Modern Anachronist

Gotta catch ‘em all!

Yesterday I went to the flea market and was able to complete two sets of tools.

Did you know there are three heads that fit this ruler?

From left to right – a center finder, a protractor, and a combination square attached to a 16” metal ruler.

I’ve been trying to figure out a tongue box (my wife loves that term, BTW) for the utility trailer. A place to store the lines, straps, wheel chocks, locks, tarps, tools, and other sundries that the trailer requires. But they’re fairly expensive and I’m having problems finding one that seems to be the right size size.

Remember the drill press? It’s a post about the drill press (mostly).

But then I saw it, on a neglected shelf in the garage. A Rubbermaid Action Packer box. Before we met, my wife used it to store her camping kitchen equipment. It sat empty at the old house for years. When we moved here I filled it with the candle lanterns that we use for party lights. Of course we moved just before the pandemic started and haven’t had any parties.

I know that the KLR crowd uses small action packers as tail boxes, so I think it is reasonably water tight. It’s lockable, certainly large enough for my needs, and the price is definitely within my budget. It might not be perfect (foreshadowing), but it will do.

Glamping Kitchen (Mk.2){part 2}

In which we add plumbing….

First off, this is as basic a plumbing system as I can imagine.

Second, the sink, which would normally be the most expensive bit, was free. I recovered it from a foreclosed house I was cleaning out. I found one here for $60, but you still need a drain basket.

So while this seems so extra (and it is pretty unnecessary) it’s not an expensive addition.

We bring everything, including the kitchen sink

Measure twice, check orientation, then cut.

While building kitchen Mk.2 I made a cutting error that cost me time and money to fix.

Circular saw offset jig

I made a quick jig so I could accurately place my saw guide. And, as usual, I made it incorrectly and then figured out an easier way. I’m going to write up the way I did it, and then explain how to avoid my mistake.

Glamping kitchen (Mk.2) {part 1}

The first version of the kitchen was made from low quality plywood that I had on-hand. It was never supposed to be used a second time, but I never found the time to remake it with better quality materials.

We’ve used it for at least seven years, and I think I’ve identified all the shortcomings.

Steel pins
Shelves aren’t interchangeable
Wasted space, shelves are too big for crates
Paper towels get rained on.
Doesn’t pack flat

Breakdown Table (Mk.3)

This portable table is part of our glamping setup. It’s made from a single sheet of plywood and uses zero hardware to hold it together. It breaks down flat for storage & transport.

Holiday lights are made for smart plugs.

I’ve been putting my holiday decorations on smart plugs for probably five years now. It really makes things easier when you can automate your decorations.

Where to put the brains?

Back in the analog days, your light was controlled either at the lamp or at the switch. If you were going on vacation, you might plug it into a clock work timer so no one noticed the house was unoccupied. As we move to home automation, you have a lot of flexibility in how to control things. Do you want to control at the wall, the lamp or the bulb?

Worst sink drain design I’ve ever seen

When we bought the new house, I was happy to see that both upstairs bathrooms had new vanities. I didn’t realize then that the new fixtures were probably worse than the 50 year old units that they replaced.