Unpacking my tools, finally.. and venting about pack rats.

[mike stenson]

I finally got enough of the internal walls removed that I could get my bench into what will likely be it's final position.. so I started unpacking the tools today. Unfortunately, for me at least, the pack rats managed to deficate and urinate all over the box with the bulk of my hand planes in it. Most were somewhat rusted as a result, most unfortunate were my 2 #7s. One of which was my great uncles. Both really need to be re-lapped and really just rehabbed. I suspect I'll find a lot more damage as I move along. That's the vent, thank you for putting up with that.

On the plus side, all of my marking tools are fine, dandy, and dry (so were all my chisels). But I did smile when I saw the small dovetail knife here:

[ken hatch]

I finally got enough of the internal walls removed that I could get my bench into what will likely be it's final position.. so I started unpacking the tools today. Unfortunately, for me at least, the pack rats managed to deficate and urinate all over the box with the bulk of my hand planes in it. Most were somewhat rusted as a result, most unfortunate were my 2 #7s. One of which was my great uncles. Both really need to be re-lapped and really just rehabbed. I suspect I'll find a lot more damage as I move along. That's the vent, thank you for putting up with that.

On the plus side, all of my marking tools are fine, dandy, and dry (so were all my chisels). But I did smile when I saw the small dovetail knife here:

Mike,

Sorry to hear about your great uncle's #7. Pack rats are a never ending problem, you can't win all you can do is battle to a draw. I use Mr. Pack Rat for the heavy prevention work and live traps for day to day catch and haul off. They still get into MsBubba's studio but somewhat controlled.

ken

[mike stenson]

Mike,

Sorry to hear about your great uncle's #7. Pack rats are a never ending problem, you can't win all you can do is battle to a draw. I use Mr. Pack Rat for the heavy prevention work and live traps for day to day catch and haul off. They still get into MsBubba's studio but somewhat controlled.

ken

All of it's fixable at least, it's just work. Part of the problem is that the previous owner stacked adobes about 8' from the side of the building. It's simply become a pack rat den. Removing that stuff will go a long way, the one thing I know for sure is you can't just poison them off.. that never works. Removing the places they like? That does.

Anyone want to loan me some more snakes?

[Jim Koepke]

Snakes won't get rid of as many as a good cat.

jtk

[mike stenson]

Snakes won't get rid of as many as a good cat.

jtk

I wouldn't do a barn cat here. Cat's won't last long here, the coyotes and bobcat are too numerous. Plus the hawks and owls like them too.

[Jim Koepke]

I wouldn't do a barn cat here. Cat's won't last long here, the coyotes and bobcat are too numerous. Plus the hawks and owls like them too.

We had a cat that did quite well at finding places to get away from the coyotes. She would often crawl under one of the sheds. She also had a way of getting in and out of the greenhouse that was never found by the coyotes around here.

Our chickens didn't fare as well.

Bobcats may be quite a different story. Thankfully we don't seem to have many of those around here.

jtk

[Mike Manning]

Snakes won't get rid of as many as a good cat.

jtk

5-1/2 years I lived in Tucson. I never saw a cat loose in any neighborhood. You can keep them in your shop/home but any small mammal outside is just coyote and mountain lion snackage, mostly coyote.

[ken hatch]

5-1/2 years I lived in Tucson. I never saw a cat loose in any neighborhood. You can keep them in your shop/home but any small mammal outside is just coyote and mountain lion snackage, mostly coyote.

The Mikes pretty much nailed it and you better stay with Fifi if you let her out for a potty break. The good news, if you can call it that, is in a month it will warm up enough for the Rattlesnakes to come out of their dens. The desert ain't no place for the weak. BTW, it is a shame Pack Rats are so destructive because they really are cute little suckers and they are great installation artists.

ken