What did you do "IN" your garage today?

[Outlawmws]

Someone posted this phrase some time ago and I've been trying, with some success, to follow it....

(Stupid cartoon version)

But for some, that flat surface is "Put away"

 

[SMOKEYBEAR]

Boat trailer wiring is coming along as planned. I'm basically using the junction box to covert the 7 pin RV lead to the 5 pin wiring of the boat trailer. Converting to the "RV standard" color code as well. All the wire is tinned copper and marine heat shrink eyelets and connectors. I hope to never do it again. The rest of the wire is scheduled for Friday delivery. Both of my trucks are 7 pin, the adapters and the 19 year old wiring were causing issues..so here I am. Pictures, no order.

 

[OccupantRJ]

Someone posted this phrase some time ago and I've been trying, with some success, to follow it....

(Stupid cartoon version)

It works and takes dedication. Two corners of my shop on a normal day last week or so.

 

[OccupantRJ]

We have a bunch of 'stained' glass haning on the windows with those little suction cups. The suction cups always pop off and things go crashing. Been talking about putting in hooks/eyelets for ever. Over the weekend I found a package of small eyelet screws in the 'junk' store while we were visiting my Mom at the coast.

Used the dremel with a cutoff disk and made some into J hooks:

drilled a small hole and screwed them into the window casing:

my wife tied some fishing line around them to hang:

She made this one of our dog

Are you familiar with these cup hooks available in various diameters?

Robot or human?

 

[DGersic]

Well, there we go, past the point of no return.

Cut off the pedal pad.




Drove down to a friend’s shop, he has a press. Pressed the bend out of the arm.




Temporarily mounted in the car, figured out where the new pedal pad needs to go. Removed extra metal and ground smooth.




Mock up.




Welded.




Painted.




Unpacked my new Bauer electric pressure washer.

 

[Beerhippie]

Wife wants me to take her tent camping, she has never been. Camping to me must have a fire, so i guess we are out for the time being.

Many of the USFS and state campgrounds may still allow fires. Not sure where Granite, WA is, but worth checking out.

For me, camping means dispersed camping outside of designated campgrounds and using my Coleman gasoline appliances--stoves and lanterns. For the extreme fire conditions we currently have, the USFS in our area bans liquid-fueled appliances outside established campgrounds. I do have propane and butane alternatives if I want to use **** gas, but it just isn't the same thing.

But for some, that flat surface is "Put away"

Like my co-workers. Put it back where you found it generally breaks down at the shop door. "Hey, I brought it back to the shop!"

 

[rd65]

Many of the USFS and state campgrounds may still allow fires. Not sure where Granite, WA is, but worth checking out.

For me, camping means dispersed camping outside of designated campgrounds and using my Coleman gasoline appliances--stoves and lanterns. For the extreme fire conditions we currently have, the USFS in our area bans liquid-fueled appliances outside established campgrounds. I do have propane and butane alternatives if I want to use **** gas, but it just isn't the same thing.

Like my co-workers. Put it back where you found it generally breaks down at the shop door. "Hey, I brought it back to the shop!"

I looked, we can still use approved fire rings in camp grounds. Whether or not that holds in 2-4 weeks or not we will have to wait and see. I need to bust out my camping gear, most of which hasnt been run in many years. 2008 was the last time the old coleman lantern was fired up, during shop build of course. Been longer than that for the two burner stove. Both from mid 80's I think. Coleman fuel last that long in the can?

 

[zanyad]

Can you explain to this city boy what the heck that is?

Looks like a boat with a steam engine.

 

[bmwrd0]

Well, there we go, past the point of no return.

Cut off the pedal pad.




Drove down to a friend’s shop, he has a press. Pressed the bend out of the arm.




Temporarily mounted in the car, figured out where the new pedal pad needs to go. Removed extra metal and ground smooth.




Mock up.




Welded.




Painted.




Unpacked my new Bauer electric pressure washer.

Man I miss being able to drive a stick.

 

[OccupantRJ]

I looked, we can still use approved fire rings in camp grounds. Whether or not that holds in 2-4 weeks or not we will have to wait and see. I need to bust out my camping gear, most of which hasnt been run in many years. 2008 was the last time the old coleman lantern was fired up, during shop build of course. Been longer than that for the two burner stove. Both from mid 80's I think. Coleman fuel last that long in the can?

I recently found two cylinders of Coleman fuel that had leaked down over the last several years sitting in my storage as storm backup, so I would be checking weight on them.

 

[FLHCHAZ]

Shined up the Silverado

 

[Outlawmws]

Coleman fuel last that long in the can?

Liquid Coleman fuel unless contaminated has an indefinte shelf life in the can or in the tank - I have used fuel over 50 years old.

I recently found two cylinders of Coleman fuel that had leaked down over the last several years sitting in my storage as storm backup, so I would be checking weight on them.

That's propane I believe he's talking "white gas" camp fuel., Coleman fuel (essentially pure naphtha)

 

[Swanny1953]

Started on the fuel sender/leak project on the '57 Cameo pickup. The rear bumper is 3 sections, with the tail/stop light wiring routed through the center section and no provisions for disconnects. Once I figured out the sequence to remove the bumper, I had to zip tie the center section to the frame as the wires running through it from one side to the other didn't allow for full removal. Once I got the 2 outer sections disassembled, I cut the wire on both sides of the center section, and will be using Weather Pack connections to get everything to work again. I didn't take pics other than to document how things were assembled before starting to take everything apart. Seems to be my greatest failing!!
More to come.

 

[Beerhippie]

Coleman fuel last that long in the can?

The fuel in a can or tank last forever. Coleman first started canning camp fuel back in the fifties (prior to that, it was just gasoline that you could buy at the station) and I've used fuel from that era with no problems.

What won't last are the seals in the fuel caps. They need to be replaced. You can get the gaskets--or any other parts--from Old Coleman Parts (https://www.oldcolemanparts.com/) or, if you're not comfortable replacing them yourself, just buy new caps. If the caps you have have a screw in the center, it's easy to replace the gaskets and I'll be happy to walk you through it. The later, one-piece caps are harder, but not impossible.

A few drops of neat'sfoot oil on the leather of the pump should get those working nicely again. Rubber pump cups might need replacement.

 

[DGersic]

“Final” assembly.

 

[Old Man Roger]

Nice

 

[Beerhippie]

“Final” assembly.

Correct number of pedals. Well done!

 

[rd65]

Looks to be a skinny shoe car. My Miata is like that, no boots or Romeos, and I only wear a size 10.

 

[WisJim]

Looks to be a skinny shoe car. My Miata is like that, no boots or Romeos, and I only wear a size 10.

That's the main reason I sold my MGA many years ago, just no room for full sized feet, at least as clumsy as mine.

 

[DGersic]

Looks to be a skinny shoe car. My Miata is like that, no boots or Romeos, and I only wear a size 10.

37 Chevy. All of the 30s cars with big running boards and fenders that have a wedge shaped body end up with very limited foot room.

 

[DGersic]

Correct number of pedals. Well done!

It’s the first, and I think hardest step. The pedal is currently not doing anything, but proving that it fits in place and should work.

Wits this hurdle crossed, I can measure and start planning for the TKX that’s going in. May need some floor pan rework, but should be otherwise straightforward from here.

Of course, it seems easy because I haven‘t done it yet.

 

[LopezBart]

Can you explain to this city boy what the heck that is?

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 for his own use and originally had an old gas engine. I've owned the boat since 1990. I've steamed her at various places up and down the West Coast from Naniamo BC to Elkhorn Slough in CA. She weighs about 1500 lbs w/o passengers. Some older pictures.....

 

[larry4406]

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 for his own use and originally had an old gas engine. I've owned the boat since 1990. I've steamed her at various places up and down the West Coast from Naniamo BC to Elkhorn Slough in CA. She weighs about 1500 lbs w/o passengers. Some older pictures.....

Awesome!

In your spare time would like to see pics of the steam engine and propulsion system.

Very cool!

 

[Beerhippie]

What's the fuel source for the boiler? Seems wood would be great on the West Coast.

 

[Outlawmws]

“Final” assembly.

That looks factory! Well done!

Of course, it seems easy because I haven‘t done it yet.

A 15 min job?

 

[rcktpwrd]

Are you familiar with these cup hooks available in various diameters?

Robot or human?

Yup
But the ones I bought were cheap and available while I was thinking about it.... And I was just going to use them as is but then decided it would make more sense to be able to easily remove the hanging items if needed.

 

[rcktpwrd]

hat looks factory! Well done!




A 15 min job?

It is a 15 minute job on all the TV shows!

 

[Snip's]

Today I slid under my wife's 2017 Ford Explorer and did a 30,000 mile front diff 4WD fluid change...
Current odometer reading is at 90,000 miles... This was the 3rd fluid change since new...

 

[LopezBart]

What's the fuel source for the boiler? Seems wood would be great on the West Coast.

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 that once you consider the packing factor of firewood.

 

[DGersic]

A 15 min job?

At least, yes.

 

[glider]

Put the trailer in the air for a 3” lift kit. Tires needed to be 4” off the ground, was a little work. Tomorrow put a torque wrench on it and tires.
Will pull it out for a after pic tomorrow.

 

[LopezBart]

Awesome!

In your spare time would like to see pics of the steam engine and propulsion system.

Very cool!

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 water and 600W cylinder oil in the crankcase for many years; the bronze pump handle I cast from scrap bronze and brass in the Stanford student-faculty shop as a fun project. The regulator in the left hand side is a modified gas regulator that now handles steam, and supplies a constant 15-30 psi of steam to the diesel atomizing burner. We start the boat on propane... Apparently I was testing something as the engine steam chest has a standard air fitting on top in this pic. The crankcase bearings finally wore out and I decided to get a slightly larger engine.



The boiler pressure vessel; steel with copper tubes silver soldered into steel ******* welded into the pressure vessel.


A picture of Otter's new (from 1894!) engine in situ, during the time I was digging her out from a pile of squirrel debris. She sat unattended starting during the pandemic and squirrels moved in and chewed on lots of things. This engine is 2.5" x 2.5" bore & strong, double acting, with a piston valve. I bought the engine as a box of parts; I had to rebore the valve bore in the cylinder block, and make a new piston, new spool valve, piston rod, and misc. other parts. It runs well, but the bottom rod bearing is really undersized; I cannot run it flat out otherwise it starts to knock and the bearing clearance needs adjusting. This engine swings a 16"x21" pitch prop at 300 rpm or so.

 

[Outlawmws]

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;

Awesome project!

 

[Beelzeboss]

I added an ESP32 module to my garage door so now I can open it from the Home Assistant smart home setup.

 

[bmwrd0]

Spent the day in someone else's workshop, getting my bi-annual infusion. This leaves me weak for a day or so, which puts shop work off a bit.

 

[Beerhippie]

More organizing.

I re- re- re- re-purposed my old Union tackle/tool box again:





I had to replace one of the pub tavern heads this AM and decided that it was time to rebuild it and all the heads (keg couplers) in the beer cooler, but couldn't find the seals to do it.



Fortunately, one of our brewers got a wild hare up his *** and re-organized one of the brewery storage areas. He brought me a box of "odds and ends" to see if there was anything in there I needed. One of several finds was a gallon Zip-loc full of all those Micromatic seals I needed! I was about to order enough to rebuild the twenty tavern heads we have, plus spares, and finding that bag with 200 each of the seals saved us a LOT of money! Those seals run between $1.30 and $2.45 each!

I have three tavern heads in the US parts washer right now and a cold brew to sip while I rebuild them.

 

[Beerhippie]

Three tavern heads, rebuilt and ready for another few years of serving:



I have two hours each morning before we open, so can get at least three swapped out per day. Monday and Tuesday we're closed, so I can maybe get them all done on those days--while juggling other closed-day chores.

This is another area I standardized years ago. At one time, we had a jumble of different brands of tavern heads, making stocking parts a nightmare. Now they're all Micromatic 7845SS heads and only have to stock parts for those. Much easier!

Now to decide where to take The Brick this weekend... Dispersed camping is done for the season, but there's a nice USFS campground up by Hat Point I haven't been to in years. I helped build the masonry support for the campground sign many years ago.

 

[PhantomEB]

Kinda avoiding mine until all my month to month bills are owing me CREDIT at one point.

I may clean mine up a little more this weekend, it already wins from throwing out the last mattress from the camper‘s previous owners.

hoping to pick up color matched rattle cans so I can spray my topper to match my truck before the topper goes back on the truck.

already got this version of it I am working towards.

when working the shutdown I plan to order up the new painted front Fenders and maybe towards the end I will start ordering in the Method 305HD rims one rim per week. Truck will see Prairie Customs in October for new windshield which will be tinted 8” deep eye brow style and all side windows of the truck and topper tinted 35% over what’s already there.

Also need a piece of harness to tie my Alpine deck to steering wheel controls.

 

[Outlawmws]

Ordered the 2 controllers for the Tvan EGR Valve. Hopefully that gets it smog ready. Irritated I had to order off Eprey as none of the actual auto parts franchises had either of the damn things.

 

[DGersic]

Made a stop for my mitre saw. I need to cut a bunch of pieces to length.



Scrap 2” angle and some 1/2” all thread and nuts.