A Box for Potatoes

The dr-awers in my dresser  are so full, it is hard to put anything in.  I pulled the drawer below my sock drawer and found it full off Carol's old bank statements.  The newest was dated 2001.  Some were much older than that.  I shredded most of them and came back a little later and shredded the others.

I decided to make a wooden box for the potatoes.  I wanted to make them stackable so that they would not take up as much room.  For years we have stored them in Nursery containers.  The space between the slats would allow air circulation.

I had what I considered a good plan in my mind.  You will see the box a little later.  I cut out a lot of pieces for the corners, sides, ends and the bottom.  I hooked my pin nailer to the compressor and turned it on.  Air was leaking out of the pressure tank.  It quickly pumped up, shut off, the air slowly leaked out.  The pump turned on and leaked out again.  This process continued for some time.  I then shut it off.  I pulled of the hose and replaced it again.  I poured soapy water on it. It was leaking at the hose connection.  I replace it again and stopped the leak.    The use of glue and a pin nailer would be fast and easy.

I tested the nailer.  The nail went in part way and stuck to the nailer.  I finally got it loose, but would not work.  I tried it several times,  I let the air out of the tank and filled it again,  That didn't help.  I gave up and watched several You Tube videos.  T videos didn't help any.  I couldn't find a manual that came with it.  And by the way I got it in early January and here it is mid January now.  I watched another video that was somewhat longer than the first.  It showed how to remove a pin jam.  I did it and there was a jam which I easily removed.  I started everything up and guess what?  You are wrong.  It was working.

Here is the completed box.  It is bigger than what I thought.  It took a long time, several hours, to finish, but it is well built.  I took it in the house to show Carol.  She was impressed.

Another, photo.

Here I put some onions in the box.  It then put some hand grips on both ends.

Carol suggested that I put a divider in.  This I did.  on  the left are copra onions and on the right are large onions of which I have forgotten the name.

I have a couple of ideas to make a box bigger tomorrow.

Back to the dresser drawer.  I shredded most every thing.  There were some birthday cards and two letters from Elizabeth.

This evening I went to a Hemp Grower meeting.  It was a good meeting, but quite long,  I could not hear some of the speakers.    A few people left at 7:30.  I also left.   Some of the growers were asking questions, that didn't apply to me.

Comments and questions are welcome.

A Box for Files

This morning was like yesterday morning.  Another couple of inches of snow.  It was a powder.  I have a card box by my desktop computer in my bedroom where I keep files which contain papers that I get each month.  The files will not stand up straight.  So this morning I began to build a new one out of a thin piece of plywood.

It took me most of the day to finish it.  It sixteen inches by twelve inches wide and depth of eight inches.  It is divided into three compartments.  I will be able to locate the files much faster because they will be standing up.  In the old box they were almost laying down.

I have been saving egg shells for months now.

The leaf miners are destroying our kale and red beats.  I have been spraying the beets and kale with Neem oil.  Today, when I sprayed, I could see the flies flying around.  I took the fly zapper pictured above waving it back and forth.  Every time I hit a fly I could hear this zapping noise.  The were a lot of flies in the radish leaves, which made a lot of noise.  I kept doing that until there were none left.

I  strected a string between the west and east ends of house six that marked the center of the greenhouse.  I marked the center of each 2x6x12 and then moved the board a little to the left or to the right then I dug some holes where the 2x4 posts will be.

Here you see the hole and the end of the board.

The horizontal wire will go from end to end and rest on top of these post and cross piece as shown in the above image.

Comments and questions are welcome.

Major Tomato Planting

Yesterday, I filled the cracks and holes with Elmer's Putty.  This morning I sanded both benches, even though, only one bench is shown.  There were numerous cracks and low spots that did not get filled.  I applied more putty.  I may sand it again in the morning.

I am having trouble with the jointer.  It is set for cutting 3/16 of an inch of wood which makes it hard to hold and to keep edge of the wood against the fence.  There is a wheel to turn to move feed table up of down,  When I turn it nothing moves.  I worked on it for over an hour.  I sprayed WD-40 on all parts that should move, but nothing moved.  I loosened some small bolts.  That didn't help.  There is a knob that looks like I could pull it back and that would release the feed table.  Using a wrench, I loosed the knob nut.  I tapped the feed table with a small hammer to jar it loose.  Finally the knob pulled loose and it was fixed.  I then tested it with several boards and was able to make a smooth face or edge on the board.

I decided to do some tomato planting.  The potting soil was so dry and dusty.  I gave it a lot of water and stirred it in.  It takes a couple of hours for the soil to completely soak up the water.  I left it like that and begin to get the tomato seeds.

I gathered up some of the seeds.  I have a computer and a label printer in the little bedroom.  I laid the seed packets in alphabetical order on the bed.  Then I made two labels of the seeds.  One to attach to a plastic stick and the other one to keep in a journal of some type as a record of what I planted and when it was planted.

The above tray is a recycled plug tray in which I got liners for different flowers which I grew to a larger size before selling.  It has seven rows with fifteen cells in each row.   Or look at it another way there are fifteen rows with seven cells in each row.  I planted seven seed of each variety.  I watered it and placed it on the heating mat.  Two of the three heating mats are plugged in.

Here is a close-up of the labels.  Zoom in a little and you can read them.

I need a box to hold my seeds where I can keep them in alphabetical order.  I had a plan, but I really struggle to get it right.  I got all pieces glued up.  I am letting the glue set all night.


Comments and questions are welcome.

Making Blocks

My table saw sled is finished.  I left the sled and scraps of wood on the table saw Saturday evening.  I cleaned up this morning.  Sometimes I can't find my check book and the receipts piled in a stack by my printer.  I made a small wood box  to hold the receipts and my check book.  The receipts go in first and the check book on top of them.  It is setting in a prominent place on my desk. 

I used the sled to cut the pieces.  It worked out pretty well.  There is a base, two sides and the back.  I glued the two sides two the base.  The sides and back are made1/8 inch plywood. The base is made out of 3/4 inch pine.  I glued the two sides to the base.

 While they were drying I filled five tube trays and planted one of them with Salvia pachyphylla seed.  After lunch we went to Fillmore to make a deposit and check on the house insurance.  Carol cashed her check and I took her to the grocery store.  I checked on the house insurance while she was at the store.  The insurance was okay.  Lastly we got some gas and got and ice cream cone.

I glued the back on the box.  While it was drying I started making the blocks. I cut a two inch strip from some cedar that I have had in the garage ever since we moved to Holden.   I cut it to 2x2 by 7 feet long.  I run it through the thickness plainer so all side were equal.

 Next I cut it into blocks.  I made several adjustment and made 36 blocks.  I needed only 27.  I didn't get the blocks square.  I glued them together to make the cube.  One the left is a cube puzzle I made over 30 years ago.  On the right is one I made today.   I hurried with this and did not get accurate cuts.