Catching Up

Posted on July 24, 2016 by Phil Kadath

I’m still in the process of getting the metal shop I hope to inherit caught up. And still putting in 60+ hour weeks to do so.

One of the projects I was looking forward to getting at was a trellis for a local apartment complex. The specs are 14ft tall, 16ft wide and 4ft deep. The uprights were completed before my first day and shipped out for installation on my first day.

Sadly, when I went to the site to get the final measurements of the uprights for the trellis top, I discovered that the installers put the damn things in so that the top brackets are 90 degrees off. Basically, I wanted them to face east-west so that the main cross members could rest between them. Instead, they are facing north-south and I have had to redesign the cross members to fit the mistake.

Hence, the bump-out

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My boss wanted it all mechanically attached (lots of bolts and washers) so that we didn’t have to rent a crane. This is it all assembled on Saturday. We’ll be taking it apart and sending it off for powder coating today. It should be back by Wednesday or Thursday and we hope to install it the following day.

One of the cooler projects that dropped into my lap was some very custom bits for a trade show booth for one of the clients we work with. I hit the fabricators trifecta twice this week, building with carbon steel, stainless steel and aluminum all in one day.

One of the aluminum items I put together was this set of “branches” for an outfitting company that are made from 3/8″ aluminum round bar.

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I’m not yet sure what I’ll be up to this week, but I do know I will be only working a half-day on Wednesday so that I can take my sister to see the “Weird Al” Yankovic concert for her birthday.

So maybe I’ll have pics of that too for you. Have a good week if I don’t get a chance later on to say hi.

Posted in Kewel!, Life in the Atomic Age | 1 Comment

Rewarding

Posted on July 18, 2016 by Phil Kadath

One of the other projects at the new job that was in pieces when I arrived was a set of 17 bar stools for the VIP Lounge of a local casino.

They are no longer just pieces.

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It’s a horrible pic of a dozen of the stools. The other five are already strapped up for shipping. Some of the details you can’t see is that the name of the lounge is laser cut into the foot. Also, both the uprights of the backs and the foot pegs are made of plumbing parts. Surprising to all of us, they are remarkably comfortable. So much so that when the wife stopped by with lunch a couple days ago she sat in one and said that we were no longer looking for new dining room chairs because I was going to be building a set of 4-legged versions of these.

Which means I’ll likely be building a frame for a new dining room table too shortly thereafter. I’ve already consulted with the wood shop guys on the table top.

In other news, I’ve rewarded myself for the long workdays over this past month by putting money down on a new pistol that looks remarkably like this one.

Full size 9mm. The place I’m getting it from even has some of the factory 21rnd mags, so I think this one will be getting a holosight.

Posted in Have Gun, Will Travel, Kewel!, Life in the Atomic Age | 3 Comments

Still alive and kicking

Posted on July 10, 2016 by Phil Kadath

The food truck didn’t run me over. But my paycheck says that I worked 140 hours in two weeks. My next check will have another 55 hours on it from that truck. It left late last Thursday afternoon.

And it’s back. The employees unplugged the cable that goes from the generator to the fuse box and forgot to secure it, and subsequently ran it over on the way to its first event. So I’ll be doing some quickie electrical work on it Monday.

But after that, back to the cool projects. First up, some surprisingly very comfortable custom bar stools for the VIP room of one of the local big casinos. They’re so comfortable, The Wife has requested me to make some with regular chair legs for my dining room.

Then, a very classy trellis for a the main driveway entrance at a new condo complex going in not too far from my house.

So, my apologies for going silent during my workathon, but do stay tuned in here every now and again to see some cool stuff.

Posted in Life in the Atomic Age | 4 Comments

Head down. Pushing forward

Posted on June 27, 2016 by Phil Kadath

The first unfinished project I walked into at the new job is a custom fabrication of an interior for a food truck. I hate this vehicle with a passion and worry that if I ever see it on the street I may light it on fire. It has to be done by Friday, so I have something to look forward to, but until then, if the sun is up, I’m probably at work.

I put in nearly 70 hours last week. I’d post pics but I seriously hate this inanimate object.

Please enjoy the post below this one.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Those childhood memories

Posted on June 26, 2016 by Phil Kadath

I put this on the bookface, but no one responded to it, so I likely screwed up the post.

Hopefully someone will enjoy it here.

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I was going through some old photos my sister sent me a while back and found this one of me at the spry age of 13 competing in my first 3-gun style match in 1985.

The stages were as follows:

Rifle – Start at the 500yd line. Time plus hits plus penalties for less then 40hits on a CMP bullseye target. Fire 10 shots from any position. I went prone with dad’s M1A. After 10, clear your rifle, grab your ammo and run to the 400yd line. Repeat. Then to the 300 and then to the 200. After your last 10 shots, clear and rack your rifle. Grab your shotgun and ammo from the rack and head into the heavily forested trail.

Shotgun – Time plus penalties. I used my Rem 870. You walk along the marked trail and engage the 25 steel turkeys and pigs. Some are white and some are black. Most are not at ground level. If you pass a mark known to the RO you can no longer engage that target and will be told to stop and the target will be pointed out to you. You may then carry on. At the end of the trail you are to clear and rack your shotgun and draw your pistol and hope you brought enough ammo.

Pistol – Time plus score plus penalties. As the sharp eyed among you might see, a Colt Series 70 Combat Commander was my weapon of choice. You enter the clearing and encounter the water trap. You must go prone in the water trap or face a 100 point penalty. You then engage the moving target at 30yds twice. Once r-to-l and once l-to r. You may then exit the water trap and go prone in the freshly raked sand trap 25ft away (and another 100 point penalty if you don’t). Engage the mover twice again. Best 10 hits is your score (penalty for less than 10 hits). Now that you are wet and covered in sand you must enter the structure waiting for you. It is a kill house. 4 rooms and a very scary hallway. 10 targets that either pop-up from behind furniture or out from around corners. Best two hits on each is your score (penalties again for less than 2 each). As you exit the structure you encounter 3 plates. 1 each at 25ft, 50 ft and 75 ft. Engage at your leisure. Last plate to drop is your time.

It was the best weekend I’d had that I couldn’t discuss at school the next day. I came in 5th out of 18 (actually 20, but 2 people took the water and sand penalties, so they don’t count). Pretty much everyone who participated helped run the course after their turn. I ran the timer for the pistol course, as well as raked sand and refilled the water trap.

Posted in Have Gun, Will Travel, Kewel! | 2 Comments

Not going quite as planned

Posted on June 19, 2016 by Phil Kadath

It was an interesting week at the new job.

First, the guy who was going to stick around for 2-3 weeks to help get me transitioned and caught up quit on Tuesday. Apparently, he thinks I’m quite capable.

Second, the owner of the business was out of town from Tuesday to Thursday, so I didn’t get a sit down meeting with him until Friday morning. We talked for 90 minutes or so. He is of a mind that I’m going to walk on him too because there is so much to do (we’re now behind on three projects and about to add a fourth).

Third, I put in 55 hours last week to try and prove that I’m not going anywhere. I was often frustrated, and pulled in four different directions, for most of the week, and it was still the most fun I’ve had at “work” in a very long time. I’ll likely break 60 hours this week in an effort to slow/stop the backup.

Otherwise, everything is going quite well. I’m thoroughly enjoying the new gig. They’ve given me company work wear and a set of keys and the alarm code for the place. For the most part, they let me know the order of importance of the jobs and leave me alone to work. I hope to post some pics soon of some of the projects, which are themselves very cool. I’m still attempting to get the scoop on how much I can tell y’all about them (where they’re going and whatnot).

Anyway, stay tuned. The ride is bumpy, but the woman sitting across from you is wearing a low-cut shirt and no bra.

Posted in Kewel!, Life in the Atomic Age | 2 Comments

And so it begins

Posted on June 13, 2016 by Phil Kadath

Friday was my last day of work at my first professional welding job after finishing my degree. Today is my first at my second.

A couple weeks ago I emailed one of my former instructors and told him I was ready to move on from my employer and attached my resume asking him to give it the once over. We had some back and forth about my resume and then a couple weeks later he told me that the other instructor wanted to see me.

I showed up at the college’s metal fabrication shop and spoke with him there. Essentially, another one of his former students was working at a small, private fab shop, but he had recently earned his pipe welding certification and wanted to move into that part of the industry. The guy had left a message with this instructor to send folks who could do fab work his way so that he didn’t leave his current boss hanging too badly.

I called his number and then met him the next afternoon at that shop. We talked for a 30 minutes or so and did some TIG welding for him. He asked me to come back and spend a goodly portion of the next day with him at the shop and interview with the owner.

I did that and locked the job down by midday. They wanted me to start the following day, but I didn’t want to burn the bridge I’d spent 14 months building. So I put in 1 week notice instead of two and I start at the new job this morning.

No names will be revealed as yet, but the shop mostly does exterior and interior design of commercial spaces, but also some higher end residential design. Once I get up to speed at the shop, hopefully in 2-3 weeks, the other guy will bow out and it’ll be me doing all the fabrication work. The owner and I agreed that after 90 days we’ll review where I began and where I’m at then, and see where we’re at. The better I do, the more of a raise I’ll get. I lateraled my current pay rate to him. That’s how happy I am to be getting this job.

The best part of this is that he wants to sell more metal in his designs, but he hasn’t had anyone with my skill-set come to work for him. He has had welders working there, but not fabricators. They can cut and weld, but none of them has had full-on fab experience and he has had to hold their hands through each project.

He is as excited for to work with me as I am to work with him. This is the job I wanted when I left school, but wasn’t ready for. I’m pretty sure I’m ready for it now. During the interview, he asked about my tables. Apparently, my former instructor had mentioned them to the guy who currently has the job to help him remember me. I showed him the pics of them that I had on my phone and his eyes got huge. So, if he can sell that to a customer, you all could soon be seeing that under your plates while you’re eating.

Anyway, wish me luck. I’m hoping that this will be very exciting.

Posted in Kewel! | 6 Comments

It would seem

Posted on June 6, 2016 by Phil Kadath

That Switzerland has a functional school system

Swiss Reject Plan to Give Themselves a Guaranteed Basic Income

Swiss voters rejected by a wide margin on Sunday a proposal to introduce a guaranteed basic income for everyone living in the wealthy country after an uneasy debate about the future of work at a time of increasing automation.

Supporters had said introducing a monthly income of 2,500 Swiss francs ($2,563) per adult and 625 francs per child under 18 no matter how much they work would promote human dignity and public service.

Opponents, including the government, said it would cost too much and weaken the economy.

Provisional final results showed 76.9 percent of voters opposed the bold social experiment launched by Basel cafe owner Daniel Haeni and allies in a vote under the Swiss system of direct democracy.

Haeni acknowledged defeat but claimed a moral victory.

23.1% is not even a moral victory. He just got interviewed by a news agency and he’s treating it like his participation award.

That link goes to the HuffPo, in case you couldn’t tell by the phrasing of the headline. “Give Themselves”? These writes have no idea where the money would have come from.

Posted in The Economic Way of Thinking | 2 Comments

Ray Carter

Posted on May 31, 2016 by Phil Kadath

I didn’t know Ray well. Heck, I’d only met him a handful of times. But he was a good guy.

I first met him during the fight to keep the city government of Seattle from banning concealed carry on city property. A group of folks he’d organized would meet once a month a get updates on how things were going.

When I’d joined the BookFace, he was on there, fighting the good fight. Both politically, and health wise. Last Wednesday, he posted that his doctors had prognosed his early stage liver failure and had given him 2-3 weeks and he’d asked that anyone who wanted to say goodbye, stop by or message him soon.

In the afternoon that same day, he sent out the simple message of “Nap Time”, and then nothing until yesterday, when we all got the notice that he’d passed.

So long, Ray. I didn’t know you well, and that is my fault.

There is a service this weekend for anyone who’d like to attend. I can give you the info if you’d like to email me. I am in the process of rearranging some things so that I can go.

Posted in Heroes, Comrades and Brothers | 3 Comments

Do you have cable?

Posted on May 30, 2016 by Phil Kadath

I’m sure the ropes will be plenty strong enough for you.

I’m planning on building a new porch for the hizzie in the not too distant future. Our current one is as old as the house and leans. I’m not actually sure if it was ever level. Also, it is small and just not attractive.

Since I’m a welder, I’m planning on making it out of steel. Mostly square or rectangular tube and channel. I’ve got most of a picture of it in my head, which is the first step to me starting a project. However, I’ve not been able to come up with how I want the trim to be. Last week I was given the lead in a project that, I think, has settled that question.

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This is a gate. It is stainless rectangular tube with 1/4in cables strung across its span. The ends of the cables are swaged into the hollowed out ends of the bolts. After the bolts are tightened at each end, there is no movement of the cables (these ones have not yet been fully tightened, or had the excess threading cut off). The gate will be a lift out gate for a catwalk and have tube welded to the outside edges that will slip over either smaller diameter tubes or solid bar that will be welded to the catwalk.

I’ve already decided that the porch will be powder coated black and have synthetic Trex style boards on the walking and handrail surfaces, and now I know what I will have between the vertical points instead of some sort of pickets.

On a side note, I got handed this job because I had once mentioned swaging during a conversation about with reloading I had with a coworker. That, and my foreman figured I was one of the few in the shop who could make 104 swaged connections without getting my finger stuck in the machine.

And for those wondering where they may have heard this post’s title and intro line before, remember Emo Phillips?

Posted in Kewel! | 2 Comments