how to make a shoe shredder

A couple weeks ago Jakob picked up a new skateboard deck.

pickin

This was a swap meet special,
and the guy had some plain black grip tape.

Jakob installing grip tape

Jakob's a hands on kid,
and instead of putting his laundry away,
decided to put the board together in the living room.

scrapin

I tried not to watch too closely
as he trimmed the tape with a razor blade.
No blood!

trimmin

Like the boss he is,
the skateboard came out perfect.

Jakob Perich

I couldn't resist recycling the grip tape scraps for a much needed project.

smooth

Last time I had a long drive in the hot rod,
the most uncomfortable part was my feet sliding on the slick floor.
It took more energy holding my heels in those 2 shiny spots there,
and dang it if that wore me out!
I had imagined attaching some wood or metal strips to that area,
something to hold my feet in position.

stepping stones

Hmm - perfect use for the leftover grip tape scraps!
After some quick trimming,
the river rock look was formed.
Way more comfortable to drive now,
but there is a huge drawback.

Jakob - skate rat

This is some sharp gritty grip tape.
Over the past few weeks,
Jakob's been relentlessly practicing the basic Ollie.

holey chit - worn supra's

These Supra's were new for Christmas,
and still had tread before this new deck.
That new grip tape is a shoe shredder!

After driving the pickup around,
alot of the edge of my shoe had turned to white powder too!
That's what I get doing it the easy way.

TP

how to save $100

This weekend I had been consciously procrastinating
one of my least favorite household problems.

getting ready

The garbage disposal had taken a dump.
Something was jammed in there.
After pushing the button the safety breaker would pop.
What can we expect from a 2 year warranty,
when we've been down here almost 5 years now.
Especially since we're trying to train the kids how to wash dishes.
Who knows what's going down that drain.

slop grinder operating room

There was a point this morning
when the drain pipes had already been removed,
allowing the sweet smelling 2 day old soup water to drain out.
I was ready to take the machine out and really dig out the blockage.
Heck I even researched the cost of a new machine!
We try not to bother our landlord until the chit hits the fan,
which hasn't happened yet!

quick garbage disposal fix.

Well after spending some time fighting some rusty bolts,
and undoing some wiring,
I figured maybe I should search the internet for some instructions.
Lo and behold...
What have we here,
the magic tickle spot that allows an allen wrench
to simply spin the insides manually.
A couple rough turns,
and poof...
Works like a charm!
This must be the easy money for plumbers.
How many people have replaced there slop grinder for no reason?
Let's see how long this lasts!

TP

hack job #398

Last week I was in the mood to grind.
It's one of those little addictions that have been on hold
since moving from the shop.

custom 1940 ford dash

Even though the green 40 has a ton of work left,
at the time I was waiting for parts,
which was a great excuse to work on the rusty 40.

original 1940? ford column support donor

This column support has been transferred from box to box for years.
It seemed like the perfect piece to use on for this project.

column back side

After a couple minutes with the grinder,
the piece was roughed in.
It reminded me of the guy that makes sculptures with a chainsaw,
crude but effective.

roughed in

There was just enough time to address the gaping holes.

holey chit

I tested welding the cast iron with some 309 SS TIG rod,
and it appeared seamless after grinding.
The hole was welded up using a stainless washer.

filled

Either time or patience was running out,
and this was the end result.
That's the toughest part of any project,
knowing when to throw more time in for perfection,
or being a hack and knowing when to let it slide.

hack job

This was going to be rattle-canned and not chromed,
so it was an easy choice.

modified 1940 ford column support

The first topcoat of shiny black paint was ruined after some fitting issues,
and the end result was more or less a hammered finish.
I actually like it better,
my inner rat-rodder!

tools of the trade

I lost count how many times the keyway lock fell into this hole.
Fortunately there was a bearing high up in the column.
The tip here is taping a magnet to the end of a screwdriver.

1940 ford custom dash

I'm happy with the end result,
as it blends in with the curves of the dash.
Yet another reason why this car is taking so long!

Once the steering is finished in the green 40,
the plan is to swap spaces and slip this one in the garage,
where it will be much easier to finish up the sheetmetal welding...

TP

night riders

The SD critical mass bike ride is every 4th friday night,
and it had been a long time since we made it out.
Our excuses range from rain, sickness or road trips.
It was about time to get our bootays in gear.

Jakob Perich - stoker

The last time the tandem had been ridden,
Jakob couldn't reach the modified pedals!
This resulted in a huge disinterest in him wanting to go,
as he was an uncomfortable trooper his last critical mass.

campagnolo pedal modification

Fortunately he had grown just enough to tip toe the pedal.
Time to rally the troops for the ride!

perich brothers - rodriguez tandem

We're lucky to live close enough to the Balboa Park starting area,
the fountain next to the science museum.
We can ride the bikes there in about 45 minutes.
As usual we rushed to get away from the house at the 40 minute mark!
Unfortunately Jaxon's cruiser was plagued with problems,
the greasy chain kept slipping off,
and we barely made it a couple miles out.
Fortunately we brought a wrench to fix it,
however the start time had passed.

Jaxon & Jakob - night riders

The night was perfect for a bike ride,
so we ended up cruising downtown,
with the hopes of catching up to the pack,
or more the pack catching up with us.
There's something refreshing about a night time bike ride.

petco park bridge

We meandered through a packed downtown,
and checked out the new bridge near Petco Park.
This was our first time crossing the bridge,
and I'd have to say it was a little sketchy at night,
as there's a homeless encampment at the base!
I guess that's the redevelopment trap,
even with millions of dollars spent on a huge landmark.

petco park bridge metalwork

From far away the bridge has the typical trendy San Diego style.
They always gamble on a design that tries to predict the future,
with the huge risk of becoming dated all too quickly.
Whatever the case this thing was built to last.
The stainless steel metalwork was amazing.
each of these uprights were made of a dozen CNC'd pieces,
with a ton of man hours in welding and finish work.
It was a lucky accident to be able to finally see this up close.

As you can tell we were seriously lollygagging.
The bridge had a good view of the Harbor Drive area,
where the riders would possibly coagulate,
but there was no sign.
We ended up riding way off the beaten path,
checking out the waterfront on the other side of the convention center,
following through to the Seaport Village tourist area,
another place we rarely frequent.

san diego critical mass 2013

By now we were prepared to cruise home in our solitude,
and wouldn't you know it we plopped right into the front of the pack.
The timing couldn't have been any better it was surreal.

san diego critical mass - airport

I'll admit it was exciting to go from a family cruise,
to a pack of a couple hundred bike riders.
We plowed through the airport,
and turned off from the group only a few blocks from the house.
The best part is now we can't wait for the next month!

TP

work boots or ballet shoes

Most of us with traditional hot rods are trapped using bias-ply tires.
It's one of those vain things that we do for looks,
as in reality I'm sure the driving would be much more fun with radials.

Chief - 1929 ford roadster pickup with hallock windshield

For the past 10+ years Chief has worn through 2 pairs of hard to find
Firestone 6.00x16LT tires that I had scored from a friend for $50.
Sadly they are starting to show their age.

Firestone 6/00x16LT bias ply tire

These should last longer with the amount of miles I've driven,
but they are original and the rubber compound is really soft.
I've had a hard time finding a replacement set.
Coker only makes the more common passenger car size.

Macey learning how to rattlecan

While digging through my junk pile I found a pair of tires,
the ones originally on the old 40.
These are off-brand Nankang 6.00x16 tires,
and while they're a little cracky the tread is decent.

nankang 6.00x16 bias ply tire

Here you can see the size difference between the two.
The LT tires are huge in comparison,
closer to a 6.50 than a 6.00.
They are also almost 5 pounds heavier!

6.00LT vs 6.00 bias ply tires

I'll stash the old Firestones for "show" use.
If anyone has some of these let me know!

Macey changing tires

With Macey's help the smaller wheels were painted to match,

then swapped on.

She literally grabbed the lug nuts and ratchet out of my hands!

chief with ballet shoes

Later that night we went for a test drive around town,

and there was a much lighter feel.

Way easier to turn too.

After so many years with the big front tires,

it looks like Chief is wearing ballet shoes or dress loafers they're so small!
Guess I'm used to the work boot look on this old truck.

TP

chunky hill bomber #1

While one kid is focused on gardening chores,
another is focused on riding his creative flow.

Jakob Perich on Chunky
Jaxon Perich on yard duty

With the realization that a skateboard is a plank of wood,
Jakob has been designing his boards morning and night.

Jakob's skateboard template

Like cars and bikes,
there is a continuing satisfaction with skateboards.
Instead of finishing a project and having it sit on a shelf,
a board can be ridden around,
allowing new design ideas to sprout.

Jakob and the grinder

He's been getting more comfortable with the power tools-

jig saw, drill and now even the grinder basics.

jakob shaping skateboard

I guess if there's one thing I can teach them,
it's building stuff from the scrap we have collected!

Jakob mounting skateboard trucks

If you look closely you'll see that dang tire stool.
perich brothers (and sister): stool time xii
They use those things all the time!

Jakob with "Chunky" the skateboard - version 1a

I have a feeling this is just the beginning!
This board was a little short,
and there was no tail do a basic tic-tac turn.
However it was a great carver with those wide wings.
Hopefully that piece of plywood will keep him busy this spring break!

TP

grass hog

I thought it was an April Fool's joke when Jaxon asked if he could try weed wacking.
It seems like I had been waiting for this moment all my life.
Too good to be true?

perich brothers & sister

We pulled out the trusty electric weedwacker.
This thing had been a workhorse for the past 5 years now,
scrounged up from Papa's Shed.
I'd see it out in the rain and think - well there goes that machine,
but it's just kept on spinning.

riveting

The plastic was so deteriorated that the little razor string cutter had broke off,
about 4 years ago actually.
I can't believe the piece was still floating around.
We finally did a quick rivet repair as I was used to not having it,
but Jaxon was not used to this fine piece of equipment yet.

Jaxon's weekend

Weedwacking is something best learned from experience,
and it didn't take him too long to get the hang of it.
He had enough greenage to practice with.

repair fail

Our little repair lasted about 5 minutes!
I had lost track of time after I figured he wasn't going to hurt himself,
and after a couple hours the little machine over heated.
The motor was so hot the plastic had melted around it.

RT 112 weed eater

This was a common sight.
I think this was taken apart at least 5 times.
The burnt armature was sanded down,
and if you look closely,
a couple bolts were put in to keep the motor from spinning around!

neighbors weeds

In a way we are lucky,
as we are just poor renters,
and our landlord doesn't seem to care about yard maintenance.
In that way he's lucky,
as we try to at least keep the weeds down to a minimum,
especially those dandelions.
I'm not sure why I've got such a thing against those plants.
As a kid it was fun to watch those seeds fly all over...

dandelion bugs

Those dang things spread like,
well they spread like weeds!
Both our neighbors have seed farms in there yards.
So much that I'll send the kids out to pick them before they blow away,
into our yard!

cheap chit

It seemed like April Fools day with all our equipment failure.
Even the push-broom had issues!
The weedwacker quietly gave up the ghost about halfway through the yard.

quick fix

Broom fix - Couple screws - no problem.
Weedwacker fix - Craigslist ad!
I found out these are actually called "string trimmers",
and we scored a cheap replacement for $30!
And it worked!
Thanks craigslist guy!

Jaxon's new toy - grass hog

We'll see how long this new machine lasts.
He's about 2/3 done with the yard so far,
and with spring break here it's a perfect way to get video game credits!

TP