So...what are you doing to keep yourself occupied while the world is jammed up?

[Rinty]

I'm re-reading my sailing books. Did a 50 minute fast walk yesterday. I'm surprised what good workouts they are; I can actually work up a sweat, at 12 below.

 

[Omega Man]

Have the TV on......just saw an ad for Lysol spray Seems redundant at this point.
OM

 

[T-foiler]

I challenged a few millennials to come up with a start-up. All I’m doing is smiling, the energy and fresh thought is amazing. Barely any free time to consider the state of the world.

 

[36654]

I started doing all our laundry in 1995 when for the first time in our married life I had an assignment that allowed me do something around the house. In the early years I had some complaints from my daughter about the quality of my work. I gave her Lee Iacocca's advice (If you can find a better deal, take it); the compaints ended.

Until I retired, I did the family wash every Sunday for over 15-yrs. I don't know what happened, but within a month of my retirement, management said she would do her own laundry and mine wasn't welcomed in the load. I found that a bit "unwelcoming".

 

[1074]

We each do our own laundry. Don't want to get each other's cooties. I do some cooking and most of the dog walking. I also seem to be spending more time on the computer watching old 1930s Western movies and answering posts like this!

 

[Omega Man]

Watching Brockmier on IFC channel. This is the fourth and last season. A rather interesting parallel to what we are going through now.......considering it was filmed last year
Even the integrated commercials are Nostradamus like.
OM

 

[skibum69]

I think I'm just going to sand it and finish with Tung oil.

As for bread the missus makes it every few days. Her last sourdough starter died and she's ben lazy about starting a new one. She likes the fermentation and makes sauerkraut and kombucha.

 

[36654]

watching old 1930s Western movies

Several years ago, we (I, really) went to the bare bones minimum cable TV package, the major networks and PBS. My only regret in doing so, was the loss of TCM (Turner Classic Movies).

 

[glenfiddich]

I have a similar piece that was supposed to be a "bar" to sit at. I used the 2-part decoupaged coating that worked out well. Has turned into a wonderful "catch-all". Perhaps those with a similar "any flat surface" condition can relate.
OM

If I ever make another piece with a flat surface I'm going to fix it with a 45 degree slope. My wife covers every flat surface in the house with junk!

Pete

 

[36654]

I think I'm just going to sand it and finish with Tung oil.

As for bread the missus makes it every few days. Her last sourdough starter died and she's ben lazy about starting a new one. She likes the fermentation and makes sauerkraut and kombucha.

Is it a pre-mixed Tung oil product or do you have access to the pure thing? Lately, I've been using a Bee's wax polish

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Howard-Fee...vQPiEWc1tsCUAPnNfWhoC0tAQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Which is as simple as possible.

 

[36654]

If I ever make another piece with a flat surface I'm going to fix it with a 45 degree slope.

Eventually, your wife will find duct tape or two-sided carpet tape to foil your plan. My wife prefers the lowest grade 3M blue painters tape.

 

[8ninety8]

Gave me self a self haircut. Used the $29 made in USA clipper. Started with 3/8ths at the top, 1/4 lower, finishing at 1/8th. Vacuumed up, shocked my wife. Saved twenty bucks because all personal care shops are shut down. Now look like a civilized human being. Carry on. Keeping up morale.

 

[skibum69]

This stuff, we used it on the bamboo counter in the coffee nook and liked the result

 

[179212]

Fixed tractor

I fixed the tractor yesterday! Glo-Plugs system not working so tractor very hard to start, and this one very unhappy if you use starting fluid.
1st step give New Holland $90 and download factory service manual
2nd step try to figure which pages and how to get to them with 2,000 pages to choose from, while finding and getting to the right pages I was thinking to my self I could have paid twice as much and got a hard copy
3rd step read applicable pages and figure out what parts needed
4th step skip testing parts and order all the parts I might need
5th step take cover off and instrument panel out
6th step start replacing parts cheapest one first after replacing the Bosch power relay tractor started right up ( relay looks like starter relay on my R100/7)
7th step button every thing up
8th step return 4 glow plugs and timer thing, and get $300 refund



Parts replaced have blue dot and do not know why screen shot that I used to to mark what parts I replaced has thumbnails of previous pictures including screen shot of very funny post from the joke thread

 

[skibum69]

Sanded down pretty well, certainly not a perfect piece but it will do just fine for us.

 

[36654]

This stuff, we used it on the bamboo counter in the coffee nook and liked the result
View attachment 77851

Tung oil is great stuff. Nice clear finish without the yellowing of a poly finish. I have a gallon of pure oil that I bought a decade or so ago. Add mineral and Japan drier and you're good to go.

Someday, I'm going to try making shellac from flakes. Supposedly, that can give you a clearer finish than the Zinsser Bulls-eye Shellac.

What kind of wood is the slab?

 

[skibum69]

I'm just doing 2 or 3 coats of this straight on spruce. I'm guessing over time the spruce will darken to gold the same way my floors did with 5 coats clear Verathane on them. Almost all of my house up and down has been done with local spruce 3/4 T&G flooring. I like it as it turns darker.

new bedroom upstairs in the B&B


living room downstairs


colour difference between old and new spruce about 7 years apart

 

[Omega Man]

^^^^^Looks great
I want to get rid of rugs here- where they are. Been using square edge wide-pine. As I'm I use 30% solids urethane gym coat for maximum life......and a smell you don't want to light a match to
OM

 

[36654]

I'm just doing 2 or 3 coats of this straight on spruce. I'm guessing over time the spruce will darken to gold the same way my floors did with 5 coats clear Verathane on them. Almost all of my house up and down has been done with local spruce 3/4 T&G flooring. I like it as it turns darker.

new bedroom upstairs in the B&B
View attachment 77857

living room downstairs
View attachment 77858

colour difference between old and new spruce about 7 years apart
View attachment 77859

Was that regular Verathane Polyurethane? While spruce isn't typical as finished flooring in my area, I'm surprised there wasn't more yellowing. In my area, red or white T&G oak is the typical finished flooring in mid-century and older homes. That would have been laid over 3/4 or 4/4 pine or hemlock T&G sub-flooring. Regular polyurethane on oak rapidly yellows in my opinion....like old Kodachrome film. A friend refinished the oak floors in my wife's Art Studio / Music Room (i.e., that 1/2 of the house) with a water-based finish called "Basic" https://www.basiccoatings.com/. That has stayed nice and clear.

 

[skibum69]

This is the product I've used on all of my floors. This house was built in the 40's and has old T&G as subfloor throughout. The main floor has a bottom layer run diagonal under the longitudinal layer. Now it's a couple of inches of wood there. The primary wood in Newfoundland today is spruce, the original pine was harvested long ago to build boats and there's almost none left.

I find it interesting that Cape Cod siding here has issues, apparently because it is pine from elsewhere the knots start popping etc. The local company who made my flooring also makes clapboard and being local wood it is stable in our environment. One day I'll get the house redone.