Builds My '78 FJ40 "44"

[handcannon]

We used some form of crown moulding on all the cabinets we installed. Putting crown moulding on cabinets is much easier than on walls. Cabinets are flat, and usually have normal angles. Walls are crooked, bumpy, and usually have odd angles at every corner to deal with. Newer houses are sometimes better, but not always. I don't envy you dealing with crown moulding in a room.

Don

 

[Solace in Solitude]

I know what you mean. It's hell getting old, and I'm not even eligible for Medicare yet!

Medicare has been the saving grace of my premature aging... I've been on it for... Going on 4 years... And MediCare and TriCare for Life have saved me so much money, for all the surgeries... and TriCare, for all the prescriptions.

When I was young, 19 was followed by 20... now my mind tells me, I aged from 19, directly to 68... I look back and wonder where all those in-between years went...

We used some form of crown moulding on all the cabinets we installed. Putting crown moulding on cabinets is much easier than on walls. Cabinets are flat, and usually have normal angles. Walls are crooked, bumpy, and usually have odd angles at every corner to deal with. Newer houses are sometimes better, but not always. I don't envy you dealing with crown moulding in a room.

Don

Yeah, I built a headboard last weekend, with crown molding, albeit narrower (2.5") than this molding (4.25"), and it was fairly simple.

But, I haven't found a single 90* corner thus far... They range from 88-92*... And the walls were built with no concern for orienting all the stud's crowns in the same direction... Resulting in wavy walls.

Add the rounded outside corners and the need to cut 22.5* angles and use three pieces, to round the outside corners and, you are right Don, it becomes much more complex.

My biggest problem today was trying to visualize which way to turn the molding and which way to miter it...

But, I'll be done in the morning and probably won't do this again until I'm 93...

 

[waiting for time]

Its good brain training.

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Its good brain training.

It certainly is!!

Frustrating too!!

 

[handcannon]

Its good brain training.

It sure is. I even found myself turning things the wrong way at times before cutting, even though it was something I did at least once a week.

On walls I like to cope corners, if at all possible. With coped corners angles aren't near as critical. "IF" the crown is to be painted then you have the best of all possibilities. The painter will use caulk on all joints, and then the paint will cover and make things look so good.

Don

 

[waiting for time]

I have made a few mistakes bending sheet the wrong way.
This never happens on the first bend, made a few patches with difficult angles and f’ed up the final bend.
Of corse these are not the patches shown here on mud.

 

[120mm]

I useta build wooden boats and I wont even try to use a miter without one of these.

angle finders are best used prophylactically, like a tap and die set.

 

[Solace in Solitude]

It sure is. I even found myself turning things the wrong way at times before cutting, even though it was something I did at least once a week.

On walls I like to cope corners, if at all possible. With coped corners angles aren't near as critical. "IF" the crown is to be painted then you have the best of all possibilities. The painter will use caulk on all joints, and then the paint will cover and make things look so good.

Don

Try it now, Don... It's amazing, how difficult it is for me to visualize the proper orientation, at 68... When it was easy, even 10-15 years ago... I always made mistakes, while doing this... But, generally due to distractions... Not due to inability.

Perhaps, Michael is in the right track... Perhaps, I need to do more visualization training, to slow the atrophy of my remaining brain cells... as my arteries continue to harden and my brain cells continue to die.

I have made a few mistakes bending sheet the wrong way.
This never happens on the first bend, made a few patches with difficult angles and f’ed up the final bend.
Of corse these are not the patches shown here on mud.

Of course not!!

Yeah, it always seems to be the final cut (or bend) and generally the easiest... What surprised me yesterday was the 2-3 times I made multiple compound angle cuts, test fitted it and was please... The I cut the other side of the corner and it didn't fit AT ALL... I recut it and it didn't FIT AT ALL... Then, I noticed it didn't fit because the first side of the angle was angled backwards.. E.g. Cut completely opposite to what it should have been... The fact that I didn't notice, during the test fit, was the most concerning... Where was my head?!?

I useta build wooden boats and I wont even try to use a miter without one of these angle finders are best used prophylactically, like a tap and die set.

I've used those and you're correct, they definitely make life easier... Mine is in my furniture maker tools... In a barn, in Central Texas... I brought my chop saw and my table saw and very little else... Truth be told, Dianna said I wouldn't be "building stuff"... and I fell for it... Naive, yes? Plus, we simply don't have room for all those tools here.

This is why I've become the 44 Lead Mechanic... To keep me out of Dianna's way, at home, and ensure I can potentially bail myself out of remote areas... I never had an interest in mechanical stuff before... I loved building stuff for Dianna's shop, in my spare time... But, this is the new old me.

 

[gator25]

Man, I can ruin some molding. I used to always end up cutting one end off and starting over. Then make three angles more where I should have had one.

 

[Michael B]

Aging is not for the weak!

Keep after it Danny!

 

[waiting for time]

My father is 80 and he still makes wooden furniture in his workshop.
It’s all going slower now but it keeps him sharp.

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Well, it's done.. And I only wasted about 20', at $1.47/ft... Could have been much worse, but I'm too smart to use the really expensive stuff.

I'll run about 25' of new soft fuel line, pickup the aux tank and get a flu shot in the morning... Then try to get the tank back in in the afternoon.

We'll see.

 

[handcannon]

Try it now, Don... It's amazing, how difficult it is for me to visualize the proper orientation, at 68... When it was easy, even 10-15 years ago... I always made mistakes, while doing this... But, generally due to distractions... Not due to inability.

I'm not very far behind you, 67 now. But, the big thing that concerns me now is that this coming Dec 23rd will be 9 years since I worked. Is this thing like riding a bicycle and you never forget, just need some refreshing? Or is it something I WILL forget how to do? I had a huge amount of very strong anti-biotics (several weeks worth) almost 9 years ago. How much did that mess with my memory? Has it affected my memory enough that I will find it hard to work on my 40 (if I ever get the chance to do so)?

Oh well, something more for me to stew about.

Don

 

[Solace in Solitude]

I didn't get too stall the tank yesterday... starting it now.

Here's what it looks like now... he found and fixed a leak in one of the top corners... probably where the small plate is... I forgot, I had to cut off a small breather in order to snug it up the first time... it has two other vents/breathers anyway.

He also cut the large inspection hole, in the top, and capped it with the plate, sealant and screws.

No leaks... no crap in it.

Chester is very anxious about this installation...

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Aux tank is back where it belongs, wired up, plumbed, new filters.

I only needed a half dozen tools, but somehow I drug a lotta tools out... But, I'm too tired from wrestling that heavy son-of-a-bitch into its proper place... Tools will lay where they've fallen until tomorrow morning.

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Chester and I took 44 out yesterday, with 2 full tanks... ran the whole trip in the newly refurbished aux tank... no crap, no leaks... all good.

We hadn't hiked in about a month, so we stopped for a couple of hours and hiked 3 miles round trip, to the base of the Sheep Range. It was cool, breezey and sunny... all in all a great hike!

Here's the hike destination

Chester always finds shade, every time we stop

Zoom in on the next pic and check out Chester's eyes

We picked our new puppy on Friday... we'll bring him home this next Saturday... Chester loved him, but will be surprised to see him at home!

 

[ginmtb]

Key with crown molding is to cut two sample pieces that have inside/outside corners so you can replicate easily. And check out the upside down cutting technique - I use that works great. And for funky corners I cut MDF wedges (very thin) and wedge the crown until the corners line up and the snap off the wedge (easy to do since MDF). Then caulk and paint and no one ever knows it wasn’t a perfectly cut corner. Now if you’re staining and not painting well you’re on your own!

 

[handcannon]

Key with crown molding is to cut two sample pieces that have inside/outside corners so you can replicate easily. And check out the upside down cutting technique - I use that works great.

I frequently cut samples, usually to check odd angles that weren't true to the normal angles. And, I always used the upside down cutting technique. You have to be able to picture in your mind how the piece being cut goes onto the cabinet/wall. Also, if I was cutting crown that was large enough to not have a good footprint on the saw fence I would make a cradle, with a second fence on the front of the cradle (allows the crown to ALWAYS be set in the same location every time) and fasten the cradle (screws, clamps, etc) to the saw.

It was not uncommon for me to trim a small piece of crown by using stretched masking tape and taping it onto the end of the piece it had just been cut off of. By trimming I'm talking about cutting less than 1/64th inch off, or very slightly changing the angle.

Now that you know some of the "secrets" of mine I'm going to have to hunt you down and make sure they are never told to anyone else.

Don

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Chester and I are camping and hiking again... he was contracted (asked) to test new recycled tire tread soles, on the boots he wears... they are performing
Phenomally!!

44 is too!!

Here's a few pics:

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Teddy arrived on Friday night... 7 weeks old, already house-broken and independent, yet very open to playing with Chester!!

Chester is already teaching him to guard the front door... I think he's ready for sone time off!!

Sleeping side by side, during their break