Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT Lyndon's Western Sydney Garage (amongst life's other stories).

[Lyndon]

Lyndon,

9.30, early

1/2 the day has gone by then for this black duck, but with a score like the A & A bench grinder for $15 you are pardoned ( this time).

Grab some new Norton Wheels for it.

Unusual that it is not a Cap Start at least

Nice work on the Cup Planters.. I have seen those bits at Bunnings but neve used one..

Into plumbing now, well done..

Quick question : are you happy with your hose link reels?

I don't tend to use reels as such here as I find that there is a lot of pressure drop with most that I have used...

Beer O'çlock

Steve

Thought that'd get ya! But I am definitely not a morning person, especially on weekends.... I get so tired by Friday I need some recuperation.

I'll have to research Norton Wheels - Are they big green box store stuff, or somewhere else? And do they produce wire and polishing wheels? And I think since this grinder dates from some time in the 80's, it may have been the norm (So many questions! )?

And yes - I don't detect any pressure loss with the hose reels. Our normal water pressure at the tap is about 9 litres/minute, and as near as I've seen, it's still the same after the reel. These Hoselink reels are very flash things though. I don't think the ones from Bunnings would compare..... Just sayin'.

Lyndon
Look - I'm still here....

 

[1/2 Cup]

Steve

Thought that'd get ya! But I am definitely not a morning person, especially on weekends.... I get so tired by Friday I need some recuperation.

I'll have to research Norton Wheels - Are they big green box store stuff, or somewhere else? And do they produce wire and polishing wheels? And I think since this grinder dates from some time in the 80's, it may have been the norm (So many questions! )?

And yes - I don't detect any pressure loss with the hose reels. Our normal water pressure at the tap is about 9 litres/minute, and as near as I've seen, it's still the same after the reel. These Hoselink reels are very flash things though. I don't think the ones from Bunnings would compare..... Just sayin'.

Lyndon
Look - I'm still here....

Lyndon,

Total Tools have Norton wheels, I just brought a white one for chisels and have a green one for the Tungsten Carbide bits.

Dixbro wire wheels are great.

Josco do all the polishing gear and buffs, Bunnings stock them.

Interesting comment with the Hose Link reel you do get what you pay for ultimately.

Cheers

 

[Guster]

Great news getting the house back to yourselves soon. Nice score on the grinder and did you use a little water with the diamond core drill? Makes a big difference.

It may not be too difficult to add a start cap to the grinder motor if it has separately terminated start and run windings. They are not hard to obtain and just need the right size for the motor. Wish I was closer.

Talking about right size... that grinder looks huge for a 1/3hp motor but may not be strong enough to run a buffing wheel for anything large. Small buffers usually start at 1hp for that reason. On the other hand, at least you probably won’t lose more than a fingerprint with an accident with the wire-wheel.

How’s the woodwork coming along?

 

[BBChevro]

Nice score with the grinder.

I've sometimes noticed signs in fast food places saying "bottomless cup of coffee" - is that what you're making?

 

[Bob Heine]

Lyndon, I don't want you to think hoses (and hose reels) are an affliction unique to you. When we bought our current house in 1996 there were a surprising number of hose bibs poking out of walls in the house. Our 50 foot wide patio has two and until recently both had the bare minimum hose hangers like this (looks familiar):

I recently upgraded the other patio hose with a reel and a 50-foot Flexzilla brand hose when the old hose took a set that made it difficult to coil.

The car wash hose is discretely hidden just inside the garage door. It was also upgraded to a 100-foot Flexzilla.

On the other side of the garage wall is another reel with an older 100-foot hose on it. This hose easily connects to another hose that resides inside the fence boards -- it's another 100-foot hose that reaches the workshop reel with another 25-footer connected.

At the rear of the house, ten feet from that Flexzilla hose on the patio, there's another 100-foot hose on a reel. You can actually see it in the patio Flexzilla photo. Like I said, an unusual number of hose bibs for one 2600 square foot house.

The opposite side of the house has another 100-foot hose and reel.

The only odd thing is the lack of a hose bib in the back yard. I added a 100-foot hose and reel to the side of the workshop so I could reach the back yard without having to connect multiple hoses. Of course I actually have to connect that hose on the outside of the garage to the fence-top hose that leads to this one.

Did I mention my four air hose reels?

 

[shortykorte]

Bob. How are the Flexzilla hoses? Do they live up to advertising?


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[BBChevro]

...The car wash hose is discretely hidden just inside the garage door...

That line in Bob's post reminds me of a problem that an elderly Aunt of mine was having with the hose at the side of her house.

Unlike Bob's hose, my Aunt's hose wasn't hidden at all, it was actually visible from the street - which led to a problem that she was having with "vandals"...

It seemed to have her a little bit puzzled that the "vandals" were only targeting her garden hose - by cutting the nozzle off and leaving it on the ground nearby.

It eventually came to light that there was more to this case than vandalism alone...
There was actually theft involved as well - when she realized that the hose was gradually being "stolen" in 6" increments.

.

 

[HOTFR8]

There was actually theft involved as well - when she realized that the hose was gradually being "stolen" in 6" increments.

.

What the

 

[BBChevro]

What the

To help clarify, I'm guessing that the culprits sourced some small plastic bottles from elsewhere.

 

[Ralf99]

.....and possibly some tin foil too?

 

[Sabbath]

It eventually came to light that there was more to this case than vandalism alone...
There was actually theft involved as well - when she realized that the hose was gradually being "stolen" in 6" increments.

.

Did your Aunt happen to call up ABC radio about this theft? I remember a few years ago sitting in a customers car and they were doing a story on the supernatural. And a lovely older lady rang up claiming she had ghosts that were shortening her garden hose every week. If the presenter knew, he didnt let on as to who the real culprit would have been.

 

[HOTFR8]

To help clarify, I'm guessing that the culprits sourced some small plastic bottles from elsewhere.

Now I was thinking that is to short to siphon fuel.

 

[dlcwent]

To help clarify, I'm guessing that the culprits sourced some small plastic bottles from elsewhere.

I'm completely lost Mark. Please explain.

 

[Lyndon]

Sorry guys - I’ve seen all the replies, but we’ve had another massive truck accident today, & have been dealing with that all afternoon. And tomorrow Irene & I are going to the city via her Dads place to escape the heat here (well above 40 C again, & until Monday)...

I’ll comment when I get a chance.

Lyndon
Busy as.....!


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[Bob Heine]

Sorry guys - I’ve seen all the replies, but we’ve had another massive truck accident today, & have been dealing with that all afternoon. And tomorrow Irene & I are going to the city via her Dads place to escape the heat here (well above 40 C again, & until Monday)...

I’ll comment when I get a chance.

Lyndon
Busy as.....!


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Lyndon, just have fun with Irene. We're entertaining ourselves in your absence.

 

[HOTFR8]

I'm completely lost Mark. Please explain.

Think smoke and grass.

As for the accident I have seen a couple of near misses this week so I know what you are dealing with Lyndon. Often it is not the truck drivers fault. Cartalk has been on the subject this morning.

Enjoy your time away.

 

[oldironfarmer]

I'm lost too, but still having fun...

 

[Lyndon]

Great news getting the house back to yourselves soon. Nice score on the grinder and did you use a little water with the diamond core drill? Makes a big difference.

It may not be too difficult to add a start cap to the grinder motor if it has separately terminated start and run windings. They are not hard to obtain and just need the right size for the motor. Wish I was closer.

Talking about right size... that grinder looks huge for a 1/3hp motor but may not be strong enough to run a buffing wheel for anything large. Small buffers usually start at 1hp for that reason. On the other hand, at least you probably won’t lose more than a fingerprint with an accident with the wire-wheel.

How’s the woodwork coming along?

Guster

I wish you were closer too, cause all that electrical discussion just confused the **** out of me....

Nice score with the grinder.

I've sometimes noticed signs in fast food places saying "bottomless cup of coffee" - is that what you're making?

Mark

Thanks for dropping by - I trust you are now seeing the pics (I made them a bit smaller).

And no - I think it's called a bottomless cup of oregano....

That line in Bob's post reminds me of a problem that an elderly Aunt of mine was having with the hose at the side of her house.

Unlike Bob's hose, my Aunt's hose wasn't hidden at all, it was actually visible from the street - which led to a problem that she was having with "vandals"...

It seemed to have her a little bit puzzled that the "vandals" were only targeting her garden hose - by cutting the nozzle off and leaving it on the ground nearby.

It eventually came to light that there was more to this case than vandalism alone...
There was actually theft involved as well - when she realized that the hose was gradually being "stolen" in 6" increments.

Mark

Yep - sounds like some guys I knew back in the smoky 80's. Probably all dead now?

.....and possibly some tin foil too?

Ralf

Yep - that'd be them!

Did your Aunt happen to call up ABC radio about this theft? I remember a few years ago sitting in a customers car and they were doing a story on the supernatural. And a lovely older lady rang up claiming she had ghosts that were shortening her garden hose every week. If the presenter knew, he didn't let on as to who the real culprit would have been.

Now I was thinking that is to short to siphon fuel.

I'm completely lost Mark. Please explain.

I'm suspecting you're not Dan - you didn't come down in the last rain shower!

I'm lost too, but still having fun...

Andy

Good on you - hang in there!

Lyndon
Weekend story to follow

 

[Lyndon]

Date night - part 1

Well - the weather sooth sayers were predicting the weekend was going to be hellishly hot - again. So the boss suggested that since her sister and brother in law were away for the weekend, "why don't we go to their place?" Sounds like a plan, except we had to be home by lunchtime Sunday for a gathering at a friends place.

For the uninitiated, when western Sydney hits 40 deg C, it generally 10 degrees cooler in the city. So we went to Irene's Dad's place for lunch on Saturday - kept him happy, then toddled off into Rozelle near the city. This is the view out of the living area :

And this is the view from one of the front balconies :

(Clue - that's the Sydney Harbour Bridge....)

And from the big balcony at the back :

(That's the ANZAC bridge).

And this is the living room downstairs :

Hard to take, eh?

So, after a couple of relaxing vinos, we caught a bus for the 15 minute ride to the centre of the city. It's different being a tourist in your own city, but- what the heck? At Circular Quay, there is the Justice and Police Museum :

Who are these shady characters?:

(Notes were on the back, but I won't bore you with the details....)

Then, out onto the Quay, and first view of the harbour and the "bridge" :

As you can see - there's a ****** great cruise liner at the overseas terminal. Those things come and go like Sydney Ferries these days....

Then we caught a Fast Ferry to Manly. Going out of the Quay, past the Opera House :

And - onto part 2....

 

[Lyndon]

Date Night - part 2

Looking back at the Quay, from the ferry. You can see the train terminal over the top of the ferry terminal, and the Cahill Expressway on top of that which leads traffic onto the Harbour Bridge:

Another view of the Opera House :

(You can see a seaplane over the top of the Opera House - that was the 2nd day back into the air for Sydney Seaplanes after one of it's planes crashed in the Hawkesbury River on New Years eve killing 6 people.....)

And the view down the harbour as we came out of the Quay into the harbour itself :

Just to the left of the Opera House you can see the famous "Pinchgut" island, otherwise now known as "Fort Denison". . . . We've promised ourselves to dine there one night...

Looking back at the "coathanger" :

And going past Garden Island (which is no longer an island), where our naval fleet ties up (and the 2 newest ships are currently "parked") :

15 minutes later, South Head :

North Head :

And if you squint really hard - New Zealand is just out there (Hi Guster - can you see him waving?) :

This is the north facing view of Sydney's 2nd most famous beach - Manly :

And the South view :

We decided, after walking down the "Corso" :

to have dinner and a few drinks at the Hotel Steyne, on the right in that photo, and nice it was too. (Bob - I'm sure you visited during your time here, though it probably wasn't the "family" venue that it is now....) Nice food, not bad pricing for the drinks.

We caught the slower ferry home. This is the memorial to the Australian Battleship HMAS Sydney, lost during WWII with all hands :

And this is Kirribilli House, the residence of the Prime Minister when he is in Sydney :

And a shot of a helicopter and a jumbo meeting over the ole coathanger :

And a final sign off with one more picture :

The rest of the night went well, and no pictures will be supplied .

We got home in time to get changed for lunch with friends, and then that finished the weekend.

Lyndon
Day one of the week - done!

 

[HOTFR8]

Looks like that was just the weekend you needed.

 

[slimpickins]

Hi Lyndon,
Haven't been here in a while but you've been keeping busy I see. I know this is a late contribution on the ABS module, but it drives me crazy when engineers and manufacturers print "NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE" because they think there's nobody as smart as they are - or they just want to sell a replacement assembly, for an exorbitant price. I fixed a furnace control "motherboard" a few years back because one of the copper traces on the board blew like a fuse because it wasn't heavy enough to carry the current. A replacement motherboard "lists" for $240 when there is about $4 worth of parts on it (or less). Seriously? Many computer motherboards sell for under a $100 and contain far more technology.

Wish I could make it to your country for a HOT holiday to get a break from our -40C eweather the last couple of weeks. We're in a "heat wave this week with temps only in the -5 to -10 range.

Looks like you had a good holiday in Sydney. Lovely pics! Thanks for sharing!

Cheers!

 

[Lyndon]

Lyndon, I don't want you to think hoses (and hose reels) are an affliction unique to you. When we bought our current house in 1996 there were a surprising number of hose bibs poking out of walls in the house. Our 50 foot wide patio has two and until recently both had the bare minimum hose hangers like this (looks familiar):
.
.
.
.
. (Snip)

The only odd thing is the lack of a hose bib in the back yard. I added a 100-foot hose and reel to the side of the workshop so I could reach the back yard without having to connect multiple hoses. Of course I actually have to connect that hose on the outside of the garage to the fence-top hose that leads to this one.

Did I mention my four air hose reels?

Bob

Sorry - didn't mean to snub you in that reply. I somehow missed you in the "multi-quote" thingy.

You certainly seem to have the hose reel thing covered....... Was that 7 I counted?

No excuse for not watering the garden I suspect?

And then there are the air hose reels? What about the electric hose reels? I suspect one or 3 of those are in my future....

Lyndon
Oops - can't forget my brother from another mother?

 

[Lyndon]

Oh, and I forgot to add in,one of our Scania's ended up like this on Friday, just after lunch :

Luckily the driver survived with a cut arm (accident was "driver error"). The guy in the pic is trying to climb in to help our driver..... We have it all on video from the on board cameras...... Some very lucky coincidences here that I shouldn't go into.

Anyway, one of our newest babies set sail today too :

Good lookin' big thing it is too..... It's pidgeon pair is nearly ready to go too, but will be heading about 1000 kms south of this one.

Lyndon
Trying to catch up

 

[dlcwent]

Great pics of your holiday Lyndon. That opera house is world renown. I've seen a lot of pictures of it.

I don't think that was Guster waving at you. It appears to be a Sheila.

The truck driver was lucky he wasn't hurt worse than he was.

 

[hewey]

Nice Sydney pics Lyndon. We agree, the Manly ferry is the best way to see the harbour.

Lucky escape for your driver!

 

[BUGTHUG]

Hey Lyndon, great pictures of the down under. Its amazing that such a big city has nice clean blue skies above.
Have you guys walked up the coat hanger? Man I'd be shakin more than Shakria ( latin babe/ singer) I'm afraid of heights.
I at first didn't realize that was a big semi truck on its side, until I seen the upright picture below it. That was a lucky day for him and his angels.
Glad you and yours had a spectacular weekend, well done.

 

[BBChevro]

Great pics Lyndon (yep, I can actually see them now - I'll have to go back several pages to see what I missed).

Nasty modifications to that Scania, does MQ have insurance on its fleet?

Stay cool.

 

[Vieux]

Lovely pics! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Lyndon]

Great pics of your holiday Lyndon. That opera house is world renown. I've seen a lot of pictures of it.

I don't think that was Guster waving at you. It appears to be a Sheila.

The truck driver was lucky he wasn't hurt worse than he was.

Dan

Are you sure Guster's a sheila????? I'll let him answer that one....

Nice Sydney pics Lyndon. We agree, the Manly ferry is the best way to see the harbour.

Lucky escape for your driver!

Hewey

I am across your thread, and the Katoomba show was spectacular, as usual - Irene was there a few years ago for it with some of her girlfriends on their yearly get together..... There are certainly some out there folks up there!!!!

Thanks for dropping by. Yes, it was a very lucky escape for the driver.....

Hey Lyndon, great pictures of the down under. Its amazing that such a big city has nice clean blue skies above.
Have you guys walked up the coat hanger? Man I'd be shakin more than Shakria ( latin babe/ singer) I'm afraid of heights.
I at first didn't realize that was a big semi truck on its side, until I seen the upright picture below it. That was a lucky day for him and his angels.
Glad you and yours had a spectacular weekend, well done.

Herb

Yes, the sky was spectacularly blue. I didn't notice until I saw the photos. But we only get smog here under certain atmospheric conditions....

And yes - we did a family Bridge climb in 2010 for Irene's "I'm not 50" birthday :

That's the 4 of us on the left....

Great pics Lyndon (yep, I can actually see them now - I'll have to go back several pages to see what I missed).

Nasty modifications to that Scania, does MQ have insurance on its fleet?

Stay cool.

Mark

Yes, we are fully insured, but with a yearly aggregate that we pay first. That one accident has consumed that in one hit.....

Lovely pics! Thanks for sharing!

Vlad

Thanks for stopping by.

So - all.....

It's 1:45am on Tuesday morning, and I'm up tapping away on here.....

Not because of insomnia this time, but we've had a call about Irene's 91 year old Dad, who is in a western Sydney hospital after what appears to have been a heart attack. We were awoken by Irene' brother about an hour ago, and now neither of us can sleep....... She's watching TV, and I'm here.

Oh well lets see what the coming hours produce.

Lyndon
To sleep - oh to sleep!

 

[Craptain]

Sorry to hear you getting bad news after such a magnificent weekend. Positive thoughts coming from Florida.

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[1/2 Cup]

Lyndon, that was one lucky driver..

Thank you for sharing..

 

[Bob Heine]

Bob
And then there are the air hose reels? What about the electric hose reels? I suspect one or 3 of those are in my future....

Lyndon
Oops - can't forget my brother from another mother?

Brother Lyndon, I have fewer air hose reels but that could always change. The garage has two retractable air hose reels, a 50-footer next to the compressor and a 25-footer over the first bay on the opposite side of the garage (handy for blowing water off the wheels after a wash).

I also have two manual air hose reels, one mounted on a 25-gallon air tank and the other mounted on a trailer hitch receiver.

Electric cord reels also abound. There are two ceiling mounted drop lights above the first and third garage bays (you can see one of them in the first photo). Then there are three cheap manual cord reels to keep two 100-foot 12/3 extension cords from turning into rats' nests and one 50-foot 10/3 extension. There are also those two extension cord reels mounted on the workbench next to the door in the workshop.

 

[Bob Heine]

For the uninitiated, when western Sydney hits 40 deg C, it generally 10 degrees cooler in the city. So we went to Irene's Dad's place for lunch on Saturday - kept him happy, then toddled off into Rozelle near the city.

Then we caught a Fast Ferry to Manly.
.
.
.

to have dinner and a few drinks at the Hotel Steyne, on the right in that photo, and nice it was too. (Bob - I'm sure you visited during your time here, though it probably wasn't the "family" venue that it is now....) Nice food, not bad pricing for the drinks.

We caught the slower ferry home.

Lyndon
Day one of the week - done!

Lyndon, that picture of the furniture reminded me of the set on our patio. It also reminded me it's time to re-finish it.

My regular Sunday ritual was to come down the stairs at the north end of Manly Beach, walk to the south end and then go to the Corso to buy the Sunday paper. I had to find out if the United States had any new wars (we were in Manly for the first Iraq war in '91 [is that IWI?]).

Something seems to be wrong with your photos. I could see the first couple quite clearly but then they got really fuzzy. I left the room for a while and when I returned they had cleared up a bit.

I remember the Hotel Steyne well but we were in our 40s and that crowd was still in diapers. A young couple in the flat below us invited us to a New Year's Eve party there and I recall most of it....

It's 1:45am on Tuesday morning, and I'm up tapping away on here.....

Not because of insomnia this time, but we've had a call about Irene's 91 year old Dad, who is in a western Sydney hospital after what appears to have been a heart attack. We were awoken by Irene' brother about an hour ago, and now neither of us can sleep....... She's watching TV, and I'm here.

Oh well lets see what the coming hours produce.

Lyndon
To sleep - oh to sleep!

Lyndon, (and especially Irene), I hope and pray your father-in-law is OK. It's wonderful that you spent time with him Saturday. Regardless of age, visiting family is a wonderful thing. I remember my mother's words regarding her mother: "This could be her last Christmas." It was a reminder that life is short but also an enticement for all of us to get together.

 

[Guster]

Sorry to hear about Irene's dad. Hope he pulls through and recovers soon.

Guster
I wish you were closer too, cause all that electrical discussion just confused the **** out of me....

Best not mess with it if you are not sure. If I were any closer I'd have melted right now anyway. Heatpump needs a service so the house only cooled down from 26C after midnight and the aircon at work keeps burning out every other day - maybe it needs a new start capacitor too. Forecast for the rest of the week looks like it is only getting warmer. May have to get a fan for the bedroom as the kids have the other two for themselves. Can't believe I am saying this but I am looking forward to autumn.

And if you squint really hard - New Zealand is just out there (Hi Guster - can you see him waving?) :

Was that you waving? Hard to see with all this sweat in my eyes. I had to resort to wearing a full face shield as needed while doing metalwork on Sunday. My normal safety glasses wouldn't last 30seconds without fogging up or filling with sweat. Nothing safe about using angle grinders without safety glasses and nothing safe about using angle grinders when you can't see either.

This is the north facing view of Sydney's 2nd most famous beach - Manly :

And the South view :

Hey, I recognised that one pretty well from all the kitesurfing photos from my cousin who lives there. Poor guy is currently feet up after a redback bite while gardening yesterday. Guess spiders get grumpy from the heat as well!

Looks like a great day out and respite from this heat. I definitely plan on taking a ferry to Manly next time I drop by.

Dan
Are you sure Guster's a sheila????? I'll let him answer that one....

Nothing lost since the last bathroom break... definitely still very much a lad. Though with all this whining about the heat I'd easily be mistaken for a big sweaty girls blouse! A lot of those in the office today.

...

Man, that Scania got munted! He is lucky to walk away from that.

 

[Lyndon]

Thanks guys for the comments. But sad news to hand during the early hours of this morning (3:45am to be precise), on Australia Day no less.

Irene's Dad passed during the night, at Blacktown Hospital. He was having respiratory problems, and a team was working on him, when he appears to have had the big, "final" heart attack......

We have spent the day at the Hospital, and at his place in Seven Hills, making the start of the arrangements, and telling stories to keep the spirits up. The girls are mightily upset, as per usual. I posted to FB, but so did Irene's BIL, whose post was particularly poignant :

If you do not already know it is with a heavy heart that I announce that Wasyl (surname deleted), affectionately known as Pop, father of Orest, Marika, Jerry and Irene passed away peacefully early this morning at the age of 91. What an extraordinary and challenging life he had from being forced to leave his home in the Ukraine by the Nazi's to internment in a labour camp then being unable to return home after the war and having to immigrate to Australia. His life was tough what with the language challenges and the work on offer for new arrivals to Australia in the late 1940's but he and the family survived to build their own home after 10 years in refugee camps and both he and Olena worked hard to provide for the family. After the passing of his wife, Olena in 2010, he was very lonely. Despite his deteriorating health over the last few years he still salvaged friendship at Seven Hills RSL, travelling on the bus to and fro every day. I will miss his jovial laugh when you told him what you were doing and his standard reply would be "What do you want to do that for" no matter what the subject. Pop, I will miss you. We will miss you.

Sums it up pretty well.

Anyway - we'll see what tomorrow brings.

Lyndon
Sigh!

 

[BBChevro]

RIP Wasyl

 

[1/2 Cup]

Lyndon our thoughts are with both you
, Irene and family at this time..

Regards

 

[dlcwent]

Sorry for Irene and your loss. Prayers sent out to you.

 

[Craptain]

It's always sad to lose someone close. Take care of the arrangements, but keep some time for Irene. She will need support.

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