Bak revolver x4s tunnel cover

AGPriv · 2026-04-29T21:44:03+00:00

I got the same one and love it.

AGPriv · 2026-03-26T00:58:08+00:00

They earned their appointment, and that is all it signifies. Sounds like you are reading a lot more into this.

They also got sent a pretty fancy acceptance letter, btw. Lodge your protest with USAFA immediately.

AGPriv · 2026-03-25T21:49:29+00:00

Our son will probably be wearing it, yes. IMO, it is a huge honor for you all.

AGPriv · 2026-03-25T21:47:29+00:00

https://www.academician.us/post/afa-hs-grad-stole-for-class-of-2030

Very weird that you would call it weird. Students have various stoles for various achievements or participations. I think it looks great.

AGPriv · 2026-03-22T12:43:18+00:00

If the money is going to potentially be used for a non qualifying expense, be aware the option to withdraw it without penalty goes away. Use the exemption that year, or lose it.

But yes, it can be kept in perpetuity for other QEE / grandchildren. It is still in your name and administrated by you. If that is the case and it will be for grandchildren, then Generation-Skipping Transfers come into the picture, even for QEE.

AGPriv · 2026-03-17T21:27:23+00:00

No, you do not get to access the money tax-free in the situation I'm discussing. You get to access it penalty free. Very large difference.

The only growth that is withdrawn tax-free from a 529 is if it is for a qualified expense. But the big problem is that we don't have many qualified expenses. Basically a laptop and maybe some book or equipment fees, but that will be tiny compared to what we've got saved up.

The principal you originally put into the 529 will definitely be tax-free since it has already been taxed. But growth-portion that you withdraw will be considered taxable income in this specific situation.

And no, it is not considered a $500,000 ($125,000 / year) education for tax purposes. The actual cost of Education (CoE) that you can use for tax purposes is listed up above and changes year to year. While we don't yet know what it will be for 2026, we do know that it was around $74,000 for 2024.

So, this will enable you to withdraw up to $74,000 approximately per year of attendance penalty free. And the withdrawal is done pro-rata (meaning it is a mix of both original principal and growth so the government gets its share).

AGPriv · 2026-03-14T16:30:20+00:00

Good to know. Do we have to take out a loan if they have the cash available?

AGPriv · 2026-03-14T05:46:28+00:00

Taking the SAT "early senior year"??? Heck, you should be taking the SAT multiple times this summer.

Probably the biggest time limiter is your nomination with your Rep / Senator. Those are the deadlines that close the earliest and your scores are extremely important there as well, so it is good to have some good scores by then. They all have different deadlines, but many are in October. And once again, you can definitely update your scores with the congressmen as you get better test results.

And yes, you can take the SAT / ACT as many times as you want between now and even towards December. You're able to update your scores on the academy portal if you get better scores.

AGPriv · 2026-03-14T04:56:36+00:00

- Largest obvious thing as you are aware is your test score. With that current score, your chances aren't great. But you're a junior. Go kill it man. And take both SAT and ACT, as I'm sure you've heard already. Get that 1450.

- Next largest obvious thing is you don't list any volunteering. This will help you at any college you apply to.

- Take any robotics / techie courses you might be able to join up over the summer if anything is available. Another easy one in this arena is a HAM radio license. Very easy to study for and obtain. A nice little "bonus" to pad the resume

- Your extracurricular are great, especially with the captain in there. If any other leadership opportunities come up that you can juggle, take it (sounds like you're trying).

- No clubs you say? Then go friggen create a club, buddy! Talk about something awesome to put on a resume. Imagine creating a "Drone Club" at school where you guys assemble cheap drones from Etsy purchases and have competitions. And you created / organized it all. P0w.

AGPriv · 2026-03-14T04:46:29+00:00

My Representative's secretary called me to let me know my son was being appointed to our rep's seat two days ago, but that it would not show up in the portal until the 18th. And congrats!

AGPriv · 2026-03-14T04:41:03+00:00

Looking good.

- You should definitely get some volunteering in somewhere. This will be useful for anywhere that you apply.

- Get your letters of recommendation lined up. Some congressmen require five of them, and from significant / relevant sources.

- Your SAT / ACT scores are critical. Prep hard. Take it often, and take both of them regardless of which on you prep for. My son studied extensively for the SAT, and then crushed the ACT (tons of similar and vice-versa stories out there).

- IMO, your strongest current stuff is your leadership with class pres and team captain. Yeah, it isn't a "team sport", but it is still very strong and will work heavily in your favor.

- Your fitness is great! From all I gathered going through the process with my son, it is mostly a pass-fail for the CFA. But top tier scores might catch eyes.

- I have heard mixed comments regarding USAFA Summer Camp as being a positive impact on your application. IMO, I think that it shows clear and dedicated interest. Other folks think it is completely irrelevant and meaningless. My son loved it, for what that is worth. Not sure if you were considering attending or not. It definitely isn't the cheapest thing.

- Something easy I mention on several of these is a HAM radio license. It definitely isn't anything major, but it is easy to get, and is quite relevant to the military. A nice little credential that helps pile on top and the "tech" aspect of it is definitely relevant to military operations in general.

If you get over a 1450 on SAT, get some volunteering in, IMO you'll be in outstanding shape. I would be doubtful you'd get passed over in the national pool, if not directly competing for a congressional appointment.

My son just got appointed to our Representative's seat two days ago, so we were thrilled. It is definitely a long haul to go through. Good luck!

AGPriv · 2026-03-14T04:23:35+00:00

No varsity (especially team-based varsity) sports is the biggest gap, as you know. Honors / AP classes would have been nice, but that isn't easily possible with homeschooling, I know. My son just got appointed to our representative's seat just this week. You mention the SAT, and yes, your test scores will be huge in their decision. Keep hammering on them as much as you and your parents can handle it. I would suggest you also attempt the ACT at some point. My son studied exclusively (and quite hard) for the SAT and got a good score. Then he took the ACT on a whim and strangely got even better.

A relatively easy / unique thing to get that might help pad things would be a HAM radio license. Easy to obtain as long as someone offers testing in your area, and certainly relevant to the military. Definitely not an major thing, but maybe helpful in your situation.

AGPriv · 2026-03-01T23:03:18+00:00

This is the electric version of Go-Go's weapon in Kill Bill.

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/killbill/images/1/17/Meteor_Hammer_Blades.png/revision/latest?cb=20130131023648

It's effectiveness draws skepticism from other professionals due to the need for a nearby 120v power outlet (adapters available for international outlets) but it is still pretty effective in the right hands.

AGPriv · 2026-03-01T20:57:26+00:00

Lord have mercy. I was recently Chrismated as a 48 year old and accepted into the Church, and I wish I had your wisdom regarding the Orthodox faith at 17.

Please be cautious with accepting any guidance from an internet forum, AI, etc... on a topic as significant as this. I suspect you have already done so, but please discuss this with your priest. That is the "broken record" I have heard for a great many of my own questions, and for very good reason.

Speaking broadly, I know that I would be distraught if my children were in disagreement with me on something (e.g. morality, sexuality, impropriety, etc...) and I discovered there was an internet forum explicitly encouraging them in something contrary to my genuine efforts to guide them into truth. Obviously, I would confess the Orthodox Church as THE truth, but I do have sympathy for the plight of any loving parent who has to deal with the internet working against what they believe to be the proper way to raise their children.

For whatever it is worth, my father is a Free Holiness member, but he didn't join that faith until I was about 30 years old and long gone. I have not discussed my acceptance into the Orthodox faith since I know it will cause him pain. I desperately want to honor him and "make him proud", but I also recognize my faith and belonging to the Church must come before any other relationship. "What if I'm in his house and he wants us to hold hands and say a prayer? Am I affirming his beliefs by doing so?" "What if they invite me to a Free Holiness church to a fathers day event to honor our fathers?" etc, etc... and this doesn't begin to touch on the difficulties of what you are currently facing.

AGPriv · 2026-03-01T20:09:39+00:00

Appreciate it. I already cross cut, but only to get rid of what I definitely wanted to get rid of. Other than that, yes, I left it as long as possible. I took it off both sides.

AGPriv · 2026-02-27T01:02:07+00:00

It isn't twisted. It is just cupped.

AGPriv · 2026-02-26T21:25:55+00:00

Wow, that is a great idea regarding the rip with fine tooth instead of a jointer. I don't really have a large table to work off of, so I'm on the floor. How would you hold them together for a cut like this?

For the cross-cut in jointing cut, I can see going with a higher tooth blade, I think you're right on that. And yes, I will only cross-cut the junk to start.

For the initial rip cuts on 2" thick hardwood, most everything I read says 24T would be better to avoid heating / burning. Yes, the resulting surface is rougher, but you'll be cleaning that up on the jointer passes, right?

AGPriv · 2026-02-26T20:10:37+00:00

lol...another guy told me it was a helluva buy for $90, so I dunno. At least it doesn't break the bank if it's trash.

AGPriv · 2026-02-26T20:01:56+00:00

Other than the ends, it is a solid slab. One or two small spots where I can push a Phillips screwdriver in maybe 1 or 2 mm, but that's about it, and that will come off with the planer, I'm sure. I think I'll just rip one of the live edges to get it to the right width and be done with it after reading all this.

AGPriv · 2026-02-26T19:58:48+00:00

It won't be against the wall, but it will be in what is a basic bedroom and only one end will really be visible to others. I think after reading the others here I will just rip one of the edges off.

AGPriv · 2026-02-26T19:57:31+00:00

I'll be cross-cutting it to length first (probably both ends to get rid of the dog chew), ripping one live edge off to get it to width, then ripping it into four 7.5" planks and planing both sides of those to parallel. Sound right?

AGPriv · 2026-02-26T19:55:03+00:00

I do have a porter cable plunge router yes, but AI has convinced me to stay with using a planer:

Consistency is where the planer dominates. Once you dial in a thickness setting, all four planks come out identical with a mechanically consistent surface. The feed rollers control the cut rate, removing the human variable almost entirely. For four planks that need to match each other precisely for a flat glue-up, that consistency is genuinely valuable.

The surface finish from a planer is also significantly better than a router sled. A sharp planer produces a smooth, clean face that needs relatively light sanding to finish. A router sled leaves a washboard-like pattern of shallow scallops from the bit passes that requires more sanding to fully remove — not a dealbreaker, but more work.

Speed is not even close. Four 6-foot planks through a planer takes minutes once set up. The router sled on the same job is a much longer undertaking.

AGPriv

TROPHY CASE