When we moved to the Chicago area, the movers were nice enough to bend the table on my table saw. Yeah, that’s right, the bent a solid cast iron table. How the f**k do you do that? This was a professional table saw, not the Wal-Mart special. I had the moving company’s insurance adjuster come and verify that it was toasted; they gave me a fair amount to replace it. It was a good thing. I have a much smaller shop here then I did in Houston, so it was nearly impossible for me to use my existing table saw where it was in the basement. The adjuster gave me a fair amount and took the bent saw for parts. I’ve been shopping for the right replacement since then. I found the one I wanted and got it shipped for free through Amazon. It’s a Bosch contractor’s table saw with a gravity-lift portable base. It folds flat(ish) and has pneumatic (air-filled rubber) wheels that will go just about anywhere. I can move it to the driveway when I need it and it does everything that the shop models will do – including take zero clearance inserts and dado blades. Now I can use the table saw.

I have several pressing household repairs to start on in the next few weeks. I have a critter eating the soffit on my 3rd floor; the 3rd floor porch is totally rotting; and the fake porch over my front door is rotted as well. Fortunately, I got a lathe for my birthday 2 years ago because there are finials on the fake porch that will be impossible to source, but I can make them from scratch on the lathe and no one will be the wiser.

Next big purchase is a 28′ ladder. Need something that will get me to the eaves at the top of the house. I need to make sure I get a fiberglass ladder because I have power lines all over the place. I’d like to not fry my ass because I was too cheap to go with fiberglass. BZZZZZZZZZZT! Hey, what’s that smell – ayeeeee!