What did you do today

[MickinOz]

I have lived alongside my neighbours since December 1980.
Alas, despite multiple visits every day from their large extended family, they can no longer care for themselves and moved to assisted living earlier this year.
All is not lost though. One of their granddaughters, who I've seen only infrequently since she was a small child, has moved in so the house doesn't lay empty.
So last night, I lit the wood oven, and turned out a batch of pizzas.
Sarah came over, and helped us eat some.
My wife sees her more than I do, because she shops where my wife works.
So a great evening was had by all, eating wood fire pizza, filling in lots of gaps, gossiping about all and sundry, and having a laugh.

[Tom&Shelly]

Today I decided to start a project I've been procrastinating over since moving into the cabin 15 years ago: Hanging peg-board in the utility room. First step was to frame with furring strips.



Since they won't show, I used some of the worst behaved, warped, twisted, and anti-social lumber in the crib. I really turned the screws and forced these reform school drop-outs to straighten out! At last they'll contribute something useful to society. I mean, these guys were one step from being burned, and that isn't an euphemisim.

Tom

[MickinOz]

Dunno what its like in your neck of the woods, but here in Oz its really difficult to get good straight timber.
Only thing good to come out of the pandemic (and that depends how you look at it) is Bunnings, the big green shed, started importing European pine species too replace the locally grown radiata.
Nicer timber, less knots, straighter. BUT, can't have done the local plantation timber industry any good.

[edgeau]

Rescued some inexperienced people today. They left their campsite unattended with all their gear under a 3m X 3m gazebo. We saw it lift up and blow over. They had not pegged it down or used weights on the legs or anything. We nipped over and righted it, pegged down and donated some guy ropes from the stash of spares. I wonder what they will think when they get back and see guy ropes they didn't set up

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[edgeau]

Rescued some inexperienced people today. They left their campsite unattended with all their gear under a 3m X 3m gazebo. We saw it lift up and blow over. They had not pegged it down or used weights on the legs or anything. We nipped over and righted it, pegged down and donated some guy ropes from the stash of spares. I wonder what they will think when they get back and see guy ropes they didn't set up

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Well I'll never know what they thought. They just came back, packed up and left. We were having a meal so I didn't jump up to go see them when they got back.

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[MickinOz]

Rescued some inexperienced people today. They left their campsite unattended with all their gear under a 3m X 3m gazebo. We saw it lift up and blow over. They had not pegged it down or used weights on the legs or anything. We nipped over and righted it, pegged down and donated some guy ropes from the stash of spares. I wonder what they will think when they get back and see guy ropes they didn't set up

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Well I'll never know what they thought. They just came back, packed up and left. We were having a meal so I didn't jump up to go see them when they got back.

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Not a word? People are strange.

[Tom&Shelly]

Dunno what its like in your neck of the woods, but here in Oz its really difficult to get good straight timber.
Only thing good to come out of the pandemic (and that depends how you look at it) is Bunnings, the big green shed, started importing European pine species too replace the locally grown radiata.
Nicer timber, less knots, straighter. BUT, can't have done the local plantation timber industry any good.

Even #2 pine isn't too bad here, as long as you hand pick them from the applicants. I'll select some who are on the straight and narrow and give them a few good coats of varnish for the decorative frame.



Then we'll hang our mops in style!

Tom

[Tom&Shelly]

I actually paid extra for the Lowes "premium pine". Still had to go through it looking for the straight ones. Knot a not in site!



Funny thing: That pine comes from New Zealand of all places. No wonder it costs so much. Seems like we could grow straight trees right here in North America if we really tried. (Even better, how about Baltic birch!)

Tom

[MickinOz]

After a lovely twilight ride yesterday, I decided I'd better get the bike fully up to scratch so I can ride it at short notice.
So I gave her a bit of a birthday. It was 109F here today, so it took me all day working in short stints.
I went out and bought some oil, mechanics disposable gloves and a filter.
Changed the oil and filter.
Washed, dried and re-oiled the air cleaner.
Did the same for the little vent filter on the carby that often gets overlooked.
Cleaned the chain with mineral turps, and reoiled with light engine oil.
Cleaned up after myself.
Rubbish in the bin, tools away, spilled oil and greasy handprints removed from the bike.
I probably should check the valve clearances, but I reckon I did that about 4000 km ago, so I figured it can wait.
Can't wait to get her out and try it. I've done some research, contacted the oil supplier technical department, and done some more research.
The bike now has $5 per litre Top Dog diesel oil in it, rather than $20 per litre motorcycle oil.
The Top Dog oil is rated for Alisson automatic heavy truck transmissions, which use lots of wet clutch packs. The technical department at Gulf Western assure me it has no additives in it that will harm the wet clutches on my bikes, so in the interests of streamlining and simplifying, I've tried it in my old 500 Yamaha (no issues), and now my DR650 Suzuki.
I recently fitted a Lithium Iron Phosphate battery, much bigger CCA rating than original. It's a pleasure hitting that button and hearing it burst into life. I still look for the kick starter that isn't there, though.

[DJ Davis]

I have a list of projects and I pick one to attack periodically. Now that I'm retired, sometimes it's hard to fit these projects in between goofin' off an' doin' nuthin', but I somehow manage. Today's task was turning the knife drawer from "a potential trip to the emergency room" to a safely organized cutlery storage system. I know...you don't have to say it, PICTURES! Still can't figure out how to shrink 'em t' fit on the forum, even with the guidance I've read on the subject. "I'm a doctor, Jim, not a computer technician!" Well, I'm not a doctor, either. Just wanted to throw in a "Star Trek" reference....

So, I made two 9 1/2" cross pieces, one 3/4" x 1", the other 3/4" x 2". The smaller one goes at the front and the larger about in the middle. The smaller is rounded and the handle ends of the knives set on it. The larger has saw cuts at 1 1/4" intervals to support the blades in an upright position. I glued those to a piece of 9 1/2" x 17 1/2" luan, so the rack can be removed for cleaning, moving, etc.

I think I'll post it on Instructables, too, in a day or two. More goofin' off I gotta do!

Here's the I'ble link: https://www.instructables.com/Knife-Sto ... er-Insert/

[Modstock]

I went camping last weekend. Put the trailer away and walked by it tonight.
Noticed I had left our main LED Puck light on . It's been 3 days and this thing is still working.
Not to mention it's had it's original battery's in it since the trailer was built almost 3 yrs ago.


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[MickinOz]

Today, I semi successfully took a photograph with my mobile phone, through the spotting scope I use for the rifle range.

sunset at the beach 15112023.JPG (60.75 KiB) Viewed 838 times

sunset at the beach 15112023 x60.JPG (37.23 KiB) Viewed 838 times

[featherliteCT1]

That spotting scope appears to be pretty powerful.

[MickinOz]

That spotting scope appears to be pretty powerful.

Magnification is adjustable between 20 and 60 times.
Which is just as well. I find the target at 20 times, then wind her up to 40 times and re-focus, then wind her up again.
I'm pleased with it. I bought it used, to help with setting up my rifles on the range. I've used it everywhere else more than the range.

[Tom&Shelly]

Now that I'm retired I have time to work on projects I put off for a few years. For example, back in 1992 I took out the AM/FM radio from my Chevy Corsica and replaced it with one with a CD player. Always thought the one I took out would make a good shop radio



It even has front and rear channels, and I have two sets of thrift store speakers, so I can put the radio and one set in the back room with the electronics shop and the other set out in the (dusty) wood shop! The FM still works great. For some reason I'm not getting AM stations with my jury rigged Harbor Fraught antenna. Next step is to build a cover out of scrap 1/8" Baltic birch left over from the teardrop build.

When I work in the shop, I like the classical music in the background that can be found on NPR stations and the like. Shelly, on the other hand, likes the head bangen', hair pullen', stone rollen', deuterium splitting, zepplins made out of lead crashing into our beautiful balloon, heavy metal rock-and/or-roll popular on the commercial stations these days. My goodness, no wonder the leopard is def!

Tom