Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Sally's Coffee Table Pt 7

This is taking a lot of episodes to do.  It is complete and in use, so there is a happy ending eventually.  I guess I am getting a lot of mileage out of it while I take a break over the holidays.  A few more to go and there are a couple of guitar videos in the bag ready to be edited too.

So, here is part 7 of Sally's Coffee Table where we get the feet done up a bit.


Thanks for dropping by

Monday, December 19, 2016

Update on the shop and Merry Christmas.

I shot the last bit of video for this one today and put together the rest of the video I had for the work I have done on the shop this year.  Sally is baking cookies and I volunteered to be quality control by sneaking a few here and there.

Merry Christmas to everyone.  I love the sentiment associated with the season.  Peace on Earth, good will, tidings of joy and gladness.  I associate more with the Winter Solstice, the Longest Night, the Solar New Year, but we still have Christmas here.  All the best to you in 2017.


Thanks for dropping by.

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Sally's Coffee Table Pt 6

In this one we get the stretchers done and joined to the legs.  The plan in my head is slowly coming together, but errors happen sometime.  There are more to come.  Nothing that can't be overcome though.  Still not accustomed to the new saws, I will be working on my form as I use them more.



Thanks for dropping by

Sunday, December 04, 2016

November, work done on the shop

Extra videos!  Yup, being cold and dreary outside, I stayed inside and edited video.

After the coffee table build I put some time into getting more work on the shop done.  I did not think I had enough footage but it turns out I have enough for 2, maybe more.  So, the shop gets some improving.


Thanks for dropping by

Saturday, December 03, 2016

2003 MIM Fender Stratocaster

Well, I am sitting at the new coffee table writing this.  There are still a lot of videos to make on the build of it, but I guess I would let you know it all works out in the end.  I am getting quite a backlog of videos now so I have to clean some of them up.  I thought it would be interesting to mix it up a bit and change topics instead of and endless stream of coffee table build videos.  Variety is the spice of life, is it not?

So, my friend got a great deal on this guitar and he wanted a few modifications done and to get it cleaned up and ready to play.  I was more than happy to do the work as it is such a nice guitar.  It had a few minor issues that I fixed up, so follow along as I get a guitar into tip top shape.


Thanks for dropping by

Monday, November 28, 2016

Sally's Coffee Table Pt 5

The next instalment of the series.

There are still several more parts to go, some of them involving mistakes and fixes, so stay tuned.  In this one I get the feet roughed out and the mortise put in them and I also get the tenon cut on the legs.  Finally, things start getting fitted together and we get a sneak peak at what the finished product will be.


Thanks for dropping by

Sunday, November 20, 2016

Those wheels

I had a few comments about some photos and video I have posted.  "There are tires in your shop"....Well, yeah.  It is fall in Canada.  I got the winter tires put on the car and the summer set needs to be cleaned up and put away for the season.  I finally got around to doing that job and I, of course, had the camera rolling.  Hey, it's not just a wood shop, it's a work shop.  It is my place to get away from the world and putter around and keep my hands busy doing things I like doing.  This time I went through a procedure I have seen on a couple of different You Tube channels to bring them back to life a bit.  Although not 100% successful, the rims look great and can now be put away until the spring.


Thanks for dropping by

Friday, November 18, 2016

Compulsive cleaning

My shortest video yet.  I have been working in the shop, on the shop.  It will be a while before the video comes out, but I was cleaning up after and got a bit carried away.  I thought I would share.  Perhaps I have a bit of OCD.


Thanks for dropping by

Monday, November 14, 2016

Sally's Coffee Table Pt 4

A bit more progress documented here.  Of course, the build is done and I am sitting at it typing this now.  I guess that is how it goes in the movies.

I tried a couple of different angles while shooting this one.  I also created a new into and outro.  I am still learning and experimenting with Lightworks.  I have a couple of the basics down for what I do repeatedly, I still try something else every now and then just to learn different techniques.

In this one we go from a slab to the legs blanks being ready.  Lots of cutting and hand planing, along with power tools too.  No, my tools are not particularly quiet.  I try to pay attention to the sound levels for those who use ear buds and headphones.


Thanks for dropping by

Saturday, November 12, 2016

Natures wood workers.

I went out to the shop yesterday and found that someone has been doing a bit of their wood craft just outside it.  I grabbed the camera and threw together this little bit.


Thanks for dropping by

Wednesday, November 09, 2016

Coffee table part 3

Continuing on with Sally's coffee table, I finally get the top glued up and milled to shape.  Some preliminary work on getting it smooth too.

Lots more to go on this project.  There were complications when finishing and I am going to keep it in the series as some things were successful, but ruined by subsequent step.   I didn't quite make my self imposed restriction of keeping it under 20 minutes, but only by a little bit.  I will forgive myself for that.

Enjoy the show, I enjoyed making it and doing the work.


Thanks for dropping by

Wednesday, November 02, 2016

Coffee table pt.2

This, I think, is going to be a long series of videos.  It took a long time to edit this video.  I can't believe how much got left on the cutting room floor, so to speak.  I did manage to keep it under 20 minutes though.  It is a goal I set for this series.  It is uploading as I write this, so I will have to wait until it is done so I can attach it and post this entry.

I continue on with getting the top rough milled.  Let me tell you, these slabs of ash are heavy.  I go from where we left off in part 1 and get them roughed to size with the new track I built for the circular saw, then start truing up one face by hand.  Just enough to get it flat for the machines.  I cut the width more accurately with the table saw.  That amazed me.  I did not think the old saw had the guts to do it.  But it soldiered on through with a slow feed and got the job done.  Then it was a matter of getting the underside flattened on the thickness planer, then the top.  There were hours of planing, both by hand and by machine to get it done.  It all works out in the end though and I end up with a couple of slabs, a bit lighter and consistent in dimensions and ready to glue up.

I tried a couple of different ways to go from one scene to another.  Still experimenting with the editing software.  Which, to me, is what a hobby is all about.  Learning and having fun with it.  I guess I am still a kid at heart and like playing with toys.

Enjoy the video and as always....



Thanks for dropping by

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Coffee table build starts

It's about time too.  Actually, the build right now is almost done, but the videos have to catch up.  I started in August, and there have been a few photos along the way.  I actually had to sand the finish off the top and start it again as when I was doing the last step I didn't like it.  Still, Sally's birthday was last January, and I did promise her a coffee table.  I didn't even have the wood back then.

I am cutting the build series up into many small segments.  Putting together the longer videos and uploading them can get tedious, and I think that the shorter format may make it easier to watch.  We will see.  I was still up late last night getting it done, so I am just as weary today as I write this.

It is cooler now and I fired up the heater in the shop yesterday, only to find there was about 1/2 hour worth of fuel left in the propane tank.  I guess I have another job on my list before I can actually finish the build.

So, my muddled brain is having a hard time putting words together right now, so I will just post the video.



Thanks for dropping by

Sunday, October 16, 2016

Servicing the planer

Well, the planer was leaving tracks on one part of the blade.  Obviously a chip in the knives at that point.  So, with the camera rolling, I decided I would give the machine a bit of a clean up.  It is a Makita 2012 planer, a little 12" lunchbox planer that I got from my father in law.  So, the price was right.  It is a bit odd in that the table moves up and down and the motor stays fixed in place.  That makes in feed and out feed tables just about impossible.  But, it is a good little machine.  I thought I had a new set of knives, but it turned out they were used too.  The package price was about $37 I think.  I ended up finding the 2 best edges and putting them in.  I ordered a new set and they are on the shelf now.  $65!  That is inflation I guess.  With the machine all ready, I could now start the work on the coffee table.  The one that I have posted a few pictures of before I believe.

That's the trouble with getting older, you just can't quite be sure if you did something or not.  Particularly in the line of video making like I do.  I often have things done for a while before the You Tube video is all edited and posted, but I have talked about the project here and there, and also thrown a few photos out too.  So it is hard to remember what you did where, and if you did it.

Of course, I say all that in good humour.  All in all, I do things, roll the camera, edit and post.  Of course there are diversions, like the last video showed.

Enjoy the show, and


Thanks for dropping by!

Friday, September 30, 2016

Blow job

We had a bit of a breeze this week.  The biggest tree in the yard got hit with a micro burst, or down draft, or some other such weather phenomenon.  I guess Mother Nature thought we needed a bit more fire wood stocked away.  Took a while to get it all cleaned up, and there is some still yet to do.  This is not what I had planned on releasing for a video this week, but sometimes life throws you a curve ball and you just have to go with it.



Thanks for dropping by

Sunday, September 25, 2016

Building a Track Saw guide

Well, I have been working on the coffee table for Sally.  There have been a few photos put up if you recall.  I am finally getting down to getting into the series of videos for that build too.

First of all, I needed something to cut a straight line through the slabs.  A track saw is the perfect vehicle for this job.

I found a scrap of plywood and some cut offs of some ash, and, using the table saw to put a dado into the plywood, I fitted them together.  Because of the dado being made like this, the guide bar has no choice but to be as accurate as the table saw and its fence.

I captured most of it on video, and spent the afternoon editing it today.  Not really part of the coffee table build, but I needed this in order to start on the job.

The next one is not part of the build either.  I had to do some maintenance on the thickness planer before I started milling the wood for the coffee table.  The videos are always a few weeks behind what I am doing....well, usually.  Sometimes I get an idea and put it into action ahead of other things too, so they are not always in order.

I am still struggling along with the coffee table right now.  Trying to get dove tail joints fitting right.  I have not cut many of them, so it is not one of the things I can just bang out like some folks can.  But I am being (or trying to be) patient and taking my time.  There still is a ton of work to do on it and I am still experimenting with the finish I plan on doing.  I could have made more progress on that, but I have been busy in the yard helping Sally do some gardening/landscaping with moving some shrubs and making flower beds.  Of course, there are other things happening around here too.  With the oncoming autumn, the chimney needed cleaning and all sorts of other things need doing too.  Not much of that makes it to video, but I don't think there would be a lot of interest in the mundane day to day things that go on around here.

So, any way, here is my latest video on making a track saw guide for the circular saw.  I hope you enjoy it and maybe it will give you enough to go on to make your own.


Thanks for dropping by

Sunday, September 18, 2016

Record #4 Rehab

I picked up a little gem at a yard sale.  I bought it so I could give it to my son as a birthday gift.  He has been coming over and we have spent a bit of time in the shop putting together a few projects.  I think he may have been bitten by the woodworking bug and it is one thing I would like to encourage.  This Record #4 needed a bit of TLC to bring it back into good shape.  Made in the mid '50's, it is about 60 years old and was in pretty good shape to start with.  At least everything but the iron was, and that is the most important part.  So, with a couple of days worth of work put into it, I got it to satisfactory condition.  I got it wrapped up and given it to him and he really likes it, and now I can release the video.

I must say, that this was a marathon of editing and my internet connection is slow, so it took a long time to upload too.  Still, it turned out to be one of my longest videos.  I suppose I could have cut it into 2 parts but I think I would have lost some continuity doing that.  So, grab yourself a cup of coffee, sit back, relax, and I hope you enjoy watching something I enjoyed doing.

I should point out that the Dremel tool used on the brass has a cotton cone shaped buff in it.  It is not a stone, and I am not grinding on it.  Just some polishing compound and a bit of time.


As always, please hit that thumbs up button.  Like, share, and subscribe.  My You Tube channel is pretty small and I need a bit of encouragement to keep doing this.  I don't make any money at it.  Not that that is the point of it all, but a bit of growth would be welcomed.  I am not much in the know as far as social media is concerned, so I have to rely on what I can to get the word out, and that means depending on others to spread it.  Leave a comment, I will answer back and

Thanks for dropping by!

Monday, September 12, 2016

Cooler weather finally

The heat and humidity has finally gone with August.  Temperatures have finally gotten to the point that moving around is more comfortable.  This means summer is passing and we have started to take the pool down, but it also means a bit more time in the shop.

I have a few videos on the go.  One is a birthday gift, so it is on hold for editing and releasing, but I should have another come out near the weekend.  Last January, for Sally's birthday, I promised her a coffee table.  Last May I went and got some nice thick ash slabs for it.  I have started the build on that and I am keeping the camera rolling.  This will probably turn out to be another multi part build, so stay tuned for that.  The slabs have sat in the shop all summer waiting for this.  They are a full 2" thick, so it will be a heavy unit.



It is taking a lot of milling and working to get what I want, but the top is pretty much together.  The slabs were all consecutively cut, so I got a bookmatch on the top.  I joined them up with the sapwood in the middle, so I get a nice colour variation through it.


Yes, it may look the size of a cutting board, but it is 24" wide.  At almost 2" thick, you can see where the weight is coming from.  I am calling it the Winfield Fade, after noted hot rod builder Gend Winfield, who was famous for much the same look on many of the cars he built.  Just Google him and check out some of his cars.

I liked the look so much, I carried it into the leg slabs for continuity.  Here, they are still in rough dimensions, laying beside the top.




So, trying to keep some pleasing proportions, the top is 24" wide and will be 24" off the floor.  One of Sally's specifications is that it be a little tall as we use the coffee table for our laptops.  The legs are 12" wide, and the feet that they will be mortised into will have a width of 18" (which are roughed out, mortised, and glued up today, alas, no photo).  There will be no bottom stretcher, as Sally wants the dog to be able to walk under it (like that will ever happen).


She has some foibles, that is for sure, but she has our heart too.  She won't even walk across the part of the rug that covers a heat register.  

So things are going on around here and I have been busy enough.  I don't take time to blog much except when I release a video, but I thought it was about time to give you all an update with some photos the way I used to do.  I hope you enjoy following along, there will be more videos in the future, so hang in there and see some of the neat things that are going on around here.  In the meantime, as always.....

Thanks for dropping by!

Friday, September 02, 2016

Wayne's World Strat....the video

A nice guitar, built well and came at a reasonable price.  This one has been modded and refinished.  It is the owners #1 guitar.  I really liked this one, but I am partial to Strats to begin with.  The owner also owns the Telecaster that I did a previous video on.

Party on Garth.....Schwingg!


Sunday, August 28, 2016

A couple of quickies

I am in the middle of editing video.  I started with a couple of easy ones for the Doc's Little Docs series.  Not much to say except I hope you enjoy them.  Now, on to more editing.....





Thanks for dropping by!

Friday, August 19, 2016

Wayne's World

The player I did the telecaster for in my last video needed work done to another guitar.  This one is a Wayne's World Squier Stratocaster.  If you have seen the movie, you know the one.  These were pretty inexpensive guitars, but well done.

This particular unit has been refinished.  Originally they only came in white.  The previous owner stripped it and stained it.  Since then it has had the pick guard replaced with a tortoise shell look one and the pickups have been replaced with Seymour Duncan Hot Rails, the owners preferred pick ups.

These guitars, like I said, are a great value.  They are easily identified by the neck plate.


The bodies are made from basswood.  Not a traditional "tone wood" but it has become popular since Eddie Van Halen had it used for many of his signature models of guitars.  It is a bit soft, but has proven to do the job and it is light.

This one only needed cleaning up, new strings, and a set up.  A bit of finish repair and a scratchy input jack.  Of course, the frets needed cleaning up too.  Something I take great pride in is making the frets look beautiful.  It takes hours of work to get them how I like them, but it satisfies the OCD part of me when you can see the reflection of the strings in the frets.  All the divots and wear are taken out and they shine like mirrors.




I took the time to get the process on video.  That will probably be the next one I release once I get around to editing.

I have a coffee table I have to make for Sally, and I keep promising it will be next, but other things keep popping up.  This project jumped ahead in line, and now I have a neighbour that needs a deck post replaced ahead of the coffee table too.  Of course, we are still moving wood to a stack too.  It is almost done though.  I will get caught up and get to a build video eventually, but until then, I am keeping busy enough.  The humidity has been terrible, so some days are just spent trying to endure that.  

So, that's a quick update on what is going on.  Until next time.....

Thanks for dropping by.


Thursday, August 11, 2016

A long video

This spring I had a 2004 Crafted in Japan Fender Telecaster come in that needed a bunch of work and a set up.  I shot a lot of footage so I ended up leaving in a lot of detail, and therefore, have a long video.  It is after 2 in the morning here and it just finished uploading to You Tube.  So I won't say much as I have to get to bed.  Enjoy!


Thanks for dropping by

Wednesday, August 03, 2016

What a load

I shot a bit of video of our wood being delivered.  It is all waste product from a local saw mill.  It gives a small industry a few needed dollars and saves me a lot.  The both loads cost me $650 and will heat our home for 2 years.  That saves me a lot.



One thing I find odd, is that Ontario has home heating with wood in their sights as something they would like to see gone.  They are saying that is produces too many green house gasses.  But the thing is, is that if these saw mills had no where to sell the waste, it would probably go into a big burn pile anyway.  Not only that, the mills may not survive without the extra income and that would put a whole industry in danger.

When trees are no longer of any value, then they will be disposed of to make room for things that are valuable.  As a hobby wood worker, and as a user of wood for heat, and as a person who likes to sit in the shade, I am a big fan of trees of all kinds.


Tuesday, August 02, 2016

Wood Work

I hope you all have been enjoying the summer.  I have been.  To the point where there is still old footage to edit and lots of things to video.  But I have not been totally idle.  On the contrary, I have been enjoying the outdoors a bit more and keeping busy doing other things.

I have done my share of relaxing though.  Just sitting back and taking it easy.  With the heat and humidity, it kind of makes it mandatory.  We have had visits with kids too, and working on another project with  my son.  Not doing a video on that though.  So it has been nice not having to worry about cameras or the story and the lights.

It is August.  I suppose we are about to be inundated with back to school ads now.  They always seem to rush these things.  Dang, let's just enjoy the summer instead of worrying about next month.  That is exactly what I am not doing.....lol.

Today we had the heat delivered.  It is time to think about the winter and get ready for the cold months.  I called up the guy I get the slab wood off of and had 2 truckloads delivered.  This all comes from a fairly local Mennonite operated saw mill.  It is all the slabs and wonky wood that is left over from the milling process.  The waste.  So, recycling and making complete use of a resource.  The mix of wood changes from year to year.  2 years ago when I last had it delivered it was mostly maple, 2 years before that it was oak and walnut.  This year it is mostly maple again, with a good deal of oak, and a bit of walnut.  I confess that a few pieces of walnut are already in the shop.  It all has to be moved and stacked yet, as the guy just left.

This is wood, and this is work....

Wood work....


Seems I order every 2 years and that keeps the house warm for both winters.  It is a good deal and we save where ever we can.  We got a really good deal this year.  The guy that used to deliver for him had a huge box on the truck that held 30 yards.  Now he advertises as $20 a face cord, but I have figured it that he is calling a yard a face cord, which by most practical means is a little shy for size.  But a face cord is not a regulated size, so you can call whatever you want a face cord, technically speaking.  Never the less, it is still a great deal at that price.  So, a truckload of 30 yards cost me $600 plus $50 delivery.  

The guy he has now has a 20 yard box, but because I order regularly, and ordered 2 loads, he gave it to me for the same $650, delivered.  This should heat us for the next 2 years.  That is only $325/year and I know some folks who pay more than that for a month during the cold months.  Not only that, but if the power goes out for any length of time or some other such thing happens, we have the ability to keep warm and to cook if needed.  We also have a bit of room if someone is in need.  So we will probably have company if something does happen.

Thing is, as I said, it all has to be moved and stacked.  So there is some more heat events involved.  We did a tiny bit of it, then fell into the pool.  It is about 32 degrees C and the humidity is at about 84%.  So it is going to take some time.  Oh, and my knee is killing me despite putting on the brace.  It does not have to be completed until the fall rains come in October, so I think we will make it.

In other events, I do have a couple of videos planned.  Well, at least plans to video a couple of things I want to do.  I have to get Sally's coffee table made.  I think I posted about the wood I got at a mill a while ago.  3 ash slabs, a full 2" thick.  I am not sure on a plan, but I am getting a handle on the size, and I will just wing it from there.  Both edges are live on the slab, so in order to rip them I need a saw guide for the Skilsaw.  That will be a video in itself, before I start the coffee table.   The size has to be wide enough so my laptop, and mouse, and cup of coffee to sit across it, and long enough and in proportion for Sally's laptop, mouse and cup of coffee.  As it will be used for the laptops, it will be a bit higher than most coffee tables, and Sally does not want any stringers at the bottom because she wants the dog to be able to walk under it.  As if she ever will.  That dog is cute, and I love her to death, but she does not have too much of the brave gene in her under most circumstances.  She will chase a squirrel, but she won't walk on the rug over the heat vent in the floor.  But anyways, that is the idea of size I have. 

Now, no one slab will give me that size so I have to join 2, edge to edge, and since they are sequentially cut from the same log, I plan on a bookmatch on the top, a plain rectangular shape, with rounded corners and rounded edges.  I may just mortise in some legs and leave it at that, perhaps a taper to them, we'll see.  Oh, the legs have to sit inboards a bit to reduce toe stubbing too.

I have a Scotch Bonnet pepper sitting on my counter that I just picked from the garden.  I like food a little spicy, buy I am having thoughts about trying this thing.  The garden has been somewhat of a success, tomatoes and lettuce are good and are feeding us with tons of flavour.  We have had a few cucumbers and they were great.  The radishes were few, the peas an almost fail, and I don't think the runner beans are going to do much.  The peas, cukes and beans I put in boxes on the south side of the shop, and with the heat this year, along with the shop being dark green, I think it was just too much for them.  But the tomatoes....the tomatoes.....we planted a variety of small ones called Million, and what flavour.  They are so good.  Almost too much tomato flavour.  They are great!  The first beefsteak is almost ready to pick, but not quite.  The variety we got was "Beefmaster" and we are hoping for some nice tasty treats from it too.

Well, I only really meant to put in a short paragraph of the wood being delivered, but here I am, blathering on like an idiot.  Again, I hope you are enjoying the summer, and, until next time......

thanks for dropping by.



Monday, July 11, 2016

Conclusion of the last video

Got around to getting the second video out.  This project seemed to fight me every step of the way.  I thought my logic was sound, and the procedures correct, but I had to back up and redo a few more times.  What you do not see in the video is several days of drying time on the laquer finish, then the sanding and repeating.  Of course, when I applied the last coat it developed a run that had to be sanded out again, and yet another coat put on.  I wait about 3 or 4 days before I start working the laquer.  On guitars, the wait time I have seen others take is 3 or 4 weeks before they are confident it is set and start the buffing process.

Sara's birthday was April 13th, I got it done a week late, but she still has not been by to pick it up.  She is really busy.  Young people have a lot on their plate these days.  I don't think she reads the blog or subscribes to my channel, so I don't think I am spoiling a surprise.  But I might be.

This takes a load of footage off my hard drive.  I still have a couple more (at least) videos with what is still remaining.  I still have not been taking any newer footage.  I have been busy enough though.  I have had my son over and we are working on a project for him.  It is a stand for a reptile tank that he has.  We did one other a while back.  It was a crate to hold albums.  The old fashion vinyl kind.  He bought some rough sawn pine and we milled it up and I showed him how to do box joints on the table saw.  I think he has a bit of interest in wood working, though he is a pretty busy lad himself.




He has a pretty good logic about it.  I have shown him a few things about dimensions that I have picked up from my Tolpin book By Hand and Eye.  I am no authority on it, but I have retained a couple of things.

Now, back to this video, if you are in Germany, it will likely be blocked due to using a copyrighted song.  Sorry about that, but it fit the video.  Some may see an extra ad also.




I will have to keep that in mind for the future.

Thanks for dropping by!
 




Sunday, July 03, 2016

Upload done

Well, I finally got that video uploaded.  It took a couple of hours.  I needed a nap anyways...lol




Thanks for dropping by!

Saturday, July 02, 2016

I have been editing

I have got part one of a build I did edited.  This one is a monumental task.  I am leaving in some of the mistakes and redo's I had to do because....well, that's real life.  That also means it is turning out to be a long one.  So I am dividing it into 2 parts.  The second part has yet to be edited.

I have a pretty slow internet connection, so I have to wait to upload it.  If I do it while we are using the internet our computers time out on a lot of pages.  Living in the country has its benefits, but there are some down sides too.

This is one of those videos that I just have to get done.  It takes a lot of space with all the clips and has also been intimidating.  I suppose it is, in part, one of the reasons for me not putting much out lately.  That, and I have been enjoying being out in the yard with the nice weather and occupying my time doing other things.  I have more footage to edit into other videos, so despite the fact that I am not shooting much now, there are enough clips in the bag to put together into a few more videos.

It feels weird looking back at things I have done months ago.  The story seemed so clear when I shot it, and now I have to rebuild that thread in my mind.  It presents a challenge, but the more I put it off, the harder it will become.  I have a goal to empty that folder with all the raw clips in.  I have other things I want to do and shoot, but life has just put other things in my path to enjoy at the moment.

This weekend is a long one.  Both here in Canada and in the USA.  So here is wishing everyone Happy Birthday to their respective countries.  I hope you enjoy the long weekend.  For everyone else, I hope you are enjoying the summer and time with the family.

 I guess it would be winter for those in the Southern Hemisphere, kind of hard to wrap my brain around that at times.  I guess I am just hoping well for you all.

So, I guess I felt like an update was due.  A new video will be out very soon, I hope you will enjoy it.  Until then....


Thanks for dropping by.

Monday, June 20, 2016

Microsoft....you just suck!

Microsoft is ending support for the Live Mail program. I think they call them apps now. So I have been reading on a work around.
Let me back up a bit.
I have a hotmail account. I had to give them a second address so I could verify the hotmail account that I have, so I had to create a second hotmail account.
Back to the story.
One of the things I have read about to keep Live Mail working is to make sure the protocol is set to POP. This is because the “new” mail will use a different way of doing things. Compatible with the new “Mail” app in Windows 10, which is total garbage if you asked me.
So, on my second hotmail account (the one that MS forced me to open, just so I can verify the first), I went and made it POP compatible. Not a hard thing to do, it is an option right on their own selection process.
Now, I try to email from the first account to the second, works fine. So, I try to respond from the second to the first and next thing you know, my account has been blocked.
I go through the instructions on screen to unblock it and it requires a cell phone number where you can receive a text. Nope, no such thing at our house. No cell phone at all. No other option either.
So, after much searching, I find the MS help chat, and after several minutes, explain to the service person the situation and can they help. This was Saturday. She gives me a link to the proper service page to get the help I need. I fill out the form, stating that I have no access to get a text message and that I want to get this email address going again. After all, MS requires I have it. I ask what the specific reason is that this address got blocked too.
Response will take 24 hours it says.
Today (Monday, about 36+ hours later) I get an email on the first account with information and links on getting the second one unblocked. The link takes me to a place where there is a box to put in a phone number where I can receive a text message…………? What?……..Wait….here I am almost 2 days later and they have circled around to where I began. Of course with no explanation as to why the account was blocked.
Back on line to MS chat help. Wait, wait, wait some more. Finally a rep gets on and I describe the situation. She wants a cell phone number to text me a code. I explain again. She sends me to a page that wants a cell phone number so they can text me a code. I explain again. I even suggest that she give me her cell phone number (they must all have them, they are required for situations such as this right? They must have a company one because of this right?), I will enter that and she can receive the code and give it to me over the chat. Nope, can’t do that. She has to send it off to a tier 3 service person, when would be a good time to contact me. I say “now”. I give her my land line number (the only number I have).
They will get back to me in 1 to 2 hours.
Here it is 3 hours later, I am still waiting.
I am beginning to think learning Linux would be easier. There are no answers and the system they have in place is just dumb. Perhaps they are trying to make a good case for buying an Apple product.
Oh, and they did get me to a page to re-set my password. It has to be one that I have never used before. How the heck are you supposed to keep track of all of this?!!! I would email it to myself, but my account is blocked.
Sorry, Microsoft has me saying all kinds of words that are politically incorrect and I had to have a bit of a rant.

Monday, June 13, 2016

Cleaning out the external drive

Well, I finally got around to editing a bit of video and getting it posted up.  I still have a bunch to go and I think I was feeling overwhelmed by the amount of work that all those files represent.  Nothing will fix that but getting the job done.  I had a long day getting them together.

 I also made up some climbing trellis for the beans, cucumbers, and peas that I have growing on the side of the shop.  The planters are made from pallet wood and old fence boards I was given.  The lattice work was from a job that got taken apart and changed over the years, so it was leftovers, and it is mounted on the fence boards too.  So the side of the shop is a growing area, built pretty much for free.  It isn't going to win any decorating awards, but it will give us some nice fresh food!


In this first video, I was mucking about in the shop, organising and trying to get things arranged more suitably as I get used to the shop.  I had some off cuts, I had some space, and I had a need.  I decided that since I am just using left over construction plywood, I would limit my tools.  I wanted to show that someone with nothing would not have to outlay too much in order to build something.  It wasn't going to be pretty, but it wasn't meant to be.  Limited tools, limited wood, limited skills.  You don't need much to get started in the woodworking hobby.



The second video is the return of one of the guitars I fixed for the school.  My transplant surgery turned out to be a little too stiff after all.  So I put the tuners back into the frames they came with and installed them on the guitar.  It probably would have been easier to do it this way in the first place, but I didn't want to drill the holes. 


Well, that just about does it.  I hope to clean up some more files soon.  There is a lot going on with the nice weather and I am enjoying being able to be out more.  Winter is long, so I am going to get the most I can out of the warmer months.

Thanks for dropping by!



Friday, June 10, 2016

I have been lax, but busy

Yes, I have not been editing, or filming, or blogging either.  I have been lax in this department.

I have been busy doing yard chores, spring is busy.  Many things have had to be done on our little rural lot we rent, and I have just not had it in me to be keeping up with anything else.  I have enough raw video to make at least 4 more videos but have lacked the motivation to do it.

What does this mean?

Well, nothing really.  I will eventually get my head in a space to do more, but that will take a little more time.  I have not had the support I would have liked to get on my You Tube channel, and that is, in part, the reason for my lack of motivation.  I like making videos, but I can only surmise that the quality of my content is not good enough to attract more subscribers, comments, shares, and all those other things that generate a feeling that I am doing something useful.

I am not abandoning the project all together, just giving it the priority that is more in line with what I am getting out of it.  I do not make any money at it, and that is not the point for me.  A pat on the back of some sort would be nice though.  It is the same with this blog.  Being ignored at anything you do is demotivating.  Like the old saying goes "There ain't no point in talking if there ain't nobody listening".

So, in the end, just have a bit of patience and things will cycle around to where I have the wherewithal to go at it again.

As always

Thanks for dropping by!

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Another quick tip

Spring.  A time when we start to get busy outdoors.  Digging gardens and planting and all those wonderful things to make the yard look pretty.  Take a few minutes and make it a bit easier.  No sense working harder than you have to.


Thanks for dropping by

Saturday, May 14, 2016

Finally, I got around to some editing

Yes, it is true.  I have been lax on getting videos edited and put up.  I have an ever increasing amount of footage to go through and had to cut that pile down a bit.  It gets a bit intimidating at times when you see how many files there are.

This job was a bit of a head scratcher.  Tracking down a buzz and figuring out how to fix it.  The school is pretty happy with the work, so all is OK.

No, I am not changing my format to a guitar repair channel.  I will leave that to more experienced folks.  It just turned out that I had a bunch of guitars come in that needed (and some still waiting) work.  I just try to get footage of what I am doing and put it together in some sort of story.  I usually don't know what I am going to do next.

 I do have a coffee table build coming up in the future, but that will be a while.  I went to meet a guy from a forum I belong to and a few of us went to a wood mill.  I ended up getting 3 nice slabs of ash and they are sitting in the shop right now.  It will take a few weeks to dry a bit more and get stable enough to work on, so that is on the "to do" list.  They are all sequentially cut 8/4 slabs about 20" wide and 53" long.  A little too narrow for what my wife wants in a coffee table, so I think there will be a book match going into it.  They are also a bit big for my machinery.  That means a bit of hand tool work will be involved.

In the mean time, I will try to get more editing done and keep shooting more.  Some short, some long.  Just like real life!  There are jobs lined up and ready to go, and film in the can ready to edit.  I just have to get my rear end in gear and get it done.

So, here is the latest for you...


Thanks for dropping by.

Thursday, May 05, 2016

Spring is busy

Indeed!

I have not been editing video lately.  We have been doing those spring jobs and enjoying being outside.  The lawn and the gardens are under way.  Slowly things are getting cleaned up from the winter.  It was not a harsh winter this year, but it took a while for it to warm up.

I do have a bunch of video to take and jobs to do, and I have a bunch of video to edit too.  Just have not been up to doing it lately.

Well, today the UPS truck rolled up to the door and dropped off my latest redemption from the BTP forum.  So I threw a quick video together and posted it.  A new Bosch 18V jig saw and some blades.  Such nice tools.  Bosch makes great stuff and I am getting a nice collection of them.  Thank goodness for Bosch sponsoring the forum, I would never be able to afford them otherwise.  We live on a pretty meagre budget.

As I mention, or try to mention a few times in the video, I am not converting over to a guitar video format.  The stars just lined up and I have had a bunch of guitar work to do, and some yet to do, so there will be a few guitar related videos in the works.  I also finally finished my daughters birthday present.  That video will have to be edited and put up too.  It took a long time and the project seemed to fight me all the way.  So much for trying to keep something simple.  It seemed things had to be done 3 times before I had success.

Well, here is my newest video.  A bit of an update, a bit of a tour, a bit of me rambling on, and a new toy, all outdoors under the nice sunny sky and with a lot of wind noise.



Thanks for dropping by!

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Slow progress

I am working on a box for my daughters birthday.  It is already a week over due.  It is a simple box, at least in concept, but I am struggling to get anywhere with it.  Sometimes things just do not go the way you think.  Being consumed with trying things over and over, and not getting anywhere has been an exercise in patience, which I am running out of.  I have walked away more than once to ruminate on how I am going to do a procedure.

All this of course, has been taking away time from other things.  Like editing video, doing yard work, cleaning the winter grime off the car, and so on.  Yesterday though, I buckled down and did a marathon of editing.  I don't really have a schedule for putting up videos, but I like having them come out fairly regularly.  I used up some old footage from the winter and put this one together.  Not a complicated build but good to keep my editing skills improving.


While I was at it, I did a second video.

One of the local public schools has a bunch of inexpensive guitars for their music program.  I have done some work on them over time and since school budgets are pretty slim, I do it free.  It is my way of paying it forward in my own small way.  This one had the strings buzzing at the first fret.  It is one of the ones that was shown in my neck jig video.  This is how I went about shimming up the nut to make that buzzing disappear.  The guitars the school has are not expensive, and usually bought used or have been donated.  It would cost more than the guitar is worth to bring them to a "pro" shop to be fixed, and I think that having music in school is important.  May as well have the kids exercising both hemispheres of their brains.  




So, back to the shop trying to get some sort of progress on this box.  It seems like I am all thumbs working on things.  Nothing to do about it but experiment, fail, and try again.

Thanks for dropping by!

Sunday, April 10, 2016

A couple more videos

I have not been working too hard, but I have done a little here and there.  I have been taking footage of it and it has been piling up as I have been lagging on getting the editing done.  So here are 2 new ones that I have just finished up.

The first one is for your guitar.  If you work on guitars, or even if you just change strings, this is a handy neck cradle to make the job go better.


The second video is from my Doc's Little docs series.  It shows how to easily improve on the humble pipe clamp, making it more versatile by extending its capacity.



I hope to get some more editing, and some more work done soon.

Life is weird in some ways.  I had a couple of things I have been wanting to do.  Including a birthday present for my daughter.  I am part way through that, but the weather has turned nasty and I did not feel like being out in the shop.  It looks like spring may actually try to make an appearance by the end of the week.

I was wondering what to do about getting some footage gathered up to make new videos, then last week the music teacher from one of the local public schools got hold of me with a couple of guitars that need work.  I had not even finished them and all of a sudden there were 3 more guitars in my home that need work.  Looks like I am going to have a bit of a run on guitar repair and maintenance for a while.  I am not a professional luthier, it is just a hobby that I have had for many years.  So, if you like guitars, you will want to stay tuned.  If not, please bear with me and I will be on to other things in due coarse.

Thanks for dropping by!






Saturday, April 02, 2016

File storage

One of the things most folks who fix things have is a file, or two, or a bunch, depending on what you need them for.  They come in all shapes and sizes depending on their purpose.  Files are made from very hard steel.  One would think that they would be hard to damage, but they will dull.  Particularly if, like me, you store them all together in a drawer of a tool box.  You really want to protect them from banging into each other.  It does them no good at all.  I spend a couple of pennies and a few minutes to protect them from each other.  Here is another of my "Doc's Little docs" on how I do it.


An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Thanks for dropping by!

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Branching out

Have not been doing much in the way of anything lately.  Now that spring is here though, I guess I have to start coming out of "hermit" mode and get going on a few things.  I have some dead branches and branches growing into other trees on the lot that need trimming.  It is a good time to tune up the pruning saw.



Wednesday, March 09, 2016

Stanley 71 Router plane tune up.

I spent yesterday cleaning and tuning up the router plane I got from Matthew Morris.  I also decided to edit the video and get it posted on You Tube.  It was a long day and I am pretty tired today from staying up so late, so without much fanfare and ado, I am just going to drop it in here.



Thanks for dropping by

Saturday, March 05, 2016

I got a box

I have not been spending any time in the shop lately.  I have been without ambition or motivation.  It feels like I have had a sinus headache for about 2 months.  I think it may be the changing weather.  We seem to be getting more than one season in the span of a week.  The temperatures have been bouncing around above and below the freezing point and we have had a lot of change in pressure systems too it seems.  So I have been lazing around and blowing my nose and wiping watering eyes.  This too shall pass.

In the mean time, while I was working on, and making videos in the series "A board of Cherry", I sent a segment into Matthew Morris, a You Tube wood worker that makes some beautiful things.  He has a web site, MM Wood Studio, where he shows his work and has video lessons that he sells too.  He got himself a new Veritas router plane and decided he would give the ones he had away.  Well, I guess he took pity on my old soul, watching me use a chisel through a board as a router plane, and sent me his Stanley 71.  He spent over $45 in postage to send it too me too.  I am blown away with his kindness and generosity.  So, here I am opening up the box I got in the mail.



Thanks for dropping by

Friday, February 26, 2016

ZCI for the Bosch

Not quite happy with the insert provided by Bosch, I decided to build my own.  It is a pretty common thing on most mitre saws and should help give a nicer cut.  Of course, I kept the original in case I have to tilt it over on the bevel adjustment.  This will handle everything else.  I rarely use the bevel anyway.  I just stick to mitres and straight cuts for the most part.

I am still getting accustomed to Lightworks.  It is much more powerful than what I need, but I am getting some of my routine tasks down and getting more comfortable with it.  This time I decided to add some music.

It is quite hard for me to decide on what to use for music.  There are some good ones out there, but not long enough.  I tend to go for something with acoustic guitar in it.  I guess that comes from my love of the instrument.  Some, I find, say it is acoustic guitar, but is more keyboard than anything else.  This leaves me on a quest that can last for hours to find what I want.  Your ears can get tired by then.  Fortunately, YT has a bunch and you can mark favourites.

So, today is my birthday, so I guess this is my birthday gift to you.


Thanks for dropping by



Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Three little ones

I sometimes remember to get the camera rolling and pass on knowledge that was passed on to me.  I often don't have anywhere to put them though, so I started a new series.  Doc's Little Docs.  We all started out knowing nothing, and often times, small bits of knowledge go by the wayside because people just assume that they are common knowledge.  So although you may think that some of the ideas are self evident, or that everyone knows that, I think little ideas are worth preserving just to make sure.

Here are the first three of a series I will add to as thoughts and ideas strike me.








Thanks for dropping by

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Why I will not buy a SawStop: A Rant

I have some very strong opinions on some things.  I don't often speak of them in my public discourse because they often times upset people.  I am going to break with that tradition.  Feel free to disagree if you want, but this is how I see it.

Steve Gass is one clever guy.  He had the smarts to invent and patent flesh sensing technology.  It is no secret that he spends a lot of time and effort defending his patent rights.  It is also no secret that he was turned down by every major saw manufacturer to implement, or, license for a fee, his technology.  The third leg of this story is his efforts to have it mandated, by law, the use of flesh sensing technology as a safety feature on all table saws.

He is trying to create a legislated monopoly on table saws.  Which, in my opinion, would like having a monopoly on vehicle seat belts.  Could you imagine being able to demand whatever sum you could dream up from vehicle manufacturers in order for them to produce any vehicles?

If successful, Mr. Gass will be able to ask whatever he wants in order for anyone to build a saw, and the consumables (they use a cartridge remember) that must be included with them.  Manufacturers will only have 2 choices.  Pay Mr. Gass, or don't make table saws.  At this point, Mr. Gass can ask whatever he wants for licensing and who knows how high that will be.  Just think Martin Shkreli for starters (bought the patent for Daraprim and raised the price from $13.50 per pill to $750 per pill.....how much will you pay to stay alive?).  Don't believe that?  Mr. Gass is a lawyer, and as such is well trained in manipulating the system to get his way.

So, again, if he succeeds, what will happen to the price of table saws?  Are you willing to pay $2500 for a job site table saw for instance?  How about $5000?   How many thousands of dollars will it cost for a cabinet saw?  Will you go out of business if you don't have one?  What about if you manufacture furniture?  How about picture frames, or pallets, or any other of the myriad of consumer goods that relies on the humble table saw for production?  Mr. Gass would have a strangle hold on many items that are in day to day use, and some may say a necessity, like your house and a lot of things in it.  Do you think all the extra costs will be transferred to the consumer....you and I?  Of course it will.

Mr Gass, if successful, will make billions while we, as consumers, will have to fork it over to him, or go without.  He is trying to create his own proverbial golden goose, and trying to do it at the expense of everyone.  Pure greed.   In my opinion, Mr Gass is also a parasite.

That is why I will not be buying a SawStop.



Thanks for dropping by.

Friday, February 12, 2016

A bit more shop work

I did some more work to the shop a few weeks back.  I finally got up the desire to get the footage put together.  I must admit that I have been pretty inactive lately.  I guess there must be some bear in my, wanting to hibernate all winter.

I am embellishing a bit of course.  I do have my chores to do around the house, and winter has not been all that bad this year, relatively speaking.  It has been pretty mild.  Not so much the last couple of days, but I am not going to complain.  A little chill in the air makes it easier to split the firewood.  Still, not much going on in the shop.  The last thing I did in there was bring in the snow blower to repair the recoil starter.  Of course, I had to sweep the snow up after.  I guess I am digressing here....back on topic.

I managed to scrape up a few dollars and get another bundle of insulation.  Here I go about putting it up and getting the shop a tiny bit closer to being done.  At least this part of it.  I don't think a shop ever is truly "done".  It is always in a state of flux, changing as needs arise and work patterns develop.



Thanks for dropping by

Monday, February 08, 2016

Improving the Bosch

I love my Bosch Glide mitre saw.   It is a wonderful piece of machinery.  If you have been following along though, you will realize that it does have some short comings.  One of them is the dust chute.  Here I do a simple job, with a reclaimed inner tube from a wheel barrow, to improve it a bit.  It is still not perfect, but it is a lot better.  I suppose that having the vacuum or a dust collector hooked up would improve it more, but I do not have the power to the shop yet, so we will have to wait to see what that does.



Thanks for dropping by

Tuesday, February 02, 2016

Sill hanging around

I just have not had any ambition lately.  I have hardly been out to the shop, though not totally absent.  I went out there today for 10 minutes and did a bit of sweeping.  I helped Sally out with a bit of wallpapering in the house by removing some trim, and making a few pieces for around a window that I have been promising for a few years now.  Nothing special, just plain old 1 x 4 with some poly on it.  I didn't bother with pics or video.

All in all, I think I just have a case of the winter blahs.  I have not even looked at video to edit or had any interest other than wanting to hibernate for the rest of the winter.    The weather has been nice too and I still have no get up and go.  We lost a bunch of snow to melting and the river is open again.  Still, I just want to hit the snooze button, roll over and go back to sleep.  Oh well, the world will keep on turning.  I will build up enough energy to get off my rear end in a while, as with everything, this too shall pass.

I have a few projects that I am wanting to do.  I have some footage to edit of things done, so fear not, I have not abandoned anything just yet.  Just taking a break.  I looked at my You Tube account and there are about 54 videos in less than a year, so that is a bit more than one a week.  A fair amount of work and content I would say, so I think I am going to enjoy doing nothing for a little while yet.

Thanks for dropping by!

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

The last at last

I finally got around to editing and completing the video series on the essential oil cabinet that I made for my son for Christmas.  Lightworks is still a bit of a chore and will be for a while yet, but it is not locking up and being frustrating like Windows Movie Maker was.  I still have a long way to go, but it is fun learning.

My son liked the cabinet and most people who have laid eyes on it do to.  It was a big complex job and I find that shooting video while working makes it go almost twice as long.  I still have some video of other things to edit down, but I am catching up fast.  There has not been a lot of activity in the shop.  A few little projects done and waiting for editing though.

This turned out to be a series of longish videos.  I didn't start out to make it an opus.  I really thought at the start that it would be two or three short ones.  It grew.



I am not sure what goes over better, the long ones or the short ones.  I like doing both, so I guess there will not be any rule about how long they will be.  I am just out here by the river, trying to get by, and shooting some video as I go.  Thanks for watching and as always....

Thanks for dropping by!

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Snow

That is just about the only thing I have been dealing with for the last week.  I have had the snowblower out every day and today it is still snowing.  Just doing our driveway and the paths can tucker a guy out.  I do a bit extra so Lil' Lee has a place to run around and guard the place against marauding squirrels.  She is always curious about what they are up to.

The lady across the street from me had a bit of a time with her snow blower, so I did her driveway once for her.  The neighbour behind me backed out of his driveway and got his truck stuck as soon as he got on the road, so a few of us got him dug back into his driveway.  Also, another neighbour is recovering from heart surgery, so there is no way he can do his, so I go over and clear his driveway and deck.  I have a new pass time I guess.  One that I really didn't want.  At least not to this extent.  I move snow, and the rest of the time is recovery....lol.

I do have footage to edit.  I will have to get around to editing that soon.  The last part of the essential oil cabinet has to be made.  I want to get more comfortable with this new video editing software first.  I have a few other bits too, but not much.  I have not had much in the way of shop time due to the weather.  I did get a bit more ceiling insulated, and got some footage of that.  It will be coming out eventually.

I have been watching Lightworks tutorial videos and trying to get comfortable with it.  I figured it was about time I put something up, so I went and shot this today and put it together.  More as an exercise as anything else.  This is one powerful program and will do more than I will ever need.  It is also pretty complex, so I will play some more with it and get some more video together as I go.

So, what was I up to today?



Thanks for dropping by