I am not the only one who off.

A friend asked me to hang a storm door for his hothouse. The storm door was smaller than the opening but several inches in both directions. So I took the door and a couple of 2x4s and made a frame for the door. Everything seem to be working quit well. But the 2x4s split easily. More work gluing the splits even if you drill a pilot hole. Now that is done.

So now is the time to hang the door. Remember I said that were several inches, well the opening wasn't plumb nor was the 4x4s straight. The header was too low. After cutting off at least an inch, the door frame need a little room. Taking a saw and cutting the tight spots soon gave relief to get the door in the opening. I didn't have near enough shims so I left it nailed in place. I'll let him to get some shims and he can screw it home.

Speaking of using something in a little different manor. This same friend got a chance to get some aluminum storm windows from a house. These windows we installed on the inside of the house, and turned on there side. So the other day he placed two of these windows into a wall of his hothouse. The other day, he thought he had a micro-burst, because the windows glass was blown out of the wall. Now mind you the wall has no roof, or any other walls. This was a free standing wall and not all of the wall was covered. Just like hanging the windows from a clothesline is the best way I can explain it. This wind broke 3 out 4 glass windows. One screens was bent. I just can't explain what happened.

I have been working on different thing for weeks now and have gotten very little done. I hope that changes soon.

W. Kirk Crawford
Tularosa, New Mexico

Now what am I going to do?

Just be fore writing this, we had a micro burst and it was one wild thing. Dust everywhere. You could see 50 feet.

So much for that and now for the real reason why I am written this one.

There are some things I can no longer get at any local, 'Brick and Mortar Store'. They aren't carrying products that I have been buying for a few years. Even the 'Store of Stores', Walmart, doesn't carry some of these items any more.

Ok, head to the net. Shop on line. Buy and have it shipped. But wait, shipping cost. Many of the on-line stores have a limit and if you spend enough money, shipping is free. How many items does it take to have free shipping? I won't be buy any shaving shop for a couple of months. Well maybe I should have bought other things and not all just one item. Can't wait to see how they package it.

I wander if I will see the day when many of the old product that we have bought over the years are no longer available to purchase locally. We even look for homes on-line. Build your car on-line. Find you spouse on-line. Babies?

I am living near a very small town, I have gone to the hardware store here and only found what I wanted six out of 40 times. What is the use to try to shop locally?

I remember where I live as a boy, we were only 30 miles from the big city and every body would travel up there because of the choices.

I am losing my choices. No wait, I have choices but it isn't going to be easy to kick the tires.

W. Kirk Crawford
Tularosa, New Mexico

Another reason why I don’t like WIRELESS.

I found an article that someone sent me about people using a wireless device that gets the ‘security code’ from a key fob that is used to lock and unlock your car door. Example, you are stopping at a rest stop along the highway, you get out of your car and use you key fob to lock your car. That sends a signal to you car to lock the doors. A person sitting at this rest stop with this wireless device captures that signal and then uses to unlock your car’s doors and steal valuables inside your car.

There is a way to avoid this, to lock your doors manually. Push the button on the door or use your key to unlock or lock the car. Is this new to you? That way the person with the wireless device might save the code to use it later. (Although, as I understand some cars change the code each time it is used. Don’t ask me; ask your car’s manufacture.)

Along these same lines, I have heard of a similar device that allow people to sit in areas like coffee shops and scan the area for ‘credit/debit cards’ that have RFID tags in them. Therefore, that can capture that information/data on the chip and use it to steal your identify. I don’t know if these wireless readers can change or corrupt the data on the chip, but that could cause other issues when people try to use them as they were meant to be used. Like opening doors or gates or something like that.

With that said I have a problem with people who use wireless devices these ways, and the people who condone their usage.

W. Kirk Crawford
Tularosa, New Mexic0

Sick and nothing to about it.

A week ago I got up and everything felt good but something inside my head said I wasn't well. Guess what, I wasn't well. My lungs were congested and that was all at that time. A couple of days later my wife gave something for it and it knotted me out for about half an hour. Then I really felt bad. Somehow now I had a cold on top of the congestion. If one isn't bad enough then maybe two would be better. That wasn't right or better.

Would like to see something better, I would like for my wife just let me be. She always want me to take something. He heart is in the right place but for the wrong things.

You see there are somethings I don't like. One of they is taking liquids for colds or sore throat. It is something I have never like because I never so any good from the liquids. Another thing is lotions or ointments. To me it doesn't seem clean. The only thing that doesn't make sense is my body itch. If I scratch more than three strokes then I am liable to have a sore shortly. That is they only time I put on a lotions and only one that I got over eight years ago. It still works. Another lotion or ointment is a sun screen. Out here in New Mexico the sun will burn me in a heart beat. So I wear it. The bad part is the wind blows the dust or enchantment and that sticks to the ointment. Now that makes me fell dirty. Yuck.

OK, so now after eight days I am getting better but not to the point of doing anything. I have projects to do in the shop and I need to check on my fence materials. And that is well over due.

Do I need to say anything else. I have discovered that the base on my router is not concentric with the chuck. That has cause problems like you wouldn't believe. Why do I have to get all of these thing that aren't just right. Lucky I guess.

W. Kirk Crawford
Tularosa, New Mexico

Relax. Enjoy something different.

Every now and then, which is most of the time, I need to relax and take my mind off any current activity. It seems that a lot of my work turns up mistakes. Mostly in my math. Either cut it too long or too short. Never seems just right. So I have to take some time off and hope my thoughts get reorganized. Maybe even find a new method to get something done.

At the moment I am watching 'The Incredible Journey of the Butterflies Series'. It is truly amazing there life and where thay all end up for the winter. Other place is ted.com. This is really a cool place for me. Thinkers from all over give there talks about what they are doing. Everything imaginable it taking place all over the world. It just lift up my spirits and boy do I need that.

Take some time to rejuvenate your spirit.

W. Kirk Crawford
Tularosa, New Mexico

You too can save money and stimulate the economy.

I have this idea to same you money and at the same time stimulate the economy. Buy American. If it isn't made in America, they you don't need it. But if you think you do need, make it your self. Who knows, maybe your neighbor might want one too. If you think you have a better idea, let me know, otherwise, try my way out. There is something else that would stimulate the economy, the people who you do business with should use tools made in America.

I know that it is hard trying to find anything made in America, but you just got keep looking. We, America has lost a lot of jobs to other counties. Could these jobs come back? I can see why not. And if you use the bottom line, price, as criteria then we need to look deeper. Example, one guy operating a drill press in one shop gets paid so much. Another guy down the street does the same job but gets paid much less than the first guy. And I don't know why that is. How can that be? I don't want to go there on that subject. But all things being equal, yes jobs can return to the U.S.

Have you noticed these custom cars shows on TV lately? Well somebody is putting good money to these cars to be made. There is a whole bunch of show or podcast about woodworking. Many people have made many items more than once. They made it for themselves and others, like friends or people who paid for these items. Have you notice all of these crafts shows? They too are items made by Americans for Americans.

Well that take care of the small talk, now for the big thoughts. Where do you invest your money? I hope my money is someplace make more money.

W. Kirk Crawford
Tularosa, New Mexico

What am I going to do now?

With all that is going on with the rest of the world, I have desions to make. What am I going to make next.

I have two projects, or more, in the works. The first is a cabinet that goes under the side table of my table saw. I need this because I don't have a drawer large enough to store my tenoning jig. I also need some place to keep the different saw blades I have. That will come later because I have figured out just how to each blade drawer looks. There will also be three or four drawers for other stuff.

I got the case of the cabinet made and now working on the drawer for that tenoning jig. The drawer from is 3/4" plywood and the sides and bottom is 1/2" plywood. I am trying to make half-blind dovetails. They require some experimentation to get the fit just right or at least close.

The instructions for the dovetail fixture is quite extensive. It looks like it will require about two sets to experiment with. One other thing, the instruction suggest measuring the height of the router bit to its bushing collier. The problem with that is, the bushing collier doesn't ouch the jig and therefore, the measurement doesn't work. This measurement is the starting point.

OK, the other project is 'Jack Stops'. These items are an idea that I have had for some time now. What they are is a device that went the lever is down a shalf sticks out and lift the item/cabinet up just enough so the cabinet doesn't roll. Lift the lever and the cabinet rolls. I need to test the strenght of its lifing capables.

If this 'Jack Stops' works, then it might be a product that could be sold along with wheels or casters. Now that would be a blast for me to come up with something people would like to use.

By the way, TV sucks lately. Things are going on that I can't explain. Like '60 Minutes' sound was garbled. And no PBS, about 'Skunks' was missing the naration. I heard everything else but the people talking. Even one commerical was with voice naration. Isn't anyone paying attension to there work?

W. Kirk Crawford
Tularosa, New Mexico