Chimney Rock – Nebraska

We had to stop at Chimney Rock – Nebraska. Chimney Rock Chimney Rock was a major landmark for the people traveling the Oregon Trail. In addition, the first recorded mention of “Chimney Rock” was in 1827 by Joshua Pilcher an American fur trader and Indian agent. Pilcher became the owner and president of the Missouri Fur Company, based in St. Louis. Furthermore, Chimney Rock was designated a National Historic Site on August 9, 1956. In fact Chimney Rock is also a National Read More …

Jones Plug/Socket

I recently purchased two RF Concept amplifiers that did not come with power cords. I had a heck of a time finding some Jones plugs/sockets for a decent price. I had spotted a couple on Ebay for a $20 bill. I thought that was a little bit steep price for a small plug/socket. I ended up finding a pair of Jones plugs/sockets at the Joplin Hamfest for $4.00! That is right $4.00!!! This is just Read More …

Cliff Dwellings at Tonto National Monument

These are some well-preserved cliff dwellings were occupied by the Salado culture during the 13th, 14th, and early 15th centuries. The Salado were fine craftspeople, producing some of the most flamboyant polychrome pottery and intricately woven textiles to be found in the Southwest. Tonto National Monument is a National Monument in the Superstition Mountains.

Brass Tacked Knife Sheath

Last year I picked up a brass tacked knife sheath at a flea market in southwest Missouri. Whoever built it used cheap thin leather not really fit for carrying a knife in! I mainly bought it for repurposing the brass tacks on another project. Well that project just happened to be another knife sheath. I had a Weck & Muller skinning knife that I have been waiting to build a sheath. I used the reclaimed Read More …

Tooled Leather Knife Sheath

I don’t normally do tooling on leather but I figured I’d give it a go again. With the right tools and a little bit of patience I made a piece that I was proud of. This was some of the best basket weave pattern that I have done. I installed a strip of 8-9 oz. veg tan for the gusset. Slicked down the edges by hand. Hand stitched with artificial sinew. This was made for Read More …

RJ45 Replacement on ICOM HM-154T & HM-103

For several years I have been using my HM-103 microphone on my ICOM IC-706 with no tab to lock the RJ45 microphone tab in place to the transceiver. In addition, I recently ordered a cable crimper from Amazon for about $19.00 that also came with a cable tester and 100 pieces of RJ45 connectors/plugs. After a little bit of some research on Youtube. I found some videos on how to replace network cables. I had Read More …

Modified Tennessee Hunting Pouch #3

I built this Tennessee hunting pouch out of chromium tanned deer hide that is all hand stitched with artificial sinew. This was some extra thick stuff. The inside is fully lined with duck canvas and also is fully welted on the seams. The strap is oil tanned cow hide with brass buckle. The strap is adjustable. The flap features a rolled edge. Hunting pouch also has a two inch gusset.

Canyon De Chelly

Hogan (a traditional dwelling of the Navajo people) at Canyon De Chelly in Arizona. Today, while some older hogans are now still used as dwellings and others are maintained for ceremonial purposes, new hogans are rarely intended as family dwellings. Traditional structured hogans are also considered pioneers of energy efficient homes. Using packed mud against the entire wood structure, the home was kept cool by natural air ventilation and water sprinkled on the dirt ground inside. Read More …