Ready For Spring

I saw this on Pinterest. I went to the site but all the text is in Russian. There is a sketch that shows the hold-down clamp as being two inches long. The bottom of the plate is drilled and tapped for screws so you can fasten it to the drill press table. I've got a million and one projects now but something like this could come in handy in my basement shop.

And speaking of the basement, I put some stain and varnish on my picture frame and the other little gizmo you see in the photo. I used the one step stuff where you stain and varnish at the same time. Works OK for what I'm doing - things that'll get hung in a barn. Don't know that I'd use it on a fine woodworking project, not that I do much of that anyway. I need to scuff it up a bit and then put another coat on it today and then I can finish both pieces. The light's not real good for this sort of thing down the basement but at least it's warm enough. It was spitting snow again yesterday morning but I did see a bluebird while I was out doing my chores. That did my old heart good.

Went to the gym last evening and Big Ernie was there. He's a great coach but he works out of town quite a bit so he doesn't get a chance to come to the gym too often. I got a chance to work the mitts with him a couple of rounds - he had me huffin' and puffin' pretty good. I need some more of that.

I got a phone call the other day from a guy who used to race vintage bikes when I did. He does a lot of bicycling and he just retired. He's thinking of doing a long distance tour. I'd like to try that Cowboy Trail in Nebraska. We might be able to put something together. I need to start training.