Modern Plane Irons

[Trafalgar]

I'm going to start a blog called "The Ugly Woodworker" with the subtitle "I've outlived my usefulness"

Probably the only thing I've written on a woodworking forum in years that all can agree on...

 

[Trafalgar]

Charles, you look exhausted. I feel for you. Perth in summer is dry but very hot (40 Centigrade most days mid December through February). My wife has been pushing me to get air con in the garage/workshop, which is sensible as it is difficult to last longer than a hour at a time before taking a break.

Your daughter is cute and gorgeous. You are a lucky man. That's what it is all about.

Oh, and the mantle looks excellent. I would like a close up.

Regards from Perth

Derek

The woodworking was the easy part. I did the tile too. It's some sort of special stuff my wife had made. Photos don't do it justice, it has a very low-key iridescent quality. I honestly can't remember what it's called but there is a term for it. Early dementia, I fear.

 

[Bluekingfisher]

Charles, you need to find a "cool" hobby for the summer months. We have the odd day in the UK when the temp hits the 80's, we even made it to the magical 100 about 15 years ago. How you can work in regular 105 degrees is beyond me.

My blood would literally be boiling in that heat and so things would be flying across the wshop, (with a few oaths thrown in for good measure) not an enjoyable experience...................and then to go for a run :?: :wink:

 

[Trafalgar]

I did a lot less this summer than I usually do. The heat has broken here, will be below 90* for the next several days so I plan to get busy again.

I may be in a position to build a small shop over the next several months which will definitely be air conditioned!

 

[Bluekingfisher]

I did a lot less this summer than I usually do. The heat has broken here, will be below 90* for the next several days so I plan to get busy again.

I may be in a position to build a small shop over the next several months which will definitely be air conditioned!

....................You consider 90* tolerable?

Mind you, I sweat in a hail storm

 

[Trafalgar]

Yep.

We usually have four to six weeks of weather with heat indexes over 100* which usually means the temp is at least 95* We have had summers with over 20 days temps at or over 100* and the heat indexes at 110* or higher. People die here from the heat. During these bad heat spells the lows for the day were 80* to 85*

The winters here feel very cold too because of the high humidity. Memphis has higher humidity and more rainfall (54"a year on average) than most places in Great Britain.

You cannot imagine what it feels like to have a rainshower in the middle of the day then the temp climbs back up into the high 90s. Stifling doesn't begin to describe it.

I usually just go in and fix a gin and tonic or a big glass of white wine and say to hell with it.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

54" p. a. ? Desert conditions.

 

[Jacob]

54" p. a. ? Desert conditions.

Here yer go http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/ ... ualmonthly

 

[Bluekingfisher]

Wow - Do you ever have nice weather in TN? seems like if you are not stewing, you are developing webbed feet.

Perhaps it's something you can acclimatise to? at least you have the right remedy .......served and drunk from a tall glass.

 

[Sgian Dubh]

You cannot imagine what it feels like to have a rainshower in the middle of the day then the temp climbs back up into the high 90s. Stifling doesn't begin to describe it.

I don't need to imagine it. Ten years of living in Houston, Texas gave me a pretty good idea of how challenging it can be to work in high heat and humidity. April to October/ November were hellish: October to March usually pretty pleasant. I haven't missed the Houston summer weather at all now that I'm living back in the UK, but I do sometimes miss the vibrant arts and crafts scenes, the frequent dynamism people displayed in their ventures, and the similarly frequent generosity of people's spirit. Slainte.

 

[Trafalgar]

Fall can be really gorgeous, some days in spring too but it heats up pretty quickly.

Houston is as bad or worse though I think Memphis' raw temps in summer are hotter because we're landlocked.

Cotton grows well and so do mosquitoes.

 

[D_W]

Been to houston exactly once, the woodlands at a training conference. It was 101, 100, 99, 101, 103 while I was there. The dewpoint was in the low 80s, which is extremely uncommon, even for houston. It was awful. Driving range with premium loaner clubs was complimentary (better clubs than I'd ever buy), and the heat caused me to become sick after hitting balls for about 45 minutes.

They had attendants driving carts around looking for people who couldn't handle the heat.

Air conditioning in the hotels was a dry 78 degrees. I've never felt such a cold sensation at 78 degrees.

Meanwhile there were plenty of men from south of the border working construction outside of the hotel in jeans, boots, hard hats and long sleeve shirts. I admired their toughness and heat tolerance.

In my youth, I worked many days outside in the mid to high 90s with high humidity, some farm work (and much hotter than that in the barn) and some contract mowing government land (a lot of that work was on foot). Something happens once you're in an office for a while, those things seem impossible without substantial breaks (we took breaks no more often than every two hours on any of those jobs).

 

[Bluekingfisher]

My sister lived in the States (VA) for 4 years while her husband was seconded with the military. Although she thoroughly enjoyed her time out there the two issues which she considered uncomfortable and precluded a permanent stay was, 1. The prolonged heat and 2. Unbelievably high health insurance costs.

Perhaps the NHS isn't that bad afterall?

David

 

[MIGNAL]

The US spends about 17 % of it's GDP. on health. The UK around 9.5%, a little lower than that economic powerhouse known as Portugal!

 

[Bluekingfisher]

The US spends about 17 % of it's GDP. on health. The UK around 9.5%, a little lower than that economic powerhouse known as Portugal!

Surely not a snipe at our beloved institution?

 

[MIGNAL]

No. Just giving the stats on health spending and counteracting the notion that we spend huge amounts on health. We do but so does everyone else!

 

[Bluekingfisher]

Totally in agreement, however the point I was highlighting was the additional and high cost of health care in the States for those willing or able to pay for it which is of course voluntary. However, I am sure we have all (at least in the UK) heard one or two horror stories of the often huge fees for medical care in the US.

For example, my wife many years ago while a student came down with an almost fatal illness while on holiday in the US (just bad luck and nothing to do with the US I might add). The illness was so serious she had to be flown to another part of the States to undergo the treatment. While lying on a gurney on the runway in a state of delerium she can only recall waiting for a period of time while the authorities established the level of her health insurance cover. God only knows how it would have turned out had she not had the foresight to ensure all her correspondence were in order.

I also have a good friend in IA, he once wrote to tell me he had considered himself lucky, he managed to acquire two hearing aids ( two for the price of one) for $7K. bargain!

Charles (if he has an interest) may be able to outline the situation re health care costs in the US.

Our system is not perfect partly because it has far out grown the initial plan and needs to be revamped for it to continue, IMOHO.

David

 

[D_W]

My sister lived in the States (VA) for 4 years while her husband was seconded with the military. Although she thoroughly enjoyed her time out there the two issues which she considered uncomfortable and precluded a permanent stay was, 1. The prolonged heat and 2. Unbelievably high health insurance costs.

Perhaps the NHS isn't that bad afterall?

David

If you're in an urban area and you need advanced care, our system is better than most national systems. If you need routine work done and you want it done with parsimony, it's not so good for that, and I'm sure that it's regular practice in the US for - especially specialists - to review insurance coverages and let the work follow the money trail.

I'm not that big of a frequenter of health care, I'd personally rather have a lower cost system and allow people to pay out of pocket if they want care above and beyond the standardized level. If you can't pay in the US and are destitute, you'll eventually get care (perhaps sooner that eventually implies), but you have to jump through hoops to get it. If you have assets and no coverage and you get sick, you'll soon have no assets. Point being ducking in and out of the job market if you'd like is a much more difficult thing here because coverage is usually attached to your job.

 

[D_W]

For example, my wife many years ago while a student came down with an almost fatal illness while on holiday in the US (just bad luck and nothing to do with the US I might add). The illness was so serious she had to be flown to another part of the States to undergo the treatment. While lying on a gurney on the runway in a state of delerium she can only recall waiting for a period of time while the authorities established the level of her health insurance cover. God only knows how it would have turned out had she not had the foresight to ensure all her correspondence were in order.

There are definitely instances where the amount of care provided is dependent on whether or not there is insurance coverage. My daughter fell down the steps at her grandparents' house while we were visiting there and got concussed. When we took her to the emergency room, she was nearly fine by then, but they wanted to examine her. I heard the nurses say the same thing "they said to keep her two more hours if she has coverage, otherwise send them home".

There was fairly little activity in the ER that day, and ER coverage is something in the states that we have at a fairly low cost - it's what happens after the initial emergency is over that costs money. They scanned my daughter's head, at the last second, with a portable x ray device or something that looked like a notebook computer. I thought, is that really necessary? Sure enough, when I got the bill, they charged us $700 for the scan, which they are only supposed to do if it's non-emergency care. Insurance was going to pay for it, but I fought it anyway, on principle. The hospital said that they scanned my daughter twice, once in emergency and once as an inpatient, but they didn't do that, and they eventually relented. I think most people would allow the charge to go through, and that's part of the problem here - that kind of stuff happens most of the time and the bills can be difficult to remember by the time you get them.

 

[D_W]

Our system is not perfect partly because it has far out grown the initial plan and needs to be revamped for it to continue, IMOHO.

Seems to be the case for many. Ours (in the US) certainly. It's grown on its own like a weedy garden, and nobody ever trimmed out the undesirable parts.