tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91113037182321024182024-03-19T04:52:19.522-04:00Spasms of AccommodationReduce, Reuse, Recluse: RepeatBeachtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13792937145012547220noreply@blogger.comBlogger516125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111303718232102418.post-2776425461462447572020-03-14T15:45:00.003-04:002020-03-14T15:45:47.637-04:00Stay RationalI made a sticker of my blog motto in case anybody needs to advertise their commitment to social isolation. You can download it and print as needed. But if you sell this I will hunt you down and rip your arm hair out with duct tape.<br />
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<iframe height="480" src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Mo1eYuOqai_NlBIdWTgVLNPLPKi8NbCn/preview" width="640"></iframe>Beachtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13792937145012547220noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111303718232102418.post-42662249615690015532020-02-27T23:26:00.000-05:002020-02-27T23:26:00.214-05:00New Motor Who Dis?My 12 year old impact driver seemed worn out so I replaced the motor. That fixed it. This is called cutting to the chase. Here's a link to the part I used. <a href="https://www.ereplacementparts.com/motor-service-assembly-p-225509.html">Motor Service Assembly 23-30-0090</a>.<br />
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I did some more research into the physics of what exactly is happening in an aging motor. As far as I can tell the issue is that the windings in the motor have a failure of the insulation. They get crammed with carbon dust or other conductive crud which lowers the insulation resistance and pulls more current from the battery. This is why you aren't supposed to use compressed air to blow out a motor housing. All these extra amps are burned up as heat instead of turning into torque. This is basic Ohm's Law logic. Motors are supposed to have a really high insulation resistance. When it starts to fall off then the motor no longer does the same amount of work with the given voltage. None of the sources I found come right out and say this. But that's the manifestation of the issue for me in particular.<br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">My research did reveal that the smell I associate with my grandmother's old Sunbeam mixer creaming butter and sugar for pound cake is actually ozone and vaporized graphite. When my impact driver started making that smell it made me hungry for pound cake, but in fact it should've told me the brushes were breaking down. I always thought worn brushes manifested as an on/off problem. Apparently this other failure mode is also common.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">There's a film that forms on the commutator made of copper and carbon and water vapor. It requires the exact right amount of current and humidity to make this protective film that is constantly broken down and reformed. I expect my very humid climate and only using my tool occasionally made it prone to over-filming which lowered the resistance even more, burning off even more of my current as heat, running down my battery really fast without delivering enough torque to get the job done. And also making that smell that makes me think of butter and vanilla.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I have a lot of tools now that are brushless, substituting permanent magnets and microcontrollers for carbon contacts. I will miss the sense memory of my grandmother's kitchen, but I don't have a lot of patience for a tool that won't turn a screw hard enough to pull the work together.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I made a video to show what it's like change the motor in one of these tools. I could've edited it to make it look like I didn't screw it up, but I think that sends the wrong message. Everybody ends up with a part leftover. You have to accept that anything you take apart you're going to have to take it apart again at least once to put back something you missed. Shooting video of the whole thing really helps you figure out exactly where you screwed up.</span><br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fWoRHBaklx4?start=129" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />Beachtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13792937145012547220noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111303718232102418.post-48116657017190457682020-02-27T23:15:00.003-05:002020-03-01T11:46:29.027-05:00Live Oak Tripod KnobI've sort of forgotten about my blog. I think I'll use it more. I've been doing a lot of YouTube videos and putting way too much information in the description. I should go ahead and put it on my blog.<br />
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So here's one. I broke the knob on my good tripod. I made a new knob out of some live oak I harvested from the woods from a long dead snag that has weathered down the the hard hard heart.<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yXLwRdtpT7k" width="560"></iframe>
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I made this last week and used it for several days but today I pushed on it too hard and it slid back on the stem and the glue failed and it spins freely now. So now I'm going to make another, better one. I'll likely make another video and add it here.<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5KNKieGDcB4" width="560"></iframe><br />
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This time instead of cutting a knob out of a big blank I found a piece of weathered wood an appropriate diameter. I sliced it and drilled a hole only partway through this time. I polished the sides with nylon brushes on the drill press. I had to drill another smaller hole through the top to let the air out when I epoxied the stem into the knob. I broke two knobs in the process. Glad I started two more after I broke the first one. I think this is going to be a satisfactory knob.<br />
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While I was making a big mess on the drill press I polished up several more blanks that I cut at the same time. If anybody wants to try some of this wood to make something I have some ready to sell. Just need to photograph it and weigh it to calculate shipping and I can list it on Etsy.Beachtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13792937145012547220noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111303718232102418.post-25340927686082400662019-10-13T03:42:00.000-04:002019-10-13T16:22:27.671-04:00Longleaf Pine Needles: A Closer LookWe've been having a drought. It didn't rain all of September. The pine trees in my yard have been throwing down needles. I got <a href="http://www.spasmsofaccommodation.com/2019/09/pine-straw-rake-review.html">a special rake</a> just to deal with it. After I used my new rake and got the ground all nice and clean more pine straw fell. I decided to pick it up more carefully and <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/742828745/longleaf-pine-needles-conditioned-in?ref=shop_home_active_3&frs=1">sell it for crafts</a>. I made a sample basket just to use in my photo of the needles.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSbumQaFMiBz_Jh-4mHRhWrWvXmyp6tsPSLeYSj23n1rp7Bl-Lh8LWlhcy6hunurr_JfW7oR3b7DE-eLr1f1ifPFibYhI_fE9jf5uqXpkAGg7vZa9jiuTEm_5eRBMvcaQv9c_fCu_y-as/s1600/PineNeedles+-+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSbumQaFMiBz_Jh-4mHRhWrWvXmyp6tsPSLeYSj23n1rp7Bl-Lh8LWlhcy6hunurr_JfW7oR3b7DE-eLr1f1ifPFibYhI_fE9jf5uqXpkAGg7vZa9jiuTEm_5eRBMvcaQv9c_fCu_y-as/s640/PineNeedles+-+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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One problem with picking up pine straw one at a time by hand is chiggers. I have several chigger bites right now and I haven't been in the woods at all. All I've done is pick up pine straw from my lawn. I'd be mortified if somebody got a chigger bite from a package I sent them. So I boil the pine straw in a concoction containing glycerin. Then I leave it in there overnight to cool off. Then I rinse the needles well and dry them in the sun. Repeat.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnunb0bCh8j3pfESnP3PgK-U0z7PPamU7Y9MX_FvjvoOXZwLG2UvK7ZS75Wu7UMeYHH8EB62NKEFgs9KcVESzxP4LU-yTQzjtazi0kIZ6NkgKYpezLDELncum9E3ODlL7F9aZB96cwagk/s1600/NeedlesInProgress+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1310" data-original-width="1600" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnunb0bCh8j3pfESnP3PgK-U0z7PPamU7Y9MX_FvjvoOXZwLG2UvK7ZS75Wu7UMeYHH8EB62NKEFgs9KcVESzxP4LU-yTQzjtazi0kIZ6NkgKYpezLDELncum9E3ODlL7F9aZB96cwagk/s400/NeedlesInProgress+-+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boil it up</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Yesterday when I was picking up the day's batch of pine straw I found 2 odd ones. They had 4 needles instead of the usual three. Then today I found 2 more odd ones. They had 2 needles. I decided I needed to look at these up close. Here is what I learned.<br />
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<ol>
<li>The rough feeling edges are a badass row of spines angled toward the very sharp pointy tip.</li>
<li>Three needle bundles are a neat triangular packing scenario. But four comes out as an overlapping pinwheel arrangement. The 2 needle one has cup shaped needles and a hole up the middle</li>
<li>Longleaf pine needles are a helix and the number of needles = the number of turns</li>
<li>The 4 needle pine straws are heavier per unit length than the 3 needle ones. Comparing individual needles I mean. It's not just that there's an extra one</li>
</ol>
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Questions that remain unanswered:</div>
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<ol>
<li>What happens that makes some pine straws have a different number of needles? Is it a recessive gene?</li>
<li>What makes the gene expression happen? Chaos?</li>
<li>Is it the same thing as three leaf clovers having 4 leaves sometimes?</li>
<li>How come the number of turns in the helix equals the number of needles in the bundle? This is not a Fibonacci sequence. It's something else. Nothing I could find about helix math addresses this inside shape business.</li>
<li>Why did I only find one paper with a cross section image of a pine needle? And it was from New Zealand. Come on!</li>
</ol>
<div>
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Here are some images from my toy USB microscope</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjFmXdKMskwdq5PmIxj1Aw0b6L5od1Nfu1P70vGyVL3uNGpj2zjApu_Gq83Eq9dirFM2reB1iqqWM-KAIYFruqXbxiBCuf3Ho03-HaNPsrwz00XrY-aOwjJwDXml2wF-XRFsFsitdQ_Q/s1600/Pointy+Tip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjFmXdKMskwdq5PmIxj1Aw0b6L5od1Nfu1P70vGyVL3uNGpj2zjApu_Gq83Eq9dirFM2reB1iqqWM-KAIYFruqXbxiBCuf3Ho03-HaNPsrwz00XrY-aOwjJwDXml2wF-XRFsFsitdQ_Q/s640/Pointy+Tip.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sharp tip of a 3 needle pine straw, 10x</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6YLmSM76vBFF6B7XvPhLX1uLiKw0kAWJHcRIjv8fHpLDprjg1uwDPWReETLmBBNMudZvZn0aD0RLIaBwXPkKAG83QfO-vOZpUsjGDAyYXMseuG1-ovMn-F-OGfcL5KDxjwrvfwlH-414/s1600/3+strand+60x.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6YLmSM76vBFF6B7XvPhLX1uLiKw0kAWJHcRIjv8fHpLDprjg1uwDPWReETLmBBNMudZvZn0aD0RLIaBwXPkKAG83QfO-vOZpUsjGDAyYXMseuG1-ovMn-F-OGfcL5KDxjwrvfwlH-414/s1600/3+strand+60x.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spinose margin of a 3 needle pine straw, 60x</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6PS2AgysndK6l-vRFiW7dX6o3ce0SXePYg8WGtj_f9cAOqN6LB8o9SKIwyFEGWilyUdVcobxoDQMiaiwClDiZaNfKI6xanZ9LRAjGymAvKAtY2PdOlBCXRAKCpaX1WY49sAIQLg9qZMU/s1600/4+Needle+back+side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6PS2AgysndK6l-vRFiW7dX6o3ce0SXePYg8WGtj_f9cAOqN6LB8o9SKIwyFEGWilyUdVcobxoDQMiaiwClDiZaNfKI6xanZ9LRAjGymAvKAtY2PdOlBCXRAKCpaX1WY49sAIQLg9qZMU/s640/4+Needle+back+side.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cup shaped back side of a needle from a 2 needle pine straw, 10x</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXBE0d0I3ss2-EzwqhiTjhOdfdLo7HhyphenhyphenN9jErl5wyfvsnp4Vdr9sJXAcnJ88KMuHjLdVOhimpW9rWFafN0Y2UmaYQ74ENy1gkB4A6UJS1PT59_Uv-2ADTgqGckaeGFmYyJman-lrE5gEM/s1600/3+Needle+backside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXBE0d0I3ss2-EzwqhiTjhOdfdLo7HhyphenhyphenN9jErl5wyfvsnp4Vdr9sJXAcnJ88KMuHjLdVOhimpW9rWFafN0Y2UmaYQ74ENy1gkB4A6UJS1PT59_Uv-2ADTgqGckaeGFmYyJman-lrE5gEM/s640/3+Needle+backside.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying-to-be-a-triangle back side of a 3 needle pine straw, 10x</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYV6IIVW-B0LJxEqg5Am2ohzZi4HbziEjdiBRvIBOJ_B46EPyJKs2ElxEMghGSJcaNuMWRwABsp3Pisa5i_fsyaw-k_PVK18br5YD2KPRPoW-ABy6sfS9PsZ_IFmVc36925zyokLbIDuM/s1600/Two+Strand+Pine+Needle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYV6IIVW-B0LJxEqg5Am2ohzZi4HbziEjdiBRvIBOJ_B46EPyJKs2ElxEMghGSJcaNuMWRwABsp3Pisa5i_fsyaw-k_PVK18br5YD2KPRPoW-ABy6sfS9PsZ_IFmVc36925zyokLbIDuM/s640/Two+Strand+Pine+Needle.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giant ridge on the back of a needle from a 4 needle pine straw, 10x</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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<div>
Here's some cross section images taken with my phone with a Moment Macro lens</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3e8Wg7kGX8ncVq1vcXhCNU2webtagFpuwhyphenhyphen6K49L7e5V_dcWZFWyvoPzy0pMeyRD4IuLiPDm8nj-TVVec1-7voCCvGcE098lz4sELVj-vMZG1owLfPPXeHOhSwAmH4nLl5oPWUuUzbk/s1600/Cross+Sections+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3e8Wg7kGX8ncVq1vcXhCNU2webtagFpuwhyphenhyphen6K49L7e5V_dcWZFWyvoPzy0pMeyRD4IuLiPDm8nj-TVVec1-7voCCvGcE098lz4sELVj-vMZG1owLfPPXeHOhSwAmH4nLl5oPWUuUzbk/s640/Cross+Sections+-+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sections sliced with a razor blade in a drop of water</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTVQSI6WlWh_-EMQVyjoFFrG0OJdK7zobAo268zrL5Raw0fGGYHcFR6BecKmqX9IWnH_HMVMVSRPot3SKJ7SPaTq4y3caD3_DaUVz9SYu3krERVSMr1qR3FyPO49aUxoIGPDGP1wMkLbA/s1600/Cross+Sections+-+1+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTVQSI6WlWh_-EMQVyjoFFrG0OJdK7zobAo268zrL5Raw0fGGYHcFR6BecKmqX9IWnH_HMVMVSRPot3SKJ7SPaTq4y3caD3_DaUVz9SYu3krERVSMr1qR3FyPO49aUxoIGPDGP1wMkLbA/s640/Cross+Sections+-+1+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sections through the fascicle, held together with thread and hot glue.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The helical design of the n=2 pine needles I looked at came out with decreasing pitch with the increase in number of needles.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
2 needle straw, 9 1/2" long/2 turns = 4.75" pitch</div>
<div>
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<div>
3 needle straw, 10" long/3 turns = 3.33" pitch</div>
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<div>
4 needle straw, 12" long/4 turns = 3" pitch</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I could examine n=15+ of 3 needles pine straws and see if pitch is consistent or if number of turns is consistent over various lengths. I'm guessing the number of turns is the same and pitch will vary with the length of the needle. But it was obvious just looking at them that the 4 needle straw is a higher pitch helix. A lot of needles I pick up seem to be more twisted though. I should see if I can tell what is different about them. I usually don't keep those as the flatter ones are nicer for coiling into a basket.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Finally I was curious about the mass per length. The 4 needle straws just feel chunkier.<br />
<div>
<br />
<div>
12" of pine needle: 4" x 3 of a three needle straw = 0.14 g </div>
<div>
vs 3" x 4 of a four needle straw = 0.16 g</div>
<div>
(Sorry for using inches instead of cm. I measured off this cutting mat marked in inches. 12" = 30.48 cm)</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQsFzfvpwCUn18JBhvsell-tsTnN1_09PKcsUFRyTPDcwO8MNtaRs5Ilq6HaqvGat2OGXQADDlj9oeLtlhAgn3Dzlddzn4NntntRKWGffjxR7DWUMB_ggHtRFKOiaDnZtnTJno5Hqx3LI/s1600/lengths+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQsFzfvpwCUn18JBhvsell-tsTnN1_09PKcsUFRyTPDcwO8MNtaRs5Ilq6HaqvGat2OGXQADDlj9oeLtlhAgn3Dzlddzn4NntntRKWGffjxR7DWUMB_ggHtRFKOiaDnZtnTJno5Hqx3LI/s320/lengths+-+1.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3 needle straw = 0.0046 g/cm</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgse2kb8YtmVrvHIaX0o0pgT_lSkjkhkxo8FpN04DW7rNHSx7dxZ27CYK0EhTZzJUKDfpOontKSYmU6l0412ZDPnN0TbRDQy7KkynUW83Tlu4IYyKM61GublMBuGYVm9A8nMwkMUVHMenQ/s1600/lengths+-+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgse2kb8YtmVrvHIaX0o0pgT_lSkjkhkxo8FpN04DW7rNHSx7dxZ27CYK0EhTZzJUKDfpOontKSYmU6l0412ZDPnN0TbRDQy7KkynUW83Tlu4IYyKM61GublMBuGYVm9A8nMwkMUVHMenQ/s320/lengths+-+2.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4 needle straw = 0.0052 g/cm</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
This is rather meaningless with a scale only precise to 0.05 grams, but I just felt like the 4 needle straw was so much beefier I wanted to know if it was the individual needles or if it was an illusion because there was one extra.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I drew my observations so I could remember what I learned. If I find more of these aberrant pine straws I'll increase n.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwb0n4MXp3dwM10GdA0YIIHUkkxHVBSWZSk_J1DJ1yZuVVTC5kMc11OyGg9Dt0yWxXUTtM7XG7yYaW_Z32xhHrUIwp_UdIQ1BuSkqf9O6DGrEOZNaB5egxXsQwXz2Wsa20T4OgR9mqNnE/s1600/Longleaf+Pine+Needle+Morphology+1+of+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1237" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwb0n4MXp3dwM10GdA0YIIHUkkxHVBSWZSk_J1DJ1yZuVVTC5kMc11OyGg9Dt0yWxXUTtM7XG7yYaW_Z32xhHrUIwp_UdIQ1BuSkqf9O6DGrEOZNaB5egxXsQwXz2Wsa20T4OgR9mqNnE/s640/Longleaf+Pine+Needle+Morphology+1+of+2.png" width="494" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxc9eA5NbKkEgkR2S-tQ-l9eXon2Gt4IE2daRqC7LDBUNBiCIUOKRachM1trjZzEZ9PCxRzkaZJcRTQ4ItitLv44PPho__HkB0xmS2Uc9d3mFqtxiajSOT9-oMViJaedvPK8KHtDowZpY/s1600/Longleaf+Helical+Pitch+2+of+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1237" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxc9eA5NbKkEgkR2S-tQ-l9eXon2Gt4IE2daRqC7LDBUNBiCIUOKRachM1trjZzEZ9PCxRzkaZJcRTQ4ItitLv44PPho__HkB0xmS2Uc9d3mFqtxiajSOT9-oMViJaedvPK8KHtDowZpY/s640/Longleaf+Helical+Pitch+2+of+2.png" width="490" /></a></div>
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**UPDATE 13 October 2019 **</div>
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I found more 2 and 4 needle pine straws today. My hypothesis about the number of needles = number of twists would appear to be false.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMfZadW6tn73dTx60PMFR0XbNa2ZPjgCZUCTyNRRygLTzZZDsG0v8J-XgEe5b5ayuybrfC-Y4FpNJvx7vvaM8SguKN9rPXd6IPXZp0dIMRuWaj-kBIsrG6Pv8vtaL5LhXvp7VxdZCgF3E/s1600/MoreData+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMfZadW6tn73dTx60PMFR0XbNa2ZPjgCZUCTyNRRygLTzZZDsG0v8J-XgEe5b5ayuybrfC-Y4FpNJvx7vvaM8SguKN9rPXd6IPXZp0dIMRuWaj-kBIsrG6Pv8vtaL5LhXvp7VxdZCgF3E/s640/MoreData+-+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A days collection of 2 and 4 needle pine needles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I picked up a few hundred 3 needle pine straws and ignored thousands more. I mostly pick them up by color. I go for the brightest yellow ones because they're the freshest. UV darkens them after the chlorophyll goes away.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I have a new hypothesis about the twists. I saved 2 regular 3 needle pine straws to examine closely. One had almost no twist at all. It also had 3 distinctly different colors of needles so it was easy to verify it didn't twist. The underside of the needles seemed very symmetrical.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidmRPmbZMb8oJGW4Kai-kM1KsnDsSLZ9EfdGQ7871SSiU6Y2Rw2W8D36Xth4WKGiufZ61tA1b9saqWr09kLY4hUf99ygPNDjNq8NdvtQpSK9-wFalVqsClUTAY6njn1agWksb0vqh6TP0/s1600/MoreData+-+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidmRPmbZMb8oJGW4Kai-kM1KsnDsSLZ9EfdGQ7871SSiU6Y2Rw2W8D36Xth4WKGiufZ61tA1b9saqWr09kLY4hUf99ygPNDjNq8NdvtQpSK9-wFalVqsClUTAY6njn1agWksb0vqh6TP0/s640/MoreData+-+5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Needles with hardly any twist. Very symmetrical.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3NRIhRrjKw-fpc9k0flDox8E1uLUat8PFQwFlJkwT0yLMkQsMp4NBCxEf_RQFSVAm0SHTFAcvHIE1WPTqznCag_950co4q0jRzDeGJOJbucci_gj8xR9KQ-k9y-3DMUMg_u4TXskRU4/s1600/MoreData+-+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3NRIhRrjKw-fpc9k0flDox8E1uLUat8PFQwFlJkwT0yLMkQsMp4NBCxEf_RQFSVAm0SHTFAcvHIE1WPTqznCag_950co4q0jRzDeGJOJbucci_gj8xR9KQ-k9y-3DMUMg_u4TXskRU4/s640/MoreData+-+6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying to capture the height of the middle ridge </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
I also saved a super twisty one. This one is so twisty the needles tangle up and require careful separation. </div>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBk7MopuOOB2KA4OxyVdUt4JiyFGQXZRkcDzOGn6-cLXp8swfdqGIbCMSm89riwExmrbKwHxM3x7KOFgA9LxmIs7OrySV2Z0-9kuQxuJ40SlT9L4woZOUJhj-5PT1NewjiBr_FZOSBkw/s1600/MoreData+-+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBk7MopuOOB2KA4OxyVdUt4JiyFGQXZRkcDzOGn6-cLXp8swfdqGIbCMSm89riwExmrbKwHxM3x7KOFgA9LxmIs7OrySV2Z0-9kuQxuJ40SlT9L4woZOUJhj-5PT1NewjiBr_FZOSBkw/s640/MoreData+-+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I didn't take a photo like this of the other bundle because there was nothing to see. It was just straight.This one twists hard.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhas16ru4qVMpEP47LjUaCAhDd1xef8mVWuPnwohsqv3DNbhtMP8xSW3urjQVnRX6FpJjx2OCKQY8RuA3YwX1lTMNaoaloR9mnicu8zfYwceU4vS3vnSrT0CCgVTo84_zkpB1kGVOhYT2M/s1600/MoreData+-+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1078" data-original-width="1600" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhas16ru4qVMpEP47LjUaCAhDd1xef8mVWuPnwohsqv3DNbhtMP8xSW3urjQVnRX6FpJjx2OCKQY8RuA3YwX1lTMNaoaloR9mnicu8zfYwceU4vS3vnSrT0CCgVTo84_zkpB1kGVOhYT2M/s640/MoreData+-+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This pine straw is so twisty it was hard for me to get the needles all flat for a photo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9dZDvTRBhP_O1Q1Q9gRgtWEnyd1ioCQZ1hj74Jz0-XZhBrCbRfQst97WI066fLe03PImL08yZ52SUc8WV1pEHRvT9rVqdynkJlrYiemx9eusCImPa2dK327-ym4a2flj18V76rPBxDs/s1600/MoreData+-+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1205" data-original-width="1600" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9dZDvTRBhP_O1Q1Q9gRgtWEnyd1ioCQZ1hj74Jz0-XZhBrCbRfQst97WI066fLe03PImL08yZ52SUc8WV1pEHRvT9rVqdynkJlrYiemx9eusCImPa2dK327-ym4a2flj18V76rPBxDs/s640/MoreData+-+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had to do them one at a time. See how the center rib is offset? I bet that's why it twists like crazy. You can count the rows of stomata. There are more on the left side than on the right.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
I wonder if I had a good method for sealing these in their original shape and taking a cross section and a good microscope could I identify some structural component inside that would reveal the symmetry or lack of it in each bundle? I'm not sure it matters. Just basic knowledge I guess. Would be nice to know what is normal in case climate change makes something wacky happen. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Meanwhile I'll keep stockpiling these wrong-number pine straws as I find them in case I get enough to actually constitute a statistically valid assessment. I should note I am not finding these all under the same tree. I found the two 2 needles straws on my actual front steps. The 4 needle straws I found today were in the shade on the North side of the shed. The other 2 needle straws came from over by the well. The 4 needle straws I found the day before were West of the shed and right by the steps to the lab.</div>
Beachtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13792937145012547220noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111303718232102418.post-72169603638483598202019-09-30T12:12:00.002-04:002019-09-30T12:20:59.096-04:00It's an architectural problemI watched the weekly diary video of SG Collins this morning and it was so concise I decided to dust off the old blog and post the links and transcribe it so I can refer back to it later. <br />
<br />
For the sake of future me I'm also embedding the current event reference Collins is talking about. This is Greta.<br />
<br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/u9KxE4Kv9A8" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
And this is Collins. Rem acu tetigisti, Collins.<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LeWvDPn4lmE?start=85" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
I've transcribed what Collins says (this is based on my limited training as an online transcriptionist where I was taught that it is ok to edit out extraneous conjunctions and mannerisms of spoken word irrelevant to the message.)<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Greta I love, but based on some of the things that she says I think that she thinks that the people she’s talking to can do something. That they have the power to make change. A lot of people think that the politicians can fix it, or that world leaders can fix it. But I think that the problem that they’re trying to fix is kind of not something that any person can change because it’s institutionalized greed where there’s this sort of extra-corporeal creature that causes you to must-make-as-much-money-as-possible and to never do the right thing.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
So I think she might think that people the people she’s talking to can make a difference. Maybe because I been around those people for all my life, or no, I’m sorry, I mean they’ve been around as long as I have, that it makes me think that she’s talking to the wrong people or she’s thinking of it the wrong way. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
If I could talk to Greta I would tell her that really the problem is an architectural one. The world is designed wrong. It’s designed accorded to nineteenth and twentieth century property principles. And I wish we could change that. Just change the way the world is designed so we wouldn’t be forced to do the things that people had to do because they were trying to sell cars and oil to us. But that’s just me. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
But millions of people are out in the street saying we want to change things. That can’t be bad. That has to be good. So I think it’s pretty splendid that we’ve got these young angry teenaged girls to tell us what for. Whether or not she’s that naive or if it’s me that’s naive? I don’t know. — SG Collins 30 Sept 2019 </blockquote>
<br />
It was 7 years ago that I came up with the idea of doing a Small Year. My social isolation has allowed me to fend off that extra-corporeal creature as I've made only-as-much-money-as-necessary instead of as-much-as-possible. The farther I get from the more-money world the harder is is to make that necessary money. I can't make myself create things to suit other people's taste. I know that people are used to an overabundance of durable goods that cost less than than groceries. Mass produced imports are a boon to the must-make-as-much-money-as-possible world. I understand that a hand made item is inherently inefficient. I know there is little value in it as an item, but I still price things based on the idea that my time is worth something. Usually under $5/hr because I'm mostly selling prototypes, I'm not qualified for master level pricing. The value is in the making, which only the maker gets to enjoy. "People don't want to pay you for something if they think you enjoyed it" — Hank Green.<br />
<br />
I price items just above what I think anybody will pay for them, yet still putting a much lower value on my time than I would get at a desk job. as a message to makers that what they are doing is worth something the rest of the world understands, dollars. I think of my Etsy shop as a place where people can go to steal my ideas as much as to buy something I made. Unlike sites that scrape my blogs or YouTubers who steal my videos, I don't mind if somebody looks at something I made and it sparks them to copy it for themself. (They just better not try to sell it.) I link to instructional videos for things I made right in the Etsy listings for people who want to make one themselves, if I was able to document it succinctly. And if somebody watches the video and think it looks too hard for them maybe they buy the thing from me and they can explain to admirers what was involved in making it, even if they didn't do it. I think that's important. But that's just me.<br />
<br />
Maybe you'd like to <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/BeachtonBlankWorks?ref=search_shop_redirect">buy something from my Etsy shop</a>? Private URL registration is really expensive. I need the money.Beachtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13792937145012547220noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111303718232102418.post-6206102636340635142019-09-13T15:36:00.004-04:002019-09-13T15:36:46.112-04:00Pine Straw Rake ReviewI ordered a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Yard-Tuff-YTF-60PSR-Pine-Straw/dp/B01B37AH8S/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3H604SQMBBG3R&keywords=pine+straw+rake+for+lawn+mower&qid=1568403222&s=gateway&sprefix=pine+straw+rake%2Caps%2C379&sr=8-2">Yard Tuff Pine Straw Rake</a> from Amazon. (Not sponsored, no affiliation in any way. These are available from lots of vendors.)<br />
<br />
When UPS brought it the box was damaged but all the parts were there. Weight: 115 pounds or so. Supposed to be 90 lbs assembled. The UPS man put it on his dolly and wheeled it into my shed for me. We tore it open and checked all 24 tines were in there and he went on about his day.<br />
<br />
The box and everything in it smelled terrible, like Harbor Freight. I unpacked all the parts out of the contaminated box and let them air out overnight. I put the tires and the gross box out in the yard.<br />
<br />
Sockets needed for assembly<br />
3/4" x 2<br />
9/16" x 2<br />
7/8" x 1<br />
11/16" x 1<br />
19 mm open ended wrench<br />
(I don't have any Imperial wrenches and this was the closest I had.)<br />
Two ratchet handles or similar<br />
<br />
I used an impact wrench at first but it was just loud and the nylock nuts ran the battery down fast so I went to two ratchets instead.<br />
<br />
Theres a problem with the angle brackets that the instructions say to put on after all the tines are assembled. I used the short bolts on the first part instead of long ones that would've gotten in the way of the tine assembly. So when I got to the angle brackets I had to take out 4 bolts out of tines to get the longer bolts through the holes with the heads toward the tines and the nuts on the outside. I used the open ended wrench to hold the bolt head while I tightened those nuts down. Then I put the bolts and nuts back through the tines. Seems fine, just not how the instructions say to do it.<br />
<br />
Don't overtighten the nuts that let the rake tilt. Don't overtighten the nuts that hold the wheels on either.<br />
<br />
I swapped out the light weight chain it came with for a heavier welded chain I had in the shed.<br />
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Most of the assembly can be done far away from the smelly tires. I scrubbed them down with Simple Green before I put them on the rake but they still reek of rubber. I just had to hold my breath and power through.<br />
<br />
I think it's going to work just fine. I didn't find it needed extra weight like some reviews I read. My pine straw is extra long though, and my grass is pretty sparse. I can see how a really dense lawn with shortleaf straw would behave differently. I will update this review after I use it more. It's too hot and dry to do yard work right now.<br />
<br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nr0ajxawodA" width="560"></iframe>Beachtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13792937145012547220noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111303718232102418.post-40916181878859035812019-06-07T10:18:00.001-04:002019-06-07T11:02:52.923-04:00Peach Jam with Rosemary and Ginger Flavor, Multiple Batch ProcessMy aunt brought me a box of peaches from Barney last Friday. That's about 25 pounds. There were 79 peaches in there. I managed to use up a lot of them fresh, but 65 of them got made into jam. I made a video. (Music: www.bensound.com)<br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2P-32oKeq_I" width="640"></iframe> <br />
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I live in a tiny house with no stove. My procedure does not comply with Georgia Cottage Food Law since I do all the cooking outdoors. I accept the risk of contaminating my product as I eat it all myself. If you have a full kitchen you can work entirely indoors for maximum food safety. And if you have a big stove you can use two burners at once and streamline your process.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTXPaFVFO5AxPRewMsxe3flpH18QBcKB94Ap5295bFp463F29gHvi6GZ8DE4g7AM-diLz7xfqFsML2cURsjoI8XNdYhtfNNNf9M1we5dH7HcRV-2GrBE-uutnq8iDq6R3ApAsC78C4tAA/s1600/Peach+Jam+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1162" data-original-width="1280" height="581" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTXPaFVFO5AxPRewMsxe3flpH18QBcKB94Ap5295bFp463F29gHvi6GZ8DE4g7AM-diLz7xfqFsML2cURsjoI8XNdYhtfNNNf9M1we5dH7HcRV-2GrBE-uutnq8iDq6R3ApAsC78C4tAA/s640/Peach+Jam+-+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winter better be coming, because I am ready.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Recipe for two batches of jam:<br />
On the first day:<br />
Start a stock pot of water boiling.<br />
Prepare an ice water bath and a bowl of ascorbic acid to reduce browning. This is for all the peaches, not split into two batches yet.<br />
<ul>
<li>4 teaspoons Fruit Fresh</li>
<li>6 Tablespoons water</li>
</ul>
Mix in a large bowl.<br />
<br />
Get 24 ripe peaches out of the refrigerator. Chilling them first makes this part nicer.<br />
Drop 6 peaches into the boiling water and count to 30. Remove the peaches to the ice water bath.<br />
Replace lid and let pot boil up while you peel the skin off the first 6 peaches. Roll them around in the ascorbic acid as you finish them. I wear food prep gloves for this part because the acid in the peaches makes my skin rough.<br />
<br />
Repeat for all the peaches.<br />
<br />
You get to sit down for this next part. Cut out the pits and slice up the peaches into chunks. I don't like to cut too close to the pit or it gets woody bits in the jam. Put all the peaches into the bowl with the ascorbic acid. I squeeze the pit over the bowl to get all the peach juice.<br />
Mix the cut up peaches after every one to coat in the ascorbic acid.<br />
<br />
After all the peaches are cut up split them between two bowls. Add flavorings (5 sprigs of rosemary and a handful of sliced ginger in each bowl. Also add a teaspoon of Angostura bitters.)<br />
Add 1 cup of sugar to each bowl. Use this amount for each batch.<br />
<ul>
<li>~ 6 cups cut up peaches</li>
<li>5 sprigs rosemary</li>
<li>2 + tablespoons sliced ginger</li>
<li>1 tsp Angustora bitters</li>
<li>1 cup sugar</li>
</ul>
Stir, cover, and refrigerate until the next day. Stir occasionally if you think about it.<br />
<br />
Next day:<br />
Start sterilizing jars. You need 7 half pint jam jars per batch of peaches. This low sugar jam doesn't last long when it's opened so I try not to make jars bigger than the 1 cup size. I ran out though so I used a few full pint jars. I may use that for cake filling so it gets used up all at once.<br />
<br />
I use a silicone trivet in the bottom of a stock pot for my canning pot. Put 7 jars in the pot and start it boiling while you work on the peaches.<br />
<br />
Take a bowl out of the refrigerator and pick out the rosemary sprigs and as much of the ginger as you see.<br />
Scoop the cut up peaches into a food mill with the plate with large holes. Process all the peaches to a puree.<br />
Repeat with the second bowl of peaches.<br />
Measure out 6 cups of pureed peaches into a bowl. Repeat with another bowl.<br />
Add citric acid and calcium water.<br />
<ul>
<li>6 cups peach puree</li>
<li>1 1/2 tsp citric acid</li>
<li>6 tsp calcium water</li>
</ul>
Check on jars and swap first batch for second batch to get them all sterilized.<br />
<br />
Measure sugar and pectin into 2 bowls. Each bowl gets.<br />
<ul>
<li>1 cup sugar</li>
<li>4 tsp pectin</li>
</ul>
Get all jars into the pot of boiling water and set it aside.<br />
<br />
Put one bowl of peaches into the pot. Stir over high heat until it boils. (about 8 minutes)<br />
Add one bowl of sugar + pectin. Stir and bring to a full boil (no more than 3 minutes)<br />
Turn off the heat.<br />
Remove 7 jars from the pot and fill them with the hot jam.<br />
Add hot water to the jar lids to soften the glue<br />
Wipe down the rim of the jars with a wet paper towel and put on lids and rings. Set these jars aside.<br />
Wash the pot, funnel, and scoop.<br />
Start the second batch of jam.<br />
Heat and stir to boiling,<br />
Add sugar and pectin in the second bowl.<br />
Boil again.<br />
Fill jars, add lids.<br />
Put canning pot back on to boil.<br />
When water is boiling add the first batch of jam jars.<br />
Time 10 minutes.<br />
Remove jars from the water bath.<br />
Put the next batch of jars in.<br />
Time 10 minutes.<br />
Remove the jars from the water bath.<br />
When all the jars have sealed, the lid has sucked down and gone PLINK! then you can unscrew the rings and dry the threads and wipe off the jars.<br />
<br />
If you still have peaches left repeat this whole process. You already have a pot full of boiling water! You can start right away blanching more peaches. Repeat for as many days as you have peaches.<br />
<br />
This process yields 1 half pint jam jar for every 1.75 peaches. These were quite large peaches I had this year. You can calculate your own yield after you do your first batch. I started with 17 peaches and then raised that number to 24 to make it come out even at 7 jars per batch.<br />
<br />
Materials needed: You can get most of this stuff at Walmart. They sell the jar lifter, magnet on a stick, canning funnel, citric acid and ascorbic acid (branded as Fruit Fresh), jam jars and lids, and big plastic bowls with lids. I also got the crock pot there. My enameled cast iron jelly pot I got from Tuesday Morning.<br />
<br />Beachtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13792937145012547220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111303718232102418.post-68187315387735827582019-05-11T18:03:00.003-04:002019-05-11T18:03:31.281-04:00Reusing a makeup mirror if one side gets brokenMy niece Brenna was here last week with my brother. He picked her up from her dorm and came straight here. In the process of rearranging their luggage before driving back home to South Florida he broke her makeup mirror. She left it here and told me to throw it away. I can't just throw something away. It has parts I can save!<br />
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It would be lovely if these lighted mirrors had a circle light inside that I could use for shooting videos. That is not the case though. It's just two 20 watt bulbs behind some extra foil on the back of the glass.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-E7TTbOdZjvjpYKChA0xDqg6_fyNkBZxtq6qDBmpA4qMF8v0wE0ExxrG4BGOTEBlAQeQoruDQzOrbS7YQjyjvNNzyxIAF0rZJXaH-6zcHT_vLQSf7DZdyk5GtaNU0W5vMTBsGOUDOWi4/s1600/MirrorReuse+-+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-E7TTbOdZjvjpYKChA0xDqg6_fyNkBZxtq6qDBmpA4qMF8v0wE0ExxrG4BGOTEBlAQeQoruDQzOrbS7YQjyjvNNzyxIAF0rZJXaH-6zcHT_vLQSf7DZdyk5GtaNU0W5vMTBsGOUDOWi4/s640/MirrorReuse+-+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The dimmer switch only controls one of the two bulbs.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFfaG2UP1KrnZvCVceRvR0Tt29vb3jyci7s1fbT4THJU1od0FVURYrTXJh8mzAHG-yU4J5zevId34gowu2Rl_D31adGIIJS3bZbqA3B0gBXwLw947RVqhXMPL01jPsJk2_5cCm03-has/s1600/MirrorReuse+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFfaG2UP1KrnZvCVceRvR0Tt29vb3jyci7s1fbT4THJU1od0FVURYrTXJh8mzAHG-yU4J5zevId34gowu2Rl_D31adGIIJS3bZbqA3B0gBXwLw947RVqhXMPL01jPsJk2_5cCm03-has/s640/MirrorReuse+-+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The magnifying side of the mirror wasn't broken so I put a wire between the screw holes on the frame and hung it on the wall in my lab with some LED string lights behind it. Now if I get something in my eye I can see to get it out!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil7Vb9djC3ijzO_gugTj5qNvdmQdvZ07Lg6iuAM0GEGr0iOZ3yYprRzpxzZg2gUnuqSpgbPRwfnb_uK3ji0iugTqcS7vwTtBJT4HbRksqXep9U4fUIUeANyuOIHiEJRZ5BtmitahS0vl4/s1600/MirrorReuse+-+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil7Vb9djC3ijzO_gugTj5qNvdmQdvZ07Lg6iuAM0GEGr0iOZ3yYprRzpxzZg2gUnuqSpgbPRwfnb_uK3ji0iugTqcS7vwTtBJT4HbRksqXep9U4fUIUeANyuOIHiEJRZ5BtmitahS0vl4/s640/MirrorReuse+-+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUwhgrX9RlAF_-zIuybmLRheAgthGodKN-16AK-TRXn0l16NRteKuykMHLRy1WqsxDIdoAX3gPPz9U06t5ZB8nKQkzw-7YKRhoKhc5EoSZv6D0eZNSfERR84mG4XD9EqWe9uguUas_gPM/s1600/SalvageLightedMirror+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUwhgrX9RlAF_-zIuybmLRheAgthGodKN-16AK-TRXn0l16NRteKuykMHLRy1WqsxDIdoAX3gPPz9U06t5ZB8nKQkzw-7YKRhoKhc5EoSZv6D0eZNSfERR84mG4XD9EqWe9uguUas_gPM/s640/SalvageLightedMirror+-+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm saving the cord, lightbulbs, and dimmer. I'll just throw these in my bin of lamp making supplies in case I ever need them for a project. NOW I can throw the rest away.Beachtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13792937145012547220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111303718232102418.post-60905473600790380222019-05-11T17:22:00.000-04:002019-05-11T17:42:23.464-04:00Making a Fake Cake: Lessons Learned from FailureI recently went off on a two week tangent from sewing work and did a deep investigation into papier-mâché (Or in easier-to-type Americanized spelling, paper maché.) Hat tip to Jonni at ultimatepapermache.com and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/UltimatePaperMache">her YouTube Channel</a>. I love her. I also researched the art of making cold porcelain clay from scratch (glue and corn starch) and making that into flowers. This is also amazing. I like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0qhkRbR1dw4ZhDWz2Rt-7A">Christina Wallis's YouTube Channel</a> for tutorials on how to make permanent flowers that look real.<br />
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I was interested in making an elaborate faux wedding cake with a plain cake underneath it. In my mind it would be glorious. And the reveal would be hilarious. It turns out nobody else got it. I made a prototype birthday cake version and the future bride was ambivalent about it. And somebody anonymously arranged with her caterer to pay for her wedding cake. So she went to meet with a baker the day after her birthday. I'm off the hook for wedding cake! But I did learn some things I'd like to record in case I need to use any of these techniques again later. Or if anybody has this same idea and has an actual need for the final product you can use what I learned to start out ahead. There is more work to be done, for sure.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTS1HD-Rns7CPVn7sUJTh7qZNBup6tC9FbWJ9Gel12O2qY6SuvEhCEh_tmHjCCYJ1j_m3DDiU9zGLe6MLNtCcYyJKHYJj72ITK7MOb5NHQUp-iaAMy5rxCe3uGyipBh2Bhm_0IMKwb2fA/s1600/SpitCake+-+20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTS1HD-Rns7CPVn7sUJTh7qZNBup6tC9FbWJ9Gel12O2qY6SuvEhCEh_tmHjCCYJ1j_m3DDiU9zGLe6MLNtCcYyJKHYJj72ITK7MOb5NHQUp-iaAMy5rxCe3uGyipBh2Bhm_0IMKwb2fA/s640/SpitCake+-+20.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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What I learned that I didn't find online in other tutorials:<br />
<ul>
<li>Hair coloring tools are great for paper maché work</li>
<li>You can make fake bark out of joint compound, bentonite, and Floetrol</li>
<li>Hat boxes actually aren't great for fake cake -- use the styrofoam like in all the tutorials</li>
<li>Plain All-Purpose sheetrock mud is the best fake icing</li>
</ul>
<div>
<h3>
Leaves:</h3>
The first thing I tested was the idea to paint real leaves with some sort of polymer mixture, let it dry, then peel off the leaf. Voila, permanent decorative leaf. I started experimenting with ingredients I had on hand because my car was in the shop and I couldn't go get sheetrock mud to start the cake experiments. Things I mixed together:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Chalk like you use with a chalk line</li>
<li>Elmer's Glue</li>
<li>Plaster of Paris</li>
<li>Acrylic Paint</li>
<li>Mineral Oil</li>
</ul>
<br />
I painted this stuff on beech tree leaves and dried it in the sun. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixmSHHJAhElgif5zcUrAr-AGqNPgcmFKcSAyfbRW_zJ1vXXNSWGQSsO-7O3CA1Ea4ADvaxQmT3bSC83ljfyYPEfSix15i1O7Q4QAzwYDf_5Hc_6KxMPHHprw04zHy3mH6ZJXK7ZpXrewQ/s1600/CakeTips+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1318" data-original-width="1600" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixmSHHJAhElgif5zcUrAr-AGqNPgcmFKcSAyfbRW_zJ1vXXNSWGQSsO-7O3CA1Ea4ADvaxQmT3bSC83ljfyYPEfSix15i1O7Q4QAzwYDf_5Hc_6KxMPHHprw04zHy3mH6ZJXK7ZpXrewQ/s400/CakeTips+-+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Various formulations of setting plaster type ingredients</td></tr>
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It was still spring and my leaves were pretty new. This made them curl up a lot when they dried out. It would be better to use mature leaves for this. </div>
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The PVA glue made the molds stay flexible when they were peeled off. This was kind of weird. It mostly works though! If you really wanted to make a lot of green leaves it might be worth buying some granular white chalk. I found it online pretty cheap from soap suppliers. I started with bright blue chalk and added yellow paint until it was green. I shot video, but it didn't work well enough for me to want to edit it.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbkcCXUPv4xdLi-wot9WEf3bP3cST9Vnl05aRiDucTa6BuZlRQYgt2KPbeyn34hY9hkMHBQYesAJlQJ0L845bSmsWSIbK8rv6sNz5641aJaBcxBJKpBfhDekM-pmKXC2GvRyzdd5pUYWY/s1600/CakeTips+-+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbkcCXUPv4xdLi-wot9WEf3bP3cST9Vnl05aRiDucTa6BuZlRQYgt2KPbeyn34hY9hkMHBQYesAJlQJ0L845bSmsWSIbK8rv6sNz5641aJaBcxBJKpBfhDekM-pmKXC2GvRyzdd5pUYWY/s400/CakeTips+-+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faux leaves peeled off the real leaf after drying</td></tr>
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Faux Icing:</h3>
<div>
The second thing I experimented with was what sort of product works best for fake icing on a fake cake.</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>All-Purpose Joint Compound -- The Winner. But you need to paint it after it's dry.</li>
<li>Lightweight Spackle -- looks grainy</li>
<li>Mixture of these and PVA glue -- ok if you want a glaze, otherwise useless</li>
</ul>
</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi1HHq1kcZ02POuI1jH5-0-fK9GOmPpCXm9KP6kiT7tfULTcOxVzBkEbjKJ0XwOcSB_nWMBDhAQWVXL4oEvk912lSbkXsGwXteV4yTL_nLm8QJpLlGOe5S9QJ0WUDQuOpnqy3ltHwpLlA/s1600/IcingComparison+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi1HHq1kcZ02POuI1jH5-0-fK9GOmPpCXm9KP6kiT7tfULTcOxVzBkEbjKJ0XwOcSB_nWMBDhAQWVXL4oEvk912lSbkXsGwXteV4yTL_nLm8QJpLlGOe5S9QJ0WUDQuOpnqy3ltHwpLlA/s640/IcingComparison+-+1.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plain sheetrock mud on a foam core rectangle. Top half painted with white acrylic paint.</td></tr>
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I got a quart of<a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/ProForm-All-Purpose-R-M-1-qt/20691912"> Pro-Form All Purpose Joint Compound at Walmart</a>. It was less than $4. It's important to mix it up really well before you use it. You need to put it on thin and let it dry between coats. I rushed my final project and it cracked from being too thick. But if you do it thin you can even polish it with a damp offset spatula just like icing.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The other things I tried weren't as good.</div>
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyzY1Sm1sYLZk6bBRZhqsQDwQ-bsqbEK6aMELWi-81l7-6VBgBmR01EIxa0Jj4ckO72PrV6oP-iVaTnm_NiL0kVMU-BadilfE57AEgawF_SxDsNFSssMyelt8fFSiinfdfhSEl26IqxeE/s1600/IcingComparison+-+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyzY1Sm1sYLZk6bBRZhqsQDwQ-bsqbEK6aMELWi-81l7-6VBgBmR01EIxa0Jj4ckO72PrV6oP-iVaTnm_NiL0kVMU-BadilfE57AEgawF_SxDsNFSssMyelt8fFSiinfdfhSEl26IqxeE/s640/IcingComparison+-+2.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lightweight Spackle</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUbK4TjV1xug82OkuC12Grc540HYs3JdmI8LWGSnkwkJhMb3sNJ87YDOwEq7InnpOI-G9Zq7pnaKQBahJFhpiblnp8s_Ktv4lpoG33NrJMbnvXyMaGEjiskWaYEmO7bu8vPJ8fKFFBpr0/s1600/IcingComparison+-+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUbK4TjV1xug82OkuC12Grc540HYs3JdmI8LWGSnkwkJhMb3sNJ87YDOwEq7InnpOI-G9Zq7pnaKQBahJFhpiblnp8s_Ktv4lpoG33NrJMbnvXyMaGEjiskWaYEmO7bu8vPJ8fKFFBpr0/s640/IcingComparison+-+3.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lightweight Spackle mixed with Elmers Glue</td></tr>
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<h3>
Tree Bark Cake Plate</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47SLAzEM2erbnKznXvWw2wHUhw7xP2at22jttR1Udd2WMFNzQnhbnxh-ZJYhxiCpvU2XNNTnY6pOfwo2ViFOITPWT-DsG8V5xvXycODG5HL5vD547s-739tWar2G0zu6x8i-1xulZM-M/s1600/LogCakePlateVisibleTinFoil.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="482" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47SLAzEM2erbnKznXvWw2wHUhw7xP2at22jttR1Udd2WMFNzQnhbnxh-ZJYhxiCpvU2XNNTnY6pOfwo2ViFOITPWT-DsG8V5xvXycODG5HL5vD547s-739tWar2G0zu6x8i-1xulZM-M/s320/LogCakePlateVisibleTinFoil.png" width="230" /></a>My niece has been pinning pictures of wedding cakes she likes and a lot of them have these logs under them. I looked up log cake stands on Etsy and they run about $100 including shipping. They're heavy. I have access to trees and thought about making some of these. This would help me rationalize why I'm making a fake cake, as a prop to pose on my log cake plates. I can't get anybody to saw my logs for me though, so I'm not doing that anymore.</div>
<br />
If anybody really wants a heartwood cake stand I would take that commission. It will cost about $500.<br />
<br />
I think the bark is the thing people want though and that's not really the kind of trees I have in the 13" diameter range. I have Longleaf pine. There are green pine cookies on Etsy, which kind of freaks me out. All that sap! If I made one out of aged heartwood the sap would be crystalized and the wood wouldn't check. But it would weigh twice as much as these ones that are all sapwood and bark.<br />
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I decided to incorporate the log base into my cake cover idea. I got a styrofoam wreath form at the craft store that was bigger than one of my hat boxes. But first I have to test some ideas for how to make bark. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sassafras bark with a Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Paper maché boxes were on sale at the craft store store so I got some small ones to experiment on. My first attempt at faux bark was simply the cheapest toilet paper I could get at the grocery store torn into little pieces and stirred together with methyl cellulose. I had some of that already mixed up. (I bought the <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/Methyl-Cellulose-Methocel-1-lb-Bag-Methylcellulose-Cellulose-Ether/121238814893?hash=item1c3a6580ad:g:eqoAAMXQdm5Q9X8K">powder on ebay</a> a couple of years ago to use for marbling paper. I gather from Jonni from ultimatepapermache.com that Elmer's markets methocel as paper maché paste. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/ELMERS-Paste-Paper-Macha-99000/dp/B001BDI7IC/ref=asc_df_B001BDI7IC/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167126942869&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15218426396230218572&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9014141&hvtargid=pla-315312436018&psc=1">Here it is on Amazon</a>.)<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Shredded toilet paper</li>
<li>Methyl cellulose (methocel)</li>
</ul>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKAy_Xcx-VFccPozMQe_AmmtBEjAKfc-091CNFke7imIAgX01QrtW4mCwQIoo79ziMOY9-4vAZOZ_ZzOKg1wbxyEkmHSNBiIyFgKPh04jVmvtmBF97AqN9T0UllZoSydlc_MynP-06gZU/s1600/SpitCake+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKAy_Xcx-VFccPozMQe_AmmtBEjAKfc-091CNFke7imIAgX01QrtW4mCwQIoo79ziMOY9-4vAZOZ_ZzOKg1wbxyEkmHSNBiIyFgKPh04jVmvtmBF97AqN9T0UllZoSydlc_MynP-06gZU/s640/SpitCake+-+1.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White bark look on paper mache box lid, just toilet paper and methylcellulose</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This could be pretty if you were going for an all-white look.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But I wanted something barkier. I found a technique for throwing clay pots where the artist would throw a pot on the wheel then heat the outside with a torch and then enlarge the pot some more, which made the outside crack like bark. Neat! Well, I have some clay that does that all by itself, that expansive bentonite clay they sell at the health food store for facials. So I tried mixing that with methyl cellulose and put it directly on a paper maché hat box lid.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOY7Ptjp86KaOIegq-JpNMeYDl5p8V8n4fkxJaXCdKf7Qae_IdYD8GB_szBgyuopi8Y4vnwXnZ2x7iDP8tu8YT_3N5vShbTLz-XfS1fGdvQ5tKzM6TesCGeCwjm4v5KMnhqrILHbHEVtQ/s1600/SpitCake+-+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="1600" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOY7Ptjp86KaOIegq-JpNMeYDl5p8V8n4fkxJaXCdKf7Qae_IdYD8GB_szBgyuopi8Y4vnwXnZ2x7iDP8tu8YT_3N5vShbTLz-XfS1fGdvQ5tKzM6TesCGeCwjm4v5KMnhqrILHbHEVtQ/s640/SpitCake+-+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looks neat, flakes off</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
It looked cool, but it didn't stick to the paper underneath. So I picked it all off and tried something else.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVg7SGt7Nqwa9-xyVzKtaCqs9sBX_Rah8NBL8S7L28bZA3925X38M6lhelB_26bp4QDgWhYoz4NzYThYZ969OzgKTrynu8MJ8evV7xswR-fSBqOJMLn2UV_H8xodwPBd1zOBU3KAyaMY/s1600/SpitCake+-+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVg7SGt7Nqwa9-xyVzKtaCqs9sBX_Rah8NBL8S7L28bZA3925X38M6lhelB_26bp4QDgWhYoz4NzYThYZ969OzgKTrynu8MJ8evV7xswR-fSBqOJMLn2UV_H8xodwPBd1zOBU3KAyaMY/s640/SpitCake+-+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magical ingredients in bark clay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I tried one part joint compound, one part expansive clay, just gauging by eye, and enough Floetrol acrylic paint additive to make it a useable consistency. I just smooshed it onto the surface with the plastic spoon I stirred it with and sort of made peaks in it like you would do with chocolate cake icing.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0xN6e4CMVBYfcmuFnLn_ID1B75G9EfQ2tpWr_0mf_uMtxziOA5LZMaG8z2hTkp9C-R47oOJzEdDxKrT51bcmemDcTyXDplELKj8kjkl_MGkQgkZT5gs6o16qnAq06IFyoz_mHmnTd3nU/s1600/SpitCake+-+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0xN6e4CMVBYfcmuFnLn_ID1B75G9EfQ2tpWr_0mf_uMtxziOA5LZMaG8z2hTkp9C-R47oOJzEdDxKrT51bcmemDcTyXDplELKj8kjkl_MGkQgkZT5gs6o16qnAq06IFyoz_mHmnTd3nU/s640/SpitCake+-+4.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wet bark</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOT3jEniGVrlxZrI4ZqDdN-oPvHfgZiay4n-z5wxYv6on_NbKEY9yZzo_isw_-1c6jSeBZKZwgAcEUFHIDb4g_nJW3OE9K5bAiD0-onXCPJ9B2l83-lRTljE8LRZLlMm4GHb7qmOX9frE/s640/SpitCake+-+5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dried bark on the first experimental prototype.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOT3jEniGVrlxZrI4ZqDdN-oPvHfgZiay4n-z5wxYv6on_NbKEY9yZzo_isw_-1c6jSeBZKZwgAcEUFHIDb4g_nJW3OE9K5bAiD0-onXCPJ9B2l83-lRTljE8LRZLlMm4GHb7qmOX9frE/s1600/SpitCake+-+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOT3jEniGVrlxZrI4ZqDdN-oPvHfgZiay4n-z5wxYv6on_NbKEY9yZzo_isw_-1c6jSeBZKZwgAcEUFHIDb4g_nJW3OE9K5bAiD0-onXCPJ9B2l83-lRTljE8LRZLlMm4GHb7qmOX9frE/s1600/SpitCake+-+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
That worked great.<br />
<br />
Here's how it looks paired with a prototype fake cake with out-of-scale cold porcelain molded flowers. I dry brushed a little white paint on the bark to accentuate the texture.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE29LiU8i0Tdn-gsaNzSLwcAh5H9jp0ZFG4hJQ0ruIfpSrC8UAnP79ZDzIWV8pLyQYzq-pyUdHe0U-yRW5pSYS6Xar592Tf0CMFywIIbNn0cUkmMNGpM7J6BRovNlzioVnQKINV9XvjVM/s1600/Tiny+cakes+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE29LiU8i0Tdn-gsaNzSLwcAh5H9jp0ZFG4hJQ0ruIfpSrC8UAnP79ZDzIWV8pLyQYzq-pyUdHe0U-yRW5pSYS6Xar592Tf0CMFywIIbNn0cUkmMNGpM7J6BRovNlzioVnQKINV9XvjVM/s640/Tiny+cakes+-+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mini Fake Cake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Because of the texture of the fake icing I had to use hot glue instead of tacky glue to attach the flowers. It looks pretty bad. If you are doing this for real be patient and use tacky glue and not hot glue. Maybe even put glue on the flowers and push them into the wet joint compound. But I'm moving on anyway.<br />
<br />
Time to scale it up and do one big enough for an actual cake. Here's my plan:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEeQr52UA20ua_K3bcYWB3dZdxqfmlgFtG5rWDPj73TVF71pkNLSns-a9Eajr9KEi9czgNL5lNceOCRwB-lD1-4BUSudqwLdJLS_w8Izw-1F6WWo01HdRsc3htx0l-WfEjJAZ6-MqL21o/s1600/SpitCake+-+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEeQr52UA20ua_K3bcYWB3dZdxqfmlgFtG5rWDPj73TVF71pkNLSns-a9Eajr9KEi9czgNL5lNceOCRwB-lD1-4BUSudqwLdJLS_w8Izw-1F6WWo01HdRsc3htx0l-WfEjJAZ6-MqL21o/s640/SpitCake+-+6.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hat box and styrofoam wreath form fit check</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I decided one problem with those tree cookies people are using for cake plates is they would be really hard to pick up. They need some kind of hollowed out place for you to get your fingers under there. So I incorporated that into my styrofoam version.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0w27MwuWd5rw-xzjRii4vayDQ2WU-qlQiTOb6k7uCH4Agp7GSiV3c_wal59RlA9vPLSRUxvksCUFEdCVMA7OFuSWTj_k3n9D_7JdL5MZqO2ZUinrsjrOnR9PEOpbUw5LVfpz9tp9vQGA/s1600/SpitCake+-+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0w27MwuWd5rw-xzjRii4vayDQ2WU-qlQiTOb6k7uCH4Agp7GSiV3c_wal59RlA9vPLSRUxvksCUFEdCVMA7OFuSWTj_k3n9D_7JdL5MZqO2ZUinrsjrOnR9PEOpbUw5LVfpz9tp9vQGA/s640/SpitCake+-+7.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The next problem is that hat boxes are sort of flimsy and won't stay round. Flexing would crack the faux icing for sure. So to stabilize the shape of the paper maché box I cut a groove into the sytrofoam for the box to push down into.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj47chaetHVSu4ZbymkoE5bkZyBK7CR5SYZZCcnLsryb4ldAfjifU4zQK8SZ8Nf5-EyMWXAQ-6Uij4_TLarOWAgrctFvFUJabwvzxOWSm9EhLIxTGt8Ee_3mEkaO7GrAruPYfD770xvyE8/s1600/SpitCake+-+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj47chaetHVSu4ZbymkoE5bkZyBK7CR5SYZZCcnLsryb4ldAfjifU4zQK8SZ8Nf5-EyMWXAQ-6Uij4_TLarOWAgrctFvFUJabwvzxOWSm9EhLIxTGt8Ee_3mEkaO7GrAruPYfD770xvyE8/s640/SpitCake+-+8.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Groove to stabilize the hat box shape</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I need to cover the styrofoam with paper maché. I used torn up kraft paper and school glue watered down. I used my hair coloring bowl and brush for this. That works great. I decided to use newsprint for the top since I had some. I cut it into rings the right size and clipped the edges to go around the curves.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqPgnTy1hZmJ6OQq9b6FPHWASwxENmxtrMFOrUoUe05PZ6-Ta-q1X_24UupNxv0YXQ6q6hgJnqFwyGM0AQbhAQm8jFbdz-DPFGzBPt3Ki0pfK6ib5h_bMNd56at2DGRYLqyQnMxSij6PM/s1600/SpitCake+-+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqPgnTy1hZmJ6OQq9b6FPHWASwxENmxtrMFOrUoUe05PZ6-Ta-q1X_24UupNxv0YXQ6q6hgJnqFwyGM0AQbhAQm8jFbdz-DPFGzBPt3Ki0pfK6ib5h_bMNd56at2DGRYLqyQnMxSij6PM/s640/SpitCake+-+11.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plan out the paper covering for the top of the log</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I drew tree rings on the paper with a pencil. Since I didn't know if this was going to work I didn't strive for perfection. Only proof of concept.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPKDMdlsih1dBQF99QiCKKCEyPNr6fuZA0cZwJYZY7bQz-wN54Nmz_pQMOuBXN4pgcD3OwuIEBIqjc_7FtFiywkWadrj6FK8DD7byXLayRsYbiw9bwASCQ05ZIpgpRWy_WavGH4xCjjrI/s1600/SpitCake+-+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPKDMdlsih1dBQF99QiCKKCEyPNr6fuZA0cZwJYZY7bQz-wN54Nmz_pQMOuBXN4pgcD3OwuIEBIqjc_7FtFiywkWadrj6FK8DD7byXLayRsYbiw9bwASCQ05ZIpgpRWy_WavGH4xCjjrI/s640/SpitCake+-+12.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Draw tree rings on the part that will show</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv5EldoW2qSBBMlAKKSpo6yz9KoyeHmcRUrPy30go_ZN5-wtv0xDfmc4tZgg-3c1W74KTP0gamKZSpHCJQxc0Fj9u8vRQDESYIRYlF9r02b0dcb3I_Nfs4n-5PF3EPzn1ntRQ-H970kQY/s640/SpitCake+-+13.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black construction paper for underneath the bark</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv5EldoW2qSBBMlAKKSpo6yz9KoyeHmcRUrPy30go_ZN5-wtv0xDfmc4tZgg-3c1W74KTP0gamKZSpHCJQxc0Fj9u8vRQDESYIRYlF9r02b0dcb3I_Nfs4n-5PF3EPzn1ntRQ-H970kQY/s1600/SpitCake+-+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv5EldoW2qSBBMlAKKSpo6yz9KoyeHmcRUrPy30go_ZN5-wtv0xDfmc4tZgg-3c1W74KTP0gamKZSpHCJQxc0Fj9u8vRQDESYIRYlF9r02b0dcb3I_Nfs4n-5PF3EPzn1ntRQ-H970kQY/s1600/SpitCake+-+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
I covered the outside with black construction paper pasted on with Elmer's school glue watered down enough to make it brushable. Jonni from the paper maché videos would probably use flour paste but in South Georgia that sounds like a disaster of bugs and mold. She says she doesn't like the way it feels when PVA glue dries on her hands. I didn't notice it ever getting a chance to dry on my skin.<br />
<br />
I pasted on the newsprint tree rings and the inner covering after the black paper. I let that dry in front of the air conditioner overnight. Then I added a layer of tan tissue paper over the penciled lines. That gave me the subtle effect of tree rings I was after. It's kind of wrinkly though. I had wrinkles in my newsprint so I knew it was going to be inferior. If you really need to make something like this and want it to look good there are lots of decoupage techniques that could make this look amazing. Do more than what I did.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDXvgl9V7daGOTtiLFLHx7omxL2OF0Q2_UMuQMTm9HQ63ultGm7RWlfD8BFAG6w1bulRxxIRyGjRTNDyhGkAgw9VCBBdDGcHD6x03iLOePfgtwWz_JN6qL48-zgSMHM2JH2Jq1Yi2PR4I/s1600/SpitCake+-+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDXvgl9V7daGOTtiLFLHx7omxL2OF0Q2_UMuQMTm9HQ63ultGm7RWlfD8BFAG6w1bulRxxIRyGjRTNDyhGkAgw9VCBBdDGcHD6x03iLOePfgtwWz_JN6qL48-zgSMHM2JH2Jq1Yi2PR4I/s640/SpitCake+-+14.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add tissue paper over the tree rings for a more realistic wood look</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
All that paper and paste work took a long time. If you get into this be sure you have a good audio book and nothing to disturb you. You can't pick up the phone when you have this stuff all over your hands. When you add water to Elmer's it makes it take an amazingly long time to dry. It's kind of nice so you don't have to rush to get back to an overlapping edge. I expect Mod Podge would work for this too but Elmer's is cheaper and doesn't smell as bad to me.<br />
<br />
When it's all dry you can move on to the bark. I optimistically started to mix this in my hair color bowl then realized it was too small and moved it to a big mixing bowl. I thought about using an electric mixer but I didn't do it. I just stirred it with a rubber spatula.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaHDCVHPsg8NOL9IbTs9x5mkK0kBBu2QW9YmEJEPbfJokH3t-A2Ij-rm6hhH8S2tLiV9RVOOuh1FuNycAtiP-4FNUHlxLeG2qULlkhgFPaIV7tp9ZXGqYNxbhVOhZNKwyWwnU_XJS_u2I/s1600/SpitCake+-+15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaHDCVHPsg8NOL9IbTs9x5mkK0kBBu2QW9YmEJEPbfJokH3t-A2Ij-rm6hhH8S2tLiV9RVOOuh1FuNycAtiP-4FNUHlxLeG2qULlkhgFPaIV7tp9ZXGqYNxbhVOhZNKwyWwnU_XJS_u2I/s640/SpitCake+-+15.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheetrock mud, clay, and Floetrol</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The mixture was kind of weird, not as muddy as the first batch I made. I may have used more sheetrock mud in this version? Not enough Floetrol? The proportions could stand to be refined. This had a putty like consistency so I sort of patted it on the sides.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRnMPRSpt2ZDa_v2B_diJFKgV38VTnUlA2vUZAs8N5lvPaB8HXhVvPQcDOFCt9-2nyNkUGj-32OHU74Dw1dUE0wKnPLNkdj0gYGHK58fph-eRtNd4NO1synMe57VOvgnxowyt72DwHsyc/s1600/SpitCake+-+16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRnMPRSpt2ZDa_v2B_diJFKgV38VTnUlA2vUZAs8N5lvPaB8HXhVvPQcDOFCt9-2nyNkUGj-32OHU74Dw1dUE0wKnPLNkdj0gYGHK58fph-eRtNd4NO1synMe57VOvgnxowyt72DwHsyc/s640/SpitCake+-+16.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Squishing the bark mixture on the sides</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While the bark was drying I moved on to painting the inside of my hatbox. I did a few coats of white acrylic paint. I wanted to seal it so I could wipe off any icing that might get on it and so I could be sure it's clean before I put it over a cake.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05DJCgSiIIy1A8-w2rWCjq2E6EyWfoO0KgRYpLYmzrTVeCbtQdqwNA_bkeioDIbMGMCO7Ick0qLi0YoBWYGgmK8XHGvJpGfLYTsP_RgyUekaHFUQqCtr_1syCmAyd0Ilh6SrhJoZ6c6Y/s1600/SpitCake+-+17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05DJCgSiIIy1A8-w2rWCjq2E6EyWfoO0KgRYpLYmzrTVeCbtQdqwNA_bkeioDIbMGMCO7Ick0qLi0YoBWYGgmK8XHGvJpGfLYTsP_RgyUekaHFUQqCtr_1syCmAyd0Ilh6SrhJoZ6c6Y/s640/SpitCake+-+17.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paint the inside of the hat box</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
At this point in my experiment my niece was in Beachton to visit and had already seen what I'd made so far and expressed zero interest in this concept. So I was just finishing it for the sake of finishing it at this point, knowing I wouldn't go any farther with this idea. I hot glued the hat box into the wreath shape and slathered it with sheetrock mud. I did it way too thick and I knew it was going to crack. I was on a clock and I just didn't care.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3hr0mgYskpbj_io_zeRWGFaAlJogh_u_dXyuA5F2bTHBli6LJSzNYVzwS99_8cPwSc2KzlE_jbIr-NDcBFWg4v1VQdhyfvaudr9ZQ7W7stwO09G_cXBlRaif51v22RpJaiEKKHdPAYrM/s1600/SpitCake+-+18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3hr0mgYskpbj_io_zeRWGFaAlJogh_u_dXyuA5F2bTHBli6LJSzNYVzwS99_8cPwSc2KzlE_jbIr-NDcBFWg4v1VQdhyfvaudr9ZQ7W7stwO09G_cXBlRaif51v22RpJaiEKKHdPAYrM/s640/SpitCake+-+18.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now, how does this actually work IRL? I ordered an 8" cake from the grocery store app on my phone. I asked for nothing but the plain icing, no decorations. I froze it for a few days. After it thawed out I tried using my offset spatula to make the kind of texture Kate likes in a cake. That didn't work either. My failure spiral is expanding. But I shall press on with the experiment and put it under my new spit cake.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikz8zpwS_1Fgoh2n1vdcCThV7yMEdtpVwcUFXCU7vyku5E9JPAjY5YwGVYm2YhAx1IJkSkLLqrCWR7maEN_0LxHs5xDrklohCHxOnHOA49FvoLC0sbjPjo-DfhVy_NxpKdeqdkGgSRyv8/s1600/SpitCake+-+21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikz8zpwS_1Fgoh2n1vdcCThV7yMEdtpVwcUFXCU7vyku5E9JPAjY5YwGVYm2YhAx1IJkSkLLqrCWR7maEN_0LxHs5xDrklohCHxOnHOA49FvoLC0sbjPjo-DfhVy_NxpKdeqdkGgSRyv8/s400/SpitCake+-+21.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTS1HD-Rns7CPVn7sUJTh7qZNBup6tC9FbWJ9Gel12O2qY6SuvEhCEh_tmHjCCYJ1j_m3DDiU9zGLe6MLNtCcYyJKHYJj72ITK7MOb5NHQUp-iaAMy5rxCe3uGyipBh2Bhm_0IMKwb2fA/s1600/SpitCake+-+20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTS1HD-Rns7CPVn7sUJTh7qZNBup6tC9FbWJ9Gel12O2qY6SuvEhCEh_tmHjCCYJ1j_m3DDiU9zGLe6MLNtCcYyJKHYJj72ITK7MOb5NHQUp-iaAMy5rxCe3uGyipBh2Bhm_0IMKwb2fA/s400/SpitCake+-+20.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Kate asked me to digitize the video from her second birthday party. This forced me to closely examine how much she spit on her Winnie the Pooh cake back in 1998. This should motivate some people to make a fake cake like this just for kids parties.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='640' height='480' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx0amAZmKDqbTNuoNzDFdqKVMO0-NzgBOhN4ioWQgkrDe0Gh6-Wcoo5o9dcZDle9Trl53CDyHQnFv7V7ZUloA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1FdN6AV5TOnl6KffTISdBTVtNuCI-yhQcrJnajApZwAfnNXI3_tKc1PZ_hv4M-wD-tzEJ_PMa8QRNKzRbMC_YRJeQ2nj9sHD08f1V4M2VPLhyphenhyphenyB2KZqrmS6d5aHkaEKu8JQYddGYMAuI/s1600/SpitCake+-+24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1FdN6AV5TOnl6KffTISdBTVtNuCI-yhQcrJnajApZwAfnNXI3_tKc1PZ_hv4M-wD-tzEJ_PMa8QRNKzRbMC_YRJeQ2nj9sHD08f1V4M2VPLhyphenhyphenyB2KZqrmS6d5aHkaEKu8JQYddGYMAuI/s640/SpitCake+-+24.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<h3>
What I would do better if I did this again:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Make the bark mix wetter so it could be put on like the prototype, with peaks in the application.</li>
<li>Put some expansion joints in the bark from the beginning so it gets more vertical cracks than horizontal cracks</li>
<li>Use a more subtle color than black for the background</li>
<li>Add a bit or paint to the bark mix to get a darker color</li>
</ul>
<div>
You could do a lot of colors and make the bark have realistic lichen on it and stuff, but for a cake I sort of liked the texture minus color. The all white bark prototype looked really elegant to me. I might try to refine that a little bit with some paper pulp and expansive clay and white paint. If I had the need for such a thing. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsS8fZSGP5aOU28sHt_SWqpYKGWQSekeI9eV8VDW3_1v0sOgI7Q6BzCD3MfAfoxv6b0mtwfSXV6z9V3ijIoI5AkE-UtchHQfzsEy9MXjLK-UPQn1wYFcMz4ALzdjQaTlTOdAlf-HROeFs/s1600/Tiny+cakes+-+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsS8fZSGP5aOU28sHt_SWqpYKGWQSekeI9eV8VDW3_1v0sOgI7Q6BzCD3MfAfoxv6b0mtwfSXV6z9V3ijIoI5AkE-UtchHQfzsEy9MXjLK-UPQn1wYFcMz4ALzdjQaTlTOdAlf-HROeFs/s640/Tiny+cakes+-+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smooth icing and white paper pulp bark cake plate</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White cold porcelain flowers on the white cake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This little prototype is sort of the proof of concept of the all-white elegant cake look. I don't know why anybody would want to combine elegant with rustic in this way, but it's oddly compelling to me. Somebody should do it full scale in a bakery window and let me know what kind of response you get.<br />
<br />
I also think hat boxes are just too flexible. For doing a tree tier fake cake I thought about reinforcing them with sections of cardboard tubing cut on my chop saw. Hot glue these inside and have your three tiers not go all saggy in the middle.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVHuHuRlHI0PtQsybSDBu-naaDaBJ5YHimCP_1w48FCDfni94LhnyvZMDOS7oQrWePw4Qy7XC_x4V-2ovvl_Tmt3ApF1b7eHsCayQPso0BywRW-0nJnYgzoyErNGxNHg07ExNSbvaWb-c/s1600/Fake+Cake+Plans+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1145" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVHuHuRlHI0PtQsybSDBu-naaDaBJ5YHimCP_1w48FCDfni94LhnyvZMDOS7oQrWePw4Qy7XC_x4V-2ovvl_Tmt3ApF1b7eHsCayQPso0BywRW-0nJnYgzoyErNGxNHg07ExNSbvaWb-c/s320/Fake+Cake+Plans+3.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top view three hat box stack with cardboard tube pillars</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I think for a display cake for a shop window or a prop cake for photos the actual styrofoam cake forms at the craft store would be a better option than hat boxes. I didn't buy them because they were just so expensive. I was reserving that option for the contingency that my niece actually wanted this. Fortunately I was able to end the project after the fun research phase.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh247cpkQfBxz-XyjTnmziRYmTa5IkJTh8Eq4BNEhathfZqBU7dApMu6WfDuqGb2aBOnxi4iCGAbHHL3sSaJVXcBp8m3roMq8SXec13HA6hMyQEAv8PYx1xMxopxSFqMkchzL8yYhYAmqc/s1600/CakeTips+-+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh247cpkQfBxz-XyjTnmziRYmTa5IkJTh8Eq4BNEhathfZqBU7dApMu6WfDuqGb2aBOnxi4iCGAbHHL3sSaJVXcBp8m3roMq8SXec13HA6hMyQEAv8PYx1xMxopxSFqMkchzL8yYhYAmqc/s640/CakeTips+-+6.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Styrofoam cake forms at the craft store</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I haven't said much about my experiments with cold porcelain. That's because I mixed up a batch and made it work but my plan for actually making flowers required the participation of some of my nieces with strong hands and a love of squishing things. There is too much kneading required for my current state of arthritis. It's neat though! You can make realistic looking flowers and they don't die. And they don't contaminate a real cake either. You don't even need a fake cake to use fake flowers.<br />
<h3>
My problem with real flowers on a cake:</h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Latex floral tape to wrap the flower stems. I'm allergic to latex.</li>
<li>Serving the cake is complicated by needing to remove the decoration first</li>
<li>The plated cake looks gross if there's been stuff stabbed into it</li>
<li>Flowers have to be added at the last minute so they don't wilt</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<div>
I have made a wedding cake with real flowers on it. But I arranged them in a ramekin and just plopped them on top after all the icing was done. I was a lot younger then and could squeeze an icing bag to make a lace pattern icing which was popular back in the '90s. It was easy to just lift off the arrangement and cut the cake. What is popular now is flowers flowing down the sides. I can't help thinking that's going to look yucky on the inside. Square cake back in the kitchen, fake cake with all the flowers you want out by the buffet. That sounds good to me! But I'm not having a wedding. Ever. Hell no. Yuck.<br />
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Beachtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13792937145012547220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111303718232102418.post-41347505309956468462018-09-14T14:38:00.003-04:002018-09-14T14:43:40.007-04:00If I'm invisible how'd I get caught?You know <a href="https://medium.com/@littlebrown/i-wore-the-juice-the-dunning-kruger-effect-f8ac3299eb1">that story</a> about the bank robber who couldn't believe that he was recognized on security camera footage? "But I wore the juice!" He thought that lemon juice rubbed on his face would make him invisible, because of that trick where you write with lemon juice as invisible ink. The recipient of the secret message is supposed to know to heat it up with a candle to make the writing appear. (This bank robber led David Dunning to run the tests that would prove the existence of the Dunning-Kruger effect. But that's not what this is about.)<br />
<br />
Today I had my Vimeo channel taken down. I had over 100 videos from up to 12 years ago, mostly nature videos. I used to like to pick the perfect song to go with 2 minutes of some animal doing something, like a White Oak snake trying to make himself look big or a spider hunter wasp digging a hole in the sand. The one that got me taken down was a Mason Wasp carrying a cutworm. I have no idea what song I used. But some automated bot decided that video from around 2006 with 8 views deserved a DMCA copyright takedown.<br />
<br />
So here's the thing. These videos weren't public. They were private. Only people with the link could see them. I am all about the rights of creators to not have their work product stolen. But I thought it was ethically acceptable to respectfully use a song to accompany a video with full credit given. I mean ethically acceptable to do it for my own personal use, not for any kind of commercial reason.<br />
<br />
It would NOT be ok to upload a piece of music to a streaming service that had no additional creative input. I mean, I shot the video and edited it to match the song. I did some creative work. I thought of it as fair use as the little nature videos were for teaching about the behavior of these animals. Granted it wasn't teaching anything about that piece of music which is what the legal definition of fair use probably means.<br />
<br />
I'm saying I felt like it was ethically ok, not necessarily legally ok. So now that I've been legally reprimanded, I will quietly accept my punishment.<br />
<br />
But it sure does sting. People steal my rocket video and upload it verbatim to their channels on YouTube all the time. They don't do anything creative. Just straight up steal it. And if I happen to find out about it through a link in a Daily Mail article and I file a DMCA takedown then they get mad and retaliate against me, filing false takedowns for videos that were 100% legitimately mine with no music even.<br />
<br />
I have no recourse against malicious retaliation on YouTube. I'm not big and important enough for YouTube to accept email from me so they can check the evidence in the claim and see that it is specious. I was kind of impressed that Vimeo actually read my email this morning where I basically asked for verification that private videos were subject to takedown. They sent me a letter back that basically says I should have known better, the law is the law. But it doesn't explain exactly how the bots are able to scan the private videos. I guess Vimeo made a deal with the big publishers to let them go after people like me. I wonder how that's working out for them?<br />
<br />
After I got the email from Vimeo I heard a noise in my yard so I went out to investigate. I must have just missed the timber cruiser on a UTV. I could see tire tracks running out through the woods between my house and my lab. Sonofabitch drove down my footpath and took off where my gopher hatchling lives.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1X9ph5UoiMCo6sWFLFrTRuiwfPpL3vVKKSshOtQVat8bA1Hf_JFbX3NZolunYXyIlTvC566N6WvwlWHbncA0HTcbarmyVbFzPfFT9gLthsyH8_COA2EjZjoMeSmsSjGODdHMT5cXJfvw/s1600/BabyGopher2+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1X9ph5UoiMCo6sWFLFrTRuiwfPpL3vVKKSshOtQVat8bA1Hf_JFbX3NZolunYXyIlTvC566N6WvwlWHbncA0HTcbarmyVbFzPfFT9gLthsyH8_COA2EjZjoMeSmsSjGODdHMT5cXJfvw/s640/BabyGopher2+-+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gopher Tortoise hatchling. Still has his egg tooth</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUIzYH1j4LP0SD1R13AK_ZJYUysnKBwOE-apgQqjqfhaDLuEvdJXXPzmf5KXl0FV8m_r_86FhrOTO_gcSlhFGGn4uKNgDkGBzJ2EWcy9idrzaz1zsgu5FR003w4hFxKtwt2TXUVbfrZWI/s1600/BabyGopher+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="956" data-original-width="1280" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUIzYH1j4LP0SD1R13AK_ZJYUysnKBwOE-apgQqjqfhaDLuEvdJXXPzmf5KXl0FV8m_r_86FhrOTO_gcSlhFGGn4uKNgDkGBzJ2EWcy9idrzaz1zsgu5FR003w4hFxKtwt2TXUVbfrZWI/s640/BabyGopher+-+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gopher tortoise hatchling with hand for scale</td></tr>
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This is not how being invisible is supposed to work! I stay out here so I can protect these woods. But apparently I'm invisible and I can't even stop people from tearing around in the woods between my obvious actual dwellings when I'm here! And when I make videos for my own amusement or to share with people interested in nature, big corporations can apparently still access them to punish me for even making them in the first place.</div>
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It's becoming increasingly hard to rationalize my existence. But before I cease to exist and my creative legacy is deleted off the internet I have to go through all my old archive hard drives and find where I saved those movies I made. I don't have them on either the 1 TB drive in my computer or the 2 TB drive of my photo archives. Maybe they're in an old iTunes archive in the house. Or maybe I lost them altogether. I loved those little videos. They made me happy. And I want them back.</div>
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Beachtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13792937145012547220noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111303718232102418.post-67380501116423272602018-06-27T18:21:00.001-04:002018-06-27T18:40:19.404-04:00No Such Thing As A Term PaperOn this week's <a href="http://qi.com/podcast">No Such Thing As A Fish podcast</a>, Number 222, James's fact at 33 minutes into the recording is this: “The Gulf Corvina fish has such loud sex that it can deafen dolphins”<br />
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Our latest episode, No Such Thing As A Warmongering Pigeon, is now available to download! <a href="https://t.co/AiIyoIBA5A">https://t.co/AiIyoIBA5A</a></div>
— No Such Thing As A Fish (@nosuchthing) <a href="https://twitter.com/nosuchthing/status/1010210557645844483?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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I found the article he was referencing, <a href="http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/13/12/20170656">A sound worth saving: acoustic characteristics of a massive fish spawning aggregation, by Brad E. Erisman, Timothy J. Rowell</a><br />
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Here's a tweet with a picture of the Gulf Corvina<br />
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(1/3) ~6000 MT of Gulf Corvina R harvested per yr; we use an <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/echosounder?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#echosounder</a> 2 study the pop <a href="https://t.co/YaYh3f9tCo">https://t.co/YaYh3f9tCo</a> <a href="https://t.co/WUBMv2B5nm">pic.twitter.com/WUBMv2B5nm</a></div>
— GoC Marine Program (@GCMarineProgram) <a href="https://twitter.com/GCMarineProgram/status/775033777663930371?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<br />
At time stamp 41:17 James talks generally about sound underwater, something I have thought about a lot.<br />
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James: But I think the problem was that Jacques Cousteau did a documentary, didn't he, in 1956 called <i>The Silent World. </i>It was all about the underwater. But basically his diving tanks masked all the sounds of the water. So he was like, "Oh, it's so quiet in here." And actually that's just where his microphones were. So lots of people thought it was really quiet, but like you say, Anna, it's loud as hell, isn't it?</blockquote>
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Anna: "It's not {really quiet} is it? Even though it doesn't work very well with our ears. Because I thought this was really interesting. So sound waves, because they travel a different way in water to how they do in air, and we've got air in our ears, that's why sound is messed up for us underwater, but that's also why whales, you know they have huge amounts of wax in their ears, so you see whale's ear wax, it comes many many inches long ear wax, and that's kind of the same density as water so that means that the sound waves can travel into their ears and they'd be fine. But it's assumed, that if they came up onto the surface they'd be deaf in air."</blockquote>
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This is definitely a different way to explain acoustics than anything I encountered in any of my college courses on the subject.<br />
<br />
In addition to the Cousteau documentary they mentioned on No Such Thing As A Fish, there was also a book. An autobiography in fact, called <i>The Silent World</i>. I referenced it in a term paper I wrote in graduate school 11 years ago. I can't find the final version of the paper on my hard drive, but I did find these notes that went into it. In keeping with the Quite Interesting tone, here are a collection of facts about underwater hearing and noise and evolution.<br />
<h3>
Notes for an Oceanography term paper on underwater hearing for FSU around 2007:</h3>
Man is an egotistical explorer. Direct observations are limited to the range of the human senses, judgments are based on the human experience. Sensory perception evolved in vertebrates to improve their chances of survival. Because avoiding predators is key to the survival of any individual, hearing developed into the most important warning sense, species by species. Modern human beings can go through their civilized days without needing to know the wavelengths of light they perceive or the frequency of the sound that they hear. While it is common knowledge that dogs have a keener sense of smell than people and can hear high pitched whistles that are silent to our ears, we tend to anthropomorphize our pets and forget our inferiority. It is a bad habit, particularly when making new discoveries. A more modest approach to exploration may reveal an even more complex and beautiful world. This is particularly true when we invade a space where the physics don't match our evolutionary environment. We evolved in the air, not in the water. Here marine mammals have taken a full evolutionary step past us. They experience the world in a way we can only appreciate if we open our minds beyond the limits of our own senses and use our instruments to simulate what they take for granted.<br />
<br />
Captain Jacques Cousteau of the French Navy made a great contribution to oceanography with his co-invention of the aqualung and regulator. The physiology of diving was already well researched, particularly by the US Navy, but freeing the diver from his upright posture and hoses to the surface was a breakthrough. Unfortunately the ability to move as freely as the fish, indeed, the ability to freely spear the fish, gave Jacques Cousteau a false impression that he was superior to the creatures of the sea. In his autobiography, "The Silent World," he reveals his strange attitude. "The sea is a most silent world. I say this deliberately on long accumulated evidence and aware that wide publicity has recently been made on the noises of the sea. Hydrophones have recorded clamors that have been sold as phonographic curiosa, but the recordings have been grossly amplified. It is not the reality of the sea as we have known it with naked ears. There are noises under water, very interesting ones that the sea transmits exceptionally well, but a diver does not hear boiler factories." (Cousteau 1953 p. 242)<br />
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The hearing loss experienced by human subjects underwater is comparable to those who have an eliminated middle ear, such as because of a radical operation. This constitutes a loss of about 60 dB. (Note that a high quality pair of shooting ear muffs only provides about a 34 dB reduction.) The loss of direction sensation is also expected underwater because of the head and hearing organs being so close to the density of water. Sound localization depends on the two ears working separately. Audiograms made underwater by DeHaan in 1956 and Hamilton in 1957 confirmed the theoretical 60dB hearing loss. In the frequency range of 1000 Hz to 16,000 Hz determination of direction was impossible. Neither the distance between the observer and the source of sound, not the type of sound, namely short pulses or sweep tones, made any difference. (DeHaan 1960).<br />
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"The creatures of the sea express fear, pain and joy without audible comment. The old round of life and death passes silently, save among the mammals -- whales and porpoises. The sea is unaffected by man's occasional uproars of dynamite and ships' engines. It is a silent jungle, in which the diver's sounds are keenly heard -- the soft roar of exhalations, the lisp of incoming air and the hoots of a comrade. One's hunting companion may be hundreds of yards away out of sight, but his missed harpoon may be clearly heard clanging on the rocks, and when he returns one may taunt him by holding up a finger for each shot he missed." (Cousteau 1953 p. 242) Jacques Cousteau wasn't just wrong about sound in the sea, he was kind of a jerk.<br />
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Since accepted wisdom is that life originated in the water, it follows that hearing developed there as well. This formation of a sensory apparatus for hearing probably began with the tactile sense, followed by a nervous system, lateral line organ, and finally organs that we think of as the inner ear. Some of the fishes, the most highly developed vertebrates, were able to transition to life on land. Underwater hearing became air hearing, reaching the pinnacle of performance in mammals. (DeHaan, 1960)<br />
<br />
Hearing in mammals is the most important source of information on what is happening at a distance. The eye is limited by obstacles that would block a line of sight, where sound would refract around it. Hearing does not depend on sunlight. Unlike smell it doesn't require the proper wind direction. The ear gives information first and most rapidly, and is therefore the most efficient warning organ (DeHaan 1960).<br />
<br />
Imagine a pool full of children playing Marco Polo. As the other children call out to blindfolded Polo, he flails about to tag them. He is usually dead accurate in guessing which way to turn and how far to jump, the only real challenge being that all the Marcos jump out of the way. This game is an ideal use of the ear for localization. First of all, everybody in the game is calling out at ear level and splashing right on the surface of the pool. Ears on the sides of the head make us really good at localizing sound all around the same plane as our ears, and particularly in front of us where the outer ear reflects sound into the ear canal with maximum efficiency. Our ears do not work nearly as well for localizing sounds in the vertical plane. It's logical to suppose that in our evolutionary past, most of our predators were coming at us from the ground and not attacking from the air. Another reason Polo has an advantage is because the frequency of the human voice falls right in his peak sensitivity to sound. We lose sensitivity at the low and high end of our spectrum, which encompasses 11 octaves, from about 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.<br />
<br />
Although our brain does it automatically without our realizing it, there are two main ways people listening in air can localize sounds, the difference in time of arrival of a sound at the two ears, and the difference in the spectrum of the sound reaching the two ears. Both of these depend on the distance between the ears and the sound shadow of the head and the outer ear. (Heffner 1980) The spectral difference of the sound involves the phase of the individual frequencies that add together to make the sound wave. This is important at low frequencies where the wavelength is large relative to the size of the head. At about 1500 Hz, the frequency of maximum sensitivity in human hearing in air, the wavelength is just right to make the phase of the waveform the same at both ears. It is very difficult to localize this pitch. Fortunately for Polo, children don't yell in pure tones.<br />
<br />
Now imagine all these children put on scuba gear and tried to play Marco Polo. They'd get disgusted and go inside to play video games within ten minutes. They could still holler underwater, but they would barely be able to hear each other. The sound of their bubbles and the kicking and splashing would seem louder than their voices. The one with a blacked out face mask would have no idea if somebody was above him or below him or left or right, if he could hear them at all.<br />
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Mammals returned to the water after they evolved to life on land. By considering how their anatomy changed as a result of evolving to marine life, we may better appreciate why human beings are poorly equipped to appreciate the underwater soundscape with the naked ear. All the mammals still have similar inner ears, with a cochlea and basilar membrane described by standing wave physics. It is the pathways to get vibrations into the cochlea that show the most evolutionary difference in the marine mammals and man. The Cetaceans (whales) and Sirenians (manatees and dugongs) are said to share a common ancestor with modern ungulates, the cud-chewing cows and hippopotamuses. The bottlenosed dolphin has a fascinating anatomy for hearing and sound creation, including the ability to mimic sounds it hears, and a sound path to the inner ear through a hollow jaw full of specialized fat. For echolocation, dolphins produce and hear frequencies 3 octaves above the human frequency range, similar to bats. (Verbal, Nowacek) While the dolphins were evolving this predatory advantage, some of their prey were keeping up. While most fish can detect sound to 1-3 kHz, herrings may have evolved to hear echolocation at 180 kHz to avoid predation. (Popper 2000)<br />
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Dolphin hearing may be advanced too far beyond humans to make a good comparison. We are only now beginning to decipher the physics of their auditory system. Studying dolphin psychoacoustics could prove even more astonishing. For a simpler anatomy comparison to humans, it would be logical to look at marine mammals that have evolved to live part of their life on land and part underwater.<br />
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The evolutionary ancestors of the sea lions and the walruses were small flippered mammals with dense underfur like modern day fur seals. They fed along the coastline, hauling prey onshore to eat. Evolutionary changes in these marine newcomers to accommodate to life in the water included enlarged eyes and circulatory and ear adaptations for prolonged and deep dives. Directional sensitivity to underwater sound was not developed. Sharing a common terrestrial ancestor with bears, the extinct pinnipeds called enaliarctids likely lived all over the coast of the North Pacific until 16 million years ago. (Repenning 1976) As far as hearing underwater goes, we aren't even on an even playing field with an animal that went extinct 16 million years ago. We can't close our ears to the water with special tissues that react uniquely to pressure.<br />
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The desmatophocids are a formerly abundant seal that evolved from the enaliarctids, surviving until about 9 million years ago. These creatures were much larger than their ancestor, an advantage in holding heat in cold water, particularly as they adapted to life away from the coast. They are believed to have enjoyed improved directional underwater hearing because the entire ear structure was much more specialized than the enaliarctid ear, with many of the modifications specifically related to isolating the two ears from one another. Acoustical advantages in modern sea lions and walruses, particularly major flat areas on the skull favoring sound reception from selected directions, were missing in this ancestor. (Repenning 1976)<br />
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The bony structure and the soft anatomy associated with it has two functions, protection against pressure and sensitivity to sound. The enaliartids had adaptations that indicated it was a deep diver, but few adaptations were for directional sensitivity. 12 million years ago walruses developed directional underwater hearing advantages, and the sea lions 8 million years ago. The walruses are supposed to have undergone a reverse evolution when they changed to a shallow-water bottom feeding lifestyle, losing some of the deep diving protective adaptations, perhaps with improved air hearing as a benefit. (Repenning 1976)<br />
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In air, the human outer ear serves to reflect sound waves and direct them into the ear canal, assisting with locational clues, and performing somewhat as an amplifier. The sea lion's ears may serve the same purpose out of the water. In the water, the outer ear loses its function. The density being so similar to water, vibrations pass right through it with no reflection. Furthermore, at low frequencies, underwater sound vibrates the whole skull, including the two hearing organs. In air the middle ears move separately with respect to the inner ear and skull. (DeHaan 1960) This is why it is important that the marine mammals evolved to isolate their inner ears from receiving vibrations from all directions through tissue similar in density to the seawater. Mapping the density of layers of tissues in the heads of marine mammals is a useful technique for modeling acoustic pathways to their inner ear. Studies of this type in manatees recently revealed some previously unknown underwater hearing adaptations. (Verbal, Marie Chapla, 2006)<br />
<br />
Even before all these discoveries into the adaptations in hearing anatomy in underwater mammals were made, back in the time of Captain Cousteau's early aqualung diving adventures, scientists were paying attention to the sounds these mammals were making. In a paper in Science, February 1949, William Schevill and Barbara Lawrence of Harvard described sounds of beluga whales heard on underwater listening apparatus. At the time, only the toothed whales were known to make noise at all. The songs of the humpbacks weren't known until later. The listeners, watching the whales with field binoculars, reported high-pitched resonant whistles and squeals, ticking and clucking sounds, mewing and chirps. Some of the sounds were bell-like, indicating a build up of overtones. Some sounds suggested a crowd of children shouting in the distance. There were sharp reports, and the trilling that gives the beluga the nickname "sea canary". The author admits it is notoriously difficult to adequately describe unfamiliar sounds. (Schevill 1949) {This study was done in the area of the St. Lawrence Estuary, where these beluga whales are now so contaminated with heavy metals their carcasses have to be treated as hazardous waste. (Verbal, Nowacek 2006)}<br />
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Fifty years since this attempt to describe the cetacean sounds, Australian scientists studying fish calls described four sounds fish make -- pop, trumpet, drumming, banging. They suppose several biological reasons for making these sounds: reproductive displays, territorial defense, feeding sounds or echolocation. There is also physical noise -- sea noise, rainfall, breaking surf, seismic noise, low frequency swell, and ice movement (McCauley 2000)<br />
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Humans are used to living in a sound field characterized by architectural acoustic concepts such as reverberance and liveness. (Shroeder, 1966) Reflected and diffused sounds make up a large part of our perception of the world around us. Sound reflects off objects underwater exceptionally well, as evidenced by the success of sonar. The 4 to 5 times increase in the speed of sound means that sounds reflected off objects in our range of sight would reach our ears so fast our brain wouldn't perceive it. A psychoacoustic phenomenon known as the precedence effect causes humans to lump all amplitude reduced sounds delayed by up to 35 milliseconds together with the initial sound, even if the second comes from another direction. By 70 milliseconds this breaks down and we begin to recognize an echo. This ability to recognize echos at all is related to separation of sound between the ears -- each ear having a slightly different input. (Wallach 1949) Since one of the primary difficulties man has in hearing underwater is that his whole head vibrates together, that may turn out to be even more important than the delay effect when it comes to detecting reflected sound underwater with the naked ear. "Things seem one-fourth nearer than their actual distance, a deceitful perspective caused by the refraction of light passing from water to air though the glass plate. On my first dive I reached for objects, saw my hand fall short and was dismayed at my shrunken flipper of an arm. ... It takes practice to automatically correct distance and size." (Cousteau, 1950 p.252.) Oddly, there has been no sport diving apparatus developed for the ear. (There's no telling what the Navy has invented for their divers.)<br />
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Snapping Shrimp section:<br />
<br />
"Syrian fisherman select fishing grounds by putting their heads down into their boats to the focal point of the sound shell that is formed by the hull. When they hear creaking sounds they cast nets. They believe that the sound somehow emanates from rocks below, and rocks mean fish pasturage. Some marine biologists suppose the creaking sound comes from thick thousands of tiny shrimps, scraping pincers in concert. Such a shrimp in a specimen jar will transmit audible snaps. But the Syrians net fish, not shrimps. When we have dived into creaking areas we have never found a single shrimp." (Cousteau 1953, p 243-244)<br />
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The Syrians use the hulls of their boats to amplify the noise from the water and compensate for the 99.9 % power loss from water to air. They told Captain Cousteau that they cast their nets because they believe the area has the sort of rocky cover that draws fish, getting right to the point of the matter. Snapping shrimp also like rocks with a lot of hiding places, so it seems to be the most basic A=B, B=C, therefore A=C sort of logic. The fact that Captain Cousteau never found a single shrimp is a testament to the snapping shrimps penchant for hiding. According to Johnson, Everest, and Young's research in 1947, "They are notably secretive and demand ready-made or easily maintained burrows. Hence, they seek concealment in crevices and holes provided by coral, stones, shells, calcareous algae, and other solid objects. It has been demonstrated repeatedly by collectors that they live preponderantly on these bottom types. This habit renders collecting very difficult in most instances, especially when a dredge must be used. Hence the animals are far more abundant than generally realized." It is possible these are the marine biologists Cousteau were referring to, as this research came out before Cousteau's autobiography, although F. Alton Everest, one of the co-authors, was a Physicist at the Naval Ordinance Lab and went on to become the author of the most important acoustic textbook in the US, and is not a marine biologist at all. In Captain Cousteau's defense, the snapping shrimp noise is not as pronounced in the areas where he did the majority of his diving. Mediterranean species Typton spongicola were cited as species capable of snapping that are found in the Mediterranean, but they were not considered numerous in 1947.<br />
<br />
Though the extreme level of noise, 30 dB higher than state 1 sea noise*, produced by "thick thousands of tiny shrimps, scraping pincers in concert" has been well known for over half a century, the details of the snap are still coming to light. The noise is not in fact made by scraping pincers at all, but is caused by the popping of a cavitation bubble produced by the rapid movement of the claw. In 2001 researchers at the University of Twente found that the bursting bubble also produced a burst of light. The burst of light is not itself biologically important, being shorter than 10ns and not bright enough to see with the naked eye. It is simply an indicator of the power in the shrimp's snap. The shock wave caused by the bubble collapse is now thought to be capable of stunning prey, not merely scaring away predators. (http://stilton.tnw.utwente.nl/shrimp/shrimpoluminescence.htm (Find article in Nature, OCT 2001) *State 1 sea noise refers to the sound generated by waves that are still growing because of the wind, with crest to trough height of less than 30 cm high.<br />
<br />
Lautenschlager 1983<br />
During World War I torpedo boats worked over the battle fleets. It wasn't until after the war that fleet destroyers were equipped with active acoustic detection devices developed first by the Royal Navy as ASDIC and later by the U.S. Navy as Sonar.<br />
<br />
Kritzler 1952 Pilot whale at Marineland<br />
High pitched squealing or whistling similar to the three species of dolphins in the tank. Small quantities of air escape as it makes the noise. Used at times of excitement, whether due to fighting, fright, pain, or competition for food. Blow hole smacking noise made in air at times of comparative tranquility when the pilot whale was resting. Third type of noise was a kind of raspberry followed immediately by a breath. Fourth sound was inaudible in air but easily detectable with a hydrophone, reminiscent of a large door slowly swung on rusty hinges. Most noteworthy pilot whale sound was unlike any made by dolphins. Peevish whining of a child, or crying of young porcupines or beavers. Only heard when the whale would elevate its snout higher than normal. Easiest to hear at night when it was quiet, or at any time with the hydrophone.<br />
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<br />Beachtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13792937145012547220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111303718232102418.post-54719549409076139272018-05-03T21:37:00.000-04:002018-05-03T21:37:56.492-04:00Rattlesnake Foraging BehaviorI went out in the yard this evening to pick up pine cones and get ready to mow the yard for the first time this season. I spied a big ol Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake stretched out by the driveway when I had about 2 buckets of pine cones to go. I put down the bucket and got out my cell phone to take a picture. I uploaded one to Twitter and then texted one to Kim Sash, Conservation Biologist at Tall Timbers. Her response was exactly what I thought it would be. "Awesome. Wish diamondbacks crawled through my front yard." <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5fwZFjXHDIV292nsURHVqjRlX9vH-hxPTdeMGRDWzlZ5aPhGiuRtT74kFHJwnhW2LpjTSMRRVtIE8lMsV7R2WzGpyIczgXSg3P5pFPDcHnbVKalMzlc2gBhRlDMn2wCiVWR0gomcGX8U/s1600/RattlesnakeSnackLocate+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5fwZFjXHDIV292nsURHVqjRlX9vH-hxPTdeMGRDWzlZ5aPhGiuRtT74kFHJwnhW2LpjTSMRRVtIE8lMsV7R2WzGpyIczgXSg3P5pFPDcHnbVKalMzlc2gBhRlDMn2wCiVWR0gomcGX8U/s640/RattlesnakeSnackLocate+-+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where I first saw the snake. Easy to spot. 6:09 pm</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I watched it move over to the two big hop hornbeam trees that grow all the way to the ground. I pile up pinestraw under them to keep the briars at bay. The snake was rooting around in that pine straw. I decided they looked occupied enough for me to go to the lab and get my 20x zoom camera. I had to put new batteries in it, but the snake was still in the same place when I got back. I took closeup photos of them so I could zoom in on my computer. I couldn't really see the snake very well without glasses and I couldn't see the monitor on the camera that great either up so close. I should have gotten my reading glasses too. You can zoom in on these photos though. If you double click it might put them all in a gallery.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB5bB70h0SyJfYVLYBjfBPqYq2JNJwaoTgtHVYh-Sf8gkS38ODEN_qqgyK68Cs_NW-0LF9KGdyxjQWg0jwRDEun2D5Z06vgbXAN8GnO1japKHgD1R2ErvtKQk8OQnA45DCxdXau3iE-E8/s1600/RattlesnakeSnack+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB5bB70h0SyJfYVLYBjfBPqYq2JNJwaoTgtHVYh-Sf8gkS38ODEN_qqgyK68Cs_NW-0LF9KGdyxjQWg0jwRDEun2D5Z06vgbXAN8GnO1japKHgD1R2ErvtKQk8OQnA45DCxdXau3iE-E8/s640/RattlesnakeSnack+-+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I like how much of his head and body he holds up as he searches for food</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivk10Ncp7co5mN-c4U16uDHb42h57HskwJqwIIyfHb6jCOvuL3-XSy2_GMPZ5My2U735bdlt0sv8EZfhwp65uL1HigRcF5SqRHeYd4iisMyOYKyKfHdH8F0PSliClO6PTihtLapxCZKpI/s640/RattlesnakeSnack+-+2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I really do need to mow the lawn already.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivk10Ncp7co5mN-c4U16uDHb42h57HskwJqwIIyfHb6jCOvuL3-XSy2_GMPZ5My2U735bdlt0sv8EZfhwp65uL1HigRcF5SqRHeYd4iisMyOYKyKfHdH8F0PSliClO6PTihtLapxCZKpI/s1600/RattlesnakeSnack+-+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivk10Ncp7co5mN-c4U16uDHb42h57HskwJqwIIyfHb6jCOvuL3-XSy2_GMPZ5My2U735bdlt0sv8EZfhwp65uL1HigRcF5SqRHeYd4iisMyOYKyKfHdH8F0PSliClO6PTihtLapxCZKpI/s1600/RattlesnakeSnack+-+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj294830ny-7Axkq9yi6LZDdZLiL2TqfscHBLFWyghNy2PRuq_vOmlQKdvKv-NiQB8AyYG6cW0FncEEyjJPHuurTQqILjWf9YbIztcjE2BRnlzpFuv6FZ69K2AfC3wUyifqs0MvXp9yFEI/s1600/RattlesnakeSnack+-+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj294830ny-7Axkq9yi6LZDdZLiL2TqfscHBLFWyghNy2PRuq_vOmlQKdvKv-NiQB8AyYG6cW0FncEEyjJPHuurTQqILjWf9YbIztcjE2BRnlzpFuv6FZ69K2AfC3wUyifqs0MvXp9yFEI/s640/RattlesnakeSnack+-+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I count 8 rattles but that end one is not the natal button. The rattlestring is broken.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEUQwBtb_sL1iqseZL8XubQctwwBqFC9mqTIlu7XDcYvIIwCaZbin1Mntcdu1jauFhYuj5nqUnhxYrh7ZYf0fjXCTEv20mWVsyYSnJi86yA3eUSQyNWA88gkqn8xHOaKmE-Nv0s-nwfXQ/s1600/RattlesnakeSnack+-+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEUQwBtb_sL1iqseZL8XubQctwwBqFC9mqTIlu7XDcYvIIwCaZbin1Mntcdu1jauFhYuj5nqUnhxYrh7ZYf0fjXCTEv20mWVsyYSnJi86yA3eUSQyNWA88gkqn8xHOaKmE-Nv0s-nwfXQ/s640/RattlesnakeSnack+-+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The snake started rooting around in the pine straw under the hop hornbeam tree. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvKUWFlTv8XmG_ffHL0HKIs2C-vuvdw85jvWgWRZy5yFOqYqeIPWsO_rqlgiKGXlyfmy91cYP3P7Lz8hDC6Y2AYp4dL8SzR_lMq5bKtOxXfsD0crt-zO7FevWYArnX9XMGRrvf5bWBIQ/s1600/RattlesnakeSnack+-+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvKUWFlTv8XmG_ffHL0HKIs2C-vuvdw85jvWgWRZy5yFOqYqeIPWsO_rqlgiKGXlyfmy91cYP3P7Lz8hDC6Y2AYp4dL8SzR_lMq5bKtOxXfsD0crt-zO7FevWYArnX9XMGRrvf5bWBIQ/s640/RattlesnakeSnack+-+5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's something in there</td></tr>
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I got a little tired of waiting for something to happen. I turned over the pine cone bucket and sat down and watched and waited while the snake kept poking around in that one spot under the hop hornbeams. I took a macro picture of some ants on a flower that were right in front of me on my bucket.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnZiCHA1MTQ6B-NiyKgQYRkD16HBU_XkCrcitL40aZNFrKBEG0D0-6lgsyNBR_u2j5mOhyphenhyphenv9aNPDKNXc3HNEI4EDGDtWe0ketyRPx_o5B1yy0RF7YXB44V8izy2YZ9hlSZGVd2n_KbLI/s1600/RattlesnakeSnack+-+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1132" data-original-width="1600" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnZiCHA1MTQ6B-NiyKgQYRkD16HBU_XkCrcitL40aZNFrKBEG0D0-6lgsyNBR_u2j5mOhyphenhyphenv9aNPDKNXc3HNEI4EDGDtWe0ketyRPx_o5B1yy0RF7YXB44V8izy2YZ9hlSZGVd2n_KbLI/s640/RattlesnakeSnack+-+6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ant on a spent flower in the setting sun</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5J41_nQbslIXN8YbYYKk1RATZnkNrFPebHo0UEhsEIVlpOpSpoNqeEE0A40IeAdgzbDA3WOaJWWwFLsn9G_nnmGUI3lb2_clO0dMiKJnR__iHQivYK8yroNvdx-DtOHXFjAQNQdvLE9g/s1600/RattlesnakeSnack+-+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5J41_nQbslIXN8YbYYKk1RATZnkNrFPebHo0UEhsEIVlpOpSpoNqeEE0A40IeAdgzbDA3WOaJWWwFLsn9G_nnmGUI3lb2_clO0dMiKJnR__iHQivYK8yroNvdx-DtOHXFjAQNQdvLE9g/s640/RattlesnakeSnack+-+7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think the snake has narrowed down the spot and figured out a better angle of entry </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYcQeZTorZuXECzI5gMmxObjM1ZNhYk-k4PzXrTV_TbAG7ZRaWWaDY1K3_zXKWDVhnB4k0wunhZRAJ_zhzEsWJjGT5nW0v5nU71OgnemUt1J9Ls0sT7FRxnjx7LMG0gV2qcGUyJs9ZUfc/s640/RattlesnakeSnack+-+8.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's all this then? This fluffy stuff? Feathers or fur?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYcQeZTorZuXECzI5gMmxObjM1ZNhYk-k4PzXrTV_TbAG7ZRaWWaDY1K3_zXKWDVhnB4k0wunhZRAJ_zhzEsWJjGT5nW0v5nU71OgnemUt1J9Ls0sT7FRxnjx7LMG0gV2qcGUyJs9ZUfc/s1600/RattlesnakeSnack+-+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYcQeZTorZuXECzI5gMmxObjM1ZNhYk-k4PzXrTV_TbAG7ZRaWWaDY1K3_zXKWDVhnB4k0wunhZRAJ_zhzEsWJjGT5nW0v5nU71OgnemUt1J9Ls0sT7FRxnjx7LMG0gV2qcGUyJs9ZUfc/s1600/RattlesnakeSnack+-+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAFuIJI5pE-eR3NzCgG6lfLaLXTG2EDxrlY-dJaUlb2GV-boSlgWFDC604l5IIHv2p2sv0j4zZXQR6dCPbqdCsEpj1IiGIAhj60pUM1BDp5JE8gV_Q0S09bVQ8dBjClr1MsxOBMB08GAk/s1600/RattlesnakeSnack+-+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAFuIJI5pE-eR3NzCgG6lfLaLXTG2EDxrlY-dJaUlb2GV-boSlgWFDC604l5IIHv2p2sv0j4zZXQR6dCPbqdCsEpj1IiGIAhj60pUM1BDp5JE8gV_Q0S09bVQ8dBjClr1MsxOBMB08GAk/s640/RattlesnakeSnack+-+9.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snake keeps poking their head into this hole under the pinestraw</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLmfnaY8P-pylVeT0CmS1xRVukBK9Jzk2iVIq9UwlrKvuncYaFXMFZorjI41WWZVtvl5XkYnMclJaQtmZw9U73ryRc9UqRapjMjLW2MWyd-ox2YaZtipJyII4rAYeVh_6L0iTZjsVgjQ/s1600/RattlesnakeSnack+-+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLmfnaY8P-pylVeT0CmS1xRVukBK9Jzk2iVIq9UwlrKvuncYaFXMFZorjI41WWZVtvl5XkYnMclJaQtmZw9U73ryRc9UqRapjMjLW2MWyd-ox2YaZtipJyII4rAYeVh_6L0iTZjsVgjQ/s640/RattlesnakeSnack+-+11.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm thinking rabbit fur</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8D1fDaSUPceMLVhyphenhyphenwGNLaND6jScna_4FTfgwPm7p_E3WbKpAQPlXKryqug6-jNHWYI1P_qlQUsie5UQBZkbkx7EPOoCiPu56xqKACS_ei9NsNTxg-QMttmgnNPIoeOYKdK2dwMsoQjlE/s1600/RattlesnakeSnack+-+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8D1fDaSUPceMLVhyphenhyphenwGNLaND6jScna_4FTfgwPm7p_E3WbKpAQPlXKryqug6-jNHWYI1P_qlQUsie5UQBZkbkx7EPOoCiPu56xqKACS_ei9NsNTxg-QMttmgnNPIoeOYKdK2dwMsoQjlE/s640/RattlesnakeSnack+-+12.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lookit the fur sticking out of their blurry out of focus mouth. Dammit.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvoyqy3i9ZmOpZxUkw3pV4FuCFPLEqUIeWaPAI1FkXDjji2mTP720IOoTqDKeFNE22ot1Xi0iNGpM-D6Sgb6uhfCq0WbzUq-aJk4M-wDSAF6qFobbaMDVPsgijl9wV3noDIGhIztQ9MyI/s1600/RattlesnakeSnack+-+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvoyqy3i9ZmOpZxUkw3pV4FuCFPLEqUIeWaPAI1FkXDjji2mTP720IOoTqDKeFNE22ot1Xi0iNGpM-D6Sgb6uhfCq0WbzUq-aJk4M-wDSAF6qFobbaMDVPsgijl9wV3noDIGhIztQ9MyI/s640/RattlesnakeSnack+-+13.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keeps going back in</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAwKzNjUdWT-3LU2_2wJPAzfGnfC_Y9KDIqXpNKll-RpL5vqRTQTtzLR1YV7P-1HDJm-_GGKkHDifijDBqxS-3YDQzZRWRz0_VJtOayXeiDJll54iQ5nhi8UIMFGQv7-e5EERreLg2Yrs/s1600/RattlesnakeSnack+-+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAwKzNjUdWT-3LU2_2wJPAzfGnfC_Y9KDIqXpNKll-RpL5vqRTQTtzLR1YV7P-1HDJm-_GGKkHDifijDBqxS-3YDQzZRWRz0_VJtOayXeiDJll54iQ5nhi8UIMFGQv7-e5EERreLg2Yrs/s640/RattlesnakeSnack+-+14.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I like the contrast of the keeled scales and the bunny fur</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6_uOoswc8oGc4Q-IPdHNH2RqZzoEUwEMYfV9aqeHmLsM8DFTEAhL2q-BXSDkTeX-xByO0exOLtcQXM5rvFCyorF4N2AEKsfmz6gCHvpxkiAJ1l13QBNUwypdmrgA3jhOhLuPlP3rkz8M/s1600/RattlesnakeSnack+-+15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6_uOoswc8oGc4Q-IPdHNH2RqZzoEUwEMYfV9aqeHmLsM8DFTEAhL2q-BXSDkTeX-xByO0exOLtcQXM5rvFCyorF4N2AEKsfmz6gCHvpxkiAJ1l13QBNUwypdmrgA3jhOhLuPlP3rkz8M/s640/RattlesnakeSnack+-+15.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here comes the head back out of the hole again</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1z-hDFID-MeYWkEIFvVTyiRwwN7OODI-Md84YqKJXzISwDneCFzbs3aPFBzW689jssz9cadRjSyI7UnaywGbSLy1qh9j4MrZ7qu1ogSSGuZrqKvCoagJ1QzM14BTJIAYzAY_skxAI6RU/s1600/RattlesnakeSnack+-+16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1z-hDFID-MeYWkEIFvVTyiRwwN7OODI-Md84YqKJXzISwDneCFzbs3aPFBzW689jssz9cadRjSyI7UnaywGbSLy1qh9j4MrZ7qu1ogSSGuZrqKvCoagJ1QzM14BTJIAYzAY_skxAI6RU/s640/RattlesnakeSnack+-+16.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whatcha got in your mouth?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqTHFkzagkWTr2ufQlZg7A8iHjKmpNGonyAelse06ZvcgatB9rB5xI023kRXWXHIp0yEVzXzlFapZcgZBl01D5xFGG9POEk9tt0YftvRfjiWjgejXx12u6sh5kr1c-PcC9iy_UEPh6_1o/s1600/RattlesnakeSnack+-+17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqTHFkzagkWTr2ufQlZg7A8iHjKmpNGonyAelse06ZvcgatB9rB5xI023kRXWXHIp0yEVzXzlFapZcgZBl01D5xFGG9POEk9tt0YftvRfjiWjgejXx12u6sh5kr1c-PcC9iy_UEPh6_1o/s640/RattlesnakeSnack+-+17.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What is it? Why you move so fast?! Make my pictures blurry. It was 7:30 pm and getting dark.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkddIkKWWaGf_a7XDrJCQCWz1fZU2HEfx3AywzfHx_PRKUCvGSgC7bDPrIYpeyEi0vwrveV1vxHNYKqg-4ZpTqLCu5vKFioxjpak4vabomi60F-OB3tHTtiu5CgoLKb8YzOvghV9-NbE/s1600/RattlesnakeSnack+-+18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkddIkKWWaGf_a7XDrJCQCWz1fZU2HEfx3AywzfHx_PRKUCvGSgC7bDPrIYpeyEi0vwrveV1vxHNYKqg-4ZpTqLCu5vKFioxjpak4vabomi60F-OB3tHTtiu5CgoLKb8YzOvghV9-NbE/s640/RattlesnakeSnack+-+18.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one the snake was still but I can't see what's in their mouth!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmuluqLKSMDhjC8y02D4N_GkdUZeSFUf2cW2JVeik92fL9Fl0ZDfIL7ffO_2gUMXhz72G8G1XotBntw4zeEr68bfn2HzX8soDrdtUqZt4pHRu0I9pX_KKZ9XpwFdTWRL_rHXyRALJ7Haw/s1600/RattlesnakeSnack+-+19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmuluqLKSMDhjC8y02D4N_GkdUZeSFUf2cW2JVeik92fL9Fl0ZDfIL7ffO_2gUMXhz72G8G1XotBntw4zeEr68bfn2HzX8soDrdtUqZt4pHRu0I9pX_KKZ9XpwFdTWRL_rHXyRALJ7Haw/s640/RattlesnakeSnack+-+19.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Show me it!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRmwt6n-JIInswo_GywLC319OZZ4EKxHhyphenhyphenfD83oINogWV5MKYyu3KQA2vwUfDF0uXaSaRqodJ6x_liRnRD7jyF_nulUrj_DYfMspXDgCvldmzIAWM7KqzkqscM9U6OnrKsYHwSJCfax4/s1600/RattlesnakeSnack+-+20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRmwt6n-JIInswo_GywLC319OZZ4EKxHhyphenhyphenfD83oINogWV5MKYyu3KQA2vwUfDF0uXaSaRqodJ6x_liRnRD7jyF_nulUrj_DYfMspXDgCvldmzIAWM7KqzkqscM9U6OnrKsYHwSJCfax4/s640/RattlesnakeSnack+-+20.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ok, just swallow it then.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVlkHGyis7n1trXpA7MeXWnaR2GUdHD_np89l-Xv1pxJzZEDVk4uod2oYOgIsV15SeRrFOTk-becxcLiuuvoUl33C-dmto1sOOf6WGuAvLmdayYW7y-CEBCfRH4U2OzydlO6jUvj-kBo/s1600/RattlesnakeSnack+-+21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVlkHGyis7n1trXpA7MeXWnaR2GUdHD_np89l-Xv1pxJzZEDVk4uod2oYOgIsV15SeRrFOTk-becxcLiuuvoUl33C-dmto1sOOf6WGuAvLmdayYW7y-CEBCfRH4U2OzydlO6jUvj-kBo/s640/RattlesnakeSnack+-+21.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">nom nom</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgODQ_cBZaijqkFISxR8REb1bO6uadINUydhOk_FlKZegE0DHAU-nrGRYXdE8VIkw4kZ-GHqxKVWG_GpWl9ORYEBmC5e2YKCZBK73vFQSV9fvGDKAeuwYkLRFsCZbPV6bJMDtCN6k1h5bk/s1600/RattlesnakeSnack+-+22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgODQ_cBZaijqkFISxR8REb1bO6uadINUydhOk_FlKZegE0DHAU-nrGRYXdE8VIkw4kZ-GHqxKVWG_GpWl9ORYEBmC5e2YKCZBK73vFQSV9fvGDKAeuwYkLRFsCZbPV6bJMDtCN6k1h5bk/s640/RattlesnakeSnack+-+22.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NOM</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2yUCU84CLufYm598HnN62AIM7E-05EnW59VjJyZp7U-Zt_wDRa5GuINB3SL9rDDsvqOnaJLSmwjXZcTjoefAbB9utNu2NIEQGn0ggltnwM3_edfTKdXl5quXbKls4Z-j16HCJxCb_6is/s1600/RattlesnakeSnack+-+23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2yUCU84CLufYm598HnN62AIM7E-05EnW59VjJyZp7U-Zt_wDRa5GuINB3SL9rDDsvqOnaJLSmwjXZcTjoefAbB9utNu2NIEQGn0ggltnwM3_edfTKdXl5quXbKls4Z-j16HCJxCb_6is/s640/RattlesnakeSnack+-+23.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheesh. You had to wait until it was dark to be so fast? I'm zoomed in here. Aperture is tiny.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjA4526KzlQgb5ciDxqPFTOkprL9E-nMeII_SRlYHbdDqK1TKuB8Q_aOtteea3ZbFwBgSXryDj7Vun1tPnbEE9dNHGhoLp0rPVDxDqABxmBG4zGcbBw1d-cxag0uzxNcjADLl5ey8rBY/s1600/RattlesnakeSnack+-+24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjA4526KzlQgb5ciDxqPFTOkprL9E-nMeII_SRlYHbdDqK1TKuB8Q_aOtteea3ZbFwBgSXryDj7Vun1tPnbEE9dNHGhoLp0rPVDxDqABxmBG4zGcbBw1d-cxag0uzxNcjADLl5ey8rBY/s640/RattlesnakeSnack+-+24.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full gullet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMpy70uFjwsFnrO6F2EkBm6tOlnSbxv_tL9t7J3Bg5smd7-nIHTMmrW_oQwidD6j9bn_CswGHl8osH6PJ9UZgmvwD6BOFbfwHawYdfYaIAanAjWFq7vRvH5e7QEh7bB3fd1yuWoGrfgU/s1600/RattlesnakeSnack+-+25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMpy70uFjwsFnrO6F2EkBm6tOlnSbxv_tL9t7J3Bg5smd7-nIHTMmrW_oQwidD6j9bn_CswGHl8osH6PJ9UZgmvwD6BOFbfwHawYdfYaIAanAjWFq7vRvH5e7QEh7bB3fd1yuWoGrfgU/s640/RattlesnakeSnack+-+25.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Through the mouth and into the neck now</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXQiklO_zxG4PZLen5A7lfG14h6yJs8fZvR36SXxDNLeEs85wT2ieicd6O8m9YHj78LbDm1FPviI5Hq8E89FZDb0R3gLjB-jK5byGR0hSBoX0NmZPa2HcOCF699eDu5Beuby-blKDSyeM/s1600/RattlesnakeSnack+-+26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXQiklO_zxG4PZLen5A7lfG14h6yJs8fZvR36SXxDNLeEs85wT2ieicd6O8m9YHj78LbDm1FPviI5Hq8E89FZDb0R3gLjB-jK5byGR0hSBoX0NmZPa2HcOCF699eDu5Beuby-blKDSyeM/s640/RattlesnakeSnack+-+26.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What're you lookin' at?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nBc4t0BemQWcLAp9hysfjcIKHaYkHzSbXDSxEaSNOxvHq7PBr1ylHUItCPIj7HagGeNrJQtlGIGmJjuc9c89hfzRRfoTGhsCGzkumKOIunVzHmVIapi1eh24D-n0WUqPOLwMFUJsfX0/s1600/RattlesnakeSnackHairInMouth+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nBc4t0BemQWcLAp9hysfjcIKHaYkHzSbXDSxEaSNOxvHq7PBr1ylHUItCPIj7HagGeNrJQtlGIGmJjuc9c89hfzRRfoTGhsCGzkumKOIunVzHmVIapi1eh24D-n0WUqPOLwMFUJsfX0/s640/RattlesnakeSnackHairInMouth+-+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After the snake finished swallowing what I'm assuming was a baby rabbit there was a lot of that nesting material in their mouth. They kept doing this, opening their mouth real wide.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0siqFQNdh-C2j9nFxggFRXCTG4o9KbFZZa33YGI5I-PVAJR0JW_d8dZYvU4df6TLPe7vTynEKvc_v5xDcQlcLr4kNn8Ekb8tB5WPdRV_514Hqham0TjSRFAUhOLxE739ZKWr-skvVbZ8/s1600/RattlesnakeSnackHairInMouth+-+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0siqFQNdh-C2j9nFxggFRXCTG4o9KbFZZa33YGI5I-PVAJR0JW_d8dZYvU4df6TLPe7vTynEKvc_v5xDcQlcLr4kNn8Ekb8tB5WPdRV_514Hqham0TjSRFAUhOLxE739ZKWr-skvVbZ8/s640/RattlesnakeSnackHairInMouth+-+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I mean, look at all that hair in the poor thing's mouth. Blech.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3XbbqQkLAJfkwsDIPoFofzS2OEk3v_gRa85q-dXkl0HHQ-LBnfJHc4BtJ-grIFMJUqcsjRbQ-nNM0bIxXC3agDtAOzTclAiA9bkcqJllfwWuB2a7hxYiyMoUB_pA4CUxD3uBtglrNt0o/s1600/RattlesnakeSnackHairInMouth+-+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3XbbqQkLAJfkwsDIPoFofzS2OEk3v_gRa85q-dXkl0HHQ-LBnfJHc4BtJ-grIFMJUqcsjRbQ-nNM0bIxXC3agDtAOzTclAiA9bkcqJllfwWuB2a7hxYiyMoUB_pA4CUxD3uBtglrNt0o/s640/RattlesnakeSnackHairInMouth+-+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They nestled down for a moment with their head down next to their body, but not for long.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwQC5_LSoFlNzK2dOreksLNWH2KUI0b-jK3MtSisyNr1cPKL6i868ZOvBZEUL5Kr2piOHwQ5dqb6qnDd2giyVCZWfsvajcEN_Y4_UY6Dn8ewtUOb7OIYbovvqHOqH-ZNahjhQGawDHaEw/s1600/RattlesnakeSnackHairInMouth+-+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwQC5_LSoFlNzK2dOreksLNWH2KUI0b-jK3MtSisyNr1cPKL6i868ZOvBZEUL5Kr2piOHwQ5dqb6qnDd2giyVCZWfsvajcEN_Y4_UY6Dn8ewtUOb7OIYbovvqHOqH-ZNahjhQGawDHaEw/s640/RattlesnakeSnackHairInMouth+-+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still doing that hair-in-the-mouth move. This whole shot is blurry though, so most of that movement is on me. Sorry.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This reminds me of when my cousin Rosalie was a baby. She was sitting in her grandmother's lap and said, "Yuk! I have a hair in my mouth!" and stuck out her tongue. Her grandmother had a napkin in her hand and dabbed at Rosalie's tongue, and said "There. See if I got it." And Rosalie looked at her like she had two heads. "What?! I can't SEE in my MOUTH!" <div>
<br />I kept watching the snake after it was too dark to take more pictures. They kept sticking their face in that rabbit fur nesting material they'd dragged out of the little depression under the straw. I guess they were checking they didn't miss one? I wonder how many baby rabbits the snake ate this evening? Note, I haven't seen any rabbits in my yard lately. Fox squirrels I see every day. Rabbits must be better at staying in cover.</div>
Beachtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13792937145012547220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111303718232102418.post-60575936335488594362018-04-19T21:42:00.001-04:002018-04-19T21:42:23.381-04:00Introducing WatUR: Real Games for Sale Now<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yG6B_xhICO0?rel=0&showinfo=0" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
(Note: I'm crossposting this on SpasmsOfAccommodation and Beachton.com)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/595069220/watur-royal-game-of-ur-modurnized?ref=shop_home_feat_1">WatUR is now for sale on my Etsy store</a>. I've listed one because I've only finished one. I have 11 more ready to sew up. As soon as they're done I'll edit the listing and release some coupons and do some promotions.<br />
<br />
This is the best game I've ever played. It's easy to learn and instantly engaging. Whenever I get new people to play it so I can watch I have a good time watching them enjoy the give and take of offense and defense that seems like the decision to be made with every roll of the dice. And then in the end it always comes down to such an exciting, close finish everybody feels evenly matched and as though it's all fair in the end.<br />
<br />
Most of my play testing and rules development has been with my nieces, Kate, Brenna, and Kara. After I developed the expansion pack and the final case design I went down to my brother's house to play a few rounds with Brenna and Kara. I woke Kara up early on Saturday morning and made her model for me in the pool before the sun got too high. Kara is 14 and it is not in her nature to get up early on a Saturday. She was a very good sport and an excellent model. I used my brother's cell phone to take these underwater photos and videos. I still can't believe how great it turned out. Later that night Brenna and I sat on the side of the pool on a towel and played two games in a row with our feet dangling in the water. It was exactly as fun as I hoped it would be.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuXvdNxqJ2WCUeAlDShqw1ABbYXBIIx1JG0Unh0M18jFtPxdKVDyJeJsADnuy79FViVu-5uqAeD5oM_aIuudTCtlrPVhOYi7xMq7_V7RsmMh3y1UfGbEdQMsvKf4LtslYncjv0oiNCUlrq/s1600/WatURDeluxe+-+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="830" data-original-width="1600" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuXvdNxqJ2WCUeAlDShqw1ABbYXBIIx1JG0Unh0M18jFtPxdKVDyJeJsADnuy79FViVu-5uqAeD5oM_aIuudTCtlrPVhOYi7xMq7_V7RsmMh3y1UfGbEdQMsvKf4LtslYncjv0oiNCUlrq/s640/WatURDeluxe+-+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing WatUR on the side of the pool</td></tr>
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This deluxe version of WatUR comes in a floating case called a presURver. It is good for travel. It fits in a tote bag or backpack. It is 100% nylon though so it's best not to leave it in the sun too long or the UV will make it brittle. I've shown the board, dice and stones going into a dishwasher because it is theoretically dishwasher safe. At low heat and without detergent I would absolutely do it. But high heat and strong chlorine based detergents would likely degrade the dice or leave unsightly watermarks on the board. I don't actually recommend putting WatUR in the dishwasher. I'd just hand wash it. (I don't even own a dishwasher though. I understand some people just don't hand wash things.) If it's so contaminated it's either that or throw it away, go ahead and stick it in the dishwasher. Let me know how it comes out. If the black dice and stones get chalky try rubbing them with some car polish to bring the color back. While all of the parts are fine in the water and sun for a little while they can't stay in the water continuously. Don't set up a game of WatUR as an aquarium decoration. And don't try to wash the case with laundry. Just rinse it off and wipe it down. Dry it out of direct sun if possible. Every time I've gotten one wet it was dry again in under an hour.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The PresURver floats with the game inside</td></tr>
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The board is fiberglass with etched copper lines. I would love to see what it looks like on an airport security x-ray monitor. All the lines should show up at high contrast because they are copper. Be sure to pack it so it is flat on to the x-rays and not on edge. That would be boring.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the contents of this premier edition of WatUR</td></tr>
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The rules I've written for WatUR are the ones <a href="https://youtu.be/WZskjLq040I">Tom Scott and Irving Finkel played on International Tabletop Day in 2017</a>. I've read other rules but these are the ones I like.<br />
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I read the full white paper Finkel wrote on his translation of the cuneiform tablet referenced in the video linked above. The main point of it was that stars are lucky. He deduced that players would have a pile of tokens that they would use as sort of gambling and to reinforce that lucky aspect of the squares with the stars. I find it interesting that the board the British Museum found is actually decorated with rosettes, not stars. Mine has stars. And now with the expansion pack it also has 30 tokens for rewarding you for landing on a star and penalizing you for passing over one. I call this ElabURation.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ElabURation and FloURishes</td></tr>
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I made up another expansion called FloURishes. This is entirely my invention. The first time Kate played with it against her boyfriend Matt she made him run out of tokens entirely. We made up the rules for that instance on the spot. Running out of tokens is bursting. You lose.<br />
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Inside the presURver there are three pURses that hold the dice and stones as well as ElabURation and FloURishes.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black dice and stones</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White dice and stones</td></tr>
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I'm really glad I matched the dice and stones because if I play one game as white then the next time I play as black I might forget and try to move the wrong stone. Anything that reduces my cognitive load leaves more energy for coping with the fact I'm in a social situation with another person.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Please buy WatUR!</td></tr>
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Beachtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13792937145012547220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111303718232102418.post-66701786206481511922018-04-19T18:28:00.001-04:002018-04-19T18:28:13.739-04:00WatUR: How It's Made(This content is cross-posted with my other blog at beachton.com)<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg4LKufuEpp-JXtTrH0dKT8xAxo-IXRLf43uSS5dObN_8vQizgVEiNACZ3PMghukw03aJBxepfytr9aoIcKVsX9AsqIwfJ_G6nKVyMZTbsUR6n733OnxZ7ipWIuLx4dYHFC6uGAitJZwB7/s1600/WatURDeluxe+-+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg4LKufuEpp-JXtTrH0dKT8xAxo-IXRLf43uSS5dObN_8vQizgVEiNACZ3PMghukw03aJBxepfytr9aoIcKVsX9AsqIwfJ_G6nKVyMZTbsUR6n733OnxZ7ipWIuLx4dYHFC6uGAitJZwB7/s640/WatURDeluxe+-+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PresURver</td></tr>
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I'm almost ready to sell my new version of the Royal Game of Ur. Thanks to <a href="http://www.funjump.com/">Chris Warnock</a> and his computer controlled laser cutter I have very sharp cases and unique dice and stones that match my board.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw23aDiPXj7PBu4atFNrAoTc1BWENBFNuKv0dxwFK7JmlViiB9-uBkoKL98YWDnQetHI7hyphenhyphenCb3By4Y6215XS2hF04CFU_2e_mZmaS3nEAM5OfGHzo4WYurnhk6I3-Dd8LSHdX2flMVnyUq/s1600/WatURDeluxeLaserRedo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="925" data-original-width="1017" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw23aDiPXj7PBu4atFNrAoTc1BWENBFNuKv0dxwFK7JmlViiB9-uBkoKL98YWDnQetHI7hyphenhyphenCb3By4Y6215XS2hF04CFU_2e_mZmaS3nEAM5OfGHzo4WYurnhk6I3-Dd8LSHdX2flMVnyUq/s320/WatURDeluxeLaserRedo.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laser marked dice</td></tr>
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Chris sends me the dice and stones after they're etched and I color in the lines one at a time by hand. The dice I do with gel enamel that I brush into the grooves then I wipe off the excess on scrap cardboard. (The inside of cereal boxes) Then I cure it under a UV lamp before going on to the next side.<br />
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The stones are a bit harder as the are double convex. I've experimented with a lot of different materials and methods and finally came up with a way that I'm going to keep to myself for now because it took me a really long time to come up with it and I'm not ready for somebody else to steal it.<br />
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I got quotes for custom molded dice but even at quantities of 2000 they are still more expensive than laser cutting blanks. And they would have rounded corners and just not look as nice. I am determined to get my head in this repetitive task game and learn how to do it fast. In the end with the price of nylon fabric on rolls at over $9 a yard I could only afford the raw materials to make 15 full sets in my first run. (I can't use fabric from the fabric store because it's folded and that fold will not come out of nylon. Only the 60" wide rolled fabric from industrial sources will work. The added advantage of this high priced fabric from Seattle is that it doesn't reek like all the fabric from JoAnn.)<br />
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I went through over 10 design iterations before I finalized the PresURver pattern that I sent to Chris for laser cutting. I heard about a new industrial standard process of bonding instead of sewing and wanted to try it out. Bonding is like gluing fabric together with a strip of adhesive between two pieces of fabric. It's heated under pressure to make the seam. I have some expensive bras that are bonded instead of sewn. It makes a smooth seam that doesn't chafe. I don't have the specialized expensive industrial machinery to do bonding fast and efficiently, but I can mimic the results using products for sale at my local craft store, namely <a href="http://www.pellonprojects.com/products/ez-steam-ii-2/">Pellon EZ-Steam II</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laser cut star with bonding material</td></tr>
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Chris cut circles of the sheet style EZ-Steam with the laser. Then he used a laser-cut template to locate them on rectangles of nylon ready to go in the laser bed. The laser cuts the outline of the star shape, sealing the edge of the nylon fabric with heat with the added security of the bonding material.<br />
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When the fabric gets back to me in the mail I apply the gold circle, also laser cut, to the back of the fabric. I have a special iron with no holes for steam that I use to bond the gold and black fabric. I made a two layer canvas mat for my Fireslate workbench so I can put all my weight on the iron to press the fabric together. I can only use low heat because it's nylon. I feel like the pressure is critical for this reason.</div>
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I mark the lines of the star on the front with a water soluble fabric pencil using a stencil pattern also cut with the laser. Then I sew the lines with 100% polyester outdoor rated heavy thread. I use a Singer 301 sewing machine from 1951 which makes exceptionally straight stitches.<br />
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I sew the 4 main star points first in one continuous line then go back and do the short points. As I finish each point I turn the piece over, pull the threads to the back and knot them. If I don't do it as I go the tails can get caught in the stitching for the next line and make a mess. I use the presser foot of the sewing machine to hold the fabric so I can use both hands to tie the knots. I got pretty fast by the last one, being able to sew all the lines for a star in 12 minutes. Chris says this is absolutely not how he would execute this task, but it gives the results I want with the equipment I have. I don't think there is any embroidery machine that can do this exact thing if I wanted to scale up. Embroidering on the whole star would weaken the fabric enormously. I would likely have to redesign this feature for mass production.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail for finishing the back of the star</td></tr>
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The final step for the front of the PresURver before assembly is adding the snap. I had Chris save the center circle of the star cut out with the EZ-Steam on it. The laser cut about a 2 mm hole in the center. I line this up with another laser cut hole and bond it on with the iron. The snap goes through this reinforced hole and is pressed in place with some special pliers. I rigged them to be a bench mount apparatus with a length of 3/4" PEX tubing heated and shoved on as a handle extender. </div>
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The edges of the pocket and lining are finished with a single fold bonded with 1/2" EZ-Steam tape. Because they are heat cut the raw edge won't unravel. Both hems are sewn as well. There is an inner pocket for the rules on the lining that is prepped with the 1/4" EZ-Steam and sewn around all 4 sides.</div>
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The rest of the PresURver is assembled with 1/4" EZ-Steam tape to hold everything together while I sew it. It also gives some stiffness to the edge of the case. I worry about clipping the corners of nylon for fear it will unravel and make a hole in the corner, but with the EZ-Steam I think it will hold up well, so I clip the corners then turn the case right side out. I insert closed cell foam rectangles between the outside and the lining as stiffeners before sewing the fold lines. The last step is to put in the other half of the snap. I fold the case closed and mark the spot for the snap with a white Scribe-All then burn a hole through with a soldering iron. Then I can crimp on the snap. If I just use an awl to punch the fabric it runs, making four lines shooting out along the grain of the fabric. Unacceptable.</div>
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In addition to the main case which holds the board there are separate pURses for the dice and stones plus a new gold one for the expansion. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSwa1PfHb0w_tvFg2uyLtkYBUuFcvgBmPk1aZPOA5jK2mW9Voq71URxVJy5hccLUZDJmdzhhu4mUhZSqSdy9iQlIt2408hsXGMOyD50JlcCw_2MtFXFv8JaHbzLN87ZyLeaDn7heAYFP6K/s1600/WatURDeluxe+-+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSwa1PfHb0w_tvFg2uyLtkYBUuFcvgBmPk1aZPOA5jK2mW9Voq71URxVJy5hccLUZDJmdzhhu4mUhZSqSdy9iQlIt2408hsXGMOyD50JlcCw_2MtFXFv8JaHbzLN87ZyLeaDn7heAYFP6K/s400/WatURDeluxe+-+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PresURver with board and pUrses</td></tr>
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I did them each in a solid coordinating color. The pUrses have closed cell foam stiffeners and will float their contents individually. They also have color matched non-latex elastic. Finding non-latex elastic in three colors was unbelievably hard. I ordered from 4 different sources before I finally got all three colors of the same width and texture. I went with foldover elastic on these. I didn't like the line the fold made when used flat so I folded it over and sewed it with a double needle. This is a ridiculous extra step. If I go to quantity production I hope I can find a source of the satin faced so-called bra strap elastic that will work instead. I have finally gotten 3 yards each in 3/4". My next run of pURses may have that instead of this kind. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIWMCGDMN5HkmoMt8hF1zPb_3JuMWSAWYgLIvrXdryZj9MM3AvNONRiSUWsUg5ncl2tU3Tx8ChahwtSXEjCm5y4pH5viE-qfxNvpn2keAAOEZXsjWLVNku_w_D-s0Eic_iiditZyCifkYq/s1600/WatURDeluxe+-+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIWMCGDMN5HkmoMt8hF1zPb_3JuMWSAWYgLIvrXdryZj9MM3AvNONRiSUWsUg5ncl2tU3Tx8ChahwtSXEjCm5y4pH5viE-qfxNvpn2keAAOEZXsjWLVNku_w_D-s0Eic_iiditZyCifkYq/s640/WatURDeluxe+-+6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full contents of WatUR deluxe spread out</td></tr>
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The black and white pURses hold the stones and dice and the yellow one is for ElabURation and FloURishes. These are two optional expansions that can be played together or separately. There are 30 acrylic gems and 5 small printed circuit boards duplicating designs on the main board. The acrylic gems were selected over glass to keep the weight of the complete game under 16 ounces. USPS First Class Package Service is the most affordable method of shipping but it is only for packages under a pound. This game can be shipped for under $5, but that is without insurance. I found these at JoAnn on clearance, plus I had a coupon. I had to wash them in dish soap and dry them on a mesh lawn chair in the sun to get that JoAnn smell off them. I have enough for all the cases I have. Next run, who knows. If I have to buy them online they are going to cost a lot more.</div>
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I have some custom woven labels in the design. The pURses have my brand, Beachton, sewn into them. My thinking is that anybody who loses some of their parts can google Beachton, find this website, and contact me for replacements. The main case has the name of the game and logo on the side. I bought both these custom labels online from the <a href="https://www.dutchlabelshop.com/en_us">Dutch Label Shop</a> in minuscule quantities. The price per piece is quite high, but it works with my goal of making high quality products without a giant investment up front. If I manage to sell these then I'll use that money to buy slightly more next time. And even more the next time, reducing the per-item cost with each subsequent increase in quantity. Will I ever make a profit? I doubt it. I'd be delighted if if I can recoup the expenses. My time will remain uncompensated for the foreseeable future. My goal of the year is to beat my lifelong difficulty with repetitive tasks. I've always been lousy at it. I have a hypothesis that only through muscle memory can you do a good job at repetitive tasks. I want to see if I can reach that point.</div>
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I also hope that everybody who buys this game will appreciate it as a unique and valuable experiment in design possibilities or as an art object that they will treasure and show off to their friends.</div>
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The boards are all ordered online from <a href="https://www.seeedstudio.com/fusion_pcb.html">SeeedStudio</a> in China. The ordering process couldn't be simpler. I upload a ZIP file of all the Gerber layers and it generates a quote automatically. There is no set-up charge. I pay for it with PayPal up front, including staggeringly expensive shipping. It takes about a week to make the boards and only 3 days to ship them to me. The board and FloURishes are like the woven labels. They scale down to small quantities while still allowing for full automation.</div>
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I would like to credit my board layout software too, since it was free. I used <a href="http://www.osmondpcb.com/">Osmond Cocoa</a> for Mac. Their payment model makes it like a demo version until your board has a certain number of holes then you have to buy it. Since my board doesn't have any holes at all, free software. This is perfect for my minimum-cost-up-front business model. I had to do some real file format conversion gymnastics to import a DXF file at the right scale. Then I had to do a lot of careful editing to delete the lines it added to make every single curve in the design into a closed polygon. I think the results are very good though and I'm happy with this program. The Help files are excellent. I was able to learn the tools I needed and ignore all the actual features that a normal person would need to make a useable circuit board. I actually drew the cuneiform numbers on the FloURishes using the tools in the program, which is really really not made for that.</div>
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If anybody has read all the way to the end of this then you are exactly who I wrote it for and I don't need to explain why.</div>
Beachtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13792937145012547220noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111303718232102418.post-9640881693786156752018-01-11T19:23:00.000-05:002018-01-11T19:23:52.617-05:002017 Wrap Up: No'-As-Big-As-Medium-Year-But-Bigger-Than-Small-Year-YearThis is my 2017 wrap up post. I glanced at the report<a href="http://www.spasmsofaccommodation.com/2017/01/2016-was-smallest-year.html"> from 2016</a>. 2016 was the smallest year. I didn't try to beat that record in 2017. I decided to actually go places in my car. I got my transmission rebuilt after my 1996 Honda Accord turned over 300,000 miles. I got all the other regular stuff done, new timing belt, etc. Right after that I got a crack in my radiator. I fixed it with epoxy. It worked well enough to get me to the mechanic for a new radiator.<br />
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I went on a day trip to Mobile, Alabama to pick up a sewing machine I bought on eBay. That was fun. I stopped on the border with Georgia and saw a big dam. The sewing machine was very good too. It was my second Singer 301. I later bought another one in Tallahassee and I use them both a lot. I keep the first one I got, the Centennial 1951 model, rigged with white thread. The one I got in Tallahassee is maybe my favorite, it's a portable model with the cord done a bit different. It's black and I keep it threaded with black thread. I sold the cabinet the first one came in and the second machine from Mobile to my brother.<br />
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I drove down to Jupiter, Florida to see my brother's new house and pick up my niece for a week of crafting up here in Georgia. That was fun. She's 14 and likes things that are slimy and kind of tactile. She was good at finger painting and marbling. One word: methylcellulose.<br />
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I got rather obsessed with the Royal Game of Ur in 2017. I learned Affinity Designer and did several different graphic depictions of the game. I worked on how to make it on wood with paint and transferred laser printing. I figured out that Floetrol can be used to transfer printing to wood. You stick the laser printed side to the wood and when it's dry you wet it and rub away the paper. Coated paper works best. But a water slide decal works even better. You have to go over it with water based polyurethane after, not solvent based. Tape makes better lines than paint.<br />
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My nieces and their friends helped me get excited about this game by playing it with me at the beach. Matt Berry is responsible for making up a lot of UR based puns for potential designs and featURes.<br />
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Chris Warnock at Funjump Rigging helped me enormously with his laser cutter. He's actually the one that helped me figure out I could export SVG files, convert them to DXF, and import them into Osmond Cocoa to get the vectors into the printed circuit board design. Printed circuit board design is so not like graphics. Mainly there is no scaling, for obvious reasons. I kind of enjoyed learning a new piece of software. I used to design real circuit boards so doing one with no actual parts, no connections, and no holes was about easy as it gets.<br />
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I had my first idea for printed circuit boards, TransistUR, already designed when I realized I could do WatUR as well. I had 15 each made as circuit boards by Seeed Studio in China.<br />
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After they arrived I did 6 different prototypes for bags before I found a satisfactory container for it. And I am still not happy with it. I've made v7 and v7.1 in 2018 already.<br />
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I finally worked out good dice at the end of 2017. Chris Warnock laser engraved blank dice and Go stones for me. I'm still working on coloring them in with UV cure gel nail enamel and Sharpie paint pens.<br />
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I knit some stuff in 2017 as well. I got 50 items on my Etsy store by November 16 and had a 50% off sale on my 50th birthday. It went great. I made enough money from Etsy to be able to buy those blank dice. I got a few Christmas commissions from hyping the prototypes for sale on my birthday.<br />
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Financially 2017 was just the same as all the other small years. I lived within my means, payed all my bills on time. I stayed neatly below the threshold for needing to file a tax return, so I'm not burdened with an abundance of bookkeeping. I did a lot of spreadsheet work for Kickstarter for the board game and remembered I don't really like trying to be profitable. After the Kickstarter failed I went back to happily designing things based on other criteria besides profit. The problem with my latest case design is not that it's expensive, it's that I can't reliably produce them with high quality. The only way to get price down is quantity and I'm just not there. So I'm more concerned with manufacturability.<br />
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I did not go to any kind of doctor in 2017. I did get one professional haircut for my birthday. I might get another one in 2018. Nobody ever sees me so you'd think it doesn't matter, but I'm too old to be sending selfies to my niece exclaiming that she could cut my hair better than that. In 2017 she cut my hair twice, and it was great. But going to Great Clips spoils my attempts to block out the realities of the human condition. Getting a license to cut hair takes more training than I've had for any job and they still can't get it right? I don't need to waste my coping skills on that.<br />
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That's all I've got. I want to start version 7.2 of this board game bag now.<br />
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<br />Beachtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13792937145012547220noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111303718232102418.post-85949438408949026282017-11-15T20:52:00.002-05:002017-11-15T20:52:41.773-05:00Hype the PrototypeI've challenged myself to get 50 items listed on <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/BeachtonBlankWorks">my Etsy store</a> by November 16 when I will have a 50% off sale on my 50th birthday.<br />
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Let's do this!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JEysksj9BTw?rel=0&controls=0&showinfo=0" width="640"></iframe>Beachtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13792937145012547220noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111303718232102418.post-34962730095455105072017-10-08T21:12:00.001-04:002017-10-12T14:09:22.247-04:00WatUR: The World's Oldest Board Game, Modurnized<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9kt-6cFJpio?rel=0&showinfo=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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I've been working on a new project all summer. I saw a video in April of <a href="https://youtu.be/WZskjLq040I">Tom Scott and Irving Finkel playing an ancient board game</a> and I became obsessed with it. I loved the dice especially. It uses four dice that represent 0 or 1. You add them up. This appeals to me because I have trouble adding big numbers and I have some relatives with the same genetic deficiency. It's not an impediment to doing higher mathematics or anything, but if you're playing a game for fun it's nice to be able to relax and not have to face your shortcomings whenever the dice come up with too many spots showing.<br />
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I decided I could make this game myself. It's 4500 years old, surely it's in the public domain. I got some blank tetrahedral dice like they found in the Royal Tomb in Ur and I modified them for the game. The ones in the museum were carved from bone. I was ready to embrace modern materials though, so I used plastic.<br />
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I had some scrap 1x6 pine boards so I cut out the shape of the board. I bought Affinity Designer when they came out with the upgrade recently so I set out to learn that software and design the decorations for the squares. I studied the original closely.<br />
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I don't actually like the original design. It's a lot of variations of the all-seeing eye and it sort of creeps me out. There are a lot of copies of this game and they all just look like this. Why? As long as the designs repeat in the same places it could be anything. Why not be original when you're copying the oldest board game in the world?<br />
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I thought the 5 spot squares looked like frog eggs. So I designed Frog Ur as my first version.<br />
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I took this one to the coast and played it with my nieces and their friends on vacation. They liked it a lot. We played it enough to establish an average time it takes to play (25 minutes) and we tested an alternative route for a more complicated game and timed that too (45 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes). We discussed changes I could make to lead you through that alternate route. They had ideas for other Ur puns, like a boat themed one called SailUR or one with domesticated animals called FarmUR. I wanted to do one of star fish and sand dollars called EchinodURms. There could be a Game of Thrones themes one called WintUR.<br />
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I tried several of these but I felt compelled to be true to the 8 pointed rosette theme that ran through all the artifacts I saw on the British Museum website. I finally came across Enki, the god of Water. He was often shown as a mountain goat with a fish body, or he had a river just shooting out of his head with fish jumping in it. That's how I settled on WatUR, with mountain goats, turtles, fish, and sun and stars instead of rosettes.<br />
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I made some more of the wood boards with decals and played it with a friend. He complained that the dice were hard to pick up. I didn't mind sliding them off the table, but I wasn't crazy about how hard it is to make them. I'd contacted all the dice makers to see if they could customize these dice to have contrast colored tips and they refused to even try. They were happy to customize dice on the flat faces. So I decided I could solve two problems at once by having 6 sided dice made to only have 2 outcomes. Put spots on 3 sides, leave 3 sides blank. Now the odds are the same as the tetrahedral dice. And it's this probability that makes the game work. The fact that your opponent is more likely to roll a 2 than a 1 or a 3 helps you decide where to put your pieces.<br />
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I found some ready-made binary dice that had 1 and 0 on them. 1 and 0 made me think of digital logic and that made me think of printed circuit boards. TransistUR was born.<br />
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I did some research and found there are prototype board houses in China with no set-up charges and quite a low fee per board. Cost less for fiberglass cut with a CNC router and shipped express from China than it costs me to cut out a piece of wood and sand it, let alone decorate it and hand paint it.<br />
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While I was working on my board layout I was also exploring the possibility of doing laser engraving on wood. In the process of getting the vector file to a laser engraver I figured out I could convert my Affinity Designer files to AutoCAD format, good old DXF. And the board layout program can import that. In just a day or so I had my WatUR design rendered as a printed circuit board too. But I can't have 1 and 0 with Sumerian artifacts. They used cuneiform, not Arabic numbers. So I had to find a source for custom dice. It turns out they're just as affordable as the circuit boards. But only if you buy 2000 of them.<br />
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But by now I really really wanted them. I kept working on the rest of the steps to product launch and decided I could do it if I could get 250 people to pay $35 ea for a set.<br />
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I'll come back and paste in a link to the KickstarUR when after I launch it some time this week.Beachtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13792937145012547220noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111303718232102418.post-29235985417609515102017-08-27T13:36:00.002-04:002017-08-27T13:38:18.710-04:00Hurricane Harvey is no Wilma. Now we have iPhones.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was up until 4:30 last night riveted by the KHOU YouTube channel out of Houston. The rain bands were hammering them after Hurricane Harvey, in a configuration their meteorologist aptly described as a layer cake tipped over. I read Tweets coming in all night long from people I follow in Houston going in and out of their tornado rooms.<br />
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Another tornado warning. Let's go, kitties. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HurricaneHarvey?src=hash">#HurricaneHarvey</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Harvey?src=hash">#Harvey</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/houwx?src=hash">#houwx</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/glswx?src=hash">#glswx</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HoustonFlood?src=hash">#HoustonFlood</a></div>
— Holly 🚀 (@absolutspacegrl) <a href="https://twitter.com/absolutspacegrl/status/901704387634102272">August 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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I saw a lot of people on Twitter talking about praying. This is not an interesting activity for me. Where are all the people wondering why there were cars completely submerged with their headlights on? There were interstate height lamp posts with water within a few feet of the canopy and they were still on, shining on the water. I have so many questions! How much electrical current is running through that water? What's the conductivity? Is everything getting electroplated? Or the reverse, corroded? Is there a system to disconnect power to electrical infrastructure when they go underwater? I'm thinking of telephone nodes, street light controllers, stuff like that. Why are people playing in this water today? Do they have no understanding of risk?! Electricity aside, think of the live fire ants floating around in rafts. People trying to help their neighbors, that's one thing. But just playing, that's not cool.<br />
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"Plan on staying put for the next couple of days" - <a href="https://twitter.com/ArtAcevedo">@ArtAcevedo</a> <a href="https://t.co/8CpETqghVC">https://t.co/8CpETqghVC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/houstonflood?src=hash">#houstonflood</a> <a href="https://t.co/x6ygwn17TD">pic.twitter.com/x6ygwn17TD</a></div>
— ABC13 Houston (@abc13houston) <a href="https://twitter.com/abc13houston/status/901773835556581376">August 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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I can't stop thinking ahead to what the recovery from this will be like. I'm remembering back to 2005, 4 years before I started this blog, when Hurricane Wilma went for a wild ride all around the Gulf of Mexico. It forced my step-sister to move her wedding from Isla Mujeres, Mexico to Destin, Florida, in the panhandle, on five days notice. My brother and his daughters, who had flower girl dresses made, couldn't come from South Florida because of gasoline shortages.<br />
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I was working for a civil engineering firm in Tallahassee at the time. They had a disaster recovery division that got a contract with Broward County (Fort Lauderdale area) to manage the clean up effort. I was sent down there to work on it. I took my personal laptop, cell phone, GPS, camera, and car. They gave me a company hard hat and a company safety vest. I went to Walmart and bought some steel toed boots.<br />
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My job was to go out to neighborhoods with private contractors who had come from all over the country with loaders and dump trucks. All I had to do was stand there and watch them load trucks with debris. When the truck was full I filled out a form with many duplicates. It had the time and date and how full I thought the truck was. Then I gave the driver one copy and he went to dump the load at the landfill where they were grinding up all this organic debris.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The landfill where the trucks took debris to be ground into bits small enough to move efficiently</td></tr>
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The idea was that I would turn in a copy to my people at the end of the day and they entered all this into a giant database. My cube mate from Tallahassee was in an office building back in Ft Lauderdale doing data entry all day. Broward County had to very carefully track all of this activity so they could be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). As far as I could tell it was a lot of people using their own resources to repair a Federal Disaster Area with the expectation that the Feds would reimburse them afterwards. I had to pay for my own hotel and gas and everything. I was a salaried employee though, so I was confident my expense report would go through. But I had to be able to cover that expense up front.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAbjyQ9FHApAEmdVOFp7aqx5ZosYUP4N5QCEeHWg3WhRYH-6XFYaZEEKcoaS_Xu6t7Ag5esoPL_uMvyex1qcUXwFDSWppdVfjCpV_hR_OcjkXloQ7sU8ezNngSm99OZ2IGTPGxSNlU4TY/s1600/WilmaCleanup01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1220" height="503" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAbjyQ9FHApAEmdVOFp7aqx5ZosYUP4N5QCEeHWg3WhRYH-6XFYaZEEKcoaS_Xu6t7Ag5esoPL_uMvyex1qcUXwFDSWppdVfjCpV_hR_OcjkXloQ7sU8ezNngSm99OZ2IGTPGxSNlU4TY/s640/WilmaCleanup01.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ficus trees down everywhere</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On the first day in Broward County I was sent to a neighborhood with small houses on small lots close to the street. There was non-organic debris like bottles and cans in the right of way under the entire ficus trees they had to cut up and haul off. The contractors were told not to pick up the actual trash, only trees. It was like they were only cleaning it up to the level they expected it was when the storm struck. I am pretty sure it was literally Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd where they told us not to pick up trash. I was so mad. It seemed petty and discriminatory and despicable to not clean it ALL THE WAY UP. Give them some kind of boost and motivation to move forward and be better. Jeez. They probably are all struggling with lost wages and who knows what all else.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Z0eN_1nSK5b7V_lchGOBATw7HOkYf74oe1JohkOr0ipiC-9wwlmviwgxaS4b2wJgA9sSVW_AtRNLsMJgVgmaBoypTvjAT7URzXAgLXLskkt8qi4WfaemUri6BeTCSKST7vkcenZ2FRI/s1600/WilmaCleanup03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Z0eN_1nSK5b7V_lchGOBATw7HOkYf74oe1JohkOr0ipiC-9wwlmviwgxaS4b2wJgA9sSVW_AtRNLsMJgVgmaBoypTvjAT7URzXAgLXLskkt8qi4WfaemUri6BeTCSKST7vkcenZ2FRI/s640/WilmaCleanup03.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kind of neighborhood that got cleaned up first in Broward County</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNO7LlMS0Iv3xTaAakbmvZQMzPZ2yUSAA2dSkOkNzUgjaTbOcgFmSl8pfLkaHaMguRyI_fgIXf83sut5qxK1oFzpxPp8nWSq8-Rb1bm8nLwL9dnlBxoWIkvIa4D5WqjXk9enl17_RUq9g/s1600/WilmaCleanup05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNO7LlMS0Iv3xTaAakbmvZQMzPZ2yUSAA2dSkOkNzUgjaTbOcgFmSl8pfLkaHaMguRyI_fgIXf83sut5qxK1oFzpxPp8nWSq8-Rb1bm8nLwL9dnlBxoWIkvIa4D5WqjXk9enl17_RUq9g/s640/WilmaCleanup05.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most people don't even have power back on, but by all means, run the pump on your fountain</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The next day I was sent to a very high end neighborhood where every house was on about 4 acres. They all had generators humming in the backyard so they could sit inside in the air conditioning watching DirectTV. About 5 times a day they'd make us move the dump truck off the street so they could get by in their Humvee to go get a fucking frozen yogurt or get a pedicure or whatever the fuck they were doing. They had their own yarn man hauling debris out to the street as fast as we could pick it up. We were told to not leave until the streets and right of way were leaf-blower clean. We were on one block for a week. It irked me no end. Rich people demanding that they be served first. I think it was the damn peacocks stalking down the streets that made me feel so mean.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHpwxSHGAkotWSYUz6m9I1-CgBkTCkd6hJ_1e7Yw7u3AkolCIn_i9cOXqXIGpuG-X4wNGXZSamvh0gCkBt9gomWBi5oidvX80ZiaoHTnPaX3UWERYZObgv3wF0Vaht5_LpEdztpIeUPvk/s1600/WilmaCleanup08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHpwxSHGAkotWSYUz6m9I1-CgBkTCkd6hJ_1e7Yw7u3AkolCIn_i9cOXqXIGpuG-X4wNGXZSamvh0gCkBt9gomWBi5oidvX80ZiaoHTnPaX3UWERYZObgv3wF0Vaht5_LpEdztpIeUPvk/s640/WilmaCleanup08.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even the peacock thinks he owns the public property</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju2JxQ2guIR0sOYGgUmtwxmgTGcM81jbdItJA3IPboXd3x57pj09C8Lb9puwVPWz4inYtUdGG40IxQIbj5OTE6G3Z3XFdBwnz_xKQK6LfN5F76VHGS8RRxB-8I_QNpNFsoiyA9-yZJJd4/s1600/WilmaCleanup04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju2JxQ2guIR0sOYGgUmtwxmgTGcM81jbdItJA3IPboXd3x57pj09C8Lb9puwVPWz4inYtUdGG40IxQIbj5OTE6G3Z3XFdBwnz_xKQK6LfN5F76VHGS8RRxB-8I_QNpNFsoiyA9-yZJJd4/s640/WilmaCleanup04.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On MLK drive we couldn't pick up empty cans, but we were told to collect anything these people put out by the road. What is that, a trampoline? </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMZ6m6Ug9EcnBr85BlcvPl7FkvhTBldZysLOMyZSEAt7askxhoLl59nAMPgOpyMlyI6sBtQCt4kBETQ6Y__oRumrg2ZaW0CDJ-x3mM6TasY3ezkp3SXLY1sxXw2KMfnO5ssuGkkReWYU/s1600/WilmaCleanup10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMZ6m6Ug9EcnBr85BlcvPl7FkvhTBldZysLOMyZSEAt7askxhoLl59nAMPgOpyMlyI6sBtQCt4kBETQ6Y__oRumrg2ZaW0CDJ-x3mM6TasY3ezkp3SXLY1sxXw2KMfnO5ssuGkkReWYU/s640/WilmaCleanup10.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3.25 Acres, Pool, 6 Horse Stall Barn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrPSwMzbHXscL5TmkjG7TGtbipglNBJ9KM5YBf05ieHdO73TJ8OovOGyFRqE0oniWKA6qHomAwQnjH1tFOtoTavnZOLfhyphenhyphenR8T0dT4xUZVobnaREUCue3giMOLNvJ8pqvc0p7-qceT3VI0/s1600/WilmaCleanup06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrPSwMzbHXscL5TmkjG7TGtbipglNBJ9KM5YBf05ieHdO73TJ8OovOGyFRqE0oniWKA6qHomAwQnjH1tFOtoTavnZOLfhyphenhyphenR8T0dT4xUZVobnaREUCue3giMOLNvJ8pqvc0p7-qceT3VI0/s640/WilmaCleanup06.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When they'd block the road like this they'd have to stop working to let cars go by. Over and over.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu3Yc4rFDqraUtYIX8ldCoshX3JY9m9y3x-IUs3WTA59gpS1I4LfohoPXq_VouQoo3ebk-SAbMSevuP1F5VYmL6G7D57uYWyzFRdSxJwLwWqQF98gAovdEAH2n7FnihDKCt4PiVpmz-VY/s1600/WilmaCleanup09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu3Yc4rFDqraUtYIX8ldCoshX3JY9m9y3x-IUs3WTA59gpS1I4LfohoPXq_VouQoo3ebk-SAbMSevuP1F5VYmL6G7D57uYWyzFRdSxJwLwWqQF98gAovdEAH2n7FnihDKCt4PiVpmz-VY/s640/WilmaCleanup09.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was quite content to watch this machine all day. This guy got that thing on three wheels all the time. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
For my next assignment I was sent to document tree damage in the right of way of a small municipality. I started out with a partner who was a temp hire who came from up North somewhere excited by the high pay. On the first stop she told me I was using my GPS wrong. "You have to point it at the tree." I tried to explain that SHE was using it wrong, for maximum precision we should go all the way up to the tree and point it at the sky. But the error was so big it was fine to take the reading from where we took the photo and get it done as quickly as possible. Accurate final count more important than precision. The next day she told me she'd called her pastor from the hotel and he'd advised her to talk to me to be sure I'd accepted Jesus Christ as my savior. By lunchtime I'd gotten the city manager to let me do the whole job alone. I designed a database in my hotel overnight to use instead of the paper form and I personally documented all the trees down in the right of way for an entire Broward County town, uploading the GPS waypoints and photos into the database directly. They were so amazed by my grasp of technology.<br />
<br />
That was in 2005. Remember 2005? This was 2 years before the invention of the iPhone. There were some modules you could use with DSLRs to put the GPS coordinates in the metadata of digital photos but they were out of my reach. But now everybody has a device in their pocket that can document storm damage with the GPS location embedded in the metadata of every photo. This job now would not require a salaried scientist to drive every mile of road in a town or county. You would just need to scrape the data off social media. Instead of writing a receipt for every truck of debris you just have the driver snap a photo and text it to a specific number where it could automatically be recorded in a database.<br />
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The key to efficient management is a robust cellular data network and a few good computer scientists. We still need people with chain saws, dump trucks, and loaders, but a lot of the expense for people like me to stand there and just watch them all day is sort of obsolete.<br />
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I'm curious if these systems are already in place. If they aren't then I am going to be extra bitter than I was wasting my time in 2005 trying to point people in the right direction with innovation. But when am I not extra bitter? Nothing really changes.<br />
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Beachtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13792937145012547220noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111303718232102418.post-66254743280339982932017-06-27T19:45:00.000-04:002017-06-27T19:45:33.665-04:00I can't think of a better name for a 4x4Yesterday I <a href="http://www.finehomebuilding.com/2017/06/22/lawsuits-seek-damages-half-century-industry-practice">saw a story on FHB</a> about a Chicago law firm filing suit against Menards and Home Depot for selling 4x4s that are only 3 1/2" x 3 1/2". They included some tweets from people reacting to this news. I'm sort of glad I saw this hot take first because it pointed out to me how unnecessary it is to be mean about people who don't know that the name refers to the nominal rough cut size and that the dried planed 4x4 is a standard dimension of 3 1/2" square.<br />
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I see nothing wrong with not knowing that. The people that don't know standard lumber dimensions are not stupid. They probably know a ton of stuff I don't know, like how to keep score in tennis or what it's like to shovel snow.<br />
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To me this seems more of an opportunity to educate than a need to mock people who never had to build a deck before. I find the process of turning trees into studs and posts fascinating. It seems like an opportunity for watching a YouTube videos that shows how there are a lot of steps after sawing a board into a 4"x4" post before it turns up at Home Depot, mainly it gets dried, which shrinks it, and then it gets planed on all 4 sides, which gets it down to the final standard dimension.<br />
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I started an informal Twitter poll to see how many people think a 4x4 is really 4x4. More than I would've thought. 75% of respondents knew 4x4 was nominal and not the actual size. 25% really thought it was 4 inches square. (n=44, which is a lot more than the 18 questioned in the store for the original story, and they got 1/3 not knowing vs my 1/4)<br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
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You buy a standard 8' long square post that is called a 4x4. What are the width and depth? (pretend it is dry)</div>
— Barbara Tomlinson (@beachton) <a href="https://twitter.com/beachton/status/879462662442291200">June 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
I also got some comments from people saying it's not the same where they are, outside the US. I did some digging to see what people call dimensional lumber in other countries, particularly ones that use the metric system. They still call a stud a 2x4 or maybe a 4x2. Wikipedia says that they say timber instead of lumber for building materials, but I haven't been able to confirm this.<br />
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I found <a href="https://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/444/what-are-framing-dimensions-like-in-the-metric-world">anecdotal evidence</a> that Norwegians have their own lumber dimensions, 95 mm for a 4x4, which is about 3 3/4", 1/4" bigger than the American version. They dimension drawings and give the specs in mm. This used to be true for the US as well. When I did AutoCAD work for the Army Corps of Engineers in the '90s they required all architectural plans to be dimensioned in mm. According to David Luke at Merrick this is no longer the case. They dropped that requirement around 2005.<br />
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But even though the actual size may vary my research shows that all around they world they still say "two by four" to refer to a standard piece of framing lumber. (Here's an interesting <a href="http://www.cintrafor.org/publications/workingpapers/WP115.pdf">pdf about Japan</a> where they have their own standard stick frame construction but "2x4" is still part of the name. It's based on a 3'x6' panel convention vs our 4'x8' version. This sounds good to me. I might not have such an aversion to doing anything with sheet goods if they were that small. Apparently 3'x6' is the standard size of a traditional tatami mat.)<br />
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I haven't come up with any good ideas for better names for 4x4s, 2x4s, etc. It doesn't really make sense to rename them based on a round metric number since everything else is still in inches and feet. I would support a sudden change to metric though. I could learn to say 90x90 and 40x90 as easily as I converted myself from °F to °C. (I just flipped the switch on my thermostats and weather app and learned that 25°C is a good nominal summer air conditioner setting. I think of 15°C as a summer night in the UK and anything less than that I call cold.)<br />
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Anyway, back to the lawsuit. <a href="http://www.homedepot.com/p/4-in-x-4-in-x-8-ft-2-Ground-Contact-Pressure-Treated-Southern-Yellow-Pine-Timber-194354/205220341">Home Depot</a> clearly states the actual size of all their lumber on their website. And if you're in the store you can see what size it is with your actual eyeballs and get a tape measure out of your purse and measure it if you want to.<br />
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Here's the description of a Pressure Treated 4x4x8 (which they seem to have measured soaking wet). I don't think anything will come from this except that a lot of people may learn what nominal and actual mean.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhENWRBL8UpR6K_jkE82OmR846P2FUxJhzPrhlbQTRLmM3sz9JxBfOkjGFplmUv8wa70MxzMbjoeOs1h_i0yEG9L1gWMlHXmgqrIPk7osvrkg4p9Lg-s15J6z0JdGGW0ZDWjYQhB6zKYzU/s1600/HomeDepotSpecs.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="1065" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhENWRBL8UpR6K_jkE82OmR846P2FUxJhzPrhlbQTRLmM3sz9JxBfOkjGFplmUv8wa70MxzMbjoeOs1h_i0yEG9L1gWMlHXmgqrIPk7osvrkg4p9Lg-s15J6z0JdGGW0ZDWjYQhB6zKYzU/s640/HomeDepotSpecs.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Interestingly you can also learn lots of other information about lumber from the Home Depot website by reading the reviews. Yes, a 4x4 is going to twist like a bitch when it dries. Prepare yourself. I learned to install my deck railing posts long and brace them diagonally until they dried in place. Then I took off the braces and cut them to length and finished the railing.<br />
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Good luck to all the DIYers out there. It's hard enough with the names of the wood not matching the measurement without people in the trades mocking you for not knowing it. But getting mad in the Home Depot reviews because wood acts like wood is pretty mean too. Acting all butthurt when carpentry turns out to be a lot harder than it looks on HGTV is insulting to people who do this for a living so I sort of get why they turn so mean.<br />
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Beachtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13792937145012547220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111303718232102418.post-51336694928163764972017-05-03T18:11:00.002-04:002017-05-03T19:05:04.506-04:00An Ultimate Guide or Fair WarningThis morning I read <a href="https://medium.com/the-mission/the-ultimate-guide-to-being-an-introvert-5a595e9e573c">an article about introverts</a> that basically describes the arc of my life but it's written by a white dude and somehow his superiority over figuring it out kinda irks me. This is not advice anybody else needs, dude. To assume everybody else is deficient because they still regularly do things they don't like is obnoxious. I'm kind of jealous of them that they don't seem to mind other people telling them what to do. I wish I had that ability.<br />
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I think what really got under my skin was his unrecognized privilege. Just delegate anything you don't want to do; profit! If my blog comes across like that then I'm mortified. I try to write stuff less as advice and more as a reminder to myself of how freaking hard it was. I hope I don't sound like I'm advising other people to be like me. I guess since I often put more than one sentence in a paragraph I'm probably not at risk of being another James Altucher, even though I am the exact same age and have similar introvert coping strategies.
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><a href="https://medium.com/the-mission/the-ultimate-guide-to-being-an-introvert-5a595e9e573c">From The Ultimate Guide to Being an Introvert by James Altucher</a>: (highlights)</i></blockquote>
Notations by me
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>How I Deal With Being an Introvert</i></blockquote>
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<i>#1 — FIRST “Quiet” by Susan Cain is a good book.</i> </blockquote>
This is a book, not a coping strategy.<br />
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<i>#2 — CREATE A LIFE WHERE YOU CAN HAVE MORE TIME BY YOURSELF</i></blockquote>
Done. Most days I wake up and can't wait to go to my lab to do whatever I feel like doing that day, all by myself.<br />
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<i>#3 — ONE PERCENT RULE</i></blockquote>
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<i>Every day I want to make more choices for myself, instead of letting other people make choices for me.</i></blockquote>
I'm up to 99.9% on #3. I take commissions but they mostly tell me what to make, not how to make it. This is the most important part to me.<br />
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<i>#4–15 YEARS, GIVE OR TAKE TEN</i></blockquote>
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<i>It took me a long time to realize I wasn’t shy. I thought the reason I had trouble talking to people in groups was because I was shy or insecure.</i></blockquote>
Nah, I just thought it was because they didn't like me.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>That’s the ten years part. I was so deluded about my strengths that it took me ten years. Maybe it will take you fewer.</i></blockquote>
Or maybe I'm not deluded, I just lack the white male privilege to get away with treating people like they don't matter to me.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>#5 — NO MONEY REQUIRED</i></blockquote>
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<i>It requires asking yourself throughout the day: is this activity giving me energy or draining me?</i></blockquote>
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<i>Energy is everything in life. At night we have little of it, so we need to sleep.</i></blockquote>
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<i>When an introvert is around a lot of people, it drains quickly.</i></blockquote>
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<i>When you are around people who put you down, it drains instantly.</i></blockquote>
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<i>When you aren’t creative, it drains.</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>When you aren’t happy with your current moment, it drains because anxiety and regret are leeches on our energy.</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>When you are with someone you don’t love, it drains.</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>When you are at a job you don’t like, it disappears.</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Note that none of the above has anything to do with money.</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Energy is more important than money. Energy is what makes you live a long and productive and happy life.</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>If I wanted a billion dollars I wouldn’t sit around writing and reading and podcasting a good chunk of the day.</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>I wouldn’t hire people to help me run the various businesses I’m involved in because it’s hard for me to meet with employees and do “business things”.</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>I’d run a hedge fund, or directly run my businesses, or buy a company and become a CEO. I’ve done these things before and failed miserably.</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Not because I don’t have the knowledge. But because it doesn’t make me happy. And those activities drain me.</i></blockquote>
If I could hire people to run various businesses I'd be a white man and not a woman who has to do everything her damn self. If I was a white man people wouldn't ask me to do shit that hurts my hands and back because I have seemingly endless free time and lady skills like dusting, vacuuming, laundry, dishes, and a unique skill at restoring plumbing fixtures. If I was a white man could I get four figures for couture knitted items and sci-art instead of getting orders from relatives who want to pay the same thing they would pay for clothes at Target?<br />
<br />
Also he forgot to mention the importance of arranging your life so you can live without a lot of money. None of this works if you have a mortgage and two kids to put through college. I guess if you're a white man it works out for you because people will still give you a lot of money for trivial effort instead of expecting you to do complex tasks or pennies per hour.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>#6: HUMILITY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN SELF-ESTEEM</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Be humble enough to realize what you are not good at.</i></blockquote>
I have never been afraid to try something I've never done before. It was sort of my professional speciality back in the day. I'd come along as a consultant and figure out the new thing and then when it didn't turn out to be as profitable as the management thought (because they assumed it would be easy) I'd leave and they'd blame the whole thing on me. Everybody goes on with their life.<br />
<br />
I don't think I'm very good at anything. I'm a generalist. Sometimes I find myself thinking, "That was easier than I thought it was gonna be." But I NEVER say "That was harder than I thought it would be." I am happy to go into a new task with open ended expectations. It takes as long as it takes. I try to plan stopping places to accommodate my physical limitations. But it would be an insult to people with experience and skills to presume anything I don't know how to do is going to be easy.<br />
<br />
An ex-boyfriend of mine called me recently and asked how to build and insulate walls and a ceiling inside an airplane hangar. I told him. I sent him YouTube links to Fine Homebuilding videos to watch to learn techniques. He called me a few weeks later and said it was a lot harder than he expected. So many layers! Yeah, I know. He lived with me while I was building an addition on a house in Atlanta and we still dated for a year after I had to move away and build a whole other house from scratch where I could live on less money. But I guess mainly he wasn't paying attention. Not sure why he assumed it was easy. I was a little insulted. It was only slightly gratifying that now he understands that carpentry is damn hard. His room doesn't even have to be weatherproof or survive live loads and he thought it was hard. You think that's complicated layers, do it again to stand up to wind and keep out rain. Good grief.<br />
<br />
I made a video last week that is over 17 minutes of showing exactly how hard it is to ombré dye a heavy cotton sweater. When I finished the project I didn't really know how to show the end product. I decided to try the Facetime camera on my monitor to record straight into iMovie. It's great to have an articulating arm on my monitor. I did the rest handheld with my phone. I would normally never do anything with such low production value, but the bar is so low now for how-to videos on YouTube it would seem like topping it the knob to use a tripod and a real camera. I was surprised how good that dot on my monitor works as a camera. Free with $1000 monitor. Why didn't I try it before? Probably because I was horrified at the idea of actually appearing on camera. I think I have passed a Fuck It threshold. It must be this Nazi Youth haircut I got by accident at the walk-in barbershop a few weeks ago. (FYI, fashy is short for fascist, not fashionable.) I had the Facetime camera intentionally chop off the top of my head so the place where they shaved off my cowlick isn't so obvious. Thanks to being an always-alone introvert it's not a big deal if my hair looks stupid. I only go out in the daytime and it's perfectly acceptable that I always have on a hat. I started to do the video in a wig AND hat but I thought it would be draw the eye away from the flaws I was pointing out in the sweater.<br />
<br />
I really never meant anybody to see this video but me and my niece Kara who is into crafty stuff. She said it was a good video. She wants me to dye a hat next. But I might as well put it on here since it's thematically valid. This is not a how-to, it's for me, and for people who were thinking about trying to dye a sweater and need to be talked out of it. Maybe that's the Ultimate Guide we all need. You have a fun creative idea and you look for tips on YouTube and wind up saying fuck, that's a lot of work and what would I even do with that? Never mind. (I'm looking at you, <a href="https://youtu.be/qjfzLAGG4YY">making a hollow concrete sphere with fiberglass and a yoga ball</a>.)<br />
<br />
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Beachtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13792937145012547220noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111303718232102418.post-40792333882919872802017-03-10T21:04:00.001-05:002017-03-10T22:12:02.389-05:00How I made a minisplit line chase out of vinyl gutter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
When I decided to recaulk and repaint my lap siding I thought it was finally time to do something about this eyesore on the north side of my house.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9P87sRuOrPABwQMfZUTE6Am0L4pL8iWIL2h7L2HzsodDXe75JXejv_RUukPnWmK-V1WPo8EVGxoU9uvWk3wL-sRDSyBu5ePzNUiuvvzSn0WnCRfxzJVZK7DacfldfSk3ObbNgpkgp8CE/s1600/PVCChase+-+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9P87sRuOrPABwQMfZUTE6Am0L4pL8iWIL2h7L2HzsodDXe75JXejv_RUukPnWmK-V1WPo8EVGxoU9uvWk3wL-sRDSyBu5ePzNUiuvvzSn0WnCRfxzJVZK7DacfldfSk3ObbNgpkgp8CE/s640/PVCChase+-+2.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Refrigerant lines, condensation drip, and control power for my<br />
minisplit air conditioner inside wall unit</td></tr>
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Because of my rigid frame construction I didn't have any way to run these lines inside the wall. In a tiny house the only wall is the outside wall and it sits right on top of double 2x12s. I can't exactly hog out a place for a fistful of copper and vinyl tubing to go up in there. And there's a beam over the plate glass windows with the same issue. So I made the air conditioning installer run the lines on the outside of the house.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxxZPTrkzh13XGB7SbdVN0Pht4hsjGRQ5HE4GKvsm73T5EYUxE5BzA-kHFQR4c6p2PKVDMZO5-COX1u9Oo6sjezZ6uQZ58IIt2Y0gql-pn1s4ndRpn2noHXeNkahXr7ffCQwjGoyEAl8/s1600/PVCChase+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxxZPTrkzh13XGB7SbdVN0Pht4hsjGRQ5HE4GKvsm73T5EYUxE5BzA-kHFQR4c6p2PKVDMZO5-COX1u9Oo6sjezZ6uQZ58IIt2Y0gql-pn1s4ndRpn2noHXeNkahXr7ffCQwjGoyEAl8/s640/PVCChase+-+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the penetration through the wall</td></tr>
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If memory serves I had him install this before I put up the siding. It's got spray foam all around it. With the refrigerant lines, wire, and condensate tube already coming through the 1x8 sheathing and house wrap I fashioned a kind of flashing around it when I put on the shingle siding. And I used caulk liberally all behind and around the pieces involved. It's not just put on at the end. And after 11 years it looks pretty waterproof at the penetration point.<br />
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The rest of the situation is pretty abominable though. I screwed something to the wall like a giant hook for storing ladders for the technician to secure the lines to when he installed them. Then when I put up the siding I replaced it with a small Simpson Strong Tie bracket and wired the lines to it. The algae growing on the insulation is pretty embarrassing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr53Ee1PQupdCL1TZbn0aNK11WNifHTgqkw-bxIoS6F5vlo-IXZ-v_t7IY39OHglnjMivRaq183SdGKlrfDhBwQiXoP0VMur7a3M8aHXWcEReAGikYxk07gHSrK-bouiLOLcQQX5ODcVw/s1600/PVCChase+-+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr53Ee1PQupdCL1TZbn0aNK11WNifHTgqkw-bxIoS6F5vlo-IXZ-v_t7IY39OHglnjMivRaq183SdGKlrfDhBwQiXoP0VMur7a3M8aHXWcEReAGikYxk07gHSrK-bouiLOLcQQX5ODcVw/s640/PVCChase+-+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This L bracket fiasco is my own doing</td></tr>
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Clearly that pipe insulation needs to be replaced. And as long as I'm painting I should remove the insulation and paint underneath with less junk in my way. And then I should put the whole business inside some kind of enclosure.</div>
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<div>
I tried to figure out a way to do it with round aluminum duct. I was thinking of that kind that has a crimped seam on the long edge that you push together to make a cylinder. It would look cool, but I couldn't figure out how to do the L bend at the top.</div>
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So I went to work figuring out how to do it with vinyl K-gutter. This stuff is stupid cheap. 10' sections are less than $4. I bought one piece and brought it home to play with it. I was thinking I could just put it over the lines with the flat side against the house. But it wasn't deep enough. So I decided to figure out how to make a clamshell out of it. I got a preformed inside corner and an outside corner and some joiners and started figuring out how to cut it. </div>
<h3>
Cutting PVC gutter</h3>
<div>
To make the clamshell work I had to cut the folded over parts off the bottom half of the shell. This is a two step process and takes two different tools.</div>
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To cut off the lip on the flat side I used a 4x4 clamped to a table as a rest for a jigsaw. I pushed the saw through the vinyl, then slid the whole business back, repeating until the whole length was cut.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDl5U1bw0VR71NJAxzr480WOjaPyszvZhvoLhfnb7emJqfGDhXIhTWvIAYsulxWqHD3S7ChOYzcT4j9r4oU9xbSFxC6O8RoGftV-eKAB_9GR7weIo7emFn1gqu0YuxlbQgJWvSRB4Jq-8/s1600/PVCChase+-+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDl5U1bw0VR71NJAxzr480WOjaPyszvZhvoLhfnb7emJqfGDhXIhTWvIAYsulxWqHD3S7ChOYzcT4j9r4oU9xbSFxC6O8RoGftV-eKAB_9GR7weIo7emFn1gqu0YuxlbQgJWvSRB4Jq-8/s640/PVCChase+-+4.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Use a jigsaw and a block to cut the lip off the straight side</td></tr>
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To cut the lip off the curved side of the gutter I used my fiber cement siding shear, the tool that caused me to be working on the house in the first place. Where it makes a dusty, un-caulkable cut edge on siding it makes a perfect edge on PVC gutter. No dust at all, unlike the jigsaw.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5Pp-a__Fe1R6UFSS_fAwI_WquIsjdZpL0d9fKnBZsB8mzltAI9Wk8259hOmHCqMHpZmG1VXAfIb5A1mckHw52ifxGpLdE00B7oSAFTwLjyZFTee8D6qtwU39lxxrFp-pQhZR5J2f2J0/s1600/PVCChase+-+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5Pp-a__Fe1R6UFSS_fAwI_WquIsjdZpL0d9fKnBZsB8mzltAI9Wk8259hOmHCqMHpZmG1VXAfIb5A1mckHw52ifxGpLdE00B7oSAFTwLjyZFTee8D6qtwU39lxxrFp-pQhZR5J2f2J0/s640/PVCChase+-+5.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fiber cement siding shear is the perfect tool for cutting PVC gutter</td></tr>
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I had a formed corner piece for the outside of the clamshell, but for the part against the house I decided to just cut a miter. I left the stuff in my car too long and it got hot and warped. I had to clamp the flat side to the fence of my chopsaw with a piece of scrap wood to get it to stay straight while I cut it. I cut through the wood and the plastic at once. Worked good.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1OT3wefA5PIOpv-CMYEiFVnNGn3CWCzDVrEUrFeIZ_aK2e4mfuOWboRRZeuH6Qn7S1Z9cYWZAvqTmtdX1HC2xky_arBhicdZefDEWnOLjqOc7fo91SiZJ3qPSPPje1w0ApsR3wEywCDE/s1600/PVCChase+-+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1OT3wefA5PIOpv-CMYEiFVnNGn3CWCzDVrEUrFeIZ_aK2e4mfuOWboRRZeuH6Qn7S1Z9cYWZAvqTmtdX1HC2xky_arBhicdZefDEWnOLjqOc7fo91SiZJ3qPSPPje1w0ApsR3wEywCDE/s640/PVCChase+-+9.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clamp the flat side of the gutter to the fence of the chopsaw if it's warped</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Once I had my two back pieces modified with the rolled edges cut off I had to figure out how to get the top part around the lines coming through the wall and around the bracket and everything. I used the jig saw to cut a hole with a slit for the penetration. And I worked out a way to cut out for the bracket. Then I realized it would be a hell of a lot easier if I just took off the bracket and put the gutter piece under it.<br />
<br />
I finally had the long overdue inspirational thought, "What you need is a skyhook." So I went in the shed and got one. In this circumstance the skyhook is my big ladder with a standoff and a length of rope I use for tying boats to my car.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiaI9QHj3tQv3o5UW-05462DQTrV0xd_nagMmSebuTYxKzfgS4OgFBMRAH_VPawWwhmcCQ6YfIYTk8aMVZT30aM45EmxUapU5LAZEZFFN5Esye5ncrMqUdvpaiyGJfwUK3-P_1xwh__vY/s1600/PVCChase+-+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiaI9QHj3tQv3o5UW-05462DQTrV0xd_nagMmSebuTYxKzfgS4OgFBMRAH_VPawWwhmcCQ6YfIYTk8aMVZT30aM45EmxUapU5LAZEZFFN5Esye5ncrMqUdvpaiyGJfwUK3-P_1xwh__vY/s640/PVCChase+-+6.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skyhooks are real</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxI2bguqiGx-vD3RSPjQejVZt-MDujahbipK3cv35-PYmh2aLuADny_JuklRzcueJ6TKYVqA4eqptbj2xClYDDZoUhwx147EQK92FWmuGc0Bj91bGSYiSveQhPcarRm8oK0w8vBZ5wCiE/s1600/PVCChase+-+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxI2bguqiGx-vD3RSPjQejVZt-MDujahbipK3cv35-PYmh2aLuADny_JuklRzcueJ6TKYVqA4eqptbj2xClYDDZoUhwx147EQK92FWmuGc0Bj91bGSYiSveQhPcarRm8oK0w8vBZ5wCiE/s640/PVCChase+-+7.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Safely remove the old bracket. I caulked the screw holes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I have a surprisingly vast selection of flashing in my shed. One piece of very wide aluminum bent in an L shape was meant for the skirting of the Spartan but it got wet while sandwiched with a dissimilar metal. It develop an impossible to remove discoloration. I had my sheet metal shop make it again for the Spartan but I saved the ugly one. Nobody will see the discoloration way up there. All I did was cut it to length. I thought I would cut the front edge later if I needed to, but I don't mind it sticking out.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSzHi4Kh0NwGi_LKlJzLfzgdEBgXzTD7W4IluwYQC4p1sjcDHZzexSad6hOtoNPlRmfILObStUIjEHxzsWawpf2b1hpy5X3W6zMquvoTDGBAjFcfeFrqFSBP27lh855M6kEad98YHBcHs/s1600/PVCChase+-+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSzHi4Kh0NwGi_LKlJzLfzgdEBgXzTD7W4IluwYQC4p1sjcDHZzexSad6hOtoNPlRmfILObStUIjEHxzsWawpf2b1hpy5X3W6zMquvoTDGBAjFcfeFrqFSBP27lh855M6kEad98YHBcHs/s640/PVCChase+-+8.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In progress. Aluminum drip ledge moveable to ether side for access.</td></tr>
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I have an electric sheet metal shear that works similar to the siding shear. I tried it on the vinyl too. It also works. But the siding shear is better on vinyl. I used the metal shear just for the aluminum.<br />
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I slipped the aluminum drip edge under the shingles above the chase. I'm going to call it drip ledge because it's massive. I secured the back piece of vinyl gutter to the wall with some sheet metal screws. I taped the slit in the end of the gutter by the hole for the penetrations. I also reinforced it with a piece of gutter cut from the same curved portion. My PVC cement was all dried up so I used the glue for the foam insulation. That product is the messiest glue I have ever used. I was so glad I was wearing disposable gloves.<br />
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I put the new insulation on the refrigerant lines. I glued all the joints unlike the original installer. I'm thorough that way. I'm hoping this batch of insulation will last a lot longer covered up. It's expensive.<br />
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The bottom of the vertical section is held away from the lap siding slightly. I shimmed it out from the ribbon joist of the house with a piece of PVC molding scrap I had in the shed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFn_PiHfvm6pITIyAfxLaODLm6RQsUCBtdcyTuQ5AEq3-B4qptX-_KIgriKbMqtk2WbMp5EsIewMCnFmQNcvxDkiunBrc8-OGohu5XAfTGtl2FBpCNRbRlCxzXM541kndzvf8yFY4uT7A/s1600/PVCChase+-+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFn_PiHfvm6pITIyAfxLaODLm6RQsUCBtdcyTuQ5AEq3-B4qptX-_KIgriKbMqtk2WbMp5EsIewMCnFmQNcvxDkiunBrc8-OGohu5XAfTGtl2FBpCNRbRlCxzXM541kndzvf8yFY4uT7A/s640/PVCChase+-+10.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Found a piece of PVC molding that fit just right</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4FqYgKwJTk-MeJZ93txU65mhCDRejx6PPhgY_IKERqRwklXbk2CJCju_BrfmjirzLLVomNGaUAaoYu89BfRaS88XyZLGdCsVbERvmFwUKbYRcfDJCB2kF-gBgmnmiP2BYGkMRsRD3Mo/s1600/PVCChase+-+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4FqYgKwJTk-MeJZ93txU65mhCDRejx6PPhgY_IKERqRwklXbk2CJCju_BrfmjirzLLVomNGaUAaoYu89BfRaS88XyZLGdCsVbERvmFwUKbYRcfDJCB2kF-gBgmnmiP2BYGkMRsRD3Mo/s640/PVCChase+-+11.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Found a long sheet metal screw that looked good for going through <br />
to the 2x12 under the fiber cement</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_YVjbDVQ4bJTTcYv_1_1ffmE2KSDR0RCGk49_XcZijQ_i3ZmwhaYGj_TOimztIX-PPg2wF28mkugdiQjGzFhXeRM4soAnywpVNE5sSpvKJgNA8DJSgV_sivghs8RwCj3fVyoic7BZ9mk/s1600/PVCChase+-+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_YVjbDVQ4bJTTcYv_1_1ffmE2KSDR0RCGk49_XcZijQ_i3ZmwhaYGj_TOimztIX-PPg2wF28mkugdiQjGzFhXeRM4soAnywpVNE5sSpvKJgNA8DJSgV_sivghs8RwCj3fVyoic7BZ9mk/s640/PVCChase+-+12.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two screws at the bottom and one up top seem adequate for the vertical section</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I screwed the vertical section on at the bottom and at the top where it was on the shingle siding. There are no holes in the lap siding.</div>
<div>
<br />
I decided I needed some reinforcement at the top of this whole business so I went rummaging through the shed looking for something that would work. I found a bracket of unidentifiable provenance that looked promising. I modified it with a hacksaw and then hit it with some primer since it was probably some junk from IKEA and would rust if I put it in the shade and then breathed on it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUUvPEtsJ62eZxZsesuuW3sSj5I9TvoMe8d_KJxxTCOYlgCQeLEaIollHIkSooLLhjOTFyEYdrqgdnLHVIqM2zOPcoBeDBsfsPp78GdikOQzbFpTCOlPK59L-8SQiy6Aira0vK6iefmGg/s1600/PVCChase+-+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUUvPEtsJ62eZxZsesuuW3sSj5I9TvoMe8d_KJxxTCOYlgCQeLEaIollHIkSooLLhjOTFyEYdrqgdnLHVIqM2zOPcoBeDBsfsPp78GdikOQzbFpTCOlPK59L-8SQiy6Aira0vK6iefmGg/s640/PVCChase+-+13.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Primer just in case </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDsrIR-o93VEXoa25vLaOCDm07tYQhEP9VhZUbFEDiyFpsGHUsFQwx-5SjsGpaBAJWlKzJ_bow3g6-E31svHs77DMNAxRJ-8vN7IKQ3k3Tn9ZxmhdEyZYeNWn-168ih7AJMnKTpAJhpks/s640/PVCChase+-+14.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This end reinforced</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For the long end I wanted even more reinforcement, plus I had room for something with a long leg in two directions. I got a 5" galvanized L bracket at Home Depot, the only size that even comes in galvanized. I screwed it in place with Deckmate screws so long I think they go through the siding, through the sheathing, and into the 4x4 post that runs all the way to the roof. I like to use all the threads.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDsrIR-o93VEXoa25vLaOCDm07tYQhEP9VhZUbFEDiyFpsGHUsFQwx-5SjsGpaBAJWlKzJ_bow3g6-E31svHs77DMNAxRJ-8vN7IKQ3k3Tn9ZxmhdEyZYeNWn-168ih7AJMnKTpAJhpks/s1600/PVCChase+-+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDsrIR-o93VEXoa25vLaOCDm07tYQhEP9VhZUbFEDiyFpsGHUsFQwx-5SjsGpaBAJWlKzJ_bow3g6-E31svHs77DMNAxRJ-8vN7IKQ3k3Tn9ZxmhdEyZYeNWn-168ih7AJMnKTpAJhpks/s1600/PVCChase+-+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7uHkzzheDhtGlSL-IRzJS3SdlOQxZsTD4ftmrrelJFuCQI-O2mzc7OnoIbNmiAEHVRSK9Tb-Wo_Yv1EWPrsluYmsHzuTFGYHLJzeB64YhfKOfKpqBdgtlWTWkrWGw2DI99Srav4AnpPg/s1600/PVCChase+-+15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7uHkzzheDhtGlSL-IRzJS3SdlOQxZsTD4ftmrrelJFuCQI-O2mzc7OnoIbNmiAEHVRSK9Tb-Wo_Yv1EWPrsluYmsHzuTFGYHLJzeB64YhfKOfKpqBdgtlWTWkrWGw2DI99Srav4AnpPg/s640/PVCChase+-+15.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big honkin L bracket</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
OK, so now what about the open end by the penetration? I decided the best thing to do there was cut a piece of wood the shape of the clamshell and screw the vinyl all around. I found a scrap of 1x8, traced around some gutter scraps, cut it out with the jigsaw, and then primed it. It didn't fit that great in place because screwing the gutter to the wall made it a lot less bendy. I ended up using a lot of backer rod and caulk and more paint to make it look good when I was done.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFiqQwyRlplZ8Izx5hjXxO_bXFfADE9coathdqHM7t2Cx17_Ah85EUidYPUBUqQkENGuv2ksoimw_U2LoY-c95ZHbZ8SrCp9V0dy9ZB20Krzpc9EZv8PL2b-DkQOMUGkuHa1ARfPSZbxU/s1600/PVCChase+-+16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFiqQwyRlplZ8Izx5hjXxO_bXFfADE9coathdqHM7t2Cx17_Ah85EUidYPUBUqQkENGuv2ksoimw_U2LoY-c95ZHbZ8SrCp9V0dy9ZB20Krzpc9EZv8PL2b-DkQOMUGkuHa1ARfPSZbxU/s640/PVCChase+-+16.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">End capped with wood didn't want to fit tight</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The other end has the factory made inside corner. I put the fitting over the big L bracket and under the back of the clamshell. Then screwed them together with 1/2" long stainless steel #6 sheet metal screws. The bracket is just for defeating gravity. Nothing is attached to the top of it at all. </div>
<div>
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<div>
The weather stripping stacked up at the back of the chase in the photo below is to stop the drip ledge from settling down so much it can't drain. On a sunny side of the house I would expect lizards to go in between the chase and the drip ledge, but in full shade they probably won't.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOtPhvvUrX4rLAiC7BY5ORkhSqRQ0CoeZxMTBt_UK4MZkCAM2sDfv8mkVuCu6ra1w_zp6MelBUmS5UKaJ5VLJ2HFtje9ls5hIlel6nK5UhtP_zXZ0TRZofQKR8eSRaaZx6mRvSi6Q9cs8/s1600/PVCChase+-+17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOtPhvvUrX4rLAiC7BY5ORkhSqRQ0CoeZxMTBt_UK4MZkCAM2sDfv8mkVuCu6ra1w_zp6MelBUmS5UKaJ5VLJ2HFtje9ls5hIlel6nK5UhtP_zXZ0TRZofQKR8eSRaaZx6mRvSi6Q9cs8/s640/PVCChase+-+17.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clamshell fastened together on top with screws</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After I was done connecting the front and back of the clamshell together on top I ran two screws through the aluminum into the vinyl at the front edge. That secures the front section to the wall without depending on the back piece of vinyl. Also stops wind from lifting the aluminum ledge.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RITV7YBw8P2OdxzUD4Sx-Tw7QGl0PGuyWDeEyafhzuSKEzR35-2L-iaOlxEsPylOQQlhnhGi3lxmantvaAUpMJMz3uZBJtXn5mcocnVczvk0M5U6WjT3fjC4508xBMzCljsUg_xL87w/s1600/PVCChase+-+18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RITV7YBw8P2OdxzUD4Sx-Tw7QGl0PGuyWDeEyafhzuSKEzR35-2L-iaOlxEsPylOQQlhnhGi3lxmantvaAUpMJMz3uZBJtXn5mcocnVczvk0M5U6WjT3fjC4508xBMzCljsUg_xL87w/s640/PVCChase+-+18.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drip edge secured to front of chase with sheet metal screws with rubber washers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The end of the vertical section ends in a molded outside corner. I drilled a hole for the condensate line to come through. The post in the photo below is a reused gate post, thus the hole. The sole purpose of that post is to hold the hose bib. The footings around the posts of the house make it inconvenient to run the pipe up them. This existing post conveniently allowed the perfect amount of clearance for the chase.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10OnQlW3bzCJyxJuo8cHdo2V3-8RzeEHzOGmLF1jb8C6RfMjt55DIWHAnlVrn86Vac9o7_T846wdq9jpvhbUTAgjDdBYWfMbLPA6WSkYO62JT_UnLnwNvITjvvTCnBOoVMtBeNqHhw5Y/s1600/PVCChase+-+19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10OnQlW3bzCJyxJuo8cHdo2V3-8RzeEHzOGmLF1jb8C6RfMjt55DIWHAnlVrn86Vac9o7_T846wdq9jpvhbUTAgjDdBYWfMbLPA6WSkYO62JT_UnLnwNvITjvvTCnBOoVMtBeNqHhw5Y/s640/PVCChase+-+19.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Condensate line comes out a hole in the last fitting</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I needed the end of this outside corner open to be able to work the hose bib handle. I shoves some extra foam insulation up in the end of the chase to stop critters from going exploring up there.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzmh6kWWuEq4sd8ysMZDDC0ipoVEhiqMZVmjRKCjeejRuSvr6n_WM79FBb4vwCLh4Q_WuQZHMftWySimdC-nzXNxkgirqmi42z-DK8McLpFhL5AUxPK3ShKsYsYI7BlbelVY3xgUMQZq8/s1600/PVCChase+-+20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzmh6kWWuEq4sd8ysMZDDC0ipoVEhiqMZVmjRKCjeejRuSvr6n_WM79FBb4vwCLh4Q_WuQZHMftWySimdC-nzXNxkgirqmi42z-DK8McLpFhL5AUxPK3ShKsYsYI7BlbelVY3xgUMQZq8/s640/PVCChase+-+20.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The west side of the molded outside corner is open</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHNaRcHnQhJTAZ5XVzOdvK6GxFWs9pGMe4y3_F-Dp29xzA1kZ-MJiUapijZoszM-LQXfuUIO4lXdzlYhrS0H8-D4O4G92Sid0VKNnz4b62e9oBLwXFh5fxxzzVxzIUjsvSYJ97CgzTS5s/s1600/PVCChase+-+21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHNaRcHnQhJTAZ5XVzOdvK6GxFWs9pGMe4y3_F-Dp29xzA1kZ-MJiUapijZoszM-LQXfuUIO4lXdzlYhrS0H8-D4O4G92Sid0VKNnz4b62e9oBLwXFh5fxxzzVxzIUjsvSYJ97CgzTS5s/s640/PVCChase+-+21.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Along the flat back side I didn't need many as screws. Painting partially done</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I secured the clamshell halves together with plenty of the stainless steel screws along the overlapping edges. I used about twice as many on the K profile side.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfSRQz91zCKOlzPeLWYIgQADXHrq7y2YQX5TdDR1DsjKVS162vGaOHxwhQ1KoRDvjgX7zjmTAkWCdBMAj4udgaa6wmaXj4c43nXDxGBe7jUqfHI5vQ1jOVHP8pwZl53HbfwTpf_9RsdHk/s1600/PVCChase+-+22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfSRQz91zCKOlzPeLWYIgQADXHrq7y2YQX5TdDR1DsjKVS162vGaOHxwhQ1KoRDvjgX7zjmTAkWCdBMAj4udgaa6wmaXj4c43nXDxGBe7jUqfHI5vQ1jOVHP8pwZl53HbfwTpf_9RsdHk/s640/PVCChase+-+22.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I put a lot of the short stainless steel sheet metal screws on the curved side</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUGmJ6OSISDox4VWLfSNGdvMmUFJ1GJepMfcrdGlKpwZm3MGalxEfLC3wqmgBgRCZoEWA0Dg4DjQBUyvk8wRsYQ2-qK0FhUxjVmNCJVisTFLc1ClvMUv20ICMU8U00oo9aFa2ofKZ4Go/s1600/PVCChase+-+23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUGmJ6OSISDox4VWLfSNGdvMmUFJ1GJepMfcrdGlKpwZm3MGalxEfLC3wqmgBgRCZoEWA0Dg4DjQBUyvk8wRsYQ2-qK0FhUxjVmNCJVisTFLc1ClvMUv20ICMU8U00oo9aFa2ofKZ4Go/s640/PVCChase+-+23.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stand back and admire the work </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After I finished the chase I sent my brother photos. He told me I need a trap for my condensate line because wind washing makes biofilm grow. I rigged up something out of PVC parts I had on hand. It still drips into my reused toilet tank condensate catcher. If I decide I like keeping a little vessel constantly full of water right there I can paint it to match the post.</div>
<div>
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<div>
I was happy when I was done and I could clean up all the PVC dust in the shed once and for all. I was looking forward to painting the lap siding, a job I could do listening to podcasts. </div>
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<div>
When I stood back and looked at that side of the house that big white thing on the wall just seemed unnecessarily prominent. I decided to paint more of the trim around the windows white, to draw the eye away from it. I guess it's better, I don't know. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Finally I replaced the hose hanger on the side of the house and I call it done.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQIq345etoNNe6SM_uG4EFGfqjcDmQMOpgIYx2H3aB6yGGBtPK-l24scjeu4XhNB9tuUdbRTtrQJ1N4lmx7c-MzRZGTtVeXMi_VO6GkZz9btGByQOVDftnj-iRnfKxiUNutELZ4z0R-I8/s1600/PVCChase+-+24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQIq345etoNNe6SM_uG4EFGfqjcDmQMOpgIYx2H3aB6yGGBtPK-l24scjeu4XhNB9tuUdbRTtrQJ1N4lmx7c-MzRZGTtVeXMi_VO6GkZz9btGByQOVDftnj-iRnfKxiUNutELZ4z0R-I8/s640/PVCChase+-+24.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It should be straightforward to take the chase apart if the refrigerant lines ever need to be replaced or serviced. I shopped for little plastic rivets to use instead of stainless steel screws to connect the halves. I didn't use them for two reasons. 1. They are stupid expensive 2. All HVAC techs have a screwdriver, but rivets might stump them. It's entirely possible this piece of kit will outlive me. If nobody thinks to look at the web archive to see how I built this they need to be able to figure out how to take it apart just by looking at it.</div>
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In conclusion: DO NOT ATTEMPT. This project came out fine. I didn't hurt myself. I didn't spend a ton of money. But it took me a ridiculously long time to do this, like three entire days and multiple trips to Home Depot. I guess if I'd had instructions I could have gotten all the stuff in one trip, but the figuring it out with the junk I had on hand was slow. If I'd spent three days figuring out how to rough in these lines inside the wall by bumping out the inside corner by the door to the bathroom it would have been a superior solution. But building a time machine to go back to 2005 was totally beyond the scope. </div>
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Bill of Materials:</div>
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$15.92 10' gutter sections $3.98 x 4 (it's so cheap I got a whole extra one just to practice on)</div>
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$13.05 K-Style joiners $4.35 x 3</div>
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$6.54 1 inside corner</div>
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$6.54 1 outside corner</div>
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$35.97 Pipe insulation</div>
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$7.98 Pipe insulation adhesive</div>
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$3.51 Stainless steel screws</div>
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$3.18 Galvanized 5" Angle bracket</div>
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Total chase cost $92.69</div>
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Add that to the cost of the house caulking/painting project from the last blog post</div>
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Painting Project</div>
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$6.28 Big Stretch Caulk</div>
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$27.98 1 Gallon of Satin House Paint</div>
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$5.97 Low grip painters tape</div>
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$3.98 Paper drop cloth to cut up and tape over the orange part of the house so I didn't splash it with paint.</div>
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Total repainting cost $44.21</div>
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Grand total of 2017 Spring Project</div>
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~$140</div>
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Tiny house = tiny maintenance costs </div>
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I can paint my whole house with a gallon of paint. That's never not going to be funny to me.</div>
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Beachtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13792937145012547220noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111303718232102418.post-67735043840578924092017-03-10T14:22:00.002-05:002018-12-30T21:17:13.176-05:00Regret for my Past Self: Correcting Caulk When I built my tiny house by myself I used a Snapper Shear to cut the fiber cement siding. I love this tool because it's quiet and feels relatively safe compared to a circular saw with a fiber cement blade. But most production carpenters don't use this kind of tool because it costs over $300 and it's what Alton Brown would call a uni-tasker.
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The video talks about the advantages of the tool, but leaves out the main problem. A saw leaves a sort of burnished edge. The shear basically works by pulverizing the product. It leaves the cut end very dusty. I did not realize at the time this was going to be a problem in the future, but I should have. Caulk can't stick to dust. Where the factory ends butt up against the corner boards the caulked joint looks perfect. But the ends I cut, the caulk didn't stick. Little cracks appeared. I should have washed the ends of the siding in a bucket of water and then let them dry before caulking.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghnhSef6ftWj_AGj7RFFOn6Vbr2lgiiIZ-BUaIamGLD7tm-ovNLyzp-6WaQn39pbVl5jQVZOIzaljEPFUhzXbipSdS_ZVIVaHc9-J5elXeIpBSg7G8IU2_8-q4BkyQlEqiDl6JTODvYhE/s1600/CaulkWork+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghnhSef6ftWj_AGj7RFFOn6Vbr2lgiiIZ-BUaIamGLD7tm-ovNLyzp-6WaQn39pbVl5jQVZOIzaljEPFUhzXbipSdS_ZVIVaHc9-J5elXeIpBSg7G8IU2_8-q4BkyQlEqiDl6JTODvYhE/s640/CaulkWork+-+1.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crack between caulk and cut end of siding</td></tr>
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The weather has been pretty good for working outside so I decided it was time to take care of this problem. I worked up a special tool for cutting the caulk at the corner board so I wouldn't go too deep and cut into the house wrap. I used my straight mat cutter with a 3" scraper blade modified to fit it. This turned out to not work any better than my regular utility knife so I'm not even going to put up photos.<br />
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The most useful tool was a dental spatula I got as part of a <a href="https://www.pjtool.com/hand-and-hobby-tools/dental-tools-picks/4-pc-spatula-set.html">$5 set from PJ Tool and Supply</a>, the same place I got some hemostats, also useful.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's the useful dental spatula</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I really wore down the end of this little tool</td></tr>
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After I cut the caulk where it was very strongly bonded to the corner boards I got all the old caulk out of the joint.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBclaMrst_a0lw0rDN17hl0niv4wDVrorIQrplCmUO1raaceokAf_4BjQYAjPmlLo7_Kcyp2EjxTHF_Cg6c7AGI6XuzgxSaIFbIQJu4IPrzh7Goa4qF02RyNvsPB9rSTwpmMamiDpADZA/s1600/CaulkWork+-+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBclaMrst_a0lw0rDN17hl0niv4wDVrorIQrplCmUO1raaceokAf_4BjQYAjPmlLo7_Kcyp2EjxTHF_Cg6c7AGI6XuzgxSaIFbIQJu4IPrzh7Goa4qF02RyNvsPB9rSTwpmMamiDpADZA/s640/CaulkWork+-+2.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caulk didn't fail, just the bond to the siding</td></tr>
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I hoped the caulk would take most of the dust with it, but it sort of didn't. I could make dust come billowing out of the crack with a little brush I got at the grocery store by the dental floss. I washed the whole house down with a scrub brush and a hose after I opened up all the cracks. Then I scrubbed out each little crack again with the brush until I could not make any more dust come out.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I cleaned the ends of the siding with tiny brushes for cleaning braces</td></tr>
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I used <a href="http://www.dap.com/dap-products-ph/dynaflex-230-premium-indooroutdoor-sealant/">Dap Dynaflex 230 caulk</a> when I built my house. I like it. It was my fault I had to redo it, no fault of the product. But for the sake of curiosity I wanted to use a different caulk for the replacement. I did some research and found some people on the Fine Homebuilding forums like this stuff called <a href="http://www.finehomebuilding.com/2016/07/06/bridge-the-gap">Big Stretch by Sashco</a>. I made a special trip to Lowes to get some Big Stretch since they don't carry it at Home Depot.<br />
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I actually don't like it as much as the Dap. It feels kind of gritty. And it didn't fill the gaps as well. Some places it shrank so much I had to caulk again after I painted to make it look consistent. Time will tell how it does in the long run.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Mz4GsuFLuwz04GcXjk8MDHOp_vgbWEjuZXZhiEoIklO01GnQnbrLSMvZ3mNCdaT25_ZtPBRsJFId4_GwVH93vS5cWVYPY_f6_rlKv9u54IRMlpxZHQ7S1pubk7szpA-P4Zybh-z-GP0/s1600/CaulkWork+-+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Mz4GsuFLuwz04GcXjk8MDHOp_vgbWEjuZXZhiEoIklO01GnQnbrLSMvZ3mNCdaT25_ZtPBRsJFId4_GwVH93vS5cWVYPY_f6_rlKv9u54IRMlpxZHQ7S1pubk7szpA-P4Zybh-z-GP0/s640/CaulkWork+-+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiny house benefits. All the caulk I had to replace only comes to 115 grams</td></tr>
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Because I'm a woman who has eyes I put down a drop cloth while I dug out the old caulk. I dropped the pieces into the same apron I use to pick blueberries. Any stuff that fell on the cloth, I scooped it up before I moved to the next corner. At the end of the job I had about 115 grams of wasted caulk. This is a data point without a purpose.</div>
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I was able to recaulk all these joints with less than one tube of caulk. I bought one gallon of paint and repainted the lap siding on three sides of the house. I still have over a quart of paint left. Tiny houses rule!</div>
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I repainted the siding on the front porch when I built the porch and turned the door around to swing out. That was 2013. I changed from flat to satin paint on the front porch then. So this time I made all the lap siding satin. I left the flat paint on the shingle siding and overhangs. The caulk seems fully adhered to all the joints of the shingle siding even though I cut the top edge of that with the shear to fit the angle of the gable. I would say it was due to not being in direct sun, but on the north side of the house the lap siding caulk joints failed and they are in the shade all the time. Perhaps larger joints don't exert as much pulling force against the bonded edges. My corner joints are pretty tight, but they are within the specifications of the product. I left bigger gaps for the shingle siding.</div>
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Oh, I just figured it out sitting here typing this. The expansion and contraction of a long siding run changes the size of the end gap more than what would happen next to a narrow shingle. Even the short pieces of lap siding between windows are longer than the widest shingle. Expansion and contraction is cumulative.</div>
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Next blog: The rabbit hole I went down to pretty up the lines to my minisplit and a new use for the siding shear.</div>
Beachtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13792937145012547220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111303718232102418.post-35201555227540390682017-02-08T21:39:00.001-05:002017-02-08T21:53:26.624-05:00Empathy for my Future Self: New and Improved Lab EntranceI got a case of Titebond Polyurethane Fast Set Construction Adhesive in the mail two weeks ago. I was one of the first 50 people to email them after they talked about the product on the <a href="http://www.finehomebuilding.com/2017/01/10/episode-31-adhesives-building-trades-2017-international-builders-show">Fine Homebuilding Podcast</a>. The shelf life on this stuff is only a year, so I was a bit worried about how I was going to use it up in time. I mentioned it to my brother and he said to bring it to him so he could use it between concrete blocks for a retaining wall around his pool. It needs to be high strength so he can compact the soil behind the wall and install pavers. I hadn't thought of using it for concrete blocks. Good idea.<br />
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The other day I missed the last step on my shitty back steps and hurt my foot. I mean, it was messed up. I looked up orthopedic treatments on WebMD and everything. Amazingly the ice worked great and it was all better in just two day. But while I was hobbling around with a walking stick for a day I really regretted that I had no handrails to help me in and out of the lab. Also I blamed myself for considering steps a luxury I couldn't afford. Were a couple dozen $1.69 cinder blocks more precious than my continued mobility? That's illogical. I resolved to fix them. I started with a dozen concrete blocks at Home Depot and started playing around with how to stack them around the doorway. I came up with something like this. By messing with the orientation of the lightweight blocks I planned to block all the openings so critters can't fill them with acorns. Which they have happily been doing for the past two years.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikvNzXPm0gIpDRF63v5Wt6kVjZubW70WmduCqOHE0pblWq_HkonuJ1tn2ci8LV8gcgncHTZjpT0G95KSRsfl0SeXCs6umhpnOuyngE8E5gehQECK-uy57zmLMD15jR4TPagpwuS0yoEJI/s1600/SpartanSteps+-+1+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikvNzXPm0gIpDRF63v5Wt6kVjZubW70WmduCqOHE0pblWq_HkonuJ1tn2ci8LV8gcgncHTZjpT0G95KSRsfl0SeXCs6umhpnOuyngE8E5gehQECK-uy57zmLMD15jR4TPagpwuS0yoEJI/s640/SpartanSteps+-+1+%25281%2529.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
One one side I have to put solid blocks to cover the end. I made another run to Home Depot and got more supplies. I needed another whole row on the hinge side of the door and a lot of caps.<br />
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When I got back with more blocks I played with my arrangement some more. I had to work in something to hold onto. You can see in the above photo that I already have a cast aluminum handle screwed to the side of the Spartan to stop the door lever from slamming into the side and making a hole. Secondarily if you lift the door lever and drop it behind the handle on the wall of the Spartan it holds the door open. I decided to order some more of those same style cast aluminum handles since they were working well. I ordered two of the longest ones they have at McMaster. They cost around $20 each, more than all the stair components combined. While I waited for the UPS man I kept working on the steps.<br />
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I decided not to use the four old cinder blocks. They don't match the new ones. If I'm going to this much trouble it better look nice. But I was ready to glue caps on one side of some of the blocks. I did that in the morning so the glue could cure while I went to town.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVSz21Jhdkcdd4m7yPfdHwClDAf-hIbG4wWl04PwCXLqk4TIdXoNrgpd7kWJYFggzBXJVM81aC9BTuIomP5B0eQwV0kWB9uTS6Uv_cDF9iTrZhLgQahQhq-qBcSL-SD5uhorZwZwvzMPg/s1600/SpartanSteps+-+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVSz21Jhdkcdd4m7yPfdHwClDAf-hIbG4wWl04PwCXLqk4TIdXoNrgpd7kWJYFggzBXJVM81aC9BTuIomP5B0eQwV0kWB9uTS6Uv_cDF9iTrZhLgQahQhq-qBcSL-SD5uhorZwZwvzMPg/s640/SpartanSteps+-+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unstacked blocks to be glued up. I cleaned off all the loose sand with a brush</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc6MVtnm6I-xebzhhxcjfgIiWPD4NkppsSdTVjSCYu3xRKhYv-hR32NscVs7shZmOKvko08PpFaAwJTEzcPn5Ovji7fG3bu6JkmlJlzpIitHJV_GEd6hDz-UGZ-wmdDVaLTlhhwH7TmCI/s1600/SpartanSteps+-+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc6MVtnm6I-xebzhhxcjfgIiWPD4NkppsSdTVjSCYu3xRKhYv-hR32NscVs7shZmOKvko08PpFaAwJTEzcPn5Ovji7fG3bu6JkmlJlzpIitHJV_GEd6hDz-UGZ-wmdDVaLTlhhwH7TmCI/s640/SpartanSteps+-+5.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puncture the inner seal on the adhesive</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1xKveUqxlP0YjuIWBhVOKQERbEqgb46cvH9Ac6JHq1SBa3d3kdpWIHC2BVqYD3iQ7ifZO0m8ZHzzj0D1OuLfSBL0KXMV8ZFVVjl307MIiaZsrn-PglxiFnnj1eUXEnx8aVdfAOlt73yM/s1600/SpartanSteps+-+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1xKveUqxlP0YjuIWBhVOKQERbEqgb46cvH9Ac6JHq1SBa3d3kdpWIHC2BVqYD3iQ7ifZO0m8ZHzzj0D1OuLfSBL0KXMV8ZFVVjl307MIiaZsrn-PglxiFnnj1eUXEnx8aVdfAOlt73yM/s640/SpartanSteps+-+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Run a bead of adhesive around the block</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-DhNADA_VkGrYukKLOqTMFQbW_Ry2gkT7jKSFRLqlorNTfKZD1ggR3bxsflt7fMRodlAcWcQVyy46KKl74pgSVcQKvl3YXckfYjBPaqA8qaN84C-qn2eoxmNv-iDt23UglrGJjjQFIE/s1600/SpartanSteps+-+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-DhNADA_VkGrYukKLOqTMFQbW_Ry2gkT7jKSFRLqlorNTfKZD1ggR3bxsflt7fMRodlAcWcQVyy46KKl74pgSVcQKvl3YXckfYjBPaqA8qaN84C-qn2eoxmNv-iDt23UglrGJjjQFIE/s640/SpartanSteps+-+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Place the cap on and twist it back and forth a bit. I had a bit of squeeze-out to clean off<br />
on the first one but I learned to keep the bead away from the outer edge</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv-APteKLmPhZemC5gYrPr5FP_b_IP8ih6xeVr8K5vvhdIJfW2PjWf1fW4VV-HheOdRUfqaej4NDXslWxpZQ5ADmkxVCb77I_g0n5I55vHaKEeJ5Ap-Hal1iyW4b_0PDF6Ayp1MKvGNkI/s1600/SpartanSteps+-+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv-APteKLmPhZemC5gYrPr5FP_b_IP8ih6xeVr8K5vvhdIJfW2PjWf1fW4VV-HheOdRUfqaej4NDXslWxpZQ5ADmkxVCb77I_g0n5I55vHaKEeJ5Ap-Hal1iyW4b_0PDF6Ayp1MKvGNkI/s640/SpartanSteps+-+6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After I finished with the glue here's how I saved the tube. Bamboo skewer and aluminum foil</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFB2gCGlNsxTedg8b4yX78YwXjgHS0vjZl6QOeNer4phGWi28yyoUIQUg3AVaK1K4qmdaJk2tIHKaZbZlWtmDvnccDJnHEIKrwBtLoVNBtdfcHUT0I3UOdrB17eWJFr6VDaw02Tee69E/s1600/SpartanSteps+-+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFB2gCGlNsxTedg8b4yX78YwXjgHS0vjZl6QOeNer4phGWi28yyoUIQUg3AVaK1K4qmdaJk2tIHKaZbZlWtmDvnccDJnHEIKrwBtLoVNBtdfcHUT0I3UOdrB17eWJFr6VDaw02Tee69E/s640/SpartanSteps+-+7.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I poke the skewer through the foil</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYaRdOeML5pCcYv0ZrCubTOv0weV5vJQNbiuNbSMDi3mjEH7vwRSOgUrhb5qtfD36CIHFGMB2hAJ-QDS1lUhxloUGbhrgvHBSkONm4Pi4DH1VRp4VcK4yYgvLbVFgH91Y7BUJ_3N4m18/s1600/SpartanSteps+-+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYaRdOeML5pCcYv0ZrCubTOv0weV5vJQNbiuNbSMDi3mjEH7vwRSOgUrhb5qtfD36CIHFGMB2hAJ-QDS1lUhxloUGbhrgvHBSkONm4Pi4DH1VRp4VcK4yYgvLbVFgH91Y7BUJ_3N4m18/s640/SpartanSteps+-+9.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stick the skewer in and wrap part of the foil around the spout</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0akM6H9Lkq2_sc4EK2BMuM-E9VgQFaU4p4910jWKbAXvkWVfRMsw1Mf8z07brMMn2TBLENhS7dgE9KmBUVFoaJpyxr9u5WYE9Gcmunqoc-iyydHSE8qIqvyKoGGtWYDZVcEgFN6OmvnA/s1600/SpartanSteps+-+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0akM6H9Lkq2_sc4EK2BMuM-E9VgQFaU4p4910jWKbAXvkWVfRMsw1Mf8z07brMMn2TBLENhS7dgE9KmBUVFoaJpyxr9u5WYE9Gcmunqoc-iyydHSE8qIqvyKoGGtWYDZVcEgFN6OmvnA/s640/SpartanSteps+-+10.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Break off the skewer and wrap over the whole thing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVYEl_BZyJOOMiGUvyryMWG8mw_WYSSthsR0YfRb2-A1NIjp1elUMc4PhT4PNNKnXd_sY15hJuOihj9R8AJuVNW3TeSU1OH7_1bnKC9fxUcmp37r07Q4MxXFttVTxDTr9U0Xi6fvanXk/s1600/SpartanSteps+-+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVYEl_BZyJOOMiGUvyryMWG8mw_WYSSthsR0YfRb2-A1NIjp1elUMc4PhT4PNNKnXd_sY15hJuOihj9R8AJuVNW3TeSU1OH7_1bnKC9fxUcmp37r07Q4MxXFttVTxDTr9U0Xi6fvanXk/s640/SpartanSteps+-+11.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Make a collar over the tube</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRHMXVrtAqIn7RAdLCQzlHCosPAP8dgGVMKjcq1rflkxatmqenrhz60LMnqJs7TMHajKJClB8V-zDES-eWIrPpLGTB2LnhE12xx5EDOjveyLWpdcphj26DVFKTbQi8kcZja7RxoH7FXNA/s1600/SpartanSteps+-+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRHMXVrtAqIn7RAdLCQzlHCosPAP8dgGVMKjcq1rflkxatmqenrhz60LMnqJs7TMHajKJClB8V-zDES-eWIrPpLGTB2LnhE12xx5EDOjveyLWpdcphj26DVFKTbQi8kcZja7RxoH7FXNA/s640/SpartanSteps+-+12.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Put the tube back in the caulk gun so the foil doesn't get knocked off</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I used this method on a tube of this stuff after I secured a plastic door threshold at a client's office two days before the step project. The adhesive had barely even skinned over under the foil. I had to squirt out about an inch worth and throw it away. I will update this post when I try to use the half tube put away after this job. Two days definitely fine.</div>
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This product does not have an offensive odor to me. It's has the same lack of smell of other polyurethane glues. It's nothing like Liquid Nails construction adhesive that stinks like a silk screen shop. It's still good to have a lot of ventilation though, and wear gloves. It will stain your skin as bad as Great Stuff.</div>
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Mark Schroeder, the Titebond VP of Marketing, mentioned on the FHB podcast that they worked on the consistency so it doesn't keep shooting out of the nozzle when you put it down. I had no problem with that at all. Very well behaved stuff. I confess I probably have muscle memory for releasing the pressure when I put down the gun though. I probably automatically hit that lever on the back whenever I finish running a bead so I didn't really give it a chance to make a giant mess.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiK37carJ1-vqZsNcPvUyWIHOjDwCAw1ATJ8NaeXMJdfyWqo4wlqg-gKLkOwuPsi2l2aeXOXXmX_-nU_QfVhnd3wd6bfJ9a4KidHFHE5RH5N1eLDN7D1dVtQIw82I3L4S4ladqIkkbHzY/s1600/SpartanSteps+-+1+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiK37carJ1-vqZsNcPvUyWIHOjDwCAw1ATJ8NaeXMJdfyWqo4wlqg-gKLkOwuPsi2l2aeXOXXmX_-nU_QfVhnd3wd6bfJ9a4KidHFHE5RH5N1eLDN7D1dVtQIw82I3L4S4ladqIkkbHzY/s640/SpartanSteps+-+1+%25282%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Squeeze out on the inside is better than on the outside</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I wanted to stick the blocks to the slab with something that would even out the surface so they wouldn't rock, but I may need to disassemble this whole thing one day. I'm not using the construction adhesive there. It's way too sticky and doesn't have enough body to fill in gaps. I started on the main section using up some rapid set cement I had leftover from a septic tank repair. I only had enough for the main rectangle.<br />
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<div>
For the rest I used some polymer modified thinset leftover from the tile floor. I keep it in a 3 gallon bucket so it doesn't go bad. I prefer working with it so much I'm not even showing photos of the other stuff.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ivDYampubGvue85weDjqnu-B-OvvE7SZLxdJRdubhXnH_ettz6IjUdhiBPuTNEg4FJUtGXj1TW5iiIh0F7Bl0JWDfdCZc-6JUwv23r31_-P63xJiIk_J_8P3vn09pX3rH7f2vKQUAt8/s1600/SpartanSteps+-+15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ivDYampubGvue85weDjqnu-B-OvvE7SZLxdJRdubhXnH_ettz6IjUdhiBPuTNEg4FJUtGXj1TW5iiIh0F7Bl0JWDfdCZc-6JUwv23r31_-P63xJiIk_J_8P3vn09pX3rH7f2vKQUAt8/s640/SpartanSteps+-+15.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let the thinset slake while getting ready to use it</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8UV20UeiWnWc0SUw_Wl6q97raizHRTbmT8_SGfQc5bd1RKunXoMFLvTlhFZMt6doM81QFgx0ZutIU94N0RfxvxN4eBdkFvQzooW8qHxa3AGqh33OHKZD5pcB_XUTZmCFfFGdvEECyrzY/s1600/SpartanSteps+-+16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8UV20UeiWnWc0SUw_Wl6q97raizHRTbmT8_SGfQc5bd1RKunXoMFLvTlhFZMt6doM81QFgx0ZutIU94N0RfxvxN4eBdkFvQzooW8qHxa3AGqh33OHKZD5pcB_XUTZmCFfFGdvEECyrzY/s640/SpartanSteps+-+16.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chalk outline around the blocks where I want them</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMef8sSUuK6hpULmVKt6843c3XPyY5ZURVRdB7fi63wt46y5-FU7QtbkGFDL2kTwVbsN6S_IolHNNjGZmUEJJWZI38DG6WeYfwQ0reuJKn7xNzYiJ12ZOHuzIGBVDqGyyj1WCGxbVPk8/s1600/SpartanSteps+-+18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMef8sSUuK6hpULmVKt6843c3XPyY5ZURVRdB7fi63wt46y5-FU7QtbkGFDL2kTwVbsN6S_IolHNNjGZmUEJJWZI38DG6WeYfwQ0reuJKn7xNzYiJ12ZOHuzIGBVDqGyyj1WCGxbVPk8/s640/SpartanSteps+-+18.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Move the blocks out of the way and put some thinset down. I used a large notched trowel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvpmHFjMAP5I2qXlHC-ItpjTLa111r8EWSkxhiAgGkfRUinXPNeZZacdo4ABZ7XsflrdwxzpahCr2uCbLFMoKLXBDfe0K8TGWRbZrsMFR61A182As307sVB5_QM1G_SyGuE1RTFGQQCAo/s1600/SpartanSteps+-+19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvpmHFjMAP5I2qXlHC-ItpjTLa111r8EWSkxhiAgGkfRUinXPNeZZacdo4ABZ7XsflrdwxzpahCr2uCbLFMoKLXBDfe0K8TGWRbZrsMFR61A182As307sVB5_QM1G_SyGuE1RTFGQQCAo/s640/SpartanSteps+-+19.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I added a little bit of polyurethane adhesive between the blocks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After the steps were all done I left them overnight. I came back the next day to work on the handles.</div>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwNd5w5tf7X2tUfrU-yybXJaLnNHHSGqQMWFp4ZI6UZW6Oa_grKj_i_84SmVZb9BpGTE-Nyxm8IT4UTJ77xv7k6OCGOvNtGz18yHIyh0brrgjKUpkxuq65O3CiOLzQEFnzZXXbtubEZKw/s1600/SpartanSteps+-+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwNd5w5tf7X2tUfrU-yybXJaLnNHHSGqQMWFp4ZI6UZW6Oa_grKj_i_84SmVZb9BpGTE-Nyxm8IT4UTJ77xv7k6OCGOvNtGz18yHIyh0brrgjKUpkxuq65O3CiOLzQEFnzZXXbtubEZKw/s640/SpartanSteps+-+13.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's how they come from <a href="https://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/123/2954/=169svx5">McMaster</a> inside a box inside another box</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNgWD8wc8KZXuSYnv7pIIFmMMfWe-vUoE8A6ImDoAjNseEcGh_ouR7Ajl6Ct4_cYH3XureqW8983xbP3LhG9OAUqhc-nqMlqt9iN0FFRqApWXG_9fXASJAounnwzRZx9vEmvYtrSfeDO8/s1600/SpartanSteps+-+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNgWD8wc8KZXuSYnv7pIIFmMMfWe-vUoE8A6ImDoAjNseEcGh_ouR7Ajl6Ct4_cYH3XureqW8983xbP3LhG9OAUqhc-nqMlqt9iN0FFRqApWXG_9fXASJAounnwzRZx9vEmvYtrSfeDO8/s640/SpartanSteps+-+14.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I tested the enclosed screws with a neodymium magnet to be sure they were good stainless steel<br />
They gave me a lot extra. I still have 6 of these nice oval head screws</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG1B2eQwhO3iAlC3rW11TlI8XDWhotjJSYP4a3BEftb7nhpCMxdD1nLRvuA58e8oH7hMGhKIN-KBOCOhpVcDtMumBbEXMqi_PDJwV2Vy7-oJyqXAG2nohhe9YWytnwR4NkVAaQDHM2dYU/s1600/SpartanSteps+-+20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG1B2eQwhO3iAlC3rW11TlI8XDWhotjJSYP4a3BEftb7nhpCMxdD1nLRvuA58e8oH7hMGhKIN-KBOCOhpVcDtMumBbEXMqi_PDJwV2Vy7-oJyqXAG2nohhe9YWytnwR4NkVAaQDHM2dYU/s640/SpartanSteps+-+20.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cast aluminum handle has a wallowed out place to allow it to go<br />
over this rivet. Rivet means strut on the inside which is good</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj46GsGRofgn4PIKC70JLftu4789YGEfl996xx9SGNP57Y8tcjOHwo7BGiLuLizBvt0b2_8kSMwEf41wHOOR9Vh1TExoaXEqQblhzsW-Ik-man2AFgPq1XahovE0B7ADLwljO4bKlZervs/s1600/SpartanSteps+-+21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj46GsGRofgn4PIKC70JLftu4789YGEfl996xx9SGNP57Y8tcjOHwo7BGiLuLizBvt0b2_8kSMwEf41wHOOR9Vh1TExoaXEqQblhzsW-Ik-man2AFgPq1XahovE0B7ADLwljO4bKlZervs/s640/SpartanSteps+-+21.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The top of the handle is not over a strut but it goes into the wood I added<br />
when I was installing the deadbolt. It gets longer stainless steel screws<br />
than the bottom of the handle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVYToMcJXpTCwfWojgHdZvxUVRe-ovG33NLuXRGxHomipjyBHkJNJxaBoUGoj_nJQU9j0bqIT1115P5oOwAzwYVzWLgmJgXIv5zpfQWHmrc6qYdhE6MW1LLB31GHRW1Q7j1Vq4mGb0878/s1600/SpartanSteps+-+22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVYToMcJXpTCwfWojgHdZvxUVRe-ovG33NLuXRGxHomipjyBHkJNJxaBoUGoj_nJQU9j0bqIT1115P5oOwAzwYVzWLgmJgXIv5zpfQWHmrc6qYdhE6MW1LLB31GHRW1Q7j1Vq4mGb0878/s640/SpartanSteps+-+22.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I always put gutterseal under my aluminum to aluminum connections</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDldYU5u8fTZph78_BcEN0OeuA-CYVTeVMmOstQF9ULZ4rYsL1G0-Vl9psKfC02tHf97Qk_YjkUl1rpylaFxsvlPKEDhIKNRYvISAG6gSxT00pKOMZKbm_id7hryGEnBi97KsQW9AjP_o/s1600/SpartanSteps+-+23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDldYU5u8fTZph78_BcEN0OeuA-CYVTeVMmOstQF9ULZ4rYsL1G0-Vl9psKfC02tHf97Qk_YjkUl1rpylaFxsvlPKEDhIKNRYvISAG6gSxT00pKOMZKbm_id7hryGEnBi97KsQW9AjP_o/s640/SpartanSteps+-+23.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If a little gutterseal oozes out that's ok</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJ_iC52OaQJzMKFEW6tE4IQp8JjKoWLUpJeLkWswO8SQjhBol37iMsCrHUhgvILrv2UPiBaglx47jHAHi7Z2MTGsbk4-NnTSIlAqDn8vTn3VphMKSWHUJWfspWmSv8SfeP_El81w2xL4/s1600/SpartanSteps+-+24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJ_iC52OaQJzMKFEW6tE4IQp8JjKoWLUpJeLkWswO8SQjhBol37iMsCrHUhgvILrv2UPiBaglx47jHAHi7Z2MTGsbk4-NnTSIlAqDn8vTn3VphMKSWHUJWfspWmSv8SfeP_El81w2xL4/s640/SpartanSteps+-+24.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clean up the excess gutterseal with acetone on a rag</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhak-_jQtaAGTvhybjqRw1zz1PXimBLSIwXXcv90ei_mwtVbwVdnNJPaAAosLgPsmhBgB0i_dVnIxU9gQwRVQbh6m22EtUcvsvjJQH8H8JYdHolb5FVrZ5hnb9XIWlkjrZ-GQt84tzmBUk/s1600/SpartanSteps+-+25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhak-_jQtaAGTvhybjqRw1zz1PXimBLSIwXXcv90ei_mwtVbwVdnNJPaAAosLgPsmhBgB0i_dVnIxU9gQwRVQbh6m22EtUcvsvjJQH8H8JYdHolb5FVrZ5hnb9XIWlkjrZ-GQt84tzmBUk/s640/SpartanSteps+-+25.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's the finished entrance from the outside</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJJ-nhAqZ-e2txNyyPGTJAqtV8neAZEyvXidxmcVfchyphenhyphen76T0dG-SoCjPSBm6iNJD3JmfWtH7oXcjctUbojM88UHFogC8qN11mqOQ87vCTpKoh3Kqds0LlCYF_PFekGkeGZtOKNhFf3Eo/s1600/SpartanSteps+-+26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJJ-nhAqZ-e2txNyyPGTJAqtV8neAZEyvXidxmcVfchyphenhyphen76T0dG-SoCjPSBm6iNJD3JmfWtH7oXcjctUbojM88UHFogC8qN11mqOQ87vCTpKoh3Kqds0LlCYF_PFekGkeGZtOKNhFf3Eo/s640/SpartanSteps+-+26.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I mounted the second handle on the inside of the door. <br />
This one turns out to be the one I use the most</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRrWvy6qW_1QhOI-XcLBt9TfAatRSeP-i6tXJS5BI6t_1dYoPwy9yMYnE0-_n_mY39oCT3VesInPA5gH-uq2hx7FUcqtpbJYMrP7JWgqZpdQ28nPohVFKxZjOjz7aR1Kaxt-VCa-05Sn8/s1600/SpartanSteps+-+27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRrWvy6qW_1QhOI-XcLBt9TfAatRSeP-i6tXJS5BI6t_1dYoPwy9yMYnE0-_n_mY39oCT3VesInPA5gH-uq2hx7FUcqtpbJYMrP7JWgqZpdQ28nPohVFKxZjOjz7aR1Kaxt-VCa-05Sn8/s640/SpartanSteps+-+27.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Action selfie</td></tr>
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The weird shape of the top step lets me grab the handle from the ground and then step right foot on the first step, left foot on the second step. Then I'm standing out of the way to open the door.<br />
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"Tetris" is not a valid step shape for a house built to code. But this is not a house. I'm not going to get a ding on the inspection report when I try to sell it. If I sold the lab it would require knocking these steps loose to put the whole thing on a flatbed and send it away. </div>
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I'm already used to alternating tread stairs because of the ship's ladder to my loft in my house. To me it feels natural. I asked my aunt with the bum knee to come over and try it out. She gave it the seal of approval. She appreciated both the handles.</div>
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If the climate situation keeps going this way I will never have a problem with freeze/thaw cycles. I don't think it's going to freeze again this season. There's a lot of thermal mass here too. When it does freeze here it's only for a few hours. I don't expect the underside of these blocks on the south side of the lab to ever get below freezing.</div>
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I've been using the steps for a few days now. I mostly come from the non-handle direction and go straight in without grabbing any handle. I like being able to open the door from the top step. Now that I'm ready for inevitable infirmity I will probably enter an extended period of peak health. I would say my enhanced grace and lack of clumsiness is assured, but that pyrex pie plate I smashed in the kitchen sink this morning says otherwise.<br />
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Beachtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13792937145012547220noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111303718232102418.post-82517753206465297222017-02-01T19:45:00.000-05:002017-02-01T19:54:15.624-05:00March for Science on Earth DayThey set a date for the March for Science today. It's going to be Saturday, April 23rd, which is Earth Day. It seems like a pretty benign good thing. Everybody should be for it. But here I am writing a blog post because some white men can't catch a clue in a butterfly net.<br />
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First of all let me document for posterity my most valuable suggestion. The hat of choice for the March on Science shall be the boonie hat. Available on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rothco-Boonie-Hat-Digital-Size/dp/B000JE7UFA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485994728&sr=8-1&keywords=boonie+hat">Amazon</a> in all sizes and colors. Why? Because that's what the archeologist and the astrophysicist wear on Stargate SG1. That's how you can tell the dweebs from the straight up soldiers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5-kA7J9n3-dP_Yt8tpEB0FO1N1vB-UmiwT0uGsifoHsjPYac3rwsBouXxvKZo-I7otW9yK7K89ZsnknASFgU7uyll5kx1ZC96qyyZK2I8hlZdW_ARX3qGHFEhTwK-Fh5owCFexIQ6-U/s1600/ScienceHat+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5-kA7J9n3-dP_Yt8tpEB0FO1N1vB-UmiwT0uGsifoHsjPYac3rwsBouXxvKZo-I7otW9yK7K89ZsnknASFgU7uyll5kx1ZC96qyyZK2I8hlZdW_ARX3qGHFEhTwK-Fh5owCFexIQ6-U/s400/ScienceHat+-+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizAMwSNB2VSG-vCw26lITwiI0K4H6hyphenhyphenHfr-BxaIPmyKu7h9lGEAlCXfd-LSei75zWQb0iMzahRthdOxLnTu7nsC_35ZzRjh_l9UPBEelhDL2kEG8IF3sbJn0HV73b7z8g-EF5HIYtTZNM/s1600/ScienceHat+-+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizAMwSNB2VSG-vCw26lITwiI0K4H6hyphenhyphenHfr-BxaIPmyKu7h9lGEAlCXfd-LSei75zWQb0iMzahRthdOxLnTu7nsC_35ZzRjh_l9UPBEelhDL2kEG8IF3sbJn0HV73b7z8g-EF5HIYtTZNM/s400/ScienceHat+-+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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And now back to the origin stories of the March for Science. After the original hurdles of a rough draft logo and a website with disagreeing apostrophes, the organizers did what I always recommend to my editing clients -- rewrite.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCIMCiLAEaCBKoP1_-c3FwWIURbHYuS62sq6vr-DQblZ6SBUX9C9xBbI1aX-R9u1EkJ9O0TmcbBrjgdygX4j16jcWxFdTtHSZSPhi588SK2RJnJn5lgqkPcN2EQgYBLz8N7hZ1PLgU0i0/s1600/OldLogo.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCIMCiLAEaCBKoP1_-c3FwWIURbHYuS62sq6vr-DQblZ6SBUX9C9xBbI1aX-R9u1EkJ9O0TmcbBrjgdygX4j16jcWxFdTtHSZSPhi588SK2RJnJn5lgqkPcN2EQgYBLz8N7hZ1PLgU0i0/s400/OldLogo.tiff" width="400" /></a></div>
Now instead of Scientists' March on Washington they quickly modified it to March for Science and looks like they got a real logo designer. If any scientist besides me is bothered by the fact that this <a href="https://www.uwgb.edu/dutchs/Petrology/WhatAtomsLookLike.HTM">orbital ring notion of atoms is no longer valid</a>, let's just keep it to ourselves. I like the colors.<br />
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Early on in their existence the diverse group of anonymous organizers of the march had a Google Hangout and decided to announce that diversity is important.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPL7fgksuhLUMczpnt4H9HMHbtflXeFsBeUbnV6NIExjuLkNi1HIvnfhffpBFT3ALUHJ9SOaNxvKCd9BAUnLNnz35kwXuNitb1BMDO9Vvc3f8ujiT8JqzP3q9qJPh9a4hUsgDFTpieuyc/s1600/DiverseTweetMarch.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPL7fgksuhLUMczpnt4H9HMHbtflXeFsBeUbnV6NIExjuLkNi1HIvnfhffpBFT3ALUHJ9SOaNxvKCd9BAUnLNnz35kwXuNitb1BMDO9Vvc3f8ujiT8JqzP3q9qJPh9a4hUsgDFTpieuyc/s640/DiverseTweetMarch.tiff" width="640" /></a></div>
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And that's when the white men started throwing their shit in the fan. I saw it on my twitter feed with the enlightened white men getting berated by the touchy white men who have not examined their privilege.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUlVVG5_8Ho0zMy2xKj84nKj8fxDnlceHw2QkuXCa7nHKqxG1aIGl3iRRCosH1yNLdJUg2Yp02s4DuZ9ORjbOWBoOq9LwmTwV1O9FUQaliF01goszeA343G5Oz0Ti_-IKKIZqRlReRMZg/s1600/MarchforScienceTweet.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUlVVG5_8Ho0zMy2xKj84nKj8fxDnlceHw2QkuXCa7nHKqxG1aIGl3iRRCosH1yNLdJUg2Yp02s4DuZ9ORjbOWBoOq9LwmTwV1O9FUQaliF01goszeA343G5Oz0Ti_-IKKIZqRlReRMZg/s640/MarchforScienceTweet.tiff" width="640" /></a></div>
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Then the march organizers used a word that REALLY set off the white guys.<br />
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I had to look up intersectional the other day when one of my Twitter friends said she finally understood intersectional feminism because she's Mexican and a woman. What intersectional means in this context is that a lot of people are not just screwed for one easily defined thing, a lot of us are DOUBLY screwed. For example, I didn't even know I was screwed because I was a woman when I was in my 20's because I was working all my white youth privilege. I had to also be OLD before I found out that I was hugely disadvantaged in the workplace for being a woman because ageism and sexism is intersectional. And by old I mean 32 years old, because that was the end of the road for me in high tech. Before then I think men hired me just for the novelty of having a young blonde in a short skirt in the lab. After, well, I admit it, they moved the factory to Mexico and closed the lab. But still. I couldn't get another job in a different industry because of various versions of "she'll just get pregnant and quit" and "she's actually not a very good secretary." Yeah, I know, I forgot to book your flight, I'm a terrible secretary. That's because I'm a scientist. It's a different skill set, you sexist idiot. Have some respect for secretaries.<br />
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That's why I'm grumpy enough to consider a march. I've been stewing over this rage for a really long time.<br />
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But the white men keep pissing on our parade and don't even have the courtesy to call it rain. Here's Robert S. Young in an article for the New York Times who thinks it's a bad idea. <a href="http://a%20scientists%E2%80%99%20march%20on%20washington%20is%20a%20bad%20idea/">A Scientists’ March on Washington Is a Bad Idea</a>.<br />
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In 2010, I was a co-author of a report for North Carolina’s Coastal Resources Commission that said sea levels along the state’s coastline could rise by as much as 39 inches by the end of the century. That conclusion was based on the best peer-reviewed science and was intended to help policy makers plan for the future.</blockquote>
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But it alarmed real estate and other economic development interests, which quickly attacked the report. The coastal commission ignored it. The authors, myself included, were widely slandered. And the Legislature passed a law that barred state and local agencies from developing regulations or planning documents anticipating a rise in sea level. “I think this is a brilliant solution,” the comedian Stephen Colbert said at the time. “If your science gives you a result that you don’t like, pass a law saying the result is illegal. Problem solved.”</blockquote>
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OK, I have SO been there, man. I did my master's thesis on beachfront property in Walton County building illegal sea walls. Back in 2007 I was on the beach when contractors were laying the first level of dry stacked blocks in front of a condo. Not only did they not have a permit for that work, there were three very good reasons those condos could NEVER get a permit. First that kind of wall is strictly prohibited. Dry stacked blocks on the beach? Are you fucking kidding me?! Second the buildings were built on deep piers and are ineligible for a sea wall, full stop. I called the enforcement agency on the spot and told them to send the sheriff immediately to stop this illegal activity. They didn't do it. They let them finish the fucking wall. I bet it was destroyed by the storm system last weekend and it's a giant mess right now. And I have to tell you that makes me want to scratch some expletives on a poster board and wave it over my head in the street! I have been furious about shit like this for a decade already! I want to raise some hell! It doesn't make me think, "Nah, I don't want to upset the poor rich people." But that's what the author of the NYT story thinks.<br />
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Rather than marching on Washington and in other locations around the country, I suggest that my fellow scientists march into local civic groups, churches, schools, county fairs and, privately, into the offices of elected officials. Make contact with that part of America that doesn’t know any scientists. Put a face on the debate. Help them understand what we do, and how we do it.</blockquote>
Dude, that idea is so seven years ago. I mean literally, <a href="http://www.spasmsofaccommodation.com/search?q=smart+blind">that's what I suggested on this very blog seven years ago</a>. We are WAY past Neil DeGrasse Tyson on Big Bang Theory now.<br />
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One fun raindrop in the fry oil of the early days of the March for Science was Steven Pinker with <a href="https://twitter.com/sapinker/status/825769152627482624">this painful Tweet thread</a>. The good stuff in in the comments. You need to click the link if you want to see it unfold in all it's privileged horror.<br />
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<img border="0" height="584" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMfBvNTLr_QjUF3NxdIGyqQ-g60aX9lTkaR-TFiHJNzPMuQ7ZWqKeWEMTmP2TW53aeWJxSkdH7hxtLiWvzla9UsP15UTbs-OJ_siwx1WqYKF3cJVoFb5UTjGCenyvTrrBAgI1wn-S0JQo/s640/PinkerFirst.tiff" width="640" /><a href="https://twitter.com/sapinker/status/825769152627482624">https://twitter.com/sapinker/status/825769152627482624</a></div>
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For the full analysis I give the floor to <a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/urban-scientist/about/">Danielle Lee</a>, with this glorious tweet <a href="https://twitter.com/DNLee5/status/826484827264278528">t<span style="color: #0000ee; text-decoration: underline;">hread.</span></a><br />
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I notice just now<a href="https://twitter.com/sapinker/status/826113252585250816"> in a new tweet</a> Steven Pinker acts like his disapproval made The March for Science people change their mind.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuEVKvozpEBNhNnu4fBtj1gy22doKUqkRZHveHvCD0qwjjsmAtZ7DuSttV8ce8XDnNjUCsf_-mMu-8kDE0J7pDmVXPILjb6DLMSB10qijbNqdN4H0_e4wAlRBQj1vq4GaKEJGamObdH2w/s1600/PinkerNewQuote.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuEVKvozpEBNhNnu4fBtj1gy22doKUqkRZHveHvCD0qwjjsmAtZ7DuSttV8ce8XDnNjUCsf_-mMu-8kDE0J7pDmVXPILjb6DLMSB10qijbNqdN4H0_e4wAlRBQj1vq4GaKEJGamObdH2w/s640/PinkerNewQuote.tiff" width="563" /></a></div>
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Nah, dude, they just moved the statement to the tab labeled Diversity on the blog header. I can see how it never occurred to you to click that since you have all your privilege fully deployed. Goddam it. Fuck. All. Y'all. Get out the way and let us angry people do this. And make your own goddam travel reservations. Why you so stupid? I am too short for this shit.<br />
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Diversity tab on <a href="http://marchforscience.com/">MarchforScience.com</a><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
In the past days, scientists have voiced concern over many issues - gag orders for government science agencies, funding freezes, and reversing science based policies. We recognize that these changes will differently and disproportionately affect minority scientists, science advocates, and the global communities impacted by these changes in American policies. Addressing these issues is imperative in understanding how recent developments will affect all people - not simply the most privileged among us. We take seriously your concerns that for this march to be meaningful, we must centralize diversity of the march's organizers at all levels of planning. Diversity must also be reflected in the march itself - both through the mission statement and those who participate.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
At the March for Science, we are committed to highlighting, standing in solidarity with, and acting as allies with black, Latinx, Asian and Pacific Islander, indigenous, Muslim, non-Christian, non-religious, women, people with disabilities, poor, gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, trans, non-binary, agender, and intersex scientists and science advocates. We must work to make science available to everyone and encouraging individuals of all backgrounds to pursue science careers, especially in advanced degrees and positions. A diverse group of scientists produces increasingly diverse research, which broadens, strengthens, and enriches scientific inquiry, and therefore, our understanding of the world.</blockquote>
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Footnote: In quoting Terry Pratchett above I was reminded of another quote. (Cuddy the dwarf in <i>Men at Arms</i> says "Why you so stupid? I am too short for this shit."Also, while I'm giving citations for quotes, that saying about pissing is a Sigourney Weaver line in Avatar.)<br />
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"Angry people are not always wise." I know this one from one of my aunt's books where she says I quoted it by heart from <i>Pride and Prejudice</i>, which I am sure I never did. But I went hunting the quote to find the context. Rem acu tetigisti. This is what we need right now. We need Mr. Darcy to stand up to people who would accuse us under represented people of intolerable self-sufficiency.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"How very ill Miss Eliza Bennet looks this morning, Mr. Darcy," she cried; "I never in my life saw anyone so much altered as she is since the winter. She is grown so brown and coarse! Louisa and I were agreeing that we should not have known her again."</blockquote>
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However little Mr. Darcy might have liked such an address, he contented himself with coolly replying that he perceived no other alteration than her being rather tanned, no miraculous consequence of travelling in the summer.</blockquote>
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"For my own part," she rejoined, "I must confess that I never could see any beauty in her. Her face is too thin; her complexion has no brilliancy; and her features are not at all handsome. Her nose wants character--there is nothing marked in its lines. Her teeth are tolerable, but not out of the common way; and as for her eyes, which have sometimes been called so fine, I could never see anything extraordinary in them. They have a sharp, shrewish look, which I do not like at all; and in her air altogether there is a self-sufficiency without fashion, which is intolerable."</blockquote>
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Persuaded as Miss Bingley was that Darcy admired Elizabeth, this was not the best method of recommending herself; but angry people are not always wise; and in seeing him at last look somewhat nettled, she had all the success she expected. He was resolutely silent, however, and, from a determination of making him speak, she continued:</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"I remember, when we first knew her in Hertfordshire, how amazed we all were to find that she was a reputed beauty; and I particularly recollect your saying one night, after they had been dining at Netherfield, 'SHE a beauty!--I should as soon call her mother a wit.' But afterwards she seemed to improve on you, and I believe you thought her rather pretty at one time."</blockquote>
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"Yes," replied Darcy, who could contain himself no longer, "but THAT was only when I first saw her, for it is many months since I have considered her as one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance."</blockquote>
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He then went away, and Miss Bingley was left to all the satisfaction of having forced him to say what gave no one any pain but herself.</blockquote>
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Beachtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13792937145012547220noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111303718232102418.post-85508826895055563812017-01-23T21:40:00.000-05:002019-04-19T13:24:07.617-04:00How does a tree slice through a house?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was feeling privileged this weekend because of my high homebuilding standards. The bad weather that killed 20 people in the southeast this weekend went right over my place. But my built-with-screws tiny house was just fine. Even the jokes about tornadoes being attracted to mobile homes should apply to me since I have a restored bona-fide mobile home a few hundred yards from my house. But it was built in 1951 by an aircraft manufacturer to the same standards as a plane. It laughs at wind. And it isn't going anywhere because of steel straps and 4 augers securing it to a slab.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AJBfSD2vmybdNfhw-ATVMbVAOGQJKsSC8uamzkAu37hgrIiwdpe6Ro42ipx4JyFrGUrymhxg0Z9Rws0BIUpM-VXTq288A-xNP8bDxcvqz6F-B7XqR-LDC7glm99X8dGL-MOL-K64PAg/s1600/SpartanTiedDown.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AJBfSD2vmybdNfhw-ATVMbVAOGQJKsSC8uamzkAu37hgrIiwdpe6Ro42ipx4JyFrGUrymhxg0Z9Rws0BIUpM-VXTq288A-xNP8bDxcvqz6F-B7XqR-LDC7glm99X8dGL-MOL-K64PAg/s640/SpartanTiedDown.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frame of my lab with straps installed</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7U-5mh0YiOP4GISqAd3XkUXr4DzyMxaxKiWfa8LJGYjg7guEHwePcPm9TU-UdfcedjmAgHXUV_ySuNtJiy4N0a9M8ZVjWRWRTAdFbOyPqZnfjEozhMjwAd-bnkR8C7M53dY9ObKbFh0/s1600/SpartanFloor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7U-5mh0YiOP4GISqAd3XkUXr4DzyMxaxKiWfa8LJGYjg7guEHwePcPm9TU-UdfcedjmAgHXUV_ySuNtJiy4N0a9M8ZVjWRWRTAdFbOyPqZnfjEozhMjwAd-bnkR8C7M53dY9ObKbFh0/s640/SpartanFloor.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New subfloor going in</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRvYvLvKWJQZSBV27-SXX0m3zVejQ3BilJJOIk4WoqROIQaKzv2htCsa-u0XAlNpILvaRAiP2ny5BbFgkHzhbfn_WOT5ekeF4HgoQ8liUYBw6398hgfD3YOb0pZtRW3hwg6CdyreB-ky8/s1600/TiedTogether.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRvYvLvKWJQZSBV27-SXX0m3zVejQ3BilJJOIk4WoqROIQaKzv2htCsa-u0XAlNpILvaRAiP2ny5BbFgkHzhbfn_WOT5ekeF4HgoQ8liUYBw6398hgfD3YOb0pZtRW3hwg6CdyreB-ky8/s640/TiedTogether.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1/4-20 stainless steel bolts and nuts secure the riveted aluminum body to the frame and subfloor between members. In the foreground note the metal building type screw holding<br />
the subfloor to the frame</td></tr>
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(Yes, I painted the bottom of the plywood before I installed it. Then I painted the top as soon as it was in. I don't like the smell of outgassing plywood and I was trying to seal it. For more on my Spartan project see earlier blog posts, like <a href="http://www.spasmsofaccommodation.com/2013/04/how-to-install-and-finish-longleaf-pine.html">this one about the finished floor</a>.)<br />
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So mobile homes as they were originally conceived back in the 1940s were not doomed to be ripped apart by wind. I'm not sure when it all went wrong for them. But boy, did it go wrong.<br />
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Today I got in the car and went looking for signs of damage nearby. A map on weather.com shows 4 tornadoes touched down to the northeast of me less than 20 miles away on Saturday. I headed that direction. I found the river greatly flooded and a few large trees twisted off but I couldn't find any obliterated mobile homes. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzjQRB-ltw2zU9GPqlkqwmdq9mVub5l3iaquj92EAhHvNM5y6AR1csc7kvDttye_MGXbN3S_TqHaSYrE-TkJv57PMLiBXmU9OGICbKXoMcKeTE1a0JRgn618zzSIGpDs6soeUogGAuFY/s1600/LocalDamage+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzjQRB-ltw2zU9GPqlkqwmdq9mVub5l3iaquj92EAhHvNM5y6AR1csc7kvDttye_MGXbN3S_TqHaSYrE-TkJv57PMLiBXmU9OGICbKXoMcKeTE1a0JRgn618zzSIGpDs6soeUogGAuFY/s640/LocalDamage+-+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">River in flood</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji9BX27JIvcH9qzoYwDkOILDAZuv6ohLEpSN2dMdUrqvTF43Jjb92A34mAbGSfiIsddq6KRMuGfXZ8I9hMD3r4fYA-YOo9oHPZlvqQtkXroxzsF4kc9SVroOU9WGVswK6IHUpR8Jt_k_o/s1600/LocalDamage+-+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji9BX27JIvcH9qzoYwDkOILDAZuv6ohLEpSN2dMdUrqvTF43Jjb92A34mAbGSfiIsddq6KRMuGfXZ8I9hMD3r4fYA-YOo9oHPZlvqQtkXroxzsF4kc9SVroOU9WGVswK6IHUpR8Jt_k_o/s640/LocalDamage+-+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good luck with that</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieW7HeJeFpBWbu6hZKdETq404d9cCazfjB3Kjuzsp3d4wwk82hXKK3Q-puvHTj0s5XiA60-1dkBLnVTwmLM65lS6X7wWuGpqOtVA9r2tVJ-1CSJ2xiPq-biMlziayEsu7MPHga8FsRMJM/s640/LocalDamage+-+5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the only really twisted tree I saw. Saw several regular broken off ones.</td></tr>
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I did see a lot of undamaged mobile homes. They all had skirting around them, which is a county rule that I don't understand. What is it even for? I have researched it and am unable to find any reason for it except varmints. They think it's going to keep them out? I say it's more likely to make it an attractive place for a varmint to explore. Next thing you know you're listening to the incessant chittering of a stressed out raccoon under the house because it went in and then couldn't find a way back out.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJGQL2PrP_8TQW9u2r67pzD2MlEGAncGic-e8R27CSJG9tsgeXzciGDOgRKnmjpDEZggFHWfQCloB2VZca4ozB01ngWVDV2fOiEisHxTC4cxdYrNxpdCRaVv2-RozjKnyhhsyDAoGa6vk/s1600/LocalDamage+-+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJGQL2PrP_8TQW9u2r67pzD2MlEGAncGic-e8R27CSJG9tsgeXzciGDOgRKnmjpDEZggFHWfQCloB2VZca4ozB01ngWVDV2fOiEisHxTC4cxdYrNxpdCRaVv2-RozjKnyhhsyDAoGa6vk/s640/LocalDamage+-+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What is the purpose of this white mess around the bottom of the mobile home?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnVHyuDue9A97EmRo8zmdLf823X2qVm735qIpumaKv11YS__urdy24P7JuN6_RIx-onb9s6pqphkBm5QfVq-mqn64xLX3Og8XR9ms1XLGOSQADothCJBA5vc0K_0qZfBf8BvwSnioMZqA/s1600/LocalDamage+-+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="566" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnVHyuDue9A97EmRo8zmdLf823X2qVm735qIpumaKv11YS__urdy24P7JuN6_RIx-onb9s6pqphkBm5QfVq-mqn64xLX3Og8XR9ms1XLGOSQADothCJBA5vc0K_0qZfBf8BvwSnioMZqA/s640/LocalDamage+-+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It always looks trashy.</td></tr>
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I came home and tried to find stories online detailing the damage to homes where people were hurt. I found <a href="https://weather.com/storms/tornado/news/severe-weather-forecast-south-high-risk-tornadoes-january-2017">weather.com</a> had a slide show of images. The mobile homes seem to mostly fail by being physically moved because they are inadequately anchored. Most of the pictures I saw they seemed to be merely resting on dry stacked concrete blocks on a slab. That's basically what I've got for my lab, but I cut holes in my slab and installed 4 augers into the subsoil and then patched the concrete. I ran steel straps over the steel I-beams of the floor and tightened them down to the augur anchors. I got the anchors at Home Depot. I don't see why anybody with a mobile home wouldn't install them.<br />
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I also see from the underside of the mobile home below that it is not built like mine at all. The aluminum channel at the bottom of my riveted aluminum strut walls has 1/4-20 bolts through the plywood subfloor every 16". The subfloor is screwed to the steel frame. I don't have any wood floor joists. All welded steel. And I still wouldn't sleep in here. I go in the house if it just rains hard. It's too loud in the all-aluminum lab even with the spray foam insulation. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQveqH5-ikbHjT8iIANRHbV40do4x7FWva5LZEsl2pPq8UanfGY9aSXhDLC9THwTRLAgQXhR7tzacqK-0wO-_Ugz0oHgwXCaqxxIyLSZ5vXDXUL3HZHHh_qvMMokirZ2F4lhUTxfXXrUg/s1600/southsevere_98.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQveqH5-ikbHjT8iIANRHbV40do4x7FWva5LZEsl2pPq8UanfGY9aSXhDLC9THwTRLAgQXhR7tzacqK-0wO-_Ugz0oHgwXCaqxxIyLSZ5vXDXUL3HZHHh_qvMMokirZ2F4lhUTxfXXrUg/s640/southsevere_98.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from weather.com showing underside of a modern mobile home</td></tr>
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I feel the science on keeping houses together in the wind was well addressed after Hurricane Andrew. I don't know how many houses that failed in these tornadoes were built according to standards developed after Andrew. I'm guessing none of them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimnfP-8O4ZLqqrer6f5mWMja5j_LItoY-cI26L4_-l_HgR9i2UioLxrn9-SxAio_kNV9dnxxWnEJUrx7fagkkOAUDI5SFrZWxE8PtoknSJhla9m15dHVvon5-WaQL1snBUqTxLQ1ci-zw/s1600/Ties+go+on+outside.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimnfP-8O4ZLqqrer6f5mWMja5j_LItoY-cI26L4_-l_HgR9i2UioLxrn9-SxAio_kNV9dnxxWnEJUrx7fagkkOAUDI5SFrZWxE8PtoknSJhla9m15dHVvon5-WaQL1snBUqTxLQ1ci-zw/s320/Ties+go+on+outside.tiff" width="317" /></a></div>
For a compilation of suggestions and more pictures of failed houses check out Fine Homebuilding's <a href="http://www.finehomebuilding.com/membership/pdf/8612/021237064.pdf">Wind-Resistant Framing Techniques: Cost effective details to help houses weather the storm wind by Bryan Readling</a>. There's an illustration showing something I did wrong on my house. I heard this on the Fine Homebuilding podcast and slapped my head. Hurricane ties go on the outside. Crap.<br />
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At least three people this weekend were killed by trees falling on their houses, basically splitting them in two. I'm not sure any building codes have been altered to make houses safe from this particular hazard. But I'm curious about it. At least three of my close relatives have had trees fall on their houses due to hurricanes or tornadoes, and two of them have had it happen twice. The trees didn't slice their house in two though. And they were big trees. What is required for a tree to slice a house in two? Here's some pictures of what I mean from Tallahassee that I saw on Twitter. I don't think anybody was hurt in these incidents.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji5ZS98x3x3YIOkDw0tJ1cv7NKbV37aYB5EWHN32I5aQFnap6IPIhlAs4UeNVW_4teXrA4AmYuO5hxJldFEprnQ5krJhjmbcmCPM89KSf5T6FP_5RXKFI6EqEM3E8Mh9Td4djLS91-8Vg/s1600/COTTwitPics.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji5ZS98x3x3YIOkDw0tJ1cv7NKbV37aYB5EWHN32I5aQFnap6IPIhlAs4UeNVW_4teXrA4AmYuO5hxJldFEprnQ5krJhjmbcmCPM89KSf5T6FP_5RXKFI6EqEM3E8Mh9Td4djLS91-8Vg/s1600/COTTwitPics.tiff" /></a></div>
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Are roof trusses made of 2x4s more likely to fail than a house with large dimension rafters? Does a structural ridge matter? Does the tree have to fall in a direction that allows it to go between the rafters or trusses so it only has to slice through sheathing? Did these houses have OSB sheathing or plywood? Which is better? How come the trees were able to plow through the top plate so easily? Makes me feel pretty good about building a rigid frame house. Here's some photos of my roof framing.<br />
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I'd forgotten I had to add those blocks on top of the rafters under the purlins to make the metal roofing come out right. They are maple flooring cut offs. Another detail I can see if I zoom in on this photo is the sill seal I stapled to the purlins before I screwed on the metal. It was meant to reduce vibrations conducted through the structure into the house from rain on the roof. It helps.<br />
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Here are some photos I took right after the spray foam was installed. Reflects so much light it's easier to see what is going on.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-mRgApdt2OmfNFtkSOIsbJdr0dJON9DUNuZqexvpzfYKHOZGyTq8n1w1lCCURDhjhdHbQwa7TOrM4pAm7PVuM2SWgoXVHljH3f3fP7XzDEdV79ybt16FSmnKIicqNc0bWjhPzrAW63BQ/s1600/HouseFraming.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="479" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-mRgApdt2OmfNFtkSOIsbJdr0dJON9DUNuZqexvpzfYKHOZGyTq8n1w1lCCURDhjhdHbQwa7TOrM4pAm7PVuM2SWgoXVHljH3f3fP7XzDEdV79ybt16FSmnKIicqNc0bWjhPzrAW63BQ/s640/HouseFraming.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from the front door.</td></tr>
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I have 2x6s atop 4x4 corner posts instead of a pair of 2x4s held up by studs like those sliced up houses above. I used Simpson Strong Tie framing brackets to mount the beams on top of the 4x4s. The rafters are 2x8s screwed in place with the largest Deckmate screws. The 2x6s holding up the rafters are PT and I didn't want to take chances with inferior nail coatings that might corrode. The double 2x6s over the windows are not pressure treated. The outside one is lag bolted to the 4x4 and then another 2x6 is wedged between the posts and nailed to the bolted one. All the beams are spiked together with Simpson Strong Tie hot dipped galvanized nails driven with a palm nailer at the interval specified in my architectural graphic standards book.<br />
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Note my hurricane ties are on the wrong side of the beam. I was ignorant and I feel much shame. But I even used hurricane ties on that interior wall. What can I say, I like the palm nailer. I'm not going to sweat this one mistake. I've got greater than average tie down per roof area.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGVcd12d5lQFeFEFiSDFS0xLGhxx5Z7Aa7tLShq-Lt01UccPUwkuIJZyim-zngSuOQwAfEjrM49Dalpx0Gtdhc1yfWHvExRrhwuVhJYCb5SErdimBdZLj1UpI0k0maEcJRELDORU4gD4s/s1600/TinyHouseFraming2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="479" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGVcd12d5lQFeFEFiSDFS0xLGhxx5Z7Aa7tLShq-Lt01UccPUwkuIJZyim-zngSuOQwAfEjrM49Dalpx0Gtdhc1yfWHvExRrhwuVhJYCb5SErdimBdZLj1UpI0k0maEcJRELDORU4gD4s/s640/TinyHouseFraming2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of roof framing from bathroom side. Easier to make out that it's a pair of PT 2x6s under the rafters. </td></tr>
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My ridge is a 12' 2x10. It is held up by complicated headers built to accommodate windows I got from Tallahassee Surplus and Salvage. All those big plate glass windows are sliding glass doors I got from my grandparents after a tree fell on their sunroom.<br />
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My tiny house plan allowed me to use 8' 2x8s for rafters, a much easier piece of lumber for me to work with alone. I put some 16' 2x6s across the roof on the pressure treated beams to stand on, but no amount of struggling with angles and arranging my center of mass could get the rafters to come out on my penciled line when I shot the nails in with the framing nailer. If the top moved off the line then the birdsmouth on the other end was all out of whack. So I gave up after the first one and started using a 9v battery powered impact driver and Deckmate screws. I could only do about 2 rafters before I had to recharge the battery. But I got the whole roof framed in a weekend. Then I covered it with a tarp and Hurricane Dennis hit Florida as a Category 3 Hurricane July 10, 2004. First chance for a tree to hit my house. Came through it wet but tree-free.<br />
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Now back to the present. This house near Albany that was torn all to hell this weekend clearly reveals it was made with trusses and OSB. I don't know if the brick veneer helped or hurt. I don't understand why there is OSB, house wrap, and then bricks, but the bricks don't seem to have been attached to the wall at all. That can't be right. It looks like the whole thing started when a gable end blew out. This seems to be a common failure as described in that Bryan Readling article about. Leaving out the sheetrock on the inside makes the ends blow out if it's sheathed with foam and then the whole thing pressurizes and blows apart.<br />
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One of my aunts had a large pine tree fall on her house right across the middle of the longest section of roof of her house, in line with the rafters. It came to a rest on the ridge. One limb punched through the metal roofing. And then later in a tornado an enormous limb from a giant live oak tree fell on another part of the roof. She has a hip roof framed with 2x8 rafters, if memory serves. It has industrial corrugated steel screwed to 2x4 purlins just like my house. No sheathing at all. She and my uncle built that house themselves with boat building precision. Neither tree-on-the-house incidents caused any structural damage. They just got out the chainsaw and removed the trees, unscrewed the sheets of metal with the holes punched in, and screwed on new sheets of metal.<br />
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This fall, September 2016, my mother had a huge poplar tree fall on her house in Tallahassee during Hurricane Hermine. She has a plywood roof deck under thinner gauge metal roofing than what my aunt and I have. The tree did not go through the top plate. It did fall over a French door though, so there would have been a big header there.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWWhveJrNZs7v4absQfPs0vC7IeLqwI0c6mGq7S0SQxX8bc9l0swXW-P9qO11b0KpTFoXdabxIuKbprVrQD8ckXsZfihxUGLA5GTvnrgk7OfAl9pWcHIskuIt6KcYaS4b5qAnhDdS7us/s1600/TreeonhouseNight+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWWhveJrNZs7v4absQfPs0vC7IeLqwI0c6mGq7S0SQxX8bc9l0swXW-P9qO11b0KpTFoXdabxIuKbprVrQD8ckXsZfihxUGLA5GTvnrgk7OfAl9pWcHIskuIt6KcYaS4b5qAnhDdS7us/s640/TreeonhouseNight+-+1.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The photo my mother texted me in the middle of the night when this tree fell</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpKW1q_-WO5fDkfJsfhWFMDJIQfpv30g4KhbVoiRbFvhyphenhypheno5Azd9O48y8pkwleFeL_r_VySzLKXCHhHDvOya8sRiegtmZUtMd4MiHMZBF4X502f4pBX-T9vhRsakCaLTVQMs5sxbZxv3HY/s1600/Treeonhouse+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpKW1q_-WO5fDkfJsfhWFMDJIQfpv30g4KhbVoiRbFvhyphenhypheno5Azd9O48y8pkwleFeL_r_VySzLKXCHhHDvOya8sRiegtmZUtMd4MiHMZBF4X502f4pBX-T9vhRsakCaLTVQMs5sxbZxv3HY/s640/Treeonhouse+-+1.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's a photo of the poplar tree on the house in the daylight</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1NHnDqtVnnwCo9xGYYCrEx8-KEhIeru1G0jHUs3Acbu3ObPrBUSb95B68Eb-SwUTXTcAmPIw_aKgKbdWcvyyM43XbOgK1Qaa8NfRAiCUAgw65LHrXCf5PTSJhSj0fk2gPEpIZlHHZp48/s1600/MamaHurricaneHermine+-+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1NHnDqtVnnwCo9xGYYCrEx8-KEhIeru1G0jHUs3Acbu3ObPrBUSb95B68Eb-SwUTXTcAmPIw_aKgKbdWcvyyM43XbOgK1Qaa8NfRAiCUAgw65LHrXCf5PTSJhSj0fk2gPEpIZlHHZp48/s640/MamaHurricaneHermine+-+11.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tree service came the very next day and cut the tree off the house</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9QRdIkvtUWrLGuK-agDD1tNRosBUl6A9-yaJslpPppXv9jIoa_PMT9hpxPPFYqvt7h__hdLiPDUOfKjPa7lwjCprKo66RQLVTPGEX41VWEW3LeSgfOGbjw0OluWcR3SytUN8ujRjMWxI/s1600/MamaHurricaneHermine+-+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9QRdIkvtUWrLGuK-agDD1tNRosBUl6A9-yaJslpPppXv9jIoa_PMT9hpxPPFYqvt7h__hdLiPDUOfKjPa7lwjCprKo66RQLVTPGEX41VWEW3LeSgfOGbjw0OluWcR3SytUN8ujRjMWxI/s640/MamaHurricaneHermine+-+13.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's the damage to the roofing where the tree fell</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUgQThooQmxHrRefRVT7gzBYuU4HjHKWyoryuYHQsS7XxyaR4csyMZ-832SIhAmdWa11PwMIBWeVohCeN2gGjq_WIt8oqKnHgmaoORfs9OYYWGH1HbzEDpd9FRQvmzfeUpjEdDn-eHwuk/s1600/MamaHurricaneHermine+-+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUgQThooQmxHrRefRVT7gzBYuU4HjHKWyoryuYHQsS7XxyaR4csyMZ-832SIhAmdWa11PwMIBWeVohCeN2gGjq_WIt8oqKnHgmaoORfs9OYYWGH1HbzEDpd9FRQvmzfeUpjEdDn-eHwuk/s640/MamaHurricaneHermine+-+12.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A close up of the little overhang where the tree fell shows the plywood sheathing on the roof</td></tr>
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This is the second time my mother's house has been damaged by trees in a hurricane. Right after she had it built Hurricane Kate dropped a tree on the main roof. It was right over her bedroom too. But it didn't slice through the house and kill her. It did cost more to repair it than it cost to build the roof in the first place. That was when she had regular composite shingles. She got that metal roof when she built the addition where the poplar tree fell.</div>
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I'm curious now about what it takes for a tree to slice a house in two. I found an article about a <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/03/990329070015.htm">study Clemson</a> was going to do in 1999 simulating dropping a tree on mockups of walls.<br />
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"But if the tree were to fall between the roof structural members and impact the plywood roof sheathing, the roof wouldn't make much of a difference anyway," warned Ed Sutt, a Ph.D student who is helping with the research. "And keep in mind, we're only seeing the effects of a six-inch pine at this point. Larger trees could have far more devastating consequences."</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The Clemson research will concentrate on identifying inexpensive techniques that could be used by a construction-savvy homeowner. Research findings will be used to develop technical guidance for contractors and practical application material for homeowners.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Low-tech fixes under study include installation of wood-reinforced wall panels, addition of a layer of metal decking under the wall panel, different combinations of plywood or common insulation foams.</blockquote>
I don't actually agree his assumption. That poplar tree in that photo above is way bigger than 6" and it didn't go through the sheathing. My aunt's house doesn't even have sheathing but the ridge of her hip roof was strong enough to stop a pine tree bigger than 6". The oak tree limb that fell on one of the hip ends was absolutely huge, easily 18" diameter. It didn't break the structure.<br />
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A shortleaf pine at least 20" in diameter fell on the gable roof of my grandparent's sunroom and it just spread the walls apart. Didn't even break the plate glass windows. I don't remember it slicing through the roof sheathing at all.<br />
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Is the difference in the prediction of that PhD student and my own experience that all the roof/tree incidents I know about involved traditional framed roofs and not trusses?<br />
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I feel like the distance of the tree from the house is going to have a lot to do with the damage inflicted too. That poplar tree was so close to my mother's house it hadn't really gotten up much momentum when it rested on the roof. It the house intersected the path when it was most of the way down it would have been much worse, like this giant oak tree that hit that poor air conditioner when it was going full speed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnCZsW1yJGd6RDj5Ddcwzh-uEJKCDiyFDD9m4TTXyRBrYZBoIaOcrBsB2d80I6KcZvNoc2UGk8TmHtXQfIDftY9tkRtSPsUlwnjGNdpZ2tupoMiBdWpNiGYJoGzn9sfJaoblxwgw-uHC0/s1600/LocalDamage+-+1+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnCZsW1yJGd6RDj5Ddcwzh-uEJKCDiyFDD9m4TTXyRBrYZBoIaOcrBsB2d80I6KcZvNoc2UGk8TmHtXQfIDftY9tkRtSPsUlwnjGNdpZ2tupoMiBdWpNiGYJoGzn9sfJaoblxwgw-uHC0/s640/LocalDamage+-+1+%25281%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another tree that fell during Hurricane Hermine at my mother's house</td></tr>
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I may have found the <a href="http://ascelibrary.org/doi/pdf/10.1061/(ASCE)1076-0431(2002)8:2(60)">paper with the results</a> of the study teased in the above article in the Journal of Architectural Engineering, but it's $30 to get a PDF. If it doesn't actually answer my questions I'd be annoyed. From the abstract:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The study also considered, on a limited basis, the threat of falling objects such as trees or large branches. Results suggest that a wall designed to resist debris impact will also exhibit satisfactory performance against tree-fall.</blockquote>
Green Building Advisor's article <a href="http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/pros-and-cons-advanced-framing">Pros and Cons of Advanced Framing by Martin Holladay</a> is a checklist of ways you can make your house that much easier to slice in two with a tree. But they thought about that and Michael Chandler added a comment with these tree-strike-relevant points.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
1- push the headers up to the (double) top plates and cripple down to the window head so the trees hit the header at the ceiling level hopefully stopping at the top plate and keeping most of the water out of the house.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
3- solid block w/ 2X stock on the exterior of the upper top plate between the rafters stacked on the sheathing to help distribute the impact of trees to the sheathing and encouraging the rafter tails to break at the plate to help keep water out of the house after a tree strike.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
4- block the ridge solid between the trusses, If vented just hold the blocking down on either side as shown in the attached drawing for the ridge vent, if spray foam, block solid and tie both planes of roof sheathing together at the peak.</blockquote>
</blockquote>
Click the link above and scroll down to the comments for a drawing.<br />
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I would love to make a mockup of my roof and drop trees on it until I get some interesting results. It seems to be an underserved area of study. My online research just now reveals a lot of dubious advice like "cut down all the trees that could fall on your house." I also found a lot of studies advocating the energy savings you get from shade trees. You can't have both. I prefer trees.<br />
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Meanwhile whenever there is a tornado warning I will continue to climb down from my loft and get in my cast iron bathtub with my pillows and blankets. I don't have an interior room away from windows, but I feel like the sides of a cast iron tub offer pretty good secondary protection if one of my pine trees decides to fall on my house. It better have precision aim though, because my house presents a pretty small target.<br />
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*update*<br />
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I asked my father if he wanted to use his backhoe to help me drop trees on a model of a house. He said I should go back to knitting. He thinks the variables involved in trees falling on houses is too vast to be relevant. He thinks the roots of the tree slow the tree down a lot if it is near enough to the house, as in the case of the poplar tree above and the shortleaf pine on my grandparent's house. He doesn't think dropping a cut-off tree on a model would prove anything. I thought it might just be fun to watch it smash. He said if it's so much fun I should get Hollywood to pay me to do it. Anybody want to remake Twister in the Southeast? I'm available for consultation.<br />
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My father also told me that the wood is stronger at the bottom of a tree where it has to counteract the bending stress from normal wind loading. Small sawmill owners find this to be the case from vast personal experience with a chainsaw. This explains why I see trees either snapped off about 20 feet up or pushed down from the roots or twisted at the base and not even broken when I survey the woods after a wind event. I rarely see them snap off down by the ground. Only if they are seriously compromised by fire damage. I also rarely see dead trees that have fallen in the woods due to a storm. The insurance company policy of not covering damage from dead trees sounds like a scam to me. I perceive no inherent greater risk to property from a dead tree than a live one. I would like to see their actuarial data that says dead trees do more damage. It's prejudice against snags, which is bad environmental policy. Birds like snags.<br />
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So unless I come into a motorized winch for free I guess I won't be making a video of dropping logs on model houses. Sorry.<br />
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*** Update Feb 14, 2017 ****<br />
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I came across this video describing the Fine Homebuilding 2012 Editors Choice house that is specifically designed to withstand a big tree falling on it. This is pretty much exactly what my father said. If you want to build a house that can't be crushed by a tree you hire a structural engineer and build that house. But most people don't want to pay for that. Well, here's what happens when somebody does pay for it. Big honkin' I beams. Wonder what they do about condensation?<br />
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