Comes now the time of year when “Winter Readiness” is on the agenda. Along with some of the best “working weather” of the year, most places.
“What’s Working Weather?”
This is an old home-building and firehouse term. Because firefighters, many times, have real hands-on hobbies and side hustles. Like building some of the best new construction homes available.
In the summertime, it becomes “too hot” when you break into a sweat with any more violent exertion than, oh, raising a cold beer. Conversely, in winter sweat isn’t the issue – in fact it’s great for heavy outdoor work like wood harvesting and heavy framing projects – however cold hands aren’t quite as accurate as warm ones.
Working weather also depends on your ancestry and acclimatization. Yes, we’re going to venture into a race discussion for a second because this is real science and very interesting.
I laugh at all the racial bullshit on the web. Being White and tending toward slightly overweight, my haplotype is optimized for long, dark, cold winters. People of other pigmentations and chemistries are suited for different regional conditions. Why Black Lives Matter hasn’t embraced “Warming Ready” as a positioning statement doesn’t amaze me, though.
No…that’s not racist. It’s ethnoclimatology. Look it up. People’s genes are optimized based on their genetic history (location, location, location).
To get up to speed consider The moral discourse of climate: historical considerations on race, place and virtue – ScienceDirect. Humans over time become “how we heat, what we eat, and local plant life.” But hey! don’t let science interfere with a socialist agenda of division… Adaptation by nature is really cool – or hot!
You just have to be circumspect when discussing ethnoclimatology. Race isn’t about who we each are. More like a genetic map of how we got here. And that’s damn interesting.
Back to point? Even though we’re still using a touch of a/c in the afternoon, we’re quite comfortable at martini time with 85F. On the other side of the calendar, we’ll be pretty comfy with outdoor drinks and a charcoal BBQ fire pit down into the 30’s.
If you’ve got early fall projects going – and the temps are running 5-10 degrees hotter than normal here in East Texas this year – you start bumping up the indoor air conditioning temps by about one degree every 10-days, or so, starting in mid-June.
Somewhat shop-related purchases arriving this week? The 30-inch fire pit with charcoal grill. Plus a couple of Amazon Basics fleece jackets and vests.
When “working weather” is down into the low 40’s, a heavy shirt and a vest, plus a Thermos of coffee, will keep you cool enough to ensure that you are “climate motivated” to put on some hustle to keep toasty.
Maximizing Projects
This time of year, a home handy-bastard needs at least two – and maybe three – good projects going at all times. To take advantage, there should be an Outside project, and Indoor project, and a Hobby project.
How that is playing out this year here?
The Indoor project is now underway: 13 cases of tile arrived by truck this week, and every time I go from the shop to the house, I carry a box over and stack it in the dining room along the wall. By the time all the project “detail pieces” show up (more on the Big Tile Project next week) all the tile will be close at hand.
The Outdoor project is also underway: This, you’ll recall, is putting in a new deck on the east side of the house. Won’t be very big, only 8 by 16 feet. And from there, down to a 10 by 12 foot patio which will be an “outdoor cooking plaza.” The wood (charcoal) fired pizza oven, the charcoal BBQ pit, and four chairs.
At the end of the deck, those two wood waist-high 2 by 4 foot planter boxes will be installed.
Fall’s hobby project is the Ham Radio desk. Those two pieces of butcher block counter (50-inches by 25) will be the “way overkill” for this one.
Assorted “fill-in” projects linger, too. Such as the milling machine table and the old Sears radial arm saw restoration planned for late fall.
Turn Off Your Computer
Although it seems like I ‘get a lot done’ compared to most people, I don’t. I just try to look at things on a systematic basis and then act (somewhat) accordingly. Systematically.
The best self-improvement book I’ve read in decades has been Cal Newport’s Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World. He’s got another book that’s also on my reading list: Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World.
With a new computer showing up this week, I will no doubt be tempted to spend a lot more time on the computer. But, the fact is people are “input-output” devices. If – after more than 70-years – I am not “outputting”? That is, actually doing things in nominal world? Then it’s a sign of “input addiction.”
As an old-time reporter, I see how the “barriers to entry” for news junkies and social media time-wasters has come down. But, it’s easier to think or imagine than actually ‘DO things’ – one of the great conundrums of modern life.
Improved Chip Brushes
Let’s talk about painting (and coatings) for a second.
How many of us order dozens of those cheap wood-handle, coarse bristle brushes that come out of Asia? Dare I say all?
I love them. Sure, they don’t hold as much paint (or material) as a professional grade brush, but there are very few applications where a high-end paintbrush has a great ROI.
The biggest bitch with chip brushes is they drop bristles in everything. When you’re putting on a coat of (Cabot’s, gloss spar) varnish, nothing pisses a feller off more than a cheap brush dropping a couple of bristles on the final leveling pass.
That may be solved. New kind of “chip brush” showed up this week:
Not sure how they will work, but we go through enough “chip brushes” around here that we will have an update in the next few weeks.
I’m trying the PANCLUB Paint Brushes for Walls I Chip Brush Set 4 inch 20 Pack ($19 on the Zon) and a pack of 3-inchers, as well. Under a buck apiece.
The only “professional level” brushes we order tend to be the 2 or 2 1/2 inch sash brushes. These, cut on an angle on the end, are the cat’s meow for cutting in trim work.
Nine Secrets to Effective Painting
I’m not a huge fan of painting. I leave that to the artist-types. Like wife Elaine. Still, I can do a passable paint job despite my lack of natural inclination. Due to passed-down painting secrets. Such as?
- Begin with a well-prepped surface. Contrary to popular delusion, paint doesn’t “cover-up” errors. It emphasizes them. Spend the additional few minutes sanding.
- Finish first, when you can. When you’re working on something you want a furniture-grade finish on, see if you can finish it before final assembly. Not only are discrete parts easier to paint, they are easier to touch-up sand between coats.
- Don’t forget a filler/sealer. On some projects, around the shop for example, it’s OK to put on a slap-dash finish. But usually, and especially on fine work, use either a sanding sealer or a good primer (Kilz is great). With a good base down, you get a good finish almost automatically.
- Brush clear in one direction. This is something you really notice when you live on a boat for any length of time. The best spar varnish work is brushed on in only one direction. Don’t know why it makes a difference, but it does. Something about “leveling properties.”
- Have crisp lines on all work. Pappy ground this one into me as a kid learning shop arts. “A crisp paint line separates the amateur painter from the pro’s…” he explained. It went in the same mental filing drawer as “The difference between a $5 and a $20 steak is a sharp knife…” which is also damn useful to remember when doing kitchen maintenance.
- Don’t mix Paint Types. This is one I tried to tell Elaine in advance. but, sometimes people just have to learn by “doing it wrong.” Sure enough, an assortment of acrylic, oil-based, and water-based latex doesn’t harden. Good news is it comes off easily. Don’t mix oil-based and latex paint!
- Use Big brushes. Be lazy. I try to work with the biggest brush I can shove in a can. A four-inch is about right for a quart and up. See, the number of strokes (and dips into the paint can) is directly proportionate to the amount of material held by the brush and evenly spread.
- Prepare your Paint Can. When you open a new can of paint, grab a sharp 16d (16-penny) nail and go around the bottom of the groove the lid fits into to seal. The firehouse wisdom here? By punching in 8 to 10 holes around the perimeter, any paint from wiping the brush will flow back into the can. In doing so, it will not build up and – in turn – won’t run down the side of the can as much. Makes for a neater job and saves paint in the process. (Less effective with gels.)
- Bonus Learning Project: Masking tape is your pal! Like a brush, using the widest on hand let’s you slosh on paint with (near) wanton disregard for art. The color of the tape means something, too. As your homework project, a short essay on beige, green, and blue masking tapes in the comment section is appropriate. Including additional tips, if you have them!
Those should get you started on the path to clean cut-ins and straight edges.
This Week:
All the pieces for the Big Tile Project should be in hand by Wednesday, or so. We’ll try to get a few snaps along the way. Maybe share from the “lazy man’s way” of laying tile ideas, too.
More coffee and then more action in the shop…
Write when you get rich,
George@Ure.net
Mr G – all the pieces for the Big Stock market Crash should be hand by Wednesday, or so. Well try to get a few TRADES along the way. Maybe share from the “lazy traders way” of laying IN PROFITS..
Pre-screening – market testing names for this months event ..Black Monday, Terrible Tuesday, Wicked Wednesday, Threatful Thorsday, Frightening Friday – take a pick – anyone will do, just remember; farmland/bitcoin/gold really dont care what the market does.
How to invest farmland from a urban survivalist point of view..perhaps Farm Together(community investing) is opportunity Ure been looking 4 regards farmland, hard wallet a must cyrpto, phyz = must have in possession. tickticktick
Big shaker is scheduled for next 2 weeks (1-14 dayz) big & shallow – heres hoping it strikes unpopulated area, and not AlaskaAndy.
Two to three days after the new moon – 9/8 to 9/9.
George,
An addendum to your painting tips:
If you are using more than one can of a custom color paint get a five gallon bucket and mix all cans together before using. This prevents any slight variation between cans from showing up after the paint dries. Voice of experience.
Some custom color paint will look different between roller application and paint brush. Solution is to use 4 inch brush and paint in one direction.
In some circumstances colors will change hue or tint depending on light source and the presence of other colors. Color system of paint from the paint store is different from the one we learned in school. Mixing blue and yellow will not get green.
For a very deep study of the interaction of color see Joseph Albers Interaction of Color.
Great read today. :)
Made a pretty good living over the years, climbing ladders and holding a brush. Commercial, industrial, residential and personal projects. Good times.
When I was a kid back in the 60’s and 70’s I befriended some old guys who were painters before rollers were invented. They were very knowledgeable and highly skilled with what they had to work with, back in their day. I learned a lot from them and used what they taught me.
I’d like to share a couple things before the ART fades away and is forgotten ….
Recipe for homemade oil glaze;
Blend together 1 part Linseed oil, 1 part pure Turpentine and 1 part Drier (Japanese drier) – add a little Whiting, about 1 tablespoon per (2 pints of glaze) mixture.
NOTE: you can thin it down with Mineral Spirits.
This glaze is clear, so you tint it with Oil Artist Paint. Pick a tube of your color choice, adding a little at a time and mix until you achieve desired tone. Then strain it all through cheese cloth. Apply with a 4 inch brush.
Since this mixture is transparent, the color will be light and dark on the wall. So you forget everything you ever learned about painting and apply brush stokes in a moderately uniform but haphazard way. When the brush stokes overlap, the color will be deeper. – it wipes off with mineral spirits if you don’t like the first attempt.
NOTE: it takes a long time to dry because of the linseed oil … but leave it alone!! Lol !!
Now, all that sounds like a lot of work and sure, you can just go buy glaze and have it tinted BUT you won’t get an end result as beautiful as the Artist Colors combined with this recipe.
Once you have your ceiling and trim painted, (which should be done prior to all this) furniture back in place … stepping back it appears much like a Monet Painting. It’s f*cking beautiful. Almost 3 dimensional.
******
The other thing is Brocade Texturing. Old School …
Mix drywall mud with water until it’s the consistency of mayonnaise. Thin.
Get 2 Plastering Hawks with comfortable handles.
Wet the Hawks and Dab some thinned mud onto one Hawk in the center, squish it with the other Hawk firmly, pop it apart and dab the wall firmly. One Hawk holds the mud, the other you squish and apply with.
NOTE: don’t allow mud on edge of Hawk, or you’ll get a strait line. (Not cool) Keep mud in the middle.
Let that dry. Don’t knock it down !!
Then sand any sharp edges (peaks) very lightly, but don’t make any of it flat. Gentle process.
I’ve done this in my home and painted it, and a couple walks I painted first, then applied the brocade texture and just left it unpainted. Looks really nice and it all gets complimented. Old house, gives it that ambiance.
Little known fact, you can tint drywall mud with latex paint. Just add and mix.
Multi colors and finishes and textures aren’t for everyone. But those who have appreciated it, were pleased and for a long time, kept food on my table, to say the least. Can’t thank those old guys enough.
Linseed oil rags are prone to spontaneous combustion! When using anything with linseed oil treat all paint wipes as though they have gasoline on them that could blow at any time.
Best? I keep a 5-gallon steel pail with cover in the shop for spontaneous ragging…
Excellent advice George. Windows open and plenty of ventilation. I use to wash those rags out with soap and water right after use. I should have mentioned all that. My bad.
Only noticeable to anyone with firefighter in the gene pool
“ I’ve done this in my home and painted it, and a couple walks I painted first,”
– that’s supposed to be WALLS not “walks” …. I gotta proof read better. Duh !! Lol.
That soap and water with the linseed oil gets gooey by mineral spirits cleans you hands the wash your hands. – I gotta be more detailed when I write. Blame the coffee. Drinking the cheap stuff.
Dude, I can’t even write today …. I’m done. Lol. Have a great day.
Paint cans… The first boatswain’s mate I worked for took his pocket knife and put 4 holes in the lip of the can as soon as we opened it. He also smeared Vaseline on his face & the back of his hands when we did a big spray job (painted the exterior of both the houses at the Light Station). He cleaned up quick after we were done.
George, one of my Boys got accepted for training to go work for the NSA last week. My oldest. Nothing like having your son monitor your activities online. Hahahaha. That is a tuff job to get. Good for him. I told him if you are send me to a fema camp, make I get a window seat in the cattle car. He laughed pretty hard. :)
Apparently the oldest boy was on one and didn’t remember texting me that. Hahaha. Hmmm
Good for him. Hahah
Ya know I have owned 3 Brand new Homes. My father is a home builder. Was for 30 years and all the rest were fixer upers.
Good stuff G. You know the absolute best stuff for getting 5 layers of wall paper off is? Dollar store bottles of glass cleaner with the Viniger. Perf that paper! Ohhhh my that is good. Uhem Spray the wall paper down,, Then peal the wall paper a half hour later. Easy peasy.
Good stuff. #1. Don’t paint yourself into a corner you can’t get out of clean. It’s always best to prime the wall when painting to get the true color you want. Its always a shade lighter if you don’t prime it first.
7 Polanskis from the Wood fire Pizza grill mister.
Good stuff.
Ya know what I always say to the person next to me on the plane, every flight I take. I look over at them and introduce myself then pull my glasses down to my nose, look them in the eye and say, “if this thing goes down and I don’t make it. You can eat me. ” some laugh and some ask to move to another seat. If they move to another seat, they always look back at me at some point then I do the Hannibal Lecture mouth thing towards them. Ha ha ha ha.
You all have a good week.
I’m truly blessed and Highly Successful. It is my hope you are as well.
As far as different color/types of tape, it depends on what animal you’re taping, duck, frog or gorilla.
Guess we solved the next Hollywood writer’s strike leverage, huh?
George!
Tile at your age? You must have a way better back than I do. Kudos for tackling that project.
Not sure when you plan on departing this rock, I just want to suggest epoxy grout. it’s a little more clean up, and a little more cost, but it’s completely watertight and stain free. Personally, I’ll never go back to the concrete based stuff. It always winds up mop water gray in color.
Could not find epoxy grout at reasonable price and right color. So doing the Georgia Pine Green with 1/3 black added to get right color. We are doing 4×4 tile – which is only about 40 lbs for a 5.8 sf case.
Will use super good mastic on the vertical surfaces, a gray thin-set for the horizontals, the special color grout (1/8 in grout lines) and attach to the underlaying old formica using the Tavy glue and underlayment purpose-made for this.
When grout gets yucky, we will epoxy over the sanded grout, which should be an OK base. But it will also be a hell of a lot cheaper (5-10 years out) (not adjusting for inflation) to use less epoxy than a ground up install with it.
Or just a regrout which isn’t so bad.
On the age? I recognize I am not a child any more, so my work mode has changed.
Young bucks (like Andy) who can press 8-bazillion pounds is a long-ago. Today, I can’t press for shit, but I’m all-day hell on repetitions!!!
You, too. Thank you.
Was a painter for ten years, With Latex paint you want the high end brush some made of horse hair, worth the extra money, can wash them out will last for years, they don’t leave brush marks and do the best job cutting in the corners, ceiling and along floors, The cheap brushes are for oil paint, and stuff that won’t rinse out with water, throw them away after use, not worth cleaning them up, like other tools you get what you pay for.
Painting Tips #8 is golden, will have to remember that for next time. Never heard that one before, but can certainly say the sides of EVERY can of paint I have ever opened / used has become unrecognizable afterward.
Look at the futures yah clowns . Wake up . $&@? Bobby prechter and his mums boyfriend . Shove the garbage. Trade till your broke . Put the gun at their head . 1 short all markets 2 long USD 3 long TLT treasuries 4 long highest velocity gold stock in world . Stick the gun to head wait for all fruit to ripen at 90 dis . What’s so hard about that
Koksarkers !!! Gold down10 aaaaaahhhhhhaaaaa veges
Couple of paint tips for beginners (mostly for time):
Make a cutting bucket: cut off the rim of your first empty gallon with a can opener to get a smooth sharp edge. This saves carrying a full gallon and a quick scrape gets the paint out of the ferrule and onto the tip of the brush.
Instead of paint pans and liners, use a 5gal bucket with only a gallon or 2 in it. Buy a screen made to hang on the side of the bucket to roll off the drips on the roller. Always use a 4′ to 5′ extension pole on the roller. 16″ if the work space is too cramped. This gets you done in half the time less tired.
When masking, burnish lightly and then do the edge with same color that is being masked to seal it. Some paint always runs under the tape and if it is the same color, nobody notices.
Cut a quick line freehand: work up close to the line with the sash brush. For the final line, fill the brush, scrape the base out to about 2/3 of the bristle and tap out the excess on the side of the can. Hold the brush a compound angle; about 45 deg away from the line and 45 deg handle leading brush tip. Wiggle the brush a little on the wall to get all the bristles in a straight line, deep breath exhale slowly and drag close to the line (not over) and repeat until the line looks straight.
Always have a damp rag in your hand to immediately wipe up drips and mistakes.
Check your color by rolling a section of wall. If you don’t like it, but it is close, adjust with artist colors. Use discarded spray paint can lids as a disposable container first step to mix a little paint into the artist color or you’ll get some little smears of strong color in the batch (that stuff is thick). Use a paint mixer on a drill. I keep a kit of red, yellow, blue, black, white in both oil and acrylic/waterborne artist tubes. I theater, I would find a friendly paint store clerk to make gallon size color tweakers to use with recycled paint: deep base with max amount of primary color pure pigment.
Keep a window open, you never know what paint chemists put in paint, even water based.