so waht ya doin today?

[L Ross]

I feel it's best to be part of the solution to society's challenges rather than part of the problem. Being prepared enough to stay home when the roads are bad and to stay out of town when desperate people are storming stores for critical supplies is a good start.

Many, many people in town were out of drinking water within hours of the first bad freeze night. Nursing homes were melting ice from their freezers to drink. A local microbrewery opened up to melt and sanitize snow with their gas boilers so the police could distribute it to those in need. You'd think after nearly a year of runs on seemingly random things, shortages, rationing, and panic buying that people would at least have enough sense to fill some pitchers with tap water ahead if time when the storm of the century (literally) was forecast to be upon us days ahead of time, but.....some things can't be fixed.

Every home should have a Berkey water filtration system. In an emergency it can make potable water from some pretty iffy sources. They are, (at least were), not terribly expensive. They would make a wonderful gift for someone you truly care about. Getting one is also an easy way to start a conversation about self reliance without getting into the whole prepper negativity that the media has painted sensible people with the same brush as a few loons.

 

[Ian]

I have half a dozen LifeStraws packed in various places, good for 200 gallons each of reasonably clear water. We drew up 4 gallons of drinking water from our UV filter system (our primary water source is a 12K gallon rainwater catchment system) the second time the power blinked. We only had 20 gallons of sealed water in the pantry. Still haven't gone through the fourth gallon yet. Our well water is drinkable but needs electricity to come 500 feet to the surface.

Most times ten gallons of water shoved in the back of a closet will keep the wolf at bay until the emergency is over. I tend to overkill everything because often in my life twice as good has proved to be barely adequate.

 

[BBerguson]

Holy cow Batman, went to Cabelas to get some boot laces. Guns are about 1/4 what they usually have. Surplus 30 carbines for 2K and up? Ammo is in pretty short supply too. Powder? Maybe 15 one pounders for 38 bucks a pound.

I paid 2.99 for boot laces and left.

Is that the Cabelas in Kearney?

 

[Brad]

Nope, Omaha. Haven’t been to the one in Kearney in years.

 

[BBerguson]

Nope, Omaha. Haven’t been to the one in Kearney in years.

I went to the Kearney one in the spring of 2000. Spent 6 weeks in Lincoln for work (3 2 week sessions) and we drove out there one Saturday.

 

[Ian]

I have to send thanks to a couple of members here.

@Ben , Today I finally sorted out my soft lead roundball load for the Howell .45 Colt cylinder. Was planning to powder coat but the BLL just can't be beat for this. Zero lrading and actually very little smoke.

@Brad and @KHornet , as I was sorting out the roundball load i discovered I needed more neck tension and had modified all my Lee powder-thru expanders. But lo and behold, there's a cigar box full of well-used powder-thru dies and two of them were .45 Colt! Those came from the same place the roundball mould did, so Paul's tools are continuing to be enjoyed and the powder-thru die saved me some time at the lathe and let me get on with the project.

@RicinYakima, thanks for sharing your museum knowledge of the old Colt revolvers, you really helped me get this cap 'n' ball thing 'smithed into action with the cartridge cylinder.

Also thanks to @smokeywolf and @KeithB for all your help (and some scrap materials) that enabled me to machine parts for the loading press I used.

This community is wonderful and has given me so much in so many little ways (and big ways not related to the hobby, too, many of you know what I mean). I am grateful.

ok, sappy OFF, carry on.

 

[fiver]

some of Paul's tools got used today in SE Idaho too.
the guy I been teaching how to cast finally sat down and done what I said.
he knocked out a full 3 pound metal coffee can of good bullets, after his wife picked through them with instructions on what to look for and reject anything that wasn't right.
he then used one of Paul's size dies to check them after hand lubing.

 

[Winelover]

I still go to the other site, every morning. Anyone remember BA Bore? Hailed out of western Michigan, use to be a mould maker.

I saw one of his posts, this morning. Wonders never cease. Been years since he posted.

 

[Bret4207]

Our local grocery stores had to throw away all their refrigerated/frozen food on Tuesday because ERCOT blackout and basic utility company stupidity cutting their power in the middle of the morning. Couldn't even fire-sale the stuff because no power for three hours. Essential services were supposed to be exempted. I guess half the entire inventory of a brand new super grocery store that just opened in November doesn't count as "essential" in the middle of a massive supply crisis. Two 53' vans packed to the gills wuth spoiled food people really needed went to the dump. #$%&@ MORONS.

My oldest daughter used to work at a "Dollar General" type store. They lost power in an ice storm for a couple days. All the frozen stuff had to be cleared out. My girl and her pals all knew people with livestock that could eat the food (which was still mostly frozen, so we were among 3 or 4 families going down and filling the trucks with "spoiled" food and feeding hogs, etc. Corporate found out about this and threw a fit! The gist of it was, if they threw it in the dumpster, it was fine for someone to dumpster dive the food, but handing it out before it hit the dumpster was a no-no! Sheesh!

 

[Winelover]

Sometimes, ya just cant fix stupid. Sad thing is, it's happening more and more.

 

[L Ross]

Sometimes, ya just cant fix stupid. Sad thing is, it's happening more and more.

These situations that defy common sense are often dictated by our society's eagerness to sue one another over any and everything.

 

[Rick]

These situations that defy common sense are often dictated by our society's eagerness to sue one another over any and everything.

Bingo . . . .

 

[L Ross]

With apologies to the song writer for Rawhide. Loadin' loadin' loadin, keep that ammo rolling. 11 lbs. of mid-range .308s yesterday featuring XCB bullets and 30 year old CCI bench rest primers, and sadly almost a pound of my dwindling supply of 4759.

About 8 lbs. of .30-06 with the Lee 312-155-2R the day before. The powder was from a 4 lb. canister of 1990 vintage Herc. 2400. I suppose I should use up the 08/12/1968 2400 first, but that cute little can is still sealed. Those were primed with gun show odds and ends marked, "Fred's old stuff," by the seller. Bet he wishes he had 'em back now! Some Federals and some CCI

I am looking forward to the 40's next week. I need to replenish my bullet supply. Casting call.....come here you sweet thang.

 

[popper]

The company Had to run X# of pounds of potatoes everyday. Whether they got bagged or went into the garbage ... handing it out before it hit the dumpster was a no-no! ... production lines have a BAD bin for rework or trash - stop the line and pay workers to do nothing? If the assembled car won't start - push it aside to make room for the next.
Tax laws, write off the loss when it's bad. Companies could learn to find a charitable to donate but even then tax law still bites. Solution, special 'clean dumpster' for 'lost goods'. Meant to prevent 'lost goods' from being resold - they don't get their 'tax' $. And there you are!

 

[smokeywolf]

Got a little good news in the mailbox (from Friday or yesterday). My Motion Picture health ins. has paid a large portion of Mrs. smokeywolf's defibrillator vest rental. Statement says, "patient responsibility $0.00".

Her last echocardiogram did not show as much improvement as we'd been hoping for.
Her next appt. with cardiologist is second week of March.

 

[oscarflytyer]

laid floor in the extra bedroom of wife's group home so new client can move in. Still need to put in qrt round. Then took the trimmer saw to the rental house her and son are rehab'ing to sell, and trimmed a bunch of spruce limbs. Now just chillin', enjoying some nice Tennessee whiskey!

 

[waco]

Helping a young guy at work get into reloading. Just pulled a bunch of his .270 brass out of the wet tumble and I'm getting ready to anneal.

 

[L Ross]

laid floor in the extra bedroom of wife's group home so new client can move in. Still need to put in qrt round. Then took the trimmer saw to the rental house her and son are rehab'ing to sell, and trimmed a bunch of spruce limbs. Now just chillin', enjoying some nice Tennessee whiskey!

Dickel?

 

[462]

My local friend and occasional shooting pard brought his newly purchased and as yet unfired .223 Howa mini-action with factory mounted Nikko-Stirling 3-9x40 scope by, for me to gaze upon. A very spiffy $469 set up, with the obligatory, albeit well done plastic stock with recoil pad, three-position safety, 2 3/4 pound trigger, 9 twist, and the type of bolt release I wish the Ruger American had. However, its proprietary magazine and absence of a Picatinney rail are weak points, but he has ordered both. I've already given him a goodly supply of 55-grain jacketed bullets and processed brass, and am anxiously awaiting on his next week's range report.

His first choice was a Ruger American Predator, but they aren't to be had, and the Howa was the only rifle the 30-store California chain's fairly-local gun store had in stock. I very seriously doubt he will be disappointed.

 

[JonB]

I finally finished the "clean and sort HS" on my 16K batch of 9mm range brass.
I have about 4K of undesirable HS to sell...strike while the Iron is HOT, they say.

Tomorrow is suppose to get up to 40º, so I think it will be "mount the belt sander on the board" day in my detached, unheated garage. Then I can start shaping/sharpening lathe chisels.

Today, I made an offer to a ebay seller on a "unused" set of vintage Sears Craftsman Lathe chisels, the seller accepted the offer...they will be cheaper than the Chinese set I bought a couple weeks ago I also have an idea to make a DIY small lathe chisel using a HS drill bit, I was gonna make it from the spare M2 HSS steel pieces I bought at HF, but they all seem too short. Anyway, I think I need a small "parting tool", well I think that's what it's called? I want something small and pointy so I can precisely cut grooves...almost like checkering, but only parallel lines, and no crossing lines...Kind of like tumble lube grooves, LOL