I've completely neglected this part of the blog during the summer and now that the weather has turned, it like most of the projects I was hoping to get done, remains unfinished.
Height Stick - In all honesty this is pretty much done. I need to simply finish putting it together. Alas the final assembly has been what I've been putting off for absolutely no good reason. But there it is. On the work bench, ready to go and simply sitting. Hopefully I won't forget about it until I desperately need it.
Bed Frame - This is the real guilty party here. This should have been done but I've been extra lazy this summer. And of course, it's the one project that I've had on my list that absolutely needed to get finished. What I'll probably do for now is assemble it, add the frame and leave it as it, 1/2 finished so I have a place to put the mattress and then next summer, try again. It looks good, just completely unfinished.
New Computer - This I'm proud to say is almost done. And with pictures. I have two laptops - one personal and one for mobile coaching though it needs an upgrade - but my desktop has been languishing on the side line. No more. The last two weeks I've been buying new components - last updated during the summer of 2004 - and with a lot of help, putting it together. We hit a few rough patches, mostly buying the wrong motherboard to go with the chip that I'd bought but last night it came together and started right up. I'm really pleased with it thus far and will be putting the finishing touches on it shortly; a secondary monitor, external backup hard drive, etc.
Why the second computer when I have two laptops? I wanted to do something with the desktop and decided that the reason I wasn't using it as much as I could have been and had done in the past was because of it's age and the fact that it wasn't what I needed. I thought about simply using the two laptops but I really did want one for complete personal usage and the other for coaching only. I have this paranoid thought that every time I fire off an e-mail with an attachment that I'll attach the wrong file and send some personal thought or a page from my novice novel writing years instead of a split time spread sheet.
When I decided to upgrade the desktop I realized that I had somehow managed to acquire two excellent - albeit not similar - monitors and having watched several of my friends who game use their set up, I wanted one of my own. However, despite loading the tower with components that would make any one of my gamer friends drool with envy, my computer is not going to game. With the two monitors I've come up with a set up that will allow me to run video on one FULL screen while taking notes on another rather than trying to make them fit into one smaller screen, or trying to run it off of two laptops - sounds easy, it's not. This will also allow me to have multiple full page documents open at the same time. I'm a pretty OCD person when it comes to documents and such and I have a hard time adjusting to a split view on a single screen so this will also help me deal with my own personal OCD issues. What can I say?
Sadly while getting the computer up and running was the easiest of the projects it was definitely low on the totem pole. Isn't that how it always is? That being said, I should knock out the new height stick in a couple of days and then hopefully get the bed done either next summer when the weather is more consistent or when I move to a place that has an attached garage.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
Height stick
If you've ever spent any time rigging a boat then you know what I speak of. If you've not, then here's a link.
I need one of these. The problem is that rowing specific tools such as this are rather expensive. I have a hard time plunking down $65 plus shipping for what basically amounts to two pieces of square metal tubing and a couple of screws.
Another issue that I have with this is that having used one, it does it's job well but it doesn't necessarily make your job easier. It's probably me and my lack of rigging experience but I don't like having to eyeball oar lock height. The top piece when it's pushed down to oarlock height, doesn't extend far enough into the boat to measure the way that I want to measure.
So having thoroughly examined the one that we have at the boat house I've decided to create my own using the same sort of design - I saw the one that was created by Willie Black but he's smarter than I am and I don't know how to use his - only modified to help me.
I'm still gathering the pieces that I want for this but rest assured that once I get started I'll let you know how it turns out.
Stay tuned.
I need one of these. The problem is that rowing specific tools such as this are rather expensive. I have a hard time plunking down $65 plus shipping for what basically amounts to two pieces of square metal tubing and a couple of screws.
Another issue that I have with this is that having used one, it does it's job well but it doesn't necessarily make your job easier. It's probably me and my lack of rigging experience but I don't like having to eyeball oar lock height. The top piece when it's pushed down to oarlock height, doesn't extend far enough into the boat to measure the way that I want to measure.
So having thoroughly examined the one that we have at the boat house I've decided to create my own using the same sort of design - I saw the one that was created by Willie Black but he's smarter than I am and I don't know how to use his - only modified to help me.
I'm still gathering the pieces that I want for this but rest assured that once I get started I'll let you know how it turns out.
Stay tuned.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Boat repair
Welcome to basic shell repair 101. Throughout the season I've been taking stock of what I've got, what I need, what needs to be fixed and what is ok. The boat that I use is a Vespoli shell that saw it's hey day back in the early 1990s. It's still a very good boat - stiff and fast when crewed correctly - but she is in desperate need of basic repairs that have been allowed to slide.
The first project of the year was cleaning up the oars that we use. That was a rather straightforward project that I don't feel the need to put into picture format. This project on the other hand, replacing the track supports, was a three day project.
And so it begins...
These are the tracks from inside our racing shell. There are two per seat and the seats have wheels that fit into channels on the top. They are supported and angled in the boat by wooden supports - now plastic. As you can see here, the wood that has been holding our tracks up has been well used and is in desperate need of replacement. The wood was so soft that you could squeeze it forcing water out of it's depths like a sponge.
The first thing I did was remove the old rotting wood. It was a lot of "fun" pulling off this reeking, spongy, molding, rotting wood and the garage area smelled fantastic. I was lucky and managed to remove a whole one to use as a template to back up my measurements but the rest came off in pieces.
Next up comes the new wood. For the price of a couple rounds at the local watering hole I got a 1x10 piece of pine from Home Depot, measured out 20 replacement tracks - we need 16 but extras are always handy - and got to cutting. Unfortunately the table saw I was going to use picked this exact moment to die. After fiddling with it for a while the decision was made that the saw needed to be replaced anyhow and this was as good a time to do it.
Life is so much easier when you have the tools you need rather than trying to piece meal it together. Having cut the wood to length, I drilled two small holes for the bolts that hold the track to the wood to the boat and then several 3/8 inch holes that would be the guide for the router. Despite having an amazing drill press I had no intention of drilling 20 holes per board to help with drainage.
So instead I went with slots. I drilled two 3/8 holes then used the router to clear material between them. Note that each bolt hole has an inch of play on either side. Despite measuring the distance between bolts on the boat several times I decided that 2 inches of play would make life a lot better in case I missed rather than having to scrape 16 supports and start over.
At this point the tracks are almost done. To get the angle that I needed I used the old track as a guide. I was going to use the router to get the angle but when that proved more difficult than convenient I decided to go back to the table saw. While the cut is less clean it was far more accurate than it would have been on the router, it was quicker - at this point speed was becoming a priority - and because the variations would be small and that this repair is only temporary till we get the real replacement tracks, the table saw was fine for the job.
The final step was the soak the wood for about a minute or so in water seal and then let them air dry for 48 hours.
16 tracks in two days of work. The cost? Not even a 1/4 the cost of the plastic ones on the Vespoli website. And while it did take a little longer than expected, I didn't have to pay for rush delivery. I put them into the boat yesterday and we tested them and they work great.
The first project of the year was cleaning up the oars that we use. That was a rather straightforward project that I don't feel the need to put into picture format. This project on the other hand, replacing the track supports, was a three day project.
And so it begins...
These are the tracks from inside our racing shell. There are two per seat and the seats have wheels that fit into channels on the top. They are supported and angled in the boat by wooden supports - now plastic. As you can see here, the wood that has been holding our tracks up has been well used and is in desperate need of replacement. The wood was so soft that you could squeeze it forcing water out of it's depths like a sponge. 
The first thing I did was remove the old rotting wood. It was a lot of "fun" pulling off this reeking, spongy, molding, rotting wood and the garage area smelled fantastic. I was lucky and managed to remove a whole one to use as a template to back up my measurements but the rest came off in pieces. 
Next up comes the new wood. For the price of a couple rounds at the local watering hole I got a 1x10 piece of pine from Home Depot, measured out 20 replacement tracks - we need 16 but extras are always handy - and got to cutting. Unfortunately the table saw I was going to use picked this exact moment to die. After fiddling with it for a while the decision was made that the saw needed to be replaced anyhow and this was as good a time to do it. 
Life is so much easier when you have the tools you need rather than trying to piece meal it together. Having cut the wood to length, I drilled two small holes for the bolts that hold the track to the wood to the boat and then several 3/8 inch holes that would be the guide for the router. Despite having an amazing drill press I had no intention of drilling 20 holes per board to help with drainage. 
So instead I went with slots. I drilled two 3/8 holes then used the router to clear material between them. Note that each bolt hole has an inch of play on either side. Despite measuring the distance between bolts on the boat several times I decided that 2 inches of play would make life a lot better in case I missed rather than having to scrape 16 supports and start over.At this point the tracks are almost done. To get the angle that I needed I used the old track as a guide. I was going to use the router to get the angle but when that proved more difficult than convenient I decided to go back to the table saw. While the cut is less clean it was far more accurate than it would have been on the router, it was quicker - at this point speed was becoming a priority - and because the variations would be small and that this repair is only temporary till we get the real replacement tracks, the table saw was fine for the job.
The final step was the soak the wood for about a minute or so in water seal and then let them air dry for 48 hours.16 tracks in two days of work. The cost? Not even a 1/4 the cost of the plastic ones on the Vespoli website. And while it did take a little longer than expected, I didn't have to pay for rush delivery. I put them into the boat yesterday and we tested them and they work great.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Catch up
So seeing as how a whole month has gone by since my last update, let's see where we are on the old project list.
1. The headboard is still in storage. I checked on it the other day and aside from it looking a little lonely it was none the worse for wear given that it hasn't been touched since fall.
2. The chest of drawers in the garage is still there and still full of model parts. Honestly I'm not sure I'm going to touch that one for several good reasons most of which have to do with not having places to put said model parts.
3. The S-10. This one actually did get some work. I managed to replace the brakes - I hate drum brakes - and the belt and she got a much needed bath although the birds have since left their marks. All that's left aside from another couple of bathes are the door hinges and then removing the old stickers before she can go onto the market. I'm going to miss this old truck.
I did spend this Mother's Day weekend working on some projects from work. When I get the pictures I'll post them here. And yes I did spend time with my mother.
1. The headboard is still in storage. I checked on it the other day and aside from it looking a little lonely it was none the worse for wear given that it hasn't been touched since fall.
2. The chest of drawers in the garage is still there and still full of model parts. Honestly I'm not sure I'm going to touch that one for several good reasons most of which have to do with not having places to put said model parts.
3. The S-10. This one actually did get some work. I managed to replace the brakes - I hate drum brakes - and the belt and she got a much needed bath although the birds have since left their marks. All that's left aside from another couple of bathes are the door hinges and then removing the old stickers before she can go onto the market. I'm going to miss this old truck.
I did spend this Mother's Day weekend working on some projects from work. When I get the pictures I'll post them here. And yes I did spend time with my mother.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Shake the dust off
Welcome back sports fans. Clearly it's been a long time since I've posted anything on this blog. What can I say? Northwest winters and early spring weather aren't exactly conducive to projects when you've got to work outside - outside outside not outside in a garage or shed.
And of course real life is going on at the moment with the spring rowing season ramping itself up for a chaotic two month stretch. We train for 10 months for 2 months of racing and that's stretching it out. Typically we're talking maybe a month and a half. Dedication.
So what's on the project list?
1. The headboard for my bed. That needs to come out of the storage area and get finished. I've decided that I'm going to skip building a frame and instead settle on getting a metal frame plus a box frame. I've spent my spare moments trying to design the rest of the frame for the bed and I'm either not pleased with the results or the thing would be so big and awkward that I'd probably need to wait till I was in my next apartment/house before starting it.
2. The wood chest in the garage. I'm going to clean it out - it's full of old model parts and such from my days as a young boy - and look into replacing the handles on it with some fancy knobs. This is a very low intensity project but it's one that will be easy to finish.
3. My old Chevy S-10. I need to replace the front brakes, fix a slow leak in the rear axle, put on a new belt and replace the hinges in the door. Despite the complexity that this list lends itself to, the door hinges will be the hardest part and they are relatively easy. Then it needs to be washed something fierce and then get sold.
So that's the project list for now. Stay tuned!
And of course real life is going on at the moment with the spring rowing season ramping itself up for a chaotic two month stretch. We train for 10 months for 2 months of racing and that's stretching it out. Typically we're talking maybe a month and a half. Dedication.
So what's on the project list?
1. The headboard for my bed. That needs to come out of the storage area and get finished. I've decided that I'm going to skip building a frame and instead settle on getting a metal frame plus a box frame. I've spent my spare moments trying to design the rest of the frame for the bed and I'm either not pleased with the results or the thing would be so big and awkward that I'd probably need to wait till I was in my next apartment/house before starting it.
2. The wood chest in the garage. I'm going to clean it out - it's full of old model parts and such from my days as a young boy - and look into replacing the handles on it with some fancy knobs. This is a very low intensity project but it's one that will be easy to finish.
3. My old Chevy S-10. I need to replace the front brakes, fix a slow leak in the rear axle, put on a new belt and replace the hinges in the door. Despite the complexity that this list lends itself to, the door hinges will be the hardest part and they are relatively easy. Then it needs to be washed something fierce and then get sold.
So that's the project list for now. Stay tuned!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Inspired
I spent the last few days up in Port Angeles with my friend Kristin aka KK if you've checked out the blog. The majority of the time I was up there we were working on puzzles, drinking strong cups of tea or coffee, cooking for each other or spending some time outdoors but we did get into a rather heavy discussion of remodeling her house.
KK is a park ranger and she is provided government housing. I'm not sure if government housing always looks like this but this house was awesome in a very eclectic way. It reminded me a lot of my dad's place in California with multiple versions of wood paneling strewn throughout the house, some old cabinets with odd fitting doors and beautiful wood beams covered by paint. Over all it's a very charming house with new windows and appliances but it could use some work. Ok a lot of work.
Sunday night we wandered through the house, first on a tour and second a more in depth look at what she had, knocking and pressing on the wooden panels, talking excitedly about what could come down or go up, scraping corners of paint with sandpaper to find out what was underneath and in general mentally tearing the house apart to start over.
Since it is government housing there were some guidelines she needed to follow. The first was that it had to look good. The second was that this wasn't always going to be her house so there was some stuff she didn't want to invest in. Thirdly and probably more important, money and time. I told her that it's always tempting to start in the kitchen but that she should start in the bedroom or bathroom - smaller places - so she could get an idea of what renovating felt like. The last thing, the very last thing you want to do is tear something apart and realize that it's harder than you thought it was - it always is - and that you don't have the time to do it - you never do - and that you can't use the space you're currently renovating. People get divorces over renovation projects and while I'm sure her dog Coho won't leave her, renovation always sounds fun on the surface but once you get started, it doesn't always remain so. And while she is closer to town - 20 miles rather than 40 minutes - the closest Home Depot is another 20 minutes beyond Port Angeles. That puts quite a crimp in a quick run to the store if needed and Port Angeles is a unique town having no box stores like most cities/towns so you can't run to Fred Meyer or Bi-Mart in a pinch. All things that you must take into consideration.
That all being said - I think warning people before they start is a good thing - renovation can be a lot of fun especially if you've got the drive to do it. It'll also be a lot more fun when it's not 30 degrees outside but that's another story. I showed her pictures of what I did in California to my dad's place and she really liked it. I did let her know that we had some driving motivation for that house.
1. Time. I couldn't be away for a long time - 6 weeks was pushing it - so I came down and after an initial planning phase, starting in on it. And I got to dedicate whole days to what I was doing rather than working then coming home to work.
2. Good news. Everything that could have gone right for me did go right. I had a friend and my mom helping me out, keeping me sane. The inspections on the house revealed very little in the way of what needed to be done. Everything that could have and probably should have set us back didn't. The roof was in great condition, the walls were sound and the insulation was excellent, the plumbing was in good shape, the water heater simply needed to be replaced, the windows were the only source of heat/cold loss, etc.
3. Money. I had access to a ton of money so when it came to a hidden cost or needing supplies or something on the fly I simply had to pull out the wallet. I think this is the key to any renovation. You know there will be hidden costs - or you should - and you know things will take longer than expected but having the money makes it so much easier. I didn't run into a problem where things came to a stop because the money wasn't there. 8 new light fixtures, extra gallons of paint, new hardware, whatever it was, out came the wallet.
So having talked with KK about renovating her house I told her that if I don't get another job this summer, I could come up and live with her and help her renovate her house while she is at work. Despite the work and frustration from that summer, I did really enjoy working on my dad's place and looking at the pictures or having people rave about how the house looks from the before and after brings a certain amount of pride to the table.
KK is a park ranger and she is provided government housing. I'm not sure if government housing always looks like this but this house was awesome in a very eclectic way. It reminded me a lot of my dad's place in California with multiple versions of wood paneling strewn throughout the house, some old cabinets with odd fitting doors and beautiful wood beams covered by paint. Over all it's a very charming house with new windows and appliances but it could use some work. Ok a lot of work.
Sunday night we wandered through the house, first on a tour and second a more in depth look at what she had, knocking and pressing on the wooden panels, talking excitedly about what could come down or go up, scraping corners of paint with sandpaper to find out what was underneath and in general mentally tearing the house apart to start over.
Since it is government housing there were some guidelines she needed to follow. The first was that it had to look good. The second was that this wasn't always going to be her house so there was some stuff she didn't want to invest in. Thirdly and probably more important, money and time. I told her that it's always tempting to start in the kitchen but that she should start in the bedroom or bathroom - smaller places - so she could get an idea of what renovating felt like. The last thing, the very last thing you want to do is tear something apart and realize that it's harder than you thought it was - it always is - and that you don't have the time to do it - you never do - and that you can't use the space you're currently renovating. People get divorces over renovation projects and while I'm sure her dog Coho won't leave her, renovation always sounds fun on the surface but once you get started, it doesn't always remain so. And while she is closer to town - 20 miles rather than 40 minutes - the closest Home Depot is another 20 minutes beyond Port Angeles. That puts quite a crimp in a quick run to the store if needed and Port Angeles is a unique town having no box stores like most cities/towns so you can't run to Fred Meyer or Bi-Mart in a pinch. All things that you must take into consideration.
That all being said - I think warning people before they start is a good thing - renovation can be a lot of fun especially if you've got the drive to do it. It'll also be a lot more fun when it's not 30 degrees outside but that's another story. I showed her pictures of what I did in California to my dad's place and she really liked it. I did let her know that we had some driving motivation for that house.
1. Time. I couldn't be away for a long time - 6 weeks was pushing it - so I came down and after an initial planning phase, starting in on it. And I got to dedicate whole days to what I was doing rather than working then coming home to work.
2. Good news. Everything that could have gone right for me did go right. I had a friend and my mom helping me out, keeping me sane. The inspections on the house revealed very little in the way of what needed to be done. Everything that could have and probably should have set us back didn't. The roof was in great condition, the walls were sound and the insulation was excellent, the plumbing was in good shape, the water heater simply needed to be replaced, the windows were the only source of heat/cold loss, etc.
3. Money. I had access to a ton of money so when it came to a hidden cost or needing supplies or something on the fly I simply had to pull out the wallet. I think this is the key to any renovation. You know there will be hidden costs - or you should - and you know things will take longer than expected but having the money makes it so much easier. I didn't run into a problem where things came to a stop because the money wasn't there. 8 new light fixtures, extra gallons of paint, new hardware, whatever it was, out came the wallet.
So having talked with KK about renovating her house I told her that if I don't get another job this summer, I could come up and live with her and help her renovate her house while she is at work. Despite the work and frustration from that summer, I did really enjoy working on my dad's place and looking at the pictures or having people rave about how the house looks from the before and after brings a certain amount of pride to the table.
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