Barbara Ford

Joe.  Thank you so very much for all the advice and the great videos.  I can see that the handheld nibbler is not for me.  But I do like the Jilson shear.  I am used to using a handheld drill and I think I could handle the double headed drill nibbler.

The Jig saw from Welburn gourd farms looked cumbersome, the one advantage over my saw is that the blade is longer.  I use a Micro Lux.  It is a small saw that fits in the palm of my hand.  If my picture of it comes thru the small red button is easily depressed as you use it.  It does require a rheostat.  I have been using this same saw for at least 15 years, at times many hours in one day. I purchased the saw through Micro Mark a small tool specialist.  I think many of their customers are miniature train hobbyist.

Also, at the end of the video there were other videos to watch.  I watched the one on Jig Saws by Steve Ramseiy- Woodworking for Mere Mortals.  I watched it twice, He went fast, but covered a lot of different types of saws.  I believe My husband had at least one or more of every one of those he described.

You are absolutely right about the hole saw.  I have been using a piece of foam (egg crate type) but the Welburn Farm video gave me another Idea.  I think a scrap of shelf liner might be better with an assistant.  I would hate to give up on the hole saw.  It puts such a perfect round hole exactly where I want it.

Ha Ha Joe.  I watched the Dirty Tricks with hole saws video. Never in my life would I try something like that.  Too Big, Too messy, Too unstable.  Too much.

Thank you for the video about the angle grinder.  I now know what that piece of equipment is for and all the disks.  My husband had one drawer in his tool chest full of different kinds of disks. After watching the video by the Ultimate Handyman’s safety tips, I can’t see myself ever contemplating using one.  Also, with an expiation date on the disk I would guess that most of them are expired by now.

The brazing is something that I found inspiring and yes, I might try that.  There is quite a bit of scrap metal around here, a lot of aluminum pipe from our dairy barn and pieces and parts that are aluminum.  
Also, there is a MiG welder, and a big welder with 2 big bottles of something. (I don’t think its propane).  Any way lots of welding equipment hoods and gloves, rods etc. I will check that stuff out an see if there are any aluminum rods in the lot.

Thank you again for your time and the very helpful information.  Never fear I don't plan on trying to use any of the big tools until I have a tutor.  The one exception might be the skill saw.

Purity, have you started that new thread.  I have a lot to learn.  Your idea sounded great.

Pearl
I found this thread very interesting.  I think few individuals spend time on introspection:  What are the important things in one’s life?  What makes them happy?  Do they judge themselves thru the looking glass of how others equate success or failure?  How to prioritize your time between the tasks that must be done and those you do for enjoyment? How do you make important decisions in life? And how do you measure all the above?
I believe it’s all a balancing act. {If you look for it}, good things always offset the bad.   For myself I have always been pretty contented.  I count my blessing every day.  I have tried to live my life, so I’ll have no regrets. Completing a hard task can bring a feeling of fulfillment and even joy.

I’ll never forget the feeling of accomplishment and joy I felt the first time I set the dinner table with everything on it “home grown”.  I was about 23 then, our first big garden, and what seemed like months of toil.

Since my husband of 53 years passed away, many things on the farm have been stressful due mostly to my ignorance of the things he took care of.  But I look out the window, I’m surrounded by the beauty of nature. I count my blessing; I could be living in LA or New York in some little flat or even homeless.

I appreciated the things my husband did, he overindulged me more then I realized. However, I also cherished and spoiled him.  No regrets.

My 93-year-old father-in-law lives with me. I love him like my Dad.  Yes, he is a little more work. I count him as a blessing.  Because of him, I have purpose.  I have maintained a semblance of daily routines I’m not sure I would have been able to do without him.  Grief and depression could have been incapacitating.

As for finding the time to do the things you want to do; MAKE TIME. You may not get to do what you want every day, but sometime during the week you can find some time.   I have actually done this.  At one point in my life I had a family, a job, was going to college 3 days a week, and putting up vegetables from the garden. I admit I did not do this all alone. The drive to work and University was about an hour each way.  I would leave at dawn and get home sometimes at dark.  My son also had a long ride on the school bus- first on last off.  So, we all got up early, ate breakfast, got dressed and left the house.  My husband would have the vegetables picked and in the house that night. We would get them ready for processing together (most often in the freezer).  On the nights I got home late, my husband would start dinner. Notice I said start. Ha Ha, His idea of dinner and a balanced meal was to cook one thing. One time he made squash gravy.  It was so bad the dog would not eat it.  A for effort, but even he had to laugh at that attempt. Getting back to the subject of time, between a 1st grader, the housekeeping, studying and the garden my spare time was limited. I found one of those little daily schedule books that have the hours of the one day on each page. I colored in the time for driving, job, school, studying and sleep.  Allotted a certain amount of time for the house, meals and garden. There was always and hour or two in there somewhere during the week that I had time to mess around with my crafts or just read a book.  However, I know times have changed.  We didn’t watch much TV, there was only 3 channels.  We had no computers.  Try this for one week. Color in the “must do’s” I bet that somewhere in there you will find some time for your own thing.  When you find it, use it.  Don’t go to the “should do’s” list.

Why or how to measure the Gross Domestic Happiness ?   Either you like your self and what you do for a living or you don’t.  Yes, set goals to change what you don’t like and strive to make it happen. But will meeting your goal actually make you a happy person. I see goals and decision making as intertwined.  The decision you make might affect the goal you wish to meet. But life happens, maybe your decision was wrong, maybe you never reach you goal. Is this going to make you an unhappy person for the rest of your life?  I’m not one to “go with the flow” But goals sometimes become unrealistic and must be altered and new decisions made. I don’t think happiness can be measured.  One can be happy 3 times a day and frustrated 3 times a day.  So, was this a happy day?  My thoughts are to squeeze every moment of joy possible into each day and count your blessings every day.

Niele, I not sure about the drill press.  It sounds complicated.  I do have one but to be honest it looks intimidating.  I’m wondering if you can use it with a hole saw. I have been putting the hole saw on a hand held drill. I have found it is difficult to stabilize my gourds while putting in a birdhouse hole. The gourd tends to spin if I’m not holding it between my knees. I feel this is dangerous as the hole saw could slip off the round gourd.

About the air compressor.  The only way I have personally used the air compressor is to spray polyurethane on gourds using a spray gun.  And I recognize the part you use to air up tires.  My husband had a lot of tools and metal tips for the air compressor.  I wonder if you could show some pictures of the interesting tools you said can be used for the air compressor and the if they have metal connector tips (he had a lot of these mysterious metal connectors)?  Regarding maintenance—The only thing that I remember my husband doing when he started to air compressor was pull a little metal ring at the bottom to release any condensation (I think that is what it was for). Any way the past two years that is what I have done when I started the compressor. Could you give some advice on what other things need to be done for maintenance?

Also, I loved the tip about soap under the fingernails.
Thank you, Barbara

Joe, thank you for the picture and explication of the aviation tin snips.  My husband had one of these, I thought they were for cutting small branches. I also liked the picture and explication of the Monodex  Nibbler.   I don’t think I have one of these, but I would like one.  They would be great for some of my craft projects. And here is a question.  What would a person use a hand mattock for ? Thank you, Barbara

Purity, about your post 2 weeks ago.  I found a tool you called a caliper.  Thank you for showing the picture, I now know what it’s for.  Also, in the article you mention measuring tapes.  I mostly have been using my cloth sewing tape. Bad idea.   I did have a little trouble reading the metal one..   I did like the thought of a metric tape.  I have used metric measure on my art projects but on a small scale. I like that idea.  Thanks, Barbara

Dustin,
I would love to just buy mature plants, however except for Aloe I am going to have to buy all starter succulents. Although I have been convinced to purchase the small rosettes at a slightly higher cost. Why not just buy mature plants?  Cost vs profit. Here a mature rosette is about $4.00. Most of the customers at local craft shows in my area are mid to low income.  My best sellers are $20.00 and under. The big gourds sell, but at a much lower rate. My live plants have averaged $15.00 and under.
My goal, at the very least is to double my investment. Now consider the cost in building an “attractive” saleable arrangement:  Container, gravel, charcoal, soil, toppings, trinkets and of course plants. Depending on size my initial investment in each planter can be no more then $5.00-$10.00.

Peral,
How to make gourds into hanging planters.
This is how I do it.   This may be the wrong forum for this, if so, please move it.
1. Select a good solid dried gourd, wash and clean the outside.
2. Drill drainage holes on the bottom (3-4) and the holes at the top for the hanging twine (I use wire or hemp rope).
3. Now cut out the openings for your plants.  I usually cut the front and back of gourd, leaving plenty of room at the bottom bowel for soil and plants. (For safety, use a face mask when cutting or cleaning out gourds).
4. Next clean the inside of the gourd.  Remove all the seeds and fiber, if needed scrape for a smooth inner surface.
5. Coat the inside of the gourd with “White Kool Seal Elastomeric roof coating” (This is the brand I have used)
6. Take a damp rag and remove any Kool Seal that has leaked out around the drilled holes.  But be sure that the interior of the holes has been coated with the Kool Seal.  Let dry.
7. Now I paint, dye, or wood burn the outside of the gourd.  Let dry.
8. This is when I thread the wire or twine into the holes for hanging.
9. Coat the outside of gourd with polyurethane.  Let dry.
10. You’re ready to plant!

Purity, I’ve already surprised myself.
I’ve learned:  
That you must flip the lever on the riding lawnmower in order to acuity cut the grass.
That the car and pickup have lots of different fluids that need to be checked and occasionally batteries need to be replaced.  
The electric line to the house is separate from the barn and well house.
The water line is 4’ underground.
Trees need to be trimmed to keep them off the roof.  
Flashing around the chimney can become loose.
Farrier’s don’t want to come out to trim hoofs on one old horse.
A window screen can be replaced.
Weather stripping around a door can be replaced.
Flappers on the toilet tank can be replaced.
A lot of vegetables can be grown in big containers rather than tilling the garden.
A locked security gate reduces loss from sticky fingers.
So yes, Purity your so right.  One step at a time.  The learning curve has been pretty high this past couple of years.  For the big stuff I’ve relied on neighbors to refer me to reputable professionals.  The little stuff I’ve learned.
Thank you for the encouraging post.

Dear Purity,

I applaud and envy your strength.  I am about your height, weight and age.  Until my husband passed, he took care of most of the outside chores.  My main jobs were in the house, weeding and putting up the garden.  Years ago, when we had a goat dairy, I did a lot more outside, but even then, I did very little that required a lot of strength.

Currently, I have a tool building full of things that are too heavy to use.  A lot of them I don’t even know what they are for or what their names are.  Thank goodness for electric drills and battery powered screwdrivers.
For me Pearl’s article on women’s tools was very informative (for example the different types of saws).  I image a lot of women find men’s tools just too heavy to use safely.  So once again thank you Peral for your article.