Reviews by epsgambler

epsgambler says "Face Protection for Woodworkers and Welders" about Uvex Bionic Shield

epsgambler — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 09:26:59 GMT

If you have ever watched New Yankee Workshop you will have been warned by Norm Abrams to always wear eye protection. When I work at my lathe I add full face protection to this warning. This same additional protection is also important for welders.

The Uvex Bionic Face Shield gives me this added safety when I turn on my lathe. Although this one is pretty new, there is still a scratch on the shield that could have been a cut on my face from a piece of wood that flew off a fast turning chunk of wood. A face shield I had used in my previous workshop had enough dings and scratches that I would have looked a little like Frankenstein's monster if I had not worn it regularly.

The Bionic Shield is a quality piece of secondary protection for your face. They recommend you still wear safety goggles for primary eye protection. Uvex claims that the headband with a soft pad at the back has 2,784 possible position for a perfect fit. It holds the selected position each time you slide it on. The clear plastic...

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epsgambler says "Baldacci Has Penned Another Page Turner" about Stone Cold

epsgambler — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 22:44:49 GMT

A few books ago David Baldacci introduced us to his group of Washington, DC misfits that styled themselves as The Camel Club. Stone Coldis his third return to that group. The leader lives in a run down place in a cemetery where he is the caretaker. Oliver Stone is much more than he appears, however, having once been a member of an elite killer team for the CIA before they turned on him and he had to pretend to die and go into hiding. Milton has a photographic memory and a way with computers. Rueben did his time in some tough military situations before succumbing to drink. Caleb works at the Library of Congress as a librarian.

Alex Ford, a Secret Service agent, is an honorary member of the club and Annabelle Conroy has sort of joined since the second novel. Annabelle is being pursued by an Atlantic City casino owner she conned out of forty million dollars. Someone is methodically killing the team Oliver used to belong to. He is caught between a rock and a hard place in trying to protect...

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epsgambler says "A Great Gift For Your Friend - or You" about Restaurant.com.

epsgambler — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:39:01 GMT

In July I received a Simple Thanks award. It came as an on-line gift certificate from Restaurant.com. It was a lovely surprise and a welcome treat. It allowed us a $25.00 discount on a meal. It was available from several restaurants in our area. We chose Pasta Cucina and we were thrilled with the choice.

You, too, can gift someone tthrough Restaurant.com. Just go to their web site, pick an amount you wish to give, and ask them to send an email to the person of choice. For a $25.00 gift certificate your credit card will be charged $10.00. The recipient simply goes to the link provided in their email, selects a restaurant that will accept the gift certificate, and prints out a coupon. Presenting it to the restaurant when you are seated is recommended so they can call and confirm the coupon's validity. If you see a restaurant in your area you would like to try, gift yourself. We have done that with a $10.00 gift certificate (cost $3.00) to a local place we had not yet tried.

There are a few...

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epsgambler says "Clamp It, Tote It, Then Put It Away - FatMax Project Center" about Stanley Tools FatMax Mobile Project Center 93-292

epsgambler — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:14:36 GMT

Anyone who tries to share their workshop with a car knows that space is at a premium and versatility is important. Stanley Tools knows this too. For us they have developed the Stanley Tools FatMax Mobile Project Center. I found one at my local True value Hardware Store, Parkrose Hardware. I use it a lot.

What You Get

In the large box comes a partially assembled workbench, clamping station, and hand cart. It is all one tool. The instructions are included as are a three outlet electrical box and a set of four positional flat pegs for clamping. Give yourself a half-hour for assembly consisting mostly of adding wheels and the power outlet. To make the outlet useful you have to supply your own extension cord, but it does have convenient wrapped storage for it.

In its folded position two handles with nice rubber grips can be extended easily and locked to make it a hand cart with advertised carrying capacity of 220 pounds. This cart doesn't have lots of features like stair climbing treads, but the...

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epsgambler says "Peace and Tranquility Since the Eighteenth Century" about Missouri's Arcadia Valley

epsgambler — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 01:44:12 GMT

"There is a charming portion of our country, dainty and lovely as a dimple in the cheek of nature and yet comparatively unknown to residents in the East. It is the valley of Arcadia." These words were penned by William Wadsworth Longfellow at the turn of the nineteenth century. They are still true today.

The Arcadia Valley of Missouri is a trip back in time to a simpler and kinder America. The valley lies nestled among the St. Francois mountains. Its cool breezes and slow movements of streams, its balmy evenings, attracted those from St' Louis during the summer doldrums. Its wealth of minerals attracted industry and provided transportation early in our country's history. It even sparked the largest battle in Missouri during the Civil war.

The first commercial mining supported death, saving of life, and celebration. It was saltpeter, a component of black powder, of fireworks, and of rubs to preserve meat before refrigeration. The largest lead deposit in the world runs through the region....

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epsgambler says "At The Top Of Missouri - Taum Sauk Mountain" about Taum Sauk Mountain State Park

epsgambler — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 23:00:00 GMT

Topping off at 1772 feet above mean sea level, Taum Sauk Mountain, part of the St. Francois Mountain chain in Southeast Missouri, is the tallest natural point in the state. Part of this mountain, 7448 acres, has been preserved as a Missouri State Park. It is close to a more developed park, Johnson Shut-ins and can be reached from there via part of the extensive Ozarks hiking trail system. Many years ago my teenage son and I made the 11 mile hike. Nearby Proffit Mountain holds the Taum Sauk Reservoir which confuses many. This reservoir breached its earthen dam in late 2006, inundating the valley and nearly destroying Johnson Shut-ins State Park.

Taum Sauk Mountain State Park has primitive and self-contained trailer camping facilities. It has a well done overlook that gives a sweeping view of the valleys and next range of hills. It has a lookout tower you can climb for an even better view. The roads are well paved and not too steep or windy. The path to the actual top of the mountain from...

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epsgambler says "One Hand Sander for Most Needs" about Craftsman 4 in 1 Multi-Sander 11684

epsgambler — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 22:21:32 GMT

In my past life I had acquired a hand-held electric sander I liked. It was from Black and Decker. It went with all the other tools I sold before moving west. A few months ago I got a sale flier from Sears. It had a Craftsman 4 in 1 Multi-Sander 11684 advertised at a nice price. When I went to the local Sears store to look at it it looked the same as the Black and Decker I remembered. I asked and was told it was made for Sears by B&D. I got it.

What it is

It does not come with a permanent carrying case, but in the box is the sander, 3 bases, 18 pieces of sandpaper, an Allen wrench, and a screwdriver. One base looks like the business end of an iron. If you have seen the popular mouse sanders you will understand. There is a slim plastic extension with a point that screws on to the main base for getting into tight places. There is a circular base that replaces the iron-like base, using the Allen wrench, for rapid orbital sanding.

On the back is a round catcher for the dust that is picked up during...

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epsgambler says "A Light Duty Impact Driver" about Master Mechanic 18 Volt Cordless Impact Driver 565117

epsgambler — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 19:53:11 GMT

If you have ever been around a tire shop you have seen and heard the sound of an air-driven impact driver knocking those lug nuts off a tire. The idea of a series of impacts instead of a steady twist is what makes a hammer drill or impact driver different than a power screwdriver or drill. Now these are available with cords or batteries. Don't expect to do work on engines or tires with them, though. These are made to take on smaller things like rusted nuts off of backyard grills or bicycles, for example.

I had bought a Master Mechanic 1/2" hammer drill on closeout from my local True Value hardware store and it didn't work. Even though the sales receipt clearly said NO RETURN the True Value warranty allows returns for defective Master Mechanic power tools for two years. They didn't have a replacement available so they gave me full purchase credit for another tool. I chose the Master Mechanic 18 Volt Cordless Impact Driver 565117.

What it is

What I got in the cardboard box was the impact driver,...

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epsgambler says "Like Eating in Italy" about Pasta Cucina - Vancouver, WA

epsgambler — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:59:05 GMT

In July we received a surprise. We were selected for a Simple Thanks award. The award was a twenty-five dollar gift certificate through Restaurants.com. We quickly looked for a suitable place to use this fun gift by perusing the Restaurants.com website. It turns out we were doubly blessed by this thoughtful Simple Thanks. We found Pasta Cucina, an Italian restaurant very near us we might never have found otherwise.

Pasta Cucina is located in a strip mall in the Southeast quadrant of Vancouver, WA, just off 164th Street and jut past 1st Avenue. It is a small place, sandwiched in among several other small restaurants, delis and other strip mall merchants. It is open Tuesday though Sunday. The three of us, Johnny. Honey, and I, took our printed gift certificate and with some trepidation ventured the couple of miles to the mall. Upon entering we were treated to a (I guess you could call it, low-budget, but very tasteful) glimpse of Italy in the decor. We were greeted and seated immediately...

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epsgambler says "Drill a Pilot Hole Then Drive a Screw With One Tool" about Master Mechanic 18V 2-Speed 3/8" Cordless Drill

epsgambler — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:06:01 GMT

One of the first power tools is often a drill. Now days it is usually a cordless drill/driver. This tool is a compromise that does both the job of a power screwdriver and a drill, but neither as well as the dedicated tool it replaces. As a drill it is often too slow for high speed drill bits in metal. As a screwdriver the shape is usually not as efficient as the dedicated tool it replaces. Nevertheless it gets both jobs done reasonably well.

Because of a closeout at Parkrose Hardware, I began a collection of cordless tools. I added the Master Mechanic 18V 2-Speed 3/8" Cordless Drill to this collection because the 1/2" one I bought on closeout did not work and they had none to replace it. The Master Mechanic line is the house brand of True Value Hardware Stores, a cooperative. Like a lot of tools for weekend warriors, it has a lot of features to attract us. It keeps its low price by using a smaller motor (203 inch/pounds of torque) and things like plastic gears and lots of plastic parts....

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epsgambler says "Rechargeable Batteries? Use A Smart Charger" about Master Mechanic 18 Volt Smart Battery Charger 565004

epsgambler — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 22:49:18 GMT

There are a couple of kinds of battery chargers. When I started my collection of Master Mechanic cordless tools, I had to get one to charge the 18 volt batteries. The one available was a one hour smart charger. It cost $19.95, a bargain compared even to the Firestorm smart charge I had bought a couple of years ago for $39,95 and a steal compared to the big name tool companies' offerings.

Using the Master Mechanic 18 Volt Smart Battery Charger 565004 couldn't be simpler. You plug it into a handy 115 volt outlet. A beep sounds and the red LED comes on solid. Just slide the battery onto it the same way you slide one into one of the Master Mechanic cordless tools and either the red LED starts blinking or the green LED starts flashing. This is the smart part of the charger. A flashing red LED means there is something wrong with the battery, This is usually because the charger senses the battery is too hot from recent use for charging. It could, however, indicate a defective battery. If the...

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epsgambler says "Batteries Are Necessary For Cordless Tools" about Master Mechanic 18 Volt Battery Pack 565067

epsgambler — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 02:59:48 GMT

One of the interesting things about the cordless power tools that are sold as Master Mechanic, the in-house brand for True Value Hardware Stores, is that they usually come as individual tools with no battery. This is a good idea for the casual user who would likely purchase these tools as it allows one to buy just the tools they need and to get one set of batteries and charger to power all of them. This is what happened to me when I got a great deal on a few Master Mechanic power tools. I needed a battery, actually two, and a charger for them. Of course they were right there with the tools and I picked them up. The Master Mechanic 18 Volt Battery Pack 565067 is purpose made to fit the True Value house brand tools. It is a Nickel Cadmium pack of batteries that produce 18 volts and will give 1.7 amp hours of power to the tool.

I paid $24.97 for each. I have since found them on Amazon for $19.95. I have, in my tool fanatic lifetime, gone through a lot of cordless tools from various manufacturers....

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epsgambler says "JIg Saw, The Only Cutting Tool You Need" about Master Mechanic 18V Cordless Jig Saw

epsgambler — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 23:38:47 GMT

If you can only have one tool to cut wood, soft metal, or plastic, a jigsaw is the one to have. With a wide selection of blades available, it can cut apart sheet goods, rip tin roofing to size, cut fancy patterns in wood, metal, or plastic, and even be used to prune trees or cut pretty decent sized logs into firewood. With the various jigsaws I have had over the years, I have done all of this and more.

I sold my three jigsaws before moving from east to west. A few weeks ago I went to my local True Value hardware store, Parkrose Hardware, to pick up a sheet of plywood. As usual, I wandered the tool aisles on my way to what I came for. Some large signs advertised a few tools on closeout. One of those tools was the Master Mechanic 18V Cordless Jig Saw The price was $12.49. This saw comes without batteries or charger. There were a couple of other of the same brand on closeout. I took them, two batteries, and a smart charger home. Master Mechanic is the house brand of Tru-Value hardware...

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epsgambler says "This Saw Was A True Value For Me" about Master Mechanic 18V 61/2 inch Cordless Circular Saw

epsgambler — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 03:58:04 GMT

A few weeks ago I went to my local True Value hardware store, Parkrose Hardware, to pick up a sheet of plywood. As usual, I wandered the tool aisles on my way to what I came for. Some large signs advertised a few tools on closeout. One of those tools was the Master Mechanic 18 volt 6 1/2 Inch Cordless Circular Saw. The price was $22.48. This saw comes without batteries or charger. There were a couple of other of the same brand on closeout. I took them, two batteries, and a smart charger home. Master mechanic is the house brand of True Value Hardware Stores. Like Craftsman for Sears or Husky for Home Depot, the actual tool production is contracted out to others. This tool, as far as I can determine, is an Asian import.

What You Get

What I got was the last tool in the store, the one on display. It would normally come in a box. In the box would be the tool, a wrench to replace the saw blade. a 6 1/2 inch carbide tipped blade, a parallel cutting guide, and an instructions manual. I got the...

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epsgambler says "History in the Arcadia Valley" about Fort Davidson State Historic Site

epsgambler — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 03:31:41 GMT

In September 1864, the Missouri Confederate army under the command of General Price, crossed into Missouri from Arkansas. Their intent, with the 12,000 man army, was to take St. Louis for the Confederacy. In Ironton, Missouri was the southern terminal for the St. Louis, Iron Mountain, and Southern Railroad. Nearby was Fort Davidson, a hexagonal earthworks fort with a deep dry moat surrounding it. It was garrisoned by 1500 Union soldiers. Much metal ore was shipped to St. Louis from area mining operations. 3000 of General Prices men were unarmed and the fort was a tempting prize.

By September 26 the Confederate forces had reached Ironton and engaged in a pitched battle with a small union force, driving them back to the fort. On September 27 the assault on the fort was begun. It was unsuccessful and the Confederate forces incurred an estimated 1000 casualties in the attempt. That night the Union army received orders to abandon the fort and did so successfully, blowing up the powder magazine...

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epsgambler says "If You Use Any Tools With Edges, They Need to Be Sharpened" about Delta 8 inch Variable Speed Grinder

epsgambler — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 23:34:57 GMT

Do you have a mower, a hoe, scissors, knives, a shovel, or, like me, a lot of woodworking tools with edges that need to be sharp? If you do, read on.

Our garage is full of tools with edges, from shovels to hoes. In my old woodworking shop I had many tools that needed a sharp edge to perform cleanly and safely. Our kitchen has knives galore and scissors reside all over the house it seems. Tools like axes and shovels need an edge as do tools like bench plane irons and bench chisels. So do some of the few woodworking tools I brought with us and the few I have acquired since. Back on the east coast I had the Delta 8 inch Variable Speed Grinder to help with most of the sharpening tasks. To my sorrow I sold it rather than drag the 44 pound monster across the country.

The Delta 8 inch variable Speed Grinder comes with two 8 inch wheels installed on its 5/8" shafts. One is the typical gray wheel (36 grit) that you see on most hardware store grinders. The other is a white (60 grit) wheel. These...

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epsgambler says "It's clean and convenient to area attractions" about Shepherd Mountain Inn - Ironton, MO

epsgambler — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 22:51:35 GMT

If you decide to see the several sights in Missouri's Arcadia Valley, your choices of sleeping accommodations are limited. If you are a camper and bring your own bed, there are several private and public campgrounds. If, like Honey, your idea of roughing it is staying in less than a four star holel, you have two choices. Since my oldest sister and brother-in-law live in Arcadia, just a stone's throw South of Ironton we have tried both choices. The other, not as well recommended, is the Fort Davidson Inn in Pilot Knob, the next burg North. We have used the Shepherd Mountain Inn for our last three forays into this quiet land an hour or so South of St. Louis. When, while still in Branson, I suggested this location to Honey, She asked if there wasn't something better. I said, "Not unless you want to drive twenty miles of back roads each time we go to Arcadia." She agreed to rough it this time.

The Shepherd Mountain Inn is one of those places you would have encountered if you traveled in the...

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epsgambler says "A One Hour Hike takes You Back in Time" about Elephant Rocks State Park

epsgambler — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 06:17:49 GMT

Eons ago magma from the bowels of the earth flowed to the surface. It cooled into, among other minerals, what we call granite. Over centuries and centuries the softer material eroded away under the action of wind, freezing, and water. In this picturesque place in southeast Missouri in the beautiful Arcadia Valley, large humps of granite were exposed. At the peak of this hill of granite is a train of pinkish rocks that look much like a herd of elephants walking trunk to tail. From this formation comes the name of this Missouri State Park.

Missouri has not chosen to heavily develop this park like they have the nearby Johnson Shut-ins State Park or the Fort Davidson historic site, also nearby. They have left it in the state it was when they inherited the safekeeping of this state treasure. Before it became a State Park it was used to quarry granite that went to St. Louis and other big cities for building construction. When quarrying stopped it was promoted as a private park for awhile....

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epsgambler says "A Unique Piece of This Country in the Ozark Hills" about Branson

epsgambler — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:51:20 GMT

This is brief history of what turned a sleepy little farming center, Branson, Missouri, into the tourist mecca it is today.

Back at the turn of the Twentieth Century, a preacher, on his doctor's advice, wended his way into the Ozark hills for the summer. He camped on the farm of a local farmer on a place he called Inspiration Point. He returned for the next few summers and finally wrote a trilogy of novels using thinly disguised characters from those folk he met in the Ozarks. The most famous of this trilogy is Shepherd of the Hills. A little later the town of Branson, Mo received a lake they named Taneycomo. Even later this lake from a dam on the White River was upstaged by Table Rock Lake. Since it now got its water from the bottom of Table Rock, it became a cold water lake and was stocked with rainbow and brown trout.

About the same time as the shepherd summered in the Ozarks, a nearby cave was just starting to be exploited as a tourist attraction. It was then named Marble Cave. It...

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epsgambler says "Old World German Wurst in an Eclectic Portland Area" about Otto's Sausage Kitchen and Meat Market - Portland, OR

epsgambler — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 20:53:22 GMT

We have lived across the Columbia River from Portland for nearly a year now. We have friends from the area. We had, however, to learn about Otto's Sausage Kitchen in an article on the ten best hot dogs in America in USA Today. We went to discover this unique part of Germany ensconced in the eclectic Portland neighborhood of Woodstock that very same day. We return regularly now. As we have raved about Otto's to local friends they seem amazed we didn't know about it. They have told us of their favorites there and we have tried them. Now some of them are our favorites too. In the hope that those we forget to sing the praises of Otto's to will read some of our reviews, we decided to tell the world about it here.

I have wandered the streets of several German cities and seen their Wurst markets. Now I can go to Portland and do the same. Otto Eichentopf came to Portland from Germany. He had trained as a sausage maker in his home country. In 1929 he opened his sausage kitchen in Portland. Nearly...

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