Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT Bob Heine's Auto Emporium

[Finallygotit]

Bob, Merry Christmas to you and Liane!

 

[y'sguy]

Merry Christmas Bob! I am looking forward to your stories and great info in the upcoming year. And Peace in our World.

 

[Craptain]

Have a great Xmas Bob.

 

[jon72vega]

Bob,
I wish for you and Liane a great Christmas!

 

[Bob Heine]

Merry Christmas to my northerly neighbor, best wishes for the coming year, and good results on everyone's health treatments.

I have to say, reading the 'auto emporium' stories is one of the most enjoyable things I do on the internet. There are always links to explore, and the stories people post are always interesting, as the statute of limitations loosens people's tongues and the tales unfold.

Your CTS-V trumps anything in my garage for comfort at illegal speeds, though our S2000 is one of the most-fun cars I've had the pleasure to carry my **** down the road, with its 9000 RPM redline and sensitive steering. The car is a magnet for the Japanese ricer crowd in their modded Civics & etc, many of which may well have more HP than do I. However, I let them go, because I want to keep my driving privileges intact.

If I want to get a speed fix, my Yamaha VMax does that, in spades. I find that at my present age, I don't have the need for speed that I may have had earlier, chronologically-speaking.

Your stories about working on your fleet, and the research into things of mechanical interest are great 'time-wasters,' as Click and Clack of Car Talk may have said. I miss those guys, like you, great stories, and also like you, a good sense of humor.

A brief comment on what I've read since my last time here. As a teenager in the early 1960's, I was well-read on things automotive as a friend of my father's was a car nut, and he subscribed to lots of magazines, which he gave to my father so I could devour them. I was attending F1 races at Watkins Glen before I was eligible to drive, and saw many of the greats: Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham, Bruce Mclaren, Jim Clark, Graham Hill (one of my all-time favorite drivers) Jochen Rindt, Lorenzo Bandini, Dan Gurney, John Surtees (another of my favorites) and many others.

Having 3 older brothers who contributed to my love of two and 4 wheels was enhanced by their rides, two XK-120's, a Triumph TR-3, a V8 4-speed Comet Caliente convertible, and a small Honda motorcycle I rode whenever I could steal the key.

I briefly had a '63 Corvair Monza Spyder 4-speed convertible, with the turbo. Another brief encounter was a '67 GTO 4-speed convertible, both were gone because they were worth more to someone else than to me, and what I paid.

I recall reading about the Olds Jetfire 1 and its turbo, beating the Corvair Monza turbo to market by weeks. Popular Science always had lots of articles preceding the Indy 500, and in the 1960's, there was a lot of experimentation going on, like Smokey Yunick's side-pod Indy racer, Mickey Thompson's small, low-profile wheels and tires, and the British Invasion by John Cooper and Colin Chapman, which ended the traditional Indy roadster's reign.

I'm OK with driving a staid Toyota Camry, I've found that their 3 liter DOHC V6 1-MZ with ~200 HP of which we've had two, can make it to 300K miles, not km, reliably with only normal maintenance. My parents bought their first Toyota in 1968, and we lived in Michigan, which was not someplace where you saw lots of them at the time. They were so-impressed with their new Corona, next year they bought a 4-speed SOHC inline-6 Crown, which was comfortable, roomy and fun to drive.

I could go on, but I need to help with family things, so again, thanks for making GJ such an interesting place to spend my time. Best wishes for your family in the coming year.

Philip, you are very kind.

I don't know exactly when but years ago it occurred to me the lives we live are not as mundane as they feel when we're living them. The getting up and going to school or work and returning at the end of the day obviously is but so many days have something notable happen. So many people have amazing lives they take for granted. I do like to share my stories to encourage others to tell theirs.

Like you, I enjoy having the vehicle that could get me in trouble but I have managed to keep it under control. I used to collect a speeding ticket every ten years but it has been 20 years since the last one. I was driving a grandpa approved 1993 Buick Regal Limited (= unlimited shiny trim). Exited the 70 MPH Florida Turnpike onto the 50 MPH Okeechobee Boulevard and failed to adjust my speed.

I appreciate the great cars you've been exposed to over the years and am thankful I can resist buying every interesting one I see.

I got interested in boosted engines with the Tri-Five-Thunderbirds (is than a thing?) and 6-71 blowers on dragsters. Then those GM cars came out with turbochargers and I was hooked. The first turbocharged Indy car in 1952 was the Cummins Diesel roadster. The diesel and it's turbo didn't impress me but the driver sitting to one side of the car did. A race car like this in 1952 was a revolution:

The turbocharger was a first for both Indy and Cummins racing! The inline six-cylinder engine displaced 401 cubic inches and made 400 horsepower at 4,000 rpm on 20 inches of boost.

As it turned out, the turbocharger took Agabashian out of the race at mile 175. A low-mounted air scoop sucked every little bit of tire rubber and other crud off the track and right into the turbo, which did not react very kindly to that much roughage in its diet. On lap 70, the car was out of the race.

The Cummins-powered car was also one of the first true roadsters to run at the Speedway. Built by the legendary Frank Kurtis in Glendale, Calif., the racer was a real “Indy roadster.” A revolutionary design (for those days) offset the engine, placing the driveshaft next to the driver as opposed to having the driver straddle it as before. The side-by-seat driveshaft meant that the driver’s position could be much deeper in the machine, and the whole car looked as long, as low, and as wholeheartedly purposeful as any race car ever built – before or since.

The first turbocharged spark ignition engines qualified for the Indianapolis 500 in 1966, when three 2.75 liter 4-cylinder Offenhauser engines with Garrett® TE06 turbochargers made the starting lineup.

Two years later in 1968, Bobby Unser became the first to win the Indy 500 with a turbocharged spark ignition engine.

Turbocharged cars won the next 28 consecutive Indy 500s through 1996, when new technical regulations were implemented that did not allow turbocharging.

Crazy, isn't it!? No snow is a bit sad, but I'm not mad about the temps!

Merry Xmas Bob! Thank you for all your funny, interesting, and informative anecdotes this year! I'm wishing you and Liane the very best in 2024, and hope you and the family have a wonderful holiday.

Nick, we had temperatures in the low 50s the other night and I swear it smelled like snow was coming. I can't tell you what that smell is but I've never forgotten it, even though we moved from upstate New York to Hellida 48 years ago.

Thank you for stopping by and for all the encouragement. We continue to thrive and look forward to 2024.

Merry Christmas hope you and your wife have a Happy and Healthy 2024!!

Dennis, thank you and I hope you and yours have the same.

Bob, Merry Christmas to you and Liane!

Dan, Merry Christmas to you and your wife. I believe a little bit of me lingers to your south, in Douglas, my birthplace.

Merry Christmas Bob! I am looking forward to your stories and great info in the upcoming year. And Peace in our World.

Merry Christmas Alan and thank you for stopping by and making me smile.

Have a great Xmas Bob.

Andrew, you have a great Xmas as well. I'm a little relieved ours took place this morning....

 

[Bob Heine]

I adored Christmas when I was a child, loved it as a young parent, tolerated it as a grandparent and now I do everything in my power to reduce or eliminate the stress. We used to start shopping for presents in August and were done before Halloween. Now I go to the bank and take out money and put it into Habitat for Humanity Christmas cards. No fit or color concerns, no need for a receipt and the rolls of wrapping paper can rest in peace in the attic. I no longer see that disappointed smile thanking us for the outfit that will never be seen by another living creature. Our great grandkids have toys I don't recognize in numbers I can't fathom. I love them all with every fiber of my being and my joy at Christmas comes from being in their physical presence.

I do have a Christmas soft spot, honoring the memory of loved ones no longer celebrating with us. Our son-in-law's 53-year old brother had a heart attack on his boat seven years ago. He did not survive the race back to shore. One of his favorite treats at Christmas was a simple Chicken Liver Pate we served. I made a batch in his honor this year and even though it won't be quickly devoured by the rest of the pack, it brought a smile to our otherwise dour son-in-law's face.

I'm hoping the family is making new traditions. Growing up, my family had the big dinner, opened presents and then went to church Christmas Eve. Christmas day was relaxing and playing with our gifts. Our nurse Daughter-in-Law rarely takes off Christmas Day, trading places with younger nurses with small children. The past three years we have celebrated Christmas Eve morning with a wonderful brunch. I don't miss the white knuckle drive home with all the amateur DUI contestants.

 

[Bob Heine]

Bob,
I wish for you and Liane a great Christmas!

Jon,
I have the same wish for you and Donna. It's probably a little harder for you this year. Christmas eve and 50° just doesn't seem right. You're getting a taste of Christmas in Australia, where it's one of the longest days of summer (Sunrise at 5:43 AM and Sunset at 8:07 PM) and cooled off from last week's high of 93° F (34° C).

 

[Geoff289]

My Cadillac was equipped with winged wiper blades to keep them from lifting off. I bought some replacement blades but ended up using just the rubbers because no one offers the blades with the wing.

My nearly ten year old Merc has wiper arms that are airfoil shaped. I also recall way back when I started driving I got these little plastic clip on airfoil things you could attach to any wiper arm. Dr. Google doesn't seem to know anything about them now though. I did find this which suggests someone is taking the matter seriously.

https://patents.google.com/patent/US4464808A/en

While you can't kill a properly maintained Toyota, that's a bit sad you had to settle for a Camry when you were here Bob. I guess you found comfort in the knowledge you had something nicer waiting back in the US.

It's Christmas Day here and we've just done some gift exchanges with some of the family that's here, including the newest, now 6 months old, grandson who found the wrapping paper a lot more interesting than the contents.

For the middle of our Summer its a pretty bleak day, been raining since last evening and only going to get to 68F so your 73 isn't so bad for Winter. Best wishes to you and yours.

 

[manwithtools]

@Geoff289 Merry Christmas to you folks down under. Last year we had the pleasure of celebrating Christmas Aussie style in your lovely city of Melbourne. We loved every minute of that three week trip!

 

[Squankum]

"We continued on holding 200km/h for what seemed like dozens of kilometres, and the only reason we didn’t go faster was that at precisely 202km/h the windscreen wipers began to lift off."

My Cadillac was equipped with winged wiper blades to keep them from lifting off. I bought some replacement blades but ended up using just the rubbers because no one offers the blades with the wing.

Garsh, Bob, hate to sound like a broken record this week but a wiper wing was standard equipment when I bought my VW Golf GTI back in 1985!

Can't take a pic of my own right now, as it fell off somewhere around the 25-30 year mark. Damned modern plasticky ****! I'm going to either need tiny screws or tiny nutserts to re-secure it well.

Thanks to these modern tubes, though, I can find a similar VW GTI with said wiper wing.




British/RHD version:




Merry Christmas to Bob and everybody else!

 

[PugetDude]

Happy Holidays to you, and Liane, Bob.

 

[Geoff289]

@Geoff289 Merry Christmas to you folks down under. Last year we had the pleasure of celebrating Christmas Aussie style in your lovely city of Melbourne. We loved every minute of that three week trip!

Thank you and right back at you. You should have looked us up when you were here.

 

[manwithtools]

Thank you and right back at you. You should have looked us up when you were here.

Yes we should have! There is a pretty good chance we will be back. Be careful what you ask for my mom always said.

 

[casmurbax]

Merry Christmas Bob to you and Liane.

 

[Bob Heine]

@Squankum, your reply (in a thick Aussie accent) should have been "Ha Ha Ha! That's not a wiper wing. This is a wiper wing!"

 

[Bob Heine]

My nearly ten year old Merc has wiper arms that are airfoil shaped. I also recall way back when I started driving I got these little plastic clip on airfoil things you could attach to any wiper arm. Dr. Google doesn't seem to know anything about them now though. I did find this which suggests someone is taking the matter seriously.

https://patents.google.com/patent/US4464808A/en

While you can't kill a properly maintained Toyota, that's a bit sad you had to settle for a Camry when you were here Bob. I guess you found comfort in the knowledge you had something nicer waiting back in the US.

It's Christmas Day here and we've just done some gift exchanges with some of the family that's here, including the newest, now 6 months old, grandson who found the wrapping paper a lot more interesting than the contents.

For the middle of our Summer its a pretty bleak day, been raining since last evening and only going to get to 68F so your 73 isn't so bad for Winter. Best wishes to you and yours.

Geoff, my initial thought was to buy a used BMW 5 or 7 series but the dealer I visited hit me with a high mileage 528 for A$100,000. I quickly realized three things: 1) many of the fun things in and around Sydney didn't offer spirited driving on open roads, 2) we were limited to 1,500 pounds of air freight so none of my tools came with us and 3) we were renting a place so we fancy free and out and about all the time.

We finished our gift exchanges this morning and I got to hug three of the six great grandkids.

We loved every minute of that three week trip!

@manwithtools, you obviously now know that's the bare minimum trip when you travel that far. Between the flights, the international date line and the upside down view of the sky takes a few days to adjust. I've forgotten if the westerly travel was worse than the easterly but even Business class was a tough haul.

Happy Holidays to you, and Liane, Bob.

Scott, happy holidays to you and Steph.

Thank you and right back at you. You should have looked us up when you were here.

Geoff, my dream of going back is fading but the memories are as fresh as if I just returned (rather than 32 years).

Yes we should have! There is a pretty good chance we will be back. Be careful what you ask for my mom always said.

@manwithtools, it doesn't take long to make lifelong long-distance friends down under.

Merry Christmas Bob to you and Liane.

John, thank you and I hope you and yours have a Christmas to remember.

 

[Cane]

Bob I've never posted in your thread but I enjoy reading it daily....your zest for life is intoxicating.

Thank you for sharing your experiences with us and my bank account is a little lower from some of your "suggestions".

Happy Holidays to you and your bride!!!

 

[bugnut]

Bob, Merry Christmas to you and the family. Eat good and enjoy the family!

I too have a love for Christmas,love the food, festivities and family. As I grow older I am trying to temper my absolute distaste for the commercialism and gift giving.

I adored Christmas when I was a child, loved it as a young parent, tolerated it as a grandparent and now I do everything in my power to reduce or eliminate the stress. We used to start shopping for presents in August and were done before Halloween. Now I go to the bank and take out money and put it into Habitat for Humanity Christmas cards. No fit or color concerns, no need for a receipt and the rolls of wrapping paper can rest in peace in the attic. I no longer see that disappointed smile thanking us for the outfit that will never be seen by another living creature. Our great grandkids have toys I don't recognize in numbers I can't fathom. I love them all with every fiber of my being and my joy at Christmas comes from being in their physical presence.

I do have a Christmas soft spot, honoring the memory of loved ones no longer celebrating with us. Our son-in-law's 53-year old brother had a heart attack on his boat seven years ago. He did not survive the race back to shore. One of his favorite treats at Christmas was a simple Chicken Liver Pate we served. I made a batch in his honor this year and even though it won't be quickly devoured by the rest of the pack, it brought a smile to our otherwise dour son-in-law's face.

I'm hoping the family is making new traditions. Growing up, my family had the big dinner, opened presents and then went to church Christmas Eve. Christmas day was relaxing and playing with our gifts. Our nurse Daughter-in-Law rarely takes off Christmas Day, trading places with younger nurses with small children. The past three years we have celebrated Christmas Eve morning with a wonderful brunch. I don't miss the white knuckle drive home with all the amateur DUI contestants.

 

[Bears Fan]

Merry Christmas Bob!!!

 

[tj675]

Merry Christmas Bob!

 

[shortykorte]

Merry Christmas to Heine Family and a healthy new year to all.


…and I’m only running on one cylinder.

 

[Lyndon]

Merry Christmas Bob, Liane and extended family.

It's Boxing Day here, and warm and very humid after a lot of rain in the last few days. We spent an enjoyable Chrissy Day at Lauren and AJ's place with our grandson, my parents, AJ's parents and Tayla. Was a great day.

Hope you are all enjoying yours.

Lyndon (and Irene - who is at work with her team as the payroll has to be done!)

 

[Bob Heine]

Bob I've never posted in your thread but I enjoy reading it daily....your zest for life is intoxicating.

Thank you for sharing your experiences with us and my bank account is a little lower from some of your "suggestions".

Happy Holidays to you and your bride!!!

@Cane, that's so kind.

I apologize for the "suggestions" but it's not like I'm the only one.

I hope the holiday season is as good to you and yours as it has been to me and mine.

Bob, Merry Christmas to you and the family. Eat good and enjoy the family!

I too have a love for Christmas,love the food, festivities and family. As I grow older I am trying to temper my absolute distaste for the commercialism and gift giving.

Joel, I hope your Christmas was filled with fun and love.

Most of the time I don't mind shopping but this time of year there seem to be a lot of folks out and about who didn't get the message that this is "The Happiest Time of the Year!"

Merry Christmas Bob!!!

Tony, Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Merry Christmas Bob!

Merry Christmas @tj675!

Merry Christmas to Heine Family and a healthy new year to all.


…and I’m only running on one cylinder.

Merry Christmas to the Korte family and may your new year be as happy as it can be.

Merry Christmas Bob, Liane and extended family.

It's Boxing Day here, and warm and very humid after a lot of rain in the last few days. We spent an enjoyable Chrissy Day at Lauren and AJ's place with our grandson, my parents, AJ's parents and Tayla. Was a great day.

Hope you are all enjoying yours.

Lyndon (and Irene - who is at work with her team as the payroll has to be done!)

Lyndon, a belated Merry Christmas to the Jay clan.

I noticed you've been having a less than summery spell of weather this holiday season. The time with the family is the best gift of all and makes up for the dreary weather.

We've had a wonderful Christmas.

Irene has one of those jobs that made Ebenezer Scrooge happy.

 

[Squankum]

@Squankum, your reply (in a thick Aussie accent) should have been "Ha Ha Ha! That's not a wiper wing. This is a wiper wing!"

(sniff)
Mine's wider. Some wipers like that, you know.

 

[driftpin]

Bob, I got this as a Christmas present, the HFT portable bandsaw, their Hercules model, and the benchtop stand which is switchable between horizontal, Gangnam chopsaw-style, and vertical alignment. Do you have one similar? I tried to make the Porter-Cable portable bandsaw I have fit into the benchtop stand, but it wasn't going to work. I bought the HFT Hercules portable bandsaw, and after a bit of fussing, it fits and works well in either chopsaw or vertical orientation.

I used it as a horizontal bandsaw first, and them set it up as a vertical bandsaw, and I like it like that.

 

[Bob Heine]

(sniff)
Mine's wider. Some wipers like that, you know.

@Squankum, my wipers laugh at me.

Bob, I got this as a Christmas present, the HFT portable bandsaw, their Hercules model, and the benchtop stand which is switchable between horizontal, Gangnam chopsaw-style, and vertical alignment. Do you have one similar? I tried to make the Porter-Cable portable bandsaw I have fit into the benchtop stand, but it wasn't going to work. I bought the HFT Hercules portable bandsaw, and after a bit of fussing, it fits and works well in either chopsaw or vertical orientation.

I used it as a horizontal bandsaw first, and them set it up as a vertical bandsaw, and I like it like that.

Philip, that looks like a nice setup. I bought a used Milwaukee Portaband and SWAG table years ago. When I bought the table, SWAG offered an upgrade. Rather than spend the money on the upgrade that included side plates for legs, I mounted it in a vise.

I recently bought the Pro table to free up the vise. I still have the original table.

For bigger projects I have an Evolution 14" metal cutting chop saw.

It has a stainless steel cutting blade (carbide teeth) and the motor turns at 1450 RPM. A fraction of the sparks and much cleaner cut than the abrasive blades. I metal glued the stand together so it fits under the bench in the shed when not in use.

Much as I am tempted to get that HFT bandsaw, I already have too many large footprint saws. There's a 10" table saw, 10" RAS, 10" miter, 12" miter in addition to the band saw and 14" metal saw. There's also a fairly large drawer full of portable saws.

Did I mention chain saws? I have five of them.

 

[madison069]

Late Merry Christmas Bob!

You mentioned about getting money for the grandkids, that was what my grandma did with her grandkids. Easier on her to get the kids what they wanted. As I got older, I looked forward to the Christmas cards more than the money.

These days, I have been buying the older kids stuff that they need or using. This year it was car care products as they both have a car now. Last year I bought the oldest one a jump pack for her car. I reminded her to be sure it's charged this year, but I doubt she did it. Soon, the oldest one will be going to college and I'll be buying her stuff for her dorm for her graduation.

Bandsaw, a tool that I haven't really needed. Would it have made some project easier, yep. But usually get by with what tools I have on hand.

 

[kaymccampbell]

Bandsaw, a tool that I haven't really needed. Would it have made some project easier, yep. But usually get by with what tools I have on hand.

One of my bandsaws is in service almost daily. Life without them would be much more painful. The other day I was carving a chunk of steel. If I'd had to use a jigsaw with a metal blade, I'd have been clutching that jiggling thing for hours instead of a smooth hold for minutes. My hands would have locked up, ending my day, and maybe the next.

 

[driftpin]

Kay, I expect you have several side grinders either cordless or 120V. I doubt you would resort to a jigsaw unless it was to cut some tight curve.

 

[Bob Heine]

Late Merry Christmas Bob!

You mentioned about getting money for the grandkids, that was what my grandma did with her grandkids. Easier on her to get the kids what they wanted. As I got older, I looked forward to the Christmas cards more than the money.

These days, I have been buying the older kids stuff that they need or using. This year it was car care products as they both have a car now. Last year I bought the oldest one a jump pack for her car. I reminded her to be sure it's charged this year, but I doubt she did it. Soon, the oldest one will be going to college and I'll be buying her stuff for her dorm for her graduation.

Bandsaw, a tool that I haven't really needed. Would it have made some project easier, yep. But usually get by with what tools I have on hand.

Cody, we shopped and bought gifts well into the current century. I forget when but at some point we were getting requests for receipts. Then one of the grandsons started crying because he thought his presents were cheaper than his brothers' and sisters' presents. The final straw was spending way too much time shopping for the perfectly priced items to balance the prize totals. For several years I went to the bank and requested $1 bills. An envelope with 50 or 100 singles is more impressive than a single note. When one of them said it was perfect for the ********** I stopped doing that.

While raising our two children it never occurred to us to give them money at Christmas. The only 'problem' was my mother. She raised two boys so our daughter was a whole new experience for her. It was difficult to find our son's presents behind the pile for our daughter. We mentioned it every year and every year the imbalance continued. Turned out payback is a *****. When our children had their own families, our daughter made it clear you had to be invited if you wanted to see her children. Our son had no such rule so mom visited his house every Saturday and most Sundays until she could no longer drive. At that point my son made the 70 mile round trip with all seven children and took her out to lunch. My $100 contribution covered gas for his Suburban and part of the Chinese buffet for nine. I actually gave my mother the money on my morning visit so it was her gift (dementia isn't all bad).

I was cutting a lot of stainless exhaust pipe with a hand-held hacksaw around 2009. After two years of that nonsense I bought the used Milwaukee Portaband on eBay ($139.99). Ordered the SWAG table at the same time ($72.85) and never looked back. I don't use it every day but I know I use it more than any other saw in the collection. One silly use is to cut the top off clear plastic bottles, turning them into storage containers. I have the trigger zip-tied for very low speed and a bench leg mounted foot pedal to nee it on and off.

One of my bandsaws is in service almost daily. Life without them would be much more painful. The other day I was carving a chunk of steel. If I'd had to use a jigsaw with a metal blade, I'd have been clutching that jiggling thing for hours instead of a smooth hold for minutes. My hands would have locked up, ending my day, and maybe the next.

Kay, I'm with you. Every other saw I own has to be operated with my trigger finger. That means putting the target object in a vise or clamping it down to a surface. Being able to manipulate the target while the blade is doing its job is priceless.

Kay, I expect you have several side grinders either cordless or 120V. I doubt you would resort to a jigsaw unless it was to cut some tight curve.

Philip, I expect @kaymccampbell is more coordinated than me but manipulating the item with one hand while running a grinder with the other has its own set of issues. I know you have already discovered how useful your bandsaw is. I think it's one of those tools you don't realize you need until after you own it.

 

[Denwood]

Bob, not sure how many years now I’ve been reading your thread but it sure seems like you’re just picking up steam as the years progress Here’s to one more

 

[Squankum]

. When one of them said it was perfect for the ********** I stopped doing that.

Darnit, boy! You'll never get them to come by your table later with cheap tips like that! I say, I say, it's not 1995 anymore! Pay attention, son!




_

 

[LeonardY]

Bob,

I'm catching up. I only have my phone during the holiday. I was only able to check some threads.

I spent most of my time helping dad and sharpening knives for the family for Christmas. We have for the most part only give things that can be eaten or used in the year. For me that means giving BBQ sauce, rub and a bottle wine. Although this year I added sharpening knives. I got to yell at everyone that they shouldn't use a crappy electric sharpener. Nothing like sitting quietly in the corner sharpening knives on Christmas eve to make family friends wonder...

So this is a late Merry Christmas to you and Liane. An early Happy New Year!

 

[Bob Heine]

Bob, not sure how many years now I’ve been reading your thread but it sure seems like you’re just picking up steam as the years progress Here’s to one more

Thank you Dennis. Life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer to the end, the faster the paper disappears.

Darnit, boy! You'll never get them to come by your table later with cheap tips like that! I say, I say, it's not 1995 anymore! Pay attention, son!


_

@Squankum, I'm pretty sure his father coached him. Our daughter married his father in 1995 so it's likely he was reliving his bachelor party.

Bob,

I'm catching up. I only have my phone during the holiday. I was only able to check some threads.

I spent most of my time helping dad and sharpening knives for the family for Christmas. We have for the most part only give things that can be eaten or used in the year. For me that means giving BBQ sauce, rub and a bottle wine. Although this year I added sharpening knives. I got to yell at everyone that they shouldn't use a crappy electric sharpener. Nothing like sitting quietly in the corner sharpening knives on Christmas eve to make family friends wonder...

So this is a late Merry Christmas to you and Liane. An early Happy New Year!

Leonard, I'm on the receiving end of the food baskets. Liane gets clothes and blankets to keep her warm (anything below 80°F and she's freezing). She also gets garden tools and decorations. We've hinted that they are adding to their own misery when they give us durable goods -- they'll be the ones donating or dumping those items when they inherit our estate.

I have one of those 3-stage electric sharpeners but I stopped using it a few years ago. I bought a Ruixin Pro RX-008 system and use the 1200-grit diamond stone with a little lapping oil.

I upgraded the kit with additional diamond stones so I can get a smoother edge.

One of the things you need to use this system is an angle gauge. I have a plastic one but they recommend using an app. That means you set the smart phone on the back of the stone to read the angle. When I did that and tried to make an adjustment, the phone fell to the concrete floor (face down) and shattered the screen. I wasn't upset because this is the first phone screen I've broken.

I was also not upset because it was my Samsung Galaxy S4. It isn't supported by any of the carriers so it is no longer usable as a phone or text device. It still works fine as a standalone app device so I don't have to have as many apps on the Samsung Galaxy A12 I sometimes carry. I ordered a new screen kit on Amazon for $38 so I'll be doing the repair myself.

I had a brainstorm (OK, maybe it was a seizure) that a useless but undamaged smartphone might be cheap on eBay. A Galaxy S4 with some minor issues for $29.95 is in the mail on its way to me. This seemed like a cheap way to have two identical phones with useful apps in both the garage and workshop. Did I mention the S4 has a camera? Nothing like the current crop but it's still a 13 MP, f/2.2, 31mm, 1/3.1", 1.14µm, Auto Focus with flash. The Canon (PowerShot SX410 IS) I use is a 20 MP and I'll continue to use it but the phone cameras would be handy and useful when my hand is dirty. I like to wash up before I use the Canon.

 

[Squankum]

I have one of those 3-stage electric sharpeners but I stopped using it a few years ago. I bought a Ruixin Pro RX-008 system and use the 1200-grit diamond stone with a little lapping oil.

I upgraded the kit with additional diamond stones so I can get a smoother edge.

I like the way that handle keeps your hand up and away from the blade. The similar Lansky system, which I haven't tried yet but do have in the shop, would require more caution. (Just be mindful and not in a hurry is the brain zone to do such a job in, anyway.)

 

[Squankum]

Leonard, I'm on the receiving end of the food baskets. Liane gets clothes and blankets to keep her warm (anything below 80°F and she's freezing).

Bob, I'll always take an opportunity to plug these products for the cold-natured: modern Merino wool, they have refined the sheep breeding and also added a process to the fiber production to take the scratchy out of wool. It can be warm but breathable and work over a wide range of conditions, and comfy, too:

Women's Cresta Midweight 250 T-Zip Top

Find the best Women's Cresta Midweight 250 T-Zip Top at L.L.Bean. Our high quality Women's Base Layers are thoughtfully designed and built to last season after season.

www.llbean.com

Then, for socks, it gets even warmer with bison wool. Also, more expensive:

Purveyors of American Plains Bison Fiber Apparel

We offer bison fiber apparel including American Bison Socks, Ultimate bison socks, buffalo wool, buffalo socks, bison knitwear, buffalo beanie, bison wool hat, buffalo hat, bison hat, the buffalo wool co. Ultimate American socks, ultra warm socks, bison merino, bison alpaca, buffalo alpaca...

thebuffalowoolco.com

And for night time use, if she wears socks to bed, consider their sleep socks, which are made of the even rarer yak down. Very soft, non-itchy, the only drawback I've noticed is the low level of elastic (which is good for circulation) means they can come off in the night.

 

[LeonardY]

I have one of those 3-stage electric sharpeners but I stopped using it a few years ago. I bought a Ruixin Pro RX-008 system and use the 1200-grit diamond stone with a little lapping oil.

I was looking at that during Christmas. I have the Lansky system that is portable. My brother didn't even want to look at it. This may be become my regular Christmas present to them. My nephew however shows interest in learning how to sharpen. His interests align more with me than his father. I can teach him and he will take it a step further.
At home I have multiple ways of sharpening. I only used traditional Japanese water stones for many years. For some reason I had the desire to sharpen my plane irons so I could take a tissue thin slice off.
Like this.

I did achieve this once or twice. Yes, I do have OCD. But it is tempered with parakeet syndrome. (Look, something new and shiny...)
I also inherited a lot of Arkansas oil stones from my Godfather. It probably was more that I was the only one who would take them. They are very useful for sharpening garden tools.
Then there are 4 grinders. An eight inch set up with a Oneway sharpening system.

Sharpening and Grinding Jigs

oneway.ca

The other three setup with different wheels.
I have an two old Galaxy phones. S3 and S9. They are used just for streaming music now.
Didn't know there was an angle app.
I use one of these. I like this one because it uses a 9V battery.

Admittedly, I have at least another 15 to 20 different angle finders and bevel gauges.

A side note. I have a drill doctor and one year sharpened all the drills in my brother's and dad's drill tin for Christmas. The bits were so bad that you had to bear down on them to drill hole in a redwood 2x4.

 

[Bob Heine]

I don't know if I'm alone in this. I find small problems, guess at a solution and then re-do the solution one, two or three times. Case in point is the vacuum line from the intake manifold to the power brake booster.

GM designed a hard line solution. The 1/4" NPT fitting on the right screws into the angled hole at the back of the manifold.

The manifold end of the 3/8" hard line is a double flare 5/8 x 18 Male Thread Inverted Seat Fitting. The hard line itself wraps around the valve cover, making it hard to remove the valve cover. That flare fitting is a ***** to line up and screw into place.

The other end of the hard line is a bubble flare that connects to the brake booster with a short rubber hose. Having a collection of AN-6 (3/8") fittings I thought it would be smart to replace that simple setup with AN fittings. Started off by cutting off the end of the hard line and putting the stub into a 3/8" compression to AN-6 adapter.

Simple solution goes south as soon as I join that AN fitting with a AN-6 hose end fitting. A straight hose end fitting doesn't leave room for the hose to bend. OK, just order a 5/8 x 18 Male Thread Inverted Seat Fitting to AN-6 Male adapter. Better, but still too tight. A 45° hose end makes it better but I'm still not happy. The final setup is a 1/4" NPT to AN-6 male adapter that screws directly into the manifold, eliminating two fittings. But wait, the 45° hose end I have on hand is for PTFE hose and that hose doesn't fit on the brake booster hose barb. A 45° AN-6 hose end meant for 3/8" braided stainless covered rubber hose makes the final setup work. Each iteration moves the hose end closer to the manifold.

I went through a similar but much longer and more complicated process with the '72 Corvette exhaust system.

 

[Bob Heine]

I like the way that handle keeps your hand up and away from the blade. The similar Lansky system, which I haven't tried yet but do have in the shop, would require more caution. (Just be mindful and not in a hurry is the brain zone to do such a job in, anyway.)

@Squankum, I like the rotation feature. Once you have set the angle and finish one side of the blade, you pull the clamping bracket out and rotate the clamp and blade 180 degrees. You're ready to sharpen the other side. The other thing I liked but didn't splurge on was the diamond stones. Being able to do a coarse course and then changing to a finer grit to put a polish on the edge is a nice feature. Wen I have sharpened a blade with the 1200 grit diamond stone there is still a hint of a rough edge when cutting things like cherry tomatoes. I figure 5000 grit is good enough for perfecting a paint job before buffing, it should do pretty good on a knife edge.

Bob, I'll always take an opportunity to plug these products for the cold-natured: modern Merino wool, they have refined the sheep breeding and also added a process to the fiber production to take the scratchy out of wool. It can be warm but breathable and work over a wide range of conditions, and comfy, too:

Women's Cresta Midweight 250 T-Zip Top

Find the best Women's Cresta Midweight 250 T-Zip Top at L.L.Bean. Our high quality Women's Base Layers are thoughtfully designed and built to last season after season.

www.llbean.com

Then, for socks, it gets even warmer with bison wool. Also, more expensive:

Purveyors of American Plains Bison Fiber Apparel

We offer bison fiber apparel including American Bison Socks, Ultimate bison socks, buffalo wool, buffalo socks, bison knitwear, buffalo beanie, bison wool hat, buffalo hat, bison hat, the buffalo wool co. Ultimate American socks, ultra warm socks, bison merino, bison alpaca, buffalo alpaca...

thebuffalowoolco.com

And for night time use, if she wears socks to bed, consider their sleep socks, which are made of the even rarer yak down. Very soft, non-itchy, the only drawback I've noticed is the low level of elastic (which is good for circulation) means they can come off in the night.

Ah, the Merino sheep. When we lived down under I bought sheepskin slipcovers for the Camry. When I asked they told me the dominant breed in Australia is the Merino. There are several sheepskins in our house, along with the reindeer pelt we display at Christmas (when visiting Norway it seemed like the right souvenir).

Liane swears by cotton and its the only fabric she wears. She also balks at buying retail so 90% of our clothes are from Boca Raton thrift stores. Large numbers of out-of-state elderly people donate their parents belongings to the thrift stores near us ("Florida is where old people go to visit their parents!"). Against her wishes I bought a knee length Neiman Marcus cashmere overcoat for $100. When we were taking bargain off-season cruises I would pick up a tuxedo for $20-$40 that didn't need tailoring from the hospital thrift store. They always had five or six dozen in the back room. She will buy new cotton socks but I believe her price point is just above a dollar a pair. A pair of those bison socks would have to guarantee a happy ending for that price.

I was looking at that during Christmas. I have the Lansky system that is portable. My brother didn't even want to look at it. This may be become my regular Christmas present to them. My nephew however shows interest in learning how to sharpen. His interests align more with me than his father. I can teach him and he will take it a step further.
At home I have multiple ways of sharpening. I only used traditional Japanese water stones for many years. For some reason I had the desire to sharpen my plane irons so I could take a tissue thin slice off.
Like this.

I did achieve this once or twice. Yes, I do have OCD. But it is tempered with parakeet syndrome. (Look, something new and shiny...)
I also inherited a lot of Arkansas oil stones from my Godfather. It probably was more that I was the only one who would take them. They are very useful for sharpening garden tools.
Then there are 4 grinders. An eight inch set up with a Oneway sharpening system.

Sharpening and Grinding Jigs

oneway.ca

The other three setup with different wheels.
I have an two old Galaxy phones. S3 and S9. They are used just for streaming music now.
Didn't know there was an angle app.
I use one of these. I like this one because it uses a 9V battery.

Admittedly, I have at least another 15 to 20 different angle finders and bevel gauges.

A side note. I have a drill doctor and one year sharpened all the drills in my brother's and dad's drill tin for Christmas. The bits were so bad that you had to bear down on them to drill hole in a redwood 2x4.

Leonard, I almost bought the Lansky system but I had already purchased one of those fine/superfine diamond stones and really wanted a sharpening system that had a large variety available.

Before I got the diamond stone I bought several wet stones (400/1000 and 3000/8000) and some guides to help me get the right angle. I'm a patient person but I got frustrated with the less than impressive edges on my knives and chisels.

The very first diamond stone I bought was a small one set in a wooden holder and I think I bought it in the 1980s. It put a better edge on my knives than any of the oil stones I inherited from my father.

Amazon is sending me a little digital angle finder but at half the price of your iGaging cube. If it falls to the floor it won't hurt as much and I am very good at dropping things these days.

I too have a drill doctor and went through several bins of bits I stopped using because they failed to cut butter. Now I have two drawers of miscellaneous sizes with the sharpened bits in one and the recently dulled in the other. It seems like a waste to set up the drill doctor to do two or five bits.

 

[Bob Heine]

I should not be allowed out of the house. I went to Costco yesterday to get gas, cash the Costco credit card cashback check and get a crabmeat stuffed salmon steak. No stuffed salmon on display but of course I found a couple of Kirkland spices I'm running low on and while heading to check out, saw an 11-cubic foot refrigerator for $299.99 (they knew I wouldn't be interested if it was $300). The refrigerator doesn't have a freezer compartment but its theremostat can be set to 0°F and then used as a frost-free freezer.

Our 7-cubic foot White-Westinghouse upright freezer is working fine but we bought it in 1996 so it's going on 28 years old. I just restored the freezer to full capacity by melting 3 gallons of frost buildup and it is now stuffed full. Mentioned the freezer to Liane and she says she was having premonitions about the freezer. I suggested we invest the $300 in a new freezer to protect the hundreds of dollars worth of food in the old one. She agreed and I went back to Costco today. It was like Times Square on New Year's Eve but I got a flatbed cart and found a Costco employee to help me load it up and take it to the checkout area. While he headed to the checkout, I headed to the prepared food court and got a 5.97-pound rotisserie chicken pot pie (Costco knows I wouldn't but a 6-pound pie for the two of us).

In my rush I failed to remove the back seats from the PT Cruiser. The freezer is 64.7" tall and would have fit inside had I removed the seats. Instead I had to tilt the rear seats forward and leave a fair bit of the freezer hanging out the tailgate. I carry a selection of bungee cords in the cars so I bungeed the tailgate down and secured the freezer. One Costco employee put the freezer on the cart and two Costco employees put it into the back of the Cruiser. I took the backroads home instead of blasting down I95. Made it home safely.

I brought my hand truck to the tailgate and was just about to slide and tilt the freezer out of the car when Liane came out and asked how much it weighed. I had checked and it weighs 128 pounds. She told me to stop and wait for our neighbors to return home on New Year's Day. I began to protest and realized this wasn't an argument I would win. The likelihood I would damage something (the freezer, the car, or something Liane had put a curse on) and the list of 'I-told-you-so's' would have had a new entry, to be brought up several thousand times in the coming year. She suggested turning the car around and tarping the rear to protect the freezer in case of rain.

I believe the courtesy lights will turn off but I wouldn't bet a dead battery on it. I regularly connect a Battery Tender to the cars, including the PT Cruiser in the driveway. I park the car facing the garage so the afternoon sun doesn't fry the dashboard. I connected an extension cord that easily reaches the plug in the PT Cruiser's grille when it's parked like this but it's a few feet too short to reach the plug when the car is backed in.

No problem, I've been meaning to make an extension cord for the Battery Tenders. I saved the 12V cable from a Battery Tender that died last year. I also saved the Alligator clip end from the same Tender. Time for some solder and shrink tubing. I offset cut the cables so the finished product wouldn't look like a snake swallowed a mouse.

Thanks to Mike (@zmotorsports) I have this nifty cable holder. Three pieces of shrink tube and a heat gun later and I have an extension cable.

I even managed to connect the two cables so they don't make the Tender think it's connected to the battery wrong. I did double-check with a multimeter (that needed a battery).

An hour and a half after I brought the freezer home the PT Cruiser is covered and connected to the Tender.

The pot pie is in the oven. Gonna need that bigger freezer real soon.