Tool

    While in Eugene in August staying in Kate's pentagon, wasn't sleeping well one night, got up, and slipped over to my place.  I retrieved a mail box I'd purchased for the house and took it back to Kate and Spud's shop.   A condition of the electrical permit is that the project house be identifiable so I wanted to get its street number posted.   I masked off a wide band on the white mailbox to spray paint black then used electrical tape to shape '1793' - my house's number - in that band.  I sprayed the band black then pulled off the tape.

Went back to bed, slept soundly.   Later mounted box on porch.

Expecting to receive mail in this box while away in the midwest  I asked Kate to check it for me occasionally.   She did and found a note from the mailman saying '1793 has a nice mailbox mounted on the street and mail will come there'.

House's nicest space - think I'll move in!

    There was a small commotion outside today as I was finishing my exercise routine.  The cable guy was up in his cherry picker monkeying with cables on the power pole in back the house.   An aerial cable from that pole supplied signal for the house which had a cable lead in every room including the garage (oh yeah - not kitchen or bath).   I've never had cable, don't expect to get started with it.  Add to that I recently figured out to scan for channels on my television with it set to 'Antennae' rather than 'Cable' and am now receiving thirteen channels including Public television - a plethora.  I decided to ask the guy to disconnect cable for my house at the pole while up there which he gladly did.  I spent some time disconnecting aerial cable from house, peeling cable off side of house - all cable runs were on the exterior - and am now cable free.  It feels good oddly enough.
    In slang these days the term tool is derogatorily used to describe someone who works as part of a mechanism keeping folk subservient - a company's man.   My life's progression can best be viewed from a perspective of anti toolism.  Not suggesting my dad was a tool I still feel that as a young boy witnessing his passing I came to the emotional conclusion he lived his life through a sense of obligation and propriety which fundamentally didn't agree with his psyche perpetrating his early demise.  Whether or not the reality, my emotional take on his passing has shaped my years.  I would live life hewing to my own call - something I could ascertain with more or less clarity - rather than follow obligation, propriety, or some party line.  To that end time I've spent in traditional work settings has been minimal.  During high school rather than run with the pack I chose to work a full time job.  Then as a young adult I roamed from suburban Chicago to the 'wilds' of western Wisconsin to live the hippie life.  Six months working for WestCAP - West Wisconsin Community Action Program - was my last substantial foray into traditional work.  The remainder of those years I day labored hammer in hand.   I redirected into fine art which led to the years I spent in the entertainment industry - fifteen years of day labor.   When opportunity arose to become a homeowner without mortgage obligation I moved on it.  It gives me a great sense of satisfaction to feel this path is working for me.  I haven't the safety nets in life one may have as a company man but I like to think I haven't deterred others from - and perhaps have helped some - following their star.   I've not been a tool.
    I have a Scottish friend who says my habits make him look a big spender.  It's true - I can make a penny scream 'bloody murder'.   I've taken limiting expenses as personal challenge and will bring thriftiness and conservatism to the house project.  As a result I'll have a larger cushion rendering me more comfortable and this approach will minimize face time with The Man - working for or buying from Him.  I'll end up spending a good deal of time to save money but expect to be well exercised and feel part our solution in return.   More anti toolism.
    Of course without tools to manipulate our environment we hominids would live rough lives indeed.  I'll be fairly broad in classifying what constitutes a tool.  Probably the most important tools I have at hand are mind and body.  Keeping these ready and able is paramount.   To that end I make sure to keep the basics together - eat, sleep, and exercise well.  Each plays on the other and with all aspects addressed keep mind and body in health -  a strong positive point of departure.  Once in a while here I may stray from issues house - those digressions could be filed 'Primary Tool: Health/Well Being'.
    Sis Kate jokes about writing 'Home Remodeling With Kitchen Utensils' due to her penchant to use whatever's handy to accomplish a task.   I learned this summer an egg beater

makes a great cat shit scraper and am still using my only kitchen knife as utility knife.  You don't want to know what it's cut.

Like her I never care to reach far if possible when working and will attempt to use nearly anything to accomplish a task if it's close at hand and seems like it will manage - butter knife = screwdriver = chisel etc.   This approach stems from and has enriched my belief that the universe provides everything we need.   At the same time results aren't necessarily pretty -  efficacy generally the aim.    Moving I managed to get a few tools to Eugene from LA - some later stolen from the garage - but lost the bulk of my tools when I abandoned my broken down car in Lost Hills, California.   I'm finding a new set here in Eugene.

    Transportation is essential and I've been getting around on an old Schwinn Kate gave me.  Earlier I went over repairing the bike but carrying things while riding can be difficult and dangerous so I began looking for a back rack for the bike.   Kate hearing of my quest passed a front basket on to me that I mounted on the bike - it's great and can carry quite a load.  I had nearly twenty pounds of groceries in it riding two miles back from Winco  - the local cheap super big supermarket.

It is uniquely set up to detach easily from the front of the bike so I can carry basket into store and use while shopping.  Very handy.  The white parts here are the bracket without basket mounted on handlebars of bike.

And here's the basket off the bike.  Lift the handle and the basket lifts off.  The little spur on the handle where it meets the basket on the right locks basket on bracket with handle in down position.  Clever.

Good friend Paul Tarlowe - here at right with Mark, Dylan, Skye - what style!, and myself outside the C&L bar in Wisconsin circa 1980 -

who has been following proceedings house closely from New Jersey also knew I was looking for bike back rack.  He happened to have one that'd worn out it's welcome chez Tarlowe that he'd used on his bike when a student in Eugene - distant history.  He was good enough to ship the rack to me.   Besides adjusting the angle of rack to supports a perfect fit.   I brought bike into house to work on it.  The bike has threaded holes for accessories by the back hub - made for the rack.  The old owner of the house had given me bunches of nails and this bin of screws of all sorts as a peace offering.

I rummaged through the bin for the first time successfully coming up with two screws proper thread and length.  A couple of washers and rack supports: good to go.

The seat height bolt is long enough to accept the addition of rack.

All set.

Crate from St Vinnie's, wired to rack with copper wire from the old panels on the porch,  drilled and screwed pane o' plexi in bottom as fender.

The Lil' Hauler.   I'm ready for a beer.

Now that's a tool!
     One of my earliest acquisitions here in Eugene tool wise this shovel.

Well actually I bought the fiberglass handle - much stronger than wood handles which I always break -

with broken blade and a better blade with remnant of wood handle in it from ReStore for a few bucks.   Took 'em to Kate's shop.  Ground off rivets holding handles in both shovel blades and put fiberglass handle on good blade.  That blade worked well enough but wasn't tempered so soon developed a notch in the tip.  Recently I found a better tempered blade without handle at ReStore.  That's the blade on the shovel in these pix and here with the blade I lately replaced.

I'll keep the old blade for taking roofing off.  Instead of rivets I put a hose clamp 'round the handle at the top of the new blade to keep blade from chewing fiberglass handle - evidence of which you can see in the photo from before I added the clamp - when I'm abusing it.  No problem when I want to switch blades.

I've a good strong shovel now.  I'm a strong guy expecting a lot from the equipment I work with.  The next step in strength here will be a steel handle.
     Square shovel came with Kate's truck.  I've adopted it.

 This ancient hoe came cheap but will need a handle before too long.  More garden anticipation.

Early on I picked up this crosscut saw.

In photographing it I realized it had been heated causing it to lose its temper and allowing it to rust so badly.   It'll cut without temper but not well and not for long.  It'll go back to St. Vinnie's.

No matter I picked up this pruning saw which I will use to cut roots when digging.  The back side will double as crosscut saw when needed.  I gave four bucks for it which I thought was a lot but decided it would save me $4 worth of aggravation.

First using this saw in the front yard it was binding up a lot so I decided to broaden its kerf - the breadth of cut it makes.

There's a pattern of one double tipped clearing tooth followed by four single tipped cutting teeth repeated the length of the saw.   Clearing teeth are straight but cutting teeth are bent slightly outward alternating side to side creating kerf.  I used pliers to bend each tooth out a little more broadening the kerf making for less 'gripping' cutting.  It works well now.  Kerf can be set on most saws but smaller teeth on many saws require a specialized saw tooth setter.
    Hack saw, beam torque wrench, and cordless drill survived LA to Eugene move.  Drill's charger, wire brushes, and bits in a bag live with drill.

These items came with the house.  Both screwdrivers withstanding misuse so far.   Brush I've been using as whisk broom and used the keyhole saw to prep back door for it's new knob - we'll get to that later.  Broom gets used regularly

though often superseded by this small vac I picked up at St. V's for a few bucks.  Worked OK at first but then the belt for its beater began slipping off so I took it apart, added loose fitting washer and nut on end of belt shaft to keep belt on - works fine now.

Of course the big kahuna saw wise is this skill saw purchased at a yard sale.  Three new carbide tipped blades came with it.  A future post will cover sharpening its current non-carbide blade which is dull 'cause I hit a nail with it.

For twenty bucks at the sale I picked up saw & blades, wide putty knife,  the drywall blade below, garden hose, knee pads, particle masks, plastic window winterizing kit.  I got my money's worth.

Another early acquisition I've so far been shy of using though I may do a Bill Viola bit, level bolted to camera as I careen about the floor of the house.  (That's a fine art reference/joke.)

Phillip's head screws abound so I picked up small and large Stanley drivers at ReStore.

 Essential - a few bucks at Goodwill.  Steel handle will tolerate plenty of abuse.

Also essential.  From dollar store - so far so good.

Vise grips came from the same estate sale I got an axe - more later - to save hands and hold whatever securely.  Pulled staples from front room floor with these.

A few more necessary items from ReStore.  Paint scraper uses replaceable single edged razor blade.

Pliers.  My second pair here.  First pair from dollar store while useful not great for precision work.

And a very sharp small tin snip replacing the pair I inherited from my mom's dad stolen from garage.

You'll notice many of these items are photographed on wainscoting from the bathroom.  To save daylight for other projects I set up a 'workbench' - wainscoting on trash barrel - in the garage section of the garage to photograph items.

Cheek by jowl with bike, small wheelbarrow that came with the house,  and $8 lawn mower from St. Vinnie's.  I could tell the mower was older because it had no safety brake at the handle to shut it off when you let go the handle (I hate 'em and usually disable) - a required feature on mowers for at least fifteen years - but there was still paint on the blade so I could tell it hadn't been used much.  Started right up when I got it home and put gas in it.  I've replaced the air filter which was mush from oil and age with a piece of foam I got at St. V's - the mower was gasping for air - so it should run fine next season.   I'll give it an oil change come spring.

And 16' - two eight foot sections - extension ladder I purchased off Craigslist.

To keep the whole shebang on the road Kate loaned me this slow cooker.  Pan comes off heating plate so one can use other pots on it.  I've been eating one pot meals a long time so this has been perfect in my garage apartment.   I can run it, heater, television, and lights simultaneously without flipping a breaker - I like that.  Brown rice, lentils, and corn anyone?

Enough for now.   I'll cover axe, jacks, plus a few other items in the next post. Peace     d