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Too much talk of tools, and not enough of What Are You Building Today? I made a lamp.

Nice lamp, Doug. Me: I've got two nephews that are budding YouTubers so for Christmas we made them fake Creator Awards for them. I've got three coats of gold paint on them and they look acceptably funny. Here's what they looked like unfinished.

Made our way up to Maine, last trip of the year before we close our condo down. My son and his girlfriend spent over a week up here. After COVID restrictions at school, and then not co-mingling once they got home, it was a great break for them. Time together/alone, very little to do. Was happy they got that time. Stopped at one of Maine's more famous lighthouses on the way up, Nubble. Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!

Artemis, tree climber and destroyer of wrapping paper, wishes everyone Happy Holidays.

Using the VPI 16.5 cleaner that Al graciously gave me on extended loan for the first time. There's something so satisfying when you hit the vacuum switch and the wand sucks down and dries the album. This is the first automatic record cleaner I've ever used. I'm hooked.

Whoa, I am going to have to postpone showing the finished toy box until some of this awesome stuff moves to the previous page.

Hope it’s a great one.

Tab "Hunter." I brought him to the vet because he had a nasty cough, almost like whooping cough. We got the devastating news that he has lung cancer, and it could be as little as one week left. Four months later (!) still has the cough, and spits up sometimes because of it. But he loves being with me, purrs up a storm when being pet or brushed, eats and drinks regularly, etc. Is definitely breathing shallower and faster, and pretty much sleeps a lot when not hanging with me. But still great company, and he hasn't told us it's time yet.

Sam, Mr I Need to be on a Diet and Jax, the old man resting comfortably.

Giving Hammer a call tomorrow. Looks like there is a 4-5 month wait now, but saving $1k might be worth it.

Who does Grummer think he is? Buying a new TT without posting it on here! Pics damnit Mike!

yum

Had a chance to see Mountain a few times and they were fantastic live! The last time I saw them they had become a very Hot act on the festival circuit. At that all weekend stadium show, they were the headlining act after Zappa and Traffic! We all rushed the stage and I remember thinking I was standing on the turf that Hank Aaron hit his record home run!

A "local" Christmas Carol concert reccomended by Joanne's sister (in Guildford UK) "If anyone would like to hear some of the best singing of Christmas carols and unbelievably they are local follow this You Tube link: https://youtu.be/-4ouLNSQufU Peter White heads this fabulous coral group, he was The Royal Grammar School's head of music until recently and is also a Guildown neighbour. Every year at Christmas they perform at St Martha's, in my opinion in a 'normal' year, the best Christmas carol concert you could go to!!! 🎄⛄🎅 "

A few recent funnies (or things that can make you angry) from FB....the last one looks something like Melania Trump 😄

Keep on truckin' Tab.

#FOTM

Everything Jet makes seems to be Taiwanese. Northfield certainly has the website of an American Made company that has never heard of Taiwan. Half the pages are broken and all of it is Jr. High project web design.

Have a phenomenal day!

Have had a 10 lb rib roast in the smoker at 150 for 5-1/2 hours so far. Will pull at 125-ish, rest a 1/2 hour then nuke in the big gas grill for a few minutes at 750+ to get a nice crust.

2046, which takes place almost entirely on future Xmases, a film and soundtrack already nearly lost/out of distribution. Play this time of the year as I have the CD. Edit: Looks like some streaming services, like Spotify and Deezer, have recreated the soundtrack, though not always the right versions of songs or all tracks.

That is the most awesome way to use cutoff cabinet scraps. Just beautiful Doug! Circle hole cutter tech has definitely moved up in the world!

^ This

I'm afraid this is something you received on your GMail that other users cannot check. At least not me

I'm pretty sure that Justin used those Vampire RACs on multiple products. There's a chance that I have a pair downstairs and if so, I can send them your way for prototyping. I used them on multiple projects (KGSS, Exstata, etc.).

MONK'estra - Plays John Beasley Available on many online streaming services: https://album.link/i/1516435048 Straight ahead biggish band jazz. Pretty fun.

This

Yeah the picture I posted was for 240V setting. In some of the energizer Stax cut the wire for the 240V winding. I had to resolder the winding using off cut wires.

Hang in there Tab. You've obviously given him a great life.

Taiwan I think. Basically, most power tools not made in europe (Felder, festool, scm, mafell, a few others) are made in the same factory. There are lots of overlaps and much of the price difference has to do with showrooms, warranty, and service. http://www.geetech.com.tw/index.php/en/strategic-partenrship-e

Completed a second channel of a Raal amplifier. Current through output boards are 2.5 A giving heat sink (Modushop 300 x 40 x 80 mm) temperature of 85 degree Celsius (185 dergee Fahrenheit). Driver boards powered by +/- 15V. Original it’s +/-35V. I might try the higher voltage but my idea is to use mostly smd parts in driver boards and then you probably have to reduce voltage to something like +/- 15V. There is no bass filter at the moment on the boards but Roon is taking care of that. Rear plate is to short. But that was what I had at hand – shouldn’t affect the sound?

A. Krauss

This is the 240V setting. If you wouldn't move the white wire the transformer would be set to 220V which isn't a great idea these days. That picture of the wires doesn't tell us anything as the windings entering the transformer are not visible. Just pull off the PCB or use a volt meter to measure between blue and brown and then green and purple. Should be a few ohms but if you have nothing... then the windings have been cut.

Stupid USPS is ruining all my fun. Received one package in the last 6 days and had 5 items due last Friday. The app doesn’t even bother suggesting a delivery date, that is when it will actually load.

Analog can be very frustrating. This week I finally took my second-hand AMG Viella TT to a dealer who also does setup work. It had never performed perfectly and typically the tonearm won't track and just slides across the entire record. The only way I could get it to play when I bought it three years ago was with a cheap moving magnet cartridge and that wasn't consistent. I gave up on it for a long time but tried to get it going again months ago only to be thwarted even worse. The distributor works with this guy who sets up a lot of tables so they recommended that I have him address the known issues, check out the table in general, and then dial everything in, assuming that is possible. He immediately found a potentially major problem with the tonearm, but then fixed it. After mounting my Airtight cartridge (that I told him I was worried had lost its stylus) and setting up the arm, he discovered an even bigger problem that forces the tonearm to shoot across the record that he cannot fix and doesn't even understand how it could be happening. He then discovered that not only my Airtight cartridge but also my Lyra cartridge were stylus-less. Fuck me. I think the Airtight was killed by my cleaning lady years ago on my VPI table. The Lyra stylus might have been lost when I was trying against the odds to get the table going more recently but I'm not sure it was even there at that time because it would not track the groove at all. Result? Bought a like-new used arm from the distributor and a used cartridge from the dealer. He showed me how jacked up the tonearm was, and I have never abused it and kept the cleaning lady away from this TT better than my last. So never buy anything from Stephane Prunet on audiogon because he had to know about the defects. I also bought cleaning fluid and fired up my Clearaudio Double Matrix cleaner. Now I'm going to listen to the beautiful, beautiful music...

My Cousin Winnie.

That is fucking sexy, so much red.... I am getting dangerously close to being able to build a box, just need to hire Milo & Otis Consulting, LLP to come and show me how to use everything.

I wish my life could be this chill and relaxing

See that last post (blue binding) they cut the cable. Check if you're has the same issue. If not all good.

RIP Stella Tennant https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-55425816

RIP Leslie West. Tough life but 75 is too young to die.

RIP Leslie West https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/leslie-west-dead-1106777/amp/

Definitely not. But Northfield might still be made here.