One year ago today: October 28, 2017, my reject list.
Five years ago today: October 28, 2013, my hero!
Nine years ago today: October 28, 2009, have a good look -
this photo would normally be censored, but I thought I was gonna die.
Random years ago today: October 28, 2014, comments on wood stove cooking.
Shown here is the failing battery from my Tailgater amp. It’s sealed lead acid alright, but not any shape I’ve seen. It’s 12 amp, so there’s a chance I can find something that works. Dang that short life, it was the handiest amp I’ve ever owned. It was maintained to the hilt and still did not last, what, two years.? I adapted the unit to work without the battery, an unsatisfactory arrangement. Then, to test it, I got out the bass and played “Glory, Glory Halleliuah” to the church bells.
It won’t be light for another couple hours, so let’s do the books for the recent Miami trip. First, I record that the new electrical work this month has consumed $906.16 in materials. And we are not quite done yet, think another $200, most cable and breakers. To offset it, I view with satisfaction the increasing frequency of days that I $0, ten so far this year, more than in 2000-2017 combined. And this year, there are 47 days when I spent less than $10 a day.
Another reason I want that shed in operation is organization. When I lose things, I like to lose them in one place. Guess which two items I cannot find anywhere? My spare scooter batteries and my spark plug tester. Later, I found the tester, but it is the wrong size for scooters. The spark plug was in bad shape, but continued to misfire after I cleaned it. Oddly, it must have been replaced and I forgot, as it was a top name brand. It’s the plug, the cable, the stator, or the coils. This could keep me busy.
Then I found the spare spark plug. Right brand, but was also the wrong size for scooters. Looking at the old spark plug, well, I’m no expert. It looks fine and tests fine but it doesn’t pass muster. I recall the spark plug is the same as those popular in riding mowers, so there’ll be a source of them in this town. Making this conclusion is not idle thinking. Replacing a spark plug is a major operation on these scooters. You must remove the seat, not just lift it. Then the batter, then take out the entire cargo bin. These are all bolted in interlocking pieces to minimize factory assembly time. Removing any of these pieces slowly loosens the body panels making it tricky to put them back together. I tend to tie pieces up out of the way rather than remove them whenever possible.
Still, my robot spider sense says replace that spark plug and see what happens. That will take half the day, plus what I worked on this morning. The news is all about more shootings. You know, I do have a comment. When you are part of a group that the whole world hates, maybe it is time to stop blaming the whole world. As for my amplifier, I cannot find a replacement battery for that, as it is for a child’s power toy and most of those are six volts. However, I am not stumped yet. The biggest problem is the compartment where the battery fits. It is so tight nothing else will fit. Return to see how I solve that one.
Chicago Symphony Orchestra (and choir).
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Plan ahead, it will smooth out the path even if it gets crooked along the way. The fact is, 48 sodas and 208 packages of chips disappeared from storage at the other location. No, it is not good enough to replace it, because that is a last minute thing and causes people to show up late and exhausted. If anything is kept there after this month, it is not my decision and it is only credited on the books for what physically gets sold. You wanted top-level management and now you’ve got it.
Lastly, it’s true, the medical study is still paying me twice the regular. I told how it was taken down when three other people were found with no opioids in their system. But when I cashed the check, it was double. I treated myself to the router bit kit for $20. It’s Florida, to get the one useful 7/16” piece, you have to buy the entire kit. I believe by now I’ve earned the right to call that the “Harbor Freight Swindle”. They stock the tool, but not the supplies that make it work. So you’ll know, you need two extra pieces to work the dovetail jig. A new router base that accepts the “turn-lock” fittings, and the fittings themselves. The other pieces are useless unless you have a set of matching templates at $30 each.
Under the circumstances, I think I will convert my original router, the unit of California toothpick fame, and use it exclusively for this size of work. What, you didn’t know I counted a million toothpicks and took them to California. That was 15 years ago. Alas, no blog at the time. But there are many instances where it is mentioned. Donated the profits to charity, I did.
Framed the shed sub-sub-panel, a three-hour job, as the shed is metal and I had to keep rigging up braces to hold the box so the screws would take. Either that or hire somebody. As dark approached, I secured the smoke detector inside the cPod and, using mournfully inadequate instructions, affixed the TurnLock router base to the toothpick router. I had to use robot club washers to make it work. Next, I dug out one of the e-readers, managing to choose the one with the broken screen. The point is, can e-readers play MP3 files? There must be some audio books in that format. If they can play MP3, the next step is how easy are they to use on stage?
Trump is deploying the Army to the border. Good, these mid-American countries need to know they cannot continue their despicable ways and avoid revolution by exporting their disaffected to us. Of course, all the equally corrupt Democrats are mewling that Trump is hateful but it is just too obvious they want things to return to the cushy political paradise they were carving out for themselves at taxpayer expense. We all still waiting for the collapse and recession they said would befall us. Where is the impeachment they promised? And where are all the businesses failing because they have no cheap labor? Trump has altered their history by exposing their hidden agendas.
ADDENDUM
Needing the challenge, I set up the dovetail jig, trying to figure out what the manual was even referring to. I build a box and the glue is drying. What did I learn? Well, the jig is only good for making blind dovetails, a feature not made clear on the packaging. I happen to like dovetails that show. Maybe this unit can be rigged to do that. I made most of the mistakes in the troubleshooting section. Some cuts too deep, some too shallow, and I got the offset wrong. The box staircases up and down around the joints. I see this is just practice.
It’s one of those gizmos that probably has to be learned by making countless mistakes. Like brain surgery. My short-range goal is to use the equipment to make utility boxes and such. The only difference between them is the size. My first try, I made the box 10”x10”, and was very careful to label the pieces. If I want real dovetails, I’ll have to make up a dado and jig for the table saw. The converted router works fine. This operation throws off a lot of sawdust. Oh, and my fancy tri-blade bit? I wrecked it hitting a nail on maybe the tenth hole I drilled. Can they even be sharpened?
Freaky weather, I had to crank on the heater.
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