CELEBRATION
Ruth and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary with the help of our daughter, granddaughters and one of Jill's friends. People stopped by, sent flowers and cards, emails, facebooks and a huge cake was enjoyed by all. 50 YEARS - AWESOME WIFE - GOOD TIMES!
CANADA
We took a trip to Monetville/Noelville, Ontario, Canada, where a bunch of cousins still live and a few came in from further away to join us in celebrating our 50th and my cousin Leila's 75th birthday. My cousin Linda Timony hosted us at her house and quite a gathering at a local restaurant/ lodge brought together a number of cousins and friends for a very nice dinner and cake, party favors and all. It was so nice to see everyone. We took a boat tour on the French River and from the skipper, learned a lot about the history of that waterway and its part in the history of the settlement of the area, the great lakes and northeastern US and Canada. We hiked around an island to view the Five Finger Falls, which are quite impressive. Although not terribly high falls, the quantity of water and the power of it are awesome to experience. The trees were near their pinnacle of fall colors. I'd like to thank Linda, Llewella and Leila, as well as Leila's daughter, Sandra for helping to make this happen and for bringing Leila the distance to come see me. I love you all. Thank you for making this a memorable trip. We then went through Michigan, via the Sault, across the Straits bridge and down the west side of the state. The colors were wonderful..not quite at peak, but close.
CORVAIR
Progress continues on the Corvair. Turns out the engine needed a re-build and I've commissioned Paul Fox to do it. He says it will be good for another 100K miles.
CONSULTING
Still doing some consulting with two projects going right now
CONFUSION
Had to put this in here because I haven't done any work on guitars for quite a while and I want to get started on several instruments, including a Uke, a Steel String and at least one classical from the 100+ year old EI Rosewood I acquired from Dick Wisner, whom I wish well after his terrible fall. Wishing you a full recovery, Dick.
I'll throw in some Photos when I have more time.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Friday, July 19, 2013
More Corvair stuff
Here are some more shots of the Corvair undergoing mechanical restoration: Some before and after shots included.
 |
| Mad dash to get in before timer went off |
Monday, June 17, 2013
For my Nephew, Brent
Brent, Please read, and let's discuss the following:
The Séralini affair began in September 2012, and involved the publication and publicization of the results of experiments conducted by Gilles-Eric Séralini, which were then confuted by the scientific community.[1] The experiments involved feeding Monsanto's Roundup-resistant NK103 maize (called corn in North America) and the herbicide Roundup to rats, over the rats' two-year lifespan.[2] In the paper and in the press conference, Séralini claimed that the results showed that Roundup-resistant maize and Roundup are toxic.
The press conference was widely covered in the media, the paper was used in the debate over Proposition 37 in California (a referendum over labeling of GM (genetically modified) food that was voted on in November 2012), and it led to bans on importation of certain GMOs in Russia and Kenya. Séralini had required that journalists sign a confidentiality agreement in order to receive a copy of the paper prior to the press conference - an extremely rare requirement in scientific publishing. During the press conference Séralini also announced that he was releasing a book and a documentary film on the research. The release of the book and movie in conjunction with the scientific paper, and the requirement that journalists sign a confidentiality agreement, were also widely criticized and critically peer reviewed.[3]
After the paper was published, the conclusions that Séralini drew from the experiments were widely criticized, as was the design of the experiments.[3] The paper was also refuted by many food standards agencies.[4] Other long term studies, which were publicly funded, have uncovered no health issues.
Brent,
I’d like to comment on the
“factual” information below, its sources and your interpretation of what is
said. I’ll only comment on the items
that I know first-hand about or can research in a short time. Trust me, there is a lot of food items that
have, somewhere in the process, a GMO-derived ingredient or processing
aid. Without these, particularly the
enzymes, various sweeteners, etc. much of our food would be unavailable or too
expensive to produce. Numerous foods
have been genetically manipulated using recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology.
Let me start by saying that nearly
all of our crop foods and animal-derived food have been genetically
manipulated, not by rDNA, but by breeding, hybridization, cross pollination,
etc. Now, let me address the
difference. Cross-breeding, in-breeding
and various ways of developing species into what we see at the grocery store is
nothing like the “wild type” from which it was developed. Take the example of corn: the native americans cultivated a variety of
corn that looked more like a tiny version of sorghum or such. The big ears we see in the cornfield, prior
to rDNA, went through a long development process with many blind alleys,
failures, perhaps even toxic varieties being developed along the way. I know of a “traditionally” developed variety
of celery that was develop as “the next best thing” and it produced a toxic
substance that attacked the skin of the workers to the point that they couldn’t
handle it. Obviously a failure.
Enter rDNA technology: The placement of known sequences of DNA into
various organisms/plants, etc. carry characteristics, which are or can be fully
described and express proteins or amino acids which impart the wanted effect. The former is Shotgun Genetics, the latter
sniper accurate, to make a comparison.
Mobile genetic elements are, in a sense common to both methods, it’s
just the accuracy with which change gets accomplished that makes the difference.
Let’s look at the statements
below:
(NaturalNews) In the aftermath of
the defeat of Proposition 37 in California, many more Americans are now aware
of the existence of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and their unlabeled
presence throughout the food supply. But with this awareness has come a lot of
confusion, as the processed food and biotechnology industries have spent a lot
of money and effort spreading propaganda and lies about GMOs. This is a very
general statement, which could be said about any marketing effort. I’d like to see a specific example of a LIE
being spread by Biotech Industry. So to help set the
record straight, we have outlined seven specific ways in which GMOs damage
animals, plants, soil, and ultimately humanity.
1) GMOs disrupt digestion. Again, a very general and poorly substantiated statement. Purveyors of GMOs claim that the human body is unable to tell the difference between GMOs and natural food. But a 2004 study published in the journal Nature Biotechnology Actually, this magazine is entitled “Natural Health and is a publication of the “Natural Health Alliance” an anti- biotechnology lobbying organization. It is NOT a peer-reviewed scientific journal, tells a different story, having found that transgenic plant DNA actually persists in the human gastrointestinal tract upon consumption. According to this important I could not find where this “Important Study” was published except in this magazine. I seriously doubt its validity. study, which is the closest thing to a human clinical trial that has ever been conducted with GMOs, genetic material from GMOs actually transfers into the DNA of living bacteria in the gut, where it reproduces indefinitely. (http://www.anh-usa.org) This statement is a complete fabrication: DNA can pass from organism to organism under very specific conditions, but not on a wholesale basis as intimated here.
2) GMOs cause cancer. The most recent study to identify a link between GMO consumption and the formation of cancer, the so-called Seralini Study could not find where this was published and I doubt the conclusions are completely unbiased provides solid evidence showing that GMOs are processed by mammals far differently than natural foods. According to this study's findings, rats fed a lifetime of GMOs sprayed with the toxic Roundup (glyphosate) herbicide developed serious tumors that took over their entire bodies. An earlier study published in the International Journal of Biological Sciences arrived at similar results, with the addition of organ failure as a symptom of GMO consumption. (http://www.naturalnews.com) Brent, here is the history of the “so-called Seralini Study:
1) GMOs disrupt digestion. Again, a very general and poorly substantiated statement. Purveyors of GMOs claim that the human body is unable to tell the difference between GMOs and natural food. But a 2004 study published in the journal Nature Biotechnology Actually, this magazine is entitled “Natural Health and is a publication of the “Natural Health Alliance” an anti- biotechnology lobbying organization. It is NOT a peer-reviewed scientific journal, tells a different story, having found that transgenic plant DNA actually persists in the human gastrointestinal tract upon consumption. According to this important I could not find where this “Important Study” was published except in this magazine. I seriously doubt its validity. study, which is the closest thing to a human clinical trial that has ever been conducted with GMOs, genetic material from GMOs actually transfers into the DNA of living bacteria in the gut, where it reproduces indefinitely. (http://www.anh-usa.org) This statement is a complete fabrication: DNA can pass from organism to organism under very specific conditions, but not on a wholesale basis as intimated here.
2) GMOs cause cancer. The most recent study to identify a link between GMO consumption and the formation of cancer, the so-called Seralini Study could not find where this was published and I doubt the conclusions are completely unbiased provides solid evidence showing that GMOs are processed by mammals far differently than natural foods. According to this study's findings, rats fed a lifetime of GMOs sprayed with the toxic Roundup (glyphosate) herbicide developed serious tumors that took over their entire bodies. An earlier study published in the International Journal of Biological Sciences arrived at similar results, with the addition of organ failure as a symptom of GMO consumption. (http://www.naturalnews.com) Brent, here is the history of the “so-called Seralini Study:
The Séralini affair began in September 2012, and involved the publication and publicization of the results of experiments conducted by Gilles-Eric Séralini, which were then confuted by the scientific community.[1] The experiments involved feeding Monsanto's Roundup-resistant NK103 maize (called corn in North America) and the herbicide Roundup to rats, over the rats' two-year lifespan.[2] In the paper and in the press conference, Séralini claimed that the results showed that Roundup-resistant maize and Roundup are toxic.
The press conference was widely covered in the media, the paper was used in the debate over Proposition 37 in California (a referendum over labeling of GM (genetically modified) food that was voted on in November 2012), and it led to bans on importation of certain GMOs in Russia and Kenya. Séralini had required that journalists sign a confidentiality agreement in order to receive a copy of the paper prior to the press conference - an extremely rare requirement in scientific publishing. During the press conference Séralini also announced that he was releasing a book and a documentary film on the research. The release of the book and movie in conjunction with the scientific paper, and the requirement that journalists sign a confidentiality agreement, were also widely criticized and critically peer reviewed.[3]
After the paper was published, the conclusions that Séralini drew from the experiments were widely criticized, as was the design of the experiments.[3] The paper was also refuted by many food standards agencies.[4] Other long term studies, which were publicly funded, have uncovered no health issues.
THIS ALONE, WOULD MAKE ME QUESTION
THE VALIDITY OF THE STATEMENTS MADE IN THIS COMMENTARY. BRENT, IF YOU’RE GOING TO QUOTE SOURCES IN
SUPPORT OF YOUR ANTI-BIOTECH VIEWS, YOU NEED TO BE SURE OF THEIR VALIDITY AND
INTEGRITY. UNFORTUNATELY I DON’T HAVE
THE TIME TO ANALYZE EVERY STATEMENT, ARTICLE AND PUBLICATION, BUT THIS WAS
ENOUGH TO DISSUADE ME FROM BELIEVING ANY OF THIS STUFF….BE CAREFUL. Your loving uncle, Jerry.
3) GMOs increase herbicide use. Contrary to industry claims, GMOs have not reduced the need for chemical inputs, but rather greatly expanded it. According to a comprehensive, 16-year review of chemical use in conjunction with the advent of GMOs in 1996, researchers from Washington State University's Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources found that herbicide use has increased by an astounding 527 millions pounds since GMOs were first introduced. To make matters worse, Roundup, the chemical of choice for many GMOs, has been found to persist in soils, waterways, and other environmental nooks and crannies, and sometimes it even ends up contaminating water supplies. ( http://www.huffingtonpost.com)
4) GMOs damage native species. A major point of contention with GMOs is that they can very easily pass their traits onto non-GMO, organic, and native crops and other plants, effectively destroying their very integrity permanently. Hundreds of farmers have actually been sued by Monsanto and other GMO giants over the years after their crops were inadvertently contaminated by GMOs. GMOs are also responsible for killing off bees, bats, butterflies, and other pollinators, whose bodies are unable to handle the onslaught of altered DNA and chemicals that are characteristic of GMO technologies. (http://www.naturalnews.com/035511_insecticide_bees_collapse.html)
5) GMOs pollute the environment. Mainstream scientists and industry spokespersons often gloat about the supposed environmental benefits of GMOs. But the truth of the matter is that GMOs and the chemicals used to grow them are a major source of environmental pollution. A 2011 study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science found that the Bacillus thuriengensis (Bt) bacteria engineered into Monsanto's GM corn can now be found in hundreds of streams and waterways throughout the U.S. Midwest. Another study published in the journal Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry revealed that Roundup herbicide is also present in many waterways and groundwater sources throughout America as well. (http://naturalsociety.com)
6) GMOs deplete soil minerals, destroy beneficial bacteria. The presence of Roundup, Bt bacteria, and other GMO byproducts in our water and soil would only be half as bad if these toxins merely persisted as innocuous pollutants. But studies have shown that these chemicals actually degrade and deplete soils of vital minerals and beneficial bacteria, both of which protect crops from pests, viruses, and other threatening elements. Glyphosate, the active component in Roundup, also does not biodegrade, which means it is continually accumulating in the environment without restraint, perpetually altering soil composition and contaminating natural resources. (http://www.psrast.org/soilecolart.htm)
7) GMOs spawn crop-destroying 'superweeds,' 'superbugs.' The basic premise behind how GMOs work portends that artificially engineering crops with resistance to certain chemicals and exposures that would otherwise harm or kill them can improve yields and protect the environment. And this built-in resistance has allowed farmers to indiscriminately spray chemicals like Roundup on their crops without worrying about killing them. But this system is now failing, as the weeds and pests targeted by GMO technologies have mutated and developed resistance to crop chemicals and Bt toxin. As a result, pestilence and disease is on the rise due to GMOs, which spells eventual disaster for the food supply. (http://grist.org)
To learn more about the dangers of GMOs, visit the Institute for Responsible Technology:
http://www.responsibletechnology.org/gmo-dangers
Sources for this article include:
http://www.theepochtimes.com
http://essentialstuff.org
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/038792_gmo_toxicity_digestion_cancer.html#ixzz2WWuADyAp
3) GMOs increase herbicide use. Contrary to industry claims, GMOs have not reduced the need for chemical inputs, but rather greatly expanded it. According to a comprehensive, 16-year review of chemical use in conjunction with the advent of GMOs in 1996, researchers from Washington State University's Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources found that herbicide use has increased by an astounding 527 millions pounds since GMOs were first introduced. To make matters worse, Roundup, the chemical of choice for many GMOs, has been found to persist in soils, waterways, and other environmental nooks and crannies, and sometimes it even ends up contaminating water supplies. ( http://www.huffingtonpost.com)
4) GMOs damage native species. A major point of contention with GMOs is that they can very easily pass their traits onto non-GMO, organic, and native crops and other plants, effectively destroying their very integrity permanently. Hundreds of farmers have actually been sued by Monsanto and other GMO giants over the years after their crops were inadvertently contaminated by GMOs. GMOs are also responsible for killing off bees, bats, butterflies, and other pollinators, whose bodies are unable to handle the onslaught of altered DNA and chemicals that are characteristic of GMO technologies. (http://www.naturalnews.com/035511_insecticide_bees_collapse.html)
5) GMOs pollute the environment. Mainstream scientists and industry spokespersons often gloat about the supposed environmental benefits of GMOs. But the truth of the matter is that GMOs and the chemicals used to grow them are a major source of environmental pollution. A 2011 study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science found that the Bacillus thuriengensis (Bt) bacteria engineered into Monsanto's GM corn can now be found in hundreds of streams and waterways throughout the U.S. Midwest. Another study published in the journal Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry revealed that Roundup herbicide is also present in many waterways and groundwater sources throughout America as well. (http://naturalsociety.com)
6) GMOs deplete soil minerals, destroy beneficial bacteria. The presence of Roundup, Bt bacteria, and other GMO byproducts in our water and soil would only be half as bad if these toxins merely persisted as innocuous pollutants. But studies have shown that these chemicals actually degrade and deplete soils of vital minerals and beneficial bacteria, both of which protect crops from pests, viruses, and other threatening elements. Glyphosate, the active component in Roundup, also does not biodegrade, which means it is continually accumulating in the environment without restraint, perpetually altering soil composition and contaminating natural resources. (http://www.psrast.org/soilecolart.htm)
7) GMOs spawn crop-destroying 'superweeds,' 'superbugs.' The basic premise behind how GMOs work portends that artificially engineering crops with resistance to certain chemicals and exposures that would otherwise harm or kill them can improve yields and protect the environment. And this built-in resistance has allowed farmers to indiscriminately spray chemicals like Roundup on their crops without worrying about killing them. But this system is now failing, as the weeds and pests targeted by GMO technologies have mutated and developed resistance to crop chemicals and Bt toxin. As a result, pestilence and disease is on the rise due to GMOs, which spells eventual disaster for the food supply. (http://grist.org)
To learn more about the dangers of GMOs, visit the Institute for Responsible Technology:
http://www.responsibletechnology.org/gmo-dangers
Sources for this article include:
http://www.theepochtimes.com
http://essentialstuff.org
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/038792_gmo_toxicity_digestion_cancer.html#ixzz2WWuADyAp
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
For Jari - Measuring Top Resonance
OK as I mentioned I've tried various ways, but what I really want to do is to feed a frequency signal, through a small amp to a coil to a small rare earth magnet stuck to the guitar top during the various phases of production. Here's a picture of Brian's setup, except now I know that he's using a magnet and coil, not a speaker. That way, the speaker is not part of the equation, you are exciting the top directly and it acts like a speaker
What I need help with is what kind of coil I can use to excite the top. Everything I've tried so far gives a very messy tone, not a nice clean tone at the desired frequencies. I know that with the right coil it will work.
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Re: Chester N. Mercer 1906 - 1990
Today, June 6, 2013 is the 107th anniversary of my dad's birth. Dad was a hard-working, staunch Democrat and Union member and 32nd Degree Mason. He loved to tell stories and pull your leg if he found you gullible enough to fall for one of his tall tales. He did just about anything he needed to in order to keep his family fed clothed and sheltered, if in ever so humble abodes. Most of the places we lived during my lifetime, until I was in High School anyway, had outhouses, where my older brother would go to sneak a smoke and thought no one would notice, ha, ha.
We lived in big houses, a farmhouse, a basement house, a two room house, and when I was 18, Mom and Dad moved into an AirStream trailer and I was on my own. I had a job, so I got an apartment and off I went on the path that led me where I am today.
Dad set a good example for us, although my older brother thought he was a tyrant, because he made him do a few chores now and then. I was true that, when Dad asked you to do something, he did expect it to be done NOW and WELL. I received my share of swats with a switch, hand or whatever was handy, but never, I thought, unfairly. My older brother swore 'til his dying day (unfortunately at age 61) that Dad beat him unmercifully and that he was horribly abused. Funny, the rest of us just didn't see the same thing, though we were right there witnessing the same things.
Actually, Dad was a soft hearted, gentle man for the most part. He was hard as nails when it came to work and he believed in a day's work for a day's pay regardless of the task. During his life, he worked as a lumberjack, a farm hand, a deputy sheriff, a farmer, an Ironworker, and finally retired as a Millwright from Bendix Corp. in South Bend, IN. He could make anything he set his mind to, could throw a white-hot rivet two stories up and knock your eye out with it if you weren't careful what you asked for. I know about two guys who wouldn't have been alive if it weren't for Dad. He could climb a column and walk a 4-inch I beam, three stories up, like it was a sidewalk. He could figure things out using a carpenter's square and taught himself geometry, He could fell a tree and always bragged that he could drive a stake with it if he wanted to. At age 65 or so, he could hold a broom stick in his hands and jump over it. Try that once, I guarantee you'll fall on your kiester.
When I was Kindergarten age through, I think, about 3rd grade, we lived on a farm in Michigan. Dad worked the fields with a team of Belgian horses and milked 16 cows twice a day, by hand. Dad sold the farm and went into a venture with some guy opening a flower shop...it flopped and we moved to Elkhart, IN and Dad went to work at Bendix.
All of this by way of saying "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD" and I'll have to say, I'm kind of glad that you lived when you did, because you would hate the political climate of today's USA. Democrats aren't what they used to be and Republicans are worse than anything you ever saw during your lifetime. You spanned the years from Horse and Buggy through men on the Moon. You robbed the cradle when you married Mom at age 16 and made over 50 years together and still managed a pat on the bottom once in a while (and Mom would say "FRESH" or "Dirty old Man") and a kiss good night every night. You'd sit and watch "Lassie" with your granddaughter (my baby) on your lap with tears running down both your cheeks. I loved you for what you were and who you were and I love your memory today.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Other things: My good friend, mentor and first guitar teacher took a terrible fall, hitting his head on concrete, while helping his wife, who has Alzheimer's, down some stairs. He's in the hospital, but out of Critical Care, and I wish him well. We were planning on going fly-fishing together, so hopefully, with a quick and full recovery, we'll be doing that soon. Get Well, Dick.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I moved the Corvair to Vern's shop, where he's going to get the mechanicals in shape. tune up the engine, cure some oil leaks and make her drive like a dream (I hope) and stop on a dime ( I hope). A paint job, new tires, a new convertible top and some upholstery work, will put her in shape for some fun while we still have some nice weather (should we ever get any) this summer. I joined the Circle City Corvairs Club and hope to meet some fellow enthusiasts soon, and learn more about my '64 Monza convertible. See photos on previous blog.
Th' - th' - that's all folks. For now, anyway.
We lived in big houses, a farmhouse, a basement house, a two room house, and when I was 18, Mom and Dad moved into an AirStream trailer and I was on my own. I had a job, so I got an apartment and off I went on the path that led me where I am today.
Dad set a good example for us, although my older brother thought he was a tyrant, because he made him do a few chores now and then. I was true that, when Dad asked you to do something, he did expect it to be done NOW and WELL. I received my share of swats with a switch, hand or whatever was handy, but never, I thought, unfairly. My older brother swore 'til his dying day (unfortunately at age 61) that Dad beat him unmercifully and that he was horribly abused. Funny, the rest of us just didn't see the same thing, though we were right there witnessing the same things.
Actually, Dad was a soft hearted, gentle man for the most part. He was hard as nails when it came to work and he believed in a day's work for a day's pay regardless of the task. During his life, he worked as a lumberjack, a farm hand, a deputy sheriff, a farmer, an Ironworker, and finally retired as a Millwright from Bendix Corp. in South Bend, IN. He could make anything he set his mind to, could throw a white-hot rivet two stories up and knock your eye out with it if you weren't careful what you asked for. I know about two guys who wouldn't have been alive if it weren't for Dad. He could climb a column and walk a 4-inch I beam, three stories up, like it was a sidewalk. He could figure things out using a carpenter's square and taught himself geometry, He could fell a tree and always bragged that he could drive a stake with it if he wanted to. At age 65 or so, he could hold a broom stick in his hands and jump over it. Try that once, I guarantee you'll fall on your kiester.
When I was Kindergarten age through, I think, about 3rd grade, we lived on a farm in Michigan. Dad worked the fields with a team of Belgian horses and milked 16 cows twice a day, by hand. Dad sold the farm and went into a venture with some guy opening a flower shop...it flopped and we moved to Elkhart, IN and Dad went to work at Bendix.
All of this by way of saying "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD" and I'll have to say, I'm kind of glad that you lived when you did, because you would hate the political climate of today's USA. Democrats aren't what they used to be and Republicans are worse than anything you ever saw during your lifetime. You spanned the years from Horse and Buggy through men on the Moon. You robbed the cradle when you married Mom at age 16 and made over 50 years together and still managed a pat on the bottom once in a while (and Mom would say "FRESH" or "Dirty old Man") and a kiss good night every night. You'd sit and watch "Lassie" with your granddaughter (my baby) on your lap with tears running down both your cheeks. I loved you for what you were and who you were and I love your memory today.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Other things: My good friend, mentor and first guitar teacher took a terrible fall, hitting his head on concrete, while helping his wife, who has Alzheimer's, down some stairs. He's in the hospital, but out of Critical Care, and I wish him well. We were planning on going fly-fishing together, so hopefully, with a quick and full recovery, we'll be doing that soon. Get Well, Dick.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I moved the Corvair to Vern's shop, where he's going to get the mechanicals in shape. tune up the engine, cure some oil leaks and make her drive like a dream (I hope) and stop on a dime ( I hope). A paint job, new tires, a new convertible top and some upholstery work, will put her in shape for some fun while we still have some nice weather (should we ever get any) this summer. I joined the Circle City Corvairs Club and hope to meet some fellow enthusiasts soon, and learn more about my '64 Monza convertible. See photos on previous blog.
Th' - th' - that's all folks. For now, anyway.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
The latest Folly
OK, I admit it. It's pure folly for me to take on an old car for restoration, given that I know absolutely nothing about mechanical gadgets like automobiles. So that's why I'm doing the consultant bit...to finance my folly. Here is a shot:
 |
| This is what it will look like restored. |
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Meanwhile, back at the Ranch
....and so it came to pass that....
I have not posted pictures or commentary on the completion of C's guitar, which as I mentioned has been dubbed "La Tierra". There are a number of reasons for this:
I have not posted pictures or commentary on the completion of C's guitar, which as I mentioned has been dubbed "La Tierra". There are a number of reasons for this:
- I didn't want Cheryl to see the guitar in its finishing stages because I planned (and it happened on Sat., Nov. 3rd) a small gathering with someone playing La Tierra (Turns out that my friend Matt Beal did it, very well, I might add). A good time was had by all and Cheryl even brought an old friend from Elkhart, Marcia Fulmer, a local celeb, journalist, actor/activist in the Elkhart Civic Theater, and generally a force on the civic scene in Elkhart.
- I was just too darn busy finishing La Tierra and Laura's guitar, which I've dubbed "La Milagro". I don't think that this is proper Spanish, but it expresses what I wanted and that goes along with Laura's physical issues and an incident that happened to her a number of years ago. It means "The Miracle".
- I wanted to have some professional photos taken of the two guitars and that has now been accomplished and, if I can do so, I'll attach two word documents containing the photos and some thoughts for each recipient. OK, that didn't work, so I'll attach a couple of photos of each guitar instead:
- OK, that's pretty much it for these two instruments, but certainly not the end of the story. I cannot wait to hear the recipients' reactions to their instruments when that first chord is strummed.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Animation - I'll explain
This is actually quite a long story, but I'll try to brevitize it (holy crap, did I just make up a new word?) It all started when we lived in Elkhart, IN and I worked for Miles Labs/Bayer/Haarman & Reimer (that's another story). Anyway, in the mid '80s, I changed from working in R&D as a Research Scientist, to a Manager of Regulatory Affairs and some other junk.. I had the worlds longest title but not the paycheck to match. But... as part of my job, I was involved in determining and documenting and submitting to FDA, information on the safety of our food enzyme products. This is when I learned about and eventually met Dr Michael Pariza. He had a title longer than mine and the reputation as a world's formost expert on food safety. Later, when I took a job in California with Genencor International, in the San Francisco area, I again worked with Dr. Pariza and we became friends. I prepared and he and others reviewed and approved our safety assessments, which were submitted to FDA for approal for use in food.
Years passed. Dr. Pariza and I testified in a trial against Miles Labs, because someone died, allegedly as the result of exposure to Miles enzymes...it was thrown out of court because the person was fully informed of the risks and ignored them.
Years passed and I prepared for retirement from Genencor. Mike learned of this and called me to wish me well. During the conversation, he asked what I planned to do to keep busy. I told him that I played and was learning to build guitars. He was surprised and said that he didn't know I had an interest in music and that he was a composer. Soooo, a couple of weeks later, came in the mail a composition that he had done for the guitar FOR ME!!!! Only small problem...I am not/was not a good enough guitar player to play it and do it any justice. Enter a computer website called the Classical Guitar Forum where I had met online two very talented guitarists.Jouni Stenroos, a resident of Espoo, Finland and Denian Arcoleo, a Brit. Somehow I talked them into arranging and recording the piece (described by Dr. Pariza as "post romantic" vs avante garde) quite contemporary. So, you guessed it, Jouni and Denian recorded it as a VIRTUAL DUET with one in Finland and the other in the UK.. If I can figure it out, I'll attach a recording here so it's saved for posterity. Thus the title of this post, it was entitled "Animation". If I can't attach it here, I'll link it on Facebook.
Animation 2:22 Jouni Stenroos & Denian Arcoleo
OK, it didn't work. I'll try to link it to Facebook.
ttfn
Years passed. Dr. Pariza and I testified in a trial against Miles Labs, because someone died, allegedly as the result of exposure to Miles enzymes...it was thrown out of court because the person was fully informed of the risks and ignored them.
Years passed and I prepared for retirement from Genencor. Mike learned of this and called me to wish me well. During the conversation, he asked what I planned to do to keep busy. I told him that I played and was learning to build guitars. He was surprised and said that he didn't know I had an interest in music and that he was a composer. Soooo, a couple of weeks later, came in the mail a composition that he had done for the guitar FOR ME!!!! Only small problem...I am not/was not a good enough guitar player to play it and do it any justice. Enter a computer website called the Classical Guitar Forum where I had met online two very talented guitarists.Jouni Stenroos, a resident of Espoo, Finland and Denian Arcoleo, a Brit. Somehow I talked them into arranging and recording the piece (described by Dr. Pariza as "post romantic" vs avante garde) quite contemporary. So, you guessed it, Jouni and Denian recorded it as a VIRTUAL DUET with one in Finland and the other in the UK.. If I can figure it out, I'll attach a recording here so it's saved for posterity. Thus the title of this post, it was entitled "Animation". If I can't attach it here, I'll link it on Facebook.
Animation 2:22 Jouni Stenroos & Denian Arcoleo
OK, it didn't work. I'll try to link it to Facebook.
ttfn
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Connections
Just a quick update on a very busy day or two: The top-bone's connected to the rib-bones and the head-bone's connected to the neck-bone....OK enough! You can see what's been accomplished inthe attached photos. Tomorrow - finish the tuning slots and holes, complete the "finiting" of the head and neck, glue in the neck and glue on the fretboard and complete and install the bridge. Don't know if I can do all of that tomorrow, but I'm gonna give it a shot. The lining for the back and fitting of the back braces and installing the ebony bindings come soon, too. Some top tuning and installation of the back next and then the finish. This won't be an easy proposition because of all the contrasting wood types and colors. It'll be a challenge to keep everything from being smudged by the darker colors. But we'll git 'er done. And it's gonna be a beauty. Check these out at this stage:
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| The overall look at this stage this top is awesome |
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| The Head with tuner fitted on one side note the white accent if you look closely |
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| The inside, with the neck in place once glued in the final tentalones will be added |
Monday, September 10, 2012
Can't top this
Ya can tap it, but ya can't top it cause I already did. Last night and today I installed 100s, maybe 1000s, (just kidding) of tentalones...the little "teeth" that glue the top and sides together. These provide for a solid connection between the top and sides that allows the guitar to be a "unit". Hide glue is the secret...it's all natural and makes good use of Dobbin when she goes to that horsey paradise in the sky, leaving behind a large, useful carcass. Hide glue actually (I'm told) forms a molecular bond between the pieces of wood that is truly stronger than the wood. I buy it in flakes and make up my own hot glue. As you can see in the photo, I've placed these little chunks of wood all the way around the perimeter, except where the neck will shortly go. A quick check of the tap tone sounded really good. I'll test it imperically, when the neck, fretboard and bridge go on and then tweak it if necessary before the back goes on.
T
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| Awesome top with awesome tap (tone) |
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| Top and sides joined..neck awaiting |
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Progress apace to win the race
Break in the weather, humidity down, shop busy, lotsa progress. Pictures pretty much explain accomplishments:
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| Braces glued on |
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| Go deck in use |
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| Trim ribs to width |
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| Soundhole reinforcement |
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| Headpiece on |
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| Can you figure out what this is? |
Friday, September 7, 2012
Assembling...two ways to do it
Assembly can be accomplished in many ways. Here are two: 1. family gathering for a long overdue reunion of cousins from US and Canada; 2. putting together (glueing up) C's guitar. Photos are self explanatory:
C's guitar: The assembly phase has started. The braces on the upper bout were glued on today. Tomorrow the lower bout, headpiece, and perhaps, after trimming to size, the sides and top will be joined with the neck.
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| Sister Carol Mercer Sukolics (St. Louis) |
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| Brother Chet |
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| The cousins |
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| The siblings |
C's guitar: The assembly phase has started. The braces on the upper bout were glued on today. Tomorrow the lower bout, headpiece, and perhaps, after trimming to size, the sides and top will be joined with the neck.
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| Glueing on the soundhole reinforcement |
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| Glueing on the upper bout cross braces |
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Parts is Parts
So, with the inlay of the back strip, bending of the sides and completion of the neck carving, everything is in place for the start of assembly. There's still scraping and sanding in preparation for this, but we're getting close. The A/C is wringing the water out of the air, but with the tailend of Isaac sweeping by, the humidity is still high for assembly. Preparative steps will be completed though and assembly will start ASAP. There are a couple more features that this guitar will have that will enhance playability. The curve of the neck from one side to the other will include the fretboard, making the neck very comfortable. With the bindings on the fretboard the fret tangs do not show and the ends are nicely rounded. This will also enhance comfort and playability.
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| The back |
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| Installing the back strip |
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| Back and sides |
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| Close up of back strip |
Not Exactly Butter
Bent the sides yesterday and it took most of the day to do so. Not exactly butter in my hands. But results are what matters. The Rosewood yielded on the bending iron into the desired shape, and as far as I can tell, very little springback. Cutting them to exact width and shape will be followed by a lot of scraping and sanding to remove the bit of scorched resin that was cooked out of the wood during the bending process on the hot iron. In case you hadn't seen it before, here's a pic of the iron, which is heated by an electric charcoal grill starter controlled by a heavy duty dimmer switch. It's used at about the temperature of your pancake griddle...hot enough to sizzle when spritzed with water. You really get a feel for the wood when you bend this way. I have a Fox side bender, but with wood this valuable, I'd rather do it by hand and have full control of the process. G'day.
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| Almost there |
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| better look at the iron |
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| Fitted into the form |
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| another view |
Friday, August 31, 2012
Real Braces This Time
There are all kinds of braces: for you teeth, to hold up your pants, to hold up your clothesline, to hold up your roof, but these are the real thing and, believe it or not, they are responsible, in major part, for the quality of the sound of your guitar. In concert (pun intended) with the top, neck and back, they shape the sound quality. Do I understand it all? NO, but I think this is going to be one awesome guitar. BTW, not glued on yet...too humid even with AC.
I also started bending one of the sides. This rosewood is a bit stiffer than Indian Rosewood so it's a slow process. Cracking a side of this precious stuff would be a disaster! Not gonna happen though. Slow and easy does it.
Also practiced spraying lacquer (gloss) today This is gonna be awesome.
All for today
G'day
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| Top and back braces Fir on top, spruce on back |
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| Bending a side |
Also practiced spraying lacquer (gloss) today This is gonna be awesome.
All for today
G'day
Monday, August 20, 2012
BRACE YOURSELF
OK, so you don't really have to brace yourself, but I started the process of making the braces for the top and back. The top braces will be made of some very straight grained old fir that I obtained from NW Lumber. It's a nice, rich reddish brown color that will contrast nicely with the white of the top spruce..did I mention how awesome this top is? More on this momentarily (no, I didn't call anyone a moron). The tentellones will, perhaps be cedar or mahogany that almost matches the fir. The reverse-kerf lining for the back will (I think) be mahogany as well.
I've tested the top now several times using Visual Analyzer an think that I am getting some usable results. The tap tone, as I've thinned the top has shifted frequency toward the bass side. Problem is, since I have no experience using this method of analysis to predict the outcom. I'll simply keep the records of the testing and when its time to play the guitar, I'll know just how this data predicts the outcome. Since the top goes on first, this allows some tweaking of the top to adjust the sound up to the point I put the back on.
I also worked on the head plate and a sample of the rosewood today. I'm experimenting with the rosewood pore filler and haven't quite got it yet. I'll do a bit of research online to find out what I'm missing. Here are a couple of shots of the wood from a couple of different lighting perspectives.
Some family stuff. A Mercer Clan reunion (descendants of Arthur Morgan Mercer) is to be held at an unspecified (here, that is) time and place. We expect about 20 or so people from around the US and Canada. It's been a long time since I've seen them and I'm really looking forward to the visit. More on (not moron) this soon.
Thatsallfornowgdevening (sp?)
I've tested the top now several times using Visual Analyzer an think that I am getting some usable results. The tap tone, as I've thinned the top has shifted frequency toward the bass side. Problem is, since I have no experience using this method of analysis to predict the outcom. I'll simply keep the records of the testing and when its time to play the guitar, I'll know just how this data predicts the outcome. Since the top goes on first, this allows some tweaking of the top to adjust the sound up to the point I put the back on.
I also worked on the head plate and a sample of the rosewood today. I'm experimenting with the rosewood pore filler and haven't quite got it yet. I'll do a bit of research online to find out what I'm missing. Here are a couple of shots of the wood from a couple of different lighting perspectives.
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| Just a couple of coats of satin lacquer |
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| Same piece, different lighting (satin, not Satan) |
Some family stuff. A Mercer Clan reunion (descendants of Arthur Morgan Mercer) is to be held at an unspecified (here, that is) time and place. We expect about 20 or so people from around the US and Canada. It's been a long time since I've seen them and I'm really looking forward to the visit. More on (not moron) this soon.
Thatsallfornowgdevening (sp?)
Saturday, August 18, 2012
TOP O' the mornin'
Working on tops (several, but I think I've narrowed it down to THIS ONE):
Why? Because I think it is the best rosette inlay I've ever done, AND this piece of wood has awsome sound characteristics as far as I can tell. Some testing will tell.
Next steps: 1. Thinning this top to final thickness; 2. Making sure back and sides are the right thickness; 3. bending the sides 4. making and installing braces on top and back; 5, putting final touches on neck, headpiece and spanish heel; 6, ASSEMBLY and bindings; 7. Attach bridge; 8. PREP AND APPLY FINISH; 9. install frets and nut and STRINGS!!! and final setup 10. SIT DOWN AND PLAY THIS AWESOME GUITAR. /Still a bit of time involved, and I want to invest the time to make every step absolutely the finest work I've ever done. The elements are all here, its just a matter of time.
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| Best rosette inlay |
Next steps: 1. Thinning this top to final thickness; 2. Making sure back and sides are the right thickness; 3. bending the sides 4. making and installing braces on top and back; 5, putting final touches on neck, headpiece and spanish heel; 6, ASSEMBLY and bindings; 7. Attach bridge; 8. PREP AND APPLY FINISH; 9. install frets and nut and STRINGS!!! and final setup 10. SIT DOWN AND PLAY THIS AWESOME GUITAR. /Still a bit of time involved, and I want to invest the time to make every step absolutely the finest work I've ever done. The elements are all here, its just a matter of time.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Quick update
Just a quick update. With the help of the climate control now possible, I've been joining tops and inlaying rosettes..I now have three candidates, one as yet without a rosette, but a nice top. If the rosette goes in nice, it is likely to be THE top because I believe it has the best sound characteristics. Got together with Kevin to discuss finish and provided him with a sample of the rosewood to work with. Take a look at the pics in the previous post and those below to get a glimpse of just how awesome this rosewood is. The neck and fretboard (no frets yet) are almost ready to go to the joining process. The sides are almost ready to be bent and the back is awesome. See the latest photos below.
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| Routing the rosette channel. Note the relative humidity on the meter |
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| Scraping down the rosette after inlay |
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| The head overlay (Braz. RW) with the head design |
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| The awesome back...look closely at the grain |
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| Side ready to bend |
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