Saturday, April 15, 2017



Have you ever saved anything and later when you went to use it, you found it did not work, fit, or was outdated?

About 35 years ago I bought a good table saw to use in my work. I bought some attachments, among them a ‘modern dado blade’, Craftsman, warranted for life. The dado blade is designed to make groves in lumber. It is versatile but I never found a use for it.


Sherry and I were taught a new to us game, it is called ‘Mexican Train’. I wanted something with ¼” grooves in it to hold the dominos.  The tool to do it awaited here in NC. A BRAND NEW (35 year old dado blade) in the original case. The first table saw wore out years ago.  So I set my NEWER table saw up in the yard. Removed the saw blade and slipped the brand new, never used Dado blade on the shaft. WHAT? The saw arbor (shaft) on my newer table saw is too short to use my dado blade. SHUCKS. (I did say a harsher ‘S’ word.)

My brand new dado blade is useless to me. I so carefully kept it for many years.  Anyway, setbacks in life happen. We work around or thru them. So I put three standard blades on my saw and made the cuts.  The little boards work like a charm, but I did want to use the simpler blade.


This is not the first time Keeping something did not work. I had a ‘nearly new pair of ‘Corfam’ (fake leather) inspection shoes when I left the military. I held those shoes for about 10 years, never wearing them. Then one day an occasion came to use them. They still looked new. When I put them on, they practically fell apart. The shiny surface cracked like glass and they actually disintegrated. 

There are times in life when things seem to last forever. I can remember when I thought my dad and mom would last forever, I couldn’t picture a world without them. But now for years they have only been sweet memories. They did not last forever. So, that lesson shows me that my sons will not always have their dad and mom. ‘Life’ is the only thing that has a real ‘lifetime’ warrantee, trouble is, IT’s LENGTH VARIES.

Nite Shipslog
 1982 Chrysler 5th avenue

7 comments:

Paula said...

We used to play what we called Mexican Dominoes when we had a senior center here. It was really fun. A guy was making those little do dads to hold all the trains while we played. He gave me one and someone borrowed it to make some and never gave it back. Then I found a little plastic one in a catalog and ordered one then the center closed up. Haven't played in years.

Mevely317 said...

Sorry! Not a few seconds into your second paragraph I was 'lost' and handed off my tablet to Tom. So ...

He chuckled when he saw your 'solution' to your dato-blade problem ... and said, he would have done exactly the same thing, by stacking several blades to get the thickness he wanted and the job would have been done even with your old saved (not to be used again) dato-blade. "Sometimes it doesn't pay to keep even memories that we may feel we might use again, only to find out they don't fit."

-- I've no idea (lol) what all that means. Happy Easter!

Jean said...

That reminds me I order a paint sprayer and the attachments over a year ago and they still in the box unused. If I can fine time I need to get it out and see if it will work. Lol. You and Sherry have a Happy Easter!

TARYTERRE said...

My husband got a kick of your solution. HAPPY EASTER.

betty said...

We went shopping today for some new work clothes for hubby. He bought a few ties and some shirts. I was amazed a tie cost as much as a shirt! I asked him if he had any old ties that I could take apart to see really how much fabric is in one (not much). He brought two ties out; one that was old and starting to show wear and another one that his parents had given him roughly 20 years ago that still had the price tag on. I asked him why he still kept it after those years and had never worn it. He did give a plausible explanation in that it was a bright loud tie and if there was an occasion he could have worn it with his parents celebrating something, he would have, but no such occasion came to be. Sometimes we do hold on to some things just in case; sounds like you did that with the shoes and the saw; even making the modifications you needed to, to achieve that which you wanted to create :)

betty

Lisa said...

According to the comments, Looks like you have all the men talking this morning. I even had to get Nick to explain the Dado blade.
Glad you found a solutuon though Id think it was not a safe one. But ya gotta do whatcha gotta do, right?

Have a blessed and Happy Easter!
Lisa

shirl72 said...

I am Jack's sister and I want you to know that my Brother is a genius. He does not like for me to say this but I am proud of him. He loves to read your comments on his Ship-log....He is a wonderful person and loved by everyone.