Good morning!!!!

[LS Tractor Owner]

I ordered some stuff on the 2nd. I let them know I still hadn't received the package on the 11th. They sent me an email reply the next day that it had been shipped on the 12th, and confirmed my address. As of yesterday, I still don't have it. It's not a present, just some stuff I wanted. I contacted them again on Sunday, and now they've apparently stopped replying. Guess I'm just going to have to contact my credit card company and dispute the charge. I really dislike dishonest people.

I had a good discussion with the seller over the last couple of days. It seems they were very straightforward, asking if I would like a refund, and if so, told me to not open the package and just refuse delivery. The item was shipped and tracked 3/4 of the way here, just got stuck in a bottle neck jamb at the USPS distribution center. Hopefully, I will eventually get it....

 

[buckeyefarmer]

My son’s missing package just arrived!!

 

[RedNeckGeek]

Good Morning!!!! 50F @ 8:00AM. Sunny. High 62F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
Wind woke me early this morning, rattling the porch roof and making the drains gurgle in the bathroom. Saw gusts over 30MPH from the weather station. You're right, Buppies, that's no fun. I'll have to take a walk around later to find out what caused the big bang I heard.

Two nice cars, Phil, but otherwise that sure is an empty garage! Where do you put all the rest of your stuff?:laughing:

Neat wing action on that nuthatch, Ron. Yeah, I wondered about anaphylactic shock, too.

Nice photos, Rick. I bet Ford's PR department would like copies...

Sounds like a white Christmas for you, Bill, and some work for your plow.

That saw looks brand new, Ted.:thumbsup: My Chinese junker looks like a knockoff of it. Hope your rip fence is a LOT better than the one on mine...

I kind of screwed myself when I regraded the access ramp to the back porch last year. I didn't leave enough room for getting to the drop down ramp on the 24' box trailer, and had a lot of trouble backing the side-by-side Kubota up that ramp to hitch up the splitter. Then both tires were flat on the splitter, but the tires were stiff enough to still roll. One reseated easily; I had to jack up the other side to get the weight off of it before it would reseat. But it started on the third pull, ran fine, and changing the oil and cleaning the air filter was a breeze.

Neighbor brought over three 1" thick steel plates that needed 1" holes in 'em, but his print didn't show exactly where. So he took off again to mark 'em, and in the mean time I had lunch and started an oil change on the F250. Got it warmed up, but not enough, and the flow through the EZDrain was miserable. Poked a hole in the filter and let it drain, too, then got it changed after the neighbor came back with his plates. He spotted the double battery charger from the new Makita saw on the workbench and asked if I would like some old Makita tools he had. He'd been pestering me about needing to pay me for the machining I've been doing for him, which I really don't need, and said sure, I'll take what you've got and then you don't have to feel like you owe me anything. When I asked why he quit using Makitas, he said the batteries were too expensive and he was going through several a year, and that the batteries and the tools themselves were much less expensive from Ryobi. I set the milling machine up to auto feed the holes and had 'em done in a half hour, during which I also cut up more steel tube for the pallet project. The neighbor came back with a box full of Makitas, drill, impact driver, circular saw, and a pair of demolition saws. All were in pretty rough shape, but they all work. None of the saws would take my new batteries, but after I ground off a plastic tab in their mounts, they seemed to work fine. And after I got the grime and over spray off the tools, and wire brushed away some rust, they came out looking pretty nice. I'm thinking, in the spirit of the season, of passing along one of the demo saws and the drill and impact driver to a young guy that's just starting out, or maybe a fire survivor that lost all theirs. We'll see.

By that time, the oil was still draining and it was dark out, so I closed up the garage and called it a day. So job 1 this morning is to refill the oil, after that it's off to town for a grocery run and another bottle of argon/CO2 for the MIG welder.

Happy Hump Day, folks!

 

[sodamo]

65°F and .05 inches rain.

Good start on plumbing, new branch valves successfully added win not leaks. Have to get some more fittings. I mean what’s the sense of having a 10lb bin of them unless you are missing the ones you need!

Trip to town this morning. Tracking indicates Amazon stuff is at the PO for pickup, after the now expected, sorry it’s delayed message. Need to get some fittings at HD. Pickup a couple items for Christmas dinner. Should be back in time to run a bit more pipe.

Prayers for all
Be safe
Have a great day

 

[sodamo]

Well, as promised, here are a few pics of the 'restored to service' table saw. Hopefully, I will get many more years out it.

That came outreally nice

 

[mostly_gas]

Continuation of yesterdays posts:
Ted saw looks in good shape. Neat trinket box, have fun with saw and cookie inspection
David water line sound like a lot of work. be careful on ladder
Ron table extensions look more substantial than my Craftsman table saw.
Doug sound like the wife and I. and we both do it
Bird glad the leak was found
Dennis glad the stove is working better now
DF congrats on the new grandbaby. sorry you can't be there.
Randy glad truck back up and running, hope job goes well.
Don thanks for the link. If I lose an inch I am in trouble
Ted glad you got rust off the saw look forward to pics
Roy hope your time off goes well, hope your new manager is as good as the retiring one.
Phil hope house did not get too cold. Good luck finishing ornaments.
Buppies how nice to have short commute.
Drew hope you get bird feeder done and eye gets better.
Mike enjoy nice weather.
More tonight.

 

[toppop52]

Continuation of yesterdays posts:
Ted saw looks in good shape. Neat trinket box, have fun with saw and cookie inspection
David water line sound like a lot of work. be careful on ladder
Ron table extensions look more substantial than my Craftsman table saw.
Doug sound like the wife and I. and we both do it
Bird glad the leak was found
Dennis glad the stove is working better now
DF congrats on the new grandbaby. sorry you can't be there.
Randy glad truck back up and running, hope job goes well.
Don thanks for the link. If I lose an inch I am in trouble
Ted glad you got rust off the saw look forward to pics
Roy hope your time off goes well, hope your new manager is as good as the retiring one.
Phil hope house did not get too cold. Good luck finishing ornaments.
Buppies how nice to have short commute.
Drew hope you get bird feeder done and eye gets better.
Mike enjoy nice weather.
More tonight.

Mostly, you are the man! Most detailed responses to everyone, I totally lose track when I try to do that, I guess I could type on one device and read on the other.

 

[toppop52]

LS, the saw looks great, in the picture you can’t tell it’s not new.

Got my flagpole collars and flag today as promised, but I ordered 1.5” collars and they sent 1” collars.
So they’re going to do a return less refund. So now I’ve got two swivel collars if I ever have a 1” pole to use them on. I’ve reordered the correct ones from a different vendor, should be here Monday. Wasn’t going to put the flag up until the storm passes and the following winds die down anyway.

When I have the pole down, I put a 16 oz Dixie cup bottom first in the sleeve so it doesn’t get dirt and mulch in it.

 

[RoyJackson]

Roy hope your time off goes well, hope your new manager is as good as the retiring one.

He actually got his start here at the New Hampshire facility. He was here first the first couple years I worked here. He took a job for the company and was based in Connecticut.
Due to "rightsizing", his job was eliminatedin CT, not too long before the current plant manager announced his retirement.
There were "issues" when he was still working in NH...we'll just have to see how he does. I'm not going to go into the particulars...
I'm looking for a job closer to home and hope to have something the first quarter of 2021.

 

[kenmbz]

LS - that table saw looks good as new!
Roy - good luck getting a new job closed to home. I have a 2-2.5 hour commute when I have to go in, each way so can commiserate.

Spent a few hours with the bushwacker and saw blade going though the back border with two neighbors.

the BW is a really old sears one and is amazing. I have had to rebuild and fix most of it, but the shaft and motor are still running strong.

Right in the middle of me cutting through some 3-5" think vines (yep , they've been there a while) the BC started acting up. Ends up the throttle adjuster cap had unscrewed itself, was running extra rich for a bit!

Fixed and ready to go, got a few hundred feet of bushes and saplings cut through, can't take tractor back there as too many falling Ashes with large branches ready to fall. Hitting one with the tractor would not be good.

That thing is heavy, it's break time!

 

[ronjhall]

Well, as promised, here are a few pics of the 'restored to service' table saw. Hopefully, I will get many more years out it.

Saw looks to nice to use.

 

[Alien]

Busy day today and of course tomorrow. Probably won't be on for a couple of days so I'm wishing you all well. Have a safe break for the festive season and " make sure you all come back now, you hear? "
Cheers all.
Doug

 

[buckeyefarmer]

LS, nice job on the saw, looks new. Don’t know how you get so much done.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

66ｰF and .49 inches rain. A little drier.

Expect to get my 2 branch waterlines glued in and a hose bib modified. Once the valves are glued in I can actually work on the lines themselves. One line will service the caretaker unit, the second is to service the tractorshed and be a permanent connection to the line running between house and cottage that services garden area. That line will include a longed planned connection for a washing machine (cold only).

I suppose cold water would be a relative term in Hawaii.... If you live on the east side of Giddings, near the water tower, you will sometimes have water as hot as 107F It comes out of the ground quite warm. Not good around here in summertime. Some peeps trying all kinds of ways to cool it prior to entering the home.

Okay, got it. I like the new logo for $Cha Ching$ with the dollar signs framing it.

Yep, I chuckled at that too. Rick, hope the FRYDAY went well.

Well, as promised, here are a few pics of the 'restored to service' table saw. Hopefully, I will get many more years out it.

Man, that saw looks great. I would put some side burners on it to cook fish/crawdads outside.

My son痴 missing package just arrived!!

Speaking of missing package....the GT80 rings came in!!! I had a little confusion of which ring had the ring expander underneath. Turns out the lower ring. It does not say in the manual. After about 3 hours, I got it all back together. I pulled off the swingarm to put a new chainguard rubber on, and pulled off the rear wheel to put the new chain tensioners on. Had to take a link out of the chain, as it we had run out of rearward movement to tighten it.

After 3-4 kicks, I started worrying that maybe all this did not fix it's difficult starting issue....and it fired up on the next kick. Motor sounds good with correct fitting piston and rings. I added a bit more 2 stroke oil to the fuel, probably a 32:1 mix or so now. Told him not to redline it, that we have to break it in. He rode it for about an hour, and was able to start it himself. Still learning to shift it, but can now let out the clutch without stalling it. I rode it a bit, and it has more low end torque. It was basically running like a cox .049 prior, only running at high rpms. Now it idles like a kitten purring.

Son got his Christmas gift a few days early. Watching him ride, and asking later to ride some more....priceless. My buddy who donated the boxes of parts said I should have had him riding 4 years ago. He's starting out at about the same age I did.


I have been twiddling with the Steiner just a bit. The new PTO belts are working great. I did a bit of mowing this AM. Need to do more.

DfTodd, congrats on the soon to be grandkid.

My wifey made a batch of homemade scratch Rum balls with Gosling's Bermuda rum. I wish you all could taste them. She made the shortbread, then used Ghiradelli chocolate....oh my.

Thanks for the prayers for my daughter. Prayers for Buppies, Drew, Randy, Ron, Jay & Peg, Farmer, and those in silent need. Also for our country.

 

[Alien]

Out west they have a problem with hot water from the artesian wells. Most places turn off there hot water systems and use that for cold while the hot water comes out their cold tap.

 

[toppop52]

I suppose cold water would be a relative term in Hawaii.... If you live on the east side of Giddings, near the water tower, you will sometimes have water as hot as 107F It comes out of the ground quite warm. Not good around here in summertime. Some peeps trying all kinds of ways to cool it prior to entering the home.



Yep, I chuckled at that too. Rick, hope the FRYDAY went well.



Man, that saw looks great. I would put some side burners on it to cook fish/crawdads outside.



Speaking of missing package....the GT80 rings came in!!! I had a little confusion of which ring had the ring expander underneath. Turns out the lower ring. It does not say in the manual. After about 3 hours, I got it all back together. I pulled off the swingarm to put a new chainguard rubber on, and pulled off the rear wheel to put the new chain tensioners on. Had to take a link out of the chain, as it we had run out of rearward movement to tighten it.

After 3-4 kicks, I started worrying that maybe all this did not fix it's difficult starting issue....and it fired up on the next kick. Motor sounds good with correct fitting piston and rings. I added a bit more 2 stroke oil to the fuel, probably a 32:1 mix or so now. Told him not to redline it, that we have to break it in. He rode it for about an hour, and was able to start it himself. Still learning to shift it, but can now let out the clutch without stalling it. I rode it a bit, and it has more low end torque. It was basically running like a cox .049 prior, only running at high rpms. Now it idles like a kitten purring.

Son got his Christmas gift a few days early. Watching him ride, and asking later to ride some more....priceless. My buddy who donated the boxes of parts said I should have had him riding 4 years ago. He's starting out at about the same age I did.
View attachment 680825

I have been twiddling with the Steiner just a bit. The new PTO belts are working great. I did a bit of mowing this AM. Need to do more.

DfTodd, congrats on the soon to be grandkid.

My wifey made a batch of homemade scratch Rum balls with Gosling's Bermuda rum. I wish you all could taste them. She made the shortbread, then used Ghiradelli chocolate....oh my.

Thanks for the prayers for my daughter. Prayers for Buppies, Drew, Randy, Ron, Jay & Peg, Farmer, and those in silent need. Also for our country.

You’re a great dad.

 

[lostcreekranch]

Good afternoon, after a morning of jet washing and getting chilled to the bone where the wind blown spray came back and found it's way through my waterproofs, it is good to be spending the rest of the afternoon inside feeding a hungry fire.

Rick, I have only tasted turkey cooked in an oven and am more used to "VFD" being used as shorthand for "Variable Frequency Drive" (as used for adjusting speed of induction motors). Hope your VFD cooked turkey is a lot more appetizing than a fried motor drive.

Dftodd, a grandbaby is a fantastic Christmas present. Congratulations !

I'm very familiar with Variable Frequency Drives Eric but .. in this case .. it's a Volunteer Fire Department. i.e. ... A Fire Brigade with all non-paid fire fighters.

In the US approximately 70% of all fire fighters are volunteer (unpaid) and 85% of all fire companies are made up of volunteers.

Most do fund raisers, like ours, to raise operating funds and .. in our case .. we're raising funding to build a new building for our equipment. We get some funding / grants for replacement equipment from our county and state and donations from our communities.

In our county .. all ten fire departments are volunteer.

 

[lostcreekranch]

Well, as promised, here are a few pics of the 'restored to service' table saw. Hopefully, I will get many more years out it.

Your table saw looks great! Nice work.

I've got an old Craftsman 10" table saw I bought used in 1971 sitting in the shop, unused for several years since I replaced it with a 5 HP cabinet saw. I need to find time to refurbish the surface as you did. Mine doesn't quite as much surface rust, as you started with and the side extensions are heavy aluminum.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Thanks for all the great comments on the table saw. I got the correct 220 plug for it today and tried it out.... works fantastic!

BEF... to answer your question... perseverance and stubbornness.... the wifey scolds me all the time for not coming in to take a break, get a drink, or eat...
Depending on the job at hand, it seems that the more difficult it is, the greater amount of determination I get.... could be a good thing or a bad thing... I usually push it too far and then pay the consequences later....

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Kyle , that was great news about getting the rings. Fantastic job! You're one heck of a dad for sure!