A while back, I posted this video about the house I grew up in:

Well that was the house I lived in since shortly after my ninth birthday. Prior to that, I lived in Watford in the UK. And prior to that, I lived in Seven Oaks, UK. I don't remember the first place. I was simply too young to retain any memories from that time. But I do remember the house in Watford.

My passport is long expired and I don't feel like taking a quick trip to Heathrow Airport and renting a car to go down memory lane. So I used Google.

It seems that some force is systematically trying to wipe out my past. The house in Watford isn't there anymore. The school looks suspiciously different too. There are also a lot more houses in the area that would have made getting to Cassioburry Park more difficult than it was when I was going there by myself since the age of about six. Try doing that in this day and age. I actually remember PSAs on BBC about baby snatchers.

So here follows some screen caps of my tour down memory lane where my earliest memories are buried under new housing, tarmac, and time.

All pictures link to original sized images hosted elsewhere.

I lied.

Even though it was below 40F, it was above freezing. The ride was great. It was a refreshing change from looking outside at the crappy weather. No. It was sunny. Well occasionally sunny. Yes, the tires did slip and slide. Well if I can't handle a little slipping and sliding, I shouldn't be on a bike.

OK, people have already said I shouldn't be on a bike. Fuck them.

There was one alarming incident. A dog bolted out from some trees into the road in front of me. There was a woman there who I assume was the owner from the way she was screaming. I reverted to my MSF training and weaved around the dog. I missed it by just enough to miss it. Hitting it would have been the end of the dog and not much better for me.

I hope that woman learned a lesson about the importance of leashes on country roads. If I was in an SUV, that would have been dog splat.

My heart was racing for a while after that incident. Other than that, the ride was very enjoyable. It was my first ride of 2009. It was so nice to get the bike out. I still want some wind guards for the levers though. The gloves I have are pretty good in cold weather. But with wind blowing over them at 60MPH or more, they don't have the insulating qualities one could hope for.

Not the one I rode up Mt Washington or on The Dragon. No, this one:

There really isn't much point in having two identical 599s. I could fix it first, but I would rather leave that burden to the buyer.

So the bike is up on craigslist.org now. I've already gotten one call with an "I'll think about it." I wish people would do as I ask in my ad and watch my video first. While the bike can be made like new again (which would probably end up being more than the bike is worth) or can be fixed up just enough to make it a ridable bike, there is some work involved. Not everyone is up to that. I'm not.

That's why I'm trying to sell it. That and I have another project I need funding for. Shhhh! Don't whisper a word of that to anyone!

I took my bike out for the first time since election day. The temperature was 33F, just a shade over 0C. I checked my tire pressures before going out. But when I was riding, I noticed my bike was not handling normally. The rear end was stepping out a bit on tight turns. Other things just didn't feel right.

I got my answer when I came to a stop at a traffic light. The rear end started to fishtail even though I was hardly applying the rear brake. The rear had locked up and was skidding.

It seems my tires, which handled so well in the summer, just don't like cold weather.

Only a few short days ago, I was introduced to Dropbox. Dropbox is a brilliant way to do remote storage, sync, and backups. It's currently in beta. The application looks to me like it has some serious potential.

One thing that it can do quite well is allow you to share files with other people. How? Like this!

As I type this, my Tree of Shame video is still uploading. Once it is up, you can watch it in glorious 720p High Definition! You just need some bandwidth to keep up. Or you can just download the file and play it locally. The difference in quality between the 720p version and the LV version is stunning. I've also got my Deals Gap DVD teaser up. Same deal applies.

I'm thinking of skipping out on the DVD idea altogether. Why not just deliver a video in HD? Well, space is a real issue. So is bandwidth. It depends on how things play out.

I wish I saw these videos before I did my lower. I might have saved some scratches. I would have saved time. It's a fifteen minute job really. Perhaps less.

I still learned something from going through the process. I learned more from watching these videos. It's too bad I have no plans for building yet another AR anytime soon. Hmm. Maybe I should build a few lowers just for kicks and future planning. Then again, I would rather just save up for the Ducati 848.

I've been dreaming of building or buying a custom firearm for nearly a decade now. I figured my first project gun would be a custom made 1911 style pistol in the standard .45 ACP caliber. I still want to do that, but time, skill, and money don't seem to be available all at the same time.

A little over a year ago, I got the notion of going with something based on the very popular AR-15 type platform. My inspiration was a picture of an M-16 type rifle in Iraq that was outfitted with a longer than usual barrel and optical sights only. No iron sights at all, IIRC. The rifle was in the standard 5.56 NATO caliber and was being used as a sniper rifle at intermediate ranges (about 200 - 600 meters). The modular design of the AR makes it ideal for creating custom rifles. Even more attractive is the pricing. At their current prices, off the shelf ARs already cost more than something you can build yourself from a parts kit. Going custom pushes the price back up again. But you are still in the range of an off the shelf rifle.

You still have to purchase the serial numbered lower receiver through a Federally licensed gun dealer in the USA. While many parts are available online, there is no way someone without the right machine tools and skill can build a rifle without filling out the ATF-4473 form. Well not without purchasing a rifle that has already been in the system from a private seller anyway.

I purchased a stripped lower from a local gun store on the 4473. All the other parts I got mail order. I've made six videos so far about the project. A seventh is in production and will be in a different format. The format change is for two simple reasons. First, it will be the last in the series. Second, it will show photographs and a brief video clip of what the barrel maker did. You see, it is the barrel and Paladin Machine gas block that make this rifle unique.

The barrel maker threw in my Internet nick for free. I thought it was very nice of him to do so. I never thought to ask about custom markings on the barrel. The stamping was done by stamping each letter individually. It is less visible on the barrel now that it has been parkerized. But the stamp is visible on the top of the barrel in front of the gas block.

It was serendipitous finding the gas block maker. He is the only person I could find who sells the type of gas block I wanted. You see, I didn't want just a simple gas block with no front sight. I wanted a gas block that could also turn off the gas flow to the action. Why? Because I own a can that is designed to reduce muzzle blast noise. In the USA, it is required to purchase such a device, often incorrectly called a silencer, on an ATF Form-4. Along with that there is the payment of a $200 USD tax for an NFA tax stamp. The can has a serial number on it and is treated like a machine gun under US law. I keep the paperwork for that in a safe deposit box and carry photocopies in case anyone should inquire.

Two things happen when the gas block is switched off. First, the rifle does not cycle. It acts like a normal bolt action rifle. Second, the rifle does not make as much noise. You would be surprised at how loud the action is if you've never fired this type of rifle. Also the action cycling is responsible for most of the movement of the rifle when fired. A lot of people don't know that semi-autos have more felt kick than bolt action rifles simply because of the extra mass that moves when fired.

My custom rifle video series is not exactly popular based on the number of views and comments I've been getting. That's OK. Not many people read my blogs either. I'm putting this all out there for my own satisfaction. And once I've got the seventh video up, or perhaps sooner, I will make public the pictures in the AR-15 Project album. The pictures show some highlights of the rifle building process. My first six videos just introduce the project and then move on to the simple matter of assembly. You can get detailed assembly instructions for the lower receiver at the AR15.com Guides site. The stuff at AR15.com will serve you better than my videos if you intend to build your own AR-15.

If you enjoy firearms, I recommend building your own AR-15. It's an interesting project and you learn a lot more about the rifle than you would from simply buying one off the shelf. Everyone should own an AR-15.