Charlie Kaiser

thomas rubino wrote:We have two.
A poor man one, for Liz in her art studio, this gets daily heavy use.
And my 1940's WW2 surplus vice, it gets used quite often itself.

Look at that Rock Auto fan.... LOL

I've got both the RR track piece probably around 30 years or so, and regular anvil right at 115#.  They get a fair amount of use doing what has been mentioned- repairing, custom fabricated stuff, etc.  One of those tools that, even if you use it only randomly, if you need it boy is it worth it.

Collectors have, indeed, crippled the market if you are looking for one but if you really want/need one be patient, put the word out, etc.  I happened to pick up my anvil from a vendor at a hot rod swap meet for a $250 and it had great sound/rebound.

As you can see from the above pics, I need to spark up the weed eater! The gravel you see in between the long beds was a freebie- left over from our septic system install.  Working out quite nicely.  

A few more pics of peppers (bell and mild-stupid hot), a couple zucchini that we are already having trouble keeping up with, and a few other misc things.  The 2 big collard you see have been running since last year and are still producing an unending steady supply for the two of us and our oldest son.

We seem to be getting a little more "smoothed out" in timing efforts in the garden.  We've got some things growing and have been enjoying the fresh veggies!

Let's get started with the tomatoes.... The few big established ones on the panel nursery small from the local nursery. Big Beef, Cherokee Purple, and Super Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes. The Super Sweets are putting out a ton. The others are crazy full of green ones. All the others were sprouted from seed. (a whole 'nuther story LOL).  

Location means a lot for sure. In  Texas you see metal fence posts (driven in) or cedar. It's all about what you can afford/what's available at the time.  

Then again, there's the "pay me now or pay me later" that we always have to deal with!

With hot cup of tea in hand, I must say that it's nice be be in the fold again. You guys are tops.  

Garden is slowly getting bigger and moving forward (pics coming later today. We started some early seed planting indoors for the first time this year.
Results were mixed but good because of the learning gained.  Most of the seeds were getting a bit old but who knows unless you try!

First quick realization is that we will be getting a legit warming pad because, ready for this, the 2 old heating pads we've had for years and years didn't cut it- unlevel heating under the tray.  Second thing is a grow light.  This part we knew going in that we'd have some struggles with.

The best part of the journey is that we had some things come up and have made their way into the raised beds and a few grow bags!

See ya again soon.

Well, I'm alive (not abducted by aliens or nothin) and slowly settling in the new house.  It's way closer to getting finished but a few health things slowed things down a mite. Onward! Through the fog!

Garden has progressed and hopefully this first in a long time post will inspire me to get caught up with pics.  Have added several new raised beds and am getting increased time to put toward the gardening.  Hope to be legit active very soon.

Phil Stevens wrote:I pick up pallets whenever I go to town with the trailer. Last week I scored some with 150 mm width boards and today I carefully pulled them apart to do a rustic board sheathing on a closet wall. Very happy with how it's turning out.

Nice.  "Repurposing" is just the modern word for what we always considered was simply utilizing things we had on hand/what was available.  Isn't it crazy how satisfying a little thing like that can be?!

I love me some freebie stuff I can use! LOL!

Cole Tyler wrote:Indeed scavenging is the spice of life!

Pallets from a construction company
Glass doors sitting at the curb out for trash
Bathtub tossed in a dumpster

These things helped along the vision of my bath house build (obviously with some new bought things)

A pickup truck makes it happen on impulse sightings...but that can be dangerous as I have definitely grabbed things to take home that have been more trouble than use :)

Cool bath house Cody!  Totally relate to the "more trouble than use" thing.  There's been plenty of times where I've used one of my top 3 quotes ever.  The Three Stooges were part way through one of their of escapades and Mo was standing there with hand on chin and shaking his head saying, "You know this was my idea but now I don't think so much of it." LOL!

Nancy Reading wrote:Guilty!
Some things may never get used, which is a pity, some as you say may find forever homes elsewhere, but how can you let someone throw away (a perfectly good set of wardrobes, several bags of reject fleeces, a wind blown rowan tree...) a possibly useful item? Admittedly some haven't found their use yet. I'm not sure if that leaky stainless water tank will be useful for a rocket stove project, which was my first thought, or something else. Sometimes the 'gift' turns out to be rather expensive in time or actual money to complete, but you may end up with something really aspirational that way (like my free polytunnel project). .....
I'm hoping to start collecting building materials towards our house extension fairly soon........

Congrats on the trailer load of freebie polytunnel goodies!!! Boy could I use that kind of a great find!

Happy hunting on collection up for the house extension.  The ability to be some sort of flexible in regards to design sure helps there. Our new house is getting stuff that I've had laying around for years and it's awesome to use it. Examples: A bunch of legit circa 1920's bead board a friend gave me when doing some custom wood work for him. (Going on our spacious walk-in pantry ceiling.)  From my dear friend's old family homestead: a dozen doors (1940's) and some single pane windows for transoms in several spots. A 16' trailer load of 2x6 tongue and groove boards that I used for the flooring in one of the rooms and other way cool things!

Collecting: 'an excusable sickness'. LOL!

Anne Miller wrote:My neighbor describes his place as looking like Sanford and Sons, a TV series from the 1970s. ........ .

I love that show!  Several times have I spread my arms out over my collection of "goodies" and told my kids, "One of these days you will inherit all of this!"

Remember...
Junk is the stuff you throw away.  Stuff is the junk you keep.