Beautiful weldslooks like that weld would be tricky with the keg wall thickness thinner then the plug and not getting the keg too hot.
Mike,
I just finished reading your shop build thread and the shop projects 2.0. Your attention to detail and meticulous work are an inspiration.
I have been a tool & die maker since the early 80s, and I find your work a joy to encounter.
I do have a question for you. Awhile ago you mentioned putting some new continental tires on your wife’s car, and I was wondering what your opinion on them is now that she has run them for awhile?
Thanks for the reply Mike. Do you recall offhand which of the Continental tires it was that you put in there? I have been looking at them, and there does seem to be quite a selection to choose from.
As always, keep up the inspiring work!












We received our first snow on the valley floor yesterday.
Arrived home to find a skiff on the driveway and about half inch on the grass with intermittent flurries.
6-12 inches expected here in the next 24 hours Mike. And guess what??? I am looking forward to it!!!
Oh Mike I get it!!! I deal with the same thing.To be honest Pat, I think when I retire I can and will actually enjoy the snow again. I used to enjoy the hell out of it when I was hourly and wrenching full-time as well as snowmobiling. However, the past 6 years now I have been in charge of snow removal for our site and with having to deal with STUPID *** people it has made me hate snow. People these days expect the site to look like it does in June within an hour of a snowstorm.I cannot get it through their thick *** heads that you drove in on snowpacked roads and the state crews are optimally set up to deal with snow removal. WHY do you think we will have the site completely cleared when you drove in on snowpacked roads????? I swear no one accepts personal accountability these days and nothing is EVER their fault.
Dealing with an accident this morning that has already gotten me fired up. We were expected to have 1"-4" of snow overnight. We didn't get it and only had a skiff. I would say well under a half an inch here at work. We did NOT call the snow removal crew in because we have a guideline that we have all agreed upon that we will not call in the plow crew unless we have an inch plus of snow. Mainly because the majority of the time anything less than an inch will melt off by around noon which is when the crew would be finishing up anyways. We also have a guideline that the janitorial service OR the leadership team for each department will clear the snow from the doorway to the end of the dock, about where a 53' trailer would end when backed up to our docks. This will allow the snowplowing crew to collect the snow from the majority of the site without having to get the big equipment in near our buildings and potentially contact a building, stairwell or hand railing and thus eliminating that possible damage.
Yesterday I went to each department to ensure there was a snow shovel and ice melt at the door of each department and sent out a reminder email that we should keep the entrance to our respective buildings cleared of snow and ice with the upcoming storm.
Well, today someone slipped and fell twisting their ankle about 5' from the door to one of our buildings and I was the FIRST F**KING phone call to have to answer for it. I had to explain myself on why I did not have the plowing crew on site this morning. I had to go over ALL of our previous communications about the guidelines that we all have agreed upon and then referred them to my email just as recent as yesterday.
This **** is beyond ridiculous and why I hate snow so much. Personally, I don't mind driving in it because I know how to drive in it. I worry about the idiots on the road and my wife, son and DIL having to drive in it but that is secondary to the stupidity I have to deal with at work. I almost look forward to being able to take my time to clear it from my driveway and enjoy it again when the wife and I are retired. But for now I simply HATE snow.
Sorry, rant over, it's been a ****** morning already.
But...but... but... they're victims, Mike; raised that way since childhood.That was my response to my boss this morning Pat, "it's ******* winter in Northern Utah. HOW are we supposed to have it look like summer here when the roads they drove in on are snowpacked worse than here on-site?" I swear common sense is GONE and stupidity has run amuck over the past decade or so and it's getting worse every damn day.
I have been injured 3 times in my 33+ years of wrenching for this company. None serious and only two of those times requiring a couple of stitches and not in any of those times did I ever blame the company nor expect anything in return. I was more pissed at myself for not paying closer attention and allowing myself to get injured. That was back when we were responsible for ourselves and didn't rely on others to be responsible for our own stupidity though. I just don't know how much longer I can work in this environment where everything is maintenance's fault and if someone gets injured it's anybody else's fault but the individuals.
Years ago, I sat in on a required accident investigation. An experienced line operator reached around a three sided guard to feel a belt to see if it had slack in it. The tips of three fingers verified that it was tight enough to do damage. After a twenty minutes investigation, the safety committee was making plans to add the fourth side guard on every piece of equipment in the 5 story manufacturing facility. The plant manager sat to my left and had a habit of cracking his knuckles when he was pissed off. I patiently waited for the cracking that I knew was coming, just a matter of time. The knuckle cracking came and was followed with a statement that there was no way we could ever idiot proof the whole facility and if you reached around a three sided guard, you are an IDIOT. We are not spending one dime to idiot proof this facility, you as a safety committee need to go out in the plant and tell people to be safe and not be an idiot. Knuckle crack, meeting adjourned
Sadly today, I'm sure they would be building guards.



















Nice work documenting the repair.






















Mike, question for you. When you're spreading the case, how wide do you spread it? Thousands?
Thanks!
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Meh! All Cobra owners look the same

Careful Mike.............them furd guys are touchy.........
















