What did you make today?

[Griff]

The first tools up are the ones I actually use, so the western saws are still lying around until I find a home for them. The Japanese saws are so easy to use, I can't find a reason to ever get the others out.

[xoxoxoBruce]

That, Sir, is a beautiful thing!

[Griff]

Originally Posted by glatt

Nice!

I don't see a single western saw. Aren't those Japanese saws awesome? The one I have is the only saw I use. My grandfather's western saws are all hanging there, but never get used.

I just realized there is a vintage Rockwell circular on the shelf. That's pretty western... although I use a Makita.

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

That, Sir, is a beautiful thing!

Thanks, I'll have to take a real picture sometime my tablet is handy but the photos are kinda crap.

This project started because I needed a vise... I got a nice PA made Littlestown 25 but then I needed a place to mount it. Snowball effect.

[glatt]

Makes me temped to organize my space better.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Some of the greatest things have been created in preparation for building something else.

[Griff]

Definitely worth the time glatt. It would be a great father-son project. I get so pissed off when I can't find a tool that this should support my zen as well.

[Sundae]

"When life hands you lemons..."
Well if Life handed me lemons I'd wonder why an American magazine had tracked me down.
But as unwaxed lemons were very, very cheap at work - even before staff discount - I bought them.

Mum is having the girls over in February. I've been planning this for ages, but it's been delayed for one reason or another, not least the festive season taking a month out of many of their social calendars.
Five ladies who work shifts aren't all that easy to pin down.
And ladies that work for the Police are trained not to be pinned down anyway.

So I had in mind to make preserved lemons.
I didn't actually squish the first ones down hard enough - there shouldn't be as much space in the jar - I got seven in though. Still, it meant I had enough lemons left to make some Limoncello.
This is the very beginning, where the lemon zest is steeped in alcohol.
American recipes call for a much higher alcohol volume; European recipes tend towards vodka. I think it's just what you can get hold of. There's a litre of vodka right there. Not even a cheeky sip missing.

The preserved lemons need time to maserate.
Which I had to look up. Micturate I got. Masturbate, masticate, eviscerate...
FTR, to soften or break into pieces. Especially when using liquid to absorb flavours. You scrape off the pulp you see, when using them.

The Limoncello is already yellowing.
I hope it will acquire a bright yellow hue, as this will be softened slightly when the sugar syrup is added.
I should get 1.5 to 2 litres of liqueur.
And no, Limoncello is not typically Moroccan.
(If I didn't say here then I'm sure I did elsewhere that this will be the loose theme of the evening) but they fit well with the preserved lemons, which are.

Now I need to find some 100-150ml bottles for them to take some Limoncello home with them. There will be at least one driver, and possibly two. And as it's a digestif, those that are drinking might not appreciate my amazingness by that point. Hope it's amazing.

I've sourced them at about £20.00 so far.
Sod that.
I've already bought the lamb, dried apricots, couscous, hajib (for me), vodka, lemons etc.
It's been over the last few months and I do it because I love it. I am a frustrated dinner party hostess/ events organiser.
And Mum always offers to pay and really means it.
But if she was in charge of the budget we'd have a slap up roast chicken dinner that no-one would ever talk about again and where's the fun in that?

This way she gets to relax and enjoy her friends' company.
I get to play with things I really, really enjoy.
I earn my keep.
And honestly, her friends do talk about it for ages.
Winner, winner, Moroccan dinner.

[glatt]

Another snow day today. I had to do something with myself, so I decided to make some wheel chocks. I had been wedging bricks against the tires when jacking up the car, but that didn't give me too much confidence.

[footfootfoot]

Sweet! a half pipe for GI Joes.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Don't forget the rope handles so you can yank them quickly and get clear, when the fighter pilots scramble.

[Griff]

You got a Boeing 777 in your basement?

[footfootfoot]

Overbuilders Anonymous.

"Hi my name is Glatt and I'm an overbuilder."

Hi Glatt!

[glatt]

Yep. Did I mention that last weekend my car rolled off of the jack as I was lowering it? I had just put the wheel back on with the lug nuts finger tight, and as I was lowering it, it just slowly rolled forward and off the jack. Scared the crap out of me. The brick I was using as a wheel chock did nothing because I apparently had it on the uphill side of the wheel and not the downhill side of the wheel. I had had the car in neutral with the parking brake off because I wanted to spin the wheel to check this one caliper that was slightly rubbing the rotor. (I cleaned it and greased the caliper sliding pin and it's better now.)

Anyway, nothing got hurt and it just came down faster than I meant it to, but it made me wish I had some proper wheel chocks.

Operator error was entirely to blame, but having these massive chocks will be a visual reminder to secure the damn car so it can't roll. They are 6 inches tall and match the curvature of the wheels pretty closely.

[footfootfoot]

[Gravdigr]

Originally Posted by glatt

The brick I was using as a wheel chock did nothing because I apparently had it on the uphill side of the wheel and not the downhill side of the wheel.

Please learn the difference. We don't want to read about no Glattsplatt.