eccc whippet

My parcel arrived this morning...now to see if the 700x28 fit in the frame.

Needed to replace a tyre...shopped around...the prices at CWC couldnt be beaten (R350 for 700x25 gatoskins)by a long shot...so i have decided to buy 4 which includes free shipping So i am trying something new...buying online. So far it has been a simple experience...log in...add to basket...checkout...it takes you to the bank...no need for a credit card number...on the CWC site you log into your bank account...do an eft and bingo an sms informing me my parcel is on it way...done in 5 minutes...wow lets see how quick the parcel arrives.

not visibility related...however safety related. Been witnessing a lot of accidents lately...again today a person lost control of the bicycle and went off the road into the gutter and down...same injuries as most of the others...face...shoulder and knee. In our club we have a card with all our details...next of kin...contact details and medical aid if we have it. I would strongly advise you either get a card if the club offers one...or simply print and laminate one with all the details...especially a number or 2 to contact if you fall or get injured. Even if you ride with the same people everyday...but more important if you ride with different groups. If you are like me and have a serious reaction to a bee sting...make sure you have an allergex pill or whatever it is you need to pop in case of emergency. It is cold out there and if you fall there is a good chase you gona get the shakes...make sure you re prepared...some might say...more crap to carry...your choice...then make sure you dont fall.

a nail gun is very handy tool to have...i am busy with my pub build and all the panels around the pub are nailed...i have a hilti GX 120 to nail the studs to the wall and a pneumatic nailer to secure the planks to the studs...the nailer stopped shooting nails...took it in for repairs nobody can fix it...now i now what it like not to have a nailer...certainly going to be investing in a new one.

you are right about the dust getting into everything...even if you do the wood work outside,,,it still seems to get on everything inside the workshop...all my machine stay in their boxes in closed cupboards and the ones which stay out...get covered with sheets. all my hand tools hang in 100 mm deep cupboards which can close and lock. another issue...metal table tops...like the band saw...jointer...etc...they seem to rust real quick...i use floor polish to keep them smooth and rust free (tried car polish...doesnt seem to work as well)...it is a weekly chore ( if anyone has a better option...please share) if you dont keep up the maintenance the surfaces start to pit and then you have to literally machine the tops flat again.

one bonus about making your own presents...you get to have fun making them...then you dont have to blow tons of cash of presents. one year i made 100 planters and went around to old age homes to hand them out to people who didnt have visitors. what an absolutely terrible task...will never do it again...i left there with a massive dent in my heart...i thought it would make me feel good about doing something nice for the people ...instead i felt so *** meeting these old people who have nothing left and nobody to visit them...they were so happy someone had bought a gift...i think i will make them again this year...but get some else to hand them out.

sponsors create confusion... going back to bass fishing...people would rave about certain products because the "pros" use them...what a lot of people dont realise...those products are replaced and upgraded all the time...and the person has to use the product because they get paid to...if you want to know what works the best...follow the people who pay for their own tools. i am seeing the same trend with youtube...diresta is a good example...now being sponosred by dewalt...i dont know that he enjoys using some of the tools...but does because he is now being paid a good sum of money...i am sure if he had the choice he would still continue using his painted white machines ...not saying there is anything wrong with dewalt when the wood whisperer got rid of his festool chop saw and replaced it with a bosch one...that must have come with a hefty price tag (sponsorship) ....anyone who unloads a festool must be collecting some good revenue. some tools just work better than others...the only way to figue it out is to use them a lot...for example i am huge hilti fan (even though i am peed off with them because they no longer service all their tools) ...when i to comes to site work ... the makita chipping tool works way better than the hilti intended for that purpose...taking weight and efficiency into account.

hours wasted sifting through absolute rubbish...adverts and finally i found another decent channel with a "skilled craftman" with decent quality information. been watching Jimmy diresta for a long time...also well worth your attention...who is now sponsored by dewalt...but i see he still uses his makita (painted white equipment) when he gets a chance. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiEk4xHBbz0hZNIBBpowdYQ social media has learnt that the most valuable asset on this earth...is your ATTENTION...boy does it know how to waste it. with adverts at the beginning...now during and recently getting the host to promote products. please share if you know any quality channels worth viewing.

i have learnt a few things recently...and i thought by the time i get to 50 i would know everything will try keep it brief. battery powered tools... plugged in my 18 makita battery and the charger red light starting flashing and making a different noise...indicating battery faulty...man if you use battery machines you will know they dont come cheap...i went and bought a new one and back to work we went....a couple months later...another battery starting doing the same thing...off to the shop again and another R999 paid out for a new 3 amp/hr battery...i use these batteries a lot. so i did some research...then dropped the 2 faulty ones off at makita and requested they test the battery...the report indicated that they were both "-----" ...one had done 276 charge cycles and the other 235 charge cycles...a makita 18 volt battery can do a lot more than 300 charger before it is "---" ...however nobody wants to share the exact figue...they just mention around 350 maybe more. something you need to know if a warranty claim is required...they will first check the charge cycles...no matter how new or old the battery is. a charge cycle is every time you charge the battery...if you run it flat then fully recharge it or just top it up after using it for a couple of minutes...it is calculated as 1 cycle. so i got my tester out and tested the voltage of the 2 faulty batteries...one was completely "---" dead 0 volts...the other displayed 13 volts...so I did some more googling...to see if you can revive the battery...you can attempt to...though it is not recommended...it is as simple as putting a jumper between a fully charged battery and the faulty unit...i am not going to go into detail but if you search the www you will find more info. there could be a number of reasons why my battery dropped below the threshold...the newer makita machines have a star on the machine and the battery...my older machines dont...so if i drain the battery by running the machine for too long the battery voltage could drop below the charger voltage threshold...which could indicate the battery is faulty...a quick 5 min jumper could boost the voltage enough to above the charge voltage threshold and the battery could recharge and be back in use. however the battery which indicated 0 volts...i wouldnt even consider doing it because it could cause a fire.

I needed a place to store braai stuff outside...with a counter to put the stuff while cooking the meat...a few scraps of plywood in the storeroom...the next one will be made with better wood and will be deeper.

While doing some electrical work at a customers house...she asked me if I could make a bench with drawers and boxes for school bags etc to put at the entrance...this was the result

Needed an place to store Shyte and rest my arm in the transporter...dug in the scrap box and this was the result.

Eventually got smart and attached a piece of PVC pipe so didn't have to spend the day on my knees...made the mistake of adding a 3 rd coat of Bourne gleem...bubbles everywhere [emoji57]

Happy wife ...happy life [emoji6]

Entertainment area coming along slowly...everything is built from scraps of wood.

i was just messing with you okes...if there is one thing i dont do is skimp when i comes to buying tools.

i could do a group set upgrade on my bicycle for that price.

belonging to a woodcrafters club in your area has its benefits...the majority of the members are generally old and have more tools than they know what to do with them.

rocket man...i would have drilled holes through each piece of wood and used a 25 mm bit to counter sink the end ones so that the nuts where flush...then pushed the threaded rod through the holes the glued up all the pieces and tightened it...left the threaded rod in the table top and plugged the holes.

cheap threaded rod ... fit big washers and you can join the threaded rod to make it even longer if you need them longer then 3 metres...or you can cut them shorter if you need a couple short ones.

i have just added some thin silver reflective tape to my spokes...places like the pedal shaft and seat post to the treksta...it will be interesting to see how effective it is tomorrow morning. i might even put some on ol miss daisy because she is going out for a critical mass ride tonight in Durban.

what i have done is made a pile of templates the same size using mdf ...which i attach to a sheet then just run the router over all the little templates which drop out the bottom as the cut is finished...it prevents the " blow out" when routing against the grain. dont we all wish we had a cnc router...i went to the maker space to see what they are all about...they have 3 D printers...lazer cutters and CNC routers which you can use if you are a member...at a fee...but the cost gets a bit hectic especially if you gona do a pile of stuff...i thought it might be a good option when making templates... but getting metal templates laser cut at a company i use is still the cheapest option...no cad drawing required...they just scan the rough cut item i make... the lady modifies the drawing cleans it up and makes sure all the dimensions are correct and even...then she converts it to suit their system...2 day later i collect the product.

I was also breaking band saw blades...they break on the weld when trying to cut sharp corners...I setup a big router with a 16 mm template guide...8 or 10 mm bit...made a template slightly bigger and cut out a few steps and the finish is cleaner. Just be very careful when going against the grain...it can smash the project.

I found a makita planner/ thicknesser in a pawn shop almost brand new...looked hectic because someone tried to push wet planks through it...took it home and cleaned it up...one of the most used machines in my workshop.

those drill bits are the best for drilling big holes.....the only problem i have is drilling through plywood...they smash out the bottom...so instead i made a few templates and plunge route the holes.