What did you do today

[MickinOz]

Not exactly "what I did today", but I found this interesting study of kangaroo behaviour I just had to share.
I can attest this is not AI. This is 100% what a kangaroo would do in the circumstances.

 

[Tom&Shelly]

"Spent all last week marking the property line, then one night of heavy rain, and now I've gotta start all over again!" Or, at least, that's what I imagine the dog is thinking.

Yes. The dog. That's who we're talking about. The dog.

Tom

 

[Tom&Shelly]

I've been cleaning out my late Father-in-law's workshop, and think I'll try keeping this, since we don't have a generator (and have an out-building with no electricity)

I'm not sure Predator still makes generators. I think maybe they had quality control problems so switched to making drones.

According to the family, it hasn't been run since the covid lock-down. I drained the gasoline (which we'll mostly use to water some deserving salt-cedar). So, if I clean and oil the air filter, change the oil, and clean the plug (another use for the old gasoline), is there anything else critical to do before trying to start it up?

At 6 years I suspect varnished gasoline might be a problem. Unfortunately, my friend who knew how to overhaul small engines has moved out of town. Maybe that's something I should learn?

Seriously, if anyone has advice, I'm interested. Thank you!

Tom

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Pull it through a few times to get some oil to the rings (or a tiny bit through the spark plug hole), give it a sparing shot of ether, and bring it back to life.

 

[MickinOz]

I've been cleaning out my late Father-in-law's workshop, and think I'll try keeping this, since we don't have a generator (and have an out-building with no electricity)

View attachment 2418020
I'm not sure Predator still makes generators. I think maybe they had quality control problems so switched to making drones.

According to the family, it hasn't been run since the covid lock-down. I drained the gasoline (which we'll mostly use to water some deserving salt-cedar). So, if I clean and oil the air filter, change the oil, and clean the plug (another use for the old gasoline), is there anything else critical to do before trying to start it up?

At 6 years I suspect varnished gasoline might be a problem. Unfortunately, my friend who knew how to overhaul small engines has moved out of town. Maybe that's something I should learn?

Seriously, if anyone has advice, I'm interested. Thank you!

Tom

If you are lucky, the generator was stopped last time it was used by turning off the fuel and running it dry. I do this with mine, and I have no trouble with the carb gunking up.

Inspect the air filter (if it hasn't been running it shouldn't need cleaning) change the oil, inspect the plug (again, if it hasn't been running it shouldn't need cleaning), fuel her up and give it a whirl.

 

[MickinOz]

This week, we had a day in the mid - 20s centigrade, so I fired the wood oven. My little 13" gas pizza oven makes a pretty decent pizza, but you still can't beat a woodfired one.

 

[Tom&Shelly]

Thank you, guys! I looked at the generator this morning and the fuel shut off is in the off position, suggesting that's how it was shut off last, and knowing the folks who would have run it, I'm pretty confident it was well cared for, until it was left for six years or so. Should have some relatively warm weather coming up in a few days, so I'll look at it in detail then, and probably try starting it up.

Tom

 

[MickinOz]

Thank you, guys! I looked at the generator this morning and the fuel shut off is in the off position, suggesting that's how it was shut off last, and knowing the folks who would have run it, I'm pretty confident it was well cared for, until it was left for six years or so. Should have some relatively warm weather coming up in a few days, so I'll look at it in detail then, and probably try starting it up.

Tom

Tom,
One more thing. Generators work by spinning a coil of wire inside a magnetic field or spinning magnets inside coils of wire. (Apologies if I'm stating the obvious to a subject matter expert. )
Just in case you don't know, many small generators don't have any actual permanent magnets fitted.
If they've got the slightest bit of residual magnetism in the iron structure of the generator section, they self-excite.
However, this magnetism is not permanent. It is possible for them to lose their excitation if the generator is allowed to sit without being used for a long time.
This is a long-winded way of saying that it is possible that when you get this generator running it may not generate any electricity, if it is the type that does not have any permanent magnets.
But do not panic, and do not pull the thing apart. If it has lost its magnetism and ability to self-excite, the fix is simple if a tiny bit dangerous.
When you get it running, let us know how you go.

 

[Tom&Shelly]

Nice day today, so I got the generator started. Disappointingly, it still had enough residual magnetism to self-start. (After your post, Mick, I looked up flashing a generator. Was ready to try a drill to get some energy into the system. Thank you for the head's up that it might be a problem!)

My fancy spark plug sockets won't fit around other parts of the engine, so I just left it alone for now. Ran the engine for 20 minutes to get oil through the system. I have some cheapy sheet metal wrenches that I'll bring down after lunch to try on the spark plug.

I did pull the cord a few times in what purports to be full choke with no results. It started right up when I took it out of choke. I'll try again later to see if running for a while made that better.

Later this afternoon: Found a sheet metal wrench (really a socket sort of thing) that took out the plug. A lot dirtier than I would have expected. Cleaned it up, put it back and it started on the first pull.

The generator is in our garage a long way from the house, which has an uphill driveway that isn't in good shape. If we find a small yard trailer that I can hitch to the Jeep I may get it to mount the generator on, for emergency power outages.

Thanks again for the suggestions!

Tom

 

[Tom&Shelly]

Found this back in one of my late father-in-law's sheds:

The idea is to take a circular saw, turn it upside down and mount it, and suddenly you have a table saw! What can possibly go wrong?

I found an orange miter gauge, which I suspect goes with this, but no fence. I know people have made similar table saws on Youtube, and Norm Abrams says his father had made one. I would have thought liability issues would have kept any commercial products off the market though.

Don't think I use this that way, but it folds up similar a Workmate, so I may use it as a workbench, or at least more horizontal space.

Tom

 

[MickinOz]

Good score on the generator Tom. We had a really bad storm across my state that brought down some main transmission towers a few years ago. It took several days to restore power. Luckily, a neighbour had a generator. After he ran out of fuel, I was able to trade boat fuel for some electricity to run the freezers. I have not been without a generator since, and I've had to use it a couple of times. I put stabiliser in the tank and run the generator a couple times a year. The peace of mind is invaluable when its going to be 45C and you have the whole family coming for Christmas dinner.

 

[Tom&Shelly]

Good score on the generator Tom. We had a really bad storm across my state that brought down some main transmission towers a few years ago. It took several days to restore power. Luckily, a neighbour had a generator. After he ran out of fuel, I was able to trade boat fuel for some electricity to run the freezers. I have not been without a generator since, and I've had to use it a couple of times. I put stabiliser in the tank and run the generator a couple times a year. The peace of mind is invaluable when its going to be 45C and you have the whole family coming for Christmas dinner.

I can imagine! I knew when I moved out here to the country that we might have outages, and our well pump runs on electricity, so I have stored water as well as candles, an oil lamp, etc. Funny though, it's more reliable in rural New Mexico than it was in Los Angeles when I lived there. Home battery backup is getting efficient enough that we'll probably have that installed in a year to two to take care of the pump. But the generator is still nice if needed in the meantime, and for the outbuilding.

I try and run all of my small gasoline engines every three months and change the oil etc. periodically. In addition to the generator, I have a wood-chipper and log splitter. I use gas stabilizer on all, and keep about 20 gallons, stabilized, for emergencies in the garage, which I cycle through, so it's changed out within three years.

Funny thing about emergencies though, one year, before I met Shelly, we had record cold temps here and a fairly new friend from down in Albuquerque called because she was worried about me living up here in the "cabin". I told her I was fine, as I had a wood stove and the plumbing was buried in the ground to keep from freezing. Next morning, the gas lines from Texas froze, so most of Albuquerque lost their heat. pipes in exterior walls froze, etc. As I have propane, I didn't even know about it until seeing the news. Sometimes rural living is safer!

Tom

 

[Tony Latham]

Well... my latest book showed up in the Amazon jungle.

I've felt that this was one of those stories that just needed to be told. Here's the blurb:


Game Warden Art Teed vanished on a smoke-choked August day in 1934, last seen pursuing wildlife thieves in the backwoods of Idaho. What followed was the largest manhunt in the state’s history–more than a thousand men scouring mountains, forests, and rivers for answers that never came. His wife and two sons lived out their lives haunted by a single question: Did he die in the line of duty, or did he choose to disappear? Nearly ninety years later, one unexpected phone call shattered the silence–and reopened a mystery everyone thought was buried–Idaho’s oldest cold murder case.

Tony

 

[Tom&Shelly]

Wow! How many murders happened in Idaho? It's such a nice peaceful place.

Amazon is estimating the book will be here Sunday. Looking forward to it!

Tom

 

[Tony Latham]

Looking forward to it!

Tom:

Please let me know what you think.

Tony

 

[Tom&Shelly]

Tom:

Please let me know what you think.

Tony

It was a good read! Thank you, Tony!

Tom

 

[Tony Latham]

It was a good read! Thank you, Tony!

Thanks!

T

 

[TwilaR]

I went down a rabbit hole today and ordered Tony's book.

 

[Tony Latham]

I went down a rabbit hole today and ordered Tony's book.

When I took on this endeavor, the question running through my mind was how to tell the story.

The problem I had with it was that Teed's story starts in 1934 and lay dormant for 89 years. I think I figured out that issue.

Please let me know.

Tony

 

[TwilaR]

Oops, I should have been more clear. I ordered your teardrop book. But I love a good mystery, so I probably won't be able to resist....