Breathing New Life into an Old Saw Speedway Model 70

Need a new saw or tool but cant afford to get the top of the line? Should you run out to the big box nearest you and pickup the cheapo tool just to get that project done? In my opinion you should never settle for buying a new low quality tool just because you need to get by. Why not look on craigslist, garage sales, resale, or goodwill instead and pickup something better?








Even an old tool can be cleaned up and give you years of use.

Many of the older tool out there are made with high carbon, high quality steel, less plastic, and better components than even the top of the line tools out there these days. Save yourself some money, pickup something used from a local shop or neighbor, cleanup it up and have something worth cherishing.

When I am planning a project I start by planning ahead and start looking around for those needed tools. Local resale and second hand shops, eBay, Goodwill,  and craigslist are great resources to start with. It is much better to support your local community than to run out for the cheap made in China junk that will most likely end up in the land fill after you use it three times.

How many of your tools will be around in 40 years? This particular saw is, as far as I can tell, about 40 years old. The company is no longer in business but manufactured quality tools from Illinois. As I took this saw apart I could tell that it was engineered and built with one thing in mind, quality. There were no talks about outsourcing, finding cheap suppliers, or how the could make their tools for less than the other guy. It was more about quality and dependability they were worried about. This was from a time when the word of your neighbors experience with something that meant more than any commercial or fancy packaging.

This saw is no doubt old and may not last me as many years as it did the previous owner. But after cleaning this saw up and working with it for a few hours I have a new found respect for the quality that used to be the pinnacle of America manufacturing.


13 Amp 2 prong replacement cord - http://amzn.to/1NiHI4G
13 Amp 3 prong replacement cord - http://amzn.to/1NiIfnl

All of these products and more recommended items from the SSL Family are available at the

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Music - "Insomnia" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/song/Insomnia

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Thankful For Our Simple Life

To me, Thanksgiving is the beginning of a very special holiday season.  When I think about my childhood, this time of year sticks out to me more than any other.  It’s Thanksgiving and Christmas that we get to see lots of family, play with new babies, and laugh together. 

This Thanksgiving, Todd and I are thankful for our simple life.  When I say “simple” Im not talking about Simple Suburban Living, although we are very thankful we get to share our life with others through this platform.  Simple has nothing to do with anything we do, but rather why we do what we do.  We have purpose now and that purpose drives everything we do.  When you know your purpose, it makes decisions easier.  Simple also doesn’t mean we move and get things done slowly.   In fact, we get more done now because we are passionate about what we do!  We are focused on the most important things instead of a bunch of things that don’t really matter. 

So what really does matter?  Jesus.  Jesus, plain and simple.  Everything else falls into place once you have accepted Jesus into your heart.  You were made so God could love you.  He sent Jesus so He could be with you forever.  Now that we know that, our life has purpose.  Does that mean we’re doing everything perfectly?  No, we know that we are sinners in need of a savior and we are so very thankful God sent us one.  It’s just that simple.

 

 Friends, my hope for you is that you find your purpose, too.  Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need prayer or have any questions.  My email is sslfamily5@gmail.com

Happy Thanksgiving!

Lisa - The SSL Family Mom



 

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Simple Suburban Life New Job and Failing Health

The Bible tells us that there is a time for everything and our family has been in a season of significant changes over the past several months.  Some are good, and some are not so good.  But we know that we are to count it all joy and trust our heavenly Father with it all.

The good news first.  At the beginning of September, I (the SSL mom) accepted the position of preschool director at our church.  Todd and I have been serving for several years together on the elementary side of the childrens ministry and when this position opened up, we knew right away it was something we were being called to do.  We are five months into it and we have been so blessed by the people we have been able to meet, serve alongside and grow closer to.  Our entire family serves the Lord together, side-by-side, and its amazing to be a part of it all.  But it did take some time getting used to our new roles, readjusting our schedules, and reevaluating our priorities.   And preschoolers are a WHOLE lot different than elementary kids.  Wet noses, wet pants, you name it, they do it.  And if you think just because you had kids of your own that you could do it, think again, theyre a force to be reckoned with in high numbers.

More good transitions, we have a high schooler!  While it is bittersweet watching her grow up so fast, we are grateful for the young woman our oldest daughter is becoming.  She loves her sisters, the Lord and sports.  AND she starts drivers ed next week, so look out.  Since we know these next few years are going to fly by, we try to remind ourselves how much we are going to miss her clothes all over the floor and dishes strewn about her room when she moves out on her own.  We are also in the middle of her bedroom renovation, so everything she owns is all over the house, literally.  But thankfully, Todd is mudding her room as I type and we will be onto the plywood flooring very soon.

The difficult news is that my mom was officially diagnosed with ALS in October.  ALS is tricky and there isnt a definitive test for it, but we knew something was terribly wrong with her.  A little over a year ago, my mom started to have difficulty walking, talking and swallowing.  She progressively got weaker and weaker over the last year and we got the heartbreaking news in October.  She now communicates to us with her phone by texting and it will speak for her.  She eats through a tube in her stomach, and is almost exclusively confined to a wheelchair or her bed.  A ventilator breathes for her at night.  Our family is now in a season of caring for her, showering her with as much love as we possibly can, and doing things for her that she can no longer do herself.  This is perhaps the worst disease I have ever heard of.  It takes everything away from you.  She cant eat the foods she loves, we will never hear her voice again, we will never hear her laugh again.  My daughters cant play Just Dance with their grandma on her Nintendo like they used to. She is the best grandma I could ever ask for to my girls. They miss her voice, they hurt to see her so helpless, and they are trying so hard to process it all.  We are bearing down, pushing forward, and putting all of our hope and trust in God. While we dont always fully understand, we are confident He is working good into this situation.  And we know He is a God who heals.

We hope this update helps to explain some of the random projects Todd has been working on over the past few months.  The candy canes for the churchs childrens play, the bedroom renovations for our oldest (weve been promising her closets for years and realized time is running out!) and the wheelchair ramp and video doorbell for Mom.   We love sharing our way of life with you all and are so blessed when you send us your comments and pictures.  They mean more to us than you could ever know.

Your friend,
Lisa, the SSL Mom


"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."  Genesis 50:20

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Simple Suburban Life What Its Like To Be Married To The SSL Family Dad

You know him as the do-it-yourself, gardening, chicken farming, computer geek.  But there are a few things about the SSL Family Dad that you may not know.  

Hes the man of the house, literally.  Hes completely outnumbered by me and our three daughters.  Even our dog, cats and chickens are all girls. He does a great job handling all of us, and hes not above doing a last-minute pony tail, or helping our youngest get in and out of her princess dresses ten times a day.

He says he hates it, but he really loves to shop.  But only at Home Depot.  You see, whenever we go to one of my stores, he stands around looking like the saddest person on the planet.  But send him into a Home Depot to buy a single item, and he never makes it out in under an hour.  Whenever I tease him, he says he has to think about his project, and talk to the sales guy, and walk up and down every single aisle, and plan things out. Thats called shopping, my dear, and you love it.  

He doesnt buy any clothes for himself, EVER.  If he owns anything post-high school, it was either a free t-shirt from church, purchased for him by me, or given to him as a Christmas present from his mom.  He also went from the Army, who provided him with everything he needed to wear, to a job at a company that provided him with uniforms, so he really never found a need to buy his own clothes. Hes the lowest maintenance guy I know.

If I were to sum up the SSL Family Dad in one word, it would be DEVOTED.  Everything he does, he does with everything he has.  Hes either all in or all out once he makes up his mind.  I like that about him, because I tend to be wishy washy.  And after all these years, Ive also never heard him tell a lie, not once, not ever.  Nothing in him has the ability to be dishonest, you can count on that.  Its refreshing, and an unusual quality in people these days.

Hes a loving, committed husband.  On the days I have to work, he makes me breakfast and brings it to me while Im getting ready.  He packs our lunches, feeds the dog, signs school papers, starts my car, hes the glue that holds our house together the days when I have to work.  Hes the glue no matter what day it is.  Even if my roses come from our local grocery store, he makes me feel like the luckiest girl in the world every morning because I get to wake up next to him.  I wish every person could feel the love I feel from him.

Sometimes to thank him, I pour his coffee for him, too..........

Hes the best dad, period.  He loves his girls and everyone knows it.  They know it.  Hes sensitive to their emotions, but hes tough on them.  And when he promises them something, he never goes back on his word.  Ever.  They know when he says something, he means it, and they trust him. Thats huge. 

And holding him together at the core of who he is, is his love for the Lord.  Its the reason he does everything he does.  God is the reason why he loves me, loves our girls, why hes honest, trustworthy, and hardworking.  No, my husband is not perfect, nor is our marriage perfect, but he strives to please the Lord everyday of his life.  And that is what makes him the best catch, and the best SSL Family Dad.

And his favorite team is MSU (in case you didnt already know).

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind" ~Luke 10:27

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