ShopTalk Sunday: Stair Repair Saturday

A month or two back, Elaine mentioned that a couple of the stair treads on the short stairs (from the BBQ deck down to the shop walkway) were cracked and looking sketchy. This whole BBQ deck was a one-day build 10+ years ago.  And those stairs were built with two risers, not three.  So, maybe … Read More

ShopTalk Sunday: A 3D Workflow Example

I thought it would be fun to roll through an example of how a simple workflow process can be used to tackle almost any home handy-bastard project. Project Planning A number of projects were underway here this week, but they all have something in common:  They each went through a planning process where as much … Read More

Electrical Readiness

When there is talk of nukes flashing off, the one critical vulnerability you will already need to have hedged is electricity.  People don’t generally consider how utterly reliant the world is on electricity. Even more so in the past five-years, or so, as the iniquitous “wall warts” have become the USB charging ports on damn … Read More

Shoptalk Sunday: Build a Home Studio & Radio Station (#2)

In last Sunday’s ShopTalk,  we ambled through some of the construction fine points of building a room suitable for high performance sound.  Today, with a converted room at the ready – silent lights, HVAC sound boots, dual airlock doors, and sand-filled walls plus a fortune in Auralex wall coverings – we need to put something in our … Read More

ShopTalk Sunday: Back-up Home Heating, Starlink In

Plus, some other nifty topics this morning, including my Yaupon Hedge experiment.  So, kick back with another cup and let’s think this project called Life through a little deeper… If War Is Coming We sure hope reasonable shows up at the party soon.  Because the accounting for this Ukraine War (thanks to maneuvering by the … Read More

ShopTalk Sunday: Fall Kick-Off, Side of Woo-Woo

I’m really, really big on lean-to’s.  Don’t know if I ever told you the story of the one on the east side of our “trailer” or not.  But we had this existing wood porch that led to the front door.  And it was made from real treated wood.  The kind you could get “back in the … Read More

ShopTalk Sunday: The “Prepping Window” Closing

Although most times, our ShopTalk sessions here are devoted to messing about in the shop, geopolitical storm clouds have gathered to where we might want to all put a “weather eye on the horizon.”  Because what’s out there has the potential to end the comfortable lifestyles enjoyed in America since the previous Depression. Our long-term cycles … Read More

ShopTalk Sunday: Knowledge Preservation, Prepping

Good news – and bad – about those couple of old, tired, worn-out laptops here.  The good news is they are all screaming fast. Linux does that. The bad is they have forced me to look again – somewhat realistically – at the odds of the Internet going down within the next three years. As … Read More

ShopTalk Sunday: Fall Garden Time!

Too busy with doctor appointments this week (checkups and a cardiologist follow up) to get much done in the Shop or Hobby Shop this week.  And it looks like things will be in go-slow mode since the next few weekends will be “Setting up for Fall” events. #1: Plant Fall Garden Fall into winter garden … Read More

CCEO Training

Let’s start with Collapse-Capable Electronics Operator training and why it’s a different cut of cloth than a ham radio operator.  Nothing against hams – finest people in the world. And I’m an Extra Class (AC7X) who’s been “Banging brass” for 60-some years, now. Everyone can benefit from a ham license – no Morse code required … Read More

ShopTalk Sunday: Binge TV and Project Progress

Extreme Summer, 2022 Edition is slowly moving towards conclusion.  Nowhere near fast enough for us, though. Our kitchen was attacked by ants this week.  Elaine came over to the office sputtering “Hoards of ants have invaded the kitchen!”  Sure enough, yes they had.  However, hardly the end of the world.  Essentially, they were along the … Read More

100-Year Toaster: Ch. 18 (Honest Money and Value)

The paradox of growth versus environmental balance (finally) wraps up today.  We out the final chapter of our next Peoplenomics ebook.  These are included with your Peoplenomics.com subscription.  However, some of the ebooks such as Power in the Second Depression are available on Amazon ($5.99). This final chapter has taken more than a year to … Read More

ShopTalk Sunday: $100 Shop/Mancave Computer Build

It has been too damn hot to spend much time on the Chineseum model boat project.  So, instead, I got serious about “building a Shop Computer.” Now, any damn fool can go out and pay Big Money for a screaming-fast high performance multi-terabyte 32 GB Win11 machine which is where I do the bulk of … Read More

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