Days 35, 36, and 37: Where'd These Days Go?

Day 35: Today started off pretty good. I got to love George the cat up, a lot, and he really loved it!



I got a bunch more accomplished on the dulcimer I'm building. I planed down the top, bottom, and ribs. So there should be some glueing going on Thursday. Dwain has an anti-fracking, no pollution thing going on tomorrow, where he is meeting with the governor's people to discuss some stuff. So we get back to it on Thursday.

So I had to get the wood as cleaned up as a I could and then I cut out the top and the bottom. The top was a bit problematic because it was too narrow. But this was a great thing for me because I then had to figure out how to add wood to the sides, and then add the wood to the sides. I matched the grain with the cut-offs, and then set the jig up and glued them together. One of my favorite things about wood is that I can just glue wood to wood and it becomes one board--and it is so hard to tell where the seams are.


We are back to some good snacks. While I was home I grew to miss this part of our day because we get to eat, which I love, and we get to talk about music and life and love and the dulcimer and stuff.






The back was a bit easier, in that the book-matched boards were more than big enough. There was a hole in the wood, a knot, but that didn't play into where I cut out the back.

Once I got the back done I laid out the pieces to get a feel for what the little guy is going to look like. I'm really excited because it looks great!

I'd chosen the ribs some time ago, but I had to get them ready. So I scraped off the oxidation, marked the boards as to their orientation, and put the serial number on the ribs.

Lala the parrot doesn't particularly care for me. I've tried to be his friend, but my definition of friend might be different than his. He never really talks to me, but he does fluff up as big as he can so that he intimidates me, which he doesn't. Sure, he could bite me; he bit his momma and she loves and feeds him. But I ain't scared. But he ain't warming up either. I did give him a bit of watermelon today, and he really likes watermelon and its seeds. I'll keep working on him so that he loves me--or not.

Day 36: Things are really getting social around here, and I'm loosing focus just a bit. So I'm going to make an extra effort to be by myself after working at the shop so that I can reflect on what I did for the day and do any homework that needs doing. 

Today I had the day off because Dwain went to a meeting about pollution or fracking or some other worldly ill. He said it went great! So I went to the store and bought some cheese, eggs, protein bars, and fruit to feed me between the meals that others give to me.

I went for a 4 mile run today, and I finished the run in 35:55, which is high 8 minute miles (And I had to stop and wait at several intersections.). I've not done that in a long time. I think it is all of the walking, running, and bike riding I'm doing in Rochester.

I helped Gretchen in the garden a bit, and I did a lot of socializing. But it is okay that I have fun, right? I can visit with others and practice my friend-making skills even though I don't really want any more friends. This could help me sell some stuff in the future, right? Plus I may be able to contribute in some meaningful way in a conversation. So I won't get down on myself too much, but I'm going to work harder at doing my homework and blogging!

Day 37: Today was a great day because we did so much work and are that much closer to finishing my 3 stringed, wooden pegged, single-bout dulcimer. Of course I'm tweaking every part that I've made so that they are square and straight and all of the parts fit tightly together.

I finished scraping smooth the ribs, but then I had to get them ready to cut to size. Well, just cut them you say. Not exactly. There are always fifteen steps before a piece is done, and then it is only really done enough to be assembled. Each piece will be refined even further as the machine gets assembled.

I learned what a shooting box is, and I learned to use one without having one. This is why having the right tools is so important. Without this wood-working table and its vice and holes for the iron vices my task would have been impossible. But I set everything up and planed straight the ribs. Dwain approves of my work!


One really great thing about building this machine is that I get to use Walt's mold, and as y'all know I love to work with spirited tools, equipment, or materials. So yeah, this is a great thing that I get to build where Sunhearth and Bear Meadow dulcimers were built--are built in the Bear Meadow case.

There is really a lot to do in order to get all of the pieces to get glued together into the mold. For example, I'd never considered that the peg box and tail block should be in a straight line. Of course they should be, but I'd never thought about how that happens. Dwain has been saying for some time to always mark the center, work from the center, center this and center that. Sheesh, Dwain, enough with the center crap already! Ooops. Now I'm glad I didn't say anything out loud because it is plainly and perfectly clear why I should mark the center of my pieces! I sometimes forget that he is a master of his craft who learned from a master of his craft.

We did a dry run today so that I could experience the process without introducing any glue. It was really helpful, and I look forward to doing it again tomorrow. These molds are pretty sophisticated instruments, but if I follow the procedures correctly my machines should be really nice. After all, there is so much minutiae to pay attention to just to get to this point.

But my little head cannot alway hold all of this information, so I take notes--a lot of notes. Plus, one of the reasons that I keep this blog is so that I'll have documentation of the process of building.

I started with this part two nights ago, but I couldn't bring myself to post it. And the next night wasn't any better.  But after the run and some hard work in the shop I feel better and I'm exhausted. It is everything I can do to stay awake right now at 7:41pm.

Okay, WTF is going on in the neighborhood. Why is some douche bag shooting off fireworks. I swear I just peed in my pants a little. Fucking idiot--you guess who.

Did I ever tell you I saw an artillery barrage and heavy armor attack? It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen, even as it rained death down on other persons, brothers and sons, fathers and grandfathers. We were driving east and north, pressing towards Baghdad, and there was a group, a big group, of Iraqis going north. We met at Basra. They didn't stand a chance. But there were bigger issues about us murdering them.

I was with the 5th Combat Engineers, 24th Infantry Division. Wikipedia says that there was  a platoon of U.S. Bradley Fighting Vehicles from the 24th Division opened fire on a large group Iraqi soldiers who had surrendered at a makeshift military checkpoint after fleeing the devastation on Highway 8 on February 27, apparently hitting some or all of them (read me). Highway 8 is known as the Highway of Death. Imagine a six lane road in your town where all of the vehicles that try to pass are shot up. Imagine the sight of the persons murdered. Imagine how a dead thing smells. Imagine how a bunch of dead men smell. I couldn't finish eating tonight. I'm not sure what is going on.

I got hooked up with the VA in Knoxville, but I may need to go here to get my head right.