What did you do today?

[twistsol]

I went with my apartment dwelling daughter and her husband to look at a house. It's a 1950's rambler with the attached garage converted to living space and located in a nearby suburb. They made an offer and it was accepted. It's been well maintained, and has no immediate requirements. She does want to set up a dog grooming studio so there will be a big project in the near future.

[dbhost]

So far? Ballast bypass tubes came in. Some shipping damage to the packaging, though I inspected the contents and there do not appear to be any broken tubes.

Conversion on 2 of the 7 fixtures is completed. It is cold today, but with everything I am doing in the shop I am working up a sweat which I guess is a good thing.

I have 5 more fixtures to go. And will hold back the remaining tubes for spares and when my kitchen 4 bulb T8 fixture fails.

Wiring for double ended so far has been super easy. But the wires oddly enough, for the neutral side have been a bit short. I have been just splicing a 6
segment of cutout wire from the hot side leftovers from the ballast and making it work.

Stashing stuff in the mystery tote, and throwing garbage out of the garage. Like the original can for my Minwax gloss poly that bent REALLY badly when I was tapping the lid back on. I had to source up an empty paint can and lid from Home Depot.

That sort of stuff.

Oh, and I was wrong. I have 2 shop light fixtures that are chain mounted, not 1. I forgot the one by the overhead air filter is on chains to clear the dust collection duct...

[twistsol]

Today my wife and I de-Christmased the entire house, indoors and outdoors. With the exception of the outside lights which are in the tub for the ice to melt off, everything is put away. I'll get those put away tomorrow evening.

[dbhost]

Okay, so here is the status of the day. 6 of 7 fixtures updated to LED, 0 tube failures. HOWEVER, 2 of the 12 tubes installed had rattles at the large end like the tube end isn't super secure. I doubt it will amount to much,

PLUS one of the bulbs only works when installed with the LED strip pointed UP instead of down. When installed in the proper orientation it just won't light up. SMH... I need to figure out what the heck is going on here. Wiring is no different.

And to top it off, I dropped 2 of the flourescent tubes and shattered them on the floor. More quality time with the shop vac I guess...

I'm done for the night...

[dbhost]

Winner winner chicken dinner! Swapped out for a different tube and the problem follows the tube..

Oh, and FYI, compared to the fluorescent tubes these are freakishly bright!

[LCHIEN]

Fuorescents go down in brightness as they age. That's normal - I think you said these were pretty old.

Did the bad LED work if the fixture is inverted. i.e. does its spatial orientation with gravity make something work inside?

[dbhost]

I had replaced 10 of the flourescent tubes with NOS spares I had back in December. Even after swapping 5 fixtures over, the difference in brightness was amazing. And I am figuring the issue had to be ballast. Again I was NOT going to swap ballasts, wasn't worth it to me. The bad tube has not been tested on a fixture inverted, but rather swapped around to fixtures as they are currently all on the ceiling. But strip the actual LEDs mount to pointed down it lights up, pointed up, proper orientation, nothing, and there is a rattle in the tube. So pretty sure you are spot on about hte something is loose and not making connection. Will reach out to Amazon / vendor about this today. I obviously do not want a full refund, but it would be nice to get what I paid for in the condition I paid for it in.

[dbhost]

The good news? Shop light fixture #7 is now done, sucesfully converted.

The bad news?

Two things. First I dropped the fixture and bent a corner. Got it straight enough to use, but it is kind of ugly.

The second issue. I shot a nice how I did it video and the dumb thing didn't save...

[dbhost]

Well admittedly my wife would have a fit, but so be it... All the loose stuff that needed to have a place found for it is now stuffed in the mystery tote and will be sorted as we move forward. Likely some of that stuff will still end up trash / recycling but I want to be sure first.

So the table saw, workbench, AND miter saw bench are all clean, and have had the DC having a good go at it.

The miter saw bench sadly is the tool furthest / most bends away from the DC and I REALLY need to change it when I get my 5" ducting going. It just isn't working, period, end of story. HOWEVER,

at the table saw blade shroud which sadly has the 2.5" port on it, it pulls so hard that it collapses the hose and pulls the blade guard up. I am rusty on how to swap ports but I WILL be swapping over the 4" shark guard port soonest possible.

So now I have the "other" mystery tote but I figured out what it was. I have some inflatable holiday lawn ornaments, the halloween stuff, most notably a pumpkin with a ghost that pops up, that lost its oomph that I think has sprung a leak and I need to find and patch it.

I have a little bit of shuffling stuff around the shop floor and final pickup to do. Less than an hours work left now, and I am DONE. The important stuff is freed up enough that I can actually get work done in my shop now. Which is great, I have a LOT of work to do for the master suite remodel like custom bullnose shelves etc...

[dbhost]

Almost done with the shop cleanup. Some minor things including projects that need to be picked back up.

The view accross the workbench. A few minor items to be done away with including the one bad LED tube. And to note the 4" port is now back on the shark guard...



The view accross the table saw toward the miter saw bench. Yes the clock face needs to be reinstalled, need to get the hardware as I lost it somewhere in the cleanup. The big tote under the table saw is said mystery tote... Oh and the sharp eyed among you may notice the package with the orange things on the band saw table. Those are the urethane tires that still need to be installed.

I need to figure out how to fix, or duplicate the broken leg on that candle stand so I can get that fixed and done again. Itching for a band saw project so I might just fix it enough to use it as a template and make a new leg.



Over the years my "Red Line" had faded to almost nothing and gotten sawdust caked. Cleaned it off, and went over it again with a fresh marker.



Obviously there are TONS of nee naw and gee gaw type piddlin things to sort and organize in here, but all in all, I can work now...

[LCHIEN]

take off a good leg in one piece and use it for a template, rough it on the bandsaw and finish with a router and template jig. Those are flat in one plane should be a piece of cake.

[dbhost]

Can you see the images above?

[LCHIEN]

No, can't see these.

[LCHIEN]

Today I figured out how to slot nail heads (see pictures in Pinewood Derby thread) and did some work on a test Pinewood derby car to test out the things my Grandson Preston will put in his car. I like to make sure they will work when I show him how to do it.

Started working on a ping pong ball hopper for my son in law. But I'm running into issues of the storage bin feeding down to a single outlet where two balls will meet and jam. Manufacturing conveyers do it with vibrators but that is not practical for a game room.

This reddit post (not mine) describes my problem exactly:

Prevent clogging of a ball-filled hopper

I'm working on a project that consists of a hopper (funnel-shaped with a cylinder on top) which holds about 50 ping pong balls (40mm diameter). They are supposed to flow out through a tube at the bottom (currently 42mm in diameter). Does anyone know if there are rules how to design something like this to allow the balls to flow out smoothly without clogging up? I'm specifically looking for the best angle of the funnel and if there are any 'critical' dimensions to avoid (i.e. a multiple of the ball diameter?).

[dbhost]

Started on the flip top stands.

Cut to length the 2x4 pieces. Maked out the cutlines for the halflap. I need 2 more 2x4s Looking in the lumber rack, I might just have them. At leasts for now I have enough to proceed with one build.

The braces are simple 45 degree triangles out of scrap 2x6 from, well the 2x6 challenge from years ago.

Now decision time. Do I cut the half laps on the table saw or do I cut them by hand?

Oh and I was right. Miter saw dust collection is still awful.

I was able to get a nice tight glueup on the broken candle stand leg, so I did just that, just glue and pins. Had a wee tearout in the corner that needs some filler, and then find where I put the top I cut for this thing, sand it down, and stain it again... Oh FWIW, the candle stand is one of those things LOML saw and wanted me to fix back up for her. No clue what she wants to do with it, but I suspect it is going ot end up by her chair in the living room where she gabs with her sister... :-)




A little reminder of the design. Base is going to be 18x24" 3/4" plywood with reinforcement cleats for the casters.

Side panels are going to be 2x4s ship lapped at the corners 24" wide x 28" high. After casters and cleats this puts me right at around 33".

I am sourcing up the smooth rod from an abandoned project, so I am using 1/2" smooth rod.

Tables / flip top is simply going to be the 18x24 mount boards 3/4" ply, and a 3/4" ply sandwich middle with space for the smooth rod, capped at both ends then drilled for the rod. Washers, and I think they are called friction caps or friction nuts.

To keep the side panels from racking I am bracing the lower corners with the 2x6 triangles glued and screwed as securely as physically possible.

Side panels will be filled on the INSIDE via a rabbet all the way around the insides and then some 3/16" bead board.

Push blocks for the jointer will be heild on using simple dowel rods n the side rails. Sander parts will be held in a basket affixed to the side. I have some spare pegboard baskets and I may repurpose one of the large ones.

From a cost and expediency standpoint, I am going to be using my existing 3" urethane locking casters, with matching 3" non locking swivel casters. I would prefer fixed, but I honestly am being a little vain and wanted it to look like I intended to have the same casters all the way around. This may change over time...

While the sander gets the most use out of any of these tools, it is the planer and jointer I am going to be putting in the stand first. I REALLY don't want to be lifting them much from ackward positions.

Oh lastly, Locking pins / swivel locks. I will be using 3/8" oak dowels that are held in / glued into a section of 1" dowel as a knob, I want them to be easier to grasp but not so easy to break off. And I am looking for simple build.

[LCHIEN]

Dave,
End half laps are most easily and cleanly done on the table saw with a tall rip fence.

Make the half depth (3/4") cross cut to define the end 3-1/2" from the end.

Install the tall rip fence. Stand the 2x4 on end and set the Blade 3-1/2" high. and set the rip fence 3/4" from the outside edge of the fence.

Its probably a good idea to use a large sacrificial pusher to help keep the 2x4 perfectly vertical. If doing several of them, clamp them up to give enough width on the table to keep it vertical on its own and push the stack through.

[dbhost]

I haven't set up a tall fence yet, but yeah, that is what I as thinking of doing, Basically bundling 2 side x side so they are more stable on end.

However that is cutting 3.5" deep. LOTS of blade exposed and may be pretty close to the limits of the saw...

IF I can avoid blade drift, since I Have the big blade on the bandsaw, I may be better off making the long cut on the bandsaw...

[dbhost]

Finished the side panels of the flip top workbenches, as much as I am going to anyway. I made a last minute decision to leave the rabbets / fill panels out for multiple reasons, not the least of which is me being lazy.

Slathered on the sanding sealer on the table top for the candle stand. Found some freakish grain pop that needs to be resanded, yay me... Never had grain pop like that with sanding sealer but oh well...

Need to get to Home Depot. looking at the temps outside and remembering that It is winter in Texas cold and I don't want to go... So I guess we wait.

Overnight low will be around the freezing point for about 8 hours. REALLY wishing I Had a proper wood stove instead of a fireplace. I'd like to stoke and load a wood stove with one of those fans and turn the thermostat way back on the electric heat for this...

I don't remember the item that got dropped, but a good while ago I managed to drop something into the drywall by the corner of the tub at the floor level I created a backer plate using some scrap and the pocket hole jig. Fair word of warning, when using the Harbor Freight pocket hole jig, go slow, and pull back and go in a few MM at a time to keep the bore clear, and you will get a MUCH cleaner cut... I forgot this on the first two holes...

Anyway, cut out the damaged sheetrock, and set the first backer. I need to create a second and get it installed then I can move forward with the sheetrock patching.

Realized just how quickly doing minor projects in the shop junks things up. Not a happy thing...

There are some log cutoffs from some Hurricane Ike felled trees I tried saving for turning wood, but I swear I look at this stuff and it explodes. So I ran it through the bandsaw, cut it down to manageable pieces and am running it through the fireplace now.

I'm not gonna finish up that patch today. Since it is in the wall next to the shower, I have hosed it down with anti fungals and letting it do its thing just in case...

[capncarl]

The high temperature and humidity combined with the long 9 month summers will render a log worthless for anything but firewood. I have around 4 cords of wood under shelter that is drying and splitting and feeding borers faster than I can use it!

[dbhost]

The trip to Home Depot and Harbor Freight is done. Snagged the casters, 1/2" all thread, washers, nuts, 1/2" Schedule 40 PVC, and I forgot the dowel stock for the stops. Oops...

Picked up stock for replacement trim for the master bath, finished the backer boards for the drywall patch, sized and installed the match, taped and floated the patch and am now waiting for the mud to cure., while we use that shower... Yay...I need to prime and paint the trim next.

The workbench is getting crapped up again, quickly. Going to head out in a few minutes and clear it off of anything not a current actively being worked. The parts like casters etc... I have a spare Plano toolbox I am just going to toss the stuff in until I am ready for it...

[furthermore]

Today I built this calf stretcher thing. There's one of these at my fiancee's parents' house and I love using it when I'm there. I also used the occasion to install the NOS zero clearance insert that I'd bought a while ago on eBay. I read in the FAQ that they weren't quite flush with the table top, but a card could be used as a shim, so I shimmed it with some cards that came with a KC Tool order. One layer wasn't perfect, but two was close enough, so I doubled it up. The pack of 2 zero clearance inserts that I bought didn't come with hardware or the thread cutting screws, so I had to run out and pick up a 10/24 tap and a few machine screws. The ones that were in my BT were pretty soft, so I paid the extra few cents for stainless so I wouldn't be as likely to mash them.

One thing I noticed was that I had a bit of wander on the routed channels there around where the bit would have been exiting the backside. I'm guessing that this is user error, trying to keep my fingers away from the spinny sharp bit, but I do think that the router fence attachment that I've made for the BT fence could use some love. I bought some t-track so I could add featherboards, but I haven't installed it yet. I'm thinking that I'll just add another layer to the face, rather than taking it off, routing it, and putting it back on. That way I'll have more MDF to screw in to. I've also noticed that doing things like routing dadoes causes a fountain of sawdust to spray out of where the bit is. Pretty neat, but I'd like to do better with the dust collection. Any ideas?

[LCHIEN]

The auxiliary table/router table is only locked at one end... the lever at the front. THis allows the rear to move somewhat which makes the routed grooves wander a bit if you are using the BT3 rip fence as a router guide fence. The BT3 router kit sold by ryobi has a locking bracket and knob to lock the rear of that table to the rear fence.

[LCHIEN]

...

One thing I noticed was that I had a bit of wander on the routed channels there around where the bit would have been exiting the backside. I'm guessing that this is user error, trying to keep my fingers away from the spinny sharp bit, but I do think that the router fence attachment that I've made for the BT fence could use some love. I bought some t-track so I could add featherboards, but I haven't installed it yet. I'm thinking that I'll just add another layer to the face, rather than taking it off, routing it, and putting it back on. That way I'll have more MDF to screw in to. I've also noticed that doing things like routing dadoes causes a fountain of sawdust to spray out of where the bit is. Pretty neat, but I'd like to do better with the dust collection. Any ideas?

The auxiliary table/router table is only locked at one end... the lever at the front. THis allows the rear to move somewhat which makes the routed grooves wander a bit if you are using the BT3 rip fence as a router guide fence. The BT3 router kit sold by ryobi has a locking bracket and knob to lock the rear of that table to the rear fence. Parts 13,4, and 14 below.

[LCHIEN]

Today, believe it or not, I worked on two more pinewood derby cars that were kicking through my mind. They will have a dad's division for those who are crazy enough to do one on their own. I had two ideas and with the boys being done a week early I spent today working on them cold as it was in the garage shop, A lot of stuff was already kind of setup and decided so it was not as much preparation as the boys' cars.

One car was so light I had to add nearly four ounces to bring it up to max allowed weight. The other was 1.6 ounces OVER so I was drilling huge holes into every non visible nook and cranny to skeletonize it to get it under the max allowed weight.

I guess if it warms up enough Sunday they will get painted. Haha. and then I can show them.

And the Aussie Open Tennis is going on in Melbourne (Rod Kirby's home so I always think of him this time of year but he hated sports every time I brought it up with him) so I'll try and catch a good match or so. I did make it to Melbourne three years ago (2019) stopping on a cruise ship and seeing the Aussie Open in person but alas he had already passed several years before. At least I didn't have to decide between Open and Kirby because I knew it would not be both! He hated Sports. Did I mention how he hated sports?