Darning socks

Bad dog. Shep found J's sock lying on the floor. Socks on the floor are a no-no in our house, but "some" "occasionally" land up there. The floor is the realm of Shep. Anything that is on the floor belongs to Shep. He won't take food off the table, but food on the floor is his. It is in the realm of Shep. When the dog found J's sock in the realm of Shep, he began to love it. He gently caressed it with his teeth until he had a small hole in it. No one noticed, but slowly the small hole became a big hole. When J found the sock it was a sodden mess with a terrible hole in the toe. She quietly hung her head and began to sob. No one noticed at first. It was just a sock. But no. This was the cherished lady bug sock. This sock has history and is loved. The sobbing grew louder and something had to be done. So Tatay got out his trusty red sewing kit, found a darning needle, and began work. JJ supplied some wool. Now the stinky sock (stinky from dog-spit) is ready for washing and wearing.

New Front Door

A couple of years ago I picked up a discarded front door (steel). I haven't had a chance to install it until now, partly because I knew it was bigger than the old wooden one. I thought I would have to cut the header to get it to fit. But once I took the old door step off, the new door fit (just) into the old hole. So now it is installed. I kept the same jamb because it is a complex milling that seems to be structural to the house. I would have to wreck it to get it out, and then rebuild the structure. I will have to find a way to spruce it up after fifty years of screen doors have pulled hunks out of it. I still have to install the new door step (aluminium, from a garage sale). The wood underneath is severely termite damaged so I will have to replace that first.
Anyway, the new door looks a lot better than the old!

Carport shelf

I have been thinking about and planning a car port shelf to free up floor space. Well the shelf has finally arrived. It is four feet wide and nine feet long. There are two feet of shelf height, and 6'8" clearance under the shelf. Most of the structure came from discarded fence posts. The shelving came from discarded chip-board cabinets. I painted the structure grey and the exposed roofing plywood brown. I did have to buy one bracket for $1.75. It is already filled with sailboat cushions, VW bumpers, swimming pool, folding chairs, soccer balls, tent, etc.

Windstar Idle Air Control Valve

1999 Windstar with 80,000 miles has caused a little trouble with start up. It doesn't bother me because I just give it a little more juice and it usually settles down once it warms up a bit. But mum got stuck in Massachusetts by herself once and that wasn't good. Anyway, the battery died at Windsor Hills and a volunteer named Mike helped diagnose the problem and changed the battery. He even drove to Walmart to get a new one for us. While he was at it, he noticed a slow idle and even stalling. He looked for a vacuum leak and sprayed carb and choke cleaner around the engine to see if a vacuum leak would make the engine run faster. Nothing happened so he said it might be the idle solenoid and I should get a good mechanic to take a look when I got home.
So I called the car parts shop and they said they didn't have such a thing. Then I called Ford and they said what do you mean, tell me where it goes. Then he said do you mean the IAC valve, and I said yes, not wanting to sound like I didn't know what I was talking about. That was about $170. So I called the car parts shop again with the right name, and they said $80.
A quick search on the internet told me to take the thing off and clean it out. So that's what we did. At first I couldn't really see in and we just sprayed in some cleaner. That didn't make any difference, so we took it off again. This time I poked a scribe in the hole and was able to move the piston back so that the valve opened the hole between the two halves. The unit is a little valve that allows air to bypass the normal intake system when the idle is too low, i.e. at start-up. It was stuck closed and that's why the idle was too low when cold, making the engine stall. So we got it unstuck. The car started up and idled properly.
We didn't really do a good job of cleaning it, and it started to stick again. So today we took it off again and soaked it in carb and choke cleaner. We also tried to scrape out the gunk and clean it up better. Hopefully it will stay good now (so we save $80!).
Now the 'check engine' light is on again so we'll have to find out which codes are outstanding. The car automatically fails inspection if the 'check engine' light is on.

Summer Summary (so far)

"It only takes a spark..."

In mid-June C spoke on "The Power of a Woman" at a Nazarene Women's Retreat in New Hampshire.

A roaring Acts chapter 2-like wind picked up on campfire night, scattering sparks everywhere.


Late June: As a family we attended the Nazarene General Conventions and part of the General Assembly in Orlando, FL. ) We connected with several old friends --a reminder of the many people who have invested in our lives. Thank you! The kids made themselves at home in the exhibit hall where they collected mementos. High points were NYI worship led by the Aussie group "By Grace" and the "valedictory" sermon of Rev. Nina Gunter (Sunday night) which culminated in a parade of flags carried by Nazarenes from 155 world areas (We missed the GS elections). The kids enjoyed their first experience of Cici's Pizza, the buildable, raceable toys at Downtown Disney (the closest we got to the Disney parks) and the pool at the condo. The family favorite recreational activity was an airboat ride with Boggy Creek Tours in Poinciana, FL. After the swamp boat ride, we all got to hold this alligator (above).




Early July: On the way home from Orlando, we had time to enjoy rellies and the beach in Daytona, and a day on the Mall and in the Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. An international festival was underway on the Mall featuring artisans and performers from various countries. The potter, weaver, stone carver and boat builder from Wales were amazing.


Mid-July brought us Boys' Camp in Windsor, NH., S as counselor, Ja as CIT, D as camper, the female family members as program assistants. Camp featured swimming, boating, archery, Bible Quizzing (D learned over 60 verses to win the first place trophy) , worship and a pine car derby (D's pine car pictured below). Ju. caught moths and a teeny frog at camp, but we failed to snap a photo. Sorry, Phil! On the way down the mountain we stopped at the Franklin Pierce house where an artisan fair was underway. Our first time to watch a pewtersmith in action. Next week we head to Girls' Camp at the same place with C as speaker.


Other new experiences this summer included geocaching with friends in Fitchburg (after S. preached there) and the kids' discovery of mica (shiny, mirror-like flakes common in the granite rocks of north central Mass. and New Hampshire).


The very latest excitement is that A. lost her first baby tooth.

Sea Mast

A. was reluctant to move up to the next size bike (which someone discarded), although her pink one has a broken pedal and is difficult to ride. So she decided to paint her new bicycle yellow. She cleaned it carefully, and sanded some trouble spots, then painted it with a yellow spray can (with help from dad on the painting). After the paint dried she peeled off the "Tiger Shark" stickers, which exposed the red paint underneath in the shape of sharks. Then she took some black paint and painted "Sea Mast" ('sea master' wouldn't fit) to continue the marine theme. We are all very happy with the results.

Plum File Handle

Follow-up to October 8, 2008 post.

Last year I was ripping apple wood and cut some nails, so I needed to sharpen the chain saw. The file didn't have a handle, so I made one out of a branch of plum tree that grows in our yard. I started with a draw knife, cutting through the heart and sap wood so the grain would contrast light and dark.

Then I used a rasp to shape the handle. I was going for a kind of peanut shape, which was always my theme for everything I made in highschool (like a carved paddle which we made with a spoke shave). Not too successful on the peanut theme but the shape came out OK.

I cut a ferrel from a piece of half inch copper pipe. Then I marked the handle for cutting to accommodate the ferrel. First I marked a tenon saw with masking tape so I wouldn't cut too deep.

Then I chiselled the unwanted material off. The chisel is from a set I have had since I was little. I don't know where the green paint came from. Maybe my brother had it for a while and painted it for identification. The mallet I made in Dad's garage with some wood Rhoda left (kauri for the mallet, and cherry for the handle). I added the dowel much later because the handle kept working it's way off.

Finally I sanded the handle. I had to wrap it with a rag because the oak in the vice jaws was marking it. I thought oak would be nice and hard for vice jaws, but now I realise that a soft wood is better. Anyway I put the grain the wrong way in the vice jaws and the front one has split (still not fixed either!).

The handle has been sitting around for nearly a year because I couldn't find the file after all that. It turned up recently...in the file drawer! It was hiding in a corner, the sneaky little fellow. Now to sharpen the chain saw and get some firewood for winter.

Alphabet Stamps

For a long time I have wanted alphabet stamps. I remember seeing them for sale overseas, but didn't buy them. Since then I have never seen them for sale. I decided to have a look on ebay and found a few options. For about $20 (half of it shipping!) I got the 3mm size (made in China). It has the alphabet and numerals. The kids have been stamping all their books, and any leather, wood, or paper they can find. I just tried it out on my new hair clippers tool. That steel proved a bit hard but made a legible impression. Sheet metal or copper should work nicely. Now, the 3 mm is a bit small; shall I buy a 6 mm set now?????

Making a Tool for the Hair Clippers

About 10 years ago I made tool to adjust my hair clippers so it wouldn't make that loud clackity sound. Usually the clippers would need adjusting as they warmed up so the tool was very handy and I was ruining scissors trying to turn the adjustment screw with them. The first tool was cut out of thick sheet metal with a hacksaw. It looked like the key to a wind-up toy and it worked fine. However, it's been missing for years.

I have been getting by without it by letting the clippers warm up before using them. But last time I tried to use them, they wouldn't work at all, even after a warm up period (they buzz softly, but the blades do not move). So it was time to make another tool. I looked around for some more thick sheet metal, but then decided on a different design. This was made cold (to save the bother of firing up the forge). I hammered a steel bar flat at one end; shaped it further on the bench grinder; then drilled a small hole near the end. This hole was opened up with a hacksaw, and then smoothed out with a rat tail file. Then I put it in the vice cold and hammered a turn in it; cut the handle to about 100 mm with a hacksaw, and cleaned the whole thing up a bit. Now we are all looking smart with our summer haircuts! Beware dog! You're next!

More New Tools

The person who gave me the scythe just gave me some more tools as she cleans out getting ready to move.

1. Cross cut saw (Disston PHILA)
2. Tenon saw
3. Three small specialty spanners
4. An unknown crimping tool. I have another of these but I haven't figured out what it is for. The handle clamps closed. It may be for shaping hot iron, or holding various shaped stock for hammering.
5. Two small screwdrivers.
6. Three drill bits, two of them for brace and bit.
7. A steel cube for hammering nails straight.
8. A plumbing clean out snake.
9. A wonderful heavy vice, which unfortunately has some steel broken off so that there are three or four dead winds when changing direction. (PARKER MERIDEN CT. / PAT JUNE / 20, 1954 / EXT'D. [reverse:] PAT MAY 28 / NOV. 26, / DEC. 17 1867 / No. 1)
10. Bevel. I have never had one of these before, although my father has one. (CRAFTSMAN)
11. Some kind of impact drill. Maybe it is not supposed to have a drill bit in it. The other small drill bit is sharpened the same way: to a chisel edge (i.e. one flat edge instead of two chisel edges for drilling).
12. A sawsall blade.
13. A hacksaw blade holder (SKODCO-HAWERA, INC. ELM GROVE VILLAGE, IL 60007)
14. A beautiful two-man saw with handles perfectly intact (they are usually gone or badly broken) and very sharp; nearly no rust. I think this is the best example I have ever seen (DISSTON & SONS / STEEL WARRANTED / PATENT GROUND / PHILADELPHIA / US PAT OFF).

Boat Naming Competition

I picked up a 1970 17 foot O'Day sailboat and trailer today, free from Freecycle. It takes a main sail and a jib. The hull is fibreglass and the mast is clear anodised alumunium. The keel retracts, and the tiller pulls out. There is a mount for a trawling outboard. It needs cleaning and a couple of small patches; new woodwork; and new tyres. Otherwise it is complete. The man who gave it me had a Harley Davidson and was rebuilding a motorcycle engine (lying in pieces on his work bench). The trailer takes a 1 7/8" ball, and I have a 2" ball, so he found a ball for me (and had to heat it to get it off his towbar. I know nothing about sailing and have never been sailing, but I'm sure we'll have fun once we get started! Our town has a landing and all I have to pay is $5 a year for the parking. Boat and trailer will have to be registered with the state too. So, what shall we name it?

Escort Brakes

Three years ago I changed the brake pads on our 1997 Ford Escort. Last year a mechanic told us that we needed new discs and pads. I was hoping to put it off until September this year when the busy summer was over, but the chatter was bad and I realized it would not pass safety inspection this June. So I got replacement pads as they were under lifetime warranty from Autozone, and bought new discs. The discs were so bad. I have never seen discs anything like that. After an exciting afternoon, everything is back together. The brakes feel great with very little travel in the pedal (before the pedal would go to the floor). Now if we could just resolve the transmission fluid leak in the Windstar (without finding out that a new seal is needed!).

Fire Place Window

The fireplace window in our house has been slowly deteriorating. When I took out the grate a burning log fell and scorched the plating. I painted the worst of that black to disguise it. The hardware has also become loose and worn, and the doors were falling out easily. One day the door dropped when I wasn't around. The toughened glass shattered, and there was little hope of repair, and little point since the hardware might cause the glass to break again.

A new one came up on Freecycle, a little smaller, and it actually fits better, looks a whole lot better, and even works. Now we're ready for winter with glass doors to keep the smoke going up the chimney, and to keep the furnace heat from going up with it.

New Tools

A cache of tools from the freecycle person who gave me the scythe. Thanks!

1. Axe (Bell system. True Temper. Flint Edge. Kelly Works)
2. Wallboard hatchet
3. Hot chisel
4. Claw hammer
5. Retractable punch (Western Electric. KS-2348)
6. Centre punch (Craftsman)
7. Cold chisel (Snap-on 3/4 PC824. USA 9)
8. Ring spanner (3/4 1224 PROTO MFD. U.S.A. 3/4)
9. Open end spanner (3/4 MADE IN USA 1/2 [reverse:] M-1026 BILLINGS VITALLOY)
10. Ring spanner (5-8. MADE IN USA [reverse:] CHROME VANADIUM STEEL)
11. Open end spanner (17 MADE IN USA. DROP FORGED)
12. Two bike spanners
13. Combination bike spanner (HARDENED STEEL)
14. Glass cutter (Fletcher MADE IN USA. No. 01)
15. Feeler gauge
16. Small rasp (NICHOLSON MADE IN USA 4in HAND)
17. Small half round file (BEL SYSTEM 47x116 SIMOND)
18. Smooth file (BELL SYSTEM CNCO)
19. Large rasp (STOKES BROS. IMPROVED. FRESHOLD M4 USA)
20. Fibreglass driveway markers.
21. Rake and broom rack.
22. Small packet of brads
23. Saw horse brackets
24. Four (wire fence?) strainers with cords attached (double purchase on each end)

Scythe

I just picked up a scythe from freecycle today. The first time I tried it, it didn't work at all. Then I sharpened it with a carborundum stone (not a proper scythe stone). This time it worked very well, and the whole family came out to have a try.

Here's an interesting scythe website: http://www.scytheconnection.com/index.html

Apple Grafts Two Weeks Later

These are the apple grafts two weeks later. They're growing nicely.

Grafting the Apple Tree

A leggy apple tree is growing across the street from us on state land and plant disease specialist David R. offered to graft some delicious varieties of apples into it. I was hoping for honey crisp, but they ran out of wood (they grafted 50 of their own at the Cornell research orchard). Perhaps we will graft in honey crisp next year. This year we did Fuji, Crimson Crisp, Zestar!, and Pinata. The grafting is done during flowering, or within a week of the end of flowering (i.e., today). The scion wood is cut in February (winter) and put in the fridge so it will not start growing). Wrap it in newspaper and plastic to prevent moisture loss.

Steps of grafting:
1. Trim the tree so that the grafting branches are exposed to light, but still have growth below them to keep the branches alive.

2. Trim the scions to five buds. Cut the lower end to a V point with a sharp knife. Put the cut ends in mouth (the saliva helps).

3. Cut the stock branch and twist the knife so the bark lifts slightly. Insert the scions into the gap (cambium layer).

4. Tape the stock branch tight with electrical tape.

5. Cover the black tape and the whole wound with white grafting tape (the black tape could get so hot as to cook the bark).

6. Plug the gaps with grafting putty so that moisture cannot escape from the wound.

7. Use special gooey yellow grafting paint to cover the white tape entirely, the exposed wood of the branch stock, and the exposed tips of the scions. This will prevent moisture loss.

8. In August (late summer) trim any growth that is blocking light to the graft.

9. Next year, remove unwanted grafts, or twist them together for strength (this is the better option, but more time consuming if you have too many grafts to maintain).

10. You could have fruit on the new grafts in 2 or 3 years.

Theory of grafting: connect the cambium layer (inner bark) of stock and scion so that the old tree feeds the new twig.