What did you do today?

[rjg854 12,695]

3 hours ago, Ed Kennell said:

never know when a hydraulic line may rupture. 

Really glad to hear everything worked out well for you 

[953 nut 63,377]

5 hours ago, Ed Kennell said:

go in with the endoscope, find and cauterize  the leak with the laser. 

Enjoy every day guys

That is wonderful news.        

[19richie66 17,770]

Glad to hear Ed. Hope you mend quick. May everyone has a great Christmas and Happy New Year.

[8ntruck 8,406]

What did I do today? Stuff.

 

Dog and I took a 2 mile walk at mid day.  The sun was out, and I noted it's low position in the sky and long shadows being cast.  Tomorrow is winter solstice, so days will soon start getting longer and the sun higher.

 

Stopped off at the local grocery store and ordered a 4lb rib roast for Christmas dinner.

 

Stuck the new registration sticker on the minivan.  Unloaded a few 2x4s from the truck.  Lost today's cribbage game to Mrs 8n.

 

I also was pleasantly surprised when I noticed how sharp and clear the view of the other side of the lake is without glasses through the new lens that was put in last Wednesday .

 

Currently have a batch of peanut butter blossom cookies going.

[ebinmaine 76,186]

[Handy Don 15,409]

1 hour ago, ebinmaine said:

A tie?!

[ebinmaine 76,186]

Just now, Handy Don said:

A tie?!

 

The BBT and I played two games. We each won one. 

[MainelyWheelhorse 2,277]

I worked at Hannaford.  it’s the weekend before Christmas so we were uncommonly busy today. With five of us working we shopped 1000 items in the first three hours our department was open. We had 1400 items by 2:00 pm. Most orders were 50 items or less. It ended up being 40 + orders by 3pm. Our hours are 9-7 open roughly as someone is there to open at 6am and close at 8 pm. 60 orders is the cutoff for a store our size. I’ll know tomorrow how close we got as my shift ended at 3.
My paternal aunt also celebrated her 70th birthday. The party was scheduled 1-4 but as family gatherings usually go it went to 6. It was good seeing family and friends especially after a busy day at work.
I’m working tomorrow too. I’m expecting it to be like today if not worse.

[8ntruck 8,406]

Had a doctor's appointment yesterday for follow up on last week's eye ball rebuild.  Was alsoa pre appointment for getting the other eye ball rebuilt early next year.

 

All is going as it should be.  I'm finding that i don't really need my glasses when I'm not reading or doing close work - that is taking some getting used to.

 

My current glasses are prescription Z rated safety glasses.  Put the side shields on and they are shop ready.  I will end up needing reading glasses - which are a pain in the shop.  I think i will get a set of Z rated bifocals for shop usewith readers in the bottom half and no correction in the top.

[peter lena 9,609]

@Mickwhitt read about your eye , had a stroke in my left eye , early last year  , very interesting to  watch your eyeball  on a  4 ft  screen , blood flow and all related reactions , to dr,s  request to  movement areas . really an incredible  thing to watch . much better  now , but the cause is still there , check ups have been  good , stay on top of issues , pete 

[8ntruck 8,406]

Learned something yesterday!  The primer bulbs on small engines draw gas into the carb and dump excess back into the tank.  They don't pump raw gas into the carb throat.  Saw that on a Chickmech u tube video.

 

She also put forth an opinion that it is better to store a small engines for long periods (several months) with the fuel system full - preferably with a non ethanol gas with a heavy mix of 2 cycle oil.

 

Any comments or opinions on that storage theory?

[ebinmaine 76,186]

12 minutes ago, 8ntruck said:

She also put forth an opinion that it is better to store a small engines for long periods (several months) with the fuel system full - preferably with a non ethanol gas with a heavy mix of 2 cycle oil.

 

Any comments or opinions on that storage theory?

 

 

Either VERY FULL  or completely totally dry is best. 

I've done both. 

 

Honestly not sure if one's better.  

 

 

 

[Blue Chips 466]

21 minutes ago, 8ntruck said:

She also put forth an opinion that it is better to store a small engines for long periods (several months) with the fuel system full - preferably with a non ethanol gas with a heavy mix of 2 cycle oil.

Any comments or opinions on that storage theory?

 

I lean (slightly) towards storing it full, with a dose of Sta-Bil added to the fuel. If you have a gravity-feed fuel setup, make sure the fuel shut-off valve is off, just in case the float valve in the carb decides to leak.

 

 

 

Edited December 27, 2025 by Blue Chips

[Handy Don 15,409]

I go with dry carb (fuel shutoff & run until the choke won’t keep it running) for sleeps up to a couple of months.

Full dry (siphon out the gas and then run ‘till it stops) for anything longer. 

[Blue Chips 466]

I don't have much experience with WH tractor carbs other than my own, but I do have quite a bit of experience with a variety of older automotive carburetors that have leather seals/cups on accelerator pump pistons. After such a carburetor has been fueled up after rebuilding, I don't like to let it dry out, as the leather seal may shrink, and it might not always soften and swell back up adequately after re-wetting with fuel, which might require tearing down the carb and soaking the leather in oil, possibly stretching the seal, and cleaning the pump bore...or even replacing the piston/seal. It seems to depend somewhat on the type and quality of leather used for the seal, as well as whether or not the integral spring found in some leather cups/seals is adequate to overcome any shrinkage or stiffness and help it re-seal again when re-wetted.

 

As an example, here's a Dodge M37 carb that I rebuilt, which has a leather pump seal:

 

   

 

And a WWII Jeep Carter WO 539S carb I rebuilt:

 

 

 

 

[ebinmaine 76,186]

6 hours ago, Blue Chips said:

leather seals/cups

 

I've never dealt with the leather type. Always rubber or another human made product. 

The drying of seals is exactly what tuned us in to the extreme evils of ethanol in the first place. 

There's a type of carb used on bazillions (big number) of little push mowers. The rubber seal between the tank and "carb" is part of the fuel and air regulation process. There's a small flapper in there that's particularly susceptible to becoming stiff. If the engine starts at all it'll sound worse than I do. That's rough.  

 

Nowadays I don't get quite as concerned about the rubber pieces degrading rapidly IF that carb has been rebuilt. 

 

BUT.  The caviat is still the REST of the fuel system.

 

I've seen/read/heard of MANY instances where a person will be told to clean and rebuild the ENTIRE fuel system only to ignore the fuel pump or reuse contaminated lines. 

 

Another issue with the alcohol laced fuel is that like many solvents, ethanol and gasoline seem to dissolve dirt(s) at different rates. 

I can't fully describe how this occurs but we've had engines running several years here on E free that get borrowed by well meaning folk and filled with road gas ⛽️. 

Somehow. Some way. We find a different point of grime in there.  

 

 

 

 

[sqrlgtr 1,604]

46 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

borrowed by well meaning folk and filled with road gas ⛽️. 

yeah I always hated to hear "I filled her up for ya before I brung her back."

Edited December 27, 2025 by sqrlgtr

[Blue Chips 466]

1 hour ago, ebinmaine said:

Nowadays I don't get quite as concerned about the rubber pieces degrading rapidly IF that carb has been rebuilt. 

I agree. If the rubber parts have been upgraded to ethanol-resistant materials, then I'm not very concerned about ethanol. For the antique vehicles that I've worked on, I have always tried to upgrade every rubber part in the fuel system, as well as install hardened exhaust valve seat inserts to allow the use of unleaded gasoline, and if that wasn't practical, I added lead substitute to the fuel. The 1954 Dodge M37 that I'm currently restoring actually came from the factory with hardened exhaust valve seats, and being the military version of the civilian engine, it also came with a forged steel crankshaft instead of cast iron, plus several other added features, such as a totally waterproof ignition system that could run when completely submerged in water. With the optional fording kit, the truck could drive through water five feet deep, though it isn't something that I would recommend. 

[ebinmaine 76,186]

Been gettin' quite a lot of work done around here lately. 

 

This is a child sized rocking chair my mom had likely picked up many years ago for purposes I've long since forgotten. 

Made in NY. Sold in Greenfield MA. 

 

The local Refinishing Professional aka BBT aka Trina got 'hold of it. 

She hand drew the letters. Grandkid's initials. Then wood burned em in. 

 

Then got the oak colored stain out and attacked it. 

 

 

 

I've been spending my mini vacation in the workshop space doing more cleaning and organizing. Got the tunes hooked up and bought a tiny TV so I can access YT for music 🎶  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today my vacation was extended by a day because of NASTY weather. 

 

 

 

Absolutely treacherous out without hiking cleats. 

 

 

 

Got a few more boxes and totes emptied out and moved around. 

Reorganized the pile of future wood stove chimney parts. 

Emptied a stack of black bins in preparation to remove them. 

The big drill press will go where they are.  

 

 

[8ntruck 8,406]

 kind of looks like what we've had for a few days - Temps 30 +/- a few, cloudy, and drizzle.  Night before last, 20mph winds and falling temps were added to the mix. 

 

The power went out yesterday afternoon, taking the interweb with it.  Spent yesterday afternoon playing cribbage and solitaire while listening to the various generators running in the neighborhood.  Power came back a little after lunch today.

 

Saw a line crew working on the high(er) voltage (4kv?) lines that feed our street when I took the dog out for a walk.  Looks like there were some pines that might have blown over or snapped off and took out the power lines.  Saw what looked like Western Union splices in the power line over some fresh cut/trimmed trees.

 

Odd thing is that about 3 years ago contractors came through this area cutting trees and brush away from the power lines to decrease the chances for power outages. 

 

The section of lines they were working on today used to go through a stand of pines that was 40 or 50 feet wide along the side of the road.  The trees in this stand were of uniform height and spacing.  When the contractors were done clearing, that stand was many 15 feet wide between the road and power lines.  The remaining trees were looking more sickly each year since then. 

 

On the other side of the road is a state game area.  The DNR harvested some 30 acres of trees to encourage aspen and oak growth.  This took out a stand of pines about the same height as the sickly ones next to the power lines.  This left not too healthy trees freshly exposed to wind loads next to a power line.

Edited December 31, 2025 by 8ntruck

[8ntruck 8,406]

We are working on plans to build a shop and a house on the 20 acres of woods we own in Ky.  The plan is to build the shop building first, then the house.

 

We've been discussing the shop building for some time.  Today, I started making sketches and starting to tie some dimensions down.  We have decided on a metal arch building for the shop.  The shell goes up quickly, is pretty much dried in, and makes a clear floor. 

 

Initial plan is to make the building about 2/3 clear span shop space, and have the other 1/3 finished off as office space, kitchenette, and a full bath.  That way we can use it for guest quarters as well.

 

Next step is to start shopping for a building supplier and working with the county to see what sort of paperwork will be needed.  Going to have to get out on the property and shoot some elevations to get an estimate for what kind of dirt work will be needed as well.

 

Once the shop is done, trips to Ky. become much less expensive, as we will not need to stay in a hotel.

[adsm08 3,932]

On 12/29/2025 at 8:35 PM, ebinmaine said:

 

 

If you leave that dust pan in a fire, it will explode.

[ebinmaine 76,186]

32 minutes ago, adsm08 said:

 

 

If you leave that dust pan in a fire, it will explode.

 

 

I'm almost afraid to ask.... how you might know that??

[adsm08 3,932]

1 minute ago, ebinmaine said:

 

 

I'm almost afraid to ask.... how you might know that??

 

I had the same one, it got into a bag of trash that was better burnt than sent to the dump (light paper and such) and the handle exploded.

[sqrlgtr 1,604]

 boom boom new nickname???