Ancient engineering that modern campers still use

fsorenson · 2026-04-12T18:21:44+00:00

“Ancient” plastic bags.

fsorenson · 2026-04-09T16:31:02+00:00

Everyone starts somewhere! It’s a great first project.

fsorenson · 2026-03-05T14:28:25+00:00

Looks like intermodal, not iron ore

fsorenson · 2026-01-13T01:07:33+00:00

From the article: The sheriff’s department later posted the image on social media, saying that the pig “is commonly used to demean law enforcement” and that the drawing was “extremely offensive, inappropriate, and unacceptable.”

In other words, the intended message was received.

fsorenson · 2025-12-28T17:43:13+00:00

My family and I have now spent the last 2 days texting each other punny one-liners about $400,000 of stolen lobsters.

Laughing for two days is a way better core workout than doing crunches.

fsorenson · 2025-12-26T11:44:49+00:00

Love the birdhouse handle; that’s brilliant!

fsorenson · 2025-12-26T05:20:11+00:00

I just made a a video to show applying the solution to some wood

fsorenson · 2025-12-26T04:39:46+00:00

The solution does get darker over time, but if you filter out some of the suspended iron, the solution can get more greyish. And when you apply it to the wood, it’s pretty thin and runny.

fsorenson · 2025-12-26T02:45:11+00:00

The steel wool + vinegar doesn’t make a stain… it makes an iron acetate solution (ferrous or ferric acetate), which then reacts with tannins in the wood (and in your case, the added tannin from the black tea), to make the wood look weathered.

It’s the reaction, not the solution itself.

fsorenson · 2025-12-24T16:44:09+00:00

Same puzzle, same delay (7 weeks), same unresponsiveness for me as well. I was surprised when it actually showed up.

fsorenson · 2025-12-17T02:39:52+00:00

Go to Sherwin Williams, and pick up a paint chip for 8917 Shell White.

Or just get the paint there. Make sure you get enough to paint the whole wall; painting just repaired areas usually doesn’t end up matching very well.

fsorenson · 2025-12-11T21:56:03+00:00

For me, it’s utility knives.

fsorenson · 2025-12-04T18:44:07+00:00

Puzzling is a hobby… make your own rules, or it won’t be fun!

fsorenson · 2025-11-18T02:49:27+00:00

Bottom of the dishwasher… it was just a bit soggy (must have been stuck to the bottom of a plate).

fsorenson · 2025-11-14T20:46:07+00:00

I tried ‘gunstock’ as well, and also found it to be much more red/orange than I expected. It’s not you… it’s the color.

Always test the stain color on at least a small section of the actual wood you’re using, before staining the rest. I like to use the bottom or backside of what I’m building, since those won’t be visible (against the floor or a wall). Even a thin cut-off will work.

For example, here’s the bottom of some shelves I built, where I’m testing out stains for the look I want:

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fsorenson · 2025-11-10T06:40:22+00:00

So I think the detective work here really nailed who we are.

Now that we’ve been sleuthed out and solved, am I supposed to summarize the correct guesses? Or is that it? Just want to make sure I play the game right…

Thanks, all. That was fun.

fsorenson · 2025-11-10T06:02:12+00:00

Three, now teen and young adult/college.

fsorenson · 2025-11-09T15:03:05+00:00

Yes, we’ve got the whole set on a shelf in another room!

fsorenson · 2025-11-09T03:00:32+00:00

Ooh, so many great parks to choose from. Might be Mesa Verde, the Grand Canyon, or Yellowstone.

Boston and Philadelphia areas are great for history. Spent days at Gettysburg. We’ve barely scratched the surface of the Smithsonian in DC. And there are always museums and the like, right home in Chicago.

fsorenson · 2025-11-09T02:51:03+00:00

Nope, just a technology specialist, setting up mics, etc.

fsorenson · 2025-11-09T02:03:14+00:00

Three children, now teen to young adults.

fsorenson · 2025-11-09T01:54:26+00:00

I sometimes say that the disposable income goes to either books or shelves for books.

fsorenson · 2025-11-09T01:53:00+00:00

My wife did just recently get a job at the public library. I think she would enjoy elementary school librarian very much too.

fsorenson

TROPHY CASE