# Spending Christmas Eve on HM .



## mmcmdl (Dec 24, 2021)

Was advised to keep a low profile for awhile due to yesterdays chemo session so no family parties for me today . Don't want to get infected with whatever these days .  Family in from everywhere but I can always talk with them by phone , so no biggie . What'll be on the HM menu today ? New tools ? New toys ? I could start up a " what did you break today " thread and we could post all day if needed .  Seriously , hope everyone has a great holiday and receives all those tool goodies in their stockings . Stay healthy and safe guys and gals  . mmcmdl ( Dave )

Happy Holidays .


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## Forty Niner (Dec 24, 2021)

Good morning and Merry Christmas to you.  Glad you are taking care of yourself.  Very important these days.   All respond to your post with a question for you:

What is the meaning of "mmcmdl?"   At first glance I thought, Roman number....   but it doesn't quite work.   So can you share or is it top secret?


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## Brento (Dec 24, 2021)

Stay safe everyone and Merry Christmas from my family to yours.


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## mmcmdl (Dec 24, 2021)

Forty Niner said:


> What is the meaning of "mmcmdl?" At first glance I thought, Roman number.... but it doesn't quite work. So can you share or is it top secret?


My company name from the past . March Machine Company Mechanical Development Lab .


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## jwmelvin (Dec 24, 2021)

mmcmdl said:


> My company name from the past . March Machine Company Mechanical Development Lab .



Ha! I’ve been wondering that for quite some time. 

Dave, I think about you often and appreciate you showing a variety of tooling as inquiries pop up in various threads. I’ll share my recent projects here. 

I made some telescoping mounts for tools to affix to my fab table, including one for the bullet vise:






You can see a Columbia vise and my bead roller on the far end of the table. Thinking about adding receiver tubes midway along the short ends to move the vises in from passageways. It’s a bit tight in the shop. 

Part of the fun was getting my son to TIG weld for the first time; he welded the nuts on the receiver tube. He did an admirable job, and went back to touch up my example piece. 






I didn’t use the stainless receiver tube I got from you, as I want to make a belt grinder out of it. I think it will be pretty sweet to have a stainless steel machine. 

I’ve been working on some sink-faucet spray-hose fittings. They are for a friend of mine to add a Tee so a foot pedal can provide flow controlled independently from the faucet handle. In my house, the hose used a 0.5” push-lock connector, so it was super easy to adapt. My friend’s uses an o-ring seal, so I replicated the connection enough to be able to insert my fittings between his (I hope). My male piece will accept the plastic clip from his and insert into the factory plastic female piece. My female piece will accept the factory male piece and secure it with a couple wire pins across a narrowed area, with a split bushing to center in the bore. Both of my pieces will solder in a copper Tee.

My typical lack of patience got me excited to start before thinking everything through, so the male side was not long enough to accommodate the plastic clip in his original. Rather than remake it, I made an “extension” and silver brazed it on. That worked great other than my inexperience and general ineptitude, in that I overheated them and nearly destroyed the parts. I think it’s okay and I’m going with it. There were some fun machining tasks (for me, nothing particularly difficult).











Warm regards,
Jason


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## Lo-Fi (Dec 24, 2021)

Very wise, Dave. Season's greetings from the other side of the pond!

I changed a cylinder gasket on a steam engine last week, haven't had much shop time otherwise:


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## mmcmdl (Dec 24, 2021)

jwmelvin said:


> I made some telescoping mounts for tools to affix to my fab table, including one for the bullet vise:


Almost looks as good there as on my Foosball table eh ?   Looking good Jason , and once again , THANKS !


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## Janderso (Dec 24, 2021)

Merry Christmas Dave.
Take good care my friend.


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## mmcmdl (Dec 24, 2021)

Back at you Jeff . You're going to have a wonderful year with a new place and upcoming retirement I'm sure . Always following along with you .


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## woodchucker (Dec 24, 2021)

Thanks for the Petersens video, I'd seen them once before, forgot about them. Very nice. 

Merry Christmas, I'll check back in often.   

Here's a little Christmas in New England for ya, Up at my sons in CT Mountains... we got a dusting last night, And Rex is wishing you a Merry Christmas and good health...ok he would if he could talk and stay awake.


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## jwmay (Dec 24, 2021)

Well happy Christmas to ya! Busy day for us here. Lots of narrowly avoided catastrophes and remembering about people we failed to buy for. But our daughter made a cake, and our son will be here by evening. So it's a good day!


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## thomas s (Dec 24, 2021)

Merry Christmas Dave.


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## Aukai (Dec 24, 2021)

I'll be on, but I'm on call, and will be on the lathe today for awhile too. Merry Christmas Dave, and be extra diligent about hand washing etc. Here's a warm thought for you.


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## pdentrem (Dec 24, 2021)

Everyone have a great but likely subdued holidays!
Last weekend, drove to Ottawa to see dad. All us kids were there so we made that our party and the news on Monday was that dad’s place had put into strict anti-Covid protocols, which I understand as the site has people from 60 to over 100 there. So it was a good thing we had it on the Saturday!
We are staying home and work has shutdown until Jan 4th. Going to clean up the shop so that I start making a new mess in the new year!
Pierre


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## woodchucker (Dec 24, 2021)

pdentrem said:


> Everyone have a great but likely subdued holidays!
> Last weekend, drove to Ottawa to see dad. All us kids were there so we made that our party and the news on Monday was that dad’s place had put into strict anti-Covid protocols, which I understand as the site has people from 60 to over 100 there. So it was a good thing we had it on the Saturday!
> We are staying home and work has shutdown until Jan 4th. Going to clean up the shop so that I start making a new mess in the new year!
> Pierre


Pierre, I always thought you were the Pierre of Pierre's garage Youtube videos.


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## Dabbler (Dec 24, 2021)

All the best, Dave.

To all On HM tonight and tomorrow, Best of the holiday spirit and peace to all.


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## alloy (Dec 24, 2021)

Merry Christmas everyone.

I haven't broke anything today (yet). But I did  manage to burn some holes in some stainless tubing with my tig welder


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## Just for fun (Dec 24, 2021)

Merry Christmas Dave, and the rest the crew!

I haven't broken anything yet today either.  Cleaning out a bunch of junk in the shop, rearranging other stuff and making a little more room for my lathe and mill that is enroute from Twain.

Tim


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## 7milesup (Dec 24, 2021)

Merry Christmas to all.  
So far today I made the wife's Christmas present (and even wrapped it alllll by myself  
Also did some reading, but not pleasure reading but need to read a book for work.


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## mmcmdl (Dec 24, 2021)

Children ........................

My son and daughter just returned from the family party . My daughter said she found my 2 YO great niece playing with a couple dolls under the tree . Barbie and GI Joe . Surprised , my daughter said she didn't know Barbie came with Joe ??????






My great niece said , she doesn't . She only fakes it . She only comes with Ken . 



Gotta love kids . And get your minds outta the gutter !


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## mikey (Dec 24, 2021)

Merry Christmas to all,too!

Dave, you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers this holiday season. Hang in there, buddy. We're all pulling for you!


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## mmcmdl (Dec 24, 2021)

mikey said:


> Dave, you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers this holiday season. Hang in there, buddy. We're all pulling for you!


Thanks Mike , I think I'll be fine , just taking it easy for a while . This just came in over the phone which is quite alarming . Maybe that's why they cautioned me about large crowds .   









						Upper Chesapeake Medical Center Declares 'Hospital Disaster,' Shifts To Crisis Protocols
					

University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health on Friday declared a hospital disaster at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air, citing a recent explosion in COVID-19 patients.




					baltimore.cbslocal.com


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## Aukai (Dec 24, 2021)

An ounce of prevention.......


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## mmcmdl (Dec 24, 2021)

Aukai said:


> An ounce of prevention.......


Well , you know me Mike . I'm taking extra ounces tonight .   Movie night tonight laying low with the dogs .


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## 7milesup (Dec 24, 2021)

^^^ That beer will make your chemo foam.   Be careful.


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## brino (Dec 24, 2021)

........besides, shouldn't it be a martini (shaken not stirred)?

Brian


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## francist (Dec 24, 2021)

sorry, didn’t get time to make a new card for this year so last year’s will have to do…


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## Shootymacshootface (Dec 24, 2021)

Me, my wife, and all 3 of my kids got uninvited from the family gathering at my moms house. I caught the flu about 2 weeks ago, and had a relapse recently. My wife currently has a fever and feels all around crappy. We both tested negative for covid yesterday. My son (who I haven't seen for almost a month) and his girlfriend tested positive for covid this week and are doing ok. My twin girls, who aren't ill at all were uninvited because they were hanging out with my son a week or so ago.
So, I spent some quality time in my shop today while my wife was in bed. 

I started turning this L00 backplate for a new 10" 4jaw chuck. This backplate is pretty dern big. It was 1 1/4" thick and 8" in diameter. When done the center part will be 1" thick and the rest will be 3/4".


Also, finished up a job on the cnc router that I started in August! This is the last of 72 pieces that I had to make. The wife said that I should get this done before the new year.


The kids are grown, so there are no toys to assemble. All in all, a pretty relaxing Christmas Eve.


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## woodchucker (Dec 24, 2021)

Shootymacshootface said:


> Me, my wife, and all 3 of my kids got uninvited from the family gathering at my moms house. I caught the flu about 2 weeks ago, and had a relapse recently. My wife currently has a fever and feels all around crappy. We both tested negative for covid yesterday. My son (who I haven't seen for almost a month) and his girlfriend tested positive for covid this week and are doing ok. My twin girls, who aren't ill at all were uninvited because they were hanging out with my son a week or so ago.
> So, I spent some quality time in my shop today while my wife was in bed.
> 
> I started turning this L00 backplate for a new 10" 4jaw chuck. This backplate is pretty dern big. It was 1 1/4" thick and 8" in diameter. When done the center part will be 1" thick and the rest will be 3/4".
> ...


well it won't be relaxing after that backplate, now get to work vacuuming up all that cast iron grit..


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## Aukai (Dec 24, 2021)

3hrs, and another bat done


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## f350ca (Dec 24, 2021)

The boys and I usually spend Christmas day with family in the city. I uninvited us this year, the case count with the new variant is skyrocketing in Ontario. So I get to cook a turkey tomorrow. A quiet Christmas at home, at least as quiet as it ever gets with a new puppy. lol

Merry Christmas to ALL

Greg


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## John O (Dec 25, 2021)

Doing a family ZOOM Christmas this year.
Merry Christmas


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## mmcmdl (Dec 25, 2021)

f350ca said:


> A quiet Christmas at home, at least as quiet as it ever gets with a new puppy. lol


We all love pics , and puppies !


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## Firstram (Dec 25, 2021)

Did you say puppy?


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## f350ca (Dec 25, 2021)

Lucy helped unwrap presents, was totally wound, then ran laps around the yard. Getting harder to wear out now. 11 weeks old today



Greg


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## Aukai (Dec 25, 2021)

I only have 1 now....


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