What did you do today?

**furthermore** · 02-22-2022, 10:47 AM

This weekend I got some prep done for a few other projects, but I finished this: a grow light station for my garden this year! We only have one south-facing window for our seedlings, so I bought some of these grow lights (still have another 2 not mounted) from a friend who was downsizing. We like to start our garden from seed, so hopefully our plants this year will be less leggy.

I like version one that I've made here, but I'm open to suggestions! I figured there may be a way to get it so I could pull on one side of the rope and be able to pull the entire gantry up, but at this point I'm adjusting both sides independently.

**dbhost** · 02-22-2022, 04:04 PM

Went to Home Depot and got a gallon of matching green paint for my shop projects. Went with Behr out of familiarity. Not top of the line stuff, but certain better than the stuff Walmart sells, and more than good enough for shop projects... Also picked up a handful more of the 5/16x3 carriage bolts I am using for rotation stops on my flip top stands...

**LCHIEN** · 02-22-2022, 05:04 PM

Originally posted by furthermore

This weekend I got some prep done for a few other projects, but I finished this: a grow light station for my garden this year! We only have one south-facing window for our seedlings, so I bought some of these grow lights (still have another 2 not mounted) from a friend who was downsizing. We like to start our garden from seed, so hopefully our plants this year will be less leggy.

I like version one that I've made here, but I'm open to suggestions! I figured there may be a way to get it so I could pull on one side of the rope and be able to pull the entire gantry up, but at this point I'm adjusting both sides independently.

Here's how to make two lines go up and down together using three suspended pulleys (P). Once you adjust the length so that that are at the same height they should go up and down together. Then just tie off the single rope to a cleat or some fixed item.

**capncarl** · 02-22-2022, 08:50 PM

I spent the first part of the day finalizing my online bids for various pine barnwood, oak, cypress and black walnut. This auction is held by one of our local auction houses that specializes in farm machinery, large land tracts and the occasional clean out all the junk in my barn auction. I had called one of my nearby contacts looking for some barnwood for Tiny Tables. I had previously purchased wood from him from barns and building he had demolished for the materials. There were over 300 listings, lots of 2x6x16’ tounge and groove flooring which was longer than I wanted,I focused on lots that could reasonably be carried in my pickup truck. Several lots that were of particular interest were 18 ea 1.5 x 1.5 x 8’ that I wanted for table legs, and 8 ea 1x10x8’ tight grain pine that would be perfect for table tops. I should have known that since they were of interest to me someone else would bid them up. I finally won the bid on these 2 items by throwing money at them. Other listings were a lot of 6 hand hewn 2x4 pine and 1x17x8’ radial cut heart pine board with nice saw large circular saw slices throughout, great for Tiny Table tops. Somehow I didn’t get outbid on a lot of 4ea 1x10 to 17 wide x6’ long live edge black walnut slabs for less that $5/bf, several 16.5 wide curly pine slabs and 21ea 2x6 x90” tongue and groove boards.
The rest of the afternoon was spent browsing through Peach State wood warehouse that is full of beautiful wood of every species, width and thickness. I was afraid to buy something because I hadn’t recieved my auction results.

**capncarl** · 02-24-2022, 09:21 PM

Picked up the wood I bid for yesterday. We learn from our mistakes…. I will not ever ever bid on items that I have not personally inspected. I couldn’t inspect this auction wood due to a previously planned trip to North Georgia. I loaded up plenty of good wood, and some I wouldn’t have hauled off if it was free! Now where am I going to put all of this wood? Looks like tomorrow I will be building another wood rack in my wood shed!

**dbhost** · 02-25-2022, 12:11 PM

Dropping off floral for BILs funeral tomorrow...

**furthermore** · 02-28-2022, 08:33 AM

I had a rather productive weekend! I left this comment on another post and finally got around to making it this weekend. It fits just right and it works great! Of course, as soon as I hopped on eBay this morning, there's a couple sets for sale, but there's something nice about being able to solve your own problems immediately.

I traced a 3/4" wrench on to a piece of flat stock, then cut out the notch with my bandsaw. I cut down each side, then bent the middle part in and cut that off. Then I cleaned up the leftover bent part and filed it down with a flat file so there wasn't any sharp edges or burrs. The attachments are out of order but I think you should be able to figure it out

**dbhost** · 02-28-2022, 01:57 PM

Found i had a bench brush after I bought a new one.

The black one is frome Home Depot at about 7 bucks. The white one is from Dollar Tree I paid a dollar but they have since gone up to $1.25, and it works WAY better. I am seriously wishing I had saved my money on the Home Depot one...

**capncarl** · 02-28-2022, 04:31 PM

Yesterday I installed sides in my 6.5’ x 16’ yard trailer. It is the common everyday open sided trailer you see lawn services and landscapers use, and has 12” high angle rails. I cut apart a bunch of aluminum patio roofing trays left over from a hailstorm insurance replace, so I whipped out my trusty Modern nibbler and lopped of the sides, folded the sides over to creat 12” panels and pop riveted them on. That only took 6 hours of back breaking bending over. Today a local tree service loaded the trailer down with wood chips. Now for 8 more back breaking hours of spreading the chips in my garden walkways!

**dbhost** · 03-01-2022, 12:04 PM

Work stuff.
Voted in my county primary election.
Built the oh so basic under extension wing table saw accessory drawer box.. Basically the holder for the slides. The screws are too long for the rails so I am bobbing them off with the angle grinder and vice grips... Then I install...

For those that are wondering. That is what a shortened 1969 originally built "spice drawer" that split sides and has been reglued looks like... It's ugly, but it's family.... Hmmmm. Just gonna leave that there.

Debating if I should disassemble the hardware off of it. Scrape the chunks off and then hit it with some of the hunter green paint...

I am finding some humor in the 5" DC upgrade / impeller upgrade. I downsized the Shark Guard to a 2.5" port and QUICKLY realized I can NOT use just the SG port without at least one other port open. If I run it with just the Shark Guard blast gate open, the hose collapses and pulls the guard completely off of the table / workpiece.

**dbhost** · 03-02-2022, 09:35 AM

Measure 4 times and somehow I still managed to be too long. The drawer is 32", I did the math, it SHOULD fit, but nope... 4" too long. Disassembled, shortened the required parts, reassembled, dry fit, it fits, but I don't have tnough hands. Might try holding it in place with the roller stands. Problem is the open end wants to splay. I have more than enough room. Will make a spreader to hold it in place prior to installation.

I am also realizing that I need to knock out some projects and soon. Nothing fancy, but I have an itch to make walnut coasters with flocked cup recesses to give out as gifts for the Holidays (Christmas and Hanukkah) this year.

I mentioned Hanukkah as we have some dear friends that practice Messianic Judaism and I would like to honor their faith with hand crafted gifts. Which poses me an issue.

Crosses are easy to do. However, I would think a Star of David might be a bit more complex for quick and dirty knock together gifts...

I'd like maybe some hardwood medallions of a sort with maybe the Star of David, or a Menorah...

I'm not acactly skilled at hand carving anything as small as what I am thinking. I was actually hoping maybe someone sold some off the shelf CNC machined pieces. Anyone have any sources for stuff like this?

Oh and lastly, I am getting sick and tired of trying to find knives for my jointer. I am going to start pitching my spare change as it were in a Jointer Budget jar... Sad to say but the Sunhill looks like it has to go. Sad day actually as it has served me well for 12 years now, and only has to go because knives are no longer available...

**furthermore** · 03-02-2022, 02:21 PM

I forgot to mention the actual project I worked on this weekend once I had the wrench made. I built my own hollow core door! I have this door hole between my insulated part of the garage and the storage bay where the mower, mopeds, generator, etc. lives. For the longest time I've just had the hole partially blocked with this giant piece of 2" green foam board and held in place with a piece of 1" box tubing. Now it's a full on door held in place with a piece of 1" box tubing!

I started by creating a frame (pine ripped to 2") and then cutting the foam board to size with a circular saw. Then I layed that whole assembly on a piece of 1/4" subfloor plywood (it was cheap) and then layed the other piece on top and tacked them down with my brad nailer. I used a flush trim router bit to cut the subfloor ply to the exact shape of the door. Worked great! It made a giant mess, but that's part of the fun, is it not? Finally I've added insulation to the door and a sweep on the bottom to help seal it up.

The door sits over the hole, like a walk-in cooler would have. I still need to pull off a bunch of the pegboard so I can sister in some 2x4s on the door frame so I have something to hang the door off of, as well as make a handle, and finish the door with some poly or something

**dbhost** · 03-02-2022, 08:17 PM

It fits now... table saw stuff at table saw now...

I know a lot, the overwhelming bulk of my recent projects have been hit with the ugly stick A.K.A. made with scrap lumber etc... but they are for function not prettiness... And to use up stuff that was taking up space and make it useful.

The funny cut down "spice drawer" mounted under the extension wing of the table saw clearing the dust capture box of the router.

Drawer as old as I am open, the rails work nicely at least, My table saw accessories live here. The abrasive disk really isn't used any more. I had it with my Firestorm 10" miter saw to use it as a chop saw for cutting ferrous metals. I no longer need it.

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**twistsol** · 03-03-2022, 08:29 AM

Last night my wife and I went cross country skiing for 3 hours with a group from REI. It was a beautiful clear warm night in the mid 20's. There was one other couple around our age and the rest of the group were 20 somethings. At least I can still hold my own with the "kids"

**dbhost** · 03-03-2022, 12:21 PM

Working on some automotive troubleshooting issues. My remote trunk release has failed, and the key actuator is missing parts of the linkage. I bought the car well used. The remote trunk release worked fine for years so I never tried to unlock with the key until the remote failed. I need to go to a junk yard to get the linkage, but for now, I have run a piece of paracord from the emergency trunk release through to the interior of the car, sort of a makeshift cable release.;

Trying to track down a short in the horn circuit. It keeps blowing fuses if I have to use the idiot alert feature (Lay on the horn more than 10s...)

Working on some shop cleanup, and a LOT more organizing camping stuff. I need to empty the trunk out 100% prior to loading up.

Might be shot to hades due to spring break, but I am planning on doing a camping trip shortly.

What did you do today?

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