Recent content by Ombibulous

Wow. That's quite the compressor. The guy who was responsible for ours recently retired. He wasn't known for PMing much of anything. We know for a fact that the oil was never changed on this compressor and we suspect never even topped off. It needs a complete run through. It's impressive it ran...

I got zero volts across both switches...at first. I was curious if I could check for continuity across the pressure switch, so I cut power and removed the wires but the switch checked open. I reconnected everything and wouldn't you know, I had voltage across it. So I bypassed the low oil switch...

We have a Champion VR5-8 at work that has seen relatively light duty but has not been well maintained. (For the record, I was not the person responsible for its maintenance!) It went into service in 1993 and never had the oil changed. The fact that it ran thirty-two years is impressive given...

Might give a call to Harris tomorrow. See if I can get a spec sheet on the torch or some info from them. Was planning on rebuilding the regs. The O2 is a Harris 25-100. I opened it up and, although it looks intact, it's full of dust and crud. The Acty is a big ol' Airco. Couldn't find a model...

Came with a nearly full tank of acetylene, I think. I'll know when I get a gauge on it. If so, I'll stick with that for now. And yes, I am unique. :)

...and I'd like to put it into service if possible and it makes economic sense. Problem is, I'm coming up blank on some of it. These two pieces for starters: (Sorry for the super size image. I'll figure this out eventually.) The torch handle is a Harris Model 2000. It has a sticker that says...

What's the reasoning for three OH doors? Have you considered ditching the door on the left and making that area shop space? If only two OH doors are an option, putting them on the short side (turn the building 90 degrees) and using the back of the bays as work space is worth consideration...

Those would make cool door handles for the shop. Fab up a knob stem with a hex nut and then weld the wrench to that.

SK sent me the 45170-2. Tried all the combos of old/new cap, mechanism, and ring. No difference. It's certainly usable. Hell, the degree of slop could even be a feature, sort of a "semi-wobble" to give me just enough clearance to keep from scraping my knuckles. I guess I'm more curious than...

Came across an SK 45170 in my (deceased) father-in-laws job tools. Like this one: The ratcheting mechanism worked, but it was very loose in the handle. Got and installed a rebuild kit - same deal. Stuck a socket to it and it wobbles all over the place. My FiL worked maintenance at a steel...

This is my "go-to" site for all things insulation: http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/ Everything you wanted to know...times ten.

True! Hadn't thought of that, though seems to be quite a few trying. Here's a question... So Sears moves ratchet production to China. Are the mechanism also made in China, and are the rebuild kits currently in the stores now Chinese instead of American? If so, is there a quality difference?

Awesome, thanks. I'm a bit surprised that there's no third party suppliers making repair kits. Seems many of the patents would have expired by now on the older stuff, offering the opportunity for other companies to get into the game. Plenty of knock-off parts in other areas, like vehicles and...

I've never rebuilt a ratchet before. Have an SK 45170 (3/8" round head) that needs rebuilt. I'm seeing prices for kits all over the map, from $9 to $30. Are they all the same? Do manufacturers other than the original maker sell kits for ratchets, and if so, is quality an issue. It would **** to...

This picture is very helpful. Thanks. Those long-handled 1/2" jobbers would be useful, gonna be on the lookout for one.