Friday again folks.

 

Back on the Windows PC for the first time in over a month, been using the Linux laptop to get more familiar with the OS's operations.

I like the fact that I don't have to put up with the forced use of AI using the Linux (Zorin OS) system . 

There is a bit of a learning curve but it's not to bad. 

Other than that, not a whole lot of anything going on here "Two Weeks From Anywhere". 

 

What's on Your Weekend Agenda? 

After a hectic Christmas day with our daughter's family visiting , today we'll be prepping for our (other) daughter and family to visit tomorrow. Other than that, it's kick back and recover this weekend.

1 hour ago, Larry Buskirk said:

I like the fact that I don't have to put up with the forced use of AI using the Linux

Here you go, @Larry Buskirk

 

  Christmas day at our youngest daughters house yesterday & I have to say she definitely picked up the baking talent from her mother. Today we finish at home with our neighbors & their kids. Last chance for me to pump the kids up with cookies and candy then let the parents try to get them to sleep tonight.  It has been a great holiday week for us, but it seems like they come & go faster each year, oh well on to 2026.

For the most part I'm running in "limp mode" after the past week. I donut know what's in the works. Mrs. is home today so I suspect I'll be under domestic rule through the weekend.

 

May try for work release to take recycling to the drop-off center tomorrow. Church Sunday. Winter rearrives Sunday afternoon so no plans to open shop activities.

 

What ever you do, remember to wear proper, approved PPE, read and follow your owners manuals and take frequent donut breaks.

Christmas was just us  The rest is next week. Started today on an exchange bowl for AAW. Hope to finish it tomorrow. Moved some stuff from garage to shed today and still a little more. 

I'll be finishing up a curly walnut tabletop for a fellow artist. and if the weather holds, I might cut into those Cherry burls just to see what they look like. Also it's the time of year that I start gluing all my short scraps into strips for chaotic end grain cutting boards. 
One other thing I'll be doing, under advice from a doctor, is pouring bacon grease into a mason jar of bourbon to flavor it. I tried a small sample Christmas eve and it was good. Now being a good Wisconsinite I'll also try flavoring some Vodka for use in Bloody Mary's.

it's also time to start doing some Research on cedar birdhouse and planter plans to add to our sales inventory.

Edited December 27, 2025Dec 27 by John Hechel

Bacon grease idea sounds interesting!

2 minutes ago, lew said:

Bacon grease idea sounds interesting!

just pour it in and let it sit on the counter for 6-8 hours. the into the fridge overnight to solidify the grease, then peel off the hardened grease and strain the rest through a filter. I used a small piece of paper towel in a funnel; a coffee filter will also work. 

21 hours ago, lew said:

Here you go, @Larry Buskirk

 

Had two people contact me, seems the last W11 update messed up their PC's. Neither will boot into the OS now.

 

Guess one of those 56 "Fixes" did something it shouldn't have.  

4 hours ago, Larry Buskirk said:

Had two people contact me, seems the last W11 update messed up their PC's. Neither will boot into the OS now.

 

Guess one of those 56 "Fixes" did something it shouldn't have.  

 

I read about that, after I did the update, fortunately mine was OK.

 

From what I can gather, some SSD's caused the problem but Microsoft denies that- of course.

2 hours ago, lew said:

Microsoft denies that- of course.

Progress on the dog buggy cabinet (now called the buggy box 😁). Sanded and then we got finish on the exterior. Still need to get the door figured out and built.

 

Started on a smaller storage cabinet that will go next to the "buggy box" on a shelf in our garage. I cut the plywood yesterday. Hubby did the painting and then we worked on the assembly. Had to get creative - don't have enough long clamps!

 

 

Two shelves are cut - still deciding on if I'll add cleats, or the best way to arrange.

 

1 hour ago, BB1 said:

now called the buggy box

Good one or maybe "buggy barn"😜

6 minutes ago, Grandpadave52 said:

maybe "buggy barn"

Oh, that's a good one too! 

Made a prototype out of scrap.  Trying to teach myself how to use my first Kreg jig.  Trying to make a few end tables that wobble less than the prototype.  Any ideas to get ride of the wobble?

 

 

5 hours ago, Porknz said:

Made a prototype out of scrap.  Trying to teach myself how to use my first Kreg jig.  Trying to make a few end tables that wobble less than the prototype.  Any ideas to get ride of the wobble?

 

 If by wooble you mean one leg seems to shorter than the other there may be nothing wrong with the table. The surface it's sitting on might be the problem...perfectly flat floors aren't as common as you might think. Otherwise, there might be a few other thing to check. If the table square (top to bottom), if not that might be it and t needs to be squared. But put the table on a flat surface (the table saw works well for this) and if you need to shorten on leg slughty, hang that leg over the edge of the table saw (or whatever you're using) and scribe a mark on it using the table surface as a guide. Then trim to length. While that's simple to explain, it doesn't always work out that well. Sawing that scribe mark  straight is sometimes a little tough to do. I think if it's not too bad, I'd wait until the table is in it's final spot and see what happens. if it's on carpet there may not be a problem at all. BTW, welcome to the forum!

2 hours ago, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

 If by wooble you mean one leg seems to shorter than the other there may be nothing wrong with the table. The surface it's sitting on might be the problem...perfectly flat floors aren't as common as you might think. Otherwise, there might be a few other thing to check. If the table square (top to bottom), if not that might be it and t needs to be squared. But put the table on a flat surface (the table saw works well for this) and if you need to shorten on leg slughty, hang that leg over the edge of the table saw (or whatever you're using) and scribe a mark on it using the table surface as a guide. Then trim to length. While that's simple to explain, it doesn't always work out that well. Sawing that scribe mark  straight is sometimes a little tough to do. I think if it's not too bad, I'd wait until the table is in it's final spot and see what happens. if it's on carpet there may not be a problem at all. BTW, welcome to the forum!

Thanks!  Leg length seems equal, but it will sit on the tiled basement floor, which has some uneven spots.  The wobble seems to come from some flex in the build.  I am going to try to start with the frame this time instead, and see if I can get any flex out of that before installing the shelves I think.  That is going to be a little tricky because the nominal size differences between the furring and the cedar are real.  That means some of the cuts are now going to be different than the prototype helped me to figure.  Material is all 2x2, and I don't think I can get two pocket screws in with that.  I'm worried that some of the stability issues comes from attaching some locations with only a single screw.  Maybe a pocket joint will provide more stability than my surface sheetrock screws did?

 

Thinking of picking up a few of these to help too, but I haven't used this style yet and I'm not sure if I can use them somewhat one handed.  Everything I have is a squeeze trigger type.

 

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Jorgensen-36-in-3700-series-Bar-Clamp/1000988408

Edited December 28, 2025Dec 28 by Porknz

For the places with only one pocket screw on each end, I saw a YouTube that put one on one face, and then on the other end used a different face. This keeps the narrow board from "spinning." Not sure if that would work in your design as typically the pocket screws are hidden when possible.

Also for leg length in relation to uneven surfaces, potentially use small adjustable foot levelers on each leg so if you move the table to a different location it can easily be "releveled."