Farmerjan's journal - Weather

Ridgetop

Herd Master
Joined
Mar 13, 2015
Messages
6,572
Reaction score
22,278
Points
693
Location
Shadow Hills, CA
One thing I learned watching YouTube videos that weren't even remotely about circular saws but they were being used was you can use a metal speed square on boards up to 7" wide as a guide for the saw. I never even thought to do that but it makes for a nice straight cut, don't even need to draw the entire line with a pencil.

Is the "speed square" the long meta straight edge that clamps to the board as a cutting guide?

I didn't know that was its name. Here we have other professional sounding names like "clampy straight thing". :gig ;)
 

Baymule

Herd Master
Joined
Aug 22, 2010
Messages
33,092
Reaction score
98,659
Points
873
Location
East Texas
A speed square is that triangle thingy that helps you draw a straight line. I have 2 of them. If you get really fancy, you can draw and cut angles!

1603331914592.png



I have a battery operated Hitachi circle saw and I love it. Also have Hitachi battery drill, I keep it in the case, nice, clean and neat. The Hitachi are lighter weight and I like that. I love tools.
 

Ridgetop

Herd Master
Joined
Mar 13, 2015
Messages
6,572
Reaction score
22,278
Points
693
Location
Shadow Hills, CA
OK, I have several of those. Also several Carpenter's Squares which always puzzles me since they are shaped like the letter L. We have several that are 6' long too shaped like a T.

I love tools too. Sometimes I just stand in my (CLEAN) tool shed and look around and gloat. DS1 and I don't allow DH in the tool shed anymore. ;)
 

Bruce

Herd Master
Joined
Feb 4, 2016
Messages
17,435
Reaction score
45,775
Points
783
Location
NW Vermont
Is the "speed square" the long meta straight edge that clamps to the board as a cutting guide?
That wouldn't make much of a square corner would it? ;)
I do have one of those as well.

I've seen some bigger speed squares on YT videos but I don't have one.
 

Senile_Texas_Aggie

Herd Master
Joined
Jun 3, 2018
Messages
1,870
Reaction score
5,464
Points
343
Location
western Arkansas
If you get a Dewalt battery chainsaw and a Dewalt battery circular saw they will use the same 20V battery so you have a "spare" for either tool.

That sounds like a great idea! I used my DeWalt battery powered circular saw while building the table Monday & Tuesday, along with my DeWalt drill and impact wrench. Even though I have a corded circular saw and a corded drill, I almost always use the battery powered ones because they are more convenient to use.

Ace Hardware has a sale on the DeWalt 12" chainsaw for Ace Rewards members ($30 off of $229.99); see here, Bruce is right about being able to use the same batteries for the two tools, as well as many of their other tools. I highly recommend that you buy some extra batteries (6 Ah) for your tools. The batteries that come with the tools are 3 Ah, which is fine for doing a few chores, but for your chainsaw I think you are going to want a longer lasting battery. I currently have 2 6 Ah, 4 4Ah, and 2 3Ah batteries, so I usually don't run out of charged batteries while doing chores!

I really wished you had some really good camera equipment and an interest in recording your activities. I am sure that I would love watching your YouTube videos of you and your son cutting, tedding, raking, and baling hay. Also, I don't know if you are interested or not, but the guy on the YouTube channel "PA Farms" is getting out of the hay making business and will be selling his hay making equipment. While he is located in eastern Pennsylvania and you are way down in southwestern Virginia, maybe he will make it worth your time to go there.

Senile Texas Aggie
 

farmerjan

Herd Master
Joined
Aug 16, 2016
Messages
10,198
Reaction score
38,757
Points
748
Location
Shenandoah Valley Virginia
Thursday eve. I have 3 batteries for the trimmer so always have one fully charged at least. It is a Black and Decker and I have no complaints. They are 20 volt, I looked at them. I will check into the chainsaw; I do have an Ace rewards card thing.

They got the cows/calves in at the neighbors, and it was a bit of a circus I guess. He will not spend the time or money to feed the cows some grain in the pen for a week or 10 days ahead of time.... just once or twice.... so the calves are real skittish. He said there are a couple of nice heifer calves, and would like to maybe buy them, but is worried that they will be nutty.... I said if he wants to, then if they don't calm down in 3 months, sell them.....
Not like ours that will come to call and 90 % will go right in the first time or 2.... Even those 5 old cows at the pasture with their calves.... I went by there today on the way to work, and the one old cow did come down and the 2 calves that want to stay out with her.... have to spend a few more days working with them.... but she did come in the pen, and I made sure there was some hay there for her too... the calves came into the opening of the pen.... I need it a little bigger and texted ds that he needed to take a couple more panels up there so they can all fit in without crowding so I can just work around them a bit.... may have to take a little more grain so that I have enough for her when she comes down.... and she realizes that she will get a treat too.... 3 of the calves come right down although not in the pen when I am in there feeding but 4 of the cows are right in there with me.... a few more times and I ought to be able to work around them quietly enough to get the pen closed on them.
But that is what it takes... slow, easy and quiet, with not trying to pen them just letting them come in and eat and not feel threatened..... then they will be more comfortable with me.... They don't get alot of interaction with us, there at this pasture, for the whole summer. Should spend more time but we go by and check on them.... can see and usually count them from the road.... and make sure they have salt.... but should feed a little bit along. They just all have done real good there this summer.... but the grass was pretty good too.

So he will try to sort the steers and the heifers early in the morning, then take the steers... and I will go with the heifers after he gets back, as he wants to get some other stuff done.... and I won't be able to rake until 11 or so due to the heavy fog and dew we have been having in the mornings..... have the bigger field up top to do and the ends of the 4 acre field as the one end was shaded and still wet. Calling for showers on Sat aft now; mostly sun for Friday... so if I get it raked, it ought to be decent to bale. He also cut a few rounds around another field... but he said he would take the Farmall H up there and rake them single so they would be dry enough to bale.... then he will cut the rest of the field the next dry window we have.

Talking to a friend this evening, and she and her boyfriend are looking for a place to rent..... lived in a real crappy place and are now in a small camper at her mom's. She has had some health issues, broke her ankle last year and then was having trouble with it and turns out the screws are causing problems and they scheduled her for surgery to remove them.... found out she was pregnant....so no surgery.....So in the process of talking, they are looking for somewhere but cannot afford a huge rent with a baby coming. And need more room than this camper.... she is back working part-time, and he does work.... I had told her about buying the house and that I was trying to get it done enough to get moved in and she asked about where I was moving from.... I told her all about the problems, and the aggravation with not being able to have my chickens there.....the frozen drain in the winter, all sorts of stuff... and she is interested because as she said, it is till alot better than where they were.... and would be alot more room than the little camper. So, it might be a good possibility for them.....and might give me some leeway for getting stuff moved out since we have been friends/acquaintances for several years . I am going to talk to her some more this week. They can only afford about 6-650 in rent which is a bit more than the 550 I am paying....I didn't tell her exactly what I was paying just that was in the ballpark. They have been saving as much as they can while in the camper, for the baby and future rent and stuff.... and for the month or so that she figures to be off pre-post baby birth....
I haven't given the landlord any date to be out, as I told him I just didn't know because the house needed a fair amount of work inside.....it would be nice if I could give him a date and say I have a renter for you at the same time.... I am also thinking that I could work out a deal with them to "help them a little" with the rent to have some "breathing room" to get the fish tanks out of the storage building, and get some of the cats moved..... and they will need a few there to help keep down the mice anyway.... They have a dog... which I was allowed to have.... I am thinking that it would not be a real big problem if it didn't tear stuff up....
This might be a good deal for both. Going to talk to her some more in the next few days....
And I am going to talk to the previous owners of my house about the bathroom... They said the tub needed replacing. I was under the impression it was leaking.... ds said there are 3 cracks around the drain.... I can't see them. It has worn spots and had a sliding door that was taken off so has the marks and "glue" and whatever on it.... maybe if it wasn't leaking I may just say screw it for now and use it as is..... the bathroom renovation and the tear out the wall for the door doesn't look like it is even on the "schedule" yet..... Maybe get Deb on a kick to open up the doorway......????

Some things to chew on for a few days. Hoping that she is coming down this weekend.... we will see; although I am going to be pretty busy until Sunday....
Next week is going to be a crazy one.... PT and testing Mon eve/Tues morning...PT again on Wed... Dr check up for ankle @ Duke in NC Thursday... probably testing the big 500+ cow herd Friday as Geneva can only do it Tues and Fri and I am already scheduled Tues morning.....
Got samples from this evening's herd already packed.... have to strap the boxes and send tomorrow. Need to go down hill and get a shower and some sleep... DS is going to text me on his way home from stockyard in the morning so I can go to the barn to take the 2nd load....Probably be 7-7:30 in the morning, so I need to get going . Shoot, it is after midnight already....
 

Ridgetop

Herd Master
Joined
Mar 13, 2015
Messages
6,572
Reaction score
22,278
Points
693
Location
Shadow Hills, CA
With the tub, if it is leaking from cracks in the fiberglass, see about repairing it. If you don't want to try repairing it yourself with a fiberglass kit, see if anyone in your area does tub refinishing. they will seal cracks and refinish so it looks like new. We did that with the tubs and showers in our units instead of replacing them. Worked great and looked terrific. Just make sure that the tub or shower floor gets the "slip proof" treatment since the refinished surface is slick as glass.

If you don't want to spend the money to have it refinished since you have that cool antique tub you want to put in eventually, look on the DIY channel and watch the fiberglass patching videos they have. People use the fiberglass kits for boats and do the themselves. If there are only a couple cracks, you might be able to mend them yourself to at least get another year or so out of the bathroom till you have the money for a full remodel. We paid someone to do the refinishing since the process took 3 days. Since we were renting the units out afterward the cost was tax deductible.
 

farmerjan

Herd Master
Joined
Aug 16, 2016
Messages
10,198
Reaction score
38,757
Points
748
Location
Shenandoah Valley Virginia
@Ridgetop you always give me plenty of "food for thought". I was in Lowe's and asked and they don't carry anything for fiberglass repair.... said I should use some caulking. That doesn't sound like a smart thing. I am going to explore the fiberglass repair stuff more.
The bathroom is al;ready budgeted.... but no one is getting any closer to getting here to get it done. I am at the point of I need to see some progress... and thought that the wall was going to get opened up at least by now. I am at the point of just wanting to get somethings moved up here.... and tired of coming here in the evening, and then having to go down to the other house to take a shower and go to bed. Don't mind me.... just a small "B#$@H session.

Did actually see some progress this morning. DS was doing some grading on his driveway and the guy's next door, and called and they came up with the skid loader and got the oil tank lifted up and the blocks under it and braced on the sides. So I am going to put 15-20 gal fuel oil in it and see if there are any leaks from when it was sitting on the ground.... but it looked to be in pretty good condition. If it doesn't leak for the next day or 2 then I will be able to call about some oil.... and call the furnace guy to get me on the schedule for checking it out and getting it going.

AND.... the floor sanding guy texted me and said that he is about caught up and plans to be here this week. :fl:bow:fl:fl:fl:bow:weee:weee:weee:yesss::yesss::yesss::fl:fl:fl:fl:fl.
I am afraid to get too enthusiastic.....but I am hopeful......

Funny thing is that it will only be a week sooner than the other guy had said he could get here.... but this one is going to get up the vinyl and all, whereas the other guy said he would not touch it.
But if the oil tank checks out and I can get then to deliver some oil and get the furnace guy here... then there will be heat in the house so then the floors will dry better????
Because.... we are supposed to get alot cooler.... some rain/showers coming in and the temps down to 50's days after all the upper 70's and 80's this past week. Then it might moderate a bit and be back in the upper 60's-70's but nights will be cooler. It is getting near to Nov......So, there is progress and even more possible progress this week.
I am going to finish painting the baseboard heaters in the dining room, the parts attached to the wall....and the ones in the hall and the one small one in the bathroom. It is warm enough for that to dry today and there is no hay to deal with. DS was going to get the baler to finish up the little bit he had cut and then raked yesterday... he cut 6 rows around and single raked them as it wasn't real dry yet.... with the hopes that it would dry more yesterday.
We had a few peeks of sun, then a couple sprinkles.....20 drops kind.... then the clouds broke a bit, with some peeks of sun, for a little bit again. Breeze is blowing so he ought to be able to get it done. It might not be the best hay, but ..... Have one place that needs to get a couple rolls before we get them moved out.... the elderly lady just passed away, she was 96, and don't know what next year is going to bring so we will get them out at the end of the season....Grass is getting short, but it is not too bad... but want to leave them there for as long as we can as there is just too much other stuff going on. Better to take a few rolls in there for a few weeks...

He is getting seed in the drill this aft to get the cover crop on the corn ground, and probably on the sorghum-sudan fields too. As soon as we get a hard killing frost, s-s will die and then the cover crop can come up through it. Sorghum-sudan grass is strictly a warm weather crop.

I got most of the cows in yesterday at the nurse cow field... so will try again today and then by Monday they will be ready to go. I do have 2 new babies up there on 2 first calf heifers.... one I didn't know if she was bred as she was a fence jumping nutcase and was almost sold.... never got preg checked. The calf ought to "slow her down " a bit.... She is out of one of my cows, and have no reason why she is so idiotic. Fall calves ought to be starting to really hit the ground... they are later that they should be, but the cows are all as big as a house so will hopefully all be dropping babies all at once. Another reason to not want anything like the "white stuff" that @thistlebloom is getting.....

Time to get going on some other projects. Like the baseboard heaters.....

Deb is up to her farm for the weekend, called and was doing some brush burning and I said that I would be in and out; told her about getting the fuel tank done this morning, and that when it suited her we could get together.... she said she was going to work on the drawer for the kitchen cabinet later. Sooooo, maybe tomorrow the kitchen stuff that I am going to do for now, will be done. I am glad too that there is the prospect of heat, as the finish for the butcher block top needs a minimum of 55 or so to work right; and I am not going to start that until the sanding is done and all the dust cleaned up.

Maybe a reason why it is coming together.

DS also went to the pasture with the 5 old cows/calves and set up 2 more panels, yesterday morning, and managed to get them all in yesterday so the cows went to the stockyards.... and I think he took 3 of the 5 calves and kept 2 of the nicer heifer calves.... I have one heifer and one steer at the nurse cow field that need to get moved out, and then we will start getting in the cow/calf pairs from summer pastures in a few weeks and make decisions to wean and keep through the first of the year.... or sell if the feeder prices are still good.
There is alot of uncertainty with this whole election coming, the covid crap, lockdowns/slowdowns and some places closing.... as to how this is going to affect the economy and what this is going to mean for the producer. I have been saying that I think these bred cows, and cow/calf pairs are going to go up.... and in a normal time I would bet on it.... but it is so hard to figure right now. No one ever saw the continued problems stemming from the covid outbreak... and there is nothing to even use as a baseline as to how things are going to go. It is a little bit scary. I know that we have a lot of cows that will be calving this fall/are calving now.... and is that going to be a good thing or not???? One thing, we do have the silage to feed this year/winter... so we can weather it for a bit without it breaking the bank. The hay that we are going to bush hog is bothering me, but there just is not the time/weather windows to make alot more.
We still have another 10-12 acres of orchard grass to make, and another 30 acres of mixed grass.... one of the reasons to just bush hog this other. It is the least "good" of the fields we make... it is land in a subdivision that has all these big "McMansions" that are on these 10-20 acre "lots" that are owned by people that often do not even live here full time.... and they want it mowed and do not want to do it themselves. No fences or water, so grazing would not be an option. And the bush hogged off grass will just go back into the ground for the organic matter, so not a loss.... but I keep thinking about what if we have a drought year next year... or what if we have a really hard winter and feed alot more than we plan this year.... oh well, you do what you can do.

Gotta get this house "going" so I can get moved.... maybe things will start looking up this week more....
 

Latest posts

Top