Creeker's Past Week's Accomplishments

[Dennis Peacock]

20 July 2020

Greetings,
I finally got replacement bearings in from Byrd Tool to replace the "new" bearings that came installed on my new Shelix cutterhead for my 8" jointer. Now I get to tear it down again, remove the previous new bearings and install the currently arrived bearings and then put it all back together again. I am thankful that they have a good customer service with all that's going on these days.
Been working on The LOML's kitchen pantry. Got both doors made, sanded, and currently primed. Painting begins today.
I'm also working on upgrading to a VFD and Spindle on my cnc to replace the trim router setup that it came with. I'm going with a liquid cooled, 4-bearing spindle driven by a 220V VFD. This should be way better than the trim router I've been running....plus I can run router bits all the way up to 1/2". :)

My peppers in my raised garden beds are now coming in nicely and I've been eating some fresh off the plants. It's just hard sometimes to not eat they so they can mature on the plant!
Hopefully, I can have the pantry doors done by tomorrow night and get them hung. We shall see.

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

Best of weeks to you all.

[mike stenson]

It's been hot, so not too much. I built a couple steel firewood storage racks that will hold about a cord of wood and got leveled up the ground and buried concrete blocks as footers for them. Tuned up my chainsaw, and made sure that's running as I (not-so coincidentally) have about a cord of mesquite I have to buck. I finally got my machinist vice mounted on the metal bench so I could fab brackets and finish getting a right side extension table built and installed on my unisaw.. so now I can work on an outfeed table. Other than that, I've been making a complete mess in the shop (that I need to clean up still) and killing black widows.

As soon as it starts to cool down a bit, I'll turn attention back to adding another 4" of foam insulation to the roof of the shop, that'll help a lot.

[Lisa Starr]

Still working on re-arranging the shop. All the existing tools are in their new locations and the basic cabinet for the new miter saw station is built. I also built and mounted one of the fold down wings on the miter saw cabinet. Next I need to finish designing/building the adjusting mechanism for the wing. Once I've got everything the way I'm happy, I'll build the 2nd wing. Still need to apply finish to both that cabinet and another little one that holds my Rigid Spindle/Belt sander. I'm trying to stay focused on this shop adjustment, as November/December will be here before I know it.

[Bill Carey]

I tried another 4 stains for the cherry Limbert coffee table - and they were rejected by the Boss. And I saved a LOT of cutoffs for just this reason and have gone thru so many different finishes that I'm planing the cutoffs to try more things. I hope I stumble upon the right one soon. And started breaking down stock for a pair of Morris chairs, which seriously depleted my QSWO stock so I get to go shopping at Cassen's Lumber again. Always a pleasure to see Dan and chat for a bit. And of course since this is 2020, lighting hit the water treatment plant, a pump went out, and we have been boiling water for 3 days. So it goes.......

[Paul F Franklin]

Haven't gotten as much shop time in the last couple of weeks; been doing more outside stuff. Main thing was installing the sunsetter awning we bought from my SIL. Turned into a bit of a project (doesn't everything!) because I had to add some blocking in the eaves to have a good solid place to fasten the mounting brackets. Not wanting to work lying on my belly in the attic with outside temps in the 90's I had to work though the soffit vent openings to install the blocking. Not as hard as assembling a ship in a bottle but same general idea. also had to install a new receptacle for the awning motor to connect to. All went well and we are really enjoying the awning during the current hot weather. Also fired up the skid steer and turned and moved all the piles of half-composted leaves from last fall.

Shop wise, I got the last set of office cabinet boxes assembled so all the cabs are ready for installation once I get the area prepped. I had rough prepped the drawer box stock and let it sit and acclimate for a few days. None of it moved much (it was nice dry stock), but I re-jointed a face and edge on each piece anyway and planed and cut it all to final dims. Dovetails are up next. In between sessions of that, the wife and I will clear out the one wall of the office so I can add some receptacles and run low voltage wiring for the led above and below cabinet lighting, paint the wall, and rip up the flooring that will be under the cabinet bases.

We are doing a week of staycation this week. My wife shut off her work email and turned on her out of office notifications for the week. We have made a list of day trip things we can do safely and are picking one a day. Not quite the vacation one might like, but it will have to do. Hit a local winery yesterday that has various musical acts each week out on their lawn, with widely spaced tables and umbrellas so folks can distance. Enjoyed the music, some nice local wine, and a meat and cheese plate. Very nice. Today it was a trip to Nelson Ledges for a long hike in the woods with the dog. We only saw a couple of other hikers; pretty much had the place to our selves. I will keep plugging away in the shop when time permits....

[Bruce Wrenn]

Replaced the cam in a Honda engine on power washer. Runs like a champ now. Started on another engine on another power washer. Waiting on a fuel pump right now. Using a new tube, fixed flat tire on hand truck. Fixed grand son's lawn mower. Hung, and painted storm door (wood) on front of house. Painted front door (behind storm door.) Did the same on one of the two back doors. Painting other door tomorrow. Cut the grass as usual. Rooted some cuttings. Cleaned old nests out of Bluebird boxes. Sprayed tomatoes with fungicide, and collards with some BT. Put supports and rabbet netting over collard plants. Maybe this year, I can eat more of my collard than the rabbets do. Dropped off some rooted tomato suckers at Habitat Restore. While there picked up a 3/8" X 50' power washer hose for fifteen bucks. Something opened door on fridge on back porch of house next door, so everything inside had to go to the dump. Rescued a pressure tank from dumpsters. It's a bladder tank for a well. Only thing wrong was Schrader valve leaked, so I replaced it. Will use it on water system for church next door. Visited local utilities dept to get started on force main for daughter's sewer. Septic tank is failing, and rather than just replacing, I'm connecting her property to town sewer. Sharpened a file that I've had for 50 years. Made biscuits on Sunday morning. Not much woodworking.

[Jim Becker]

Dennis, you're going to love having that spindle! "Yuge" upgrade!

Not much work in the shop this past week, honestly. I spent more time working on getting Professor Dr. SWMBO's office moved and that finally happened on Sunday...photo below. A few other odds and ends around the house happened. I think. Honestly...I'm almost not sure WHAT i did last week! LOL

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I'll likely be helping The Professor organize things this week to shelves, etc., so I can get the old office cleared out and start working on the plaster, floor, windows and other needs for that room.

The other thing that's been "very weird" is this sudden, forced "empty nest" thing. As I've mentioned previously, our older daughter moved to an apartment in-town at the beginning of the month. We do see her a lot as we provide transportation and other supports, but the noise level and electric use has gone down substantially. :) On top of that, our younger daughter's boyfriend "had symptoms" briefly so she's been living at his parent's house to quarantine. It's almost two weeks later and the darn test results are STILL not back. :( At least it's unlikely he actually had COVID-19 as another explanation came into play that I will not go into here. So....aside from the birds, it's just us two "mature" adults hanging out in a very large house. :D