Category: My Projects

Pipe Anvil

by admin, posted in My Projects, My Shop

A new tool is fabricated, a Pipe Anvil.

Pipe anvils are used to easily shape sheet metal into curves or cones, of varying diameters.  Usually made out of a couple different sizes of whatever pipe you can find for cheap/free.

Read More: Pipe Anvil

MrW’s Chili Recipe

by admin, posted in My Projects


Right side: “Optimism.”  Left side: “Regret.”

Adapted from Carroll Shelby’s recipe.

2.6Kg lean ground beef (2 family packs), fat strained off
3 large can Tomato sauce
3 cans “cool-sounding-name” Beer
2 cups crushed Chilies, hot
6 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
6 Onions, small, finely chopped
1.5 tablespoon Oregano
1.5 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
2 tablespoons Cumin, ground
1 teaspoon Salt
5 tablespoons Cayenne pepper
900g Monterey Jack cheese, grated

Brown the meat evenly. Strain off the fat.

Add the tomato sauce, beer, crushed chilies, garlic, onion, oregano, paprika, 1 tablespoon of the cumin, and the salt. Stir to blend. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour. Stir occasionally.

Taste and adjust seasonings, adding the Cayenne pepper (NOTE: It is at this point I usually add 1/4 cup crushed chilies and 1Tbsp Cayenne only, stir thoroughly, and separate out a “family friendly” portion, then add the 1-3/4 cup chilies and 4Tbsp cayenne into the “dad friendly” portion). Simmer uncovered 1 hour longer.

Stir in the cheese and the remaining 1 tablespoon of the cumin. Simmer 1/2 hour longer, stirring often to keep the cheese from burning.

I usually pick a cool sounding beer name, and name the chili that, “on fire.”

So far, we have had:

  • Sneaky Weasel on Fire
  • Hell’s Gate on Fire
  • Trash Panda on Fire
  • Old Speckled Hen on Fire