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

[Bob Heine]

I have used the Evaporust and have always been happy with the results. And yes it can be reused a few times. It is a bit pricy though but to me it is worth it.

As for safety, the claim is that it is safe. Personally I have no way to say one way or the other if it is safe or not. But I can tell you this point has been debated many times in GJ. In one occasion a few years back, on the Garage Journal main Vise thread, the arguments got really ugly and proponents and opponents of its safety claim got out right nasty, calling each other names etc !

@gman007, I have a gallon of the Evaporust in my ultrasonic cleaner and it has worked well. I may have to buy another gallon because it's 8 years old.

Holy cow, thanks for speaking up on this. I'll have to read about it on the vise thread. There was another on ultrasonic tanks, and I've read that one. Some folks actually had the recipe figured out of what it's made of.

Rick, I'm too old to worry about the stuff I've already ingested enough dirt, DDT, Teflon, plastic, mercury and lead that I'm probably either immune or near death. Either way there's not much I can do about it.

I ran across this socket in the shop today. It appears to be in almost new condition, but I can't see a name on it. I'll have to soak it to see who made it. Spline drive on the business end, with an odd spacing on the splines. Hex drive on the drive end. The male hex drive tells me that it's quite old, but the condition of it tells me otherwise.

Lug nut wrench, for those "wheel locks".

Rick, I think Kay is right. Some kind of keyed fastener remover. Could also be a prison lock socket so it's harder to unscrew. Not that I have a lot of experience breaking out of prison....

Ohh, you might be onto something, there. I'll have to measure the hex flats and see if it matches up to a lug nut size. I'll bet you're right.

Friday night, I had a phone call to a fellow programmer, at a different company.. He is very frustrated on how things are going... Slow down, there big fella, you just hit a bump in your road. Things will get better. I talked about how I wanted to buy a hot air balloon to use it like a crane or helicopter to take apart and fix my barn roof. I told another friend at my work, my thoughts... He forbid me from buying a hot air balloon to do the work... If you've ever been close to one of those, they are gigantic. I've been to the Hot Air Affair in Hudson and have been up close to those things. I would absolutely have it tethered to a very big tree or a good sized tractor and would have to hook up some RC controls to steer it with four fans and do something to hook up to the burner for off/on for lift. There might be some training to do with this thing, maybe become certified with a license to even own something like this. Nope, my friend talked me out of it... He thought that the thing would get away from me and someone would find it out on the East Coast next week... I didn't buy it, but I thought if it ever got away from me, if Kay would be gracious enough to rescue it for me... I'd pay for shipping and buy her lunch.

Rick, I don't remember ever thinking of a hot air balloon as a solution to my problems. Something about a vehicle that has no steering, accelerator, brakes and the only control available is up and down made me think of other solutions.

And if it swept past me, @walrus could probably grab it with his bucket truck.

Honestly, it would probably be cheaper to hire out the crane service.

Kay, catching a moving hot air balloon is probably safer than catching a moving train but not by much. I'm absolutely sure @walrus would catch it for you.

Actually, it was one of my craziest ideas of all time. But I noticed that you didn't say no... This balloon was at auction. Not like I could afford a brand new one...

Rick, it's possible the hot air balloon is being auctioned off because it no longer works or has an extra hole somewhere one doesn't belong.

I'd never say no to a balloon. If I caught it, I'd just ride it round the world back to Wisconsin. Then you could just put me on the train home.

Kay, I do remember the first time I saw a helium filled balloon and wondered how many it would take to lift me off the ground. Returning home safe and sound was never the end of the story but I like your style.

Would that actually work? Doesn't weather go from West to East, because of the Earth spinning? In any case I would pay the bill for the propane involved for the burner. Ohh you wanna go around the world, the long way... I'll still pay the bill for propane... I just want my balloon back...

Rick, the main jet streams do go west to east but I don't think there are any shortcuts to circumnavigating the world back to the same spot. If, for example you were traveling from Milwaukee to London, the shortest distance would be this Great Circle route. Looks like it would require some fancy fleece undies.

The company says it's safe enough to use on cookware.

Removing Rust from Cast Iron Cookware | CRC EVAPO-RUST®

Rust is troublesome for those cooking with cast-iron. Our users are happy with our product not just because it removes their rust easily, but because it's

www.evapo-rust.com

And if ya don't like that idea, there's always vinegar!

@Squankum, I'm hearing an echo from the other side, like DuPont (aka Chemours) praising Teflon cookware.

The issue is that what any company whose product is not regulated and verified by some independent authority is that they can claim anything.

All I am saying is that I can not tell just based on the claim by the company if it is safe or not. It might be or might not be safe!

@gman007, DDT is still used to control malaria carrying mosquitoes but I haven't seen any DDT foggers driving around my neighborhood lately. If there were, I'd be forced to go outside and chase the WWII Jeep and fogging trailer -- I love the smell of DDT in the morning.

I've got it! Organic white vinegar!

Spectrum Naturals Organic White Distilled Vinegar, 32 Oz | Grocery Pickup & Delivery | Whole Foods Market

Shop Spectrum Naturals Organic White Distilled Vinegar, 32 Oz by Spectrum at Whole Foods Market. Order online for fast delivery or curbside pickup, or visit your local store.

www.wholefoodsmarket.com

@Squankum, for some reason "Organic" isn't spelled with a $ sign or two, as it should be. Gasoline is Organic but I refuse to put it on my salad.

 

[CNC_RICK]

Bob, sometimes you have to think outside of the box. I'd agree with you that my idea to use a gigantic balloon to fix a barn roof, well, maybe I strayed a little too far away from the box on that one. Funny thing, I came up with this idea long before I started reading this forum. There was no Garage Journal-ism influences on me at all. In true GJ spirit, I wonder if anyone else has tried this?

I remember reading about someone tying many helium-filled balloons to his lawn chair. He did get off the ground with it. He had a .22 pistol in his pocket for the descent back down. Ha. Kind of a one way ticket. The Mythbusters actually tried that in one of their episodes.

The socket I found, a 19mm (or 3/4") fits the flats on it. I've not had any fancy wheels on any of my vehicles that would warrant buying locking lug nuts for them. Even my Trans am still had the factory wheels on it. It didn't have hub caps, but the center caps had a vee-shaped Pontiac emblem on them.

 

[CNC_RICK]

This wrench has been in the tank for about (3) weeks... The moveable jaw still doesn't move, but the worm does. I can put it in a vise, and with some PB Blaster, make it move again. At this rate, I figure I only have about 450 years to go with soaking every tool that needs a good soaking. Here's the sack it came out of, with 5% vinegar.

 

[Bob Heine]

Bob, sometimes you have to think outside of the box. I'd agree with you that my idea to use a gigantic balloon to fix a barn roof, well, maybe I strayed a little too far away from the box on that one. Funny thing, I came up with this idea long before I started reading this forum. There was no Garage Journal-ism influences on me at all. In true GJ spirit, I wonder if anyone else has tried this?

I remember reading about someone tying many helium-filled balloons to his lawn chair. He did get off the ground with it. He had a .22 pistol in his pocket for the descent back down. Ha. Kind of a one way ticket. The Mythbusters actually tried that in one of their episodes.

The socket I found, a 19mm (or 3/4") fits the flats on it. I've not had any fancy wheels on any of my vehicles that would warrant buying locking lug nuts for them. Even my Trans am still had the factory wheels on it. It didn't have hub caps, but the center caps had a vee-shaped Pontiac emblem on them.

Rick, I try to think outside the box but it often requires learning something completely new and different. It also may require help from someone with experience in the new and different project. I suspect, with no experience to back it up, I would burn a giant hole in said giant balloon before a knowledgeable balloonist showed up at my door. So many YouTube experts have fallen short and tricked me into doing something stupid.

Mythbusters scared me way too many times. They seemed to think through the possibilities for the stunt to end in disaster and fabricated things to mitigate the danger. I would put a plain plate glass window between me and the explosion and be surprised at the resulting injuries.

I am no expert but I don't recall any Trans Am wheels that were plain. My '68 GTO came with 14x6 steel wheels with hub caps.

This wrench has been in the tank for about (3) weeks... The moveable jaw still doesn't move, but the worm does. I can put it in a vise, and with some PB Blaster, make it move again. At this rate, I figure I only have about 450 years to go with soaking every tool that needs a good soaking. Here's the sack it came out of, with 5% vinegar.

I haven't tried to restore really rusted tools but the lightly rusted ones, like a couple of hand planes, cleaned up really well with Evapo-Rust in the ultrasonic cleaner.

 

[Bob Heine]

Finally got the CT scans and met with my urology oncologist. The worrisome spots turned out to be simple kidney cysts that need no treatment. They are common in older people, a category I am definitely in.

I now own a fancy new flaring tool because of an un-named enabler here on the GJ. I have been considering the Mastercool kit but adding the 37° adapter set puts it over $400. I prefer rarely used but necessary tools costing closer to $100. Ended up buying a kit for 37° (for AN fittings) and 45° flares for $145. It doesn't have the capability to make flares in 1/2" tubing but I have an old fashioned Imperial flaring tool that does 8AN (1/2") and 10AN (5/8") flares.

On Saturday the Mobile Tire Expert came to the house to put new tires on the Corvette and TPMS sensors on the Cadillac. It was supposed to be 92°F but that's air temperature and I know the driveway was 130°F so I was checking on him through the security camera system and making actual visits during his two hour visit to be sure he was hydrated and offered a break in the 77°F garage.

Without me mentioning it, all four tires on the Corvette were mounted with the yellow dot next to the valve stem. The things you learn on the GJ are amazing.

I almost tripped on something I had never seen before, lying next to the Corvette. It was a low profile Vevor Air Jack. Went in the garage and Googled it. Monday morning at 9:09 a heavy box showed up at my front door. This afternoon I assembled it and tried to slide it under the Corvette. I'd need to back onto a 1/2" piece of plywood to get the jack under the lowest jacking point on the Corvette, the lowest of our three drivers.

This jack is a game changer for me. I really like working in the air conditioned garage but to get the cars up on jackstands, I have to use my low profile HF floor jack. It's really difficult to maneuver the big jack's lifting pad into position and then be able to pump the jack handle. This jack fits in the narrow spaces and all I have to do is connect the air line and open the valve. If, at some point I need to lift a vehicle with a lot more ground clearance, the jack comes with a beefy extension.

I was looking at the Amazon page and decided to check with Vevor. They had it for a few dollars less and offered free shipping. I didn't expect it in two days but that's all it took. I even have a place to store it to reduce the tripping and hip fracturing risk.

For $85.59 delivered to my door I thought it was a pretty good deal. I should have looked harder for a bigger coupon but time's a wastin'. Here's where I bought it: https://www.vevor.com/pneumatic-car...th-heightened-column-for-sedan-p_010602694784

 

[Squankum]

Finally got the CT scans and met with my urology oncologist. The worrisome spots turned out to be simple kidney cysts that need no treatment.

What a relief!

 

[bugnut]

What a relief!

Bob, i'm all in with what he said!

PS I like you new jack!

 

[drivesitfar]

Is the yellow dot next to the valve position sort of like clocking your screws?

Glad to hear doctor didn’t find any other issues besides old age stuff.

Looks like some nice new tools for you to make your tough jobs a bit easier.

Stay cool!!

 

[kaymccampbell]

Is the yellow dot next to the valve position sort of like clocking your screws?

Some tires are marked for balance. Depending on the model, and the wheel, you line up certain marks to hopefully use the least number of weights. And then there are the tires n wheels I buy.

 

[Mr.zippy]

Bob you are a pure garage dude. You get a cancer free kidney diagnosis.....and celebrate by buying a jack! Congratulations on the good news!

 

[fouckhest]

Glad to hear about the clean bill of health Bob!

I've been very curious about those jacks for years, I can remember seeing some people make their own, and having air bagged vehicles, it was always on of those, fun but never hit the priority list projects...but for <$100, I'm going to have to noodle on this purchase!

 

[Prospecter]

Finally got the CT scans and met with my urology oncologist. The worrisome spots turned out to be simple kidney cysts that need no treatment. They are common in older people, a category I am definitely in.

I now own a fancy new flaring tool because of an un-named enabler here on the GJ. I have been considering the Mastercool kit but adding the 37° adapter set puts it over $400. I prefer rarely used but necessary tools costing closer to $100. Ended up buying a kit for 37° (for AN fittings) and 45° flares for $145. It doesn't have the capability to make flares in 1/2" tubing but I have an old fashioned Imperial flaring tool that does 8AN (1/2") and 10AN (5/8") flares.

On Saturday the Mobile Tire Expert came to the house to put new tires on the Corvette and TPMS sensors on the Cadillac. It was supposed to be 92°F but that's air temperature and I know the driveway was 130°F so I was checking on him through the security camera system and making actual visits during his two hour visit to be sure he was hydrated and offered a break in the 77°F garage.

Without me mentioning it, all four tires on the Corvette were mounted with the yellow dot next to the valve stem. The things you learn on the GJ are amazing.

I almost tripped on something I had never seen before, lying next to the Corvette. It was a low profile Vevor Air Jack. Went in the garage and Googled it. Monday morning at 9:09 a heavy box showed up at my front door. This afternoon I assembled it and tried to slide it under the Corvette. I'd need to back onto a 1/2" piece of plywood to get the jack under the lowest jacking point on the Corvette, the lowest of our three drivers.

This jack is a game changer for me. I really like working in the air conditioned garage but to get the cars up on jackstands, I have to use my low profile HF floor jack. It's really difficult to maneuver the big jack's lifting pad into position and then be able to pump the jack handle. This jack fits in the narrow spaces and all I have to do is connect the air line and open the valve. If, at some point I need to lift a vehicle with a lot more ground clearance, the jack comes with a beefy extension.

I was looking at the Amazon page and decided to check with Vevor. They had it for a few dollars less and offered free shipping. I didn't expect it in two days but that's all it took. I even have a place to store it to reduce the tripping and hip fracturing risk.

For $85.59 delivered to my door I thought it was a pretty good deal. I should have looked harder for a bigger coupon but time's a wastin'. Here's where I bought it: https://www.vevor.com/pneumatic-car...th-heightened-column-for-sedan-p_010602694784

Great find, Bob! That's on my wish list now.

 

[Prospecter]

Come to think of it, I'd be interested if you ever felt like a dedicated garage and shop tour. You've got a lot of cool stuff and interesting approaches to things.

 

[Squankum]

Mythbusters scared me way too many times. They seemed to think through the possibilities for the stunt to end in disaster and fabricated things to mitigate the danger. I would put a plain plate glass window between me and the explosion and be surprised at the resulting injuries.

 

[Ford52PU]

Glad your results weren't too scary. Really like that jack, might have to get one for my Spitifre it sits really low and is a challange to jack up. Might look into it.

take care of yourself!

 

[y'sguy]

So glad to hear your good news, Bob. I was thinking about you the whole time. Well, and some other stuff too.

It must be kismet or something! I was just looking at that very setup for line fittings. I had the itch to make a couple of new lines for my Bird. I don't really want to spend all the tool money I am going to have to come up with for the project as it's not really needed. That, however, has never stopped me before. Maybe I could drive down to your place and we could just knock out the job there? Nah, you're too busy.
I'll have to wait for some sort of windfall of money. rolleyes.

 

[jon72vega]

Bob,
I'm happy for you on the CT scan results!

In other news.....
There is a thread on the Garage Journal for Gregor Halenda @sakurama titled Damn you Sakurama!
Perhaps there also should also be a thread for Bob titled "Damn you Bob!"
I'm talking about the VEVOR Air Jack.
Now I have to have one!

​

 

[loganb]

Great news on the scans! I also just bought my first item direct from Vevor and was impressed with delivery and packaging

 

[zanyad]

Glad to hear that was just a scare, and not something to really worry about.

 

[gman007]

Bob
I am glad to hear that the kidney cysts was benign.
Love the air Jack!

Stay cool and safe

 

[rharman]

@Bob Heine - Like you said, just another sign of aging. Glad you got good news.

It took me a bit to calm down the first time I read one of my CT reports and they mentioned liver & kidney cysts. Docs all said not to worry and they're the experts so I don't worry. Heck, I trusted them to cut out a chunk of kidney!

 

[Geoff289]

Glad to hear how your scans turned out, Bob.

I like that air jack. Trying to think of a reason why I need one or decide that I don't need a reason. Years, well decades, ago when I was a bit into off roading I had an exhaust powered air jack like this.

https://www.4x4downunder.com.au/products/mean-mother-exhaust-air-jack-4000kg

Apart from trying it out in the driveway I never had to actually use it.

Very low profile air jacks are ubiquitous in the world of drag racing where ground clearance similar to a snake is the norm.

https://quartermax.com/tools-oils-racing-accessories/projack-race-car-stands/

They're a bit pricier than yours, though.

I like your tyre guy's style indexing the yellow dots with the valve like that.

 

[Bob Heine]

Before I respond to all the recent posts, I am thrilled to get the 'not to worry' results. When I had my prostate and nearby lymph nodes removed by a young doctor and his pet robot (it came with a customer engineer technician), I thought I was home free with the tumor moving to the incinerator. A few months later, just to be safe, my primary care physician sent some of my blood in for a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test. It should have come back with a zero point something but instead was seven point something, the highest result I ever had. That led to radiation of one obvious tumor and testosterone blocking medications. The drugs are working (last result was 0.02 PSA) but the side effects are mind boggling. Prostate cancer killed my grandfather so I'm doing everything in my power to avoid his fate. So far, so good.

What a relief!

Thank you @Squankum.

Bob, i'm all in with what he said!

PS I like you new jack!

Thanks Joel, I may sneak outside and test it on the PT Cruiser this afternoon.

Some tires are marked for balance. Depending on the model, and the wheel, you line up certain marks to hopefully use the least number of weights. And then there are the tires n wheels I buy.

Kay, it appears the yellow circle/dot indicates the tire's lightest spot and therefore should be aligned with the heaviest spot on the rim, which is where the tire valve stem is mounted. One source claimed belt overlap on the tire was the heavy spot so the yellow mark is placed on the opposite side of the tire. I've only watched tire manufacturing a couple of times many many years ago and I don't recall belt overlap as an issue. The red dot/circle marks the flattest spot on the tire. Supposedly that gets aligned with the highest spot on the rim to improve the roundness of the tire. The high spot on the rim is supposedly marked with a dot or notch. None of the aluminum rims on my cars seem to have a notch so maybe it's more common on steel wheels.

Bob you are a pure garage dude. You get a cancer free kidney diagnosis.....and celebrate by buying a jack! Congratulations on the good news!

Fred, I had a tinge of guilt just thinking about gifting myself the jack. Then Liane mentioned she wanted a jewelry box. She has a lot of jewelry, mostly cheap stuff, stored in cardboard boxes scattered around the house. It occurred to me a machinists toolbox was a perfect solution so I Googled the term. First one to pop up was a Kennedy for $663.60 and I told Elizabeth I was comin'. Second one brought my heart rate back down -- Harbor Freight has a wooden one (what I was looking for) for $85. On the way home from haircuts (hair styling?) we stopped at HF and picked one up. It weighs almost 19 pounds so it needs to park somewhere it doesn't need to be picked up often. The lock for the lid is a joke and the key doesn't fit well enough to easily lock the top. However, the key for the front panel is pretty good, with both edges of the keys having notches.

It only has 8 drawers and is 20 inches wide. To get 10 drawers I'd need to spend over $300 for a 6 inch wider wooden box or $460 for an 11 drawer that's 4 inches wider.

Turns out the place Liane wants to put it has a 21 inch opening. It is nicely hidden but to pull it out would be a strain for either of us. I just so happen to have a jar of casters and they mount nicely using the screw in the corner brace that was holding a rubber foot. Four more screws and "Bob's Yer Uncle."

If this saves someone a couple of hundred bucks, you're welcome. If it falls apart when you load up your tools, I apologize in advance (it's an Okay tool chest but the quality kinda fits the price).

@Squankum, that's one of them!

Glad your results weren't too scary. Really like that jack, might have to get one for my Spitifre it sits really low and is a challange to jack up. Might look into it.

take care of yourself!

Thank you Dennis. I can't swear by the jack just yet but for less than a hundred bucks I had to give it a go.

So glad to hear your good news, Bob. I was thinking about you the whole time. Well, and some other stuff too.

It must be kismet or something! I was just looking at that very setup for line fittings. I had the itch to make a couple of new lines for my Bird. I don't really want to spend all the tool money I am going to have to come up with for the project as it's not really needed. That, however, has never stopped me before. Maybe I could drive down to your place and we could just knock out the job there? Nah, you're too busy.
I'll have to wait for some sort of windfall of money. rolleyes.

Thank you, Alan, and come on down! The description included "Annealed Stainless Steel" and I was sold.

Bob,
I'm happy for you on the CT scan results!

In other news.....
There is a thread on the Garage Journal for Gregor Halenda @sakurama titled Damn you Sakurama!
Perhaps there also should also be a thread for Bob titled "Damn you Bob!"
I'm talking about the VEVOR Air Jack.
Now I have to have one!

​

Jon, I use neat mechanical pencils because of Sakurama but I lucked out because of it. I ordered one mechanical pencil from Amazon and they sent me a box of ten. I couldn't figure out how to return them so I have gifted several to deserving people (Andy Iron Farmer and my eldest great granddaughter) I lost count of the rest but I know I got a less expensive version of his knife sharpener that lets me adjust the angle (important for the knives he talked me into). If Festool stuff started showing up, I'd have to fill that machinist box with real diamonds instead of CZs.

Great news on the scans! I also just bought my first item direct from Vevor and was impressed with delivery and packaging

Thank you Logan. I have quite a few Vevor tools and have been happy with all of them so far. Not working for a living and especially not working in the vehicle repair and maintenance business, I may not be the best judge.

Glad to hear that was just a scare, and not something to really worry about.

You and me both @zanyad!

Bob
I am glad to hear that the kidney cysts was benign.
Love the air Jack!

Stay cool and safe

@gman007, I appreciate the kind words and my Scandinavian genes tell me to stay cool -- my lizard genes sometimes put me at risk but I'm surrounded by family that steers me the other way ("We don't care that you have a big powerful pressure washer -- pay someone to clean the roof).

@Bob Heine - Like you said, just another sign of aging. Glad you got good news.

It took me a bit to calm down the first time I read one of my CT reports and they mentioned liver & kidney cysts. Docs all said not to worry and they're the experts so I don't worry. Heck, I trusted them to cut out a chunk of kidney!

Roger, they have an interesting way to sharpen their scalpels while giving good news. I see the other two oncologists near the end of July.

Glad to hear how your scans turned out, Bob.

I like that air jack. Trying to think of a reason why I need one or decide that I don't need a reason. Years, well decades, ago when I was a bit into off roading I had an exhaust powered air jack like this.

https://www.4x4downunder.com.au/products/mean-mother-exhaust-air-jack-4000kg

Apart from trying it out in the driveway I never had to actually use it.

Very low profile air jacks are ubiquitous in the world of drag racing where ground clearance similar to a snake is the norm.

https://quartermax.com/tools-oils-racing-accessories/projack-race-car-stands/

They're a bit pricier than yours, though.

I like your tyre guy's style indexing the yellow dots with the valve like that.

Geoff, I was rarely more than a spectator at most racing events and some of those used simple levers to lift the lightweight cars. This is like the jacks I remember seeing on Formula 1 cars years ago (4 small jacks). The exhaust powered bag seems like a great idea but my cars all have dual exhaust with x-pipes so I suspect one outlet wouldn't provide much pressure if it had somewhere else to go.

Holy ****, Quarter Max Racing is pretty proud of those low profile jacks. For me, those would involve a return visit to the urologist to find out how much my cyst infested kidney would bring on the black market.

 

[Bob Heine]

The new tires on the Corvette are probably less expensive ($200 versus $530) because the tread design is way less complicated. It has no snow rating and warns one to drive them very carefully in the rain. Unlike the Michelin Pilot Sport, the Toyo Proxes R88R tires are not directional so only the center groove provides a path for water to escape and limit hydroplaning. Fortunately, I drive the Corvette with the top down unless a rain shower catches me by surprise.
Toyo Proxes R888R ($195 each)

Michelin Pilot Sport ($531 each)

 

[Squankum]

That's a cheap price for autox/track tires!

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Toyo&tireModel=Proxes+R888R

If you had bought Hoosiers:

 

[gman007]

Fortunately, I drive the Corvette with the top down unless a rain shower catches me by surprise.

Bob
In rainy and wet conditions, the older sport cars with rear wheel drive and powerful engines and tires that are not up to snuff is not a good combination! AMHIK !

 

[Squankum]

Bob
In rainy and wet conditions, the older sport cars with rear wheel drive and powerful engines and tires that are not up to snuff is not a good combination! AMHIK !

Unitl then, however, they'll be just the thing for a twisty mountain road. Can somebody find Bob a twisty mountain road on the east coast of FL?!

 

[kaymccampbell]

Unitl then, however, they'll be just the thing for a twisty mountain road. Can somebody find Bob a twisty mountain road on the east coast of FL?!

With an elevation of maybe 300 ft? No way. He's gotta go north of Lanner.

 

[gilr]

Go to Tennessee or North Carolina and drive the "tail of the dragon", AKA rt 129. tailofthedragon.com

 

[Craptain]

Go to Tennessee or North Carolina and drive the "tail of the dragon", AKA rt 129. tailofthedragon.com

That's fun on a motorcycle.

 

[Bob Heine]

That's a cheap price for autox/track tires!

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Toyo&tireModel=Proxes+R888R

If you had bought Hoosiers:

@Squankum, these were the cheapest tires I could find for the 255/50-16 size tire. I expect these are the last tires I'll put on this car. I put the last set (Sumitomo) on in 2007 so 18 years and the tires had -0.87" (-22mm) tread depth left. The brand new Toyo tires have -0.908" (-23.08mm) so I haven't changed the tread depth much.

I saw the Hoosiers and had to read the description:
"WARNING: D.O.T. labeled Hoosier Racing Tires meet Department of Transportation requirements for marking and performance only and are NOT INTENDED FOR HIGHWAY USE. It is unsafe to operate any Hoosier Racing Tire, including DOT tires, on public roads."

At least the white letters are only painted on.

Bob
In rainy and wet conditions, the older sport cars with rear wheel drive and powerful engines and tires that are not up to snuff is not a good combination! AMHIK !

@gman007, would a 1969 Corvette with a 427 (390hp) 4-speed be one of those older sports cars with rear wheel drive and powerful engine? I chose to save money and not buy new tires with visible tread pattern. The car needed the 6 noisy universals replaced and upon finishing the job took it for a test drive. The almost bald old tires worked fine on dry pavement but it began raining during during the test drive. No problem, just put the top up. It had not rained for several weeks so accelerating through a yellow light turned this...

...into this:

When the side window broke, there were glass cubes all over my left side. I pushed the door open with my stump and must have nicked it. As I got out of the car, the young valet came running over to see if I was OK. The rain spread the few drops of blood over the whole end of my stump and the kid fainted before he reached me. I was more interested in checking the damage to the brand new 1977 Cadillac Eldorado and brand new Lincoln Mark V I had hit with the side of my Vette. That was an expensive test drive and the last time I drove on under snuff tires.

Unitl then, however, they'll be just the thing for a twisty mountain road. Can somebody find Bob a twisty mountain road on the east coast of FL?!

The only twisty roads around here are cloverleaves and the highest natural spot in Florida is Britton Hill in the panhandle. At 345 feet above mean sea level it's hardly a "mountain". It also a 1,200 mile round trip over the most boring flat land you can imagine.

With an elevation of maybe 300 ft? No way. He's gotta go north of Lanner.

Kay, I'm thinking of the Blue Ridge Parkway, which starts at Cherokee NC, about 800 miles north of Boca Raton and stretches 469 miles further north. So, a 2,500 mile cruise in a car I can barely climb out of.

Go to Tennessee or North Carolina and drive the "tail of the dragon", AKA rt 129. tailofthedragon.com

Gil, it's a 1,052 mile drive to get to that 11 mile bit of road. With 318 curves I believe it would take several runs before I would feel comfortable. The traffic jam behind me on the first run would be hilarious. My autocross experience is limited to parking lots and abandoned air strips. It has been more than 35 years since I participated and I doubt my reflexes have improved. Of course, back then I was autocrossing with our Fiat X1/9, which had little 13" tires (235/50 rears and 215/50 fronts). You had to do something really crazy to break that thing loose in a turn.

 

[CNC_RICK]

Rick, I try to think outside the box but it often requires learning something completely new and different. It also may require help from someone with experience in the new and different project. I suspect, with no experience to back it up, I would burn a giant hole in said giant balloon before a knowledgeable balloonist showed up at my door. So many YouTube experts have fallen short and tricked me into doing something stupid.

Mythbusters scared me way too many times. They seemed to think through the possibilities for the stunt to end in disaster and fabricated things to mitigate the danger. I would put a plain plate glass window between me and the explosion and be surprised at the resulting injuries.

I am no expert but I don't recall any Trans Am wheels that were plain. My '68 GTO came with 14x6 steel wheels with hub caps.

I haven't tried to restore really rusted tools but the lightly rusted ones, like a couple of hand planes, cleaned up really well with Evapo-Rust in the ultrasonic cleaner.

My Trans Am wheels were meant to be to left alone as they were. No hub caps were needed. They were pressed steel, but looked nice. I wonder if they would be worth something nowadays... Too late now, I more or less gave the car away. My neighbor started putting some figures together, out loud, to me, and figured that he'd make a ton of money off of me... Well, that's good for you, I'm done with the car. He was happy to get my car. I didn't care. I was glad that he could get something out of the car. His biggest grin was that the Trans Am had a Posi-Tracton differential in it. He had a use for that, right away, for another project car. That's great. He asked me many times about the rear end, and many times I assured him that it was indeed a Posi...

 

[Squankum]

That's fun on a motorcycle.

 

[CNC_RICK]

Ha, the Mythbusters... At some point, I took upon a free class, all about physics, through EDX,org.... Hmm physics, math, a pencil, some scratch paper and a TI calculator, and they were going to drop a grand piano through a house roof from a helicopter... Terminal velocity minus air resistance because of the shape...I did some numbers and told Cheryl that it wouldn't work... It didn't work...Then they tried another piano, an upright piano, this time, full of rocks, or something close to that. That one went through to the basement... Haha... Loved that episode... I used to love learning math. Before we had a home computer... and at work, I had access to a computer, hooked up to the Internet, I used to clock out on a Friday at noon, then spend about three hours, learning about math from Sal Khan, from Khan Academy... Sal is quite the guy.... I'd come home and tell Cheryl that I learned about imaginary numbers... Say what??? Ok, what's the square root of negative 2?? It doesn't exist...What's a square root? Once that was explained, she still didn't believe that there's no answer to that... What's the difference in mass verses weight? Gravity on the planet that you're on at the time. Nothing wrong with Cheryl, she just hasn't learned this stuff. I got deeply into trigonometry... Tons into the basics of trig... Right angle and oblique angle trig gets you a long ways into programming your own programs on a CNC 2-axis machine, like a lathe... Z-X axis on the cartersian coordinate system. To this day, I have a cheat sheet on my wall at work for imaginary numbers. The 4 being: I^1, I-^1, I^0, -I^0, if I remember correctly... Correct me if I'm wrong, anybody... Learning Trigonometry is a handful, if you go past the basics. Right angle trig, oblique trig, spherical trig. The lawn of sines, the law of cosines, the law of tangents. What about secant, cosecant, cotangent? Lots to learn.

 

[CNC_RICK]

I remember trying to learn about Great Circles, in Bob's example of flying airplanes from point a to point b. That makes perfect sense to me. That might really get into spherical trigonometry... I can take a vector, one unit long ( like an inch),( the hypotenuse) tilt it over in one direction at about 30 degrees, then rotate that vector to 45 degrees and make a three-axis vector out of it. The vector has direction and magnitude to it. I'd use sin(45), sin(45) and cosine(30) XYZ, ijk to make that happen in the G-code. That represents A or B tilt and the rotation would represent C axis...this all represents the tool axis whether it be a nutating head type or rotating table type of machine.

 

[CNC_RICK]

I'm no expert at my job. I'm really not. Think Kay might agree with my thoughts. I'd like to say that I have a favorite saying... You don't know what you don't know, until you know...... Let's break that down to something reasonable and useful. I learned a ton of math over my career. I can do trig and some stuff. If you try to run NX or something, you really have to know a bit of math. In my words, the more you know, the more you can do. The CAD/CAM world is not different. You can only do as much as you know. The software is the smartest part of this. Your only limitation on running the software is your own knowledge.

 

[CNC_RICK]

Take NX, for example. NX can do CNC-g-code... It can do electronics. It can do ship-building. It can do sheet metal bends. It has a Sketcher, it has drafting. It has expressions that you can use for dimensions to control a length of a part. It really has everything. I've been to plenty of classes that the instructor is very good at what he teaches, but feels that no one person can learn it all.

 

[Bob Heine]

My Trans Am wheels were meant to be to left alone as they were. No hub caps were needed. They were pressed steel, but looked nice. I wonder if they would be worth something nowadays... Too late now, I more or less gave the car away. My neighbor started putting some figures together, out loud, to me, and figured that he'd make a ton of money off of me... Well, that's good for you, I'm done with the car. He was happy to get my car. I didn't care. I was glad that he could get something out of the car. His biggest grin was that the Trans Am had a Posi-Tracton differential in it. He had a use for that, right away, for another project car. That's great. He asked me many times about the rear end, and many times I assured him that it was indeed a Posi...

Rick, I had forgotten about the stamped steel rallye wheels. When I got rid of our '68 GTO in 1977 it had a fair bit of Bondo hiding the rust and it was a gas guzzler with no creature comforts in a gas crisis. I recall 8-gallon limits at the pump and that was enough for the GTO to go 80 miles if I drove like a raw egg was between my foot and the gas pedal. I had the '71 Vega GT at the same time and having to run the car until it was almost empty (11 gallon tank) so I could put the whole 8 gallons in.

@Squankum, a mobility scooter is probably a better idea. To avoid the possibility of driving the Corvette in the rain, I'd need a trailer to transport it. None of my vehicles have any towing capacity (Cadillac CTS-V and PT Cruiser are rated for 1,000 lbs) so I'd need a truck. To make up for those extra expenses, I'd need a camper for the truck bed and it would have to have cooking and food storage facilities.

Ha, the Mythbusters... At some point, I took upon a free class, all about physics, through EDX,org.... Hmm physics, math, a pencil, some scratch paper and a TI calculator, and they were going to drop a grand piano through a house roof from a helicopter... Terminal velocity minus air resistance because of the shape...I did some numbers and told Cheryl that it wouldn't work... It didn't work...Then they tried another piano, an upright piano, this time, full of rocks, or something close to that. That one went through to the basement... Haha... Loved that episode... I used to love learning math. Before we had a home computer... and at work, I had access to a computer, hooked up to the Internet, I used to clock out on a Friday at noon, then spend about three hours, learning about math from Sal Khan, from Khan Academy... Sal is quite the guy.... I'd come home and tell Cheryl that I learned about imaginary numbers... Say what??? Ok, what's the square root of negative 2?? It doesn't exist...What's a square root? Once that was explained, she still didn't believe that there's no answer to that... What's the difference in mass verses weight? Gravity on the planet that you're on at the time. Nothing wrong with Cheryl, she just hasn't learned this stuff. I got deeply into trigonometry... Tons into the basics of trig... Right angle and oblique angle trig gets you a long ways into programming your own programs on a CNC 2-axis machine, like a lathe... Z-X axis on the cartersian coordinate system. To this day, I have a cheat sheet on my wall at work for imaginary numbers. The 4 being: I^1, I-^1, I^0, -I^0, if I remember correctly... Correct me if I'm wrong, anybody... Learning Trigonometry is a handful, if you go past the basics. Right angle trig, oblique trig, spherical trig. The lawn of sines, the law of cosines, the law of tangents. What about secant, cosecant, cotangent? Lots to learn.

Rick, my aptitude scores indicated I should be good at math but I moved schools in second grade. The school I left was teaching addition and subtraction of two digit numbers and the school I joined was teaching multiplication and division. I barely passed high school algebra but got a 3.9 in college algebra. The high school teacher gave no credit for a wrong answer but the college professor took off one or two points for arithmetic errors. My arithmetic improved when I joined IBM and learned to do binary, octal and hexadecimal arithmetic.

I remember trying to learn about Great Circles, in Bob's example of flying airplanes from point a to point b. That makes perfect sense to me. That might really get into spherical trigonometry... I can take a vector, one unit long ( like an inch),( the hypotenuse) tilt it over in one direction at about 30 degrees, then rotate that vector to 45 degrees and make a three-axis vector out of it. The vector has direction and magnitude to it. I'd use sin(45), sin(45) and cosine(30) XYZ, ijk to make that happen in the G-code. That represents A or B tilt and the rotation would represent C axis...this all represents the tool axis whether it be a nutating head type or rotating table type of machine.

I was tricked into learning great circle routes when I took business flights from the US to Europe. Turns out they are the shortest distance between two places but many times the airlines deviate from the shortest to the fastest route, depending on the jet stream. Looking down and seeing Greenland made no sense but that's where the jet stream gave the best tail wind.

I'm no expert at my job. I'm really not. Think Kay might agree with my thoughts. I'd like to say that I have a favorite saying... You don't know what you don't know, until you know...... Let's break that down to something reasonable and useful. I learned a ton of math over my career. I can do trig and some stuff. If you try to run NX or something, you really have to know a bit of math. In my words, the more you know, the more you can do. The CAD/CAM world is not different. You can only do as much as you know. The software is the smartest part of this. Your only limitation on running the software is your own knowledge.

I have sat at my computer watching training videos and fallen asleep. Apparently the blood supply to my brain diminishes at the exact moment the key parts of the lesson are presented. It sends me off to apply the lesson on an imaginary project and it doesn't do what I want. There's a burner behind the back burner where my CAD/CAM knowledge sits in an ice cold pot.

Take NX, for example. NX can do CNC-g-code... It can do electronics. It can do ship-building. It can do sheet metal bends. It has a Sketcher, it has drafting. It has expressions that you can use for dimensions to control a length of a part. It really has everything. I've been to plenty of classes that the instructor is very good at what he teaches, but feels that no one person can learn it all.

I get great pleasure from turning technical gibberish into simple and useful descriptions. It has been rewarding but I know I've missed out on breaking my good hand on a T-wrench left in the lathe or milling machine but I've avoided another money pit and still have the use of my right hand.

 

[Squankum]

@Squankum, a mobility scooter is probably a better idea. To avoid the possibility of driving the Corvette in the rain, I'd need a trailer to transport it. None of my vehicles have any towing capacity (Cadillac CTS-V and PT Cruiser are rated for 1,000 lbs) so I'd need a truck. To make up for those extra expenses, I'd need a camper for the truck bed and it would have to have cooking and food storage facilities.

1.


2.

 

[kaymccampbell]

And there's enough room for a big box of bandaids.