Isn't that always the way!
Are those new snap ring pliers? How do you like them? I'm in the market for a set..
Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT The **** Shack
- Thread starter bdbecker
- Start date
Workspaces between 485 and 705 squarefeet.
Isn't that always the way!
Are those new snap ring pliers? How do you like them? I'm in the market for a set..
Yep... I figured this project was a good excuse to finally get a snap ring and retaining ring pliers. Haven't had a chance to use either yet, but they both seem to be up to the task.
The snap ring pliers are Channellock 927's. They are much more sturdy than I'd anticipated, even the replaceable tips are solid. I wasn't sure about them by handling them in the package at the store and was really tempted to drop the money on a set from Knipex (tax return season), but then I looked at my 8 month pregnant wife and remembered how much diapers cost and figured I should stick to the ~$20 option and not the $200+ option.
The retaining ring pliers are Wilde G407.B. All my pliers are Channellock, but they don't make a retaining ring pliers so I had to look elsewhere. I'm fast becoming a Wilde fan and the fit/finish on these pliers is very nice.
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mybigwarwagon
Well-known member
I have those snap ring pliers. I am a bit suspicious of how long the mechanism to change them from inner to outer pliers will last.
It sounds like I'm waffling on the same decision you were faced with! Do you go all out with the nice Knipex ones and never look back.. or do you get by with a replaceable tip set.. I mean how often do I really mess with retaining rings anyway?
Maybe it's just my bad experience with the replaceable tip ones. I have a cheap Craftsman set that's really left me with a bad feeling for that type. Honestly, I want to throw them across the garage every time I use them!
Anyway, curious to hear what you think of the Chanellocks after using them.
Ed
nicholam77
Well-known member
I think this is a great idea, and fun implementation, too! I know if would be useful for me, a lot of times if I'm woodworking I don't see/hear my phone. Time always gets away from me on projects. I really don't think you should need to caveat an idea like this, especially with a family and kids. Anyone that might be offended by it is living in the past.
Great work on everything else, too.
P.S. I grabbed a copy of that Norwegian Wood Chopping book from early in your thread and am enjoying it so far!
That, and the replaceable tips, are what kept me on the fence for awhile. I'm also curious to see how well they do over time.
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I had the same thought process. I finally concluded that if I use the Channellocks enough to wear them out, or I learn that they are in fact junk, it would be easy to justify the expense of a Knipex set. I will report back when the project is done.
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Thank you for the kind words.
That damn book... I live in a suburb and don't even have a fireplace, but I've restored two axes, a hatchet, have a half dozen more heads waiting to be worked on, and bought an antique two man crosscut saw at a flea market because of that book. What the hell am I going to do with a two man crosscut saw? How do you even approach that with one of your friends? "Hey man, you bored? Wanna go cut wood the old fashioned way?" Oh well... I've never let the fact that I may never use a skill or bit of knowledge stop me before, why start now?
XJSuperman
Well-known member
Apparently I need to read that book, Ive already got all that at home.
Im laughing about your comment on how to approach asking a buddy to help run a 2-man saw. Here's what we've got at home. I have 2 people on the list for holding the light end once we get it running.
Im laughing about your comment on how to approach asking a buddy to help run a 2-man saw. Here's what we've got at home. I have 2 people on the list for holding the light end once we get it running.
Pressingonward
Well-known member
Lol, your saw comment made me laugh. That would be an odd conversation to have.
My rat rod is indeed saveable, I'm just not sure where I want to take it. I'll post up a pic when I get a chance.
My rat rod is indeed saveable, I'm just not sure where I want to take it. I'll post up a pic when I get a chance.
Twenty or so years ago, I replaced the fog lights on my 1992 Nissan Maxima. The lights I got mounted slightly different than the factory ones. Access was limited and there was not a good way to get a wrench onto the nut, so my Dad (a diesel mechanic) found a cheapo 1/2" wrench, heated it up with the torch, bent it, and stick welded a bolt onto it to create a custom crow's foot wrench. For one reason or another, I've always held onto this made-in-the-moment tool, probably because it reminds me of my Dad. I was going to recreate this tool for removing the transfer case, but wouldn't you know it, the nuts are 1/2" (maybe 12mm) and this custom wrench saved the day once again.
View media item 101848
I got the transfer case out and replaced all the bearings, seals, and the chain without issue. The Wilde retaining ring pliers were the star of this project - I could not imagine doing this project without them. The other tool that was very useful was the Amazon-special 50pc. bearing driver set. Interestingly enough, I never actually used the Channellock snap ring pliers. The only snap ring in the t-case was beyond the capacity of the snap ring pliers and I used a needle nose pliers instead.
View media item 101843
Another "I'd rather be lucky than good" moment (besides the bent wrench) of the project was when I needed to make a tool to hold onto the rear output flange to break the nut free. I started digging in the metal scrap box looking for some flat bar stock and found a garage door opener arm. Wouldn't you know it, I didn't have to drill a single hole to make it work. The garage door opener arm has now found a home in the tool chest.
View media item 101844
Unfortunately, the transfer case ended up not being the cause of the grinding sound on the Jeep. As I was replacing the bearings and not finding anything that seemed bad, I was half expecting this to be the outcome when I took it out for a test drive. On the bright side, the transfer case works as it should and there isn't any oil dripping out of it, so I should be good for another 120k miles.
The next place to start investigating is the front differential, which is a whole different monster that I'm not sure I want to battle from looking at the FSM. I may look for a replacement off ebay or see if my buddy who has a repair shop can track one down for me instead of trying to rebuild the current one. Another project for a different day - Wife is only a few weeks away from her delivery date and I have a concrete crew coming in then next week or so to replace the back patio, so I'm not going to start tearing the Jeep apart and spending more money until the dust settles.
I have gotten around to replacing the motor mounts on the Sportster. Replacing the front mounts seems very straight forward when reading the manual, but actually doing it is a bit of a puzzle. The rear mounts seem like a lot of work, but are pretty easy when you get into it. Isn't that how it always goes? Anyway, the mounts were pretty shot.
Front mount:
View media item 101845
Rear mount:
View media item 101846
Of course, there I couldn't get through this project without a little bit of collateral damage.
View media item 101847
I had to pull the exhaust to replace the engine mounts. The rear pipe came off without a hitch, but the front pipe gave me the double whammy - one stud broke, the other came out of the jug. Sweet. Luckily, there is enough meat on the broken stud that I think I can get a nut partially threaded onto it and plug weld it to get it out. More to follow as things progress.
Other than that, just trying to stay healthy through all the craziness going on in the world. I work for a company in the ag industry, so we are considered essential to infrastructure and must remain operational during the shutdowns. A blessing considering all the people I know who are out of work right now. They do have me working from home as much as possible, so I setup shop in the den. If anything, my new officemate is a lot cuter and has a lot more interesting stories than the guys usually work around.
We had a working lunch the other day - cold pizza and breadsticks...
View media item 101850
I hope this update finds each of you safe and healthy. We're going to get through this.
View media item 101848
I got the transfer case out and replaced all the bearings, seals, and the chain without issue. The Wilde retaining ring pliers were the star of this project - I could not imagine doing this project without them. The other tool that was very useful was the Amazon-special 50pc. bearing driver set. Interestingly enough, I never actually used the Channellock snap ring pliers. The only snap ring in the t-case was beyond the capacity of the snap ring pliers and I used a needle nose pliers instead.
View media item 101843
Another "I'd rather be lucky than good" moment (besides the bent wrench) of the project was when I needed to make a tool to hold onto the rear output flange to break the nut free. I started digging in the metal scrap box looking for some flat bar stock and found a garage door opener arm. Wouldn't you know it, I didn't have to drill a single hole to make it work. The garage door opener arm has now found a home in the tool chest.
View media item 101844
Unfortunately, the transfer case ended up not being the cause of the grinding sound on the Jeep. As I was replacing the bearings and not finding anything that seemed bad, I was half expecting this to be the outcome when I took it out for a test drive. On the bright side, the transfer case works as it should and there isn't any oil dripping out of it, so I should be good for another 120k miles.
The next place to start investigating is the front differential, which is a whole different monster that I'm not sure I want to battle from looking at the FSM. I may look for a replacement off ebay or see if my buddy who has a repair shop can track one down for me instead of trying to rebuild the current one. Another project for a different day - Wife is only a few weeks away from her delivery date and I have a concrete crew coming in then next week or so to replace the back patio, so I'm not going to start tearing the Jeep apart and spending more money until the dust settles.
I have gotten around to replacing the motor mounts on the Sportster. Replacing the front mounts seems very straight forward when reading the manual, but actually doing it is a bit of a puzzle. The rear mounts seem like a lot of work, but are pretty easy when you get into it. Isn't that how it always goes? Anyway, the mounts were pretty shot.
Front mount:
View media item 101845
Rear mount:
View media item 101846
Of course, there I couldn't get through this project without a little bit of collateral damage.
View media item 101847
I had to pull the exhaust to replace the engine mounts. The rear pipe came off without a hitch, but the front pipe gave me the double whammy - one stud broke, the other came out of the jug. Sweet. Luckily, there is enough meat on the broken stud that I think I can get a nut partially threaded onto it and plug weld it to get it out. More to follow as things progress.
Other than that, just trying to stay healthy through all the craziness going on in the world. I work for a company in the ag industry, so we are considered essential to infrastructure and must remain operational during the shutdowns. A blessing considering all the people I know who are out of work right now. They do have me working from home as much as possible, so I setup shop in the den. If anything, my new officemate is a lot cuter and has a lot more interesting stories than the guys usually work around.
We had a working lunch the other day - cold pizza and breadsticks...
View media item 101850
I hope this update finds each of you safe and healthy. We're going to get through this.
BoilermakerFan
Well-known member
I'm glad to see I'm not the only one to keep the flat stock from a garage door opener because it might come in handle some day.
XJSuperman
Well-known member
Could be worse....I kept part of the track lol
nicholam77
Well-known member
Love the homemade wrench and the story behind it. Tools like that are the best kind, IMO. I definitely am into new, efficient, fancy pants tools, but some of my very favorites I have are the beat up ordinary ones my dad has given me (either intentionally or by accident 
). The flathead screwdriver I always reach for is the one that has dents in the blade, discolored, has been soaked in motor oil, etc. I think heavily used or inherited tools just have a certain reliability and comfort to them...
P.S. cute pic of the kid
). The flathead screwdriver I always reach for is the one that has dents in the blade, discolored, has been soaked in motor oil, etc. I think heavily used or inherited tools just have a certain reliability and comfort to them...P.S. cute pic of the kid
Terracar
Well-known member
Great story on the homemade tool from your dad. Like Nich said,"...some of my very favorites I have are the beat up ordinary ones my dad has given me (either intentionally or by accident)." I have a couple of his tools in my box right now, that made their way there by "accident" and those are the ones that I reach for first since I know they will get the job done.
I am non-essential, but I work with the EMS/Fire community, so despite nearly 50 people at my company laid-off or furloughed, I am still working albeit with a base pay cut and delay on my commissions. Still grateful I have a job and am able to work from home.
Wife is also working from home full time. We fortunately have the space... barely to bring our offices home. Though with 2 energetic kids and 3 rambunctious dogs it really is a 3-ring circus trying to get work done.
That said, no commute and lunch with the family everyday more than makes up for the inconvenience we have at the time.
Now to just finish cleaning out the garage and setup the workout equipment.
-T
I am non-essential, but I work with the EMS/Fire community, so despite nearly 50 people at my company laid-off or furloughed, I am still working albeit with a base pay cut and delay on my commissions. Still grateful I have a job and am able to work from home.
Wife is also working from home full time. We fortunately have the space... barely to bring our offices home. Though with 2 energetic kids and 3 rambunctious dogs it really is a 3-ring circus trying to get work done.
That said, no commute and lunch with the family everyday more than makes up for the inconvenience we have at the time.
Now to just finish cleaning out the garage and setup the workout equipment.
-T
The quick rundown is that I pulled the rear wheel to get a new tire a few years ago, and in doing so, started noticing a few other things on the bike that needed to be addressed. Not wanting to add another project to the mix, I moved the bike and table to the side and focused on tying up other loose ends first. The little guy is due any day now, and knowing that the first few months with a new baby is not great for being productive, I figured it was as good a time as any to dig back into the bike. If it sits for a week or two without any progress, no big deal. It'll be there when I do need some QST and hopefully I'll be able to get her back on the road sooner than later.
Hope you and your family are all safe as well.
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I also repurposed some t-iron from when I replaced the house garage door opener in making my welder cart. Metal is metal, although that old t-iron stunk something fierce when cutting and welding - probably came from the same factory where they make metal for bed frames.
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Love the homemade wrench and the story behind it. Tools like that are the best kind, IMO. I definitely am into new, efficient, fancy pants tools, but some of my very favorites I have are the beat up ordinary ones my dad has given me (either intentionally or by accident
Its funny you bring that up. Logically and scientifically, I know objects are inanimate. While I'm not a new age, hippy-dippy type person, I do believe that objects can have a soul that can't be explained away by simply attributing it to sentiment. Whenever I'm working on something at home with my Dad and go to his tool chest to grab a wrench, I can't help but feel some sort of an energy is held in those tools from all those years of him working as a mechanic, working long hours to provide for a young family. Same thing when I look at my Grandpa's old felt hat - years of adventures in the Oregon backcountry were absorbed into that hat and it doesn't just go away once that person has passed.
Not trying to derail my own build thread into a crazy discussion on new age ideas that I'm not sure I even believe myself, but I can't help but think there is something to the idea that a tool can have a some version of a soul.
Glad to hear you're still able to work. Dealing with a similar situation here - my Mom has been here working remotely for the last few weeks in case Wife goes into labor. Three of us (Wife, Mom, myself) trying to balance conference calls and remote sessions, keeping a 4 year old busy, and three dogs (our two and Mom's Jack Russel) constantly wanting to be either in or out of the house has taken a little bit of getting used to.
I'm beginning to think the "19" in COVID-19 refers to the weight gain from all the grazing whenever I wander through the kitchen to stretch my legs. If this situation has taught me anything, I have realized how much better I feel when I'm intermittent fasting than when I'm not. I've been off the horse the last few weeks and feel like garbage. Started IF back up today, hopefully in a few days I start feeling normal again. I think its also time to dust off the kettlebells and start waking up early to knock out a quick workout.
Some days you can't miss, then there's every other day...
My metal cutting technology in the garage is pretty standard. I've got a couple hacksaws, a sawzall and jig saw with metal cutting blades, grinders with cutoff wheels, and my Evolution Rage3 miter saw with a muti-material blade that serves as a dry cut saw on lighter gauge metals. Like the old pick two racer's 'fast, cheap, reliable' dilemma, I have a similar situation in the garage when it came to metal cutting. Between all of my tools, I'm always working with some sort of compromise between precision, speed, and material thickness.
A hacksaw is precise and can handle thick material, but it is very slow. A sawzall is fast and can handle thick material, but its not precise. The jig saw and Rage3 are precise and fast, but can't handle thick material. An angle grinder with a cutoff wheel is probably about as dead center between those three as it gets. It is reasonably fast, precise enough for most jobs, and can handle most material thicknesses within reason. The downside being that it is messy as hell and requires a fair amount of PPE to operate safely. The solution? A portable bandsaw of course.
I've been eying a portable bandsaw for awhile now and when HF had them on the tent sale a few weeks back for $85, I picked one up. I'm hoping the portaband can be a better version of the angle grinder - cutting thick materials relatively quickly and precisely, but without all the dust/mess. I also have an upcoming project that it will be very useful for, so I figured it was just as good a time as any to get one.
Not that I needed any justification because as we all know, being clearly stated in section 4.3.2a of the GJ bylaws, wanting a tool is the only justification that is technically needed to purchase it. The fact that I came up with an additional need for the tool (subsection 2b), as well as the tool being on sale for a marginal discount (2c) means I was clearly in the right for purchasing it. I'm even in compliance with the Spousal Notification section (4.3.3b) that states that leaving said tool out in the open for your wife to see is considered adequate notification of its purchase, regardless as to whether she notices or comments on it.
The part of this project that gave me aggravation is that I wanted to have the saw mounted on a table. I really like the SWAG portaband tables (https://www.swagoffroad.com/SWAG-Portaband-Tables-Accessories_c_35.html) and figured I'd take a shot at making my own. So I found a 12"x12" piece of 1/4" plate and got to work.
View media item 102314
Everything was humming along well. I used a piece of cardboard to find the cutout shape for the rear of the plate and to locate the holes. I welded a small plate on the bottom to allow the screws to countersink into the top. Brimming with confidence, I measured and cut a slot in for the blade.
View media item 102315
Thinking I was smarter than the average bear, I cut the slot in from the front of the table instead of the rear so that I would be able to change the blades without removing the saw from the stand. This, as I realized nearly immediately AFTER making the cut, was a dumb idea. If I wanted to change the blade without removing the saw, I also would have to put the table on its side or tip it so the blade would clear the legs. I want to enclose the base for a more finished look - having a front loaded blade would make this more complicated. Finally, if I ever needed to remove the saw from the table, I'd have to take the blade off to get the saw out. All of these issues I was willing to work around (I like a challenge and I'm stubborn) but when I tried to fit the blade, I found that I'd measured incorrectly and my slot was about 1/4" off from where it needed to be. Sh*t. No pics of the misalignment, I was too frustrated in the moment and called it a day. I'm still not sure how I screwed this up, but a mistake was made and needed to be fixed, no sense in obsessing over the past.
After thinking about it over a few beers, I decided the best course of action would be to weld up the front slot (didn't have any more plate laying around) and cut a new one from the back (like everyone else does). The next day I got to work.
View media item 102316
My apologies for not taking step-by-step photos, I was too focused on trying to get the plate fixed. Here's a little description of what I did... I started by grinding the slot wider and deeper to allow the weld to penetrate into the base material. I also started on the bottom of the plate so that I could work out my process on the side that no one will see. Keeping the plate clamped flat during and after welding is key to reducing the warp. When welding, skip around to distribute the heat evenly. Once welded, grind/sand/blend the welded area flush, taking care to not dig too deeply into the base material with the grinder. The goal is to only remove the weld, which is easier said than done. Once you have one side welded and blended, and you've allowed the part to cool while being clamped flat, flip the plate over and repeat. Working from the top side, I ground the slot deep enough to start seeing the weld I'd just applied from the other side. Doing this ensures full penetration and voids in the material will be kept to a minimum. If all goes well, its as if you never made a mistake in the first place.
View media item 102317
I then measured out the slot location. And measured again. And again. And rechecked once more. Then I cut a new slot.
View media item 102318
Success! Perfect fit. Even better, when I checked the perpendicularity of the blade to the surface of the table, I was only off by 0.1 degrees, which is pretty good all things considered.
View media item 102319
Then I started to remove the plate to weld legs to it, and stripped the head of the screw. Pretty much par for the course on this project. But, as luck would have it, I happened to have a handful of the exact same size screw in inventory. No idea where they came from because I don't do a lot with metric at home. Either way, I was glad I spent all that time a few years ago organizing my hardware because it turned what could have been a half hour round trip to the hardware store into a two minute minor inconvenience.
The next step was putting on some angle iron legs. I used the saw to cut them and couldn't be happier with how easy and quick it is to use.
View media item 102320
And that was as far as I got on the portaband table this weekend. I'm going to enclose the base, mount a plug/switch to turn it on/off, and do some sort of tray to catch the shavings. As some of you might now from older posts, I like to name some of my tools. The names can't be forced, they have to come naturally. I've got a special name picked out for this rig that will be revealed when I post pics of the final product.
The baby is due any day now (today is actually the due date) so we'll see how soon I get around finishing the portaband table. The motorcycle is also still in the works, I need to go get a new rear tire and to make some other decisions about where I want to go with things. Again, pending baby, not sure how soon I'll be posting again.
My metal cutting technology in the garage is pretty standard. I've got a couple hacksaws, a sawzall and jig saw with metal cutting blades, grinders with cutoff wheels, and my Evolution Rage3 miter saw with a muti-material blade that serves as a dry cut saw on lighter gauge metals. Like the old pick two racer's 'fast, cheap, reliable' dilemma, I have a similar situation in the garage when it came to metal cutting. Between all of my tools, I'm always working with some sort of compromise between precision, speed, and material thickness.
A hacksaw is precise and can handle thick material, but it is very slow. A sawzall is fast and can handle thick material, but its not precise. The jig saw and Rage3 are precise and fast, but can't handle thick material. An angle grinder with a cutoff wheel is probably about as dead center between those three as it gets. It is reasonably fast, precise enough for most jobs, and can handle most material thicknesses within reason. The downside being that it is messy as hell and requires a fair amount of PPE to operate safely. The solution? A portable bandsaw of course.
I've been eying a portable bandsaw for awhile now and when HF had them on the tent sale a few weeks back for $85, I picked one up. I'm hoping the portaband can be a better version of the angle grinder - cutting thick materials relatively quickly and precisely, but without all the dust/mess. I also have an upcoming project that it will be very useful for, so I figured it was just as good a time as any to get one.
Not that I needed any justification because as we all know, being clearly stated in section 4.3.2a of the GJ bylaws, wanting a tool is the only justification that is technically needed to purchase it. The fact that I came up with an additional need for the tool (subsection 2b), as well as the tool being on sale for a marginal discount (2c) means I was clearly in the right for purchasing it. I'm even in compliance with the Spousal Notification section (4.3.3b) that states that leaving said tool out in the open for your wife to see is considered adequate notification of its purchase, regardless as to whether she notices or comments on it.
The part of this project that gave me aggravation is that I wanted to have the saw mounted on a table. I really like the SWAG portaband tables (https://www.swagoffroad.com/SWAG-Portaband-Tables-Accessories_c_35.html) and figured I'd take a shot at making my own. So I found a 12"x12" piece of 1/4" plate and got to work.
View media item 102314
Everything was humming along well. I used a piece of cardboard to find the cutout shape for the rear of the plate and to locate the holes. I welded a small plate on the bottom to allow the screws to countersink into the top. Brimming with confidence, I measured and cut a slot in for the blade.
View media item 102315
Thinking I was smarter than the average bear, I cut the slot in from the front of the table instead of the rear so that I would be able to change the blades without removing the saw from the stand. This, as I realized nearly immediately AFTER making the cut, was a dumb idea. If I wanted to change the blade without removing the saw, I also would have to put the table on its side or tip it so the blade would clear the legs. I want to enclose the base for a more finished look - having a front loaded blade would make this more complicated. Finally, if I ever needed to remove the saw from the table, I'd have to take the blade off to get the saw out. All of these issues I was willing to work around (I like a challenge and I'm stubborn) but when I tried to fit the blade, I found that I'd measured incorrectly and my slot was about 1/4" off from where it needed to be. Sh*t. No pics of the misalignment, I was too frustrated in the moment and called it a day. I'm still not sure how I screwed this up, but a mistake was made and needed to be fixed, no sense in obsessing over the past.
After thinking about it over a few beers, I decided the best course of action would be to weld up the front slot (didn't have any more plate laying around) and cut a new one from the back (like everyone else does). The next day I got to work.
View media item 102316
My apologies for not taking step-by-step photos, I was too focused on trying to get the plate fixed. Here's a little description of what I did... I started by grinding the slot wider and deeper to allow the weld to penetrate into the base material. I also started on the bottom of the plate so that I could work out my process on the side that no one will see. Keeping the plate clamped flat during and after welding is key to reducing the warp. When welding, skip around to distribute the heat evenly. Once welded, grind/sand/blend the welded area flush, taking care to not dig too deeply into the base material with the grinder. The goal is to only remove the weld, which is easier said than done. Once you have one side welded and blended, and you've allowed the part to cool while being clamped flat, flip the plate over and repeat. Working from the top side, I ground the slot deep enough to start seeing the weld I'd just applied from the other side. Doing this ensures full penetration and voids in the material will be kept to a minimum. If all goes well, its as if you never made a mistake in the first place.
View media item 102317
I then measured out the slot location. And measured again. And again. And rechecked once more. Then I cut a new slot.
View media item 102318
Success! Perfect fit. Even better, when I checked the perpendicularity of the blade to the surface of the table, I was only off by 0.1 degrees, which is pretty good all things considered.
View media item 102319
Then I started to remove the plate to weld legs to it, and stripped the head of the screw. Pretty much par for the course on this project. But, as luck would have it, I happened to have a handful of the exact same size screw in inventory. No idea where they came from because I don't do a lot with metric at home. Either way, I was glad I spent all that time a few years ago organizing my hardware because it turned what could have been a half hour round trip to the hardware store into a two minute minor inconvenience.
The next step was putting on some angle iron legs. I used the saw to cut them and couldn't be happier with how easy and quick it is to use.
View media item 102320
And that was as far as I got on the portaband table this weekend. I'm going to enclose the base, mount a plug/switch to turn it on/off, and do some sort of tray to catch the shavings. As some of you might now from older posts, I like to name some of my tools. The names can't be forced, they have to come naturally. I've got a special name picked out for this rig that will be revealed when I post pics of the final product.
The baby is due any day now (today is actually the due date) so we'll see how soon I get around finishing the portaband table. The motorcycle is also still in the works, I need to go get a new rear tire and to make some other decisions about where I want to go with things. Again, pending baby, not sure how soon I'll be posting again.
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I have made that exact joke for that exact reason. Like you and a lot of the others posting on this thread, I am presently working from home (albeit at reduced pay..) and my "office" is my kitchen table. Which is ten feet away from the fridge and pantry cabinet.
I have been trying to stay active despite the limited number of ways we can with the quarantine. I am very fortunate in that there's a nice network of hiking trails in the woods across the street from my house. They connect to the Appalacian Trail, so theoretically I could hike all the way to Maine or Georgia, but I usually just keep it to a few hours.
Literally laughed out loud at that one!
That's too funny. As soon as I saw the picture of the portable bandsaw, I was going to mention the SWAG table!
Hope everything goes smoothly with the delivery of your new child!
Ed
Unruh
Well-known member
So funny! I showed my wife and she said she wanted a copy of these bylaws
Congratulations on the new one!
nicholam77
Well-known member
Bandsaw table is looking good!
I assume the new kiddo has arrived by now, hope everything went well and congratulations! You're gonna have your hands full for a bit!
I assume the new kiddo has arrived by now, hope everything went well and congratulations! You're gonna have your hands full for a bit!
mybigwarwagon
Well-known member
So funny! I showed my wife and she said she wanted a copy of these bylaws
Congratulations on the new one!
Section 1.1.1 NEVER show the spouse the bylaws.
All is well in The **** Shack Kingdom. Wife was induced on April 11th at around 8am, just before 9pm we got to meet our little guy. The whole labor process was uneventful and was a lot easier on Wife than the first time around. When our daughter was born, Wife was in labor for 16+ hours, most of the contractions were in her back. On top of that, Stinker ended up in the NICU for a week because she was born with a fever. This time around the contractions were normal and Buster (not his real name) was born with no complications so we were able to come home on Monday. The little guy is a tank - 8lbs 14oz, 21" tall - and eating like crazy. So far he seems to definitely prefer hanging out with Wife, which is okay because Stinker is still trying to get accustomed to not being the only one in the spotlight and has since joined herself to my hip.
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I'm in a similar boat - we live next to a park and the big metro trail system cuts through it. Our trail doesn't go through mountains and ends at a Jiffy Lube, so not exactly the same, but still pretty nice. Hiking the Appalachian Trail is definitely on my "to-do" list.
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Yep, just like the rules for that other club we don't talk about.
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Hands are definitely full, more on that in a future post. Right now, I'm just trying to drink enough caffeine to stay halfway productive on my first day back to work (working from home at least). I forgot about how little sleep you get with a newborn. I mean, I remember that I didn't get a lot of sleep with the first one, but I'd forgotten about the fogginess that you just can't shake.
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I'm in a similar boat - we live next to a park and the big metro trail system cuts through it. Our trail doesn't go through mountains and ends at a Jiffy Lube, so not exactly the same, but still pretty nice. Hiking the Appalachian Trail is definitely on my "to-do" list.
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So funny! I showed my wife and she said she wanted a copy of these bylaws
Yep, just like the rules for that other club we don't talk about.
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Hands are definitely full, more on that in a future post. Right now, I'm just trying to drink enough caffeine to stay halfway productive on my first day back to work (working from home at least). I forgot about how little sleep you get with a newborn. I mean, I remember that I didn't get a lot of sleep with the first one, but I'd forgotten about the fogginess that you just can't shake.
mybigwarwagon
Well-known member
Congrats on the little one. We are expecting a girl in June. I can't wait to teach her all kinds of bad things.
Hawk136439
Well-known member
Congrats! Glad to hear that Buster and Momma are doing well and healthy!
racer-john
Well-known member
Congratulations on the newborn.
iced98lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Congrats on the new addition!!
Htscheg
Well-known member
Congratulations!!!!
sean Buick 76
Well-known member
Congrats!!!!
amkluttz
Well-known member
Congratulations!
Going from one to two was more work than I thought it would be. My third is about six weeks old now and I'm still struggling with the fog. Good luck!
nicholam77
Well-known member
Glad everything is well and congrats again!
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
Congratulations! A miracle!!
mybigwarwagon
Well-known member
Sooooo. With the new baby, is it a true **** shack yet?
GeddyT
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I've had The **** Shack open in a tab for about a month now, but I've been putting it off, as I've been busy, and this is a long thread I figured I'd probably get hooked into.
Sure enough...
Made the "mistake" of taking a peek at about midnight last night, ended up not making it to bed until after 2:00! And looks like I'm not even a quarter of the way through. My productivity is going to suffer for a while, but thanks for the great read so far (that's an awesome workbench!). I'll be back when I'm finished, hopefully sooner than later.
Sure enough...
Made the "mistake" of taking a peek at about midnight last night, ended up not making it to bed until after 2:00! And looks like I'm not even a quarter of the way through. My productivity is going to suffer for a while, but thanks for the great read so far (that's an awesome workbench!). I'll be back when I'm finished, hopefully sooner than later.
Since the day we moved into our house, I've wanted to replace the back patio concrete. It was a mishmash of sidewalk, slabs, and pavers that were in terrible shape. I'm honestly surprised that the retaining wall around the walkout door never collapsed. The worst part about it being ugly and a trip hazard is that the slabs had tipped towards the house, causing water to dump around the foundation ever time it rained, and during especially heavy storms, we'd get water in the basement.
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Over the years, I've had probably a half dozen or so give me quotes to replace this patio/sidewalk area. I wasn't shopping around wasting people's time, it just took that long to find a contractor who could handle replacing the walk out steps and retaining wall. We've been in a building boom around here since before we bought the house, so most of the big outfits that could handle the job were off on commercial and new residential work. Anyone who was in the business of replacing patios and driveways didn't seem all that interested in having to deal with the walkout steps and retaining walls. Of the guys who did actually show up to give me a bid, only two seemed capable of doing the project, one of which wanted to charge 2x-3x as everyone else, and the other being the crew that I ended up working with. I'm pretty sure that the only reason I was able to get this crew for the job is because The Rona put their current projects on hold, and there is a little bit of a distant family connection (aunt's sister's husband's cousin type thing).
Naturally, the bulk of this project would take place the week before and after Buster was born. So despite all the headaches, it was well worth the wait because these guys knocked it out of the park. Working from home was also nice because I got to see how they did everything. If you are in the Des Moines/Norwalk/Indianola area and need concrete work, PM me and I'll connect you with them.
Rebar makes me happy.
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A nice little before and after.
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Now the rainwater flows away from the house! You'll also note that the steps are rotated 90 degrees to run along side the house, giving us more usable patio space, more than likely it'll be the new home for the fire pit. We also ran a line under the slab for the downspout, now dumping out of a pop-up near the corner between the patio and driveway.
With the new concrete, I now needed to build a fence around the walkout steps, a new gate for the driveway, and new steps for the deck. While I was putting together the BOM for the steps, I figured I should pick up a few extra deck boards to replace some that had rotted over the years. As I started counting up the boards that needed to be replaced, I realized that I would be replacing about a third of the deck. One thing lead to another and the next thing you know, a load of cedar decking was getting dropped off in the driveway. The deck was rough when we moved in and we always knew we were going to repair/replace it, I just didn't know it was going to be this spring.
Based on previous house projects, I knew removing the old deck boards was going to be opening a can of worms, so when I discovered more previous owner shenanigans I wasn't too surprised. I don't want to always rag on the guy, but some of the stuff I find just baffles me. I had plenty of time to think about it during this project and I think what bugs me the most about the corner cutting is that this guy spent real money on building a deck, but out of ignorance, overconfidence, or laziness, just swings and misses at everything he lays his hands on.
I'm not going to waste our time going into detail about the issues I found, but I'll just say that the deck is now more solid than it's ever been. I kept telling Wife that all the extra repair and reinforcement was going to make a huge difference in reducing the bounciness. She always gave me a "whatever you say" type response, but when it was actually done and she walked out on the fresh deck, she finally realized what I was talking about.
Here's another before and after of the deck this time.
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The substructure of the deck is PT, so matching it to the new cedar was going to be difficult. Instead, we just went with black Cabot solid acrylic deck stain and embraced the contrast. I took the time to coat the tops of all the joists and any other substructure so when you are looking down through the deck board spaces, you can't really see anything unless you know where to look. The side panels that enclose the bottom of the deck are now on hinges so we can access underneath if needed - like when a critter decides to take his last breath underneath, in the middle of summer no less... man that stunk for a few days. Speaking of critters, I covered just about ever access point with rabbit fencing to try and keep at least the bigger animals out. Finally, I installed an outlet near the front corner of the deck, along with LED lights under the front overhang that are on a dusk switch.
View media item 104457
To install the new decking, I used the CAMO hidden fastener system. I am in no way associated with them, but wow, what a great product. The proprietary screws do cost a little more than regular screws, and you have to buy the tool itself, but it is well worth the added expense. Besides giving the deck a very clean look, I honestly think using this system is easier than regular screws. The board spacer is built into the tool, the screws are held by the guides freeing up a hand to hold the board in place, and you can't over-drive a screw because of how the bit is designed. The hidden fasteners are also well below the deck surface, so when I sand the deck before treating it, I don't have to worry about sanding the faces of the screws and ruining their weather resistance. When Wife came out to see the finished product, I got one of the most satisfying compliments ever - she was trying to find words to describe how it looked and said "It just looks so... so precise!" That made all the hard work worth it.
The funny part is that after a month stealing every spare minute of free time to work on this, I still need to build steps... and a fence... and a gate. Oh well, that's how life goes right? I mean, why not rebuild your deck with a newborn at home in the middle of a pandemic quarantine? Hope this update finds everyone healthy and safe.
View media item 104452
Over the years, I've had probably a half dozen or so give me quotes to replace this patio/sidewalk area. I wasn't shopping around wasting people's time, it just took that long to find a contractor who could handle replacing the walk out steps and retaining wall. We've been in a building boom around here since before we bought the house, so most of the big outfits that could handle the job were off on commercial and new residential work. Anyone who was in the business of replacing patios and driveways didn't seem all that interested in having to deal with the walkout steps and retaining walls. Of the guys who did actually show up to give me a bid, only two seemed capable of doing the project, one of which wanted to charge 2x-3x as everyone else, and the other being the crew that I ended up working with. I'm pretty sure that the only reason I was able to get this crew for the job is because The Rona put their current projects on hold, and there is a little bit of a distant family connection (aunt's sister's husband's cousin type thing).
Naturally, the bulk of this project would take place the week before and after Buster was born. So despite all the headaches, it was well worth the wait because these guys knocked it out of the park. Working from home was also nice because I got to see how they did everything. If you are in the Des Moines/Norwalk/Indianola area and need concrete work, PM me and I'll connect you with them.
Rebar makes me happy.
View media item 104453
A nice little before and after.
View media item 104451
View media item 104454
Now the rainwater flows away from the house! You'll also note that the steps are rotated 90 degrees to run along side the house, giving us more usable patio space, more than likely it'll be the new home for the fire pit. We also ran a line under the slab for the downspout, now dumping out of a pop-up near the corner between the patio and driveway.
With the new concrete, I now needed to build a fence around the walkout steps, a new gate for the driveway, and new steps for the deck. While I was putting together the BOM for the steps, I figured I should pick up a few extra deck boards to replace some that had rotted over the years. As I started counting up the boards that needed to be replaced, I realized that I would be replacing about a third of the deck. One thing lead to another and the next thing you know, a load of cedar decking was getting dropped off in the driveway. The deck was rough when we moved in and we always knew we were going to repair/replace it, I just didn't know it was going to be this spring.
Based on previous house projects, I knew removing the old deck boards was going to be opening a can of worms, so when I discovered more previous owner shenanigans I wasn't too surprised. I don't want to always rag on the guy, but some of the stuff I find just baffles me. I had plenty of time to think about it during this project and I think what bugs me the most about the corner cutting is that this guy spent real money on building a deck, but out of ignorance, overconfidence, or laziness, just swings and misses at everything he lays his hands on.
I'm not going to waste our time going into detail about the issues I found, but I'll just say that the deck is now more solid than it's ever been. I kept telling Wife that all the extra repair and reinforcement was going to make a huge difference in reducing the bounciness. She always gave me a "whatever you say" type response, but when it was actually done and she walked out on the fresh deck, she finally realized what I was talking about.
Here's another before and after of the deck this time.
View media item 104455
View media item 104456
The substructure of the deck is PT, so matching it to the new cedar was going to be difficult. Instead, we just went with black Cabot solid acrylic deck stain and embraced the contrast. I took the time to coat the tops of all the joists and any other substructure so when you are looking down through the deck board spaces, you can't really see anything unless you know where to look. The side panels that enclose the bottom of the deck are now on hinges so we can access underneath if needed - like when a critter decides to take his last breath underneath, in the middle of summer no less... man that stunk for a few days. Speaking of critters, I covered just about ever access point with rabbit fencing to try and keep at least the bigger animals out. Finally, I installed an outlet near the front corner of the deck, along with LED lights under the front overhang that are on a dusk switch.
View media item 104457
To install the new decking, I used the CAMO hidden fastener system. I am in no way associated with them, but wow, what a great product. The proprietary screws do cost a little more than regular screws, and you have to buy the tool itself, but it is well worth the added expense. Besides giving the deck a very clean look, I honestly think using this system is easier than regular screws. The board spacer is built into the tool, the screws are held by the guides freeing up a hand to hold the board in place, and you can't over-drive a screw because of how the bit is designed. The hidden fasteners are also well below the deck surface, so when I sand the deck before treating it, I don't have to worry about sanding the faces of the screws and ruining their weather resistance. When Wife came out to see the finished product, I got one of the most satisfying compliments ever - she was trying to find words to describe how it looked and said "It just looks so... so precise!" That made all the hard work worth it.
The funny part is that after a month stealing every spare minute of free time to work on this, I still need to build steps... and a fence... and a gate. Oh well, that's how life goes right? I mean, why not rebuild your deck with a newborn at home in the middle of a pandemic quarantine? Hope this update finds everyone healthy and safe.
Jeff Ivers
Well-known member
Congrats on the addition to the family! Great job on the house upgrades!
Thank you for all the kind words guys!
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Now if I could only find my 10mm...
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Between my daughter's propaganda art hanging everywhere (for a few weeks, she was drawing pictures that excluded the baby and hanging them around the house), toys, burp rags, two dogs, and my deck project, it's been a bit of a sh!tshow around here for sure. We are starting to find our groove a little more each day. Most importantly, Stinker is starting to come around to the idea that her new brother is here to stay.
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Ha! Well, its not much, but its what I've got. Glad to have you along for the ride!
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In my last post, I did forget to mention the one thing I have done for the garage - I bought a dehumidifier. Now that the garage is sealed up and insulated, the air just doesn't move through like it used to. In the past, I'd have a few days of sweating as the cool concrete came up to temp for the season and be done with it. Because the garage is insulated, this process has been drawn out over a few weeks instead of a few days and I started getting worried about rust and mold. One day of running was all it took to get everything stabilized. Besides keeping my space and tools safe, I cannot believe how much more comfortable it is in there. I'll be curious as to how it feels when it really warms up this summer. Someday I'd like a minisplit or window AC unit, but until then, dry air will have to suffice.
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Now if I could only find my 10mm...
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Between my daughter's propaganda art hanging everywhere (for a few weeks, she was drawing pictures that excluded the baby and hanging them around the house), toys, burp rags, two dogs, and my deck project, it's been a bit of a sh!tshow around here for sure. We are starting to find our groove a little more each day. Most importantly, Stinker is starting to come around to the idea that her new brother is here to stay.
-----
Ha! Well, its not much, but its what I've got. Glad to have you along for the ride!
-----
In my last post, I did forget to mention the one thing I have done for the garage - I bought a dehumidifier. Now that the garage is sealed up and insulated, the air just doesn't move through like it used to. In the past, I'd have a few days of sweating as the cool concrete came up to temp for the season and be done with it. Because the garage is insulated, this process has been drawn out over a few weeks instead of a few days and I started getting worried about rust and mold. One day of running was all it took to get everything stabilized. Besides keeping my space and tools safe, I cannot believe how much more comfortable it is in there. I'll be curious as to how it feels when it really warms up this summer. Someday I'd like a minisplit or window AC unit, but until then, dry air will have to suffice.
amkluttz
Well-known member
To me what makes it really pop is the cedar against the black. I like it and think it came out looking really good. Great job!
g13092
Member
Damn, both jobs look fantastic. Nice!