Doing Things Wrong

Headless Brainstorm

This is the headless bridge I got a while ago that proved to be cosmetically damaged. You can even see the damage in this picture. I filled in the dings with black CA, but I had no expectation of ever hiding it, so this bridge got thrown in the junk box after I got a refund, they didn't want it back.

I just got a great idea to salvage this part: Hammered Paint. I already have a can of black. I can disassemble the bridge again, mask off the saddle area, and sand and shoot the damaged exterior. The texture of the hammered paint should hide the dings perfectly, and the paint itself dries hard and tough, as good as the original finish.

So I'll be able to use this part after all. I still feel I was justified in getting a refund, as I was not about to build a project around a damaged part. It's lucky I didn't throw it away. Now what sort of demented thing should I do ... ? Instead of a Steinberger, I could build a ... cheeseburger ! No, that would be silly.

I haven't used this in a while, but I think it is called-for here
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In fact, I think I deserve two !!!

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I took a drive over to Harbor Freight - purveyor of fine {sarcasm} Chinese tools & hardware - and picked up this little drill press. With a coupon, it cost me just over fifty bucks. This is not what I would call a good drill press, in fact, it is pretty crappy. The base and the table are stamped, not forged, and small. The quill travel is a measly two inches, parts that should be steel are aluminum, parts that should be aluminum are plastic, vibration is excessive, and the 3/8" chuck has a disconcerting wobble to it. I knew all that when I bought it, and I never would have if I did not already have a much better one, or at least a decent one. What I wanted from this drill press is small size and lightweight, so I can add it to my inside workstation, and not have to leave the heat/ac to go drill a hole in the garage. This press weighs well under 40 pounds and doesn't take up too much space on my inside workbench. My 'good' drill press is not something you'd want to move around a lot.