Weekend Fun

Well, with the oil and gas prices jumping all over I spent most of this weekend and last cutting down some dead trees in the yard to get a wood supply built up for the winter. I have a few more to cut up but I have to sharpen up the chain saw first. Damn thin dulls quick on some of the bad wood I had to cut up.

My Father in Law got me a small splitter for my birthday this year and it is too bad he is not around to see it working. . . I think he would have been thrilled to come over and just watch the thing work or run the thing while I fed it wood. . . anyway, it has saved my back already this weekend and I expect it will get more use next weekend at this rate.

I am lucky I can heat a good chunk of my house with the fireplace. I don't know what we would be doing on the cost of oil with out the help of the wood fire. I am hoping the price stays down but these days who knows. . . .

Springtime in New England

I love spring in New England. For the last few nights it has been seriously HOT, HUMID and to make it worse the raccoons are having at it in the back yard.

At least I am told that is what is making all that noise out there. There are two of them that start off on different ends of the woods in my yard and slowly work towards each other as they scream at each other. This would not be so bad if I didn’t need the windows open for the air but come on. . . I wonder, can I rent them a room for a night or two and then they can get it out of their system and I can get some sleep. . .

I tell ya, a few more nights of this and I will be looking at that paint ball gun again. . . I have been thinking of ways to tie it into my air compressor and maybe if I get some paint balls and freeze them good and solid I may be able to deter these two horny critters or at least get them to go someplace else. . .

Shop Bench

OK, here are a few quick photos of the movable shop bench top that I put in to make working in the new shop easier. The idea is you can set the height depending on the tool you put on it so the work surface lines up with the benches that way you can work on a long piece and it is supported by the rest of the bench.

I have not used it much yet so we will see how it works. . .





Here you can see how I got it to work, I made a frame for the top, and set in pegs that you set to the height you want. Then just put the top back on and away you go


It is set up for my miter saw, router table(shown on the wrong setting), small drill press and the original setting of empty that will put the frame level with the bench top . . .


I liked the idea, we will see how it works out. . . and yes, I have too much time on my hands, that is what happens when you don't have money to go out = )

Weekend work

Other than the quick trip to the range with the wife and older daughter most of my weekend was spent working on my “new” workshop. The addition to the house is done, Mom/Nana is moved in and unpacking so I have a cellar filled with my Dad’s tools and mine all mixed up and piled in boxes. . . well, not any more.

I got my adjustable bench built first. This thing is a take off of something I saw in a Home Handyman write up years ago. I put together my work bench so that there was a space in the middle of it. I then built in a way to put an adjustable height platform there. . . you move the dowels to the right spot and put the counter top back on then put your tool on it and the work surface of the tool (say router table or miter saw) lines up with the rest of the work bench so you don’t have to balance your project as you run it through the tool. Kinda cool no? I will try to remember to get a few pics tonight to add here. . .

The second part was the back breaking part. . . I had a crawl space that the builder put cement in but it was not level.. . . I spend the time bent over in the (tiny height wise) space to build up a platform so it would be level and I could use it for storage. Dad had one heck of a shop and lots of stuff that is cool to have but you don’t use that often like plumbing and drywall stuff. You don’t use it often but when you need it boy is it great to have around. . .

Now I just have a shelf I want to build in then I should have most of the shop done and put away. . . when it is all done I want the middle to be empty so I can do my Karate forms and maybe hang my heavy bag in the middle for a good work out. I have not been to the gym in years and need to get back to more of a workout than just a few karate classes a week. The kids will also get some training in hand to hand once I am done with it. I got the younger daughter into Karate but the older one is not interested. That is cool, but she will lean how to take care of herself or I don’t deserve the name DAD ya know? Next week will be the big test, my brother in law wants to build something for his prospecting trip to CA so I will be helping to build a dry washer in my shop. . . we will see how it goes. . .