What did you do today?

[Tungsten dipper]

Made a side rack for the utility sink in the garage/shop. Made from 16 ga. aluminum.

[J Tiers]

Well while I was calibrating the herd of clamp-on ammeters, I did find one that indicates 20% low. It seems to have no particular reason for that, all the resistors are apparently good, and the coil does not seem to have any shorted turns. It's possible the meter magnet has degraded, or there may be another issue that I have not found yet.

All the other meters are very close to correct, with max error of 5%, and generally more like 2% to 3%. Not bad for ancient analog devices. They were checked up to 40A direct. I have not done the coil of wire trick to extend that up to perhaps 500A, as I might be able to do if I so choose..

[flathead4]

Made a side rack for the utility sink in the garage/shop. Made from 16 ga. aluminum.

I like it. I have the same sink and just might do the same.

[DennisCA]

A honey do project I guess, replaced the broken plastic lever on the washing machine door with one from aluminum. This is a great washing machine, bought it 2nd hand in 2008 for 100€ and it's still going strong. So worth to fix it IMO.

[MattiJ]

Screwing around.. 14h day building TP storage in friends garage:

[flathead4]

Screwing around.. 14h day building TP storage in friends garage:

Unusual choice of construction material to me with big headers and considerably smaller joists. Are the headers sandwiched sheets of plywood? I am assuming storage on top, too? Will there be ceiling?

[MattiJ]

Unusual choice of construction material to me with big headers and considerably smaller joists. Are the headers sandwiched sheets of plywood? I am assuming storage on top, too? Will there be ceiling?

Headers are sort of plywood, one directional instead of cross laminated. Not sure what it is called.

Joists look small but they are 48x148, plenty for the span. Header is overkill as it is used also for engine winch mounting. Actually overkill also for that, afaik first header would handle entire project car hanging on it with some safery margin

[bborr01]

Screwing around.. 14h day building TP storage in friends garage:

How much Toilet Paper is your friend planning to hoard?

[PStechPaul]

The Japanese Maples I planted in the fall are now coming into leaf


I also found some "volunteers" during a walk around the lower part of my property. At least, I think they are Japanese Maples. There were a bunch of them coming up from a long "runner" like a vine. I transplanted them and I'll see what they look like as they (hopefully) grow:

My old tool cabinet seemed hard to roll, so I decided to try replacing the casters with some new, smaller ones I had from HF. But they are only rated 135 pounds. I think I need at least 250. Maybe I can clean up the old ones and get them to roll better. The swivels are ball bearing but I think the wheels are sleeves.


I have some very heavy duty casters on my machine bench on which is mounted my mill/drill.

[DennisCA]

In my part of Finland it's traditional to have big easter bonfires on saturday, they will pop up all over the ostrobothnian coastal areas, some have raffles and stuff for sale as well. Not possible this year however. So we made our own little easter fire in the back yard, base of my smoker works well as an improvised firepit.

[Tim Clarke]

Dennis, did you pour the concrete top of your barbecue table yourself? I like your easy care backyard, and the forest beyond!

[DennisCA]

Thanks, yeah I built and poured the top myself, it was going to be too large to cast and lift on top so I built the forms in place and then removed them after I was done with the cast. I did the cast in two parts so it's two sections butted up against each other. I read the risk of cracks was very large if I made the whole thing in one piece. It's I think 5 meters long.

My favorite view of the yard btw:

[plunger]

Thanks, yeah I built and poured the top myself, it was going to be too large to cast and lift on top so I built the forms in place and then removed them after I was done with the cast. I did the cast in two parts so it's two sections butted up against each other. I read the risk of cracks was very large if I made the whole thing in one piece. It's I think 5 meters long.

My favorite view of the yard btw:

If you look at your red roof. What are those things on the tiles just above the gutter downpipe.? And what is the box type structure higher up below the chimney.

[dian]

Well while I was calibrating the herd of clamp-on ammeters, I did find one that indicates 20% low. It seems to have no particular reason for that, all the resistors are apparently good, and the coil does not seem to have any shorted turns. It's possible the meter magnet has degraded, or there may be another issue that I have not found yet.

All the other meters are very close to correct, with max error of 5%, and generally more like 2% to 3%. Not bad for ancient analog devices. They were checked up to 40A direct. I have not done the coil of wire trick to extend that up to perhaps 500A, as I might be able to do if I so choose..

what did you calibrate with? no ac?

[wierdscience]

A little dimple die I did for a customer awhile ago.