Small Talk: The Welcome Mat

[Netfoot]

This is a photo of the legs and cross-pieces clamped in their normal position. The top of this contraption must be level if the table top is to be attached.

That will be an issue for tomorrow to deal with.

Edited October 3, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Took Mo to the club via the aeroport and Kevin's Krossroad. The track was quite dry other than one small spot. But it was obvious that when it was muddy, someone in a truck or tractor went through there and tore it up. The ruts were remarkable.

Seven planes came out today, with old Rudy showing that at 89, he still has what it takes. Some simple, slow-speed aerobatics and several touch'n'gos demonstrating some of the smoothest, slickest landings you could hope for.

Mo was doing his Rocket Boy thing half the afternoon. Starting from the moment we got there. He saw an egret that dared to walk on our strip and Mo was after him like a bullet. I took him for a walk right around our patch, and he kept running all the way back to the clubhouse, then realizing I was still making my circuit, he'd come running all the way back again.

On the way around, I snapped this shot of the water in the pond:

This pond overflowed it's banks and submerged our strip only Wednesday this week, but the water level has already fallen several feet. All the rain has made everything that's green shoot up incredibly fast.

Clouds threatened most of the afternoon but we only had one brief sprinkle of rain. Later, I tried to capture a vibrant set of colours in the western sky, but this crappy South American Samsung isn't up to the task. This is the best I could do.

Heading home after dark, I fed baby his dinner and thought about my own. 

I had a peppery gloop and potatoes for dinner last night, and I thought I'd just reheat some leftovers for lunch. When I went to do just that, I discovered that there were no potatoes left over, only the spicy gloop! So I quickly knocked up some powdered mash, and put a big dollop of gloop on top. That mash really isn't the best tasting but it was fast and filling and the intensity of the gloop made the taste of the mash irrelevant anyway.

This evening, there was a little gloop left over so I fortified it with a tin of beans and an onion and set some macaroni to cook. It tasted fine, and hit the spot. For tomorrow, I've set some turkey to defrost and will probably dice it, brown it in a pan and add it to a pot of rice with a sliced carrot and maybe some black beans or something. Then I can deglazed the pan to make some gravy which can go on top of the rice when it's finished.

Went to take Mo for our usual Garden Patrol. Had to proceed wearing only one shoe. Found the other out on the grass...

I'm lying in bed listening to Short Change Hero by The Heavy. (This track was part of the theme music for the British/American action-adventure/spy-drama TV series Strike Back.) Mo is here leaning against my tummy... No, he's just moved to lean up against my legs. There is a light breeze.

Unfortunately, the house is being overrun with mozzies. That idiot of a landlord has probably left a drum out to collect rainwater and give them a chance to breed. I have to change Mo's water every day to stop 'wrigglers' appearing in it. I'll have to go out tomorrow and see if I can locate a source because they are enough to drive you out if your own home! Next thing you know, the government will be out fogging in the neighborhood!

Tomorrow I have to go to the bank and I will buy a small dowel. I also need to get some warfarin by Tuesday so I will ask Dr. Kristi to write me a new prescription because I want to try a different pharmacy. Also on Tuesday I will take Mo to see the ladies of the book-tent (we missed last month). And I may as well buy a few groceries. 

Also tomorrow, I have to stay away from Big Red and see if I can turn that ugly duckling in the garage into an ugly duck, seeing as I think beautiful swan is quite out of the question.

Mo has run out into the night. I'm going to read some more of my book and see if he returns before it's time for me to shut down the generator and get some sleep. If I can sleep with these mozzies trying to eat me alive 

Once upon a time, two mozzies caught a sheep. They began to discuss what to do with it. One said "Let's take it down by Mo's house and eat it!" "No," replied the other. "If we take it down there the really big mozzies will steal it from us!"

[Netfoot]

Got up this morning and decided not to deploy Big Red. You can believe that Big Red had been employed many times before, on project screw-ups of the past!

Anyway, I've figured out what I did wrong to get the dowel holes too far from the end of each board. The table as originally conceived, used heavier timbers. The spacing of the hole was appropriate for those larger (wider) timbers. When I decided to lighten the table by reducing the size of the timbers, I failed to adjust the hole spacing to suit. My dumb.

To correct, I had to trim back the blunt points previously made by cutting twice at 22½°. Two faces in each of eight boards. And each cut was actually several fine, shaving cuts to creep up on the line. I couldn't think of an easy way to do a setup for the cuts, so they had to be done by hand/eye. Each cut had to be clamped, with a call, so as not to mar the piece with the clamp. Quite fiddly and time consuming...

Anyway, all done now, and sanded back down to #150 and the edges broken with the sanding bar. Now, instead of the legs protruding by maybe ¼", there is about ¹/¹⁶“ of clearance.

Next, I will set up the table and dry-fit the top. Still have to decide whether it is too wide, and if so, trim it to suit.

Then I can begin the final sanding with the #220 disk. Fingers crossed no more stupid mistakes surface!

But for now, I'm sitting down and and letting my back recover from this morning. And contemplating a cuppa tea.

[Netfoot]

Ok, a successful dry-fit, with everything held together with clamps. No glue, screws or pegs as yet. Have a look:

Seen end-on, to show the width of the table. It isn't perfectly centered; that will come during final assembly.

From slightly below. Odd looking bits of metal or wood are the clamps and calls.

And from slightly above. The overall length of the table top is 27¹⁵/¹⁶" and the overall width is 22¼". Curving the ends may have contributed to the appearance that the table is shorter than it actually is. Perhaps less curvature or no curvature would have been better? But I like a little curve on the ends!

As previously stated, I am wondering if it isn't too wide. I could take the tops and run them through the table saw, ripping off an inch from each side. Or any amount. This would reduce the width and by reducing the depth of the curves fractionally, have an effect on the apparent length as well.

Please chime in with your opinion, if you have one!

[Spunkygal]

I don’t think it’s too wide. Looks to be a good, useful size to me. It looks well crafted. And all that math! We used to gripe to our teacher “I’ll never use this when I’m old!” 🤣

[Netfoot]

1 hour ago, Spunkygal said:

I don’t think it’s too wide. Looks to be a good, useful size to me.

I think what I'll do is assemble it as it is. Then I will give it to it's owner but I will advise them that if they decide they wish it, I can put it on the table saw and remove the outer edges of the table top. It will be a little difficult with a fully assembled table, but it should be doable without any extreme measures being taken.

1 hour ago, Spunkygal said:

And all that math! We used to gripe to our teacher “I’ll never use this when I’m old!”

Yep! I was telling myself that just yesterday!

[Netfoot]

All locked up, with the fan blowing and the music playing... but now Mo wants out. I am really tired of him withbthis, every night. He wants in. He wants out. He wants in again. He wants out again. 

I prefer him on the inside. I feel he is safer I side, away from any external evil that might befall him. He may not be the tiny, easily stolen puppy he once was, but he isn't all that big that he couldn't be pinched still. And yes, I want him in because he snuggles and cuddles very well, and when he is locked out for the night, I miss his company.

But one way or another, I have to stop him from disturbing my sleep every night! And now that I'm off the Lasix, there is even a chance I could sleep through the night without having to get up. Which would be good, because I have not enjoyed a solid night's sleep in a long while.

Right now he is alternating between looking out the bedroom window and kicking against the front door. Oh, he's just jumped on the bed, given a huge sigh, and lay down on the bed. 

Today I was to go to the bank, pay the insurance on the car and also buy a dowel. I did none of that. So tomorrow, I have to do that, plus get a prescription from Dr. Kristi, try out a new pharmacy, take Mo to visit the book tent, and since the tent is in the supermarket parking lot, I guess I might as well buy a few bucks in groceries. Plus I have to do the final sanding on my table at #220 grit, and look towards final assembly.

I feel like I've been working on this table for a month. And I honestly believe you would easily be able to do this in two days. One of these days I will put together a set of jigs to make construction of tables like this quick and easy. I'd like to buy all the necessary lumber and batch out four or six of these. But what would I do with them then? And at $100 in lumber each for pine, far less a hardwood, I couldn't just give them away.

Mo is still back and forth. I will read my book a while and see if he settles down to sleep. But it doesn't look like he is considering that. 

I'm a bit hungry. Had a cup of tea for lunch and. Bowl of ramen soup for dinner. Later I was still hungry so I ate crackers with peanut butter. (Mo enjoyed that!) But I am still hungry. So I will probably cook turkey rice tomorrow. Or maybe cook something with potatoes instead of rice. Maybe a turkey and tomato stew with potatoes and carrots? Of course, if I buy groceries tomorrow, some of what I buy might end up in the pot.

Anyway, G'night, John-boy!

[Netfoot]

Ok, So I got up this morning and took a blood sugar reading (4.7 mmol/L) and made a few phone calls. Then it was time to finish off the sanding.

With the #220 grit disk on the random orbital sander, I went back and forth again and again on each flat side and on each edge, plus each facet of each end. But finally...

...all the sanding was done. Here is the entire table, sanded to #220, stacked on top of Mr. Noisy. It hurts my heart to see how little is the result of several days of work!

Anyway, I emptied the dust bag prior to putting away the sander. Here is the dust from just today.

I emptied it after each grit used, so this is only from the #220 grit sanding done this morning. And since I hate to throw away anything...

...I decided to keep it, and stored it in a bottle! (There is a reason for this.)

After that I went out to collect a prescription for rat poison from Dr. Kristi but she is away! So Dr. Gabby did the honours.

Most of the meds I take now is "on the formulary." Which means they are free. But private pharmacies charges me between $5 and $7 per item as a dispensing fee. So I took my prescription down to the government pharmacy at the nearest poly-clinic to see what they would say.

Well, I have an ID card which declares me a citizen, I am over 65, so I get the meds free and the government pharmacy will not charge me a dispensing fee!

This means my pharmacy bill goes from $34 each month, to zero! The $34 may not sound like a lot, and it is certainly much better than the $785/month I used to pay when I was suffering from MG, but if it's all the same, I'd rather put that $34 into gasoline for the van!

Then we went to visit the ladies at the Book-tent, and I was able to park right beside the tent. I left Mo yodeling his affection for them, and they billing and cooing over him. $50 worth of groceries including a large spray can of bug killer because the mozzies are out to get me.

Next, the bank to make a deposit, and finally over to Kooyman to get a ⅜" dowel to complete my project. 

Speaking of which, I had decided I would not paint or varnish it, but I've decided I might apply BLO (boiled linseed oil).

Back home, gave Mo his lunch and cooked gloop & potatoes for mine. Tasted good.

Paid the insurance on the van electronically but by then I had a bad tummy ache. So I am in bed, with a lovely breeze in the window, and I don't plan to get out of bed until the tummy settles down a bit.

When next I go at it, I will drill and pin the big dowels with the smaller dowel. And I will pre-drill for the screws. 16 screws will be needed.  These will hold the pieces together while the glue dries. Once that has happened, I will remove the screws, and drill & plug the holes, so the table will be completed without any metal fasteners.

Then, if I decide to go ahead with it, I will apply the BLO. By the end of the week it will hopefully be oudda here, and in the hands of it's rightful owner.

Getting gradually closer to the end of my book. Should have visited the book tent and maybevpickef maybe picked up something I could read next! Anyway...

Now I am going to roll over and make plaintive noises to see if I can attract a puppy to keep me company. And maybe nap for a while.

Edited October 5, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

More fun and games!

Dragged myself out of bed. Intending to pin the large dowels with pins made from a ⅜" dowel. Got my ⅜" Forstner bit and the dowel I'd just bought... and they didn't look the same size. Sure enough, some ejit had picked up a ⁷/¹⁶" dowel instead of ⅜", and brought it home!

Back to Kooyman's to change the oversized dowel for the correct size. But they don't have any ⅜" dowels in pine! So I had to get one in oak. And pay an additional $2.

Back home and I carefully worked out where pins had to go and where they shouldn't. Drilling through the side of my board and into the large dowels, I was able to drive home a ⅜" oak pin and cut it short with my Shark saw. 

I have left the pins sticking up a bit. Just in case some disaster should strike that requires them to come out again. Hopefully not. In the end, the Shark saw will be used to flush-cut the oak pins and they will be sanded flush. After that they ain't never coming out! We can but hope the most expensive wood in the project will vanish, never to be noticed again.

In the midst of all this I managed to cut my finger on the Shark saw. Not by sawing. I just bounced against it as it lay on the table and the blood began to pour. Sharp, that beastie, despite it's age. Not wanting to leave nasty, virtually permanent stains on the wood, I quickly fashioned a bandage from masking tape. Well, that's what was to hand.

So tomorrow I hope to attach the tops with glue and screws. After that, the lower leg braces will be trimmed to length and attached the same way. When all the glue has cured (Thursday, probably) I can back out the screws, redrill the screw holes, and plug them with more oak pins.

Then BLO and the table will be done and (hopefully quickly) gone.

Char!

[andidante]

4 hours ago, Netfoot said:

Most of the meds I take now is "on the formulary." Which means they are free. But private pharmacies charges me between $5 and $7 per item as a dispensing fee. So I took my prescription down to the government pharmacy at the nearest poly-clinic to see what they would say.

Well, I have an ID card which declares me a citizen, I am over 65, so I get the meds free and the government pharmacy will not charge me a dispensing fee!

This means my pharmacy bill goes from $34 each month, to zero! The $34 may not sound like a lot, and it is certainly much better than the $785/month I used to pay when I was suffering from MG, but if it's all the same, I'd rather put that $34 into gasoline for the van!

That is awesome news! Medication can be so expensive and even $34 savings is a good deal. 

[Netfoot]

3 hours ago, andidante said:

Medication can be so expensive and even $34 savings is a good deal.

Absolutely! This option is only good for those medications on the formulary, but my doctor is just the greatest and if she decides I need to take something to deal with an issue, she looks at the options and without compromising on effectiveness, she picks meds that are on the formulary. I think that just about everything I take these days is on the formulary and available for free. When I was still taking large doses of nasty medicine for the MG, none of that stuff was, and I had to pay through the nose!

What is most expensive now, are the optional/recommended supplements. For instance, I'm recommended to take Vit-C, B12, Calcium, etc, etc, and any one of those will cost more than my entire list of must-have meds. Some over $50! And of course, none are on the formulary.

We are off to bed a bit early. Our Garden Patrol was abbreviated tonight because there was some strong winds blowing, and all the coconut and banana trees thrashing about, and the smell of rain very strong in the air. We've had a tropical wave coming our way this last day or two, and it's supposed to come to a head tonight, in the wee hours. Windspeeds of 25-35 MPH gusting to 45-55 MPH. Rainfall of 2-3" expected, with as much as 4" falling in some spots. 

So Mo will be sleeping inside tonight whether he likes it or not and so will my nearly complete table. I don't want horizontal rain blowing in and ruining it. I will also be covering all the tools I can with tarpaulins and zipping up the car windows which are usually partially open with a grill that keeps thieves out, Mo in, and allows the passage of air back and forth. 

We've had worse in recent years. This one isn't even a TS! And nothing bad has ever happened before. But I always assume the one that you decide to ignore is the one that will rip your roof off and levitate you out of Kansas and into Oz.

So I will end here and let you know how things turn out later. Don't panic! I'm sure Mo and I will be fine.

[Netfoot]

Ok, the tools are all covered as best as I can manage, and rather than bring the table inside, I covered it with a tarp. The car is all zipped up and Mo and I are locked in and snuggling. 

While we were doing that the rain began, and it continues to fall. Not a deluge but not a drizzle either. The wind now coming in the window is cool, strong gusts. The window as always, will stay open until the wind blows the rain in.

Mo is unusually sedate. He is here on the bed and is rolling around, nibbling my toes, etc, but does not seem interested in looking out the window or asking for the door to be opened. This may change at any moment, but I don't plan to open the door tonight because I definitely don't want him outside if we are slated for a thunderstorm.

Hopefully we won't lose power. At least I have a gas stove. I remember when TS Ivan came through here 18-20 years ago. Dotty was a young boy. He and I sheltered with my mom while Heidi and her family sheltered in their home which was a few hundred yards away. In the middle of the storm, the phone rang. It was Heidi asking if she and the entire family could come and join us. Because the electricity had gone off, leaving them in the dark behind boarded up windows and with no way to cook anything. Stove, kettle, microwave, everything was out. Mum had a gas stove.

The whole band arrived in an SUV and they spent the rest of the storm with us. With a gas stove you can cook on the stove top or in the oven, reheat leftovers, even boil water to make coffee or tea.

I've always used gas and hope to be dead before any circumstance can force me to do otherwise. 

The rain has stopped. The wind is the same, cool gusty and full of promise for more rain to come. Mo is peacefully asleep. Why can't he do that every night?!??

Spinning Wheel by Blood, Sweat & Tears. Book beckons.

Edited October 5, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Well, the storm promised for last night turned out to be pretty much a nothing-burger. As expected, frankly. There was hardly any rain, and while the wind blew strongly (and still is blowing) it was hardly a threat to the wriggly tin on the roof!

Looked towards adding the two top boards to my table. It became obvious that at least two of the pegs would foul, so they had to be flush cut. I put two pieces of masking tape on the legs to keep the Shark saw up off the wood, then cut the dowels close. 

After a bit of sanding (quite a bit; the oak pegs are hard) this is the result.

Notice the difference in colour between the pine and the oak. That's why I really wanted a pine dowel. But needs must. One more reason to buy or make a dowel-plate.

Do you see the dark crescent on the left? The pegs are not a perfect fit in the holes. Either I didn't drill the holes precisely or the oak dowel was not 100% circular. Prolly a bit of both.

And now you who thought I was bonkers for keeping the sawdust from the sander will understand the method in my madness!

A few drops of wood glue mixed with some of the pine sawdust make a sticky paste that can be used as a filler. This is applied to the pins and worked into the joint. 

Now I must give it an hour or so to set up. This gives no strength to the pin, it is only cosmetic. 

The wind is blowing through the garage, making things difficult to do. More of the fine sawdust blew away than ended up in the filler. I also cut some cardboard shims from a box, but they keep blowing away and have to be chased.

It's nearly midday and I will now feed the Monster and then look at something for myself. Probably chow mein noodles.

[Netfoot]

There has been quite a bit if rain as the day progressed. Not the deluge promised for last night. More like a heavy, miserable drizzle. Hasn't made working in the garage very pleasant. Obviously no rain is falling on me in there, but the breeze (still strong) is cool and damp.

I should stop predicting what I will get done with this damned table. I spent the day so far finding the center point of the structure so the two sides of the top would be equally spaced. And the table top and join line would not be offset to one side. Whatever the magic number turns out to be, I would have to measure across the erect table to find it, and then ÷ 2. But with the top not yet attached, it was very difficult to get the rest of the table to stand upright as it will when assembly is complete.

Anyway, after a lot of messing around and nt trying one way after another, I finally got the table erected with shims, clamps and calls in place. With it square and level, I was able to get the measurements I needed. 14½" which gives the position of the inner edge of each table top board to be 7¼" from the end of the support board. So whenever next I feel like working in this, I can drill and screw the top boards in place on the support boards.

Now, normally I would drill down through the top of the table and drive the screws down into the support boards. When the holes are plugged, this will give us eight unsightly plugs visible in the top of the table.

The alternative is to drill from underneath, stop the drill at iust the perfect depth that the screw will go into the table top from below, but not break through the top and mar the upper surface. But with the table top only just over ½" thick, that will be a difficult mark to hit. Too shallow and the screws will pull out of the pine and not hold the top securely in place. Too deep and the point of the screw will come poking up out of the table top.

The same decision will have to be made about the stretchers at the bottom of the legs.

[Netfoot]

Fairly unproductive day. Only advancement on my table is four tiny pencil marks on the short, cross-pieces that mark the center of the table when fully assembled. Those marks are not on the center point of the cross-pieces but on the center of two of them together, when in final position, with an offset. So not easy to determine. 

As I get closer to the end, I find myself working more slowly and carefully, because as the "value" of the work piece - in time and effort, not money - increases, I am increasingly worried about making a stupid mistake and ruining it.

Meanwhile, I keep thinking of different  projects I'd like to try, when the table is finally finished and I have some more time in my hands. As with most of my project ideas, none of these thing are things I actually need or can think of a use for. This table for instance. I've gone to such lengths to make it smooth and good it wouldn't suit me at all. I might build another one for myself but it will be built of any old mishmash of boards and the top will probably be construction grade plywood.

One thing I could use would be a collection of wooden boxes made to hold specific things I own. Such as a box to hold my angle-grinder and a selection of cutting, grinding and sanding disks for it, plus one or two wire wheels. Maybe a box to hold my two recip-saws and a selection of blades.

But I won't build any boxes until I have a fairly stable box-joint jig. I did build a primitive jig for doing ⅜" box-joints a few days ago, and hope to use this to build a better jig that will do ¼" & ⅜" box-joints. A process that was called Stepwise Enhancement back when we used it to develop a Pascal compiler. We wrote a really shitty Pascal compiler in assembler and Fortran, then we used that to build a better Pascal compiler, which we used in turn to develop an even better Pascal compiler, and so on. (It is considered de rigueur for Pascal compilers to be able to compile themselves.) Note to any software engineers reading along: None of this P-code crap! It generated native machine code on the mainframe!

Anyway, my mind is rambling.

Dinner was some rather ancient turkey, diced and browned over low heat in a pan. When cooked through I turned the heat up to generate some fond and then deglazed the pan to make some gravy. I served that over a bowl of rice, cooked with a couple pak choy leaves. It tasted OK, but the turkey was tough. When dicing it, I ended up with quite a few chunks that looked quite unpalatable so I gave them to Mo who didn't think they were unpalatable at all. 

Tomorrow I'm thinking corned beef and cabbage with a little diced tomatoes for lunch. Dinner may be something simple like the remainder of the corned beef on crackers.

Ok, will read, listen to some Sophie Hawkins, snuggle with the pup and in a short while, I'll lock up the house and go to sleep.

Let me just snap a picture of the baby...

Eeek! Just look at the scar tissue on my shoulder. I generally don't think about it, but every now and again, something brings it to mind. Oh well. At least it isn't my face...

[Netfoot]

Ok, attached one half of the table top, after about 1½ hours of fiddling and faddling to make sure the alignment was correct. Screws in from underneath and none broken out through the top. That's a good thing!

I drilled a ⅜" hole to accept the whole screw, head and all. This hole was stopped with the flat bottom ⅞" from the other side. This allows the 1¼" screws to protrude ⅜" into the top board. A pilot hole was drilled right on through and into the top by ¼" but the drill was really too short so I had to take the joint apart and finish the pilot hole directly. Then the driver bit was not long enough to drive the screws all the way. I had to do the last bit, the hard bit, by hand. 

I really need to get a longer-reach pilot drill and longer driver bit. The ones I have are really too short for this task, because I'm driving the drill (and screw) through the width of the board. If I wasn't so broke these days, I'd nip down the shops and get them now. In factvid fact I'd have done that before starting.

Anyway, one half of the tip top is on and I'm taking a breather because it was majorly difficult and I need a break. Do maybe after lunch.

I'd planned to remove the screws when the glue set up but I'm thinking I will just leave them in place and cover them with plugs. And I don't know about boring from behind for the leg stretchers. Just drill and screw with a plug on top to neaten it up a bit.

Edited October 6, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Ok, second half of the top is attached. The two leg braces are all that's left. 

Of course, I managed to drop the top board, causing a ding where it landed on the corner of the table saw. I have been so careful. And at the eleventh hour... And it isn't something that I can sand out.

The leg braces will have to be trimmed to length before being attached. And I'm wondering if I should cut a chamfer in the top of them, so they are level across the top. That would let you place a box or case or cooler across them and not have it sit on a sharp edge.

This picture shows the spirit level is at an angle to the top of the brace to come anywhere level. I suspect the angle is 22½° again. Not doing those leg braces today, tho. Will give the glue a chance to set up. So, tomorrow then. 

Speaking of sanding, I will have to sand the entire table by hand just to finish up. Not too much though.

And then, maybe, the BLO.

I'll be very glad when this thing is gone from out of my house!

[Netfoot]

I'm in bed with the music playing and the breeze cool from the window. Mo snoozes with his head on my knee. I finished my book last night so when I finish this I will go straight to sleep.

Our Garden Patrol was delayed tonight but eventually I found them:

Puppy is a naughty boy!

Tomorrow I want to finish the table. Attach the last boards, do some final sanding and apply boiled linseed oil as a finish... if I decide to go with finish at all. 

But I'm running out of some meds and will have to get another prescription. Since the test with warfarin when we discovered I don't have to pay for drugs on the formulary if I go to the poly-clinic, it makes sense to get all my meds from there in future. I doubt Dr. Kristi will be back yet, but Dr. Gabby can help me out.

One drawback of the poly-clinic is that I may have to wait for some time. There is always a queue. The other pharmacies are slow as well, but I can phone to say I'm coming and what ror, and they will have the meds waiting when I get there. Not sure if you can call in your renewal at the poly-clinic. 

A small, squeaky beetle spent an hour attacking me tonight. He was difficult to photograph because he is quite fast on his feet! He was running out of shot before the camera could auto focus.

Going to lock the door now, and go off to sleep. Mo can decide to go out or stay. 

[Netfoot]

I screwed up! Of course I did.

After ripping a bevel on the leg stretchers and cutting to length (20½“), I located and pilot drilled for the attachment. The stretcher on one side is connected to the two inside legs. The other stretcher is connected to the outside legs. Of course, I drilled the inside leg on one side and the outside leg in the other. Had to redrill, and will be forced to put in oak pegs to conceal the screw up.

Two screws (and glue) onto the inside leg, and the erroneous hole bored out for a plug. It's the reverse on the other end of the table.

I am waiting for the glue to set up before turning it upside down and adding the last stretcher. Here's hoping I don't screw up again. As it is I will have to deliberately add oak plugs for the sole purpose of matching the first side where the error was made.

Mean time I went down to see Dr. Gabby who wrote me a prescription for everything. I had to queue outside in the damp, but I got this haul of meds!

I even got a box of diabetic test strips which usually cost me about $60. You can only get one free box every three months, but since there are 50 in each box and since I only test every 2-3 days, I'm golden.

With the test strips, I've actually saved $87 dollars! Result!

Now I have to contemplate lunch. Rice maybe? No, potatoes. The rice will keep but the spuds will spoil if I take too long to eat them.

After lunch I will attach the other stretcher. And when the glue sets up, I will spray the table with water!

Edited October 7, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Ok, basically all the woodwork is done. Here is a shot of the table with the two leg spreaders in place. 

These were attached with glue and screws. The screw holes were pocketed so I can glue in oak plugs to keep those screws safe!

Notice the effect of the chamfer on the top of the spreaders. A batten lies across them and has the support of the full width of the spreaders, not just the 90° edge it would have were they not chamfered. The batten is level-ish, meaning good enough to put a picnic basket or a cooler.

It's still not 100% done, though. When the glue has had time to set up, I will add the oak plugs. Then when they are dried, trimmed and sanded flush, I can give everything a brief once-over at #220 grit and then the BLO. 

I want to put some BLO on a piece of scrap and see how it darkens the wood. I can use the same excess of the leg spreaders which got trimmed off. I can do one and then use the other for a comparison.

This table is becoming the monkey on my back that I just can't get rid of. Please, no more last minute issues to deal with!

Edited October 7, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Every time I open my mouth and say something like "The table will be finish tomorrow", something happens and it isn't. In fact, tomorrow will be two weeks I've been working on it and it ain't done yet. 

So, all the screw holes have been plugged with oak, and all the plugs on one side have been cut off with the Shark saw and sanded flush. But by the time the glue on the second set of plugs has had time to set up, it was way too late to do any work. The garage has a single, 2' florescent tube for lighting. Sufficient for you to walk around without falling down, but not sufficient for work that requires you to see what you are doing. 

Tomorrow morning I will have to trim and sand those plugs flush. After which I can mist with water, sand, and then maybe finish with BLO. And that should be it. I'd really like to get this done tomorrow. But who knows? I may realize that it needs to be lined with black velvet or something.

Problem is, I can only work for a short while before I'm forced to sit down to let my back recover. Or to let the carpel tunnel numbness fade.

But I have to go out for a short while during the morning. Perhaps after misting the table, I can go out while it dries off again? Sounds like a plan.

Meanwhile, I have some King Crimson my ears, and a dog on my feet. And I've got a new book to read.

I don't know where it came from. I suspect it is one which I got from the Book Tent. Each time they came out, I would buy a couple books to help their cause, and Buddy - who was never much of a reader - would make a small cash donation. I believe this is one of them which I bought with the intention of reading, but for some reason that plan got shelved. As did the book.

It is written by Frederik Pohl, a respected sci-fi author with a career spanning something like 75 years. He wrote the well known Gateway, Beyond the Blue Event Horizon and the rest of the 'Heechee Saga', with protagonist Robinette Broadhead.

Set in 2079, the blurb suggests that the action takes place in a virtual reality theme-park based on the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79, and the resulting destruction of Pompeii. The protagonist must deal with a missing girlfriend, a dead colleague, suspicious police who think him guilty of foul play, and a terrorist group who may he the real culprits.

I have absolutely no memory of reading this book. And given that Pohl generally writes a good book, I am hoping I will enjoy this one. 

I said I'd cook potatoes for lunch. Went into the kitchen on automatic, and next thing I knew, rice was boiling on the stove. So I had the potatoes for dinner instead. 

Anyway, I'm developing a stabbing headache, two inches up from my ear and two inches back. So I will try reading a few pages of this book, and then try to sleep.

[Netfoot]

I got the notification late yesterday, but didn't say anything, because I wanted to bring you this photograph!

Here are the #3 Wide Jaws (left) and the #2 Round Jaws (right) for my lathe chuck. Yay! From the 9th of August to the 8th if October, including 43 days at Customs!

Only one problem: the jaws were an afterthought, ordered when I was ordering the chuck key. Do you see a key? Nope? Here is an image grab from their brochure:

It's the shiny, T-shaped thing labelled "B" in this image. Do you see it now? Zoom in. It's listed on the invoice. #ZCSC3000CT GEAR KEY Handle for CSC3000C. See it now? No?

Because there was no key in the box.

The one critical part needed to make the chuck work, and by extension the lathe as well. Ordered, paid for, waited on for 60 days. Duty on it paid to customs. But never sent.

So I might as well use these new jaws as fishing sinkers because I certainly can't use them on a lathe! I might as well use the chuck itself as an anchor for the boat. 

[Netfoot]

Here is a photo of Mouse, snoozing on the steps. I love my baby. I just wish I could be a better daddy to him.

Here is a picture of a piece of scrap wood. I sprayed it with water to "raise the grain" then re-sanded it to #220 grit.

On the right hand side I applied some boiled linseed oil (BLO). It darkens and enriches the wood, makes the grain pattern stand out, and protects against dirt and spills. 

Underneath is the top of my table. It too has been sprayed with water. I will now sand to #220 and apply BLO. When that is done, I will put the table out by the bins and tell it's new owner to come and get it. Or leave it for the dustmen. Their choice  But one way or another, I want it out of here and never to see it again.

[Spunkygal]

You ARE a great daddy to Mo, you silly cabbage! Why do you say you aren’t?

[Netfoot]

It's done!

Or, at least, I'm done with it!

(Guest appearance by Monster.)

[andidante]

20 minutes ago, Netfoot said:

It's done!

Or, at least, I'm done with it!

(Guest appearance by Monster.)

I love that! So awesome how it folds out like that. Beautiful work. 

[Netfoot]

55 minutes ago, andidante said:

I love that! So awesome how it folds out like that.

I love the mechanism too. The long dowel across the middle makes for a perfect carrying handle. It folds out very easily. Lift the two wings and push them together. It folds away just as easily. Lift the two wings and separate, then lower them to the sides. It can be made without screws or metal fasteners of any sort (although this one contains 16 screws.) 

I made one years ago following a plan that I found on YT. The design was to support a V8 engine while it was worked on. Legs from ordinary 2x4 lumber and the top surface ¾" thick. 

When my grand niece was getting married at the beach, a table was required to hold the guest book. I loaned my heavy, V8 capable table for the purpose. 4-5 years later, when I requested it's return, I discovered that it had not been salted away in the back of the garden shed. Both my niece and her daughter had been using it on a fairly regular basis. One popular use was when they had friends over for a fancy meal. They would use the table as a temporary sideboard to hold some of the dishes so as to make room on the dining table.

I built this one much lighter. I cut down the 2x4 legs by about ⅓ in both width and thickness. And the top boards and leg stretchers were thinned again by about ⅓. I was going to reduce the dowel as well, but because of a foul-up on my part I had to redrill for a thicker dowel. In practice, I think 1" is a little on the thin side. 1⅛" or 1¼" is more comfortable in the hand.

Any way, this one is slightly smaller, and made with less heavy timbers so it should be lighter to carry, as well as thinner when folded, and hopefully  easier to put away. It obviously isn't as strong as my original but it could still hold the weight of a V8 engine, provided it was a small one or had an aluminum block instead of cast iron. In fact it would probably carry a full sized V8 as well, if you took care not to slam it down on the table too hard!

I've contacted my niece and told her I made her something and to come and get it. So far no response. Knowing my luck, she will probably say she doesn't want it. 

Edited October 8, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Ta-daaaa!

[Browncoat]

4 hours ago, Netfoot said:

It's done!

Or, at least, I'm done with it!

(Guest appearance by Monster.)

That is so cool!  I can't imagine being able to make something like that.

[Netfoot]

14 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

I can't imagine being able to make something like that.

You could make this with a hand saw and a drill. Of course, more sophisticated tools, like say a table saw, makes much of the job easier and faster. 

I believe in the USA you can go and order pre-milled lumber. So you give them a list of what you need, length, width and thickness, and they will prepare it for you. Of course, you have to pay for this service. But it would make it much easier to build a table like this. Or some comparable woodworking project.

[Browncoat]

5 minutes ago, Netfoot said:

You could make this with a hand saw and a drill.

I could not make this if I had all the parts pre-cut and drilled and just had to assemble them.  

[Netfoot]

1 hour ago, Browncoat said:

I could not make this if I had all the parts pre-cut and drilled and just had to assemble them.  

I wouldn't recommend it as a first project. But you could make stuff with minimal tools, if your expectations were realistic. The first thing I ever made was a bedside table. It stands beside my bed to this very day. Mo (and Buddy before him) were frequently seen standing upon it to look out the window. I think the only tool I used was a circular saw.  It was made of plywood and after many years the base of the unit is starting to delaminate. But it lasted for over 22 years so far and counting, and unless I find some plywood going spare and feel like some extra work, it will probably keep going a few more years.

You could say that the table I've just built took me 22+ years to complete.

So yes, maybe this table would not be a good project for you to try right away, but you could make simple, useful things for yourself with only a minimum of tools. 

I'm not trying to get you into carpentry. Just saying that woodworking is not something that is simply beyond you.

[Netfoot]

Just started singing along to Time by Pink Floyd and Mo dived under the bed and hid! 

Had a loaf of bannock with some pancake syrup for dinner, but the hot breath upon my hip got a significant share of that and then complained bitterly when the last bit was put into the fridge.

He is standing on my bedside table looking out the window. He is vacillating between giving me cuddles and kisses or rushing outside to bark at the dark. 

Pleased the table is complete, but disappointed in what a poor job I did, considering how much time and effort input in. The new owner has not read my WhatsApp message yet. I hate being ignored!

Very annoyed that after 60 days of waiting for the desperately needed chuck key it didn't come in the box. I'll have to order another one now, and wait some more for it to arrive, wondering the whole time whether another empty box will arrive.

Rather pleased that the stacked dado blade and the two-blade set of ripping and crosscut blades have shown up.  Will now be able to contemplate projects I previously avoided. The dado stack is for cutting slots. You stack blades, spacers, chippers and shims to set the width of the slot precisely. Once that's done your slots can be cut with a single pass on the saw and have the perfect width every time. You might cut matching slots on each side of a cupboard so a shelf can be slid into place. 

Not sure if there will be any activity at the club tomorrow. In fact, the cliff is a possibility as well, given the strong breeze we've seen. Either way, Mo will enjoy the outing, so let's hope we're doing one or the other. 

Dropping off to sleep now. My shower will probably wake me up a bit but not for long. So I'll take that shower now, lock up the house and probably go off to sleep without reading my book. Tomorrow I will look at the possibility of rearranging the garage a bit and simultaneously giving the place a clean out. Gonna look at getting the dust collector (big vacuum cleaner) running too. 

There is a cool breeze coming in the window. It just says "rain" to me. Trying to get out of bed but Mo keeps attacking my feet...

Edited October 9, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

15 hours ago, Netfoot said:

Not sure if there will be any activity at the club tomorrow.

I'm sorry to say that it's a wash. Literally. The rain has been intermittent (not raining right now) but when it falls, it falls heavy.

I've had good luck with the van so far, but I can't afford to go and end up stuck in the mud if nobody else is there to help pull me out. And if nobody else isxthete is there, what would be the pointbof point of  burning precious gas to go there in the first place? So Mo and I are sticking at home today.

The table is still here. It's new owner had promised to come and collect it first chance they get. As far as I know, there is no way they can know what they are coming for. All I said was "I've made you a present." I erected it on top of the table saw this morning just so it can air, and the BLO soak in some more. Otherwise, I'm not going out there today.

Lunch was the remainder of the bannock with some beans and corned beef to dip it in. The Hot Breath On My Hip ended up getting a significant portion of it anyway. Tonight maybe corned beef and cabbage? I have ¼ of a cabbage and ¼ of a tin of corned beef so it would make sense to eat that right up. Oh, and when I was looking in the car for something I discovered a bottle of Listerine, an extra tin of corned beef and 3 liters of EVOO that I didn't even know was in there! Maybe I should search the car more thoroughly. 

Edited October 9, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Today was a waste. I did nothing except watch videos, surf, and play games. With a little time allowed for cuddles.

We didn't go to the club. Or the cliff. I didn't do anything in the garage. I didn't even bother to cook corned beef and cabbage for dinner. I just ate the corned beef on crackers. Instead of The Hot Breath on My Hip, I got The Mournful Face on My Knee. Same result either way - a heavy tax levied on my meal.

Anyway, tomorrow I will give the stove a good clean up, and I will order another chuck key. Not necessarily in that order. Why I'm ordering another chuck key I just don't know. The two months I've already been delayed was more than enough to kill dead any enthusiasm I may have had for the lathe.

Some days I feel it is pointless getting out of bed. The only reason I do get out of bed, is because I have medication scheduled to be taken three times a day. What I need is a little fridge next to the bed with some cold, drinking water inside, maybe some other beverages. And I could keep my meds on top, so I can just not waste my time getting up in the morning.

It's cool tonight. Not rainy but the grass is damp and the wee froggies are singing. Mo is curled up at the foot of the bed. He appears to be asleep but he will animate when I go to loch lock the house. Billy Idol sings Venus and I want to get a few pages further in my book, despite how tired I am. So let me start by shutting up the house and see how long it takes before dead-to-the-world Mo reanimates to demands I open it up again to let him out.

Edited October 10, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Just ordered another Chuck Key. 

Note the date. Let's see how long this one takes to arrive, and whether the box is empty or not.

Actually, I'm hoping it won't be another two months. The band saw tires took eight days from order to received in hand. All because the value was less than U$30. Because of this it bypassed the lengthy delay at customs. The chuck key on it's own (no jaws this time) was only U$9.95 including shipping, so hopefully it too will make a speedy transition from there to here.

On another subject. I just gave my stove-top a thorough clean-up. Burners removed, knobs taken off, and plenty of detergent, water  and elbow grease applied. My question: Is there some clever formulation that I can apply to help remove baked on deposits? I know I can buy some oven cleaner but I just wondered if anyone has a clever solution that uses stuff I might already have. You know - baking soda and vinegar with a dash of soy-sauce type thing? I'd prefer something I can knock up when I need it rather than having to wait until I can pop down the shops to buy bespoke stove cleaner.

[Netfoot]

Incidentally, when cleaning the stove top,

I noticed that the two screws holding in each burner looked like they would just love to rust.  I took one out and had a good look at it. 

It is a #6 self-tapping screw that is ⁹/¹⁶" long, with what's called an "Oval" head, for a Philips screwdriver. Oval head is very similar to "Flat" head.  And ½“ length would work fine too. Like Flat head, it has a conical seat for the screw to bear down with but the top, rather than being flat, is very slightly domed. 

I don't think this is any sort of stainless steel. I wonder if I could get hold of replacements in 420J or some other good grade of stainless? The Oval head might be tricky, but a Flat head should work. 

Of course McMaster-Carr has #6 x ½" Oval head screws in Super-Corrosion-Resistant 316 grade Stainless. But they want U$6.34 for a hundred and I only need 12.... Besides, they might get stuck in Customs for two months, and when I finally received the package, it might be empty!

Also, I wonder if I could stick small patches of adhesive backed aluminum foil over the screws to protect them from gravy and pasta water spills? Or would the heat cause that foil to just shrivel up and fall off, leaving a sticky adhesive mess for me to clean up?

Edited October 10, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

The table is gone.

I built it for my niece Heidi, who coveteth mine ever since she borrowed it years ago and didn't return it until I insisted. I would have made one for Chloe as well (Heidi's daughter). Apparently they were passing it back and forth. Alas, I struggled to find the lumber to make one such table far less two. So they will have to share this one as well. Or more correctly, Chloe can borrow Heidi's table now.

But I didn't see Heidi. It seems to me that she has been avoiding me for several weeks. I don't know why she would, but the fact that she sent her husband to collect the table (without knowing what it was) reinforces the idea in my head. 

For lunch today I had potatoes boiled in their skins, served with my favourite tinned beans, flavoured with an Oxo cube. Tasted good, despite having no meat in it. Dinner was a box of Kraft Mac & Cheese. Don't eat this stuff too often, but someone gave me this and it was sitting in my fridge for a while. I added half of an onion, chopped, two leaves of pak choy, and a small tin of "Spicy Thai Chili" tuna. The pasta (macaroni elbows) was the lowest quality pasta I remember ever seeing. The envelope of cheese-flavoured, soluble, edible plastic powder was as delicious as usual. Pity you can't buy that stuff on its own. I think with the right cheese you could probably reproduce the taste.

Two people today have told me to build more of those tables and try to sell them. I would have to acquire fresh lumber. Also, building a table is one thing, but building multiple tables ongoing would require that several jigs be designed and built to help simplify the construction of the parts and allow them to be batched out easily. So you set up and cut 16 legs (for four tables) in one batch, then swap to a different jig to cut 16 short supports, then cut 8 leg stretchers, then set up to cut 8 top boards and so on. Buying the lumber for a batch of tables would cost a 500-600  bucks and you would probably also have to buy a sheet or two of plywood to make the jigs with. And having spent that cash, what do you do if nobody wants to buy tables?

I had considered building a very small version of the table, sized to be a sitting stool. I would keep it in the car for use when we are at the cliff. I have a folding chair but it is very old and it won't last much longer, I don't think. 

I also thought of building myself a bigger one, maybe 4' long with plywood for the top. Just because I might occasionally have a use for a portable table of a useful size. Nice pine with pretty grain is for others. Knotty, construction-grade plywood is the best that I deserve!

According to the supplier, the chuck key has shipped. Of course what that means is they have packaged it up and slung it in the bin for collection by the carrier at a later time. As of a few minutes ago all USPS will say is that a shipping label has been created and they are waiting for the Item. I'm hoping to see it actually in transit tomorrow. I'd like to see it reach Miami before the end of the week.

Well, Freddie Mercury is belting out We Are The Champions, Mo was giving me a bath but is now outside, barking at the dark. I think I'll take a shower, lock up the house, read a while, and go to sleep. 

Edited October 11, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

It's been raining steadily all morning, but it's tailing off now. Just before it started to ease, there was a tremendous, rolling clap of thunder, right over the house. Just the one, but a special one!

I looked around and didn't see Mo. I figured he might be outside, but given the rainy morning we've had, I bet on the bedroom and headed up the passage. I met Mo coming the other way.

We are in bed together now. He wasn't all scaredy or anything, but he was glad to have backup in case the loud thing came calling. He is a good cuddler. With light breeze and the rain slowing I opened the window so he could look out.

Sometimes he stands on the bedside table for ages, with his chin on the sill, looking out. Looking over the wall he can just make out the tops of cars driving past.

I have to eat lunch shortly, and it will probably be potatoes again.  Dunno what with. Tuna and onion? Turkey and beans?

After lunch I am going outside and dig through a mountain of rubbishy wood to see if I can find boards sufficient to build something. Another table, perhaps.

Or I could just take a nap...

[luv2lurk]

17 hours ago, Netfoot said:

Dinner was a box of Kraft Mac & Cheese. Don't eat this stuff too often, but someone gave me this and it was sitting in my fridge for a while. I added half of an onion, chopped, two leaves of pak choy, and a small tin of "Spicy Thai Chili" tuna. The pasta (macaroni elbows) was the lowest quality pasta I remember ever seeing. The envelope of cheese-flavoured, soluble, edible plastic powder was as delicious as usual. Pity you can't buy that stuff on its own. I think with the right cheese you could probably reproduce the taste.

I  laughed as I read this since that is my plan for dinner tonight. Only in Canada it is called KD (Kraft Dinner). I haven't made it in a long time  but it was on sale in the grocery store today and I decided it would fit the bill. I always add a can of tuna and usually add onion sautéed in butter. Plus some grated cheese and pepper. I don't have milk but do have cream (which was on sale and much cheaper than milk which has become very expensive). So I will leave a little of the pasta water and hope for the best.

They do actually sell just the powder as KD Shaker and some people like to put it on popcorn or just add more to their macaroni. Not sure if it is available where you are.

But my burning question - why would you store it in the fridge? The pasta is dried not fresh and the powder does not require refrigeration (that is part of the reason why KD was developed during the Depression when many did not have fridges) 

Finally, did Heidi ever contact you to thank you for the table?

[Netfoot]

17 minutes ago, luv2lurk said:

But my burning question - why would you store it in the fridge?

To keep it safe from mice. I store all sorts of things in there for that reason. Pasta, rice, dried beans and peas... Some stuff I store in the microwave. Which died weeks ago and is now little more than a snazzy looking cupboard. Mo is a sweetheart but he can't touch Buddy when it comes to handling mice! But he is gradually improving.

Quote

Finally, did Heidi ever contact you to thank you for the table?

Yes. I got a WhatsApp at a quarter to twelve today. She said "The table is amazing. I think u should make some to sell." Everybody seems to think it would be a good idea to make and sell these. I've spent the day digging through my woodpile, trying to find suitable boards that don't have termites living in them. Found a few. Got to go over them more carefully tomorrow. No 1x12" boards for the top but quite a few 1x4" boards that would have to be trimmed and glued up into suitable panels.

[Netfoot]

In bed listening to White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane. Grace Slick said that the white rabbit represented her curiosity. Why not a white cat? Seeing how cats & curiosity have a pre-existing relationship? Don't know for sure but the copious quantity of drugs she was  consuming at the time might have something to do with it.

Mo was just here giving me a bath (which makes typing on this phone a tad difficult) but had has departed again. The breeze in the window is cool and somehow suggestive of rain, but while it was drizzling when we did the Garden Patrol, it isn't raining now.

Spuds for lunch and again for dinner. Have enough for two more meals, then we can try rice and pasta for a while. Lunch was potatoes with tuna, onion and some white cabbage, but for dinner I thinly sliced some turkey and shredded just a little white cabbage, and cooked it in some gravy. The turkey was really tough. Last time I ate some I noticed how tough it was and assumed I'd screwed the cooking somehow. No, it's just some really tough turkey. And why is it that the turkey gravy I made from crystals tasted so much better than the actual turkey itself? Don't really matter. I've got enough turkey for maybe one more meal, and that will be the end of it. At least, until I run over another one with the van!

What I'd like to try next is one of the two half-chickens I've got in the freezer. But I still don't have so much as a baking sheet so they will have to wait some more.

Dug up a number of pieces of 1x4" lumber from the woodpile. A few pieces were badly affected by woodlice. I have to go through tomorrow and carefully examine the rest to determine if they are clean and good. Also found a few 2x4" pieces. Not too many and some quite knotty. Got to assess that stuff as well to see if there is enough to be useful. 

I found a few 1x12" boards as well, but mostly they had cracks running along their length. This would have to be fixed by ripping the boards down into narrower pieces to lose the cracks, then gluing them back together. But it would be easier to start with clean 1x4s and just glue them together. Since I don't actually own a jointer, jointing the edges will probably require a jointing sled. It should be pretty easy to build one. Except like a box-joint jig, it really helps to have a jointer, if you are building a jointing sled!

 Ok, the USPS are now in possession of my latest chuck key and tell me that it has left Philadelphia and is "In Transit" to Florida. I have no instinctive idea of where Philadelphia is relative to Florida, and don't feel like looking it up. They say delivery expected by Friday 9:00 PM. So long as customs don't get involved and the day doesn't end with a "Y", I could have the package by the middle of next week. But that is highly unlikely, and if it is released to me that quickly, I will know that the package is empty because they've lost the key again.

Will read a while before rounding up the puppy, and crashing out. 

No, I didn't really run over a turkey with the van! That was a leg-pull. Don't tell me you fell for it?

Edited October 12, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

I am sitting here, covered from @sshole to eyebrows with sawdust.

I spent the morning digging through my lumber pile and picking out what is useable and what is junk. (How to dispose of the junk is another story.)

I found some lumber which I might put towards making more tables.  I spent much of the remainder of the day milling the lumber.

On the bottom are 16 boards that are sized to make table legs. Above those are 16 shorter boards that can make support top supports. These all have been cut to rough length, then sized to width and thickness.

RIght on the very top are 24 boards that could be edge-glued into panels that would become table top boards. These have been cut to rough length but the edges need to be jointed straight, so they will fit together for the glue-up. But it's getting dark and I don't want to do any more work today. Besides, my knee is troubling me.

What I do not have, is anything that could be used as leg stretchers. I have to do some sums and figure out exactly what I need in terms of length. Also, maybe I can come up with something clever to make those stretchers somewhat more attractive.

Now, part of the off-cuts look like they might be useful in some way. What for instance, might I do with these?

They are about 32" long, 3" wide, and approximately ⅛“ thick. Or these?

Again 32“ long, 1“ wide and something like ½" thick. All these off-cuts are low quality, meaning I chose to cut this side off the main boards because it was the roughest. These pieces are pretty knotty and "rustic", so that would affect what they could be used for 

Ok, so I'm looking at four tables, assuming all goes well and none of the parts turn out to be too poor. I used the best of the wood for Heidi's table, so these parts are really not the prettiest.

I still need four 1⅛" dowels for pivots and the handle, and four ⅜" dowels for plugging screw-holes and pinning pivots. I considered making the 1⅛“ dowels by turning down a length of pine on the lathe, but the likelihood that I could make a perfectly symmetrical dowel over the length of 36" by hand is extremely low. Especially since I don't have a steady-rest for the lathe. The ⅜" dowel is more doable because I don't need a long dowel; 16 short plugs for screw holes and another 6 slightly longer dowels for pinning the pivots. Will investigate a home made dowel plate in the morning.

You should know that I hate this type of woodwork. I loved making the table for Heidi (although having decent wood would have made the job much more pleasant). But now, I want to move on and make something else. The last thing I want is to start batching them out in bulk. It becomes less an enjoyable passtime and more of a job if I do that!

But times are hard, and getting harder every day. And little Mosey eats like a horse, so if I can make a few bucks by selling these things, it will help me feed him up so he gets big and strong! Not that I have any evidence these things will sell, despite what others tell me.

At least if they don't, I'll have four Christmas presents I can give away.

Now, I gotta go stand under the hot water and try to get rid of the sawdust!

[Netfoot]

The witching hour.

Mo sleeps near the front door, but I imagine he will come calling sooner or later. Listening to Wowaya by Osibisa. I remember when they were very popular. I saw them live at a nightclub years ago. And I didn't even have to pay. Instead, I bussed tables the weekend before and as a result got a free pass. Got that job because a buddy was working there as a chucker-outer. He was an ex-school friend who ended up in the same town on the south coast of England as I did. Funny how life is a string of connections.

Mo has arrived.

For lunch I had a small portion of corned beef and cabbage. I rather ruined it. Or maybe not. I have several small tins of tomato sauce. So when the corned beef and cabbage we're cooking nicely, I thought a little tomato would be nice. However, what with the small portions I was cooking, a whole tin was really a little too much. I seasoned and spiced it up nicely and let the tomato thicken and by time I served it with a knob of red butter and some iced water, the only thing actually wrong with it was that it was less. Dinner was far less exciting. I took a little more corned beef and added some EVOO, a little balsamic vinegar and some garlic powder. Making a paste of this, I spread it thinly on crackers. I thought it tasted pretty good. The Hot Breath thought so too. But it really wasn't enough given the small lunch, and I'm hungry now. I still have some potatoes left so I will eat them tomorrow. Prolly with the last of the turkey.

He is right here laying up against my tummy with his feet in the air like a dead bug, and all his business exposé! I'm rubbing his tummy, but he is not paying any attention.

Been looking at ways to make my own large dowels. There are jigs I could make for the table saw but I would have to acquire various bits of hardware. It might make sense to make such a jig if I will be making more tables, since the big dowels cost $15+ each, so making my own from scrap lumber would be good. For the smaller sizes, a dowel plate would be useful, but I seem to recall someone using a simple wood block with a chisel clamped to it and a hole of the right size drilled through it. Got to try and relocate a reference to it. Perhaps if I can find it and it works, it might work for larger sized dowels too. 

Found a 2' by 4' piece of plywood with a red, factory edge on one long side. The factory edge is usually pretty straight, so it might work just fine for a jointer sled. The edge needs to be straight and since I don't have a jointer to straighten it... Mind you, I have an idea I've never seen on a jointer sled and would like to try. It relies on the straightness of the table saw's guide slot rather than on the straightness of the jig itself.

Chuck key still "In Transit" and "Moving Through Network". Still on for delivery on Friday. I don't think USPS (renouned for their crappy package tracking) is going to give me any updates until it is "Out For Delivery". 

Today was a flying day but I don't know if anyone went up. No traffic on our WhatsApp group. Nobody went on Sunday so Mo missed his afternoon playing Rocket Boy (but you should have seen him this morning, running around the yard and leaping five feet in the air!). Hopefully I can take him up this coming weekend. I need a break too!

Ok, time to lock up, read for a while and sleep.

Edited October 13, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Dragged out of bed at 4:49 this morning, by a very loud little boy. Went back to try and get some more sleep, but as a result I missed my Breakfast Meds call at eight. Took the stuff at 8:30 and did my blood sugar as well. 5.3 mmol/L which is well within spec, but if you look at my plot over the last two weeks, it's been creeping up slowly. Gonna have to deal with that.

Spent the morning building the world's cheapest, nastiest jointing sled. It works, but it is a nightmare to set up, and each edge jointed takes about 15-20 minutes of adjusting before you can make the cut. Anyway, I have eight table top-halves to do, each one consisting of three boards. Of these three, the center one has to be jointed on both edges, whereas the outer two only need to be jointed on the edge facing the center board. So jointed edge fits against jointed edge.

So far I've done five top-halves with three more to do. But my back is now hurting in a most unusual place so I will take a break. It's almost midday, so I might as well cook some lunch and eat that while watching a show. TAR maybe?

One worrying concern. I found one of the 24 boards (so far) to have wood worm holes in it. Just one hole on each side and in fact it might simply be a hole that enters one side and out the other. But there is no way, other than cutting the piece of wood to bits, to know that there isn't a whole colony of wood worm down in there. So, I don't think I can use that piece. Which means I have to go find another 1x4" by 32" piece of wood from somewhere, to complete the last table top.

Now my back is really hurting. I normally suffer from lower back pain, with an occasional twinge from the upper left side. But today it is the upper right side that never has hurt before.

I am no doctor, but I think the problem is Anno Domini. Anyway, I have to go stand over a hot stove. And later I want to prep the last of the table tops. I want to get them glued and clamped up today so the joints can cure overnight.

And the scouring pad has disappeared again. For the 4th time this week...

Edited October 13, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

18 hours ago, Netfoot said:

I don't think USPS (renouned for their crappy package tracking) is going to give me any updates until it is "Out For Delivery".

(Talking to myself, again!)

I appolpogise! So far today the tracking shows the chuck key arriving West Palm beach and departing again, then arriving at Opa Locka and departing again. I can't think where it could be going other than Miami, and beginning at 2:00 PM, it can't take that long to reach Miami! So, I am really hoping for delivery before close-of-business tomorrow. I'm hoping the transshipment can get started tonight tomorrow night and not wait until Monday.

ETA: Sorry, obviously if it arrives tomorrow, it can't be processed tonight!

Edited October 13, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Oh, and by the way, I'm done for the day. Here are the stacks of wood that must be glued up to form the table top halves. Three boards to a half. That will give between 10 & 11 inches of width, which will be trimmed to 10“ final width, or as close as possible to that.

The gluing surfaces of each board has been jointed with the jointing sled. 

The process of jointing a piece of wood is where you shave a fine sliver off the edge(s) to end up with a straight edge. (You can buy a machine called a jointer for doing this, but I don't have one.)

Here is the glue line between two boards before jointing:

And here is the same glue line after the two edges have been jointed:

Modern wood glue produces strong bonds, but it is best if the pieces being joined are actually touching.  I don't know where the term jointer/jointing cane from and I always thought it was a silly term, seeing as no joints are made by this process. 

Anyway, I was hoping to get these boards glued up and curing overnight, but I'm knackered. Besides, I'm thinking I might run them through Mr. Noisy before gluing. Either way, I will get that started tomorrow. I'm not sure how many I'll be able to do at a time. Hopefully at least two! It depends on how many clamps I need ber board. In my head I make it nine, and I have 30 clamps. But they are not all the same size...

It's not even four yet. I may just sit back and have a cup of tea. 

[Netfoot]

16 Fathoms by Shaggy & Sting. Mo was just here looking out the window, but has gone again. 

I found the scouring pad. Then he stole it again, and so far it still eludes me. He also stole a little bowl I keep corned beef in, in the fridge.

I had used the last of the corned beef bar a few crumbs, so I put it on the kitchen floor for him to lick. Next seen on the lawn, when searching for the scouring pad.

The red thing is a small tuna tin filled with lead. One of my "gravity" clamps. It weighs about 2½ lbs.  The full-sized tins weigh about 4½ lbs. when filled with lead. I painted them red to aid in locating them when they're scattered around the garage. Found next to the corned beef bowl. 

I was experiencing a pain in the palm of my hand, and had to use the point of one of my knives (a cheap Fury Raindrop) to dig this out from under the skin.

There it is, on the tip of the knife, with my jewelers loupe in the background. I had to use that just to find it. 

Funny how much a tiny spec can hurt you!

Had a tasty bowl of rice for lunch. With corned beef, onion and pak choy. I had the choice of adding either channa, black beans, or red kidney beans or even a dubious looking can of sweet corn. Chose not to add anything, and the dish did not suffer as a result.

Dinner was potatoes, boiled and served with corned beef, onion and my favourite red kidney beans in a West Indian style sauce. These are by Matouk's in Trinidad. These are not the type of beans I'd add to rice. Beans for rice are just in water. I might use the Matouk's beans in a separete dish and serve them with rice, but never cook them into the rice.

I spiced up my dinner with red pepper flakes to the point where it made my eyes water a bit to eat. Boy! Did they taste good? Or what?

My package has "departed the Miami Distribution Center and is currently in transit to the destination." Will it be delivered early enough tomorrow to begin the reshipment process? Or will it sit in a bag all weekend long before anybody at the forwarders even looks at it?

Obviously, I went back at the wood working project. Using ten clamps I edge-glued three jointed boards together to make one table top half. Four clamps hold the boards together. Four more pinch the ends of the two joints to keep them flush with one another. And the last two, with calls, to hold the center of the boards in alignment. The glue sets up sufficient for handling in about an hour. So I left it for two hours and took the glue-up out of the clamps and glued up another. 

So far, I have done three boards. 

And I clamped up one more before coming to bed. By tomorrow, the glue on all four of these will have cured so I can actually work them, rather than just handle them. 

I had hoped to joint and glue up these boards today and begin planeing the legs and short table supports. Maybe even finishing them today. Instead I spent the entire day on these patched-together table tops and didn't even finish them! Well, that's what happens when you are making do instead of going out and getting The Right Stuff from the lumber yard. 

And I have not even figured out where I might get my eight leg stretchers from! Although, just as I say that, an idea has occurred to me. Will check that in the morning.

I wonder what sort of table you'd get if you tried to build one from pallets? Something considerably more rustic than the ones I've built so far. Obviously with a considerable reduced price! But rustic might be a selling point. You could deliberately put it together with hammer and nails instead of pocketed screws concealed by oak plugs! 

Anyway, as I contemplate chucking Mo out and locking up for bed, I will leave you with a picture of one of the table top halves all glued and clamped up to dry. 

[Netfoot]

Just went to lock up. 

Found my little klepto playing with a few items, purloined since I came to bed. They are:

1) Not one, but two shoes.

2) A roll of masking tape.

3) A model aeroplane fuel tank.

4) A jar of peanut butter.  

Gave his botty a smack then went to bed where he joined me. But he has left again. Prolly knicking something else right now!

He's back again...

[Netfoot]

The klepto has been at it again.

Got up early to continue gluing up table tops. Noticed this item out on the driveway.

This has been recovered before! The damage was done last time; no more ruination this morning. 

And here is the thief, now!

He is probably on Santa's Naughty-But-Cute-Enough-to-Get-Away-With-It list. 

OK, woodwork before the first cuppa is only allowed if immediately followed by that cuppa. So excuse me.

ETA: My package has arrived at Miami, since around two in the morning. But previously, it was at the "Miami Distribution Center". Uh, wouldn't it have to be in Miami  already to be in the Miami Distribution Center? Oh, wait. It is actually in the zipcode. Ok, bodes well for early delivery Fingers crossed. (I know. I'm wasting my time. It won't get delivered until Monday.)

Edited October 14, 2022 by Netfoot