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I purchased a used 14″ Harbor Freight bandsaw and am working on getting it running.

I ordered urethane tires from Grizzly Industrial…

Urethane Tires at Grizzly.com

Urethane tires are supposed to last longer than rubber. They are also supposed to offer better performance and blade tracking. The old rubber tires were not glued to my wheels, so removal was easy. I soaked the urethane tires in 150° water for 15 minutes and stretched them over the wheels. After cooling overnight, they are ready for use.

I needed an additional manifold vacuum port for an emission control device. The throttle body was removed from the manifold and I stuffed a rag into the runner. I selected a drill bit that was slightly larger than the brass tube that was to be used for the port. After drilling the hole, I gently removed the rag that had capture the aluminum chips. I wrapped masking tape around the part of the tube that would extend above the manifold. Next I spread a thin coat of JB Weld on the lower part of the tube. I inserted the tube into the hole with a twisting motion to evenly distribute the JB Weld. The layer of masking tape prevented the tube from sliding into the manifold until the JB Weld was cured.

In the movies, people hide behind vehicles during shootouts. I’ve always wondered if they provided much protection. I took a picture of this pickup at the wreck yard. The passenger side was riddled with bullet holes.

I only saw one exit hole on the driver’s side.

I take all the photos for this site with an iPhone 4. I would also like to start including video, and the iPhone is capable of shooting those in HD.

I will need a tripod adapter for the iPhone.

Starting with a plastic Bessey clamp, I removed the pivot screw and took the clamp apart. Next I glued rubber pads to the faces of the jaws. I heated the spring with a torch to release some of the tension. I wanted a firm, but not a crushing grip on the phone. I reassembled the clamp with a 1/4″ x 2″ bolt. I applied thread locker to the end of the bolt and installed a 1/4″-20 coupler. The tripod screw will fit into this coupler.

This gets the job done, but I am already thinking of a better design that will be of welded steel.

I love gingerbread.

The first step involved metal fabrication. I sacrificed a useless valentine heart shaped cookie cutter. I re-formed the heart into a combination wrench shape.

In a sauce pan, bring 1 cup shortening and 1 cup molasses to a boil.

In a mixer bowl , dissolve 2 teaspoons of baking soda in 1/2 cup hot water. I used my wife’s KitchenAid mixer with a paddle attachment (made in the USA). Mix 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 egg and add it to the soda and water mixture.

Add 3 cups flour to the mixer. Next add 1/4 teaspoon cloves, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon salt.

Remove the boiling mixture of shortening and molasses from the stove top and pour it into the mixer. Finally, add 3 more cups of flour. Set the dough aside and allow it to cool to room temperature.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll the dough out 1/4″ thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut out the cookies and place them on a greased cookie sheet. A spatula can help to move the cookies without breaking them. Bake the cookies for 8 minutes. After removing from the oven, place the cookies on a cooling rack.

A government dozen delicious gingerbread cookies, ready to eat with a hot chocolate or a glass of cold milk.