What I did today -instead- of Rocketry.

[teepot]

When I got up I did what I usually do. I sat at the computer and looked at my Schwab account. One of the stocks I have is Raytheon. It's been flat for a while. I was looking at other options. I looked at AeroVironment. Looked good. When I looked at one of the rating companies recommendations it said to avoid. So I didn't buy any. The next day the stock went from $128 a share to $156. This morning it opened at $150 and at one point it was up $35 a share. Finished at $169. Ouch. I also did battle with the weeds. Went thru 4 gallons yesterday and another 4 gallons today. In a week or two I'll do it again if I have to. There is an air filtering device we saw during Covid. The ones I make use four 20"x20" air filters. Make a square and set a box fan on top so it pulls air in thru the filters. I had already made two after we say them. Tonight I made another one. First I make a frame. It needs to be big enough for the box of filters to easily fit inside. Put the box fan on top of the filters. I put some boards or dowels across the top to keep the cats from getting on the fan. I was making a cage of dowels at first. But the cats would scratch at the filters anyway. I found some pet proof screen. So I wrapped the first two and won't use as much wood on this one. Just the screen. The first one I made we put in the room with the cat box. After a couple of weeks the filters were noticeable dirty. I swap the filters out about every three months. They work better than any bought air cleaner. The dust around the house is less now that they are running. Just one filter set up cleans more air than the filters in the ducts. And speaking of ducks. The ducks that were in our pool last year are back. Got rid of a pack rat and get ducks instead. About 20 minutes to 1am I was outside looking at the Stars and heard an explosion. I looked in the direction of the sound and saw a building on fire. Big fire too. I watched for a minute and went to call 911. Then I herd sirens. Went inside and told my wife. Went back outside. No sirens. Called 911. The fire department was on the way. So 15 minutes after the explosion and they weren't there yet. When they got there they didn't put the fire out. The building burnt to the ground and then they put water on it. They stayed way back when they got there. Probably because of the explosion. It might be in the paper Wednesday or Friday.

here are some pictures. The one of the fire isn't good. The fire was more than a mile away and I used my phone.

 

[NTP2]

About 20 minutes to 1am I was outside looking at the Stars and heard an explosion. I looked in the direction of the sound and saw a building on fire. Big fire too. I watched for a minute and went to call 911. Then I herd sirens. Went inside and told my wife. Went back outside. No sirens. Called 911. The fire department was on the way. So 15 minutes after the explosion and they weren't there yet. When they got there they didn't put the fire out. The building burnt to the ground and then they put water on it. They stayed way back when they got there. Probably because of the explosion. It might be in the paper Wednesday or Friday.

here are some pictures. The one of the fire isn't good. The fire was more than a mile away and I used my phone.View attachment 634173

What on earth could that be?! Do you have anything in your town that would explode like that?!

 

[boatgeek]

What on earth could that be?! Do you have anything in your town that would explode like that?!

As demonstrated a couple of weeks ago back east, a propane tank can do a lot of damage (and kill firefighters) if it blows in a fire. I can definitely understand the firefighters hanging back if the structure looked like it was already gone. No sense in risking their lives for no added benefit.

 

[NTP2]

As demonstrated a couple of weeks ago back east, a propane tank can do a lot of damage (and kill firefighters) if it blows in a fire. I can definitely understand the firefighters hanging back if the structure looked like it was already gone. No sense in risking their lives for no added benefit.

Ahh that makes sense! I’d hang back too…

 

[Wayco]

Got up early this morning (3:30 am) and worked on our lists for the Argonia cup launch in Kansas. After the Jacuzzi we went over to the storage area and picked up YLOJAK, our 1993 Pontiac TransAm. It's running now after being in storage for four years.
After spending a week at the repair facility to remove and clean the fuel tank, replace the fuel pump, recharge the A/C and replace the serpentine belt it was ready to hit the road again. Took it to emissions testing and it passed! Drove it around doing errands today and it's just as scary fast as it ever was. Might need some shocks, and there is a little stutter when you hit the gas hard, which might be injectors, but this is a thirty year old car, and neither of those things have ever been replaced. A little TLC and he will be ready for a road trip.

 

[Greg Furtman]

Got up early this morning (3:30 am) and worked on our lists for the Argonia cup launch in Kansas. After the Jacuzzi we went over to the storage area and picked up YLOJAK, our 1993 Pontiac TransAm. It's running now after being in storage for four years.
After spending a week at the repair facility to remove and clean the fuel tank, replace the fuel pump, recharge the A/C and replace the serpentine belt it was ready to hit the road again. Took it to emissions testing and it passed! Drove it around doing errands today and it's just as scary fast as it ever was. Might need some shocks, and there is a little stutter when you hit the gas hard, which might be injectors, but this is a thirty year old car, and neither of those things have ever been replaced. A little TLC and he will be ready for a road trip.

Is this your car?

 

[Wayco]

Yes. 155,000 miles.
Thanks for posting up that video, really enjoyed watching it!


.

 

[John Kemker]

When I bought Der Red Maxine (my 2014 Ram 1500 2-door) in 2020, Carmax didn't include a spare tire or a jack. Had the tool you use to lower the spare, but no spare. I went on eBay and bought what I thought would work as a spare, but it was a regular alloy wheel and wouldn't fit under the truck. So, it stayed in the bed of my truck, taking up space.

Finally pulled the trigger on an actual spare rim for about $70, shipped, on eBay. (About what I spent on the other rim, less tire.) It was supposed to come without a tire, just the rim, but it arrived today (after going from Defuniak Springs, FL to Ellenwood, GA to Kearby, NJ, back to Covington, GA, thanks, FedEx!) and it came with a perfectly usable tire already installed! Took it to my local tire store and they looked at it, along with looking at my left-rear tire (losing air, had a nail in it) and it was pronounced in perfect condition and good to go. Ezekiel, the guy at the tire store, even put it under the truck for me, after plugging the nail hole in the regular tire!

 

[teepot]

The explosion came before the fire. At first I thought it was a transformer that blew. But it was still on the pole. The fire started a second after the explosion. I was outside and was looking in that general direction. The building was fully engulfed in a couple of seconds.

Today I finished the filter box. Went to Home Depot for the screen and some roofing nails. The wind blew so hard here a few days ago that it blew two shingles off the well house. Stopped at Walmart for a couple of things on the way home.

 

[Greg Furtman]

Yes. 155,000 miles.
Thanks for posting up that video, really enjoyed watching it!
View attachment 634272

.

What a sweet looking car!

 

[prfesser]

(Yesterday) Pain Management, talked to an actual MD. If I understood him correctly, they may be able to do some injections for my neck, but not for the arm, or at least not until I can get off the blood thinners (November). So it goes. Also got groceries at Aldi's which we don't have in Murray. At least not yet. (I'm a strange creature who has looked forward to grocery shopping once or twice every week for the last almost-half-century. Doubtless a commentary on my brain...)

 

[OverTheTop]

(I'm a strange creature who has looked forward to grocery shopping once or twice every week for the last almost-half-century. Doubtless a commentary on my brain...)

It's the Aldi special buys that have you hooked .

They had a wood lathe a while back for $150.

 

[jqavins]

(Doubtless a commentary on my brain...)

Doubtless, but a commentary meaning what?

 

[OverTheTop]

Been a busy few days. Been having problems with our internet, lots of intermittent dropouts (as an example 13 on Wednesday) Purchased a new router, WiFi6 capable, and proved it wasn't that. It is an issue with the NBN (National Broadband Network). Booked a tech to come yesterday morning. Waited all morning. No show. Phoned the ISP and they said that the internet was working and so they cancelled the tech . Not only that, they said they sent me an SMS to my home phone (we can't get SMS on home phones). Incompetent turkeys. More dropouts occurred in the afternoon. Made a complaint and they got back to me today. Will send a tech on Tuesday morning (supposedly).

Tidied the workshop a bit whilst waiting for the tech.

While chatting to them I asked about cheaper plans. I currently pay $95pcm. They offered a plan for $75pcm. Was signing up and then I noticed in the paperwork that it was that price for six months, then went to $99pcm. Very sneaky, as he hadn't mentioned that, and I told him so. The complaints team today extended the discount for 12 months, and I will also swap to a cheaper $85 plan.

The old WiFi router I have put out on the verandah, and I now get very good connection to my cameras on the building site.

The new WiFi router will cover inside the house, and up to 128 (!) devices. Nice.

New house is getting bricks


Now I need to get back to fixing my sprinkler valves (weekend is going to be 100*F give or take for three days), and other renovation items on the current house.

 

[tsmith1315]

A friend told me to check my mail today, and this is what I found when I got home:



Awesome!!!

 

[Greg Furtman]

While chatting to them I asked about cheaper plans. I currently pay $95pcm. They offered a plan for $75pcm. Was signing up and then I noticed in the paperwork that it was that price for six months, then went to $99pcm. Very sneaky, as he hadn't mentioned that, and I told him so. The complaints team today extended the discount for 12 months, and I will also swap to a cheaper $85 plan.

As an American I've never heard pcm in relationship to an internet provider. I Googled it & found nothing. What does it mean? Thanks.

 

[bjphoenix]

Carmax didn't include a spare tire or a jack. Had the tool you use to lower the spare, but no spare. I went on eBay and bought what I thought would work as a spare, but it was a regular alloy wheel and wouldn't fit under the truck

My car didn't come from the factory with a spare or a jack. (The model I have comes with larger tires than the base model and they don't fit in the well in the trunk.) I went online and bought a spare wheel/tire and a jack. The tire was shipped to my office wrapped in brown paper, a big donut. My coworkers really laughed when our tiny little female receptionist rolled it down the hall to my office. It fit reasonable well in the trunk. The jack that I bought must have been for a different model because it didn't fit where it should.
I should say that the car came from the factory with run-flat tires as well a pressure sensors in each tire. The tires do work- I was on a trip one time and the dash display told me I had a flat. It didn't feel any different but I pulled over and sure enough no air pressure. I put on my spare and went on with my trip.

 

[John Kemker]

My car didn't come from the factory with a spare or a jack. (The model I have comes with larger tires than the base model and they don't fit in the well in the trunk.) I went online and bought a spare wheel/tire and a jack. The tire was shipped to my office wrapped in brown paper, a big donut. My coworkers really laughed when our tiny little female receptionist rolled it down the hall to my office. It fit reasonable well in the trunk. The jack that I bought must have been for a different model because it didn't fit where it should.
I should say that the car came from the factory with run-flat tires as well a pressure sensors in each tire. The tires do work- I was on a trip one time and the dash display told me I had a flat. It didn't feel any different but I pulled over and sure enough no air pressure. I put on my spare and went on with my trip.

Yeah, but normally, the Ram 1500 comes with a spare and a jack. CarMax either sold them, or the previous owner (before CarMax) sold them or kept them.

 

[OverTheTop]

As an American I've never heard pcm in relationship to an internet provider. I Googled it & found nothing. What does it mean? Thanks.

Per calendar month.

 

[NateB]

As demonstrated a couple of weeks ago back east, a propane tank can do a lot of damage (and kill firefighters) if it blows in a fire. I can definitely understand the firefighters hanging back if the structure looked like it was already gone. No sense in risking their lives for no added benefit.

Agreed. Industrial facilties can be anything, but modern home construction leaves very little time for a safe attack and sometimes even a safe egress for anyone inside. Engineered lumber and studs which are glued together loose strength with the heat of the fire before they are burned. Composites and plastics burn hotter and with more toxic gasses than old lumber. Most rural buildings will be too far involved by the time we get to them to save much.

 

[Cape Byron]

Started casting a two piece concrete cover for a drain manifold.

Could I buy one? Sure - a one piece cover was ~$30. Two piece is easier and not as heavy.

Foam broccoli box mould.





Dump in concrete mix and stir. Allow to harden.



Un-mould and be admired (by puppies) as a skilled artisan.



Mould to be re-used tomorrow for the second piece. Concrete won’t bond to the foam box.

Follow me for more DIY budget homemaker skills.

 

[OverTheTop]

Stopped at Supercheap Auto on the way home and picked up a pneumatic framing nail gun capable of driving 4" nails. Clearance, priced at $97. Bargain even if it only does a few jobs before expiring.

Visit to a myotherapist for an hour of massage to loosen up my seriously tight back. Hopefully a few day of no pain are in my near future.

Got home and the new broadband WiFi6 (802.11ax) modem had arrived. Connected it up, rejigged the various WiFi access points/routers. Things going well, when it is connected. Had dropouts already. Monitoring. The cable into the house is still likely defective. They are purportedly coming Tuesday morning to repair it.

Also had a package from Temu arrive. It included one of those new-fangled soft-shackles, and a pulley. Recovery gear for my Jeep. Much lighter than the old-school bow-shackle and snatch-block.


I have now started labeling all the keys I have for this place, for the convenience of whoever purchases it later in the year.

 

[chrisudy]

Finally got started on my new basement workshop in the new house (5 months after moving in). It’ll be 25 feet by about 9 feet. Goal is to have it done in three weeks, including building new workbenches.

 

[Greg Furtman]

Worked on my scratch built RC sailboat Emma. It has been an enjoyable and challenging build. I hope to have her finished by the time the lakes open up and times get warmer.

 

[teepot]

The explosion and fire were in the paper today [Friday]. The structure was two RV trailers connected together. The article said an elderly man died. The fire department hung back because of a venting propane tank and ammunition cooking off. When it happened I had just turned around from looking in that direction. Explosion first and then the fire.

Today I had a doctors appointment Then dropped off a load for Good Will and dropped off the recycling. Woke up this morning to a thunder storm that wasn't in the forecast.

 

[BrendanH69]

Got home and the new broadband WiFi6 (802.11ax) modem had arrived. Connected it up, rejigged the various WiFi access points/routers. Things going well, when it is connected. Had dropouts already. Monitoring. The cable into the house is still likely defective. They are purportedly coming Tuesday morning to repair it.

I had similar regular and frequent drop out issues with my NBN about a year ago. We are FTTC "fibre to the curb".

Lots of polite but firm phone calls and conversations over about 3 months with the support team, backed up with my log of dropout dates and times, which helped them validate the dropouts were not imaginary. They spent lots of support time on the phone with me. They sent various Techs to check wiring at the curb side box and fixed a few issues there. They replaced the NBN box. I too upgraded my wifi router during the process. However the dropouts kept happening.

Nothing solved it until they obviously got frustrated spending so much time with me that they finally sent a real technician to the house who was much more experienced. He diagnosed the problem pretty quickly and rectified it.
Apparently all Aussie houses have the phone lines run from the street and into the kitchen first, and then the cables are run from there to other points in the house, e.g. the office & bedrooms. A kitchen remodel deleted the visible wall phone outlet but the telephone junction box was kept but buried back inside the wall (he could detect it). He identified that the wiring to it had degraded or the connection inside it had degraded, so he bypassed it entirely by making a new junction/connector in the roof as close to where the cable came into the house, thus shortening the cable run (less signal loss I expect) and making a good connection down into the one remaining point that mattered, in the office. Didn't cost me a cent and no dropouts since.

 

[Wayco]

Called my nephew John, who lives in the Chicago area. He is a retired GM mechanic that restored his 1971 Firebird a few years ago:


I told him about the stutter I'm getting when I accelerate in our 1993 Pontiac TransAm. He thinks it's the mass air flow sensor, and sent me a link to a video on how to troubleshoot it and replace it.

This morning we decided to cancel the trip to Argonia, KS. Sharon sponsors the rocket team from her college, Southwest Oklahoma State University. We had planned to attend the "Argonia Cup" college competition. Can't do it, too much work. Another big project came in yesterday, and I spent the morning up in the office trying to keep up with my setups.
Thursday we drove down to Bisbee, AZ. It's the county seat for Cochise county, down near the Mexico border. Spent several hours there copying old record books while Sharon did several jobs. Then we drove up to Safford, AZ. for some more research. Did a speed run from Safford to Globe, AZ to pick up a BLM map and more research, had to get there before they closed. Eighty miles of two lane secondary roads in one hour and fifteen minutes, even through a thunderstorm. Then we drove home, and caught the end of rush hour traffic.
Left Goodyear at 3:30 am and got home about 7 pm. Went to bed around 7:30.

 

[NTP2]

I got a cold and am entering the “brain dead” phase, I hate viruses…

 

[chrisudy]

Changed parking brake hardware and rear brake pads on my daughter’s car. I hate drum brakes….especially the ones inside a disc brake. Then I sanded joint compound in my new workshop.

 

[Antares JS]

We picked up a couple of new figures for it, so we played some more Godtear today. It was one of the closest games we had ever played, but my wife won in the final round by knocking out my strongest attacker.