SNIP: I use low amperage for heavens sake. 
>>> I run mine at 75 amps but have been wondering if longer at lower amperage is
better. So far nothing’s brittle no problems . . .

SNIP: Not sure about the "hours long fussy edges" people put on their scrapers.
>>> Oh my goodness yes. And SAAB is the answer.

How, you ask?

I used to break old cars when rusted beyond hope, then sell the parts. I do the
same now with wood tools . . . it’s part of my marriage saving plan. She doesn’t
get mad as long as it’s close to break-even.

But before the broken shells headed off to the smelter I’d cut some of the
better panels on the better steel. Your typical MG or Triumph steel was useless
. . . . But I cut and still have the roof panel from a 1968 SAAB model 95 wagon,
and it makes the BEST scrapers. I can cut the shape I want, based on what I’m
doing, then hit the business side with a medium file and it gives me two awesome
“hooks”, one on each side, no annoying burnishing, and no wear on my diamond
stones…..

So, what would be a gloatable price for a '68 SAAB roof panel?  

Brent A Kinsey
Brentpmed@c...


Mark wrote:
>  Your typical MG or Triumph steel was useless . . . . But I cut and still have
the roof panel from a 1968 SAAB model 95 wagon, and it makes the BEST scrapers.
I can cut the shape I want, based on what I’m doing, then hit the business side
with a medium file and it gives me two awesome “hooks”, one on each side, no
annoying burnishing, and no wear on my diamond stones…..
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>

The beauty of it is that viewed as a lifecycle the transaction was a MEGA-Gloat
worthy of a MasterCard commercial, even though it all ran through PayPal:

— $430: price of 1969 coupe and 1968 wagon SAABs bought as a pair . . . . 
— $30: gas to drive the coupe home with Flintstone floorpan (200 miles with the
interstate 15” beneath my man-parts at 70mph . . . one foot on doorsill, other
foot on passenger floorpan)
— $50: gas to get the wagon home as a rolling ‘POD’ storage unit filled with
parts  . . . . . shell rusted beyond all hope . . . towed home and it arrived
mostly intact minus a trail of iron oxide left along I-85
— $2.00: cost of one reciprocating saw blade . . . . . . removed all parts from
wagon to dry shop storage, cut wagon shell down into bite sized pieces  . . . .
which scrapper took at no charge
— $10.00 wire, rod, angle grinding wheels to weld new floor pan into coupe . . .
.

Driving a 1969 SAAB coupe in “as found” condition using nothing but parts that
came in the wagon, while having 9 square feet of top quality 60’s vintage
Swedish steel as a memento: PRICELESS.   ;)

I drove that couple for almost 10 years before forced to sell it. I still feel
sick over that, but it was financially necessary. I managed to hold out until I
could sell it to a top-notch home, a true SAAB lover, super guy, who promises me
buy-back if he ever sells . . . . he lives at the beach too . . . including all
parts: $2500. So other than gasoline, that car paid me about $100 per year, even
when adjusting for inflation.




On Jul 6, 2015, at 7:02 AM, Brent Kinsey  wrote:

> So, what would be a gloatable price for a '68 SAAB roof panel?  
> 
> Brent A Kinsey
> Brentpmed@c...
> 
> 
> Mark wrote:
>> Your typical MG or Triumph steel was useless . . . . But I cut and still have
the roof panel from a 1968 SAAB model 95 wagon, and it makes the BEST scrapers.
I can cut the shape I want, based on what I’m doing, then hit the business side
with a medium file and it gives me two awesome “hooks”, one on each side, no
annoying burnishing, and no wear on my diamond stones…..
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>

On Mon, Jul 6, 2015 at 10:45 AM, Nichael Cramer wrote:

> My two cents:


-- If I were going to do this, what might be the best time of
> year to cut the saplings?
>

Winter - you want the wood as dry as possible...don't know why early is
better than late winter, but I would do it in Jan or Feb in the far north
of the US, right in the depths of the season

>
> -- Again, I'm just assuming I want to dryi them out first before
> working on them (but I do, don't I)?
>

Yes since you are not doing any real work to them (i.e., turning, hacking
at, or carving...if you were you might want to get your blank closer to its
final form but still oversize and overlong

>
> -- How long should they be allowed to dry before I started the
> final work?
>

til they are dry - drop the stick on its end on the concrete floor in your
garage and listen to it ring - it's dry. If you don't know what this sounds
like try one of your old dry sticks or a broom stick, shovel handle and
compare to wet wood... the sharpness of the sound is noticeably different

>
> -- How should they be "stacked" while drying?  Just lean them
> against the wall?  Let them dangle from the ceiling?  Or...?
>

Flat or straight up. If not too many and you have the space hanging would
be good - they will do what they want in drying but no need to dry them on
an angle and coerce them into any particular direction

>
> -- I assume I'd want to remove the bark immediately (correct)?
>

Not necessarily - you are trying to slow drying to prevent cracking. But
this is possible to do if you need to

>
> -- Just to mention, there's a lot of maple hereabout, so I assume
> most of these would be maple.  But other than that I can't tack
> down the species.  Assuming I stick to hardwoods, are there
> any I should try to avoid?
>

You know your woods in your area but lean towards those with great
strength. I have use white birch in the north and crepe myrtle in the
south...both have worked well for me. As well as the hickories, oaks,
maples, etc.

>
> -- Once I cut the fresh, green wood down to length, should
> I do anything like paint the ends while they dry?
>

Seal, seal, seal...and cut overlength to accommodate the cracking you can't
prevent. There are special sealers (I have never used), but i do use old
latex paint and to tell you the truth the one thing that I had the greatest
success with was old stinky yellow glue on the ends. I save all my old glue
for this use.

>
> -- Anything else I've not thought of?
>

Don't think so

>
> Thanks,
> Nichael
>

Aye Nichael, Scott from Duluth GA

>
> Why early winter instead of late...looking for lumber...

Around here trying to walk in three or four feet of snow in the bush is
harder than early winter when the snow is light, and the soil isn't frozen
yet.  If you want to get the root ball or burl, digging is easier too.
Plus, no bugs, and the forest is beautiful in late fall early winter.
 (Actually it's beautiful all the time!)
Sap starts to run as the days get longer in Feb--The maple syrup guys start
to set up their works in Feb to get ready for the sap run, so That's why I
suggested in Nov-Dec for lumber prospects, but maybe it's different where
you're located.
Claudio in Waterloo

Six months ago I posted a link to some pictures of grown knees (wooden angle
irons, Jeff) installed in our local tall ship.  The knees are comprised of
perhaps 4-6 feet of the trunk above ground level, and then the main sideways
root just below.  They are Hackmatack (the Larch).  The story I got from the man
that delivered them from Maine is that they cut and dig them in late fall, but
they wait til the ground is frozen to get them out of the woods - some are 6
feet long and weigh 100 lbs.

Ed Minch




On Jul 7, 2015, at 7:48 AM, Claudio DeLorenzi  wrote:

>> Why early winter instead of late...looking for lumber...
> 
> Around here trying to walk in three or four feet of snow in the bush is
> harder than early winter when the snow is light, and the soil isn't frozen
> yet.  If you want to get the root ball or burl, digging is easier too.
> Plus, no bugs, and the forest is beautiful in late fall early winter.

> The story I got from the man that delivered them from Maine
> is that they cut and dig them in late fall, but they wait til the
> ground is frozen to get them out of the woods - some are 6 feet long
> and weigh 100 lbs.

Shades of John Goff's Mill!  Wait 'til there's ice and snow on the
ground so you can skid them out!

Mike in Sacto