Creeker's Weekend Accomplishments

[Dennis Peacock]

11 Sep 2017

Good Morning Everyone,
I've been working off and on in the shop for the first time in several years. On one hand, I am enjoying it and love working with my hands in creating things out of wood. On the other hand, I find it frustrating because.....well.....I guess because I have a lot more priorities than working with wood and I'm a bit more "stretched" than I have been before. Maybe a bit lazy after working long days at the day job as well. Still working on the king size bed project and I worked through some scrap lumber to make me a guitar pedal board. I've never had a pedal board and a friend of mine has a nice one all setup with an awesome sound to it. Needless to say that he inspired me to move forward with making my own pedal board (because I don't have the money to buy a commercially available pedal board). I just cut up the scrap lumber and threw it together with some screws....I want to see how this all works out before I consider making a nicer pedal board. Here's to the art of experimentation.

Today, I pause to remember all those that died or lost loved ones in the 9/11 attack AND I offer up prayers and thoughts for all those affected by severe weather and earthquakes. My heart goes out to all of you.

That's it for me, so what did YOU do this past weekend?

Best of weeks to you all.

[Chris Hachet]

Almost finished with the other work bench I am building, some lumber milled and sorted, started work on some kitchen remodeling for a friend.

[John K Jordan]

A peahen hatched out two chicks who are doing well. This was in a protected nest box inside the peacock house. (fitted with cedar boards - related to woodworking!)

A guinea hatched 8 chicks at the edge of a field - an accomplishment since she had to stay there for 27 days exposed to storms, hawks, dogs, raccoons, foxes, snakes, etc.

Another peahen had disappeared about a week ago. Found her Saturday sitting on two eggs in tall weeds behind the sawmill. (another tie-in to woodworking )

A very insistent broody hen really really wants to incubate eggs in the chicken house. I put a bunch of guinea eggs under her yesterday.

JKJ

[Jay Larson]

Since it is bowling season, I again agreed to coach in the junior program. Then I picked up my grandson to 'help' with a retaining wall. I think we spent more time running the lawn tractor around than building the wall. I got about a third of what I wanted to get done. But it was fun.
That night, my fiancee threw a 'surprise' party for my 60 birthday (actually last Thursday). But she kind of let the cat out of the bag with a mis-delivered text message the week before. Biggest surprise were the guests, some I hadn't seen in a while.
Yesterday, I got up a little later than I wanted (see above) but did get out to work on the retaining wall until I ran out of timbers. Once I got laying it out, we made it a bit larger than I designed. So I had to go pick up more timbers. Then I watched the Packers take on the Seahawks.

Is it a problem when I break out a plane to smooth out the ends of exposed landscape timbers?

[Shawn Pixley]

Congrats on building a pedal board. I built one many years back. Later, I bought one with the integrated power supply. PM me if you want tips / advice.

Saturday is date day / night for me and LOML. We (including the deaf dog) went for a hike along the coast and then a late lunch at Rincon Brewery. Fun! Yesterday was preparation for extermination, deck patching, window replacement, and other household projects. I want to build a new dining room table to replace the giant glass table that came with the house. I will mock it up in poplar or some other wood before making any sawdust in nicer material.

LOML is teaching a class on etching. She, with a little help from me, made up the kits, refined the lesson plans, and otherwise readied the shop for the instructional year. Lots of good food was cooked and eaten. I am back in the swing of cooking after two weeks on the road.

[Jim Becker]

Dennis, you'll enjoy having that pedal board, both the initial "trial" version and what you make after you figure out what you like. It's an organizational thing for sure and makes setting up and tearing down a far simpler thing if you "travel" (you can even design it with a cover that snaps on with latches like a typical road case) and it insures that all your cabling and effect order is consistent every time.

My weekend was pretty eclectic as usual...food shopping at Wegmans with Professor Dr. SWMBO Saturday morning, time in the shop working on my re-organization and preparing a nice panko crusted salmon dinner that evening. Sunday morning was lawn mowing early and a little more time in the shop. After lunch, I paid a quick visit to local woodworker and 'Creeker Brandon Conover who has a really nice shop a few miles up the road stocked with lots of Euro and non-Euro stationary machines and a whole bunch of Festool goodies, too. Once I was back home, I spent the rest of the day in the shop on, well...more re-organization. I'm making some changes to make things more efficient and provide more space for assembly and finishing as I believe I'll be spending a lot more time out there once I retire at the end of the month.

Oh, and I finally tried out the handy-dandy foldable work support thingies that another 'Creeker mentioned not long ago in a separate thread. I'd say the $35 each I spent at Lowes for two of them will pay of in spades long term...these things are light-weight, but very strong. I repurposed the tops of two quick and dirty guinea pig enclosure stands for smaller work surfaces and will build a larger one in my copious free time.

IMG_0722.jpg

[Bruce Wrenn]

Friday went to Greenville to LKQ salvage yard. Looking a rear bumper cover for wife's van. The old one was damaged when we got van. On Thursday, got a quote of $480 to paint bumper cover when I found one. They had both a Chrysler Town and Country and Dodge Grand Caravan (they are the same body,) both in the same white as her van. T&C bumper cover was trash, but Dodge was in good shape. Did I mention that they both were the same color as her van, so no paint job. Picked up a driver's side mirror (the old one was peeling on inside,) and a light switch, also right color. Total cost, including admission was right at $100. Any of the items I got usually runs around a $100 in salvage yards. Put bumper cover on in parking lot at LKQ, and left the old one. Made it back to Raleigh in time to pick up steel to repair my 35+ year old pig cooker. They close at 4:30, and just made it. Dr called while I was there and said results from my prostate sample was clean, NO CANCER! Saturday made biscuits, and we went to flea market. Bought a ball peen hammer (Plumb brand) for $5.00. Then went to Klingspor's Woodworking Shop's Grand opening. WOW! A real "Temple of Wood." Sunday AM went to church. After lunch, took right rear window out of our Areostar van. It leaks. Found out that sealant wasn't installed correctly at factory, so tried to reposition it. Now waiting for rain to see if it's fixed. Sunday evening, started cutting out Toys for Tots car bodies that someone else will sand. Got about 200 done, and did the rest of them today (total of 500.) In November, I will cut out, sand and prep 300 more for a December assembly workshop.