Dan Antion

Serendipity, Stats & Stuff

This is the time of year that woodworker look ahead to opening up their shop, the way gardeners look at buying plants and starting seeds. We just can’t wait to get going.

One of the things I was finishing last fall was the installation of various bits of dust collection. I installed a large dust-collector for my table saw, my bandsaw and the stationary machines that make a lot of chips. I also strategically located two 5-gallon shop-vacs to collect dust from some smaller machines. I bought a remote gizmo that lets me turn them on and off from a small fob I can keep in my pocket. It works well – I walk up to a tool, toggle the right vacuum, make the cut and shut the vacuum off – easy peasy.

One of the shop-vacs has a long hose that can reach a number of machines, but it’s hard to position and awkward to store. I’ve been thinking about rigging up some sort of clamping device that would attach to the hose and let me clamp it to a tool, workbench or a shelf to hold it out of the way when I’m not using it. Yesterday, I received an email from Rockler – check it out.

Yes! I am buying two packs!

Moving onto the second part of the title. I don’t pay a lot of attention to my stats – it’s usually easy to see if a post has met with your approval. One post I try to follow is the Thursday Doors Recap page. As you may remember, I built that page to make sure that people who post doors late Thursday, or on Friday and Saturday, don’t get lost in the other activity on my blog. This weekend, I tweaked the program/process I use to generate the recap – I can now update that page and prepare the announcement post in about 10 minutes – I was excited.

I checked the stats yesterday before writing this post for the number of “clicks” the recap page gets. Each click on that page means someone’s Thursday Doors post was visited. As of 7:00 last night, there had been 122 clicks!

OK, that’s the “stats” – now for the “stuff.” The pages getting the most clicks are the pages with the most interesting titles. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Titles are important.

OK, that’s it for me this Monday. I hope you’re proud of me for resisting the urge to graph the results and derive a Title Interest Index.

The winter storm that blew through here on Thursday and Friday left us with a little ice. Another seems to be on its way tomorrow. Hopefully, it heads into the Atlantic before hitting Connecticut.

Result of the deep freeze on Saturday
Our sunrises have been cold and colorful
Maddie sees her buddy coming to the fence to say hi
Maddie’s neighbor, Chinook
Flash frozen then soaked with freezing rain
Bunny
Happy pup wanted to sit. I took her back in for her vest
It was only 23°f (-5°c) but Maddie talked me into sitting for a few minutes.
Cold sunrise
I’m not sure where these came from, but they were stuck in the ice
Snoopy has been spotted on top of her house. I hope she’s safe inside today.
The dogwood is encased in ice
The sun is melting the ice off our neighbor’s tree
Always good to see another sunrise
This leaf got trapped in some frozen bushes

81 comments

  1. Hi Dan,
    For dust collection, the best thing I own turned out to be a 3d printer, the ability to make adapters for any machine, in any configuration as well as tinker with different blast gate configurations is brilliant. I am nowhere near finished but it is nice knowing that I can manufacture anything I need to connect any hose to any machine.
    I am looking at that clamp and thinking I am pretty sure that could be designed as a 3d printed add on for an existing clamp :-)
    Les

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    • I have looked at 3d printers and thought about possibilities like that. It’s good to know it can be done. For now, I’ll make do with commercial stuff and less than 100% collection. But you’ve got me thinking.

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  2. You do realize the Editor will want you to come up with a handy hose system to thoroughly collect dog and cat hair!

    Love the last photo of the frozen, sun-lit leaf caught in the fence. I can hear Pam’s wheels turning!

    Glad the bunny has more dining area, but no clover for awhile! Chinook is looking good. We haven’t seen him for quite some time. I guess despite the bitter cold, the lure of the redhead was more than he could take! 🤗

    It’s snowing here. Again. Still. Guess you just can’t have enough of the white stuff!

    Keep warm and safe. Happy Monday!
    Ginger

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  3. Thanks Ginger, If sawdust accumulated like cat hair, I might give up woodworking. At least nothing in my shop is hacking up a sawdustball.

    I don’t know where these leaves came from. I’m sorry their journey was interrupted, but I couldn’t resist the photo opportunity.

    The bunny is surely looking forward to spring and fresh clover. I’m guessing she/he is tired of ice on the salad bar. I was just out with Maddie, and something light is falling. I’m not sure if it’s snow or sleet or rain. Time will tell. I hope you have a nice week.

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  5. It’s 23 degrees and Maddie wants to sit? Yikes. With her vest, though, she does look very content. Those sunrises are beauties. I congratulate you on those hose holders; they seem a good omen for the work you want to get back to. Yes, there is an itch at this time of year and it isn’t just the gardeners’ itch. I think it must have taken great strength to fight that itch to graph and derive an index. I enjoy the recap and try to visit each entry. Looking forward to meeting Natalie over adult beverages on Saturday.

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    • When she sees the sun on “her porch” she looks back at me as if to ask, “can we, huh, huh, can we sit?” She’s so hard to resist. She has a cushy pad and she’s close to the sun-warmed surface. I, on the other hand. Am sitting in a chair better suited to a sunny day at the beach.

      I think these clamps will help. If not, I might have to try and get authorization for the 3D printer Les described in the first comment.

      I’m looking forward to Natalie’s visit. We’ll have another visitor in late February (making up for no visits in January).

      I’m still thinking about opening Excel and logging titles and clicks :)

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  8. I’m always fascinated by your projects, Dan, even told my CT son that he should check out your site. He’s remodeling his home and doing a lot of woodwork. I wish I had that skill. I love your photos — I can feel the chill through the images. Hope you and your family stay warm.

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  9. Your vacuuming hoses remind me of the dentist – when the assistant sucks the water out of my mouth before I choke or drown. Your set-up is genius, Dan. Instead of having to clean-up after, you do it during. Saves a lot of time, right?

    I’ve never paid much attention to WP stats. Once in a very blue moon, I’ll check it out, but I just shrug at them and move on. My joy comes in the comments and those that regularly pay a visit. I’m so grateful for that aspect, beyond the enjoyment of writing. You have an excellent following, Dan, because you are an excellent and avid blogger. Here’s to many more years of this! Happy Monday!

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  10. That ad was timely! It’s scary how some things come into your email or start showing up as ads in your feed isn’t it.

    The backlit leaves look gorgeous as do your sunrises lately.

    I know I need better titles…someday I hope it just happens. Some people really do have a knack for great titles and captions.

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    • This ad was very timely. I haven’t searched for anything like that. It might be that they thought there might be a need.

      Going out with the dog when it’s 8° had to have some benefits 😏

      I know titles are important but sometimes, I just want to be done.

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  11. I showed hubby the photo of the clamps. Dustcollction is always important. Am I the only one that would have enjoyed the ‘Title Interest Index’? We could all learn from it, I think. I hope the ice melts off the dogwood. We lost a lot of branches two years ago from ice and heavy snow.

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  12. How uncanny for the ad to show up as you considered your dilemma. :) You are so right about titles. Books, blogs, newsletters…all of them are affected by titles. Thanks for sharing and, as always, I love the photos. Spring is just around the corner! :)

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  15. Well the lake is partially frozen over. So now the almost daily stories about the Coast Guard rescuing people trapped on drifting ice. Sure it is safe to go out on the ice…. until the wind changes and the ice heads for the other shore.

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  17. That is an amazing amount of clicks, Dan. Would be neat to graph the views visitors and clicks each week to get a comparison over time on increases and decreases. (there I’ll leave you to it) The dust collectors are a good thing to have. The clamp looks like it will do the job.

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  20. Interesting about titles on posts. At the urging of a blogger a few years ago I hesitantly started putting longer more outrageous titles on my post– and almost instantly I got more hits. You gotta get the eyeballs to find you with something out of the ordinary. What you do with that attention is then up to you.

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    • Our ground was frozen solid on 1/27, Miriam. Some people start seeds around this time, but indoors under grow-lights.

      I still have some configuration issues to work out on the dust collection process, but the various component s work pretty well. Good luck with your sprouts.

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  23. Dan, I honestly don’t know anyone as dedicated or helpful as you except those related to me. We appreciate your efforts at making our blogging days mor fun, less hassle free and with greater successful results. Good lick with your projects! Stay warm.

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  27. Hi Dan – brilliant about the dust clamps … do they do them for house-dust?!!! You’re obviously very efficient … and it’s always a delight to read. Love the photos – I’ve been checking out on the snows across the pond – worried they might get here! Maddie is one mighty lucky pup – cheers Hilary

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    • Thanks Hilary. I’m excited about those clamps. Collecting sawdust as it’s being made is so much easier than gathering it later. We’ve been spared the really heavy snow so far this winter. Now we’re at the point that if it comes, it will melt soon after falling.

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  33. Hi Dan, I would have been quite interested in a graph of the results and a derivation of a Title Interest Index. My dad is just like you, always buying bits and bobs for his workshop. He is back to sewing lately and has been making recyclable shopping bags in Disney fabrics.

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    • I am not surprised by the people who would appreciate the index. I’d be afraid of offending the low earning titles. All these little things boost my spirit in the shop. I’ve never thought about sewing, but…

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