In My "Spare" Time: Year 16, Week 47, Day One (week 878)

Year 16, Week 47, Day One (week 878)
(January 17, 2000 was my first carving day.)
11-24-16 Thursday

80 degrees as a high, partly sunny with lots of clouds blocking the sun’s view of me. This weather report is brought to you by the City Of Fort Lauderdale Department of Tourism.

HAPPY THANKS GIVING!!!

I took the morning lackadaisically. Other than making some flavored coffee and placing them in insulated pitchers, I did not start getting ready to head out for my ten o’clock leaving time until after nine.

Last week, I had picked up a Sony Tablet at a yard sale. Buying electronics at a yard sale is usually not a good idea as you never know what is wrong with it. I have gotten items that were paperweights, but have gotten a few gems. The price was low enough to chance it. It is fairly old. It said that the Sony Bookstore was closed in 2014 and directed you to KOBO BOOKS kobo.com. Having used a more advanced tablet, I was able to work how to use it quickly. It is a full tablet but is slow and limited.
Except for some preliminary working with it during the week, At my brother’s house, where we were having Thanks Giving Dinner, I played around with the tablet to learn more about what it could and could not do. I downloaded several books from Gutenberg.org and got them. I had downloaded them in three formats. I need to find out what format this thing uses by downloading only one format and seeing if it loads. I tried downloading a game but found out that it is not an Android platform so it won’t run the games. There are other APPs I won’t bother trying.
Now I can call my doctor for an appointment as he told me “Take two tablets and call him in the morning.” I now have two tablets so the call will be soon...
Other than some other on-line stuff, I accomplished nothing that did not involve food and family.

Year 16, Week 47, Day Two (week 878)
(January 17, 2000 was my first carving day.)
11-25-16 Friday

Some radar blips off the coast were something to watch and strong gusts blowing bags around. We had lots of sun with some small puffy clouds and high feathers. Sunshine most of the time but dodged behind the clouds periodically once it got high enough in the sky. Temps went from 76 before sun-up, to 83 at noon, then 80 at three as the sky developed more clouds. This weather report is brought to you by the City of Pompano Beach Department of Tourism.

I had problems getting to sleep last night so I was tired when I got to Mom;’s house. There were no yard sales today, so after breakfast, I went out and petted the kitty and then napped for about an hour.

My main project was to finish the lathe base. Last week I installed the 2x4 base and now had to install the wheels and support blocks.
One little problem I ran into instantly. The old hardware was designed for 3/4 plywood. I am using thicker stock so a lot of the bolts and screws don’t fit.
I made a run to the local Tru-Value store, which was once an Ace Hardware and will be referred to as Ace Hardware, likey forever. Easier to remember and say. I found the hardware I needed and headed home. I then realized I made a mistake. The pipe clamps that hold the axles on has two bolts holding them. I only got four bolts, one for each pipe clamp. I had to go back. When I went the first time, Mom had asked me to fix something on the bench and I picked up lag bolts that were way too long. I went back and picked up more of the same lag bolts I picked up for my use..
I might have been able to use lag bolts to hold the wheels on, but I decided to use bolts and nuts like it was originally designed. My mental plans said to use lag bolts to hold the support blocks in place. The support blocks are for when I lift the levers on the wheels. The wheels lift up out of the way and the whole lathe sits down on the support blocks. Later, I push down on the levers and the wheels force themselves down to the ground and levers the lathe up until it is supported by the wheels. I have locks that swing into place to hold the levers in place. A long time ago, my brother had welded the axle/lever arrangement that has the swivel wheels attached to them.
The idea of dropping the lathe off the wheels is in case I am working with a really out-of-balance piece. The lathe is not likely to walk away while spinning the piece. I have heard about guys who worked on pieces where the lathe would actually lift up a little and move around while they are working on it so they actually bolted their lathes to the floor. I have not worked with any wood that bad, but this levered wheels are designed to correct for that just in case.

Along with attaching the wheels and the blocks, I added a wood plate that the levers will tip down to as a stop, and two sticks of wood that turn to hold the levers down when the wheels are up.
I was using a big screwdriver this time so I would not get a blister in the palm of my hand like I got last time. I am not sure what I did with my driver bits, and decided not to try to use the drill to power the screws in and out. I did it by hand.
I ran into a problem. I was using a crescent wrench and it disappeared. I looked everywhere and ended up having to use pliers instead to drive in nuts. And lag bolts. Not as easy. (Edit: I found it a couple days later in my pocket)

I originally planned on lifting the lathe base up onto some chairs to get it to a good working height when having to work on the top side of the two by fours. Just tipping the lathe (cast iron bed with sheet metal stand and two by fours) up on end was a lot of work for me. I decided against lifting the lathe onto anything, even though I would have tipped it up and simply levered it up onto a chair or something like that rather than actually lifting.
A lot of times, I would get things in position and started with the lathe upside down, then tipped it up end so the upper side was at a a comfortable working height.

I was on my feet a whole lot in this project but I now have the lathe up on the wheels and nearly ready to be used. The locks and catch plate were centered on the wood, not centered between the ends of the levers..
I did not care to go to the hardware store again, so I used Molly bolts. These have the wing nuts you slip through a hole in plaster board and the winged nut opens to give added surface to hold against the weak plasterboard. These were long enough so I chose to use these. They are not strong and I bent them slightly when testing them before tightening them down. They will work until I get something that works better, or forever whichever comes last...
Mom had some wire shelving and she decided to fit them as shelving on the lathe. That solves several problems. I can place stuff, such as weights and materials on the lathe frame, and as long as the sawdust does not land on something, it will pass right through. I did have to use my dremmel to cut one of the wire shelving so it would fit.
Other than the shelving, I did this entire project all by myself. I could not have done it several years ago.

I will fix the catch and lock tomorrow, and have some ornaments to work on.

Will see what I do tomorrow.

Year 16, Week 47, Day Three (week 878)
(January 17, 2000 was my first carving day.)
11-26-16 Saturday

75 degrees early morning, 80 as the high. Questionable radar blips off the coast, but they never came near land. Partly cloudy, with high feathers, good breeze, sometimes gusting, The sun shown once it was above the clouds over the ocean.

Going to Mom’s house in the dark of the early morning, I saw several yard sales signs. Because of that, Mom decided to go yard sailing.
I had my hands on a couple items that I really would love to have, but have no room for. One was ANOTHER cast iron fry pan. I have more than I could use right now and don’t have any friends that are interested in learning how to use them. I am in a position that I don’t need more. I never asked the cost. It was hard to walk away from it.
I also saw a wicker steamer trunk with metal handles on the ends that would be really good for holding my yarn, but I don’t have room nor do I have time to transfer the yarn into it and move everything around to accommodate it. It was sad to walk away from it.
There is that thought that if I knew no one was going to sell it and the owner was going to toss it, I might get it just to save it. But since I have no foreknowledge, I walked away.
There were several book shelves and ignored them. I have some book shelves that could be replaced.. Most of the items available were not what I needed. I did get a bunch of ribbon. There were several bags of them and the price together was not bad. I don’t really need ribbon but I decided to get it.
I found one of those cross-style tire irons. It was a gamble as to whether it would fit my truck, but the price was so low, I could easily turn it into tools or something else. It came home with me. I later found that, no, It does not fit, but I don’t mind.
We missed one yard sale near the end of the upper loop and could not find another yard sale from the sign, when Mom decided to call it a day. I did not feel like going out again myself.

My feet and legs let me know they were not happy with me. My back bothered me too, but all those complaints quieted some as I moved around and warmed up. I fed and petted the cat, then went in and took a nap. When I got up, the day was ready for me to work.

My first project was to fix the lever and catch set up, moving it over so it is more centered on the ends of the levers for the wheel. Now you don’t fully appreciate how long a long screw is until you pull it out. The screws I used were two and a half inch drywall screws. I had put six of them through the stop plate and as I was pulling them out, I considered using only four of them when putting the plate in later. I could have used shorter ones but decided to stay with them. They are not going to work their way out.
I had to drill new holes for the lever locks. I decided to shift the hole through the locks themselves farther towards center so there is some wood behind the screw to help keep the locks from tipping up, making them stronger. I still did not get them exactly where they needed to be, but it is much better than it was and quite usable. Close enough for government work.....

I finally had the lathe stand ready to use. I should have lubricated the casters but didn’t. They swivel with some resistance which makes it sometimes tough to roll into place.
I took out some sand paper to clean the surface of the “Ways”which the tailstock and tool rest slide on. It only took a few strokes to realize that I was not touching the corrosion on the cast iron. I took out the drill with a wire wheel on it and went over the surfaces thoroughly. That took away the rust and only in a few places were there some rough spots. I then took sandpaper to clean those surfaces so it is nice and clean. I used some Lithium grease to the surface though auto wax would be much better. I cannot remember where I put the past wax. I added the grease and then wiped it off as I had far too much and I was after small protection rather than making it slippery.
I lifted and slid the motor onto the lathe. It was a bit heavier than I should have lifted especially after the work I did yesterday, but there was no one else around to do it for me, so I slipped it into place. I added the tool rest and tail stock. I finally slipped all the tools into their holders. I need to add a few more pvc pipe pieces as tool holders and I have some small things that would fit into holes in a board. I will drill them later.

I had picked up some silver paint and painted my angel ornaments. They could use some cleanup but I doubt that much of that will happen. I still have to paint the halos yellow or gold, then they will be done. I also need to paint and decorate the carved paint brushes I made.

The day was done and so was I, so I went in to take a nap before it was time to leave.

I am not sure what I will work on tomorrow. I do expect to be busy in whatever I do, even it if is nothing......

Year 16, Week 47, Day Four (week 878)
(January 17, 2000 was my first carving day.)
11-27-16 Sunday

80 degrees, some puffs and high feathers, sunny with a nice breeze. Radar blips over the ocean but they were heading south with no sign of coming inland. This weather report is brought to you by the City Of Pompano Beach Department of Tourism.

My brother was there when I arrived. He was sharpening drill bits. He had worked on a project where there was concrete just on the other side of the material he was drilling and each time he hit one, it killed the bit. He had one bit that chipped (hardened but not tempered), and he needed a grinder to remove the chip before he could sharpen it. We took the sander, and both grinders out of the shed and put them on the work bench. He liked what I did on the lathe. He said “that works.”
I took the mini lathe out of my truck and brought it to the back. The table it sits in has a well for a BBQ and has wheels on one end. When I set the lathe box on the table, I put it length ways and it was about half an inch too long. I could not figure out why it would not fit. I thought that maybe the table warped because it was outside since the storm. After moving the lathe box around a few times, it dawned on me that it went on there sideways. The box, in spite of all the stuff I have in it, was not quite as heavy as I had feared but heavier than I should lift. It did test me to move it around several times before I got the position right. I had the table in the grass to get the lathe out of the truck so I had a tough pull getting it out of the grass. That turned out not to be a problem. As I ”wheelbarrowed it” to the back. It was then, my back let me know it was not happy.
I repositioned a number of items under the awning so everything is easy to access just by moving a few other items. More will go back there but this was good for now.

The house next door needs a new Air Conditioner so I went with my brother to measure it up inside and out for a heat load. He has to know the exact size of the place and window and door sizes for his program to figure out what size air conditioner is needed and how best to duct it and I held the other end of the tape. That house is exactly like my mom’s house except for some owner’s modifications. That is typical of housing projects in this area. They have two or three home designs to choose from and then have selected options. I was sort of curious about that.

Beyond that, I accomplished little, which tends to be expected for Sundays.

I will have to see what happens next weekend.

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