Deb's Woodworking and Computers Blog

2011 Woodstock Wood Show - FAIL!!!

2011-09-30T20:20:00.004-04:00

Today I was very excited as it was the opening day of the annual Woodstock Wood Show. This event has been touted in the past as the "Biggest Woodworking Show in North America". Not this year.
There was a serious lack of EVERYTHING at this year's show. You wouldn't have known or expected it with the $12.00/person gate admission. In past years it was a full day event for me and even a 2 day venture sometimes. This year we were in and out in just over 2 hours and that was looking at some things twice.
I have no idea what happened with the organizing of this event but it was absolutely terrible this year. There were no big name vendors - DeWalt, or Milwaukee, although there was a SMALL Bosch and Freud display.
I can't even convey my disappointment. Next year I'll check with someone else who attends before I fork over 12 bucks.

The Closet Doors

2011-08-29T21:38:00.003-04:00

The finishing touch to our bedroom makeover is a set of glass paneled bi-fold doors. We had to custom order these from Home Depot and we chose oak to match the trim in the bedroom. Regular pine doors would have cost us about $400.00. But no, we wanted the OAK deluxe version so we spent $1015.00 dollars.

The doors come from Milette, a Canadian company which is a nice bonus. We ordered the Ovolo moulding on the French Bi-folds model 305HP with Clear Chinchilla glass. In OAK. For the price we paid I ASSUMED the doors were solid oak. But oh no - it's some cheap ass veneer over even cheaper ass knotty pine that's split at the ends. Are you FUCKING KIDDING ME????? That's what I paid a thousand HARD EARNED dollars for?

Because the doors are "special order" we cannot return them. No where at Home Depot did they say or indicate that these were a veneered door. No where on the Milette website do they indicate that these are veneered doors. Basically we were ripped off and duped by Home Depot and Milette. These doors are not worth HALF of what we paid for them. I could have made SOLID OAK doors for MUCH less money.

AGAIN - CAVEAT EMPTOR! You need to ask every possible question BEFORE you buy because no one is going to tell you that they are going to SCREW YOU OVER and then refuse to refund your money.

Milette - I hope this rant costs you 1000 times what you stole from me! Home Depot just lost a VALUABLE customer too.

Shelf Portrait

2011-08-01T20:34:00.005-04:00

Summer is half over and I an STILL not finished the shelf. Due to this stagnation I have done NOTHING else either. WHY I am having such a woodworking block with this project I have NO idea. The day it leaves my shop will be a very happy day indeed.

Freehand routing is HARD! I went slow, but following lines that were near impossible to see is like swimming in the dark. You have NO idea where you are. I used the small Trend T4 router, and then followed up with a Dremel tool in a Dremel plunge accessory to try to sand out the rough spots. That didn't work worth a damn either. I think the writing on the shelf says it all.

The wood is hard maple. The plan is to fill the routed areas with glass beads and coloured sand and then put a clear epoxy over the whole thing. So far the lettering is about 1/2" deep and I am REALLY hoping that's deep enough.

The Nervous Breakdown Shelf

2011-05-16T21:16:00.002-04:00

A colleague at work asked if I could build them a shelf. It was to be made out of maple, be 12" x 57" x 1 1/2" and have 3 matching shelf brackets. They also wanted some lettering routed into the top of it. Sounds pretty straight forward right? Not in MY world!!!

The widest piece of maple I could find was 7 inches wide and 2 inches thick. No big deal, I could just laminate two 6" pieces together. Well I could have if the wood wasn't already twisted and bowed and didn't twist and bow even further the more I milled it. Okay, easy fix, I'll just make four 3 inch pieces and laminate them together. By the time I got the twists and bows out I am down to 1 1/4" thick MAYBE, and 4 pieces, none of which are the same width. I haven't even laminated them yet and I am ready to either start over or throw in the towel. I can't imagine what fun I will have when I try to router the lettering into this.

My jointer seemed to be the biggest problem. Initially it was making things more curved then straight. I did a little bit of fine tuning and managed to solve that problem just as a nick in one or 2 of the blades reared their ugly heads.

I have read that if you try to run a bowed board through a planer you will just continue to make the bow worse. I can now attest this is absolutely TRUE. You MUST have a rock solid sled and have the piece wedged perfectly or you are wasting your time at the planer. Unless you are trying to make arches, in which case go for it!

Somehow between the planer and the jointer and a whole lot of extremely fine cuts I managed to flatten the boards. The shelf will now be 1" thick because I will still have to plane the shelf once more after it is laminated. Of course I couldn't edge joint the wood because of the nicks in the jointer blades so I had to joint them on the table saw with Freud Combination 50 tooth blade. I did get some very nice smooth edges, but not without a lot of trials and tribulation and a little sanding and hence the different width boards.

Somehow I will finish this shelf. I don't think I will be charging any fee for it. I may even have to bite the bullet and pay for the wood out of my own pocket. If my colleague takes it home and burns it, I won't bat an eye.

The Black Hole Wardrobe

2011-04-19T22:16:00.014-04:00

Of course we couldn't stop at the closet. Once it was in, the entire bedroom had to have a makeover. It all started with a shopping trip to look for a new dresser or bureau because I am tired of fighting with the drawers on the spouse's "antiques". It took 2 days to find something we could agree on. But instead of just a dresser we bought a whole bedroom ensemble. We expected to have to wait weeks for delivery but we were informed that everything except the head board, foot board and rails would be delivered on Friday. This was late Wednesday afternoon.

We had planned to paint the bedroom AT SOME POINT, just not right AT THAT MOMENT, but with the furniture on it's way we stopped at Home Depot to pick up some paint.

I have been trying to fill the void left by the unavailability of Pratt and Lambert paint in my area by trying different brands of paint to see if I could find anything on par with the performance and unprimed one coat coverage I had been spoiled with by Pratt and Lambert. CIL, Benjamin Moore, Behr, and countless other brands always left me disappointed and doing two coats or a primer coat and then one or all too often 2 more coats to get proper coverage. For the heck of it, I thought I'd give Martha Stewart's brand a try. But I pretty much resigned myself to two coats before I even started. The kicker was we had to paint the ceiling AND the walls BEFORE Friday! That meant Thursday would be paint marathon day.

Our bedroom is NOT small. Even though we got up early, and both worked like troopers, at 8:30 that night we had only completed one coat on both the walls and ceiling. We had taken down the light fixtures as we had already bought new ones to replace them, so we were working by lamp light. It was impossible to tell what the paint would look like in the morning. With fingers crossed and after two quick cups of coffee, we opened the curtains, turned on two lamps and surveyed our handy work.

To say I am impressed with this paint is an understatement. Move over Pratt and Lambert, I have found my new favourite paint! Thank you Martha Stewart for such a HIGH QUALITY product! No primer, one coat, absolute smooth even coverage AND it's eco friendly, no smell AT ALL and washes up easily with water alone. It will take time to judge it on wear and durability, but if it lasts like it goes on, it's a total WINNER! The walls are now a beautiful "Ice Rink" blue and the ceiling is "Opal". The pictures don't do it justice.

Fresh paint, a custom closet, new ceiling and table lighting, a trendy bedroom outfit, and a couple of art deco carpets and we have a luxurious boudoir!

It's a shame to use it for sleeping in! But after that marathon week, I need the REST!

Marathon Project Completion

2011-04-11T23:47:00.005-04:00

Finally, after 4 months, we have finished the master closet! There has been some serious blood sweat and tears that have gone into this project and there were many MANY times I was sure it would never be finished. Actually I still have to make about 4 more shelves for the shoe racks.

I have lost track of all the mistakes - there were LOTS. Stopping and starting with days or weeks in between will do that. But as we did the final assembly it all fell into place incredibly well.

The biggest mistake we made on this project was tearing out the old closet and turning the house into a war zone before we had even cut a board. You have no idea how much stuff you have in a closet until you have to store it somewhere else in the house for 4 months.

Now of course we have to paint the bedroom. And then there will be new lighting needed to match the decor. And of course new curtains and bedding. Why does every project become a money pit?

While the project list is still LONG, my only plan for the near future is putting the house back in order. I took this week off work to try to get this finished and because it was a success I think I'll reward myself with a couple of actual DAYS OFF!

When You Just Want to Scream

2011-02-26T15:47:00.004-05:00

My life has just passed the point of insanity. Work is keeping me very busy. The spouse has been laid off/on call so I am forced to work 6-7 days a week to keep up with the bills. Going from working 2 days a week to working 7 days a week is bad enough, but trying to get other things done it near impossible.

We started working on the new closet back in the beginning of January and here we are at the end of February and it is no where near finished. Today we FINALLY started staining the closet parts, but of course that has now turned into a total disaster. We bought some SAMAN brand all-in-one sealer, stain and varnish. We thought we'd give it a try because it's made in Canada, it's low VOC, it has a short drying time and it's odourless. It's also the ABSOLUTE WORST SHIT I have ever used! Now perhaps we just got a bad batch but this stuff has the consistency of runny pudding. That would actually be runny SAND pudding because it is VERY gritty. It separates in a matter of minutes. And it dries before you get it off the brush!

Any NORMAL person would have took one look at it and thrown it out. But no, we had to at least try it because despite it looking like crap we liked the colour, a nice Brazilian Cherry. So this morning we got almost half of the closet parts stained. The stuff looks like bad MAC-TAC when it dries. The brush strokes do not flatten out because it is so thick and dries so fast. I was so disgusted when I went back out to look at what we had done, I have decided to SAND IT ALL OFF and start over with some REAL stain like MINWAX!

This is no easy feat because the I am sanding very thin veneer. Lets just say the closet will have a serious "distressed" look when it's done. It will probably take me three days to UNDO what we did in about 5 hours this morning. But I don't care, the stuff is GARBAGE and I am not letting all our hard work be coated in SHIT. CAVEAT EMPTOR - do NOT buy this stuff!

Being on the Union Executive at work has proved to be a lot of work and sometimes quite frustrating. If you ever thought big corporations were heartless cold entities, you don't know the half of it. While I hope it never happens to ANYONE and I certainly don't condone it, it's getting easier to see why some people go "postal".

And to top it all off, today we went out shopping and discovered that someone rammed the back end of our new truck. It looks like about $4000.00 damage. Just what I needed. NOT!

Sign the Petition!

2011-01-27T17:40:00.001-05:00

The government is allowing the telecom and cable companies to rape your wallet over internet charges. We need to stop them!! Please sign the petition!

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A Really New Year

2011-01-08T22:14:00.005-05:00

We got the Delta Lathe for Christmas and a set of 6 Economy Turning Tools from Lee Valley. Other then turning the lathe on to see if it worked nothing else has happened yet. The pen mandrel I had for the MasterCraft lathe won't fit in the new Delta. There will be a lot more lathe accessory shopping in the near future.

I attended a lathe tool sharpening class at Lee Valley yesterday and it was a bit of an eye opener. It looks like we are going to have to invest in some sort of sharpening jig. They were recommending the Wolverine Jig in the class. It's not unreasonably priced, but it won't work with our 6" bench grinder. We'll have to invest in an 8" grinder. More money! At least I won't be wasting my time trying to freehand sharpen tools anymore.

The current project is a couple of quickie book shelves for the spouse's mother. Nothing fancy here, just some laminated pine and pocket hole joints. They are getting a maple stain and a couple of coats of polyurethane. They worked out to be about the same cost as the cheap melamine particle board shelves sold everywhere now. Plain or not, solid wood is much nicer.

We have started on the master closet as well. We started as in bought the wood and drew up the plans. I got some 3/4" birch veneer particle core sheets at Home Depot for $34.00 a sheet. When I realized what a steal that was I went back to buy more. Either the sale had ended or someone realized the mistake because they were $66.00 a sheet. DAMN!!!! I am kicking my butt now. Once the book shelves are out of the shop the cutting begins!

We had a little hot tub problem I had to deal with too. Right before Christmas the heater unit quit. Our local spa store was closed over the holidays so I finally got a new $500.00 spa heater ordered right after the new year. I was going to get the local spa technician to install it only because my luck with anything to do with plumbing has been less then stellar. It came with installation instructions, and a fairly terse waning about not installing it without a certification in electrical. The spa tech wanted $55.00 for the service call plus $70.00/hr. to install it and he figured it would be close to 2 hours. He also wanted me to get an electrician to do the electrical work. This would have added $300.00 and change to the cost. WTF?????? I was so pissed off I just installed it myself. It wasn't exactly rocket science. I hooked up the 230V power, put a new plug end on the pump cord, plugged it in, plugged in the light and VOILA! It all works. BITE ME R&S Pool and Spa! I am still dumbfounded by that whole 70.00/hr. thing. WTF?????? Needless to say we are taking our spa business elsewhere.

If you are looking for spa equipment I highly recommend Cedar Tubs Direct in Canada. My order was processed and shipped promptly and my email inquiries were answered right away. They also had excellent prices.

Being back at work through the week seems to be agreeing with me. There is less shop/project time, but I am feeling much better. It is much easier to recuperate from 8 hours then it is from a 12 hour shift. Retirement is still a bit away.

Playing Shop Catch Up

2010-12-16T10:36:00.011-05:00

In between all the major events occurring in my life at the moment I have actually be somewhat productive in the shop. I was fortunate enough to meet a great lady online who is an extremely talented wood turner. She has been coaching me in many aspects of woodworking for a couple of months and things are progressing nicely. She instilled enough confidence in me to turn my first pen! Even with my cheap MasterCraft lathe and my bargain basement lathe tools I think the first one came out not too bad.

The spouse and I have signed up for a pen turning class at Lee Valley in January, and I have even signed up for a lathe tool sharpening seminar. That was right after I completely ruined a skew chisel on the grinder. Compound angles are certainly not my forte.

The spouse has finally been bitten by the shop bug and has been busy making all sorts of things on the scroll saw. There are 2D and 3D Christmas ornaments, a small box with fretwork sides, and even a couple of Christmas trees. The scroll saw classes from Lee Valley have really paid off!

The spouse was the one originally interested in using a lathe, and now that the scroll saw is working out so well, the lathe interest has peaked again. But of course my little MasterCraft lathe just won't do. Busy Bee has a Delta 46-455 Lathe on sale for $399.00 right now so we are giving that to ourselves for Christmas. There will have to be some new lathe tools and accessories included in that package as well.

Unfortunately my schedule at work has changed significantly and in the New Year I will be working 5-7 days a week again so shop time will be very limited. I'll have to become one of those Weekend Project Warriors. Still it will be very nice to have the shop to unwind in for a couple of hours after work.

Black Ops Bleak

2010-11-16T20:07:00.004-05:00

So the much anticipated Black Ops has been had. I have to dig deep into the vocabularic chest for words to describe the DISAPPOINTMENT. How come EVERY piece of this game felt canned:? Repetitive game play is almost TOO NICE for this failed sequel. The WAY TOO MUCH VIDEO part of the game? was the only part that kept me interested in the storyline. I know Activision was not so much selling a game to us TRUE gamers as selling another avenue to the multiplayer fans. And am I delusional or are the graphics in this game not ANYWHERE NEAR ON PAR with those of the first two episodes of this production? WHAT THE HELL did I pay $60.00 of my hard earned dollars for? Crappy graphics, canned game play, garbage flight simulation? ACTIVISION.. WHY???? such a big letdown after you had us so firmly in your grasp? I hope you enjoy my $60.00 because you will not see ONE MORE CENT from me until you PROVE you are not going to insult my gaming integrity like this again. And Zombies????? WHAT??? Are you on drugs??? Anyone who hasn't bought into this yet.. DON'T! Multiplayer fans.. stick to MW2 or COD4 . They don't deserve your money.

It's All That!

2010-10-20T20:55:00.001-04:00

I have had a few days to play with my new ASUS G73JH-X3 laptop and I still have to say THIS LAPTOP ROCKS! I finally finished playing Frontlines: Fuel of War and am getting better at Gears of War, but it's still kind of complicated. This thing just eats games for breakfast! But in all fairness I have found some things I dislike about it.

First the disk partitioning. What was ASUS thinking? You have 2 320 GB hard drives partitioned into 4 parts: 75 GB for the OS. SERIOUSLY? Windows updates will fill that up in no time flat! 2 x 150 GB. WHY? and then one large 205 GB partition. None of it makes sense. The only way to fix this is to reformat and repartition the drives. UGH!

The other disappointment is 640 GB is just NOT ENOUGH. I can't believe I am actually saying that but in the process of trying to move the files from my old computer to my laptop I am technically already out of room. The only thing to do is buy bigger hard drives and START OVER. If I do decide to go that route, I will be buying two 2 TB drives. If I run out of room with that, I should give up computing.
As a work around in the mean time I bought a Thermaltake BlacX Duet SATA docking station. It will only be good for drives storing data as it's too slow for gaming. But it will give me a way to save all that crap I never have time to sort through.

I finally found some time to get out in the shop today. I didn't get a lot accomplished but it felt good all the same. I have a little restoration project I am working on and I'll posts some pictures as soon as I get a new digital camera. The Sony is dying fast. Between this camera and the Handycam I have learned a very valuable lesson: DO NOT BUY SONY PRODUCTS! They don't last and Sony has LOUSY product and software support. They are on my official boycott list. Canon, Nikon, Fuji are all on my maybe list.

Game ON!

2010-10-10T21:44:00.006-04:00

So another birthday has come and gone. What would you expect any sensible woman who just turned 51 to ask for on her birthday? A FREAKING AWESOME GAMING LAPTOP of course! While I love both of the gaming systems I lovingly built, it's time to downsize now that I am out of the computer repair business. My Dell Inspiron 5150 laptop is fine for daily stuff, but it's no gamer. I looked long and hard at the Alienware line of gaming laptops, but every time I configured what I wanted, I was up over $3000.00! OUCH! Not to mention that the Dell website is SLOW AND DYSFUNCTIONAL and really pissed me off!

I happened on an article about ASUS's line of gaming laptops and was extremely impressed. The price range gave Dell some serious competition as well. And when TigerDirect.ca offered the ASUS G73JH-X3 for $1599.00 this past weekend I was ON IT! It just so happens they opened a new retail store in London so I went to take a look and was instantly SOLD!

The Caveat Emptor here is some serious research is needed before you purchase this laptop. Fortunately I read all the reviews and discovered this laptop does not come without BUGS! However thanks to this thread on the notebook review forums I was able to apply all the fixes right from the get go. Now I have to say this is A FREAKING AWESOME GAMING LAPTOP!

First game install? Well you know everyone asks "But can it play Crysis?". It shreds Crysis, Crysis Warhead, COD MW2, and probably anything else you can throw at it. I maxed the settings right from the start, left everything running in the background and not even a hiccup! MAN I LOVE THIS MACHINE!

Setting it up and applying all the fixes took the better of 4 hours. The LONGEST part was creating the back up DVD's because of course it doesn't come with any Windows install disks. That alone took almost 2 hours! Ridiculous! Then there is the removal of all the bloatware and the numerous Window's 7 updates. And of course applying all the fixes. But the end result is WELL worth it!

While the specs alone are impressive enough, using and playing on this laptop is incredible! The 17.3" screen is ample real estate for intense game play. And while laptop speakers usually FAIL, this unit boasts a built in subwoofer. It won't rumble your rec room, but it is still pretty impressive sound from a laptop.

Before buying this system, I was hesitant about giving up my desktop gaming system, especially hesitant about parting with my 28" monitor. 1 day after purchase I can honestly and easily say " Anyone want to buy a great used gaming system or 2?"

So there should be SOME cons about the G73 right? Well, the bug fixes are a nuisance, but if you follow the above thread you will breeze through them. I read complaints about the keyboard, but haven't experienced any problems. An option for coloured back lighting on the keyboard instead of plain white would have been nice, but I have since seen a creative fix for this as well. I read complaints about the weight of this unit. People... it's BIG! It's not a "netbook"! And if you think this unit is heavy you haven't picked up my Dell 5150 which I swear is weighted with LEAD! I don't think it's all that heavy for the size of it. The screen is VERY glossy, but man is it a nice sharp picture! It is full HD 1080P after all! And yes there were some complaints about heat. NOT! This thing is well fanned and vented. For the hardware this baby is packing I think it runs pretty damn cool. What did get hot was the power brick. I suspect there will be issues with that down the road. The only SERIOUS con about this machine is battery life. You aren't going to be gaming very long without electricity. I don't think there is any solution to that when you have this kind of power and hardware under the hood.

All in all, this is probably the BEST birthday present I have ever bought myself. And if anyone is looking for a SERIOUS gaming laptop THIS IS IT! Move over Dell, ASUS is in da house!

Just Say NO!

2010-09-13T21:34:00.002-04:00

I have spent the last couple of weeks back in the computer repair business. I DO NOT WANT to be in the computer repair business anymore. Every time I say I am not fixing anymore computers someone calls with another one to fix. STOP THE MADNESS!

It's just a simple matter of saying NO isn't it? It would be simple if I had someone else I could refer them to. Other then myself I have not met an HONEST computer technician yet. So if you are out there and you are an HONEST and reasonably priced computer technician in the London/St. Thomas area please contact me. I have LOTS of work for you. But if you scam or overcharge ONE of my referrals, I will publicly verbally flog you until you never fix another computer EVER!

I want to get back into my shop and actually do some woodworking. I have been out of there for so long I have forgotten most of what I actually have in there and probably how to use most of it. Today I started doing an inventory database of everything in the shop. This could take a while. It seems I have accumulated quite a large amount of wood and metal working tools and equipment. This isn't including all the sundries like sandpaper, screws, nails etc. Maybe one day I will inventory all that too. It will be a very long list!

Tomorrow I have one more computer to fix and one other repaired computer to deliver. I have one more previously promised house call to make to setup a wireless system in a couple of weeks. But other then that I am DONE. SO NO, NADA, NOT, NAY, I CANNOT fix your computer. If you don't ask I won't have to cave and say yes.

Where in the World is Deb?

2010-09-01T22:44:00.002-04:00

I'm still out here. Summer has been hotter then hell and busier then a wet hornet nest. It's already September. I don't feel as if I have accomplished anything but the last two months have been a blur of activity. Woodworking? What's that? I started several small projects and finished NONE. For the first time I am almost looking forward to SNOW!!

I have spent a lot of time indoors because of the heat. The shop was a sweat box so I couldn't be out there either. I did a lot of computer repairs and not much else. Feels like another wasted summer. But the weather left me little choice. We have suffered through another scorching heat wave this past week. It really makes you think global warming is not the ugly rumour some purport it to be.

Hopefully the temperatures will level out in the next few weeks and I can get back in the shop. I do miss it. And I really have no love for computers anymore. Seasons change.

The Car Rant

2010-07-13T00:10:00.005-04:00

When we bought the car we paid extra for the dealer recommended rust protection, fabric protection and paint protection. I had no idea this stuff would actually RUIN the car. When they rust proofed the car, they sprayed the coating into the engine compartment, and onto the felt hood liner. It's just not something you do to a car like this and it looked like hell. I asked them to clean it up which they did, but they made a mess of the rest of the car in the process. They either couldn't or didn't clean the hood liner, (I suspect they couldn't) so I have had to buy a replacement.

The "clear coat" paint protection they applied gives a nice shine until you get into bright sunlight and see all the spider web swirls. There was even a nasty buffer mark on the hood. That to me is just sloppy workmanship. The undercoating is some black oily SHIT that along with the rust proofing is all over the painted and plastic under body parts. I am sure the leather interior got nothing more then a quick coat of Scotch Guard.

The money you pay for this "stuff" is enough to make you EXPECT to get a decent product and have it applied PROPERLY. Apparently Ray Cullen doesn't think that's necessary. My complaints were met with surprise. I said I might have wanted to show the car and was told "I should have TOLD" them that. WHY???? So they could bilk more money out of me to actually have them apply the stuff with some CARE or PROPERLY?

I am going to say it right now... DO NOT BUY THESE PRODUCTS! I am also going to say I am VERY disappointed with this dealer.

Owning a hot muscle car is awesome. Keeping it looking hot it another story. I am about to buy stock in Meguiar's car care products. I think I now own just about 1 of every product they make. They are not cheap products by any means, but they all do exactly what they claim to do and that's why I keep buying them. Because of this fiasco I am going to have to start from scratch with this car. That means stripping it down to the paint and starting over to put a PROPER show car finish on it. I think the Meguiar's products are the answer.

So far I have used the ScratchX to remove the buffer mark in the hood and the PlastX to remove scratches FROM THE DEALER in the radio bezel. They worked like a charm. I used the Quick Out upholstery cleaner to get a stain out of the seat in the truck. We had tried just about everything else on it with no success but the Quick Out took it out instantly.

We also got the Quarter Flares and the extension stripes for the spoiler that have to be installed. The weather here hasn't been very cooperative, either stifling hot or raining, so hopefully I can get it done this week along with the detailing. I also ordered a K&N Typhoon Cold Air Intake that should be in by next week.

There are many more mods in the plan. Time and money are always the hitch.

Bee Gets Bling!

2010-06-29T20:43:00.004-04:00

Today I put the new spoiler and the vent decals on Bee. I now know why body shops make so much money. I watched the videos on applying the decals and they make it look EASY! Not so in reality. I did get them on, but I will discourage people from looking closely.

The spoiler went on without a hitch. I worry a little about exposing metal and creating a rust issue so at some point I am going to go back under the trunk and add some silicone to holes I drilled. That should keep the evil rust at bay.

I am waiting for the stripe extensions to arrive to add to the spoiler. The thought of taking them to a body shop and having someone who knows what they are doing has crossed my mind after the vent decals debacle. We'll see when they get here.

They are a few more items I am waiting for from EBay. We also added a chrome Transformer oil cap and a locking gas cap today. It's fun dressing Bee up.

The Shop Remains The Same

2010-06-16T19:33:00.003-04:00

I haven't completely forgotten about the shop in all the Camaro fever. I have been out there the last couple of days off and on working on the final bench for the yard. Hopefully I will have it finished by the weekend.

After my little shop "slump" it was good to get back out there. I found myself less stressed about what I was working on and things flowed smoothly. Now I am looking forward to all the projects that have been piling up.

There will be a small delay in getting to them as I have relatives coming to visit next week. But that gives me time to create a "master plan". Money a usual will play the biggest part in what projects get done first. There are some large ones on the drawing table. But I am looking forward to getting back into the "routine".

Aftermarket Shopping

2010-06-16T19:12:00.003-04:00

Finding aftermarket parts for the new car has proven to be a trying experience. It's even worse for those of us who live north of the 49th parallel. It is next to impossible to find reputable retailers of aftermarket parts in Canada. Ordering from the US is easy enough, the problem lies in paying duty, taxes and brokerage fees. The whole things goes from ridiculous to asinine. Thank goodness for EBay!

First of all buying direct from the dealer is possible if you are willing to remortgage your house. The markup on dealer parts has to be 500%. You just spent $40,000.00 on a car so I guess they think you have the proverbial money tree in your back yard. NOT! I spent a week hunting and checking different avenues and ended up back at good old EBay.

So far I have purchased a spoiler, the stripes for the spoiler, decals for the gills, splash guards, a chrome Autobot oil filler cap, Autobot pedal covers, a locking gas cap, Autobot valve caps, and a couple of Autobot badges and that has added up to over 500.00 BEFORE duties and taxes. So I might as well add another 200.00 on to that. OUCH!

There is still an exhaust kit, light kits, and new winter wheels and tires, that I want before I am finished. I might as well add a car cover in there and now we are up to over 3000.00! Maybe I SHOULD have bought the SS? No, it wouldn't be MY Bumblebee if I didn't add my own touches.

The Bee is HOME!

2010-06-08T12:52:00.004-04:00

We picked up the new Camaro on Friday, there were no hitches thank heavens! We have both been delirious ever since. That car is just freakin AWESOME! I really haven't had much chance to drive it as I can't seem to get the spouse out of it. But my turn is coming.

The interior lighting will just blow you away. At night it's like being in a space craft. There are even lights on the doors! There are so many buttons and bells and whistles I have to spend about 3 hours in the car just figuring out how everything works!

I already have some modifications lined up for it. First will be a spoiler for the trunk lid. This car just begs for one. Next will be a new exhaust system. The car is WAY too quiet. It really needs to sound like it looks... BAD ASS! I am looking at the MRT V2.0 I like the V1.0 but I don't think the neighbours would appreciate it. The V2.0 will give it the rumble it needs. I would like to do some mods to the lights as well, but that's down the road a bit.

Yellow was not my first choice of colour for the new Camaro. I originally wanted the cyber grey with the black stripes. But Bumble Bee is just HOT on this car. Unfortunately the bugs like it too. And it will require regular washing to keep her looking stellar. She sure does turn heads. We have had so many people taking pictures of her it's crazy!

The Silverado has gained something in this deal as well. I just spent two days washing, waxing and detailing her. She has to look good next to Bee. And that Blue Granite Metallic paint really does shine when she's all cleaned up.

My face hurts from all the smiling I have been doing. Man am I happy!

Camaro Fever

2010-06-03T16:08:00.004-04:00

I took my Silverado in to the dealership for it's first scheduled oil change and I had a couple of other cosmetic issues for them to look at. They told me it would be about an hour total so I decided to wait. When I pulled in I noticed they had 5 new Camaros out front so of course because I have been LUSTING after this car for so long I had to go take a look. I didn't make it past the showroom.

Inside the showroom was a 2010 2LT Transformer Special Edition Camaro. Yep there was Bumble Bee! Oh and she is a beauty! Black leather interior, polished aluminium rims, Transformer badges and lettering on the cowl. I was drooling. I eased into the cockpit and was in heaven. Buttons and bells and whistles, OH MY! She screamed "Start me up and TAKE ME!"

Oddly enough about 4 nights before the spouse saw part of the original Transformers movie for the FIRST time. I pointed out that Bumble Bee was just a "concept" car at the time. I immediately tried to call the spouse, but got no answer. So I sauntered out to the lot and looked at the 5 other Camaros but was no where as moved as I was with the "Bee". There were several more attempts to call the spouse and FINALLY I got an answer. It must have been something in my voice, somewhere between desperation and excitement, but the spouse was on the way to the showroom.

There was no convincing necessary although I did get an "Are you sure you want a yellow one?" My reply was "It's not yellow, it's Bumble Bee!" We got to test drive a white one that was on the lot, although that wasn't really necessary either. But we were both extremely impressed with the smooth ride and the quietness of the car. Of course there was that occasional "rumble" from the exhaust that reminded one that 312 horses are not to be taken lightly.

The 2001 Blazer is on it's last legs so we offered it for a trade in. We got the black book value for it, and that's all I was really expecting. The deal was struck and we were scheduled to pick up the Bee on Friday.

I came home today, ONE DAY before we pick up the new car, and the spouse tells me for the first time in it's ENTIRE LIFE, the Blazer won't start. WTF! I tried it myself, no go. I am in INSTANT PANIC mode. I call the Camaro sales rep and of course she says if it doesn't run there's no deal. ARRRGGHHHHH!

We normally take the Blazer to the Bugstop on First Street in London, ON, for repairs and maintenance. Brian the owner and our mechanic has always been very fair and good to us. So I called him and told him the Blazer won't start and I need it running by tomorrow! He said he thought it might be the anti-theft system, and he gave me a few instructions on what to try. Within 10 minutes I had the Blazer RUNNING!!!! In case you didn't hear it there was a massive sigh of relief there. You know Brian is going to be well rewarded for his help! If you need a mechanic, HE'S THE MAN!

I haven't slept in 2 days. I can't think or concentrate. Now I will be praying that between now and tomorrow morning, the universe continues to smile on us. I WANT MY BEE!!!!

OMG I Have a SHOP!

2010-05-27T22:42:00.003-04:00

The second last day of my "vacation" and I finally got into the shop. Actually I was outside the shop. I finally got around to spray painting the cast iron garden furniture I am refinishing. The boards for the 4 chairs have all been cut and finished for about 2 weeks now. I still have to buy and cut the wood for the bench seat though.

I got to use the Mastercraft HVLP sprayer kit and it worked really well. It's a good thing the spouse bought me that ginormous DeWalt compressor. Anything less just wouldn't have cut it. The spouse even had a go at spray painting after work. Because I did all the set up and clean up the spouse was "impressed" at how easy it was and how well it worked.

Spraying outdoors was good and bad. The good was I didn't need a mask and with a giant plastic sheet there was no "over spray" to worry about. The bad was the million maple keys blowing around the driveway that kept getting stuck in the paint. Hopefully they will just brush out when the paint is fully dry. It's fine for garden furniture but next time I will have to set something up "in shop".

I'll have to post pictures later. All this yard work and painting leaves me whipped at the end of the day. It's been unseasonably hot this week as well. I have the sunburn to prove it.

Things That Just Work?

2010-05-25T00:03:00.004-04:00

We bought a Dyson DC25 Animal Ball vacuum cleaner. It wasn't just because of all the hype, I actually tried one in store and was pretty impressed. It does a fabulous job on floors and carpets and it will suck up a hairball from 2 feet away. This is important when you have 3 cats. But I have to ask myself is ANY vacuum cleaner really worth $700.00?

While I can't argue the power and ability of the Dyson, I will say that for all the "engineering" that went into making it, it came out rather cheap.

It's 100% plastic with the exception of the motor and some of the connections are pretty wimpy. The air intake for the dust collector is a rather flappy thin piece of rubber that basically just "rests" against the canister. Is this really an "air tight" connection?

The hose is way too short to use properly with the removable wand and while the ball does make it incredibly maneuverable, you won't get that head too far under anything.

I LIKE my new Dyson a lot. I am really glad it comes with a 5 year warranty, because frankly, I don't think it will last that long. We'll see how well that warranty is honoured. But I do think it is way over priced. Even at half the MSRP, I would be feeling a little uneasy about it.

The LOOOOOONG Weekend

2010-05-21T19:32:00.002-04:00

It's the Victoria Day weekend in Canada. The holiday that signifies the official start of summer and gardening season for Canadians. And like most May 2-4 weekends they are calling for rain. Our big plans for the weekend were to bring in about 20 cubic yards of topsoil to level the back yard and to paint the garden furniture. Neither of those are going to happen in the rain. Then of course there is the gardening, and the patio repairs and finishing, the new sod to put down over the topsoil, some minor deck repairs and the shed to paint.

I have indoor project lists that grow endlessly and get done rarely. There are still 2 closets and a utility room to make over. I have to build a Murphy bed for the sewing room. There is still a fold away laundry folding counter for the laundry room somewhere on that list. New stairs for the hot tub. A computer work station. A new headboard for the new king size bed. The laminated flooring waiting to be put in the bathroom. And a box to make for my nephew's cremains.

Why can't I seem to find the time for any of this? Some of the delays involve money of course. But this week alone I haven't seen the inside of the shop for more then 5 minutes. Where does the time go?

Hurry Up Spring!

2010-05-12T12:08:00.002-04:00

It seems I am suffering from a "woodworker's block" in that I can't seem to find the motivation I lost. I have a couple of things to blame for this, one of course being the weather. We were treated to a taste of spring with a week of nice weather and of course all thoughts turned to the outdoor projects like the yard work, pond maintenance, etc. As the ball got rolling on these projects, fall decided to make a quick return and the weather turned cold and wet.

I had started redoing some cast iron and wood garden furniture we had; replacing all the weathered wood with some new cedar and repainting the cast iron frames. But I want to spray paint the frames with my HVLP sprayer and of course I cannot do this indoors. So while I have all the wood cut and sealed with 3 coats of boiled linseed oil, the project is at a standstill until the weather decides to cooperate again.

And of course the joints of my body despise cold and wet weather whether I am outdoors or not. This does not make for motivation.

It was great during the nice weather to have the garage door open again and to give the shop a good blow out. But as usual when working in confined spaces it didn't take long to mess things up again once I started on the garden furniture. My biggest woodworking bane is having to do a "clean up" before I start every project because I am not very organized when I work and things get left everywhere. That's a bad habit I will have to work on curing. I'll add it to my long list of other bad habits.

Modern Warfare 2

2010-04-04T23:16:00.003-04:00

I have been taking a little break from the shop. You might say the flooring job pushed the limits a little too far. The knees are taking their sweet time healing. Besides there has been some nice weather and Easter and all that. So I figured what the hey, maybe it's time to get a little computer gaming in.

I started playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on Thursday and I haven't been able to do much else. I actually finished the regular game today. One word...AWESOME!!! My computer struggled with this one a little and I am thinking a new video card is in order. More on that later.

The story line was good, but it puts a whole new spin on losing a few good men. It also resurrects some old friends. I'm not going to do a spoiler here so don't panic. However, I am sure I am the LAST person to play this game as everyone I have talked to has already been through it and is well into the online play. I am only into the "Special Ops" section now.

This game is about as close to a battle field as I want to get. It's intense, realistic, brutal and very challenging. I barely got through the "normal" mode. But that is the beauty of this game. You can go back and play the harder levels and it's a whole new game. I don't think my skill set is ready for the online play yet.

The graphics are exceptional, and my poor old 4870 wasn't up for the task. I experienced lots of video glitches and crashes unless I played in safe mode. That's not cutting it. I am considering trying the crossfire route again, as the 4870's are under $200.00 now. But will it be enough?

A Scathing Rant

2010-03-22T15:30:00.002-04:00

DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed here are ONLY opinions. They are MY opinions. I am entitled to them. If you don't like them stop reading NOW! It's called FREEDOM, it's my right and I am exercising it.

I am an atheist. It means I do not believe in ANY gods. I do not practice any form of religion although I have studied many religions so I would be sure I knew what I was doing when I decided to be an atheist. Being an atheist does not mean I hate religion, or any specific religion it just means that I don't practice them. I am also a white Anglo Saxon but that does not mean that I have any racial prejudices, it's just what I am. I would like to think I am tolerant of all races and religions. So I guess I practice tolerance.

I have no issues with those who chose to worship some invisible, unavailable, supernatural deity. Don't force your beliefs on me, and I in turn won't be forced to justify my own. Live and let live. But it is my opinion that there are certain places personal religions do not belong and one of them is the workplace.

Why should an employer be forced to create a space for a religious practitioner to be allowed to "pray" at certain intervals of the day? Does the employer have to pay that employee for the TIME they are honouring their spirits? If I am working with that person, should I have to shoulder their workload while they are off performing their rituals?

Do all Catholics who work Sundays get to do a mass exodus at 11:00 a.m. for mass? Should Jewish people be exempt from working the Sabbath? I could go on but we have long past the point of RIDICULOUS!

And most importantly of all - WHY THE HELL IS THE GOVERNMENT SUPPORTING THESE PRACTICES AND FORCING EMPLOYERS TO COMPLY?

I don't care what religion you are or are not, THIS HAS TO STOP! There is a separation between church and state that is narrowing dangerously and way too fast. It is impeding economics and social functionality. It is hampering COMMON SENSE and allowing INSANITY to rule.

I encourage everyone who feels this way to write your MPP and let them know you've had enough. And anyone who doesn't feel this way, open your eyes and THINK about what is REALLY happening around you.

No Job for Old Women

2010-03-18T14:35:00.002-04:00

Yesterday we started putting the new laminate flooring in the kitchen. Actually I started on Tuesday, but a trip to the emergency because the spouse split a palm open with a utility knife cut the day short. 3 stitches and a bruised ego, but otherwise the spouse will survive.

Floating laminate flooring is EASY to install, if you are a twenty something with good knees. If you aren't hire someone. Fortunately we were rescued by a twenty something son who came over to help. Still, it didn't go in as well as I hoped. There are some rather large gaps that will have to be "fixed" somehow.

When you do kitchen and bath installations you are supposed to glue the boards together with laminate floor glue to seal them. It was such a bitch just getting them lined up and together we skipped this step. I will however be running a bead of caulk around the perimeter. When we do the bathroom I will attempt the glue thing once more.

Working around cabinets, under dishwashers, fridges and stoves is no picnic. Maintaining the 1/4" gap around the perimeter to allow for expansion is next to impossible. You will have 0"- 3/4" gaps in different areas. They tell you to scribe the wall shape on the tile. Good luck with that. My best advice? Cut less then you think you need and keep trimming little by little till you get the fit you want. It's a slow process. Don't plan to get this done in a day. Keep all the scraps for the "patchwork" later. And buy more then you think you need.

Hopefully we'll get the kitchen back together before the weekend. The bathroom floor may have to wait till my knees stop swelling.

Another Wood Show

2010-03-07T17:28:00.003-05:00

The spouse and I went to Toronto for the weekend and took in the Canadian Home Workshop Show. I bought tickets online for two days as I expected the event to be quite large and I was hoping to attend some of the seminars as well. Sadly I was majorly disappointed by the size of the show. While it was a bit bigger then London's show, it was not what I expected from a city the size of Toronto and the major Canadian wood working publication. Woodstock does seem to have the biggest show in the area.

We did get to see a couple of the seminars and of course I got to buy new toys! I picked up a Porter Cable 23 gauge pin nailer for 69.00. I finally got the Straight Edge guide from Workshop Supply, but no deal there. I picked up some more painters triangles and another edge banding trimmer. And I even got another Ryobi 18V LiON cordless drill. I mainly wanted the battery for the Ryobi circular saw, but at 79.00 it was cheaper to buy the drill as it came with the charger as well. Who doesn't need 5 cordless drills?

Today we got up and finished the closet. Overall it's OK, but there are a lot of mistakes I made and a lot of things I will do different next time. I am glad we did the first one in the "spare" room. Let's just say it's not something I am going to be showing off.

Olympic History

2010-02-28T19:18:00.002-05:00

OK I have to take an aside. Canada has just made Olympic history, and won a monumental hockey game. I am sure most Canadians paid some attention to the Olympics, but probably, like me focused on hockey. I did witness the first Canadian gold won on home soil by Alexander Bildeau. And I cried. Joannie Rochette lost her mother, won a silver and I cried. The women's hockey team scored a gold, and I cried. Why am I crying? Because we are a nation of very proud and QUIET people. The women's curling team surely felt the agony of defeat, but won a silver and I cried. Do I like or follow curling?.. Not on your life. But I saw the captain of that team give all then lose by fate... and so I cried.

And when a great Olympian like Nodar Kumaritashvili perished on a British Columbia hillside, even though he was not a Canadian, I cried.

I have talked to other numerous patriots who felt and did the same. They are not normally emotional. Like me. I am not a jock, or a sports fan of ANY sort. I sometimes watch the Stanley Cup Games (maybe the last two) only because EVERY North American gets excited by that. But I do understand that Olympians give their all. They are competing in those games because that are the BEST in their sport. And I am proud that Canada turns out some some of the BEST Olympians!

To lose by 1/1000 of a second must be devastating. To devote your life to four years of rigorous training to come in 5Th must negate everything you believe in. And yet they bounce back to try again in 4 years. They are not only physical athletes, but psychological and mental athletes as well. I applaud them all.

I hope every country's athlete's who attended this Olympiad appreciated the hospitality that Canada extended, and I hope we surpassed your expectations. I am very proud of ALL our Canadian Athletes. I am also proud that so many countries came and gave us their BEST athletes, and that their performances were ALL exceptional. Congratulations to you all. Medal or not, you are truly the epitome of human perfection. And you all demonstrated exceptional sportsmanship that will transpire to those that follow in your footsteps. Thank You.

And to the Men's Canadian Hockey team, I say THANK YOU! It IS "OUR" game. Thank you for the perfect ending. Crosby, your only rival was Paul Henderson, and you have surpassed him. Well done young man! Paul was Extraordinary, Gretzky was Great, and you... are in a league all your own. Canada will watch you closely. And hope. Thank you for that.

Go CANADA! :)

Peace~~!

As Time Goes By

2010-02-22T22:27:00.011-05:00

Time sure flies doesn't it? I have been somewhat busy in the shop, finally getting a start on those closet projects. The youngest son finally moved out so we are converting his room to a sewing/guest room. The long term plans call for a closet organizer and a Murphy bed. We got a start on the closet organizer about 3 weeks ago. For some reason it seems to be slow going.

I say "we" as the spouse has been laid off from work off and on so I have actually had an "apprentice" out there helping me. It's a good thing too because 3/4" sheets of oak veneered particle core plywood are NOT light. Next time I am going to use veneer core ply. The cutting actually went surprisingly well. I used Google Sketch Up and CutList Pro to work out the plans and the cut lists. After that came the staining using Minwax Golden Oak stain and two coats of Minwax Polyurethane Satin Finish. The staining and the finishing did not go as well as hoped. The different grain patterns in the veneer create widely different tones of stain. The poly had to be applied very thinly to avoid bubbles or "fish eyes" as they are called. I think we could have done 3 or 4 coats of poly to get the proper finish.

Of course all this has to be done in the very space limited garage. It's not ideal for a large project that's for sure. We are at the assembly stage now. I am using dowels to hold the bulk of it together. This was something that intimidated me wondering how I was ever going to get them to line up properly. A friend who is a cabinetmaker by trade suggested I try the WolfCraft Dowel Quick jig. I watched the videos online and even though I thought it looked a bit "cheap" I bought one. The price was reasonable at least at about $17.00.

If you watch the videos, they sure make it look easy. Well this is actually one product that works EXACTLY the way they say it does. Everything lined up exactly right. The dowels went in flawlessly. I LOVE things that really work! Kudos to WolfCraft! I give this jig a 10 out of 10 and HIGHLY recommend it.

Once the main section is installed I will be moving on to the drawers which will be made out of 1/2" MDF with wood fronts. The fronts will have a little twist to them, so stay tuned. And wish me luck like usual.

She Saws, She Saves!

2010-01-14T21:37:00.002-05:00

There are days when things go good and there are days when things go bad. Some days things go good but end up bad. Then there are days where things go bad but end up good. Today was one of THOSE days.

I was trying to make a box to store by table saw blades in. Just a simple slotted box so I could stand the blades on edge and store the whole thing in the new drawer I made. I got the parts cut then proceeded to put the slots in the sides on the router table. That all went very well....until I discovered I had put ALL the slots in the wrong direction. I had to cut new sides and makes the slots all over again. Somewhere in that frustration I made several other mistakes with the cuts. I was near ready to give up, but persisted until I got my box made. But I now had a lot more pieces in the scrap bin then I intended and a headache to boot.

Later on after a break and a couple of aspirins, I was looking at my collection of circular saw blades and thought I could make a similar box for them. VOILA! I now could salvage the sides I screwed up earlier. A front, back and a bottom and I had a storage box for the blades. And it fits perfectly in the drawer beside the table saw blade box.

It's a good day when things work out.

Two Firsts Make a Drawer

2010-01-13T23:18:00.004-05:00

I made a small cabinet to hold all the accessories for my table saw that always seem to be somewhere in the shop other then near my table saw. It's nothing fancy just a box with a shelf and a drawer. And of course it's on wheels. Today I actually made the drawer for it and got to try a couple of firsts. It was the first time I installed drawer slides and the first time I used a Drawer Lock Bit for building the drawer.

I purchased a Kreg Drawer Slide Mounting tool a little while back. Unfortunately the cashier already rang it in before I realized what the price was - a whopping $32.99! Had I known that I probably would NOT have purchased it. But it was in the bag so I took it home. Now because it was my first time installing drawer slides and the first time I used this jig this may sound like I am giving it a bad rap. I did not buy any brand name drawer slides, just some bargain ones and maybe that is the problem. Perhaps down the road when I do more drawer work I will be extolling the virtues of this jig. But for now I am going to say it's not worth $32.99. It did help somewhat in getting the cabinet part of the slides in place. But there were some frustrating moments as well when the slide kept popping off or twisting on the jig. I'll let you know if there are any improvements with time.

I learned several things about drawer slides from this single experience. It would be better to leave a little slop in the fit of the drawer between the slides, 1/16 to 3/32 would be good. A precise fit makes the drawer tight in the slides and they don't function as anticipated, especially self closing slides. I bought 22" slides and my drawer is closer to 24" deep. That 2 inches is going to be a problem because the drawer is under a shelf and now that last 4 inches of the drawer are almost inaccessible. I may end up changing them yet. The slides are bottom mount and I left slightly less than 1/4" clearance between the bottom of the drawer and the bottom of the cabinet. It should have been slightly more then 1/4" because as the drawer drops into the "self closing" section of the slides the bottom of the drawer drags on the cabinet bottom, so the drawer is no longer "self closing". OK so I know a heck of a lot more about drawer slides then I knew this morning.

My other first was making a drawer with the drawer lock bit. I liked the idea of this bit just from the pictures. A good tight joint that has some mechanical holding power as well. I have seen a lot of people question the set up of this bit and struggling to get it right. Fortunately I had a reasonably easy time of getting it set up thanks to some instructions I got off the Lee Valley website. Those instructions were for a smaller bit then mine, but it worked with a little fine adjustment. I was using 3/4" MDF for the drawer so I didn't feel the need to make small passes, I just did everything in one bite. However, I did notice a tiny chip out of the top corner of one of the carbide inserts on the bit. Good old MDF eats bits for breakfast.

I made several test blocks and once I had a good setup I kept the test blocks for the next time. The routing went smoothly. Even the vertical sides were not a problem, but I did have to use feather boards to help keep the board against the bit. I got a nice tight fit all around.

The biggest snag of the day was the fact that I couldn't use my Oak Park router table for this job. The hole in the base plate was too small for the bit, and the other base plate with the bigger hole, well that was too big of a hole for the bit. That is the one and only thing I dislike about the Oak Park Table. I don't understand why they can't make a plate that takes inserts. I suppose I will just have to make my own someday.

Fortunately I still have that Wolf Craft table I originally got when I started into this whole woodworking thing. I did try to sell it on Kijiji once but got no takers. Lucky for me as it worked perfectly for me today. I put my Master Craft router under it and I think I am going to leave it there just for these kinds of jobs where the Oak Park table won't cut it.

I did rout the dados for the drawer bottom on the Oak Park table. I finally got to use the Router Raizer. Yep I am going to see if I can put on on the Master Craft router as well. That tool is SWEET!

It was a very productive day. All went abnormally well for a change. I like those days!

Work Sharp is a WINNER!

2010-01-07T19:53:00.003-05:00

It's been a while since I have been this excited. Tonight I found some time to try out my new Work Sharp WS3000 on the Groz hand planes I am not so impressed with. Thanks to a couple of tips from the Lie-Nielsen website, and the excellent instructions that came with the Work Sharp I now have WORKING hand planes.

The Work Sharp does an incredible job of sharpening plane irons. The edge WILL shave hairs. The bevel and micro bevel are honed to a mirror finish. The best part is it does it in no time flat.

I bought an extra glass disk so I could have 4 grades of sand paper available from 120/400/1000/3000 grit. It takes very little time to flip and change disks to change grits. The sand paper works exceptionally well, and while you can use any PSA backed sand paper, the Norton and Micro Mesh papers are fast and cool running. But be aware if you have a blade that is in rough shape you are going to wear out paper very quickly. I plan to buy some "cheaper" low grit papers to get the tool to "workable" condition first. My previous attempts at sharpening these plane irons left them in bad shape.

Ok here is the reality check. The Work Sharp starter kit cost around $200.00. If you buy enough of the accessories that you can change plates for every grade of paper, and that includes the Edge Vision as well as glass plates, add in the leather honing plate, and the wide blade attachment you are now up closer to $500.00. Plus you will have to stock up on abrasives and the Work Sharp "kits" aren't cheap. It it worth it? There is nothing like a razor sharp plane or chisel. It gives wood working a whole new meaning. Is it worth it? ABSOLUTELY!

Thank you Work Sharp!

The Shop Squeeze

2010-01-05T19:13:00.003-05:00

There doesn't seem to be any more hours in the day this year then there were last year. Once again I find the week frittering away and no time to be in the shop. I have computers stacked 3 high at the moment, and running back and forth to the big city delivering and picking up computers consumes a lot of time.

The Router Raizer arrived on Monday and I got it installed in about 3 hours. The instructions said it should take 1 1/2 hours. There were a couple of places where I missed the fine print. I suggest anyone who wants to install one of these do two things. Set aside a couple of hours AND read the instructions through BEFORE you start the installation. There are a number of time saving tips that you won't get till it's too late unless you do this.

There were a couple of things I didn't like about the installation. There are a number of places you have to apply a thick grease that comes with the kit. And trust me you HAVE to apply it and liberally. They also recommend using STP motor oil on the plunge posts of the router. My issue with this is grease or oil and sawdust DON'T mix. I did the applications (not STP but something equally suitable) but I have a feeling I am going to regret it down the road. I can't impress enough though that you MUST do these applications or things will bind tighter then... well you can fill in the blank.

Once I got it installed and all my boo boos fixed I have to say I LOVE IT! It is absolute infinite control over the bit height. If you install it properly it works very smoothly. If you read the instructions through first, follow them to the T, they make clear sense and make the installation very simple.

Installing this device is making me reconsider giving that box joint bit a try again. I think part of the problem was trying to get it to the proper height. But we'll see. I have started a new "TO DO" list in the shop and it's getting longer every time I go out there. The problem is not enough time out there to do any of it.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Again.

2010-01-02T00:48:00.003-05:00

Another year has come and gone. Time just seems to fly a lot faster as you get older. This year there are no new resolutions, just a lot of rehashed ones from years gone by. They are always the same, lose weight, exercise more, quit smoking. Now of course I have added "do more woodworking". Hopefully I can keep at least one of them.

The shop is pretty much full so there are no new tools to look forward to. I have ordered a "Router Raizer" for my router table. There may be a new item or two to add to the lathe, but beyond that there really is no room for anything else. And I think I have pretty much everything I need. This year I really hope to finally get the closets done. Maybe even a few wall cabinets out in the shop for some added storage. That is something I will never have enough of.

The year starts out with a lot of computer work. I actually took two weeks "off" so now I have a long list of waiting customers. *SIGH* No matter how hard I try I just can't seem to get away from it. I am falling behind in the technology really quickly and I have no desire to "catch up". Maybe one day soon I will be too far behind to do the work anymore. One can only hope.

But I wish one and all a happy, safe and prosperous New Year. Now let's make some sawdust!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T23:37:00.004-05:00

It's that time of year again, the lights are glowing, the eggnog is flowing, and there are new tools! Santa brought me the Work Sharp 3000 so maybe now I can actually put an edge on those planes and USE them. It's a pretty slick little unit, but I tried it with an old cheap chisel and I can see it will take some practice. I also got a bonus leather hone accessory with it. Nice!

The spouse got a lot of little scroll saw accessories, including a sample pack of the Flying Dutchman blades. Hopefully all this "stuff" will actually get the spouse out in the shop and using that lovely scroll saw.

I got a pre-Christmas gift as well. Canadian Tire had their 12 inch mini lathe on sale for $110.00 so I figured for that price I could give turning a try. It's not a priority right now.

The holidays have seriously cut into my shop time and I have a lot of catching up to do out there. Right now I am in the middle of building my air cleaner/downdraft sanding table/table saw out feed table combo unit. It's been on hold for over a week now. Come on people CHRISTMAS IS OVER! Let me get back in the shop!

Haulin Ash

2009-12-11T00:21:00.005-05:00

I now have the ultimate shop tool! A 2010 long box Chevy Silverado! I can now go to any building center and buy whatever sheet good I want WHEN EVER I want. No more waiting for a truck. No more paying for cuts. No more wondering if it will fit.

I got the Trifecta tonneau cover too so that rain and snow won't hold me back either! And the box has an over-the-rail Line-X coating so no worries about cosmetic damage. With a kick-ass V8 engine and the towing package I can load that baby to the cab roof with sheet goods.

Yep, I can haul ash, maple, oak, whatever. If it sprouts leaves or needles I can haul it.

And I will be able to buy it all right after I win that lottery.

The Finishing Touches

2009-12-02T22:39:00.007-05:00

The tool box is complete! This was one heck of a long project, but I did go about it the hard way. Things didn't go perfect but it was a good learning experience as I had to go into many aspects of woodworking, even a few that were new.

I am not unhappy with it, although I know all too well the imperfections. There were quite a few "repairs" made to this before it was finished. But all things considered it turned out quite well.

Now it's time for a little break from the shop. I am just going to do a little clean up out there and start planning some new "organizational changes." Time to put Google Sketchup to work.

The Box

2009-11-30T22:07:00.003-05:00

I finally got the box together. There were a lot of mistakes made during this, and in turn a lot of learning of things not to do and learning ways to fix things that went wrong. Still I have to say it turned out better then I anticipated. Not perfect but still a very nice box.

Right now I am in the process of finishing it. I have discovered my garage is very tightly sealed and in need of some kind of ventilation when doing finishing. For the moment that involves opening the outside door for 10 minutes. Not something I will want to do come mid January.

It was fun experimenting with all the different woods in this box. Now I am experimenting with how different woods work with different finishes. This is obviously an art that takes a long time to master. Hopefully I'll at least get somewhat good at it.

Tooling Around

2009-11-24T12:55:00.002-05:00

I have been busy the last few weeks with this tool box concept. It keeps getting more and more elaborate as I go. I am sure the fellows on the woodworking forums think I am a total nut. Ah well my creative gene was missing a few links.

Building this box has given me the opportunity to use almost every tool in my shop. Today for example I am going to have my first go at the biscuit joiner. Saying I am a little nervous is an understatement. I am in the process of making the lid out of blood wood and black locust. Neither of these are cheap woods. And if I mess up I do not have enough of either wood to start over. So wish me luck.

The box itself has undergone many design changes since it's inception. What it will finally turn out like is anybodies guess. But I do enjoy box making it seems. Especially when I am not constrained to the "normal".

New Toy Inspiration!

2009-11-04T22:15:00.003-05:00

The spouse attended a beginner scroll saw class at Lee Valley last weekend and things have moved rapidly since then. Apparently the spouse is a "natural" on the scroll saw. Of course that giant industrial scroll saw I have was just not cutting it. By some strange stroke of luck, we happened to be in Home Hardware and they had the DeWalt DW788 scroll saw on sale for $529.00. It was NOT in the budget but we scooped it anyway. I have to admit that is one beautiful scroll saw. It is quiet as a mouse and literally NO vibration. Makes that old saw of mine look like a train wreck.

Now we are stocking up on scroll saw accessories. Since this is the spouse's "new toy" I am keeping my distance for the moment. But I thought it might be nice to build the spouse a tool box to store blades an accessories in. It's actually coming along quite nicely. I gave cutting grooves and dado's on the table saw a shot and it works really well. Unfortunately I had to remove the guard again, but I WILL be putting it back on.

The tool box is going to be a true work of art. (Collage IS an art isn't it?) It's going to be made of veneers of spalted maple, walnut, and zebra wood. I am sure it will be considered quite crude in most woodworking circles but I am not trying to win a prize with it. Just proving to myself once again I CAN do this stuff. I seem to live in a cloud of self doubt most of the time.

The non-smoking is non-working. I need some kind of torture I guess. Oh wait, isn't that what smoking already is?

The Quitter's Blues

2009-10-29T23:56:00.005-04:00

I am TRYING to quit smoking. All I can tell you is if you don't smoke, NEVER start. This is a horrible horrible addiction that does nothing but slowly kills you and makes it almost impossible to stop. Right now I am super stressed, miserable, grouchy, and I haven't even quit yet.

It's been a tough month in the woodworking arena. There have been several folks on Routerforums.com that have been seriously injured in their shops this month. Some have shared photos and they are not pretty. Almost every one of them says they just lost focus for a second and that's all it took. I had my own close call on the router table but was fortunate enough not to be injured.

We get too lax about power tool safety now and then. There are lots of excuses: I was in a hurry, I had lots on my mind, it was getting late and on and on. In one second your whole life changes forever.

Because a couple of these accidents were on the table saw and happened with the guard removed I have decided to reinstall my guard. I spent 15 minutes getting it set up today. That was 15 minutes that may save my fingers and was well worth it. It will be unlikely I will remove it again.

Now I am going to go smoke a cigarette and continue killing myself. Then I think I'll kill something on the computer. I can't wait for Modern Warfare 2 to come out next month. I'm going to be all over that!

I can hardly wait to see how cheery I am when I actually QUIT smoking.

Understanding Wood

2009-10-19T19:17:00.002-04:00

My vacation came and went with very little of it being used for what *I* actually wanted to do. I ended up doing more computer repairs then anything else which DID NOT make me happy. The only project I got completed was a new drawer for my router table. That was an exercise in frustration with the new box joint router bit.

I spent 7 hours TRYING to get a setup on that bit that would produce a decent box joint. Finally I gave up and in 25 minutes I had the Oak Park 1/4" box joint jig set up and had the four sides of my drawer DONE. Sometimes it's best to stick with what you already know works.

Part of the problem, I discovered MUCH too late, is that I actually didn't understand wood. When I was working with plywood I was under the misconception that grain direction didn't matter. But it most certainly does. At some point this Revelation occurred to me and things started to go much smoother after that.

The sad part is now that I GET this concept and actually understand WHY grain direction is important, I am looking around the shop at a few other projects I have done and think CRAP! that's ALL WRONG!

I am sure this knowledge with improve my woodworking immensely. Well I can hope anyway.

HAPPY Thanksgiving!

2009-10-11T23:14:00.012-04:00

This turkey has just turned 50. Some days I feel like 90 when it rains and the arthritis and fibromyalgia kick into high gear...AT THE SAME TIME. But fortunately some of the meds I am forced to take are anti-depressants, so I am in pain but still smiling.

I got to take my last vacation of the year this Thanksgiving long weekend. I swore I was going to do NOTHING but what *I* wanted to do. That didn't make it past the first day. There have been computer repairs, a birthday party, Thanksgiving, and the numerous daily tasks that still have to be dealt with whether or not you are on vacation. But I did manage to squeeze some shop time in there.

My birthday was actually excellent this year. The spouse surprised me and bought me the Dewalt D55168 200PSI 15 Gallon air compressor I have been lusting after. Now I will be able to use the Mastercraft HVLP Spray paint outfit I got on sale at Canadian Tire.

I also got some router bits from Elite Tools. There were a few I picked up at the Woodstock wood show but I got the rest for my birthday. That box joint bit is a scary demon in the router.

My friends all chipped in and got me a $100.00 gift card for Lee Valley! I think I am going to use it to buy some books I wanted. I have the list all printed out, but I will go to the store and browse around before I make any decisions. You never know what might tickle my fancy with a hundred bucks to burn.

The Woodstock wood show was a bit of a disappointment this year. There were no exceptional deals and the vendors weren't really in a bargaining mood. Other then some bits and a couple of sanding mats the only other things I bought were a couple of pieces of Lace wood. I really hope the London show in February is better.

Despite making my self sick (sinus infection) by resawing some white ash and NOT wearing a dust mask I have had a pretty good vacation. The topper was winning $250.00 in the lottery pool at work. I have a few more days before going back to work and a couple of projects I'd like to do in the shop. But we'll see how it goes. Planning never works the way you plan it.

Just Add Paint

2009-10-01T20:59:00.006-04:00

IT'S DONE!! There were times I was sure this moment would never come but the Go Kart is finished! The grandson and spouse are going to paint it on the weekend while I am at work. I am sure that will be a colourful time. At least he'll get to ride it before the snow files. As to where the hell we are going to store this thing...I have NO idea. But it has spent enough time in the garage!

Tomorrow is the start of the Woodstock Wood Show. That's where I'll be spending MY day. Unfortunately the spouse is NOT going with me. (can you feel my sadness... NOT!) I hope the credit card still works.

The Go Kart Finish Line

2009-10-01T16:01:00.002-04:00

Although I can no longer remember when I started this project, the end is in sight. I should be finished by today and the spouse and grandson will be painting it on the weekend. This was a long and at times very frustrating project, not to mention how expensive it was. I did learn several things while doing this. The most important lesson was HAVE A PLAN. Building things off the top of your head is difficult at best. There is a lot of trial and a whole lot of error.

This project also taught me that there is more then one way to cut wood. I think I have used every cutting tool I own at some point on this project. Because I often assembled things and then realized I needed to make a cut, I had to do some very innovative cutting. I don't recommend this method.

So I am going to head back into the shop and get 'er done as they say. I'll post pictures later.

Productive Shop Time

2009-09-22T16:08:00.004-04:00

The spouse is away for a few days so the mouse is at PLAY! I was out in the shop yesterday making nasty holes in the walls. There was a phone jack mounted on the wall right were I want to put my new clamp rack. I had to rip open the wall to find out the cord was passed through a stud on an angle. Then I had to widen the rip to relocate the jack. Today I made an even bigger hole so I could actually patch it with a nice square piece of drywall. I got to put the new Dremel Multi-Max to work and it was SWEET. The patch work isn't pretty but the clamp rack will hide it.

I made a vow this morning to build this rack with only the wood I had available in the shop. It's getting to be a bad habit running to the hardware store for a new piece of wood every time I want to make something. By now I should have enough off cuts to makes simple things like a clamp rack! So sure enough I managed to find enough suitable pieces.

My inspiration for the rack came from ShopNotes July issue #106. Also the quick fix rack I had built about a month ago ripped out of the wall after I added the rest of my new clamps to it. The spouse will be proud of me because as usual I "coloured outside the lines" and didn't follow the directions or dimensions in the ShopNotes plan. However in my defence the article did say to modify the plan for your own needs. I also have a couple ideas for future additions to the rack, but I want to get it up and see how it works before I add anything.

I can't post a picture yet as the plaster on the drywall patch is still drying so I can't hang the rack. Hopefully I will get it up later tonight.

The spouse and an old friend from BC are due back tomorrow. Looks like the rest of this week won't afford me much shop time. But it's been a GREAT couple of days out there!

Are Projects Ever Finished?

2009-09-16T22:36:00.007-04:00

The patio is done.

For this year.

I got the perma sand in and I am a little disappointed with it as it did not harden quite as much as I thought it would. But it is what it is and for now it's DONE. We are just going to let it be over the winter and see how it fares. Next year I will apply a chemical cocktail to it to seal it and bring up the colour in the stone. But I want to see how it winters first.

The go kart now has a steering wheel and sort of a steering linkage. It was a test setup that seems to be working so I may keep it. I am ready for THAT project to be DONE! I would like to see the grandson ride it at least once before the snow flies. But there are still numerous little things that have to be completed on it. Tick, Tick.

I bought a Sears Router Crafter on Kijiji for $75.00. These things are obsolete now, but they still do what they did very well. This one is in exceptional condition. Another toy I will get to try out over the long winter.

I bought the Dremel Multi-Max and ALL the accessories. This is one of those tools you don't think you really need till you try it out. Suddenly the possibilities are endless. We have some caulking around the windows that needs to be replaced and it's a job we have been putting off because it is so labour intensive. Not anymore! But that one will wait till next spring now too.

I also bought a Drill Doctor 350X . It was on sale at Canadian Tire for $50.00 so I took the plunge. Drill bits are relatively inexpensive and I have been in the habit of just tossing them when they are dull. This little machine changes everything I every believed about drill bits. First of all, most drill bits are not SHARP when new. I know this because after sharpening a few of them with the Drill Doctor I have drilled holes like never before! Even in METAL! I was trying to drill a tap hole into the end of 1/2" shaft for a 1/4x20 bolt. The drill bit was making a lot of smoke and very little penetration. I ran it through the Drill Doctor then drilled the hole like a hot knife through butter! The difference was astonishing. It also sharpens masonry bits which are NOT cheap to replace. This was a GREAT investment.

The credit card needs a rest. So does my bank account. I need longer days. And I need to actually FINISH a project.

End of Days (Off)

2009-09-11T13:04:00.004-04:00

My "vacation" is over. Another one I can chalk up to being NO vacation at all. I got the patio finished yesterday, cleaned out and grouted all the crevices with King permasand. Now it's just a matter of letting it dry thoroughly. They were calling for rain again today but I really hope it holds off and the patio gets a couple of days of dry weather at least. It's not as perfect s I would like it to be, but it is what it is now.

I think I am going to give myself a day of retail therapy today. Canadian Tire has a huge clearance sale on, including the Dremel Multi-Max for $99.00. Yep I think I deserve it. I'll probably go and do this shopping BEFORE the spouse gets home from work. My lists adds up to just over $300.00 Fortunately it's the last baseball game of the season for the spouse so I will only be subjected to the evil stare for a couple of hours. By the time the spouse gets home from the game I will be gone to work. There IS a method to my madness.

Jockey is also having it's semi-annual clearance sale. Maybe I can stop there tomorrow after work and pick up a few things. Can a gal ever have enough underwear? I'll pick up a few things for the spouse as well just to smooth things over.

It is very sad to be looking forward to going back to work for a rest. Sometimes, MY LIFE SUCKS!

Patio Pergatory

2009-09-08T20:40:00.010-04:00

If I can give you one piece of good advice about putting in a patio it would be HIRE SOMEONE ELSE to do it for you. This past weekend was absolute HELL! The very first day, the spouse's back went out. Mine wasn't faring much better as it never has. If the eldest son didn't show up with a small bucket loader we would have NEVER got the job done.

First as you recall I framed in the step the fill in the dip in the yard with the dirt we removed from the patio area. This is all well and good except it wasn't enough dirt. We still need another 6 to 8 yards of topsoil to level it out. I can hardly wait to have to do THAT job.

Saturday the eldest showed up with a skid steer that wouldn't fit through the side access with the bucket on so he had to drag the bucket in behind the tractor. That did a lovely job on the front lawn. But he did manage to move most of the dirt out of the patio area and that was a bonus. So we managed to get that framed and levelled and tamped. Then he moved the stone and the sand from the driveway to the entrance of the access so we wouldn't have to wheel barrow it all the way around the house. I still wasn't looking forward to that job.

Fortunately he showed up Sunday with a smaller bucket loader that DID fit though the access and he moved all the gravel and sand with that. That meant we now had both those layers tamped and levelled. I spray painted an outline of the patio on the grass so we could do a mock layout of the stone and it wasn't long before we realized we were NOT going to have enough stone to do the entire patio area.

Labour Day Monday and of course EVERYTHING is closed. But we drove around for 4 hours till we luckily found a one man landscape operation AND he actually had some flagstone AND he was willing to deliver it for a small fee THAT DAY! So we bought another HALF TON of flagstone. Oh lucky us.

That meant it was time to go back home and start moving the 1 1/2 TONS of flagstone into place BY HAND. There was only me and the spouse to do this part of the job and the fact we are not divorced means we either really love each other OR we both have incredible tolerance for AGONY.

We finished around 7:00 p.m. including tamping the stone down. We were both WHIPPED!

The last part of the job which hasn't been done yet is putting masonry sand in all the crevices. It rained today and is supposed to rain for the next few days. The patio has to be DRY before we can put the sand in. So I guess we get a rest. YAY!

Even with the help we had on Saturday and Sunday this job was way too big for two people in 3 days. If we hadn't had the machinery to move the dirt, gravel and sand there is NO WAY this job would be anywhere near done.

When it IS finally completed it will be a lovely addition to the yard. But in retrospect, I wouldn't do it again.

Serious LABOUR Days

2009-09-04T21:56:00.006-04:00

The spouse decided since I was on vacation this weekend, it would be a good time to tackle the patio project in the back yard. Obviously our ideas of "vacation" differ.

Previous owners of this home had laid pieces of slate in various locations around the yard, with no apparent reason. We have been diligently digging them all up for the past two years and have amassed quite a pile.

The area we have been using as a "recreational" spot needed something other then dirt so I came up with the brilliant idea of putting all the slate there as a 15 x 15 foot flagstone patio. I don't think my brilliant idea included me actually doing all the labour.

We also have a nasty dip in the backyard that needs some serious fill in an attempt to try to level it. I fear the pitch of the slope is so bad we will never actually get it level, but we could lose the gully. In order to do this the steps leading up to the backyard have to be raised another 7 inches. Here I am starting the excavation around the step so I can add a riser and then back fill the whole thing with the dirt that has to be removed from the patio area.

Our driveway now contains a pile consisting of 2.5 yards of 3/4 stone, which will be the bed for the patio, and a pile of 2 yards of sand which will go on top of the gravel, then the flagstone on top of that with masonry sand between the grooves.

So the plan looks like this: remove the dirt from the patio area to a depth of 5 inches. Level and tamp the area with a slope of 1/4 inch per foot. Put a vertical 2x6 pressure treated wood border around the area. Load in the gravel to a depth of 3 inches for drainage. Tamp and level the 3/4 gravel with a stone dust mix. Cover the gravel with 2 inches of sand. Tamp and level that, the whole time keeping the proper slope. Set the flagstones in the sand ONE BY ONE until the area is filled. Tamp this lightly to level, then fill the crevices with masonry sand, moisten with a hose and one last tamping to set everything in place.

Oh and I also have to tamp the dirt I put into the gully to pack it down so it doesn't wash away and add a two pieces of slab, each 2 inches thick and 3 feet long by 1 foot wide to the top of the steps for the new landing.

We have rented a 18" vibrating tamper for the weekend. We also HOPE to have use of a skid steer to move the sand and gravel from the driveway AROUND the house to the back yard. If not, my poor old wheel barrow is in for a rough weekend. All the rest of the work gets done by the always ready helper - Manual Labour.

Oh wait... that's MY name in Spanish. Wish me luck.

F-R-U-S-T-R-A-T-I-O-N

2009-08-27T17:54:00.002-04:00

Perhaps the title is a dead give away, but things aren't going well. At the moment I am trying to fix a laptop and the .NET installation is giving me a freaking HEADACHE. This is another Micros**t program that has no business in layman's hands. And the support from Micros**t for installation issues surrounding this update are nil at best. You are pissin me off Bill.

Things in the shop are no better. I am making little or no progress with anything. The days get ate up with things like this laptop, or running back and forth to the big city for stuff. The go kart may be ready by the grandson's graduation from college at this rate.

There is more wood to be had from the relatives who are tearing down their barn, but I can't seem to find or make time to get it. It is a golden opportunity that is going to waste. I already regret it.

It will be interesting when I go back to work 5 days a week to see how I am going to manage what will be left of my "free" time.

Maybe I'm just having a bad day eh?

Shop Multitasking

2009-08-12T23:39:00.004-04:00

It didn't take long to figure out my shop is not built for doing multiple projects. Right now I have the go kart, rebuilding the outdoor furniture, spray painting a tool box add on, and finishing the under the workbench drawers on the go. It's not pretty out there.

The go kart is not "going" anywhere at the moment. This is a really long dragged out project. The biggest problem is working without a "plan" to follow. When you are making these things up in your head as you go it's not easy to keep all the details in line. I have been using Google Sketch Up the last couple of days to try to sort things out. It actually has helped a lot to be able to draw things to dimension. I now have a little more direction.

The chain drive for the cart is still a sticking point. Getting the rear axle to drive the wheels which have built in bearings in them is not easy. It's going to require some plumbing parts and welding.

I am not even going to touch on what this kart is costing me. I spent $50.00 on bearings alone. It's starting to feel like it might have been cheaper just to buy the kid a real car. But I want to finish this project just to say I did. Whether it works or not is moot.

I picked up a 40 tooth thin kerf Forrest Woodworker II table saw blade at Lee Valley today. It seems that crappy plastic table insert I bought is giving me a headache... literally. It makes a nasty squealing noise as the blade is raised though it. I was blaming it on the cheap DeWalt blade I had in there but it does the same thing with the Forrest blade. Leecraft, the maker of the insert, claims it's "blade or arbor wobble". I don't think so Tim. I don't have this issue with any of the wood zero clearance inserts I made. Guess I'm giving the Leecraft inserts the thumbs down!

I also bought a Milescraft blade changer at Busy Bee today. Now either I am not using enough pressure, or my blade nut is way too tight or this thing is useless. On the first try my saw blade chewed right through the little knobs on the inside that are supposed to hold your blade while you loosen the nut. I am going to try returning it but I doubt that will work now that it's "damaged". Another thumbs down. I'll be very wary of buying Milescraft products in the future.

So as you can see things are progressing as normal for me. Another day, another disaster!

The Rona Tent Sale

2009-08-05T23:30:00.010-04:00

While we were wasting time in the BIG CITY waiting for the truck to be repaired we happened upon a Rona Tent Sale. That was a big mistake. I found the cordless "drill of my dreams" only because the price was RIGHT! It's a Hitachi DS18DSAL HXP Li-ion 18V Compact Pro Li-ion Driver Drill that was regular priced at $199.00 and I got it for $109.00. It came with a case, 2 batteries and a charger. Now THAT'S a DEAL!

Hitachi offers a 10 year warranty on all their cordless tools. The batteries however, only have a 2 year warranty. That is the part of cordless tools I REALLY despise. Mostly because they usually make the replacement batteries so expensive it doesn't pay to buy them. You might as well replace the entire tool! So basically your tool has a 2 year warranty regardless of what the company advertises. That's total BAIT AND SWITCH tactics if you ask me. It's not limited to Hitachi, most tool makers follow this principal with the exception of Ridgid which if you jump through all the registration hoops, warrants their batteries for life.

I also found a Bosch Colt PR10E router for $69.00 at the tent sale. Talk about my lucky day! The only way it could have got any better was if I had found a Dremel MultiMax on sale. But I am NOT complaining. I also got a deal on some dust collection accessories.

The spouse bought some shelf liner or something..ROFLOL.

Sorry I had to do that.

We made a stop at Busy Bee tools and I found a Drill Press Table on sale as well for 29.00. I got a slightly damaged one that took about 5 minutes to fix so that's why I got the extra discount. However I advise anyone who wants a drill press table NOT to buy this model. It is made from some kind of CRAP MDF that is garbage. It will do till it crumbles which I am sure it will. There is junk, and this table is less then that. Tsk Tsk Busy Bee! I would have returned it but since it was damaged and discounted it was a "final sale". My bad.

Shop Day Off

2009-08-03T23:01:00.003-04:00

So I wasn't in the shop today but it was by no means a day off. The spouse has been wanting a new screen door for the front ever since switching out the winter glass for the summer screen last May. The air was a bit blue during this feat and I just stayed out of the way. While we were in Home Hardware today looking for some cedar cut offs we found a very nice screen door with a pull down window that has a roller screen built in. As a bonus it was on sale for $80.00 off the regular price of $315.00. So we toted that baby home in a hurry!

This AluminArt storm door is no slouch. It has a very thick heavy aluminium frame that we torture tested on the way home in the back of the Blazer. We had it propped on an angle hanging out the back window sitting on the spare tire. I was totally waiting to hear a loud SNAP as one of the windows cracked when the frame bent. But it got home in one piece without even a dent.

The spouse and I decided to put it up TOGETHER. This is never usually a good thing. The fact that it was the first time EITHER of us had hung a storm door didn't help. Of course mother nature lent a hand with gale force winds. There were moments I expected one of us to be lifted off the ground like a kite.

There is only ONE ABSOLUTE RULE for hanging a storm door. READ AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS!!!!!

There are reasons you have to follow the steps in the required order. All I will say is DO NOT cut anything before it tells you to cut something! Despite our faux pas we managed to get it hung reasonably OK. The one piece of the top frame is insanely cock eyed, and I have NO idea why. Everything else is very square. The door itself sits flush and seals properly. It came with some very nice brushed nickle hardware for the handles and pneumatic door closers for both the top and the bottom of the door.

The instructions WERE CLEAR, I just thought I knew better and found out to late that once again I was WRONG. They are simple enough for a first timer to be able to complete the job within an hour and a half, but it does take two people. And opt for a day with no wind.

There will be some paint required around the frame now. I'll leave that up to the spouse. I got a new saw, the spouse got a new screen door. Everyone is happy.

Lazy Sundays

2009-08-02T12:41:00.002-04:00

Some family commitments have kept me out of the shop for a couple of days. Today I am having trouble finding my motivation again. But I AM going out there!

The go kart is on hold until I get to Fastenal to buy some bearings. Hopefully they will have the ones I need in stock. It looks like I am going to have to do some welding on the rear wheels as well. I don't know how well that's going to work but I'm going to give it a try. I need to fabricate something to drive the wheels from the axle. None of this is really explainable, but I'll try to take some photos as I do it so it makes more sense in the long run. It's hard not to "over engineer" things.

Today I think I will work on the drawers for under the work bench. They need to be "pull out" somehow but I don't want to put 2" casters on them as I will lose too much storage space that way. This will be some other concoction I will have to make up on the fly.

The drawer joinery has been plaguing me as well. I should just stick to the KISS principal but I am considering box joints. The problem is I am using plywood and it doesn't always rout that well especially with box joints. But I'll give it a shot.

OK, GO TO SHOP, GO DIRECTLY TO SHOP. Yeah yeah whatever. I AM still on vacation after all.

Holiday Progress

2009-07-31T17:04:00.002-04:00

It took till Wednesday but I finally found my ambition. I made a start on the go kart and it's probably going to be a longer then planned project. It's not going to be pretty but I am learning things along the way.

I made the steering wheel out of a 1x12x12 inch piece of walnut. It took a lot of different tools to fabricate this thing in one piece. I also now understand the need for a TEMPLATE when using a router with a bearing ended bit. Of course I didn't use one, that's how I learned this valuable lesson. So the steering wheel is not exactly round or even. But it will work.

Today I put wheels on the scroll saw and small band saw tables. The wheels on the scroll saw seem to dampen the vibration a little more so that's a plus. The only thing left that needs wheels is the Ridgid Oscillating Belt/Spindle sander. Unfortunately I will have to modify that tool stand before I put wheels on it in order to keep it at the height it's at now.

Now I am going to use the Mortiser to put a couple of through mortises on the 2x4 that will be the front axle on the go kart. I will put hairpins though the wheels shafts in these mortises. They will just be stub axles. I know it sounds weird, but in my head it all works beautifully.

Vacation Wasting 101

2009-07-28T18:02:00.003-04:00

I'm doing NOTHING. Literally. My first two days of vacation have been totally wasted. I did have a bit of a tough weekend at work so I'll chalk up this wasted time to recovery.

Yesterday I was perusing the Kijiji ads and came across a Campbell Hausfeld 80 flux core welder for $75.00. I was all over that like a dirty shirt. I picked it up today and it works like a charm. These things retail for about $300.00.

I have wanted a small shop welder for a long time but the prices of them were holding me back. This unit is supposedly convertible to MIG but I think the flux core will suit my needs just fine.

Hopefully I'll get one of the MANY projects on my TODO list started tomorrow. A person can only waste so much time. I think I've reached my limit.

My Friday Night Fun

2009-07-24T20:14:00.002-04:00

The computer fixing took longer then expected, as it usually does. The problem was an overheating processor. The fact that the fan and cooler were PACKED with dirt was probably the first clue. After removing them I also discovered that the CPU had NO thermal compound on it or the cooler. Somebody at HP was sleeping on the job.

Then I had a few other computer related things to take care of so the day was pretty much wasted. The fact that I also slept in till 11:30 didn't help either. I guess the workout I had in the shop all week finally caught up with me.

The spouse had to play baseball tonight and instead of tagging along and having a few drinks with the rest of the cheering section I opted to stay home and hang out in the shop. I ordered pizza and ate and watched tv at my workbench. My CLEAN workbench. It's corny but kind of fun. The shop is just a nice place to hang out now. As a matter of fact I am out here with the laptop doing this blog. This is how I WANT to spend my Friday nights.

Man I have really changed a lot in the last few years. I guess that's a good thing eh?

Cleanup In Aisle Three!

2009-07-24T01:56:00.008-04:00

Today I made some excellent progress and even got a hand from the spouse. The first thing I tackled was getting the shelves cut and up. Once they were in place we started getting all the "stuff" off the floor and stored back on the shelves where it belongs.

There are a few things up there that won't stay up there, like most of the stuff in those pretty pink boxes. Once I make the rolling drawers for under the workbench most of that stuff will end up in there. A lot of it is household repair stuff, plumbing and electrical odds and ends and general hardware. And of course some of it is just junk I can't bear to part with yet.

Once the floor area was cleaned up things really began to take shape. I manged to entirely clear off one work bench. That's a first in this shop! After that it was just a matter of hanging a few things and putting things away.

There were moments it seemed like there STILL wasn't going to be a place for everything, but little by little it all came together. Low and behold there was actually FLOOR SPACE when it was all over!

It felt really good just being in there. Tomorrow I am actually going to be able to WORK in there again.

I have an idea for the drawers I want to make, but I am just trying to decide how fancy I want to be with them. Do I fire up that new Hitachi router and make drawer lock joints or do I just screw some plywood together and make a basic box?

I have some computers to fix tomorrow so I guess the deciding factor will be how much time I have left in the day. And how much ambition I have. This week has really wore me out. It will almost be nice to go back to work for a REST!

But I am extremely happy with the overall results. Now just a few minor tweaks and I will have my "DREAM SHOP". My FANTASY dream shop is a whole lot bigger, and who knows maybe down the road I'll have that too. Right now I just want to build something.

Shop Make Over 101

2009-07-21T23:22:00.012-04:00

I just couldn't seem to find the right spot in the garage for that beautiful new saw so I decided some changes were in order. Normally when I make these epic decisions, nothing much happens for a while. This time things are changing rapidly.

That gargantuan steel shelving I had in the shop was at best, useless. It held a lot of stuff, but it mostly took up room which I don't seem to have enough of. So I offered it to someone for FREE and they actually took it.

I suddenly had a gigantic big bare wall to work with and that was awesome. However I also had a ginormous MESS to contend with and that was disastrous! The shelves may have been space hogs but they held all this STUFF! At this point there is absolutely NOTHING I can do in the shop because I can't MOVE in there!

Okay so it's time to get busy. First of all, I need a plan so I fire up Google Sketch Up and devise a new floor plan. This is a GREAT idea! I can move all that equipment around in my shop and never lift a finger.

It's great on paper but now I actually have to try to implement it. The easiest place to start is with the bare wall. So I move everything over there according to my new "plan". This is good, it's working for me. And I am trying to keep everything mobile so I can move away from the wall if I have to. Move it out into all that new floor space I will have.

But as you can see I am a long way from there yet. I at least made a "pathway" so I could sort of get to things.

I have another idea! I'll put up shelving (oh no not shelving again!) OVER TOP of the machines for storage. One shelf, 18" from the ceiling, and 20" wide and 16 feet long. This will fill that missing "storage" area.

So I ordered some serious heavy duty shelving brackets from Lee Valley but as you can see, they aren't here yet. Time to work on something else.

That new drill press is not very stable on that temporary mobile base I made so I decide to make a new BIGGER mobile base. The problem here is because this drill press is very top heavy it really needs to be BOLTED to the FLOOR. Unfortunately in my shop that is NOT an option. So I make a bigger base and it it less "tippy" then it was, but it will still require caution whenever I use it.

Now while I am twiddling my thumbs waiting for the shelving brackets I am thinking that there must be another project I can tackle in the meantime. Something small and quick and easy. Oh wait, those words don't exist in my world.

This pile of lumber and trim and ceiling tiles and god knows WHAT I have piled in the corner really need to find a proper home. AND they need to be organized. I could put up shelving... NO NO NO NOT SHELVING! This is a big pile and no matter what I do with it it will be in the way at some point. If only I could make it MOBILE....

I searched the net for some suitable plans but I didn't find anything that appealed to me. My problem is I want something that will hold ALL the wood I have AND will organize it too. I don't want much do I?

So again I turned to Google Sketch Up. I am not very astute at using it yet but using it sure helps you to learn things. Unfortunately I am still doing everything the hard way. I really need to learn the keyboard shortcuts and how to use some of the simple tools like the guides better. If I keep this remodelling pace up, I should have it mastered soon!

After a few hours I had a design I liked and that would work in my space and for my needs. Now all I had to do was build it. A trip to Busy Bee tools for some 6 1/4" heavy duty casters and then to Home Hardware for $300.00 worth of lumber and I was all set.

I chose to use 3/4" spruce construction grade plywood. I would have LIKED to use Baltic Birch but this would have been an even more expensive lumber cart if I had. Of course it would also have been a lot sturdier but it's working for now.

It took about 8 hours to build. Manhandling 3/4" sheet plywood by oneself is not an easy task. I managed to get all the pieces cut by myself, and then the spouse came out later to help with some of the more difficult assembly which had to be done with the cart upside down. Flipping it right side up was NO easy feat! But it's built AND it's mobile. My one regret is using two swivel casters and two fixed casters. In retrospect 4 swivel casters would have been a better choice.

Hopefully tomorrow I will get the shelving brackets and get the shelves up. Then I will be making some rolling drawers for storage under the workbench. And someday soon, I will be able to work in my shop again.

Bosch 5412L/T4B Combo Makes The Cut

2009-07-17T14:20:00.002-04:00

It might not seem right for a person such as myself to be reviewing and rating a compound miter saw because I don't have a lot of experience with them or many different models. But I think it's suffice to say if a novice can buy and assemble one of these and use it within minutes of setup AND make dead on accurate cuts and miters then the saw almost speaks for itself.

This is true of the Bosch 5412L 12" Sliding Dual Compound Miter Saw and Bosch T4B Gravity Rise Miter Saw Stand. Although mine is only a "hobby shop" this saw is most definitely in the professional/contractor saw league. The saw combined with the stand is made for portability and easy setup and storage. Even a small hobby shop can reap the benefits of this powerhouse without compromising valuable shop space.

The stand is an exercise in simplicity and balance. The unit comes well packed in a heavy shipping carton and massive Styrofoam padding. The assembly takes about 45 minutes and can be done single handed. The assembly instructions are clear and concise and all the parts and diagrams are well labeled. The only tools required are 3 wrenches and/or sockets (10, 13, 17 mm) and a Philips head screwdriver.

The stand is finished in a metallic grey paint that is incredibly scratch and dent resistant so you'd have to work hard to mar or mark it during assembly. There are no little parts to fidget with, just plain old nuts and bolts and washers. There is no fancy mechanism for folding the table, just one cam lock lever and a twist handle that releases the spring lock pins. The unit glides up and down effortlessly.

Mounting the saw on the table is as simple as measuring the distance between the mounting holes on the saw and setting the stand cross pieces accordingly. Then four bolts attach the saw to the cross pieces permanently. To remove the saw from the stand, you unlock two cam levers on the cross pieces and lift the unit off with the cross pieces. The cross pieces then act as "feet" for any surface you want to put the saw on. The saw itself is not light, and it is bulky and awkward to carry. With the portability of the stand I can see no reason to ever remove it.

Even with the weight of the saw on the stand, the balance is so near perfect that folding or unfolding the stand can be done with ease. Release the locks, push the wheels forward with your foot and the table and saw fold to a vertical position. Lock the cam lever and you can wheel the saw anywhere. The air inflated rubber tires make it easy to push the saw over rough or uneven surfaces, or to pull the saw up stairs. It's like it's own built in dolly. The saw can be stored in the vertical position to save space.

The stand also has pullout extensions on either end that extend up to 28 inches each. This puts the overall length of the table at just over 8 feet, perfect for almost any job. The extensions both have double tube sliders for extra support so heavy pieces won't be a problem. The ends of the extensions are also adjustable vertically to line up with the table or higher if necessary. There are two leveling pads on the bottom front frame as well.

The Bosch 5412L 12" saw is a serious power tool for any woodworker. You can find all the specifications at Bosch Tools and there are a long list of features as well. It too comes packed in a heavy shipping carton with ample Styrofoam padding. Bosch didn't miss anything with this saw. It even had a convenient cord wrap attachment. If there is a specific feature you are looking for in a miter saw I guarantee you this one has it. The construction is solid, it feels like it's ready to take on any project. Nothing wobbles, wiggles or rattles, no cheap snap off plastic parts. Everything slides and moves like it's supposed to with one small exception. The bevel adjustment lock knob on the front of the saw is a little disappointing. I often had to push or pull the head to get it to engage or disengage. There is nothing smooth about it's operation at all. It has three settings that are also a little confusing, 45-0 Left, 0-45 Right, and Max Range. The first setting allows you to tilt the head left and will lock the head at 0 when you return it. The second allows you to tilt the head right but I couldn't find a locking position at any setting. The third setting allows you to tilt the head either way. This may be a minor flaw in my saw only and I will be contacting Bosch to find out.

Setting up cuts with this saw requires careful attention. There are numerous things that have to be locked or unlocked, and for bevel cuts you may have to adjust the two piece sliding fence. For 45 degree bevel cuts you won't be able to use the provided hold down clamp. The 60 tooth blade itself made smooth cuts in both 3/4" MDF and Oak with minimal tear out in the Oak using the provided insert. A zero clearance insert or backer board would probably eliminate any tear out. The provided plastic insert does have some small adjustability that would narrow the gap but not significantly.

Straight out of the box, the saw set up was dead square. I had perfect 90, and 45 degree cuts in both MDF and Oak in both flat and vertical cuts left and right. The only glitch was the left 45 degree tilt bevel did not cut all the way through the wood, leaving a tiny chunk right at the end of the flat cut. A small fence adjustment will probably fix this. I checked the saw with both a square and by test cuts and found no other adjustments necessary. The saw comes with one 4 mm Allen key, a double ended wrench and a socket wrench/screwdriver tool that stores right on the saw for quick adjustments and blade changes.

The saw also comes with a Laser guide that must be installed by the user. The unit is contained in a washer that simply replaces the left side blade washer. It's powered by three A76 button cell batteries that are contained in the unit and a centrifugal switch. It also comes with 3 replacement batteries, a very nice perk. There is no other adjustment for the laser guide. Once installed it aligns with the left side of the cut when the saw is powered on.

The weakest feature of this saw is of course the dust bag. Being almost a burlap type material, it may be tough, but it cannot contain fine dust like that created from MDF or similar woods. The 1 1/4" dust port might also prove annoying to connect to a dust collection system.

The saw and stand combo is the "Binford Cadillac" of Miter Saws! The only other thing required is a skilled woodworker to benefit from all the exceptional features and abilities of this rugged instrument.

The Spouse Surprise

2009-07-15T22:09:00.008-04:00

The spouse and I were in the Big City today and we decided to go to Home Depot just to browse. Of course my secret agenda was to just take a look at the Ridgid 12" Sliding Compound Miter Saw. That thing is a BEHEMOTH! Even the spouse was shocked at it's size. The sales clerk noticed us checking it out and walked over and asked me what I planned to do with a saw like that. I said "With a saw that size I could do just about anything I damn well pleased"! The spouse went on to tell him how I was becoming a "Tim the Toolman" where I need the biggest one of every power tool imaginable. Now that was an exaggeration for sure.

It is a beauty saw but lacks a few things like pull out slides and even a rough scale on the fence. So I asked the sales clerk if they carried any Bosch miter saws, expecting that they wouldn't actually have any considering Ridgid and Ryobi seem to be their big sellers. He said they just got one in on a "promotional deal".

Low and behold it was my objet de l'amour the Bosch 5412L 12" Sliding Compound Miter Saw! As if that wasn't enough to make my heart palpitate it was mounted on a Bosch T4B Folding Miter Saw Stand!

This unit all together is a tool monger's work of art! It is stunningly beautiful, and even looks graceful before it even moves. I swear even the spouse lit up at the sight of it.

I would love to tell you all the incredible features of this saw and the stand but I barely took any of them in. I asked the clerk to show me how it folded up and unfortunately he said the Bosch sales rep had assembled it and SHE hadn't shown him how it worked. The spouse looked it over and figured it out in about 30 seconds.

OH MY GOD this stand is freaking AWESOME! It folds up and down so easily and the whole thing is so incredibly balanced that you can pick it up from flat on the floor with barely an effort. The spouse and I stood there literally with our mouths agape and I joking asked "Can I get this saw?" The spouse said "Oh yeah!" and meant it.

Once I got past that feeling like fainting stage, I asked, jokingly again of course "Today?" and once again got an emphatic "Oh Yeah"! I pinched myself a couple of times really hard and it WAS real, I have the bruises to prove it. I haven't been THAT excited since my dad bought me my first tool kit when I was 3 years old.

The price tag on this "promotional" offer is $799.00. That is MORE then my table saw cost. That is MORE then any tool I own cost. If the spouse hadn't been working midnights and hadn't just woke up 2 hours previous I would have swore there was alcohol involved. I don't know which one of us was MORE excited.

Of course there was a kink in the deal. You KNEW that was coming. We had just dropped the truck off at the shop for some repairs and it won't be done till tomorrow (hopefully). There was NO WAY IN HELL that outfit was going to fit into my little Cobalt. Then the clerk informed us that they only had one other set in stock and that the floor model was not for sale. I honestly think this all happened so fast that the clerk didn't actually BELIEVE we were going to buy this saw. I don't blame him, I was still thinking it was a cruel joke myself. I asked him to put it on hold for me till tomorrow and he did so even if a bit reluctantly.

So what are the chances I am going to be able to sleep tonight? I won't relax now till that baby is secure in my shop!

I am donating my current miter saw and drill press to the spouse's oldest son. I was going to sell them but I think this surprise act of incredible kindness on the spouse's part deserves a reciprocal act. I am also throwing a few other things into the deal because really it's NOT a fair trade. But I want to stay in the good books!

I have done some research on this deal since I got home and yes, it IS a VERY good deal. The stand alone retails for $300.00. The cheapest price I found for that saw in Canada is $671.00. So I am saving at least $200.00 and getting a kick ass unit!

I have to close now as it's very hard to type with my fingers crossed. I sure hope the spouse has a really good night at work!

Making Headway

2009-07-13T22:23:00.008-04:00

Today was a great day in the shop! I sold my drums and decided to buy myself that Craftex floor model radial drill press I was eyeing up at Busy Bee Tools. This thing is a beauty! And the assembly process was a snap for a change. I did need a hand from the spouse to get the head on but I managed to put everything else together myself. While I was at it I put it on wheels because as you can imagine I have NO room left in the garage. There are so many ways you can twist and turn the drill head and the table you can practically drill upside down with this thing. I have done the complete set up yet of squaring the head and such but I will get it done this week.

I had so many things on the go in the shop it was crazy. I read The New Scroll Saw Handbook this past weekend so it got me motivated to get my scroll saw set up and working. I literally tore it to pieces and put it back together AGAIN but now it really is running nicely. I added a speed control to it as well. There are going t be some really nice projects coming off that baby in the near future. But first I need to rework the stand for it or make a new one. Right now it is taking up WAY TOO MUCH room. I guess a 26" scroll saw will do that.

Home Hardware has some sheets of Masonite on sale for $2.00 so I bought a few of them and made a nice cover for my table saw. Now I can use it as a work surface and not ruin the table. I also bought a new miter fence from Busy Bee. It's not the Incra one I have been lusting after but it will do the trick. It took a little jury rigging to get it to work with my miter gauge. Once I had it set up I could see the saw blade is still out of alignment to the miter slot. But I bought some miter bar stock and I'm going to make a proper jig for my dial indicator. Then I should be able to set that up within a few thousands of an inch. The original one I made out of wood is too flimsy.

I also bought a little jig to set up the blades on my jointer. I don't know how well it will work, but right out of the package I had to "repair" it. It come with magnets and one of them wasn't glued in properly. It's starts to feel like working on computers all over again. STUFF SHOULD JUST WORK! Hopefully it will do the job on the blades without too much hassle. I really want to have everything tuned up properly and then actually BUILD something!

The only things I have left to buy are the Kreg Pocket Hole Jig, I am thinking the R3 Kit, and a new sliding compound miter saw. I have narrowed the choices down to either the Bosch or Ridgid 12" models. Whichever one I find on sale first will be the one. Both are in the $700.00 range so I need a really BIG sale. My woodworking buddy advised me to wait till the Woodstock Wood Show in October and I might be able to score a good deal there. For $700.00 I can wait. My little Jobmate 8" saw is working for me for the moment.

I am sure there will always be "something" I'll think I need, but I have to say right now, I pretty much have it all. Now it really needs to get some GOOD use!

What made today the most enjoyable, other then everything going well for a change, was that every time I needed a certain tool I had it! The spouse can whine about all the stuff I buy but it sure pays off. It was also nice to have a beautiful sunny day and have the garage door open!

Back In The Shop

2009-07-09T15:33:00.003-04:00

Now that all the work drama has ended I can finally get back to normal. Well what's normal for me anyway which is usually total chaos. I have been back in the shop a little this week doing some tool tune ups and just reminding myself what I have been missing. The table saw got a work over including a new blade, a complete realignment and a fresh coat of wax on the tabletop.

I bought the Micro Jig splitters and the GRRRipper push block. The only problem is I now need stilts. Being vertically challenged, my forearm gets dangerously close to the blade once I am on the other side of it. Looks like I will have to build myself a little step up box to stand on at the table saw. Other then that I really like the GRRRipper. It does make me feel as if I have more control over the cut and I do feel safer when the blade is covered.

I had some issues with the Micro Jig splitter as well. Seems the Ridgid blade that came with the table saw is not even a standard "thin kerf" blade. The wood could still not get past the Micro Jig thin kerf splitter. Hence the blade change. I am now using a DeWalt combination blade but I still have to make a zero clearance insert with the regular kerf splitter. I'll keep you posted on how that turns out.

All I really accomplished with all my time off was making a longer "To Do" list. The grandson was over during my break and said he wanted a go kart. That sounded like a very fun project and I started buying parts and lumber to build it. Then the spouse came home one day with one of those little metal dune buggy pedal type go karts for him. That kind of took the wind out of my sails. Why would he want some wooden soapbox derby type kart when he had that? So that project is on hold for the moment.

I also thought about using all that nice cherry wood to build a bench for the front foyer. It will involve some serious resawing and glue ups but it can be done. The problem is the spouse is working night shift this week so I can't really run any noisy shop tools. The rest of the day just seems to get ate up by normal day to day stuff. I suppose this is only supposed to be a hobby so I should just relax. It just feels like I am wasting a lot of time doing nothing.

I am getting better with Google Sketch Up. I have been trying to use it to draw up my go kart plans. It takes time but I AM getting the hang of it.

I WANT MY BLOG BACK!!

2009-06-20T11:06:00.003-04:00

Due to the ongoing circumstances at work I have moved all the posts relevant to that to a new and separate blog. You can now find all the Kellogg information in the new London Kellogg Workers Blog.

Hopefully life will return to normal soon and I can continue blogging about woodworking and computers.

When It All Pays Off

2009-06-04T23:38:00.005-04:00

This week I have been "milling" the rough lumber I got and it has turned into a monumental task. The wood I thought was walnut is not but I am not really sure what it is. It has all the properties and looks like Ash so that's what I am assuming it is. It is a heavy as LEAD! Running the 2x8 inch 6 foot long planks through the planer by myself has used a few muscles I haven't seen in a while. It took most of the week to plane a total of 14 planks. This was still just a "rough" planing but at least now I can see what parts of the wood are actually usable.

The cherry wood turned out very nice and I will get to use most of it one way or another. Next week I will be cutting the planks into usable pieces then resawing and final planing to dimension. Hopefully after that I will actually get to make something.

The best part of this endeavour is that I finally can justify buying all those "BIG" power tools like the jointer, planer and band saw. None of this would be possible without them. I suppose I could spend the next year working at it with hand planes, but really, that's not very likely.

My objective is to try to keep what ever pieces I cut as long and as wide as possible. Some of the boards are knotty, checked, split, or water damaged and some even have a little rot. So it will be like working on a puzzle backwards to cut all the best pieces. All the resawing will be to a maximum of 1" thickness where possible. I expect to end up with a lot of 3/4 or 1/2 inch thick lumber when it's all said and done. Still, that will make some very nice wood to work with.

Everybody keeps suggesting I make a table. I don't need a table of any sort, so why would I make one? Maybe they think that's the limit of my skills. Maybe it is. But I still have no intention of making a table.

The BIG Router

2009-06-02T23:25:00.005-04:00

I finally managed to get the Hitachi M12 3 1/4 HP router. The price was right as I got it from The Tool Doctor for $179.00 plus taxes and shipping totalling about $245.00. Still cheaper then the 299.00 that Federated Tool wanted.

My plan for this router is to use it in the Oak Park table pretty much exclusively. I'll use the current Mastercraft 2 HP router that's in there now for the Oak Park base plates and jigs outside the table. My little Mastercraft 1 1/4 HP router will be used for "little" portable jobs as it only take 1/4" shank bits anyway.

I am still thinking of getting a trim router, but if I can get around it with the other 4 routers ( I also have the Mastercraft Serpentine Saw) that I now have I will hold off until I REALLY need it. Besides I think I have pushed the spouse to the router limits.

The spouse needed a bird house part fixed tonight which required a couple of holes cut with hole saws on the drill press. That is always a feat on that little drill press so it was good to have the spouse observe this while waiting patiently for the parts. Oh yes, if we ever get this contract settled at work that new radial drill press is now as good as MINE!

I got some beautiful rough cherry and walnut wood from our daughter-in-law's parent's barn. Very good sized 2x8 inch planks about 6 feet long. I have been planing and jointing them and will be resawing them one day soon when I can get the spouse to help me. I now understand why you pay a premium for pre milled lumber. It looks like I may lose up to 1/3 of the wood to just cleaning it up. But it was all free and well worth the effort and education on milling!

Table Saw Scare Tactics

2009-05-19T22:24:00.004-04:00

I was watching a video on the new SawStop Table Saws and they showed some pretty nasty table saw injuries. It's obvious the SawStop is a brilliant invention but $3000.00 is NOT in my budget although they are correct when they say "how much are your hands worth?"

I have been running my table saw without a blade guard from the get go mostly because the splitter that is attached to the guard does not support the thin kerf blade that Ridgid shipped with the table saw. HELLO RIDGID???? ARE YOU LISTENING?

After seeing these saw accidents I am a little freaked out. So now I want to find a way to put a guard back on my saw. I looked into after market overhead guards and while they would work very well, they too are out of my budget starting from about $300.00 and up.

Enter Micro Jig and the Grr-Ripper. Now THIS system is affordable AND it also works on a router table, band saw and even a jointer. It also keeps your hands completely safe from the running blades/bits. At about $100.00 if you add in the $10.00 DVD which sounds well worth the investment, this is a VERY affordable SAFETY device for MULTIPLE tools. Can you tell it's on my MUST HAVE list?

Micro Jig also makes a Splitter to add to a Zero Clearance Insert on the table saw. They make a separate model for thin kerf blades. This along with the Grr-Ripper makes a completely SAFE system. Both splitters can be had for about $50.00.

So for about $150.00 I can feel safe when using my table saw again. Not to mention using the Grr-Ripper on the other tools. Now the only question is where am I going to pull that money magically out of?

Drill Time

2009-05-19T00:26:00.006-04:00

I have found the floor model drill I want! It's a Craftex Radial Drill Press from Busy Bee. I had never even heard of these things till I stumbled across it on the Busy Bee site. Wow is this thing cool or what? I doubt there is anything you can't drill with that puppy. They also have a bench model but I still think the floor model will be more versatile in the long run. And that swiveling tilting head? Well that's just the CAT'S ASS!

AND it's on sale for $275.00 till the end of May.

Of course it is NOT in the budget at the moment. The top priority HAS to be the rest of my dust collection system. It's useless at the moment without a longer hose and the connectors. The really sad thing is I found a Delta air filtration unit on Kijiji for 75.00 but that's not in the budget either.

There really isn't anything exciting going on in the shop right now other then jig building. There is also no money in the budget for wood. So I am just making little things out of scrap. And pretty much just making MORE scrap. Ahh well it makes great fire wood!

I have been working on my GROZ hand planes. Yes when you buy cheap planes you will spend more time working on them then with them. But it is a great learning experience. Putting a flat sole on them has to be the most work. I have taken to running the soles on the belt sander to just get them flat enough to sand with sand paper. They are far from flat out of the box. Then the cheap irons have to be sharpened and honed quite a bit as they seem to be far from flat too. The plane iron caps have to be flattened and honed as well. It's a great time waster when you just want to hang out in the shop.

The Good, The Bad and the Downright Disastrous

2009-05-16T00:41:00.009-04:00

Yesterday was NOT a good day. Everything I tried to do in the shop went horribly WRONG! Even the simplest of tasks became ridiculous. It wasn't just in the shop either. Things I tried to do elsewhere suffered the same results. There are bad days and then there are days when it doesn't pay to get out of bed. THAT was one of them.

Today was a bit better I got the boom made for my dust collection system. This will allow me to swing the hose wherever I need it and not be tripping over it all the time. Now I just need to buy more hose and a few more connections.

I also bought a plunge base for my Dremel tool. I think this will come in quite handy for doing intricate work. I might even invest in the small Dremel router table. Unfortunately I am SERIOUSLY running out of space.

I picked up a Craftex bench mortiser on Kijiji the other day. It was a terrific deal and the thing is like brand new. I don't think the fellow that sold it to me knew how to use it properly. Unfortunately he may have ruined one of the chisels in the process. However it was STILL a great deal at $125.00 I was actually looking for a floor model drill press. The search for that continues.

During all the disasters in the shop yesterday I found out my original Mastercraft router will not work with the Oak Park Guide Bushings. I guess that's not REALLY a big deal just more of a PITA. When I went to the router forums for assistance I got some great suggestions for modifying it. It was also suggested I just buy a new router that would work with all the Oak Park items. That would be the Hitachi M12 model. So now I am hunting for that as well. It seems to be rather elusive here in Canada. Maybe it will show up when I can actually afford it.

I also purchased an Incra Jig for my router table a while back from one of the fellows on the router forum. That unfortunately did not work out to be a good deal with the exchange and shipping.

I got the instructional video with it as well but I will need to watch that a few more times before I'll be ready to attempt the fancy joints with it. It makes a GREAT router fence though.

Staycation Again

2009-05-10T23:41:00.004-04:00

I am on "vacation" for a couple of weeks and while I am happy to be away from work, it will unfortunately be more of a staycation then vacation. The contract at work is still under fire, and one of my weeks off will actually be a layoff. So spending money is out of the question. The first week I am off the spouse is on night shift, so running noisy power tools in the garage is out of the question too. I might actually be forced to do some of that "outdoor" work that keeps piling up. I swear one year I am actually going to have a REAL vacation.

There are a few "shop" jobs I could do that might not be too noisy. I need to build a boom for the hose for my new Craftex CT053 dust collector. Having a 4 inch vacuum hose running across the floor in my already over crowded garage is not working for me. Since I only hook the system up to one machine at a time it would be easier to have the hose overhead. I also need to buy all the adapters to be able to hook the hose to all the different sized ports on every machine. What a PITA. But I can tell you that having a dust collection system makes a HUGE difference. When things get settled financially I plan to add an air filtration system as well.

I could also spend some "quiet" time sharpening my planes and chisels. It is absolutely amazing how once you buy tools you suddenly have use for them. I have used a couple of the planes and chisels a few times now, and having nice sharp tools also makes a HUGE difference in the quality of work you can do. I still need a little practice on planing AND chiseling. The Groz hand planes may not be highly rated, but when you put a nice keen edge on the irons they do a fine job.

There are also numerous little jigs, push sticks, sanding accessories that I want to make as well. As long as I don't have to run any of the BIG power tools it should be fine. In the event it is raining outside I could resort to TRYING to learn Google Sketch Up. Yes I am still struggling with that.

If all else fails I could just veg and actually "vacate" life for a while. Doesn't sound too bad after I just worked a 12 hour night shift and every bone in my body hurts. Of course tomorrow I'll feel different :)

Digital Organization

2009-05-05T23:38:00.004-04:00

I knew it wouldn't be long before the spouse decided the new netbook should be a shared item. It seems it's ideal for creating collection databases of music, movies, recipes, addresses and whatever else that can be "digitally organized". I believe the quote was "It's so portable it's perfect for that!". Well okay, I can share. However finding software to accomplish all this was less then simple. My first suggestion was Microsoft Access. Unfortunately the spouse is not that tech savvy when it comes to software, and Access was just too complicated.

After a little net research and some trial and error testing I found a very simple and easy to use shareware program called AZZ Cardfile. It's a replacement program for Microsoft Cardfile and it fits the bill for all kinds of organizational items. They even offer downloads of premade databases for everything from Astrology to Italian Song Lyrics. (really... there IS such a database!)

The program can't be any simpler: create your file and add your items. Include as much or as little detail as you want. The spouse was ecstatic! Even I caught the fever and thought I should create a tool inventory database for the shop. Or woodworking magazine indexes. Or a hundred other things once I got thinking about it. If you are looking for a simple way to organize data you have to check out AZZ Cardfile. Once you get started there is no end to the possibilities. They even offer a FREE licence if you submit your database or blog/write a review about the program. Yes I am going to apply for the free license but I would have blogged about it anyway. I LOVE software that just works! And if it makes the spouse happy ...well that's even better!

Netbook Fever

2009-04-30T20:37:00.004-04:00

I have been downloading a LOT of information about woodworking lately. There is so much out there on the web, if one could find the time to actually digest it all I am sure they would be a professional woodworker in no time flat. I, on the other hand will require a little more practice.

However it's hard to divide my time between studying this material and actually working in the shop. I could spend every free moment studying it if I wanted to be glued to my computer. Unfortunately I do have other things I need to accomplish in a day. So I was trying to figure out a way to be able to make this info portable so that I could peruse it whenever I had some spare time but wasn't near my computer. Surprisingly enough my spouse suggested I get one of those "netbooks".

Now I am sure I may have mentioned that I would like one of these appliances, but when the suggestion was made I immediately took that as a blessing to go ahead and get one. In retrospect I can see that wasn't the intention.

But I started web window shopping and the best deal I could find was an Acer Aspire One for $329.00. (1.6GHz CPU, 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD, Web Cam, B/G wireless.) For the heck of it I thought I'd check Kijiji, and low and behold, 27 minutes earlier someone posted the EXACT same spec netbook for $200.00! Needless to say I snapped it up before the spouse could say "just kidding".

The thing had been barely used and I put it through some torture the first day. I ran the battery from a full charge non stop for 2.5 hrs doing actual computing. Not great but not bad for a small Lithium Ion battery. I uninstalled the crapware and installed all the programs I would need on it.

I really LIKE it. It's not designed to replace your computer, but for surfing, checking email, watching video or reading e-books its GREAT! For old folks like me the screen is a bit small and requires reading glasses. It's not FAST at anything but it gets the job done. My only major complaint is the networking is a little quirky and slow. I had a lot of trouble connecting to my home network and moving documents or video from my main computer to the netbook. It connects to the Internet fine but is a little slow loading complex pages.

It's small enough to take absolutely anywhere. This means I can carry my full woodworking library of books and videos everywhere I go and catch up on my reading any time I have a free few minutes. I could also watch movies, listen to music, carry my favourite pictures.

The camera works, but the video is very low quality. It might be alright for Skype or MSN messenger, neither of which I use so no biggie to me. This is not a gaming computer by any means. Solitaire and Mine Sweeper are about the limit. The video quality is good and very bright even on battery power. The tin can sound is all you can expect for speakers probably the size of a dime. Headphones or ear buds will remedy that.

There is no optical drive but one can be connected via one of the three available USB ports. Unless it's externally powered it will be a severe drain on the battery unless the unit is plugged in. The keyboard takes a little getting used to. Everything you need is there but some functions require the use of the number lock of Fn keys. The touch pad has two side buttons to replace the left and right mouse buttons. This works exceptionally well. The pad requires only a light touch.

Overall I would give it 3 out of 5 stars. If the networking was better I would have given it 4 stars. It can't get 5 only because it is not designed to replace a computer or laptop. But for portability and usefulness it's right on!

So Much For Regulations

2009-04-30T20:27:00.002-04:00

My "Near Miss" at work was finally investigated by the Ministry of Labour. Unfortunately what I thought was black and white turns out to be a very grey area. Oddly enough the language in the OHSA seems to address my issue directly yet the investigator did not find the company at fault.

There have been some improvements to the equipment at work and it's a shame that it always takes a fatal or near fatal incident to initiate these things. The company is looking over their lockout policy again and trying to get some clarification for the "grey" areas. I don't have much faith that anything will change there only because it's this very ambiguity that protected the company in this incident. Why would they close that loophole?

I am left feeling angry, violated and devalued. The only bright side is that I was lucky enough not to be killed or seriously injured.

This time.

Wood Up

2009-04-07T23:55:00.002-04:00

The "Shop" has been keeping me very busy. When I am not tuning up tools I am learning fundamentals of wood working mostly through trial and error. Today I got a new resaw blade for the band saw and have been slicing through planks of red and white oak and black walnut. I am also getting lots of use out of the jointer and planer with this raw wood.

I have to highly recommend R&D Bandsaws and their Tuff Tooth Blades. They have a great site, excellent prices and the quality of their band saw blades is exceptional. Shipping was incredibly fast and reasonable. Their Little Ripper resaw blade makes short work of hard woods with a smooth clean cut.

It seems I am still having problems getting wood square. I just haven't figured out what I am doing wrong yet. Obviously I am missing a key step somewhere.

Still I am thoroughly enjoying my new found hobby. There have been lots of additions to my tool collection. A couple of things I have yet to master would be planing and plane sharpening. There just don't seem to be enough hours in the day. And of course I do have to shut things down at a reasonable time as I am sure my neighbours do not appreciate the late night buzz of a table saw.

It's going to really suck when I actually have to go back to work 5 days a week. Unfortunately that's coming VERY soon.

When a NEAR MISS Isn't

2009-03-27T00:18:00.003-04:00

I had a rather close call at work last weekend. A robot dropped an 80 pound tool and it just barely missed my head. It seems that management dropped the ball when it came to the safety of the employees. They documented this incident as a "NEAR MISS". I prefer to document it as GROSS NEGLIGENCE on the part of management.

We have a Lock Out Policy in place that management disregarded in an effort to keep the line running. They didn't even bother to identify the issue to us when we came in at the start of the shift. While it was my head that ended up on the chopping block (no pun intended), it could just as easily have been my partner's that day. If I had been the only one at risk I would be calling this ATTEMPTED MURDER.

Of course they are now back peddling and trying to fix the issues, however they have not acknowledged the fact that they are actually at fault. If they did I am sure somebody's head would roll (again no pun intended).

I am doing my absolute best to make sure that every other employee is aware of exactly what happened and I am making as much noise about this to anyone who will listen, lest the incident be swept under the carpet to save face for the company.

Our union is at the 11th hour of contract negotiations with the company. So far they have offered us nothing but job cuts, longer hours, less pay, forced overtime, scheduled vacations (they choose when we can have them), reduced benefits and whatever else they don't want us to have.

This is a company that made a profit of 1.15 BILLION dollars in 2008. This is a company that purports to CARE about it's employees. This is a company that feeds your kids.

This is the company that almost killed me.

This Joint Rocks

2009-03-11T21:18:00.009-04:00

Things are progressing slowly with all the usual set backs. The dishwasher decided to quit and we had to buy a replacement. We chose a Maytag because I had an old Maytag a few years back and you couldn't kill the thing. Unfortunately we are not so lucky with the new one. It seems to want to leak around the vent and control panel. We are trying to get service for it but it's a little difficult as Maytag seems to be tied up with a refrigerator recall.

Things in the shop progress slowly. I got the band saw all tuned up and I am in the process of making a quick tension release lever for it. It still needs some fine tuning. I found the plans for it online and I think it will work just fine. I didn't want to for out the $175.00 for the one from Lee Valley.

In order to keep the spouse unhappy, I bought a new Craftex Jointer from Busy Bee Tools. I do believe this is the final tool required to complete my shop. However I have been wrong before. So far I am pleased with the purchase mainly because I got it on sale for $399.00. It was reasonably easy to set up and it runs very quiet. I have yet to plane anything on it. But I am not finished fine tuning it yet.

Once I finish buying tools and paying for the dishwasher I may actually be able to buy some wood and BUILD something. The closets are still waiting.

The computer business has somewhat ground to a halt. They keep making them cheaper and cheaper that they have become disposable. I can't honestly justify charging someone more then $150.00 to repair a computer when they can buy a new one for a hundred dollars more. And it will probably be faster and bigger then what they want fixed. I guess wood working will have to become my new sideline. Won't THAT make the spouse happy.

Rock Band Saw

2009-02-18T22:15:00.003-05:00

So the band saw nightmare was ongoing after all. Just when I thought I had it all tuned up, things got ugly again. I bought new blades and new tires but things didn't go so well. ANYHOW I spent several more hours retuning it and setting up yet AGAIN and I think I have it now. The problem seems to lie with the riser block shifting. We'll see how long this latest tune up lasts. I would REALLY like to move on to working on something ELSE in the shop. I haven't even had a chance to get my new planes out of the protective wrapping yet.

The painting is finally DONE. Well for a while anyway. I won't say I am 100% happy with it but I am happy enough to leave it alone for a while. The walls and ceiling in this house are very strange. They do weird things to paint. I am very happy with the colours we chose for a change. Usually I dislike them once I get them on but this time the colours look very nice. Good old Pratt and Lambert. Gotta love em.

The next project will be the closet makeovers. I'll actually get to use all my new woodworking tools on something. There are 4 closets, 1 utility storage room and the laundry room that are on the project board. I think I will start with the smallest closet first. Now if I could just figure out how to use Google Sketch Up.

Wood Show Shopping

2009-02-13T20:59:00.010-05:00

I am about to get a divorce. Today was the 21st Annual London Woodworking Show and I decided to make a day of it. It started with a trip to all the local wood working tool stores. Only moments after I entered the first store I was struck with shopping mania. Originally I wanted to buy a couple of woodworking planes. Maybe 3 at most, just a basic starter set. The Veritas and Lie Nielson planes are WAY out of my price range, and probably overkill for a novice. Busy Bee Tools carries a line called Groz planes. Now these planes don't get very high reviews from most woodworkers. It seems they need a little fine tuning before they can actually be used. But I have to say they are very reasonably priced and when they are on sale they are downright CHEAP!

So I bought SIX of them. My collection now consists of a Jointer, #4 Smooth, #5 Jack, Standard Block, Low Angle Block, and a Small Block plane that I had to buy becuase it was only $4.98 as a "Special Promotion". For the cost of a single Veritas plane I have an entire set. And I am actually looking forward to "tuning" them as it will be a tremendous learning experience. From the videos and instructions I have seen online it's not all that complicated. If the blades turn out to be crap I can always replace them with the more expensive Hock's or Veritas blades.

From there the mood was set and I was off to Lee Valley with a list of items the spouse actually wanted. Granted the list was small and under $100.00 dollars, but of course while I was there I thought it a good idea to pick up some Japanese Water Stones to sharpen my new planes.

Then, because it was on the way to the wood show, I stopped at Federated Tool and bought some Diamond Sharpening plates and a trunnion for my band saw table. Yes there was ONE MORE glitch with the band saw when I discovered that one of the table trunnions was broken. Fortunately I found an inexpensive replacement.

Finally I was on my way to the wood show. I found a band saw blade dealer right inside the front door and bought a new 5/8" x 3 TPI resaw blade and a 3/8" x 6 TPI general purpose blade. I also got some new urethane tires and some saw lubricant. Unfortunately they had sold out of bearings, and I didn't find any at the other vendors.

I managed to find a 1/2" shank x 2" straight router bit at another vendor. I have been wanting one of these to do jointing on the router table. All was going well but the spending alarms were going off in my head. But at the Freud display they had the switch I need for my Oak Park router table so I picked that up as well. Unfortunately I got a late start and missed the routing and table saw seminars.

The credit card was starting to feel a bit soggy so I figured I better get the HELL out of there. It was a $500.00 day but I had such fun and am so excited about my new purchases. I figure the spouse probably won't get me anything for Valentines day, so I should be allowed to treat myself right?

Did I mention I am going to be getting a divorce?

Band Saw Blues

2009-02-11T22:18:00.004-05:00

The new band saw has been a nightmare. It would take volumes to relate all the things I have gone through in the last week to TRY to get it running properly. Lets just say that sparks and flying blades and band saw tires are NOT supposed to happen. But they did, usually all at once.

I had to walk away from it several times to keep from screaming. But taking five every now and then paid off as I finally figured out what the HELL was wrong with it. It seems the extension kit on the neck must have shifted when we moved it and the whole thing was so out of alignment that it could not possibly work.

It took a lot of tweaking and testing but I actually have it running top notch now. Of course I have to replace the blade and the bearings and the tires. Once I do that it will be a BRAND NEW saw!

The computer repair business threw me a new curve today. I got a client computer that just needed a "small" tune up. Well I spent a couple of hours cleaning it up all the while fighting video problems. When I finally gave up and decided to replace the video card, I open the computer and what do I find? FIVE BLOWN CAPS on the motherboard! .

How in the hell is this thing still working at all??? To top it off I find out the fan in the power supply is not running. This is truly a MIRACLE computer. My advice to the client?
BUY A NEW COMPUTER QUICK!

Oh and to top it all off I am STILL painting. It's mostly fresh paint now and not "repainting" although there is one wall I want to change the colour of already. I am REALLY sick of painting.

More Shop Toys!

2009-02-03T23:36:00.003-05:00

I found a new toy for the shop. It's a 14" bandsaw with a riser kit that will allow me to cut or resaw wood up to 12" thick! SWEET! It was a deal I found on Kijiji, and though it's used and needs a little TLC it's going to be prefect for my projects. You can just imagine how happy the spouse was about this purchase.

I need to reinforce the base of the saw as it wobbles something awful. The top blade guard is missing and I will need to fabricate one at work probably as I don't have any sheet metal handy around here. I don't think I would want that 104" blade to let go without a guard on it. That would NOT be pretty. I also need to shim out the bottom wheel a bit. And of course I need to buy a new blade and new bearings. This is ALMOST as bad as building computers!

The weather has been really uncooperative for shop work. The temperatures drop into the -20's C and the shop is unusable. My little Black and Decker 1500W heater does a pretty good job most days but once it gets past -10 things get ugly.

The spouse's idea to paint the upstairs is putting a serious handicap on my shop time too. The "idea" it seems is that I do all the actual work. This is not a small house. Hopefully I will be finished by spring and the weather will allow me out in the shop.

Steeler Nation

2009-02-01T22:38:00.003-05:00

I just watched the XLIII Superbowl and what can I say but congrats Pittsburgh! It certainly was a tremendous edge-of-your-seat game and even though I was rooting for the underdog Cardinals, the Steelers certainly deserved the win.

We had our traditional just-the-two-of us Superbowl party. We cook ridiculous amounts of football food, we eat, I have a couple of cocktails, spew out commentary like I've been calling plays since third grade, high five each other no matter which team makes a great play, and then clean up and go to bed. It's a great tradition.

I am starting another week of interior painting. The last two weeks of painting have been a wash. The Home Depot Behr PREMIUM paint we used absolutely SUCKS! DO NOT buy this paint. I am now about to repaint the entire upstairs with tried and trusted Pratt and Lambert Red Seal paint. The reason we didn't use this in the first place was that we had to drive 45 miles to get it, which is what we ended up having to do anyway. I will never make THAT mistake again. So I have seen very little of the shop or my computer for the last couple of weeks and will likely see less of it for the next couple.

The endless joys of home ownership.

O' Canada Where Art Thou?

2009-01-29T20:28:00.003-05:00

The latest news is a story out of New Brunswick where an elementary school principal has removed the singing of O Canada from the daily curriculum in order to accommodate some students who's parents feel they shouldn't have to sing the national anthem for whatever ridiculous reason. Removing the Lord's Prayer from daily school ritual is fine as religion is broad based and no one should be forced to practice a religion they are not part of. But last time I looked, this was still CANADA, a single country with many ethnicity's that we have made generous concessions for including welcoming them to LIVE here. I have NO prejudice toward ANY foreigner who makes that choice. BUT now they want to refuse to pay homage to that generosity by not acknowledging that we are in fact CANADIANS living in CANADA with ONE NATIONAL ANTHEM that can not be bastardized to accommodate every multinational that chooses to make CANADA their home because we were kind enough as a NATION to allow them that.
If I were a parent of a student of that school I would remove my child from it for NOT acknowledging that my child is in fact CANADIAN and is entitled to sing the NATIONAL ANTHEM to show thanks for the magnificent country we live in and the multitudes of freedoms we are allowed, including it seems, the freedom to SHIT on the very country we call HOME.
I strongly encourage everyone I know to call or write to your Member of Parliament and DEMAND that this wrong be righted. Mounties wearing turbans was ridiculous. But THIS aberration is ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE !

STAND UP AND BE A PROUD CANADIAN AND DEFEND THE RIGHT TO KEEP CANADA AS CANADA! Let's Stand On Guard for THEE!

New Tech Toy is a HIT!

2009-01-19T23:32:00.008-05:00

Well I knew I couldn't go on forever without buying some new tech toy. Dell had a one day sale on the Logitech Harmony 880 remote control and at $99.00 I had to take the plunge. The spouse has constantly complained ever since I bought the Harmon Kardon AVR-245 receiver and we have had to have as many as 5 separate remotes on the go. When I tried to explain the Logitech would give us one button control I got the typical "uh huh" response. Frankly I was a little skeptical myself. But today I spent a couple of hours programming it (TV, AVR, DVD Player, CD Player, Tape Deck, VCR, Sony Playstation 2, AND the Media Centre computer) and all I can say is BUY ONE OF THESE BABIES!!!

The programming was easy as entering the components and their model numbers. The software walked me through anything I didn't understand, which wasn't much as it's pretty straight forward. There are lots of advanced programming features which I haven't even explored yet. When it was all done it was absolutely amazing to see things turn off and on with ONE BUTTON COMMAND! The spouse is ecstatic. It works just like I promised (thank heavens!). I may be redeemed for all my crazy tool expenditures now. (I hope.) Yes this tech tool definitely gets 5 STARS! Thanks Logitech!

HAPPY NEW YEAR - Better Late Then Never

2009-01-09T23:01:00.005-05:00

The decorations are put away, the festivities are over and it's back to work for another year. YAY! I had a fabulous Holiday Season but I am always glad to get back to normal - whatever THAT is.

This was a completely untech Xmas for me. I got nothing computer or technology related. I did get a new Ridgid TS3660 table saw, and a new Ridgid Oscillating Spindle/Belt Sander that I am REALLY pleased with. I also got the complete Oak Park Router Workshop Table system, but that won't be delivered till mid January. My workshop has come a long way. Now I just need to BUILD something significant. I try to get out there but something always seems to get in the way. Hopefully I'll have some free time next week. I think I said that last week.

There was nothing technology related I wanted for Xmas. However, I have found myself perusing the new mini notebooks lately. The ASUS Aspire One's and the Dell mini's. I do NOT need one of these things but I just think I would like to have one. My preference would be one that can run XP and had something other then a 4 GB SSD. It starts by me looking at the sub $400.00 ones, but by the time I configure what I really want I am looking at $800.00. Seems silly to spend THAT kind of money on something so small.

I am also somewhat interested in the new AMD Dragon Platform. I would just like to build one as a comparison to an Intel machine for gaming. I haven't really read any reviews about it yet, but have heard the less then stellar comments. I KNOW that all these Intel fanbois were once AMD die hards. They just won't give it a chance. Of course I would have to build a Core i7/X58 system to compare it to. It never ends.

But building or buying any computer is just a dream for now until some of the Xmas bills get paid. Which means I'll be working overtime for the next while. I guess the workshop will have to wait a little longer.

That lottery I am destined to win this year better hurry.

Let it Rain, Let it Rain, Let it Rain!

2008-12-24T15:21:00.002-05:00

Yes it's raining on Christmas Eve. That was of course after we got a foot of snow the night before. Needless to say last minute shoppers will need water wings.

We have Christmas pretty much under control here. The credit cards are maxed out, chequing account is in the red, yep it must be Christmas.

The company has started arriving, the alcohol is flowing, the spouse has been in the kitchen all morning, yep it must be Christmas.

I'm checking email, blogging and looking for very last minute bargains. Oh wait, that's like every other day.

The difference is today I wish one and all Happy Holidays and all the joys and happiness the season brings. The rest of the year your on your own!

CHEERS!

Trust Your Instincts - Shop Safety 101

2008-12-15T19:53:00.002-05:00

I just had a "close call" in the shop. My fault, I was cutting a couple of pieces of wood on the sliding compound saw and didn't bother to clamp them first. I actually THOUGHT about clamping them first, but then though "naw - it's just a quick cut". More like a quick way to loose a body part. Fortunately the wood didn't take my fingers with it when it bucked under the saw. Lesson learned.

Wood working is NOT for impatient people. Everything you do requires 5 or more minutes of set up, even just a "quick cut". Skip a step and you are inviting disaster. So I must practice patience before I practice any wood working.

OK I just needed a little break from the near disaster.

Christmas Butts In

2008-12-11T22:39:00.002-05:00

It's been a while since my last post due to the sudden onslaught of Christmas. I must have missed the memo. So it's been rush, shop, drop everything, search the Internet, price compare, tear your hair out, normal Christmas frenzy type stuff. It leaves little time for the things I REALLY want to do.

I have been trying to get out into the shop more. Been upgrading some tools and ridding myself of useless ones. I have been learning that I really know absolutely NOTHING about wood working. It's been a lot of fun when I could squeeze it in here and there. My Christmas wish list grows daily with new tools, books, jigs, bits, blades, etc. etc. Due to the fact that it IS Christmas, I cannot divulge what might be in the works.

Gaming has really taken a back seat to everything. There is NOTHING computer related on my wish list this year. The whole Core i7/X58 dream is way off as I follow along in the forums with the trials and tribulations of the early adopters. Sometimes patience IS a virtue. The ONLY game that might be on my wish list would be Call of Duty: World at War and I have too many other games I haven't finished to even consider it.

So bring on the New Year where things slow down again, I work insane overtime to pay Christmas bills and still have NO time for the things I REALLY want to do. Life is grand.

Woodworking for Novices

2008-11-27T00:41:00.003-05:00

Ahhhh the smell of fresh cut wood, the rattle and buzz of a table saw, the mounds of sawdust under the router. These are the joys of woodworking. Unfortunately in my garage there is the smell of burning wood, the rattle of loose blades, and the ends of broken bits among the sawdust. But I am really enjoying it.

I fixed a drawer in one of our "antiques" today. It required a trip to the hardware store for wood and numerous power tools to cut rout and dado the panel. The best part was it actually fit when it was done and all the parts mated perfectly. HAH! I can do it. Even the spouse was impressed. I did however break a router bit in the process, but I figured out what I was doing wrong to cause that. So the lesson was learned.

I joined the Router Workshop forum hoping to get some help and tips there. Just browsing some of the posts I learned a lot. The biggest lesson was RTFM!!! A couple of posts lead me to realize some capabilities of my router that I hadn't noticed. It's amazing what you can learn from actually LOOKING at your router and reading the manual. Suddenly it a whole new tool!

Too Many Hobbies

2008-11-25T01:03:00.005-05:00

Gaming seems to be on the back burner lately. The garage workshop project has taken over my free time. But it is coming along very nicely. The spouse has finally quit nagging me about not using all those tools. There are plenty of other things to nag about.

The "business" is coming along as well. Sometimes it feels like things are at a standstill, but I am getting things accomplished slowly. Today I worked on the new logo as seen here. I am not much of a graphic designer, but this will do for now. I am trying to get a temporary website and email set up as well. Today I ordered business cards and a couple of t-shirts with the logo on it for the spouse and myself. There are still many more important things to do.

Christmas is also looming and I really need to start thinking about that. Just another money grab as far as I'm concerned. But I must not be a scrooge AGAIN this year. Bah Humbug!

Workshop 101

2008-11-20T23:23:00.011-05:00

I got a few more details about the new business sorted out today. I am now officially registered with the government aka TAXMAN. Everything is pretty much in place, except for the website, suppliers, inventory, bookkeeping and a few other minor details. Good thing I don't officially open till next year!

The garage has been my focus this week. I have quite an ensemble of tools and I am trying to set up a space where I can actually USE them. Perhaps I have too many for a garage. However I have been making very good progress out there. One day I will actually BUILD something.

I finally got all the parts for my little test bed computer, and I now have to admit complete defeat and say that the HD 4870 video card I have been hanging on to in hopes of a miracle is absolutely and officially DEAD. It is now in the trash.

The E6700 processor I bought on Kijiji along with my ASUS Maximus board is also a dud. Fortunately it is still under warranty from Intel and I may get it replaced. If that happens the deal will have been worthwhile, although I have NO complaints about the motherboard.

Tomorrow it's back to my REAL job for a couple of days. Someone has to pay for all the toys I keep buying.

i7/x58 IS OUT!

2008-11-17T01:01:00.003-05:00

It's official the Intel Core i7 and X58 Motherboards have hit the shelves and all the early adopters are buzzing loudly and scrambling to build the new "biggest e-peen" rigs. The i7 comes in 3 flavours, the basic 920 at 2.66GHz, the mid range 940 at 2.94 GHz and the extreme 965 at 3.2 GHz. Gone is the old Front Side Bus (FSB) and in it's place is the new Quick Path Interconnect (QPI). If you want all the nitty gritty on this new architecture check out this WIKI page.

There have already been numerous tests and benchmarks done but now that it's finally in the wild we'll get to see the true performance of this much hailed processor. The motherboard vendors have all jumped in the ring as the X58 chip sets support BOTH nVidia's SLI and ATI's CrossfireX technologies.

I myself will wait till sometime next year after all the bugs have been ironed out before I consider jumping on this bandwagon. And it's not an inexpensive venture either. X58 only supports DDR3 memory and this time it's TRIPLE channel memory. But it will be fun to watch all the boys revving their new engines in the forums.

I finally got caught up on all the computer repairs I had last week. It was quite busy around here. This week I have a little remodeling project in the garage to take of. I also have to give the spouse's computer a little tune up. And I am still trying to get that dead VisionTek HD 4870 to work. Yes I am flogging a dead horse, but I am trying to get my 300.00 worth out of it SOMEHOW.

The Business of Business

2008-11-12T19:31:00.003-05:00

Looks like I got caught up in the plan to market thermal pads. I have made some contacts, got quotes for materials, registered a domain, applied for a business licence, vendors permit, tax exemption, etc etc. The only thing left to do is sort out the import and export end of things. That is one pile of red tape I am not looking forward to dealing with.

I don't plan on officially launching the business until the new year. It will be web based for the thermal merchandise, but I might as well umbrella all my computer activities under one moniker. Besides, if I have legal on paper business maybe folks will be more willing to pay for my services. I really am tired of freebies.

I am already looking into product expansion. There really are a lot of thermal products that computer modders could easily use. They just aren't readily available. I am hoping to change that.

The other snag is trying to do business with North American companies. The big guys just don't want to deal with the little guys like me. They want to sell you 1000 products but you only need 10. Sadly Asia is much more willing to help the small business owner, and much more cost effective. I really want to buy North American, but they are making it very difficult. Hopefully if things go well that will change.

I am getting a hard fast course in thermal dynamics. It's a complicated science. We are never too old to learn right? NOT!

One of THOSE Days

2008-11-06T21:26:00.005-05:00

Have you ever had one of those days where you just can't seem to accomplish anything? That was basically my day, although in retrospect I HAVE accomplished things. I raked leaves, mailed letters, did shopping and errands, and fixed two computers. Still, it somehow feels like an "empty" day.

I had a client computer with a Zip drive installed in it. The problem was one of the grand children had inserted a nickle into the Zip Drive. I did manage to get the nickle out and got the computer to boot, which it wouldn't do before, but I have no way to test the Zip drive. Yes it was a very old computer. I don't think the Zip drive is worth a nickle personally.

The other computer had a software conflict between the HP camera software and the Lexmark printer software. One or the other has to go. I voted the Lexmark printer off the computer island. It's still cheaper to buy a NEW Lexmark printer then it is to buy ink cartridges for it.

I haven't played any games today at all. I did give the Merc Stealth a bit of a workout yesterday in Frontlines: Fuel of War. It is going to take some getting used to but I like it a lot so far. The colour illumination is very cool also. I am liking the purple.

Don't think I will accomplish anything else today. Blah!

Yes We Can!

2008-11-05T19:15:00.006-05:00

Congratulations to the USA for electing President Barack Obama! What a fantastic day in history it is indeed. To bad Bush left him such a incredible mess to clean up. Let's hope the US can pull together like they have demonstrated they CAN in this election, and clean up the disaster.

I attended the Intel Channel Conference in Toronto on Tuesday of this week, and while I always look at this little segway as a mini holiday, I was certainly unimpressed with Intel's offerings. One would have expected them to be all hyped about Core i7 and the new X58 platform but they glanced over it like it was old news even though the processor isn't being released until mid month. It seems they are trying to keep the Xeon and older Intel chip sets alive a little longer. Hmmmm... are they lacking some confidence in i7? They are also pushing the ATOM processor and miniITX boards. WHY??? I left with more questions then answers.

I discovered a new DVD rental service called Zip.ca. It's basically a DVD-by-mail rental system. I have a 4 week free trial coutersy of Telus Perks. If it goes well, it is a great offering. They claim to have over 72000 titles available. They offer everyone a 2 week free trial. I have already received my first DVD - Man On Fire. I'll post more on this as I go along.

I also got the Merc Stealth gaming keyboard this week. Going to give it a whirl tonight. So far I am REALLY liking it. I just need to get the whole profile set up sorted out. I'll give an update on this later on as well.

Computer Completions

2008-10-30T14:02:00.002-04:00

Today I put my computer back together hopefully for the last time for a while. I took out a couple of the fans now that I only have one video card. I moved the Antec Spot Cooling fan into the spouse's computer to help cool the MCP. It did drop it about 5C so that's better then nothing. Then I swapped out the Logisys Blue LED for two of the Logisys UV LED's, and put the blue LED in the spouse's case as well. So now we have different colour schemes. The only problem is the UV LED's are not very bright even though I have 3 of them in my case. Guess I need something more UV reflective in there. The spouse's case however is a bright blue glowing demon! Too bad it gets so little use.

I emailed VisionTek and told them the whole sordid story about my dead video card in hopes that they might give me a break and honour the warranty. No such luck. They didn't even bother to reply. They are now on my POO POO list. They could have at least offered to repair it at a reasonable cost.

Even though my computer is working just fine and my games are running extremely well, I am still miffed that I only have one video card. All I can do is wait till the dollar gains some strength and the next wave of overpriced GPU's comes out and HOPE that the 4870's drop back to a reasonable price. I really cannot blow another 400.00 on a card.

The latest disaster around here occurred on Tuesday when the spouse and I returned home from shopping and heard what sounded like hail hitting a window, although it was neither raining or hailing out. The sound was coming from the patio door. The inside pane on the fixed door was cracking into a million little pieces right before our eyes. It was extraordinary to watch even as I felt my wallet screaming in my pocket. I completely expected the pane to "blow out" at any moment so the spouse and I sealed the door up with plastic and duct tape to prevent the glass from shattering all over the dining room. Oddly enough it continued to crack into the middle of the night but the pane is still firmly in place. It looks like frosted glass now. And of course it will be about $600.00 to repair it and we have to wait 3 weeks for the glass. There is no explanation for why it happened but I searched Google and found other people have experienced the same thing. Very weird.

Another reason why there is no video card in my future.

Vista Surprises

2008-10-27T22:44:00.002-04:00

A client brought me a computer today with a printer installation problem. She told me it was running Vista Ultimate and so it was. On a 1.7 GHz processor with 512 MB of SDRAM. Unbelievable. It was slow but was working just fine. The printer problem was a simple software fix. I wouldn't have thought it was possible to run ANY Vista installation on such little memory.

It was a slow vegetative day today. Played a little, trolled the forums, ordered a Ideazon Merc Stealth Illuminated Keyboard. The spouse will be happy to hear that. I just hope the illumination on it is better then this Logitech G15 and I hope the keys wear better. I may just sell the G15 along with the Belkin Nostromo N52 SpeedPad.

Tomorrow I hope to do a little house cleaning, something I am way behind on, and maybe get out in the workshop and do some organizing out there. Winter is coming and it's home improvement time.

Getting Creative

2008-10-26T22:30:00.004-04:00

Now that I know it wasn't the Creative Zen that was messing up my computer, but a bum video card, I decided to check this little freebie out. Turns out the thing KICKS ASS! I put a couple of movies on a 8 GB SD card and loaded up some music and I was entertained all weekend. The software converts movie files to a readable proper sized format and it does a very nice job. The picture is crystal clear and the screen is big and bright enough to make viewing comfortable. The sound was perfect crisp stereo with excellent channel separation. The battery life was very impressive, letting me watch a full length movie, listen to an hour of downloaded music, and listen to the radio for almost 4 full hours on one full charge. WOW!

The Zen also handles photos, slide shows, Zen Casts, Audible books, music videos, recorded television, movies, FM radio, links to Outlook Contacts, a task calender, and voice recording. That's a lot of bang for the buck.

I showed the spouse a sample of the movie and that was all it took to be added to the Xmas wish list. However, I managed to completely forget our 9th anniversary on Saturday, so I went to The Source today and bought an 8 GB model to make amends. I think I am forgiven.

I got a Mastercraft Maximum 2 HP Plunge Router, a beautiful card and flowers as my anniversary present and am VERY happy with that. I am such a heel for forgetting!

I just bought a couple of acrylic cases for the Zens on EBay along with a car and electric charger for them. The exchange rate is brutal AGAIN, but that was still the cheapest place to get them. I think these little gadgets are going to get a lot of use.

So if you are in the market for an awesome mp3 player that has more to offer then just music, I strongly suggest checking out the Creative Zen. They are very reasonably priced and come in 2, 4, 8, 16 and 32 GB models. But with the added SD card slot these players can hold infinite amounts of digital entertainment.