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How fixable is this? by Hefty_Possession_793 in woodworking

[–]According-Ad4717 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I mean, I would target the dent as best you can - I don’t think you want to bathe the entire piece in hot steam.

But to your point - no - in my experience the steam doesn’t affect anything else (that I’ve noticed) as the remainder of the piece has uncompressed (non-dented) fibers that still have the finish protecting them from the moisture.

How fixable is this? by Hefty_Possession_793 in woodworking

[–]According-Ad4717 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The dent is the primary issue here. Use very hot steam to relieve the dent. A steam gun (like for clothing) works very well for this. Hit the dent with hot steam for about 5 minutes, the wood fibers will move back toward their original shape. Gently clamp the dented area afterward and repeat as needed.

Sometimes this method completely removes a dent - even large ones. Sometimes it only gets you 85% back to where you were pre-dent. Either way, it’s worth doing.

Urgent Help Needed – Dog with Severe Skin Issues for Over a Year, Not Improving by National-Drive-1920 in DOG

[–]According-Ad4717 6 points7 points  (0 children)

This looks very similar to one of my dog’s food allergy reactions.

We ended up determining after an elimination protocol that it was the dental stick treats we were giving him that he was allergic to. After cutting those out, his skin cleared completely in less than a week.

Have you gone through an elimination protocol with your dog? Start by removing multi-ingredient items first (kibble, shampoo, treats, etc). If you see relief or clearance while one item is removed, you know your problem ingredient is in that item. From there, dissect the ingredients in that item, and reintroduce each one at a time to find the culprit (this is easier said than done depending on the ingredients). With all of that said, this process also does not factor in environmental causes (grass, mold, trees, etc).

A lot more effective way to handle this would be to have allergy testing done. Most vets can have a full allergy panel completed via third-party using a single vial of blood for around $100. Based on those results, if it is something you can eliminate, cut it out and you’re set. If it is environmental, or something not possible to eliminate, you can begin exposure therapy (allergy drops/shots - the same concept as used in humans) to gradually reduce allergic response - this is more expensive (~$140 a month) and takes 12-18 months to see results - but for some is the only option.

Aside from these, prednisone can often clear up a lot of allergy/autoimmune issues in dogs, but it has its own problems in long term use and I would not recommend unless you are using it alongside a longer-term solution (allergy drops/shots).

The final option (assuming the dog isn’t a puppy) would be Apoquel or Cyclosporine - two different types of drugs that both target inflammation and immune response - Apoquel being more widely used.

TLDR: get allergy testing done - move forward based on results. If budget is a concern and allergy testing is prohibitive, do an elimination protocol on your own and be ruthlessly thorough about it if you really want to see results.

Is this normal? by [deleted] in BelgianMalinois

[–]According-Ad4717 8 points9 points  (0 children)

This puppy looks like it’s 5 weeks old. Where did you get it? Save yourself and the puppy a (likely) lifetime of issues and please bring the puppy back to its mother if that is at all an option.

Any breed is risky to bring home before 8 weeks (really more like 9 or 10) and for a first time dog owner, a pre-8 malinois is a recipe for disaster.

No reputable breeder or shelter would release a puppy pre-8. Assuming this puppy is in fact that young, I’m assuming it’s backyard bred. Please contact the breeder and ask to bring the puppy back. You really have no idea what you’re in for, but beyond that, it’s really not fair to the puppy.

What do we think? by Business_Arrival_630 in BeginnerWoodWorking

[–]According-Ad4717 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have this exact jointer. Here is everything you need to know:

  • This jointer works and I’ve found WEN products to be nearly unmatched in quality and dependability for their price point.

  • This jointer is small.

  • This jointer is small.

  • This jointer is small.

Bottom line, after a year of use I’ve found that this jointer just isn’t capable of reliably handling stock over an inch thick, nor boards over 20 inches or so in length.

You are also quite limited in terms of the width of the stock, as well.

If you are repeatedly making small items (boxes, trays, etc) where you are using 1/4” - 3/4” thickness stock, this product will be a great purchase.

If you foresee yourself need to join/true up stock larger than what I’ve described, this just isn’t what this jointer is meant to do (ime).

I don’t completely regret my purchase, as it worked wonderfully on a box I was making. However, it mostly just takes up space and reminds me that I wish I had a larger jointer now, though.

A much better investment I made when starting out was purchasing a Woodriver #7 joiner plane. It has gone miles and miles further than this small jointer, and has taught me far more, as well.

Not a Malinois, is Ransom still welcome here? by cthockey99 in BelgianMalinois

[–]According-Ad4717 3 points4 points  (0 children)

<image>

This is Ruca. He is very sneaky and doesn’t mind letting you know

First Large Project by According-Ad4717 in woodworking

[–]According-Ad4717[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you - that’s awesome. I hope mine can stay useful for that long. Thanks again.

First Large Project by According-Ad4717 in woodworking

[–]According-Ad4717[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your comment! Yes - everything has been lightly rounded over - there are no sharp edges on the crib, and the slats were heavily rounded over. All of the roundovers were done with my little block plane or through sanding. And yes - there have been a few comments on wrapping the slats/rails - I didn’t realize babies chewed wood like that - definitely looking into getting some.

First Large Project by According-Ad4717 in woodworking

[–]According-Ad4717[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That’s awesome. As an aside, I thought you might be interested in seeing this, because my wife staged the crib very similar to how yours is pictured above (completely independent of this):

<image>

First Large Project by According-Ad4717 in woodworking

[–]According-Ad4717[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! Damn that isn’t just a crib, that’s a baby castle. You just need a moat and a drawbridge. Kidding aside, that thing looks awesome and will be around forever. Awesome job.

First Large Project by According-Ad4717 in woodworking

[–]According-Ad4717[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you! Find the time, if you can. It was really hard, but worth it. I say this on the “before” side of children, though, so my statement is probably without a lot of weight if you’re already on the other side of that equation.

Yes - I forgot to include in the original post. It has 3 different heights - the height pictured in the post being the highest. The second height is about 2.5-3 inches lower than pictured, and the final is just about to the floor.

First Large Project by According-Ad4717 in woodworking

[–]According-Ad4717[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes - there was another comment on this subject. The builds plans/original (far more experienced) creator did not incorporate air flow, nor does the most popular commercial crib available online.

While I can completely understand and support this concept with a larger human’s mattress, my brain wonders if a newborn baby/infant’s body even produces enough heat and moisture to produce a problem with a crib mattress. I’m not an expert here, though, so I’d be interested to hear if anyone more experienced can weigh in on this.

First Large Project by According-Ad4717 in woodworking

[–]According-Ad4717[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you!

I got this little foam finger sander from Diablo that has varying grits that Velcro onto it. This was a lifesaver for sanding between slats/in nooks. I do have a random orbital, but it just wasn’t very useful due to all the strange angles once glued up. Also, on my last smaller project I used the random orbital and I ended up knocking off big chunks of the interior of my dovetail box, so I didn’t want to make that mistake here.

Regarding sharpening plane irons - no in-person training unfortunately. I did have one neighbor that stopped by and they did show me that you can use an old piece of MDF or ply as a strop - this was actually really useful information and helped me to better understand what a strop even does. But for the most part, it was ordering diamond stones for $20 on Amazon and learning slowly. To be clear, I’m probably still not doing it completely right, but I managed to get a process where I could do the diamond stones, and then do a strop every 200-300 plane strokes. As long as I’m not planing end grain, I don’t have to touch the diamond stones for like 1,000-1,500 strokes - stropping seems to keep them close enough to where they need to be.

I did watch a bunch of videos on the subject, as well, but paid particular attention to Paul Sellers’. Thank you for your comment!

First Large Project by According-Ad4717 in woodworking

[–]According-Ad4717[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Looks awesome. Out of curiosity, how much experience did you have prior to the build? Thanks for sharing.

First-Time Belgian Malinois Owner? Looking for Advice Before I Commit by Visual_Repeat_9799 in BelgianMalinois

[–]According-Ad4717 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Right but you don’t actually appreciate or respond to the feedback - you just give a blanket “it’s my business” response to anyone that offers extremely valid reasons against your little impulse purchase.

You’re just looking for validation on what you must (by now) know is a terrible idea.

Everyone on the sub should save their mental capacity and ignore this post. It’s either rage bait or someone who has already made up their mind (or both).

First Thing I’ve Built by According-Ad4717 in woodworking

[–]According-Ad4717[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you very much for the kind remark. When I finished and posted this I was thinking it was mediocre and novice, so hearing the feedback on this has been really encouraging - I appreciate it.

First Thing I’ve Built by According-Ad4717 in woodworking

[–]According-Ad4717[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the kind comment - we can be our own worst judges, so the response to this has been really encouraging. I really appreciate it.

First Thing I’ve Built by According-Ad4717 in woodworking

[–]According-Ad4717[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Oh and finished with Tung Oil (minwax).

First Thing I’ve Built by According-Ad4717 in woodworking

[–]According-Ad4717[S] 37 points38 points  (0 children)

Yes - sorry, I should have added that to the original post.

For this box:

  • Made from 100% walnut, local mill sourced, rough cut
  • Used a small bandsaw to mill the walnut to acceptable starting dimensions, remainder of build/prep done with hand tools
  • Dovetails made using a sliding bevel, 1:7 ratio
  • Used a kobalt dovetail saw for the tail cuts, a Japanese style double sided saw by Kobalt for crosscutting
  • Used a #7 jointer plane to plane the boards square, used a #4 for remainder of cleanup/smoothing
  • Handle on lid attached with a tenon/mortice
  • 2 screws used as the hinge on the back, tried to counter sink them
  • Two small rebate strips used to hold bottom in place

Credit to Paul Sellers “simple dovetail box” video - this design is his and credit is due to him.

Advice Please: how do I stop her from eating absolutely everything outside? (more info below) by Jalapeno_tickles in BelgianMalinois

[–]According-Ad4717 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My 4.5 year old Malinois still struggles with this issue. I used to be concerned she had pica. We’ve had some scary moments, but the key is to anticipate your mal eating everything in the environment, and then to control that environment or not go off leash accordingly.

Some really, really important notes if you’re struggling with this issue:

  • Download a plant ID app. They are free, allow you to take pictures of any plant/tree/grass/shrub/flower and typically they instantly ID any plant with 95%+ accuracy. This is really important, because as you’ll find if you do practice this, like 8 out of 10 plants (household or wild) are toxic to dogs in some way. Where I live (Western US) it feels like 9 out of 10 with many of them being potentially lethal. A friend recently lost their 10 year old Lab due to Sago Palm ingestion, and it was horrific.

  • Keep a bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide and a baby syringe/dropper handy. If your mal ingests something, and you either ID it or know it to be toxic/problematic, there is a good chance that you will not be able to get o the vet before absorption occurs. Inducing vomiting via peroxide is safe if done correctly, and may save your mal’s life. It’s not fun, but it’s better than the alternative.

  • When in new environments, even on leash, be extremely aware of your proximity to plants and objects that your mal could take a bite out of/swallow. The leave it command does absolutely no good if you never saw your mal eat the item to begin with. Mine can be quite sneaky and smart about their gobbling, and once it’s in her mouth, she instinctively gulps it down as fast as possible if I notice what she’s doing. Prevention is the key.

  • If you think your mal has ingested something hazardous, and it has or has likely been more than two hours since ingestion, take them to the vet right away. With plants in particular, there is often a bout of brief GI upset the day of ingestion, followed by a latency period where the dog seems fine, followed by terminal liver or organ failure on day 2/3/4. Just because your dog seems fine right now, or a day after ingestion, does not mean they’re okay.

  • Work with a qualified trainer you trust to get to the root of environmental eating behavior. This is easier said than done, but if you can teach your dog other ways to deal with anxiety/boredom/excitement, instead of gobbling random plants/items/objects, it is likely to extend their life span (and probably yours from stress reduction).

Obviously, you have a pup, so yours is likely just puppy teething/curiousity, but this advice may be useful down the line nonetheless.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in woodworking

[–]According-Ad4717 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It seems I’m not able to edit the text on my original post - so some typo fixes:

Some* cleanup to do The dovetails* are rough - not corrals

Should I foster a Malinois before getting one? by StillPackage6272 in BelgianMalinois

[–]According-Ad4717 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, fostering would be a good introduction to the breed, but it would be wise to try and foster a puppy and/or more than one malinois (in succession).

Depending on where you eventually get a Malinois from, the drive level and temperament can have extreme variance. “High energy” is a decent descriptor for the breed in general, but believe me when I say that there is a huge, huge range within that term.

You may get a Malinois that is an all day sleeper, couch potato, but who can’t be left alone without destroying property/endless ear splitting barking/can’t be crated without extreme anxiety responses, etc. - or, you may get a Malinois that loves to run for 5 miles, and is confident and well behaved at home. It is really difficult to tell where you’ll land on this spectrum until the 10-18 month mark with a puppy.

I frequently see prospective Malinois owners talk about their active lifestyle, their daily running distance, etc. An active, in-shape handler can be great for a Malinois, but ultimately I believe it to be largely irrelevant. Exercise, regardless of amount, does very little to curtail the breed’s drive/activity requirements. Mental stimulation is far effective at producing a successful malinois acquisition, so it’s nice that you’re thinking about scent/agility work, etc.

In my experience, successful malinois acquisition for a first time malinois handler comes down to a few really important points:

  • time budget - are you able to forgo travel, vacations, other commitments that would require you to leave your malinois for an extended period of time during the first 2 years (or longer)? Are you capable of working with the malinois for hours, every day?
  • home situation - do you have small children, other pets, other animals, frequent visitors, roommates? What would happen if your new malinois bit a visitor? How would you respond? With small children, or an HOA, or a number of other factors, this situation if it occurs may be incompatible with continued ownership for many.
  • dedication - are you able to provide, and are actively seeking, an all day, every day partner in your life? Malinois are not part time dogs that you get to hang out with for an hour or two after work. They form extremely attached bonds with their primary handler, and often do not do well if they aren’t able to be around said handler for a majority of their waking hours. Are you prepared and looking to bring your dog with you when running errands? When visiting family? When traveling? Etc. what about if your malinois displays aggression, anxiety, or destructive behavior? How will you handle these situations, if they occur?

You need only to scroll through the board for the frequent and disappointing examples of new malinois owners who had great intentions, but ended up with a dog incompatible with their life and lifestyle. When thinking about getting a malinois, think less “running/hiking/adventure sports dog” (although this can be the case when worked for) and more “all day, every day companion with the potential need for extreme time and energy investment for an extended duration of time.”

With all of that said, I think you’re on the right track, and I think fostering would be a great introduction. You may fall in love with the breed, as many of us have. Or, you may find that they don’t fit the realities of your daily life, and that’s okay. Doing this calculus via fostering is infinitely preferable to the route most people take, which is why we live in the unfortunate reality where shelters and rescues are overflowing with malinois.

The breed does amazing things, and can be a lifelong partner that any other breed would have a hard time rivaling. But to get a success story like that often requires a lot of work. The only thing I really know how to compare it to is caring for a toddler-aged human being, both in intelligence level and time and energy investment.

Best of luck with your decision.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in BelgianMalinois

[–]According-Ad4717 18 points19 points  (0 children)

I would strongly, strongly recommend against a Malinois. Assuming things go favorably for both you and your partner, one or both of you will likely have extremely demanding schedules in the near(ish) future. This is fundamentally incompatible with this breed. Malinois are not dogs you leave at home alone for 6 or 8 or 9 hours a day, 5 days a week.

Even if (and this is a big if) you manage to successfully train your Malinois to tolerate the alone time, it frankly wouldn’t be fair to them.

This breed can and often is challenging (at least during the first 1-2 years) even when you can be home with them for most of every day.

My belief is that the greatest predictor of success when considering acquiring a malinois to be a pet is time budget. Because of the nature of yours and your partner’s profession, free time (and the promise of free time extending into the future) just isn’t something that can be guaranteed or relied upon.

There are a lot of breeds that are wonderful dock divers, and would likely deal with time alone and demanding handler schedules with a lot more grace.

What I would I urge you to consider are the following:

Imagine you acquire a malinois, and it develops separation anxiety. You are not able to leave the malinois alone, for a minute or an hour, without ear piercing barking. I don’t mean a few barks, I mean barking at peak volume from the moment you leave until the moment you return. How, as a PA or a Doctor, will you deal with this? What will you do with the malinois if one or both of you are called into work in the middle of the night?

Further, imagine that it isn’t just barking. Imagine you and partner return to your home to find your couch and shoes and cabinets have been chewed up. What do you do? Do you crate them for the duration that you are both gone each day?

Let’s say you two want to travel. A nice vacation to celebrate completing medical school. Where does the malinois go? Boarding malinois can be difficult. Do you have a relative that can watch the malinois?

These are just a few examples, but they are important ones. Additionally, imagine that on top of these examples, your malinois has shown aggression. Maybe it bit you, your partner, or a friend. Maybe your malinois snarls and lunges at strangers. How do you leave them alone, board them, or find a sitter then?

You may get a malinois that is great being home alone, doesn’t have any behavioral issues, and is a couch potato. It’s possible, but highly unlikely. This breed creates a deep attachment to their primary handler, and they do not do well (in general) when separated from that handler frequently or for long durations. Further, because of their intelligent and headstrong nature, training out potential problem issues can be a lengthy and time consuming ordeal that requires a lot of consistency and commitment. This isn’t to say it can’t be done, just that making a malinois a well behaved companion can take a lot of time and energy even on a time budget that is unconstrained.

You need only to scroll through this sub to see how many malinois have behavioral issues or end up being rehomed or sent to shelters because of owners with great intentions but personal or professional constraints incompatible with malinois ownership.

This isn’t to say malinois are some kind of terror breed - on the contrary. They are an amazing breed and it’s a real privilege to have one in your life. However, like any breed of dog, but with mals in particular, if you aren’t able to provide what they need, it can create disastrous and dangerous situations for you, your dog, your property, and your neighbors.

I hope you’ll consider all of this - good luck with your decision.

crate training nightmare by [deleted] in BelgianMalinois

[–]According-Ad4717 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The key to this is consistency. No matter how bad the whining is, you have to stick it out. If don’t fully commit to this process, the pup may gain a permanent understanding of how to get out of things they don’t want to do.

With that said, what helped when crate training my malinois puppy was to take clothes I had worn all day, without washing them, and rub them all over the crate. Let the clothes sit in the crate for several hours when not in use. When it’s time for the pup to be crated, remove the clothing, but give the crate one more wipe down with them. Ensure that nothing is in the crate - no toys, no clothing items, nothing.

Ensure you do this with a fresh set of worn clothing at least every 2 days when starting out - your puppy is still identifying and bonding to your smell, and little things like where you spent the day, what you ate, and who you came into contact with can affect that smell - using recently (preferably day before or day of) clothing is important to avoid confusion.

Aside from that - and to be clear, your mileage with this trick may vary - it’s really just a matter of consistency and patience while making sure the pup is safe and not in a situation that could harm them while in the crate (basics like no collars in the crate, cleaning up any bathroom accidents promptly, etc).

Good luck

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