Mistakes were made…

We have emptied the shipping container and moved on from that phase of this crazy adventure. During the summer months, I checked the machine surfaces for signs of rust. However, I stopped checking regularly since we had no issues for the first 6-7 months. Then, the cold weather came in, and mistake #1 was made. I quit checking for rust right when the condensation started showing its ugly face. I estimate that the last month of storage in the shipping container was full of condensation nights or mornings. Luckily, the container was not level. The container sloped to the right and to the rear, so only one of my machines really got the worst of it. My poor planer table looks horrible. Lots of rust and definitely a few hours of work are on the to-do list to get it back to working condition. Luckily, the planer was the only tool that got it bad. Unintentionally, I haven’t shown it on camera yet. You’ll see it when I get the time to clean it up. Also, we didn’t get any significant mold issues on our personal belongings and only lost one wall decor print.

Mistake #2 was a big one. More accurately, mistake #2 was a 980lb mistake. I also mistakenly referred to its weight as 1,100lb. Anyway, I had a mental lapse in judgment and thought it would be OK to pull the jointer pallet forward by simply looping a strap around the base of the jointer. Oh, the instant regret. I should have looped the strap inside the pallet like we have been doing, and instead, I pulled the jointer over onto its side. Luckily, the fall wasn’t from a considerable distance, and the pallet in front of it took up a lot of energy on the way down. I think so, anyway. No visual damage at all to the jointer and my dust collection barrel just got a minor 3-4″ dent. Easily fixable. Regarding the jointer, I think it was just knocked out of calibration. Annoying and frustrating, for sure, but it could have been way worse. Nobody was hurt, and metal was scratched. A few years ago, I would have blown up with frustration and anger. This whole new land adventure has prepared me to better accept, adapt, and move when plans go astray. It fell, oh well, time to move on.

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Coupons/Affiliates

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Mint Mobile: Regularly $30/month for unlimited talk, text, and data. 50% off right now, so $15/month for unlimited talk, text, and data. I’m using this at our new property. Affiliate link:
https://trymintmobile.com/bpo3

JK Boots: Hands down, without question, the best outdoor working boot that I have ever tried. They aren’t cheap, and they aren’t inexpensive. USE THE CODE jaybates TO GET 10% OFF! Affiliate link:
https://www.jkboots.com/products/o-t-bison-rust-roughout-smooth?bg_ref=BwlWA71DVt

BRUNT Workwear: I have two recommendations from BRUNT, both are summer time work clothes that I’ve been wearing year-round. The Costello Pant are light weight and durable. The McKenna Tech Long Sleeve Sun Shirt saved me from being lifted away by mosquitos this past summer. Now that winter has set in, I’m finding it to be my go-to extra layer. When a coat is too hot but a regular shirt is not enough, slap this long sleeve on and get to work. Affiliate link:
https://www.pjtra.com/t/2-529833-342731-289744

xTool Laser: We have the P2, F1, and F1 Ultra. All three are great machines. We typically use the F1 for fast engraving on smaller stuff, F1 Ultra for similar tasks or when we want to engrave on metal (fiber laser), and the P2 when we want to cut or engrave larger wood or acrylics. Affiliate link:
https://www.xtool.com/?ref=x57e1_kqAgBT4A