What did you do today?

[Bar Nuthin 1,056]

On our fishing trip last year, we had a couple nights of trodding out in the rain to turn on our bilge pump every couple of hours. This year, I talked my buddy into letting me get his boat out of storage and doing some much needed work to it.

• Degreased the rear bilge compartment
• Replaced leaking fuel fill hose
• Re-wired everything in the back end - counted 17+ butt connectors in my trash can.
• Repaired a broken bilge pump.

But today I did an upgrade that had a very satisfying result.  I installed an automatic float switch (solid state) and wired up a new 3-way switch for it (on-off-auto). I've had float switches in the past that fail. If they don't turn on you risk sinking your boat. If they don't turn off you can burn up a pump or completely drain your battery.

 

So, I decided to see if I could add an indicator light to at least let me know if the thing was cycling on and off. No guarantee the pump is working, but at least I'll know then it's powered on.

 

 

 

Edited Friday at 04:09 AM by Bar Nuthin
typo

[ebinmaine 72,575]

7 hours ago, Horsin'round said:

 

Early on,  I would invest in a tool for each job I took on,  rather than hire out.  Fleshed out a pretty well stocked shop this way.  Rationalized/ justified the cost that did not go to a contractor. 

 

 

Pretty much what we do.  

 

We do not tackle house electricity or plumbing. Too much insurance liability. 

 

Otherwise all options get weighed carefully. 

[adsm08 3,212]

9 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

It's amazing what you can do when you have the right tools.

 

Isn't it?

 

I work on cars 9 to 10 hours a day at work, usually without issues, doing complex stuff. I come home and struggle with simple things because I just don't have the same level of tools at home.

[Handy Don 14,054]

9 hours ago, adsm08 said:

struggle with simple things because I just don't have the same level of tools at home.

For many long years, I didn’t have the budget for expanding my tool collection so I can relate to your situation. Only in the past few years have I reached “pretty well equipped."

[adsm08 3,212]

58 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

For many long years, I didn’t have the budget for expanding my tool collection so I can relate to your situation. Only in the past few years have I reached “pretty well equipped."

 

I am looking to hang up the wrench professionally in the next year, while I am also trying to build a garage large enough to put up my lift, and accommodate my 10 foot long tool box (Pretty sure my wife doesn't know how big it actually is).

 

I should soon be able to do most things I do at work at home very easily.

[ebinmaine 72,575]

1 hour ago, Handy Don said:

For many long years, I didn’t have the budget for expanding my tool collection so I can relate to your situation. Only in the past few years have I reached “pretty well equipped

 

Due to circumstances that we have both created and not being in control of, we've either inherited or been given different things from several folks over the last several years.

One example might be a weed wacker that some guy from New York State brought up.

Both of my sisters are pretty good at attacking DIY projects. Maybe more so than either one of their husbands.

But my mother is highly cognizant of the extreme level of activity and the dozens or hundreds of projects that my own BBT has and will accomplish.

My mom was following in my late father's own footsteps after he passed in that both of them were trying to make sure all of his tools and supplies landed in the most appropriate hands.

[Handy Don 14,054]

57 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

My mom was following in my late father's own footsteps after he passed in that both of them were trying to make sure all of his tools and supplies landed in the most appropriate hands.

When my Dad was able to take only a modest bag of tools when he moved to a senior living apartment, I persuaded him not to specify recipients for the rest—let them choose. We drew lots for children order and also for the interested grandchildren order. Three rounds for children, one round for grandchildren. Keep going until finished.

We brothers mostly took the larger power tools we didn’t already own then smaller tools to fill out our own shops. Movingly, each and every grandchild chose a tool or two they had actually used with Grampa to make something in his shop. I have kept a collection of his tools to pass on to his great-grandchildren. 

[Ed Kennell 41,920]

Just got home before another thunderstorm.  We spent the day with my oldest Grandson in at Lehigh University.  He gave us a tour of the biophysics lab where he works while working on his dissertation for his physics PHD.     Then we took a walking tour of the Stacks. 

 

the stacks bethlehem pa - Search

 

 

Edited Friday at 11:50 PM by Ed Kennell

[davem1111 2,159]

1 hour ago, Ed Kennell said:

Just got home before another thunderstorm.  We spent the day with my oldest Grandson in at Lehigh University.  He gave us a tour of the biophysics lab where he works while working on his dissertation for his physics PHD.     Then we took a walking tour of the Stacks. 

 

the stacks bethlehem pa - Search

 

 

Ah, memories. I used to live in Upper Bucks county and drove to west Allentown every day to work, usually taking a route that took me in sight of the Stacks. I like what they've done with the area, making it a destination with attractions. Have been to a concert there that was pretty awesome. My oldest daughter went to Lehigh for a while and I liked seeing the campus, especially up on the hill.

[8ntruck 7,824]

I spent some time at the Old Iron tractor and engine show in Mc Bride, MI. this afternoon.  It is a small local show.  Featured tractor was Farmall/IH.  Featured garden tractor was Cub Cadet.  Got to look up the featured hit n miss engine.  Wheel Horses were well represented - most of them round hoods.

 

Anybody ever hear of a Pennsylvania garden tractor?  There was one there.

 

One guy had a display of running hit n miss engines running implements to show the youngsters what they were used for.  He had a pump, a couple of corn grinders, and a corn sheller, pumping, grinding, and shelling.  Interesting person to talk to as well.

 

I passed on an AC that was offered to me for $1,000.  Ran, drove, had fresh tires, probably would have fit on my trailer - which i did not have with me.

 

Got to organize the pictures I took.  I'll post them soon.

[ebinmaine 72,575]

11 minutes ago, 8ntruck said:

Pennsylvania garden tractor?  There was one there.

 

Pennsylvania Panzer...

Neat little rigs.  

[Ed Kennell 41,920]

22 minutes ago, 8ntruck said:

anybody ever hear of a Pennsylvania garden tractor?

[Ed Kennell 41,920]

Took a morning walk around the farm.   My Amish neighbors sweet corn on the left and the corporate farmers field corn on the right.

 

The field corn is 10' tall with 2-3 ears on each stalk.

 

 

 

[c-series don 9,996]

What you don’t see in this picture is the couple of ears of sweet corn that are in Ed’s pockets 🤣🤣

[Ed Kennell 41,920]

4 minutes ago, c-series don said:

What you don’t see in this picture is the couple of ears of sweet corn that are in Ed’s pockets 🤣🤣

A small price to pay for the acres of mowing I do around the farm.

[Ed Kennell 41,920]

10 hours ago, davem1111 said:

 

Ah, memories. I used to live in Upper Bucks county and drove to west Allentown every day to work, usually taking a route that took me in sight of the Stacks. I like what they've done with the area, making it a destination with attractions. Have been to a concert there that was pretty awesome. My oldest daughter went to Lehigh for a while and I liked seeing the campus, especially up on the hill.

After purchasing a 5axis White Sundstrand Omni Mill in 1980 to machine hydro turbine blades, I spent a semester at Lehigh studying machine tool design.

The steel stacks were still in operation.    The contrast between the preserved old and the new modern buildings is striking.   My Grandson just bought and restored one of the old row houses on Evans street where many of the immigrant steel workers lived.  It's a 5 minute walk to the Steel Stacks or to the Physics lab where he works.

[Mickwhitt 5,126]

On 7/25/2025 at 9:55 AM, ebinmaine said:

 

We do not tackle house electricity or plumbing. Too much insurance liability. 

I have a bash at anything, plumbing is easy for stuff like new taps, radiator swaps etc.  Electrickery is a bit more involved due to the constantly updated regulations that sparkies have to adhere to. But wiring in extra sockets or a new lighting circuit is well within my grasp. 

 

Getting a decent tradesman  to do small jobs is almost impossible, they either don't want it or charge the earth.

Odd job blokes are everywhere but thats no different to doing it yourself. 

 

My tools all came from buying to do a specific project and make it easier. There is no one for me to pass them onto as we don't have kids and my nieces and nephews couldn't change their own mind,  let alone a flat tyre or light bulb.

 

I took my car in for service yesterday, it's a hybrid electric so there is  nothing I could do on it anyway.

 

As I sat having a coffee in the dealership they sent me a live feed video of the mechanic actually doing my service, he has a body worn camera on and takes you round the car during his inspection.  Nifty. 

[adsm08 3,212]

I pulled a tick off the one dog's eye. Thought it was an eye goober at first.

 

Oh, and I swapped my 185 gallon fish tank for a 200.

[Handy Don 14,054]

“Heroically" repaired my spouse’s “go to” hairdryer. It kept turning itself off while in use. I discovered the internal air inlet screen looked like the dryer lint filter after a load of wash—low airflow caused it trip the overheat protection. 

 

Joined a village-sponsored “Paddle” accompanied by the village historian who shared stories (and some tales) of happenings on, in, and near our river over the last 200+ years. The tip of the bow of my wood-oared Adirondack Guideboat is at the bottom—all the other boats were plastic!

[Wayne0 1,187]

2 hours ago, Handy Don said:

“Heroically" repaired my spouse’s “go to” hairdryer. It kept turning itself off while in use. I discovered the internal air inlet screen looked like the dryer lint filter after a load of wash—low airflow caused it trip the overheat protection. 

 

Joined a village-sponsored “Paddle” accompanied by the village historian who shared stories (and some tales) of happenings on, in, and near our river over the last 200+ years. The tip of the bow of my wood-oared Adirondack Guideboat is at the bottom—all the other boats were plastic!

Good on the wood! I love a Cedar strip canoe!!

I drive by Lowell's Boat shop in Amesbury, MA. all the time. They have been making Amesbury Skiffs since the 1800s.

Still there on the Merrimack river. Great piece of history.

Edited 23 hours ago by Wayne0

[19richie66 17,633]

Repurposed two blower fans to shop fans today. Nice to have hot air flow on these 100 plus summer days.  They work great.

[8ntruck 7,824]

2 hours ago, Wayne0 said:

Good on the wood! I love a Cedar strip canoe!!

I drive by Lowell's Boat shop in Amesbury, MA. all the time. They have been making Amesbury Skiffs since the 1800s.

Still there on the Merrimack river. Great piece of history.

We've got an Old Towne plastic kayck and a chepo Wally World kayck.    The ease of paddling them is a couple of quantum levels.  My wife uses the Old Town, and I am working pretty hard to keep up with her in the cheapo.

 

Been looking at plans and kits to build a wooden kayck.  I've  found a couple with similar hull lines to the Old Towne.  Almost ready to pull the trigger on a kit.

[Wayne0 1,187]

10 hours ago, 8ntruck said:

We've got an Old Towne plastic kayck and a chepo Wally World kayck.    The ease of paddling them is a couple of quantum levels.  My wife uses the Old Town, and I am working pretty hard to keep up with her in the cheapo.

 

Been looking at plans and kits to build a wooden kayck.  I've  found a couple with similar hull lines to the Old Towne.  Almost ready to pull the trigger on a kit.

Several years back, I sold my 10' Old Town Loon kayak. Stupid mistake.

[ebinmaine 72,575]

Went for a hill walk this morning. 

Yepp. Trina checked her All trails app. 3.69 miles and 554 feet Elevation gain.  

 

We've known about this cabin in the forest for years. Today we walked over to it. 

 

 

We found there's a people made small pool in the stream bed. Dry now. 

This view is from the downstream side. 

 

 

Red shows the "rim". Yellow shows added rocks. Blue shows where the water would gather up.  

 

 

 

 

[oliver2-44 10,703]

1 hour ago, ebinmaine said:

 

 

 

Red shows the "rim". Yellow shows added rocks. Blue shows where the water would gather up.  

 

 

Growing up we routinely built a pool in the creek on our farm.  There was an area where the creek had eroded the black dirt down to a nice limestone/soap stone bottom.  A few boulders stuck up enough for us to fill the gaps with smaller stones and clay.  Heavy rains would wash it out, but the boulders remained for us to rebuild again.  Before entering, we would check the pool for water moccasins, frogs, or any creature that dared come in view of our trusty pellet guns on the ready.  When Mom would see our muddy clothes, she would just say undress outside and head for the shower. She knew boys would be boys.   

Edited 5 hours ago by oliver2-44