so waht ya doin today?
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oscarflytyer
Well-Known Member
cleaning guns en masse - and it SUCKS! NONE of my guns will EVER wear out or see damage from cleaning!
CZ93X62
Official forum enigma
Congrats on the new job, Ian.
Keith--that shop is TRULY coming together now. Thank you for the photos--worth 1000 words.
Marie and I got outta town today, and headed to the Imperial Valley. 83* at 11 A.M., Bret don't hate us for being warm and comfortable.
I thought of Bret and others in our northern tier of states today. Agriculture really never stops in the Imperial or Coachella Valleys. Late January, and strawberries beds are opaque-white-visqueened over a couple square miles of fields just south of Mecca. Alfalfa is coming up all over the Imperial Valley, and A BUNCH of water is being drawn off the canals right now. We saw a BIG-AZZED catfish sunning in about 4 feet of water this afternoon, it was 2-1/2 feet long at least. Didn't bring tackle along on this trip. This particular section of the East Highline Canal is known for BIG flathead catfish and striped bass, and Marie never fails to remind me of getting FARMED HARD by one such fish (or maybe a Los Angeles-class submarine.....) a few years back in this same area. Trout tackle doesn't meet standards here--you WILL GET FARMED using knitting-needle rods in this water.
The Salton Sea and the wetlands surrounding it are a huge waterfowl wintering area. Duck season is still on, and quail/chukar are fair game for another week or so. We saw a bunch of egrets and a few mallards loafing around the Wister Area ponds, but on warm calm days like today the big flocks raft up on the open water where no one bugs them. If you are hunting, you hope for wind to roughen the Sea and get the birds out of the stratosphere. Rain and low clouds help with that, but any rain at all turns the silty soil around the Sea into dust-seasoned Vaseline. We managed to stay out of most of that today. Today wasn't a hunt day on the Unit, but there were still several dozen parties camped in the extended stay area waiting to bid on blind sites to hunt Sat/Sun/Wed until the seasons shut down early next month.
There is still quite a bit of baled alfalfa hay stacked near the fields it was cut from in late Fall, much of it on banks of side-channels that irrigate fields all across the Valley. These stacks get tarped over in open silage, then hauled to the several beef feed lots still in operation around Brawley and Calipatria. Mice and small varmints chow down on this hay, a set of facts not lost on the burrowing owls who co-reside nearby. The owls evict the vermin from their burrows and eat them, then take up residence in their vacant homes to plan further depredations. We saw several of these owls today, and--for the life of me--they look and act like little East Los Angeles vatos standing on their front porch staring at you and daring you to stop or mess with them. WHAT? You want some? Come get some! Too funny, they just make me laugh--which probably makes them even madder. They are The Best.
It got dark, we drove home and got dinner at a place we like in Banning. It is almost time for bed now.
Keith--that shop is TRULY coming together now. Thank you for the photos--worth 1000 words.
Marie and I got outta town today, and headed to the Imperial Valley. 83* at 11 A.M., Bret don't hate us for being warm and comfortable.
I thought of Bret and others in our northern tier of states today. Agriculture really never stops in the Imperial or Coachella Valleys. Late January, and strawberries beds are opaque-white-visqueened over a couple square miles of fields just south of Mecca. Alfalfa is coming up all over the Imperial Valley, and A BUNCH of water is being drawn off the canals right now. We saw a BIG-AZZED catfish sunning in about 4 feet of water this afternoon, it was 2-1/2 feet long at least. Didn't bring tackle along on this trip. This particular section of the East Highline Canal is known for BIG flathead catfish and striped bass, and Marie never fails to remind me of getting FARMED HARD by one such fish (or maybe a Los Angeles-class submarine.....) a few years back in this same area. Trout tackle doesn't meet standards here--you WILL GET FARMED using knitting-needle rods in this water.
The Salton Sea and the wetlands surrounding it are a huge waterfowl wintering area. Duck season is still on, and quail/chukar are fair game for another week or so. We saw a bunch of egrets and a few mallards loafing around the Wister Area ponds, but on warm calm days like today the big flocks raft up on the open water where no one bugs them. If you are hunting, you hope for wind to roughen the Sea and get the birds out of the stratosphere. Rain and low clouds help with that, but any rain at all turns the silty soil around the Sea into dust-seasoned Vaseline. We managed to stay out of most of that today. Today wasn't a hunt day on the Unit, but there were still several dozen parties camped in the extended stay area waiting to bid on blind sites to hunt Sat/Sun/Wed until the seasons shut down early next month.
There is still quite a bit of baled alfalfa hay stacked near the fields it was cut from in late Fall, much of it on banks of side-channels that irrigate fields all across the Valley. These stacks get tarped over in open silage, then hauled to the several beef feed lots still in operation around Brawley and Calipatria. Mice and small varmints chow down on this hay, a set of facts not lost on the burrowing owls who co-reside nearby. The owls evict the vermin from their burrows and eat them, then take up residence in their vacant homes to plan further depredations. We saw several of these owls today, and--for the life of me--they look and act like little East Los Angeles vatos standing on their front porch staring at you and daring you to stop or mess with them. WHAT? You want some? Come get some! Too funny, they just make me laugh--which probably makes them even madder. They are The Best.
It got dark, we drove home and got dinner at a place we like in Banning. It is almost time for bed now.
Bret4207
At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
Keith, not sure it'll help, but if that trailer is on large enough tires you may be able to deflate the tires to the point that the compressor will slide under the header. If it's a little trailer on 8 or 10" tires it probably won't work, but on something with a real sidewall that will squat it might. Just a thought that's worked for me before.
I managed NOT to hurt my back further yesterday! Pushed the envelope a few times but as I limber up this AM I can feel it's better. Couple more days and I should be back in the swing of things. OTOH, I think everything on our neighborhood has decided to pick this week to break. I've got 2 tractors down, neighbor farmer has a huge tractor that the ring gear has chewed itself to pieces on, neighbor across the road is fighting with his plow truck and Gord found the NJ transplants next doors pretty Deere 630 is either out of fuel again or otherwise DOA! Must be "Mechanical Flu" going around.
A town near us lost their highway barn and all their equipment last week, so I mentioned to the new Town Supervisor our town ought to look into the cost of a fire alarm system for our barn. The prospect of losing a million $+++ of equipment and another million of tools and the structure would screw up the 6 or 8 years we've spent getting us into good financial shape all to pieces. That somehow turned into me being the point man for getting quotes for fire alarms in 3 town buildings. Never done anything like this before really, but was surprised to find it's fairly easy because the 3 businesses I contacted are hungry and will fall all over themselves to do a "site survey" for a municipality. Probably commercial accounts are more reliable/lucrative than private? I think it was a good thing I mentioned to each that I had 2 other companies also taking a look, that seemed to tickle the competitive spirit. 2 of the companies also do phone systems, which is something else that another person was supposed to look into some time back and is sorely needed. I spent 10 minutes on the phone the other day with an elderly lady b!&@%ing at me because she couldn't leave a message with the town clerks machine, which I admited is often inop, but still no fault of my own. So we'll also be getting quotes on that. Beyond that point I think it gets into the bidding process and I'll have to go up the ladder to someone who actually understands that stuff. I guess I was just surprised at how simple it is to get people falling all over themselves to drive out to the middle of nowhere to give a quote.
I managed NOT to hurt my back further yesterday! Pushed the envelope a few times but as I limber up this AM I can feel it's better. Couple more days and I should be back in the swing of things. OTOH, I think everything on our neighborhood has decided to pick this week to break. I've got 2 tractors down, neighbor farmer has a huge tractor that the ring gear has chewed itself to pieces on, neighbor across the road is fighting with his plow truck and Gord found the NJ transplants next doors pretty Deere 630 is either out of fuel again or otherwise DOA! Must be "Mechanical Flu" going around.
A town near us lost their highway barn and all their equipment last week, so I mentioned to the new Town Supervisor our town ought to look into the cost of a fire alarm system for our barn. The prospect of losing a million $+++ of equipment and another million of tools and the structure would screw up the 6 or 8 years we've spent getting us into good financial shape all to pieces. That somehow turned into me being the point man for getting quotes for fire alarms in 3 town buildings. Never done anything like this before really, but was surprised to find it's fairly easy because the 3 businesses I contacted are hungry and will fall all over themselves to do a "site survey" for a municipality. Probably commercial accounts are more reliable/lucrative than private? I think it was a good thing I mentioned to each that I had 2 other companies also taking a look, that seemed to tickle the competitive spirit. 2 of the companies also do phone systems, which is something else that another person was supposed to look into some time back and is sorely needed. I spent 10 minutes on the phone the other day with an elderly lady b!&@%ing at me because she couldn't leave a message with the town clerks machine, which I admited is often inop, but still no fault of my own. So we'll also be getting quotes on that. Beyond that point I think it gets into the bidding process and I'll have to go up the ladder to someone who actually understands that stuff. I guess I was just surprised at how simple it is to get people falling all over themselves to drive out to the middle of nowhere to give a quote.
KeithB
Resident Half Fast Machinist
Bret, I need to get another 4"-5" and letting the air out of the tires would leave them too flat to roll. We were going to lift the tongue off the ball hitch and drop it down and try to roll the trailer forward by hand, then lift the toungue back up and drop it back on the ball. But that is a lot of work, the compressor is a fairly heavy item. Since the beam over the door is coming out anyway we are just going to hasten the process by a few days.
Ian, hope your new job works out for you. If anybody knows their stuff its you, can't imagine you having any problem with the doing the job, just hope management and the economy let you do it as well as you're capable of doing.
Called the master electrician and let them know that they could start as early as Monday wiring up the machines which will wrap up their part of the project. Today Scott and I plan to work on the air compressors. This afternoon we will go out to the University and pick up a surface grinder they have stored for me for five+ years, it got caught in the shuffle when I get medically retired and they put it in an on-campus warehouse. It is a 6' x 12" with a magnetic table. I'll post a picture once we get it in place, it will be handy to have around.
I'm 66 today, going to celebrate my birthday by working on our new shop. Will feel very satisfied if all our machines are ready for the sparky's to do their magic. If we can get back into production it will be a big relief to me, the work and money is out there, cutting some metal will take that pressure off. We can always finish the fine details as we acclimate to the new environment.
Will go out with wife for supper, I'm not a big meat eater but tonight I think I've earned a steak and maybe some grilled shrimp or something. We'll see...
Ian, hope your new job works out for you. If anybody knows their stuff its you, can't imagine you having any problem with the doing the job, just hope management and the economy let you do it as well as you're capable of doing.
Called the master electrician and let them know that they could start as early as Monday wiring up the machines which will wrap up their part of the project. Today Scott and I plan to work on the air compressors. This afternoon we will go out to the University and pick up a surface grinder they have stored for me for five+ years, it got caught in the shuffle when I get medically retired and they put it in an on-campus warehouse. It is a 6' x 12" with a magnetic table. I'll post a picture once we get it in place, it will be handy to have around.
I'm 66 today, going to celebrate my birthday by working on our new shop. Will feel very satisfied if all our machines are ready for the sparky's to do their magic. If we can get back into production it will be a big relief to me, the work and money is out there, cutting some metal will take that pressure off. We can always finish the fine details as we acclimate to the new environment.
Will go out with wife for supper, I'm not a big meat eater but tonight I think I've earned a steak and maybe some grilled shrimp or something. We'll see...
Awhile back bought a Hitatchi,pretty durn big and nice flashlight. It utilizes the same batteries as our drill and driver set. Got it to take the dog out at night,after two skunk sprays. Works well,fun spotlighting deer in the yard. And should be good for camping.
OK,the lights on the indoor range are flat out abysmal. So,took the Hitachi and set it on the floor spotting the center of my target. Think it's a NRA slow fire sumthin or other. The black is 4" or there's about. Went back to the 7 yd line and it was one of those WAAAA..clouds open up and beam of light from heaven moments.
Had a 5 shot group with 4 in a ragged hole,one out just a smidge. New load for the .45 commander using Lee 185 and an Accumeasure,4S rotor @3.7g of 700X. 50/50 lube,bullet seated to juuuust kiss the lands,taking 1/2lb or so of thumb pressure to seat,doing a "plunk test". Very lite recoil and zero feeding issues. Put it this way,the old arrow,pistol grip stapler that lives down at the target has more "recoil" than this load.
May have found a "grail load",haha. Very excited cause,this was the goal for the little 1911. It was built to a really tight fit,and very nice 3 1/4# trigger. Can't wait for when my boys bring their handguns or when we go shooting at their respective locations..... they gonna be in for a leetle surprise,haha.
Edit;off web pic without battery. Head swivels up.
OK,the lights on the indoor range are flat out abysmal. So,took the Hitachi and set it on the floor spotting the center of my target. Think it's a NRA slow fire sumthin or other. The black is 4" or there's about. Went back to the 7 yd line and it was one of those WAAAA..clouds open up and beam of light from heaven moments.
Had a 5 shot group with 4 in a ragged hole,one out just a smidge. New load for the .45 commander using Lee 185 and an Accumeasure,4S rotor @3.7g of 700X. 50/50 lube,bullet seated to juuuust kiss the lands,taking 1/2lb or so of thumb pressure to seat,doing a "plunk test". Very lite recoil and zero feeding issues. Put it this way,the old arrow,pistol grip stapler that lives down at the target has more "recoil" than this load.
May have found a "grail load",haha. Very excited cause,this was the goal for the little 1911. It was built to a really tight fit,and very nice 3 1/4# trigger. Can't wait for when my boys bring their handguns or when we go shooting at their respective locations..... they gonna be in for a leetle surprise,haha.
Edit;off web pic without battery. Head swivels up.
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Gary
SE Kansas
Is that with a "6 sack" mix?
Gary
SE Kansas
Actually ITS, I didn't know from memory, I had to look it up. When I built my house in 1978 the Forms Contractor spec'd 6 sack for everything. I remembered it wasn't cheap even back then. Remember writing a check to the Concrete business for ~ $5000 for 53 yrds of goop.
"There are 94 pounds of cement in a "sack or bag" of cement. That means 3500 psi concrete is called a 6 sack mix or 6 bag mix of concrete. "
Used my Google Fu.
