What's happening in your shop this winter?

[lowangle al]

He's dropped of radar a couple times before so I'm hoping that's all it is. I searched for an obituary a couple months ago when I was wondering and didn't see anything.

I've always wondered about Oldy Moldy.

Also, you better hope Rippy doesn't come after you with one of his knives after that oldtimers statement.

Alan

If Rippy is anything like me I hope he would think of knives as tools and not weapons. The only knife I regret buying is a double edged boot knife. I was only a kid but WTF was I thinking.

 

[Steve in Idaho]

Seems like last I noticed him here, Glenn was preparing for some pretty serious low-budget wandering.....which I assume might rule out any smart phone or other internet access. I hope he's out following through on that and having a great time.

 

[Guest]

When oldtimers stop posting it's hard not to wonder if they may have passed, and it would be too bad if it were true and no mention of it was ever made. Maybe someone can start an "I'm not feeling well" thread. This way if we don't hear from them again we can assume the worst and at least say a few kind words about them.

What ever happened to Glen McGrady?

Last I heard from Glenn, a couple months ago, he is still kicking and doing some travelling, including with offspring and grandkids. Things change.

I hope that our (somewhat insular) community of regular contributors are in semi-routine off-board communication, and that if and when someone bites the big one we will know and be afforded the opportunity to say wonderful things about them. And tell some humorous tales if we were lucky enough to paddle with them.

Al, I could have started an “I’m not feeling well” thread 10 years ago, before I retired, but would rather not hear indirectly about folk’s health woes. Post-retirement I am feeling much better; my back and knees still hurt, and I now get up to piss twice a night, and have this recurring pain in my injured left wrist and . . . . . ehhhh, do we really need that kinda AARP health woe update posted here?

I don’t want to edge into the morbid, but I have lost several dear paddling companions who were regular contributors to various paddling boards (Fred, Norbert, JSaults and others). All were message board eulogized with appreciations and tales, but all died, at least gear-&-canoe-wise, intestate, and their widows or elderly in-laws were left WTF clueless about what to do with their tripping collections.

They were all craftsmen, or at least shop tinkerers as well, and that WTF goes for other equipment as well; shop tools, collections of materials and parts, wood strips and strongbacks and epoxies and outfitting gear.

What is my missus going to do with three weighty boxes of stainless steel hardware, boxes of fiberglass, kevlar, Dynel and peel ply, minicel and shock cord and heat sealable fabric and webbing and D-rings and cleats and etc, etc, etc?

That stuff all has designated recipients, described in my Will and designated in Sharpie on the storage box, lest it end up gathering dust on a shop shelf or eventually tossed in the trash.

I have used some legacy parts and pieces from departed friends, and those had special meaning while I worked with them. Some still have special meaning; I letter punch stamped the legacy thwarts and yokes with the benefactor name, look at them while paddling, and smile in memory,

I would like my stuff designated so that it goes on to future fruitful use and not into a dumpster.

Again, not to be morbid, but a Last Will and Testament, and an Advanced Medical Directive, are easy and essentially binding once witnessed, and the forms are available on-line or from your State of residence.

There are other, even simpler actions; bank accounts and CD’s and investments can be designated as “TOD”, Transfer-on-Death, which should supersede probate of a will.

A Last Will and Testament, and Advanced Directive, are not for you, you are a carcass, or soon will be. Those are there to make things easier and clearer for your kith and kin.

Dammit, where is Glenn when we need him for professional advice?

 

[Odyssey]

Folding knives are legal in Canada unless they are spring assisted. So lots of regular folders to choose from. Why would you want a flip knife canoe tripping? Expecting Fingers and Big Tuna to step out of the bushes? Here, this might help you gain some "street cred". https://themobmuseum.org/nickname-generator/

Rippy, you make beautiful blades. I particularly loved your folders. Anytime you're ready and willing to invite us down to your workshop we'll be ready too.

Let me know if and when you want to start a bodily complaints thread, cause I've got a few of my own.

 

[lowangle al]

I'm glad to hear that Glen is still around, and now I won't be so shocked if he returns.

I was only kidding about the "I'm not feeling well" thread. Although I have thought, that for myself and I'm sure a lot of others who don't have any contact with other members outside of the forum, that nobody would know why they stopped posting. Let's all stay well.

 

[Iskweo]

Geeeze welcome back Rippy. We don't particularly care if you have been out recently. I only managed one weekend last year but it still made it into print...lol. With all of this newfound time on my hands I am gearing up for a killer summer, as long as the place doesnt burn to the ground first. I even stumbled across another old lady who loves paddling and is retired too. Quelle surprise.

You know, every time I look for a new knife and go to the store all I can think is ...what crap compared to Rippys work. Alot of it is made in China too. No thanks.

I plan to die with a paddle in my hand. If nothing else, to swat at the annoying paramedics who show up. Not any time soon though if all goes according to plan. My mom just turned 93...and we are a lot alike.

Christy

 

[Steve in Idaho]

Mike - great thoughts about bequeathing tools and gear. I'm laughing, because the purging I'm going through right now involves a lot of shop odds & ends that I inherited from Dad. Much of that has already been put to use, but most of what I have left is so much detritus. We have had beginnings of discussions here about where all this great stuff I've accumulated over the years will go (shop tools, canoes, sailboat, and other outdoor gear) when we're gone, and the sad fact is that it appears our progeny have no room for and little interest in much of it. Ah well.....there are friends.....

A very good friend and paddling pal passed a little over a year ago here, and I and one other were offered his whitewater solo from his estate. Man, I really appreciated that - and I think of him every time I'm in it, or look at it, FTM. I guess it was sort of known who would appreciate it. I guess it wouldn't be a bad idea to get that list in order....just in case.....

 

[sweeper]

I was at the dump one day and long story, short, I guy was emptying out his father's shop and I made an incredible haul. A couple weeks later at Easter dinner, I took my sons down into my shop and told them "Don't read anything into this but, when I pass all this stuff has value and if you throw it in the dump I will come back and haunt you for the rest of your lives. If you don't want it find someone to sell it."

 

[Guest]

Mike - great thoughts about bequeathing tools and gear. I'm laughing, because the purging I'm going through right now involves a lot of shop odds & ends that I inherited from Dad. Much of that has already been put to use, but most of what I have left is so much detritus. We have had beginnings of discussions here about where all this great stuff I've accumulated over the years will go (shop tools, canoes, sailboat, and other outdoor gear) when we're gone, and the sad fact is that it appears our progeny have no room for and little interest in much of it. Ah well.....there are friends.....

“Discussions” are good, written instructions are better.

Written instructions that your survivors can find are better still. I’m of the age where I have begun to lose old friends, and I am amazed at how many left no will, or no will anyone could locate. One friend of many years had an extensive and valuable hobby collection, and when he was terminally ill assured us in frank discussions that he had left detailed instructions, specifying what should go where and to whom in his peculiar collector world, including rare pieces to museums and Universities.

His will never turned up. His widow was clueless. And worse, distant collector acquaintances started turning up and sniffing around. It took his wife years to try to parse out what to do with his collection, some of which is still in storage.

My Will (signed, witnessed and notarized On-line form) and Advance Directives (fill in the multiple-choice questions form from the States Attorney’s Office) are the fire-proof strongbox along with passports, car and house title and etc. The canoes and kayaks all have Make/Model/HIN designations, including which boats (a couple each) my wife and sons should keep for themselves and which should go to paddling friends, some with the stipulation that they take a trip using that canoe.

I don’t care much about the camping gear and paddles, like the boats my family knows their favorites. But all of the boat tinkering stuff, for which that my sons would have little use, if they even knew what it was, has value only to a canoeaholic, and that stuff has destinations. Having it all anally sorted in marked boxes for my own convenience should help in that regard.

Having that extensive outfitting and repair collection end up in the trash would be the horrifying alternative.

I was at the dump one day and long story, short, I guy was emptying out his father's shop and I made an incredible haul.

That is probably not uncommon, and if it’s that or sitting down and writing out a will. . . . . .

Back on topic, the shop is nice and warm and I have a half dozen little boat and house projects going on. Need to bring another boat into the shop before it snows again tomorrow.

 

[Steve in Idaho]

The cleaning continues. Dived into my pile of jigs.

Many years ago, I had a little side business going - building wall clocks and small furniture and selling through a local furniture store. I always figured, if I can make one - why not make six...or a dozen? Hence the jigs - to make repeatable cuts without time-wasting measuring. My real job got too busy to keep that up, but I kept them all, thinking I might go back into business at some point - which I still might. One problem......I didn't bother to label all of them. And some of those not labeled, I can't remember what they did. Into the trash can they go. I can make new jigs if I miss any of 'em.

Boys & girls - don't forget to label your jigs!

The occasional inventory and purge (every 20 years or so ) has its benefits.......for others. I find duplicate tools I didn't realize I had (I am an estate sale vulture with a bad memory). BIL gets the extra drill-press mortising attachment I found. Yes - no, those hand saws are not all different tooth patterns. Somebody will appreciate that I had one too many identical hatchets. Who do I know that still processes their own meat and could use a really nice bone saw?

 

[Guest]

The cleaning continues. Dived into my pile of jigs.

Many years ago, I had a little side business going - building wall clocks and small furniture and selling through a local furniture store. I always figured, if I can make one - why not make six...or a dozen? Hence the jigs - to make repeatable cuts without time-wasting measuring.
One problem......I didn't bother to label all of them. And some of those not labeled, I can't remember what they did. Into the trash can they go. I can make new jigs if I miss any of 'em.

Boys & girls - don't forget to label your jigs!

Steve, I am with you on the “Why not make six. . . .or a dozen?”. Making six or a dozen at a time with a proven jig or template in a sequential-step production run really doesn’t take much more time than making one or two when you factor in getting out (and putting away) tools and materials and moving from station to station.

And, ya know, I have a lot of rolled construction paper or custom shaped wood templates in shop storage. Those templates are all marked for intended-purpose and size and some, like the convoluted DIY heat-sealable dry bag templates, are the end result of a lot of trial (and corrected) error template experimentation. I should designate those for some DIY’er, lest they eventually get burned in the wood stove as fire starters.

The occasional inventory and purge (every 20 years or so ) has its benefits.......for others. I find duplicate tools I didn't realize I had (I am an estate sale vulture with a bad memory).

I purge the shop every couple of years. Or at least, tools and boats out, top to bottom dusted and floor scrubbed, once every four years, when it’s our turn in sibling rotation to seat 30+ for Thanksgiving dinner. Seated for dinner in my shop space, my refuge, which is the only room big enough to seat that many. And once seated there, they don’t leave. Eh, everything is gone and I can’t do any work anyway, might as well mess with the in-laws.

I was fortunate for 30 years to have a second-hand tool repository, old duplicate tools taken and left at an oft visited friend’s (initially ill equipped) shop 400 miles away.

I worked in his shop a couple times a year, and got tired of driving an hour into town to buy him a freaking vice (yes, his shop didn’t even have a vise), drill index, socket set or saw that wasn’t dull, rusty and bent. To wit; this is the guy who used the same Skil-saw blade for 20 years. I broke down and bought him (OK, me, to use there) a contractor pack of saw blades.

At home we once had a yearly tradition of reorganizing and purging the gear storage room. Me and missus, equipped with a bottle of Champagne (x2), a big trash can, a box for Goodwill collection and, most importantly, ruthless intent, went through all of our gear in serious purge mode.

We seem to have stopped accumulating gear to give away. It took years of ruthless purging, but no more old Boy Scout mess tins, knife/fork/spoon clip-together combos or toddler sized PFDs. There are items kept for purely sentimental reasons; early 70’s (then top of the line) JanSport backpack, Svea stove, ancient paddles from my teens, but the what-the-heck, never-using-this-again drek is finally gone.

The only way to do that gear purge was to be ruthless. This was not the time to be inspecting every ancient widget, holding it up and remember-when memorializing its past use. Never ever gonna use it again? Trash, Goodwill or Give-away box and get on with it.

The increasing Champagne buzz helped maintain the necessary ruthless-ness, and we never missed any of that 3x replaced or improved upon gear. BTW, I have never in my life bought a Boy Scout mess kit, but we somehow purged one every year.

Back to winter shop work, or at least design cogitation. I need to get cracking on a bow utility/sail thwart for the Cronje. Which has a full spray cover with tandem tunnels. This could get interesting design-wise.

 

[Rippy]

If Rippy is anything like me I hope he would think of knives as tools and not weapons. The only knife I regret buying is a double edged boot knife. I was only a kid but WTF was I thinking.

My knives are tools for cutting chores. Some of my tools are prettier than others. Here is my first automatic knife. I gave it to my son for Christmas. I'm about halfway through my third one now.

 

[Rippy]

In the winter of 2015-2016 I did a knife build that Robin raffled off for a fund raiser. Along the way we had poles to pick handle wood, blade finish, bolster material, and to name it. It ended up being named The Ripster. Memaquay was the winner. For those who were not members yet here is the link to a photo album of the build.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=3&theater

 

[Steve in Idaho]

Wow, Rippy!

Someone asked, "why an automatic knife? " (paraphrased)

Sometimes you need that blade while one hand is busy. And in some places, a belt-carried fixed blade is not socially acceptable.

 

[Steve in Idaho]

Mike - Ruth has been kicked to the curb. She's been hangin' around here too long, sucking up space, and generally making a nuisance of herself.

 

[Odyssey]

Wow, Rippy!

Someone asked, "why an automatic knife? " (paraphrased)

Sometimes you need that blade while one hand is busy. And in some places, a belt-carried fixed blade is not socially acceptable.

I agree. But not all folders are made equal, especially up north here in the eyes of our laws. I have a fixed blade for tripping. It lives fixed to our food barrel. I do have (2) folding EDCs. With minor manual dexterity they are one handed opening. They both come tripping with us, one for me, one for her. They however lack the gravity assist that has become offensive to authorities trying to address knife crime in society. The onus there is on ease of use and concealment, not on the folding blade itself. A gravity assist flipper is deemed too easy for cowardly criminal dickheads to use. I on the other hand very much appreciated the ease of opening my thumb stud folder with a brief sweep of my hand. ( I prefer the thumb slot seen on Spyderco's) It went missing one summer, so I went shopping for a really nice folder strictly for tripping and was put off by the two handed requirement for its use. I may be getting soft and lazy but I can't stand having to go through a momentary choreography of using two hands for a three handed task. A one handed EDC folder fits nicely into whatever routine I'm in without having to fumble with a folder, whether off tripping or here at home. As a matter of fact I keep a folding exacto in my vehicle. Believe it or not it comes in handy for jobs when my EDC is in my other pants.

 

[Rippy]

I agree. But not all folders are made equal, especially up north here in the eyes of our laws. I have a fixed blade for tripping. It lives fixed to our food barrel. I do have (2) folding EDCs. With minor manual dexterity they are one handed opening. They both come tripping with us, one for me, one for her. They however lack the gravity assist that has become offensive to authorities trying to address knife crime in society. The onus there is on ease of use and concealment, not on the folding blade itself. A gravity assist flipper is deemed too easy for cowardly criminal dickheads to use. I on the other hand very much appreciated the ease of opening my thumb stud folder with a brief sweep of my hand. ( I prefer the thumb slot seen on Spyderco's) It went missing one summer, so I went shopping for a really nice folder strictly for tripping and was put off by the two handed requirement for its use. I may be getting soft and lazy but I can't stand having to go through a momentary choreography of using two hands for a three handed task. A one handed EDC folder fits nicely into whatever routine I'm in without having to fumble with a folder, whether off tripping or here at home. As a matter of fact I keep a folding exacto (one hander) in my vehicle. Believe it or not it comes in handy for jobs when my EDC is in my other pants.

Brad, I think a length limit for concealed carry makes much more sense than the mechanics of opening a pocket knife. I mean really, what difference crime wise does it make if a knife opens one second faster, or with one hand instead of two. IMO switch blade laws are hysterical emotional BS. That said, in Iowa with a concealed carry permit I can legally carry a auto knife.
I have been making knives for all most 30 years, folders for 24 of those years. In that time I have always wanted to make an auto knife and am finally getting around to it. Fun stuff.

 

[Odyssey]

Brad, I think a length limit for concealed carry makes much more sense than the mechanics of opening a pocket knife. I mean really, what difference crime wise does it make if a knife opens one second faster, or with one hand instead of two. IMO switch blade laws are hysterical emotional BS. That said, in Iowa with a concealed carry permit I can legally carry a auto knife.
I have been making knives for all most 30 years, folders for 24 of those years. In that time I have always wanted to make an auto knife and am finally getting around to it. Fun stuff.

Hey man, I'm just the messenger trying to make sense of it, not one of the throng fearing for their lives. Maybe I'm just a snowflake feeling inconvenienced but I still can't wrap my head around the reasoning for fast knives bad vs slow knives good. Maybe the thin line separating tools from weapons is thinner than I thought. I'm very careful about any folder I carry out and about. It never comes out, because I don't want to "scare" anybody. It's bad enough I turn to a stranger standing next to me in a checkout line to pass the time of day, and 5 times out 10 they'll shrink like I've just threatened them within an inch of their lives. I guess words can be weapons too, like "Can't believe all the groceries I got. I only came in for milk." But I better stop now before I rant and go way off topic.
I'm looking forward to your folder projects Dave. I'm one of your fans here on CT, though I can't believe you called some of the others "OLD" and got away with it. Ha.

On this thread I'm already guilty of smudging the line between flick, flip and one hand opening folders. I'm only concerned with canoe tripping.
Slim letter opener flicks you might hide in your boot seem silly to trip with. Unless you're bringing along a lot of unopened mail. Those were the switch type auto openers I was poking fun at earlier. A knife I once owned was closer to a flip than the other two I still own, and I grew to appreciate the ease of opening. Not that I find much for knives to do on trips, but I'm sure others have more fun than I do. The two handed folders shouldn't be dissed either. They still have their place I'm sure.

 

[Rippy]

Hey Brad, Wasn't trying to "shoot the messenger" just poke at the knife laws a little. Just saying I find it odd that deadliness would be determined by the opening method. I myself am guilty of liking gadgets. A knife that opens by pushing a button falls into that category. I use one at work and it actually is handy to be holding a package and open your knife and close it without setting the package down.

 

[Odyssey]

Poke away Dave. We're cool. I'm sorry for coming across as passive aggressive. Hysteria bothers me too.
I should learn to relax more. A canoe trip wouldn't hurt either. I'll try not to plan what kind of camp knife to bring. Ha.