What did you do today....other than work on your car!?

[Pops1967GTX]

Had to replace 30 year old attic stairs

 

[Triplegreen500]

Went and played in the snow like a child...

(I actually did need gas, so....)

 

[71RRHI]

Smoked a rack of beef ribs for dinner

 

[67 Mopar]

I started building a Shadowbox for "some" of my retirement stuff the other day. It's almost ready to load now, but I still have a few more things to complete first.
I just stuck my retirement flag in there to ensure that it would fit correctly.

What sets this box apart from other military shadowboxes, is the fact that the lumber used to build it came from the top deck of the Historic Ship USS NAUTILUS SSN-571 the worlds first Nuclear Powered Submarine, which made numerous historic voyages including being the first vessel to transit the polar ice caps fully submerged. Submarines still had wooded top decks back then. It was in active service from 1955 to 1980, at which point is was declared a National Historic Landmark, and moored just outside the Naval Submarine Base in CT, where it became a floating museum, available to the public.
In 2021 the Navy decided it was time for a little repair & refurbishment for future preservation, so they towed it into the base itself where it would be taken out of the water via the ARDM-4 Maintainance Vessel. I was retired at the time, but I had an invite from the Navy, so I drove down from my home in NH to witness this historic event and take part in the docking. I didn't have to do anything really, I was just there to observer for the most part. Long story short... during the refurbishment, the old teak wood top deck was replaced, so one of my old shipmates grab a few pieces of the original decking and set it aside for me.
The wood from the decking was re-sawn, run across the jointer, and planed to roughly 3/4" board thickness for use on this project.

 

[MarPar]

I started building a Shadowbox for "some" of my retirement stuff the other day. It's almost ready to load now, but I still have a few more things to complete first.
I just stuck my retirement flag in there to ensure that it would fit correctly.

What sets this box apart from other military shadowboxes, is the fact that the lumber used to build it came from the top deck of the Historic Ship USS NAUTILUS SSN-571 the worlds first Nuclear Powered Submarine, which made numerous historic voyages including being the first vessel to transit the polar ice caps fully submerged. Submarines still had wooded top decks back then. It was in active service from 1955 to 1980, at which point is was declared a National Historic Landmark, and moored just outside the Naval Submarine Base in CT, where it became a floating museum, available to the public.
In 2021 the Navy decided it was time for a little repair & refurbishment for future preservation, so they towed it into the base itself where it would be taken out of the water via the ARDM-4 Maintainance Vessel. I was retired at the time, but I had an invite from the Navy, so I drove down from my home in NH to witness this historic event and take part in the docking. I didn't have to do anything really, I was just there to observer for the most part. Long story short... during the refurbishment, the old teak wood top deck was replaced, so one of my old shipmates grab a few pieces of the original decking and set it aside for me.
The wood from the decking was re-sawn, run across the jointer, and planed to roughly 3/4" board thickness for use on this project.

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Thank you for your Service, Sir! I hope you enjoy retirement to it's fullest!

 

[67 Mopar]

Thanks Guys,
I put the related items in it today... My retirement plaque and other certificates, etc., will be displayed alongside individually.
I just have to hang it now... the dang thing weighs 18 lbs