Relax.  Sit down and take a load off.  There’s a lot to talk about (other than my week blowing up because of hackers (@#$%^&*).  We have several topics that will give you a real sense of what owning “big property” is all about.  People in the city, way we hear it, actually exist, who have never driven a tractor, fired a gun, and if you asked them to weld something up, they’d go into a seizure.

ShopTalk Sunday gives you a chance to learn about rural, well-prepped country life, without going to an AirBnB “dude ranch.”  We hold class here every weekend (for now).  Learning to “red neck it” and do journeyman-level DIY is not something you are born with. Takes a dad who will yell at you (when needed) and who sets a high mark in life so you really have to work your ass off to get there.

When you have?  Now you’re ready for parenthood.

Those Damn Cats

Elaine (so she claims) is dialing back feeding the feral cat population a bit.  But one of the projects finished off this week was cat-proofing the roof.

Citified cats may not, but feral Texas cat can leap up 7 to 8 feet in height and claw their way onto a house roof.  It’s much less than that from my new deck railings.  I don’t like ’em on the roof because there’s no damn mice up there…so “Stay the hell off!”

Do they listen?

No.

One of the cat repellents is an inch-and-a-half wide very steep triangle about 5-feet long. the idea with that is cats like to have both feet about equally grounded before a jump.  And no way can a cat stand on an (almost) sharp piece of wood.

On the other side of the screen porch, it was even easier. The top deck rail there was 2-by-6.  Elaine and I like wide deck rails to set the coffee or a cocktail on.  To feral cats? Looks like a SpaceX launch site.  This one, I just sluiced out 6 feet of rain and installed a section of 1-inch black iron pipe.

Ai – my thinking assistant and critic, said if that didn’t work (in other words if they could still reach “escape velocity” from the iron pipe) I could use the trick of putting a slightly larger piece of PVC water pipe over, so at the slightest provocation it would spin up like a Pratt PT-6 turbo prop getting warmed up.

I liked it.  Elaine said something about “Your Ai is sick!”  But she didn’t write the 2023 check for the new roof – I did.  The cats are welcome to go back up – when they post a performance bond.

The rain barrels – oou other launch point – are now protected by these.  Who knew “bird spikes” were a thing?  Somehow, I’d missed that one.

Two Photogs Of this 1/2-hour project.

The $20 Ai Greenhouse Fix

Greenhouse got way too hot this summer.  My Ai stack said “Get some cheap space blankets, fool!  Mount on L-bars sliced from a 2-by so they stand out an inch and a half from the studio wall.  This will get you huge reductions in the greenhouse/studio wall heat transfer and also get you double the effective light for winter growing.”

Yeah…I knew that…(ahem…)  So…

School Time for Coop-Dwellers

#1:  Ask: What Is a Restoration?

A restoration is more than a fix. Fixing is quick and dirty—patch the roof, tape the hose, solder the joint, and hope for another season. Restoration is deeper. It means honoring the history of the object and returning it to full working condition. The load on the planet is lighter – and disposable shit begins to be less of an Industry, following?

A car is not restored when it rolls down the driveway; it’s restored when the engine purrs, the chrome gleams, and the miles flow like they once did. We still drive a 2005 Lexus with just over 100K miles and we do what we can to keep it in A#1 and collectible condition.  Same in ham radio: A radio isn’t restored when the pilot light comes on; it’s restored when the circuits hum within spec and the audio takes you back to another time. Old parts (capacitors) dry out – these filter the hum from the power supply.  Old low-spec resistors?  After thousands of heat-cycles, tolerances drift out…

Every kind of object has its own path. Cars need bodywork, paint, trim, and powertrain. Electronics are resistors, capacitors, wiring, and alignment. Furniture is glue, sanding, finish, and upholstery. Every discipline has its unique tricks and tools, but the mental framework—the restoration process map—is common to all.

I Object!

The real value is how a project becomes a thought object. Once you define a restoration clearly in your mind, it’s always with you. When you walk into a Lowe’s, you already know if sandpaper is running low. Browsing Amazon, you check your mental list: resistors, brushes, upholstery tacks. The project lives in your head before it comes back to life in your hands.

Speaking of Amazon – got a bunch of 3-watt resistors in this week (an 218K ohm 2 watt in the Ranger power supply is its “Chernobyl” weakness – it gets replaced no matter what.  But see what happened in shipping to the nice box the manufacturer provided?  Blam!

The Restoration Process Map

(OK, here he goes…) The process map keeps you from getting lost in side trips and wasted time. Assessment, disassembly, refurbishment, reassembly, finishing, and return to service. Six phases that fit almost anything.  (No, G2, not the metaphor when dating women…sheesh! For them it’s the cigar metaphor “Once they go out they’re never as good…”)  (Is that the advice of a parent, or what?)

Assessment is seeing what you have, what’s wrong, and what restored will look like. Disassembly is breaking it down far enough that every part can be reached. Refurbishment is the actual cleaning, repairing, or replacing of pieces. Reassembly and test is the first draft of putting it back together and seeing if it works. Finishing is the polish—the sanding, paint, or alignment. Return to service is when the restored object takes its place again, ready to work.

If a job is longer than half an hour, break it into slices. Sanding might be one slice, gluing another. Electronics might be recapping the VFO as one slice, testing tubes as another. Each slice becomes its own deliverable. That’s what keeps you from the common trap: starting a job, running out for a part, getting distracted by burgers or beer, and realizing half a day later that nothing got done. Deliverables orientation is how you keep the hours flowing into output.

Johnson Ranger

This one is going to be great. Here’s why:

“George you damn fool, that’s a box – hackers fried your brain, did they?”

Not so quick, Bubba.  That’s a double-box.  And inside it is a relic once owned by a super-competent fellow who sadly passed a while back.  But you see it?  Quality runs in Families.  Big lesson in Life there.

Second point:  Be super careful when you open any eBay box.  See the rare as hound’s teeth Crystal plugin cover?

Assessment on the Johnson Ranger is clear. These transmitters carry the famous “Chernobyl resistor” in the VFO that runs hot and drifts until it fails. (R3) Add to that the usual electrolytic capacitors that dry out and the tubes that wander with age. Restored, the Ranger is a clean, stable transmitter that can once again anchor a station.

Disassembly begins with pulling the chassis, getting to the VFO compartment, and exposing the resistors and caps. It’s a hands-on job: unsolder, check values, and replace what’s out of tolerance. The refurbishment step is replacing the bad resistor with a modern metal-film type, recapping the power supply, checking each tube against spec, and cleaning the contacts. Electrolytics in the VFO, of course.

The VFO work is cranky because of what were once mica four-hole plates used as insulating shaft couplers. Today, its a 15 minute print on one of the 3D printers…

Reassembly and test means bringing the Ranger back up slowly, watching voltages, and keying into a dummy load. Alignment brings the circuits back into resonance. Finishing is cleaning the case, polishing the knobs, and touching up any cosmetic blemishes. Return to service is the real payoff: the Ranger sitting proud on the bench, ready to call CQ on 40 meters with the steady authority of a classic AM fone rig. I have the D-104 in perfect shape to match.

Rocking Chair Time

The rocking chair is a very different project but the same process map applies. Assessment says the joints are loose, the finish is worn, and the upholstery has seen better days. Disassembly is throwing out the care padding, arms unscsrewed, and stripping down to the frame.

Refurbishment is sanding the rough spots, re-gluing the joints with clamps for strength, and applying a fresh finish of oil or stain. If upholstery is part of the work, this is the time for new fabric and padding. Reassembly and test is tightening it back together and rocking in it yourself. If it creaks, tighten. If it tips, level it. Finishing is the polish that brings out the grain and makes it shine again. Return to service is when the chair goes back to the living room, solid and comfortable, carrying both history and new life.  Before you “sign in” to a project like this, consider the finish you’re going for.

What’s striking is that the Ranger and the chair follow the same steps. One is electrons and resistors, the other is wood and glue, but the restoration mind is identical.

Greenhouse and Mylar Light Control (pictures earlier)

Restoration thinking doesn’t stop with radios and chairs. The lean-to greenhouse project is a live example. The problem was clear: too much radiant heat pouring from the greenhouse wall into the studio. Plants got light, but the workspace cooked. Assessment said this wasn’t sustainable.

The process map led to a restoration-style solution: use reflective Mylar, the same space-blanket material (6 for $10) that keeps campers warm, to redirect energy. Disassembly here meant clearing space along the greenhouse wall and preparing the mounts. Refurbishment was cutting and hanging panels so they could reflect light back onto plants while blocking infrared heat from entering the studio. Reassembly and test meant putting the panels in place, watching temperatures drop, and seeing plant growth improve with higher light efficiency. Finishing was trimming the panels to fit neatly and securely.

The result is a win-win. Plants get more useful light bounced back at them. The studio wall stays cooler and more livable. A problem turned into a gain, just by applying restoration logic. It’s not glamorous work, but it’s the kind of systems thinking that keeps a homestead functional.

Downsizing and Walking the Talk

This brings up the philosophy behind it. When I wrote my book Downsizing, the whole point was that you don’t need to chase consumer culture if you know how to make, mend, and restore. Restoration is a form of recycling, but it’s also a form of independence. You don’t just talk about sustainability; you live it by keeping things alive longer. A chair made solid again is one less imported throw-away in the landfill. A Ranger brought back is one more piece of technical history preserved.

That’s why hobbies like this are more than pastimes. They’re proof that you can walk your talk. In a culture that tells people to buy new, restoration is an act of rebellion as much as an act of care. It’s how you practice downsizing in the real world. Not by doing without, but by giving what you already have another life.

Project Follow-Up

This week it’s teeing-up the Ranger and the chair. Next week (or month, there’s a new deck in cue too, remember – and the fall garden in the greenhouse) it might be the Hallicrafters.

This week’s coffee session takeaway? Restoration thinking isn’t limited to collectibles—it’s a way of solving practical problems. When you restore, you aren’t just fixing. You’re standing up to entropy with your own two hands, one project at a time.

Oh, and saving a FREAKING BUNDLE of dough because it’s one way to effectively “work for yourself” in a way not greedy government bureau has figured out how to tax.  Yet.

Best hurry before they do…

If I was going to live another 15-years for sure?  I’d be learning upholstery and refinish free goods of Craigslist…free money in your spare time.

Write when I get rich,

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