Best quote of 2009....

hmm... Best quote of 2009....

The General is a quick thinker.
President Obama was having that one, lone brief conversation this year with General McChrystal about Afghanistan.
Things were obviously not going the way the General had hoped. Obama could sense this, and told him, "I bet when I die, you'll pee on my grave."
To which General McChrystal answers, "No sir, I've always said that when I get out of the Army, I'll never again wait in another line."

Pickin Up Chicks at Age 50?

I went shopping for Round Up and dog treats, but came home with 2,  6 - pack of chicks and a bag of chick starter to boot? What was I thinking? If you want free range chicken eggs ya gotta grow em yourself!
These little reds are my choice in natural pest control. I don't pretend to know why, but somethin about them chickens runnin around the yard eatin up bugs makes for better tasteing eggs.
Maybe just knowin that a chicken is a full time eatin machine lookin for anything that moves sets my mind at ease when the mosquitos start biting later this summer.
Pound for pound chicken mannure is the best fertilizer you can get, but you must compost it or it will burn your tomatoes if you know what I mean. Oh yeah, they will turn your compose pile for you when they grow big enough to turn lose. When that time comes, I wil show you how to train them to come home at night.
First, I have to build them a home to come home to. I built them a bottomless cage 3 ft. X 6 ft. X 2 ft. tall, then I butt it up to this converted dog house.
I want those good eggs! Remember those dark yellow yokes? The occasional double yoker?
Yup Im bettin at least half of this dozen of these beauties will turn out to be a rooster, but they eat just like any other chicken if ya cook 'em right. Don't laugh! Grandma used to put up young roosters twice a year after electricity came to the Great Plains"  This operation wont get that big.
I figure 1/2 of one of those 10 ft. X 12 ft garden sheds is all the space requirements I will need for a dozen full grown birds. Who knows maybe something like an ice fishing shack will work just as well. There will be more on that project in the next few months as I will need it before next winter. hmm...a labor of love? we'll see.

My Sediments Exactly!

Mason Proffit video on FoxyTunes Planet

[via FoxyTunes / Mason Proffit]

The Next Project Plan?

Recently I was asked to provide an updated drawing incorporating some modifications to my second proto type 1 ton cart.

At an operator's request we are opening the right side of the cart for ease in stacking the boards which will lay flat.

I am going to stretch this cart 2 inches longer than the origional, this will allow the operator to slide the "air board" into place easily from a position diagonal to the end of the cart. Note the forward end from the handle is shorter?

The swivel casters are also located on the handle end of the cart like the origional. The new HD casters are rated for 500 lbs each, thus with 4 of them the cart is caster rated to handle up to if not more than 1 ton.

The tubing has been upgraded from 14 gauge to 11 gauge because the price was a deal or a value passed on to my customer. Basicly 10 ft less tubing is required so I could get heavier steel for the same price. You just never know if someone would set a roll or something that it was not designed for on it hey? Why take a chance?

I also broke down my pieces required primarily for my convienience. It tells me the total number of inches of tubing required, as well as the length and number of pieces I will need. By dividing by 12" I have the number of feet needed to purchase when I build the next one.
My point is since I don't have a drafting department yet, I need to show my customer that I understand his or her needs. It is another aspect of going from hobibyist to professional that may have to deal with at some point in time.
It may very well be that it is easier to just sit down and draw out your plans the old fashioned way. Then scan it and send it as a jpg. attachment like it did in this case.This drawing may not be perfectly to scale but the approximates work to convey the image. the numbers reflect the actual measurements, that's what is truely important.
Of coarse you will want to include any details your customer needs for your project, but in my case I took care of the details for the customer in the price quote as it is a custom build piece. That AB301t thing? that's just my way of recognizing the project in my office program as the projects keep on comming. Scans, quotes, and invoices for this 2nd of 6 will be found with that identification, or product ID.

Hey for your convienience I put that Amazon link at the top for my vendor's distributor, as an Amazon affiliate I could get paid? hmm... we'll see.

Oh, the plans? sure you can use 'em, Just click on the picture to enlarge it and save it.With a bit of modification you could make your own and sell them to any one who puts palletized salt, fertilizer, mulch, dog, bird, or cat food out in front of the ol' gas station each and every day, hmm....
Next time I'll include some more pictures of this project.