
Oh yes, it's vastly superior to rice flour. The thing is, aside from being more expensive, coconut flour sucks up a TON of moisture, so the typical baking ratios are completely different. Most coconut flour recipes have at least 4-6 eggs and relatively little flour, a cup at the most. But somehow the end product is completely bread-like, not the souffle you would expect.
I always found myself adding more and more water. I'll change the egg flour ratio next time. I like the flavor anyway.
Griff, the exact recipe for those hot dog buns (which I've also used for hamburger buns) is:
1/3 cup coconut flour*
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 eggs
1/4 cup oil (I used grapeseed, but canola or whatever is fine too)
2 TBS honey
Blend dry ingredients. Add oil, and mix with a fork until all lumps are gone. Then beat in eggs and honey. Batter will be very wet, and needs some sort of form to make an appropriate bun/loaf/whatever shape. For hamburger buns I use one of
these. Bake at 375 for 12-13 minutes.
*It's really a much better idea to weigh coconut flour rather than measure it. The amount of compaction in the measuring cup is going to dramatically alter the dry/wetness of the batter. 100 grams of coconut flour = 1 cup, so for this I weigh out 33 grams.
I made this 10' monopod and a silly rocketship base for it today. SOmehow, in a box labeled "weird hardware" in the studio, we had a thrust bearing that perfectly fits onto 3/4" conduit, as well as a few shaft collars that don't fit so perfectly but definitely work. So the top camera mount is adjustable, and it pivots really smoothly on an adjustable point. In fact, for serious height, the thrust bearing will socket nicely into the drill-holder hole on the top of my 10' A-frame ladder. So it's functionally a 10-18'-above-grade camera platform.
Next step is to turn a 9' bicycle brake cable into a remote for the camera, so I have more than 10 seconds to compose a shot.
SOmehow, in a box labeled "weird hardware" in the studio, we had a thrust bearing that perfectly fits onto 3/4" conduit...
That's a wonderful feeling. :D
Next step is to turn a 9' bicycle brake cable into a remote for the camera, so I have more than 10 seconds to compose a shot.
Don't they have wireless remote thingys that you can adapt for use with your camera?
Not for my camera (Lumix LX7 -- I had an LX1 for four years, loved it, got this one after only a few moments of research, and have yet to fall in love with the interface.)
Also, the bike shop was open today, and of late my motto is something like: "strike while the iron is hot or probably you'll forget you ever put it in the forge to heat up until two years from now when you're doing deep cleaning and trying to remember why that shit is sitting around."
The trigger end is a few pieces of silicone tubing over the brake cable, for grip; and a spring between two washers on the pre-finished (brake lever) end of the cable. Total functional length is just over 8'.
The camera end is a bent piece of aluminum, drilled to fit the tripod mount, with a tiny hole to align the brake cable with the camera's shutter. The brake housing is held in place with a few cable ties and a piece of copper wire.
My son did about half the work on this chainsaw. It's made of sandwiched layers of foam board. Came out pretty well.
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Thanks! I'm pleased with it. I wanted something cartoony and harmless looking, but also clearly a chainsaw.
He's taking it to a marching band party at school as part of his lumberjack costume. I wanted to minimize any possible complaints about a weapon at school.
Ya cut down 10,000 acres of spotted owl habitat and do they call you a lumberjack?
No.
But you perpetrate one chainsaw massacre...
The design for the State Team yard signs
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Gonna move the eagle down a smidge, but these will be hand painted with stencils, so no need to fix this version (actual signs are 32" * 48")
Oh and this came out of the kiln today:
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Now I just have to glaze it -wasn't happy with the test tile, so put another one in to fire today. Looking at the pic, it doesn't seem all that impressive, but that sucker is approx. 6" diameter and hollow. it's a replica of the
ancient d20 recently unearthed in Egypt.
Six inches is pretty big!
I'm impressed. It came out really well. For a handmade item to look so geometrically perfect is impressive.
Nice sign and nice 'multi-sided rolly around thingy!' :)
Great job on the sign & the die. You are quite talented
thanks -now we just have to see if we can make the signs work IRL. the board we have is donated and rough, the paint too, the stencils will be made by me :eek: ....and the help is volunteer and usually a little tipsy.... :lol:
The signs are made and up (4'*32") and liked by the recipients and passers-by, and my d20 just came out of the glaze fire and looks good :) happyhappy. pics to follow
Sounds like you're on a roll. :thumb:
I made a bunch of carving chisel handles to go on a set of beautiful old Addis carving chisels I bought some time ago.
The set came with two loose handles and needed more.
Sweet!
I just bought some ebay chisels to clean up and give as Christmas presents.
Made a work bench. See[ATTACH]46163[/ATTACH] if I can post image from tablet...
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If'n ya put a small, low speed fan blowing through that little radiator heater, you'll feel more heat in the room...
ETA: Good looking bench, btw.
hmmm... I guess you get the idea.
Thanks Grav. That was my first tappatalk pic post... grumble
Nice bench! Looks like a good working spot.
Thanks. I just put on the second coat of poly. 2hrs more...
I made a bunch of carving chisel handles to go on a set of beautiful old Addis carving chisels I bought some time ago.
--snip--
The set came with two loose handles and needed more.
How many loose handles does a guy really need??
I have more loose handles than I need, but less than I want.
Loose handles are like clamps, you can never have too many.
Yesterday was a snow day, and I finally got around to putting the handles on. I messed up and drilled the holes for some of the tangs a tad too small, so the handles split when I drove them on. They are snug and work perfectly, but have ugly cracks in them. Have to make 3 more handles.
It's a bit of guesswork to know how undersized to make the tang holes so they grab the tangs snugly, but not so small that the wood splits under the strain.
Here’s how to fit tight handles w/o cracking:
Measure the length of the tang from tip to bolster. (ie total depth)
Measure thickness of tang at point, middle, and bolster.
Find three drill bits whose diameter matches the thickness dimensions and mark their respective depths by placing the tape about ¼” closer to the bit’s end than the required depth. (To make the holes shallower.)
Drill the smallest diameter hole first, take care that you stop ¼” from the full depth of the tang.
Drill the next size hole and then the largest diameter hole being careful not to let the bit grab (and pull into the hole, thereby drilling too deep.)
Be sure there is a ferrule in place
Dip the tang in a bit of linseed oil and put it into the handle.
Tap the back of the handle with a hammer, the chisel or tool does not have to be in contact with a table, it will seat itself by the hammer blows.
The last undrilled ¼” will grab the tip of the tang like a nail in wood.
The handle shouldn’t split, if it does then your holes may be either too shallow or too narrow.
Alternatively, you can drill a pilot hole in the handle and heat the tang until it is red hot, being careful not to draw the temper of the edge part, and plunge it into the handle. The problem with this approach is that the hole can become too loose if you over burn it.
Oh, and nice handles.
Here's a third way to make the holes, it requires a home made drill bittish thing.
Get a piece of drill rod and hammer it flat until it is the same taper as the tang. File the edges square to the face (maybe at a slight angle). Drill a pilot hole and use your scraper bit to ream a taper at slow speed.
Drill it big and fill it with J-B Weld epoxy. :haha:
Indeed.
And it takes longer than you might expect to make a handle. You have to get the wood down to rough size, and then plane each surface of the octagon, including a nice taper towards the chisel, and then ease the corners where it will fit in your palm. Each handle has 25 facets, and while they don't have to meet any exact specifications, when you make 10 handles, that's about 250 surfaces to cut. Each surface takes about half a dozen strokes of the block plane. It adds up. 1,500 plane strokes, give or take.
No wonder it took a couple hours.
Octagons are awesome though, because the chisels won't roll off the table when you set them down. And they are plenty comfortable.
Ahh, so you didn't use a taper jig and rip them on the table saw?
:eyebrow:
Planes are more fun.
Plus, I'm not sure the table saw would have been that much faster. You still have to make a ton of cuts and reposition the work piece in the jig each time. I just used the saw for the picture because it was the only clean surface in the shop.
I have to agree, planes are more fun, more quiet, less dusty, and so on.
I love to turn handles on the lathe, so that's probably the route I'd go. I do have a nice octagonal (London pattern) boxwood handle on a Marples chisel that I like.
Those are very nice!
I was trying to do roughly the same shape as the handles that came loose with the chisels, except I wanted octagonal handles that didn't roll. I was picturing
pfeil chisel handles in my mind as I did these. I also didn't go with a ferrule, because that would be a fair amount of extra work, and I though I would try getting by without them.
In High School wood shop I made handles for three of my Dad's chisels. These were the chisels he smacks with a hammer making holes in floors and joists, for copper tubing clearance. Nobody told me Mahogany was inappropriate.
They were beautiful... were. :o
Those aren't my chisels, just a pic from the net to illustrate the style.
Bruce, did you put a heavy ferrule on the butt end? That can help a lot.
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Like these fellas
At least you know he liked them and used them, right?
Yes, but heard about it several times as he told others. :(
What does this look like to you? Did I overdo it? I'm starting to think maybe it looked better when it was solid pink...
Is it supposed to resemble a snake? Because snakes can be that intricate.
I think it looks cool.
Some sort of stylized bowel/aboriginal creation-myth vehicle.
a festive transverse colon?
Yeah, it's supposed to look like a digestive tract. Minifob envisioned this thing that he wants for Christmas: a marble track that is also a model of the digestive system, so you can see how food travels all the way through you. Of course no such thing exists, and we told him he should be a toy designer when he grows up. But I found a winding wooden track, and thought I'd give a shot at painting it.
But I think maybe it looks too busy? I can paint over it if I want to, just red on the outside and pink down the middle...
I don't think too busy is bad. you're clearly not going for anatomically/photographically correct, why not make it merely representational? It doesn't look "wrong" The details do have meaning, and you can see them in what you've painted. I'd say keep it.
Was he envisioning the inside or the outside of the GI tract? Yours looks like the outside, but the inside would make more sense if the food were traveling through it. It's probably a lot more difficult to get that texture right though.
A
cutaway view would be cool.
I know I'm not helping.
That is supposed to be a cutaway view--but I realize now that from a 3-dimensional perspective, the red and pink ought to be flipped, so darker is farther away from you. You can't tell from the picture, but one side is slanted higher so when you drop the marble in it rolls quickly down to the other end. What he's envisioning is vertical,
like this, but much more complicated, and with marbles instead of cars.
I think it looks amazing.
And children as smart as Minifob will see what they want to see.
My offering. Far less impressive.
I don't like gift tags. Never have done.
But I wrapped quite a few prizes of similar sizes this year, and they were certainly not interchangeable.
In the absence of any cameras in the house I was unable to dress Diz up in the Santa hat and collar I bought for him this year (Poundland), expressly for the purpose of making said tags...
In the absence of the 3/4 full pack of photo paper I was going to use for same...
Well, I had to improvise.
Photo of Diz from 2009. Printed on normal printer paper. Stuck on with sellotape.
I put this on the scanner as luckily that hasn't been "lost" :)
Pretty much life-size (the present, not Diz).
And anyway when all the presents are together it has quite a cute handmade feel to it. That and the fact that this is the wrapping paper Mum didn't use last year is making me feel quite earthy.
The project continues.
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Nice!
I don't see a single western saw. Aren't those Japanese saws awesome? The one I have is the only saw I use. My grandfather's western saws are all hanging there, but never get used.
The first tools up are the ones I actually use, so the western saws are still lying around until I find a home for them. The Japanese saws are so easy to use, I can't find a reason to ever get the others out.
That, Sir, is a beautiful thing!
Nice!
I don't see a single western saw. Aren't those Japanese saws awesome? The one I have is the only saw I use. My grandfather's western saws are all hanging there, but never get used.
I just realized there is a vintage Rockwell circular on the shelf. That's pretty western... although I use a Makita. :p:
That, Sir, is a beautiful thing!
Thanks, I'll have to take a real picture sometime my tablet is handy but the photos are kinda crap.
This project started because I needed a vise... I got a nice PA made Littlestown 25 but then I needed a place to mount it. Snowball effect.
Makes me temped to organize my space better.
Some of the greatest things have been created in preparation for building something else. :haha:
Definitely worth the time glatt. It would be a great father-son project. I get so pissed off when I can't find a tool that this should support my zen as well.
"When life hands you lemons..."
Well if Life handed me lemons I'd wonder why an American magazine had tracked me down.
But as unwaxed lemons were very, very cheap at work - even before staff discount - I bought them.
Mum is having the girls over in February. I've been planning this for ages, but it's been delayed for one reason or another, not least the festive season taking a month out of many of their social calendars.
Five ladies who work shifts aren't all that easy to pin down.
And ladies that work for the Police are trained not to be pinned down anyway.
So I had in mind to make preserved lemons.
I didn't actually squish the first ones down hard enough - there shouldn't be as much space in the jar - I got seven in though. Still, it meant I had enough lemons left to make some Limoncello.
This is the very beginning, where the lemon zest is steeped in alcohol.
American recipes call for a much higher alcohol volume; European recipes tend towards vodka. I think it's just what you can get hold of. There's a litre of vodka right there. Not even a cheeky sip missing.
The preserved lemons need time to maserate.
Which I had to look up. Micturate I got. Masturbate, masticate, eviscerate...
FTR, to soften or break into pieces. Especially when using liquid to absorb flavours. You scrape off the pulp you see, when using them.
The Limoncello is already yellowing.
I hope it will acquire a bright yellow hue, as this will be softened slightly when the sugar syrup is added.
I should get 1.5 to 2 litres of liqueur.
And no, Limoncello is not typically Moroccan.
(If I didn't say here then I'm sure I did elsewhere that this will be the loose theme of the evening) but they fit well with the preserved lemons, which are.
Now I need to find some 100-150ml bottles for them to take some Limoncello home with them. There will be at least one driver, and possibly two. And as it's a digestif, those that are drinking might not appreciate my amazingness by that point. Hope it's amazing.
I've sourced them at about £20.00 so far.
Sod that.
I've already bought the lamb, dried apricots, couscous, hajib (for me), vodka, lemons etc.
It's been over the last few months and I do it because I love it. I am a frustrated dinner party hostess/ events organiser.
And Mum always offers to pay and really means it.
But if she was in charge of the budget we'd have a slap up roast chicken dinner that no-one would ever talk about again and where's the fun in that?
This way she gets to relax and enjoy her friends' company.
I get to play with things I really, really enjoy.
I earn my keep.
And honestly, her friends do talk about it for ages.
Winner, winner, Moroccan dinner.
Another snow day today. I had to do something with myself, so I decided to make some wheel chocks. I had been wedging bricks against the tires when jacking up the car, but that didn't give me too much confidence.
Sweet! a half pipe for GI Joes.
Don't forget the rope handles so you can yank them quickly and get clear, when the fighter pilots scramble. ;)
You got a Boeing 777 in your basement?
Overbuilders Anonymous.
"Hi my name is Glatt and I'm an overbuilder."
Hi Glatt!
Yep. Did I mention that last weekend my car rolled off of the jack as I was lowering it? I had just put the wheel back on with the lug nuts finger tight, and as I was lowering it, it just slowly rolled forward and off the jack. Scared the crap out of me. The brick I was using as a wheel chock did nothing because I apparently had it on the uphill side of the wheel and not the downhill side of the wheel. I had had the car in neutral with the parking brake off because I wanted to spin the wheel to check this one caliper that was slightly rubbing the rotor. (I cleaned it and greased the caliper sliding pin and it's better now.)
Anyway, nothing got hurt and it just came down faster than I meant it to, but it made me wish I had some proper wheel chocks.
Operator error was entirely to blame, but having these massive chocks will be a visual reminder to secure the damn car so it can't roll. They are 6 inches tall and match the curvature of the wheels pretty closely.
The brick I was using as a wheel chock did nothing because I apparently had it on the uphill side of the wheel and not the downhill side of the wheel.
Please learn the difference. We don't want to read about no Glattsplatt.
Ah, I was wondering why you made four of em... so you can chock both sides of two tires.
May lasting impressions from your folly,
be forever on your mind, not your body.
For the blessed see the error in their ways,
before butt pucker comes to stay. :ipray:
My woman built beehives while I was writing annual reviews last weekend. At least I built the bench she built the hives on.
I always wanted to know how to do that sort of joinery. I admire the folks who can do this.
I have a complicated turtle basking area to build soon, and I will wind up doing a shitty job of it.
The pieces parts were pre-cut, Pete just glued, nailed, and painted them. Box joints are not that hard though and they can be cut a number of ways. The internet can be your friend on this. Find a system that matches the tools you have. Using a square, I'd probably lay out the fingers in 1" increments making sure to offset the fingers for the sides vs the front and back. Then use a hand saw and a chisel to remove the wood. Just take your time and keep everything nice and square from start to finish. Or you just butt the boards together and screw them...
She bee a keeper. ;)
Cute.
Those look great!
Thanks lads, I'll pass on the compliments.
So hang on, are those things going to be living in the basement? Or do bees hibernate in their hives while they're covered in snow?
Outside! They winter over on honey. They clump together and regulate hive temperature in the winter.
I always wanted to know how to do that sort of joinery. I admire the folks who can do this.
I have a complicated turtle basking area to build soon, and I will wind up doing a shitty job of it.
Let me know if you need an custom ceramic bits, I will be happy to make those for you (no cost of course) -we have found them quite useful for our reptiles and fish. Recently made a splash pool with "beach" area for the bearded dragon. very quick and easy to throw something together but takes a few weeks to get through the drying and firing process.
So ... what are the requirements for hives? I don't see many entrance/exit points in your pics. Do the bees just need an entrance/exit at the bottom and top? What was the inner structure? I could google everything but I'd rather ask you. I'm hoping to entice bees/start beekeeping once I move home in late June. Would you be willing to share a few more details?
The most commonly used hive is a Langdtroth. They go in and out the bottom. There are frames (Pete is still building those) inside the boxes where the bees, build comb, lay larvae, and store honey. There is a lot going on in there. You really need to find a mentor and/or read a lot to learn the process.
If you just want pollinators there are simple nests you can build for orchard? bees which is another way to go. There is a bee keeping subreddit if you want to follow the trials and tribulations of others.
You got to fight the powerful Bee!
It's good to bee the king.
Back to the hive design, it's really cool to me that the bees are steered into making their honeycombs within the frames. They don't cross the gap that's a fraction of an inch wide, they stay on the frame and fill that vast open space inside the frame. It's really a brilliant design that takes into account how the bees build honeycomb.
WITHIN NATURE’S INTRICATE WEB OF CHECKS AND BALANCES … THERE IS A PLACE FOR ‘PAY BACK’.
These too are honeybees. they made their hive in a hollow tree.
they too are caring for their young.
but these are native japanese honeybees. and they are not quite as defenseless as their european cousins.
THEY haVE EVOLVED A SECRET WEAPON AGAINST THE GIANT HORNET.
one they may meet often in this deadly season.
this hornet is the advanced guard of an attack force the bees could never withstand.
but this time THE BEES SET A trap. they want the hornet inside. and the hornet obliges.
The SCOUTs main task IS TO MARK THE SPOT WITH A telltale pheromone … SO THAT her sisters CAN FIND IT LATER.
But the native honeybees know her game.
By swinging their abdomens to and fro they signal their strategy to one another.
the bees hold off until the last possible moment. and then, as if of one mind, they swarm.
the hornet is engulfed by hundreds of bees.
but they don’t sting the intruder. instead, as revealed by thermal photography, they all begin to vibrate, gradually raising their collective temperature to 117 degrees Fahrenheit.
Japanese honeybees can tolerate a temperature of 118 degrees.
Their victim's upper limit is 115. The hornet scout is slowly roasted alive.
And the secret of the honeybees' location dies with her
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/bees_vs_hornetBack to the hive design, it's really cool to me that the bees are steered into making their honeycombs within the frames. They don't cross the gap that's a fraction of an inch wide, they stay on the frame and fill that vast open space inside the frame. It's really a brilliant design that takes into account how the bees build honeycomb.
That's what Rev. L.L.Langstroth discovered from observing natural combs - the "bee space", which is typically 3/8". He then designed the hive bodies and frames around that dimension. Previously to that, bees were kept in skeps - conical basket-type hives, but to harvest the honey, the combs had to be cut out and crushed. His system allowed beekeepers to slice off the wax cappings of the frames and spin the honey out with an extractor. The Dadant and A.I. Root families manufactured his designs (and made a lot of money), but were very good to him, making sure he had money when he needed it. It is believed that he was bi-polar.
Nice job on the hives ! Good luck with your bees.
You can buy
pre-made wax combs to speed up the settling of a swarm in a new hive.
I have switched over to wooden frames with black plastic foundation for the brood boxes (easier to see eggs), and the natural color for the honey supers. The bees draw these out very well. Mann Lake has assembled frames in all sizes for a good price -
http://www.mannlakeltd.com/beekeeping-supplies/category/page17.html. Easier than putting together large amounts of frames and mounting and wiring foundation. IMHO
Today, I made my new bike as loud as the old one.
Straight pipes.
The stock pipes sounded like a weed whacker. This is suggestive of how it sounds now, but it's much throatier in person.
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There are frames (Pete is still building those) inside the boxes where the bees, build comb, lay larvae, and store honey.
bottled two batches so far, bottling a Saison tonight if I can stay awake. The Russian Pumpernickel Emperical Stout has started up again after some non-Euclidean experimental brewing techniques. Possibly it will be on track and drinkable in a month or two.
Up next is a Pale Ale. A few test batches on the horizon.
Also made some mods to my magnetic plate stirrer, gotta test ii out today at my yeast ranch.
Today I made a very successful batch of homemade gummy bears, except instead of bears they are
Lego minifigures. They're going on top of the cupcakes for Minifobette's birthday party this weekend. I'm pumped.
want that ice cube tray, now watching several on ebay. My boys are really too old....but still...... :D I need pics of the gummies!
That's awesome. I want pictures too.
Wow, you actually got them out of the mold in one piece, terrific!
The trick is to use enough gelatin. These aren't "jigglers," they are dense and chewy like real gummy bears.
Oh sure, clodfobble's mini-figs come out fucking perfect, I should have known. :p::lol2:
2/3 cup of juice, 2 Tablespoons of honey, and 4 packets of Knox gelatin, and I promise yours will pop out perfectly too, Bruce. :)
No, mine would be committing suicide in the mold. :lol2:
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Not sure what to do with him now ...
Sent by thought transference
Make a bajillion more, and sell them on etsy for $49 each.
Aw Steve, really? You're too young and vital for two olives. :(
I didn't realize there was an age <-> olive correlation.
What did you make today?
A sinkful of dirty dishes.
A small amount of acid hardens gelatin. At least the gelatin on film.
I washed and sterilized a couple hundred bottles, then bottled up two different pale ales. I have a Russian imperial stout that is ready to be bottled right now.
Working on a new recipe for a pale summer ale similar to a cream ale or Ballantine XXX from the pre-prohibition days.
Last weekend I was volunteering at one of those work on a needy person's house things. And I had a little trouble keeping track of my tools. I had one tool box and a couple of buckets. And other volunteers kept borrowing tools out of the buckets without my knowledge. So I've been looking online at the cost of tool boxes. Then yesterday, I went to the monthly Arlington flea market and picked up two brand new tool boxes for a song.
So now I have 3 tool boxes, but they are all different colors. So I wanted to personalize them with a distinctive mark. A while ago I read about the origins of the Steal Your Face logo, and thought I would try something similar. I cut a stencil from an old Wheaties box in our recycling bin, and found a couple nice colors of spray paint on our shelves.
Slapped this together pretty fast, and it looks a little amateur, but it's very distinctive.
Now you just need to mark all your tools :D nice work..
Amateur, smamateur, it works and that's the bottom line. If it looked all professional like it came on the box, it wouldn't convey the message that it's somebody's personal box. Good job. :thumb:
Bottled the stout last week and made a batch of pale ale this weekend.
I needed a drum sander to sand a bunch of brackets I made. So I got out my two hole saws and cut up some maple scraps. Glued them together. Put a bolt through them. Chucked them in the drill press to sand them smooth. Cut a slot for sandpaper held by a nail, and then viola.
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Dude. That's cool. I got my junk at Harbor, but it works sometimes. I only need a drum sander sometimes .
Well done, the nail hole to anchor the abrasive is a clever detail. :thumb2:
I agree but i would be worry about the balance ,, ,
think about using a dowel ,
it would be lighter and do the same thing ,
plus it would hurt less if it flew out ,
just my 2 centovious
Dowel is a good idea. The first piece of sand paper tore fairly quickly because I had it spinning pretty fast. I used a shorter piece of sandpaper the second time to save paper, and put the nail in from the bottom side of drum where it can't fly out because the bottom of the drum is surrounded by the sacrificial table top. But a dowel is still a good idea to cut down on vibrations with it slightly out of balance.
Smart move.
I installed two nucs in our beehives yesterday before our dash to greater Philly and back, so tired.
Off topic Dropkick Murphy, Volbeat, and for that matter Jason Bonham's zep tribute were all terrific.
Try a flat bar of aluminum. If the hole is slightly eccentric, the bar will grab the paper as you turn it a 1/2 turn and pull the paper tight. If you want to get really tiny with it, you can cut a section of cheap camping pad, (the kind with the weave pattern, not egg crate) and contact cement it to the sander.
Impressive job, btw.
I made up the table that Limey manhandled all the way from Arran to Leeds for me, and then either Limey or Dani carried up two flights of stairs for me.
Looks great.
Am thinking of covering it with a Hello Kitty tablecloth. Just because I have one and no other table to put it on.
I also made Diz a cabriolet cat bed from a cardboard box. Cut a hole in the front, folded the flaps down inside because I put it in a place where the sun shines in the afternoon.
But get this, the flaps are still there so I can cover the box over and put it in front of a heater at some point in the future.
A craftswoman for all seasons, me.
(Arran to Leeds, to Aylesbury, to Otley!)
Sent by thought transference
Ah but the van took the strain from Leeds-Aylesbury-Otley ;)
I approve of your logo choice
I was too tired to post this earlier. I did two nuc installations before taking Little Griff to the shows. Here are some pics of the first and my first install. I was working alone so the shots are only as steps ended. The first nuc was really active with a lot of bees and excess comb all over it. The supplier sent 4 frame instead of 5 frame nucs. The spacers that took place of the fifth frame are those black rectangles.
The second went much more smoothly. Hey I didn't get stung! Beekeeping smells are wonderful between the smoker, the wax, and the honey.
I see both plastic and wooden racks. Is one better? Wood has a nice aesthetic, but I imagine plastic is much cheaper and up to the job. Can you reuse them?
Killer Bee Killed.
Color me envious.
The plastic ones came with the nucs. All the ones Pete assembled are wood with natural wax foundation. For us, using wood really is an aesthetic choice although experienced keepers argue both ways in terms of functionality. I think the price was nominally different. You do reuse them but rotate them out after a few years.
Dad has always used wooden ones. His lasted for many many years. I can't recall him ever having to replace many. His hives died off a few years ago and he hasn't found a decent swarm to replace them as yet. He hasn't been looking too hard though. He's been busy with other stuff.
The sanding drum I made was vibrating out of balance too much. I realized the threaded end of the bolt just wasn't being held straight by the chuck. I needed a smooth surface for it to grab. So I dug around in my scrap metal pile and found a perfect rod that I think came out of an old ink jet printer. I pulled out my grandfather' sold surplus navy tap an die set, and got to work putting some threads on the rod.
The sanding drum I made was vibrating out of balance too much. I realized the threaded end of the bolt just wasn't being held straight by the chuck. I needed a smooth surface for it to grab. So I dug around in my scrap metal pile and found a perfect rod that I think came out of an old ink jet printer. I pulled out my grandfather's old surplus Navy tap and die set, and got to work putting some threads on the rod.
Pretty much everything in this picture used to be my grandfather's. Pretty cool.
So it works a lot smoother now.
I was having major problems with tapatalk last night. I'd post something and then the new post window would already be populated with the text I just wrote and no indication whether it got posted with a picture or not. I even shut the phone down and restarted and went back in to tapatalk to try to clear things up.
Anyway, I could clean this up, but then all my venting about tapatalk wouldn't make any sense, and the damage to the thread is already done.
Mostly I was just excited because I had an excuse to dig out the old tap and die set that I think I may have used once a decade ago. And never since. You just look at this thing, and think of all the possibilities. But really, it isn't that often I need to cut threads into something.
Isn't this cool? I love using old tools that still work well, and probably better than modern stuff.
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cutting your own threads is very satisfying. I usually think to myself (directed at the floggers of cheap hardware) "HaHA! take taht bitches!"
I spell it that way too.
:lol:
I was just thinking. The last time I cut my own threads was when I was trying to remove a lug nut. It was the exact opposite of satisfying that time, because I would have preferred using the threads that came with the wheel stud rather than cut new ones with the messed up lug nut, eventually breaking the wheel stud.
Nice job with the nuc install !
I would ditch that 1 gallon feeder and get a 2 gallon from Mann Lake with ladders - (
http://www.mannlakeltd.com/beekeeping-supplies/category/page45.html). They will need syrup to draw out the bare foundation until the nectar flow starts. A Mega-bee pollen patty from Dadant would help with brood stimulation as well. I'm a fan of wooden frames myself, as some of the plastic (Pierco) frames can warp over time. Have fun !!!
Thanks. I'm using two different hive top feeders both over 2 gallon capacity.
Glatt that is awesome that you get to use your Grampa's tools. There is a bond in that.
ideas about your drum sander
1 -- I share your love of old tools. I have several tools from my Dad that I treasure.
2 -- The last time I cut threads (on purpose, with a tap and die set, not with a crossthreaded nut, not specifying which is the nut) was in shop class in seventh grade. I'd made a little hammer out of 1/2" square bar stock and some steel rod. I ... I wonder where that tool is.. It might be around here somewhere, now it's in my mind (like I need something else to rattle around in there, distracting me).
3 -- an idea to correct the imperfect grip your chuck had on the threaded rod: thread some nuts (at least two) onto the rod and lock them together, then use those flat sides to give the jaws of the chuck something solid to grip onto.
4 -- for the nail as the sandpaper wedge/imbalance issue: Why not add a second hole 180 deg opposite and add a counterbalancing nail?
5 -- I love your work glatt.
Not today, but over the weekend I made music. Six trumpets, five trombones, four French horns (cue Christmas carol jokes!), three percussionists and two tubas all met to create music and share good times.
This video is not us, but one of the pieces we played.
[YOUTUBE]BUN3oT3acrw[/YOUTUBE]
These two Spotify links take you to two other pieces we played (again, not us in the links):
Festmusik der stadt Wien
Feierlicher Einzug
The above pieces are all by (or based on music by) Richard Strauss - he was the main focus of our weekend. However, for a little light relief we also played an arrangement of the slow movement of Beethoven's 5th Symphony for brass, and a very funky Stevie Wonder medley.
Food and company were most excellent. You could say, I suppose, that we all had a real blast :tuba:
(I should add that I was playing French horn this weekend - it is my true musical love. The tuba and sousie are my brass bits on the side!!)
French horn is the most plainly sophisticated of the brass. No blasting or farting, just a pleasant and very musical tone.
You can tell Mr. Limey I said that...! He's a trumpeter, right?
The first nuc was really active with a lot of bees and excess comb all over it.
The bees wait for no man... nice recovery though. :thumb:
I love using old tools that still work well, and probably better than modern stuff.
They were built to do a job, with the heft and accuracy that inspires confidence, until you wear them out. With enough oil they'll will outlast generations of we amateurs. On the down side, if you screw the job up you can't blame the tools. :haha:
I should add that I was playing French horn this weekend - it is my true musical love. The tuba and sousie are my brass bits on the side!!
A woman of many talents. I nominate you to run Scotland after the split. :king:
I made
this. <--Cellar link
These were the shelves I wanted that sander for. I'm pleased with the way they blend right in with the cabinets.
The nice thing about wood working is usually if it doesn't look like what you want, you just have to keep working until it does. The more tools acquired, and tricks you learn, the faster you can get to that point.
Looks like you've picked up plenty of both, well done.:thumb2:
That's true. And a nice job btw. But working with iron you can weld you screwups back together. Not so with wood, as I well know.:jig:
For her birthday present, my daughter will get to go with my wife to go see Les Miserables in NYC. She (the daughter) is in love with that show, but has only seen the movie and listened to the music. It will be an awesome trip to New York. They will take the early bus up, see the city sights during the day, then the show at night and stay in a medium quality touristy hotel near the theater. Maybe do some more sight seeing the next day and then come home by bus again. It should be a fun time.
When you buy tickets online, they wait forever before sending them to you, so we won't even have tickets to wrap and give to her in late June.
So I just spent the morning putting this graphic together. I'll take it over to CVS and get it printed out in 8X10. It will give us something to wrap up and give her, and she can put on her wall if she wants.
It took about two hours, finding and stealing all the various images from around the web and combining them into this. It's hard to find high resolution images that will print well at 8 x 10.
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Nice! I have zero graphic design skills, I would have just scrawled it on a piece of paper. :)
That's very good. And what a great bday present.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk
I've never seen the film, but saw the show more times than I could count.
And cried every time.
I'm sure she'll adore it.
and yes, fantastic presentation work.
It is and will be fantastic!
Hope she doesn't pull a teenager and wake up some morning completely hating that show, and insisting you're just don't understand her because she's never liked that show. :lol2:
Glatt, that's a very nice presentation piece. And I ain't just saying that cuz I like your tool.
Then again,. I'm drunk, so...
Hope she doesn't pull a teenager and wake up some morning completely hating that show, and insisting you're just don't understand her because she's never liked that show. :lol2:
This will absolutely happen. I'm just hoping it won't happen until August. :thepain:
You're scaring the passengers, Glatt.
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Sent by thought transference
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Thelonius Trunk. About an inch high.
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Thelonius Trunk.
[SIZE="1"]Hee![/SIZE]
You're scaring the passengers, Glatt.
Fasten your seatbelts; it's going to be a bumpy night.
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Thelonius Trunk. About an inch high.
Sent by thought transference
Limey ... LOVE these gorgeous creations!! Can you tell us about them? Are any available ... ?
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Dug and his pet Dino, Denny.
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Arnie D. Lowe
All the teenies are knitted from patterns in a book called "Teeny tiny Mochimochi" by Anna Hrachovec.
I'm afraid I knit purely for my own entertainment and don't take commissions, sorry.
But I love showing off, so thanks for the compliments, folks!
Sent by thought transference
Ha ha! These make me smile.
Because who is John Galt? I had to fix my own god damned weed whacker, small engine repair is one of those things I am theoretically more than happy to let the other guy make a living at, but alas, no.
So I got the fucker completely apart and back together and it runs. But I still can't find the shoulder strap (or the parts to make one) so I still can't whack weeds.
Fixed the leaky faucet upstairs and de-calcified both toilets. Also repaired son's fan and one of the fluorescent lights in the basement got a new plug.
Mr. Fixit.
D'you use tiny needles, like lace needles, Limey?
Yes. I may do a photo essay, but not today.
Well done Footsie Fixit!
Sent by thought transference
O. and btw, Limes, those are awesome tinies. If you kniffted them out of kevlar you could stuff them with catnip for the kittehs.
Limey, the pics you've been posting are amazing and gorgeous! My stupid post-hyperbaric therapy vision would never let me make anything so beautiful. Please keep posting pics!
I bet you could make scads of cash at the right craft festival.
Do you put magnets inside of them?
Jim - for me, knitting is like sex. If I love you it's free, but if not you can't afford it! (Apart from the
Sticky Willies, that is).
I originally got the pattern book with the intention of putting little magnets in the figures, but started knitting the figures last week when I was making a new batch of Willies and ran out of magnets, because I'd got a taste for knitting on that scale. For me part of the appeal is that they are totally useless.
I've made too much poo today. :greenface
Jim - for me, knitting is like sex. If I love you it's free, but if not you can't afford it! (Apart from the Sticky Willies, that is).
I originally got the pattern book with the intention of putting little magnets in the figures, but started knitting the figures last week when I was making a new batch of Willies and ran out of magnets, because I'd got a taste for knitting on that scale. For me part of the appeal is that they are totally useless.
I get that. Jinx was of the same mind regarding photography. I just meant that they are desirable. Useless, but I still want one.
Just... It could be a beanie baby type fad and you'd be stupid rich.
Are they all from patterns, or do you create them from scratch? Can you do a little cock? Rooster, that is.
They're all from patterns. I wouldn't get stupid rich, they take an average of a couple of hours each, so I'd have to be paid, say, $40 per piece? That's just not going to happen, is it. Or outsource the labour. The only way to make money out of this is to publish a book of patterns, which Anna Hrachovec has done, and I bought it. :)
Cock is tricky. Getting sufficient identifiers in at such a small scale isn't easy. The less you have to work with, the more each element matters. I reckon it's far easier to write a 60,000 words novel than a 32 word children's book, and the same thing applies here.
Sent by thought transference
I get that. Jinx was of the same mind regarding photography. I just meant that they are desirable. Useless, but I still want one.
Just... It could be a beanie baby type fad and you'd be stupid rich.
Are they all from patterns, or do you create them from scratch? Can you do a little cock? Rooster, that is.
https://www.google.com/search?q=cock+cosy
All the teenies are knitted from patterns in a book called "Teeny tiny Mochimochi" by Anna Hrachovec.
I'm afraid I knit purely for my own entertainment and don't take commissions, sorry.
They are sooo cool. :thumb:
Wonderful to have a hobby you love that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, and small enough to take with you. I don't know if they'd let you take the needles on a plane, though?
Bruce, I don't take this sort of project around with me: it's too fiddly, requires a certain amount of attention and the bits would get lost. I do have travel knitting, usually a pair of socks, which I take most places. For the socks I use a set of five wooden needles which are about five inches long and less than 1/8 inch or so in diameter. I have not yet had any trouble knitting at airports or on planes (sometimes I'm asked to put it away during take-off or landing). If asked I'd take the needles out of the project and submit them for confiscation without argument, even though I reckon they're less dangerous then a fine-point biro. After all, security is only doing their job, and this sort of thing seems to be (anecdotally) at the discretion of the security personnel to a certain extent.
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This is a birthday present for a friend of mine with a significant birthday this weekend who provides office services ...
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I've made too much poo today. :greenface
How much is too much?
Pix or it didn't happen.
would that be a "flushie"?
Jim - for me, knitting is like sex. If I love you it's free, but if not you can't afford it!
Sex is kind of like that for me, I'd love it if it was free, but I can't afford it.
Bruce, I don't take this sort of project around with me: it's too fiddly, requires a certain amount of attention and the bits would get lost.
OK, I can see that would be a pain, as well as keeping track of where you are with minimum landmarks in a tiny piece
After all, security is only doing their job, and this sort of thing seems to be (anecdotally) at the discretion of the security personnel to a certain extent.
I think you're right it seems half of them are playing it by ear. You're too young and hot to pull off the sweet little old grandma tending her knitting, so your kind of at their mercy.
... You're too young and hot to pull off the sweet little old grandma tending her knitting, so your kind of at their mercy.
You old flatterer, you!
Sent by thought transference
You old flatterer, you!
Sent by thought transference
You have to watch him, limey ...
not if you turn out the lights, you don't.
In the light or the dark, the truth shines through.:yesnod:
How much is too much?
Pix or it didn't happen.
No. [SIZE="5"]No.[/SIZE] [SIZE="7"]NO PICS![/SIZE]
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A pear.
Sent by thought transference
limey, these are all great!
Let's try to pare down those puns. This means you. Anjou.
My daughter and I just finished making a Fortress of Solitude for my summer classroom.
Excellent, Griff!
Sent by thought transference
Looks like a good place to curl up in the winter, too. :thumb:
Your summer classroom? I'm sadly ignorant here, but willing to learn.
I have an integrated pre-k classroom in the Summer for guys who are documented as having lost skills due to long breaks. The children tend toward more severe disabilities. We integrate with head start and community children. It ends up being a lot of work because I'm in a different building and don't have a regular ed co-teacher in my pm class.
The castle is a safe place, part of the conscious discipline stuff we use.
https://consciousdiscipline.com/I didn't actually do any of the painting, but I did the design, made the templates for the dark blue bits (boards were first painted in the light blue), positioned and drew around them then taped the boards ready for painting, orchestrated the whole production process..... I did get paint on me if that counts
....and I'm pretty damned pleased with the result :D
(there are 21 boards in total, so far -after two meets- 8 swimmers have state cuts)
now all we have to do is stencil the words and the Skyline Eagle in white...... easy peasy :lol:
(There were about 6 of us on the project today)
These go in swimmers' yards?
very professional looking!
yup in the front yard or on the porch for the world to see
thanks :)
Not today. I made a cap rack. Didn't offset the pegs enough. So I thought I would use some L-screws. That didn't work out. The pegs were Birtch and split.
So I stuck a small nail in hole with Silicone glue. You can see in shadow the nails. Anyway today I cut all the pegs off and use L-screws.
New photo later.
A cap rack is a good idea. I have a tie rack that I haven't used much since my employer went casual dress, and I put my caps on that, but the pegs are way too close together and the caps hang over about 5-6 pegs. It only holds 3 caps.
On the back of our basement door, I strung some of that green wreath making wire between two nails driven close to each edge of the door. And we have a dozen clothes pins on that wire. Actually, I think we have two wires like that. Anyway, it's great in the winter time for gloves, mittens, hats, etc.
Our front steps are concrete and exposed to the elements. Even worse than being exposed to the elements, the front porch roof gets ice dams in the gutters and for several days after a snow, we get melting water dripping down directly onto the steps, where it freezes at night. So we throw down salt to melt it. That salt water works its way into the concrete and I guess refreezes or something. This takes a toll on the concrete, and it gets all cracked up and crumbling
So about a month ago, I got a sack of fast setting concrete patching material and started with the bottom step, hitting the concrete with a regular hammer to break up anything that was loose. I'd smack it with a hammer and then brush it with a steel brush to get anything loose to come out. Then suck it all up with a shop vac. It's tricky to decide when to stop. You could demolish the entire set of stairs with the hammer if you wanted to. With this bottom step, thee were actually tree roots working their way up into the concrete from below and helping to break it all apart.
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It took the entire sack of concrete to repair this one step. So I stopped there for the day.
Next day, I got two bags of concrete for the upper steps and started beating the crap out of them with the hammer. They just crumbled in spots.
In this picture you can see a plastic trash bag on the lower step. That's to keep the water from evaporating from the concrete as it cures. It will be stronger if the water stays in there as it cures.
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I used these chisels to try to undercut the edge of the concrete as much as possible so the patch would want to stay securely in place. It's tricky because sometimes as I was undercutting the edge, a big chunk would just pop off, and I'd need to form a new edge.
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I didn't get any pictures of me mixing the wet concrete and applying it, because it was fast setting and I had to work quickly.
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In this picture you can see I took the plastic off the bottom step and the top steps have now been patched and have plastic on them.
The stairs are solid here, but look like hell. They need some paint.
You're apparently supposed to let concrete weather for a while before you paint it, so we left it looking ugly for a month, and then I finally got around to painting the steps and porch on Saturday.
Looks a lot better.
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When we bought this place 15 years ago, the upstairs bathroom had just been renovated by the previous landlord. But they used the cheapest materials you could possibly use, and I hated the pedestal sink. It worked just fine, but the area next to the faucet, where you would place a soap dish had a pretty steep slope to it.
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Every week or two for those 15 years, I'd set down a bottle of contact lens solution and it would fall over the edge of the sink and into the trash can. Or I'd use the liquid hand soap, pumping a little out, and the damn soap would topple over into the trash can. Every time, I'd reach over to retrieve the item and just silently curse the damn sink.
Several years ago, I tried to convince my wife that we should get a sink vanity cabinet with a wide flat area on the top, and she agreed in theory, but we couldn't agree on a color or style.
Recently that all changed. We saw a sink vanity in an Ikea catalog that she thought looked neat because it had drawers, and I loved the flat space on the sink on top. So on our wedding anniversary Thursday, we went to Ikea to check it out. It was pretty cool, so we bought it.
Normally we start projects on a weekend, but we got back home Thursday afternoon, and I proceeded to remove the old pedestal. It was caulked like crazy to the wall, and I had to use a utility knife and thin putty knives to get it loose. I damaged the drywall and pulled up some of the cheap vinyl floor tiles getting it out. No matter, we had a half a box of floor tiles in the attic that they had left for us when we bought the place, and the gouged up wall was going to be hidden by the new vanity, which was a couple inches taller.
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We had fun putting the Hemnes Ikea cabinet together. It was a family project and we only made one little mistake that was easy to fix. The Odensvik sink was interesting, because it came with plumbing that allowed space for the drawers in the cabinet underneath. Pretty cool.
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The new sink is great. I mean, it's just a sink. But nothing has fallen into the trash can. There's lots of space on top.
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Someday, when I'm motivated, I'll get rid of these crappy vinyl tiles and put down a new floor, and I'll put down real base molding instead of the crappy vinyl strip stuff. I still want a new medicine cabinet and lights, and that may very well be next.
Edit: We got the sink almost completely set up on Thursday, but it didn't come with a slip nut and slip nut washer to connect to the wall's rough in drain pipe. So I had to buy that on Friday and hook it up Friday night when I got home from work. And then on Sunday I caulked the sink to the cabinet and to the wall.
Cool, those steps look great! We need to repair a corner of our foundation, you make me think it wouldn't be as hard as I've been fearing.
And I like the encased sink, though I have to admit still having that old towel ring hook there would bug me. I know you can't just pull it off or the wall will be damaged, but I'd wrack my brain trying to hang something from it, or place something up against it, just to justify its existence.
Yeah. It bugs me too.
But I think that's good. I want to put up a new medicine cabinet and will probably put in some new wall sconces or something too. That means I'll have to tear into that wall anyway and then patch and paint it. So leaving that towel ring thing there will prompt me to do that sooner rather than later.
Of course, I'm notoriously lazy with projects like this, and it could wind up being there for 15 years.
Here's a finished product. :)
She'll have to get a T-shirt with that logo on it so people will say:
Look! There in the water! It's a dolphin (shark), it's a torpedo, no ... it's SUPER HEBE!
I honestly think the suit she wore yesterday would work better than a t-shirt in the superhero costume department. besides, the boys' swim team (and several other teams) have already done the skyline S like a Superman S thing
disclaimer: I did not make this suit and it really was that color.
She'll have to get a T-shirt with that logo on it so people will say:
Nice 'S'.
Fixed it.
I tried to make it possible for a commercial driver to continue driving today. Bent the rules using my privilege to use medical judgment and all ... but it turned out badly. Trying to balance public safety and the need to work is tricky. It doesn't go well when the driver lies. Hopefully he won't come back and shoot up my clinic tomorrow, as he suggested he might during a call late this afternoon.
Nevertheless, the otter has me beat. Don't stop posting, grav.
An item to donate to The Open School 7/8th grade silent auction. It's called "Open School" :)
apologies for lighting. best we could do for a quick pic
I love that! Nice work monster.
Seems a little fishy to me.[/obviouspun]
:D
I like.
thank y'all.
Did I tell you I'm making a life-sized amphora for Hebe's (and Hector's and soon to be Thor's)Latin teacher? Now that's a project :eek:. I have been documenting. It's a surprise for him :D
a life-sized amphora
Aren't they all life-size?:eyebrow:
The kids have to put their smart phones on the kitchen counter at night. My wife sometimes does too. Not enough outlets and a tangle of wires. So I got a USB charging hub and built a wooden charging station to hold three phones. Bought a multipack of one foot micro-USB cables too. Looks much neater and now there is a free outlet.
Gotta figure out what to do with those earbuds though
I like it. Simple but highly functional. You should do a Kickstarter. :)
Looks good, but three stations for four people? Could the ear buds hang on the wall, either on hooks or spring loaded clothespins.
row of small boxes on the front
Just do what my Dad does.
Pick up anything which looks vaguely like a cable and put it somewhere safe. Then forget where it is. It helps the economy if your family is constantly having to replace cables and chargers and photocards and earplugs.
Very attractive solution to a modern problem btw.
Probably the same kinda thing Dads would really have done back in his day.
I made a program in Python that runs in the console, that basically allows you to type in a website, and open your preferred browser with that site after entering it. If the site is a search engine, it asks what you want to search for and then searches it for you, opening your browser for you if it isn't open. Otherwise, it just opens a new tab for you.
Not that amazing really, but it's something more advanced than the basic programs I've been making up until this one.
Finally got the last piece of steel roofing up.
I made marshmallows! Like real, fluffy, white marshmallows that taste just like marshmallows except my kids can eat them.
I'd had the recipe forever but hadn't attempted it because I just couldn't believe that it could possibly work. The only ingredients are gelatin and honey (plus a bit of salt and vanilla extract, but that's not really germane) and I know what gelatin and honey looks like: honey-flavored jello. Which is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a damn marshmallow.
But there's a process, and a technique, and... I'll be goddamned if it didn't work exactly right on the first try. Even Mr. Clod agreed, they look and taste just like a freaking marshmallow, and he is more than willing to tell me when something is, "Well... good enough for the kids, anyway." They can even be roasted if you do it quickly and carefully.
That's cool!
I've heard there is an actual plant called Marsh Mallow, and marshmallows used to be made from it, but I have no idea if any of that is true.
Today I made £34. For which I worked five hours and travelled four and a half.
that should have read: travelled four and a half hours.
Bathroom job is coming along...
Very nice, but with three females in residence I can see 99 bottles, tubes and unidentifiable thingys, accumulating in the future. :haha:
Got two out the house. This is my habitat!
This is Gravdigr approved.
I like the rough milled casing, but I wonder about splinters, especially when feeling for the light switch?
I like the rough milled casing, but I wonder about splinters, especially when feeling for the light switch?
I was on the fence about swapping that out. It's actually soft to the touch the result of a sawing error a long long time ago.
I like the look, although I'd bevel or round the cutout for the switch, but that's a personal aesthetic from someone who frequently bumbles around half asleep quite often. :haha: I got shit about the casings I put up in my bedroom being 3/4 x 3.5, square boards with no bevel. Fuck 'em, they don't live here, and square stock makes great back scratchers. ;)
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After an hour and a half cleaning the shop, I was able to spend three hours making these board.
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The plan is to make a band saw.
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Very Kool. What are you going to use for wheels, and other hard parts?
The wheels will be plywood. I still need to order some bits and pieces of hardware but have bearings and shafts and a motor.
That will be interesting, getting the blade to track without walking off the wheel, and enough traction of the blade on the wheel so the blade won't slip and stall yet not enough to tear into the wheel. Most use a rubber coating(tire) on the wheel.
Inner tubes.
There's a few hours of information
here about the plans I'm using, including lots of examples built by readers.
It is going to take a long time to make this. I hope to have it done in 2016. If I can spend an hour or two each week, I should reach that goal.
I suspect this is more about having fun with the challenge than your dire need of a bandsaw, so you can't lose. Win!
And you'll end up with a bandsaw. Win!
And 99 years from now...
glatts daughter-in-law - Why don't you get rid of all this junk, like that wood thing.
glatts son - Better back off, bitch, me and dad built that.
After being unable to work in my woodshop for the past year I had to force myself to finally glue up the entry door that I made for someone. (No hurry apparently) I also need to repair two canoes for a friend's rental fleet (no hurry last fall, big hurry now)
While waiting for the glue to set on the first part of the glue-up, I turned a candlestick. It isn't finished, that gnarly bit on top is where the drive spurs set and that will be sawn off. I took it off the lathe to look at it for a while and saw where it needs a bit of tweaking an refinement. I'm putting it back on tomorrow, finishing it and then I'll show you the after pic.
Somewhere I have an antique woodenware book with great examples of candlesticks but I suspect the previous administration may have absconded with it.
I was curious to see how long it took me to make (excluding design time) because I was wondering if there is any profit in making them. I guess that also depends on how much they would sell for.
About 10 or 15 minutes in design, 20 minutes setting up, and so far about a half hour turning-but some of that was design changes as I went. After I get my chops back I think I could make a pair in 40 minutes, assuming a production run of 10 or 20 pair, including an oil or shellac finish.
I like it. Very elegant. How is the base attached? Is it a time consuming joint?
I like it. Very elegant. How is the base attached? Is it a time consuming joint?
I suck at documenting things but it was very easy.
Started with a 1"x5"x5" board. It would have been S4S but my planer is not working so I had to mount it on the lathe to surface it.
Let's say it was S4S. Mark center and drill a 1" hole
Take square turning blank 1.5"x1.5"x12", chuck in lathe, rough it to a cylinder and turn a 1"x1" round tenon on the end. Be sure the shoulder is square or a bit undercut for a smile-free glue joint.
Glue tenon and hole, insert tenon, let dry.
The end of the tenon is exposed on the bottom so you can chuck the whole thing back in the lathe and it should still be true.
Mark out landmarks, e.g. high and low spots, beads, coves, etc. use parting tool and calipers to set depths, turn to landmarks. Refine, sand if needed, add finish.
Off to the basement.
Some of those prices are excellent. I have a friend who "makes" antiques. He has what he calls a time machine. I've seen wood taken from his firewood pile turn into all sorts of things that he copies from various out of print woodworking books from the 1800s, then go into the time machine and come out looking positively ancient.
A lot of his stuff has ended up at big auction houses. His approach is just, "I found this in a barn in New England, is it worth anything?" and there you go.
I'm not there yet.
Here is the finished proto-type. The compare photos are from different angles so that changes the look of the piece somewhat so I added pointing fingers to indicate the places I made changes.
So far it has one very thin coat of Watco (25% Watco 75% turps) I am thinking about what kind of finish I'd like to put on it, if I want to stain it or do something else.
I wanted to make the transitions crisper, that is a hallmark of a hand turned piece made with gouges and chisels; the finish they leave behind is smoother than sandpaper which softens or obliterates fine details. (Full disclosure: I did sand a few spots because I'm out of practice and my tools aren't sharpened as well as they can be and that led to a couple of lumpy spots on the vases.)
Standard candle bases are 7/8" unless they are from China where they use metric sizes making your candlesticks too big. I didn't have any inserts on hand ($0.07 ea) so I cut a 3/4" copper pipe connector (7/8" ID, <1" OD) annealed it, upset one end so it would fit snugly, and flared the other end, re-annealed it and peened it over the top of the candlestick.
When I make the mate I'm going to change the order of some of the steps to make it more efficient. Making the metal insert cost a lot more than seven cents in materials and a crazy amount of time. If I make more of these I'm buying inserts.
I also need to build a proper sharpening jig for my gouges. The shape is very complicates and despite a lot of practice my results are inconsistent and costly in terms of unnecessary wear on the tools. I bought mine over 20 years ago and nearly crapped when I saw how much they cost today.
Yeah. That came out nice.
Even somebody who doesn't know anything about machine manufactured vs handmade can look at that and see all those crisp edges and know it's different and better.
The copper work is impressive.
What species of wood? Looks like maple, but maybe something else?
I think the trick is finding the buyer who will pay enough to make it worth your while.
My cousin is a carpenter in NJ, and he somehow got in with some wealthy regular customers and is able to afford to do high end finish carpentry and unique woodworking projects now instead of framing tract housing.
You need to find a wealthy sponsor. Any Hudson river valley equestrian clubs or anything like that? Someplace where those bored CEO wives from NYC go shopping on weekend outings to the country.
Yeah. That came out nice.
Even somebody who doesn't know anything about machine manufactured vs handmade can look at that and see all those crisp edges and know it's different and better.
The copper work is impressive.
What species of wood? Looks like maple, but maybe something else?
I think the trick is finding the buyer who will pay enough to make it worth your while.
My cousin is a carpenter in NJ, and he somehow got in with some wealthy regular customers and is able to afford to do high end finish carpentry and unique woodworking projects now instead of framing tract housing.
You need to find a wealthy sponsor. Any Hudson river valley equestrian clubs or anything like that? Someplace where those bored CEO wives from NYC go shopping on weekend outings to the country.
@ Grav: Thanks
@ Glatt: Thanks. As Sy Syms used to say, "An educated consumer is our best customer." You'd be surprised at how many people can't tell quality and buy based on brand name. An electrician once told me that rich people only like to spend money on things that show people how wealthy they are. That's one of the reasons they try to stiff or haggle with tradespeople who do work for them. There's no real advantage to paying a plumber because people aren't seeing your plumbing. That's Manchester at any rate.
The wood is cherry, but the stick part is glued up from some sap wood scraps that are much lighter, hence my thoughts of staining.
I'm very close to Manchester, VT the multi-millionaire ghetto, and Saratoga Springs, rich but horsey. I'm keeping my eyes out for a sponsor or the right type of craft fair/farmer market.
You'd be surprised at how many people can't tell quality and buy based on brand name.
They try to pick the best bargain walmart offers. :rolleyes:
dude you need to sign/mark the bottom! That is cool
An artisan/farmers market is all you need. college towns work too
good luck
Good idea, brand it with your skull ring. :skull:
If you really want to fuck the yuppies up, mark them left and right.
Good idea, brand it with your skull ring. :skull:
If you really want to fuck the yuppies up, mark them left and right.
Totally doing this.
Mark some of them 'center'.
You'll sell a set of three instead of two.
Nice looking! Make one the center one a little taller ;)
Here is the finished pair. I took a few 'in process' photos but they are on my phone and I can't find my cable atm.
Very nice, candle lit squirrel feeders, how romantic. :haha:
Now all you need to do is forge the authentication for coming from aaaa Hamilton's table, he's hot now. ;)
Nice work!
Really nice.
They seem bigger in the outdoor picture. Are these substantial candle sticks? Do they leave the impression of being large or dainty in person?
I'm guessing from the posts above that the final dimensions are around 5 inches wide at the base and 11 inches tall?
Really gorgeous!
Sent by thought transference
Thanks everyone. I admit to being pleased with them.
Glatt, they are about 8 or nine inches. The base started out at five but was turned down a bit. I didn't measure them before I gave them as a gift.
Here are some photos of the process. The first is the roughed out blank with the landmarks in pencil. They indicate the high points, the low points, any transitions, beads, coves and such. The low points are cut to depth with a parting tool and a caliper. In this case I wanted as much fullness possible for the body of the vase so I did not go deeper than the rough dimension and added the line as a witness.
The second photo you can see I've made rough shapes and if you look closely at the lower vase shape you can see the witness mark is still there.
The next series of photos (not in exact order of operation) shows how I made the copper insert which took nearly as long as turning the stick. Still photos of turning seem silly to me, but if I can figure out a way to rig up my camera I might do a video of the process. Someday. It's an achievement I got this far.
I hunted around for something appropriate and considered soldering some copper flashing but that sounded like way too much work and my metal working tools are limited. Standard taper candle bases are 7/8" (Chinese made candles are metric and thus a little smaller which is why your candles always wobble - because you are buying cheap-ass candles at Walmart, you imperialist stooge) so I looked for something with a 7/8" ID. As it happens, a 3/4" copper pipe coupling is awfully close so I chose that.
It was too short (sort of) to use a pipe cutter (not really, I was just too lazy to go search for the pipe cutter and also the cutting wheel is chipped so it doesn't really work anyway) I made a hash of it with my hacksaw and had to grind the cut ends even. Hack being most appropriate in this case.
The ID being set, the OD was a problem, it is slightly smaller than 1", so when I used a 1" Forstner bit the hole was over sized and the insert would drop out. I decided to flare it so it would make a tight fit. I was worried about the lack of material at the top after drilling a 1" hole, afraid I'd come through or leave the piece so thin that if the copper heated up from a low candle it might expand and split the wood. So, I only went down about 5/8" with the !" bit and then switched to a 7/8" bit to finish the depth. That left a nice shelf for the insert to sit on.
Next, I cleaned out the burrs, and annealed the piece making it soft enough to easily work. I looked around for a tapered tool to flare the coupling but couldn't find one. I didn't feel like checking a piece of maple in the lathe to turn a taper and my pipe flaring kit was MIA along with the pipe cutter and I wasn't even sure it went up to 11, anyway. I kept hunting and found a heavy chrome plated tap handle that was perfect.
Greased both pieces with SuperLube (
a product I wholeheartedly endorse) and set it in a handy hole in my benchtop. I was worried that the because of the softness of the copper the end would deform if I used my vise. In the end I had to b/c the hole in the bench was well worn from years of use with a
holdfast. It work out fine, it deformed a little but I flipped the piece over and trued it up.
Once I got the flare I measured the depth in the candlestick and drilled into a piece of scrap to make a holding jig so I could peen the edge and further develop the flare. It required another annealing after leaving the jig before being put into the stick where I planished it to conform the the top of the stick.
I tried a couple of types of Minwax stains and fishes but they suck so I got out some oil paints I have from my art school days and mixed up some burnt umber and burnt sienna and thinned them out with a small amount of varnish, just enough to make them brush easily. I let that soak in for a while and wiped it off with a paper towel. When the color was where I wanted it, I went back over the nooks and crannies with the color, let it soak, then wiped it off. I also wiped extra thoroughly on the high points to mimic the wear you'd see after years of handling. It was a quicky finish and I ran out of denatured alcohol so I couldn't mix up shellac which would have really added to the effect by building up selective layers of color vs. transparency. I was very happy with the color and I'd like to use the technique again.
I realize the photos are heavy on the metal work, I'll see what I can do about getting some better turning action shots.
I'm glad you found another use for the super lube but the time invested in those inserts is nuts. As beautiful as they turned out, best get some store bought for production. ;)
Absolutely. The store bought ones are seven cents each...
Wow! Christmas came early to my little shop. Not one, but TWO different types of brass inserts arrived at my house.
Many thanks to my benefactor, I will get cracking!
Not today but yesterday. The Cellar T-Shirt gets another outing ...
That looks like a small space, it must have been loud. :tuba:
That looks like a small space, it must have been loud. :tuba:
It was indeed a small stage and Biff, our singer, almost capsized my beer, but the hall was of a size to cope with our decibels.
Sent by magic.
Biff, our singer, almost capsized my beer
At least a murder was avoided. :lol:
It was indeed a small stage and Biff, our singer, almost capsized my beer, but the hall was of a size to cope with our decibels.
Sent by magic.
Nice!
I made this game called Pixelsphere. It has a 4 hour soundtrack and it's free on my website. Unfortunately, it took 5 years to make, so I'm trying to find out, have any TV shows been made since "Breaking Bad"? ;)
http://pixelsphere.org
[YOUTUBE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHdCFPHeLWw[/YOUTUBE]
http://pixelsphere.orgI last made a glass of chocolate Milk :)
dear thecynicproject
please fix your link
thanks in advance
I didn't make it so much as assemble it, and it wasn't today, but...
Lego Saturn VI harvested a little honey this weekend to see how low tech i could go.
Looks to me like you were supervising and the girl was doing the work. Fine way to treat a weekend guest. :lol:
LEGO, not Lepin, right?
Yup. Hadn't heard of Lepin before...
I did not know that was a thing.
I want to play!
I stopped working today on my first scissors truss. It's the prototype, so it really isn't done. I intend to examine it, correct what's wrong, and make the appropriate adjustments when I use it as a template for the four that will follow it.
I think it turned out pretty good for my first truss.
Whenever I do something like this, I feel like Neo in The Matrix--"I know Kung Fu!" Thank you, YouTube.
As you might imagine, there's A WHOLE PROJECT going on here, but I wanted to share this little peek.
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Nice! Enjoy the glue and screw.
All lumber cut. 18 more gussets to cut, already have a template. Need to buy a couple gallons of glue. Maybe another fifty pounds of nails. Then, making. And moving, they're a big awkward double handful. Then I have to get them onto the roof. Square and plumb. No ridge board, just purlins. Not really sure how I'll connect them to the roof. Will probably need to make a bird's mouth cut to seat the truss onto the "wall".
It's coming together!
Not really sure how I'll connect them to the roof.!
Might wanna do some figgerin'. And maybe some finaglin'.
I last made a glass of chocolate Milk :)
Nice! Enjoy the glue and screw.
Would you think Titebond III would be adequate? I've read that resourcinol glues are best, waterproof, boatmaking glues, but that shit is very expensive and a giant PITA to deal with. What about TB III and many nails? This will be outdoors, but under the roof, of course. and only the light plastic roof material to support.
I'm a little stalled on this subject. I've read that I want structural glues, and TB and many others are *not* structural. Only the exotic ones are... after all, I will be using gussets and nails, the glue isn't the only fastening component.
All comments and commentators welcome.
I think you want tight fitting joints when using a wood working glue like TBIII. Framing lumber is slightly bowed and twisted and you will have little gaps to fill. TB will not work well there. You should use construction adhesive in caulking tubes. It is designed for this. I'm not sure which brand/type is best.
If there's no load ("only the light plastic roof material to support") why not just nail the thing together and throw it up there?
I've thrown up a pole barn or ten, never even seen a glued truss.
I used screws and Titebond on my barn. The plywood on the joints gave me a flat surface and screwing pulled everything flush. I'm always reluctant to suggest my heathen ways to others though. How are the codes in your area? Out here we can Gravdigr the hell out of stuff but in town they start eye-balling. good luck gotta run for a week
I am not a verb!!!
:lol2:
I last made a glass of chocolate Milk :)
I am not a verb!!!
:lol2:
you know you made it when you get verbed!
[COLOR="PaleTurquoise"](of course some people are verbed before they make it ....and some even live up to their names! **coughtrumpmeansfartcough)[/COLOR]
All lumber cut. 18 more gussets to cut, already have a template. Need to buy a couple gallons of glue. Maybe another fifty pounds of nails. Then, making. And moving, they're a big awkward double handful. Then I have to get them onto the roof. Square and plumb. No ridge board, just purlins. Not really sure how I'll connect them to the roof. Will probably need to make a bird's mouth cut to seat the truss onto the "wall".
It's coming together!
Finished truss number three of five last night. I'm learning, albeit, slowly. Just changed into my work clothes and now I'm headed back outside.
My friend T, whose clutch I replaced while he handed me tools, is helping me out of an abundance of guilty conscience (and an overpowering sense of reciprocity). I intend to take full advantage of it.
Pics later.
Two musical friends of ours are getting married tomorrow. They don't want wedding presents but on Monday night I had this idea ...
(I followed a pattern for the violin but made the trumpet up).
Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
Very cool, it's something they will keep and remind them of the day and you. :thumb:
Limey, just how small are those instruments?
Limey, just how small are those instruments?
About two and a half inches long each.
Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
So nice... reminds me of... ;)
So nice... reminds me of... ;)
two and a half inches reminds you of ;) ?
are you trying to tell us you two had sex even though it was only two and a half inches?
what?
some things Limey sent me.
I figured, I was just being opportunistic :D
I figured, I was just being opportunistic :D
Yeh, I figured. thanks. :cool:
Finished truss number three of five last night. I'm learning, albeit, slowly. Just changed into my work clothes and now I'm headed back outside.
My friend T, whose clutch I replaced while he handed me tools, is helping me out of an abundance of guilty conscience (and an overpowering sense of reciprocity). I intend to take full advantage of it.
Pics later.
All five trusses are made, glued and nailed. Three are painted, two of those are on the roof already. Trusses four and five will be painted this afternoon and three four and five will be hauled onto the roof today or tomorrow. It's supposed to rain tomorrow, more rain than we've had all summer, so, more than a quarter inch, which tells me bupkis. But that I'm up on the roof part of the project now really means it's gonna be buckets, not bupkis.
Ok, break's over. Back to work.
Ok, break's over. Back on yer heads.
Ok, break's over. Back on yer heads.
I actually *did* hear that in my head as I typed "back to work".
I ain't made nuthin. Not even a dirty dish. It appears this post is going to be the highlight of my day.
Two purlins left, the eave-most on each side. I can reach them from the ground, or at least from the ladder. I won't have to climb up on any scaffolding to get this next task finished.
Will still need to do a little touch up paint, then after the purlins, measure them, add foam wigglyboard whatever you call'ems on the purlins. Drill the corrugated roofing panels at the intervals matching the purlin spacing. Each panel is 2'x12', so I'll (be back up on the scaffolding) putting up the first panel, fastening it to the purlin from peak to eave, panel by panel. When one half of the roof is done, then add the ridge cap material, then repeat the roofing panel exercise on the other side of the roof, but I'll have to start by slipping the upper edge of the roofing under the ridge cap segments.
Moving around on the scaffolding is tedious as hell, lots of moving the boards I'm standing on, lots of crawling and slow motion hurdling over the high parts I can't crawl under.
I'll be really happy when this phase of the project's finished. Plus, I'll have cover for the lower part giving me protection from the rain as I install the deck onto the "patio slab", which is an uneven wreck. That's gonna be fun.
And vice versa.
One panel got installed tonight.
*sigh*
I get about an hour and a half of daylight/twilight by the time I get up the ladder to get stuff done. And the panel I did get up is a little crooked, the price I pay for installing clear material after dark.
Anyway, only six nails have to come back out and I've modified my plan, simplifying it. Fuck predrilling the stacks together, gangwise. I'll just put the panel on, and drill it when standing next to it. No biggie. But the time I spent measuring was wasted.
And, I did spend some time talking to my godson, the electrician. He's willing to help me, but not willing to undertake the installation of a new upsized panel in the house to accommodate our expanded electrical service needs. I'm not willing to do that either, so we'll have to hire an electrician for that part. I'm willing to pull the wire in the crawlspace (ugh!) and trench and conduit/pvc to the hot tub location. I don't really want to make the final connections either.
I'm completely willing to perform long term quality control tests on the completed installation of the hot tub though. I'm not a total slacker!
We all have our areas of expertise!
And some of us are more like a jack of all trades and ace of none.
And don't forget we jackoffs. :blush:
A couple days ago I bought one of those single egg frying pans because I have been making egg mcmuffins at home all summer and it's hard to get the eggs a nice shape. I wanted the nice round egg that fits an english muffin.
I tried it out this morning but needed a lid to melt the cheese. I used a little sheet of aluminum foil, and it worked, but I don't want to be wasting a sheet of foil every time I make one of these.
So I made a lid for the pan. And a small knob for the lid. I had some scrap aluminum from a broken insulated cookie sheet, and cut it on my band saw.
[ATTACH]64630[/ATTACH]
When the apocalypse comes, glatt's living in my compound.
I think we make a pretty goddamn good island down here in the cellar.
Today I made...
...a woman cry.
Well - not really. But sort of.
It's not her fault there was a leak in her bathroom - it is her fault she didn't read her policy wording where it clearly states that cover only applies to the damaged items in a suite / damaged areas of a property - so the bath has to be ripped out because the leak is underneath it and it is damaged in the process: covered. The bath has to be replaced, so might as well strip the bathroom back to brass tacks and kit it out with a whole new bathroom suite and fully tiled throughout: not covered.
Getting the work done and then trying to claim back the £3500 bill was not a wise decision.
So, I had the joy of explaining to her that we could only cover £1100 worth of work, with a £250 excess to deduct - and as a goodwill gesture £450 towards the cost of the undamaged items. £1300 and she is left to pay the remaining £2200
That sucks, Dana. In fact dealing with insurance should be taught in schools.
It's a common trope here:
Me: What are taxes and how do I pay them?
School: The mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell.
The culprit is mostly standardized testing--the government doesn't measure kids' financial literacy upon graduation, therefore teachers can't afford to waste time on it--but there is also an element of "I can't legally give you tax advice," believe it or not. Nearly all financially-related careers here are licensed, and you can get in deep trouble if you are perceived as giving someone advice in that arena, they lose money, and then they sue you for fraud.
It's a common trope here:
The culprit is mostly standardized testing--the government doesn't measure kids' financial literacy upon graduation, therefore teachers can't afford to waste time on it--but there is also an element of "I can't legally give you tax advice," believe it or not. Nearly all financially-related careers here are licensed, and you can get in deep trouble if you are perceived as giving someone advice in that arena, they lose money, and then they sue you for fraud.
Yeah, I can see that. But actually, the lessons just need to say "read the small print". And occasionally "get professional advice". :D
In other news, I made these this week for two young visitors due at Limey Towers in a few days ...
Those are so cool. :thumb2: And of course Limey is smart enough to make them look different, no arguments.
I did consider making them the same but with different coloured bowties. Do they need bowties?
I don't think so, the faces are everything.
I did consider making them the same but with different coloured bowties. Do they need bowties?
Nah, you can take your
young visitors out shopping for earrings, nose rings, and belly button rings to put on them.
I don't think so, the faces are everything.
Putting the faces on is the scariest part. Until then they are just cyphers, but they get their character from the face, and sewing is not my strong point. I never n=know how they're going to turn out.
It's a common trope here:
The culprit is mostly standardized testing--the government doesn't measure kids' financial literacy upon graduation, therefore teachers can't afford to waste time on it--but there is also an element of "I can't legally give you tax advice," believe it or not. Nearly all financially-related careers here are licensed, and you can get in deep trouble if you are perceived as giving someone advice in that arena, they lose money, and then they sue you for fraud.
Oh financial services is a heavily licensed and regulated industry here too. I do not offer advice, for example, on what cover someone should get. Nor do I advise them on the best option if they have a couple of different settlement options available. And I have to very careful not to give a claim decision (such as telling someone an aspect of their claim will be covered) on a claim with total costs above my licence (11k)
Have to walk a very fine line sometimes.
Limey those teddies are frikkin awesome.
Limey those teddies are frikkin awesome.
WSS^^^
Limey's teddies are frikkin awesome.
I just wanted to say [size=1]and think about[/size] that.
I made a rum and ginger. Well, I made a couple. Or five.
A couple (or three) margaritas. Damn, they were good. I LOVE margaritas.
I try to do stuff in moderation, and feel like three tips the scales a little past moderation, but I made them weak. It's all good.
I last a glass of chocolate Milk :) (Organic Whole)
Tomato sauce from the tomatoes I grew :)
Very nice.
A cooked sauce, or just diced with the juice, some basil, garlic, and oil?
That sounds like something-more-than-tomato-sauce.
right now it's just chunky sauce :) There are plans for it to be lasagna
In fact it's really just cooked, diced tomatoes because -remembering my son's penchant for over-seasoning (the one who wants to make lasagna)--, I decided to err on the side of caution and not add anything :)
right now it's just chunky sauce :) There are plans for it to be lasagna
Lasagna is the best tomato sauce.
Today, I made my dog into a much smaller dog with the electric clippers.
I'm thinking about making my face into a much smaller face with the electric clippers.
Talking 'bout the beard.
I guess the lasagna isn't getting made (by him anyway) because he's moving out tomorrow morning into his own apartment for the new school year
He may take the sauce with him.
Eye snot. Hay fever starts today, apparently.
Fuck.
I last made a glass of chocolate Milk :) (Before that I made some mac and cheese)
I made m'self endrunkenated.
I have achieved an advanced state of refreshment.[/MrCarruthers]
♪ ♫Oh, the moon shines down on pretty Red Wing♪ ♫
:jig:
[size=1]Whisky don't muddle me none.[/size]
I made weight! Turns out all that hiking and biking was good for me.
Piggles!!
Lots of fresh dill, pickling spices, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
Booyah! Excellent. :thumb:
You should find Mountain Mule and load up on fruit. Make applesauce, jams and jellies.
Then ship them to me.:cool:
Excellent. :thumb:
You should find Mountain Mule and load up on fruit. Make applesauce, jams and jellies.
Then ship them to me.:cool:
I'm currently drowning in Gravenstein apples and Italian plums. I have more fruit than I can handle!
Three to seven deer show up every day to eat fallen apples. I've been passing apples and plums on to anyone that will take them. A few friends/neighbors have come over to pick their own, but there are literally
hundreds of apples and plums still up there in the trees.
I think I'm going to make a crumble or a crisp or something today. However, because it's past noon, I've just poured myself my first weekend cocktail. It might be time to smoke something, too. :rasta:
We'll see how things evolve. :rolleyes:
Heh.
I had a plum tree dropping fruit like a bandit and the woodchuck down by the little creek would feast on them as she did on the apples and pears. One of her offspring left home and moved under my shed. She saw him eating plums and raced up the hill causing him to take cover. She went to the base of the tree and started a spiral around it picking up every plum, taking one bite and throwing down. Every damn one on the ground. I was probably reading a dramatic story around this in my head, but that's what I saw happen.
Sounds like that woodchuck was plum[b] crazy.
It might be time to smoke something, too. :rasta:
It is absotively time to smoke something.
I'm outta here. Gonna smoke some dope in the rain.
L8r t8rs.
Piggles!!
Lots of fresh dill, pickling spices, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Booyah!
'Tis the Season! We've been making garlic dills for the past few weeks - every jar better than the last. My husband calls it 'sloike' (pronounced sloikeh), the Ukrainian name for fresh fermented dill pickles. Ingredients as above, LOTS of garlic, no red pepper flakes, 5-6 days sitting in a cool basement, then into the fridge. YUM.
'Tis the Season! We've been making garlic dills for the past few weeks - every jar better than the last. My husband calls it 'sloike' (pronounced sloikeh), the Ukrainian name for fresh fermented dill pickles. Ingredients as above, LOTS of garlic, no red pepper flakes, 5-6 days sitting in a cool basement, then into the fridge. YUM.
I'm Polish, and mom and gramma always made
great refrigerator pickles. Gramma called them
ogórki (Polish for cucumber?).
I'm proud to continue the family tradition. Shared some with a friend recently, and she said she likes my pickles FAR better than those her (self-taught gourmet cook) husband makes. Now that's a great compliment because I'm not much of a cook (but I can make dill pickles, boy howdy!).
ETA: Last night, I sliced up some cukes, red onion, and dill, and started this to percolatin' in the fridge (always better with time) . . .
Those look The YUMMMMMMMY !!!
I keep thinking about Barney and Andy eating aaallllll those pickles.
I keep thinking about Barney and Andy eating aaallllll those pickles.
You mean "Kerosene Cucumbers". I remember that show.
[YOUTUBE]dfhClelZbCU[/YOUTUBE]
Never was a huge fan of the show, but some episodes stick in there pretty firmly.
Purty.
Do you and all your wood have to get there by way of ladder or block and tackle or front end loader... I forget how your attic hideaway was setup...
Meanwhile, that does look nice, you'll appreciate the light from the windows there. Good job. Now, where's all the sawdust?
ETA:
I found it, down there at the bottom.
Wait, what? That's in your attic, not some external garage/woodshop area?
It's in the upper part of the barn. *I think*. Hayloft? Some damn thing. Not the ground floor and not a living area, you can see daylight streamin in through the wall.
Those are windows.
:stickpoke
Purty.
Do you and all your wood have to get there by way of ladder or block and tackle or front end loader... I forget how your attic hideaway was setup...
Meanwhile, that does look nice, you'll appreciate the light from the windows there. Good job. Now, where's all the sawdust?
ETA:
I found it, down there at the bottom.
I have stairs up into it but will be building a ramp to the double door next summer. The Emerald Ash Borer has killed a shit ton of trees here so I expect to be flush with construction material, assuming the lumber wasn't ruined by the infestation which I think is the case.
Wait, what? That's in your attic, not some external garage/woodshop area?
Upstairs in a barn I built a while back.
It's in the upper part of the barn. *I think*. Hayloft? Some damn thing. Not the ground floor and not a living area, you can see daylight streamin in through the wall.
Yeah, gotta finish sheathing...
Nice bench, btw.
Danke'
That's really nice space
Thanks man, tomorrow I'm reorganizing and stacking the lumber Benny and I picked up.
You have so much room for activities! Now, when you go to use that chop saw, you can yell, 'get to the choppa!'
I love seeing pics of Bennie.
Reminds me of best friend's best friend. He had a bordie for almost 16 yrs. That was one helluva dog.
Not pictured is mess of a work bench behind me with nowhere to put tools and no vise.
I love seeing pics of Bennie. ...
Pepé Le Pew would fall in love with Benny.
Not pictured is mess of a work bench behind me with nowhere to put tools and no vise.
I wish I could come over to your house sometime to play.
Just made a big dish of meat/cheese enchiladas, using a recipe I found online and doctored up.
The picture doesn't do them justice. They were pretty tasty (and
super easy). :thumb:
You are a cruel cruel woman. [COLOR="Gray"]drool[/COLOR]
Thank you! Now imagine them with a little sour cteam, guac, and chopped green onions on top. :biggrinba
Oh, you ain't evil. You're just a hot chick that can cook.
Come to think of it, that does sound like the debbil's work.:D
:p:
Today, I think I'll make grilled kielbasa with fried potatoes and sauerkraut. MMmmm. Comfort food!
Pics later, if I remember. Right now, I need to go let some goats out of their pen. No rest for the wicked!
No good place to put this, so I'mma just leave it here.
Mr. Clod bought a new table saw. Big ol' fucker, I don't even know how many hundreds of pounds. Instructions said "it ships on its side for safety, here's how to properly maneuver it into a vertical position once the freight guy unloads it from the truck--you know, with his ramps and his dolly and all that professional jazz."
Except it wasn't delivered, it was put into the back of Mr. Clod's truck at the woodshop. So he got home, then asked himself, "Hmm, how am I going to transfer this down 4 feet to the ground? Because I do not have ramps or a commercial dolly, etc." Neighbor swung by, said he'd help, but the thing turned out to be far heavier than either anticipated, and they barely got it moved laterally over to the top of the work bench before becoming dangerously tired. They set it down to rest, and the neighbor said, "Cool, that was fun, gotta go."
Next thing I know, he texts me from the garage for help. I come out to find the damn thing suspended with ratchet straps from the fucking ceiling, the corners barely holding on.
Long story short, it got lowered down to the ground and is fine now. But goddamn. I can't believe I'm still not a widow by now.
Bullshit. Y'all got a sex swing dintchya?:eyebrow:
ratcheting straps are great for tightening things slowly and incrementally, but loosening them, they let go all at once. How did he get it down?
Lunch:
Chicken salad sammy with crushed walnuts
Cucumber slices
Jalepeno Kettle chips
Mandarin orange wedges
Oh, and Jack Daniels and Diet Coke. :cool:
Walnuts?!?! Ya ruined it!
I'm just picking at ya.
It took me a while to get used to grapes in m'chicken salad, and I love grapes. Not big on nuts. Not in brownies, not in cakes/pies, not in my chicken salad, not on my chin or forehead, either.
ratcheting straps are great for tightening things slowly and incrementally, but loosening them, they let go all at once. How did he get it down?
I don't know, somehow he was clicking them a tiny bit looser one at a time. He wasn't using the ratcheting handle to do it, it was more like he was hitting a release button but keeping the ratchet handle down while he did it?
Walnuts?!?! Ya ruined it!
I'm just picking at ya.
It took me a while to get used to grapes in m'chicken salad, and I love grapes. Not big on nuts. Not in brownies, not in cakes/pies, not in my chicken salad, not on my chin or forehead, either.
I don't usually put nuts in my chicken salad, but I noticed a bag of walnuts in the freezer (from last summer when I picked them off the ground at a pet sitting job) and thought I'd toss some in. It was the perfect addition. I love all types of nuts.
Even you. :p:
Dinner was pan-fried kielbasa and beer-soaked sauerkraut, fried potatoes and onions, and buttered rye bread. Super tasty and incredibly healthy. (Heh.)
Just (almost) like gramma used to make. ;)
Crushed nuts, I should have known. :eek:
I'd have laid that saw over on a pad or Styrofoam, pulled the pallet and shit out from under it, then stood it up. Would be less exciting though. :blush:
Yabbut it started on a tabletop 4 feet off the ground. You've got a 4-foot-tall stack of pallets and Styrofoam to lay it over onto?
In the picture the pallet is on the floor. Why didn't he lift it off the truck and set it on the floor thus avoiding the step shown in the picture which I was responding to.
Guess :
It was a shorter trip from the tailgate to the tabletop, compared to the trip from the tailgate to the floor. Easier to execute a controlled landing. That got the truck out of the way, and left an opening for the "friend" to escape.
Table top? Where did that come from?
:idea: Oh, I've got it! It was sitting in the foam pocket on the pallet but then there was a wood and cardboard crate/box over it.
So straps through the pallet to get it off the truck then take the box off and lift it out of the base. :thumb:
... beer-soaked sauerkraut...
Does that still taste like sauer kraut?
Grandmadigr used to say "...cold as kraut...". I think of that whenever I hear the word.
Does that still taste like sauer kraut?
Sure - beer gives the sauerkraut a fuller, more complex flavor. I also add caraway seeds to my sauerkraut for a hint of citrus/anise flavor. Very tasty!
Today, I made some top-notch guacamole. :biggrinba Best batch ever!
Today I made piles of ashes.
A few of them.:D
Today I made piles of ashes.
A few of them.:D
Who did you incinerate now?!?! :eek:
Oh, I've got it! It was sitting in the foam pocket on the pallet but then there was a wood and cardboard crate/box over it.
So straps through the pallet to get it off the truck then take the box off and lift it out of the base.
No no--you're still thinking about this logically, like someone who knew what they were doing. :) The table saw was wrapped in styrofoam, on top of a wooden pallet. The store used a forklift (presumably) to load the pallet onto the back of his regular-person pickup truck. He drove home. He backed the truck up to the open garage door, and shoved the pallet up to the edge of the truck's open tailgate. But we don't own a forklift, so he rolled a workbench up to the edge of the tailgate, since they were approximately the same height, and then he and the neighbor hefted the saw off the pallet and laterally onto the table with their manly arms. Then the neighbor fled, because it was way heavier than they thought and he nearly bust a hernia just sliding it over a few feet.
Now it was stuck on the table, and Mr. Clod was alone. So he rolled the workbench back a few feet until it was under the ceiling racks, used the ratchet straps to lift the saw a few inches, then slid the workbench out from underneath it. About this time--with the several-hundred-pound piece of machinery dangling sideways from the ceiling--he began to realize how incredibly insane this whole plan was, but it was far too late to reverse course. So he moved the pallet and the styrofoam underneath the hanging table saw to raise the "floor" as many inches as he could. Then he began an even more insane process of tightening, loosening, and adding straps to rotate the fucking thing 90 degrees so that it was now upright, then continued lowering it down onto the floor.
At some point during the rotation process, a
rolling office chair was used to support one bottom corner while a strap was moved from a side-supporting to a top-supporting position. I'm not even kidding. I really and truly thought I was going to have to call 911 because he'd crushed a limb.
Protip
Avoid a crushed limb in situations like this by making sure the *edge* of the cabinet hits the limb for a clean amputation.
Oh man, that was a clusterfuck. I missed where the table came into play. :smack:
That's one of those you're a hero or a goat. But in the end he done good.
Wow.
Next time inclined plane.
Wow.
Next time inclined plane.
Werd. And a skateboard.
Getting ready to make:
The floor in the bathroom is being rebuilt. I am at the stage of applying the cementboard (Durock) to the plywood. I have read the war stories about using thinset to adhere and/or void-fill the cementboard - plywood interface.
I have chosen the rebel side and will not use thinset between the plywood and the cementboard, in defiance of the Empire (cementboard manufacturers and their pro-thinset propaganda). I will dry fit the cementboard for size/fit, cutting as needed. For example I need to cut a hole in one board to fit around the toilet flange. And the third sheet is bigger than the remaining uncovered floor. I will *fasten* the cementboard very liberally to the plywood underlayment with the appropriate specialty fasteners at 4-inch intervals along the edges and across the field. This, I believe, will draw the cementboard down to the plywood very effectively eliminating any voids between the two layers that could be a crushable space, leading to a tile stress/failure.
Here's my question.
I have the specialty mesh tape and a tub of premixed thinset and I'm considering the need / benefit of taping the edges of the cementboard together (on top, of course).
Your input is welcome.
No pressure, but I'm going to start this particular phase of the process as soon as I have a little to eat then change into my construction costume.
Thanks in advance.
Fitting the third of three pieces now. Crickets from you lot.
Do I have to post these urgent questions in the morning?
It's the next day. I'm looking at tile I need to remove from my kitchen. Do better than me.
If it were me, I would follow the directions on the tin.
Thinset is cheap and strong and not much trouble. I would buy a bag of the stuff and mix up batches as I go. It's like making pancake batter. Easy.
But I have never done a tile floor. So what do I know?
This is done.
Good night.
Scrambled eggs, and dirty dishes.
Day ain't over yet.
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I got one of these backpacking chairs for Father's day. They are like $20 and very comfortable. I had one already from Christmas a year ago. Same brand and model. I wanted a second one so my wife and I could just grab a chair and sit on the porch drinking a glass of wine.
Anyway, the chair I got for Father's day was significantly less comfortable. I felt like I was sliding out of the seat. Upon closer inspection I realized the manufacturer had switched the slightly longer front legs with the slightly shorter rear legs. The chair was dumping me forward.
I'm sure I could have bitched and moaned and asked them to return it and send a new one, but I actually viewed it as a double gift, because now I had a neat little project.
I went down into my shop and tried to pull the little rubber feet off the legs so I could unhook the bungie cord inside and remove the legs. The little feet weren't budging. I needed to clamp the legs in a vice so I could hammer the feet off with a hammer striking a block of wood. But the feet really weren't budging. I was going to have to clamp it so hard, the tube would be crushed.
So I grabbed a block of wood and a drill bit the same size as one of the legs, and I drilled a hole in the block of wood. Cut the wood apart through the hole. Used that to gently but very firmly clamp the fragile aluminum leg in the vice. And hammers those feet off the legs. Then it was a simple matter of untying the bungie cord and swapping the legs front to back, threading the bungie cord back through the joint, tying it back off, and putting the feet back on.
All in all, it was about 20 minutes of fun work, and the chair is super comfortable now.
snip
So I grabbed a block of wood and a drill bit the same size as one of the legs, and I drilled a hole in the block of wood. Cut the wood apart through the hole [COLOR="Red"]with the bandsaw I made my very own self[/COLOR]. Used that to gently but very firmly clamp the fragile aluminum leg in the vice. And hammers those feet off the legs. Then it was a simple matter of untying the bungie cord and swapping the legs front to back, threading the bungie cord back through the joint, tying it back off, and putting the feet back on.
All in all, it was about 20 minutes of fun work, and the chair is super comfortable now.
;)
If you add in building a saw, that's a fair amount of prep time.
I made the springs sag on my Tacoma yesterday. Ride, composted horse manure, and firewood.
Is that your spare behind the seat. :haha:
Well, I couldn't just throw a load of horseshit on the bike...
True but most people settle for a spare tire/rim in their pickumup truck. :p:
I made Second Breakfast. At noon.
Hot breakfast sausage, red, green, yellow bell peppers and onions, mixed in wif m'eggs, scrambled. Tater tots (poor man's hash browns), and buttery toast. And three glasses of milk. Sounds like a lot of milk, but, it was skim, so it was like one glass of actual milk.
:yum:
Sorry, I can't get by the bell peppers. :greenface
At least the green ones, the red and yellow cook up nicely.
I tend to cook them too long, I can barely taste them, but they provide nice color.
You should always fry bell peppers in a separate pan, throw them off the back porch, and then serve the meal.
I just made raspberry Jell-O.
Alcohol-free gin. Check in to the “what are you drinking” thread later for a verdict.
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Alcohol-free gin.
...the fuq, woman?:eyebrow:
Wh-
Waht teh--
I can't even.
:p:
...the fuq, woman?:eyebrow:
Wh-
Waht teh--
I can't even.
:p:
Mr Limey is off the sauce on doctor's orders for an extended stretch and I'm keeping him company (largely). Gin and tonic is a flavour I miss so, having found a recipe I thought I'd give it a go.
Sent by magick
Another bell pepper hater here. I only use them (and only non-green ones) in chili, where they provide texture, and their taste is overpowered.
I really hate that they're in the vast majority of Chinese/Thai restaurant dishes...
I'm diabetic so I can't have the tonic. Mr Limey and I should get together and have sparkling water.
Last gin and tonic I had was at the bar of an Indian restaurant when I was in Derby that time. 2014. It was the end of a very very long day. It was just the perfect thing, at the perfect moment for it. They muddled strawberries into it. I died and was in heaven for ten minutes.
Ooh yeah, we do the muddled strawberry thing .... it is teh yum!
Sent by magick
Today? Thanks for asking. ;)
White pine? What's the plan?
Ash. My sister wanted a slab so my BiL can make a coffee table and I'm going to eventually build Pete a kitchen table. These slabs will sand down to 2 1/2" thick. Ash has a habit of splitting inconveniently but a couple of these look good.
How thick do you start your guitar bodies, in case I have like 7 more logs? ;)
The lumbercaster was 2". But if it's getting a top, 1.75. Some guitars are thinner though.
How do you dry them. The local mills used to build huge ricks and kilns to keep new boards from warping and other wise becoming less useful.
I'm going to "sticker" them in an open barn and paint the ends with latex.
Oh man, Mr. Clod's been making this awesome "river table" matched set (a coffee table and a side table.) I keep meaning to post pics but I keep checking the cellar when I'm already in bed and not motivated to go out to the garage. Somebody bump this thread in the daytime and I'll try to remember. It's so cool looking.
Children's legs included for size perspective, or I can just tell you it's 48"x20". Side table not finished yet, but it's cut from the end of the same board/pour, so it looks pretty identical, except it's going to have legs made of walnut (these legs are prefab metal thingies.)
Excellent! Has he done much work with the epoxy? Is it forgiving to use?
That is Way Cool, I love it.
This is his second experiment with epoxy, the first was a very small fill (also blue) in a knot on a board that is a cover piece for a gaming table he built--kind of like a craps table, there's an inner section that's lowered by about 4 inches and covered with cloth for dice, cards, what have you, then there are leaves that fit within the outer rails to make the surface flush for use as a traditional table. (But I can't post pictures of that until I get home again...)
It's not necessarily unforgiving, I think, unless you screw up. :) There are different types with longer or shorter drying times, though, so you can start with a slower one and work your way up. The big thing is the swirls tend to settle over time, so if it's a slow one you have to go out there and stir it every hour until it's set.
I also know he used a small blowtorch to get bubbles out, and for a big pour like this the frame has to be super tight so the epoxy doesn't leak under the side pieces.
Awesome table! My congrats to Mr. Clod.
this is Crimson guitar doing a river guitar. hop to 9 minutes if you want to see resin being mixed and poured without the preamble
[youtube]xIuzvEt4JYE[/youtube]
here's the whole build edited down to 20 minutes
[YOUTUBE]IhNU1WzqAxM[/YOUTUBE]
That's incredibly cool. What does that final guitar sell for?
Awesome table! My congrats to Mr. Clod.
That. Really cool.
That's incredibly cool. What does that final guitar sell for?
not sure if he's selling it. I kind of thing he's keeping it. It's gotta be way heavy.
Just about to make music with Mr Limey as Payns in the Brass with local band the a Disclaimers.
Sent by magick
Huzzah!
I made some 3/4" planks and kindling. Time to move to the next set of logs.
Oooh, kindling! Yes please!
Sent by magick
My kids asked me to write a song listing all the foods they can't eat, based on this favorite of theirs:
[YOUTUBE]smndP_Wjij4[/YOUTUBE]
So I whipped this one up while they were cooking their weekly batches of meatballs and muffins:
Sugar, and starches, and gluten, and dairy, and
Chicken eggs, okra, and soy
Peaches for [Minifob], chicken for ['fobette],
Peanuts for both of the boys.
Celery's no good, at least not for ['fobette],
Seaweed and taters are out.
Bananas are weird, they convert as they ripen, the
Brown spots eliminate doubt!
Theeeere's pineapple, cherries, and corn for just [stepson],
To skip all these foods must seem rude,
There's still plenty more things my kids are allergic to--
Luckily cats are not food!
...Payns in the Brass...
:lol:
Just about to make music with Mr Limey as Payns in the Brass
Nice name :D
My kids asked me to write a song listing all the foods they can't eat, based on this favorite of theirs:
[YOUTUBE]smndP_Wjij4[/YOUTUBE]
So I whipped this one up while they were cooking their weekly batches of meatballs and muffins:
Sugar, and starches, and gluten, and dairy, and
Chicken eggs, okra, and soy
Peaches for [Minifob], chicken for ['fobette],
Peanuts for both of the boys.
Celery's no good, at least not for ['fobette],
Seaweed and taters are out.
Bananas are weird, they convert as they ripen, the
Brown spots eliminate doubt!
Theeeere's pineapple, cherries, and corn for just [stepson],
To skip all these foods must seem rude,
There's still plenty more things my kids are allergic to--
Luckily cats are not food!
This is truly brilliant!
I slowed the playback speed to .5x and sang your lyrics along with the tune and tempo--perfecto! I can't wait for the third and fourth verses! You could pick up on cats and other equally ridiculous "not foods".
BRAVA!!!!
I guess putting a match to your home rolled it right out then.
Cool Daughter.
thank you! my daughters are quite diverse. The oldest is into guns and hunting, while the middle will graduate at Miss State this fall and plans to be a missionary, as for the youngest...........she is still on track to be a stripper or serial killer.
Congrats dad!
Daughters, I tell ya.
btw, the youngest---not an either/or choice.
just sayin.
