ShopTalk Sunday: Messy Bench Disease, II, Range Notes

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Before our dig-in, a couple of random health notes.  73 is about a week away and most people guess me a decade (or more) younger.  How?

Up and at ’em early this morning.  (Like 3 AM early.)  Been using the “speed crown” a bit and the increase in both personal focus and energy is remarkable.  Goes back to some vedic (jyotish) health concepts involving color.  Which, since you were going to ask seems to have some basis, though science is so clumsy at this stage of re-learning lost arts (light medicine) it’s kind of embarrassing to the inquisitive mind.

You were going to ask, probably, “How is this anything like science?”

Ah!  Richter and Tan (2014) in a paper (“Photons and Neurons“) summarize:

“Methods to control neural activity by light have been introduced to the field of neuroscience. During the last decade, several techniques have been established, including optogenetics, thermogenetics, and infrared neural stimulation. The techniques allow investigators to turn-on or turn-off neural activity.”

Fuzzy concept is that light medicine is a doorway to age extension and the side effect is higher personal energy levels.  Which is why some coffee, some huperzine-A, and 30-minutes a day of light is how I keep personal energy “topped-up” – crazy as that might sound.  Firing neurons release photons and light therapy acts as a battery charger, of sorts.

ClinicalTrials.gov lists more 870 trials under “LLLT” – low level laser light therapy, while 212 studies pop under the heading “photobiomodulation.”  If it was all hokum, I doubt government would engage.

Even if you don’t have a big shop to tinker in, something as simple as a deep red LED “rope” and a cheap container (safety or skateboard helmet) as a form, you can do lots of useful tinkering.  Some of which will stimulate hair regrowth and other-such things.  But this ain’t medical advice, of course!

Though, based on CV-19 handling by government, we can understand skepticism!

Messy Bench Disease (MBD) II

Was it last week?  I mentioned my personality defect that torpedoes my efforts to keep a clean workbench.  That’s because there is usually a breakpoint in a project where I want to go play with whatever I just worked on, rather than cleaning up the mess made in the process.

For some reason, 2-cycle engine repairs, like carb replacements, scream “Use me!  Use me now!” Which is how the chainsaw gets fixed, a couple of trees are fallen, but the bench somehow never got put back to its pristine starting condition.

Approaches

Treatment of Messy Bench Disease doesn’t show up on PubMed or WebMD. With some research, though, treatment options seem to include:

  • BBCEoP:  This is my default setting.  Big Bench, Cleaned at End of Project.
  • CBEoD:  Retired TV engineer Hank in Hawaii has experience with Clean Bench, End of Day. My days never seem to end; I mean sometimes the projects extend a day and sometimes a week, or longer.  With no (pardon) asshole boss to shove my tools in the trash, the incentive has just never been there for me.
  • CBIF:  This is a new one (from Rings Workshop).  Means “Clean Bench – I’m Filming!”  See his videos on shop organization here.  I totally get that if I were filming, I might keep a clean bench.  That filming involves so much else:  I’d have to sober up, put on clothes, and maybe have a shave before being on camera.  Absolutely too hard!  Which then gets us down to the path less traveled…
  • PCB-TB:  Perpetually Clean Bench – Tool Box has been observed

Tool Boxing

Critic’s note: The Chicago Manual of Style was useless explaining how tool-boxing) is properly written in this context.

The central theme is all tools live in the toolbox, all the time.

If you need two tools at once?  Like tweezers to hold a component while soldering, fine.  They can both be “out of the box” at the same time.  When done, it’s the tool chaperone’s job to get them both safely home, however.

Loading Up:  Turns out, one toolbox is NOT enough for the tools I touch on a weekly basis.

  • At the main bench, there’s a roll-around full of tools.  Wire rack on big wheels.
  • Electronics bench which has zillions of small tools.
  • The metalworking tools (haphazardly tossed into that area)
  • And the CNC/3D printing tools.  Mainly ball-end Allen wrenches and side-cutters.

Step 1:  Get a big box.

Step 2:  Every tool you touch for a week gets tossed in the box when done.

Step 3:  Sort every tool used into toolboxes, trying for one per bench location.

Example 1:  The Electronics Bench tools:

Anything you need for electronics is probably in here:  Alignment tools, a Fluke meter, a component ESR meter (2), electric and manual screwdrivers, wrenches, Allen’s, strippers, hookers (lol), soldering gear, multiple pliers, tweezers, chip pullers, wire, tape and so forth.  (Little rechargeable fan blows soldering smoke away…cheap PPE.)

Example 2:  CNC/3D box

This one is a work in progress since it’s cold and I didn’t do any CNC/3D stuff this week.  Reason?  3D printing works best at around an even 70-75F.  When you get too much colder, you can only increase nozzle temps so much to maintain adhesion between layers.  32.1F in the shop this morning at click time.  Not when you want to make important tool decision.  Mid-60’s next weekend is a lot more promising.

You’ve already seen the wire-rack tool cart at the main bench, but if the memory fog is hanging late:

Lower left you can see the tip of the Fastener Cart.  But this is where you’ll find a complete set of wrenches, impact drivers, open-ends, and project tools for most everything likely to come across the bench.  A half-dozen impact, drill, recip saw, and battery circ saws are above.

Hank (in Hawaii) suggested this toolbox diversion I’m on is more likely an “Operator Error” problem.  Hmm… But I’m determined to see if there’s a point where the cost of investing in toolboxes actually results in higher productivity.  Though Elaine’s a lot more honest in how Productivity gets measured, than oh, say the Labor Department!

Home on the Range, .223

Last week, visiting firefighter son G2 learned basic plasma cutter handling on 3/8″ I-beam stock and MIG welding (fluxcore, no shielding gas).  He will advance to 1/4 inch “welding coupons”” this week with shielding gas.

Last week’s project was a new target for the rifle range out back

He’d decided that a good test would allow him to play “RangeBusters.”

See, there’s a notion that .223 green tips will go through damn near anything including steel.  But here’s what the entrance looked like:

Top he nailed the welding bead so that’s how 5″ of solid steel behind doesn’t much care about green tip .223 rounds.  The lower went through the front of the I-beam but didn’t even dimple the back.  18-degree down angle for ricochet safety; good reader tip.

Maybe your M-16-A4 is different, but G2’s not overly impressed.

I’m reminded of the difference between New Yorkers (and Californians) and Texans.  In NYC or Cal, if you have 10,000 rounds, “You’re a dangerous Gun Nut who ought to be locked up!”  In Texas?  “So, you’re new to shooting, then…”

Liberal states likely also count BB’s and pellets to make anti-Constitutional rights headlines. But I digress. Shills will be shills (or commies).

Me? Not much into guns.  Before hauling out my Russian-made AK to solve problems?  Much more efficient to tap my lawyer on speed dial. He never misses and is actually cheaper and carries a lower risk-profile than guns these days.

But times can change.  Adapt, improvise, and a little range time.

Write when you get rich,

George@Ure.net

57 thoughts on “ShopTalk Sunday: Messy Bench Disease, II, Range Notes”

  1. Happy birthday.

    Shooting at Dixie plates and shooting at targets returning fire is not the same thing. Have G2 put up silhouette targets so he gets used to aiming at people (or deer or rabbits) and pulling the trigger. Otherwise, what’s the point?

  2. Something for the FWIW Dept. –
    A Pure Gold Cube Worth $11.7 Million Just Appeared in NYC’s Central Park
    https://www.thrillist.com/news/new-york/niclas-castello-gold-cube-exhibit-central-park-nyc?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=thrillist

    For a few hours on Wednesday, joggers and walkers in New York City’s Central Park played witness to a strange sight: a 410-pound cube of pure gold.

    The cube appeared at the Naumburg Bandshell around 5 am and was on display until sundown, drawing a crowd of onlookers who were closely watched by the sculpture’s private security detail.

    The gold cube is the work of German artist Niclas Castello, who told ArtNet that the sculpture is “a conceptual work of art in all its facets, [meant to] create something that is beyond our world—that is intangible.” Naturally, he rolled it out alongside a cryptocurrency called The Castello Coin, with the pairing serving as something of a commentary on the value of currency in both ancient and modern societies.

    The cube was cast at a foundry in Switzerland. It measures about 18 inches on all sides, and the gold is roughly one-quarter inch thick. It weighs 410 pounds, making the 24 karat, 99.9% pure-gold cube worth around $11.7 million.

    Castello’s cube has already been removed from the park. So far, there’s no word on where it will end up next, but a few lucky park-goers on Wednesday certainly struck gold.

    … And then Velveeta replicated the stunt by putting its own replica of the cube out there in the form of a huge block of cheese. Both had their own security detail. The block of gold converts to some 5,978.9890 troy ounces of gold but, by my guess, the Velveeta is “offishully” appreciating at a much higher rate than the gold is allowed to do right now. I’m assuming this event is real – or it’s a pretty good job of photoshopping for the cheese.

  3. Wordslinger:

    MSD (Messy Bench Disease) is a Miss moniker, it’s actually known as Messy Bench DisOrder. Solution? Get more benches. I have two metal metal-craft benches next to a 14″ South Bend Lathe with workshop wash station.

    The wood “area” (loosely defined by me) has at least five benches. Life isn’t about sorting your tools. It’s about spreading them out so you can look at lots of them at once. So, get more benches. Glad to be of help.

    Loved reading about Texican down range play. Me ‘n a bud say the same thing irt: news media and cartridge count … they gasp at a thousand rounds or so. So? Here in the Heartland we have precious metal (Pb). End.

    Once it gets above 30F-something I will sort out a new varmint rifle (sight scope, send rounds, etc.). A coyote wants my cat and … nope.

    Write when you get redetermination,
    Egor

    • Egor is right. Many of us may have a sundry of diseases but what really ails us is more aptly called disorders. We might change our behavior but two wrongs don’t make a right (in the absence of loaded weapons).

      • “two wrongs don’t make a right”

        True, but three lefts DO make a right. Or one left with a vertical component can make a right. I used to do that in a 1947 Luscombe. Bet my passenger that I can make one 90 degree left turn and be pointed at that water tower off the right wing. Nose down to gain speed, pull up to vertical, roll left 90 degrees, then pull over the top and pull out. Voila! There’s the water tower on the nose. I won a lot of cokes that way back in the day.

  4. When I detect a shop job is becoming inefficient because undue time is being spent moving to where tools were set down, I’ll take a coffee break and reset the tools to their designated spots. At least this way zero thought interruption occurs searching for tools and the project flow stays more or less on track.
    This shop has three 5’ full size 10 drawer roller boxes, 4 medium tool roller chests and several leftovers from the Craftsman days that organize / segregate all hand tools like a good tool catalog. 16’ pegboard wall has frequent fliers and odd shapes like hand saws, tee squares, levels etc. along with a 2×10 shelf above the bench drilled to hold screw drivers, torx, Allen wrenches and trays of misc. small bits that all get used constantly.
    Two 42” x 96” rolling (lockable) assembly tables allow the shop to be reconfigured for whatever job is at hand with the table saw being the only major fixed piece of machinery .
    I’ve spent a lot of time trying to make 5 lbs of crap fit into a four pound sack and have concluded the the shop needs to triple in size with all metal work isolated for cleanliness and fire hazards. So, the never ending project continues.

  5. green tips are ok for shooting thru minor obstacles like un armored vehicles doors and windows, but if you want GOOD penetration you need what the old boys used in wars and that was 30 caliber armor piercing rounds that have the tungsten steel insert embeded inside the jacket. Got a boogey man hiding behind a large tree? it just went thru the tree and into the target. got a target standing on the other side of a 460 CID engine it becomes a energizer bunny and just keeps going. I was able to obtain some and just changed out the powder. of course the training only is as good as the MIND-SET of when to use.

    • 78 gr. IMRH loaded 300Gr. Sierra Boattail mag#250 primer blows thru 5/16
      armour plate at 100 yds like tissue paper. Copper jacket in front on ground. Leadcore seven feet into swamp beyond. You are correct about penetration.
      Philip B. Sharpe had another about velocity. In his book they load .17 caliber to 10,000 FPS. Euthanized aged mule with gut shot. Described event “like electrocution” minute tissue damage at autopsy. Penetration or shock are both very lethal.

  6. Eye on the sky time G-Pops, as Sunday shop time comes into focus. Looks like trip to harbor freight this AM for free 5 gal bucket w/purch of $25 or more…gee wonder if I can find $25 worth of tools I NEED today. Know where you can find the images of Americas new 6th gen. warbird? Comm sat discovered object completely matching description of the (NGAD) at mil. base “zone-51”. triangle shape, smallish, curved leading edge, 65ft long, 50 ft wide, no noticeable tail. – ?Message?

    Intel/backstory – “pain in the craine” ..Puteeen by 2006 had paid off the Russian DEBT to redshields via surging Oil profits. This lead directly to Vlad estalbishing 2007 campaign slogan “Putins Plan Means Victory For Russia!”
    Khordorkovsky was redshield agent – how he financed Menatap Banking Group&Yukos Oil. Menatap is associated wit rotchild-soreass-carlye grp.

    ?Proof! British press reported that Khordorovsky shares in Yukos Oil passed to jacob rothchild just prior to khordorkovsky arrest. hmmmm

    “KazarianMafia” HATEs what they Fear most – A Debt Free Nation fused with strong christian Ethics/Morals. Xi did basically same thing too that vile club,sans the strong christian ethics/values, and the club wantz their “treasure” back..

    ..MHO – all noise, smoke and mirrors – so we dont know, see, bee made aware of “the planet of crossing” – niqueing on up & behind our view of Sun.
    – front runnerz already showing up as “static buzzes” perturbing ole Sol. Could be a “pulsing” goodtime had by half shortly – wasnt there a revelation regards 2’s and a big space/Rock ?? whoops..

  7. Joe M is correct. Doubtful it could be explained or described how live fire situations affect you. The best answer I can think of is to avoid it. This cannot always be. So you need to train as realistically as possible if only to justify the expense of your time and ammo.

    I personally would not bother carrying a civilian version of the AR but you gotta run what you brung. Your Ak would be a better choice. If it ever happens you need to discharge that tool all the CC permits, Constitutional carry, or whatever is way down on the list of concerns. First is calling you Legal Counsel and keeping your mouth shut till he gets there.
    Peace
    73

  8. Calling Captain Marvel. Captain Marvel, white line please.

    A gold cube in Central Park to “create something that is beyond our world”? Is it a beacon to ancient visitors from other galaxies? Ancient aliens theorists say yes… I noticed it wasn’t a solid cube. Maybe there was a tessaract inside?

    Ingenious ploy though, using Velveeta cheese as a decoy to draw the minions’ attention. Saved a bundle on the counterintel budget and was environmentally friendly, as well — free grilled cheese sandwiches all around!

  9. 73 the call sign in ham for ‘hello’.

    I stand by my earlier comment, as I am about to be very busy in other ventures.

    I ponder this morning, Why are the Chinese so silent about Russia and Ukrain? It’s in their backyard so to speak over in tomorrow land. Logically they would have an interest. As if Canada would not have an opinion on if the US invaded Mexico….

    Things change and shift in direction when I post on this site and a few others. Moving placement. Good, everything Moving in a new and different direction, less predicated.

    A certain displacement happens when I comment on here about certain items of interest. Like one of those Chinese puzzel boxes. If I know a certain pattern displacement happens on certain places when I speak on those venues, I can use that to my advantage to move things in subtle ways. Like Elon and Mr Stafford on ‘chance’ meeting.

    Say did you hear about the Tiktok time traveler and his predictions one a about a volcano, an airplane and what was it.??…. oh the discovery of people from Argatha come August, I think is what it was. I think we already had the volcano. Time travel could be possible. LOL we already do it, all the time. Without thinking about it. Traveling from the east to the west. Until we spring ahead an hour in some cases.

    Thank you all and it’s good to know that things change when I come on here. Works very well.

    Pattern displacement creates a new set, of synchronicity.

    As I sit out here in delight at the beauty of THE DUDE’S creative handy work. 3 crows in the tree above me. I’m not really a bird watcher as much as they watch me. Always 3, in different forms.

    Interesting enough, having recently completed writing my 3rd book. I burned the first one, to transfer it from material to spirit.

    Happy Sunday lady’s and gentlemen.

    Moving forward….

    My favorite song of all time.

    Eye Q: ~ way maker ~

    https://youtu.be/B8tqDr_UltQ

    Truly! I am Blessed and Highly Fortunate!

  10. United States ›
    Avg. on Feb. 5 14-day change
    New cases 303,946 –57%
    New deaths 2,597 +21%

    But what do they die of?

  11. Happy Birthday young man… your birthday has to be pretty close to two of my siblings..
    I hope you have a wonderful day..

  12. P..S. did you ever notice that in movie silent green everyone pays in D’s. A new currency. Never saw it until last night. D’S? I heard someone refer to Shibas as D’s the other day. Hmmmm. Interesting. Very interesting

  13. How do you get a gig as an ancient astronaut theorist? I tried, but they said I didn’t have the right hair.

  15. Not a real tool, but a tool of sorts.

    Got two mailings yesterday regarding 5G internet. $50/mo unlimited service and NO throttling. Didn’t give the speed but I will dangerously assume it is in the at least 100mb/sec range since that is the bottom tier of the pole mounted options available here.

    Of course I live in the city and already have 3 wired service providers on the back pole to choose from and am paying less, but I still found it interesting to finally see the at least one offering for 5G internet. Still don’t want that microwave machine inside my house … but a lot won’t be bothered by that little medical detail.

    • “…don’t want that microwave machine inside my house”
      As a retired communications engineer, I was appalled at all the microwave band frequencies that 5G utilizes. There is no way I want to hold that thing next to my head, and I don’t want to live near a 5G tower!

      In the early days of the high power ‘brick’ cellphones I personally knew two engineer-types that were heavy cell users. Both died of brain cancer tumors on the side that they used the cellphone to their ear. And that was just the old 800 MHz system. Lower powers in use today, but now up into the microwave oven nearby frequencies. Seriously… I need a tinfoil Faraday Shielding hat!

      • I had a dear friend that died from brain tumors..4 of them..
        She was always on the cellphone..

  16. That is right. Who makes out like a bandit if Russia and the US get into a fight? China. That is why they are so silent about it. Remember folks it’s not so much as what is being said as who is silent about it. 3 card monte is in play. Pay attention!

    • It’s not when children are making noise you have to worry. It’s when they are quite. Everyone knows that. Let’s see if that changes anything

      • It certainly would solve China’s massive unemployment numbers and housing bubble crisis if the US and Russia went to war. Fires up all their factorys over night.

        However, Signs on the over pass i just drove under say, “no war with Russia.” The signs speak true.

        Good good.

        Funny how you can jump time lines like that. Just driving past an overpass like that.

        Even my youngest noticed, we were listing to EDM music and the moment we got off the freeway at the exit to a county road, the music changed from an EDM song finishing at the exact moment we stopped at the stop light on the exit to county music. All on its own.

        We note such juxtapositions with delight.

        Well, there ya go. A new door. I have others to attend to.

    • With Zer0bama running the fake White House I’d say it will be the Muslim countries that are the silent winners. China cannot exist without Russia’s oil.

    • Who makes out if our economy hits hyperinflation and the dollar collapses?
      I believe that Our days of being the global leaders are numbered.
      It started with deregulation and promotion of greed.. outsourced our most valuable asset.. the skills and industrial capabilities.. turning our country into a consumption nation with throw away products..

      • “Who makes out if our economy hits hyperinflation and the dollar collapses?”

        The ruling class of every nation, the Vatican, and the U.S. Government.

  17. In this crazy global gulag the most important thing is health . I started nearly 18 months ago of a whole new approach to diet . Zero sugar and zero salt . I have trimmed 25 kg and feel great . Supplements and sensible diet is also essential. Exercise daily . At 62 and dead twice previously I do 1000 sit ups a day . Core strength paramount

  19. So I still have this uncomfortable question for George. How is “putting your tools back into the toolbox” any different than “putting your tools back into their proper places at the workbench”? Inquiring minds would like to know.

    A place for everything, and (return) everything in it’s place.

  20. Comrades,

    For those indisposed to the vicarious observation of the XI Olympics on their viewing platform, the BBC reports on how to innoculate your mind from fake news courtesy of a new game from Cambridge University.

    Would you like to play a game?

    “Go Viral!” is an online game developed by Cambridge psychologists, the UK cabinet office, and DROG. The latter seems to be some sort of public/private media entity backed by the UK, EC, the Netherlands, and Microsoft. As near as I can make out, “drog” translates as “psychoactive substances” in Hungarian.

    The following link from Cambridge U offers at least 4 opportunities to play the game. I haven’t played the game. However the presentation struck me as interesting.

    https://www.cam.ac.uk/stories/goviral

  21. Despite recent bad weather, the local Winco grocery store shelves were fully stocked this afternoon. Two weeks ago, everyone had on a mask at the grocery store; today, almost no one was wearing a mask.
    New Covid cases are down by a factor of eight or so from the Omni peak. Still too high, but are declining very quickly.
    Monday should be business as usual.

    • Daily NEW infections here are down by 85% from their peak too.

      Hospitalizations are dropping slower since they lag infections by 2 to 3 weeks and deaths are barely dropping yet since they lag new infections by about 4 to 6 weeks.

      I expect those other two metrics to drop sharply over the next 4 to 6 weeks … which is just in time for …… SPRING BREAK!!

      Young people are highly unlikely to get seriously ill to begin with and many also now have had one of the varieties (with Omicron may not have even known they were infected) so they also have some natural immunity.

      As a result of the declines I imagine that the Spring Break locations are going to have a blow out season!! First time in 3 years that it will be PARTY PARTY PARTY time for young people at Spring Break time.

  22. Len good eating plan but takes some effort. You might google Kaatsu for info on your workout. It works like magic. Well worth the money.

  24. Supply shortages caused by a failing controlled destroyed economy cannot be cooked up as inflation. Just a sign of how bad and how cooked up it is . Yep we are gone . Nothing but darkness in view.

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