eBay, the internet and the power of DIY

I was having trouble with my Kubota hydraulics system. The operation of the loader and power steering were slow and jerky, even at higher than normal RPM. 

It costs quite a bit to have my tractor hauled in to the dealer, so I took matters into my own hands. One thing I'd noticed was that a hydraulic return line was wet with fluid. So I went on google, was directed to a site in which others having the same troubles were seeking solutions. I found the name of the part thanks to the help of others, then found that part on eBay and received it in yesterday's mail shipped from Southeast Asia for less than half the price of having my tractor hauled into the shop. The real benefit is not in the cost savings but in the satisfaction of having fixed it myself.

In taking the hydraulic return line off I found a split that allowed air to be sucked in. Removing the old hose, and replacing it with the new one took a total of less than 10 minutes. Now the loader, 3 pt. hitch and power steering work like new... a they should with only 300 hours of use on my machine. 

This of course, may seem trivial in comparison to things that are happening in the world at this point. But real power comes from the balanced use of hands and mind. I write about this in my book, Wisdom of Our Hands: Crafting, a Life. 

whittling and listening

I've spent the morning listening to the supreme court hearing about presidential immunity, and at the same carving a rocking chair back. The carving it more satisfying. This is the second to near completion.

A couple questions come to my mind brought forth by the arguments. First the president is protected from violating the law, by being surrounded by lawyers whose advice he either accepts or rejects. When he rejects their advice he risks violation of the laws of the United States that his job is to protect. 

Secondly, if one was to agree with the argument of total immunity offered by Trump''s attorney, as crazy as it is, a president would have the right to ask his military to assassinate his political rival, if he had reason to do so. An example might be that his adversary is a clear threat to our democracy which many consider to be the case.

Make, fix and create.

MakerEd

I have an article in MakerEd published  today by my friend Dale Dougherty. You can read it here: https://open.substack.com/pub/makered/p/celebrating-friedrich-froebels-birthday?r=bil7r&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

It is a celebration of Froebel's 242nd birthday, his contributions and our need that education stop ignoring him.

Make, fix and create... 

carved rocking chair back

This is the first of 3. The textured background offers a soft focus.

Make, fix and create.  Assist others n living likewise    

                                                                                                                
 

Happy Birthday Mr. Froebel

Friedrich Froebel, inventor of Kindergarten was born on April 21, 1782 so if he were alive today, he would be 242 years old. His ideas, having grown out of favor are still young. In the early 1840's he was walking over the crest of a mountain pass with fellow educators and proclaimed, "Eureka! I know what to name my youngest child! Kindergarten!" A garden of children. It was a place in which children would be offered the right conditions for their growth, growing from patterns inherent within.

Gliedganzes was a term that Froebel combined from two German words glied meaning member and ganzes meaning whole. Advocates of progressive education talk about the education of the whole child... that education should not only be concerned with teaching a child to read and do math, but to also to become engaged as a creative member of society.

Froebel's odd word gliedganzes was devised to show simultaneous concern for both directions education must proceed at exactly the same time. Froebel's gifts were designed to illustrate this. For example, the gift number 3 consisting of a cube shaped box, containing a smaller cube composed of 8 small blocks illustrates that while each cube is complete in itself, it is also a member of a larger form, just as the child itself is a complete whole and is a member of  larger forms. 

The purpose of Kindergarten was to help children discover their own unique characters and capacities and simultaneously discover their interconnectedness with family, community, human culture and nature.  These may seem divergent, but are actually brought together in Froebel's concept, gliedganzes.

Happy Birthday Mr. Froebel.

You've not been completely forgotten. This video should be widely shared. https://youtu.be/qC91n3Yl80w

Use of Froebel's gifts

 This is worth watching.

Observe this

The New York Times published an article this morning referencing research by Kelly Lambert on the positive mental health effects of working with your hands.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/28/well/mind/hands-mindfulness-typing-writing.html?ugrp=u&unlocked_article_code=1.lU0.jH_T.T3I5pEcz28za&smid=url-share

If you try it, observe this. Take a stick and a knife and whittle. Note that each stroke of the knife offers evidence of effect. Cumulative observed effect provides evidence of your own power, even in such simple things, offsetting the sense of powerlessness that's associated with depression.

Before carving rocking chair backs, I lay out a simple pattern using a small template, then sketch in stems and leaves connecting. Quite simple. The finished carving will  require only 4 chisels.

Make, fix and create...

Rocking chair backs

I'm in the process  of making rocking chair backs. I used templates to create the symmetrical design, and then after cutting to shape using the band saw, used an angle grinder to smooth and further shape. I'll design the carving next.

If you've been following progress in my shop you'll see the new mini woodworking bench finding a good use.

Make, fix and create...