Two years ago I fixed a plastic knob that broke. The thin gauge copper wire snapped recently and the epoxy didn’t hold, so I have to fix it again. I’m not messing around this time. I used 18 gauge wire to wrap around the socket, then filled the surround with J-B Weld, which is a two part epoxy.
Photo description: J-B Weld package behind an upturned knob which is filled with gray epoxy, next to the scrap paper where I mixed the epoxy with a toothpick.
It worked. Now I am hoping to get another couple years out of the appliance.
We had a cold snap, a welcome drench of rain, and all the flowers think it is spring again. Hello Texas.
Photo description: Gregg’s mist flower in the front flower bed with hundreds of fuzzy purple blooms.Photo description: Purple oxalis in bloom.
The grape hyacinth and paper whites are also stretching up their green leaves to the Texas sun. I’ve had paper whites bloom in December, but not grape hyacinths. We’ll see what they do. I should have planted more peppers.
I still have my trail cam set up behind the coop. We get lots of neighborhood cat photos. How many can you spot in the photo below?
Photo description: Night vision photograph.
I find five. Mr Tom, the long-haired white is mostly obscuring Mama Cat, but you can see her tail. There is a gray tabby on the step, short-haired black female is on the right, and I suspect that the two reflective eyes seen through the trees in the background is Shadow. These are the usual suspects that hang out back there.
Thor, who is not quite eight months old, technically is still a kitten, but he does not look at all like a kitten.
Photo description: A little forced perspective, with Thor the gray tabby laying on a bed in front of Izzy the calico. He looks twice her size, but is not.Photo description: Same two cats, but eating on separate shelves, taken three days prior to the photo above. Here the cats look of similar size.
Thor weighed in at 12.8 pounds, which is almost a pound heavier than Izzy. He gets plenty of exercise. His tail and legs are thick, especially compared to our other cats. Big boy.
I continue to periodically spray PB Blaster on the 1907 Singer 27 sewing machine I want to rebuild. I recently had a major breakthrough and was able to remove the rod for the pressure foot and the needle bar! These rods, on a clean machine, just slide out. I needed to pick away the crust around the holders, rotate them, pick away more build-up, then I was able to get them to slide upward! Very exciting day.
Photo description: Pressure foot rod covered with dried oil, the Singer 27 in the background.
I have one more internal part with a rusted screw that I want to free up so I can clean it. The main drive through the machine looks OK, so I don’t plan on removing that. Then all the parts that have been soaking in PB Blaster get cleaned. I have decided that the decals are too far gone, and it would be better to not have flaking paint, so I need to decide how to proceed with refinishing the body of the machine as well.