NGC 2175

Here's an image I took last year and processed this year. NGC 2175 is about 6350 light years from our planet. The image was taken at the Tsukahara Observatory using an Edge 11HD with a 0.7 focal reducer. Integration time was about 8 hours taken with Ha, SII, and OIII filters. Each exposure was 1200 seconds (cooled to -25C) using a QSI 583WSG on a Paramount MyT and guided with an OAG. Processing was done with Pixinsight and Photoshop using a Hubble Palette. Please stay tuned for more images...

 

Wheat Harvest (seed faith) stained glass

I really enjoyed this project. The design is from Glasssmith Studios "The Next Book". I purchased the book in 2003 with the hope that someday I would have the time and skill to do this design justice. Well, after waiting 17 years the time was right. I had to make some modifications, but it's very close to the original. This piece reminds me of my father. He passed away in 1994. He was a religious person and often spoke of seed faith. The stone marker on his grave has a wheat stalk engraved on it. I have always believed that wheat represented seed faith. I'm not a religious person, but I found this piece to be inspirational and a symbol of having faith in our future. Please stay safe and healthy.

Building a raised bed garden

Our volcanic soil is fertile, but rocky. Plants do very well for the first couple of years then the soil runs out of nutrients. Raised bed gardens are an ideal solution for this. First I dug out an area roughly the size of the finished bed. I edged it with concrete block. 

Next, I cut the treated 2x4's to size.

I stained the lumber to match the house. I also used a rubber paint on the concrete blocks.

I repeated the same process for the other beds.

The second layer of wood is for a hinged lid. 

The beds are 56cm (22 inches) deep. This should deep enough to grow potatoes and carrots. 

After all of the pieces are cut to size, I attached the first layer of wood with adhesive. The blocks keep everything thing flat and level while the adhesive dries overnight.

The soil is made locally at a farm which consists of horse and cow manure, and rice hulls. I also throw some garden soil in to balance the mix. The purchased soil is well rotted and has no smell. The plants love it. We use it all over the yard. A K-truck load is only 1000 yen...super cheap!!

I drilled some holes for the frame supports.

Next, I installed the PVC frame supports. Just a single wood screw is all that is needed.

Slip a few T-fittings onto the PVC pipe and bend the pipe to fit into the frame supports. The pipe bends easily especially if it's warm outside.

After the hoops are bent, add the cross bracing. No glue is required. Just snap everything together.

These clips lock everything together. No clips...tye wraps will work.

Here's the finished supports. The frame can be covered with plastic to keep seedlings warm in the early spring. Netting can also be used to keep the insects out.

Here's a view of the hinges. I grounded one side of the hinge pin so that the pin can easily be removed. With the pin removed, it's easy to remove the top (hoops) for storage. This is important when growing melons and other plants that require a trellis.

Here's some komatsuna being grown under netting. I'll be planting cabbage, daikon and brocolli for a fall harvest. Next year I have a bunch of "unique" things I want to grow. Stay tuned...

What we've been up to during the pandemic

Well, we've had a lot of family time during the pandemic. Japan has been fortunate to have had one of the lowest rates of testing positive for the virus of any developed country. I don't know why.

While doing our part in preventing the spread of the virus, we managed to get some projects either started or completed. One of the projects is a raised bed hoop garden.

The soil is rocky in many areas of the yard. To compensate for this we decided to make a raised bed garden. I dug each raised bed garden about 2 feet deep. The first foot is filled with organic matter. The rest is filled with a local organic compost. I leveled and placed the cement blocks. No mortar was required because the blocks were painted with a very strong rubber paint made for concrete blocks. Treated 2x4's were glued to the top of each block. The result is a very solid raised bed that looks good too.

Oh, before I forget...I also painted and stained the garage. I want to take good care of the garage because that's where my hobby shop is located.

I also found a great recipe for almond/vanilla anise biscotti. Erika is crazy in love with biscotti. She can't stop eating them!

Back to the garden beds...the organic matter is added to the bottom of the bed after the blocks are installed and painted.

The treated 2x4's are then installed. The layer of lumber on top of the blocks are glued in place to lock the everything in place. The second layer of lumber is used for the base framing of the hoops...more on that later. 

This is where we are now. The four beds are ready for the hoops and covers. These beds should make a nice place to get an early start on melons and other long season crops. I also want to try square foot gardening in one or two of the beds.

This gives you an idea about how deep these beds are. It should be more than enough to grow root crops. Okay, so there you have it. We have been trying our best to make a bad situation better. I know things are not so good in the U.S. and our hearts go out to those who are struggling just to survive. Please stay safe and healthy.

Stained glass mural is complete

The stained glass mural is finished. Cabinet lighting has also been installed. Crown molding will be added later. Right now, our tiny village is safe from Covid-19. I know it's just a matter of time. Our area is a magnet for tourists. The local news mentioned that being outside is safe and camping is an ideal activity. I think the news is totally irresponsible and places many senior residents in small villages at risk. I won't elaborate on this or how the Japan government is handling this. I just want to say, "Please stay safe and vigilant."

Stained Glass: Panels 5 and 6

The original cabinet door on the left was cut in half and made into two doors. The glass panels are a combination of lead and copper foil. Panels 7 and 8 have been designed and ready to be made. Please stay tuned...

Stained Glass: Cabinet Doors 3 and 4

The second set of cabinet doors are complete.

I'll be adding lights and crown moulding after all of the cabinets are complete. There are two more sets to go. Please stay tuned...

How to convert a cabinet door to accept stained glass

Here's a short tutorial on converting a cabinet door to accept  a stained glass panel. First remove all the hardware. The door may have a finish already applied. Just be prepared to do some touch up to the finish. 

The door is ready for marking where the glass panel will go. Center the panel over the back of the door and mark a line around the perimeter. Allow about an 1/8" for caulking/ glue.

It's better to make the cutout slightly larger rather than smaller.

I use a dremel tool with a diamond saw, but a router will work. If you are good with wood, you could use a very sharp chisel. The whole idea is to remove the center panel without causing too much damage.

Here's my cutout after using the dremel tool. Remember this is the back of the door! Any flaws (mistakes) can be filled and painted later. Just make sure the cutout is large enough to fit the glass panel without binding. You want the panel not to touch the sides of the cutout. It's best if the panel is "cushioned" by the caulk. That way if the door is slammed shut the glass won't break. Be sure to use soft close hinges. 

After you complete the cutout around the perimeter, use a sharp chisel to remove the lip holding the center panel. Just a few taps with a hammer on each side will remove the lip.

Here's a picture with the lip removed. Continue to remove the other three sides.

With the lip removed, the center panel is easily removed. Either the panel will fall out or a few light taps with a hammer will remove it.

With the panel removed a little bit of residual would needs to be chisel out so the glass can lay flat.

Just make sure your chisel is sharp and remove the rest of the wood. Don't use too much force or you'll damage the wood frame.

After about 10 minutes of chiseling the job is done.

The wood surface can remain rough as the surface will be primed, painted, and then a thin coat of caulking/ glue will be applied. This provides a cushion for the new glass panel.

The slight gap will be filled with caulking/ glue to provide a cushion for the sides of the glass panel.

Place the panel in the door and make sure everything fits. 

Here's the front of the door. Note how flush the glass panel fits in the opening.

I'll remove the glass panel and prime/ paint the door. The door will then be ready to mount the glass panel. This concludes the short tutorial on converting a cabinet door. Stay tuned for the finished cabinet door installation.