SLAG

mr. j.m.- 9. Could you weld the holes shut and drill new openings? SLAG.

Mr. Dragon, Too true! With me the time period is about two to three months. Regards, SLAG

T.P., Oxycodon or demoral? keep safe. And heal quickly. SLAG.

Messrs. Frost, Dragon, Arkie et al., This thread is very useful and, also, interesting. So I did some research and came up with a good article from the Center For Disease Control. (C.D.C.) Try, https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/shingles/public/shingrix/index.html which states among other information, "if you had shingles in the past, you can get Shingrix to help prevent future occurrences of the disease. There is no specific length of time that you need to wait after having shingles before you can receive Shingrix, but generally you should make sure the shingles rash has gone away before getting vaccinated." People can contract shingles two or more times. So getting the vaccine is still a prudent step to take. Regards to all, and please have a happy and safe, Independence Day! SLAG.

Mr. Arkie, I admire your patience with the pharmacy that failed to add your name to the list and jerked you around. I would have warned them that I would file an action to request a court positive injunction to supply the vaccine "tout de suite". But I have much less patience. I am glad that you and your spouse get the vaccine with a minimum of bloodshed. Regards, and happy July 4. SLAG.

Mr. Arkie, I am surprised that you and your spouse had to wait a year for your pharmacy to get the Shingrix vaccine. It is vastly superior to Zostavax. Shingrix vaccine was hard to get after it was approved in 2017. but the wait time in our pharmacy , (in Saint Louis), was about one month, in the year 2018. Most medical insurance companies cover the cost as costs for shingles cases and post herpetic syndrome are dramatically higher. After a little digging, SLAG discovered reports stated that 51% had effective immunization with zostavax and 90% for shingrix. (in people 60 years old and older). It is unfortunate that the cost is so high in the U.S.A. It is much lower in most other countries in the developed world. Cheers, SLAG.

Mr. Arkie, Doctors and the C.D.C. strongly recommend that people who have had the "Zostavax" vaccine get the "Shingrix " vaccine as soon as possible. Most insurance providers cover the cost. Regards to all, SLAG.

Mr. JVC, Welcome to I forge Iron. Can you provide some pictures of those weights? SLAG.

Mr. Harris, I am very impressed with your gigantic quench tub. (big enough for the children!). SLAG.

i.f.i. Citizens. Ground up clinker makes a great treatment for an icy driveway. We also carried a bag of it in the car trunk especially in winter for when we got stuck on ice. The substance really trashes the slippery ice, and allows the car to continue on its way. It was a good precautionary move for Winters in Montreal in the 1950's, 60's and 70's. Most apartment buildings burned coal in the 50's and clinker was put in the garbage every week. Stowing clinker in the trunk is not really needed these days since the SLAG. relocated to "sub tropical" Saint Louis Mo. about a decade ago. Gone are the good winters for yours truly. . SLAG

I neglected to mention the use of silica gel to keep tools dry and safe from rusting. It is readably available from many sources. Having worked in many medical and research laboratories, the silica gel I am most familiar with has the gel bits colored blue. When it has absorbed a lot of atmospheric water vapor it turns pink. The hydrous pink gel can be renewed by heating it until the color turns to blue again. It can then be recycled, (reused), for many times. SLAG.

Mister Dragon, Are your wife's masks for sale. SLAG.

Folks, Effective Covid -19 masks usually have more than one layer. Ideally three layers. The masks may have larger "holes" than some of the aerosolized particles. But other factors come into play. I can think of electrostatic charges, entanglement, and moisture could bar those particles from penetrating the mask and effecting the user. (this is my conjecture, and not facts gleaned from the scientific press). For example, most microbiological personnel know that missing a shave drops the mask's effectiveness by forty percent. Masks that mold the face are more effective than standard masks. M-95 masks are examples of those. (incidentally, the inventor of them, also patented the first form fitting, uplifting bra). People with facial hair require modified masks in the laboratories and surgeries. There has been some published reports on the effectiveness of masks. But not nearly enough. An on-line search turned up some pertinent references. (eg. google and wiki). The forgoing is SLAG's two cents on the subject. Take it with a grain of salt. SLAG. p.s. I just had a look on an article on wiki, Try https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Face_masks_during_the_COVID-19_pandemic

Mr. W. et al., amateur astronomers (a.k.a. star gazers) can save money by grinding their own mirrors. They do the grinding much like you describe. But they are using uniform grit abrasives. I suggest that those who wish to profile a polishing stone. Get in touch with the local astronomy club for information about the abrasives they use and where they buy it. Happy hunting citizens. SLAG.

Thomas, Condolences for you, your mother, your family and all those who loved her. Her life's journey, here, is done but her reward and spirit journey has just begun. We carry on. SLAG.