Creeker's Past Week's Accomplishments

[Dennis Peacock]

28 May 2018

Greetings and I have already paid my respects to all those that gave all, Memorial Day....I remember.

It's been busy this past week. Had to get an exhaust system put on my little truck and found out that the shocks on it hadn't been replaced in MANY years. Bought new shocks and the Son-in-law and I replaced the all. Helped the SIL replace a rear tire on his motorcycle, cleaned up the shop some, spent time with family, worked at the day job, and I'm now disgnosed with Fatty Liver disease, mild non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver. Doc has put me on a specific diet coupled with exercise. Says he wants me to loose 85 pounds. If I reach that weight, I would be at a weight that I haven't been since my junior year of high school. I guess we'll see.

That's it fo rme, so what did YOU do this past week?

Best of weeks to you all.

[Wayne Lomman]

My woodworking for the week has been restricted to cutting firewood. Autumn has held on late this year but the fire is definitely welcome now. Snow is forecast for tonight. We don't get much here at the house as it usually stops settling about 200 metres above us. We just get the chill.

Work has revolved around recommissioning two coordinate measuring machines that we need for verifying our machined components. They were both dismantled by others who did not make notes nor take photos so it is a jigsaw puzzle with no picture. This has reminded me I have not taken photos yet so that will be second order of the day. First order is get out of bed as it's 0540. Cheers

[Jim Becker]

Interesting diagnosis, Dennis! Losing the weight should help with that...and other things. I'm sure that you'll be successful!

Eclectic week as normal. A good chunk of time was spent with landscaping-type tasks that were required post-paving. I use 3/8" red crushed stone as "mulch" (I stopped buying the organic "bark" stuff several years ago in favor of a more permanent solution to reduce maintenance work) and enough time had passed for the new pavement to be compatible with a stone delivery. So I get a lot of that installed into the beds along the driveway and house and the remainder will surface the auxiliary guest parking area that I chose to not pave for cost reasons. I also got the grassy side areas along the new pavement seeded and mulched, although that "amazing stormy weather" we had the other night likely relocated some of the seed. Mother Nature always has her own ideas.

Shop time was minimal, but did include working on some stall sign prototypes with the CNC and finishing up and installing some trim pieces for the new kitchen upper cabinets. I just have the top molding to complete for that...'need nice weather to pick up the long material as it has to go on my open trailer. I can't fit 16 footers in my Grand Cherokee.

I've also been engaged in the genealogy thing that Professor Dr SWMBO has been working on. Her side has some interesting mysteries because of how undocumented some adoptions were at the time of her grandparents family situations and the research for her has been intense. It seems like kids were just handed out by the church and not always to the same families for siblings. My side was also interesting...half of my father's family background I have partially traced back to the early 1600s in Germany. The Germans apparently take their genealogy seriously and have done all the work already. In an interesting twist, "way back" on both paternal and maternal lineage on my father's side, there is the same last name involved. Oh, and huge families...I guess it got cold at night back then. LOL

[John Sanford]

Continued working on my drawer cabinet that will go under my Laguna lathe. First time using my Makita track saw, I'm liking it for panel handling. I'm developing a real like/hate relationship with pocket screws. I like how simple they are. I hate how the two pieces will almost always shift slightly.

The cabinet box is done, I made the five drawer boxes over the weekend, as well as made the drawer faces. Installed the slides, drilled for the handles, assembled everything to check for fit. I'm going to need to slightly trim the bottom drawer and redo the roundover on the trimmed end. Then apply finish to the drawer faces, wait for it to dry and reassemble, then put the cabinet in place. The end is within sight.

[Jay Larson]

Well, with my fiance over the pond in Paris with her daughter, I had the WHOLE weekend for MY projects... Almost.

Part of it was fueled by two items happening at the same time. One, I got confirmation the my tax refund had hit the bank. And the next day I got the flyer from Northern Tool with the Rapidair system on sale. Along with a $20 off coupon. Coincidence? Doesn't matter. I went and picked that up. Worked on that in the mornings until it got to around 90*F, then I went into the air conditioned wood shop.

When I started the install of the air line, I decided I needed to clear off the Jeep/trailer/fabrication parts on my garage work bench. Not to throw away mind you, but to better organize them. So I put together some measurements for a larger parts bin of sorts. This would fit on existing shelves, and get things in order. Got some plywood out and made up the case. Then I had to go pick up some pine for the drawers.

Saturday, I saw that Discount Tire was having a $100 rebate on tires, and another $100 rebate on wheels. Since my Wrangler had sliced two tires on the trails last year, I decided it was a probably a good time to go get those. And I wanted to adjust the back spacing a bit, so wheels were in order too. $1200 later, I was on my way over to pick up a mobile base for my band saw that got in the way once too many times. Since it was still under 90*, I continued to work on getting the airline installed. Then into the wood shop, put together the base, and get the band saw mobile. Even though the drawers were 'just' for the garage, I decided to get out my box joint jig and make the drawers with that. Got that all lined up and started to cut finger joints for 12 drawers. After all that, I sat outside on the bench with a beer until the mosquitoes got too bad.

Sunday, I finished up connecting all the fittings for the airline and fired up the compressor. No leaks, woo hoo. Then I dismantled the old temporary line and got that out of the way. Now I have an outlet right by the plasma cutter, one by the side door, and one out by the driveway. No more dragging the one hose all over the place. And with the garage holding all that it does, no more getting caught up in something. Then to glue up the 12 drawers. After about half of the drawers, I needed a break from bending over so I went out and spent an hour watering trees and flowers. Then back to finish up the drawers.

Monday I need to get the lawn mowed. So I did that before it got too hot. I even got to use my new airline to clean off the mower. Then in to the shop and get started on cleaning up all the drawers by planing the outsides. Halfway through, I wondered if any one else would be making drawers this nice for car parts. Oh well, I am the one that will be using them and I like them. But I think I need to spend more time with a plane in my hand, as my shoulders sure were sore yesterday morning.

Anyway, I got a lot of things done, saved a bit of money, and now I have to clean the house before my fiance get back. Actually, it isn't that bad, I spent most of the time out in the shop.

[al heitz]

Graduation time. Finished up a jewelry box for granddaughter and then a start-to-finish coin bank with post office door and key lock for grandson. I think I'm off the hook now for my own projects. Maybe learn how to use a pantograph router kit my son gave me for Xmas 2 years ago. He is expecting me to make signs for his name and house number, and then signs for his pool and patio area. I think I would rather carve them by hand, but he gave me the pantograph expecting something in return. Guilt growing from the delay.

[fred woltersdorf]

Jim, if you don't mind what genealogy site did you use? My sister was working on the family tree but unfortunately she passed away before she got very far along, I'm also of German decent and I would like to dig into my family history, thanks.

[Jim Becker]

Jim, if you don't mind what genealogy site did you use? My sister was working on the family tree but unfortunately she passed away before she got very far along, I'm also of German decent and I would like to dig into my family history, thanks.

Ancestry.com is what we are using. Professor Dr. SWMBO recently did the DNA thing and has a few more weeks for results. I'm considering doing that, myself. Oh...i'm back to the late 1400s on one branch now. Things kinda peter out at that point because unless "oral histories" were written down, there's little data for folks to search on.