Sorry Alistair, slow brain today. Typed "Al... " and went from there.

So far as wood species envy, I heat my house with wood, though I do have a gas furnace and it assists. No hardwoods here in the West. Well, there is birch, but not easily gotten where I am. The best generally available are larch and Douglas fir, both at about 22M BTUs/cord. Good white and scarlet oak like I burned in Kentucky, or post oak and black jack like I burned in Oklahoma and Texas run 28M up to 32M BTUs/cord, and burn much cleaner than any conifer. In California there is oak, but not up here. Mesquite has even more heat, up around 35M BTUs per cord. I have only Ponderosa pine on my property, but trade it to wood vendors for larch and sometimes birch 2 to 1. That is about par for heat content.

mcneely

On Wed, Jul 5, 2017 at 2:50 PM, Alistair Bell <albell@shaw.ca> wrote:

> Hey Dave, > > I'm only Allison on the weekends. > > :-) > > Yeah, as a kid was always envious of the wood species on the east coast of > the us. Stuck with mostly conifers up here on the island. Yeah, some > exceptions but still... > > Alistair > > > > > On Jul 5, 2017, at 2:39 PM, David McNeely <davmcneely40@GMAIL.COM> > wrote: > > > > Allison, the gadget is of course, as you hinted on your blog, a third > > hand. So, when working on something on the van (or any vehicle, or > > anything ferrous that can't be gotten to a vice or clamp, just use this > to > > hold it in place against a ferrous background. The work item wouldn't > even > > need to be ferrous, if thin. Wood, plastic, non-ferrous metal, any could > > be held in place against a ferrous base. > > > > Regarding dogwood, excellent for walking sticks and for mallets. Gavels > > are typically dogwood. > > > > Another wood besides lignum vitae that sinks is Osage orange, also known > as > > bois d'arc, hedge apple, and horse apple. It also will not rot, and > many a > > house in the lower midwest and Texas is on bois d'arc posts rather than > > concrete piers. It was the favorite wood of Native Americans for bow > wood, > > hence the French name bois d'arc (arch wood). Woodworking tools are > ruined > > quickly trying to work it, however. > > > > mcneely > > > >> On Wed, Jul 5, 2017 at 2:01 PM, David Beierl <dbeierl@attglobal.net> > wrote: > >> > >> The cup provides a path for flux lines from backside of magnet to get to > >> the front, creating intense flux in the gap between them. > >> > >> Yrs, > >> d > >> > >>> On Wed, Jul 5, 2017 at 4:34 PM, Alistair Bell <albell@shaw.ca> wrote: > >>> > >>> Old shipwright gave me some scraps, wasn't from broken mallet. > >>> > >>> Yes, could use it for all those purposes, but isn't the primary use. > >>> > >>> The metal cup for the magnet I got from lee valley but must be > available > >>> from many places. Sized for the magnet and has countersunk hole for > >> screw. > >>> I think they now have a notch in the side so you can get the magnet out > >>> again. Pretty well impossible to pry the magnet out of my version. > >>> Supposedly the metal cup alters the magnetic lines of flux enhancing > the > >>> attraction on that side. > >>> > >>> Alistair > >>> > >>>> On Jul 5, 2017, at 1:18 PM, Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM> wrote: > >>>> > >>>> Very nice. Lignum vitae scraps? You must have had a woodcarving mallet > >>> come > >>>> apart on you. Also sticking notes, maps and such to the dash of a > >> diesel > >>>> vanagon! Where'd he get the magnet with the pocket on one side, or is > >>> that > >>>> just the way it appears? > >>>> > >>>> Jim > >>>> > >>>>> On Wed, Jul 5, 2017 at 3:03 PM Edward Maglott <emaglott3@gmail.com> > >>> wrote: > >>>>> > >>>>> to prop open a too loosely swinging vent window? > >>>>> > >>>>> Edward (who once made a much less attractive magnet with stick > glued > >>> on > >>>>> for this purpose.) > >>>>> > >>>>>> On Wed, Jul 5, 2017 at 3:57 PM, Alistair Bell <albell@shaw.ca> > >> wrote: > >>>>>> > >>>>>> This little gadget might be too small for Felder industries to > bother > >>>>>> with. It might be even considered silly, but it works. > >>>>>> But just having a magnet on a short handle is handy for finding > >> screws > >>>>> etc > >>>>>> dropped in the gravel or dirt. > >>>>>> > >>>>>> Most every van owner could use this, not saying many will, but they > >>> could > >>>>>> :-) > >>>>>> > >>>>>> https://shufti.blog/2017/07/05/vanagon-whats-this-gizmo-used-for/ > >>>>>> > >>>>>> Alistair > >>>>> > >>> > >> > >