Recent content by LopezBart

just saw this thread... btw you can also weld stainless w/ an oxy acetylene torch w/ stainless wire (I used safety wire; it's all I had at the time) as filler metal...

3M may be expensive, but I've been very impressed with their Cubitron abrasives.

Rotten egg smell is hydrogen sulfide; it can be caused by several things, including organic material decay, or reduction of calcium sulfate in the well water by a magnesium anode in the water heater. The human nose is very sensitive to this compound as you may have noticed.

A picture of the old steam engine; I converted an old refrigeration compressor (2" bore x 2" stroke x 2 cylinders single acting) to steam with a new head. Poor resolution - old 2001 photo. The flywheel is bronze from a polishing head; feed water pump is a Hypro. This engine ran w/ a mix of...

Our larger boat (Rainbow, 26' rebuilt Navy whaleboat) is wood fired. Otter burns diesel. Small boats have difficulty having enough space to fit sufficient wood for longer cruises; diesel has about a million btu per cubic foot; fir (which we have lots of here in the islands) has about 1/6th of...

As noted, this is Otter, a boat (19' OAL) with a steam engine. The engine dates from 1894 or so; I rebuilt it w/ new piston, valves, piston rod, etc. I made this boiler from scratch in 1996. The fantail skipjack hull dates from the early 1980s; it was built by Bill Grunwald at Aeolus Boats...

Hydro pressure tested the boiler on Otter, and then replaced the safety valve and tested the blowoff pressure (180 psi nominal, 175 actual).

In case people are wondering why these requirements exist for replacement/remodeling windows, it's interesting. The lifetime of a house (and windows) has a much longer tail than more "consumable" products such as appliances and cars, and thus the persons incentivized to save money buying less...

I have both a 30 year old corded SawAll and the M18. I've let our son have the corded one; I'm using the M18 here on Lopez Island, most often for yard work w/ a carbide Diablo pruning blade. I often use it for limbing felled or windfall trees; it makes reasonably quick work of fir and pine...

I wear Keen Dover work boots w/ a composite toe. I'm about to order my third pair; they last about two years of daily use before they start leaking (it's often wet around here). Very comfortable, does not need break-in.

I'm sure people put light bulbs in their clothes drawers to keep the flags printed on their tee-shirts illuminated.

Looks like those bearings press out: https://www.scribd.com/document/93545132/Merry-Tiller-Manual Parts appear to be available; google Merry Tiller bearings....

We have one on the ancient Klepper kayak my dad bought circa 1966... it helps as you mention in cross winds. The Kleppers are directionally quite stable w/ long keels, and the rudder definitely makes turning easier and less of an impact on one's paddling rythem. If you're boating in salt water...

This post from Practical Machinist discusses these obsolete sizes; my references go back to the late 50s but these sizes appear older than that.... https://www.practicalmachinist.com/forum/threads/us-machine-screw-threads.355403/ Here's a copy of screw sizes from...

A 5/8"-11 grade 5 bolt is often torqued to 150 ft-lbs, which is the limit for 3/8" drive ratchets. 1/2" bolts (3/4" nuts & bolt heads) are really the working limit for 3/8" drive tools. Above that, go to 1/2" drive.