tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487830921042282772024-03-12T17:25:53.146-07:00Green In The Green Mountain StateA former California surfer’s quest to become a real man in rural Vermont.phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.comBlogger662125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348783092104228277.post-10669217410829866742012-05-30T06:51:00.001-07:002012-05-30T06:51:15.656-07:00Plant Extravaganza<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-72vky_nYB4k/T8Ylu4nljCI/AAAAAAAAFIY/nr9dBjEu8ps/s1600/plants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-72vky_nYB4k/T8Ylu4nljCI/AAAAAAAAFIY/nr9dBjEu8ps/s1600/plants.jpg" /></a></div>
We hit the town plant sale held by the Garden Club, and we
managed to score some plants, though not as many as I’d hoped to get. I was
looking for tomatoes, and they had a few, but they seemed to be more focused on
decorative and landscaping plants. There were a few tomatoes, but they had some
of the gourmet heirloom variety which I wanted to avoid. I really wanted just
two types: beefsteak (or some facsimile thereof) and canning tomatoes, which
I’ve been told are plum or roma tomatoes.
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They only had beefsteak at the sale, so I got one. Now I
also wanted to avoid cherry tomatoes. Though they can be fun, when we’ve
planted them in the past, they overwhelm us because we can’t eat them fast
enough. Plus, I get a little tired of them. Of course, being the sucker that I
am for a sales pitch, CS talked me into getting an heirloom variety (wasn’t I
trying to avoid that?) that supposedly produced heart shaped tomatoes. This
excited the kids and they convinced me that we needed one. They also picked out
a plant for themselves, and it’s kind of cool. It’s called an Elephant Ear, and
it looks like, of all things, an elephant’s ear. Can you tell which one it is? It’s actually a tropical plant
bulb, so we’ll have to bring it inside once summer is over.</div>
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After the sale, I headed over to the Clay Hill farmstand and
got some more tomato plants, ending up with 6 in all. I could probably use
more, but it’s a start. CS told me that some of them will grow to be 5 feet
tall, which is hard to imagine, but she knows what she’s talking about. I asked
about herbs and bush beans, which N wants in his garden, and she told me that
herbs you can get at the Coop, and beans should be started from seed and
planted right now. Live and learn.</div>
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All in all, we did okay on the plant front, but there’s
always room for more. Until the next time, thanks for reading.</div>
</div>phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348783092104228277.post-27472556004942277172012-05-28T06:12:00.002-07:002012-05-28T06:12:19.529-07:00Back in Business<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LdyIx5YPQWQ/T8N5pZeZ73I/AAAAAAAAFHU/jOwlkeaDO0E/s1600/246809830_2aae30a604_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LdyIx5YPQWQ/T8N5pZeZ73I/AAAAAAAAFHU/jOwlkeaDO0E/s1600/246809830_2aae30a604_m.jpg" /></a></div>
I got my chainsaw back, and I’m ready to rock and roll. It’s
a busy time at Joe’s, so it took over two weeks to service the saw. Now all my
good planning is out the window because I missed out on the cool spring
weather. It’s getting warm, but not excessively hot, though some days it tops
out in the mid-80s, which makes it somewhat uncomfortable to cut wood because
of all the protective gear. Not that I, as a real-man in training, would ever
whine about such a thing.
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I have about 20% of the wood pile cut, so there’s plenty of
work to be done. My original plan of moving the already cut blocks while the saw
was in the shop failed miserably, but that doesn’t mean I can’t start moving
the wood now, right? </div>
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Until then, thanks for reading, and thanks to <span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/selim_/">mil_es</a> for the pic.</span></div>
</div>phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348783092104228277.post-30048313368560616922012-05-28T06:09:00.002-07:002012-05-28T06:09:55.736-07:00It’s Official, Sort Of<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Even though we’re well into spring, with signs even of
summer, I like to think of the end of the cold season as the day that we stop
burning wood, and the sooner, the better. In years past we burned wood well
into June. This year, we had a mild winter, and spring has been warm, so we
stopped burning wood in mid-May. In fact, for the first time since we started
splitting wood, we actually have wood left over from the previous winter.
That’s a first. Either we’re planning better, or just not burning as much wood.
Again, we had a mild winter with little in the way of snow, but it was still
cold. It doesn’t take much in terms of cool weather for the house to be cold,
and even though we’ve stopped burning, there’s a slight chill when we get up in
the AM. Nothing real New Englanders (in-training) can’t handle.
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Also, they recommend delaying planting tomatoes until June
1, and I’ve heard this from several sources, because we can still get a cold
snap. Enough to stunt tomato growth. I find it difficult to fathom, but again,
several people in the know have alluded to this. Who am I to argue?</div>
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Either way, it makes my morning routine that much easier
when I don’t have to build a fire, even though I like it... a lot. Plus, it’s
nice waking up and walking around in shorts and a t-shirt. You can’t pull that
off in January. For now, we’ll make the most of the warm weather, because in a
matter of days I’ll have to start cutting wood for next winter.</div>
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Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to <span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sjb4photos/">sjb4photos</a> for the pic.</span></div>
</div>phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348783092104228277.post-39696782624877788442012-05-25T07:11:00.004-07:002012-05-25T07:11:55.774-07:00Container Gardens<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It’s hard not to completely avoid the gardening bug when you
live up here, or maybe it’s just being surrounded by gardening commandos, of
which there are plenty in our area. Whatever be the case, once spring kicks
into full gear, the urge to get your hands into soil is hard to resist.
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Now we decided not to do our garden for assorted reasons,
and instead opted to do the community garden for other assorted reasons. The
idea of doing container gardens also came up, and my first thought was “no
thanks.” It seems like you would need either a lot of containers, or a few big
ones. Would that mean buying them and then having to deal with them? While I
tend to bite off more than I can chew, I wasn’t so keen on taking this one on.
However, R and the kids mentioned the desire to do at least something around
the house.</div>
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Then A came home with some lemon thyme, and wanted to
transplant it. This inspired us to grow some herbs at home, and in container
gardens, no less. I’m not completely clear what sort of containers are
required, but it’s one of those things I probably shouldn’t over-analyze. Yeah,
right.</div>
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It just so happens that we had a bunch of scrap wood in the
barn, and I was a little unsure as to how to dispose of it. It was a support
beam for the second story floor, of all things, so you can imagine its size. KB
replaced it with a strong support, making it easier to do the sheetrock and also
enabling him to remove a column that was in the middle of the floor. The only
issue was, what to do with the old one? KB said to cut it up with a chainsaw
and burn it, which I was prepared to do, but the wood was in decent condition.</div>
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The beam was made of two 2X8 boards that were nailed
together. If I wanted to use them, I was going to have to pry them apart, which
was no easy task. I had to use two crow bars simultaneously. Once that was
done, I had boards that could be cut and then made into square boxes. In these
we could grow our herbs. The beauty of this plan is that it also helped to
clear some space in the barn. One less piece of clutter.</div>
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I screwed the sides together using 3.5 in screws, glue and
long clamps (which I’m finding to be amazingly useful in the construction of
wood furnishings), then put in a bottom, and we were good to go. The boxes are
a bit heavy, but they should work fine. We have the monster bag of potting
soil, so I think we’re good to go. The next step will be to transplant the
herbs, and watch them grow.</div>
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Until then, thanks for reading.</div>
</div>phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348783092104228277.post-79181477906346534082012-05-22T06:03:00.001-07:002012-05-22T06:03:09.032-07:00Chainsaw Woes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z80SRdRQL5M/T7uOf9PNIpI/AAAAAAAAFEc/CFVeROH4Ems/s1600/chainsaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z80SRdRQL5M/T7uOf9PNIpI/AAAAAAAAFEc/CFVeROH4Ems/s1600/chainsaw.jpg" /></a></div>
This bums me out to no end, but I was having chainsaw
issues, and it turns out it’s kind of serious. We’re talking in the $150 dollar
range of serious. I may have mentioned this in the past, but when I release the
trigger of the saw, the chain doesn’t stop. This happens only after I’ve used
it for about half an hour, so it’s not an idle adjustment issue, which would
occur even when it’s cold. I took it in and they said it’s an air leak, which
means taking the entire machine apart, resealing it, and then putting it back
together. The saw itself probably cost about $400, so it’s a painful fix.
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That does not mean, however, that it’s time to get a new
one. As much as it pains me, I told them to fix it, because we need the saw,
and it surely has many more years of life on it... I hope. When I first shopped
around for chainsaws, I knew nothing, and listened to everyone around me who
said get a Stihl or Husqavarna. The key seemed to be to get one that you can’t
pronounce. Nobody really endorsed the Japanese brands, and I took that to heat.
In retrospect, however, I wonder if Japanese was the way to go, because they
may not have as much personality, but they are famously reliable.</div>
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Now if the Japanese brands were cheaper, I probably would
have gone for it, but the one I looked at, Shindaiwa, was not, and I’m not sure
how much Echos are. Either way, I went with Stihl, and it’s a nice saw, but
maybe it’s like VWs, performance oriented but not necessarily the most
reliable.</div>
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Oh well, no sense in dwelling on what’s already been done.
If I ever got another saw, however, I might consider a Pacific Rim variety.</div>
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Until the next time, thanks for reading.</div>
</div>phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348783092104228277.post-38066671450619408242012-05-21T06:06:00.002-07:002012-05-21T06:06:24.749-07:00Inserting a Bathroom Window<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2tzDPSYYAVw/T7o9yk_-BVI/AAAAAAAAFD0/TjyJXO7yyZ8/s1600/2145878111_92faa4f311_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2tzDPSYYAVw/T7o9yk_-BVI/AAAAAAAAFD0/TjyJXO7yyZ8/s1600/2145878111_92faa4f311_m.jpg" /></a>The electric cable is in, and the walls have all been
framed. The next step will be to install heating, finish the plumbing, and then
insulate. In the meantime, I want to have a window installed in the downstairs
bathroom, and I think it’s something I can do. Ha, famous last words. I figure
since KB is nowhere to be found, there is down time where I can do some stuff.
Think of how impressed he’d be if I pulled this off, and how proud my Mentor
would be.
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The situation is complicated by the fact that the walls are
sheathed, so I have to either remove the sheathing, frame the window, then
re-sheath, or cut out a section of the sheathing and insert the window frame.
I’m not positive, but I think I can frame the window within the sheathing, and
then simply cut out the hole for the window. This would simplify the framing
because I could rest the boards against the sheathing, nail them into place,
and then cut out a hole. Things are always easier said than down, however, so
we’ll wait and see.</div>
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I feel inspired to do this, so the next step will be to see
what sort of small windows they have at HD. I’m thinking atrium window, which
would look the nicest and let in the most light. Once that I figure that out,
I’ll need to find a way to transport rough cut boards to our house. I think I can
manage 8 footers in the hatchback, though they’d stick out the back. I might
also be able to tie them to the roof of the sedan, if I didn’t have to travel
very far. </div>
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Life sure is complicated when you’re training to be a real
man. Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to <span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexandrehuang/">Alexandrehuang</a> for the pic.</span></div>
</div>phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348783092104228277.post-54765458973755145602012-05-20T06:51:00.000-07:002012-05-20T06:51:37.462-07:00Clearing the Leaves<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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If you can believe this one, I finally finished raking the
leaves in the backyard, and it only took me about 6 months. In retrospect, it
worked out fairly well, because as the leaf pile sat through assorted spring
storms, much of the debris was cleared out to who knows where, just not in our
backyard. Out of sight, out of mind, as the saying goes. Also, after being
pelted by all that rain, it sure did compress, so it wasn’t as daunting as it
was earlier in the season. Finally, wet leaves don’t blow away, and this was a
problem that I encountered trying to haul away piles of leaves to the compost
area, they would blow and fall out of the wheelbarrow, leaving a trail of
leaves that had to be cleaned up.
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In the end, I’m not condoning putting off raking the leaves.
As much as I dislike doing it, I think it’s better to tackle most of it in the
fall. It’s just that this year, as I mentioned, we got an early snow in October
and that pretty sealed our fate for the winter. Once the snow melted, I started
raking the leaves into a massive pile, and then got distracted, so it sat. When
I finally cleaned it all up, there was a massive bare patch on the ground. This
is not such a bad thing since that section of the lawn is all weeds, Creeping
Charlie and dandelions. My lawn rejuvenation plan hasn’t reached that section
of the yard, yet.</div>
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Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to <span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkeyouttanowhere/">Kevin D. Hendricks</a> for the pic.</span></div>
</div>phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348783092104228277.post-3767137879217528322012-05-18T08:10:00.001-07:002012-05-18T08:10:34.832-07:00Saving the Plant<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZxQhjwryw-k/T7ZmO5RwIFI/AAAAAAAAFCs/LMVV7QCNRjM/s1600/plant1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZxQhjwryw-k/T7ZmO5RwIFI/AAAAAAAAFCs/LMVV7QCNRjM/s1600/plant1.jpg" /></a></div>
Last weekend when we dug the trench, the path was going
right through this nice plant that we have along the house. I don’t know what
it is, the previous owners planted it, but it’s nice, and R was not too keen on
destroying it. Naturally this made my life more difficult, because I was going
to have to rescue the thing and then put it back in. It would have been much
simpler to just trash it, but that’s kind of sad, anyway.
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On Sunday morning before the excavator arrived, I got to
work. I’ve moved plants before, and found that if you dig deep enough, give
them plenty of water, and then put them back in within a reasonable amount of
time, you can pull it off. The problem with this plant is that it seems to be
dozens of individual plants, which it is not, it just looks that way. It’s some
sort of bulb that I think expands its territory.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D5Rb3IXNjFY/T7ZmRJZr1PI/AAAAAAAAFC0/BpERSm2h5v8/s1600/plant2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D5Rb3IXNjFY/T7ZmRJZr1PI/AAAAAAAAFC0/BpERSm2h5v8/s1600/plant2.jpg" /></a>I had to break the thing up because it takes up about four
square feet, and even when I did break it up, it was heavy. The question was,
where to keep it in the interim. I used the wheelbarrow and some plastic bins,
but it wasn’t easy, only because I was trying to keep them alive. I got most of
them out, gave them water, and we dug the trench.</div>
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Afterward, I put them back in, though they were uneven and
looked a little funny, compounded by the fact that they are three feet tall. R
wasn’t so thrilled, not the best addition to Mother’s Day, but she was cool
about it because she realized I was working my tail off and tried my best. I
figured the most important thing is that they survive, and if they grow a
little mis-directional this season, hopefully they’ll upright themselves next
year. Wishful thinking? It wouldn’t be the first time.</div>
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Until the next time, thanks for reading.</div>
</div>phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348783092104228277.post-7653125783724274232012-05-16T05:44:00.002-07:002012-05-16T05:44:16.169-07:00Moving Wood<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Now that my chainsaw is in the shop, I can do other firewood
related activities, including moving the wood into the splitting area. I
managed to cut about two cords, which is currently sitting in a pile by the logs.
I usually cut the whole thing then move it, which takes days, but since I’m in
limbo, I can move what’s done and that will make my life easier down the road.
At least, that’s how the theory goes. I haven’t actually put it into practice,
yet.
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I also managed to move about 1/3 of a cord that was leftover
from last year into the splitting area, so I can break out the maul and get to
work whenever I can get motivated. Plenty of other things to distract me,
however, so we’ll see when this grand plans goes into effect.</div>
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Until then, thanks for reading.</div>
</div>phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348783092104228277.post-19411556635190101262012-05-15T07:01:00.001-07:002012-05-15T07:01:21.554-07:00Decision Time<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The time has come for us to make a decision about how to
insulate and heat the barn, and needless to say, it isn’t easy. This decision
is compounded by the fact that building any sort of living quarters requires
vast sums of capital. Life would be so much easier if we just lived in caves.
Things were so much simpler in caveman days.
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Anyway, we had to come to a decision because in wiring the
house, how it’s heated will affect where wiring occurs. Our options were fairly
straightforward, if not a bit limited. For insulation, it boiled down to spray
foam or fiberglass. Spray foam insulates the best, but it’s amazingly
expensive, and this may sound like justifying my frugality, but we don’t
necessarily want a house that is hermetically sealed up. A little breathing is
nice.</div>
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The second issue was heating. Again, our options boiled down
to a boiler and baseboard heating, a furnace and hot air, or individual propane
air heaters. Our first thought was to go with the last option, which we had in
Quechee. They work fine, and if you have a wood burning stove as well, keeps a
house perfectly warm. The one issue you have to deal with, however, is hot
water, which requires either a hot water heater, a boiler, or a tank less
heater. A hot water heater is pretty straightforward, though maybe the least efficient.
A boiler would be great but is too much to just heat water. If you had it for
heat, as well, than it becomes an efficient option. The last one, a tank less
heater, is what KB has, and he says it works fine.</div>
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<br /></div>
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We didn’t really know which to use, and of course my first
instinct is to go cheap. After some thought, however, we think we’re leaning to
getting a boiler and insulating with fiberglass.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Our logic went something like this. The cost of getting a
few wall mount heaters (Rennai) plus a water heater and a stove would probably
be about the same as getting a boiler, or at least you’re not saving that much
money. A boiler and baseboard would give you a preferable form of heat,
especially if we ever sold the place, and it also gives you hot water. The caveat
with a boiler is that we were told we’d need to use spray foam, and that’s
really expensive. The pipes would run inside the walls, and there they are more
prone to freezing.</div>
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<br /></div>
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After much discussion with those in the know, we figured we
could run the pipes inside of the fiberglass, and then put pipe insulation of
the pipes. That seems like it would protect the pipes enough from freezing. At
least that’s what we hope.</div>
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Whatever be the case, that’s where we stand. A boiler with
fiberglass insulation. That’s our decision, and we’re sticking with it... at
least until someone new talks us out of it.</div>
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Until then, thanks for reading, and thanks to <span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dillasteez/">B0xR</a> for the pic.</span></div>
</div>phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348783092104228277.post-4191877653365772272012-05-14T05:28:00.002-07:002012-05-14T05:28:38.844-07:00Big Dig<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mn0X8VyCusM/T7D6ZBgp7XI/AAAAAAAAFAg/dhT6iK7VWBE/s1600/dig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mn0X8VyCusM/T7D6ZBgp7XI/AAAAAAAAFAg/dhT6iK7VWBE/s1600/dig.jpg" /></a></div>
We had some serious excavation work done yesterday, though
in the grand scheme of building a house, it was pretty minor. I just goes to
show you that it doesn’t take much to impress a city boy training to be a real
man. Last week we tried to dig a trench with a hand operated ditch witch, and
it seemed plausible to me, but when we actually stared the operation, it became
clear that we were in way over our heads. It was kind of funny, actually.
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We had to call in the big guns, so GD contacted a buddy who
had a small excavator and we arranged for him to come on Sunday. I actually
know the guy, he works over at Bob’s and is really cool. In fact, when he
showed up, he looked at me and said, “I didn’t know it was going to be you.” He
brought along his machine.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The digging was a piece of cake with this machine, and I’m
always impressed with how easily those things tear up the earth. He dug a two
foot wide trench about 80 feet long, and then GD and I laid the pipe that will
hold the wiring to the barn. All in all, it took about two hours, which when
you get down to it, is cheaper than having KB do it for 8 hours of labor using the
hand operated machine. Plus, the machine made it much easier, and dug a
sufficiently deep trench, which we were failing to do with the hand-op. Oh
well, live and learn.</div>
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At one point I thought the guy was going to drive the thing
into the trench, he was straddling the hold and decided to drive it off. He
knew what he was doing and used the scoop to hold up one end. Pretty impressive
stuff. Once the job was done, he filled in the ditch and we were in business.
Our driveway is a mess, but part of that is more appearance than actual
destruction. Plus, we may be on the cusp of fixing our driveway, so hopefully
it won’t be a huge factor.</div>
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It was a nice day if not a little hot. Once the sun came
out, it was tough shoveling and trying to save the plants, but that’s a story
for another time.</div>
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Until then, thanks for reading.</div>
</div>phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348783092104228277.post-10381024331773779302012-05-13T08:05:00.001-07:002012-05-13T08:05:11.633-07:00In Need of Bigger Equipment<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-14Tihtx9nK4/T6_Nl9EueTI/AAAAAAAAFAI/6sOItIXmluk/s1600/ditch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-14Tihtx9nK4/T6_Nl9EueTI/AAAAAAAAFAI/6sOItIXmluk/s1600/ditch.jpg" /></a></div>
We started out digging out that darn trench for the
electrical to the barn, and before long we realized that the thing wasn’t going
to cut it. KB picked up the Ditch Witch from Upper Valley Equipment and brought
it over. The thing wasn’t that small, it looked pretty impressive to me, not
unlike a huge chainsaw on wheels. It was a little daunting to run, with all
sorts of controls for the wheel speed/direction and chain speed/direction. KB
brought it over and started running it, but he admitted that it was his first
time using such a thing, and that he had to leave at some point, leaving me to
my own devices. Great.
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<br /></div>
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After a while it became clear that the machine was best used
with two people, because it helps to have someone clear and remove rocks as
they clog up the inner workings of the machine. I went down to my knees to get
some of them and it felt like a hammer hitting my kneecap. Talk about pain
(though I couldn’t be a sissy around KB).</div>
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It was slow going, and eventually GD showed up and was
surprised at how small the thing was. He thought we were going to get a small
tractor/ditch witch, because once we hit the hard pack, the thing was going to
be tough, not that they weren’t already.</div>
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After about an hour, we got about 20% of the way, but we hit
a huge rock, and for the life of us, we couldn’t get that thing out. After
struggling for about 45 minutes, it became clear to us that we needed a bigger
machine, preferably something with a backhoe. GD’s friend down the road has one
and he called him. We arranged for him to come over on Sunday and finish the
big dig. I’m slaged to help GD lay the pipe and run the wire, so I’m not off
the hook, at least not yet.</div>
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Until then, thanks for reading.</div>
</div>phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348783092104228277.post-6898872108721293662012-05-11T08:24:00.001-07:002012-05-11T08:24:08.926-07:00Searching For Wires<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ELu-RQDzaBc/T60u_sXfoJI/AAAAAAAAE_c/YAuldnU9Fcc/s1600/dig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ELu-RQDzaBc/T60u_sXfoJI/AAAAAAAAE_c/YAuldnU9Fcc/s1600/dig.jpg" /></a></div>
The Dig Safe guys came and went, and didn’t really
accomplish what we had hoped they would. It was partly our fault, we didn’t
clearly define our area of interest, but the end result is that I was going to
have to do some exploratory digging to find any live wires. Best of all, I was
going to have to do it by hand, with my Martha Stewart shovel, no less.
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I obviously has some idea of where the wires would be, so I
started digging. Finding the wire to the light was not so bad, it was shallow,
but the main line going to the outlet in the middle of the driveway was going
to be a little trickier because it’s deeper and more significant. What makes it
a delicate operation is that you don’t want to severe the wire, so I had to
take it slowly. It’s also deep, at least two feet, I believe.</div>
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In the end, I couldn’t really find it. I went two feet down,
and then started moving laterally, but no wire. At some point I stopped because
I wasn’t sure how much I should rip up the front yard, even though we’re going
to tear it up with the ditch witch. Whatever my excuse is, I’m sure it won’t
fly with KB and GD. Then again, that’s what happens when you send a boy in to
do a man’s job.</div>
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Until the next time, thanks for reading.</div>
</div>phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348783092104228277.post-83937539064074054932012-05-10T07:28:00.001-07:002012-05-10T07:28:47.506-07:00Safe Digging<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kiZuPvSMwv0/T6vQYT0le_I/AAAAAAAAE-0/9rnZgrcY4I0/s1600/342996815_b465563839_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kiZuPvSMwv0/T6vQYT0le_I/AAAAAAAAE-0/9rnZgrcY4I0/s1600/342996815_b465563839_m.jpg" style="cursor: move;" /></a></div>
Now I didn’t realize this, but you’re supposed to contact
the people at Dig Safe before you dig a trench, or for that matter, just a
hole. The ground is filled with wires, gas lines, pipes and other good stuff,
so you don’t want to hit something dangerous with your shovel or tractor. For the record, I don't recall anybody coming before they tested the soil for the septic tank, and for that matter, when they installed the tank and system, but that's all in the past.<br />
<br />
KB
told me to give them a call and set things up, so I did, and they said they’d
be there by Wednesday. Sure enough, they came on Tuesday, but they didn’t mark
any of the ground wires in the path we were interested in. In all fairness, KB
said he’d mark the way, but didn’t, so they didn’t know where we were headed.
<br />
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GD was there while they were there, so I should have had him
come out and chat with them, my bad. The end result is that the guys didn’t do
what we needed them to do, and now I have to go out there and locate ground
wires. Bummer.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Hopefully I won’t hit anything that explodes or is carrying
2000 volts. Plus, it’s been raining for the past week, which complicates
matters. Oh well, this is when the real man show their true colors, right? At
least that’s what I’ve been told.</div>
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Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to <span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pkeleher/">Paul Keleher</a> for the pic.</span></div>
</div>phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348783092104228277.post-9015438145930149812012-05-08T06:03:00.003-07:002012-05-08T06:03:55.594-07:00Final Walls<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6bNc80fve-Y/T6kZnoWPF9I/AAAAAAAAE90/I4T3kxToVQE/s1600/wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6bNc80fve-Y/T6kZnoWPF9I/AAAAAAAAE90/I4T3kxToVQE/s1600/wall.jpg" /></a></div>
KB showed up last week and put in one of the final walls
before we take the plunge and start thinking about heating and insulation, or
in our case, ignore it for as long as we can in the hopes that it will either
go away or take care of itself. As if that’s going to happen.
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He finished the downstairs walls and will make a small wall
upstairs, and then we have to dig a ditch to lay the electrical cable that will
feed the barn. We need to rent a ditch digger, or “Ditch Witch,” as their
called. That should be interesting, because I’m guessing yours truly will run
the thing. Once the cable is laid, the barn will have water and electricity,
which is kind of crazy.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Until then, thanks for reading.</div>
</div>phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348783092104228277.post-52044461514942103172012-05-07T06:33:00.002-07:002012-05-07T06:33:58.204-07:00Working in the Great Outdoors<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kFPIAhfCjf4/T6fPO2_nCQI/AAAAAAAAE9M/uAh803br-_k/s1600/wood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kFPIAhfCjf4/T6fPO2_nCQI/AAAAAAAAE9M/uAh803br-_k/s1600/wood.jpg" /></a></div>
As much as I love winter and the snow (and hockey), I have
to confess, it’s really nice to be working outside. I tend to get tired and
sleepy when I’m inside all the time, especially by the wood burning stove, but
once I get outside, I sure do feel invigorated. There’s something to be said
about being out there and getting dirty working with your hands. It somehow
speaks to the male psyche.
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Last week I started in on some of the big outside jobs,
including cutting wood and mowing the lawn. At some point we’ll have to work
harder on the garden, but I’ve been told you can do that as late as June 1. I
started cutting the wood and got about 20% of the way in when I had some
problems with the chainsaw, so we’re on hold until we hear from Joe’s. I had a
bunch of pine blocks that I cut last year and started making kindling with
them, which meant I got to use my new axe. The thing is sharp and kind of scares
me. </div>
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My current plan for kindling is to keep most of the year’s
supply in the basement, but have a good supply outside under shelter. This way
it dries over the winter and we have a stash we can turn to if we run out. I
tend to go easy with kindling, using only a few pieces to start the fire, but
everyone else seems to like to pile the stuff on. I can’t complain because it’s
nice when the kids build a fire, but they do get a little enthusiastic with the
stuff. It’s easier when you’re not the one who has to make it all.</div>
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I spent the better part of Saturday mowing the lawn, and
it’s looking pretty good, if I may say so myself. We haven’t put an ounce of
chemicals on it, so I’m glad it’s growing naturally. It sure does look nicer
once it’s coiffed, even though the dandelions always seem to take over,
seemingly more so this year. You just can’t beat the weeds.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Until the next time, thanks for reading.</div>
</div>phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348783092104228277.post-1557362516417830082012-05-05T06:36:00.002-07:002012-05-05T06:36:51.096-07:00More Shelves<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sACGk2hbtpE/T6Us5F6R4FI/AAAAAAAAE8o/8Cydq9NsW8g/s1600/shelf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sACGk2hbtpE/T6Us5F6R4FI/AAAAAAAAE8o/8Cydq9NsW8g/s1600/shelf.jpg" /></a></div>
As the saying goes, one good turn deserves another, or in
this case, one good rout. I made some shelves using my trusty router, and not
only was it fun, but they got rave reviews. It isn’t fine cabinetry, but it’s a
step above what I’ve made in the past, and it’s not too shabby. Most
importantly, R and the kids appreciate them, and have asked for more.
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Now I originally built a large one for N because I thought
his was falling apart, but I misunderstood that he needed to replace the
smaller ones by his bed. His big one where he keeps his clothes is in fine
working condition. A ended up with the big shelf, and that worked out
beautifully because she really needs a place to put her clothes, and now she
has something. She’s pretty keen on it. She could also use a long one by her
bed to put on her knick-knacks and assorted objects of interest. </div>
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<br /></div>
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That, however, doesn’t address the problem of N, whose shelf
fell apart. With this in mind, we headed over to Home Depot and got the lumber
and necessary supplies. Since we are constrained by the carrying capacity of
our car, I could only get about 30 feet of lumber, when in fact I could use
much more to do all the things I need to do. It’s kind of funny, actually. In
an ideal world, I would have bought 6 foot 1X12 pine boards, but in order to transport
them, I’d need to lean the front seat all the way back and lay them down. I
can’t do this with two kids in tow, so I opted for 8 foot boards that I had cut
in half, which fit beautifully in front seat. In a pinch, I could tie them to
the roof rack.</div>
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Now I have enough wood to build one more, and maybe two,
shelves. I also plan on building some for the bathroom. I can’t wait, you just
can’t beat doing real man’s work when you’re a real man in training.</div>
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Until the next time, thanks for reading.</div>
</div>phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348783092104228277.post-19073133482692267932012-05-04T05:11:00.001-07:002012-05-04T05:11:05.155-07:00Chainsaw Issues and a Bright Side<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vZFQk6igmaw/T6PHSU8mfMI/AAAAAAAAE7s/i_jI3UOExDM/s1600/saw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vZFQk6igmaw/T6PHSU8mfMI/AAAAAAAAE7s/i_jI3UOExDM/s1600/saw.jpg" /></a></div>
This breaks my heart, but we are having chainsaw issues, and
they might be serious. I was just getting into cutting wood, too, and Joe’s was
saying there is a two week wait on maintenance. Bummer. The goal is to cut the
wood before it gets too hot, because running a chainsaw on a hot day with all
the protective gear is a complete drag, to say the least, not to mention a bit
precarious. For once I had my act together before this situation arose.
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Now the problem I’m having with the saw is that when the saw
is warmed up, when I release the trigger, the chain keeps moving, even though
it should be idling. It’s a bit daunting when the chain is still moving when
it’s not supposed to be. I asked about it previously and the guy at Joe’s, whom
I trust, said it was probably the idle that needed adjusting. </div>
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When I started using the saw again, the problem cropped up,
and I tried to look in the manual how to set the idle. It was, as always, not
completely clear what they were trying to say, so I figured I’d bring the
manual in and ask the guys at Joe’s to clarify. When I spoke with them, they
said the problem sounded more serious because an idle adjustment problem would
make the chain keep running even when the saw was cold. He said not to use it
anymore and bring it in, in a rather ominous tone. I almost told him that they
were the ones who told me it was the idle, but no sense in pissing them off. </div>
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I was bummed that I didn’t have the saw with me then and
there, because I was initially going to bring it in so they could demonstrate
how to adjust the idle. Now I needed to make another trip into brutal W. Leb,
which is never a fun proposition, but you do what you have to do. I’m hoping
the problem isn’t too serious (i.e., expensive), but all indicators seem to
point to a serious problem. They are thinking an air leak, and maybe a $100 in
repairs. They kept asking me how old the saw was, and it’s not that old, so I
don’t know what to think.</div>
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On the bright note, and I’m not good at finding a bright
note, the fact that I can’t cut wood means that I have more time to move the
blocks that I’ve already cut and start splitting. Usually after I cut the tree
length down, I have this massive pile of wood blocks that seem impossible to
move and brings me down. I’ve done about 1/4 of the pile, so it’s a good start.
Anything to chip away at the proverbial stone. Hopefully they can fix the saw,
and before it gets too hot. Splitting isn’t so bad on hot days, it’s the
cutting that’s hard.</div>
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Until then, thanks for reading.</div>
</div>phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348783092104228277.post-53208314173568938292012-05-03T06:14:00.001-07:002012-05-03T06:14:36.587-07:00Getting Ahead of Myself<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-17g4dQoQ53c/T6KEsWFHoeI/AAAAAAAAE7E/eXsZS1CMI44/s1600/net.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-17g4dQoQ53c/T6KEsWFHoeI/AAAAAAAAE7E/eXsZS1CMI44/s1600/net.jpg" /></a></div>
Way back when (so far back I can hardly remember) KB told me
to extend the kitchen studs, I ended up with all these pieces of rough cut
wood. I knew in the back of my mind that I would need a few more pieces to
finish the job, but there was a lot. Getting more ambitious than I needed to
be, I decided to build a hockey net.
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After scouring the web for the proper dimensions, I built
one that was close to what they use in the NHL. However, when I ordered a net,
it turned out to be too small, and I realized that you don’t need a regulation
size net to practice shooting pucks, just something with a net. Also, I ended
up using all the wood, and now I need that wood to finish the job that KB gave
me. So now I need to dismantle the net and use the wood for said purpose. This
is the same net that I thrashed my thumb on while trying to screw it together.
I suffered for that thing.</div>
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On the bright side, N isn’t even that into it because the
net doesn’t fit. We need to make something smaller, and might use PVC piping,
instead. We’ll see how that goes.</div>
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Until then, thanks for reading.</div>
</div>phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348783092104228277.post-59803082806525308562012-05-02T10:55:00.002-07:002012-05-02T10:55:27.212-07:00Gentle Touch<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Oi0PoRPH3Bc/T6F0-qkAZGI/AAAAAAAAE6s/9_FbzkZ2xho/s1600/sink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Oi0PoRPH3Bc/T6F0-qkAZGI/AAAAAAAAE6s/9_FbzkZ2xho/s1600/sink.jpg" /></a></div>
We were having some problems with our sink, and it was sort
of driving everyone crazy in the way that dripping faucets can drive anyone
crazy. The problem was strange because it was very inconsistent. Often the sink
was fine, but occasionally it wouldn’t stop flowing, and would even come out in
a stream after the valve was shut. It would take several tries before finding
the perfect position to stop the water. I had taken the faucet apart several
time to check the seals, but all seemed in order. I was pondering replacing the
thing.
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After some discussion with R, the idea was put forth that
the problem was not with the sink, but with the person handling it, i.e., me. I
was being too rough on it, and should be more gentle when I pushed the handle
down. How could that be? Normally I wouldn’t believe such a thing, but I
decided to give it a try, and sure enough, it worked. My skepticism was put to
rest when I saw it with my own two eyes. I still found it hard to believe, but
eventually I had to accept the fact that I was the problem. Don’t you hate when
that happens?</div>
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Oh well, at least we don’t need a new faucet, and that makes
it all worthwhile. Until the next time, thanks for reading.</div>
</div>phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348783092104228277.post-69211125280189144772012-05-01T06:18:00.001-07:002012-05-01T06:18:26.979-07:00Screw That<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rAgoTYv4WfQ/T5_imTt05JI/AAAAAAAAE50/t1NUtG5F7Bw/s1600/studs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rAgoTYv4WfQ/T5_imTt05JI/AAAAAAAAE50/t1NUtG5F7Bw/s1600/studs.jpg" /></a></div>
I had to extend the kitchen wall studs, a job KB gave me
several weeks back, and it was amazing enough that I pulled it off. Upon
further inspection, however, it dawned on me that if the studs are going to
hold up cabinets and other good stuff like that, they really need to be
secured. With that in mind, I had this brilliant idea that maybe I should screw
them in to make them stronger. When I broached this idea with KB, he said do
it, after which I wondered why he didn’t say this in the first place, but no
sense in asking certain questions.
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I was at HD so I picked up some 3 1/2 inch screws, though
they were exterior screws because I couldn’t seem to find long wood screws that
weren’t exterior ones. That’s what happens when you send a real man in training
to do a real man’s job. Whatever be the case, they’ll work, so I’m not
complaining.</div>
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Until the next time, thanks for reading.</div>
</div>phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348783092104228277.post-20961087854900614372012-04-30T05:39:00.002-07:002012-04-30T05:39:55.926-07:00Things Are Not As They Seem<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aZSb8AFcOQA/T56IEVXBYiI/AAAAAAAAE5E/ZrCg-C1bxwY/s1600/saw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aZSb8AFcOQA/T56IEVXBYiI/AAAAAAAAE5E/ZrCg-C1bxwY/s1600/saw.jpg" /></a></div>
Ain’t that the truth? Talk about flip-flopping, I should
just keep my mouth shut until all is said and done. I was cleaning the chainsaw
when I decided to check the air filter, which the manual says to do regularly
and I had never done in the three years since I first got it. I know, my bad,
but it begs the question, how many of us regularly check the air filter in our
cars? I thought so.
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Either way, that’s the not the point. I checked the air
filter and it looked completely caked with dust. They say to clean it by
tapping the dust off or using an air compressor and blowing it off. I tried
tapping, and it seemed like it was glued on, so I went to Joe’s and got a new one,
and believe me, they are not cheap. When the woman handed me the filter, I was
surprised that it didn’t look that different than the one in the chainsaw. It’s
covered with the film that looks like sawdust to prevent fine particles from
getting through. My first thought was that the old air filter was fine, and I
didn’t need a new one, especially since they’re not cheap. Then I figured I’d
need to replace it at some point, because we use the chainsaw a lot. So I got
it.</div>
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When I got home, I took another look, and wouldn’t you know
it? The filter was actually a mess. Even though there is a film on it, it was
caked with dust that I couldn’t get off. The problem you run into is that if
you are especially rough in trying to clean the thing, you’ll end up ruining
it. </div>
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In the end, it needed replacing, and after all that
ruminating, I realized it was good that I got the new one. I lucked out on that
one.</div>
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Until the next time, thanks for reading.</div>
</div>phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348783092104228277.post-64396359827385868952012-04-27T06:36:00.000-07:002012-04-27T06:36:07.928-07:00Finally Some Rain<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rGJ_aaMyL_E/T5qgsif16bI/AAAAAAAAE4c/ANCx3Ta_Obs/s1600/1238711105_d9da7cade7_m.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rGJ_aaMyL_E/T5qgsif16bI/AAAAAAAAE4c/ANCx3Ta_Obs/s1600/1238711105_d9da7cade7_m.jpg" /></a>Boy, when you live in Vermont, you realize the weather
doesn’t hit you half way, it’s all or none, and then some. We had a serious dry
spell in the beginning of spring, we were even approaching drought conditions,
and even I, who doesn’t like rain and much prefers the snow, was pining for some
precipitation. Sure enough, the storm clouds rolled in then we got about a week
straight of it. For the record, I did not complain, but it’s striking when you
don’t see the sun for several days.<br />
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To make the situation all the more fun, it’s been windy for
about a month straight, and now that the rain is taking a break, it’s windy as
heck. Not sure what to make of it, but at least it’s cool and dry. A good time
to start cutting some firewood, so I’ll have to get on that.</div>
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Until then, thanks for reading, and thanks to <span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/balu/">Velachery Balu</a> for the pic.</span></div>
</div>phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348783092104228277.post-49973537559091535132012-04-26T05:28:00.003-07:002012-04-26T05:28:29.745-07:00Real Man Injury<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-494-N5z9rJg/T5k_VzWS6gI/AAAAAAAAE38/Itw81DjQ15E/s1600/3364511029_eb7a66e394_m.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-494-N5z9rJg/T5k_VzWS6gI/AAAAAAAAE38/Itw81DjQ15E/s1600/3364511029_eb7a66e394_m.jpg" /></a>Last week I was trying to build a hockey net out of extra
rough cut wood, and I hurt myself pretty badly. Not bad enough to elicit
sympathy from the real men I know, because I didn’t lose any digits or limbs,
but bad enough to where I was whining and hungering for sympathy. The problem
was I got sloppy, and paid the price. The net is about 4 feet high, which isn’t
that high, but required using a drill at an awkward angle. I also had to press
down to drive in the screw, and they were long screws, about 4 inches.<br />
<br />
Anyway, at some point, when I was trying to push the screw
down, the drill slipped and drove right into my thumb. In a way, I was lucky it
was as screw driver bit and not a drill bit, because that would have been
nasty. The injury was nonetheless painful, if not a bit gruesome.
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Nothing was broken, but I couldn’t use my thumb for a bit,
and I could very well lose the nail. It’s not pretty, but it gives me an excuse
not to spar in karate, and it might even get a sympathetic nod of approval from
my real-man friends, for whom I can’t be a sissy.</div>
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Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to <span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thenakedsnail/">thenakedsnail</a> for the pic.</span></div>
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</div>phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348783092104228277.post-80100167516795697312012-04-25T06:13:00.001-07:002012-04-25T06:13:31.475-07:00Fun With Routers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cSY3OyAsR_w/T5f4OWqwnYI/AAAAAAAAE3M/SzK380Munp0/s1600/shelf1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cSY3OyAsR_w/T5f4OWqwnYI/AAAAAAAAE3M/SzK380Munp0/s1600/shelf1.jpg" /></a>I finally broke out my router and made some shelves, and it
was a lot easier than I thought it would be. N has some cubicle-like shelves
that he keeps his clothes in, and it actually works out nicely, except that
their are like Ikea specials, and eventually all that stuff starts to fall
apart. R asked me to make something more sturdy, and I figured it was a good
time to break out the router. I’d never used until now.<br />
<br />
I learned a thing or two about using it, and for that
matter, making the shelves. In the past, making shelves was pretty easy. You
just line of the boards perpendicular to one another and screw fasten them with
screws. It doesn’t look perfect, but it definitely looks good enough, and the
screws hold the unit together nicely.
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Now when you really get into making shelves, you use a
router and fit the boards together into the groove. In an ideal world, you
don’t even need to screw the boards in, eliminating unsightly screw holes in
the side of the unit, or the need to fill them in with filler or plugs. Just
some wood glue and maybe some finishing nails and you’re in business. The other
problem you run into is when two shelves meet at the same point, whereby you
can’t drive two screws in both directions. This may be hard to envision, but
suffice it to say that without that groove to hold the shelf in, you can’t put
dividers between the two outer shelves unless you stagger the pieces, allowing
for attachment with screws or nails.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HwkFvhX7EOo/T5f4P9QHkNI/AAAAAAAAE3U/S3-bcFuy9bg/s1600/shelf2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HwkFvhX7EOo/T5f4P9QHkNI/AAAAAAAAE3U/S3-bcFuy9bg/s1600/shelf2.jpg" /></a> </div>
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My plan was as follows: attach the shelves to the outer
boards with screws, counter-sink the holes (listen to me) and fill them in with
plugs, and then glue the shelves to the middle divider. Of course, I ran into
problems at every step of the way, but man was it a learning experience. First
off, counter sinking the holes has never worked out for me. I realize I’m a
novice here, but the holes always get shredded and it makes more of a mess than
it’s worth. Plus, the plugs never fit in properly, and it looks bad. I found it
much better to just drive the screws in deep, and fill with filler.</div>
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The second thing I found was that I could actually screw in
one side of the middle divider, and then glue in the other side. This would
make it much more sturdy, not to mention easier to make. I also realized that
to glue the shelves in properly, you need something to bind the pieces of wood
together tightly, and even draw them together. That’s the funny thing about
wood, the lines usually don’t perfectly match, but it’s somewhat malleable, so
you can force things into place. I found the shelves didn’t always fit in
perfectly into the groove, and I wasn’t able to force it in with my hands.
However, with the use of a clamp that I could tighten, I could force the pieces
in place and it would look great.</div>
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Anyway, it was a bit of a fiasco, but I came out of it in
one piece, and now all I need to do is sand the thing and paint it. I’m rather
proud of it, actually, and now feel much more comfortable using the router. I
admit I had reservations using a new tool, especially one that has a high speed
bit that’s sharp. I had heard that you run into problems with shredding the
wood, but nothing a little sand paper can’t fix.</div>
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Until the next time, thanks for reading.</div>
</div>phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0