Did I mention that the Starport is open?

[mdlbear]

Yeah, well... Grand Central Starport is open today and tomorrow for anyone in the area who wants to borrow some coolth and a fast net connection.

After a nice 5-mile walk (yay! finally!) and a light lunch, I set out to the dangerously seductive Southern Lumber for shelving and a couple of tools. We'd gotten Elfa shelf standards and brackets yesterday, but not the necessary 4-ft 1x8's. And I know there's a level in the house, but I couldn't find it, and the level in my ancient and cheap combination square was rattling loose in its housing and effectively worthless. Picked up a couple of paintbrushes, too, after determining that I did have Varathane Diamond Finish.

... And some sandpaper for the ancient Black&Decker electric sander, which died after about three shelves. Out of ten. Turned up a hand sander, and carried on: I knocked off the corners with a block plane, and chaoswolf finished off with the sander. Power tools are useful, but hand tools are more satisfying.

I set up five plastic lawn chairs in lieu of sawhorses. Varathane Diamond is a fast-drying, water-based finish; in 95-degree weather it was dry to the touch on the first board by the time I finished with the fifth. Two coats on both sides of five shelves by the time the Wolfling was finishing up the sanding on the last one. We'll do the rest tomorrow; I was wiped.

Had some of the flower_cat's yummy sangria and finished installing the Wolfling's shelf standards.

Went over to lisa_marli's party for a couple of hours, and to deliver pre-order disks to her and capplor, who I knew would be there because she'd (they'd?) stopped by to ask for directions while I was outside finishing. I still owe Robin a disk -- I didn't pack enough to cover her freebies. Sold one numbered set (can't rightly call them per-order sets anymore).

Now I'm back home, munching salami-and-cheese and finishing up another glass of sangria. Happy Bear.

Comments

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

Power tools are useful, but hand tools are more satisfying.

Generally. Sometimes power tools make things fun... but when it comes to finish work? I think you're right, actually sanding it just so is much better done by hand.

[mdlbear]

If it had been just me, I'd have done it all with the block plane on the sharp edges and a cabinet scraper on the faces, saving sandpaper or a file for the corners. Better than sandpaper, and faster once you get the hang of it. (That's how I finish cutting boards, by the way.) But I figured sanding was simpler for Chaos, and more generally useful.

But when it comes to making ice cream with liquid nitrogen, nothing beats a paint mixer in a portable drill. Zero to yum in thirty seconds flat.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

You mean one of these (http://www.sealhardware.com/detail.asp?sku=6141295)?

How difficult is it to get N_2L in small quantities? (What would one transport it in? Will they rent you a dewar without a huge deposit?) I'd love to do that at a summer Dandelion Fluff... that would be almost as much fun as the filk! :)

BTW, the cutting board is *gorgeous*, thanks a bunch!

[mdlbear]

Yup! LN2 is dirt cheap; the first time I encountered this combination, at the home of finagler (motto: anything worth doing is worth doing with power tools), he had brought a couple of gallons home in a disposable styrofoam cooler. It's scooped out using a pyrex measuring cup and a heavy glove.

Wear eye protection.

You're welcome!