Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Eight is great!

Along with getting baptized, turning eight also gave CJ the opportunity to become a Cub Scout. Nobody was sure how he would like this, but as it turned out, he really enjoys it.
One of the first activities he was involved with was the "rain gutter regatta".
This is kind of like a pinewood derby for water. You build a little sailboat from a kit, then they're raced, two at a time, in a 10' piece of rain gutter. Propulsion is provided by blowing on the sail as you walk along side the boat. A little trickier than it sounds.
CJ received the kit about a week before the event. Building the boat, he learned how to sand, paint, and assemble the parts. A pirate theme was chosen, and the little ship was christened "CJ's Locker" You know, like Davey Jones Locker. No? Oh well.
After sanding and painting, a bunch of pirate decals were placed before a final coat of clear lacquer was applied. Lastly, a "secret" coating was applied to help the "Locker" cut thru the water.
After all was complete, we located an old piece of gutter and set up a test course in the back yard.
It worked!!!
The following day was the big race. There were some really neat boats there, but none better than Cayden's! He really did a good job on it!
After several heats, all boats were declared winners.
Much fun was had by all.


The kit


CJ gets started. Love that smile!


Sanding with "the mouse" sander.


A little instruction.



Preparing to apply decals.


G'Ma helps with the tricky decal application, but Cayden got the hang of it soon.


Final coat of paint.


Filling the test course.


It floats!


Racers on the course. Cayden is in background.


Thar she (or he) blows!


First place with a proud mama!


Group shot of racers.


Mom shows off CJ's locker

We're looking forward to the pinewood derby!


Monday, October 4, 2010

You know you're in trouble when.....

you come home and one of your power tools is in the driveway, plugged in, and you know that only your wife and daughters are home.
The moral to this story is, just because you've seen someone operate something doesn't mean you know how to use it. I was worried when I saw it sitting out, but the real story is that when I went to put it away, there was a giant broken piece of aluminum sitting next to it. From behind me I hear grandma say "we didn't do it!". "I mean this happened, but we didn't do anything to cause this". Huh?
Scary.
It seems somehow "someone" caused the blade of the saw (now ruined), to hit the fence (the broken part), something I not only can't understand how it happened, but have been unable to duplicate (with the power off, of course!).
Lucky someone didn't lose and eye, or a finger, or???
I still have yet to hear what the flying piece of metal hit.


Broken fence


Shrapnel

Broken washer that holds blade in place.


Ruined, and expensive, blade. See the missing tooth?

Hope grandma doesn't come home some day and see her sewing machine out on my workbench - plugged in!