On Christmas Eve I'd ....

I finished working on the smoke chamber of the fireplace yesterday. It was one of the most unpleasant jobs I've ever done in my life. I had to lie on my back with my head in the fireplace, and reach into the 100 mm slot above, sometimes with both hands to operate the drill. I put seven pieces of tin in place to replace the rusted metal. It had to go up in pieces because of the small gap for access.

Today it seemed worth it as the snow turned into rain and the fire crackled. We hooked up an aerial to listen to Christmas music on the radio.

A. contributed to the advent mood with a picture and story:

"On Christmas Eve, the last [day of] advent. I decorate the tree. I light a fire. I have fun. The end."

The picture shows the fire in the fireplace with a Christmas scene on the mantel piece. She is next to the fire with her mouse slippers on, stringing lights onto the Christmas tree. It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

Pop-pop Boat

I recently made a steam boat. The instructions, at http://www.sciencetoymaker.org/boat/makeBoat4_07.htm, called it a pop-pop boat, but it runs fundamentally on steam. First, I made a "boiler" from an aluminium soda can, cut and folded to the correct shape and size, with two straws sticking out. I then sealed the boiler with epoxy glue and silicone sealant. While the silicone dried, I made the hull of the boat with a milk carton, cut and folded. Once the silicone on the boiler dried, I stuck the straws that were poking out of the boiler through a hole that I had cut in the hull and bent them back under. I then glued the straws and boiler in place with a cool-melt hot glue gun. Now steam engines are external combustion engines, so for the "external combustion", I added a candleholder I had made to fit quarter birthday candles. On the day I finished it, I tried it out in the bathtub. On the first run, it worked, altough not very well, but the second try was amazing. The funny thing is, the day after I tried out my boat, a tin one came in the mail from my uncle and aunty in Australia!

Of Making Blogs There Is No End

Check out this new journal on Ecclesiastes
http://ofmakingblogsthereisnoend.blogspot.com/

Field Pack

I found this pack by the side of the road in the bulk collection. Not a bad find!

Fixing The Smoke Chamber

When we first moved in to our house, the chimney didn't have a cap or a working damper, so the rain got in and rusted the smokebox. The damper was replaced and Stephen installed a cap, but the smokebox was still broken. This afternoon, Stephen started work on the smoke box.

First, he made a cardboard model of the piece he needed and stuck it up to see if it would fit. Then he traced the pattern on a sheet of galvanized steel (the pattern, steel, and tinsnips are shown below).
He then cut out the steel with the tinsnips and bent it in the appropriate places with angle iron in a vice, and a hammer. After he completed that piece, he took it inside and stuck it up the 5" by 16" hole into the smoke box and into the appropriate place. Once it's finished, we can look forward to cozy fires this winter.