banjo-paint-can-lid-slide (made of junk)

this is a short summary of my first attempt at making an instrument, from last winter.

Neck: Red Oak (broken library chair)

Body: Paper mache

Pegs/Bridge/Tailpiece: Wood of unknown type

Nut: Pork Bone

Head: Paint can lid

Wood Finish: Tru-Oil gunstock finish

Strings: Leftover acoustic steel guitar strings

and a brief demonstration of its tonal qualities...

sheepskin slipper repair

i finally got around to cleaning and repairing my slippers.

here are the before shots, taken two months ago.

i read a little online about what not to do, then ignored the advice! i scrubbed them in the sink with liquid dish soap and cool water. it looked like some of the dye in the leather leached out in the rinse water, but they really needed the cleaning. i tried to focus the soap on the inside (fur), but the shoes were completely soaked in the end.

then i let them air dry outdoors (it's been in the 90's here, and mostly very dry). they took a couple of days to dry out. they didn't seem to shrink much, at least i can still fit them on my feet.

now to the repair. was trying to find good strong thin rope or something. i didn't want to spend money to buy anything special. betty mentioned dental floss! i rejected that idea at first, but realized it is terribly strong and i could sew multiple layers to achieve the thickness i wanted in the seams.

and besides, i still have a ton of this stuff sitting in a box from the old J&J days:

here are the after shots. the fur is very nice and fluffy. the suede outside got a bit dry and tight from the detergent and drying, but it's starting to soften up just from handling it to do the seam repair. the dentotape i used was waxed, which worked great because each stitch adhered nicely after i pulled it tight, avoiding stitch slipping.

i wear these things constantly in winter (outside in rain and snow, in the garage to do woodworking, in the kitchen to cook) and they take quite a beating, so i'm glad they will have some life left.

garden update

5 weeks since the garden began, looks good!

the carpet of basil box got thinned to make spicy basil chicken.

eggplants and peppers (and tomatoes) all setting up.

mint!

smoking area

lovely shady spot on the side of the house.

magnolia tree on left, lilacs to the right (and the neighbor's cherry trees above).

rick has moved some pavers and sand to the area, planning to build a little patio.

can't see it here, but the cherries are starting to turn red. last year each cherry contained a worm, which is too much work for me, but the birds will be happy! oh, and bandit seems to like them too (dried up, after the snow melts).