Weekly Blog - December 22nd

[john]

Quite a week. First rushing to finish a couple of projects for the show at the seniors' residence. I should learn not to rush as what should have been the nicer of the two was going so badly, I gave up on it. It will probably hang in my yard where the birds won't notice how out of square it is.

The show went OK, no great sales on my part but it is always good to see some of the residents admire the items. The girls (my wife and sister-in-law) did better as they make warm blankets, shawls, and pillows that are always in demand by the "companions" as they often purchase presents for the residents they provide care for. The one bird feeder that I finished, sold, and the buyer requested two more before Christmas. I had hoped I was finished, but the customer is always right. I hope to finish them tonight.

The other project was three canasta card holders and they were finished this morning so that deadline was met. The next one is to find a present for my dear wife, before Santa gets here. Maybe she'd like a slightly out of square bird feeder.

Any worries about not having a white Christmas were put to rest yesterday with another snow fall. This time several inches of real white fluffy stuff. I don't mind shovelling that.

With that said. I wish everybody a Merry and Safe Christmas and Happiness in the New Year.


John

[charlese]

Down here we had a few days of snow. This was our first big snow since 1985 when that one was 11 inches. (witnesses by one of us) Snow is always a disruptive happening around here, because there is a severe shortage of equipment to move it around. We had 4 to 6 inches this time. Snowed the better part of two days and took two more for it to disappear. Enough of that! It's gone now!

In the shop, I set up the OPR after sawing out a template using my little scroll saw. Made the first of vent grills for the skirting around our home. The present vent grills are plastic and have hardened and cracked in the 5 years we've been here. The template needs more work to widen a few of the slots and straighten some lines. A photo of the first grill is attached.

John- I don't know how you do it! All those projects - the shows - The trips - and the Hockey league! You are amazing!

I'm pretty darn sure your wife would love that bird feeder!:D

[pinkiewerewolf]

Chuck, you are going to town with the OPR. That skirt is awesome!

John, I feel some of that pain as projects keep creeping up combined with the holiday schedule.
Merry Christmas! Right back att'cha!

[a1gutterman]

That is an interseting pattern, Chuck. I like it! Do you put screen on the back side?

[baysidebob]

Chuck your vent pattern is quite awsome. How many of these will you have to make? How long to cut one out after you get your pattern to where you want it to be? Keep up the great work and keep posting those pictures for us to envy.

Bayside Bob, Calif.

[john]

Chuck:

As to my projects, most are small and certainly not as intricate as many of yours so they get done relatively quickly, if I don't make mistakes. The hockey, now that is another matter. Takes far more time to organize available players than I would like. Now some of them will be heading for warmer temperatures!

I finished the two ordered feeders today and delivered them as the woman could not get out. Got an extra fee for delivery and am glad I did. In my rush to make one for the show, I had not calculated my cost and since I was using scrap wood (left over from Mr & Mrs Frosty), just put a $10 price on it. Today, after all was finished, I worked out the price. The free wood was only worth $1.50. The plastic was worth $2.50, hinges $2.00, add some the cost of paint and taxes and I figured I made $1.20 each. There will be NO MORE at $10.00! Though my 8 year old grandaughter said she wanted a pink one and she had $10.00. Now what do I do?:D

By the way, those are nice vent covers! Can't buy them in any local store.

Have fun.

John

[charlese]

John - You know what to do! Make your Granddaughter one using new wood - new hinges and everything - then tell her you got a deal on the materials and charge her $2.00. I was going to recommend Free, but she will like it better if it cost her something.

As for the design of the grill- The old plastic ones have this design, but it is turned horizontal. I traced around one of these but turned it vertical and repeated three times. Had to leave off the outside slots of the plastic ones in order to make it fit. Couldn't make it any larger or the 1/4" X 1/4" screen on the old ones would no longer fit. Screen will be stapled to the back of the grill.

Right now I am working on enlarging the slots on some of the "T" shapes and slots to be slightly wider than 1/2". I'll try to keep the lines straight as possible, but what is important to me is that I can fit a 1/16" roundover in all openings. This should help in sealing and painting and should cut down on the amount of sanding.

It took about an hour and a half to cut the first one. We will call that a prototype. Some of the openings need to be wider. I thought about nudging the pin over so the bit cut outside of the pin diameter, but that would lead to more work than doing it right.

I'll be making 17 of these. 1700 sq ft house with 10% vents.

[a1gutterman]

...I'll be making 17 of these. 1700 sq ft house with 10% vents.

Wood knot that be 1%? 170 of them wood be 10%, right?

[charlese]

Wood knot that be 1%? 170 of them wood be 10%, right?

Don't be confused! The answer is yes! Guess I like extra zeros.

[baysidebob]

Hey Chuck, not to worry with the zeros. When my kids were young, yea they are both in their 40's now, they both always told me and their mother that zeros didn't count. Guess they always figure that the value of zero is zero so no count. They just didn't get the concept of the decimal point. They usually were their most convincing around either birthdays or christmas.
Kids, you just have to love them.
I know I have said it earlier, but a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR. May the coming year be filed with good health for all of us, and the economic times have little effect of us.

Bayside Bob, Calif.