August 15, 2013

           Twenty-seven bolt holes. That’s how many I drilled today and I’m not anywhere near done. That drill press is a blessing. I don’t know how I lived without it. Then again, how have I gone this long without a microscope and so on? I’ve decided to place new front and rear “bumpers” on the trailer bed. This also extends the length by around five inches. Shown here is taking the inventory for nuts and bolts. These are not cheap any more, the washers cost a quarter apiece. It won’t be long before the individual parts are shrink wrapped.

           Here’s a couple angles on the progress. The top photo shows the now refurbished steel mesh fit onto the deck. This, and not plywood, will be the primary structural component, although it will most often be covered with plywood, albeit a thinner and lighter type since it does not have to keep the trailer bed rigidly square. There will be twelve bolts doing that.
           For the bumper extensions, I’m using wood. That’s the medium I can deal with the best and that’s where I’ve got the most power tools. The steel mesh will additionally give me the option to make the camper a crate, that is, removable so if need be I can use the trailer for hauling stuff. I have not yet decided how to go about that.
           Cancel my trip to Okeechobee until there is an improvement in the weather. I could leave really early and be back before the afternoon summer rain, I mean I get up at the right time. But I rarely get underway before ten. I’ve turned that way since retirement. Rising early, but using the time to take care of logistics. Like this blog. And trying to find my rubber mallet. I’m telling you, those things can evaporate. It’s scary.
           Here’s the joke of the week for next Saturday. Those who’ve kept up blog-wise will get it. What’s green and weighs more than 300 pounds? Don’t say the pool table, that was last week’s punch line. This is a new joke, so take a moment and think about it. What’s green and weighs more than 300 pounds. Are you read for it? Hoss Cartwright on Jimbos old TV.

           This was the mystery drill bit from last day. See the little nub on the top end? What’s that? Agt. M says it is some kind of special masonry type, but I said no because I would not have bought it or kept it. Turns out this is a steel drilling bit and the nub is for centering the larger bit. It has some kind of brand name like pilot tip or similar. I use steel quality bits for most of my drilling, including wood, for anything smaller than 5/16ths and have never had a problem.
           I know nothing of attaching wood to metal, or the paint on the metal in this case. Or about wood preservatives or stabilizers. Guess I’m about to learn. For that reason, I took an early evening hour and looked at the history of protecting wood from “pests, parasites, and punishment”. These treatments have a reputation for toxicity. Why do all of these approaches involve coating the wood with something? The bugs and moisture are inside the wood, guys. You’ve got the wrong approach.
           Times up. I conclude that any wood preservative is better than none and that all the different products and claims add up to around the same thing. Clean the wood. Apply the preservative slash insecticide. Let it dry. Paint.
           Scratch another guitarist. It is difficult to fathom these people, especially the ones who claim to have “40+” years experience. Why? Because they still seem to think they will find a ready-made band that will propel them to stardom. This last guy didn’t even try, canceling out before the audition. There were telltale signals, like him having no song list and saying he learned the six tunes I sent him in just a few hours. These were chosen to be rarely played numbers with numerous trick sections, so I know he didn’t really apply himself. Back to the musical drawing board for me.
           A message to guitar players of the world from me would be to quit telling me how many years experience you have. If you had any real experience, your attitude toward playing would be drastically altered. You’d know any band is better than no band. That a band today is worth fifty bands tomorrow. That you will NEVER be a rich and famous musician. That the best way to meet the band of your dreams is to be out there playing. And the worst way is by scrounging the bulletin boards and examining the other guy’s song list. What’s more, there is a reason there are so many groups out there missing one member.
           The good news is I learned how to force my video samples to fit in less than the space restricted by hotmail, which is around a megabyte. At full resolution, this gives you maybe six seconds of play time. But by making the view window tiny and accepting lower resolution, I’ve gotten three minutes to upload. So the guitar player was not a total loss, at least not over here.
           Another sad situation I’ve seen is guitar players over 30 who reject anyone not in their own age group. Let me tell you guys something. Once you are over 30, you are old. Forget the fancy haircut crowd and find yourselves people who can play. There are too many mediocre males out there who think getting behind a guitar turns them into Johnny Bravo. That is one group that should look themselves in a mirror. And I mean right now.
           Last, I wondered why there was no artificial licorice flavoring. I still don’t know, but I found out licorice is one of the oldest candies known. Some claim medicinal uses and you will never guess what makes licorice candy cohesive. Gluten. Ordinary flour. They mix it with the cheapest sweeteners they can find so the candy is around 60% sweetener of some kind. Licorice is one of the top confections of the non-chocolate segment. End of trivia.