The Adventures Of IndeMoJo: Jumping Into Spring Projects
Once again. Not much adventures more the things I’ve been doing around the house over the winter—awaiting spring and project plans I have.
The biggest project is building a fence around the perimeter of my property. It will be made with pressure treated ground contact lumber & welded wire cattle fencing—not that I have cattle—just dogs I’d like to stop from shitting in my yard. Welcome to homeownership!
The other project will be a new driveway & sidewalks. This was supposed to happen the end of fall, but it was scheduled too late in fall & became too cold to pour concrete—so I canceled my date in hopes of having it done come May. The call has already been made & am awaiting the contractor to come out & requite the job again.
I preparation of the fence project, I’ve been accumulating tools: implements of mass construction! I’ve bought a new table saw, miter saw, plunge cross cut saw, sander, router, et. al. I’ve built work benches & am in the process of finishing my massive miter saw table. Is it overkill? Guess time will tell. But it is fun & keeps me off the streets!
So these are the Facebook posts that documented the goings on here in IndeMO.
In preparation for the “fencing project” coming as soon as the first blush of Spring, I’m starting to accumulate the tools I’ll need. This way I get to set them up, square them, and play well before the first pressure treated piece of lumber & welded wire cattle fencing shows up.
I’m strangely excited by all of this: the tools, the fence, designing & executing the entire project. Sure hope I have the energy!
I put together the miter saw folding stand Tuesday in my dining room. Once done I wheeled it down the 2 flights of stairs to the basement. This afternoon I unboxed the miter saw, bolted it to the stand, and put on the 12″ saw blade.
There may be a 10″ Delta cast-iron tabletop contractor’s table saw in my near future too. We’ll see.
What’s really scary & or über-creative is: I’ll be using 10ft 4×4 as the fence posts. What I want to do is design & build bird houses as finials on the top of every post. The fence will be around the entire perimeter of my property. Guess we’ll see about that too! lol
#saw #construction #toys #homeowner #project #fencebuilding #birdhouse
And yeah. Being a home owner changes priorities. Plus I always liked working with wood. So why not. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The company I’ve been using to make canvas art prints for my home (Canvas Champ) gave me a free 11×14 canvas print free for my birthday. How nice! All I had to do was pay for the shipping and “extras” I added to the job.
This is one of my all time fave photos of Joe Strummer I took back stage @ Bonds in NYC circa 1981 (assisted by Ms. Dorothy Orant Morrison ). I’m very proud of this photo.
The original un-Photoshoped version has been published in books, magazines, appeared in a Clash documentary, as well as adorned the cover of the Australian DVD release of that documentary.
This version now hangs in my computer room/office/laundry room, where I can see it every day. Perfect size too. ❤️
Has also got me thinking that I might start selling my photos as canvas prints direct from my go2jo.com website. I have to work out the logistics.
Let me know what you think In comments or interest in buying my photos. 👍
#joPhotos #canvasprints #theysayitsyourbirthday #CanvasChamp
I did scan and enlarge a 36th frame and used it as a reference. Then I built the frame outlines in Illustrator. Once I had the base, I imported it into Photoshop and added hazing and glow to the text etc, to make it look more realistic. I was surprised to have found the font Kodak used online. Lots of Photoshop action! Then layered in the Joe photo & treated it as well. I’ve always loved the end product. See … it even fooled you. lol
The image itself untreated is amazing. This was just an experiment that I really liked. I’m very proud of both.
You are one of the few people who will understand this. What really made the photo, besides the framing & Strummer looking dead into the lens, when my strobe fired, it triggered another photographer’s slave unit and strobes across the room, which lit Paul and Mick in the background, but created this crisp white line on the side of Joe’s face that made Joe pop. It was just one of those confluence of events that made this photo what it is. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
#joWorkshop: I’m so fashionable I’m sporting a mullet! Well … a Mullet cyclone dust collector—that is. 😂🤣😂
Figured it was a good thing to try as a sawdust collector rather than buying a whole dust collector unit. I figured: start small & work up.
I like that it uses a shop vac which I already had. 👍
I did my research & this is how I’ll roll for a while. (pun intended) 😝
#woodwork #woodworking #boytoys #shopvac #imjuststartingout
#joWorkshop: A boy & his toys …
Well I finally got my Shop Fox hybrid table saw. Awesomeness! ❤️❤️❤️
It came on Monday. I was so very fortunate on a few levels:
- The truck it was delivered on had a lift gate.
- The delivery guy was extremely cute! Woof!
- My neighbor and her nephew were in the front yard.
- The nephew was built like a linebacker! Wow!
- My neighbor asked her nephew to help me get it from the street down into my basement.
- He helped load the 300 lb unboxed saw onto my hand truck and maneuver it to the back near the stairs.
- He then proceeded to pick the entire saw up by himself and carried it down the cellar stairs … like he did this every day. Didn’t break a sweat. He was in sandals too! Damn!
That was incredible luck! The woodworking godz were looking out for me! Thank you! And huge thanks to my helper!!! 👍
It took me a couple days to get it all put together, aligned, and ready to cut my first piece of wood.
I still have 10 fingers! Woot! 👐
#woodwork #woodworking #boysamdtheirtoys #tablesaw #shopfox #imjuststartingout #greatful
Then come spring a cattle fence fence on 3 sides of my property. Bought a nice dado blade to dado all the 4x4s & 2x4s. Kind of why I’m buying all these tools in preparation for the fence. 👍
I was thinking that it’s nice because of both. The kindness of your neighbors and the good fortune that they were even there to see you needed help, at just that moment. Bonus points that he happened to be Hercules.
The saw is way cool too 😄
Is it trash or is it sculpture?
I am a saver. I tend to save boxes from items I have purchased. But no more!
I came to the conclusion @66 this is probably the last big move of my life. Why would I waste all that space storing boxes anymore.
So off to recycling with the boxes on Monday. Though I do need to find a place to recycle all that styrofoam. I’d hate like hell to send it to the dump. I’ll research that on Monday.
All of this to make more space for my basement #workshop.
Out with the old & in with the new! 👍
#joWorkshop: Used my new #Dewalt #MiterSaw today for the first time. ❤️
Started the process of cutting 2x4s to the lengths I needed them for my worktables.
The project is for two 2 ft x4 ft mobile worktables that I can use in whatever configuration I might need. They will have toggle clamps on the legs to clamp the 2 tables together when needed. Plus heavy duty casters for rolling them around easily.
BTW I returned the Rigid saw for the Dewalt. The Dewalt is much nicer … but what lousy dust collection! Dewalt! WTF!!! Am researching a better dust solution. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Just another day in IndeMO. 👍
#saw #construction #toys #homeowner #newproject #woodproject #woodprojects
Now I just need to figure how I want to finish them. Or at least the tops. Danish Oil, tongue oil, shellac, or polyurethane. I think it will be poly … but we’ll see. I’m in no rush on that.
All my new tools got a workout: KREG pocket hole jig, Makita plunge track saw, Makita jigsaw, Makita orbital sander, and my Ryobi drill was up to the task as well. (No … this is not an advertisement. lol)
For now I just started putting tools etc on & under the 2 new tables, until I can plan some organization method. On the back burner for now.
The next project may be a miter saw station/table. We’ll see.
And made the new tables the same height as the new table saw. So in theory I can use them as off feed for larger cuts. Guess we’ll see.
Just another day in IndeMO. 👍
#worktable #woodworking #powertools #toys #homeowner #newproject #woodproject
I swear I was pricing materials just a few weeks ago & in the last week or so prices jumped incredibly high. Or … like you … having my own senior moment, as far as prices go. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
It’s February 27th & it’s 62° out. Figured it was a nice day to cut the lawn & mulch the leaves that have sat on it all winter. Sure … why not!
Funny … under all those leaves I can see new bright green clover shoots waiting to bust out for spring. Awesome!!!👍
Another day in IndeMO …
#waitingonspring #lawncare #homownership #homeowner #mulchitbaby #mulch
Just waiting on spring and warmer weather.
Thought it was a great idea and I had the 2x4s … so why not!
This way I don’t have to clean off and use my new workbenches to do ply cuts. Win win! 👍😃👍
#worktable # wood #woodworking #crosscut #plywood #plywoodstation #newproject #woodproject
Next up is a miter saw bench. But I needed this BEFORE making my next project. 👍
If the cats are forbidden from the basement
You might want to consider your next project to be
Some kind of plant lights on a pulley
Maybe a shelf/table that drops down from the wall- as needed.
And you can start seedlings inside not worrying about the cats eating them for your future gardens.
It helps you get double the crop from peas and legumes.
But it tends to expire, so look for the smallest packages. Sometimes sold near the seeds.
Time, & cash or credit will tell what happens in the coming months. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
This is a drawing I did for my new miter saw table in #SketchUp. I took a little time to learn the basics of the program, had a few failures … but learning the keyboard commands for the tools was key to speeding up progress.
I did this drawing in about 3 hours. The cool thing is all the measurements are spot on to the fraction of an inch. And to someone who is “fractions challenged” … this is a great thing. ❤️
In my basement, there are sections of the cement wall that jut out about 2.5 feet. So rather than build in front of it, I am building on top of it. 👍
I reworked an idea from another YouTube video for a miter saw table. Mine will also have a fence on both sides of the table, as well as t-track & tape measure routered into the deck to be able to have stop blocks on either side to cut repeat lengths of board.
Now all I have to do is build it! 😝
Just another day in IndeMO. 👍🤓👍
#mitersawtable #mitersaw #wood #woodworking #newproject #woodproject
It’s sunny & 70° @ 5:00PM here in IndeMO. Made a lumber run earlier this afternoon. Now I’m just relaxing & “resisting” the setting sun in my eyes … me & Smokey. 👍😎
Things coming together slowly but steadily. 👍
#woodvise #vise #workbench #workbenchbuild #polyurethane
I’m all for protective equipment. While I’m doing any cutting, drilling, sanding, etc I wear a a dust mask and protective eyewear. I also wear gloves 3/4 of the time.
Since I’ve been working more and more in my basement I have been injuring my head more often. Even though I wear a baseball hat ALL the time, there are still a LOT of low hanging pipes & HVAC ducts. Even though the ducts are covered in silver backed insulation, they are still a noggin hazard. Just look at the one photo of the top of my head—that’s just one week of injuries.
So. I figured maybe it was time I did something to protect my precious melon. I bought a hardhat! Who woulda thunk!
Today was my first full day of wearing it. I was actually surprised how comfortable it was. True it does add to my height a bit, but now if I hit the top of my head—no more baseball cap button slamming into the skin of my head. Guess if I had more hair … that might offer some cushion. But I doubt it.
Oh well … as crazy as it might seem. I think I’m better off.
And the Keith Haring “Radiant Baby” sticker gives me a giggle each time I see it & generates massive amounts of creative energy. Giggles are good. Head injuries not so good.
#OSHA #protection #woodworking #basementworkshop #booboos #keithharing #radiantbaby
#joWorkshop: Looking more like a place to work than just a catch all.
Everything in it’s own time. It IS a process. 👍
Still working on the miter saw bench. Trying to make a dust hood. Plans are still in my brain. Need to dump them into Sketchup to plan for real. lol
#downinthebasement #woodworking #wood #workbench
Hell I even put up my new poly-wood birdhouse today. So very colorful! Hope some happy bird family nests in it. Either way it’s very cool. LOVE the colors! Pop!
#garden #gardening #leaves #driedleaves #justanotherthang
Etsy: Large Whimsical Poly Birdhouse
I did my own trial, comparing tomato plants, in pots. All had my regular compost soil mix. One section were fertilized with something like Miracle-Gro. One section no fertilizer. One the urine water combo. When I saw it truly worked I started using it everywhere, perennials Berry shrubs. Some don’t dilute it as much as 20 to 1. But I’d rather feed more often and at a slower rate.
A gardener friend in Queens who had some of the most amazing flower beds, she would swipe up neighbors bags of leaves. I never did it her way but she actually stacked hefty bags, bag after bag in a pyramid shape, and I believe she left them in the bags for a very long time before she used them as mulch. She didn’t even have a big yard but felt the leaves were worth it.
Funny thing is, all these images are from my time living in Seattle, and trips taken from that point to Vancouver BC, La Jolla, CA, and the Glass Museum in Tacoma, WA.
The neon parking sign photos were in Vancouver, BC. The Hot Coals photo was taken in La Jolla. The Glass Volcano is from the Glass Museum in Tacoma, WA.
As old as these images are, I still love them! They make me smile!
#photography #photos #photographs #LaJolla #VancouverBC #TacomaWA