Category: projects

Ahead, Slow

On By JohnIn projectsLeave a comment

Maintenance work on a sailboat, like transmissions and dental work, will not improve with time. They need to be tended to regularly and correctly. Not ignored and not with improvised efforts.

After nearly two years of what I’ve already endured, and now re-entering fall and winter, I’ve observed the to years’ of non-use of my sailboat has still incurred those two years’ worth of maintenance… time takes it toll.

The list of little tasks continues to grow. I’ll need to see to making space to store the Lady Ann in a garage so I can address the neglected maintenance, and the additional deterioration from the neglected maintenance itself.

Thou Shalt Want

On By JohnIn projectsLeave a comment

I assembled a CNC frame and sled in April of last year (2018). It’s the least expensive tool to cut anything out of 4’x8′ sheets of any millable wood: plywood, MDF, masonite. Any sheet-goods, really.

Before I built the Maslow, I heard about the Shaper Origin CNC, but I dismissed it as simply too expensive for my needs. The Maslow was certainly more agreeable than cost of the Shaper. And it was far better use of space than a large frame CNC. And it was big enough to readily handle full 4’x8′ sheet goods. Anything large enough to handle those full sheets of plywood would require perhaps 5’x9′. Actually more because you need to get round it — 8’x12′ maybe? 11’x16′?. And with a would have a price nearer to $25,000.

The Maslow was $350 or $400.

Floor-space? Far more agreeable at 3’x10′.

And easy enough to cobble together without any skill more than rough-cutting a few bits of lumber, and drilling a few very rough holes. The machine then can build itself.

So, Maslow CNC was ideal.

But having a critical think about the use of space in my existing four-car garage, I definitely won’t have it forever.

It’s time to downsize to maximize my own use of space.

And, so, with the experiences and skills that I’ve gained, and having another look at the Shaper Origin, the only conclusion I can reach is…

I want one.

I’ll be seeing about adding a Shaper Origin to my growing stack of tools.

More info here.

The Maslow CNC? I still have it. And I need to replace one of its drive motors. I’ll need to see about passing it along to another Maker who’s beginning their own journey.

Drained…

On By JohnIn home improvement, projectsLeave a comment

I’d always wondered why the previous occupant had used atypical/nonstandard repairs to some trivial drains.

I mean, these things are only hand-tight.

To their credit, it didn’t leak at all. At all.

Right, so, let’s start to disassemble and make it right…

Nine FEET of electrical tape later…

Wait, there’s more electrical tape?

Honestly, that nut is quite loose now that the majority of the tape is removed.

Yep. And it’ turned out that

  • the tailpiece (the metal pipe shown) was glued into the wye underneath of it
  • and the nut was glued onto the wye and
  • the upper nut had another type of electrical tape (yellow this time) wrapped around it two or three times

I suppose they had gone to all of that work to try stopping what was thought to be a leak. But the actual issue was that the the upper nut was simply not screwed onto the basket above it.

So, I just replaced the parts that I simply didn’t want to clean glue off of.

Door Nos. 5 – 8 Done

On By JohnIn home improvement, projectsLeave a comment

Work in progress… that edge is going to need just as many coats as the door body has.

That green was also brushed — it’s under the black. I’m not even sure what to call that particular shade of green. Lime green? Seafoam? Pear? Pea? Parakeet? Meh… it’s a variety of white now. Marshmallow? Coconut? Swiss coffee?

By the way: it needed six coats of white to cover the black. Granted, the paint was thinned slightly to improve its flow through the HVLP, but six coats is a bit much.

Right, so doors #1 – #8 are done.