Testing the new meat grinder

Well, after months of ado, I have finally been able to give my home-built meat grind a test run.
I figured that it might work OK but you just never know when you build something from the ground up what kind of problems you might have on the initial start up. So I picked up about 20 pounds of fresh pork at the grocery store and some A.C. Legg's pork seasoning.  I was told to use pork butts because of the fat content (a bit higher makes better sausage) but the shoulder was pretty cheap so I gave it a go along with two butt cuts.

 

 

The test run went pretty well. It ate up meat (even some pretty large pieces) as fast as I could put it in.



 

 

 

The grinder itself will be the topic of a future post. I will be sharing how I went about designing and building it.

Does your Rosary always break?

For years I had become frustrated with several store-bought Rosaries that were built using the "bent wire" links. These links easily pull apart with very little force. I solved this problem by making my own Rosary with miniature high-tensile cable. (I will feature it in a future blogpost)
More recently I ran across this wonderful Rosary which is being offered. I don't own one, so I can't attest to it's quality or durability, but it looks promising. They call it the "Church Militant Combat Rosary". Take a look.

                             Available here:  CHURCH MILITANT COMBAT ROSARY

God's Country

A view of Lake Chetac from the front yard of our family's cabin on a recent vacation.

A Prayer to St. Joseph

Neat. Watch.

Watch and enjoy.

Make a screw in log grabber for a few bucks

I made a log grabber with a few simple parts I bought at a local Tractor Supply Company (TSC)
Start with a lag screw gate hinge. Cut off the pin which is pressed in and swelled to fit. Drive out the stub in the eye with a punch and hammer.

Next insert a 1/2" or 5/8" diameter (depending on the size of your gate lag eye hole) grade 8 bolt through a clevis and gate lag eye. Use washers to take up the gaps on the insides of the clevis and under the head and nut if preferred. Use a grade 8 crown lock nut to finish it off.

 

Here it is in action. Just fold down the clevis and tap with a hammer to start it in the wood. Use a prybar or piece or shaft or rod to turn it in. Harder woods might require a pilot hole. Minimal investment and minimal time spent building.

I have lifted some huge logs with it since I made it. Works like a charm.


Massive Redwoods Downed by Manpower

Anybody who cuts their own firewood will find this video very interesting. Watch and enjoy.

When the Hammer Drill was a "Who" not a "What"

I'm always amazed at how work got done back in the day. I can't imagine drilling rock by hand with hammers. Nowadays we just grab our electric hammer drill with a carbide tipped bit and the job is quickly done. Concrete turns to butter using modern tools. For the big jobs, a pneumatic hammer drills gets even more done by turning, vibrating, and blowing material from the drilled hole all using compressed air.

Man Makes Tire......God Makes Floating Plantscape

Man makes tire from materials God made. Man throws used tire into nature irresponsibly. God makes floating grass grower from tire that man threw away. One of my sons took this picture while fishing at a nearby pond.