Never enough time

[liveaboard]

When I was 8 years old, I was watching an electrician working in my dad's house. He showed me a small wire he'd looped over and was taping up until he could get back to finish whatever he was doing.
"This is the way to tape off a wire" he told me.
I don't remember much, but I remember the kind man who took the moment to talk to an 8 year old kid like a human. I think of that guy every time I tape off a wire.
40 years ago when I was 16, another electrician in another house in another state was installing a heavy 220V underground line to the garage; He stopped to show me the aluminum cable, and the copper one he was going to join it to.
He didn't use a paste, but some sort of purpose made mechanical coupling. I think it was lead, or lead coated.
"Never connect aluminum to copper without the right coupling." he told me, "It'll corrode and burn."
Funny, the things a mind chooses to remember. I can't remember names or faces, or other people's personal details.

I use propane for heating, cutting, and brazing.
Not as hot as acetylene, and it doesn't work as well [especially for cutting]. But it sure is cheap!

[reggie_obe]

There is good reason for this discussion and absorb previous posts. Consider the massive distances of overhead power distribution and all be copper.

No, most if not all electric transmission lines are aluminum. Power companies switched from copper to aluminum long ago. The only place I still see copper is the overhead centenary of Amtrak.

No the be-all and end-all of references, but: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overhead_power_line
and: http://facilityexecutive.com/2011/11/tr ... nd-copper/

[steamin10]

Well as unluck would have it, a trial run of the small tractor off of craigs list yeilded a problem. The too tall grass would ball up and jam the blades against the houseing. a few passes over short grass proved the engine to labor. Upon looking over the deck after a jam stalled the blades, I found the new mulching blades installed upside down. Not only that but the star drives had been abused and were smeared and mushroomed, so the blades could be forced to move. I removed the deck, got out my new dremel, and using a chain saw stone, removed all the hang nails around the star until the blades dropped on the shape with fair ease. I used a 3/8 impact to demount n remount the blades, and took some time for me to reinstall the deck crawling on the shop floor. Old bones ya know. I discovered that this thing is a home brew, with weird mounting, a radius arm to cut side movement, and an electric clutch with pop button, that works very well. Because of the belt distance height adjustment is limited, ubt centers around 3 inches, which is where I mow anyway, so its all good there. this is a smaller tractor physicaly than Rose's ride being 15.5 horse, and equiped with a 42 inch deck. so it is slow on covering ground, but is working through the need.

Gonna go finish a chicken coop for Dennis and go to a matinee with Mom Rose. Lost half a day with legal work yesterday, getting cert copies for a matter at hand.
Laters.

[spro]

I sorta feel your dismay about the initial mowing performance. I'm familiar with inexpensive tractors/craigs list etc. At least the big problem (ignorance) with the blades upside down, has been corrected. I was where you were, with those star- end spindle mandrels. I reshaped them by using chisels and punches before using a dremel type grinder. This was a particularly troublesome Montomery Wards MTD which is similar to a Craftsman. A friend just gave it to me after repairing it so many times he was sick of looking at it. It has a decent 2cylinder 16hp engine, electric pto and a 46" deck....but not right for what I mow. The mandrels' design was an inferior type( I rebuilt a few of them before purchasing the upgraded ones). It ate belts because there was no height and the front end was terrible. My friend had replaced bushings and stuff with ground plumbing couplers and whatever. I replaced all that stuff to better but there wasn't a clear path to make that machine mow higher grass. Enough of that one. I acquired a Sears Craftsman "Limited Edition" Gold and it has been a super little mower. It only has a 42" deck, 13.5 hp engine and lever type deck engagement. Gear drive and they got it right with this one because it is a little bulldog. It has a mulch deck but isn't dedicated to that with a large chute, does well. This guy is like a bush hog and we are yet to kill it.
An important thing about this model, it has a heavier front end (parts of it). I was surprised to see that the front spindles were larger ( 7/8" compared to 3/4") than the earlier 16hp Wards or later 18hp Craftsman.
There is a lot of reminisce in this post yet there is something about front wheels. These days you can purchase the entire wheel and tire, assembled for a price BUT you have to look/measure the bearing hub. Since they went from actual bearings to sleeves in consumer quality, a wheel/tire combo may limit you to plastic sleeves which wear quickly. That, wears out the spindle and the wheel hub. There are better bronze bushings which fit the larger/original hubs.

[reggie_obe]

There is a lot of reminisce in this post yet there is something about front wheels. These days you can purchase the entire wheel and tire, assembled for a price BUT you have to look/measure the bearing hub. Since they went from actual bearings to sleeves in consumer quality, a wheel/tire combo may limit you to plastic sleeves which wear quickly. That, wears out the spindle and the wheel hub. There are better bronze bushings which fit the larger/original hubs.

To be able to rebuild the worn out, to re-manufacture that which is poorly designed, isn't that why we own mills, lathes and have workshops?

[spro]

Yes and make small tire changers before they became common.

[steamin10]

Well, I am now mowing slected parts and paths a second time, for the purpose of gathering the grass piles into wind rws for transport into the chicken pens. Teh drying grass must be removed or it will rot lines and sots in the natural turf, and onec dead, takes a while to recover. As it is, the mowed out and remowed areas are looking like a Golf green. Now if only I had the time and energy to renew the flower garden. As I get older, my work day gets shorter.

[steamin10]

Servicing bees today, putting 2nd brood chamber on, as bees were seen bearding Thursday. They have consumed more than 2 gallons of syrup, and seem to b doing well.

Rosemobile will get new battery today, as the original loses charge and wont start in a coupla days. Different land details are taking up time. Ford Explorer will get a tickle on the AC charge to get better temps on the output. Hoping I dont blow up the old system. Going to be in the 90's this aftanoon. We are going to movie house at noon. Gonna pick at projects inna cool house. Sump pump is out, dont know why, prolly switch again.IIfn

[spro]

Hey Big Dave! Hope you missed the recent torrents. Dang. Too wet and too hot too much at this point. How are the bees doing?

[steamin10]

Well, the girls have failed to follow the grand plan. They bonded the top cover to the center of the brood combs. I removed the cover and placed it in front of the hive, and they cleaned all the stores from its fractured remnants in two days, Now with a 2nd brood chamber, they have done the same things bonding the top boards to the bottoms above. What that means is a good amount of brood are at risk n twisting and breaking the bodies apart, and scraping back the wild comb. I use a big restaurant spatula and get it all in one or two swipes. It also means crushed bees and larvae, and field bees coming to the defense, so I will have to suit up. I have been working this hive bare, but too much risk this time around, so I have a Tyvac painter suit and veil. I will have to make a stand to set the split hive on to work the frames, as that will keep the boxes level, and that is less upsetting to the bees. The scrapings will be oven melted to separate the honey, and wax, that I need to condition the plastic short super frames. These frames are pressure washed at the car wash, and dunk rinsed 3 times. Once dry they are misted with a Horror Fright trim gun, ($10 on sale) to put a starter layer of wax to entice the bees to build out the comb for storage. A queen excluder below insures no brood will be laid in the harvest area. They will fill it with stores as they build it out, and I will periodically harvest a frame or two, when they become available. You cant leave stored honey too long, as the cappings can become dirty from the coming and goings of the workers.

I am using some all plastic comb panels, that is untraditional to the normal wood parts, They promise long life and freedom from disease spores that sometimes plague wooden frames. Another challenge is to make a dipper with the comb imprint on it, to peel sheets of wax foundation to define the bee space. (used in wood frames). Lots to play with.

I already have a hot knife, frame spinner, and enough materials built out for a dozen full sized hives, having about 30 short boxs, but my full hive bodies have aged out and need replaced. A finger joint wood project. So I scan the shorts at the local menards for suitable cutoffs that are knot free, or nearly so.

Medical issues, and just plain fatigue are limiting my efforts. along with weather, too hot or wet to play outside in. The rains have been sparse, but temps about 5* high for average. Son has cut anti tank ditches to restore drainage, so it will be a fight to restore access to my field lands. What was too wet to drive across 2 months a year is now a 2 x 2 foot ditch, I cant cross any time. UGH!

Daughter has expanded her Koi pool after the addition of new fish infected her 200 gallon pool and nearly killed it off. Now a bio filter and three levels, it is about a thousand gallons, with rocks, river stone, and green things growing in the water like water lettuce, pond lilly and such. It is layed out in the shade in front of the Gran window next to the breezeway past the front garage. It fits nicely, and is an interesting view. The sprinkles and ripples are run by a half horse submersible pump similar to a swimming pool, with the bio filter the first layer, and then down the rapids between hard and soft bottom pools. She is sporting about 30+ fish of less than 4 inch, with names I cant remember. Mostly fancy goldfish, and the surviving Koi, which are not goldfish. She is going to add some tropical Plecostomas for the summer, and try to winter them in the house. All the parts were traded or left overs from friends an neighbors projects, or landscaping take outs, like 2 ton of river rock, or small hard shell pools.

I have been called upon to add to the small pool deck we started, and bring it online. That should happen Monday. Deck bracing and railings are missing, and a preservative coat is needed. The fun never ends.

[steamin10]

As I write this, the pool project went slowly but well. Steph and Doug provided the crawl and grunt work of fitting out the 2x8 lumber for the deck framing we had to wrap tight to the pool edge, and fill in with off angles to wrap the support. It went rather well finishing off the square set deck with the roundy shape to the pool. They are not wood workers so leading them by the hand was slow going, but eventually finished out well. The Idea of how to construct the railings and tops was sketched out, and may need my help again, but laying out the 2x8 deck top is just plug and chug..

Since the 11th various problems of timing and supply have prevented a battery from appearing, I finally got it last night, for Rose's ride. Only $20 from Menards sale paper, and we are good to go. The $200 dollar 15 horse modified Crapsman, has done a bang up job at bailing up the 3 foot grasses. i cant complain. 4 trailer fulls the size of tent camper of mowed grass went into the chicken pens, and they enjoy scratching around in the 'hay' provided. Nothing goes to waste much here. This has inspired a project for anothe off road trailer with flotation tires like that of off road three wheelers for doing the chicken things. We find the full sized trailers are too clumsy and hard to manage down the paths between the ever changing chicken yard, The yard trailers for general use as sold by the big box stores arre too small to be really usefull, and the work we do demands something about 4 times that size.

Our last journey to a yard/farm sale, turned up no desirable bird stock, but in compensation, I bought a pony bottle for oxygen for $20, a new gun case for $10 (SKS project), A beat up cast iron 7 inch fry pan for making lead shot. There is a guy with a hole in his throat, that sells handles and boat oars. I got the missing handle to my Dad's carpenter axe for three bucks, and its odd ball tear drop shape in the head. I also bought a couple of sledge handles, as they are most expendable and seen to get broken often, and finally a set of oars for my repaired Gamefisher (SEARS boat), I did bottom repair on. Son has a generic trailer that will be converted to carry it, we just have to fit out a bunkie for the hull. Like I say, there is always things to do, I get tired thinking up new ways to put things together.

Last night, a steering line failed on the Ranger, and is leaking fluid, so I am grounded for now, until I fix the rusted out line.

It seems the little projects take the most effort, as I bought some 1x8 stock, to replace the rotting fascia boards on the garage. The back side already had a hole big enough for a 30 lb critter to swing in from the roof. So I laid them out, and painted with oil based semi gloss whit, and only need somebody to hold the other end of the board to put them up. Always something. That 'DO' ;ist just doent get much shorter. TTFN

[spro]

Don't know where to begin or end on a reply. Bees are great and I don't use any poison to directly kill them. I grew up with different bees. They were a challenge beyond the spiders and huge grasshoppers. I liked to study how they worked. Mandibles and articulation and praying mantis etc. Bees were a different thing and being stung wasn't nearly a root canal or the inevitable stuff. I do hate yellow jackets but back to bees, honey bees, I miss them. I could catch one in my little hand and put it in a vented jar before it stung me. Bumblebees, I would get close and time when the wings were straight up and pinch them together. I had a bumblebee in a jar to study. WTx, they are cool and like anything I got stung by doing that.
Honey Bees, a different thing. I just don't see them around here anymore.
Brake lines. When I was replacing a lot of them, the stores just let me in the back. I had my gage and tape measure, could find what I needed and ( sometimes put the correct one where it should be) It wasn't something in stock, for that vehicle but some need a loop or two for equalization and you had to know that one would be perfect if it was modified.