Standup Zone Forum
General => Random => Topic started by: PonoBill on August 08, 2018, 11:41:28 PM
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I had a productive week, even though it's been blisteringly hot in Hood River. Probably the lack of wind had something to do with my productivity--kept me off the river.
I built a tow bar base plate for Archie, the dune buggy dingy I plan to pull behind Fritz, the 1978 GMC motorcoach I'm rebuilding. I fabbed up the baseplate for the towbar with some square tubing and 1/2 inch plate. Integrated the "bumper" into the towbar. It's pretty unobtrusive when it's all in place.
(https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/38813784_10155901331108668_386573182926061568_o.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=6301ac80574ac57e0e8111fe9e54e60d&oe=5BC921A4)
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I tuned up all my welders, added a pulse controller to my Miller Sychrowave TIG, went through my MIG welders, calibrating the wire feed rate, and rebuilding the torches and the ground clamps. Rebuilt my spool gun, replaced the bushing and feed tubes. I'm amazed at how much better they weld after some TLC.
(https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/38760912_10155901332073668_6043992104802189312_o.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=e101c0c90e6b4d03e3ae8ee81fb25835&oe=5C09B5D1)
I added a pulser to my TIG and I'm loving it for fusion welds. The electronics are already in the welder--the pulser board is just the potentiometers. I can't believe how much bitching that inspired on the welding forums when Miller released the field upgrade kits for welders that were purchased without the pulser or sequencers. Of course, they manufactured the main boards with all the electronics in place. Reasonable manufacturing practice. Charging $500 for the upgrade was reasonable since that's what the price difference was if you bought the basic model. I got my upgrade for $200--I doubt there are many kits left. This is a pretty old TIG system. I don't think anyone buys these old transformer monsters anymore, but they sure are workhorses.
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Calibrated my old workhorse MIG. I've pushed a lot of wire through this dinky thing.
I finished the pantry shelves in Fritz, built a prep shelf for over the kitchen counter. I don't want to do a cabinet--I plan to actually cook in this kitchen. The shelf adds good work light and a place to set platters and prepped ingredients. the shelf folds out to extend it's capacity or up out of the way. Also got he bed area curtain tracks in--Diane is finishing up the curtains.
(https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/38742259_10155901336263668_6158485436013477888_o.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=db6813436dde0381ffabc9a600a2e789&oe=5C0F1E78)
New pantry shelves. They pull out to about 30 inches deep. I was going to face them with wood, but the aluminum shelf frames I built are a bit tricky to get perfectly square. I added bent edges to the faces to take up any gap with a little flex. The swirl pattern is just some freehand patters I laid in with my bead roller. I think it makes a nicer transition to the metal surround I built for the refrigerator and oven. The original two pantry shelves weighed 60 pounds each. I turned them into three shelves and these weigh 4, 6 and 7 pounds
(https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/38802592_10155901336903668_1237368017709432832_o.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=c4d5504956bf662a0a5d6c1ab37251a6&oe=5C0DE180)
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I bought two condemned propane tanks to build a "Franklin Barbeque" style smoker. Started cutting on those big boys. Thick metal. It's gonna be a while before the first briskets rollout.
(https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/38717203_10155901333923668_5058357982941675520_o.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=d8432a33194b83eb1c33a6e0de98d992&oe=5C0CF22D)
The latest stupid idea--a giant smoker that will still be here when cockroaches rule the planet. Those are the pallets of marble and granite against the far fence.
(https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/38853630_10155901334798668_6980260267699470336_o.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=5a7fad38380255d46920f07dff35a886&oe=5C062028)
I also borrowed the neighbor's forklift to move a bunch of pallets of marble and granite labs from the side yard of the shop. Some of the pallets broke--they've been sitting for years. I foresee a bunch of backbreaking work in my future. We're going to scrape that area clear, put down gravel and sand, and then place the slabs as a giant patio. Both to keep the flammable weeds away from the shop and to take advantage of our spectacular view of Mt. Hood--which isn't very spectacular with all the smoke.
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More pallets, stone and weeds. Soon to be a lovely patio. Maybe.
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you need a project or something, pono............
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Me too...but the wind has nothing to do with it.
I started to clean my garage.... ::)
Make sure you don't put the polished side of the stone facing up or you'll have a skating rink when it rains.
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Thanks, I didn't think of that. I'm sure we would have, and it's been known to rain in Oregon. Just not lately.
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I hear heading east is where the wind is.
https://www.facebook.com/starboardsup/videos/1863462407071135/
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Hi weasel, even though some would say no wind in the gorge, we’ve been on the river the last two weeks, windsurfing or paddeling. All things come and go and for me, this site has reached it’s point of no return. See you in the fall. Cheers.
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Hi weasel, even though some would say no wind in the gorge, we’ve been on the river the last two weeks, windsurfing or paddeling. All things come and go and for me, this site has reached it’s point of no return. See you in the fall. Cheers.
Does that mean you're going to windsurf again with us? Hmmm?
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bona fide lousy wave summer in NY/NJ
no solid storm yet, and none in sight
i bike hard every day, but paddle fitness will be nil by the time we see a good swell
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Smoke, heat, and no wind in Hood River persists, so I've been working hard on Fritz. I needed to get the shelves in place so Diane could hem the curtains. These shelves are made from aluminum honeycomb, covered with faux stingray shagreen and trimmed in aluminum angle. They took a while to get right, but the effect is pretty cool. They're just temporarily in place but they're as solid as granite. The mounting system is a little over the top--welded aluminum angle--but I don't want them going anywhere. That's Nero, my race car trailer, through the window. Should have shot this with Diane's curtains up.
(https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/39127304_10155913502598668_7247264348538667008_o.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=10c41a6af9e876779cfc421bbf55b0e5&oe=5C0CF5F2)
(https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/39216092_10155913503653668_4342699651267297280_o.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=e2b928ff08d4ece9926d45b76be1ab70&oe=5BC57D59)
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I chased whales yesterday....I swear they were fucking with me. Minkes in the bay below the house and humpbacks outside. Wind was blowing 15 SW. Parked on the beach and paddled back down to Sandy's and then let the wind take me out to them....they moved.....paddled towards the spray......gone...paddled....gone....humpbacks fluke slapping far side....paddled to the Gurnett with a nice downbreezer….gone. Took me an hour to paddle the mile+ back straight into the wind to my truck.... >:( :P
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I had a productive week, even though it's been blisteringly hot in Hood River. Probably the lack of wind had something to do with my productivity--kept me off the river.
...snippity...
The latest stupid idea--a giant smoker that will still be here when cockroaches rule the planet. Those are the pallets of marble and granite against the far fence.
(https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/38853630_10155901334798668_6980260267699470336_o.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=5a7fad38380255d46920f07dff35a886&oe=5C062028)
We were at the PRCA rodeo event here in town a couple of weeks ago...and, were quite impressed with the quality of grinds coming out of Neighbor Tim's smoker...
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That's the plan, stan. I like the design. Come up to Hood river next year Wardog. I should have brisket mastered by then.
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Pono: I find a bit of humor in the the backdrop to your photos and your posts... the random diversity of projects and subject matter strewn about. Dare I say a testament to severe ADHD (rampant curiosity) with the time and means to indulge it? Lol a life well lived. Good onya.
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Supposedly it blew yesterday (16th) at the gorge when this pic was taken. This pic cracks me up.
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Pono: I find a bit of humor in the the backdrop to your photos and your posts... the random diversity of projects and subject matter strewn about. Dare I say a testament to severe ADHD (rampant curiosity) with the time and means to indulge it? Lol a life well lived. Good onya.
You think? When ADHD became a thing instead of "what's wrong with that guy?" I spent some time with a shrink and wound up in a study of adult ADHD. They were developing tests for determining the spectrum of ADD (as it was called then) and naturally, as you can immediately tell from my shop, I tested at the 99th percentile. It was early days, and probably everything they were doing is laughed at in academia today, but the other folks in the test all seemed pretty ordinary to me. Never a good sign. Since I'm retired the pills stay in the bottles and the shrinks have to get along without me.
For me it feels like I get more done in a day than most people do in a week, but the stuff I do is generally not the stuff I intended to do. I spent a lot of time today designing and building new undercabinet lights. I went through five prototypes and finally got one I like. Very productive, except that today I was supposed to work on the DC wiring for Fritz. The lights were a momentary notion.
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Weasel, I suspect you know that's TJ, who probably sold that guy his gear, and a long lens that brings the two protagonists close, but still, it's a funny shot.
It was pretty good yesterday, and good today. Yesterday I had a smoking run (no pun intended) on my 17V2. Not a fast board, but I sure like it. It's a confidence builder. I run all over it. I cross-stepped to the tail in a big drop and got some hoots from the party of three in the next bump over.
Today I was gonna go, but I went over to the hatchery to do some drone shots of the foilers who were supposed to come through--a bunch of pros who won't be racing foils tomorrow since there's no payday. I got the timing wrong, didn't see anyone foiling except two losers who were out in the swells flailing around. If I wanted video of that kind of pathetic effort I'd just point the camera at myself. Wound up going to everybody's in White salmon for a terrific lunch, and never got around to a downwinder. Good plan though, race tomorrow. I was carbo-loading when I ate that insane four cheese Mac and cheese with bacon, yeah, that's what I was doing.
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It used to be just windsurfers and fishermen, then came kites, then came SUPs, and then came foils, then foils on everything except the fishermen.
I think I'll stay in the wide open ocean where we just have the occasional shark, it seems more peaceful.
Another shot from yesterday I believe.
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Pono: I find a bit of humor in the the backdrop to your photos and your posts... the random diversity of projects and subject matter strewn about. Dare I say a testament to severe ADHD (rampant curiosity) with the time and means to indulge it? Lol a life well lived. Good onya.
I wish I had pictures of Bill's workshop/lab in the attic of our parents house where all this started. It looked much the same just smaller....15 projects at once going on, 1/2 hooked up to an oscilloscope, the occasional live (or zombie) animal, unknown electronics parts strewn around mixed with an assortment of tools, a big honking electromagnet, flashing lights...being 4 or 5 I was threatened with death upon entry.
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That wasn't a death threat, there were a lot of things in my lab that could kill you. I wish I had a picture of that too, but I don't know who would have taken it. Mom wouldn't even come up the stairs after she got shocked once when I left a Tesla coil running, and Dad only came up once in a blue moon to make sure I wasn't going to burn the house down.
I tried to build an ionic speaker for my bedroom (also in the attic). The only sound it made was kind of gurgling to the music but it pumped out so much ozone that the casters on my desk chair got soft and all my underwear elastic turned to glue. The whole wall was at more than 20,000 volts. Touching that would put a little skip in your step.
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It used to be just windsurfers and fishermen, then came kites, then came SUPs, and then came foils, then foils on everything except the fishermen.
I think I'll stay in the wide open ocean where we just have the occasional shark, it seems more peaceful.
Another shot from yesterday I believe.
Amen to that.
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Actually, it used to be just fishermen.
Folks always want the door to close behind them. Sometimes they make it happen and the result is usually pretty rotten.
When I first came to the Gorge to windsurf there were usually five or six people doing it for the whole stretch of river from swell city to Dougs and Rowena. Windsurfing had been around for quite a while, but it was the low wind, big board, uphauling, slow tack with a centerboard kind of windsurfing. I came to the Gorge with a 10'4" rotomolded Aitken and two triradial sails. Whole new world bouncing that pathetic rig across the bumps. There were only a few people doing it, but they were crazy for it. I loved it like that, but I didn't figure it would stay like that.
I bought a beach house in Manzanita in the late eighties to windsurf at the coast. Back then Manzanita was empty. Sand Dune Tavern, Blue Sky Cafe and the Little Apple grocery store were about the only thing on Laneda. Sold the bach house about ten years ago for five times what I paid for it. Manzanita looks like Cannon Beach now. Crowds of tourists, lots of shops, and precious restaurants. Nothing near as good as the Blue Sky, and I never expect to find anything that good again. Julie was a genius of a self-taught cook. Easily the equal of any famous chef.
Things change. Peace is where you find it--just like surf.
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Folks always want the door to close behind them. Sometimes they make it happen and the result is usually pretty rotten.
Things change. Peace is where you find it--just like surf.
Speaking of finding peace, when I first started sailing the Gorge, I had a sail I made from tanned deer hide, and my board was Doug Fir, about two heads high. Heavy as hell but man would it stay planted in big conditions. This was before any of the dams were in. Anyway, I'm ripping across the river, somewhere near where Rooster Rock State Park is now (it was an easterly day in the Fall), and I nail this high speed jibe. Well, it wasn't really that high speed, my board was around 50 stones heavy so it didn't plane that well. Next thing I know, there's Lewis and Clark, lumbering down river in a big, ungainly canoe. I was pretty sure I had r.o.w. so I yelled at them to get out of there and head for the coast. They ended up spending the whole winter down there, and the rest.......is history.
You can't close the door but the corridor can get pretty nutz these days. I know it discouraged my continued participation in windsurfing. But, it was still pretty reasonable to do standup there, although a few times coming into the Event Site or trying to catch a couple of drops going through Swell and the Hatch, even that was crazy. When I saw the number of people signed up for the Gorge Downwind Champs in July this year, it was official, mind blown. Couldn't even imagine over 500 people on the river at once, and all in the same area. But at least they were all going the same direction.
Peace out.
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Deer hide! What a sissy. Mine was bearskin, and I chewed it myself to soften it. Incidentally, fifty stones is 700 pounds, so I'm calling bullshit.
And REALLY? Back in the early 90's when windsurfing was peaking the traffic was insane. Many times more people in the water every weekend than today. Paddle champs is one week. It used to be all summer.
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Thanks Greg for pointing Lewis & Clark in the right direction. 😉
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Brah, I no want beef with you. Early 90's, choke people. Jus like you say. Oh, and in those early days, I often used rib bones from deer for battens, so, yeah, I guess I DID invent an RAF sail before it was even cool.
808, no problem with telling L&C where to go, they did arright that winter.
Back in the early 90's, we used to go out to Rufus and the Wall. If we knew it was going off, we'd head to 3 Mile or Roosevelt. When you come back to the rock, I'll have to tell you my story about the m/c gang at Roosevelt on a screaming wind day. The boardheads and the bikers all sharing that little park, now that was a sight.
I almost never sailed in the corridor back then. Rufus was my go-to spot, had many a tiny sail/tiny board day out there in big swell, big current and ripping wind. After Abbey was born in 96, I didn't sail nearly as much. I think that was the beginning of the end of windsurfing for me, sadly. The last time I went out to Rufus for an evening session was with Bernie D, probably 2010 or thereabouts. It was awesome and smooth, and most of the kiters had headed back to Double Mountain by the time we got out there. I was surprised to learn that it's almost exclusively a kiting spot nowadays.
I got pretty lazy when it came to windsurfing as I got older but if you tire of the crowds and it's going, you can always head east. Especially when it comes to downwind paddling, the Gorge's potential is barely scratched. But I find the area between Swell and the Spit to be a little too busy for my tastes. But no one is accusing me of being a nice patient guy either.