Looks like it's Friday again Folks.

 

Just sitting here abusing my rather cooked from the heat single brain cell trying to come up with a plan for building a tilt up top for a Strong FS Series 15U server cabinet that I got from my neighbor Bruce. I couldn't get everything to fit inside so I'm working on being able to make the monitor a tilt out that will lay flat under cover in the stored position. 

 

What's on Your Weekend Agenda? 

Yard Sales to raid, today....still too bloody hot..

Road trip to Leesburg, VA to do an Easy Wood Tools demo, at the Woodcraft store.

1 hour ago, steven newman said:

....still too bloody hot..

 

Yeah, supposed to make it to 83° with dewpoints in the low to mid 70° range. 

Unfortunately, it will get hotter tomorrow through Sunday the 6th. 

 

 Guess I'll go out and see if those 5 Oak Veneered shelves will give me enough material to "Cat Proof" the top of this roll around computer setup. 

Cool setup, @Larry Buskirk!

Results of today's Yard/garage sale raid...

Spent $5 on this...

That IF I want to, I could in theory walk into Lowes, and exchange this for a new set..

Spent a Fifty cent piece on..

 

This "thing" is 15" long, and is 1-1/2" wide...might take a wee bit of work to get it ready to go to work...

 

One cloud today, decided to "pee" on us as we drove home....Raining on a Sunny day?  89 HUMID degrees outside...

16 minutes ago, steven newman said:

Spent $5 on this

Have that very same set!

I bought a Milescraft track saw kit to donate to the theater shop.   We cut tons of 1/4" plywood and 3/4" OSB for sets.  Most of it is done on a table saw with ho outfeed table so it's always tricky. It can take 2 or 3 people and if one of them pushes or pulls out of alignment, things bind up.  The shop manager also likes to freehand cut stuff at an angle.  I can't bear to watch that.  The last time he tried it, he got some kickback of the piece. 

 

  I will soon set up a sacrificial grid to work on,  The kit is supposed to arrive at the "ship to store" location today.   I got the main kit, the extension to cut full 8' and the square setting.  We'll see how it all works (with mostly volunteer help).  The next construction will start in about 3 weeks.

Edited June 27, 20251 yr by kmealy

20 minutes ago, steven newman said:

Results of today's Yard/garage sale ra

That IF I want to, I could in theory walk into Lowes, and exchange this for a new set..

Spent a Fifty cent piece on..

 

Even though at one point I worked for Allstate, that at the time was a subsidiary of Sears, I determined the quality of Craftsman tools at Sears was in a slow decline.  People older than me would always say things like, "Craftsman tools are the best."  (Well maybe when you bought yours, but not so much any more.)

 

I sort of really gave up when my (relatively new) 1/4 and 3/8 drive  socket set case fell apart.  When I took it in to see  if they would replace and the reply I got was "We don't make that one any more."   So I was out of luck.   But I do remember being behind an obvious mechanic years before with a handful of screwdrivers and they reluctantly replaced them.  Later, when your socket driver quit working, you didn't get a new one, you got a repair kit.

 

Yes, I know the Craftsman name is now owned by Stanley Black & Decker and is not provided by the "OEM du jour" selected as low bidder by Sears

Am not sure how old this set is...at the moment...will have to do a bit of research...

 

Although...it IS worth pointing out, that Sears NEVER, EVER Made a single tool....all they did was sell the tools...and LOTS of them..

That 4 pc Craftsman Chisel set?    Is from the 1960s....They were made in Holland, and used "Swedish Steel"...Hmmm...

I was gonna try to finish the mowing today (Friday) ahead of the next round of thunderstorms after a marathon 6-1/2 hours mowing event Thursday but that didn't pan out. Thunderstorms arrived early and dumped another 6/10" or so of rain. Did some domestic duties instead, then "piddled" around in the garage basically accomplishing nothing. The heat, humidity + dewpoints this past week have been brutal to do much of anything outside.

 

Maybe today (Saturday) I can finish the mowing depending on the arrival of the next wave of storms. Also hope to change oil/filter and service my car. Granddaughter needs a couple things checked on hers as well. Have plenty of other things in the queue. Sunday school & church Sunday.

 

Good news, we've been eating fresh lettuce, spinach, arugula and radishes from the raised garden beds; sweet corn is knee high+ before the 4th of July; green beans and peas are blooming; several small zucchini and yellow squash beyond flower stage, tomatoes blooming like crazy as are the bell peppers; cauliflower and broccoli putting on heads. Mrs. picked a gallon bucket worth of blackberries already with plenty more coming on. She purchased 2 bushel of fresh Georgia peaches from the "peach truck" tonight which she and our daughter will be canning; bad news everything needs cultivated/ weeded but it's far too wet in the gardens; raised beds are fine though. Everything seems to thrive in this hot, humid, wet and sometimes sunny weather...well everything but me.

8 hours ago, kmealy said:

I bought a Milescraft track saw kit to donate to the theater shop

Good on you Keith for the donation especially out of concern for safety.

I'll be interested in reading your review. I've been considering the same kit. Several YouTubers (including "Stumpy Nubs") give it very good reviews. The new square it attachment also is getting accolades. The only drawbacks I've seen is it doesn't work for bevel cuts and the tracks aren't compatible with any other manufacturers systems.

9 hours ago, steven newman said:

That 4 pc Craftsman Chisel set?    Is from the 1960s....They were made in Holland, and used "Swedish Steel"...Hmmm...

You can bet the new ones at Lowes aren't from Holland, everything I've seen now with that name is Asian. I think the ones you got are much better.

4 hours ago, Grandpadave52 said:

Good news, we've been eating fresh lettuce, spinach, arugula and radishes from the raised garden beds; sweet corn is knee high+ before the 4th of July; green beans and peas are blooming; several small zucchini and yellow squash beyond flower stage, tomatoes blooming like crazy as are the bell peppers; cauliflower and broccoli putting on heads. Mrs. picked a gallon bucket worth of blackberries already with plenty more coming on. She purchased 2 bushel of fresh Georgia peaches from the "peach truck" tonight which she and our daughter will be canning; bad news everything needs cultivated/ weeded but it's far too wet in the gardens; raised beds are fine though. Everything seems to thrive in this hot, humid, wet and sometimes sunny weather...well everything but me.

 Your garden is doing a lot better tnan mine. My corn is 4" tall and still probably too thin to set ears. The melons have finally started growing, but I'll bet it's too late for them to produce any fruit. My tomatoes are going like gang busters, maybe the best I've ever had and the peppers are doing well. I'm thinking my weeds are doing as well as yours, though....and it needs to cool down slightly for me to deal with them.

8 hours ago, Grandpadave52 said:

Good on you Keith for the donation especially out of concern for safety.

I'll be interested in reading your review. I've been considering the same kit. Several YouTubers (including "Stumpy Nubs") give it very good reviews. The new square it attachment also is getting accolades. The only drawbacks I've seen is it doesn't work for bevel cuts and the tracks aren't compatible with any other manufacturers systems.

Yes, we rarely, if ever, make bevel cuts.   And if this is your only track saw, compatibility weighs less.   I'll pick it up Monday

 

Here's my 50 cent overview for newbies:
 

• Works for straight or diagonal cuts. No bevel cuts
• Add or remove the connectors for long or short cuts
• Use the square
• Clamp the guides when needed
• Raise blade guard when needed
• Keep in place until the saw blade stops
• Leave  the saw in or it needs to be recalibrated
• Don’t over tighten the connectors

 

I plan to make a 4x8 grid to cut on like this. Glued, not screwed (credit to James Bond)

 

 

2 hours ago, kmealy said:

Glued, not screwed (credit to James Bond)

 Funny, I don't remember James doing much woodwork! 

5 minutes ago, HARO50 said:

 Funny, I don't remember James doing much woodwork! 

Most of his joinery  was just glued.   BOND, James, BOND

Should be about finished with the construction part of my porch this weekend. Just have the railings left to do. Got the deck boards stained last weekend. All of the new trim boards are on, those and the new stairs will need to weather for a bit before I can stain them. 

Wow, it pays to look around.  I was shopping for a Diablo circular saw blade

Amazon $18.49

Home Depot $14.97

Rural King $10.49 (that for me is right next to the nearest Home Depot)

Edited June 28, 20251 yr by kmealy