Happy Mothers Day! Good weekend, I got a lot done. Mostly on the uke, but cooking and serious home shower repair plus gardening.
Yesterday morning after coffee I remembered the farmer’s market is open again. Good to see old friends, radishes from Christen, Duncan’s mushrooms and a fig tree from Steve. I made a good batch of mushroom soup. I warned everybody I need to turn off the main water advanced notice. My shower has been dripping cold and has gotten worse by the gallon.
In the early afternoon Jana showed me the water system. I went for the main valve, ahead of everything filter system, off. Inside, I had already prepped the screws and noticed to loosen the outer cover by turning. Now I went for it. Outer cover off, the first nut (oops), chisel the goo off, another bigger nut, off with the whole thing. The valve washer is totally shot with a huge groove. I have the rubber parts in a can that fit. Replaced, but I need some back up here, up town to Bosworth’s Mercantile.
Harry’s in, great. I show him the piece, he looks it over. “You did the wrong thing, you can’t loosen the packing nut before removing the main valve stem. It’ll warp the fitting.” He doesn’t carry them but somebody left one with a bent washer cup he gave me for free.
“I can fix that, thanks so much.”
Back home, I chucked it in the vice and nudged it round with a couple round ball forms and a hammer. The washer fits. I replaced the part in the faucet, everything is tight. I replaced my homemade L screw nob for now. I turn the main back on, it doesn’t leak, we fixed it! The new shaft has a complete notched end so I head to town for a new nob., get one, doesn’t fit with too many brotch notches. 16, where mine has 12. Google, not a Sterling but a Pfister. Tomorrow.
I made a great batch of mushroom soup with Duncan’s mushrooms, he’s always generous. Shrooms, some sliced aside, most cut finer. Onions, garlic, thyme with a light mix of the other garden herbs, sage, rosemary and oregano. Fried in butter, a little roux flour, white wine, chicken broth, a shot of brandy. To boil, then blended with the immersion blender, much safer. Slices back in, a bit more salt to taste. Served with sour dough bread, perfect. Three buckets more saved.
Today I glued the uke back up, with sticks, long rubber bands and string wrapped to the sticks.
It was tricky getting all the glue on and getting the back in place. I used a wet paper towel to moisten the glue assembly. I still needed to add a little glue with paper. I carved the front and back down using an Exacto knife to close, then used sandpaper to sand it all flush. I needed to use the knife to get the heel corners flush, then sanded. It’s all done, the top and bottom are attached and sanded flush.
I worked on a rosewood bridge, first one, a little short, then another 10 cm I can’t find yet. It’s here somewhere.
I traded for another nob today, it fits fine, shower fixed.
I’m planning on my next project, a bass ukulele. equivalent to a 3/4 guitar with fat strings. Yea.
A TJ bolognese ravioli with my sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan. Ready for the week ahead.
8shotoflove8 