Hristo's FI Journal

[Hristo Botev]

First project in the new shop: a bookshelf for DS's room, trying to match his new bed and nightstand.

For some reason the bottom shelf wouldn't really take the stain--not sure why, as it's the same exact type of common board as the other two shelves, bought at the same time about 4 years ago. It's like it had some sort of sealant on it that prevented the stain to penetrate, but I'd given it a good sanding before I installed it, so not sure what's up. Happy to hear any ideas--I guess I could flip the board and see if the other side takes stain better, though that side will require a lot of additional sanding because it still has the deep bracket outlines from the common board's prior life as a shelf for DD. I haven't put the poly on yet as I'm debating whether to call the project finished or to try and figure out a fix for the bottom shelf. I know DS won't notice and it'll be covered by books anyway, but I hate that everything else took the stain so well such that the bottom shelf really stands out.

The 3 shelves and the underlayment backing I had on hand from a previous project; so the only costs were the 3 stair treads I used for the sides and top and the stain. Sturdy bookcase for about $65 or so.

[suomalainen]

Assuming it's the same species of wood, I would first assume it had a prior treatment on it of some sort, which can penetrate deeper than an easy surface sanding would remove. You could try giving it a deep sanding, like taking a 1/16 off the top and see if that works. I think there are also natural differences that could retard stain absorption - different parts of the tree could be denser than others, more resinous, etc.

[Hristo Botev]

Thanks @suo. I flipped the board but the other side didn't take the stain any better, so I ended up just buying another common board. I just gave that new board its first coat of stain and it is absorbing the stain much better, so it looks like problem solved.

[ffj]

Pine is notorious for splotching and uneven stain application. Try a wash-coat next time before you stain your next project. What is a wash-coat? Heavily diluted shellac that you apply with a brush. It'll raise the grain somewhat but you just sand the wood down with fine sandpaper. The stain will apply uniformly after that.

[Hristo Botev]

Pine is notorious for splotching and uneven stain application. Try a wash-coat next time before you stain your next project. What is a wash-coat? Heavily diluted shellac that you apply with a brush. It'll raise the grain somewhat but you just sand the wood down with fine sandpaper. The stain will apply uniformly after that.

I used a pre-stain conditioner; is that not the same thing as a wash-coat?

[ffj]

Yeah, pretty much. I would have to look up what the ingredients are though. You still have quite a bit of splotching on your bookcase which leads me to believe you needed a second application or a better alternative. Not saying it looks bad so no offense. It's going to hold books regardless.

A good practice is always have a test piece that is sanded and prepared exactly like your finished product. That way you can experiment with the finish before applying it to your good stuff. That will save you a tremendous amount of redoing.

I think you had two deficits going into this project: using pine and using a cheap grade of pine. That will always require you to do more work on the finish end unless you just paint it. I always liked a milk paint or the equivalent on pine which does a nice job of making a cheap wood look good.

Maybe tonight I will look up some finish techniques for pine if I can find my books and notes on it.

[ffj]

I found it. This is for pine:

-Let it age for a month after final sanding as the wood will take on a natural patina that will complement the final color making it deeper and richer
-A washcoat of shellac is next, this seals the wood and provides a base for the stain. Cut the shellac with denatured alcohol at about a 50/50 ratio. Apply two coats with an hour in between and a couple hours after last coat scuff sand with 600 grit sandpaper
- Apply an OIL-based stain that is cut 70/30 with mineral spirits. Wait a week between coats for complete drying
- Apply another coat of shellac cut at 70/30 with denatured alcohol. This protects the stain
- Apply a topcoat of varnish diluted at 70/30 with mineral spirits as it adheres well to shellac, avoid polyurethane. Apply three thin coats
- Buff out the final coat with 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper with mineral oil for a satin sheen

Hope this helps on your next project

[Hristo Botev]

I found it. This is for pine:

Thanks ffj! That's a whole lot of time waiting for coats to dry; as a weekend warrior I don't think I have that kind of patience in me.

I finished DS's bookcase. Picture below, along with a picture of the stain from the bed and nightstand I was somewhat trying to match:


Good enough. I ended up replacing the bottom shelf (the one that wasn't taking the stain) with a new one, and it took the stain fine. The next project is a small desk for DS's room, built with the same preschool-level woodworking competence I'm sure.

Since it's Monday and I can't get myself motivated to start my workweek; an update:

• My oldest had her first day of high school today, and my youngest had his first day of middle school. Crazy to think I don't have an elementary school age kid anymore. Both kids did summer sports with their new schools--football with the middle school team for DS and flag football and soccer with the high school teams for DD--so they both have friends/acquaintances heading into their first day at scary, big new schools, in addition to the folks they already knew from their previous schools. I think they'll both do fine. It's nerve racking, though.

• DD's new travel club soccer team practices 1.5 hours away; which is an unfortunate reality of playing soccer at a high level in a low density population area--there is a lot of travel. Thankfully there are 5 other girls from our area who play for that club, either on her team or on the year ahead of her, and so we've got a good carpool set up for the 2-3 practices a week (that doesn't count weekend travel for games/tournaments). Unfortunately our truck only fit a maximum of 6 people, and so we traded it on for a 8 seater Honda Pilot--the ultimate soccer mom vehicle. We've had the new car for a week and a half and we've already put 1,500 miles on it, all from transporting kids around the region for various sports. I wouldn't be surprised if we put over 30K miles on the Pilot just this year, all from sports travel, even with the carpool. Soccer really is a rich kid's sport in the USA.

• I've taken a few weeks off of weight training, as I (unfortunately?) got my dog addicted to runs and long walks first thing in the morning, to the point that she would make my life miserable if I tried to take a day off. I started with doing 3-5 mile walks with her, and now I've worked in running 5Ks 2-3x a week, in addition to walks the other days. That's been great as my cardio had definitely been lacking, but I haven't yet found a time during the day I can set aside consistently for weight training, with my mornings now taken by the walks/runs. I can feel myself getting weaker!

• If you've followed my journal at all you know I've struggled with the smart phone thing for my kids; and we've gone from a flip phone for DD via Consumer Cellular, to more recently a dumbed-down smartphone via Gabb Wireless (a great company). Well, with our decision to go all in with public school for DD's high school (with an IB program), the reality is that her teachers and coaches all EXPECT that kids have smart phones, and so they all expect that kids will sign up for the various team/class messaging apps that are out there; most of which Gabb doesn't support on their platform. This has been a nightmare for DW, as she's been the one who has had to manage all of these apps/communications, even though DD is perfectly capable to manage these communications herself. So . . . , we finally bit the bullet this weekend and got DD an iphone, so that she would have it when she started high school. No social media, except for her soccer-focused instagram account that is targeted at collegiate sports coaches/recruiters. She has shown us repeatedly that she is trustworthy and has her head on straight, but even this past weekend as we were driving back from a flag football tournament we were getting attitude as we were telling her she could not spend the entire 4-hour car ride on her phone. And so it begins . . . .
  
  FWIW, what we've ended up doing with DD (and will do with DS) is entirely consistent with what Jonathan Haidt recommends in his new book, apparently, which is no smart phones until HS (check), and no social media until at least 16 (also probably check). Nevertheless, it's difficult for two Gen X parents to parent our Gen Alpha kids, given that the world they are growing up in so drastically different than the world we grew up in.

• We've been super spendy as of late, in a way that is very un-ERE of us. New car, sports stuff for kids (school and club and private coaching/training), big-ticket furniture purchases, and many other things. Summers are always difficult for us from a spending standpoint, as both DW and I do best with a routine, and summers with kids are very anti-routine. But, that said, we are still doing better than we have overall at times in the past, in part because we did NOT succumb to the 2-year housing itch (one downfall of being married to a military brat). It's been over 2 years and we are still in the same house, despite a close call last year where we almost decided to move to a house on the water. And most of our heavy spending the past couple months has been in making this our forever home--with my more-expensive-than-it-should-be DIY home renovations, buying furniture, trying to get the lawn situation figured out, etc. All that being said, the net worth continues to be good, providing us with the safety net that allows me to sleep at night. (knocks on wood)

OK, that's it for now. I'll go to work.

[chenda]

I believe smart phones are evil. Manufactured with the blood of Congolese children, they are addictively destroying our bodies and brains. And its pretty much impossible to live without one now. The best solution I can find is to leave it in a draw and take it out as needed. And I now use an old fashioned wind-up alarm clock because as soon as you silence the morning alarm on a phone you start scrolling.

I have been corresponding with my grandfather's cousin. My grandfather was born in 1919 so its quite surprising he still has a living cousin, but he doesn't do online things so its pen-and-ink letters in the post. I don't think I have sent a hand written letter since about 2000. It is a joy to actually sit down and write something to send by hand.

We need an analogue revolution.

[suomalainen]

Excellent on the bookcase. I think it looks great.

High schooler. Middle schooler. Club soccer 1.5 hours away. Needy dog. Dear god, man, pace yourself.

Teenage attitude. And so it begins indeed. You know, I've often thought of having kids as playing two genetic lotteries. The first "reveal" is the baby stage where serious medical/developmental issues can show up early. Assuming you get lucky here, the second "reveal" is when the horror-mones kick in when more subtle developmental/personality issues start to show up. May the odds ever be in your favor. What a trip.

[Hristo Botev]

Teenage attitude. And so it begins indeed. You know, I've often thought of having kids as playing two genetic lotteries. The first "reveal" is the baby stage where serious medical/developmental issues can show up early. Assuming you get lucky here, the second "reveal" is when the horror-mones kick in when more subtle developmental/personality issues start to show up. May the odds ever be in your favor. What a trip.

What a trip indeed; currently dealing with DS's hormones, as he is starting to assert some independence and see how far he can push DW and I. It's enough to give you a little case of the blues--when your "little buddy" who has always followed you around like a puppy dog, springing on you the second you walk in the door to ask you to throw the ball, starts testing the lines and asserting himself. It's all part of the process, I know, but that doesn't mean you can't be a little nostalgic.

Speaking of DS: my second shop project (a desk for DS) is almost complete--just needs poly:

What I learned from this most recent project is that my "joinery" skills are non-existent.

[Hristo Botev]

I find that I tend to be less productive at work when I am sticking to a regular workout schedule. It's not an energy thing, it's a motivation thing. It's as if I only have so many "task completed"-s in me per day, and so when I start the morning with some cardio followed by a weightlifting session, I find that I'm pretty much done for the day after I get back from taking DS to school.

I need to figure out a fix to that.

[chenda]

I need to figure out a fix to that.

I see that not as a problem to be fixed, but a sign you should work less. My bandwidth usually maxes out after 2-3 hours unless it's something which per chance catches my interest.

[suomalainen]

You fuckin' know what to do.

[mathiverse]

For me, that often happens when I'm not eating or drinking enough. You may feel more energetic with more fuel before and/or after.

That has also happened to me in the first few weeks of a new routine until I'm adapted to a new schedule. Maybe it's a problem that will solve itself if this is a new routine for you.

[Hristo Botev]

You fuckin' know what to do.

No doubt, but I'm not one typically motivated by "suck it up, wussy!"--at least not every morning, 250 work days a year.

ChatGPT tells me I should use the pomorodo technique, which makes sense. Though I appreciate the irony in asking ChatGPT how to stay motivated to do a job that ChatGPT will be doing in my place in a couple of years.

ETA: ChatGPT just informed me this is more accurately "meta-irony" or "self-referential irony." Thanks ChatGPT.

[suomalainen]

My point was that you don't need motivation to do something. It can be nice, sure. It can be helpful, of course. Some days you can give a lot; some days you can give a little; and that's ok. But some days, you just gotta do what you know has got to be done (note that this can be a very low bar) even if you don't feel like it.

[Western Red Cedar]

I find that I tend to be less productive at work when I am sticking to a regular workout schedule. It's not an energy thing, it's a motivation thing. It's as if I only have so many "task completed"-s in me per day, and so when I start the morning with some cardio followed by a weightlifting session, I find that I'm pretty much done for the day after I get back from taking DS to school.

I need to figure out a fix to that.

I noticed the same thing while I was working. I'd occasionally do a morning workout or lifting session, but noticed I was much less focused in the mornings, which was generally my most productive period of the day.

I usually lifted on my lunch break, or occasionally went on a bike ride while I was working from home. While in the office, an hour-long walk on my lunch break was a non-negotiable. Those sessions were a reward for a focused and productive morning.

If I couldn't lift on my lunch break due to a meeting or something else, I'd do it in the evening before dinner.

After sitting, reading, writing, and/or talking for much of the day the change of pace to a silent, physical activity felt like a task I was looking forward to rather than another one to check off the list.

[Hristo Botev]

I noticed the same thing while I was working. I'd occasionally do a morning workout or lifting session, but noticed I was much less focused in the mornings, which was generally my most productive period of the day.

I've noticed much the same thing. I've learned that the things I most prioritize I must do first thing in the day, often before my kids are even up. When I was starting my career this meant I was in the office and working by 5:30/6. Now, it means I do my exercising and heavier-lifting personal reading in the mornings. Ideally I'd still put in a couple solid hours of work first thing in the morning, and lift in the afternoon/evening. But I know that, in reality, this will mean that I will miss a lot of days of lifting, as I'm in the client services business and it is quite often the case that a client emergency means my schedule is shot, such that it is often the case that I work through lunch. That said, perhaps I've been lifting enough now that I can have a little bit of confidence that I won't take an easy excuse to skip a workout, such that I can plan to do lifts later in the day.

OK, I'm convinced, I'm going to try the following schedule and see how that works:

5:15-6:45: Walk/run with the dog; personal reading
6:45-7: DS to school
7-~12: knock out most important work tasks
12-1:30: Weights (M-W-F) followed by lunch
1:30-4/5: Less focused work, chores around the house, some personal reading

[chenda]

Entirely off topic, but you might enjoy these delightful discussions between Rupert Sheldrake and the Bishop of California. In particular how many of us, especially in northern Europe, have become so disconnected from our ancestral spiritual traditions and seasonal festivals. They suggest all souls day would be an appropriate festival to reinvigorate. Everyone has heard of Mexico's day of the dead but most people haven't a clue Anglicans have their own day of the dead. Which also highlights how modern tourism has provided a costly substitute to traditional spirituality and pilgrimage.

https://www.sheldrake.org/audios/dialog ... -cathedral