Christmas Gifts

[WFM]

Every year for Christmas i bottle up two gallons of maple syrup into glass bottles and give it to family and friends. So this year was no different.
I put the glass into a hot bath to warm the glass.
Heat the syrup to 200*f.
Then take a oven mitt thing to hold the bottle. The pan is use has a hands free bottling valve that electric with a solenoid valve. It has a tredle switch i just sit on the counter and use my hand to run it. Click it on. Release it it closes the valve.
So I start bottling. My first bottle the valve Won't Close !!!!
Nope. Hot syrup just pouring onto onto my mitt and finger in a split second. I did have a towel on the floor and large pot to put down as I beat the tredle to shut off. Finally it did.
I washed the kitchen floor four times. It still might be sticky.
Syrup bottled. Next year I'll use a ball valve to bottle with.

 

[Moose7060]

Ouch. All those bottles sure look good though!

 

[chim]

Ouch! I remember the pain from long ago when the back of my hand was between the pot of boiling sugar and the cold water it was headed for to see if it would "ball". Keep bacitracin or neomycin on it till healed with Telfa pads. Mine was starting to get infected. It was Winter and the elastic cuff on my glove kept ripping it open.

 

[Sidekick]

I just made some wall hanger gifts. Lasered an AI generated Santa face on Birch plywood and made wild cherry frames from backyard cherry.

Last year I made a bunch of ornaments

 

[Russell King]

Every year for Christmas i bottle up two gallons of maple syrup into glass bottles and give it to family and friends. So this year was no different.
I put the glass into a hot bath to warm the glass.
Heat the syrup to 200*f.
Then take a oven mitt thing to hold the bottle. The pan is use has a hands free bottling valve that electric with a solenoid valve. It has a tredle switch i just sit on the counter and use my hand to run it. Click it on. Release it it closes the valve.
So I start bottling. My first bottle the valve Won't Close !!!!
Nope. Hot syrup just pouring onto onto my mitt and finger in a split second. I did have a towel on the floor and large pot to put down as I beat the tredle to shut off. Finally it did.
I washed the kitchen floor four times. It still might be sticky.
Syrup bottled. Next year I'll use a ball valve to bottle with.

Sorry you were burned so badly.

There is a prescription cream called Silvadene that is great for burns keeping from infection. If I had that burn I would be using it for sure! I think it is also a soothing cream that helps with pain.

 

[BBFarmer]

Ouch.

Had a similar experience with peanut brittle.

Whether its maple syrup, corn syrup, sugar etc....once on the skin, it's all like napalm.

And is not friendly trying to wipe off either lol.

 

[NCL4701]

I thought molten beeswax burns were the worst. As soon as it hits your skin, it coats you and sticks as it solidifies enough to prevent wiping off but not solid enough to peel off, effectively preventing removal while it burns you until it’s cooled at which point you can peel it off in a sheet along with your burned flesh. However, that syrup burn looks equally miserable.

 

[skeets]

I just made some wall hanger gifts. Lasered an AI generated Santa face on Birch plywood and made wild cherry frames from backyard cherry.
View attachment 144486 View attachment 144487
Last year I made a bunch of ornaments
View attachment 144488

Very cool,, tell me about your laser set up if you wouldnt mind

 

[Sidekick]

Very cool,, tell me about your laser set up if you wouldnt mind

I have several different lasers. This was made using a 40 watt Diode laser that I find gives the best results on wood. I also have 2 Co2 lasers that are good for cutting wood (faster engraving but less detail) and do a great job acrylic. I also have several other low power diode lasers. Here's a quick video about making these plaques that shows the lasering in the beginning

They have been a fun hobby that I started playing with when the first affordable ones were released during the pandemic. Then companies started sending me newer and more powerful machines that I started making videos about. I have many different videos on my youtube channel basically showing hundreds of simple projects that helped get people interested in them. Acrylic night lights are very easy to make

And even materials like leather make nice gifts from scrap.

Engraving glass and stone is another use for the Co2 machines.

 

[skeets]

Man that is really neat. Now I will ask what all would a person need to use something like that?
I use to do some leather work, but cutting and punching holes is rather exhausting these days. I have to assume that you need a puter and some software to a good understanding of puters too

 

[PHPaul]

You know the old saying about the "4 Stages of Santa":

1. You believe in Santa
2. You don't believe in Santa
3. You ARE Santa
4. You look like Santa

Well, I'm on the cusp between #3 and #4, so at least I get presents I actually want!

Amazon/UPS has been VERY busy this month tooling up for my new-to-me lathe and expanding my milling capabilities.

 

[mcmxi]

Every year for Christmas i bottle up two gallons of maple syrup into glass bottles and give it to family and friends. So this year was no different.
I put the glass into a hot bath to warm the glass.
Heat the syrup to 200*f.
Then take a oven mitt thing to hold the bottle. The pan is use has a hands free bottling valve that electric with a solenoid valve. It has a tredle switch i just sit on the counter and use my hand to run it. Click it on. Release it it closes the valve.
So I start bottling. My first bottle the valve Won't Close !!!!
Nope. Hot syrup just pouring onto onto my mitt and finger in a split second. I did have a towel on the floor and large pot to put down as I beat the tredle to shut off. Finally it did.
I washed the kitchen floor four times. It still might be sticky.
Syrup bottled. Next year I'll use a ball valve to bottle with.

I think that's a wonderful Christmas gift to hand out to friends and family. Who doesn't love maple syrup!

I've been roasting coffee for a few years now and typically give out a bag or two to friends whether it's birthdays or Christmas. I bought a few bags with me on this trip for my brother who appreciates good coffee. I roast 275 grams at a time and use a laptop running Artisan software (free) to control the roaster and subsequently the roast profile.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Amazon/UPS has been VERY busy this month tooling up for my new-to-me lathe and expanding my milling capabilities.

Don't wanna Hi-Jack this post but maybe you would consider a separate thread?...Enquiring minds want to know.

I love "new tool" threads.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

I have several different lasers. This was made using a 40 watt Diode laser that I find gives the best results on wood. I also have 2 Co2 lasers that are good for cutting wood (faster engraving but less detail) and do a great job acrylic. I also have several other low power diode lasers. Here's a quick video about making these plaques that shows the lasering in the beginning

They have been a fun hobby that I started playing with when the first affordable ones were released during the pandemic. Then companies started sending me newer and more powerful machines that I started making videos about. I have many different videos on my youtube channel basically showing hundreds of simple projects that helped get people interested in them. Acrylic night lights are very easy to make
View attachment 144623
And even materials like leather make nice gifts from scrap.
View attachment 144624
Engraving glass and stone is another use for the Co2 machines.
View attachment 144625

That's some very cool stuff!

Nice job sir!

The hardest part about all that CNC stuff for me personally, is the damn CAD programming.....Fusion 360 has been kicking my a$$ for about 5 months now.

Very non-intuitive for a guy like me for some reason....but I'm getting better.

 

[Sidekick]

Man that is really neat. Now I will ask what all would a person need to use something like that?
I use to do some leather work, but cutting and punching holes is rather exhausting these days. I have to assume that you need a puter and some software to a good understanding of puters too

Yes you need a computer and software. The Xtool machines come with a very good program that is simple to learn but tied to the cloud in China. Other machines it's best to buy and use Lightburn that is fairlycomplicated to get started. These machines do require a bit of mechanical knowledge to use and setup. Plus most support is offshore meaning you must be able to debug and fix things if there's a problem. Don't really need CAD knowledge because software has simple drawing tools and most have the ability to even use hand sketches either scanned in or copied by built in cameras. The one thing you need is a lot of time to figure out settings for new materials and a good exhaust system to evacuate the vaporized materials and gasses. Leather has a terrible smell when lasered and you must chose material with the right tanning process. It cuts and engraves beautifully but cleaning the soot takes time after processing. One warning is they are addictive like crack once you start making nice things.

 

[Sidekick]

That's some very cool stuff!

Nice job sir!

The hardest part about all that CNC stuff for me personally, is the damn CAD programming.....Fusion 360 has been kicking my a$$ for about 5 months now.

Very non-intuitive for a guy like me for some reason....but I'm getting better.

I never liked Fusion 360. Used it when they had the free version but wasn't worth paying a subscription when that ended. I lost everything on their cloud at that point and decided never to use cloud based software again. Last year I tried Alibre CAD for 3d printing, cnc routing, & plasma cutting models. I liked it and bought a permanent license for the home version that's slightly stripped down. I love it. I use sheet cam for plasma and 2d routing that's very simple and has good post processor support. I bought mesh cam for 3d routing but struggling with it. I think soon AI will make the models and provide the gcode without much intervention that will make having to learn software obsolete in the near future. May be good to set up a tool head area with threads about things like CNC plasma, CNC routing, 3D printing, Lasers, software, along with any tools members have and use. Wish all this stuff was available when I was a kid. Sorry for hijacking this Christmas gifts thread.

 

[PHPaul]

Don't wanna Hi-Jack this post but maybe you would consider a separate thread?...Enquiring minds want to know.

I love "new tool" threads.

Thought I had, but guess not. I'll get something together.