Visiting New Jersey

I hope to be at Ridge the afternoon of 12/1. Let me know by comment if you will be around.

Furniture Making... work in progress

Here is what I have been working at lately. It is a prototype in spruce and pine of a nightstand. I will attempt to make two of these in mahogany, when I am sure I have all the required techniques down pat.

Here's a detail of a leg. I learned to turn reasonably well, but I am still working out the best way to cut the reeding into the tapered leg.

The What and Why of Some Math

I now know more about rational polynomial functions than I ever wanted or needed to know. A benefit ( or maybe not) of tutoring. The behavior ( symmetry or antisymmetry) of functions at vertical asymptotes is determined by whether the exponent of the term in the denominator responsible for the asymptote is even or odd. Obvious when one thinks about it, and I guess making one think is the best reason for learning this stuff.

Speaking of math; I think you'll get a kick out of this

http://i.imgur.com/MPUYyI8.jpg

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The Joys of Front Wheel Drive Cars

Last week spent two days replacing the PVC system in Jeans Volvo V70. Only requires removing the turbo intake, the temperature sensor, the thermostat connection to the radiator hose, the fuel connection, the valve cover, the timing belt cover, the air filter cover, the radiator bottom shield, draining the radiator, breaking two banjo connections to the coolant system, undoing five hose connections, removing the intake manifold, releasing the dipstick tube bolt, replacing the oil separator with its two connections to the engine block, and a few other things, and of course the reverse of all the above. An oil change took almost half a day because the dealer's mechanics over torqued everything at the last change and I had to get a special oil filter wrench, buy new bolts for the engine shield, and chase the threads on the oil sump plug. A few weeks ago I replaced the timing belt, which among other things, required removing the passenger side front wheel. The two major repairs, PVC and timing belt, should last another 120,000 miles.

Now, after all this, Jean wants to buy a new(er) car.