Above 1200 Sq/FT The ASYLUM - Happy 40th Birthday to Me! (Est. 2005)

Looks fantastic!!

shopnut said:

I’M READY FOR THE PORCH CEILING TREATMENT…

First off, here you go Wingnut65 - I hope this is what you had in mind. Some bracing was added to the lower sides of the loft floor joists and shouldn't interfere with installation of the insulation. I figured the plywood decking will hold the tops in place just fine.

Click to expand...

The inspector would be pleased!

Nice work. And good idea to close off the opening to keep stuff from falling. Hopefully that was just a good idea, rather than from experience...

BTW, the lower extension doesn't need insulation since it is the same atmosphere on all sides of it. It is only needed with separating the insides from outsides.

IGO2XS - Thanks. Its been slow (yet steady) progress lately, but it will get done.

Wingnut65 - You have to keep those inspectors happy, you know.

I talk from experience on dropping things, unfortunately. When I was installing the clerestory windows on the lake side of the main bay, I dropped my grandpa's tape measure down in the opened wall. It fell down in into the insulation who knows how many feet, but it was beyond reach. I still remember which 2 studs it fell between, so maybe someday I will dig it out. No big deal - it was really beyond it's useful life anyway and it essentially still with me yet, just on the other side of the drywall now

shopnut said:

I talk from experience on dropping things, unfortunately. ...I dropped my grandpa's tape measure down in the opened wall.... I still remember which 2 studs it fell between, so maybe someday I will dig it out.

Click to expand...

I clearly remember dropping things in my youth but they hit the ground and I found them right away and quickly bent down to pick them up. Now when I drop something it disappears -- sometimes never reaching the ground. I dropped a 5-inch long bolt in the engine compartment a month ago and I still can't find it. Because of this progressive disease I have a magnetic pickup in my pocket at all times (bending over is not so quick anymore -- more accurately standing up after is not so quick).


It's a partial solution (still haven't found the bolt) but I have started working with more and more stainless steel and aluminum. For those items, I keep one of these handy. Unfortunately they don't come in collapsible pocket size.

Thanks for the suggestions Bob. It seems the older I get, the louder the grunt I make when I bend over to pick something up Does everyone do that?

Lately while working on this loft, I've dropped dozens of screws from the scaffold. As soon as I drop one, I immediately try to watch (and listen) where it falls because I don't want stray screws out on the grass to punchure a tire. Nine times out of ten, I spot them as they bounce on the concrete and can retrieve them. I resorted to buying one of those rolling magnetic sweepers to get the other ones I can't find. The cheap HF unit works rather well.

I understand the missing bolt in the engine compartment story too. I was installing a bell housing bolt on the Chevelle a while back and dropped it. I didn't hear it hit the floor so I starting looking everywhere else by the engine with no luck. I then did something that works quite often - I intentional dropped another bolt from the same spot to see where it might go. Although it didn't land in the same spot (that would have been a miracle), it led me to the two parallel ****** cooling lines where the missing bolt was laying between.

WOW! i just finished this thread in about a week (of not getting much done at work!). the attention to detail in your shop and in your descriptions on this thread are just amazing! excellent work sir! i hope to use some of these ideas (and the ones from your Dad's shop and your home as well) in some shape or form as i tweak out my two car attached garage.

i have to say.. when seeing the xray of your heel, i'm really surprised there isn't some kind of servo motor or articulating joint in there! i hope it's healing up well and i look forward to more surprises and information.

Be careful ricv, I don't want to be responsible for getting you fired!

Thanks so much for all the kind words. Nothing would make me happier than to see you benefit from some things I've shared here on the Garage Journal.

Yeah, it's a bit of a shame the heel got clad in that nice titanium without a single gizmo being added along with it. That's the LAST time I snooze while someone cuts me open!

Good luck on your special space.

I DIDN'T QUITE GET THAT CEILING DONE…

But I'm soooooo close. Half of it is now clad in vinyl.

I first sealed it up with some Tyvek house wrap. The corner post of the scaffold turned out to be a reasonably good place to spool-out the sheet as I worked my way across. The green thing on the scaffold platform is a small fan which seems to do a reasonably good job of keeping me cool up there.



I thought this was sort of cool. I took the following picture at night with the old porch ceiling lights illuminating the new interior loft area. It's nice that I’m already starting with some temporary lighting up there. The astute reader may realize the space up there is completely sealed in right now, no way in - no way out, until I punch the hole in the wall above the doors.



The plan is to keep a clean look up there, but I installed some Romex wire just in case I decide to add a light fixture out on the new porch ceiling later on. For now, the wire will be hidden behind an easily removable vinyl panel. I’m hoping the future lights that get mounted right below the door drums will illuminate the porch well enough (with the doors open, of course).



After 3 strips of Tyvek went up, all the vinyl trim was installed. It's hard to see in the overall shot, so I included a close-up. Rather than J-channel, this time I decided to use up some of the corner profile I had on hand. I actually had forgotten it was on hand and bought extra J-channel for the job, but I'm sure the J-channel will be used inside somewhere before this place is all finished up. I must say, I like the looks of the corner trim better than the J-channel for this application. The tan siding will insert in the bottom groove someday and cover all those screw slots.



Then came some vinyl ceiling planks. This is always the quick part with dramatic results, although working with it overhead presents some challenges. The 2x2 lumber temporarily fastened in place held up one end of the 12' sections while I fastened the other end. It's still tough trying to work with this flexible stuff overhead. The overall shot shows half of the vinyl up.



With only about 3 hours remaining to finish the other half, I had to call it quits due to a slight distraction of a somewhat major purchase for the Asylum. More to come if the deal goes through.

OKAY, NOW THE PORCH CEILING IS FINISHED…

It didn’t take long to wrap up the second half. I planned it so no cutting was involved and grabbing a plank out of the box and screwing it up went quickly. It’s hard to see, but there is a 6” wide filler panel where the two halves of the ceiling **** together and that is what hides the wire for the future porch light (if I ever get around to it).



Of course, there still is a bunch of tan siding to install yet, but that will come a bit later.

THE ASYLUM IS NOW SAFE…

At least it’s a bit safer from the threat of fallen trees. I decided I have too much time invested in this place to have a tree take out something structural, so a professional was called in.

Here’s a before and after picture of the one that was overhanging the building. All that’s left is a massive pile of sawdust from the stump grinder. It will take a while to get use to the look and I sure the sun will beat down a bit harder on the place now, but at least the grass should grow better on the lakeside yard of the Asylum.



The other tree was dead and a threat to the Asylum Water Works (the little pump house) and the electrical service entrance (meter pole), so I had the tree guy cut and grind that one as well. That bare spot is where the tree stood. He also hauled away some massive piles of brush that have built up over the last few years.



It cost about $1000/tree for removal and I thought that was reasonable.

Nice work on finshing the ceiling. Great idea to run the romex now, just in case. Ya just never know what creative idea you might come up and need power out ther. Or, you can just put a light fixture...

Good work on the trees. Glad Isaac didn't come close enough to cause you problems.

It will be alittle while, then you will have a hard time remembering the Asylum with those trees. This is the new norm.

Cost of tree removal .... $1000.00

Peace of Mind ...... Priceless!

Wingnut65 - Now you've got me thinking about running an extra Romex cable for "whatever" . The tree guy was scheduled to do his thing before Isaac, but was late in getting to my job. So I guess I'm glad the hurricane spared us. The only reminder of those trees might be the higher electric (A/C) bill once a month , but I'll take that over a big hole in the roof any day.

Omphaloskeptic - Agreed. In fact, I'm enjoying this Peace of Mind so much that I'm considering trimming up some other nearby trees.
As a side note - Having that oak tree removed adjacent to the apartment opens the doors for future expansion of the Asylum in that direction

shopnut said:

As a side note - Having that oak tree removed adjacent to the apartment opens the doors for future expansion of the Asylum in that direction

Click to expand...

Whoa, Pardner! That ain't even on the To-Do List yet! You have other more pressing projects to complete before even considering Asylum 2.0. Or maybe it's just Asylum 1.5... What about doors on the loft or the fridge opener?

Throw some more Romex up there before it gets closed in. You can never have too much power in a garage. (or in a car, or boat, or plane, or cordless drill, or ...) (Sorry I got sidetracked.)

"As a side note - Having that oak tree removed adjacent to the apartment opens the doors for future expansion of the Asylum in that direction "

YEA.... ALL RIGHT, A NEW PROJECT FOR THE ASYLUM! Mrs. Shopnut will be thrilled; especially if the expansion 'mini-project' gets moved to the top of your to-do list. lol

Can't really tell from the pics, but does your lot slope away appreciably from the building beyond where the tree lived? I was thinking that if it did, you could excavate for the addition possibly enough to allow the roof line to continue the same pitch. I foresee a 'second tier' of clerestory windows in the roof of the addition to maintain the view from the main apartment floor. Throw in a load beam down the existing window wall, lose the windows and replace with a half-wall for an 'semi-open-plan' between the main floor and the new addition? A secondary clerestory might blend better than the eyebrow dormers I previously suggested. If water incursion wasn't much of a worry, I'd even consider excavating below ground level to allow the roof line/clerestory to work. Below ground structures get the bonus of a reduced heat load on the AC too! Can't wait to see the plans for the addition. This 'suggestion' is just another wacko idea from the twisted mind of 'Ompha'! lol When I (finally) post my own shop thread, I won't be able to name it 'The Asylum', as that moniker is yours (and well-deserved). I've decided to give mine the title of 'The Sanitarium' as it will house what's left of my sanity and it works well with my nebulously named location 'Ultima Ratio, Wa.'. Ultima Ratio isn't real, it's Latin, meaning "The last resort" (in law). 'The Sanitarium at the Last Resort' has a nice ring to it, don't you think? It aptly describes my situation and the place I live. So, you've got 'The Asylum' and now I've got a name for my own little patch of Paradise, 'The Sanitarium at the Last Resort'. Now when people tell me to 'Go to hell', I can retort - "I'm halfway there!"

'The Sanitarium at the Last Resort', I like the ring of that. What about 'The Sanitarium of the Last Resort'?

Start a thread to hold the name. Just say in the first post "Coming Soon" or "Under Construction". Or.... "Admissions paperwork currently being processed"...

Hey, I go away for two months and come back and BAM! The loft is done...looks good. Good call on the trees by the way, $1000 per is not a bad deal.

Expansion should NEVER be ruled out of the planning process...keep'em guessing I say.

Shaun

Wingnut65, Hmmm..... 'of', 'at', I'm undecided; maybe I should start a poll thread to both establish the name for my shop, and let the GJ crowd make up (what's left of) my mind for me. I could possibly call it simply 'Ultima Ratio Sanitarium' (U.R.S.). That way when people ask me where I live, I could reply with "Up URS."! lololololololol < (a mad, mad, mad screaming laugh)

Sometimes I crack myself up because I'm cracked up!

Now, enough manic meandering, back to our regularly scheduled program.....
TAKE IT AWAY SHOPNUT!

Wingnut65 - That loft is already finished in my head so I need to start giving my mind something else to do in an effort to keep me out of trouble. And yes, it's always easy to get sidetracked when talking about "power". (BTW, we need to keep working on Ompha to get that thread started)

Omphaloskeptic - I don't really need a new project for the Asylum yet, but I love the lower row of clerestory window idea for continuity and I think it could work nicely. The slope is about 1:20 down to the lake and that side of the building is already 3ft above grade. Combine that with some excavation and there should be plenty of height to do as you suggest.

I might consider converting the original floor to a private bedroom and have a breakfast nook off the kitchen, complete with that half wall you mention. The bedroom could have built-in storage below the row of clerestories. You then would step down into the new lower floor that would serve as a family room and den. It would have a wall of windows overlooking the lake. Great idea - I guess I have some more sketching to do.

Ahhhhh. So that's what Ultima Ratio means - I've wondered for some time now. I vote for U.R.S. when you start that thread. Just think of all the fun you could have with that! Hopefully the thread is coming soon - I owe you about a bazillion ideas if my memory serves correctly.

And don't worry about getting back to the regularly scheduled program here at the Asylum, I need a "break" from the loft monotony, as do the others, I'm sure.

flybefree - Look who's back to GJ! I WISH the loft was done, but there's still quite a bit to do before I can start using it.

Yeah, this guy's prices were better than the job done by another tree guy. (don't tell him that, however )

If future expansion goes as expected, someday the Asylum will have it's lakeside wall hanging out over water!

THE ASYLUM GETS AN "ELEVATOR"…

I really should have bought this thing 6 years ago to assist in building this place, but better late than never right? I now have that semi-permanent elevator for the front loft. AND, a roll-around manlift to replace the scaffold wherever else I may need it.

I pulled the trigger on a 25’ lift very similar lift as the one discussed in Reply #1487.

Thanks to HOTFR8 for getting me thinking about a forklift mast . These things function essentially the same way as the lift mechanism on a forklift, with a personnel basket replacing the fork tines.

Since it was about 6” too tall to fit in my enclosed trailer and would have been a handful loading it in my truck with it’s 1000 lb weight, I decided to rent a utility trailer. The U-Haul rental actually leads to another story (coming soon ), but for now, here are some shots before rolling it off.



Of course with paying about 1/10 that of a new one, I have to live with some compromises. My compromise was mainly in the looks department, since the one I found in my price range had a well-established and dignified coat of rust. But the good news is the mechanicals are in good shape. The hydraulic system operates fine and the lift chains, although not as wet as I would have liked to see them, seem okay. The structural items (mast sections, outriggers, etc.) have just a bit of surface rust. The sheet metal parts (basket, covers, etc.), on the other hand, will need a good blast and paint.

I still need to look it over in great detail to check for any problems. Known problems at this point are some missing crank handles on the outriggers, a weak battery (didn’t have time to fully charge it yet), and a whole bunch of rust. I may convert the outrigger jacks so I can run them down with a cordless drill since one is always handy in the Asylum. After checking the battery water level, I hit it with a charger for about 5 hours at 10amps and it held a charge so the jury is still out on it. A deep cycle replacement is $100+, so not too bad if it comes to that.

A 12VDC deep cycle battery powers the hydraulic power pack that extends a single ram. Leaf chains lift each section of mast simultaneously. A wiring cable sneaks up through the mast for controls and to provide aux power to the 110VAC outlet up in the basket for plug in tools (or an onboard fan!). Note that there is one fixed mast section and 6 (six!) moving ones. Here are some misc shots.



Here is a view of the current offering from the manufacturer. Since mine was built in 1991, they have changed the frame and basket some, but it is very similar.



And here is one currently listed on ebay showing exactly how high this thing can go up. Note the basketball hoop nearby.



More to come as I prep it for use. It will remain in its current condition for several months, but eventually I plan to give it a blue/yellow paint job to match the other lifting tools in the shop. I may consider taking a couple of mast sections out since that 25’ lift height is overkill (only need a 17’ basket floor height to reach the ceiling), and that should gain a little extra payload capacity if done right.

shopnut said:

Thanks to HOTFR8 for getting me thinking about a forklift mast .

Click to expand...

I hope the idea works out ok for you. I will be waiting to see how you fit it in and set it up.

Very cool. If you'd have bought that 6 years ago, you'd have 8 years of work done by now.

HOTFR8 - Nothing fancy is planned other than parking the lift next to the loft and taking her up when I need something up there. I will probably mark the floor where it needs to park, allowing it to clear the loft overhang and so the swing gate opens between the future loft safety railing.

Coyote Red - And I could be working on those cars and bike right now too !

I will say that the small basket on this lift would probably require it to be repositioned quite a bit more to get the larger jobs accomplished. The large(ish) platform on the scaffold allowed me to cover more area between moves, especially on things like installing the 12' ceiling planks.

" I may consider taking a couple of mast sections out since that 25’ lift height is overkill (only need a 17’ basket floor height to reach the ceiling), and that should gain a little extra payload capacity if done right."

Now hold on there Shopnut; don't be too quick to mod that 25' lift height! That extra height will come in handy when you build the cupola/observation tower/lake lighthouse/bell tower/ventilator fan housing/waterfall swamp cooler/sailboat mast storage/astronomical observatory/wind turbine mast/bat belfry/swallows nest. That lift will eliminate the need for the industrial-grade spiral staircase to access the multipurpose tower. With the shade tree gone, you might even want to consider using the tower the main support for Florida's largest shade umbrella! lol

Two shade trees are gone, but there are plenty more that could use something taller than 17' to trim branches or build that tree-top observation deck overlooking the lake.

Nice score on the ASCEND! (Asylum Storage Cargo Elevating Nice Device) Can't wait to see the project. Should eliminate use of some PEEVEDs, and hopefully any further STUNTs and WEEPs

Although it would not seem right for shopnut to bring something to the Asylum and actually use it as it was designed instead of getting the shopnut treatment to rebuild it. After all, you have the technology to make it better than he was before... Better, stronger, faster... and Painted! But not sure if making it smaller is really a good idea in the long run.

Have fun with it and Be Safe!

Have been thinking of the same type thing for my farm...looking forward to seeing some detailed reporting on how this thing works for you.

Shaun

Omphaloskeptic - That’s almost scary. During the first discussion with Mrs. Shopnut after bringing the lift home, I mentioned adding a cupola in the Asylum so I could use the full height it offered. She asked “And do WHAT with it?” “I don’t know, maybe just look around” I replied. Of course, she had one of those slap her forehead, roll her eyes type of reactions I’m accustomed to and said “Oh brother!”.

Although she’s not totally behind building a cupola yet, she did support this purchase 100% from the very beginning - anything to get me off a ladder!

Thanks for helping me build the case towards needing SOMETHING extra up there with all those great ideas The extra height would allow the sailboat mast to be set up inside during rigging maintenance.

Wingnut65 - Don’t worry, no mods are planned for the lift height anytime soon. But I’m looking at an alternate power source for it already and started a thread in the Free Parking forum to discuss it.

I will say, however, I’m not sure I would feel comfortable doing serious “offroading” with this lift to get at the trees. I will give it a try on the grassy area in front of the Asylum when I re-do the siding up there (with some plywood laid down for the wheels to roll on of course). In fact, that project was one that helped justify buying this thing in the first place. That fake door up there needs to come down and it’s pretty heavy. It certainly would be a handful climbing/descending a ladder.

BTW, you’re getting pretty good with those acronyms

flybefree - I could see a lift being handy for various jobs around your place. There are tons of lift variations to choose from so pick one that suits your needs and budget. The one I picked up is well suited for rolling around in a building for typical maintenance jobs. Manually pushing it around and setting up outriggers will slow things down a bit, but it’s not like I’ll be using it every day (or will I ). I consider this a pretty nice upgrade from the scaffold, but there’s nothing stopping me from upgrading again when I grow tired of this lift.

THE U-HAUL TRAILER RENTAL STORY…

The whole U-Haul trailer rental was a bit eventful, so I thought I would share.

One week before picking up the man-lift, I rode the bike over to the guys place to take a look and leave a deposit if it fit my needs. From the ad pictures, the rust-covered unit had me a bit concerned. I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be merely superficial and with a handshake, the deal was made.

On the way back to the Asylum, I remembered a place that rented U-Haul trailers so I stopped in to see if I could reserve one for the following week. They had a single axle ramp trailer that would work perfectly, but I was unable to set up the reservation at that time because their internet was down. So I ended up going online when I got home to set it all up. All seemed fine at that point and this is the trailer I had reserved:



So the next week rolls around and it’s time to pick up the trailer, only the trailer is nowhere to be found when I arrive at the rental place. It’s really just a gas station that rents some trailers occasionally. I go in to inquire where the heck my reserved trailer is and they direct me up the road about 5 miles to their “other” facility. So off I go, searching for the address up the road, only to find out it doesn’t exist. ****!

While in town, I stopped at this other U-Haul place that seemed to have a pretty good inventory of trailers and asked them if they know of any second location for the first rental place. The lady says “They don’t have a second location” and gets on the phone with the regional U-Haul office. This place just happened to have a ramp-gate trailer that would work, but it was a larger tandem axle job and way overkill for what I was doing. They transferred the rental to this new place and rented it to me for the same price. I thought, “Alright, one hour late, but I’m back in business” and off I went. I headed to the guys place and loaded the man-lift without any issues. Here is what I ended up with:



After pulling the trailer for about two hours there and back, I arrived at the Asylum with my new toy. I go to hit the brakes as I’m heading downhill towards the lake and my brake pedal goes completely to the floor and the bells are chiming with "Service Brake System" displayed on the dash. Oh ****! I pumped it a few times and was able to get it stopped about 50 feet past where I was intending to. At this point, your mind kind of goes into overdrive - What the heck is wrong with this thing? Can I fix it quick? How will I get the trailer back to U-Haul? How will I get home if I need to leave the truck at the Asylum? In about 2 minutes I had most of that solved, at least in my head anyways, so I proceeded to maneuver the trailer into position to unload the lift, while being careful not to go any faster than the park brake could handle. I figured that was step number one.

I did what most of you would do - I jumped out and looked for a leak. I saw this fluid dripping down all over the front frame rail and immediately thought “major leak”. Of course, that turned out to be A/C condensate upon closer inspection so I was still scratching my head as to what caused the loss of brakes. I checked the reservoir and the level was still at the “MAX” mark. Weird.

It took me awhile to unload the lift since I had it strapped down pretty good and needed to clear a spot for it in the shop. I also made some calls to arrange for alternate means of returning the trailer. Then something miraculous happened. After about two hours since the incident, I started the truck again. The error flashed up for a second and then went away as soon as I depressed the brake pedal. The pedal now felt fine.

Being the daring person I am, and trusting of my instincts in adverse conditions, I ventured off with the truck and trailer in tow. The trip back to U-haul was fine pull (10 miles), as was the drive back to the city house (40 miles) without the trailer. No further error messages and the brakes felt normal the whole way.

My theory is that the automatic hydraulic brakes on the trailer were not functioning properly and taxing the brakes on my truck. It did seem to be much more of a handful compared to my tandem axle enclosed trailer of roughly the same weight (but with electric brakes). That, combined with a hot day and possible contaminates in the old brake fluid caused an overheating condition. The fluid boiled and the brakes went out. Later when the fluid had cooled, it worked normally.

I’m overdue for a brake fluid flush (I mean waaaaaaay overdue) so I will be doing that first. I bought one of those moisture testers just to confirm that contamination was the culprit. Some research shows it’s not uncommon for Dot 3 brake fluid to absorb 3% water in as little as 18 months. This contamination can drop the boiling point of the fluid by 100F.

Moral of story? Keep your fluids fresh - those hydroscopic fluids **** up water in no time in this humid environment. If not, then be prepared to keep a foot on the emergency brake! And DON’T trust U-Haul to have that reserved trailer waiting for you.

Shopnut,
You're giving me flashbacks.

I rented a truck from one of those side-business U-Haul places a couple of years ago. The brakes went almost to the floor before anything happened and the steering required a quarter turn before there was any direction change. Never took it over 35 mph but it was already straining at that point. The A/C didn't work real good but it was OK because I had cold sweats the whole time.

My parents were both teachers so they had the whole summer off. After two relatively uneventful trans-continental trips, they decided to drive to Alaska in 1957. Aside from having all the lifters replaced (dust contamination). a smashed windshield, five flat tires and a blowout at 50 mph, the drive up was uneventful. The return trip became real exciting when the brakes on our 53 Oldsmobile failed completely. It was long before dual braking systems but we had electric brakes on our magnificent 15-foot travel trailer. 80 miles of dirt road in the Canadian Rockies with no brakes seems like a looooong ride when you only have one of your 3 axles slowing you down.

"Thanks for helping me build the case towards needing SOMETHING extra up there with all those great ideas The extra height would allow the sailboat mast to be set up inside during rigging maintenance. "

You're very welcome! Anytime my off-the-wall ideas plant the seeds of inspiration in others is something I enjoy. Usually my 'suggestions' are taken as just more 'Omphaloskeptic Offal'; rather than a response of "Hey, you're just full of great ideas!", the retort is "Hey, you're just full of $hIT!". lol

Now, I can't very well sign off without adding the proper acronym for the Asylum's cupola; I mean anybody can have a cupola, but the Asylum's cupola needs its own moniker. I'm sorry, but it's too early in the day for the proper abuse of illegal inspirational psychotropic drugs, and too, excessive intake of alcohol just makes me sleepy and not inventive, so the best I can do in my 'normal' state is P.H.A.L.L.I.C. -

Perched
High,
Asylum's
Lovely
Looney
Insane
Cupola

Or perhaps, W.H.I.M.S.I.C.A.L.

Wife
Hopes
I
Make
Sense
In
Cupola's
Additional
Labor

Shopnut, You really are permitted to have a boring day with uneventful posts once and a while... "Got a good deal on a lift. Went over and picked it up and dropped it off at the shop. Then I went home..." See, it gets the point across. But Noooooo! Shopnut has to live on the wild side. Glad t all worked out well and you didn't have to walk home. I'm just glad they didn't say that you could take the trailer home the week before with your bike! This story kinda makes my first two days as Driving Instructor for the Hideout Support Krewe like a cake walk!

As you were discussing the possible contributing factors, I was sure you would mention the extra trailer weight, hot day, high humidity and high altitude. You must be up around 75-80' or so... right?

Bob, I can't imagine driving to Alaska before the roads were all paved. That would make for some interesting stories for your parents to tell for years.

O, I'm leaning towards W.H.I.M.S.I.C.A.L.

Bob Heine - The recollection of your rental was hilarious, but unfortunately happens probably all too often. And for trip your parents took - thank heavens for trailer brakes. Going out on a cross-country adventure back then took some guts, I would imagine. Thanks for sharing.

Omphaloskeptic - Well, I'm hoping nothing gets referred to as "WHIMSICAL" in the Asylum, no matter what it really stands for . So I guess I might have to settle for "PHALLIC" (at least until the proper drugs are administered for inspiration)

Wingnut65 - Rest assured, I have plenty of boring (but productive) days during my duties here in the Asylum and that's fine with me! Every now and then, however, things don't quite click perfectly.
Doooh! I forgot to figure in the altitude factor with the brake fluid - I'm sure that's what put it over the edge .
Good luck, Mr. Driving Instructor. Hopefully the twins don't give you a coronary .

Still waiting for the drugs to kick in....

How's about

C.U.P.O.L.A. -

Cupola's
Ultimate
Purpose -
Overhead
Lounge
Area

Now, for this to be an accurate acronym, the C.U.P.O.L.A. would have to be large enough to house a hammock and of course the aforementioned I.C.B.M.!

Picture it Shopnut, a hot, sultry evening at the end of a long day of recreational wrenching finds you in need of a hard earned siesta. You step onto the A.S.C.E.N.D., press a button and you are immediately elevated to the C.U.P.O.L.A. where you casually hop into the hammock, give the voice command 'LAUNCH' and the I.C.B.M. shoots you an Ice Cold Beverage. Now you recline in your hammock, press another button to activate the 360 degree windows to the open position and let the lovely lake breeze wash over you as you drift blissfully off to the land of Nod. If this mental image isn't enough incentive to construct the C.U.P.O.L.A., then I need to take more 'inspirational drugs' and try again!

No further drugs are required O - you nailed it! From this day forward, the cupola project will be known as The C.U.P.O.L.A..

If it turns out half as nice as you describe, there will be no desire to ever decend once I A.S.C.E.N.D. up there. Unless, of course, there is a malfunction in the I.C.B.M. (Note to self: Build redundant control systems in the I.C.B.M. )

All kidding aside - it really does sound fabulous up there

A KEYLESS CHUCK FOR THE DRILL PRESS…

I’m not sure why I didn’t do this sooner. My dad had a keyless chuck on his DP when I was a kid and it was great. It popped in my head the other week while doing some other auction searches and I found a 5/8 capacity version within my budget. Here’s a picture of the keyed and keyless.



Now I just need to keep that rust from forming on the new one.

LOOKING FOR A WAY TO TEST BRAKE FLUID…

The recent scare with the truck brakes had me thinking there must be a simple way to test the fluid. I have since flushed the brake system but kept the old fluid so I could confirm it was in fact the culprit of my brake failure. The fluid that came out had 46K miles on it and was 10 years old, which was long, long overdue for being replaced. (Shame on me! ) It was very dark in color (greenish black) and smelled really bad.

A little research revealed solutions ranging from $5 to several hundred dollars. I decided to try the two cheaper versions to see if they were effective.

The first one are test strips that work much like the old litmus paper test - dip it in and compare the color to a chart. These are from Phoenix Systems and a pack of 2 strips costs $5. They can be had in packs of 100 for a much cheaper cost of about $.50 per strip. I believe these strips test more for copper content than moisture and the results of my test are shown below. It appeared as though the fluid was just on the verge of needing replacement, from an anti-corrosion standpoint.



I also bought an inexpensive electronic tester for $20 and it’s shown below. Its main purpose is to check for moisture content. It has two probes that get submerged in the fluid and colored LEDs indicate the condition of the fluid (Green=0-1.5% moisture, Yellow=1.5-3%; Red=over 3%). When I received it, I popped the battery in and checked it in some water. The red LED came on, indicating proper functioning as mentioned in the instructions.

I then tried it in my nasty 10 year old brake fluid. No yellow or red was seen, just the green light remained . I dipped it back in some water - the red light appeared again. Although I can’t be certain, my hunch is that this thing wasn’t really working, based on the condition of my old fluid. I didn’t see any adjustment potentiometer on the circuit board, but perhaps there’s some way to recalibrate it . I may set some fluid out in an open container to allow it to absorb more of this wonderful Florida humidity and check it again, just to see if that yellow LED ever lights up.



THE BOTTOM LINE: I thought some kind of tester would make sense, given the fact that I put very low mileage on most of the vehicles in my fleet and it seems like a waste of fluids/effort changing them solely based on elapsed time from last the flush. But until I find something I can trust, the best thing will be to is flush the fluid every 2 or 3 years to renew the anti-corrosion properties and keep a low moisture content. Until that reliable tester is found, I guess I would rather spend my money on tools or parts that make the brake bleeding easier like those speed-bleeder fittings. My Mity-Vac vacuum bleeder works pretty good, but those fittings are getting good reviews by many users.

Does anyone have a suggestion for a brake fluid tester that has worked for them?

I have never tested fluid, but I can appreciate when they start going away! I, too, have experienced that feeling. I had a similar experience with a loss of braking, although I fortunately was able to stand on the brakes and get it stopped. In my case, I think it was definitely old fluid. Maintenance is key!
In other news, I love the idea of the lift! If I had a shop space that big, I think that would be a good idea. It beats going up (and possibly falling down) a ladder!!!

Foxxtrot - Kinda scary to think about what could have happened during these brake failures of ours. About 10 minutes prior to my brakes going out, I was cruising 65-70mph down the interstate.

Yeah, I think the lift will work out nicely and become a permanant fixture in the shop.

I see a new thread started that I just have to check out - I'll be over shortly to say HI and toast a beer to the start of something great!

My old Blazer's anti-lock brakes would get confused when the trailer weight would push into it on a slippery surface like gravel and wet leaves.

tipstall said:

My old Blazer's anti-lock brakes would get confused when the trailer weight would push into it on a slippery surface like gravel and wet leaves.

Click to expand...

Mmmm - didn't think of that. I was on fairly loose soil (mostly grass really). But the brakes remained inoperative the entire time as I got the trailer backed up to the shop and that took some doing. I'll have to play it back in my head and see if something along those lines makes any sense.

Thanks for tossing it out there.

Shopnut, would you consider doing a little 'water chemistry' experiment? Take a cup (or more) of new brake fluid and a cheap syringe filled with water. Slowly add drops of water until the tester switches from one color to another and jot down the amount of water used. Some math might be involved to determine at what percentage of water triggered the light change. Kind of like a GJ version of those HS chemistry class 'titration' experiments we had to do. lol Let us know the results of the testing; you will be graded on a curve!

High school chemistry class? You're bringing back some memories, good and bad!

When I was reading reviews on some other testers, some guy actually did something similar, but with 3 unique ratios within the LED ranges. I can't remember which one it was (not the one I bought, I'm certain), but I think it was a higher cost one. I need to go back and find that because the guys test was successful in triggering the lights in sequence. Maybe that one is worth trying if it's not $300 or something.

If I get really bored, I might try that little test on the one I currently own. But can I get any credit if I simply link you someone else that did it? I'd settle for partial credit on this assignment. Or is that too much like copying someone else's homework