What did you do today

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Re: What did you do today

Postby bdosborn » Thu Apr 28, 2022 7:47 am

Staryder61 wrote:Drilled a hole on each corner. Kind of a double check thing. :worship:
The first thing my wife says watching the drill bit go through "Well, we're committed now"

Yup,that's pretty much how it worked for me. :lol: DIYVAN sells an adapter that fits over the ribs on the roof to make a flat mounting surface for the vent. I thought is was horribly overpriced when I bought it but now I'm glad I did...
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And yes, I got it right (thank goodness!) :thumbsup:
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Re: What did you do today

Postby Tom&Shelly » Thu Apr 28, 2022 6:48 pm

Today I added an important safety feature to our shop

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It's a speed bump. The idea is to slow down someone before they have an accident, and also to prevent tripping over the cords for the table saw and dust collector.

I also added one of those nifty devices that, when you turn on the shop vac (dust collector), 2 seconds later the saw comes on, and when you turn it off, 15 seconds later the saw turns off--or vice versa if you install it correctly! :thinking:

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So I thought I was going to buy a $50 box from iVAC that you plug both the saw and vacuum into. However, when I looked into it, it turns out their original product wasn't meant to handle 1.75 HP (14 amp) saws or 1.5 HP (12 amp) vacuum cleaners. Seems there was originally some confusion on that point, both by the consumers and by the iVAC company itself, which led to several generations of improvements as well as discontinued models.

Today, the way to do it seems to be to use one of these clamp on, current detecting, transmitters.

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Now me, and I'd say, most other EE's who understand clamp-on ammeters, would be skeptical that this device, which takes the wires with current going in both directions, would even work; which may be why it took so long for someone to invent it. Any way, the signal is transmitted by radio to this receiver box, which controls the vacuum cleaner.

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For some reason, even though they insist I need this box for the 12 amp vacuum, and I know I can use that vacuum on a 15 amp circuit, and most 20 amp plugs these days are identical to 15 amp plugs anyway, they decided to use a special 20 amp plug--the type with a side-wise blade. But, for those of us who are already sucking 14 amps from the 20 amp circuit, we can plug the box into a 15 amp circuit using the included 20 amp female to 15 amp male pig-tail. I actually thought such a thing was illegal, but when I called iVAC about it they assured me that was a sick bird, and their pig-tail was merely unlawful. So I'm glad I cleared that up!

But anyway, about $150 later (not counting the speed bump) and it all seems to work as advertised.

I used a 12 amp shop vac with 2 1/4" hose for dust collection because, after a year grabbing shop vacs at thrift stores and flea markets, this was the biggest one we have. I bought a 4 inch to 2 1/4 inch adapter from Amazon, but the 2 1/4 inch side made a loose fit, so I epoxied them permanently together using some left-over resin from a tear-drop related improvement.

I like the idea of using dedicated shop vacs over the idea of a central dust handling system because it's less expensive and less inconvenient then buying and having large hoses all over the place. Eventually, I'll probably install some more magic switches for the band saw and miter saw. With smaller vacs (the band saw and mitre saw produce less dust than the table saw) I should be able to get away with the original $50 iVAC box.

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Re: What did you do today

Postby twisted lines » Thu Apr 28, 2022 8:27 pm

Nice speed bump!
I use a firm salt water fishing rod and zip ties to go overhead with a cord, I drag my feet :NC
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Re: What did you do today

Postby Staryder61 » Mon May 02, 2022 10:18 pm

Yesterday we met up out at the lake with some of our Sons and one daughter in law and had a great time, fishing some
and then hamburgers and better cheddar sausage, home made potato salad. Was a blast and very relaxed.
Great to see them all and able to get together and spent some time.

And then today:

We spent a great day with our other Son and his wife, and of course a little angel (G-daughter).
Poppop (me) and Nana (my better half), bought little angel a play house.

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We went over and I with my son worked on putting it together. More my Son, (I'm getting old). haha
Quality time for sure for all of us.
And as you can see, (KId approved).
Stay safe, David



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http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=74704
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Re: What did you do today

Postby Tom&Shelly » Thu May 05, 2022 8:01 pm

Today, I bought a few under-cabinet LED lights from Surplus City in Albuquerque

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(Don't they look charming!)

Right before COVID hit, I found they had a bunch of these lights that were, evidently, returns to Nicor (a company here in Albuquerque). Bought a few to replace the florescent lights in our kitchen. Had one burn out, but the rest did good. So when I was at Surplus City for something else last week, I was surprised to find they still had a lot left. Since I'm thinking of building a miter saw station this Winter, I decided to buy some more for that. Got them home and tested them and they were all electrically good! The reasons for returns were usually obvious: Some had broken glass, others had smashed plastic sides where the installer tried to use a hammer and screwdriver to break the wiring knock-out. So what! They are still quite usable.

So, thinking there were only a few left, I decided this morning to buy out the rest of the stock (these are $15 for $80 fixtures, you see). When the owner saw what I was doing, he asked if I wanted some more (large ones!) that were hidden someplace else in the store. I said "sure!"; he brought out about 15 more fixtures! More than I bargained for, but what the heck.

So I spent the first part of the afternoon testing, and didn't get quite the reliability I'd expected after the first two batches--in this case six were bad electrically. I spent the 2nd part of the afternoon figuring out what was wrong with each. Different symptoms too: one wouldn't work at all (someone wrote "bad" on the box of that one--I should have listened!), one flashed each time it was turned on then went dark, one lit up dimly, and several only worked on the dim setting (most, not all, have a dim and bright mode).

I found the one that went bad from our kitchen and the one labeled "bad" had a single bad LED each in their series string. I replaced those with the LED strings from two other bad ones that, it turns out, had bad electronics. I also used the glass and sides from the bad ones to replace pieces in the electrically good ones.

So at the end of the day, I'm a little cash poorer, but have more under-cabinet lights than I know what to do with

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a situation I expect we will rectify in due time.

With our kitchen, I wasn't overly concerned with the style since they are (duh!) under-cabinet lights and not meant to be seen. X1,000,000 for in shop uses like the miter saw station. I'll probably also replace the florescent light on my electronics bench, and we'll make task lights for other parts of our shop.

I was hoping I might be able to convert some of the bad ones to 12 volt operation for our (someday) solar powered garage, but it turns out the LEDs are series strings and run on high voltage DC.

Tom
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Re: What did you do today

Postby flboy » Fri May 06, 2022 1:34 pm

Been wanting to make Pedal Assist work on my wife's e-bike I built up. Problem is that none of the Pedal Assist sensors would fit the old style crank on her beach cruiser. I used some scrap aluminum I already had and fashioned a mount then drilled the center of the magnet disk to fit the crank just right. Had to have sensor on outside because the crank housing diameter was too big and obscured the magnets. Also had to figure out which wire was which and solder because the connectors and color codes did not match. A bit of a process, but successful!

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This is the sensor I put on my bike but also had to decipher wiring. The type that came with my kit was for a different type crank and would not work with my bike.

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I really like the way the Pedal assist works. Nice addition for the $9 Hall sensors.




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Re: What did you do today

Postby Tom&Shelly » Fri May 06, 2022 5:36 pm

Today we received our monthly New Mexico Marketplace magazine and, like everyone else in New Mexico, I eagerly turned to my horoscope for May!

Pisces: You can avoid being swamped by all those tasks dangling from your line by tackling them one by one, according to priority.

That's wonderful, but I can't help wondering what the other 11/12's of the population has to do to avoid being swamped? :thinking:

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Re: What did you do today

Postby CaptKidd » Sat May 07, 2022 2:12 pm

I drove from Lordsburg, NM to El Paso, TX. Had a good tail wind so I got 19.7 mpg. Best ever. Towing an RPod 196 behind a 2016 Dodge Durango with the V6. Today is day 7 of my 15,000 mile road trip.
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Re: What did you do today

Postby Staryder61 » Sat May 07, 2022 6:26 pm

We had an appointment to look at cargo trailers at 4:30 today. Had curbside grocery run to do.
Would be 9 miles closer to the trailer company, so called and asked if we could drop in early. They said to come on in at 3:00 to look at trailers.
So we dropped by at 3, looked at a 6' by 12' rounded corner top cargo trailer. Barn doors on the back, 30" wide man door, single axle.

After looking it over really good, and my better half saying "It's cute, I really like this trailer". :FNP
We talked to the manager, settled on a price. :thumbsup:
Purchased the trailer and pick it up Tuesday afternoon, We were in the mini conversion van with no trailer hitch. haha
Didn't know I was buying one today. :applause: Who knew??

We'll start a build log in Cargo Trailer Conversions here real shortly.
Stay safe, David



Our CTC
6' X 12' CTC = Texas Sized Tackle Box
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=74704
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Re: What did you do today

Postby bdosborn » Sun May 08, 2022 6:21 am

Good luck on your new build!
Bruce
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Re: What did you do today

Postby Staryder61 » Sun May 08, 2022 10:55 am

Thanks Bruce, still watching you and yours. Please jump in with advice or opinion, can use the help as always.
Hoping you and flboy will have time to watch over me. ;)
We both have had leg, back and hip problems, :roll: making it harder to get into the mini van conversion.
Oh, we love the mini van camper, just need something easier to get in and out of for us.
So really looked at what would be available. Now this trailer, a lot of possibilities for us..
So much room to work in and comfortable to do so..
Posting under Cargo Trailer Conversion as CTC Texas Sized Tackle Box = 6'X 12'
Stay safe, David



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http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=74704
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Re: What did you do today

Postby friz » Sun May 08, 2022 10:12 pm

Upgraded my USB chargers to these nifty units that Tony recommended.Image

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Re: What did you do today

Postby MickinOz » Mon May 09, 2022 12:53 am

Walked past the trailer at my son's place the other day. The bathroom remodel saw a serviceable toilet seat being discarded.
Then today I went to the French Hot Bread Shop.

(The lovely people who run it are of Vietnamese heritage, which makes perfect sense to those of us who know Vietnam used to be called French Indochina.)

They rinse out their empty food service buckets and put them out front so we fishers and campers can buy them cheap.
With a 5 gallon bucket and a toilet seat at my fingertips, I suppose it was inevitable that there is now a decent bush toilet in my possession.
I used an offcut of 12mm marine plywood, cut a carefully measured hole, and successfully created a snap on collar to secure the toilet lid to.
Works great (dry run only :D )
I'm sure it will beat emulating the bears.
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Re: What did you do today

Postby tony.latham » Mon May 09, 2022 9:09 am

Today? I woke up and confirmed book #7 was up on Amazon. Six months for this project. :thumbsup:

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I interviewed 46 witnesses to tell this old story. Nobody smiled. Some were gut-wrenching discussions.

:frightened:

Tony
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Re: What did you do today

Postby Tom&Shelly » Mon May 09, 2022 10:19 am

tony.latham wrote:Today? I woke up and confirmed book #7 was up on Amazon. Six months for this project. :thumbsup:


Good job Tony!

We'll take it with us for evening reading while camping next month. Just hope it doesn't give us nightmares! :frightened:

Tom
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