JLP Blacksmith Teaching Center.

[anvil]

Yup, talking direct with the inspectors and trying to solve legit problems works. Go in with an attitude and you get an attitude adjustment in return.

I built a curved stairway railing that was a volute. This means an ever changing radius, Think sea shell. the center vertical was an ugly lighting strike ponderosa, and the treads were ripped half log wedges out of  ponderosa. The tread to vertical post joinery was a combo mortise/tenon and forged wedges. Forged stringers and cap outboard tied it together. I used two different types of pickets between the bottom and middle stringer and middle stringer and cap rail to create triangulation. The ends were wall mounted. Thus It was free standing,, no center vertical post from ground to bottom stringer. I did pre drill the bottom stringer and place a floor pad just in case so i could add a support if necessary. At the time there were 3 types of curved stair rails covered by code, a spiral, a sweep, and a winder. I dont remember the differences but they all had a constant radius in common. What a deal to get approved. I worked directly with the inspector and long story short, got his signature. He asked me to call him when i assemblied it just because he wanted to actually see this step for his own curiosity.

So have a sound design and spend the needed time dealing direct with the inspectors.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

Moving up here from Florida, where you have to have permits & inspections for everything, I went to the county to get everything arranged when I built our house. They laughed and said we don't have any permits or inspectors, It's your house build it like you want. I built the house & garage to Florida building standards for hurricane code. When the only inspector, from the assessors office showed up to take pictures and measurements of the outside, for tax purposes, she said it was about the best house she has seen in years.

Of course I have always been guilty of over building. The old place has withstood winds in excess of 70 mph over the last 38 years.

[George N. M.]

The basic problem is that 90% of people do or try to do the right thing.  It is for the other 10% that we have to have laws and regulations.  Most people and contractors do a good job but there is that small percentage who don't and to protect people (read: voters) we have to enact building codes and have inspectors, etc.. 

Similarly, 90% of the people would drive in a "reasonable and prudent" manner but for the other 10% we have to have speed limits, all the other traffic regulations, and enforcement.

This is even true for criminal laws.  90% of people won't steal, murder, assault, etc. because of an internal moral compass and values but for the other 10% it takes the whole criminal justice system to deter them or if it doesn't, to punish them.

That has been the reason for laws since ancient times and probably will be until the end of time.  It's probably a sad commentary on people but that is my conclusion after many years of experience with the law and people.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

The problem I have found in my 29 years being a LEO, is the criminal justice system no longer punishes those 10%. We have a saying, "if it wasn't for repeat business, we wouldn't have any at all". I'm very happy to have retired in 2013 due to today's climate.

[George N. M.]

As an old prosecutor I can say that there were a number of factors pulling at me when I approached a case. 1) I couldn't put Humpty Dumpty together again. The crime had been done and I couldn't undo that. 2) Am I trying to prevent a recurrence by either the defendant or anyone else? 3) Is there something that I  can do for the victim, if there is one? and 4) What is the situation of this particular defendant?  Does he or she have a record of similar acts?  How old is he or she?  What is his or her attitude?  What is his or her particular situation and how will a particular approach affect other people? 5) What resources are available including the cost and availability of incarceration.  6) What is the attitude of the court to this particular offense or type of defendant? 7) How good is the evidence and how credible are the witnesses, including law enforcement, if I have to take it to trial? If not so good, can I get half a loaf through a plea bargain?

All in all, not a simple situation, even for a minor crime such as, say, shop lifting.

Over my years as a prosecutor I tried to do what I felt was the "right thing" for everyone concerned and, for the most part, feel I was successful and had little trouble sleeping at night.  I also did not lose very many cases that went to trial, either bench or jury trials.

I did have one case and I don't recall the offense but I got a call from the defendant's brother who asked me to drop the hammer on his brother because he had never had any serious consequences for prior offenses.  As I recall I didn't treat the case any differently than I would have ordinarily but it was serious enough that I asked for and got a jail sentence (30 days?).  About a year or so later my wife and I were at a restaurant and a guy walked up to me and asked if I was George Monsson.  When I said yes he told me that he was the guy who had called me about his brother.  He shook my hand and thanked me and said that the shock of serving some time had really had a good influence on his brother and that the brother had been straight since.  You don't get  positive feed back like that very often. 

In some ways I miss prosecution but in other ways not.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[SLAG]

Mr. George N.M.,

Your two posts, situated above this screed  essentially describes the "Parito Principal", but with a vengeance.

Namely about 20% of the population commit 80% of the crimes and other commotion. But I believe that you 90%-10% figure comes closer to everyday reality.

Alas I never had the opportunity to become a prosecutor.   Patent lawyers do not seem to make the grade.

Feedback, though rare, is really very gratifying.

Regards,

SLAG.

[Frosty]

I beg to differ George. The 10% wilful abusers aren't the reason for all laws, not even most. The majority of laws, regulations and codes are just guidance so everybody is driving the same direction on the same side of the road. Everybody knows Red means stop, green, go and yellow caution. 

A builder can have the best intentions in the world but if s/he doesn't know how to set rafters folks can get hurt. There's a book to tell you how. It's the 10% that gets credit for the fines and penalties.

As a kid, Dad used to take me around with him on his business. Within reason of course. I remember going with when he visited the inspectors at their office and we sat and discussed blue prints, utilities, etc. I was maybe 9 so I don't know about an office or where we introduced ourselves but we had our meetings at Denny's or Sambo's. 

Dad curried favor with the inspector who insisted on going Dutch. 

Never underestimate the value of PR.

Frosty The Lucky.

[George N. M.]

90-10 is only an approximation.  It might be 80-20 or 95-5.  The same was true when I was doing child protection cases.  The vast majority of folk were "minimally adequate parents" (admittedly a low bar) but there were a few, for various reasons, which needed the intervention of the Department of Human Services (different names in different states) and the courts.  Some could never be rehabilitated and had their parental rights terminated because they couldn't or wouldn't meet the minimal standard.  Some even loved their kids as much as anyone but just couldn't do it.  Often, that was the best outcome for the kids.

I recently saw a YT video where a "bait box" was put out to catch porch pirates who steal merchandise off porches.  When the box was put by a bank of mail delivery boxes most folk walked by and ignored it but there were a considerable number who actively tried to locate and contact the person it was addressed to.  And there were a few who saw an opportunity and tried to steal it.  Another example of that there are more good folk around than bad and that law breakers are a small percentage of the population.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand." 

[Frosty]

Agreed, that type of statistic is always an approximation with lots of variables. 

My point was regarding the origins of laws and rules being more often social operating rules rather than the result of bad behavior.

The lack of parenting skills is heart breaking, I wish I were smart enough to make a real difference. On the other hand, I've discovered the number of young folks who are genuinely good folks gives me hope. I've had random teens offer to help me load groceries or push my cart across snowy parking lots. 

I know it makes me feel good to do nice things for folks and it brings a smile to my face to see the happy expressions when I accept their help. 

At my age and health an example is the best I have left. <sigh>

Frosty The Lucky.

[jlpservicesinc]

Love the convo , but above my pay grade..  

Frosty, Your dad sounds very old school..  Sounds like someone, just like yourself I will enjoy spending some time with..  
I figured that the garage door would be getting notice of shipment anyday. 

So, went and looked at the order sheet..   Low and behold,  won't ship till 3/29/2021.. LOL.. 

 

[Steve Sells]

I got my eyes examined in October and paid them $450 for exam and new safety glasses,  I am still waiting for them, and I have delt with this place for 25 years,CV19 is slowing everything down

[Frosty]

My pharmacy screwed up faxing my neurologist for a scrip Told them it was out of date and refills when I called and they didn't send a fax for 5 days. I was dead out of my anti seizure meds for most of the holidays. I had to call my neurologist directly and found out they'd written a new scrip the day they got the request.

She called and had a little talk with the pharmacy about the same time I explained just what it was going to cost them if I had a seizure and lost my driver's license because of THEIR negligence. Unless I'm mistaken seeing as I'd told them REPEATEDLY how important the med is and their utter mishandling of it It MIGHT rise to Gross Negligence. 

I called in for glucometer test strips the same day, Dec. 23, the scrip was renewed the 24th. and they still haven't filled it! I'm thinking I'm going to have to stand at the counter and LOUDLY MAKE THEM FILL IT while I WAIT.

I hate the thought of shopping for a new pharmacy and it's no doubt pandemic related but this is getting ridiculous. I've been going there for 24 years.

End rant. It always takes a few weeks to get my scrip safety glasses. I shudder to think of how long it'll take this time, my old ones are getting sort of cloudy worn. <sigh>

Frosty The Lucky.

[George N. M.]

Frosty:

For some reason things have gotten weird about diabetic testing supplies.  For some reason insurance companies have tightened up on approvals.  I haven't been able to get more than 100 at a time for a year or so.  They are fairly expensive and I suspect that the insurance companies don't want to pay for more than they absolutely have to and would rather their policy holders go through the process with pharmacies and doctors more often.

To expand on my earlier comments about child protection:  There were many reasons that people had a hard time being minimally adequate parents, chemical addictions, psychological issues, etc. but the common thread that ran through many cases was that the parent(s) weren't very bright.  They were able to function in society but the complexities of raising a child was beyond them.  And that is something that is tough, if not impossible, to fix.  Some were capable of dealing with an infant but couldn't make it when the child got older.  And I've seen cases where the child(ren) realized that they were smarter than the parents and started to play and manipulate them.  Unfortunately, fertility and intelligence do not go hand in hand. 

Also, there is a subtle difference between societal rules that are generally accepted (Be nice.  Don't be a jerk. Don't cut in line.) and ones that have penalties attached such as speeding tickets.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand." 

   

[Frosty]

Good point about test strips. Are they made in China? Another thought is about the new fangled test patches you wave a smart phone at to read. No finger pokes, no test strips, it might be time to try something new. 

I hear you about intelligence not being necessary to reproduce. For many folk sex is the only entertainment they can afford. Poor nutrition, drugs, abuse, etc. all effect intelligence. Poor nutrition and alcohol during pregnancy makes it generational. Alcohol can cause issues with the father too. 

I need need to talk about something more cheerful, times are glum enough.

Frosty The Lucky.

[George N. M.]

The saving grace and what kept me sane when I was doing the emotionally difficult cases is that we were dealing with a very small percentage of families.  Also, we often ended up getting the kiddos into better situations, often with other family, than they had been in originally. 'Nuff said.

If anyone is interested enough in the topic to PM me to continue the discussion, feel free.  It is pretty much a non-black smithing topic anyway.

Anyway, back to the topic of Jennifer's shop:  It looks like she will get the door delivered just in time for spring when she wont need it, except, possibly, for security.  Probably some corollary of Mr. Murphy's Law in operation.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand." 

 

[jlpservicesinc]

Last satruday was the last big equipment move.. 

2 Things of note.. The chain and hook I made to haul logs with was also used to lift the DoAll bandsaw..  that lasted all of about 1 minute..  No failure persay but the hook did open up some.  Only a 5/8" mild steel hook so didn't think it was going to hold anyhow, but took my time and it did not drop the bandsaw.. I did however put the big chain and hooks on it. 

I forged a pull ring for it when I bought the saw.  11/09/09

The guy who did the site prep and let me borrow his Lull for the last year on Saturday also dropped off a snow mobile that got crashed..  Everything was completely smashed and the frame and mounting point were a little messed up. 

Today I fixed it and got it ready for the Lull, snowmobile and cement shoot which was left here broken by one of the concrete guys last year when the foundation was poured, I fixed that too since the guy who owns the Lull also does foundation work he asked to have it shortened some..  He, "Mark" is also the one who did the floor pour.. 

 

George,  I think it's commendable work..  I came from a messed up home and lots of drinking..  I  joined the band wagon at an early age getting into trouble..   I hit the sauce early enough and spent 3+ years at it as hard as possible.  Very interesting times..   

I ended up getting involved with the court and 1 fateful day I had enough and called my probation officer and told him as such..  He was shocked but also extremely kind and really concerned..  He was my saving grace.. I remember the look on his face when I stumbled in and asked for help..  I was 19 and have been on the straight and narrow ever since.. 

Sometimes just knowing someone cares is enough to change someone's life or at least help it along. 

I do believe everything happens exactly as its supposed to..  With this in mind and taken to heart, it can be a lot easier to relax knowing everything will work out.. 

This shop is a perfect example..   It all came together after me getting sick over it..  Roof, siding etc, etc.. 

[jlpservicesinc]

Met with the National Grid engineer today..   He approved the 400amp (320amp real amp) service.. I gave him a tour of the building and showed where wires were going to run, the breaker panels and such. 

I asked if he had looked at the metersocket and he just asked if it has a bypass..  Which yes it does..  I also contacted my Electrician (the guy who is going to pull the permits and do the connection work..) he's ok with me doing the site work.. 

So the engineer said they will have to put in a new pole since the one that is there is old and I will have my own transformer..  Should give me as much power as I can use.  Turns out the high wire is hot..  Was interesting since I said I'd go with 3phase if I could and he actually said that would not be a problem if we had the 3 wire main here, but we only have the single wire main.. 

Next phase is to get the wire and metersocket.  

MCM 500 XHHW-2 copper cable. 

[Old Crew]

At my shop there is only 220 single phase at the pole. The power company was able to provide me 220 3 phase through the use of 3 transformers at my pole. I don't know how it works but 1 of the 3 legs is higher voltage . I believe they call it a delta Y with a high leg ?  In my panel 1 leg fluctuates from 220 to higher which works fine for my motors and welders and only cause a problem on machines that have a step down transformer for low voltage controls. It only causes a problem if I hook the high leg to the step down transformer.  All in all it works well and I don't need a rotary phase converter.

It might be worth asking if it is available .

 

[Steve Sells]

its a delta there is no such thing as delta wye, and it should be 240 volts for the high leg

[jlpservicesinc]

Old Crew,  While getting 3phase for the shop would be a handy thing,  I have a 40HP RPC.. It will run everything I have and then some all at the same time..   the only problem with an RPC is you can't start all the loads at once and ideally the largest load should be started first. 

Not a problem..  Eventually there might be another hammer and a hydraulic press in the mean time, there is a 7.5HP for the 200fairbanks, a 10HP for the compressor and then assorted smaller 3ph motors/machines.. 

Having the RPC was always part of the plan and reason why I bought it so long ago..  

For high power 3ph I have the transformer with 570V capable.. 

[jlpservicesinc]

So little update time.

I called the electrical inspector and asked him if it was ok to run the trench, conduit and pull the wires without a permit.

He said yes.  So once its been installed I just need to call him to come inspect.This will speed up the process some. 

The budget will be exhausted once the wire, conduit and extra materials arrive so thinking I might lease a propane tank for the mean time.

To purchase a propane tank and pay someone to install it will run about 5200.00-5400.00

3800 for the tank, 660 for the lines, 600.00 for regulators, and misc then about 2000.00 to fill the tank.  (7k-8k total)

I'd rather own the tank out right and can save substantially if I buy and install it all myself. But.....  I have 2, 100 gallon tanks I could use in the meantime that would give me about 220hrs of burn time. As a rough off the head estimate.

Besides, once the 1000gallon tank is installed i have to put in a few barriers because of location. 

If I put off the tank purchase it will allow more time to save and to manage expenses.   

 

 

[Glenn]

Bury the electrical cable in conduit and deep underground.   You have the cost of the hole already involved, so a bit deeper now should not be an issue.  Below plow depth is not deep enough.

Photograph the hole from both ends and draw a map of its location ( with distances to solid reference points such as corners of buildings) for future reference.

[ThomasPowers]

Out where I live it's 3' deep for a feeder and 4' for a main line.  (I have 91' of 4' trench I have to pay for as the electrical CoOp wants to put the transformer right outside my shop and run 200 amp service to it.)

[jlpservicesinc]

30" deep is code here with 24" burial depth.   There has to be a sand or soft bed for the conduit. 

 

Glenn straight shott from corner of building to pole. 

[JHCC]

Clearly a New England code, taking shallow bedrock into consideration!