74F right now, sunny today. High near 105F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.
I'll take advantage of the low winds to get some spraying done, but not sure how long I'll last outside once the temps come up. The RTV does have a canopy, so we'll see. Rip, a pool would be nice, but I'll have to make do with a garden hose. :laughing:
All, the plastic that's in the worst shape is on the Kubota RTV900, the fenders especially. The Kubota tractor isn't much better, and there some accessories (driving light housings in particular) on the motorcycles (no Harleys or classic Hondas here) that look pretty beat. Wipe New got the best reviews from Consumer Reports, but like most things on Amazon, many people end up with a mess worse than the one they started with. But none of the alternatives, the dye included, came through with all good Amazon reviews, leading me to conclude that there are people out there that can screw up a steel ball, and some manufacturers will placate these people, and some will not. The most effective strategy seems to be painting with a matching color, but that's a lot more work than I want to do, and I don't think paint would survive well in a tractor/RTV environment anyway. I've already tried Armor All and Mother's Back to Black, which initially look nice but only last until the next washing. But with the tractor and RTV that could be next winter :laughing: And on at least one motorcycle, it only has to last long enough to sell.
Drew, does 300 have a longer name?
Dave, the Bell's prevents me from blinking the eye on that side, so after a while it either waters on its own or starts to sting. I haven't figured out yet why it does one or the other, but the ointment that was prescribed will provide relief. But it also clouds vision on that side, which makes driving a bit more dangerous. Not the best thing when out in the F250, not something I even want to chance on a motorcycle. In the truck I have to be choosy how the A/C is set and how the vents are pointed, and I'm not optimistic my helmet would be good at keeping drafts away from the eye without suffocating me. But I've been thinking of giving it a try, as after all I can always just turn around and come home if it gets too uncomfortable, and that should happen quickly if it's going to happen at all.
I've had the same problem with WSJ articles, but for some reason I was able to read that one. Phase of moon, number of attempts, who knows?
RS, I kept losing the ends off my rippers until I figured out not to run them in reverse :duh: Made up a half round punch for the press to attach them, but I think next time I'll drill a 3/8" hole there and just tack them on with the MIG welder. They'll still come off in reverse, but maybe they'll survive getting caught on a root a little better? And 2" square tube is on the list for the next trip to the steel yard. :thumbsup: And maybe a short piece of 2 1/2", too (I'm lazy, and have you checked the price of acetylene lately :laughing
Eric, welding is a nice tool to have. It will help a great deal if you can get close enough to the weld to see the metal melt and begin to flow. After all, that's what a weld is, molten metal. Getting good welds is simply melting what you wish to join, and not melting the parts around it. At our age, though, seeing small, bright things can be a challenge. A company called Speedglass makes magnifying lenses that fit inside the helmet in front of the filter lens, and I've found these helpful. The stronger the better in my case, but 3.0 diopter is the strongest I've managed to find. There are times I wish it was stronger. If you have a choice of welding process, MIG (officially GMA, or Gas Metal Arc) is the easiest to learn and use. Just point the gun and pull the trigger. But stick is the most common, and the 6011 and 6012 rods are the easiest to strike and keep going. In my experience, 6010 is one of the hardest, but also one of the most common as it provides the most penetration, very handy if you're stuck with a "home shop" low power machine. I have a 180 amp MIG machine and a 220 amp TIG that also does stick. I can't remember the last time I stick welded anything...
Drew, nothing says summer like time on the water. Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos :thumbsup:
Kev,TGIR? That's a good one!
At work we used to say "Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on ours". Many people also have a habit of making their problems someone else's, and the most effective strategy I've found is to just say "No". But like training a puppy, that only works when you catch them in the act.
TGIF folks! I think a cold beer is gonna taste pretty good tonight!
