11-7-2009
Okay...I'm an idiot. I got my newsletter all ready to post, and then forgot to load it before I left town. I have been in Emporia, KS for the last week taking an advanced engraving course. I learned a lot of new techniques and hope to add them to my future knife engravings. I'll update more on what I learned in the next newsletters.
11-1-2009
The kitchen remodel project is finally finished and life is returning (somewhat) back to normal; whatever that is. J The two damaged appliances did not get repaired as the parts for the dishwasher arrived damaged, and the parts for the wall oven were back-ordered. Lowe’s agreed to replace the two damaged appliances with new ones. So, I had to uninstall them both for exchange. The new appliances arrived and I installed them; only to find that the wall oven did not work correctly…….the convection fan would not run. After a brief examination, I was able to determine that something was blocking the fan blades from turning. I thought about working on it myself, but decided it was better to not risk voiding the warranty. So, a call was made to the authorized repair service company.
The repair guy showed up and had no idea what he was here to work on. I explained the problem and he began his diagnosis by turning the oven to bake mode and staring in the window of the oven with a little flashlight. After about ten seconds I told him that the convection fan didn’t run unless the oven was in a convection bake mode. He changed the setting without saying anything and returned to staring in the window with his little flashlight. I resisted telling him it would be easier to see the fan if he just turned on the oven light…….. I couldn’t stand it any more and left the room.
I returned to the kitchen after a few minutes, finding him trying to remove the oven’s control panel. He informed me that he was going to have to “crack” the wood on the new cabinet to remove the panel. I told him that would not be necessary if he just removed the two screws that held the oven in the cabinet and slid it out a couple of inches. I showed him where the screws were and he proceeded to dismantle the oven. As he was willing to damage the cabinet because he didn’t have the good sense to take two screws out, I decided I best remain in the room.
He removed the control panel, pawed around in the wiring for a few minutes, reinstalled the control panel, turned the oven on and resumed staring in the window with his flashlight. He then announced that the oven still did not work and that he would have to schedule another appointment because he couldn’t take the oven out of the cabinet by himself and once it was out he didn’t have anything to set it on. I told him that I would help him remove the oven and that I would get sawhorses to set the oven on. We removed the oven to the sawhorses and he took the back panel off to expose the fan. Somehow, he was not able to see that one of the fan blades was bent and hitting on the fan motor bracket. I ordered him out of the way and straightened the fan blade myself.
The oven was reassembled and installed again in the cabinet. He turned the oven to the correct mode to run the fan…….and resumed once again looking in the window with his flashlight. I couldn’t stand it any more and reached over him to turn on the oven light. The fan was running.
The engraving is coming along nicely on the sub-hilt fighter. The front of the guard is finished and I am working on the sides of the guard. Still to go is the sub-hilt piece. I should have this knife finished and photos on the web site by the time I post the December newsletter. I have several other knives in process too.
I have signed up for an advanced engraving class at GRS, in Emporia, KS. I will be attending this class in November. I will give an update on my class experience in the December newsletter.
I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving!!!
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