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Workshop and fixit stuff

Started by Dave, July 10, 2017, 07:26:50 PM

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Tank

Quote from: jumbojak on June 05, 2018, 03:35:50 PM
Quote from: Tank on June 05, 2018, 02:38:24 PM
Quote from: jumbojak on June 05, 2018, 02:34:39 PM
I finally ordered myself a saw set so I can properly sharpen saws. The WS will be the first test most likely but I can't decide if I want to convert it to a large rip saw or keep it a crosscut.

Think back and ask yourself which you have used most often.

It's about a 50/50 mix. I have about... twenty hand saws in total so there's plenty to choose from. And I can always reshape the teeth to a different prifle if needed. Rip saws are much easier to sharpen though. It almost makes it worthwhile to keep them set to rip and deal with the slower cut!

If doing a Rip is easier then I would start there on a saw you don't mind losing! :D

PS before and after photos please  :)
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

jumbojak

I was all set to replace my muffler today. Ordered the direct fit assembly with new gasket to make things a little easier, jacked the car up and was prepared for a fight with the exhaust studs. Unfortunately for me, the muffler is WELDED ON so I spent an hour running around collecting pipe, clamps, and a few other bits and pieces so I can cut up the considerably more expensive direct fit part I bought up and rig something together.  >:( >:( >:(

I really wish we had power at the shop. Then I could just cut the flange off the new muffler and weld it in place. Twenty minute job, tops.

"Amazing what chimney sweeping can teach us, no? Keep your fire hot and
your flue clean."  - Ecurb Noselrub

"I'd be incensed by your impudence were I not so impressed by your memory." - Siz

jumbojak

Yet more broken, rusty crap. This time it's a Heston round baler.



That bit sticking out in the middle of the photo is the stub shaft from the gearbox that connects the PTO. We got the broken piece of the shaft most of the way out of the locking collar but even a pair of 200 pound gorillas wasn't enough to free it completely.

It'll get heat tomorrow or Wednesday and a bigger hammer to knock it loose. Then weld the two pieces together and put the collar back on. It'll be 105° F both days...  :-[

"Amazing what chimney sweeping can teach us, no? Keep your fire hot and
your flue clean."  - Ecurb Noselrub

"I'd be incensed by your impudence were I not so impressed by your memory." - Siz

jumbojak

I just realized that this thread is becoming a diary of my unfinished projects! The baler isn't fixed, the muffler isn't on, and I haven't had a chance to sharpen a saw yet. I did get a new arrival to make some things easier...



Removing broken bolts and light fab work just got a little easier. I found it odd that Lincoln is making welders in Poland though. Italy? Yes. China? Yes. USA? Rarely. But Poland?

"Amazing what chimney sweeping can teach us, no? Keep your fire hot and
your flue clean."  - Ecurb Noselrub

"I'd be incensed by your impudence were I not so impressed by your memory." - Siz

Tank

A lot of manufacturing is moving to Poland. They are very reliable and careful workers as a rule.
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

Bad Penny II

Quote from: jumbojak on July 01, 2018, 05:59:11 AM
I just realized that this thread is becoming a diary of my unfinished projects!

Tell me about it.



Take my advice, don't listen to me.

Recusant

I can tell you right now, those won't work well as curtain rods.  :grin:
"Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration — courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and above all, love of the truth."
— H. L. Mencken


Icarus

The Poles make some fine machine tool accessories, like lathe chucks and other holding devices.  They  are reliable and precise.  One of the well know brand names among machinists is :Buffalo.  Odd name for Poland because I doubt that they have many of those critters roaming around Warsaw.

Not too far back in time some excellent small MIG welders were made in Yugoslavia or what is left of Yugoslavia.  They also made some pretty decent cutting tools like end mills, drills and saws.

Some of the acknowledged finest cutting tools such as carbide inserts and saw blades are made in Israel.

I believe that the Chinese are more than capable of making high quality tools and equipment. If they do then they are keeping the good stuff for themselves.  Taiwan used to send us some crappy tools but they changed their attitude somewhere along the way.  They now make some first class major tools like milling machines and Lathes. 


jumbojak

My mom's new water heater stopped heating day before yesterday. I tested the elements for power and resistance and both elements passed. Unfortunately, I couldn't definitively test either thermostat because the water in the tank was dead cold but the upper element wasn't getting 240v when the tstat should have called for heat so I had my mom buy two new tstats and installed the upper one at about midnight after I got off work.

This is where things started to go sideways... I could tell that the element was heating because I could hear it, but my meter was only reading 1v across both legs. Since it was late I decided to call it a night and have her contact me in the morning. Guess what? NO hot water. So when I get off work tonight after an open to close shift I'll be back in the closet to retest what I can and see if I can make the heater functional again.

And, I'm going to upgrade my meter to a Fluke. The Innovative I've been using for the last two years hasn't let me down but that 1v reading last night has me questioning whether I can trust it or not. The only question is, do I scrape buy and just get the basic meter or do I put out a bit more money now to get one that comes with a clamp meter in the kit? I should probably be frugal here...

"Amazing what chimney sweeping can teach us, no? Keep your fire hot and
your flue clean."  - Ecurb Noselrub

"I'd be incensed by your impudence were I not so impressed by your memory." - Siz

Dave

^
Flukes ain''t frugal! Not for "hobbyists" anyway, but I know what you mean. I have two cheapo multimeters and I have found myself checking them against supplies I am fairly sure of. Still got an old moving coil meter that I often have more confidence in. Especially on current, but short on shunts for it.
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

jumbojak

I'm looking at it this way, $160 for a Fluke 117 might seem like a fair piece of change but how much would it cost if I got zapped by a 240v circuit because my $30 meter failed on me? I've found myself having to dig into a fair amount of higher voltage equipment lately and I do want to be as safe as possible. Plus, with a Fluke you can usually get repair parts if it does go wonko on you and they are very durable.

A friend tried to get me into a Snap On meter some months back that was on special for only $180. I passed even though the Snappy is a good product. One feature I really like about theirs is the fact that they use standard automotive fuses for the ammeter function but I'm not sure how well a fuse designed for 10A at 12v would hold up to residential and commercial power?

That's probably a mute point though. For amperage readings I really like a clamp meter. So long as you can split the lines a clamp is much more convenient than fussing with leads as jumper wires.

"Amazing what chimney sweeping can teach us, no? Keep your fire hot and
your flue clean."  - Ecurb Noselrub

"I'd be incensed by your impudence were I not so impressed by your memory." - Siz

Tank

Quote from: jumbojak on July 25, 2018, 02:36:27 AM
I'm looking at it this way, $160 for a Fluke 117 might seem like a fair piece of change but how much would it cost if I got zapped by a 240v circuit because my $30 meter failed on me? I've found myself having to dig into a fair amount of higher voltage equipment lately and I do want to be as safe as possible. Plus, with a Fluke you can usually get repair parts if it does go wonko on you and they are very durable.

A friend tried to get me into a Snap On meter some months back that was on special for only $180. I passed even though the Snappy is a good product. One feature I really like about theirs is the fact that they use standard automotive fuses for the ammeter function but I'm not sure how well a fuse designed for 10A at 12v would hold up to residential and commercial power?

That's probably a mute point though. For amperage readings I really like a clamp meter. So long as you can split the lines a clamp is much more convenient than fussing with leads as jumper wires.

You can get clamp meter adaptors that work with Fluke meters on the voltage range.
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

Dave

Quote from: Tank on July 25, 2018, 07:42:35 AM
Quote from: jumbojak on July 25, 2018, 02:36:27 AM
I'm looking at it this way, $160 for a Fluke 117 might seem like a fair piece of change but how much would it cost if I got zapped by a 240v circuit because my $30 meter failed on me? I've found myself having to dig into a fair amount of higher voltage equipment lately and I do want to be as safe as possible. Plus, with a Fluke you can usually get repair parts if it does go wonko on you and they are very durable.

A friend tried to get me into a Snap On meter some months back that was on special for only $180. I passed even though the Snappy is a good product. One feature I really like about theirs is the fact that they use standard automotive fuses for the ammeter function but I'm not sure how well a fuse designed for 10A at 12v would hold up to residential and commercial power?

That's probably a mute point though. For amperage readings I really like a clamp meter. So long as you can split the lines a clamp is much more convenient than fussing with leads as jumper wires.

You can get clamp meter adaptors that work with Fluke meters on the voltage range.

Do they do Hall effect clamps for dc?

And it looks like Fluke clamp adaptors can cost twice the price if the cheapest meter! Over here anyway. Correction, found one at £160.
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

jumbojak

Well, it wasn't my meter. I popped the top cover off last night and this is what I found!



It looks like there was a small water leak that my brother never came back to fix after he did the installation. Thats not going to be fun to clean up.

"Amazing what chimney sweeping can teach us, no? Keep your fire hot and
your flue clean."  - Ecurb Noselrub

"I'd be incensed by your impudence were I not so impressed by your memory." - Siz

Tank

Quote from: jumbojak on July 25, 2018, 12:52:03 PM
Well, it wasn't my meter. I popped the top cover off last night and this is what I found!



It looks like there was a small water leak that my brother never came back to fix after he did the installation. Thats not going to be fun to clean up.

Fuckaty fuck fuck fuck!
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.