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Guster

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Thanks for sharing the story of your brother Bob! Always sad to see great young people get so far in life and fail to see a future for themselves for lack of support. :(

Great work saving the crossmember too. Won't qualify as an insurance job but keeps another piece of steel out of the dump. :thumbup: Your little screw jack is another reason I keep a little bucket of offcuts handy. My steel supplier has a tray full at their front door which I also sometimes visit if I know what I'm looking for. Hard job saving that bumper cover though. Not impossible but very likely to just keep cracking in that crease next time it's nudged. That would be one I'd put some fibreglass on if I didn't have a choice to replace it.
 
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Bob Heine

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Well, I was a few words from responding to everyone's comments and got side-tracked. Opened a tab on the browser and when I was finished I closed TWO tabs, including the multi-quote response. It hasn't made me suicidal but I do understand the feeling. I'm going to take a break, work on something more productive and return later. Maybe a series of individual responses instead of one big multi-quote.
 

HOTFR8

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Well, I was a few words from responding to everyone's comments and got side-tracked. Opened a tab on the browser and when I was finished I closed TWO tabs, including the multi-quote response. It hasn't made me suicidal but I do understand the feeling. I'm going to take a break, work on something more productive and return later. Maybe a series of individual responses instead of one big multi-quote.

Sadly #%it happens.
 

Guster

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Just breath Bob... just breath. We'll still be here tomorrow. :thumbup:

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rmalkow2

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Well Bob I'm here to confess that I took your great inspiration for a propane torch holder and ran with it. Ran straight to Menards that is and wimped out. Rather than going boldly to my scrap metal bin to make one like yours I went straight down the isle and bought one for $4.99.
However I will give you total credit for sparking the idea for us all and for me that I really needed this thing and would never live with out it.
(Was that thick enough?) :lol_hitti

At least I'll stop knocking the dang thing off every surface I set it on. Well I got hope anyway. Thanks for the idea.
:beer:

Bob (the younger)

IMG_3318.jpg
 

drivesitfar

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Bob: sometime on my long posts I do a partial then post. then edit and add a few more and post and then edit again and post and finish or something like that.

sorry for your loss (and ours cause i'm betting you had some good stuff for us).

have a glass of wine some spicy food and talk to us in the morning.

cheers!!!

Guster: OMG that was me a few times until my bride bought me a DELL SERVICE PACKAGE, but I do get tired of working with them and their hours on the other side of the clock. too funny!!
 

bolensboneyard

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Bob just as ignorance begets ignorance brilliance begets brilliance! Aren't we fortunate to have so many talented people to look up to! Brilliant!
 

driftpin

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Harbor Freight Class Action News (for me, anyway!)

I got an email today:

Thank you for your email.

Your claim has been processed and approved. According to our records, you filed under Option A and selected to receive payment via gift card.

Checks were mailed to claimants who selected a cash payment on April 30, 2018, and gift cards were mailed to claimants who submitted an Option C claim on May 11, 2018. After the mailing of the check and Option C gift card payments earlierthis year, we were instructed by the Parties to put all gift card mailings on hold until certain claims could be reviewed by counsel. That review was recently completed. While we anticipate that gift cards for claimants who submitted Option A and OptionB claims will be mailed within the next several weeks, we are not able to provide a definite distribution date at this time.
Regards,

Settlement Administrator (AB)

National Sale Price Settlement


I smell MONEY!
 
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Bob Heine

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Bob, I'm always amazed at you. Your post about **** is heartbreaking and amazing at the same time. And nice job on the subframe repair.

^^^^^ yes sir.


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Kirk and Stewart, you are both very kind. I rarely talk about my brother but the recent high profile suicides reminded me it's still a problem and getting worse. Just because someone is talented and smart doesn't mean they are happy deep inside. We all find ways to stomp down our demons and call it coping but sometimes we need to talk to someone. Texting while driving will kill you quickly but texting as your only human interaction may have the same long term result. I could be way off base but the suicide rate in the US has increased dramatically in recent years.
 
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Bob Heine

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Bob, always entertaining, informative and/or moving. Looking forward to an opportunity to visit Delray Beach and Boca.
John, thank you and I would love to meet you face to face. Just be aware that Florida is a pretty good size state. Driving from Tallahassee to Jacksonville to Boca Raton (avoiding the tolls on the Florida Turnpike) is only seven miles less than driving from Whidbey Island, Washington to Jacksonville, Oregon.
 
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Bob Heine

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Pride of ownership right there, good work sometimes is more satisfying than buying a replacement and installing it. I probably would have been going to work at the fire department and using a porta power but since I'm retired your method would work for me in my 'stay-at-home' status.
Philip, I agree on the pride of ownership thing. I was thinking more along the lines of one less piece of junk added to the land fill. You obviously have many more contacts than me. It has been almost 20 years of near-hermit existence (or whatever living solitary life with another person is called). It really makes me smile when I don't have to order something or go to the store.
 
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Bob Heine

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A beautiful post about your brother, thank you Bob.

I'm always impressed with your car repairs, you put some of us to shame, mostly ME. :bowdown:

Steve :beer:

Ps. It's a bit chilly here in the mornings and SWMBO has started wearing the
unused winter coat she bought from a Boca thrift shop. i can understand a water proof coat but a winter coat, in Boca.:lol::lol::lol:
Thank you Steve. I began doing car repairs on my $20 cars when it meant drive to work or walk to work. Doable with two jobs but not with three. By the time I made enough money to have someone fix my cars, I couldn't find anyone reliable or honest enough. I admit I didn't search for better mechanics very long because the money I saved went into second cars and boats and vacations. Now I would rather spend a few days in my garage than hours waiting in a room while someone does unspeakable things to my vehicle ("That hole in the shock was there when you brought the car in!").

The Boca thrift stores are amazing. People come down for the winter and rather than storing the coat they needed for the trip, they give it to the thrift store. Or some elderly wealthy person dies and the children give everything to the thrift store. It's the only explanation I have for the $6,000 Neiman Marcus Cashmere overcoat in my closet. A Walmart winter coat would have cost me the same $100 (still too much for two days a year use).
 
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Bob Heine

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Bob what great memories and the story about your brother. God bless him.

Oh and your savvy mechanic work. I wish you good luck on your painting. It didn't work on mine so maybe it will take on yours.

Bret
Bret, thank you for the kind words.

I was thinking about your paint dilemma. I have read great reviews on the matte finish paints SPI (Southern Polyurethanes Inc.) sells. You could spray their matte clear over the entire truck and get a uniform sheen. It's not crazy expensive either, about $170 for five sprayable quarts. https://www.southernpolyurethanes.com/pricing
 
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Bob Heine

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After reading about your improvised spreader, I found this. A Vise-Grip-type spreader tool.

https://goo.gl/images/aNH3LP
Philip, I almost pressed the Checkout button but moved it to my wish list, along with a new crossmember and a wifi extender.

On one of my rare excursions beyond the end of my driveway, I stopped at Harbor Freight and even had a list so I wouldn't wander too far. I wanted to add an 11" swivel pad Pseudo-Vise-Grip to my collection and planned to spend $6 on one. As I reached for it, I noticed the one nearby for almost twice the price. I picked it up just to compare the weight and saw an additional feature. It has a 1/4" drive hole in the end of the adjustment knob. That would make it easier to get a little extra clamping force when I'm not strong enough to squeeze it closed.

https://www.harborfreight.com/11-in-swivel-pad-c-clamp-locking-pliers-63865.html


Damn, now I've overspent again.
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Bob Heine

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Bob, your work amazes me and inspires me both.

Thank you for sharing the story of your brother, I'm sure that wasn't easy.
Mike, you and Robert (MP&C) are my inspiration. I think of ways to imitate your tools without any machinery. Pushing a pencil for a living didn't prepare me for lathes and mills (or welders for that matter).

It isn't easy to dredge up sad memories but these days suicide is the second most frequent killer of 15- to 34-year olds. My brother mentioned wanting to kill himself but I believed the myth that those who talk about it don't follow through. That is the saddest myth there is so if someone hints they might, don't ignore it.
 
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Bob Heine

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Thanks for sharing the story of your brother Bob! Always sad to see great young people get so far in life and fail to see a future for themselves for lack of support. :(

Great work saving the crossmember too. Won't qualify as an insurance job but keeps another piece of steel out of the dump. :thumbup: Your little screw jack is another reason I keep a little bucket of offcuts handy. My steel supplier has a tray full at their front door which I also sometimes visit if I know what I'm looking for. Hard job saving that bumper cover though. Not impossible but very likely to just keep cracking in that crease next time it's nudged. That would be one I'd put some fibreglass on if I didn't have a choice to replace it.
Guster, I think we have a better understanding of mental issues and even have some less radical treatments today. Back in 1963 it was more of a guessing game. To put it into perspective, the birth control pill was approved for use as a contraceptive in 1960.

I'm with you on keeping another piece of steel out of the landfill. I had quite a few smaller offcuts that might have worked but would only take a 1/4-20 or smaller screw. This set will be saved in the toolbox. If nothing else, it will remind me there are solutions lying around. The bumper cover is a different story. I checked my records and it turns out I bought the replacement one in 2009. That means I have been patching the messed up one for almost a decade. I won't feel bad about trashing it.
 
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Bob Heine

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Sadly #%it happens.

I think you're the first person whose ever had that happen to them. It's never ever happened to me. :lol_hitti:

Just breath Bob... just breath. We'll still be here tomorrow. :thumbup:

giphy.gif
Thanks Simon, Kirk and Guster. A few years ago we were having frequent but short power outages. After losing a few big posts I started typing them in Microsoft Word. Word would save my post every few minutes so I could always retrieve a saved version. Our power has been much more reliable so I stopped doing that. It was extra work so I don't really want to go back to that solution. The real problem is my inability to fix Stupid. :lol_hitti
 
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Bob Heine

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Well Bob I'm here to confess that I took your great inspiration for a propane torch holder and ran with it. Ran straight to Menards that is and wimped out. Rather than going boldly to my scrap metal bin to make one like yours I went straight down the isle and bought one for $4.99.
However I will give you total credit for sparking the idea for us all and for me that I really needed this thing and would never live with out it.
(Was that thick enough?) :lol_hitti

At least I'll stop knocking the dang thing off every surface I set it on. Well I got hope anyway. Thanks for the idea.
:beer:

Bob (the younger)
Bob (the smarter), well done. If I got out more, maybe I would have seen those ready-made solutions. Or, as my wife assures me, I would be killed by a Florida driver who has no business on the road.
 
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Bob Heine

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This is awesome!

Bret
Bret, there's a reason I don't use a laptop very often. It's really hard for me to pick up the keyboard, mouse, two monitors and the desktop (under the desk) to throw out the window. By the time I get everything disconnected, I've usually calmed down. A laptop is just a fancy and expensive Frisbee.
 
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Bob Heine

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Bob: sometime on my long posts I do a partial then post. then edit and add a few more and post and then edit again and post and finish or something like that.

sorry for your loss (and ours cause i'm betting you had some good stuff for us).

have a glass of wine some spicy food and talk to us in the morning.

cheers!!!

Guster: OMG that was me a few times until my bride bought me a DELL SERVICE PACKAGE, but I do get tired of working with them and their hours on the other side of the clock. too funny!!
Drives, that sounds like a good solution. Problem is, when I get on a roll, I forget how much I've typed. More than once i get a notice that I've exceeded some size limit.

I only use wine in cooking so it will be a glass of water and some Ghost Pepper salsa from Trader Joe's. Good thing I don't have to talk after that.

I have a free service plan. Nice Indian guy from Microsoft calls me up and offers to fix my machine remotely, just in case it's broken. He's real friendly, asks about my Mother's last name as a child and the first 9 digits of my social security number. He's a busy guy because he always hangs up when it takes me three hours to find my SS number. The one time he waited, he wasn't happy with the number I gave him. I found a letter with a picture of my card and the number was 000-00-0000. I'm sure he'll call back.

EDIT: The guy was also not happy when I told him my mother's last name was Mom as far as I knew.
 
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Bob Heine

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Harbor Freight Class Action News (for me, anyway!)

I got an email today:

Thank you for your email.

Your claim has been processed and approved. According to our records, you filed under Option A and selected to receive payment via gift card.

Checks were mailed to claimants who selected a cash payment on April 30, 2018, and gift cards were mailed to claimants who submitted an Option C claim on May 11, 2018. After the mailing of the check and Option C gift card payments earlierthis year, we were instructed by the Parties to put all gift card mailings on hold until certain claims could be reviewed by counsel. That review was recently completed. While we anticipate that gift cards for claimants who submitted Option A and OptionB claims will be mailed within the next several weeks, we are not able to provide a definite distribution date at this time.
Regards,

Settlement Administrator (AB)

National Sale Price Settlement


I smell MONEY!
Philip, the last class action settlement I received was $1.68 and the teller gave me the stinkeye when I deposited it in my checking account.
 
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Bob Heine

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[emoji1] I'll have to remember that one Andy.


I feel your pain Bob, it happens to me a lot (usually because I hit the wrong button or something [emoji19] ).

Sent from my SM-G950F using The Garage Journal mobile app
Mark, I just did it again. This time it was no big deal. I started typing a reply to your post -- in your post -- and it took me to the first occurrence of "Ma" in the thread. Pretty sure the fix for stupid means I have to spend a lot more time in bed.
 
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Bob Heine

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It's possible this whole episode is my doctor's fault. We went in for our quarterly checkups and requested flu shots. Old folks are supposed to get a stronger dose than usual and I did run a temperature and mild flu symptoms the next day or two. I had a severe case of the flu many years ago and regardless of the side effects, we get the shots every year. Most forget than the 1918 flu killed 50 million people worldwide. It was more deadly in young adults in their 20s and 30s, sparing infants and the elderly.
 

Grizz1963

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Rochester, KENT. UK
It's possible this whole episode is my doctor's fault. We went in for our quarterly checkups and requested flu shots. Old folks are supposed to get a stronger dose than usual and I did run a temperature and mild flu symptoms the next day or two. I had a severe case of the flu many years ago and regardless of the side effects, we get the shots every year. Most forget than the 1918 flu killed 50 million people worldwide. It was more deadly in young adults in their 20s and 30s, sparing infants and the elderly.

Which reminds me, I will be taking it this year too.

My chest beat me up repeatedly for three months this year, 11 days off sick, and I had not taken off a total of 11 days in all my life.

Lesson learned, us old folks......
 

driftpin

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I get the flu shot. When I was working fire-rescue here in so. Florida it was mandatory. We took a lot of people to the E.R. for the flu, we had a big population of older people, now I am one! Only 1 time did I get sick after a flu shot. One flu season I got symptoms on & off for probably 5-6 weeks. I haven't received the pneumonia vaccine yet.

When I took EMS classes into the hospitals, you had to have the flu shot or wear a facemask for 7 hours we were there. This is my 1st season apart from college & having EMS students all-over the hospital.

About the HFT Vise grips, I also did what you did, I got the more-expensive ones recently. I also bought a Milwaukee set at HD because I liked the big hole in the adjustable screw, & the straight jaws are better finished.
 
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Lyndon

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Bob

Loved the story about your brother, with it's sad final ending. And Eugene's memories as well.....

Last weekend we were told about one of my closest mate's son. He was 23, only months apart from my youngest's daughter's birthday, and the kids had grown up together with the similar aged kids of other friends.

When my mate and the boy's mother had separated about 12-15 years ago my mate received parental custody because of the mother's alcoholism. But the young fella (the youngest of 2 sons), hadn't dealt with it well, and during later school years got caught up with the wrong crowd, despite his father, grandfather and uncle being serving or former Police officers.....

The drugs caused a psychosis of some sort, and suicidal thoughts. At one stage he stole his father's 6.0 litre Holden Calais, and went on a run around the state. When he was cornered by a copper in Wellington in the Central West of the state he rammed the Police car and got out of the car with something in his hand. Fortunately, the copper wasn't a city trained Policeman, and instead of shooting him, the copper tackled him to the ground, and arrested him. The young fella was hoping for suicide by cop!

Anyway - he spent some time in jail, especially after his fingerprints linked him with other break ins.....

After time in rehab, and getting a job, everyone thought the young fella had straightened himself out. But, alas, he took himself to one of the swankier hotels in the city last week, wrote an apology note to whomever found him, and finished the job.......

We (the 2 of us and another couple that are close) spent time last Sunday with my mate, and he seemed to be bearing up ok. He mentioned that he had to do the whole body identification thing with his ex-wife on Tuesday (just gone). On Wednesday evening Irene and I were at our monthly Trivia night at the local Bowling Club, and saw my mate's 80+ year old father..... He happens to mention that when his son (my mate) went to the body ID session, his ex wife didn't show up, so he sent his eldest and surviving son to the mother's place to see what's happened (she had flown home from a holiday in WA - 3000 kms way - on the weekend for the procedure). The older boy, 25 years of age, finds his mother comatose in her house, and begins CPR until the rescue people arrive, at which point they pronounce her deceased.... Possibly, but I can't say for sure, mixing prescription medication with alcohol....

Saddest week I've experienced for a long time.

The young boy's funeral is early next week, while we are on holidays, so our daughters will represent us..... Don't know what else to say at this point..... Except that the memories you have of yours, and we have of our mate's youngest will always be based on the happy ones, not the sad ones.

Lyndon
I'm going to post this to my thread as well..... I wasn't, but I will now.
 

driftpin

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Lyndon I'm sorry about the two deaths. Some people cannot cope, and drugs and alcohol contribute to abuse. Sometimes committing the person is all you can do to deal w/immediate health issues.
 

theoldwizard1

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SE MI
I wanted to add an 11" swivel pad Pseudo-Vise-Grip to my collection and planned to spend $6 on one. As I reached for it, I noticed the one nearby for almost twice the price. I picked it up just to compare the weight and saw an additional feature. It has a 1/4" drive hole in the end of the adjustment knob.

I don't know about the "deluxe" version, but I ran a tap through the hole where the adjusting bolt goes. WHAT A DIFFERENCE ! Add a drop of your favorite lubricant !
 

drivesitfar

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Bob: you are correct that Texting is something that can keep kids and people in general from seeing each other face to face, but everything techie is maybe the reason. internet, phone attached to internet, emails, facebook and the list goes on so how are kids (and adults) able to learn from their mistakes without having them smeared all over the world and kept online for years to come.

GEESH if some of the stuff i did in my past was always thrown back in my face I'm sure it wouldn't bring happy thoughts that is for certain.

I'm very sorry your brother couldn't manage to work through his issues so he could be around today for you to talk to, but you sir are a great example of working through something that would set others spiraling down a hill like a big rock. keep on doing as you do and try always to remember the good and bad and keep trying to make the best of each day which I think you do very well.

Lyndon: sorry to hear about your friend's family trajedies too.

here's to another great SATURDAY (for real today).
 
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