Category Archives: Building things

A grave assignment

I am a lifelong friend and associate of Jim Eckford, who, with his wife Carlen, operate the Rancho Burro Donkey Sanctuary in Arroyo Grande, California. The sanctuary has been in business for over 20 years, and has been home to … Continue reading

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The Smyth book sewing machine is an extraordinary device

For over five years I have been working to restore a 1935 Smyth book sewing machine. You can read several posts on that topic here, mostly related to the mechanics of getting the machine running after a long dormancy, and … Continue reading

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I’m holding a building permit in my hand!

This is the latest in my posts about building a new show building. Click here to go to the beginning of the story. After straightening out the issue of the Scenic Highway and Railroad Code, I was required to sign … Continue reading

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Rejection, again!

Chapter 3 – To read from the beginning of this saga, please click here. The rejections came, and quickly! Both the grading and building permit applications were incomplete. The county planners asked for more complete soils engineering plans. I contacted … Continue reading

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Outright rejection!

In the first installment of this story, I introduced my new shop building, and introduced you to the County Planning Department. They looked at my initial set of plans and threw them back at me. Too big, they said. I … Continue reading

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I’m building a new shop!

I have had a fabulous workshop in my friend Jim’s barn for the past 18 years. It’s the best workshop on earth, and I have enjoyed making things there. It has all of my tools in it, and it has … Continue reading

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Rack one up to success!

This is the third of a three-part post. To read the first part, please click here. To read the second part, please click here. I finished the bike rack clamps yesterday. I drilled and tapped the holes that needed threading, … Continue reading

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A small, but fatal error in part positioning

In my last post I discussed making parts to hold a rack on the back of my Superstrata carbon-fiber bicycle. To read Part 3 of these posts, click here. I have been machining those parts, and it has been a … Continue reading

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Getting ready for Burning Man 2024

This is part 1 of a 3-part post on machining aluminum parts for a bicycle. Click here to read Part 2. I have a gorgeous Superstrata electric-assist gravel bike. I bought it a couple of years ago (actually four years … Continue reading

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Turning my new lathe into a really nice lathe

My plan was to write about some graphic arts subjects. I attended two terrific events related to printing recently, and I will write about my experiences – soon. But instead, I want to write about my new lathe. I have … Continue reading

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