26 August 2012

 

After the usual 10 mile bike ride with Marty, intended to get the deck boards on the third landing.  Found out right away that the radial arm saw will crosscut a maximum of 60 degrees and a wee bit.  The first angle to be cut was 69°, which meant having to use the Skilsaw. Uttering a discouraging word (though the skies were sunny all day…), I loaded the generator and Sawzall into the Ranger and tried to shorten the driveway signpost by ¼″ so the mounting bracket holes would line up better… something I’ve had on the to do list for some considerable time.  Found out (after ruining two metal cutting blades) that the steel in that signpost is some tough stuff.  Tried using my hacksaw with a new blade, but it quickly became apparent that the signpost was cutting the blade and not vice versa.  Gave up and tackled to do list item #2: removing the “floor” of the RV generator compartment so that I can lower it 3″ using the expensive channel steel that I got from Lou Nop last week.  Using my last metal cutting blade, the Sawzall made short work of four of the totally rusted bolts holding the compartment floor in place.  Unfortunately, the fifth (last) bolt was in a position where I couldn’t get at it with the Sawzall.  Merde, as they say, alors (if you’ll pardon my French)!!!! Tried a cold chisel, but quickly gave that up as a hopeless approach.  Then remembered that I do have a diamond-tipped blade for the Skilsaw… and diamond is pretty tough stuff so maybe…  (Can you see the light bulb glowing dimly????)  Worked like a champ!  Ate an early lunch, then dragged the generator, Skilsaw (restored to wood cutting mode), sawhorses, and seemingly every other tool I own down to the third landing worksite.  Other than the cuts not being nearly as pretty as when done on the radial arm saw, cutting the deck boards for the landing on site was a lot easier than I was expecting… and certainly saved countless trips up and down and up and down the walkway.  Got the landing finished at 3 o’clock, put away tools, hopped in the lake to cool off, did two days worth of dishes, shaved and showered, and was at Lynne & Perry’s by two minutes to four.  That’s what you call gettin’ ‘er done!  The three of us then went over to Camp Songadeewin (the Keywaydin girls camp) for the annual Lake Dunmore / Fern Lake Association picnic.  Burgers and dogs, great potato salad, plenty of beer and cheap wine, but not nearly enough soda considering it was well north of 80° and downright h•o•t out in the sun.  The new dining hall is, as advertised, gorgeous post and beam construction… and VERY noisy with a hundred or so people trying to hold a conversation inside.