Merry Christmas 2019 – Wishing you success and courage
Posted By RichC on December 17, 2019
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A peaceful quiet surprise snowfall and quality steel in tools
Posted By RichC on December 16, 2019
December is here … and the snow arrived last night (snow 9 years ago), although it isn’t anything drastic, just peaceful and quiet. Actually the heavy snow surprised me 
considering Sunday afternoon was relatively pleasant and I was in the home theater watching Sunday Night Football (Bill beat the Steelers). When the game was over, I realize I had forgotten to take out the trash. So headed outside to about 4 inches of wet snow! When walking back up the driveway, I realized the house looked pretty nice (although Brenda complained that I didn’t wait for her to finished the window candles and wreathes – it is half done).
On another note, I’ve become increasingly frustrated when working with my cheaper chisels made with junk steel (left) and SO PREFER using the couple 100 year old Swedish chisels that belonged to Brenda’s grandfather (right), He was a furniture maker in Jamestown NY and obviously knew which steel held a sharp edge. If I had a few more, I throw away all my junk tools.
Music Monday: James Taylor singing holiday songs
Posted By RichC on December 16, 2019
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New Windshield … but the Facebook advertising is too timely
Posted By RichC on December 15, 2019
I’ve often questioned just how much data is being collected by Facebook, Google, Amazon, etc … but considering I’m a relatively light user of FB … getting push timely advertising is a bit creepy.
I called my insurance company last week for a windshield repair/replacement for our 2010 BMW X5 35d and handled the entire transaction on the phone … yet somehow, Facebook connected me to an advertisement from Safelite – notice the timestamps.
As for the new windshield … it sure is nice not to have a bunch of tiny chips, a blurred area where a larger chip was once repaired and of course the most recent cold-weather induced crack right in front of my face.
EDIT:
Come to think about my online activity, I did post to my blog on the topic yesterday?
Windshield chips become ugly cracks when it is cold
Posted By RichC on December 14, 2019
Don’t you just hate this! Earlier this week I was driving home through construction and traffic as I headed south from Columbus to Cincinnati on I-71 (road construction is not done yet!) 
and I heard a rock hit the windshield. It sounded pretty nasty, but after looking around carefully from the inside, all was fine … or so I thought.
After seeing the split a couple days later, I realized that the stone much have struck right next to the pillar and behind the black edge of my 2010 BMW X5 35d windshield (no doubt an expensive one). The car is old enough that I would not have minded just an epoxy patch repair, but obviously I did not catch it in time. Bummer.
Currently, I’m in debate mode as to filing an insurance glass repair claim or paying out of pocket –especially after the surprise in 2014. I’m now far more mindful when debating on submitting a claim or shopping around and paying for semi-minor repairs on my own.
Friday Filler: Count your Blessings #video
Posted By RichC on December 13, 2019
When you see something like this, you realize how suddenly life can end. Thankfully, in this situation, all survived … but it is a good reminder to thank God for each day and be sure to tell those in your life how much you love them.
Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life?
— James 4:14
Wishing my son-in-law Drew a Happy Birthday #TBT
Posted By RichC on December 12, 2019
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Wonderful news – Emory is here and has a name
Posted By RichC on December 12, 2019
My nephew Aaron and long time blog reader/commenter and his wife Lauren had a baby on December 8th and all are healthy (shower in September). Brenda and I are so happy for them, and although he nameless at birth, we were excited in finally hearing his name and couple family “names” too … both last and middle. I’m unsure where the first name came from, but Emory is very dignified.
Welcome to the world, Emory Allen Howard and congratulations Aaron and Lauren.
TSA air travel rules continue to frustrate pocketknife people
Posted By RichC on December 11, 2019
Pocketknives have been part of my life since I was a 5 year old … yes, you heard that right, FIVE YEARS OLD. My grandfather gave me my first 
1-inch semi-toy pocketknife when my family was still living on Spencer Street in Toledo – which means I was likely still only 4 (it was a key chain version that once said “Florida” on it). I’ve carried slightly larger ones ever since and eventually settled on a Swiss Army version from either Victorinox or Wenger (now the same company since 2005).
During high school and college it was always a larger Swiss Army Knife version, but as my pocket filled with a lot more keys, a cellphone and thicker wallet, I switched to my current Victorinox #53973 MiniChamp knife in the early 2000s. 
There was never a time one had to worry about where we could or couldn’t carry a jack or penknife (another terms for the small folding knives). Eventually I even opted to carry a SwissTool SpiritX on my messenger bag! I always had them in school and years ago they weren’t even a problem on airplanes. After 911, things change and I understood the new TSA rules after terrorist used boxcutters. But now with air marshals and locking security doors to the cockpit, I thought maybe nail clippers or a small bladed pen knife would be acceptable?
Nope, they are still perceived as weapons! Unfortunately for me, it’s just another thing to remember to take out of my pocket before heading to the airport.
Finally, a crosscut table saw sled jig for my woodworking shop
Posted By RichC on December 10, 2019
After posting a photo of a table saw crosscut sled a couple weeks ago, I finally decided to finish the one I had been planning. In part because I had some extra 1/2” white finished plywood (I didn’t want to use the heavier 3/4”) and in part because 
I needed to cut a bunch of tendons for a Christmas project that I’m working on.
Since I’ve been planning this crosscut sled project for years, I’ve held back a 48” chunk of perfectly straight 2” thick oak and used my taper jig to cut away some of the heft so that it is easier to lift on and off the table saw. I added a small foot to the rear as a way to keep the fence perfectly vertical (not really needed) and also as a reminder that the saw blade exits where the yellow tape has been added (just next to the leg … I might add a chunk of plexiglass there if I can find a thick piece). Instead of simple woodscrews, I ended up drilling for 1/4” – 2” flathead machine screws and tapped the threads into the oak. Nice and sturdy.
The “stiffener” away from the operator is a 46” piece of aluminum angle and decided to face that with a piece of plywood “just in case” the blade should tick it. The plywood had just a slight bow so with both the aluminum angle and heavy oak fence … it is now perfectly flat. All edges were rounded with a router roundover bit and sanded smooth. I keep the oak fence unfinished but added a little ZipGuard to the plywood and then waxed with my butcher’s wax/bowling alley polish.
So far I’m very pleased with using oak wood slides and the 28”+ by 46”+ supported panel sizes. I kept the wide at 46” so that I could clamp a workpiece off the left side of the table saw and easily have plenty of space to extend work either to the right or left.
Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee
- lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
- digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.