Never enough time

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steamin10
Posts: 6712
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2003 11:52 pm
Location: NW Indiana. Close to Lake Michigan S. tip

Re: Never enough time

Post by steamin10 »

MRI is done, for baseline on liver, and lower organs. Get readings later this week. Intimidating experience being shoved in a tube that small, even for a diver. Your closet fears come out, believe me.

Got a bunch of canvas wrapped up in the mower blades, bent the deck on a root, so that a blade makes a rap on the housing. Its ugly. Found my long stored bee suit from England, so can now properly service my only beee hive and try to force a queen. The bees are avoiding the plastic foundation frames, so I have to rinse them again, and spray them with liquid wax. I bought a 2 lb brick from the bee guy, at a local farm market. so there is a lot of work to do. A wax melter is planned, as I have a window frame, So the glass and base will build a solar melter. So as you can see, the DO list just keeps rolling, even if I dont feel like playing in the heat.We are predicted to have 90+ temps into the weekend, after mondays thorms, that actually spawned a class 1 tornado. Only 5 days above 90 so far, 15 days in 2014, so we maay tie for temps. Last week, at the Air and Water show, rough water was the root of 5 drownings along the lake shore. Thats 10 so far this year, at the Southern tip. & foot waves are not a swimmers friend, as the changing sand bars in the shallows encourage undertow, and rip currents, that quickly overpower the unwary.

Gas prices are bouncing around like crazy from $2.05 to $2.26 at the pump. Got $35 for truck and equipment, and killed my budget for the month. Now running on cards till next month. TTFN
Big Dave, former Millwright, Electrician, Environmental conditioning, and back yard Fixxit guy. Now retired, persuing boats, trains, and broken relics.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart. My computer beat me at chess, but not kickboxing
It is not getting caught in the rain, its learning to dance in it. People saying good morning, should have to prove it.
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steamin10
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Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2003 11:52 pm
Location: NW Indiana. Close to Lake Michigan S. tip

Re: Never enough time

Post by steamin10 »

Wow, gas hit $1.99 this weekend.. Its 80+ degrees and 90+ humidity this morning. Trying to chip at projects. Went to pool league, and won the 9 ball drawing, made one on the break to get 2 10% points on the game, good for $88 twice. This will allow me to pay a coupla doctors office visits. Hey , money is money.

Two lawn tractors down this morning, and lots to mow. never ends.
Big Dave, former Millwright, Electrician, Environmental conditioning, and back yard Fixxit guy. Now retired, persuing boats, trains, and broken relics.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart. My computer beat me at chess, but not kickboxing
It is not getting caught in the rain, its learning to dance in it. People saying good morning, should have to prove it.
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steamin10
Posts: 6712
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2003 11:52 pm
Location: NW Indiana. Close to Lake Michigan S. tip

Re: Never enough time

Post by steamin10 »

I have been watching the Lake of Michigan news lately, and it claimed 2 more boaters Friday night. It seems three chums were out to party too hardy, and ran a good sized boat up a break wall. The boat was discovered after a 60 yr old was ashore and entered a cry for help. The boat was found mostly intact, but about 10 feet of the nose floating above the water. A 68 and 62 yr old were found floating nearby, apparently killed on impact with the wall, off of East Chicago Marina. There is a dusk to dawn speed restriction on the Lake of Michigan, and Authorities believe drink, night effects, and excess speed were the cause of the loss. The lone survivor had to swim some distance to shore, (around the breakwall) and was in the water for some time before calling for help. He was not wearing flotation. The deadly Lake takes boats with regularity. At low water season, pleasure craft run aground on the limestone shoals just a hundred feet offshore, of central Chicago, off 49th street. A known hazard, Morgan Shoal is limestone shoal stretches half a mile into the lake from its Western shore. Unlike the majority of the sand bottom lake, it is part of a limestone bed that formed from this area, and ended near the Niagra area, when it was near the equator in Millenia past. Several tectonic moves, and several glaciers later, The miles thick ice crushed the Earths crust to form this lake, and south for many miles, the limestone ocean bed that lies several hundred feet thick here, would have dwarfed the Barrier reef of Australia. The Dells area with its random rock spires, are a part of this limestone foundation, some of which the glaciers flowed around, leaving totering needles of limestone. I hope this inspires some to look into the geology of Petosky, home of the Petosky stones, and this area that ranges some 600 feet above sea level. Not to meantion some of the thousands of wrecks and derelicts of commerce along the
Great Lakes.

It has collected many wrecks of larger boats over the years, taking props, and stranding larger vessels, and even doing damage to power boats of some size with its shallows and bad luck. I only mention it here because the Bloomer girl, was built as a Lake Packet vessel of typical round lines, coal powered, and 109 feet long for service along the lake. Built around 1894, she stranded and was wrecked 3 days later when wind and wave forced her to be abandoned when she rolled over, and broke apart, in 1914. Silver Spray as she was named when wrecked, is one of the many wrecks of the Great Lakes.
Big Dave, former Millwright, Electrician, Environmental conditioning, and back yard Fixxit guy. Now retired, persuing boats, trains, and broken relics.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart. My computer beat me at chess, but not kickboxing
It is not getting caught in the rain, its learning to dance in it. People saying good morning, should have to prove it.
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steamin10
Posts: 6712
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2003 11:52 pm
Location: NW Indiana. Close to Lake Michigan S. tip

Re: Never enough time

Post by steamin10 »

I apologize for the somewhat disjointed post. I have been working on some different pictures and frames, and am making a shadowbox frame for some shipwreck items long pulled from the Wreck of the bulk freighter F.W. Wheeler. She ran aground in early snow storms in November just East of Michigan city light, thinking it was a Chicago harbor light. There she broke apart and lost her coal load to the Lake in 1898. She was taken to pieces that winter and lies in 25_30 feet of water. Her machinery and engines were mostly salvaged that spring. At various times the shore sands sweep over her bones, that little is seen, or swept away by winter waves that she lies exposed. In making parts for the shadow box to hold my rusty relics of that past time, I was inspired by events, so I wrote the last entry above.

So, if it seems I have drifted off the mark, I apologize. But it is related to being too hot and humid, as I surrender to my AC and hibernate in cool comfort and play with train parts and pictures, and broken weed wackers.
Big Dave, former Millwright, Electrician, Environmental conditioning, and back yard Fixxit guy. Now retired, persuing boats, trains, and broken relics.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart. My computer beat me at chess, but not kickboxing
It is not getting caught in the rain, its learning to dance in it. People saying good morning, should have to prove it.
timmy wheeler
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Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2009 6:21 pm
Location: So. California

Re: Never enough time

Post by timmy wheeler »

Dave, That is the beauty of the Junk Drawer...you can post whatever you like! Personally, I'm fascinated by ship wrecks.

Take care and cool, Timmy
illigitimi non carborundum
spro
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Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2006 11:04 pm
Location: mid atlantic

Re: Never enough time

Post by spro »

Going back to lawn mowers, I got two arbor assemblies from an unknown mower deck. These were interesting because mowing in rocky land happened before. The way they worked is that the blade would ride up if it hit solid obstruction. It would whack it or vine at a higher level and then settle down to normal grass level. There was a heavy coil spring which pressed the blade to nominal level. The arbor was acme threaded in an area which allowed the blade/ nut to float and respond to unequal pressure. I don't know if this idea exists now with garden tractors. It seems with the newer machinery, spiral splines and springs would allow small tractors to climb roots and rocks with some confidence that each arbor is reactive at that millisecond. It wouldn't break the chain.
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steamin10
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Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2003 11:52 pm
Location: NW Indiana. Close to Lake Michigan S. tip

Re: Never enough time

Post by steamin10 »

That is old technology, and considered dangerous, as the whackin an thwacken caused an occasional failure. Soo the Engineers sought the easy way out of not providing for things you shouldnt do (hit rocks/objects with sharp blades) and thats that. Many larger mower decks have a front plate that grab rocks and obstructions just below blade level, and tend to stop the tractor. This lip also makes the front stronger, so as not to bend upon catching an obstruction, as I did last week.

I hit a root mass from some hawthorn, or other undesirable, and tweaked the front edge of the housing. It folded far enough to make a drum sound on the blade. A big hammer and laying on the ground for a heavy swing, was the order of the day, much to my chagrin. Its like watch building with a pickax. No way to treat a working machine.
Big Dave, former Millwright, Electrician, Environmental conditioning, and back yard Fixxit guy. Now retired, persuing boats, trains, and broken relics.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart. My computer beat me at chess, but not kickboxing
It is not getting caught in the rain, its learning to dance in it. People saying good morning, should have to prove it.
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steamin10
Posts: 6712
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2003 11:52 pm
Location: NW Indiana. Close to Lake Michigan S. tip

Re: Never enough time

Post by steamin10 »

Mom Rose has decided to drag me to the tall ships meeting at Navy Pier, on the Lake of Michigan, Chicago. Some 14 tall ships of various types, from 4 masted, to square sail Brig, and schooner designs with and without topsail, will be on display. These ships are harbored mostly around the great lakes, and appear at various times.. Since the Machinaw race became a survival test with the bad weather that caused many boats to drop out, this is a treat for anybody with interest in history, and the age of sail.

No, I will not post ameteur pics. It is much better done and the ships are listed on the net, look up Chicago tall ships.

Just for fun, look up the David Dows, the only 5 masted schooner to sail the Great lakes. She is a marked wreck outside the old Calumet Harbor, where she settled after a failed tow.
Big Dave, former Millwright, Electrician, Environmental conditioning, and back yard Fixxit guy. Now retired, persuing boats, trains, and broken relics.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart. My computer beat me at chess, but not kickboxing
It is not getting caught in the rain, its learning to dance in it. People saying good morning, should have to prove it.
spro
Posts: 8016
Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2006 11:04 pm
Location: mid atlantic

Re: Never enough time

Post by spro »

I'll check later but you aren't the only one who pounds out mowing decks. For instance my 154 Low Boy is nothing compared to a serious tractor with 3-point and bush hog. Great belly mower tractor and very nimble . The very thing I was mentioning, already happened, in a way. Most all I see have chains to hold the IH or Woods decks. This tractor has active hydraulic to raise or lower the deck on the go. It is belt drive from the back PTO and the belt is flexible so a deck with rollers can tip. The Woods decks with wheels ride and tip over things. Most every went to that and I may also. This would be similar to the older Farm All. This IH 3260A deck with one front roller was designed to be held with both rockers so it is different yet was a mess.
Getting back to straightening a deck. This is thick steel and braced around the sides with another band of 3/16"-1/4" steel. But it doesn't mean anything it you run over a stump or boulder. Everything will bend. One must separate everything from the deck, beat the hell out of it to conform, beat the reinforcement to match and reassemble. I rebuilt the arbors etc and it has done decent work for years.
Smaller ones, beat them back easier than detaching.
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steamin10
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Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2003 11:52 pm
Location: NW Indiana. Close to Lake Michigan S. tip

Re: Never enough time

Post by steamin10 »

I have a 140 offset cultivating tractor. It does not have the 3 point setup, so mowing equipment is belly type, or tow behind on the drawbar. I dont have that kind of mower, depending on smaller home mower units, and the compact diesel. The larger the equipment,,the more costly the gear to do work. The 140 is down as the Zenith updraft is giving me fits. It has a blocked port from sitting in storage. It will run on a can with a fuel sponge, but not off the carb. (1970 tractor)

Banging out mower decks is common practice here for getting hooked on sapling stubs, that pop up over winter. Small decks get re-bearinged when noisy, and grease zerks installed and bearing shields removed for lube purposes. Spindles last indefinitely after being renewed. Belt pulleys must be changed every 4 years or so, as they wear out, and destroy the belt shape, if the mower lasts that long. Pulleys are cheaper than a new tractor.

The tall ships meeting was spectacular to say the least, with all the rigging piercing the sky along the dock. We toured aboard a Spanish Gallion, that sailed with nearly 400 souls aboard such a small ship, to several lake schooners. In all very educational, and fascinating to me. The crowd was scant, as up Lake Shore Drive the Music gathering of Lolapoluza is on, and I cant imagine the crowd this Saturday. We missed the ride on the Ferris wheel, as incoming weather brought a threat of lightning, and it was shut down just after lunch. An antique boat club was on hand with a number of wood Chrisscraft, and other boats of yesteryear. We left the parking garage into the streets, just as the sky started to drizzle up, so we got it right on the money. An up day for me and a stress test for me and my legs. Did pretty well too. Arrived home tired but not achy. Thinking of the guys on the board, thanks for lookin'.
Big Dave, former Millwright, Electrician, Environmental conditioning, and back yard Fixxit guy. Now retired, persuing boats, trains, and broken relics.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart. My computer beat me at chess, but not kickboxing
It is not getting caught in the rain, its learning to dance in it. People saying good morning, should have to prove it.
spro
Posts: 8016
Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2006 11:04 pm
Location: mid atlantic

Re: Never enough time

Post by spro »

Steamin10. Crisscraft and other wonderful things, are not on my foreseeable menu but am glad you saw and experienced. It seems this worked in your favor. You needed a break and with cooler temperatures and the exercise, You will be more fit to tackle.
People just fall out when it is too hot. Didn't happen.
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steamin10
Posts: 6712
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2003 11:52 pm
Location: NW Indiana. Close to Lake Michigan S. tip

Re: Never enough time

Post by steamin10 »

Played the APA pool league this Friday, and did fairly well. Beat up a girl in nine ball 28 to 11. Played the 8 ball table twice and lost 3-2 and 3-1. I goofed in the first game and handed a loss to the girl as I forgot to mark the target pocket, for a loss.(DUH!). Some times simple errors are the big ones.

With the turn of the month, it is more grass mowing, and setting of varmint traps, as we have lost ten birds in two weeks. Weed wackin and poison for the brickwalk as nature the mother tries to bring down the jungle on me. many weeds are too big to wack, and have to be pulled by hand, no fun on my back.

Had a happening with the Black Ranger. It picked up a heavy vibration at 60 MPH. I checked it out, and it blew a tread bubble the size of my shoe, and wore down to the steel. Bought a Hancook and put it on the rear for $100, it being cheeper than the worn Coopers I have bee running. So a tire change is in the works as budget allows. I may selll off the other three that have half tread, next month, to support the change.

Toodles, for now.
Big Dave, former Millwright, Electrician, Environmental conditioning, and back yard Fixxit guy. Now retired, persuing boats, trains, and broken relics.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart. My computer beat me at chess, but not kickboxing
It is not getting caught in the rain, its learning to dance in it. People saying good morning, should have to prove it.
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