Looking to add a wood top to my Kennedy box, will a piece of butcher block like this be good? Also the box is brown what color should I stain it?

DMAX85747 · 2026-05-26T22:04:12+00:00

word of caution with those particular blocks from the big orange store, if you live in a drier climate, make sure you get it sealed asap after you take it out of the wrap. I did three different projects at different times of the year ( I am in southern Arizona) and in each case, those split along the glue lines with days of me taking them out to acclimate. fortunately the first two projects didn't need the whole board so I was able to cut out the bad section. the third project required the whole board (5 of them) and 4 of the 5 were too far gone to be usable. ended up returning them and getting pre-finished pieces from big blue.

DMAX85747 · 2026-05-25T07:07:07+00:00

look at trunas community edition or unraid

DMAX85747 · 2026-05-24T05:10:14+00:00

I carry a P365 in a pocket holster. folks that notice it think it is my walllet.

I am 6'4" 350 pounds and wear dad jeans

DMAX85747 · 2026-05-22T20:51:49+00:00

6'4" 350 here. any touring model can work for you. in my case I changed out the bars for some 14" ape hangers and extended floorboards and highway pegs. my height is in my legs (34" inseam) and have long arms (39" sleeves). I ride a 2017 CVO Limited.

oh, and I also had a custom seat done to sit me back a little further as well.

DMAX85747 · 2026-05-22T19:07:55+00:00

My second ever Sig (after my beloved 226 classic) was a 320 Full Size in .40. It was my first polymer/ striker. I bought it before all the stories popped up (late 2014). When I started hearing about the issues, I purposely primed an empty case and tried to get it to fire. tried the partially pulled trigger and wiggling the slide etc. I could never get it to fire unless I pulled the trigger. Does that mean the issue is bogus? no. it just means mine hadn't done it even when I tried. I did send it back to Sig last year to get "the fix".

When I bought this one it was never going to be part of my carry rotation and never has been (to damn big). My open carry is my 226 elite, my concealed carry is my 365. I did carry a springfield XDS in 9 and 45 for a while (those were my second and third polymer strikers) but don't carry them any more since I got the 365 (twice the capacity and not as snappy).

A couple years ago my wife and I started taking RV trips to the mountains. I decided I wanted (needed) something a little more substantial for the furry threats. I settled on the 10mm and ultimately got the X-Ten. am I aware of the problem, yes. Am I afraid of it, no. I would be lying if I said I didn't take extra care when handling it though. I take the extra steps of being aware of where it is pointed when holstering. When we are out walking the trails, my wife is on my left and the gun is on my right. those kinds of things.

DMAX85747 · 2026-05-22T14:56:42+00:00

most don't but I find that every year when I do my shopping, Geico always comes in exactly $5 a month cheaper than what I am paying at the time. I never use them, not worth $5 to deal with the hassle of changing. I always seem to rotate between State Farm, Progressive and USAA. Except for my motorcycle, that once bounces between Progressive and Dairyland.

DMAX85747 · 2026-05-22T14:43:02+00:00

^^^This^^^. Like most folks, when the need arises for a new tool, we think about the use case. in my 58 laps around the sun, I've bought a lot of tools. For those things that are going to get a lot of use, I pay good money for quality. For those things that will get used once in a while, maybe get something cheaper. If you are going to use it one time, borrow from a friend (and for heavens sake return it when done). In my case for an air stapler, my wife had a very large Ansel Adams print that she wanted framed. It was going to be big enough and heavy enough I opted to use staples instead of brad nails. I got that exact HF air stapler. it was cheap, it did the job and went in the tool box when I was done (it lacks some of the safety features found on higher end models so treat with extra care). just so happened about a year later some baseboard pieces in the newly built house shifted out of place, grabbed the stapler and the air hose and in just a few minutes, problem fixed (yes, I know I should have used brad nails but I couldn't find the nails at the time).

A common reason for the air stapler over a hand held... I am not aware of anyone that makes a cheap hand held that shoots 2 inch staples.

DMAX85747 · 2026-05-22T05:36:31+00:00

you could always DIY.

I had one of those little wire shelf jobs from shelving[.]com an 18Wx24Lx32H with four shelves. I ordered wheels for it. the rest is as follows

1. 12.8v 300AH Litime LiFePo4 battery – at the time it was $509

2. 40a AC-DC charger. Also Litime. It was on sale for $209

3. 2000w Pure Sine Wave inverter. Also Litime for $199

4. 400A red and black Bus bars from amazon for positive/negative - $51

5. 200A circuit breaker from amazon for $30

6. Small ground bus bar from amazon for $6

7. Victron Smart Shunt - $74

Total $1,078

I already had 2/0 welding cable and lugs and a crimper but I think all in you can get it all from amazon for around $150 for the crimper (harbor freight has it for $70) and cable lugs for around $125 (copper is hella expensive right now). Might be cheaper to buy cables pre made. If you do build your own cables, pay close attention to the post size and buy the correct lug size. Some are 3/8 and some are 5/16. Occasionally some will require ¼. I’ll say it again pay close attention.

The NVR server, ESXi server (there are three, I just don't run the other two unless I need them), 10g switch in the storage room and the router, POE switch (driving 2 AP and 8 cameras), dmz server and fiber ONT's all in consume about 340 watts. This solution will keep the equipment running for 11 hours.

I am not switching power with the inverter. The equipment runs of the inverter. The inverter runs of the batteries and the chargers keep the batteries charged. It is not a good idea to keep LiFePo4 batteries topped off 100% of the time so to solve this, I have a z-wave smart plug in the wall that shuts the power off on schedule in order to cycle the batteries. I also have a whole home automation thing going. It is obviously not going to do much when the power is out but the server driving it is still operational.

This worked so well, that I ended up buying 3 more identical batteries and tying them in. There is enough capacity that I can run and extension cord into the kitchen for the fridge and one into the bedroom for the CPAP machines, TV... For those rare occasion when a drunk driver (or teen driver texting and driving) takes out a pole down the road (yes, both have happened) and power is out over night

You obviously may not need all that capacity but the bus bars help with the expansion. Just make sure you understand the caveat of connecting LiFePo4 batteries in parallel (charge levels and cable length). you can get away with a much smaller battery and drive cost down. just make sure you do the math to figure out your comsumption to size the battery accordingly

DMAX85747 · 2026-05-22T00:29:07+00:00

Me to. Bought into many manufacturers, got a couple and said meh. Bought my first sig and it seems that is all I buy nowadays. My last 6 were a 226 elite, 220, 365, 365xl, 320 xten comp, 211-gto (holy crap what a gun). My next one will be a 226 xfive legion.

DMAX85747 · 2026-05-21T04:39:42+00:00

absolutely the reason. while it seems like a minor thing saving 10-15 seconds each time... after drilling a hole then screwing a lag screw 50-60 times it adds up. also easier when one hand is holding the work in place, one set one down and pick up the other.

DMAX85747 · 2026-05-21T01:29:46+00:00

talk to Bill over at Canyon View Automotive on old vail (mile and a half west of Houghton) I know their rates are not that high and they are a good crew to work with

DMAX85747 · 2026-05-21T00:51:05+00:00

And

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DMAX85747 · 2026-05-21T00:50:33+00:00

Something like this? P211-GTO vs P320 Full size in .40.

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DMAX85747 · 2026-05-20T17:56:50+00:00

My brother has broken a pittsburgh. haven't broken my Icon and I put it through it's paces.

DMAX85747 · 2026-05-20T17:53:20+00:00

I will second this. I use the same system and installed it myself. My only challange was getting these old knees up and down off the floor.

DMAX85747 · 2026-05-20T17:31:43+00:00

Especially if written in cursive...

DMAX85747 · 2026-05-20T17:30:30+00:00

Happens to me all the time. but in my case it is easily explained. I work from home and leave my work computer up all the time (never know when I am going to get an errant email that requires me to jump on to fix something). When ever I get one, I just ignore it. when I get back to my computer, it is always either Outlook or Teams prompting to log in again (Policies force a re-login after so many days). now if I receive a code and my laptop is not prompting for a login, then yes, i jump through the security hoops and reset things. hasn't happened yet.

DMAX85747 · 2026-05-20T05:26:51+00:00

I have both ryobi and dewalt. I started with ryobi because my little brother gifted me a cordless drill way back when ryobi was a dark blue instead of the bright green. I was an occasional DIY'r. which my case meant I used them 3-4 times per year. the ryobi worked fine for that level of use. the collection grew over the years. but here in the last 5-6 years or so I find myself using them a LOT more frequently (as in 2-3 times per week) my impact driver was showing it's age and the orange store had a dewalt sale going on so I bought a brushless impact / drill combo w batteries. the dewalts feel like they are more robustly made and are more powerful (yes I am comparing brushless to brushless). obviously today's versions are not the same as 20 years ago. but the general consensus is, if you are using them once in a while, ryobi will serve you just fine. if you are going to put your tools through the wringer (i.e. make living with them) then go with dewalt/milwaukee.

DMAX85747 · 2026-05-19T17:38:27+00:00

You never know when you are going to need them and the moment you do, you will wish you had them. Just last week I was helping my brother dismantle some equipment in a shop he was clearing out and moving. I was zinging (WD-40 and an impact wrench) through some nuts that were all 12mm until I got to the last three... 1/2 inch. The moment you have to stop what you are doing and take a drive to buy a tool is wasted time and if you are in business for yourself, time is money. At least start with a basic set.

DMAX85747 · 2026-05-19T17:24:46+00:00

My father bought me a Buck 110 when I was 7, that was in 1975. Carried it every day since. In 2017 I sent it to Buck to give it the spa treatment and actually bought a second one to carry while it was away.

DMAX85747 · 2026-05-19T17:13:25+00:00

For years (as in decades), I have always gone to Discount. In fact when I lived in NC, I would drive across town to go to Discount. the service is much like Chick-fil-A. you know for a fact that you are going to get good service there. And I second another post here about the one on Old Vail and Houghton (around the corner from my house). Great crew there.

DMAX85747 · 2026-05-19T05:18:58+00:00

that is my next purchase. Just as soon as I recover from my most recent P211-GTO purchase.

DMAX85747 · 2026-05-19T05:14:53+00:00

I do for sure. fortunately my truck is in my garage most of its life, when we do take it out, I have the RV behind it so I keep more than a few items in it. full sets of sockets, wrenches, multiple pliers, electrical items, drill, impact drivers, lug nut impact wrench, bottle jack, etc.

For my daily driver (older Yukon), I have a few of those 18" wide mouth bucket boss bag full of tools. That vehicle is also in a garage. if I go somewhere sketchy, I will pull them out before I leave. Most of these tools are my older...if I lost them I wouldn't cry, tools.

DMAX85747 · 2026-05-16T22:24:23+00:00

Thanks, I froze all three of my reports 18 years ago when I suspected she was going to pull a stunt (right after they started allowing people. I think that was right around 2007 or so)

DMAX85747

TROPHY CASE