And Away We Go...

Just wanted to let everyone know our updated website is up and running. We are very happy with our new look; and hope you are, too. Please, let us know if you have any problems using the site. We would also really appreciate any suggestions you may have. We are always looking to improve.


Don't forget Mothers Day is just around the corner. We have lots of great gifts for moms, grandmothers, moms-to-be, step-moms, etc. We have lovely artisan crafted candle holders in stunning designs and vivid colors. If mom loves to cook we have cute two-in-one novelty aprons or quality kitchen tools by Cuisipro. All Cuisipro products have a 25 year warranty! If those items just aren't right for mom, we have a very large selection of lovely jewelry. We have brilliant sterling silver necklaces, gleaming gold earrings, vibrant gemstone jewelry, luminescent pearls, and much more! Remember all our jewelry items ship free!

Hope everyone has a great week! Happy Tax Day!

Hubcaps and Gravy is Getting a Facelift

We have been working very hard for the past few months on a new website design. We hope our new look will be not only aesthetically pleasing; but will also, enhance your shopping experience. It has been a tremendous amount of work to get to this point; however, with the launch just days away now we feel rewarded by our accomplishments.

Some things haven't changed. We still have the same quality products as before. You will simply find them in a different layout. Also, we will still be on the lookout for more great deals we can pass on to our customers. As always, we will strive to provide the best customer service; and do everything in our power to keep our customers happy.


We would appreciate any feedback that anyone would like to give regarding our new look. Leave your comments here or on our Facebook page. We look forward to hearing from you.

Lumber Selection

Once you have learned how to select and purchase lumber you also need to know how to pick out useable lumber. There are a few things you should know about before you select your material. Normally, you want to select kiln dried lumber. Wood not kiln dried is referred to as green lumber. In the construction trade kiln dried lumber is not common. In cabinet making and furniture making it is critical to use dried material. Wet wood will twist, shrink, and cup. Kiln dried can do the same; but the effects will most likely be very minimal depending on the water content.


Another thing that is important to know is that wood comes in the rough, S2S (surfaced two sides) and S4S (surfaced four sides). Wood in the rough has been run through saws; and is like it sounds, rough! Usually, wood in the rough can be found at a better price. However, it is not easy to tell what it will look like; and if it has imperfections. The amount of extra work trying to use wood in the rough is not worth the money you save when purchasing. S2S wood has been run through a planer on both sides; and is usually consistent in thickness throughout the unit of wood. With S2S you can see what your selection looks like; and have a good idea of the quality. S4S is the same as S2S but the edges are machined too. While S2S is good you will still need to machine the edges. S4S is usually ready to be used as soon as you buy it. Once you have decided whether to use material in the rough, S2S or S4S, there are a few more things to look for in your selections.

Unfortunately, even kiln dried lumber can have problems that you need to avoid whenever possible. You need to inspect every board for twists, cracks, cupping, bowing, and checking. Before you look at each piece of material, look at the stack of wood. Is the stack sitting flat or are there gaps in between each board? Are the top boards lying flat? Start by choosing a stack that is lying flat; and you will have a better chance of getting good material.

Select a board; and turn it on its edge, then, sight down the length. Is it fairly straight? If it has a dramatic bow, from end to end, select another one. Is the board flat? If the board is not flat or is cupped select another board. Splits on the ends of the board are fairly common due to the drying process but a long split is not good. Not only is it a waste of money but could keep splitting the longer it sits around.

Checking is another problem due to sloppy drying techniques. Checking looks like stretch marks or gouge marks on the face of the board. Worm holes should be avoided unless that is the look you want.

If you see powdery saw dust by the holes or on the face of the board then there is probably live worms eating away; and not a good idea to bring them back to your home or shop. Large holes in reclaimed wood can have live wasps and Carpenter Bees hibernating inside. If you bring reclaimed wood into the warmth they will come out to visit. Also, as you go through a stack don’t mess it up for the next guy. Go through the stack and restack the pile like you found it.

Repairman unravels telephone mystery

When is the last time you read something that made you laugh? Really laugh? The following is from Dennis Rockstroh's Action Line column in the Mercury News. Both Bruce and I practically rolled on the floor with laughter when we read this. We thought a Monday morning would be a great time to share this; and get everyone's week off to a great start.

"Action Line: Doggone; this could be a shaggy dog story

By Dennis Rockstroh
drockstroh@mercurynews.com
Posted: 02/04/2012 12:00:00 AM PST

I could not pass this up.

Q This might help Janet from San Pablo (Action Line, Jan. 31)

A Kansas farm wife called the local phone company to report that her telephone failed to ring when her friends called, and that on the few occasions it did ring, her dog always moaned right before the phone rang.

The telephone repairman proceeded to the scene, curious to see this psychic dog or senile lady. He climbed a telephone pole, hooked in his test set and dialed the subscriber's house.

The phone didn't ring right away, but then the dog moaned and the telephone began to ring.

Climbing down from the pole, the telephone repairman found:

1. The dog was tied to the telephone system's ground wire with a steel chain and collar.

2. The wire connection to the ground rod was loose.

3. The dog was receiving 90 volts of signaling current when the number was called.

4. After a couple of jolts, the dog would start moaning and then urinate.

5. The wet ground would complete the circuit, thus causing the phone to ring, which demonstrates that some problems can be fixed by "pissing and moaning."

Mark

A I've always believed that, Mark."

To read more of Mr. Rockstroh's columns, click http://www.mercurynews.com/action-line/.

Enjoy your week!

Woodworking Hints and Tips

Recently, we have noticed people have been searching our site for tips on woodworking. We told the expert at Shea Paul’s that people are interested in woodworking tips; and asked if he would talk to us about working with wood. He was kind enough to provide some tips you can use that will save you time, money and heartache.


Many decisions need to be made before starting a project. The first is wood selection. Are you going to carve the wood? Then you should use a soft wood like pine or maybe a soft hardwood like some varieties of maple. Are you going to make a baseball bat? Then you need a hardwood like hickory or ash. If you want the project to have a glass like finish then you need a closed grain wood. If you use an open grained wood like oak which has a wide open grain, you will spend a lot of time trying to get that glass like finish. Not impossible to do; but it can turn into a nightmare! Like most projects, painting the house, remodeling, etc. planning ahead will save you hours of time and energy.

The next thing you should know about is buying material. You consider your project, decide on the type of material, and figure out the piece of material you will need. You figured out that if you bought a piece of wood 12 inches wide by 8 feet long you could get all the pieces you need to complete your project. Off you go to the lumber yard in search of your material. The first thing you discover at the lumber yard is there are no boards that measure 12 inches wide in any length. Unfortunately, finding a board that is 12 inches wide is rare. Next, you find out lumber is sold by the board foot. A board foot is 12 inches wide by 12 inches long by 1 inch thick. So, a board 12 inches wide by 8 feet long is 8 board feet. Because there are no boards 12 inches wide, how do you know the number of pieces you will need when you are selecting the material? Here is a good tip to use; if you find a board that is 4” wide and the next board is 8” wide stack them next to each other measure their length and you know approximately how many board feet you have. So if you have a board that is 4 inches wide and 8 feet long and you set a board next to it that is 8 inches wide x 8 feet long the two boards added together equal 8 board feet. This tip holds true even when you have one board at 3” wide, one at 2” wide and one at 8” wide. Even though the width adds up to 13” the next boards selected might only add up to 11”wide. If you try to figure it out exactly you are going to have a very long day. This tip becomes real handy if you are buying a lot of material.

The lumber yards use a tally stick to determine how many board feet you are buying. Running over to the yard guys to see how much lumber you have every few minutes is not a good idea. He has a lot of work to do; so babysitting you will not make him very happy. If you are buying lumber by the running foot it is a lot easier. Usually you will find price by the running foot on moldings, trim strips, or where the width of the boards is the same size in the whole stack. So, if the price is 99 cents a running foot and you buy 8 feet it is about 8 dollars. Ok, it is exactly $7.92; but the point we are trying to make here is buying wood is not exact. We can tell you why. The length of wood is random cut so most of the time your selection may be 8 feet 2 inches long or 7 feet 10 inches long rather that the perfect 8 feet. This also holds true for the width of the board. Also, you have to allow extra for machining and maybe a mistake or two. Now that you know how to buy the lumber you should also know what to look for in your selections. Unusable material is costly and usually ends up in a fireplace.

 

Why some Birthday Gifts for Kids are a Hit and Some are a Flop

Finding birthday gifts for kids or coming up with kids birthday gift ideas can be difficult. This is one of the best tips we know; DO NOT buy clothes! A typical mistake people make is buying a child clothes. If you want to see disappointment on a kids face, clothes will do it. If you do want to buy them clothes; take them shopping and let them pick out what they want. Style and fashion is very important in their peer group.

Kids want toys and games. With electronic games being so popular with kids, it is easy to make the wrong gift choice unless they tell you a specific game to buy. Why? Because a boring game will never be used; and they probably have the games they really want already. So what do you do? A great tip here is to see what they do when not playing electronic games. Do they enjoy Legos? Do they like to take things apart or tinker with their bikes? Do they enjoy puzzles or like to watch you cook? Do they ask you for the time or love to pretend play? Do they like crafts or decorating with glitter? When you see what they enjoy buying a birthday gift becomes an easy task. Here are a few of the birthday giftt ideas for kids we feel they will love.

We all know this kid, Tim, the timekeeper. “What time is it?”, “Is it lunch time yet?”, and “tell me when it is 3 o’clock”. The perfect birthday gift for any kid who likes to keep track of time is a watch. A watch that is also a toy is two gifts in one; so, our Lego watches are great birthday gift ideas. Kids love Lego toys; and a Lego watch with action mini figure has to be the best idea to come along in a decade. We carry Buzz Lightyear and Woody Lego watches from Toy Story. We also have Storm Trooper, Darth Maul, R2D2, and Yoda from the Star Wars animated series The Clone Wars. These are not ordinary kids watches. They are build your own watches with additional colored links to customize the watch band in any style you like. The watch face is an illustrated image of a Lego mini figure. The two links around the face feature standard Lego studs for attaching the additional Lego elements that are included. Add the studded bezel and attach additional Lego pieces for your own unique look. As an added plus these are water resistant watches to 150 feet. What could make a better birthday gift for a kid?

Perhaps you know this child, take apart Mark! Mark wonders how things work and how things are put together. Perhaps, one of the most important gifts you could ever give Mark is an Erector set. Opening a child’s mind to structural engineering, architectural design, or mechanics could become their life calling. Now with modern designs, colors and plastics, Erector sets are fast becoming great gift ideas for kids again. We feature Erector sets from the Space Chaos collection, Silver Force and Dark Pirates.

Thomas the Train toys have been a love of children since the TV series Thomas and Friends began in 1984. Now your child can make Thomas whistle while he works with the Thomas Train Whistle. Thomas the Tank Engine toys are always great birthday gift ideas for kids; and this whistle is no exception. Kids love to play with flashlights; and Thomas will make his or her flashlight special. You will be a hit giving a Thomas and Friends tin flashlight as a birthday gift or just to say I love you. Not just a toy, but a handy item to have around when needed!

We carry wooden toys, games and puzzles from Melissa and Doug. The Stacking Train, Take-Along Tool Kit, and Shape Sorting Clock make great learning toys and are classics. The Decorate Your Own Piggy Bank or Decorate Your Own Princess Mirror is perfect for kids who love crafts or love to decorate. Kids have fun while learning with the Farm Animals Sound Puzzle. Place the puzzle pieces in the correct spots; and hear farm animals sound off. For pretend play we have the Bake and Decorate Cupcake set. Your little bakers will have lots of fun decorating and serving the cupcakes. With more kids birthday gift ideas like the Turbospoke Bike Toy, Rattlesnake Egg Singing Magnets, or The Hyper Dash Race Game, we are sure your gift will be a hit. Visit our Birthday Gifts for Kids page or you can find all of our kids gifts under our Toys and Games category page. If you are looking for more gift ideas and information, visit Great Gift Ideas.

Hubcaps and Gravy has birthday gifts for boys, birthday gifts for girls, birthday gifts for kids from toddlers, preschoolers to preteens. We have baby gift ideas and gift ideas for kids of just about any age! Do you have trouble finding just the right gift; or need help with gift ideas? Browse gift ideas for kids to get great gift ideas; or email us to tell us a little bit about the gift recipient. We will be happy to make some suggestions for affordable gifts.

We hope our Birthday gifts for kids and great kids Birthday gift ideas page will help you find a great birthday gift for that special boy or girl in your life.

1962 World Series Game Six (Part 2)



Whitey Ford





Juan Marichal

 As you can imagine Giants fans were wound up going into game six with the Yankee’s ahead three games to two. Our star pitcher Juan Marichal lost a fingernail trying to bunt in game four putting him out of contention for game six or seven.

The big day was here at last. There was a light rain falling; and I was sick with a cold. Not a bad cold; but bad enough to stay home from school. About 8 or 9AM there was a knock at the door. It was Mr. Tenant looking for me. I jumped out of bed; and got ready to go to game six of the World Series. We were going to go to his office where he had a meeting to attend before leaving for the game. Just before we left my house he was talking to my mom and was praising me for the wonderful letter I had written to him. My mom asked him “what letter”? I went numb realizing there was some kind of mistake. Mr. Tenant had mistaken me, for someone else. I heard someone say “you remember that letter I wrote” realizing the words came out of my mouth! An awkward pause, then I remember my mom uttering something like “oh yes”. I had lied; and I think Mr. Tenant knew something was wrong. I felt sick to my stomach as we walked to the car knowing I not only lied but; was also cheating another kid out of going to the World Series. To this day that lie troubles me; and I am sorry that I had not told the truth.



Mickey Mantel





Willie Mays

 Mr. Tenant’s office was very large with a great view atop a building in downtown Oakland. It seemed like he was in the meeting for hours. I had a lot of time to think. Then, I remembered a name I had heard a few times at the Boys Club that sounded like my name. I knew that someone mixed up the names; and had given Mr. Tenant the wrong phone number. When Mr. Tenant came back in from his meeting, he said the game was rained out. I still said nothing about the lie.



Willie McCovey



Roger Maris



Orlando Cepeda

After three days of rain the sun came out; and game six of the World Series would be played. That morning Mr. Tenant picked me up; and we drove out to Walnut Creek to pick up another kid. Off to Candlestick we went. The funny thing is I don’t remember much about the game itself. I remember helicopters drying the field when we got there; and I remember seeing and hearing the names of the players. Perhaps you know some of the player’s names like Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Whitey Ford, Willie Mays, Willie McCovey Felipe Alou and Orlando Cepeda, The Giants won game six by a score of 5 to 2 tying the series at 3 games apiece. Game seven would determine the 1962 World Series champs. I think that Juan Marichal and Felipe Alou telling the ending to the 1962 World Series would be a lot more interesting than me telling you.