This Cheap Trick Rocks Too !!!

I 've been doing the work I do full time for well over thirty years now and worked in and around my work sporadically well before that . The thing that has continued to keep it fresh for me all these years is the fact that you can never learn everything. It is amazing the countless times that having done something successfully the same way for years, you will chance upon some different way to accomplish the task at hand. While it may not be any easier or improve the desired results, it can come in handy to know a different approach when the usual or "old"way is proving to be more difficult than usual. So, you ask, when do we roll that big fatty, plop Cheap Trick into the old 8-track and kick back to some heavy tunes and a bowl of munchies? Well obviously you weren't paying total attention my Furry Freak Brother! I said that this cheap trick rocks as well. I'm not talking 'cheap' as in parlor trick, I'm in 'cheap-speak' mode as in not-a-lot-a denaro. As you may recall, I mentioned a couple of weeks back that I'm in the process of building a kayak. It can take a squajillion small clamps of the spring variety. Let's see.......$3.50 - 4.00 each times a squajillion is ..................well, you get the idea. Here's where Mr. T would always grunt, "Pay attention Foo!!" Go to your nearby Big Orange or Big Blue Big Box home center and snag yourself a 10' length of Schedule 40 4" PVC pipe. It will set you back about $12. Carefully cut it into 2" lengths and then stand on end and make one cut through the wall. Viola!! 20 to 30 minutes and you've just made yourself about 58 spring clamps. That's about 22 cents a unit Norm! I scored this trick from a kayak site I've been frequenting and had a chance to take it for a test row this past week. Gotta tell.....old dog, new trick, change the bong water..........this Cheap Trick ROCKS !!!

Checkin' out the Blog

My wife innocuously asked over coffee...."So...have you blogged lately??" Uh.. not exactly I reply. " What do you mean 'Not exactly.' ?? Either you have or you haven't!" This of course commenses a discussion on the effects of blogging, the reasons it's good for business and a muriad of details and statistics I've been previously unprivvy to. Truth be told she already knew the answer to the question when she first asked because in all likelyhood, checking to see if I blogged is problably a part of her daily litany of internet surfing and general business handling. If this is indeed the case, I can expect tomorrow's ....uh... interrogation to be along the lines of "Are you saying that I'm nosy???" No dear...I would never imply that. I will report in tomorrow. ( I already hear her chortling ....."Aaahhhh, a method in my madness!!" Something to post about.)

I Glued My Bottom Together

I glued my bottom together last night an I gotta tell ya ...Boy did that feel good! I mixed up the right proportion of epoxy and added Cab-o-Sil to make sure the concoction would hold good. I was careful to cover both halves at the joint with clear plastic tape so if there was any "squeeze-out", it wouldn't stain the surrounding area. Also for good measure I covered the surounding area with wax paper to avoid having my bottom stick to surfaces it shouldn't. That can make for one HAIRY mess!!! And as an added final precaution, I laid a board down across both halves and double screwed it to the table on both sides. As it was a new experience for me, I went to bed with a certain mixture of fear and trepedation not knowing what to expect come morning. But as I removed all the tape, wax paper and clamps this morning, I was greatly pleased with the results. Very little mess was present and everything seemed to be tightly joined as one. A bit of light sanding and the line where the two halves met was nearly invisible. As I mentioned at the start...Boy does that feel good!!! Oh!! ...it just occurred to me.......Did I mention that I started building my first kayak last night?????

Practical Hint for Parts Replacement

Often a client will come into the shop with the remnants of an old spindle or somesuch part and say "Can you make one of these for my 'insert item here'? Sure....no problem! Would you like that in mahogany? "No, no, nooooooo! It needs to be in walnut to match the original!" I understand, I reply to a face that is now showning signs of not being sure if they picked the right 'wood guy' to tackle Aunt Bessie's heirloom. The cartoon thought balloon is now directly overhead and it clearly reads, "I'm trusting this family treasure to a moron who doesn't know his woods???" Wood Guy quickly jumps in seamlessly with a lesson for the common man. Most people tend to think that all woods will generally age or discolor in the same fashion. This is not usually the case. While many species of woods have similar aging characteristics, others are contrary by nature. A good example of this is the fact that while a wood such as mahogany (or mahoganogany as oldtimers will joke) tends to darken with age, walnut comparitively starts life in a rather purplely-brown state and mellows to a soft golden, caramel tone the older it gets. Often a freshly milled piece of mahogany will blend seamleesly with an old piece of walnut and conversely a new piece of walnut will be right at home in the middle of a mohagany antique. Most new, classically traditional designed, executive office furniture today is constructed to look like the original mahogany pieces of yesteryear but in fact are constructed of walnut with the red mahognay stain being the only traditional element. Always remember that Grain Structure & Appearance can go a long way in duplicating an original look even if you are 'mixing it up' when it comes to actual materials.

Didn't Your Momma Teach You Manners???

Technology is what it is . For better or worse we're stuck with it and if we have any sense at all, we learn to co-exist with it both peaceably and gracefully. But for all the varied and useful ways it can enhance our lives, for some reason technology seems to equally sap any pretense of manners completely away from some people. I may simply be confusing this with the fact that these people had no manners to begin with but I don't recall such "across-the-board" rudeness in days past. I'm sorry you don't have a full for bars of coverage. I'm sorry your wireless network repeatly drops your calls. I'm sorry I'm not your "family or friend" and your call to me is eating up your precious minutes. However, when you call me for information that is to benefit you, please afford me the courtesy of a Thank You & Goodbye as opposed to a "CLICK!" before I can offer you any explantion beyond a simple yes or no answer to your question. Furthermore, why are you so anxious to hang up on someone as famous as me?? Do you have any idea at all whom you are speaking to?? I'm THE last person on the face of the earth who doesn't have a cell phone!!!!

Pins First or Tails First?........Ah , Who Cares!

Soooo.....you're likely thinking " What's the woodworker guy going to blog about? More redundant articles on the intricacies of dovetails, .....finish analysis for the do-it-yourself chemist, ...do I lay my benchplanes on their sides or on their soles?" Not too likely amigo! I may speak to various & sundry wood-related topics on occassion but in all likelyhood, this blog will deal more often with the view from my head and the ramblings that spill out upon the dusty, shop floor. It's a view that covers all compass points and with it, the comings and goings of life in my business neighborhood. Hope that doesn't sound too obtuse or boring. Drop in from time to time and see what I see on a daily & weekly basis and it may spark some interesting discussions (and hopefully once and for all prove to my wife that I do more than just 'stand around all day, looking out the window' ).

A Baby is Born

Whether it is a live, wiggly baby boy, a new piece of furniture or a brand-spanking new blog, there is something special about birthing new things. Fresh, unspoiled by the world, open to any and all possibilities, this "baby" has a birthdate of August 23, 2006.

Happy Birthday, Baby Blog!