tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38272117723241847852024-03-19T01:00:36.073-04:00The Tinker ThinkerThe Tinker Thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04656168700633683161noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3827211772324184785.post-5218690797401883632019-08-20T13:22:00.002-04:002019-08-20T13:46:25.141-04:00My Bolivian "DMV" Experience<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/OVp8p9bLXOKnkThRaZIFOFTc0LKF1dtuiEt1yA4xa1xtV90VJEk4p8py3QN_r0FAgjsPYfoA-5Ms8Hv0KFc85onR_BdLz-G5IRcZ18GRNithdb6xIhcC07etF7bIrjSXn8drY1UHhNu7qLHj9L_zhHdA4Qccati_UIwLRT_39uAT7hqa0N4V5UM4ltRZ1fPOd8otv6zrL4uZy5XORUy3EsvFSsXAWCE31U6YgyWZT2rpZ1rjBmH9-bE354-cj3wm8859kMsndLZXtpOWNBeu0kODGR9Ocs8uynoL-3zKZE4G0xgotpkBFjgqkTIqv67aBjYsbRa0N7I3-EJZTb-xoSK4jdjARr7prqfuqce3SPwcQkLea9IDmBm743YmktE0bcbmE5sNNjYBGi8xMEi1RH_ZLhNeAo7HLkqVt-ezk7BtPPn5f8qCwscUsjwBAOR26NWqSFZGx5hZt20gPCa22OIOegeOY8H7cAm_xcmpMrzJ5FjLTIFIqJhqgSg39efRFbrJzwnQ0FZHDn3bb5Fcy8mUPnvvgeZ8wlKmFXWRFlON4hIPEWlYTJMV_i4TMNG5TEHLfDcR5HVSAnv1VLouDnqf9W48DjJzOZjofsNSY02VVA2HJfyo1CY_Ji9HKGwvfN_HQ_jwtcCq0h2ss7iK-FU7mOHultp-=w1364-h909-no" style="display: none;" />
One of the things upon which most Americans agree is that the Department of Motor Vehicles (or whatever entity handles the ID and licensing in your state) is a classic example of government inefficiency. We love to complain about how long we had to wait in line, the silly hoops you have to jump through, etc, etc.<br />
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The next time you feel compelled to participate in this American pastime of DMV-bashing, please consider my recent experience doing a simple driver's license renewal, which is necessary every 5 years. As you read, keep in mind that: A. this is the standard procedure, B. everyone agrees that the system has improved GREATLY in the past 5-10 years, and C. that most steps have an <i>additional</i> 30-60 minutes in travel time not mentioned below, because of where we live.<br />
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Before you can renew your license, you must renew your national ID card, or carnet, which expires at the same time as the license. Because we are a family of five, everything takes a bit longer. Here's how the process goes:
<br />
<br />
Day 1<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Make photocopies of all required documents for ID card, 1 hour</li>
<li>Go to "DMV" for preliminary document check and reserve an appointment, 1 hour</li>
</ul>
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<br />
Day 5<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Go to bank to pay for ID cards ($87/person), 30 min</li>
<li>Update photocopies as indicated in preliminary, 1 hour</li>
<li>Go to "DMV" for appointment and submit documents, get finger-printed, etc, 1 hour</li>
</ul>
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<br />
Day 16<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Return to "DMV" at appointed time to pick up ID cards, 1 hour</li>
<li>Hurray, we now have ID cards and I can apply to renew my driver's license!</li>
</ul>
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<br />
Day 18<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Go to bank to pay for driving record ($5) and mugshot ($1.50), 1 hour</li>
<li>Photocopy deposit slips, old license, and old ID card, 10 min</li>
<li>@Police station: get mugshot, 5 min</li>
<li>@Police station: get official driving record form, 10 min</li>
<li>@Police station: get official driving record form filled, 1 hour</li>
<li>Go to approved clinic for driving physical exam ($8.70), 1 hour</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
Day 22<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Go to "DMV" and wait in line to get an appointment, 1 hour 15 min</li>
<li>Go to bank to pay licensing fee ($32), 15 min</li>
<li>Return to "DMV" later in the day for licensing appointment, 30 min</li>
<li>Wait at "DMV" for license to be printed and handed over, 1 hour</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
So all that to say, that in about 3 weeks' time, while waiting about 12 hours (not including travel), you can renew your driver's license!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI5tDLPmt-4x57VkWt1lymH-kzYJ1ob78I9nzvYR2UR2ocqUOWmClfl1HUJfyAhREZDKyj4InDUDTDdquXKZwjsC3AhmYrAa6K99KnkkDgX6070WCgagfe5J99Tyb6tC4434YTG9ETlf0/s1600/January+20%252C+2018+028+adj1c+double+flare+%252B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI5tDLPmt-4x57VkWt1lymH-kzYJ1ob78I9nzvYR2UR2ocqUOWmClfl1HUJfyAhREZDKyj4InDUDTDdquXKZwjsC3AhmYrAa6K99KnkkDgX6070WCgagfe5J99Tyb6tC4434YTG9ETlf0/s640/January+20%252C+2018+028+adj1c+double+flare+%252B.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Time to get the Patrol moving again!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />The Tinker Thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04656168700633683161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3827211772324184785.post-24916769079021521372017-07-17T13:14:00.002-04:002017-07-17T13:37:16.026-04:00Project: Coffee Can Forge<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY4FPXM38JQi1fDy7c6o-f6uVorkwHaM6iOphdhj4jhddHj_tqd3YpI-5BzK7S5gfusJ3tBfNhmahJ_hnsAYXXf1_-9gjJDUb5qw4SAYFbcr9gdn7zITSWKBz4-8RhHAf1GNHV5YI12xw/s1600/July+10%252C+2017+021+adj.jpg" style="display: none;" />
The other day I spent some time cleaning up my <i>cachibachis</i>, the local term for "junk pile." It lives in what should be a carport just outside the kitchen door, so it's a very noticeable part of our ambience. Lately, due to lots of busyness, it has been a WRECK. As I cleaned and organized, I decided to finally figure out a solution to hang my sheet goods from the roof.<br />
<br />
I wanted to use some 3/4" steel pipe that I had removed during a recent bathroom remodel and hang it from the steel rafters using hooks made out of 3/8" rebar. The problem is that #3 rebar doesn't bend very easily unless heated. I came up with an easy solution.<br />
<br />
I buy charcoal for my grill in 100lb feed sacks and the bottom of the bag is always full of tiny bits and pieces that are too small for grilling. I have long thought that they would make excellent fuel for a forge, but have never had a reason to make one. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI-Co7CA09bVSTlDsncx1Dj1Ptw8DPa9WE0MN-Zcr7nL6B58u4nSiVtKM1Du11bCt92bam7E1nAAz63D1vNYF7bsC7FJaKv0UpLOgfHT6EQoXz_qfDLemXQSFhn6_gHelhX9GHojsTvV0/s1600/July+17%252C+2017+048+adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI-Co7CA09bVSTlDsncx1Dj1Ptw8DPa9WE0MN-Zcr7nL6B58u4nSiVtKM1Du11bCt92bam7E1nAAz63D1vNYF7bsC7FJaKv0UpLOgfHT6EQoXz_qfDLemXQSFhn6_gHelhX9GHojsTvV0/s640/July+17%252C+2017+048+adj.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charcoal, Bolivian style</td></tr>
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To make the forge, I took a large powdered milk can, a bit bigger than a coffee can, and whacked a hole in the side of it, set it on a concrete block, filled it with charcoal bits, and lit it up with my weed-burner.<br />
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Voilá!<br />
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To stoke it, in place of a bellows, I used my electric blower.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY4FPXM38JQi1fDy7c6o-f6uVorkwHaM6iOphdhj4jhddHj_tqd3YpI-5BzK7S5gfusJ3tBfNhmahJ_hnsAYXXf1_-9gjJDUb5qw4SAYFbcr9gdn7zITSWKBz4-8RhHAf1GNHV5YI12xw/s1600/July+10%252C+2017+021+adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY4FPXM38JQi1fDy7c6o-f6uVorkwHaM6iOphdhj4jhddHj_tqd3YpI-5BzK7S5gfusJ3tBfNhmahJ_hnsAYXXf1_-9gjJDUb5qw4SAYFbcr9gdn7zITSWKBz4-8RhHAf1GNHV5YI12xw/s640/July+10%252C+2017+021+adj.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Red hot and ready to bend!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE9EWMXwKL-zLaqiSyAs-svMWfrMZ4wsQkZXSg3ydEXj3QhEiI9voe3hNAlECprTWiazgDhYd9ZUw4fdx0micwHWQU7YsFJKza3Cj7kCfi5M5w1jeF_ZRueQA1EwBnZTxUHVr_VQR2Nns/s1600/July+10%252C+2017+032+adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE9EWMXwKL-zLaqiSyAs-svMWfrMZ4wsQkZXSg3ydEXj3QhEiI9voe3hNAlECprTWiazgDhYd9ZUw4fdx0micwHWQU7YsFJKza3Cj7kCfi5M5w1jeF_ZRueQA1EwBnZTxUHVr_VQR2Nns/s640/July+10%252C+2017+032+adj.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see two completed hooks next to the water bucket</td></tr>
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For the initial turn, I just stuck the end in the vice and bent it, then tuned it up with the hammer until I was happy with it.<br />
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Cheap, easy, and effective!<br />
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And while we're on the subject of cheap, effective fire containers made from powdered milk cans, check out my latest video:<br />
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<br />The Tinker Thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04656168700633683161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3827211772324184785.post-82806799713198408632016-07-17T19:07:00.000-04:002016-07-17T21:01:41.789-04:00Project: $10 DIY Softbox<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_MYzCuVujlG-oxrlFGxASXFrqKjJZIujmseze4Mm9XdmwNnzl5-DDeEl4Bb3gss6s6WnAHBzE_KGj-YRC2PjmjNw5iii_DoLFrp_fmtjSIeOnZkLq8Btf6oig9M7L4CehWW8zgPmRTco/s640/July+17%252C+2016+057.jpg" style="display: none;" />
Anyone who has ever dabbled in photography will tell you that the most important thing about taking photos is <i>light</i>.<br />
<br />
Finding light, creating light, manipulating light. Harsh light, soft light, direct or indirect? The "Golden Hour" before sunset. Backlight, fill light, key light, blah, blah, blah. <br />
<br />
I count myself among those who dabble in photography.<br />
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I say dabble, because although it is something I have enjoyed for many years (starting in my early 20s with a Canon AE-1 that was made the year I was born), I can't claim to be very good at it. I have TONS to learn, particularly in the area of using light<i>.</i><br />
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Like most photographers, I prefer natural light. It's fun to find the perfect light on a subject and capture it. However, it's not always adequate for what I want/need. A couple of years ago, I purchased a Canon Speedlite 430EX II to help me get indoor shots of events here at Etnos. Recently, I have begun putting time into learning (via YouTube) how to use it to improve my portraits. <br />
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The problem is that a naked flash, by itself, creates very harsh, direct light and it takes special effort to enlarge and disperse the light source to make it more appealing. I would venture to guess that most studios have as much $$$ accumulated in lighting gear as they do in cameras and lenses.<br />
<br />
I don't have the disposable cash, so I have to use a bit of tinker-thinker to make it happen. A quick internet search shows that others have successfully done the same.<br />
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One of the products I have seen recommended for mobile portrait photography is the <a href="https://www.manfrotto.com/nbsp-2617ab">Lastolite Ezybox</a>. I decided to make my own, on the cheap.<br />
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I started with a styrofoam 6-pack cooler ($4 at the supermarket) which has a similar trapezoidal shape and a reflective windshield cover ($3, same supermarket).<br />
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I cut a hole to fit the flash in the bottom of the cooler, using a Sawzall blade. I set it as close to center as I could without the front edge of the cooler appearing in the frame at the widest setting of my 18-250 Sigma lens. It fits snug enough that I don't even need to strap it onto the flash, at this point.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb-NQvMoQBRnAWwJHbrDeSLE6PTrN2KIo9CjHgbWMKJOZ6E0gbBOdbR9A_FKFXVHcPpphfDxR92poQJtSoNbD6YQnS4taHl9YhlbGHL5Xz2wlXRONgN4hd3as3ug1KXEAqySwn_CVB_K8/s1600/July+17%252C+2016+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb-NQvMoQBRnAWwJHbrDeSLE6PTrN2KIo9CjHgbWMKJOZ6E0gbBOdbR9A_FKFXVHcPpphfDxR92poQJtSoNbD6YQnS4taHl9YhlbGHL5Xz2wlXRONgN4hd3as3ug1KXEAqySwn_CVB_K8/s640/July+17%252C+2016+012.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs8jVLcVkDeh9jchZVx5lDYr1fhnWSGwH2iCjyzTQNeK_4Z1frAlz4V9jerFtnk4PMNNWtuk5u2NFtGk3ZUGyiG_xvwKTyrte4_XEjPtJtTMZBiegWZvEbQqNMhZs5YTGllxducPhXtts/s1600/July+17%252C+2016+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs8jVLcVkDeh9jchZVx5lDYr1fhnWSGwH2iCjyzTQNeK_4Z1frAlz4V9jerFtnk4PMNNWtuk5u2NFtGk3ZUGyiG_xvwKTyrte4_XEjPtJtTMZBiegWZvEbQqNMhZs5YTGllxducPhXtts/s640/July+17%252C+2016+014.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The reflector is basically just foil on bubble wrap, but it is very sturdy and <i>very</i> reflective. I used one to <a href="http://www.unavidaparacristo.org/2014/08/solar-cooking.html">make a simple solar oven two years ago</a>. I used a razor knife to cut it to fit inside the cooler and borrowed my wife's hot glue gun to stick it down.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDjq_WqbVzviDF8kTMu0rdfXrqzSngEX0jfLpq7mLlFtpyH4ooDhr41lA8H0xunTMBtKJ11smwrnmAeCoduNYgHz8Ozr7UFJJmCKmklDtQA1-Rsl1Q1I9Pegg6NUFJLihyl8ELoLWFxVQ/s1600/July+17%252C+2016+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDjq_WqbVzviDF8kTMu0rdfXrqzSngEX0jfLpq7mLlFtpyH4ooDhr41lA8H0xunTMBtKJ11smwrnmAeCoduNYgHz8Ozr7UFJJmCKmklDtQA1-Rsl1Q1I9Pegg6NUFJLihyl8ELoLWFxVQ/s640/July+17%252C+2016+016.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRt45Nq6gePeUWf3Ol4PXcdGi5Ufl07jvJda1-g9EAivrhKttaX6_U2jszZsWh9jfv_7LleiwK3_eQxDJb0aEdnYtZXAuYYZp1bFuoEYEpUMut6XXr39wOSODkS-YOW7VJPiOWLP_Ga8I/s1600/July+17%252C+2016+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRt45Nq6gePeUWf3Ol4PXcdGi5Ufl07jvJda1-g9EAivrhKttaX6_U2jszZsWh9jfv_7LleiwK3_eQxDJb0aEdnYtZXAuYYZp1bFuoEYEpUMut6XXr39wOSODkS-YOW7VJPiOWLP_Ga8I/s640/July+17%252C+2016+018.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The biggest question is what material to use on the cover, to disperse and soften the light. There are lots of options, but the most important factors to consider are color and density. For now, I just went with what I had available: a bit of white sheet that my wife had laying around in her sewing room. I used a long length of velcro cable wrap to attach it, so it is easily removable.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_MYzCuVujlG-oxrlFGxASXFrqKjJZIujmseze4Mm9XdmwNnzl5-DDeEl4Bb3gss6s6WnAHBzE_KGj-YRC2PjmjNw5iii_DoLFrp_fmtjSIeOnZkLq8Btf6oig9M7L4CehWW8zgPmRTco/s1600/July+17%252C+2016+057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_MYzCuVujlG-oxrlFGxASXFrqKjJZIujmseze4Mm9XdmwNnzl5-DDeEl4Bb3gss6s6WnAHBzE_KGj-YRC2PjmjNw5iii_DoLFrp_fmtjSIeOnZkLq8Btf6oig9M7L4CehWW8zgPmRTco/s640/July+17%252C+2016+057.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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So there it is. It's ugly, but does it work? I took a few quick shots of Addi in her homeschool classroom, to find out! I left Canon SL1 where it was at ISO1600 in Program mode and left the flash in ETTL mode, with the lens at 50mm.<br />
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The photos are as follows:<br />
1. Ambient light (f5, 1/13)<br />
2. Bare flash (f5, 1/60)<br />
3. Flash with built-in diffuser card in place (f5, 1/60)<br />
4. With the new softbox (f5, 1/60)<br />
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The final photo (with the softbox) is definitely the closest to ambient light, with much softer shadows and highlights compared to the other flashed shots. I left all the settings the same in order to best show the difference, so it came out a little darker, which is easily fixable in camera or in post. After tweaking the lighting a little, it looks like this:<br />
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There you have it. Less than $10-worth of materials, about an hour's time, and I've got a very workable softbox!The Tinker Thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04656168700633683161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3827211772324184785.post-90388838072318988702016-07-11T12:58:00.000-04:002016-07-17T20:43:19.220-04:00Expedition: Jardín de las Delicias<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Y8XZo8-zrfU/V3vXUZAjmAI/AAAAAAAABac/zL8AET07aCQb7SrwzI7l3Neigfkn8nPgACCo/s640/July%2B02%252C%2B2016%2B063_stitch%2Badj.jpg" style="display: none;" />
Thirteen years ago, I had the privilege of taking an aerial tour of Santa Cruz, during which I photographed a beautiful waterfall surrounded by jungle. I haven't thought much about it since, but when some friends mentioned driving out to a waterfall west of us a couple months ago, my curiosity was piqued and I started researching it. I think it's the same one, but unfortunately, the photo I took is a 35mm print buried in our storage in MT, so I can't be sure.<br />
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(Update: a friend sent me photos! See below!)<br />
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<a href="http://www.unavidaparacristo.org/2016/07/english-practicum-2016-and-another.html">My nephew Michael was here the past three weeks</a> and I figured this was the best option to get out of the city and give him a good look at the surrounding countryside. We were hoping that Jilmer (an Etnos student) would come along to make the most of his <a href="http://www.unavidaparacristo.org/2016/07/english-practicum-2016-and-another.html">English practicum</a>, but it didn't work out.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjitQYVnVSneCnpeMNtH8gLdp62gk6WLD5QzHg2Qye0OVAvVc_-FsWRSCZDdpRYzMhjUd0Bo_x7Js0YdpF9VDN9nvRFc2sTnpi2OdgRAzw3y5R9siH0ki5l8p7kdTgOA0N0rLC219TYaWM/s1600/July+02%252C+2016+187+adj2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjitQYVnVSneCnpeMNtH8gLdp62gk6WLD5QzHg2Qye0OVAvVc_-FsWRSCZDdpRYzMhjUd0Bo_x7Js0YdpF9VDN9nvRFc2sTnpi2OdgRAzw3y5R9siH0ki5l8p7kdTgOA0N0rLC219TYaWM/s400/July+02%252C+2016+187+adj2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of many mandarin orchards we passed</td></tr>
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The trip out to Jardín de las Delicias (Garden of Delights) took us about 3 hours, the first half of which was spent crossing and get out of the city. Then, at the town of El Torno, we turned off the highway and crossed the Río Piraí.<br />
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That's where the adventure started.<br />
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I made the rookie mistake of following my map instead of asking locally about the river crossing. It was a bit deeper than I was planning. A Land Cruiser "taxi" stopped on the other bank to watch us cross!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio9HCtXOmPWHi5dlSavLYLjxaYxXDTwUoflZbGIW8AAw0ZFWpBFECXNB_2Kje8gNcEVJje6bbpC7-sCPvHunVP_v8O0KQXdqsG-mGoGljIlpGloMRJb1bLN9DfFVznAfbxn52u8bIwDXw/s1600/Untitled-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio9HCtXOmPWHi5dlSavLYLjxaYxXDTwUoflZbGIW8AAw0ZFWpBFECXNB_2Kje8gNcEVJje6bbpC7-sCPvHunVP_v8O0KQXdqsG-mGoGljIlpGloMRJb1bLN9DfFVznAfbxn52u8bIwDXw/s400/Untitled-5.jpg" width="700" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screenshot from the GoPro as we hit the middle of the river</td></tr>
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The Patrol powered through it and we continued on our way. We filmed the whole trip in with the GoPro stuck on the Patrol, but at 1.5 hours, it's a pretty long film. So I cut it down to the most interesting bits, which is much easier to watch, under 15 minutes:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/LeXPqLGVYZs/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="393" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LeXPqLGVYZs?feature=player_embedded" width="700"></iframe></div>
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I titled it "Cruisers and Crossings" because the vehicle of choice back there is the Toyota Land Cruiser pickup, often with a tarp canopy as you can see in the video thumbnail, and the best part about the drive was the ~35 water crossings that we made (one way). We're a few weeks out of rainy season, so they were all pretty low, but it was a good time.<br />
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<a href="https://youtu.be/LFzUm1G8VhM">(Click here if you want to see the full, 85 minute version)</a><br />
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Of course, once we got to Jardín de las Delicias, we had plenty to take photos of, as well. The park has four waterfalls total, but due to the landscape, it takes an hour and a half to get to the second (tallest) one. If would have been a fun hike, but we didn't have the time. We contented ourselves with the first, which is 90 meters tall (295 feet) and just a 20 minute walk to the bottom.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nxI86nSprPw/V3vXLNqpMDI/AAAAAAAABac/G3aDyIg7FQYyVaP586YNthWe8TFqR4KZQCKgB/s1600/July%2B02%252C%2B2016%2B019%2Badj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nxI86nSprPw/V3vXLNqpMDI/AAAAAAAABac/G3aDyIg7FQYyVaP586YNthWe8TFqR4KZQCKgB/s400/July%2B02%252C%2B2016%2B019%2Badj.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Overlooking the 295-foot cascade</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5dGPmwIBUBU/V3vXKn_YzoI/AAAAAAAABac/GcAFUi82VZQG3UxvJ3J4SFeLlu-cbplwACKgB/s1600/July%2B02%252C%2B2016%2B049%2Badj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5dGPmwIBUBU/V3vXKn_YzoI/AAAAAAAABac/GcAFUi82VZQG3UxvJ3J4SFeLlu-cbplwACKgB/s400/July%2B02%252C%2B2016%2B049%2Badj.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Overlooking the 295-foot cascade</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fVz9td2afFc/V3vXQ2YTgaI/AAAAAAAABac/j69fk17jexoQt5PtJxoQfcL112ew5n81wCKgB/s1600/July%2B02%252C%2B2016%2B053%2Badj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fVz9td2afFc/V3vXQ2YTgaI/AAAAAAAABac/j69fk17jexoQt5PtJxoQfcL112ew5n81wCKgB/s400/July%2B02%252C%2B2016%2B053%2Badj.jpg" width="333" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The drastic break in the landscape requires some well-built stairs</td></tr>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-691gU9YLmxI/V3vXRN0h8mI/AAAAAAAABac/dxBc1I-HGdIYNsFB8mDjcP8qyEPU92eFQCKgB/s1600/July%2B02%252C%2B2016%2B056%2Badj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-691gU9YLmxI/V3vXRN0h8mI/AAAAAAAABac/dxBc1I-HGdIYNsFB8mDjcP8qyEPU92eFQCKgB/s400/July%2B02%252C%2B2016%2B056%2Badj.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y8XZo8-zrfU/V3vXUZAjmAI/AAAAAAAABac/5kluoAeJbM0pU3-dAkvubATyLhpyICG2ACKgB/s1600/July%2B02%252C%2B2016%2B063_stitch%2Badj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y8XZo8-zrfU/V3vXUZAjmAI/AAAAAAAABac/5kluoAeJbM0pU3-dAkvubATyLhpyICG2ACKgB/s640/July%2B02%252C%2B2016%2B063_stitch%2Badj.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First waterfall: 295 feet (try to spot Michael on the left)</td></tr>
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I also made a couple of high megapixel, interactive panoramas so you can get "into" the photo. <br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(You may be prompted to install the Microsoft Silverlight browser extension)</span><br />
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Overlook from the top (120mp): <a href="https://photosynth.net/view/5b3f707a-b685-4ee0-b89b-b3598369d848">https://photosynth.net/view/5b3f707a-b685-4ee0-b89b-b3598369d848</a><br />
Waterfall from below (100mp): <a href="https://photosynth.net/view/9939dc0b-b10d-4a22-9c0d-da014644b385">https://photosynth.net/view/9939dc0b-b10d-4a22-9c0d-da014644b385</a><br />
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The park has only been developed in the past 10 years or so and is run by a cooperative of 17 members of the community who take turns manning the station and guiding tours. The installations were built with the help of an NGO a few years ago. There are rooms to stay in, a camping area, picnic shelter, BBQ, and kitchen that are very nicely done.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qFF9a3e1Kq4/V4QSERuofZI/AAAAAAAABeA/MyS_La9eC1gqpEvtmfmSv1BjwfPpGxt3QCKgB/s1600/July%2B02%252C%2B2016%2B153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qFF9a3e1Kq4/V4QSERuofZI/AAAAAAAABeA/MyS_La9eC1gqpEvtmfmSv1BjwfPpGxt3QCKgB/s640/July%2B02%252C%2B2016%2B153.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome center</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-71qifSCi9xw/V4QSEzqpkbI/AAAAAAAABds/o39FrMD7YW0m6V-iWa-eihMscKEcfueFQCKgB/s640/July%2B02%252C%2B2016%2B146.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picnic shelter, BBQ, and kitchen</td></tr>
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On the way back out, we took more time to take photos of the scenery<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jhouSmU9RIg/V4PNMHmMbDI/AAAAAAAABdY/u_QvN2zR0SMc0wfqFxD5ukAXSU9Pd6DwgCKgB/s1600/July%2B02%252C%2B2016%2B156%2Badj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jhouSmU9RIg/V4PNMHmMbDI/AAAAAAAABdY/u_QvN2zR0SMc0wfqFxD5ukAXSU9Pd6DwgCKgB/s640/July%2B02%252C%2B2016%2B156%2Badj.jpg" width="333" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A house in the neighborhood, with solar panel</td></tr>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zCLdDuGUyw8/V3vXZaGGS8I/AAAAAAAABac/AYPeM3XCCO4sxG6ML_lHFCRSCX1J1DlggCKgB/s1600/July%2B02%252C%2B2016%2B165%2Badj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zCLdDuGUyw8/V3vXZaGGS8I/AAAAAAAABac/AYPeM3XCCO4sxG6ML_lHFCRSCX1J1DlggCKgB/s640/July%2B02%252C%2B2016%2B165%2Badj.jpg" width="333" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wJ7Z01L722w/V3vXbX_EOOI/AAAAAAAABak/tR4pvG3H0iIAwTOyOTeKYKqveBuBWBvhQCKgB/s1600/July%2B02%252C%2B2016%2B174%2Badj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wJ7Z01L722w/V3vXbX_EOOI/AAAAAAAABak/tR4pvG3H0iIAwTOyOTeKYKqveBuBWBvhQCKgB/s640/July%2B02%252C%2B2016%2B174%2Badj.jpg" width="333" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1n_FKq0rYYE/V3vXeBIvy2I/AAAAAAAABak/F-oYkKIjGuEpgK5a-ALjr34FqaHVonDDgCKgB/s1600/July%2B02%252C%2B2016%2B181%2Badj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1n_FKq0rYYE/V3vXeBIvy2I/AAAAAAAABak/F-oYkKIjGuEpgK5a-ALjr34FqaHVonDDgCKgB/s640/July%2B02%252C%2B2016%2B181%2Badj.jpg" width="333" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bright pink <i>tajibo</i> tree and Land Cruiser</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>UPDATE!!</b></span><br />
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I contacted the four others that were also on that flight 13 years ago, and my friend <a href="http://joiningtheheavens.blogspot.com/">Alana</a> sent me these photos! The waterfall in the foreground is the lower falls, which we didn't see. The one I photographed is the smaller one in the background. I definitely want to go back and see the BIG one!<br />
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<br />The Tinker Thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04656168700633683161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3827211772324184785.post-41671501276318896102015-12-14T17:50:00.002-04:002016-01-19T13:00:04.921-04:00Backyard Sled LauncherWinter in Montana is pretty much the opposite of any season in Santa Cruz, so we want to give the girls as many opportunities to enjoy it as possible. We have taken them sledding in the mountains a couple times already, but they can't get enough.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sledding at the Bridger Bowl ski resort in November</td></tr>
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That said, we can't take them out to a sled hill every time they get a hankering for some downhill fun.</div>
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Over the summer, I asked the framing carpenters at the construction site next door if I could scavenge material from their trash trailer, which they gladly accepted. I built some shelves for our storage shed with it, but had some left.</div>
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So I built a sled launcher!</div>
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The horizontal deck is 42" from the ground and the sled run is about 72" long and 24" wide. It is pretty basic construction that wouldn't win any awards, but it was cheap, considering all I bought was the screws! <br />
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I finished it a week ago during the warm snap. Last night and this morning we finally got the big snow that we needed to make it work! As I shoveled the back sidewalk this morning, I threw the snow at the base, to make a smoother transition. </div>
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Addi and Lydia (Anne is traveling with Kaylee's mom) tried it out today with their neighbor friends: </div>
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The Tinker Thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04656168700633683161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3827211772324184785.post-12109654514521585242015-04-19T14:06:00.000-04:002015-05-02T16:04:25.227-04:00Tinker Tools: Generator Repair (and a new skill, to boot!)Almost 3 years ago now, I bought a Homelite generator from another missionary. Just a small 110v, 500W unit that would make a nice backup for power outages or working in the country. It's extremely compact and easy to take along. It even has a 12v output for charging car batteries! Of course, at the time, we were planning on living in the jungle, so it would have been extra handy. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzOsSb0U0-YvOaIr5fpB3TvwlHMYJJdaOqUZP2wRv3RtIaM_W78AhgdrNuVr9qLOrQ6G78inlGQMMazF7Cx9Q9KUTpjLNx52ceEXS3_MLN78ELM3QbF4529C7hE1dEiC_uA0WgoiR29K8/s1600/April+23,+2013+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzOsSb0U0-YvOaIr5fpB3TvwlHMYJJdaOqUZP2wRv3RtIaM_W78AhgdrNuVr9qLOrQ6G78inlGQMMazF7Cx9Q9KUTpjLNx52ceEXS3_MLN78ELM3QbF4529C7hE1dEiC_uA0WgoiR29K8/s1600/April+23,+2013+005.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This photo and the next one were taken April 23, 2013 -- the last time I worked on it! :oops:</td></tr>
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However, the first time I tried it out, it started leaking gasoline all over the place. Naturally, I pulled it apart, assuming it was a bad fuel line and easily fixable. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. :(<br />
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Turns out, the fuel tank had broken at some point and someone tried to fix it. The main outlet at the base of the tank was evidently a plastic nipple that had broken off. It had been replaced with a metal nipple that was just threaded through the thin tank wall. It wasn't holding fuel and neither was a joint halfway up the tank where the fuel gauge used to be.<br />
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I honestly didn't know what to do with it. I tried a couple of different epoxies here, but the gasoline ate right through them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqeWXrq1mV6PhxmmLFsiASvYXJrzT4bpWPR3A_KqczBrOnpgXfJAkuoLh_s-6zccR2qec2vPey2eXEsXgroF8KZLurSSkfRHj0-JKEki8o3woEb52nenr1iuaePwdOqTsajNQ4SJf0Ouk/s1600/April+23,+2013+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqeWXrq1mV6PhxmmLFsiASvYXJrzT4bpWPR3A_KqczBrOnpgXfJAkuoLh_s-6zccR2qec2vPey2eXEsXgroF8KZLurSSkfRHj0-JKEki8o3woEb52nenr1iuaePwdOqTsajNQ4SJf0Ouk/s1600/April+23,+2013+003.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My attempts to fix it with epoxy were completely futile</td></tr>
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While we were in the US a couple months later, I ordered a replacement tank from Sears, but their customer service being what it is the past few years, I received an email once a week for 6 months saying it was back-ordered, even though the website said "In Stock." :bangsheadonwall:<br />
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Ultimately, I didn't have the time to fuss with it, so it has just been taking up space among my tools for 2 years.<br />
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Now that the kitchen is done, I was feeling my freedom a bit yesterday and decided to tear into it. I had done some reading on plastic welding and I knew (from "buying" one online) that the tank is made of ABS. I have plenty of scraps of ABS pipe around. So I tried it out.<br />
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The basic principles of plastic welding are similar to steel welding: two pieces of similar material heated and melted together using another piece of the same material as filler.<br />
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Because it is a relatively small project, I used a candle and my old 40-watt soldering iron to do the job. The candle is for general heating and the soldering iron is for mixing it all together.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmMo8Xi2xdoFq8aVcdX_AhFuISh5yMv_KViXRZUiCV2bf76uqFdtbd_ya_OpY2IF3iwgCK0CO_vKO9uBUtYHuQmPobY2ZMaFn8YuxtxZiPISoxyMBaoXQYDBXJuQxFmiFrKT9KCXBYEpU/s1600/April+19,+2015+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmMo8Xi2xdoFq8aVcdX_AhFuISh5yMv_KViXRZUiCV2bf76uqFdtbd_ya_OpY2IF3iwgCK0CO_vKO9uBUtYHuQmPobY2ZMaFn8YuxtxZiPISoxyMBaoXQYDBXJuQxFmiFrKT9KCXBYEpU/s1600/April+19,+2015+007.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I cut bits off of the pipe (left) that were easier to work with. Yes, that's a custom handle on the soldering iron. The original one was plastic and melted. :P</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNzwWHfAO15xeW2lR2VipfPb47U9gQuKMts1wEYc037HWtZX8ctQ4QxFv0BSO6yYcm6EE_UBH0ETR3nJOhMjR5kM3lvyRI5QHTDGNGqVGS52b4BUQom7PW4ceSNGwm4qWuM4LO8R0UENQ/s1600/April+19,+2015+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNzwWHfAO15xeW2lR2VipfPb47U9gQuKMts1wEYc037HWtZX8ctQ4QxFv0BSO6yYcm6EE_UBH0ETR3nJOhMjR5kM3lvyRI5QHTDGNGqVGS52b4BUQom7PW4ceSNGwm4qWuM4LO8R0UENQ/s1600/April+19,+2015+014.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heat the filler over the candle until it is melting and on fire</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJ8bWdP6jivpIr5wF6TADEzrbEXn6qRMcaS27xo6T11dkmsyoM2B1E4V4sA-pDM6n_Dn8rHcykCG9QOtSM0JTyC6ZTCJ7kTt00ntH4cPWIFmqWwmbGwU0xIXvVmWglNlAx_m3sehxxj8/s1600/April+19,+2015+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJ8bWdP6jivpIr5wF6TADEzrbEXn6qRMcaS27xo6T11dkmsyoM2B1E4V4sA-pDM6n_Dn8rHcykCG9QOtSM0JTyC6ZTCJ7kTt00ntH4cPWIFmqWwmbGwU0xIXvVmWglNlAx_m3sehxxj8/s1600/April+19,+2015+017.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stuff it into the joint and use the soldering iron to mix it into the other two pieces (which should also be hot/warm)</td></tr>
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I originally tried to just build up the plastic around the nipple the way I did with the epoxy, but it just kept leaking and I couldn't control the size of the hole in the tank very well. So I cut a piece of pipe, drilled a hole in it, and threaded the nipple all the way into it. Then I filled in around the threads that stuck through the backside. Then, when it was ready, I welded it onto the tank as a single unit. I don't have photos of that process because it was late last night and I was trying to get it done.<br />
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Here's how it looks, all finished:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ZTUZqCqOSD4MgyGiMvWA2Y_Mc-P0n0gJB4SajV98Gx2f8UPhZFQqiIceF0UWs9_VgnpJ1qR2ERRhUfkppLmI6bHmsh_j2jDyEcCPvUvZQQBSFNH8IDfGIpgmk1zQdk1gNlWrxD-vY0M/s1600/April+19,+2015+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ZTUZqCqOSD4MgyGiMvWA2Y_Mc-P0n0gJB4SajV98Gx2f8UPhZFQqiIceF0UWs9_VgnpJ1qR2ERRhUfkppLmI6bHmsh_j2jDyEcCPvUvZQQBSFNH8IDfGIpgmk1zQdk1gNlWrxD-vY0M/s1600/April+19,+2015+003.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here you can see the two patches - one just left of center, where the gauge was, and the other just below center, where the hose comes out</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0OVo0SmJWmW9Wkoq3My__ZpV4QIP7yM-aY6GuXpyFG41hOQDdTNyJnAdpNbPdDDKKE355ue9RL4VgjZZ2OitHV70n5aXsxaJG9Rm15R7iVKJ9WH1KILnvNSwonS_eaNpACShDfT9LCzw/s1600/April+19,+2015+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0OVo0SmJWmW9Wkoq3My__ZpV4QIP7yM-aY6GuXpyFG41hOQDdTNyJnAdpNbPdDDKKE355ue9RL4VgjZZ2OitHV70n5aXsxaJG9Rm15R7iVKJ9WH1KILnvNSwonS_eaNpACShDfT9LCzw/s1600/April+19,+2015+005.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not pretty, but apparently effective. The teflon is from a roll left behind by the guys that changed the natural gas in our kitchen, so I'm hoping it is the petroleum-resistant type ;)</td></tr>
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I left it sit all night with gas in the tank and was very disappointed this morning to find it seeping. :( I pulled it apart again and low and behold, all my joints were dry and the hose was leaking from the other end! After a new bit of hose, it's dry as can be!<br />
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Although I don't have so much need for it now that we're living "in town," we still do have an occasional outage, and it will be nice to be able to run lights or the few other things I have in 110v: Dremel, coffee grinder, battery chargers for cameras and cordless drills, laptop and internet. . . ;)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQcwU6Ou92xOBc31SS-06nzjBr_OrBPuWCVaevf2u4ilS_gY2hgxf_D3qkiGXDhQhurZM499lhhxk7YVHSET0rPlPzcptIlEtjvWCyIoNVPd_5dfFCWqdKVeLGVWnqsKePYWkdzU4vrEk/s1600/April+19,+2015+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQcwU6Ou92xOBc31SS-06nzjBr_OrBPuWCVaevf2u4ilS_gY2hgxf_D3qkiGXDhQhurZM499lhhxk7YVHSET0rPlPzcptIlEtjvWCyIoNVPd_5dfFCWqdKVeLGVWnqsKePYWkdzU4vrEk/s1600/April+19,+2015+006.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to go!</td></tr>
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<br />The Tinker Thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04656168700633683161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3827211772324184785.post-13975534923546796362015-04-18T17:52:00.002-04:002015-04-21T11:43:24.095-04:00The Kitchen Remodel: Finished!Hurray, our kitchen is back to normal and better than ever! I finished the paint yesterday and Kaylee made a curtain for the window today.<br />
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<a href="http://thetinkerthinker.blogspot.com/2015/03/kitchen-remodel-part-1.html">Click here for Kitchen Remodel: Part 1</a> <a href="http://thetinkerthinker.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-kitchen-remodel-part-2.html">Click here for Kitchen Remodel: Part 2</a><br />
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Here it is:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi28F0p2YtPzzL5mi__tmmTO4X5z2ahw-BG_opWLRllGijNGMCKF0p8KXSusBrc5msdAtOf_K9LbKAJgQ0zfAnaaPH7N4aN7Pv3eYj8Nf6hwxY5ZIJ6RqYk0C8FLobmzYfeugR6-Dutgs0/s1600/April+18,+2015+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi28F0p2YtPzzL5mi__tmmTO4X5z2ahw-BG_opWLRllGijNGMCKF0p8KXSusBrc5msdAtOf_K9LbKAJgQ0zfAnaaPH7N4aN7Pv3eYj8Nf6hwxY5ZIJ6RqYk0C8FLobmzYfeugR6-Dutgs0/s1600/April+18,+2015+013.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
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Of course, now I'm self conscious about how the ceiling looks. It's not nearly so noticeable in person (the flash highlights the patches). We want to get new lighting, with better placement, which means that I'll have to re-do some of the ceiling anyway and will finish it then.<br />
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As an added bonus to the way we cut the cabinets, this upper cabinet now looks like it belongs there! It was so strange before.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzU4IEzfzAkkAe2fIT1l_jiraCDqbpwrX3MSBGki3VUItjso2N5xDsu0pbJDoQm0cTtcSZ7rB_7qRpcOoD3vKnU9K6jeZ_IG75aqqtPtJiya2dJzuf0q1oidu8WZTeh4TvYfzK1LjPE-s/s1600/April+18,+2015+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzU4IEzfzAkkAe2fIT1l_jiraCDqbpwrX3MSBGki3VUItjso2N5xDsu0pbJDoQm0cTtcSZ7rB_7qRpcOoD3vKnU9K6jeZ_IG75aqqtPtJiya2dJzuf0q1oidu8WZTeh4TvYfzK1LjPE-s/s1600/April+18,+2015+016.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXvihKs6y_b_GqSv22kPOfWdOSHAjKDZ1ggQAxx3W0RWP0UWLvEv-k3sgbNIy-Hbk6OISTZFIwZmMnjjtVESU7nrTcylYVUMLSfwaE5m8DDUUubFnzkXs5VOvuikW5eXtKvAX0-piguQ/s1600/April+18,+2015+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXvihKs6y_b_GqSv22kPOfWdOSHAjKDZ1ggQAxx3W0RWP0UWLvEv-k3sgbNIy-Hbk6OISTZFIwZmMnjjtVESU7nrTcylYVUMLSfwaE5m8DDUUubFnzkXs5VOvuikW5eXtKvAX0-piguQ/s1600/April+18,+2015+018.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-DOPNoGUVNxYDHLKFRSgkyCAwO1xtT48UcUkSNScNAX9k2CcLzzdMbj5hN6yh9mosIgZfaTXsxPcbOTfkuAABU_KaSbPvNyGASUV031P1-De91MU0bmolsfcu_s65jAa2hRLFRaTdZ78/s1600/April+18,+2015+020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-DOPNoGUVNxYDHLKFRSgkyCAwO1xtT48UcUkSNScNAX9k2CcLzzdMbj5hN6yh9mosIgZfaTXsxPcbOTfkuAABU_KaSbPvNyGASUV031P1-De91MU0bmolsfcu_s65jAa2hRLFRaTdZ78/s1600/April+18,+2015+020.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here are the before and after photos:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmEJ74tpXMBqw26O-bvwJ9S2bNNUU6uVybbNPHm01GIyD7hKaYtOwPpvYSnBNrJ63ckrO_Q7R9lIl-dk6k-Vx1JxQMIBx_T7_zovi4rUWr51r4_Qk4_NL_-5-PgB_zKy1t45IcWnJd1c/s1600/Etnos+kitchen+remodel+2015,+before+and+after.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmEJ74tpXMBqw26O-bvwJ9S2bNNUU6uVybbNPHm01GIyD7hKaYtOwPpvYSnBNrJ63ckrO_Q7R9lIl-dk6k-Vx1JxQMIBx_T7_zovi4rUWr51r4_Qk4_NL_-5-PgB_zKy1t45IcWnJd1c/s1600/Etnos+kitchen+remodel+2015,+before+and+after.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a><br />
<br />The Tinker Thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04656168700633683161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3827211772324184785.post-31205436384299670792015-04-07T21:44:00.000-04:002015-04-19T14:47:39.770-04:00The Kitchen Remodel, Part 2I was hoping that by this date I would have been posting final photos of the progress, but here we are and it hasn't changed much. The small amount it <i>has</i> changed is significant, though.<br />
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We have been waiting, spinning our wheels for almost 2 weeks, waiting for the techs to come move our gas line so we could continue tiling the backsplash. I have fussed over the plaster and paint a lot, but we were at a standstill on everything else. <br />
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In the mean time, we did finish a project that I've been meaning to do for some time: plumbing hot water into the laundry room. Kaylee now has hot water for washing for the first time in 4 years! So it wasn't a complete waste.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiB-DZ2x0hyphenhyphenL75d1vwhReedhKXTgePjouWfI0LNsgivwVMmi__EeT-QkLE7M7J1iniGhJU0kWXcpTSPqSLnOYAIugBlQcueR_lU31p4nCXC3UybeYRd1-PxFyQK5eGrai48tbKkyvwLuc/s1600/April+03,+2014+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiB-DZ2x0hyphenhyphenL75d1vwhReedhKXTgePjouWfI0LNsgivwVMmi__EeT-QkLE7M7J1iniGhJU0kWXcpTSPqSLnOYAIugBlQcueR_lU31p4nCXC3UybeYRd1-PxFyQK5eGrai48tbKkyvwLuc/s1600/April+03,+2014+002.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This machine had never known the joy of a hot bath, but that has all been made right, now. ;)</td></tr>
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Anyhow, the gas guys came last night to drop off their tools, then spent all day today (8:30am-6:30 pm, minus a 2 hour lunch break) changing the gas line. Now we no longer have an ugly yellow-orange pipe in our kitchen!<br />
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Unfortunately, my dad and mom leave on Friday, so we only have two days left to work together. I was hoping we could finish it and have a week to sit around or find something fun to do. Oh well, it's good to work, too.<br />
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Here's how it looks tonight:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjgB1qtmKJnOUcjP6RKnK7y1ZvymYFv79vChWp4OlgDA6waqySygKfW_j8BB3bN-Yvvp60ImeSBEFAhiyY3FhA3pssJCA1_a149qs41CK_bZjE_FbHbstzuY3Wc3gMprRPSWyPLntwM2s/s1600/April+07,+2015+065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjgB1qtmKJnOUcjP6RKnK7y1ZvymYFv79vChWp4OlgDA6waqySygKfW_j8BB3bN-Yvvp60ImeSBEFAhiyY3FhA3pssJCA1_a149qs41CK_bZjE_FbHbstzuY3Wc3gMprRPSWyPLntwM2s/s1600/April+07,+2015+065.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's almost there!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDipoNmRPaHdhCNr4jmffDo57tAhMlcp47Vwr-uu1-C9HPQl5aLPKOnk60R49KqgTTZYX85ZMNbs79_7BSM1fXurWx8BEzpuFY5psXgxeG54BbTPtrkvJS7owewElge6LOYsZ3OqXxNNY/s1600/April+07,+2015+064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDipoNmRPaHdhCNr4jmffDo57tAhMlcp47Vwr-uu1-C9HPQl5aLPKOnk60R49KqgTTZYX85ZMNbs79_7BSM1fXurWx8BEzpuFY5psXgxeG54BbTPtrkvJS7owewElge6LOYsZ3OqXxNNY/s1600/April+07,+2015+064.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The silver handle above the stove is the required shut off</td></tr>
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<br />The Tinker Thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04656168700633683161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3827211772324184785.post-1318811681576958392015-03-22T16:13:00.000-04:002015-04-19T14:47:30.145-04:00Kitchen Remodel, Part 1The house we live in is the oldest one on the Etnos property and through the years it has been updated, remodeled, fixed, and modified by whomever happened to be living here at the time. After leaving it pretty well alone for over a year, we've decided to dirty our hands on it as well.<br />
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It started with finishing the guest bedroom upstairs, a project I did in December and January during the summer break. We have been tossing around ideas to remodel the kitchen for a year now and decided to take advantage of my dad being here.<br />
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The biggest problem with the kitchen was that the cabinets were not built for this space. They came from somewhere else and were just made to work. It wasn't terrible, but there were several things about it that were annoying and made it feel like it was half-done.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lRvZQtm6uOk/VQ7N3gw-L1I/AAAAAAAABOc/5dZB9nMcCCo/s1600/February%2B09%2C%2B2014%2B004_cr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lRvZQtm6uOk/VQ7N3gw-L1I/AAAAAAAABOc/5dZB9nMcCCo/s1600/February%2B09%2C%2B2014%2B004_cr.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lx0b-JgFciE/VQ7N236k4qI/AAAAAAAABOQ/7rqLgOplSjM/s1600/February%2B23%2C%2B2015%2B002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lx0b-JgFciE/VQ7N236k4qI/AAAAAAAABOQ/7rqLgOplSjM/s1600/February%2B23%2C%2B2015%2B002.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fridge was in front of the window at the left</td></tr>
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The biggest problem was the placement of the fridge: in front of the window, blocking the door (visually), and about 12 feet from the oven. Also, our fridge has the hinge on the right and cannot be swapped, so it opens into the doorway instead of into the kitchen.<br />
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In reality, it needed updating anyway: the Formica was stained and had holes in it and the sink wasn't sealed well and was starting to rot the cabinet.<br />
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We contemplated pulling everything out and having new cabinets built, but decided that it would be best to make the most of what we had. We threw some ideas around, had some fun with my design software, and decided to go with Kaylee's idea of splitting the corner cabinet and moving everything over. This is what it should look like, more or less:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UofHeZmON2I/VQ7N2yn5dDI/AAAAAAAABOU/ZVcOB9y1TIk/s1600/Etnos%2Bkitchen%2Bremodel%2B2015%2B(real).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UofHeZmON2I/VQ7N2yn5dDI/AAAAAAAABOU/ZVcOB9y1TIk/s1600/Etnos%2Bkitchen%2Bremodel%2B2015%2B%28real%29.jpg" height="449" width="640" /></a></div>
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The corner cabinet gets split, everything moves left to the doorway, bringing the sink under the window. The oven moves into the hole created, and the fridge moves over to where the oven was. It's not perfect, but it puts everything within reach and makes the space look more "finished."<br />
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We started on February 26 by getting the counter tops off and having a look at the cabinets, then splitting the corner.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X5Rg0qEv-sY/VQ7N565mVCI/AAAAAAAABOs/stfbQ51uRHU/s1600/February%2B26%2C%2B2015%2B004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X5Rg0qEv-sY/VQ7N565mVCI/AAAAAAAABOs/stfbQ51uRHU/s1600/February%2B26%2C%2B2015%2B004.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FIYt08qrVSk/VQ7N9dLz_LI/AAAAAAAABPE/qkoJts3gnP4/s1600/February%2B26%2C%2B2015%2B010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FIYt08qrVSk/VQ7N9dLz_LI/AAAAAAAABPE/qkoJts3gnP4/s1600/February%2B26%2C%2B2015%2B010.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Because I have to juggle my class and academic responsibilities, my dad is actually doing most of the work. He put backs on the cabinets, rebuilt the corner where we cut it, and made tops for them all. We looked into installing granite, but it was going to be $1000 and a lot of hassle, so we went the cheaper, easier route of Formica. We made the tops 4 inches wider than they were, so there's more counter space, leaving a gap in the back.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-88Bxcnvimjw/VQ7OEdd6msI/AAAAAAAABP0/jH_wo_QJ2xo/s1600/March%2B04%2C%2B2015%2B003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-88Bxcnvimjw/VQ7OEdd6msI/AAAAAAAABP0/jH_wo_QJ2xo/s1600/March%2B04%2C%2B2015%2B003.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corner cab with new side and back</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qCgGyMeju_s/VQ7OJMhQ03I/AAAAAAAABQU/DFT8IWmXCGk/s1600/March%2B11%2C%2B2015%2B001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qCgGyMeju_s/VQ7OJMhQ03I/AAAAAAAABQU/DFT8IWmXCGk/s1600/March%2B11%2C%2B2015%2B001.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thankfully, he has lots of Formica experience!</td></tr>
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So, here we are a month later, with only 2 weeks left to work! At this point, we need to set the tile backsplash, paint, and get the gas line moved. I have been dedicating myself to plastering the walls in between class work and we have taken some time off to do some gardening and make some changes to the girls' room.<br />
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Here's where we're at!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0wl-N30uun8/VQ8hdQqbXaI/AAAAAAAABSE/8Nn00yjgHYU/s1600/March%2B22%2C%2B2015%2B003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0wl-N30uun8/VQ8hdQqbXaI/AAAAAAAABSE/8Nn00yjgHYU/s1600/March%2B22%2C%2B2015%2B003.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We made the island wider as well, for more work space and so the bar stools fit better</td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3But-_GZQ7o/VQ8heDkLnhI/AAAAAAAABSM/waEcg5_d84s/s1600/March%2B22%2C%2B2015%2B004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3But-_GZQ7o/VQ8heDkLnhI/AAAAAAAABSM/waEcg5_d84s/s1600/March%2B22%2C%2B2015%2B004.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
The Tinker Thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04656168700633683161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3827211772324184785.post-78288946293828745792015-01-02T17:21:00.001-04:002015-03-22T15:18:48.538-04:00Project: Dollhouse Cubbies for Christmas!Perhaps the most fun that Kaylee and I have ever had giving a gift was two years ago when we bought <a href="http://playmatestoys.com/brands/hearts-for-hearts-girls">Hearts for Hearts</a> dolls for Christmas. We purchased the dolls, but we also <a href="http://thetinkerthinker.blogspot.com/2013/01/project-baby-beds.html">made beds and bought furniture</a> at a miniatures market. It was a month-long project that we both enjoyed and they have been a regular part of the girls' playtime ever since. Kaylee has also greatly expanded their wardrobe with various dresses, outfits, and jammies that she sews in her spare time.<br />
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The problem is that they have just been set up on the floor in the corner for the past two years. Not only does it make them a bit hard to play with, it's a poor use of space. When we decided to stay here a year ago, Kaylee started thinking that a cubby-style "house" might be the best way to get them off the floor, give the girls some more storage, and allow them to personalize their space.<br />
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Finally, last month I made it happen. It was a simple enough project, just some plywood and paint. I built the cabinets the week before Christmas and every time the girls asked me what they were, I said, "Oh, just some cabinets that Mommy asked me to make."<br />
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Kaylee did all the painting. She even mixed her own custom colors for the second floor of each.<br />
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Our big plan was to set them up the living room for Christmas morning, but we didn't realize that the girls already had plans. They had picked out jammies for Christmas Eve and outfits for the following morning and were planning to make a night of it. I convinced them that the dollies would enjoy camping next to the Christmas tree, so they set them up and then headed to bed themselves.<br />
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After giving them an hour or two to make sure they were sleeping and not going to show up with one of the 100 excuses they have, Mr. and Mrs. Clause got to work and this is what greeted Anne, Addi, and Lydia when they came downstairs on Christmas morning:<br />
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Kaylee had also made a new dress and scarf for each one and we found umbrellas just the right size in the market!<br />
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And finally, this is how their doll corner of the play room looks now:<br />
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<br />The Tinker Thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04656168700633683161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3827211772324184785.post-10365191295932471712014-12-05T22:57:00.000-04:002014-12-05T23:07:46.840-04:00Project: Baby WheelbarrowBefore I tell about this project, I have a confession to make. It's something I'm not proud of and is an area I want to actively improve in:<br />
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I grind my welds.<br />
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I know it doesn't sound like a big deal, but the fact is that I know people that strike an arc and leave beautiful little rivulets of newly-formed metal in their wake. I'm a fair hand with a MIG welder, but when I stick weld, it looks more like what my chickens leave all over their roost. Most of the problem is just inexperience, but it doesn't help that I have terribly unsteady hands. I've noticed that my technique is 100% better when I'm working with the back half of the stick.<br />
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So I grind them. I'm sorry.<br />
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Now then, about the project. Almost a year ago, Kaylee noticed a tiny little wheelbarrow hanging out near the house of our friends Willy and Eli, just a stone's throw away, here on campus. It looked rusty and beat up and the wheel was broken. She thought it would be fun for the girls to use, since they were making a little cash (from me) by picking up fallen mangoes, and encouraged me to talk to them about it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As it was, after I cut off the broken wheel and axle</td></tr>
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I asked Willy about it and he said that he had found it out and about and had grabbed it to fix up for the kids. He said that I could take it. Well, with the busyness of the school year and the other projects that I've had to do, combined with the quality of my welding, I kept putting it off until this week. It's mango season again and it would be the last opportunity for Lydia to use it, because it is so small!<br />
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I found a new wheel in the hardware market a couple weeks ago and finally got to work on it this week. <br />
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It's actually in better shape than I originally thought. As I gave it the wire wheel treatment, I realized 2 things: that it actually had very little rust (just funky paint) and that it was obviously made locally.<br />
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The biggest problem is that I wanted it to sit level, so I decided to cut the struts off the front and weld the axle directly to the frame. However, the frame is a very thin-walled pipe and the axle is a piece of 5/8" bolt. Not an easy job!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU5bpUIVOsVGDX4KAgg37dIxvTE1nNbxWJ4l96s2YhRPB-WsQwGHvbD2KGpS-BoW3_kZiTYlS4a-H53e0aI-P1TZf_S5dpX_PZB6MzmSrerhFgE7_arubyE-c7nDfW8dRltaSD00vLVOs/s1600/December+02,+2014+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU5bpUIVOsVGDX4KAgg37dIxvTE1nNbxWJ4l96s2YhRPB-WsQwGHvbD2KGpS-BoW3_kZiTYlS4a-H53e0aI-P1TZf_S5dpX_PZB6MzmSrerhFgE7_arubyE-c7nDfW8dRltaSD00vLVOs/s1600/December+02,+2014+007.jpg" height="400" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My awesome welding station. The key is to not drop molten steel into your boots. ;)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See, I told ya. I grind my welds.</td></tr>
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I made a terrible mess of the first side and ended up patching up quite a bit of the pipe that I burned out. I learned my lesson, though, and the other side went lickety-split!<br />
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I painted it green and black and turned it over to the 4-year old:<br />
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The Tinker Thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04656168700633683161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3827211772324184785.post-62477905767419123592014-09-11T20:26:00.001-04:002014-09-11T20:33:14.995-04:00Composter Results! Today was a perfect day for gardening:<br />
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1. After weeks of 90* temps, we hit a high today of 70*, thanks to a rainstorm that blew in overnight.<br />
2. I was all ready to teach my Friday class this morning to cover for a coworker, but he made it back from his trip in time and I didn't have any prep to do for tomorrow.<br />
3. Kaylee, who has stepped out of gardening duties due to a bug or plant that is driving her crazy out there, had a meeting at 3pm.<br />
4. I harvested the last of the cherry tomatoes this morning, leaving just a few onions and a couple cabbages in our plot.<br />
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So it really was the perfect opportunity to spend some time with my girls, digging in the dirt.<br />
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Well, when I say "dirt," what I really mean is sand. That's pretty much all it is. We didn't do anything to improve it on our last gardening attempt and it didn't produce much except cherry tomatoes and a few green beans and cukes. We're really hoping to change that with this composter.<br />
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I've been wondering how well it was working. I can't spin it with the door open, obviously, and I really hadn't rummaged around in it much until last week, although I could tell it was fairly mixed up. The girls and I set a 1/2-inch screen on the wheelbarrow and got to work!<br />
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Naturally, we talked about a lot as we worked, but the girls were very curious to know how weeds, grass clippings, chicken manure, lemon rinds, and a lot of other things turned into such nice dirt. They also wanted to know how it was going to help our garden. So they got some science knowledge out of the deal as well.<br />
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For my part, I was a bit shocked at how well it turned out. I thought that screening it that fine would surely leave a lot that wouldn't pass through. It turned out to be maybe 3 shovels-full of rocks, various fruit pits, and a few sticks that hadn't broken down. And the material we got was excellent!<br />
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After we finished cleaning it out, I loaded it up again with our dead tomato plants and then raked out the chicken yard again for the manure, wood shavings, and uneaten fruit/veggies. It's all loaded up and ready to start working again!<br />
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For details about the compost tumbler itself, see this post: <a href="http://thetinkerthinker.blogspot.com/2014/08/project-compost-tumbler.html">Project: Compost Tumbler</a>The Tinker Thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04656168700633683161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3827211772324184785.post-44572546137482717772014-08-29T18:58:00.002-04:002015-04-19T15:02:48.130-04:003 Small ProjectsOver the past few months I have made a few small things that definitely don't merit their own post, but I thought I would share them together.<br />
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Because of past knee and foot injuries, Kaylee needs low-impact exercise, so I bought her an elliptical last Christmas. She likes to read (a lot!) and it's nice to have something to do besides stare at the wall while you ellipticize, so I made her a low-tech holder for her Kindle:<br />
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During our winter break in July, most of the staff and students left campus for the better part of the month. I was doing some class preparation for this semester and preached at church once, but I also took the opportunity to build closets for Kaylee and I:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihNfpziXMcCNrH_BikBuw7ORDIGhmgaFKIMnZtn0tXvtSvGmpXCKbQ3bfCQupaqc8zFMx78AGshKNSh-5p4cqtRj1qwCNKVL5QYiyzufCRo04J43Oh0OWPf5sZUddTJ_7NqhrVgFNUPGQ/s1600/July+09,+2014+025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihNfpziXMcCNrH_BikBuw7ORDIGhmgaFKIMnZtn0tXvtSvGmpXCKbQ3bfCQupaqc8zFMx78AGshKNSh-5p4cqtRj1qwCNKVL5QYiyzufCRo04J43Oh0OWPf5sZUddTJ_7NqhrVgFNUPGQ/s1600/July+09,+2014+025.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kaylee needed room for her dresses to hang, but I wanted to giveher the most shelf<br />
space possible, so there is a cubby under her shirts and skirts.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDm1PST-Gd7cNf7xz2u_MyB2pTNzOpZsXqG5QRDuxtHvf0QXa0kuh71JGP3x_QtLjByDPPisEm5NJ7R9TtNDFdBbjSm8CtuAYyTH_5H5mxYnlDC-VxnpRosx6nXjvUXNdJriv7pSOSVY/s1600/July+15,+2014+021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDm1PST-Gd7cNf7xz2u_MyB2pTNzOpZsXqG5QRDuxtHvf0QXa0kuh71JGP3x_QtLjByDPPisEm5NJ7R9TtNDFdBbjSm8CtuAYyTH_5H5mxYnlDC-VxnpRosx6nXjvUXNdJriv7pSOSVY/s1600/July+15,+2014+021.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wanted my bar only high enough to hang my shirts, so the shelf is above,<br />
where it is easy to reach.</td></tr>
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This last one is just a silly 1-hour project to use a chunk of log that I found this afternoon. It's from a Paraíso (paradise) tree, which has a tough outer sheath, but a soft core that just falls to pieces once dead.<br />
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I traced the bottom and cut a plug for it with my jigsaw, then used a flap disc on the angle grinder to fit it in and used three 16d nails to hold it in place:<br />
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I used it to replant my cinnamon bush, which I got from a friend. This is the first plant to benefit from the<a href="http://thetinkerthinker.blogspot.com/2014/08/project-compost-tumbler.html"> composter I built in my last post</a>! Also, note our newest pet, Laurie the Amazon parrot!<br />
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<br />The Tinker Thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04656168700633683161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3827211772324184785.post-80222789573623524062014-08-05T18:04:00.000-04:002014-09-11T20:42:15.594-04:00Project: Compost TumblerAlthough our change in ministry has removed some of the <i>necessity</i> for me to be innovative and tinkerish, I still continue to work on projects. We can still benefit from them, it helps me stay sane, and it's just part of me.<br />
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Now that we're a bit more settled (can I really say that?), we have been trying our hand at chicken farming (5 hens) and gardening. We're not really actively involved in either, but want to improve and make the most of our resources. The dirt here is <b><i>very</i></b> sandy and it is tough to garden in, so we need some good compost to fix it up.<br />
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Ever since I first saw a commercial compost tumbler years ago, I have thought about making one. My parents have always had a compost pile for their garden and I wondered if we could "cook" it more efficiently. I have looked at many designs on the internet and had filed a few away "for the future," meaning: once we're settled.<br />
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During <a href="http://www.unavidaparacristo.org/2014/07/cla-english.html">our CLA English practicum in June</a>, I decided to finally build one, since I needed projects to do during which the students could spend time with me.<br />
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First, I bought a barrel and hauled it home:<br />
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Then I cut a hole in the side with my circular saw. It's just big enough to get my flat-bottom shovel into it easily.<br />
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I used rivets to re-attached the door with hinges and slide bolts.<br />
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There are a variety of ways to make it tumble. I chose to build a base with casters mounted on it upside down to support it. A note on this: I used some steel 2.5" casters that I had on hand, but they really need to be bigger, especially wider, with bearings. It's a bit hard to turn sometimes.<br />
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I put it out by the chicken house and I occasionally rake their yard to collect the manure, bedding (woodshavings), and leftover veggie scraps to throw in to it. I also throw in grass clippings and ash from the barbecue. It is definitely cooking! When I checked it at about 8:30 on this 64*F morning, it was steaming as I opened it and the sun had barely just hit it.<br />
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I can't wait to see if we get some good dirt out of it!<br />
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Update: We emptied it today! Read about it and see the results in <a href="http://thetinkerthinker.blogspot.com/2014/09/composter-results.html">this post here!</a>The Tinker Thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04656168700633683161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3827211772324184785.post-88580853569131559002014-03-31T21:23:00.001-04:002014-08-06T09:22:42.493-04:00El Castillo de los GatosOne of Kaylee's go-to sources for ideas of activities that she can do with the girls is the magazine <a href="http://www.parents.com/familyfun-magazine/">Family Fun</a>. Naturally, the girls also enjoy looking at the pictures and pestering Momma to do a project.<br />
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Anne was recently flipping through the latest issue and found a castle for kitties, made out of cardboard boxes. She asked Kaylee if they could make it for Shadow and Snowy and Kaylee told her, "That looks more like Daddy's area of expertise."<br />
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Well, why not. But also, why not do one better and make it out of that 3/16" plywood that I'm not using?<br />
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I had to put it off as we <a href="http://www.unavidaparacristo.org/2014/02/classes-and-floods.html">started classes here at Etnos</a>, <a href="http://www.unavidaparacristo.org/2014/02/flood-relief.html">dealt with flooding</a>, and the general craziness of things. Then we had a break, a two-day legal holiday for Carnaval. It was the perfect opportunity, and we made the most of it.<br />
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While the girls had class with Kaylee in the morning, I cut out the majority of the pieces and then we set to work in the afternoon. The girls got some good lessons in power tool use and safety and enjoyed the work.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lydia takes a turn at pre-drilling for screws</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anne used her own compass to mark the access holes for moving between levels</td></tr>
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We had a lot of curious passers-by throughout the afternoon as we worked. After the girls went to bed, I finished cutting out and installing the battlements, which completely the assembly.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I need a workbench :)</td></tr>
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The next day, the cats tried it out.<br />
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Of course we couldn't just leave it looking like that, so I painted it white and presented it as a canvas to my little artists, who decorated it as each saw fit.<br />
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Even Kaylee added her own touches:<br />
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Job done! And if those weren't enough cute little girl pictures for you, <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/114950304524810415297/ElCastilloDeLosGatos?authuser=0&feat=directlink">click here to see the whole Picasa album.</a><br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/114950304524810415297/ElCastilloDeLosGatos?authuser=0&feat=directlink"></a>The Tinker Thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04656168700633683161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3827211772324184785.post-27004502706749189832014-03-04T21:50:00.002-04:002016-01-19T12:54:14.585-04:00Don't Look BackYou may have noticed that I haven't posted here in awhile. As in, almost 5 months. Pretty crazy for a guy that is in the middle of something as epic as moving to the jungle for the rest of his life.<br />
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Except I'm not.<br />
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If you don't pay attention to our <a href="http://www.unavidaparacristo.org/">main blog</a>, you will have missed the memo that our lives have changed. A lot. To get up to speed, you need to read <a href="http://www.unavidaparacristo.org/2013/12/40-days-in-wilderness.html#comment-form">this post</a> in particular.<br />
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As we have gone through this transition, I have left The Tinker Thinker out to rust a bit. Partly because I have been very busy, partly because I wanted to leave <a href="http://thetinkerthinker.blogspot.com/2013/10/an-understanding-way.html">that last post</a> at the top, and mostly because <i>I really don't want to talk about it.</i><br />
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How do you take dreams and plans that have developed over the course of 14 years and throw them away?<br />
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It has not been easy. The first two weeks were the hardest, as I dealt with the reality that my life was suddenly without purpose. If I wasn't going to Urubichá, what were we going to do? Stay here? Go back to the States? What?<br />
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Like most men, I self-identify with my work. Ask any man in our culture, "Who are you?" and I bet you one of the first three things out of his mouth will be connected to his job, most likely preceded by the words, "I am a ..."<br />
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I am what I do.<br />
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For the first time since I graduated from high school, I didn't know what that meant. I felt like I was at the bottom of the well without a rope. That may sound extreme, but how would you feel after seven years of study and training, two years of "developing interest," an overseas move followed by three years of learning a foreign culture and language, and suddenly you conclude that it's just not going to work right now? In the midst of that you realize that along the way, you have overlooked or explained away a critical issue in the heart of the woman who is supposedly your best friend, your wife. Then add the pressure of knowing that so many people have been faithfully, sacrificially giving their personal finances to get you where you are, to do a specific job!<br />
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Kaylee and I decided to make the most of the experience. We spent a lot of time talking to God and reading his Word. We sought counsel from important people. We talked daily, just the two of us, about our thoughts and emotions. The upshot of all of this is that we learned a lot about ourselves.<br />
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I used to think I was the perfect candidate for tribal missions. I like a good adventure. I have a wide skillset that includes construction, troubleshooting/repair, amateur and professional radio, mechanics, forestry, and computers. I like to teach. I get excited about etymology and having that aha! moment with words.<br />
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Time to take a humble pill.<br />
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In the second week, I sat down with several sheets of paper and a pen and I started writing lists. Why did I want to stay in Bolivia? What were the pros and cons of moving to Urubichá? Of staying at Etnos? Of returning to the US? What are my strengths and weaknesses? And I realized (or perhaps was just honest with myself) that just maybe I'm not the perfect candidate for tribal missions after all. Oops.<br />
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Two of the most important things that struck me were:<br />
1. God has not called just me, but my family as well. That means that we need to all be "okay," wherever that takes us. Although I'm the head of the family and we follow the vision God has given me, it's my responsibility to make sure that everyone is fine, and fine enough to be useful in His work.<br />
2. God's will is not necessarily singular, in the way we often think of it. He <i>has</i> given us freedom in Christ, including how/where we do ministry. I have long believed this, but had yet to apply it to this area of my life. It is very possible that He was using my desire to live the Big Adventure to bring us to Etnos.<br />
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So, here we are.<br />
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I have traded the epic title of "tribal church-planter" for "professor of culture and language studies." I have traded a small jungle village for a humongous city. I have traded the "front lines" for a training assignment.<br />
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And so far, I can't complain.<br />
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<br />The Tinker Thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04656168700633683161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3827211772324184785.post-38396051325387213122013-10-14T16:00:00.000-04:002013-10-14T16:02:18.811-04:00An Understanding Way<br />
As a young missionary, relatively new on the field, about to embark on a huge adventure, I have a lot on my mind. I have purchases to make. A house to renovate. Vehicle maintenance. Planning. Culture. Language.<br />
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Family.<br />
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When I married Kaylee, I made a covenant with her before God to love and protect her, care and provide for her for the rest of my life. As God blessed us with 3 daughters, they were each added to that covenant and my responsibilities expanded to the teaching and training of children. In Ephesians 5:22-6:4 we find the theological foundations for, and responsibilities of, these relationships. Love and Respect. Obedience and Instruction.<br />
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But what does it mean practically to "love her as my own body?" If my early 20s (when I met Kaylee) are any indication, that could be interpreted to mean that I could expect her to do hard labor for 10+ hours/day on little sleep and a poor diet, then freeze half to death while hunting or camping on the weekend. I'm no Grizzly Adams, but I can put up with a lot and I'm looking forward to the adventurous aspects of living in Urubichá.<span class="text 1Pet-3-7" id="en-ESV-30415"> </span><br />
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<span class="text 1Pet-3-7" id="en-ESV-30415">Kaylee is not. She is not the adventurous type. A quick look at her <a href="http://lifeofamissionarywife.blogspot.com/">personal blog</a>
should be enough to demonstrate the struggles she has had in moving to
another country and adapting to life here. Now we're taking the BIG
step to a place where no one speaks English, the climate is hot and
humid, and most of the supplies that we consider basic necessities are
hours away by road.</span><br />
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Over the past few years, I have been drawn a lot more to I Peter 3:7, especially in how it relates to me as a missionary and the husband of a missionary wife:<br />
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<span class="text 1Pet-3-7" id="en-ESV-30415"> Likewise, husbands, </span><br />
<span class="text 1Pet-3-7" id="en-ESV-30415"> live with your wives in an understanding way, </span><br />
<span class="text 1Pet-3-7" id="en-ESV-30415"> showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, </span><br />
<span class="text 1Pet-3-7" id="en-ESV-30415"> since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, </span><br />
<span class="text 1Pet-3-7" id="en-ESV-30415"> so that your prayers may not be hindered. (ESV)</span><span class="text 1Pet-3-7" id="en-ESV-30415"> </span><br />
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<span class="text 1Pet-3-7" id="en-ESV-30415">The consequences for not taking Peter's exhortation to heart are serious: not only will I have a bad marriage, it will affect my prayer life. It's as though God is Kaylee's protective father: <span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span class="text 1Pet-3-7" id="en-ESV-30415"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
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<span class="text 1Pet-3-7" id="en-ESV-30415"><span style="font-size: large;">"Treat her right, or I'm not going to listen to you."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="text 1Pet-3-7" id="en-ESV-30415">Con<span style="font-size: small;">sidering that I am depend<span style="font-size: small;">ent on God for every aspect of my life, without even the pretense of providing for my<span style="font-size: small;">self, that is a very sobering thought. Even se<span style="font-size: small;">tting aside th<span style="font-size: small;">e fact that I really do love my wife and wish the best for her, there is still a very strong compulsion to take this seriously.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span> <br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="text 1Pet-3-7" id="en-ESV-30415">So how do I apply this to my life? <span style="font-size: small;">Beyond the normal aspects of this <span style="font-size: small;">command<span style="font-size: small;"> as we usually interp<span style="font-size: small;">ret it in our culture (emotional support, caring, romance, etc), I have some othe<span style="font-size: small;">r, more tangible considerations to make, simply du<span style="font-size: small;">e to our lifestyle</span>. How do I apply "an unde<span style="font-size: small;">rsta<span style="font-size: small;">nding way" to a <span style="font-size: small;">life that is so <span style="font-size: small;">different from an<span style="font-size: small;">ything we h<span style="font-size: small;">ave ever known?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="text 1Pet-3-7" id="en-ESV-30415"><br /></span></span>
<span class="text 1Pet-3-7" id="en-ESV-30415"><span style="font-size: small;">Is it enough to provide her with<span style="font-size: small;"> a concrete floor, ra<span style="font-size: small;">ther than a dirt one? Running water? An indo<span style="font-size: small;">or bathroom? </span>Make more <span style="font-size: small;">frequent <span style="font-size: small;">trips out to the city? <span style="font-size: small;">Pay for good internet so she can keep in touch<span style="font-size: small;"> with friends and family<span style="font-size: small;">? <span style="font-size: small;">Provide a shed <span style="font-size: small;">so my tools aren't in the house?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span class="text 1Pet-3-7" id="en-ESV-30415">My desire is to be a compassionate, servant leader of my family. Please pray for wisdom for me as a husband, that I will always be careful to consider the needs of my wife as we walk this road together.</span>The Tinker Thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04656168700633683161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3827211772324184785.post-50724812633297868622013-10-05T15:01:00.000-04:002013-10-05T15:05:28.935-04:00Close Quarters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As we move closer to living in Urubichá, our main concern has been a place to live.<br />
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Our long term plan is to find a place to rent/buy to remodel or buy a lot to build on. But how can we do that long distance? Where do we live in the meantime? <br />
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We have been given permission to rent a 3-room apartment, built several years ago by former missionaries in the village. When we went out there to visit, we stayed in 2 of the rooms, so we have some idea of what it is like.<br />
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Here's an exterior photo I took of the place on my first trip to Urubichá:<br />
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There is no running water. The well is an "old fashioned" bucket-and-rope affair. The bathroom is external and shared with the family next door. It has a toilet, sink, and shower, but without running water! Everything is plumbed and there is an electric pump at the well, but nothing works.<br />
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That's the well in the foreground; the bathroom is behind that bush:<br />
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When we found out we would be living there, we asked our coworker Emilio to measure the rooms for us, so we could start planning how we would use the rooms. The first room is about 176 square feet and has a small cabinet with counter top and a single-tub kitchen sink. The second room is about 232 square feet and will be used as the girls' room. The third, our bedroom and office, is about 205 square feet.<br />
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So that's a total of around <span style="font-size: large;">615 square feet</span>!<br />
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One of the hobbies that Kaylee and I share is house design. Of course, we have been putting this to good use as we seek to plan an efficient future home of ~1000 square feet. Ever since we came to Bolivia, I have been using my spare time (usually while listening to language recordings) to design more than 30 different renditions of a possible village house, complete with scale models of our furniture. I use an old home design software that I picked up years ago, so it was easy to mock up this apartment the same way, just to see how things would fit.<br />
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We have also talked a lot about the bathroom. Yes, it is inconvenient to not have a bathroom in the house, especially with 3 little girls that often still need help (especially with a bucket-flush toilet!). However, our biggest concern was with the "shared" nature of it. We want to be very careful with our girls, especially considering the high level of various types of abuse. We decided that we would do what we could to build a bathroom into our already-tight space. Maybe a shower too? That would be nice, even if it's a bucket shower.<br />
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Here's what we came up with:<br />
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Living/dining room:</div>
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Kitchen:</div>
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Bath/bedrooms:</div>
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Our big plan is that Kaylee and the kids will stay in Santa Cruz for a couple weeks while I go paint, build a bathroom, and see what I can do about making the plumbing work!!The Tinker Thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04656168700633683161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3827211772324184785.post-58705035327290895842013-03-11T15:12:00.000-04:002013-04-02T22:46:02.207-04:00Tinker Tools: GoPro HD Hero2When I was a kid, the best thing about missionaries was slides and stories. Although the technology has changed, the concept hasn't. If anything, today's missionary has an even greater responsibility to keep his/her friends and supporters up to date!<br />
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I started eyeing the GoPro products a couple years ago and have been impressed with the videos I've seen from other amateurs. I must say that the main reason I wanted one was to make driving videos,
but I also realized that the durability and water resistance would be
great assets in the wilds of Bolivia. I started saving up gift money and was able to purchase an HD Hero2 about a month ago. <br />
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After a couple days of goofing off with it, I got a chance to really try it out when my brother invited me to go on a driving adventure with him and his brother-in-law, who was visiting from the States. Our dad is here, too, so we invited him to ride along with me. It was also the first opportunity I've had to really break-in (literally) our Nissan Patrol.<br />
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We went to a place called Misicuni, where a new dam is being built. It took us about 6 hours to go 85 miles, up to an elevation of 14,788 feet above sea level. I shot video of 4.5 hours of the trip with the GoPro, which I cut and condensed into 23.5 minutes of excitement and unbelievable scenery:<br />
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For those of you that just want the excitement and don't care about the scenery, I also made a 5-minute highlight film. It's mostly the river crossings and getting myself stuck:</div>
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(I took quite a few photos as well, which are <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/114950304524810415297/MisicuniAdventure?authuser=0&feat=directlink">available in my Picasa albums</a>) </div>
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Although there is some trial and error to go through to get good footage, I'm pretty happy with what I've gotten so far. I bought the Motorsports Edition, so the main mounting option I have is a big suction cup that sticks to the body or glass.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRS1-V5jyGGKnvwYoydQ6akS8xQN_UfVhr2_64EPFHK855qLxfmhClqrAQWPW2JrjWJj_6AKqi9Rzwu4EvEO49CM_I93QegO2Z4-o-QHa2DLFTVtPAlEXcbgRa3pqxth_P8HzaSrmlEuU/s1600/March+11,+2013+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRS1-V5jyGGKnvwYoydQ6akS8xQN_UfVhr2_64EPFHK855qLxfmhClqrAQWPW2JrjWJj_6AKqi9Rzwu4EvEO49CM_I93QegO2Z4-o-QHa2DLFTVtPAlEXcbgRa3pqxth_P8HzaSrmlEuU/s400/March+11,+2013+008.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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When I first got it, I thought it would be cool to have a POV (point-of-view) camera, like some people do with helmets, so I made my own with a sticky mount and the guts of a welding helmet:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDmJQUn09-ULOstohzPfgqnodGjtSaB-6LAAUy3hYCF6PFdJBl50SdZvCXRVrCvr1Jx7GG_h4JTLKGAtE26JNwSZcrCdOLfPx29yQxBqa1L0Hyrz5IhZ2RYDdKkw2xLsp4T8Br_CLaCqc/s1600/March+11%252C+2013+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDmJQUn09-ULOstohzPfgqnodGjtSaB-6LAAUy3hYCF6PFdJBl50SdZvCXRVrCvr1Jx7GG_h4JTLKGAtE26JNwSZcrCdOLfPx29yQxBqa1L0Hyrz5IhZ2RYDdKkw2xLsp4T8Br_CLaCqc/s400/March+11%252C+2013+005.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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What better way to capture the experience of driving in Bolivia, right? Turns out, it's no good for driving, though. I sit too high in the vehicle and most of the picture is headliner: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbLExj45uoqif7wB8RBQ4zysPCv08LeJTOTj-mzhFRBiv34EvQYCTdMBa3F0nbrMLftWBp4_d0LjVRjj55See_OPHcyCF76ycid-uk3q2OzNCO8SliB-IOn2vutpLDYdaDWQWy9-j6U4/s1600/View+from+POV+GoPro+while+driving.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbLExj45uoqif7wB8RBQ4zysPCv08LeJTOTj-mzhFRBiv34EvQYCTdMBa3F0nbrMLftWBp4_d0LjVRjj55See_OPHcyCF76ycid-uk3q2OzNCO8SliB-IOn2vutpLDYdaDWQWy9-j6U4/s400/View+from+POV+GoPro+while+driving.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Of course, it's not just for driving with! I tested its waterproofness in the pool at Villa Tunari:</div>
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And its durability with some of the youth from church:</div>
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The Tinker Thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04656168700633683161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3827211772324184785.post-31877590961666927852013-02-01T19:50:00.000-04:002013-02-02T09:37:38.510-04:00Project: Dog MansionRainy season has arrived and our Biscuit is rapidly outgrowing the 18 gallon tote that she was using as a dog house. She really needed a place to hole up in during the heavy storms we get here, so I decided it was time she had a proper doghouse.<br />
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After doing some research on <a href="http://www.bolivianexoticwoods.net/">native woods</a> that I knew were available, I decided that I wanted to use <a href="http://www.bolivianexoticwoods.net/tl_files/bolivianwoods/pictures/wood%20pix/Species-ALMENDRILLO.pdf">Almendrillo</a>, an impermeable hardwood. It is more commonly known as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dipteryx_odorata">Cumaru</a> and is a major source of the anti-coagulant warfarin. I went to the sawmill down the road, but they only cut it into 2" thicknesses for beams and such. The owner told me about another mill that might have it and, sure enough, there was a stack of 1x6 and 1x8 in their pile of rejects. The best part was that the owner sold them to me at about a 25% discount, since he wasn't selling them anyway!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eOdlW_ESnSU/UQvZVKfcurI/AAAAAAAAAys/sQkIcxcYhDI/s1600/January+23%252C+2013+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eOdlW_ESnSU/UQvZVKfcurI/AAAAAAAAAys/sQkIcxcYhDI/s400/January+23%252C+2013+003.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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That's partly why I refer to it as the Dog Mansion: it's made from tropical hardwood!<br />
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The other reason I call it that is the size of the thing. I want this house to last a long time, so I did a lot of research and drawing to figure out how large to make it. That's hard to do when your dog is just a pup! I basically ended up making it the recommended size based on the average female adult Rottweiler.<br />
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<span id="goog_1036897730"></span><span id="goog_1036897731"></span>The reason I wanted impermeable wood is that I wanted to leave it natural, without paint or finish. Of course, it's just rough-sawn so I needed to at least do something with the floor. It was a perfect reason to use my planer (which I've had for over a year!) for the first time:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xOBBuZooQkI/UQvZWEaon5I/AAAAAAAAAy0/DV6WV9bgbn4/s1600/January+23%252C+2013+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xOBBuZooQkI/UQvZWEaon5I/AAAAAAAAAy0/DV6WV9bgbn4/s400/January+23%252C+2013+008.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Once the floor boards were nice and flat and all the same thickness, I set about screwing them down to the skids:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IPUPZYipH8I/UQvZX8rYY0I/AAAAAAAAAzE/RK7QHfYxPAQ/s1600/January+23%252C+2013+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IPUPZYipH8I/UQvZX8rYY0I/AAAAAAAAAzE/RK7QHfYxPAQ/s400/January+23%252C+2013+011.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The hardest (no pun intended) thing about working with hardwood is fastening pieces together without breaking screws. I learned a trick in my remodeling days that helps a ton. Obviously, the most important thing is to pre-drill the holes, preferably with a countersink. Then, put a little wax on the screw:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tf2qO_yw_ng/UQvZYfVLDMI/AAAAAAAAAzM/l1CyN75fo2c/s1600/January+23%252C+2013+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tf2qO_yw_ng/UQvZYfVLDMI/AAAAAAAAAzM/l1CyN75fo2c/s400/January+23%252C+2013+012.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The wax lubricates the wood and screw, which reduces binding and heat. This results in fewer breakages. During the whole project, I broke two drill bits (production drilling without enough breaks for cooling), but I didn't break any screws!<br />
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In Montana, I used beeswax due to its softness at room temperature, but here all I have is leftover candle wax. I began by turning each screw into the ball of wax and then pulling it straight out, to load the threads. The problem was that the wax ball would break unless it was warm in the sun. Then, one night I got smart, lit a candle, and dipped about 20 screws in the hot wax. Then I had a nice stock of pre-waxed screws at hand the next day!<br />
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I started putting walls up, and of course the inspectors arrived to check out my work:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XNJtMeewQCA/UQvZZJwL3mI/AAAAAAAAAzU/and1WFAiD6I/s1600/January+23%252C+2013+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XNJtMeewQCA/UQvZZJwL3mI/AAAAAAAAAzU/and1WFAiD6I/s320/January+23%252C+2013+019.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YLLNRygktjI/UQvZbMC8BpI/AAAAAAAAAzs/INrJaJ-U0UA/s1600/January+24%252C+2013+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YLLNRygktjI/UQvZbMC8BpI/AAAAAAAAAzs/INrJaJ-U0UA/s320/January+24%252C+2013+005.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I thought Lydia was going to figure out the roof layout for me:<br />
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If you thought it was a lot taller than it really needs to be, you're right. I intentionally built it with an attic for the kitties. They, too, need someplace dry to go in the rain, and I wanted a place to put their food where Biscuit wouldn't pester them while they ate.<br />
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Cat deck and front gable done:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AeEVwzLc8cc/UQvZbMDNkRI/AAAAAAAAAzw/MNPYHCg64cI/s1600/January+24%252C+2013+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AeEVwzLc8cc/UQvZbMDNkRI/AAAAAAAAAzw/MNPYHCg64cI/s400/January+24%252C+2013+017.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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I put in the beam to support the center rafters and the gable fascia. My original plan was to put a post under it on either end (built into the truss), but it's so solid I decided to leave it open.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lL6K9E0FXG0/UQvZb9j8nBI/AAAAAAAAAz0/KAqRJXBInvY/s1600/January+26%252C+2013+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lL6K9E0FXG0/UQvZb9j8nBI/AAAAAAAAAz0/KAqRJXBInvY/s400/January+26%252C+2013+002.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Fascia and cross pieces set, and it's ready for the roof:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uM4p9ovnmRU/UQvZeIw2s7I/AAAAAAAAA0M/VNkN6CxKzuw/s1600/January+26%252C+2013+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uM4p9ovnmRU/UQvZeIw2s7I/AAAAAAAAA0M/VNkN6CxKzuw/s400/January+26%252C+2013+004.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I finished it last night and my dad (here visiting for a few months with my mom) helped me set it in place, right outside the kitchen door. Anne took this picture for me:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ub7EEZTPyrM/UQvZeHKA5PI/AAAAAAAAA0Q/87Cv0iFgMNk/s1600/January+31%252C+2013+042_cr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="468" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ub7EEZTPyrM/UQvZeHKA5PI/AAAAAAAAA0Q/87Cv0iFgMNk/s640/January+31%252C+2013+042_cr.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Lydia threw up all over herself around 2am, so after helping Kaylee take care of the mess, I checked to see if Biscuit was using her house. It had obviously rained earlier (it did later, too), and she was cozy and snug!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PqLcRgIbdSc/UQvZe6Jc-1I/AAAAAAAAA0Y/BShcVHI0fDc/s1600/January+31%252C+2013+048_cr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PqLcRgIbdSc/UQvZe6Jc-1I/AAAAAAAAA0Y/BShcVHI0fDc/s400/January+31%252C+2013+048_cr.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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This afternoon we kicked the cats back outside (they got neutered and spayed on Wednesday). They immediately settled into their penthouse:<br />
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I wasn't sure how Biscuit would feel about cats in her attic, but I suppose it's better than bats in the belfry:<br />
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<br />The Tinker Thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04656168700633683161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3827211772324184785.post-3981299760306302652013-01-29T21:55:00.001-04:002013-01-29T22:08:37.571-04:00Junior Tinkers: Helping DadI lament the day when my daughters see "helping dad" as work, rather than a privilege.<br />
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I know the day will most likely come, so I need to make the most of their joy now. It's not always easy: to put it plainly, they are small, slow people that are, more often than not, in the way. It takes a lot of patience to allow them to be a part of my projects, and I often struggle to have a good attitude. But if I want them to be involved in my life and vice versa, I must grow in it!<br />
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It's a lot easier if I intentionally seek out jobs that they can help with.<br />
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This past week, God gave me a perfect opportunity. It's rainy season here now, which makes quite a mess of the dirt and rock roads that surround us. After a couple years of riding with taxi drivers who dance around puddles for fear of getting their cars dirty, I have been eager to go splashing again!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-ga5H_dFW-_q66w3Pko9XilppkZtK9my8XS75IQPJBsH8-LBNQWxQko2P-Z8vnaC4alTDreHaqlsfhOmk1_HI9ntY3znNN4iGzEfk2YbxgDu0b1nktIpL4xvO31nc2jmBoPDjeZVj9Q/s1600/January+24,+2013+008+smudge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="473" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-ga5H_dFW-_q66w3Pko9XilppkZtK9my8XS75IQPJBsH8-LBNQWxQko2P-Z8vnaC4alTDreHaqlsfhOmk1_HI9ntY3znNN4iGzEfk2YbxgDu0b1nktIpL4xvO31nc2jmBoPDjeZVj9Q/s640/January+24,+2013+008+smudge.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Of course, we can't leave it like that all the time. So I bought the girls some new fleecy orange rags and broke out the soap and water:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWKAJQlaKQBQW3XXKAd02h4pEVadZF9oqwwBd-CJwl0qEBnicEEuyZPLMPTFJ6Jg3mb95n5qza3LYH72_uFqLkCJQK697pwlcoKbSsKlE4odZhbpkfEm-BGS85myax-yXY0pXprLNEno/s1600/January+28,+2013+010+smudged.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWKAJQlaKQBQW3XXKAd02h4pEVadZF9oqwwBd-CJwl0qEBnicEEuyZPLMPTFJ6Jg3mb95n5qza3LYH72_uFqLkCJQK697pwlcoKbSsKlE4odZhbpkfEm-BGS85myax-yXY0pXprLNEno/s640/January+28,+2013+010+smudged.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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They loved spraying it with the hose and rubbing it down, although Lydia spent more time playing in the bucket and trying to wash Biscuit than actually working on the car. They were having so much fun, they didn't even blink when I offered them 3Bs each (about 50 cents) for the help.The Tinker Thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04656168700633683161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3827211772324184785.post-8887561165297695282013-01-20T22:57:00.001-04:002013-02-02T09:37:18.660-04:00Our Andean RoadtripBefore we moved to Bolivia, we spent two years driving around Montana
speaking and showing pictures about our future ministry wherever we were allowed. Before that, we
spent a couple years in training, which required us to drive half way
across the US six times, as well as a few inter-state trips for our
linguistic practice in the Cherokee Nation. All that to say,
roadtrips were a way of life for our family.<br />
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That all changed when we moved to Bolivia and spent more than a year and a half without our own car.<br />
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For those of you that don't look at <a href="http://www.unavidaparacristo.org/">our ministry website</a>, you wouldn't know that we have purchased a vehicle, a 1997 Nissan Patrol (<a href="http://www.unavidaparacristo.org/2012/11/meet-patrol.html">read about it here</a>). I'm not sure how to explain this gross oversight, except to say that I was too busy <a href="http://www.unavidaparacristo.org/2012/12/theres-light-at-end-of-tunnel.html">finishing my Spanish program</a> to post about it here.<br />
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At the end of December, we had to go to Santa Cruz for a conference. Of course, we elected to take the 300 mile drive rather than spend $500 on plane tickets!<br />
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We started, of course, at our home altitude of 8760 feet above sea level. We then crossed 12,100 feet as we climbed out of the Cochabamba valley and made the massive descent to Villa Tunari, at 1000 feet, then shot southwest through the jungle to Santa Cruz. The trip down took 11.5 hours (9 to return).<br />
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We had fun making a video of the first, more exciting part of the trip, as we plunged into the jungle, without a clutch:<br />
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The story of the clutch is quite simple: taking our first roadtrip after 2.5 years just two days after Christmas wasn't brilliant. I did not take the time to check the fluids and the clutch reservoir was a bit low. I bought a can of brake fluid at the gas station in Villa Tunari, topped it off, and proceeded without any more problems.<br />
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Along the way we saw lots of interesting sights, including a truck attached to a loader by a cable and lug wrench:<br />
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A one-lane bit of highway, due to landslides, one of several places where the road is falling down the hill:<br />
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And some boys hanging out the back of a station wagon at 60 mph:<br />
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The trip really gave us a good chance to see some parts of Bolivia that we hadn't seen as well as get used to the car. It also gave us the opportunity to try out my little Garmin GPS that I brought from the States. It's a handheld unit made for trekking, hiking, etc, but I have used it for driving in the past. The problem is that there have been no good maps of Bolivia! I recently got a very good one thanks to <a href="http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/">OpenStreet Maps</a> and we put it to good use. I liked it so well on the trip down that I bought a suction cup mount for the ride home:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bHnL9VPazxA/UOuAh8sNNpI/AAAAAAAAEoQ/s_BGmBChDdQ/s912/January%252006%252C%25202013%2520PShot%2520167.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bHnL9VPazxA/UOuAh8sNNpI/AAAAAAAAEoQ/s_BGmBChDdQ/s640/January%252006%252C%25202013%2520PShot%2520167.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Don't worry, the speedo is in <i>kilometers</i> per hour, not miles. ;) We hit a top speed of 130 kph (80.7 mph) on the journey.The Tinker Thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04656168700633683161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3827211772324184785.post-57156285887186603822013-01-17T14:45:00.001-04:002015-01-02T12:11:02.117-04:00Project: Baby BedsAbout 6 months ago, Kaylee discovered a company called <a href="http://hearts4heartsgirls.com/">Hearts For Hearts</a> that makes some very cute dolls. They represent girls from around the world and part of the proceeds of each purchase goes to <a href="http://www.worldvision.org/">World Vision</a>, a Christian humanitarian-aid group.<br />
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We decided to invest in Tipi (from Laos), Zelia (from Brazil), and Dell (from the US) as Christmas gifts for the girls. My cousin Alexis brought them down in October when she came to visit us for three months. We spent that time setting them up with a little house.<br />
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While Kaylee made mattresses, quilts, and pillows, and extra clothes, I made beds.<br />
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We also picked up a to-scale oven, kitchenware, and dressers at the Feria de Alasitas, an annual fair that specializes in miniatures. Kaylee made walls out of cardboard, wrapping paper, and a few goodies.<br />
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Anne's Zelia: <br />
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Addi's Tipi: <br />
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Lydia's Dell: <br />
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More pictures, including the girls at play are in <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/114950304524810415297/ProjectBabyBeds?authuser=0&feat=directlink">my Picasa web albums</a>.<br />
<br />The Tinker Thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04656168700633683161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3827211772324184785.post-27073813369611341072012-12-03T10:07:00.002-04:002012-12-03T10:29:03.075-04:00Eggnog Update!I made my first Eggnog of the season yesterday. It was probably the best batch I've ever made, or maybe it just felt that way because it was <i>so</i> good after a year without. ;)<br />
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For those of you that missed it, or have forgotten about it, here's what I wrote about last year: <a href="http://thetinkerthinker.blogspot.com/2011/12/eggnog-for-missionaries-and-everyone.html">Eggnog For Missionaries (and everyone else)</a>.<br />
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A note on the temperature: if you don't have a digital meat thermometer to get the temperature right, a multimeter with a temp probe works fantastic! I added some heatshrink so that the fiber insulation doesn't get nasty.<br />
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The perfect temperature for egg safety: 71C (160F)<br />
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<br />The Tinker Thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04656168700633683161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3827211772324184785.post-68029440753850020212012-10-14T15:06:00.000-04:002012-10-14T15:07:10.023-04:00The Tinker Tool ShedTools, like music, are just a part of life.<br />
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The problem is where to put them. In the States, my tools typically rode around in the back of my vehicle because I was using them for work. At one point, we thought we were moving to Mexico and bought an enclosed trailer that spent most of its life as tool storage. Then we had a dilapidated garage for the last 9 months. Now my US tools are living in a storage shed with the rest of our household goods, waiting for us to come back on furlough.<br />
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I did not bring many tools to Bolivia because of what is available here. Over the past year and a half, I have slowly been growing my stock, mostly of woodworking tools. Again, however, the problem is where to put them.<br />
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I acquired a cabinet (and quite a few tools!) from a friend and planned to make an outdoor storage area. There is a nice little nook outside the kitchen of our guesthouse:<br />
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Theft is a major issue here, even with walled property, so I was going to fix it up to be lockable and generally more secure. Then my brother offered to lend me a steel gate (at right, above) that he had made for a similar purpose in their first house here, and I decided to make a cage.<br />
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I picked up some fiberglass roofing and some VERY green, uneven lumber, generally used for ceilings here. <br />
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Of course, the girls were eager to help!<br />
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I wanted to drill as few holes as possible into the walls of the house, so it is mostly based off of the cabinet itself. I only made three holes, all in easy-to-fix locations. First up, I set the gate:<br />
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Then added posts and a ledger and set 3 rafters:<br />
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Then cross-members to hold the fiberglass:</div>
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Finally, at the end of the day, I got the fiberglass on, and it's finished!</div>
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Not bad for $100 and about 1.5 days' worth of work. It has enough space for all of my current tools as well as space for soldering and electrical projects. There's plenty of patio space just outside for larger woodworking projects. </div>
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<br />The Tinker Thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04656168700633683161noreply@blogger.com0