Purple Bullet

The only consideration for any knife I BUY is what tools does it have on it and how heavy is it. Maybe one day I'll learn to make folders but then I'll probably have to start wearing suspenders AND belt.  

I have considered replacing the (fully serrated) blade on my Leatherman Crunch, but first I'll try regrinding the original. 

We tried the Roomba. My wife says it just pushes dirt around and then clogs up on long hair strands.

14 hours ago, George N. M. said:

that arc welding was inferior to gas welding.

I seem to recall my dad telling me that arc welding was done without flux back in the day.

As for getting things done, not much. Spent the day yesterday learning to tram my mill. After a several hours I finally got it back to within a few thou of where it was when I started. 

Natkova - congratulations. That vise would cost probably at least three times that price in the USA, but I realize prices vary a lot with location. Glad you got it home safe. 

If the leg is too short for your current bench and you don't want to build a separate stand, I have seen a leg vise mounted on top of some dense wood blocks. The block that had the leg set on it had about a 2 inch (~5cm) hole to hold the leg in and the whole thing was spiked into the ground.

Didn’t exactly follow me home. But it finally made it’s way to my shop: Precision Matthews PM-728VT milling machine. Woo hoo! This weekend is spoken for. Once I get it put together I get to learn how to use it.

Tuyere'd choice of things to make in a forge.

I was going to post "Don't you know that Pontchatoula, La. is the strawberry capital of the world?" Then I decided to do a search and there appears to be a plethora of "Strawberry Capitals of the World" Dickinson, Tx.- Plant City, Fl. - Paducah, Ky and Chadbourne, NC and yes, Stillwell, OK.   My guess is that it is a seasonal rotation for the capital spot, Florida first, then Texas and Louisiana and on northward.

John must be feeling better, Jason.

Good one, John.

As for a Windows browser I use Brave. I third (or am I fourthing)the Duckduckgo for iPhone.

I welded up a cast aluminum outdoor chair for my brother-in-law. I have a TIG but I've never learned to use it well so I did this with oxy-acetylene and low-temp rods. I'm kind of impressed with how well that works.

Frosty touched on the best alternative. However, it sounds like you may have limited access. Zinc (or any other anode) needs to have somewhat of a line-of-sight view to the area you are protecting. Its not exactly line-of-sight but the further "around the corner" the less protection it will receive. Even if you have a coating cathodic protection is needful. Holidays (spots missed by the coating) can actually concentrate the corrosion. In barges there should be an anode between each frame (both sides of the keel). Coatings will reduce the need, but not eliminate it. I suggest you contact a NACE certified corrosion tech who can evaluate the internal and external corrosion risks. BTW I once was NACE certified (long since expired) and I've never lived in a desert.  

On 4/27/2022 at 7:18 PM, George N. M. said:

No, an "expert" is some SOB with a brief case who lives at least 50 miles away.

I always thought "X" was the algebraic expression of the unknown and a "spurt" is a drip under pressure. Ergo an X spurt is an unknown drip under pressure.

Clearly a lack of ideomotorskills.

Not necessarily a bad thing.

I've used quite a lot of them for acetylene welding back in the day. I think the only ones we have left were ones that my wife braided plastic strips over when she was in summer camp ~55-60 years ago. I'm not allowed near them.  

Nodebt - (BTW - it's a laudable aspiration as well) The uniform company was probably switching to plastic. Old wire hangers rust. While we might trust rust, it just stains clothes.

...and when you run out of walls, build a new shop. 

TW - THAT was immoderate ... but in a good way. BTW aren't there any gifs of snoopy at his forge?

I made myself look. Check this out. Snoopy on anvil.

...so no one can call you immoderate.

DK - Don't be put off. A little discipline is one of the things that make this forum great. Be thankful that we have moderators that care enough to caretake this site.  

Frosty - Are you saying that materials or tools owned by a private contractor and left on a govt right of way becomes govt property? I didn't know that. I guess my years as a commercial diver has warped my sense of what's salvage and what's not. Anyway, the parish can now mow freely.

I like the way it fits the shape of the tuyere opening. However, I would think that three lobes on your breaker would allow more air through. If you block off too much of your opening you have to use higher velocity to get the same air flow, which is not always a good thing IMHO.

My blower is hand cranked and I love to crank hard for a while to get everything really hot, then open the flow (I can somewhat retract my breaker) and maintain with a slow, easy crank.

Whole hearted agreement! I've experienced both, as a recent recipient of a surface grinder. (now powered with VFD for motor and just discovered lube system is 110 VAC so I can run it from separate circuit). But in the past, a contractor abandoned a long length of 6" tubing next to a road after an accident while running a new gas line. I think the tubing was used as part of the pulling head to run through a bore hole under a rail road bed. For years that tubing was an obstruction for the parish to cut grass. I finally came up with a use for it and cut it up into lengths that would fit into a trailer. Suddenly I was surrounded by four patrol cars with lights flashing. They didn't charge me with anything but wouldn't let me take the tubing. A couple of days later the tubing was gone. My guess is that someone else wanted it once it was cut up to manageable size.

Getting back to the Frankenbucket  maybe the windmill would look better with an Darrieus turbine on it's head.

Nodebt - (laudable handle btw) - it kinda works that way. The gentle breeze spins the butterfly until the wing <tings> on the gong. In a good wind the butterflies start swinging and the circular saw blades (teeth torched off with plasma cutter) <bong> on the cylinder. 

One more thing I really NEED to do is take it back off the stake and put a sharp point on the stake. That will keep it always centered and might allow the whole thing to spin in a good wind. The chain suspension is not solidly attached so I can lift the whole thing off in case of hurricane.

Les - sounds like a place I'll like a lot. See you there. 

Early Mother's Day gift for for the mother of my children:

I call it a Wind Gong, but a but a better name might be a "Micro-burst Alarm". In a gentle breeze it will give an occasional "ting" but come a thunderstorm it really lets you know its coming!

It was an O2 bottle with the top cut off (that makes a nice bell on its own) and the dimple cut out of the bottom, flipped over and welded back on. This makes it center on the stake. The butterflies are stainless and I'm considering coloring them with a torch. Maybe I should add a few repousse' lines and circles too. But my wife is happy with it. Sometimes you have to quit while ahead.

Descartes - "I think, therefore I am."

Purple Bullet - "I irritate, therefore I be." 

Les - See you in Prarieville! ?