First page of the Germany archive.

Square peg in round hole – what to do?

Posted by bedhead on July 14, 2015 with No Commentsas , , , , , , , , , , ,

I know the title may not represent the subject of this article exactly, but it’s sure awfully close. During my stay in Germany, I helped move some furniture into an old Bahnhof (train station in german), and we were successful with some, but not all.

Many of the old Bahnhofs were built with external stairs, as the only real means for gaining access to the upper floors. In the Bahnhof we were dealing with, these external stairs were in the form of an old castle’s spiral staircase, with the conical roof and all. For anyone who hasn’t ever dealt with a spiral staircase, and moving furniture, there are certain limiting factors. But unlike some of the more current spiral staircases, there wasn’t any open area on the sides, that we could use to let the oversized furniture hang out.

The stairwell is highlighted with a green rectangle, and a red arrow added to help find it better.

The stairwell is highlighted with a green rectangle, and a red arrow added to help find it better.

My daughter and I found a way to coax a full-size box spring for a bed, up through the circular maze, even though it initially acted as if it wouldn’t fit. When it came time for the Queen sized box spring, we knew there just wasn’t enough room, with the contortions we went through on the smaller full-size unit. We still had a go at it, just in case, but it was obviously too large. No matter what we tried, even leaning on the frame in a manner that sounded like we almost broke it in half, were we able to make it go. After the remainder of the furniture was upstairs, and got our wind back, I made a suggestion. Why don’t we just take the box spring apart, and then I can rebuild it again upstairs. My daughter did a quick search and found there was a Queen-sized unit that evidently folded in some manner, to assist fitting through smaller dimensions, but it certainly wasn’t free! The decision was made, so I grabbed all of the tools and headed back down. I’d never taken a box spring apart before, and really not even peaked under the coverings, but I figured it couldn’t be that bad. (Hmmmm)

Even with the longer days in this part of Germany (~4:15am – 10:30pm), after the decision process, we were already getting fairly late in the day. I used my heavy duty Bosch staple remover that I bought at the same time as the Gransfors Bruks axe in my earlier article, and it was sturdy enough to help pull the lighter staples used to attach the material, but the longer staples used to connect wood members were too much. Even so, we shifted away from the slow and exacting tac (read that as methodically pulling each staple around the perimeter, to release the material, and instead cutting just inside the staples), and shifted to the “let’s get this done, before any sound ordinances kick in” approach.

Bosch heavy duty staple remover, with the black handle and extra strong metal bit. Awesome!

Bosch heavy duty staple remover, with the black handle and extra strong metal bit. Awesome!

After almost all of the covering was removed, we started the de-construction process, which was basically pulling apart what we could and using a hammer to “bash” the rest apart. During this process, we tested at multiple stages to see if removing certain parts  might allow it to go through the stairwell. After the second attempt ended again in failure, I knew we had to take it down to individual boards. After we finally finished, we got everything upstairs and we all wiped out.

As some of you might be thinking, I was aware that the same issues would present themselves in the future, when it was time to move from this location. With this in mind, we found a hardware store, and I bought 125 Torx screws that were approximately 1 1/2″ long. I wanted it long enough to solidly connect two of the thickest boards (just over 3/4″ thick) used in the box springs. When initially planning for the screws, I thought 60 or so would do, but opted to double that number when at the store. I just didn’t want to come up short. To my surprise (and relief), even with this doubling of the screw count, I only had 8 unused at the end of the re-build.

While getting the screws, I bought a wireless drill/driver and a few drill bits. I made sure there was a bit that would allow me to drill a pilot hole through each board that would be the “outer” of two joined, to keep these self-biting screws from potentially biting into both pieces, and ultimately holding them apart. During the initial testing at the Bahnhof, I saw just how poorly some drill bits are made, and while I knew this on some level from using drills all of my life, I was somewhat surprised at what happened in the first hole I drilled in the real project.

Two of the boards that run across the end of the box spring, still had a strip of the thicker fabric attached, that the maker used to make the top side durable and I suppose pretty. When the drill bit exited the back of one of these boards, the bit caught in this fabric, and snapped into three pieces! I really couldn’t believe what just happened! (Reminder to always wear your safety glasses, which my polycarbonate sunglasses served the purpose!) There were times in my previous wood/metal drilling, that I’ve made a dumb mistake, and caused a bit to fail, but never anything like this. I wasn’t applying any side forces, or trying to change the entry angle, to make it a right angle or anything like that. So, with that in mind, you can imagine how cautious I was with the remaining 116 or so holes I needed to drill. Fortunately, the next larger size was still small enough so the head wouldn’t pull through the wood, when tightened.

Now let me go back to where I was going with this article. Since our deconstruction process took on a “go, go, go” attitude to meet the sound ordinance, almost all of the staples (long and short) were still in some of the boards. Some of the long staples were driven so their head was almost 1/8″ below the surface. I used a small hammer on each of the legs, to drive it out far enough, so I could grab the head with vise-grips. Even with the staple’s head now protruding, it still took a fair amount of time and effort to get each staple all the way out. The short staples used to hold down the fabric were much easier, and felt like they just jumped out, compared to the heavy-duty long-legged staples.

The staple pulling went on for a couple of days, using the spare time between all other activities, and I could see I was likely to run out of time, if I tried to get every single staple out. Plan B: I looked at all of the boards, and where they would interact with the others, and on most of them there was enough room for two screws, around the existing staples. So, for these that had enough extra room, the staples stayed, but I broke the long legs off flush with the underside of each board. If there was anything still protruding, I just gave it a quick tap with the hammer. If it happened to lift above the surface, I pulled it out, and all was good.

When I started the actual build, I placed each board in it’s position, and marked for the pilot holes I’d drill on the outside board. While marking the placement of these holes, I also visually aligned the boards so they were either square, or parallel, depending on which I referenced. I didn’t have a square, and I know I could have made one using mathematics, but the eye be pretty darned precise once trained. I also had the side benefit of the original staples’ holes, and it looked like they might have sprayed the unit with a wood sealer, after it was built. There was a very light color difference showing how things overlapped each other, but I had to remember that each board may have been in a different location, since they seemed interchangeable enough to not spend the extra time during the de-construction. When I was working with the longer boards, I lightly drove one screw at each end, to keep the intended shape, and once happy, sank them tight. Only after that, did I install any of the screws along the length. It is too easy to pull parts out of alignment, even if by just a little bit, so that the whole doesn’t look right or just won’t go together.

Box Spring partially re-built, but already very rigid and strong.

Box Spring partially re-built, but already very rigid and strong.

Each connection got two screws, and for the most part, I used my left hand as my vise. It wasn’t until fairly deep in the build that my Son-in-law asked if I wanted to use a specific tool to clamp some pieces while I drilled. This tool is somewhat like a vise-grip, but it has a jaw that can move into four positions, allowing for holding parts from thin to very thick. Doh! There were a couple of connections where the board wasn’t quite as flat as would be ideal, so I did use this “clamp” to keep things from moving. Great idea Scott!

These grips have a lower jaw that can fit into any of the four grooves, and has a wide range of holding.

These grips have a lower jaw that can fit into any of the four grooves, and has a wide range of holding.

During the de-construction, there were a couple of boards that either lost a little integrity, or bit the big one. Really the nature of the beast when trying to get something apart, that was never truly intended to come apart. One specific board, was one of the four long main frame boards, and a 1/4″ section of wood stayed under the staple after the board was removed. This board had a curve cut on each end, so the box spring didn’t have a sharp corner. After looking at it for a bit, I flipped it over, and end for end. This gave me enough solid wood at the place where it needed to connect, and we didn’t need to go looking for a piece of wood. One other is of note, and somewhat important. One of the boards that crosses from side to side, to help prevent any of the mattress from sinking down into the box spring, broke with a very light touch, at a knot in the board. Probably never should have made it into the original build, but it also may have felt sturdy enough to not matter. Well, the nature of this break was complete and all the way across the board, so there was no repairing this baby. I looked over all of the other similar pieces, to make sure they were all solid, and luckily they were. So, rather than trying to sprint about 30Km, to get one little piece of wood, I instead shifted each cross piece slightly, to keep an even spacing between each one. The spacing between each cross member grew very slightly, and it will still work solidly.

After all of the screws were installed, we again had a super stiff box spring, that will work wonderfully until it is time to move. At that point, the screws are removed, the boards are transported down the stairs to an awaiting abode, and then screw it back together. As a decision was made to leave the box spring uncovered, it will be simple to deconstruct and I believe they may just use the open space as a little bit of additional storage. Houses in Germany are notorious for lack of built-in storage, so it is space well used.

Box Spring complete and ready for action.

Box Spring complete and ready for action.

Box springs aren’t the most expensive piece around, but if you weren’t already planning to drop some extra $$, you can always do this yourselves. It certainly isn’t rocket science, but does require some focus and some work. I hope this might just help you, if you need to find a way to make your’s fit where it wasn’t meant.

Thanks as always for checking out the article and please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Lee Laird

Germany – visit to Wetzler, Leica and a tool

Posted by bedhead on July 4, 2015 with No Commentsas , , , , , , , , ,

A few days ago I very briefly mentioned about happening across a tool store in Speicher, and I was intentionally vague regarding the location and the tools, solely since the store only had one of a specific tool I wanted to get. I know, you’re probably wondering why mentioning either the store or tool would make any real difference, so I’ll explain in a moment.

So as we were driving around, and got close to the market in Speicher, we saw a store that had really nice looking house goods, from plates and stemware to ceramic knives and scales. As we approached the store, a sign directed customers to the entrance on the market side, so around we went. I really couldn’t believe it when we rounded the corner, and when we finally reached the entrance, we were looking into a well stocked tool store.

Ok, so back to an explanation about this special tool. The tool is the Gransfors Bruks Swedish Axe, which is hand made, and each has the initials of the highly skilled artisan that made that tool. Gransfors Bruks has very few employees, and as their quality has become more widely known, the demand has kicked the waiting list into orbit! It now takes a full year to order any of the Gransfors Bruks products!

Luckily, when I went back to the store, the tool was still there, so all is good. The tool I chose is the Gransfors Bruks Swedish Carving Axe, with the standard double-bevel design, which is recommended for those who aren’t already skilled with a single-bevel axe. If you know anything about Gransfors Bruks axes, you might understand just how surprised I was to basically stumble into this unknown tool store, only to find such amazing tools. They had at least three different Gransfors Bruks models, before I bought the carving axe, but I just barely glanced at the others, as I’d already seen my prize! Please stop by and say hello to Martin for me, and make sure to look around, as they have a lot of good tools.

 

Gransfors Bruks Carving Axe in it's included sheath.

Gransfors Bruks Carving Axe in it’s included sheath.

 

Gransfors Bruks Carving Axe resting on it's sheath.

Gransfors Bruks Carving Axe resting on it’s sheath.

 

Oh yeah, I guess I should provide the store’s name, which is Zingen Fachmarkt. They are located at am Markt 32, 54662 Speicher. Martin Mertes kindly helped us, was extremely helpful, and did a wonderful job of communicating in english.

This morning, we decided to drive to Wetzler, which is the home of Leica cameras. For those who are not already in the know, these are amazing instruments, and are professional grade. We made it to Wetzler in good time, and followed our Google map information to find it with little issue. Leica offers guided tours of their main office, which is also their factory, but also has adequate information for those that wish to self-tour. We did the latter, and it was both awesome and amazing. In the main lobby, they currently have a display of photos taken by Lenny Kravitz, using Leica equipment. They are nothing but stunning. In a section close to this display, there were a range of special issue Leica cameras and gear. All were beautiful and it was interesting seeing some of the special versions, including one that was almost solid gold (colored; not sure of the actual material) and one that carried the crown on an upper surface.

 

Leica HQ in Wetzler.

Leica HQ in Wetzler.

 

Nearby they also had a wall with many models of their binoculars, of which I’d love any of them. They just know how to do all things optical, right.

Around the corner, we were greeted by some more of the self-tour material, including a huge display showing detailed slides and video of production processes. There was also a large window immediately to the display’s right, where you can watch an employee applying black lacquer to the edge of the lens to prevent any light from entering except from the true lens surface. It was so cool to watch her using some interesting tools, and using a skilled touch to complete an important operation. While we watched, another employee brought a tray full of different lenses to this same lady, and she pulled a random sample and ok’ed the batch. It seems this lady likely also has Q.C. or Q.A. duties.

A bit further down this hall, there was another display section, but there wasn’t anyone working this part at the time we were there. They did have two lens units attached to the counter, with a sign asking the visitors to please touch them. What a different concept than many companies have. Slightly further along there was a display unit with Leica cameras (or duplicates) starting with their first in 1914, as well as binoculars and rifle scopes.

After exiting the “tour” area, it was a short walk to their internal store. They had most, if not all, of their current product line available to see, and their employees were glad to remove product from the case for us to test.

 

Panaramic shot inside the Leica HQ sales room.

Panaramic shot inside the Leica HQ sales room.

 

Camera lenses displayed on their own pillars.

Camera lenses displayed on their own pillars.

 

After checking out all of the new Leica products, we made our way to an authorized Leica seller, that handles consignment gear. On the walk to this store, there were all sorts of interesting architecture, as well as a specialized manhole cover that documents where the first photo was taken using a Leica camera, in 1914.

 

Cool castle on path to both the Leica consignment store, as well as the Leica manhole cover.

Cool castle on path to both the Leica consignment store, as well as the Leica manhole cover.

 

Interesting building structure in Wetzler.

Interesting building structure in Wetzler.

 

Cool building in Wetzler.

Cool building in Wetzler.

 

Manhole cover commemorating location where the first Leica camera was used.

Manhole cover commemorating location where the first Leica camera was used.

 

On our trek back home, there were tons of castles and churches, but some were only seen from the car for a moment as there are lots of trees along the roadways. I saw the church in the photo below, when driving towards Koblenz a couple of times, and finally had enough time to snap a shot. Actually, I took about four different shots while we drove by, but none of them were super sharp. It is cool, even though it is a bit fuzzy.

 

Church in Hohr-Grenzhausen, shot while driving on the A48.

Church in Hohr-Grenzhausen, shot while driving on the A48.

 

Well, that’s it for this portion of our exploration. Thanks as always for checking out my article and please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

 

Lee Laird

Germany – return to Trier; dig a bit deeper

Posted by bedhead on July 2, 2015 with No Commentsas , , , , , , , ,

Today we decided to head back to Trier on the train, again purchasing a full-day pass, which allows 1-5 family members to travel on the train, as many times during that period as needed/liked. On our first trip to explore Trier, there was a lot going on at their festival even though it wasn’t yet […]

Germany – exploring Speicher and Bitburg.

Posted by bedhead on June 30, 2015 with No Commentsas , , , , , , , , ,

This morning we drove into the little town of Speicher, after reading there were a couple of museums available, but that didn’t end up too good. We parked close to one of the museums, which was just off of HofStrassa, and when we got to the museum door, it was locked. It seems the information […]

Germany – some time in Trier

Posted by bedhead on June 28, 2015 with No Commentsas , , , , , , , ,

Yesterday, we rode a train into Trier and hung out at a yearly festival that was occurring. We were very lucky to have such wonderful weather, as it was mostly sunny and the temperature was comfortable. Before making it to the festival area, we saw some cool sites, including some old statues and of course […]