I don’t mind working outside when it is cold, within reason, but I prefer to stay inside when it is cold and wet, as during a recent day. Since there was work to complete on the insides of the affected windows that was not a problem.
In the living room I had a fair bit of re-installation to complete, mostly because I originally selected a convoluted trim scheme thirty plus years ago. As a result I had to remove considerably more interior trim than would have otherwise been the case when I reconstructed the wall around the one window. Me and my affinity to G&G detailing with select vintage woods…
But, it all went back together just fine. A little patching and painting for the wallboard and it will be done.
The window in the piano room was more involved as that interior trim was infested and I burned all of that, so I needed to make all new trim from vintage walnut. Which, fortunately, I have a fair bit.
Since my larger machines are 225 miles away in the mountains I had to use these two old reliable beauties from the 1950s, my Craftsman version of the Williams & Hussey planer and the little Homecraft tilt-top beauty that was the American version (precursor?) of the classic Inca 8″ table saw. I have always really liked this little saw, and can see the time when I tart it up once it becomes my every-day workhorse in a smaller shop in the distant future.
I sawed and thicknessed the boards on the machines then finished them off with hand planes in the basement workshop. Installed the new trim looks just like the old trim, which was the goal.
Once the box was assembled and the tools placed inside it for reference, I knew the ~10″ height was wrong. Fortunately it was too tall, an easily rectifiable situation. Had it been too short that could also be fixed, but this was easier.
I estimated the necessary height by arranging all the saws and planes in place (this picture is after the cutting-down). The latter was easy, just lay all the planes on their sides in the most efficient spatial arrangement running the length of the box. For the saws I made a slotted bar saddle to hold them in place, alternating the handles for a tighter fit. In the end I was able to fit in eight planes and thirteen saws on the bottom this way.
Measuring to the top of this assembled inventory I marked then sawed off the excess wood. Much more better. The final height of the box walls was just under eight inches.
Plus, I now have a right-sized tool box plus another shallow pine box that can be used for something else, all I have to do is nail on a bottom.
I’ve always liked the idea of having “branded” t-shirts for the barn, and even went to far as to work with my marketing specialist daughter to create the branding itself. I found that the two orthodox options, ordering them from a regular printing company (required a minimum order of 25 shirts to get the unit price down to reasonable) or a one-off on-line producer (unit prices of $25-30) were unappealing. Iron-on transfers were also problematic as most of the shirts I wanted were very dark color, and inkjet printers do not do “white”
Instead I watched a youtube video and painted my own silk screen and made a couple to see if I liked the idea. I made a wooden screen frame, printed out the design at full size and then using screen masking medium I traced the pattern with the aid of a light box from back in the days of antiquity when we viewed things called “slides.” It was a delicate balace, diluting the masking medium enough to paint ultra-fine details but not so dilute as to wick across the screen fabric.
I worked on the screen for a few minutes at a time over several weeks, then printed some out some practice tries on an old rag with the mayonnaise-consistency ink and a silk screen squeegee. The results were okay, but I’ve still got to learn the “feel” of the process.
I may try again, simplifying the design details to make it bolder.
I generally consider New Year’s Resolutions to be wishful thinking at best and sanctimonious posturing at worst, but I do find the practice of setting realistic goals to be a useful guide and reminder for the future. Mine range from the mundane to the transcendent. Here are a few of them, in no particular order:
Organize the pile of stuff in the barn (and get rid of that which simply occupies space unproductively). The mantra for the year is Crap is Crap.
Think strategically about my long-term goal of consolidating my tools to the size of a cargo van.
Improve my skills at the bench. All of them. And add new ones.
Add some needed wiring in the barn, including a 220v circuit to the basement, thus bringing my larger machines on line.
Find new homes for machines and tools I do not need.
Come to a better understanding of the barn’s power system.
Complete the Period Finisher’s Manual manuscript; quit overthinking every chapter, section, description, sentence, and word, and get something into the hands of Chris Schwarz. Seriously, get over yourself and get it done.
Complete the glazed doors for the book cases in the library.
Build at least two more Gragg chairs.
Figure out how to connect Mel’s Wax with the furniture caretakers for whom it would be a benefit.
Become comfortable with, and bring on-line, YouTube and Instagram content. (Twitter and Facebook are not part of the equation)
Get my foundry up and running, leading to —
Complete the patterns and prototype for H.O. Studley’s piano maker’s vises and get production moving on his mallet.
Paint the barn, or better yet find someone who will.
Embrace and encourage (and listen to) my loved ones more regularly.
Get involved in public discourse. The proper time to foster community and liberty and resist totalitarian collectivism and libertinism is always now.
Be less frustrated and angry about the effects of aging, like the inevitable loss of strength and flexibility, but especially my diminishing visual acuity.
And finally,
Be more impassioned, knowledgeable, discerning, gracious, and devout in living out my Faith in The Redeemer.
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