Getting my Russian shop set up

[jdurand]

Well, when we moved in we knew we were near where the west backed guys were trying to exterminate the local population. We even helped some escaped people with clothes, medicine, etc.

We just didn't expect our governor to take such a dislike for Americans. A case where going on an extended vacation is prudent.

[jdurand]

It's been some time since I posted an update. The SMO tossed a wrench (metric adjustable) into our plans.

Our business visa was running out and with the SMO on and us holding USA passports, well... NO VISA FOR YOU (right now). We have a second citizenship from a neutral country so we can stay visa-free for 90 days at a time, but then have to leave for 90 days. We're currently home now.

Places we've been so far: Istanbul, Turkiye; Cape Town, South Africa; Uzbekistan; Armenia (we left the day before the recent events).

Anyway, things have cooled enough that we can talk about stuff publically, so we have two interviews coming up and I started a Telegram channel where I'm giving an abbreviated (but still long) account of the ongoing saga. I'm currently up to July, 2018. If anyone is interested in following it, here's the link:

https://t.me/Becoming_Russians

Anyway, currently up to neck is getting some house stuff done before winter. Also have to fix an installation issue with our downstairs shower. It's a good thing we learned how to "shower" in a tub with no shower walls or curtain when we were in Armenia. Our upstairs tub is hooked up but just freestanding. We need to level the floor and install it... later.

I'm also working on two electronics projects, one for a customer in San Diego and one for a product our company will sell.

So, anyway, I'm still alive, just not getting things done as fast as I'd like.

Be well everyone, and keep making chips.

[jdurand]

Life has been... hectic... since that event just to the west of us started 2 years ago.

Anyway, we've been working on finishing our house as we can. Currently we're building arbors for 18 grape vines and I needed a clamp to hold 4mm wire against 12mm bar during assembly.

As you know, most clamps have flat faces and don't do well with round on round.

So, we went browsing hardware stores and bought some cheap C clamps that I modified. It went something like this...

Cut some scrap 6mm bar into short pieces, use a drill bit as a spacer and clamp them in the C clamp.


Remove drill bit and prepare to weld


Weld (20 amps with 0,8mm FCAW)


Done


Build arbors




There will be some cross braces added to these, we just haven't cut the material for that yet.

[Toolmaker51]

Great solution.
I certainly would have overthought this and made a handful of little v-blocks, and been short a 3rd hand to use them.

[jdurand]

I forgot to show the clamp in action! Duh!

[Jon]

Thanks jdurand! We've added your Round Stock Clamp to our Clamps category,
as well as to your builder page: jdurand's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Round Stock Clamp by jdurand

tags: C-clamp, clamp