I needed a project

[electra225]

I was driving the wife nuts, saying I needed something to do, a project. "You could repaint the patio furniture if you want something to do." Sure. How much work would a 36' glass-top table and two chairs be? Piece of cake, my dear.

I don't remember what color the patio set was originally, but it was pretty much rust and dust in its present condition. I took it all apart, down to the last nut and bolt. The glass for the table top was in a ring, retained by four brackets for the legs and four plastic doodads intended to remove stress from the edge of the glass between the leg supports. I found the glass was too big to exit the ring around it. They just have put the glass in the two halves of the ring, then welded the ring closed. So, I had to tape off the glass and leave it in the ring. I painted half the ring, then moved the glass to the other side and painted the first side. The "pretty" paint is Bright Teal straight from ACE hardware, the black trim paint is Rustoleum, which takes forever to dry. So, I'll paint one side of the trim today, the other side tomorrow. The wife has new cushions for the chairs, so it will look fresh when I get it put back together. I took pictures on my phone of how it goes together just in case I have a senior moment. This has been a nice little project. I'll share pictures when I get it done.

[19&41]

Good luck!

[William]

My luck, I would break the glass.

Bill

[electra225]

I still have time to do that. I don't have the project done yet....

[William]

My advice, happy wife, happy life, so don't blow it.

Bill

[electra225]

I reserved the right to mess the whole thing up, in which case we will go to Lowes or the HD and get another set. This is probably what we should have done to start with, if I'm being honest......

I won't buy anymore Rustoleum paint. That stuff still isn't dry. The can says 2-5 hours drying time. Closer to 25 hours dry time. That's ridiculous. I sprayed the parts on a piece of cardboard. I put it in the shop to dry. Now it's on top of the record cabinet in the den. Maybe it will dry better there. Jeez.....

[Motorola minion]

Its easy around the Mid'lantic, driven inside by muddy or cold, to do any project inside, especially if the house is 150 years old. Unless recreation is involved, I hate getting wet. A sunny, cold, windless day is a welcome change but that was LAST weekend, its 55 today! While others of us are snow-weary, my snow blower STILL sits behind a crowd of stuff in the garage-barn. There has been no reason to get it out and its NOT a pleasant temp in that unheated space to move the consoles etc. around to access it.

I had been installing lights out there the last few weeks on and off, rewiring switches and then driven inside by cold, continued to install/move lights/receptacles in my basement while rearranging about a half dozen pre-1932 high boy console radios so they can be admired along with new shelving to display six pre-SS color portable TVs while there is a jig/bench for EVEN older 21" round color TV work in that same corner in the basement.

The old limestone and rubble walls around this old part had been plastered originally. After the outside yard-foundation water issues were addressed, I later Drylock-painted and resembles and iced white cake in texture, smooth yet lumpy. This is a most cozy space for woodwork at one end and TV/radio at the other. No console work here, too easy to hear through the old wide plank floors. The wife loves her first floor laundry in the addition 4 years now, especially after having to use appliances down there for 20 years Now its just a 1950 Philco refrigerator in place of the washer/dryer.

Upstairs, I'm putting the finishing touches on a low-hours, mostly original 1962 RCA color set in blonde (limed oak) finish. That TV is leaving for Firedome's in April or so after a FULL recapping to find matching furniture (its an outcast among all the Mahogany/cherry/walnut here).

Last night in the addition part of the cozy basement, I just pulled out tubes to test of several items of Magnavox equipment for some customer/friends tube consoles that includes AMP-175, AMP-96, 55 and 59 series tuner/preamps. Power supply caps, if Mallory (code 240), will get the reform test if possible, reducing $$ of restoration. If not, open caps get replaced and all wax bombs/etc due to patience afforded in hibernation. An order went to V-M yesterday for motor mount grommets and cartridges for the Pre-micromatic changers.

An old house full of projects sure keeps me going.

Good Luck and happy almost spring to "youse all" out there.

[William]

Well, we are far from spring here on the west coast of Michigan, but, I appreciate the wishes for it. With all the stuff you have going on, do you take time to get some sleep? I know, now being retired, I'm not sure I could ever go back to that kind of pace anymore. I'm sure old age has something to do with it as well.

Bill

[19&41]

I spent two winters doing route work up and down the state, and across western and central Michigan. I don't miss it 'tall.

[electra225]

We are in the middle of our last cold spell for the winter right now. Highs here in the 60's is frigid cold. And it's really too cold to do much outside when it is only in the 60's. I know you guys in really cold country find this incredible, but the humidity is low, so it feels colder here. In the 90's around here is just about right, with single-digit humidity. The 90's back where you guys are with 90% humidity is right down unpleasant and many times dangerous heat. We got enough rain here yesterday that the construction people didn't work (these guys work like politicians. ANY excuse not to work is a good excuse! ) and enough to almost settle the dust. .03 inches according to the weather babe on Channel 15. It made the news since every TV station in the Valley had a reporter stationed at a water puddle, watching the cars splash water. They wouldn't even mention that small amount in Missouri. They would say it sprinkled and that we got a "trace" with that little amount.

[19&41]

Here's a project....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA5qEVA ... =DIGITALRC

[electra225]

I have the patio set back together. I did not break the glass top! Actually, it went back together pretty smoothly. We need to find pads for it yet, but we haven't found any we like. I took pictures with my camera and as soon as I get them on the computer, I'll share those.

[TC Chris]

Yesterday here in northern lower I woke up to temps in the 30s--a heat wave. The sun was shining through thin clouds. I rode the bike to work. The forecast for "rain showers" likely meant a sprinkle here or there. Well, by 4:00 it was pouring and 54 degrees out. It kept raining seriously. Luckily, my boss was there supervising repair of the printer so when that was done I hitched a ride home with her. She lives down the alley. I went back and retrieved the bike before 11 when the rain had stopped.

By this morning the temps had dropped 30 degrees to 24. But that's still above 20, and pretty warm by Feb. standards, so I rode the bike to work again. Minor snow during the day, but no problem. The problem was that by the time I was headed home the temp was 21 degrees and the wind was howling from the north. The temperature ain't the problem, it's the wind. A cold wind makes the eyes water badly so it's hard to see. On a bike, you want to be able to see the cars. In the event of conflict, they win. And wouldn't you know, the first and third legs of my trip were due north. So now we take the wind speed and add the bike speed. Yup, eyes all blurry.

Then at home it was time for the after-work hike. I do it every day. When something is a routine, you don't have to make decisions. You just do it. With a north wind I added layers of exercise garb. 5 on top, 2 on bottom, with knitted cap and hood over it on top, plus earmuff-headphones for the little Sony SRF-59 FM radio. 3-1/2 miles later, back home, it's about 19 degrees. But I was warm. Headed to single digits tonight. Last week the city told me to run a stream of water full-time until April. They adjust the bill. The hard part is remembering not to turn that faucet off after using it.

It's be warmer one of these days. It's usually light enough not to have the bike lights flashing when I commute, and on the hike I don't have to use the handheld LED flasher until the last third of the trip.

Chris Campbell

[William]

All I can say, Chris, is Brrr....


Bill

[Firedome]

We've had a real see-saw like Dave above. Several days near or above 50, with warm rain yesterday that melted all of the remains of the 9" of snow and ice that was left from the storm a few weeks ago. The warmth left last night with high winds and temps dropping 35 degrees to teens and snow squalls this morning, More cold for tomorrow, but back to the 40s and 50s by Monday. and 50s until beyond Wednesday.

On Wednesday we depart for a Florida Key (Tierra Verde) where the wife's sister lives. I'll no doubt spend part of every day in her pool that she heats to 92 degrees. Swimming is about the only form of exercise I really like, I'd absolutely kill for a heated pool here. Her built-in hot-tub at one end is kept at 102, and that water pours into shallow end of the main pool to keep the temp up there.

I love tropical climates and every year when we visit in winter I swear we're moving down but we'd have to sell our VT place, and summer in FL is exactly when you'd want to be in VT... no easy answers.

[William]

Roger, have a good time, and, soak up some sun and warm temps for me.

Bill