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.

At the Bench, Piano, Again

I began work on the piano bench in the garage.  Yesterday, I bought grit 80 sandpaper for the orbital sander.  This morning I began the sanding of the bench top.  I then trimmed both end off and sanded some more.  

With the router, I eased the edges, the corners, and both ends and both sides.  There were a couple of places that had split a little.  I filled them with glue and clamped it tight.

We then went to the funeral of one of our neighbors.  It was at eleven.  We got home after two and had lunch.

I watered houses two, three, and five.  Then back to the garage.  Yesterday, I bought some Elmer's wood putty.  This afternoon I filled all the cracks and holes of both benches.  I am not to sand it off until it is well dried. 

I had to deposit a check at Wells Fargo bank.  I drove to Fillmore and while there I bought three two outlets and one light switch.   I turned the power off.  I attached the wires.   The black to the brass and the white to the white screws. There was no place for the ground wire.  It took me a while to get the wires bent right and put them under the screw.

Comments and question are welcome.

Preparing Native Plants For Paiute Indians

I worked on this yesterday, but for some reason it didn't get posted yesterday.  I gives the appearance that it was done today.

Yesterday, I received a request some native plants.  I prepared a list and emailed to Bryana, my contact an availability list.  Last night, she e-mailed a list of what she wanted.  I prepared a quote and sent it back to her, by email.  In an email this morning she said that she could not read the quote.

I began to prepared the plants that she wanted.  She want five #1 Blue Flax plants.  The above picture is of those plants.  It took me about an hour to prune them.

Here they are pruned and looks pretty good.  At the right are two River Birch and one Curl Leaf Mountain Mahogany plants.


Comments and questions are welcome.

Hanging Totes

Early this afternoon I started work in the garage.

It took me over an hour put up the rail that is left of the blue tote.  I had to make two rails for the green totes several months ago.  Today, I used scrap material I had in the garage and a 2x4x44 inches long from the greenhouse.  I ripped both sides of the 2x4 so both sides were flat and three inches wide so it was a 2x3.  I screwed the long piece of plywood to the bottom and three short pieces to the top in which I would screw it to the bottom of the trusses.

I got a folding ladder to make a scaffold that I could stand on to help me attach the rail to the ceiling.  I screwed the north end into the first rafter.  I then braced the south end to the ceiling with a long furring strip.  I finally finished.  The totes are empty.  I will fill them another day.

I glued these pieces together to make the foot and top rail of the bench.  I tried different ways to remove the dried glue.  I used the belt sander which was not very  successful.  The scraper was a little better.  I ran the big piece through the thickness planer.  That worked.  

Next I ripped it into four pieces.  Two for the foot and two for the top rail.  I ripped them again to have them about 2x2x12 inches.  The four pieces are shown below.

The belt on the belt sander broke.  I put a new belt on it and that also broke.  The picture is above.

I put on new sanding pad on the orbital sander.  This worked much better than the belt sander.

Above is the top rails.  The bench top is not flat but slightly bowed.  I use the planer to remove some of the crown so the rails would fit with out rocking.  I planed only the area below the two rails.



Comments and questions are welcomed. 

New Life in the Tablesaw Sharpner

 On day 31 the sweet potato is growing a stem about 1/8 inch long.

 I watched several You Tube videos on how to prepare the sharpner for the first blade. Last week I sharpened two blades the wrong way.  I sharpened them okay.

 The blade was put on the blade rest in the proper way.  The blade center goes first. then the spring, and then the washer, then the blade, and last the nut which is tightened to secure the blade.

 I sharpened a blade that I haven't used for years.  I made a couple of adjustments to blade at the proper angle against the diamond grinder.

Above is glue up of 2x4's in which I will cut the upper brackets and the two feet.

Sharpening and New Bench

I started in the garage after the 8:00 news.

Yesterday at the DI, I bought a small cushion for $2.00 for the tractor and lawnmower.  Ride with comfort now.

I built a base out of a piece of 3/8 plywood.  The sharpener will be more stable with a solid base.  I could only find two lag screws of the right size.  I used an other one that was a little two long.  I used four small washers to keep it from going all the way through the base.

Trying my had at sharpening my a saw blade.  I had to move the sharpener by the open door to let some light come in.  I couldn't see if the carbide tip was sharp.  I pulled the motor lever with my left hand to the tip and with my right hand I turned the blade against the diamond grinder.  Then I pushed the motor back and turned the blade to the next tooth.  I continued doing this until all the teeth are sharp.   

I finished sharpening and tried my first cut.  Yesterday ripped the small board in the photo above in half.  I couldn't go all the way.  It began to smoke and I thought that the sawdust might catch on fire.  I put the sharpened blade on and it cut through that small board with ease.

Four 2x4's are cut to length (37 inches).  Using the doweling jig,  I made three holes on the two outside edges.  For the other two, inside 2x4's, have dowel holes on both edges.  The holes are lined up match each other.  I applied glue to the tip of each dowel and then pounded into the hole.  I applied glue the edges and then clamped the two together.  When I turned one over there was another row of holes.  I better get some dowels into them, I thought. I put in the dowels and discovered I should have left them out.  I had to cut them off and re-drill the holes.  Finally I finished. 

I watched a You Tube video where someone made a larger base for the drill press.  It was a little more complicate than the one in the photo above.  It is made out of a piece of plywood with a runner on the left and right side of the cast iron base.  Another piece of plywood is underneath attached to the two runners.    

I trimmed the dead foliage off the ever bearing strawberries.  Where should I plant them.

 I received some free tomato seeds.  I prepared a jumbo six pack for planting the seeds.  The potting soil was really dry.  I put water in the little black tray.  The water will soak up.  

I planted the Tasmanian Chocolate tomato seeds.  It is a determinate tomato plant  that gets about three feet tall.

I started a new piano bench this afternoon.  I really had a problem with it.  It is all glued up waiting for tomorrow to remove the clamps.  The beginning of the 2x4 challenge.

Comments and questions are welcome.  

Utah County All Day

Carol had an appointment for a mammogram at the Utah Valley Hospital.  The hospital has really changed.  I think that this is the third year of construction.  She used her handicapped permit.

I bought me a saw sharpener at Harbor Freight.  May be able to try it out tomorrow.  We also stopped at Sam's Club, Walmart, and a few other places.

We drove on some roads that we haven't driven for a long time.  There are so many changes.

We were to meet Robert at the Thai Evergreen restaurant at five, but it turned out that it was to be 5:30.  We had a good dinner and good company. Robert, Jeanne, Holden, Megan, Ezra, Grant, Sadie, Mason, Dalston, Hallie, and Jared.

 Tried to get a good picture of Ezra, but this is the best that could get.

 Grant is Holden's little boy.

Starting at the left:  Megan, Sadie, Mason,  Dalston, Jared, Hallie, Carol, Merrill, Robert, Jeanne, Holden, Grant, and Ezra with his back to us.

After we drove straight home and arrived a little after eight.


Comments and questions are welcomed.