Friday, November 13, 2020 -- Manhattan Beach Pier - Havaianas...

Still cool but nice at the beach...

The surf's not too bad today...

Quite a few people out in the water

The VW Bus selling Havaianas (Brazilian rubber sandals) are back in the parking lot today.

 

Old & Rough Tool Case - part 31 -- Cleaning the corner protectors... Trying a light cleaning first

 I decided to not make the corner protectors too shiny.

It goes better with the overall condition of the tool case if it looked old but not too "scabby."

So, I tried just using steel wool on one of the front top corner protectors.  The one on the right has received some steel wool scrubbing.

It's still dark and looks old but the roughness of the corrosion is gone and now looks old but not too "scruffy."

I may do just a little more hand steel wool scrubbing but it's pretty close to the look I'm looking for...

Will do the same on the one on the right...

Tuesday, November 17, 2020 -- Manhattan Beach Pier - Foggy and wet...

As I reached about 1/2 miles from the beach, it started to be very foggy and wet!

The air was so wet that it made for a very cool/cold ride (wind chill when riding).

As I was riding, my glasses got covered with moisture and were difficult to see out of.

Had to lower them down and look over the glasses to be able to see where I'm going...

 

Bay Cities Italian Deli -- Santa Monica (On Lincoln, just south of Broadway)

CM was in the area after a hike and picked up some fresh bread and a sandwich (corned beef with the "works" and mild peppers).

Their bread is maybe the best in the area, baked constantly during the day.

Usually, when you pick up a loaf (or three) of bread, it's still warm from the oven.

The bread is the best when it's eaten when it's still warm!

 

March 1995 Issue -- Road & Track Magazine

In 1995, I bought a new Chevrolet S-10 extended-cab pickup.

I was working for GM and could get the company discount.

Also, at the time, GM had put out a new credit card with pretty generous points towards the purchase of a GM product.

I think I got several thousand dollars worth of points by the time I bought the S-10.

I wanted a dark purple color they had but couldn't find one at any of the local dealers.

So, I settled and bought a black one instead.

I chose the 4-cylinder version with a 5-speed manual.

I commuted in it for about a year.

With gentle driving, you could get about 27 MPG.

In that year, I had several problems (clutch rattle, dash lights going out, etc.).  The dealer near work was terrible.

Ended up going to one in Simi-valley just because of the better service.

I changed companies/jobs in 1996 and stopped driving the truck.  Several years later, I sold it to my gardener.

Overall, owning that truck was a bad experience & left a bad taste in my mouth...

Looks like an entertaining read...

Good looking car.

Poor quality & high repair costs...

Japanese tuners...

European tuners...

Six cars with 32-valve V8s...

Looks like the MB was the group's favorite...

A 540i with a 6-speed manual...

 

The newer Gerstner Tool Chest -- part 6 and Last - vacuuming the inside & Danish oil application

The backs of all the drawers are numbered by hand.

Some neat hand writing...

Model O-52.  Made in 1989.  I'm guessing B-119 is kind of like a serial number...

All the drawers before applying Danish oil.

The front lid's inner side wood will also get the Danish oil treatment.

There's a piece of felt like material at the back of the case where the smaller drawers go in.  I'm guessing to act as a cushion and a stop.

You can also see that there's a small glue bock to structurally reinforce the joint between the back of the case and the base of the top storage.

The spring loaded ball in this picture is to hold the front lid in the closed position (even without the locking pins engaged).

Debris inside the case...  Not too bad.  Just vacuumed it all out.

After vacuuming.

You can also see the round felt pad for the front lid to rest on when it's open and fully slid back in the stored position.

After applying the Danish oil.  Will let it sit about 30 minutes then wipe them down before putting them back in the case.

Applied the oil to the front lid inner surfaces...

Also applied oil to the fixes structure inside the case that's visible from the front, including the sides of the case that's visible.

After wiping everything down, reinstalled all the drawers.

In a day or two, the oil will be pretty much dry to the touch.

At some point, I may replace the green felt in the front lid but for now it's perfectly serviceable.

Done for now...

 

Thursday, November 12, 2020 -- A little bit overcast but not too cold...

It's windy today (a little more than usual).

Makes the riding harder...

I forgot to take water with me today.

Luckily, they were giving out Kombucha at the pier again.

They only had the Apple/Turmeric/Carrot/Spices version.

It tastes a little bit like medicine...

I needed the fluids so it worked out.

They put out Christmas trees along the pier.

Seems a little too much...

Glass jar.

Low fog/moisture over the ocean, looking at the Palos Verdes Peninsula...