What I did today -instead- of Rocketry.

[cwbullet]

3D printer maintenance.

 

[hobie1dog]

Installed LED strip lighting under the desk shelf.

 

[John Kemker]

Picked up Der Red Maxine from the body shop.

On the 15th of this month, someone decided that he needed to be in my lane more than he needed to avoid hitting my truck. Cracked the front bumper, scuffed the right-front headlight, and scratched the right front fender. His insurance paid for the repairs. It went in Monday, was done yesterday afternoon. Looks good!

 

[prfesser]

Went to Pain Management for a neck epidural. Impressive results. This morning I could not turn my head to the left by an inch without 8/10 pain. Now I can turn it as far as the muscles/tendons will allow.

Also did most of the grocery shopping at Aldi's. It's 50 miles away, while Kroger is three miles. But as of this year I'm restricting Kroger purchases to loss-leaders and items I can't get at Aldi's or the other local grocery store. It's a matter of principle.

 

[caveduck]

Started some inspection and prep work for finally fixing up the tailstock sloppiness on the #$%! mini lathe (tm). Dug up some 3/4" drill rod to use as an alignment check bar. The lateral adjustment slide needs to have paint stripped and get milled flat, and modified to have a captive screw drive it. The MT2 quill sleeve is also a bit loose in the casting, not sure what I'm gonna do about that yet.

 

[teepot]

We had a computer tech come by to fix a printer that one day was fine. Then a Windows 11 update. Then the printer couldn't find the network. All fixed. Real nice guy. He is about our age. Mid 60's. Went to collage on the GI Bill. Started a computer store and repair. He does the field work. Which he called fun and his son runs the store. After he fixed it he talked to my wife for at least half an hour about the Air Force and the books we have. He reads the same thing my wife does. They were comparing notes. One of the good things about living in a smallish town. The companies are very good to their customers. After he left I went up to the cat rescue and helped with their annual yard sale. I'm taking 14 cats into the spay and neuter clinic tomorrow. Then to the gun store to pick up a lower receiver for an AR 15. Hit Walmart and then Smiths. Then it was unload the groceries and put it away. I really need to stop going into the bakery area. And played with the cats.

 

[jqavins]

I'm sure you know what you're doing, so ignore this if I'm all wet (likely).

Started some inspection and prep work for finally fixing up the tailstock sloppiness on the #$%! mini lathe (tm). Dug up some 3/4" drill rod to use as an alignment check bar. The lateral adjustment slide needs to have paint stripped and get milled flat...

That reads like you're milling flat a horizontal plane that the tailstock rides on. Which sounds like it would lower the whole tailstock and leave it off center vertically. I guess I'm misunderstanding something.

The MT2 quill sleeve is also a bit loose in the casting, not sure what I'm gonna do about that yet.

Perhaps: determine whether it's the sleeve or the bore that has the problem. Whichever it is, add brazing filler (or welding filler if it will take on the cast iron) then re-machine it (turn the sleeve or bore the casting). Maybe need to take whichever it is to a shop, if you don't have another machine to use to fix this one.

 

[prfesser]

Started some inspection and prep work for finally fixing up the tailstock sloppiness on the #$%! mini lathe (tm). Dug up some 3/4" drill rod to use as an alignment check bar. The lateral adjustment slide needs to have paint stripped and get milled flat, and modified to have a captive screw drive it. The MT2 quill sleeve is also a bit loose in the casting, not sure what I'm gonna do about that yet.

I don't know the specifics of the quill sleeve. Is the casting MT2 bored, or some other taper? Tapered bores can be bored with the compound slide using a good MT or other taper, with Prussian blue oil paint (or machinist's blue, which is more expensive but about the same) as the gage. I did it with the Gingery lathe I built many years ago.

If a straight bore is the problem, Gingery showed how to bore the lathe headstock concentric with the bedways. It was a little complicated but it worked.

I'll scan and send the relevant pages from Book 2 (The Metal Lathe) if you like, PM me.

 

[Cl(VII)]

Had a new experience in PT today, Blood Flow Restriction training. Sure did feel like I was doing way more work than the load would imply. Was able to get the quads BURNING without overloading the slowly progressing knee. There is measurable progress each week at PT and on the bike, so that makes this all far more mentally doable.

 

[hobie1dog]

we went to the place where I was supposedly going to get new ankle foot orthotic braces, but we get up there and I realized that the guy had ordered the wrong ones, as the braces were only outside of my ankle instead of on the inside and the braces on the outside rubs the big bone on the side of my ankle, so this means that we have to go back for the third time.

 

[caveduck]

I'm sure you know what you're doing, so ignore this if I'm all wet (likely).

That reads like you're milling flat a horizontal plane that the tailstock rides on. Which sounds like it would lower the whole tailstock and leave it off center vertically. I guess I'm misunderstanding something.

Perhaps: determine whether it's the sleeve or the bore that has the problem. Whichever it is, add brazing filler (or welding filler if it will take on the cast iron) then re-machine it (turn the sleeve or bore the casting). Maybe need to take whichever it is to a shop, if you don't have another machine to use to fix this one.

I can raise it back in various ways, easiest is probably to mill it flat, put some Turcite on and mill it flat again.

I don't know yet how well the MT2 taper in the quill aligns with the outside of the quill or the casting bore. The quill is definitely sloppy in the bore. There's a lone setscrew under the front end of the bore that snugs up the quill, but it moves a fair bit depending on how tight you make it. You could think about adding more setscrews to give adjustable centering, but the tailstock spindle can have a good bit of force on it so that might not be a great solution.

 

[Cape Byron]

Looking at quotations for the solar power system for the farmhouse. Going for a modular battery storage system, not a Tesla Powerwall.

Imagining the joy at seeing the power from the grid go down (again) but still being able to have running water.

 

[hobie1dog]

I took the four drawers out of the Ikea cubicle unit and unloaded the top two compartments so that it's empty, which will make it easier to pick up and sit on the floor so that the matching bottom unit can be removed and taken out to the dumpster as I don't need it anymore. more continuous downsizing.

 

[Wayco]

Had a visit from a little kitty today:

Walked right up to me, so I took a video. It's downloading in U-tube right now.
Ran inside to get Sharon and took this through our picture window:



He's a little small, probably immature, but a nice looking Bobcat.
Wagging his little tail as he went by, probably smelling the bunny that lives in those bushes:


Here is a link to the U-tube video, it's over two minutes long:

 

[GrouchoDuke]

Used our tornado shelter for the first time. Good family time.

 

[Sandy H.]

Went to a PDRA race (drag race that doesn't get much TV time, but is a pretty cool group) to meet with some people who were in from out of town. Productive discussions and generally good time to hang out. Regretfully, rain came in around 5 and drag racing is not a rain friendly sport. . .

They were trying to get the track dry and were planning on getting today's events in, even if late, but knowing that I didn't want to be driving at 3am, I bailed out around 6:30 and got home right before 10.

Good day for sure.

 

[Sooner Boomer]

Watched a documentary on Bob Quinn, footy legend and WW2 hero. There are so many amazing people I've never heard of. A lot, like Bob, are quiet and don't indulge in self-aggrandizement.

Now watching severe storm headed across northern Alabama. I've got a niece in Huntsville.

 

[teepot]

I took 15 cats into the spay and neuter clinic in Vegas. While they were being fixed I took the Explorer in to the dealership for an oil change. Wandered around the lot for an hour. I was aghast and shocked that the F150's have a V6. I want a V8. Sales guy said the new Raptors will get a 700 HP V8 engine next year. Now we're talking. Then over to where I got my hearing aids. The battery door broke on one. I thought I was screwed. They were able to replace the door in 10 minutes and it was free. Great people there. They know me as the rocket guy. I had some time to kill before the cats were ready to be picked up so I hung out in the sports book of one of the locals casinos and watched some golf. Picked the cats up and then fought traffic for an hour before it was clear sailing back to Pahrump. We got here in '91 and "they" have been working on the roads the whole time we have lived here. The roads around here did fine when there was 200,000 people in the valley. Now with over 2 million the roads can't be expanded any more. At certain time of the days the freeways turn into parking lots. It doesn't help when NDOT closes a lane on an already over crowded freeway. So an hour and fifteen minute ride turned into two hours. The last hour was fine though.

 

[hobie1dog]

I took 15 cats into the spay and neuter clinic in Vegas.

15?

 

[jd2cylman]

@Wayco
Arrrgh…
Video marked private. Can’t be seen

 

[Sooner Boomer]

Watched a documentary on Bob Quinn, footy legend and WW2 hero. There are so many amazing people I've never heard of. A lot, like Bob, are quiet and don't indulge in self-aggrandizement.

Now watching severe storm headed across northern Alabama. I've got a niece in Huntsville.

[edit] trailer for documentary:

 

[jqavins]

Imagining the joy at seeing the power from the grid go down (again) but still being able to have running water.

Oh yes, the running water is the big thing with power out. I remember once being without power for a week, and the first thing I did when our relatives about 10 or 15 miles away got theirs back was to drive over for a shower. (I'd previously taken a bar of soap out in a second storm naked.)

Had a visit from a little kitty today:
View attachment 571977

Notice the name of the rocket kit next to the window sill. If he keeps hanging around, he has a name

 

[Wayco]

@Wayco
Arrrgh…
Video marked private. Can’t be seen

Sorry Adrian, I'm a rookie at this U-tube stuff. I think I have it fixed now.

Notice the name of the rocket kit next to the window sill. If he keeps hanging around, he has a name

He has been hanging around our neighborhood for a couple of months now. First time visiting our house though.

 

[hobie1dog]

Wife was feeling frisky, then relaxed on the patio with 72 degrees, sunny weather, listening to new music I missed years ago from some otherworldly soloists.

 

[Cape Byron]

Pruned citrus. Oranges, lemons, limes, finger limes, blood oranges, grapefruit, kumquat.

Very zen.

 

[prfesser]

It's been a very busy day. Had to send $1632 in gift cards to someone who had broken into my computer and stolen everything therein, was going to freeze my hard drive along with all sorts of other permutations on my electronic hardware. But no worries, a Nigerian prince has over $20 million waiting for me so the computer cost is of no importance. Now I must decide: should I let the eager Russian gals or the eager Ukrainian gals swarm over me? It's a difficult situation, they're all so beautiful and they already love me. It's true, it's the Internet and you're not allowed to lie on the internet. Says so on the internet. Can't blame the gals, of course. I'm stunningly handsome. Smart. Witty. And modest, I almost forgot modest.

Also need to decide on gutter cleaners, replacement ink for the printer, which of the 26 gadgets for sale will best suit me, and whether I should dally with all the hot women in this town who are dying to meet me and perform certain actions, some of which are probably illegal and certainly immoral. At least, I hope so.



I should not be permitted to post after more than a single brandy...

 

[Cape Byron]

Went to drive the RAV4. Clutch pedal went to the floor and stayed there.

Major fluid leak at a union. I might add the car was serviced and a rear hub repair undertaken by my (formerly trusted) mechanic last week.

And BTW, the rear hub still grinds.

 

[hobie1dog]

We went to watch my grandson play flag football. So we had to leave at 5:30 to be there by 6:00 and then after the game my son wanted to take us out to eat. And it was a 45 minute wait to get a table. By the time we got out of there and I got home, it was 10:30....I'm wiped totally out.

 

[Cape Byron]

Went to drive the RAV4. Clutch pedal went to the floor and stayed there.

Major fluid leak at a union. I might add the car was serviced and a rear hub repair undertaken by my (formerly trusted) mechanic last week.

And BTW, the rear hub still grinds.

Update: The leak is in the clutch hydraulic accumulator. Not the best news, but not the worst either. If Toyoya Oz can get me the right part she'll be right.

 

[OverTheTop]

Lots of cleaning up stuff and throwing it out, in the garage and garden shed. Line trimmer stopped yesterday, and that turned out to be a seized bearing that melted the plastic housing. Beyond economic repair unfortunately. Ordered another from Amazon.

About to watch the start of the F1 Australian Grand Prix. Go Oscar Piastri .