Okay, it's been a while. And there are updates, some projects, some photos...
Two years ago we attempted to go to Moab for Thanksgiving. It was a disaster on almost all fronts but we had fun. This year I turned 60 (yes, I do not believe it either!) and so I wanted to mark that milestone by doing that trip again but hopefully without the breakdowns and disappointment. It worked.
We met my brother (and family) and we brought bikes. Day one we all rode a nice easy trail. Nadia ended up having some sort of panic attack and stopped and just cried for... a long time. While I was hopeful that Search & Rescue would be the thing to draw her out and give her confidence she quit the program two months in after her friend quit. So what felt like a win wasn't.
I've decided I have no choice but to try to meet her where she's at but at the same time I
really struggle.
The following day we went on another ride with Just Lucas, Sacha and I. Nadia didn't want to go after the first day and instead of forcing or fighting with her I let her stay in the hotel room. She said she wanted to walk around town and that the ride the day before was too scary. Fine, that let us do a more gnarly trail.
The ride with Lucas and Sacha was fantastic. Lucas did great, had a great attitude and leveled up his skills with some coaching by his uncle (Sacha is a mtb coach in Salida, CO) and it was a good day. When we got back to the hotel Nadia was still in bed, on her phone. It was so hard to not be angry. I simply
do not know what to do. I've tried to limit the phone - the thing that I see as one of the main issues - but obviously it's more than that. I think S&R would have been great and the fact that she quit it, after spending a fortune on equipment and because it was what
she wanted to do, what she chose... i'm at a loss.
Lucas is leaning in to doing hard things. Nadia is withdrawing.
Katie and I are doing great. She took me to Skamania Lodge for my birthday and all I have is this photo of her ***. Which is great, the weekend was great but I didn't bring a camera so there you go.
In November my friend Brian, who got me into shooting the practical pistol matches, let me borrow his AR15 for a two gun match.
Brian convinced me to buy some lowers last year and I'd done nothing with them. I'd always considered AR's to be cosplay guns for the prepper crowd but getting to shoot in the context of a match finally convinced what a fun gun it is. I certainly get that those of you who live in other countries may find the whole gun thing in the US to be pretty bizarre and I get that. You're right. But it's also fun.
I managed to hit a target at 300yards the first time and that was the longest shot I'd ever taken. I was hooked.
The match finally got me to order some parts and put one of the guns together so I could shoot more of the two gun matches.
The modularity of the platform is pretty interesting. Ben gave me a book about the history of the AR and I was intrigued by the fact that it was built by Eugene Stoner, a guy who had no engineering degree, and was mostly a gun enthusiast who liked to tinker. That resonated.
Again, I have a lot of thoughts on the political aspects of the gun but I won't go there. To me it's a tool and like all tools should be given respect and used safely.
Katie loves shooting rifles and Sean (you will remember him here) took us out to Douglas Ridge to sight the rifle in. It was a really fun day and getting to shoot Sean's long range gun was a thrill.
A lot of self reflection has been going on this fall. While AI is threatening... everything? I simultaneously find myself re-inspired to get back to the shop and to double down on building things, my career and photography. I think, much like getting a cancer diagnosis, the risk of losing something makes you reflect and cherish what time you have left. I've done a lot of buying and selling of photo gear this fall and I'm pretty excited to shoot. Cameras and guns.
Oh, I also became an "official" pistol instructor. I figured since I really love shooting, am the pistol director for the local club and like teaching it made sense. My goal is to get people who have been put off by the whole gun culture thing, but are nonetheless curious, a way to learn in a safe and non-intimidating way.
Back to the shop.
While it's not clean yet (and may never be) I am back working in it. I was hoping to clean the bench so I tried some different rust removers. Naval Jelly worked the best but I didn't think it would be effective for the whole table.
I put down shop towels and then poured on the Evaporust and covered that with plastic wrap to prevent the eveporation and then left it for a day.
It's not perfect, and nothing but a blanchard grind will ever make it that way, this was pretty good.
Part of reconnecting with the shop was deciding to fix things, like the table, that have bugged me. Another one was the mill's auto quill downfeed which had never worked.
The screw that holds the (missing) knob for the forward/reverse engagement was broken. I was going to order one but remembered I have a lathe...
It took a bit to get the broken screw out but I managed and then made the knurled knob, adjusted the return spring and voilà, it was fixed. This inspired me to fix other things. I think that when you have a lot of... stuff, it begins to own you. I will never count the shop (or camera gear) or tools in that but bicycles, motorcycles, guns - they could all use some thinning.
Next up was the cold saw.
I've been using an old tupperware tub with an aquarium pump for years. Not ideal but it worked. This fall the pump failed several times, and an upgraded one failed. I finally decided to actually fix it for real with a dedicated coolant recycle pump and tank. I also took my saw blades in for sharpening along with some of my dull and broken end mills.
I'm working on a project for the club which will be my next post. It involves a lot of welding and my argon tank was almost empty so I got that refiled and while putting the tank back decided that the janky clamp I'd made 20+ years ago was annoying. The welding cart was my first welding project. It's actually pretty good but a lot the welds and some of the fab are not great.
Like this.
These aren't earth shattering projects. But the joy of fixing something, with scraps that you turn into a solution is so satisfying and therapeutic. It's a reminder that the shop is more than place to make things - it's a place to reset and reconnect with myself and that's something I very much need right now. You see an argon tank clamp and I see a solution that was 20 years in the making. 20 years of learning a craft, developing a skill and then utilizing it like a jedi master to fix something, to make something that can't be bought. That is some very powerful stuff.
Finally, for this new years post, is Lucas' christmas present. He asked for a small plastic tug boat. I searched and searched for it and there wasn't a store that carried it and I didn't want to disappoint him...
So I had to actually buy a 3d printer...
Yes, I know I'm very late to the party. I'd like to think I'm fashionably late.
On christmas day he unwrapped the box. He didn't take it out. I was worried that maybe he actually wasn't all that interested in it, that he didn't really want that tug boat, but the next day we took it out and set it up. We printed the tug boat and I was ready to pack it up and return it but the printer has not stopped printing for the last week.
Thank you Rob for the recommendation of the Bambu P2S. It is
perfect.
I think the poor quality of the early printers and the idea that I'd need to learn 3d software to use one put me off. Well, the quality has improved by leaps and bounds but I still need to learn 3D software.
Truly, it's hard to put into words how remarkable the tech is. The library of possible prints is endless and I find myself searching Thingaverse instead of Amazon when I need something. Nadia got paints for christmas and the tubes were everywhere and the brushes were loose on the counter. Lucas made the toothpick revolver he's always dreamed of and I made some battery caddies for my Sony batteries. The cat print is a lamp for Katie.
I do want to learn to model so I can make some basic parts so I ask the wise and knowledgeable audience here: what should I use? I don't want something complicated but also probably not something too simple. Easy to learn, potential to grow. Is there software as elegant, easy and simple as the Bambu printer?
There you have it. You're caught up and I still have another project that I'm finishing up for another update in the next week or so.
Happy New Year!
Gregor
was a new camera and it's been fun to see her creativity in a new medium. I have to edit myself because I want to teach her but I'm prone to over explaining and so I try to limit my advice to short cliff notes with follow ups if asked but mostly just let her explore with it. 
