24 Hours ago...

Nice black iron torch.

 

Thanks. I didn't bother to figure out how many BTU she puts out, but at full-bore it can empty a 1 pound tank in about 7 minutes. I'm still impressed at how easy it is to build this type of torch, and at how effective they are while being just barely sketchy.

 

Home version of this:

 

Sort of. Weed torches diffuse the flame quite a bit.

 

Apologies for no pics or video. He phone needed charging, and I needed to get the work done in what little spare time I have.

The kiln turned out great. I got the gear to a nice bright orange, and was able to cool it slowly enough to be annealed. She cut like butter on the lathe using carbide. The bearing fits nicely. I'll try to get video of the kiln in action tomorrow when I reharden the gear. It won't be as hard as it was from the factory, but it really doesn't need to be that hard anymore anyway.

This project is taking a lot longer than I had planned, but now I can get rid of my scrap by making ingots and turning it into useful stuff.

 

Videos as promised.
Please note that any kiln has to be made either from fire brick, or refractory cement. Using common building cement will end with you or someone else up in either the hospital or the morgue.

 

What temperature does the kiln operate at?

 

I haven’t done a full run to melt temps, but it’s no cooler than 2,000 F, as evidenced by the color of the hot side of the gear. Next payday I should be able to afford a crucible and see if she’ll melt steel (I strongly suspect that she will do so easily, even on propane). I still need to make a lid that has a hole for heat control. The one I have now is meant to slow the cooling after the flame is out.

 

It works well good work. Be good to see the clock when it's finished.

 

I have the same thoughts. This clock was supposed to have been done months ago

 

I made some time this weekend to modify the worst of the output sprockets so I can use it as the center of the driven sprocket. I cut the splines back so it take two bearings, and once it's fully welded onto the driven sprocket I can start cleaning things up just enough so it looks ratty without looking like it was bodged together. I should be able to finish the mechanicals next weekend so I can give the whole thing a "barn find" patina.
After that it's just down to finalizing the programming, and deciding if I want to use a Real Time Clock daughterboard or not. I already have the necessary WIFI boards and antenna.

 

A bit more than 24 hours ago I had arrived in beautiful Saint Petersburg, Florida, USA for a professional conference.

It was the best confrence I have ever attended.
It was also the best confrence that I have ever hightailed it away from, by car, at 4AM.

So on my day of recovery (thanks to my awesome Principal) I discovered that I have somehow misplaced the drive gear for the clock.
Boo.

 

I require opinons.

The number chits that I originally bought are fine, but I'm not sure that I want to go with a "brand new" aesthetic.
So....these (and an oil-black finish on the sprockets and chain).


Or should I spend the coin on buying a set of brass number chits?


My original plan was to make the chits kenetic, so they would always hang upright. It's a bit more work; drilling, tapping, and making spacers.
Opinions?

 

I like the brass and the hanging idea.

 

Yup, brass and kinetic hanging here as well. More work/more money but you’ll be happier in the long wrong.

 

Yes brass hanging numbers are best.

 

You already knew the answer, didn't you?

Smart-assery aside, I wonder if you could adequately 'weather' the red ones to fit the aesthetic.

 

I did.
Thanks everyone.
Now I just need to get HR at the new job to straighten my pay out. Honestly the worst part of working for a bigger organization is the lack of speed when it comes to fixing mistakes.

I'll play around with the red anodized numbers to see if I can do anything suitable with them. I do have an extra 12 of them to play with.


I have thought of not making the numbers kinetic, and instead making the hour pointer set up like a timing indicator so that the 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 hour is also displayed.

 

I have been wanting to heat my detached garage. I have an infrared heater, which is fine for me, but it won’t make any parts warm. I’ve been considering using a solar water system (with antifreeze) and several sand batteries. But that’s not going to happen this winter.
I was just out in the garage putting some tools away and spied the kiln I made over the summer. Kilns make heat. Sand batteries store heat and release that heat over time. Hmmm I says to myself.
More to come next week or so.

 

Oh. The clock is still in the works, but cold steel is cold, and I’m not interested in dealing with that anymore.

 

My wood stove works fine

 

Being in a city makes wood a tad expensive. I miss owning a small forest to harvest from.

 

I too am in a similar situation. I have been looking at a Mr Heater LP heater. They run $300+ and would run of a LP tank I have or a stand alone tank. Learning a little about the home made used oil heaters some are making on line too. That seems really nice and with our hobbies there will always be used oil to burn.

Hope you find a good heater option that will not make the city folks angry.

 

Don't know if electric heat is an option, I put one of these in my garage back in 2018 and it is outstanding. I was skeptical at the price but its on its 6th season and I keep my garage at 45 all winter long, crank it up when working. Does require 8ga 40 amp circuit but I had that available.

I don't like propane heaters for two reasons, they put a lot of moisture in the air and the carbon monoxide is a real threat without ventilation. Used one years ago and ended up getting real sick once with a buddy when we were working out there. This is for the radiant and forced air, propane vented furnace type heaters are okay obviously.

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200631888_200631888#

 

Marley Engineered Products (www.marleymep.com) makes a variety of really nice/durable (and simple, which is probably why they are durable....) 208-240V portable floor-standing heaters, 3000-5000W (20A or 30A, depending on how much heat you need). Even have 480V versions if you have access to that. We use the 208V versions (233V actual) in 400 sq. foot greenhouses and it will keep them nice & toasty even when outside temps are 5*F........and greenhouses, as you might suspect, are kinda leaky.

Marley sells them under the Marley, QMark, and Berko brand names. Older versions are Marley branded only, before Marley was sold/bought out. You can sometimes find them used on eBay, etc. for less than $ 100.00 and, like I said, they're really durable. Made in USA. Here's a new one, Berko-branded:

www.ebay.com/itm/295379395160

There are also quite a few "knock-offs" that look exactly alike, typically marketed as either "un-branded" or the ComfortZone brand, they're really inexpensive, but never had any experience with them.

 

24 hrs ago there was no snow..... I just got done clearing the 4th driveway of 10” of snow

 

Time for the Indy!

 

My son bought me a slide/negative scanner and I found some pictures of my old 500 triples.

 

Those back rests would be great for 2-up wheelies!
Did you also have a Gremlin and a Hornet?

 

Electric is an option, but I'd have to upgrade the electrical service to the garage. As it is now I can't run the air conditioner and the air compressor at the same time in the summer.
Eventually I'm going to install a solar hot-water system for heat. Even this far north (which isn't that far north) I can warm the garage all winter with such a system, and preheat the house's hot water tank 3/4 of the year.

 

I have an indoor LP heater for backup in the house. It's seen us through several power outages in Kansas. But that house had an attached garage, and was far better insulated than my current home. The garage is concrete block and is currently un-insulated and drafty. I'll be fixing that as funds allow.

 

Lucky.
We finally had a snow day here....but no snow fell. Hopefully the new Superintendent won't get "gun-shy" as a result. The big snow was literally only a few miles north of here. She made the right call.

 

The garage was only wired for 110. A huge disappointment, but given the price we paid I'm happy. Maybe an upgrade can happen in a few years.

 

Have you checked current prices for a Gremlin? Freaking insane, especially the Levi's model.

 

When I left the Marines in 1979, I was between vehicles and my uncle let be borrow his Gremlin to use while he had a leg in a cast that extended to above his waist (due to a motorcycle accident). Not a great car.

 

What’s in a name.....lol
“Gremlin” says a lot

 

I drove a friend's Gremlin with a 304 V8 and standard 3-speed floor shifter.
Certainly a fun car to drive!

 

AMC made a lot of great cars, but didn't have the ability to stay afloat financially. The Eagle could have saved the company if the public had the same desire for offroad driving that they ended up having in the 90's.

 

Agreed

 

So, yesterday I cleaned up the head from the X so I can lap the valves. The valves look well seated and makes me wonder if the leak down compression test was indicating leaks in the head gasket instead of valves. Maybe that is why it sounded like leakage into the exhaust. I was getting oil on the upper front of the engine but couldn't tell where it was from due to the radiator being in the way. I will be removing the valves and lapping anyway.

 

That’s where leak-down tests come in handy.

 

24 hours ago it was 71ºF. It's now 48.
It's a shame that the flower buds and the young tree leafs, and the newly sprouted crops are going to be mostly (if not wholy) killed off in the coming week. Lows are going to be well below freezing again.

 

24 hrs ago it was 21, now it’s 25.6

 

Welcome to Ohio

Late Feb one year, 72 degrees:



Late March, same year:

 

Like here.... if you don’t like the weather, wait a moment.

 

Not so different than Kansas. Even so it’s happening more often. I’m absolutely amazed at how much snow has fallen on the West Coast beaches this year. Normally it’s one snowfall every six years that melts before noon.

 

Maybe not exactly 24 hours ago, but finally enlisted my son to lend a couple hands to help lift off the cylinders. Any idea about the extra discoloration below the rings on piston #2?

 

A bit of blow-by. Are you re-ringing it?

 

No, I wasn't planning on it.

 

Well, carefully measure piston, bore and rings. One of those three caused it.
Were all the rings free in their grooves?