I think it's highly likely we're going to have another round of shutdowns this winter with the spike in virus cases, overwhelmed hospitals, and all that. What will you be doing to keep yourself busy? A buddy and I have been rehabbing an old radial arm saw, table saw, and band saw with which I'm going to start making furniture because why not. My brother wants to build a pretty intricate wine rack for his basement which will be fun and time consuming. I also plan to improve my metalworking skills. Right now I just use MAPP gas to heat metal before forming, which is pretty limited. I'm looking at building a forge or getting an oxy-acetyene torch to get larger chunks of metal ready to be worked.
Plans to keep yourself busy for shutdown v.2
- Thread starter benstt
- Start date
HansGruber
Ronin
I’m setting up an air pistol range in my garage...which means first I have to clean and rearrange the garage...I’ve got a solid couple weeks of days off involved in that project.
Gonna work my single stage press a bit, too. My buddy with the progressive I use a lot is high risk, as his wife, so I’m not going to risk exposing them.
Beyond that, I do tend to hibernate in the winter. Have a large stack of books I’ve wanted to read, I’m pretty good for a while.
Gonna work my single stage press a bit, too. My buddy with the progressive I use a lot is high risk, as his wife, so I’m not going to risk exposing them.
Beyond that, I do tend to hibernate in the winter. Have a large stack of books I’ve wanted to read, I’m pretty good for a while.
BangBang
Professional
I’ll continue to work. I noticed you said forge. Are you planning on forging some knives? My father in law has got a forge, anvil his grinders and his other tools set up to forge some knives. I enjoy doing that when I have time. I liked that show Forged In Fire, although it was more towards amusement. The contestants have great talent, nothing they are doing....
That’s a good idea Hans brough up about the AirSpoft. I shoot Nerf Guns with my son until we can step out and shoot some BB guns or .22lr.
That’s a good idea Hans brough up about the AirSpoft. I shoot Nerf Guns with my son until we can step out and shoot some BB guns or .22lr.
SimonRL
Hellcat
I’ve been bingeing Forged in Fire the last week or so. It’s really addictive. Suddenly, I find myself looking for knives made of raindrop damascus. I didn’t know what that was three weeks ago!
michael.ed
Master Class
I’ll continue to work, mainly because I’m a Home Health and Hospice Nurse and with virus Numbers going up, plus our normal workload, it’s just going to be more. I’m fortunate to have a job I love, and I have my health, even though I am well past retirement age.
jmcd
Professional
You could retire, but continue to work to help others, even during a pandemic. I salute you!
Annihilator
Emissary
Not locking down at my house period.......
SimonRL
Hellcat
Thank you for your dedication. Hopefully we can start to get a grip on things in the not to distant future.
I'm just learning, so some knives might beva great project. Thus far I've been doing simple things like scissoring wood tongs. They let me practice bending, twisting, heat treating, working with a mandrel, etc. I'm fairly limited to material like flatbar 1018 and 304 steel simply due to to amount of heat I can get out of a bernzomatic torch with MAPP gas. Stepping up to an O-A torch or a full on forge would fix that.
Peglegjoe
Professional
No shutdown for me - I work in an "essential" field, so I get to keep going to work every day. At least traffic is light.
I still want my $800/week unemployment checks, though...where's MY $800-a-week vacation??
If, for some reason, they do shut us down...I have a new toy at home to play with.
I still want my $800/week unemployment checks, though...where's MY $800-a-week vacation??
If, for some reason, they do shut us down...I have a new toy at home to play with.
HansGruber
Ronin
Peglegjoe
Professional
Yep, '70 Charger 500. Nearly identical to the one my mother bought new in '70...and my cousin totaled in '75. Been looking forever for the "right one" - and this is it. Triple-green just like hers (hers was EF8 dark green; mine's FF4 light green), factory a/c car, console with buckets and floor shift, and 100% original survivor. Every nut, bolt, screw, trim piece, and lens is the original that it rolled off the assembly line with. The only changes are maintenance items from the last 50 years - belts, hoses, tires, shocks, and exhaust. 318/auto with factory a/c, just like mom's. FL car all its life (I drained the water out of the radiator and filled it with real antifreeze as soon as I got it home to Maryland!). Had one repaint for some reason - I haven't found any body panels that have been replaced, no bondo/mud, and they all have the original shade of green on them underneath - so the only thing I can think of is, sun fade. It's an OLD repaint - single stage lacquer, no clearcoat - and I'm gonna leave it alone. Just have to figure out a way to get those goofy black rub strips off the sides - they're on with double-stick tape and it wants to pull the paint off with it, so I'm going to try citronella tiki fuel. I've read it will eat through the adhesive without damaging paint. I'll give it a shot. Got a good "tinker-list" though - dash lights don't work, horn doesn't work, needs motor mounts, the exhaust taps on the transmission (motor mounts may fix that once the motor is sitting straight), heater core is unhooked (leaking? or just "it's Florida, I don't need heat, I'm not going to replace those hoses, just unhook it and plug the hoses so they don't leak"), and I may convert it from manual 4 wheel drums to power front disc brakes just for safety. But for a 50 year old car that I've been looking for, for 40 years? I cannot complain. It'll be a fun journey.
I can work from home so I'm not worried about the economics of another shutdown. I'm more concerned about going stir crazy. I can only do so much skiing and winter running. I dearly miss getting a beer with some guys or going to the gym already. Those are already shut down for a few more weeks in MN. I haven't lifted in ten months. I want to do some deadlifts in the worst way. It's going to be a long winter. Just take it day by day, grin and bear it I guess. Spring and a vaccine will be here soon enough.
Bassbob
Emissary
Bassbob
Emissary
That is an art. I have some very good stones and my father was a butcher his whole adult life so you would think I would be an expert knife sharpener. I can bone a full sized deer out on the tailgate of my truck in less than an hour, but I still can't sharpen a knife correctly. I do a passable job, but I still end up taking some of my knives to a buddy of mine for sharpening. I would never dream of trying it on my straight razor.