Tools

[Dean Los Angeles]

That's essentially what happened to the Hubble Space Telescope; the focus was set to extreme precision--0.1" off. I don't remember the actual error but it was an integer-- someone simply read a scale wrong.

It was actually better than that. 1.3 mm. Telescope mirrors are used to test themselves. If you are at the focus point of the mirror you can see the deviations like they are hills and valleys. The mirror mounted at the focus point for the test instruments sat on a precise shaft with a very precise stop. Unless you put the shaft in backwards and make it off since it wasn't symmetrical.

[manta22]

Thanks, Dean. I knew it was something like that. Huge goof.

BTW, no need for that torque wrench-- just tighten it 'til you feel it give, then back off a half- turn.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[Dean Los Angeles]

That's right, tighten it until it strips, back off a quarter and call it done.

Superglue, Loctite, chewing gum, duct tape and clarinet reeds will fix anything.

Remember our motto: "Hammer to shape, force to fit, paint to match."

[DahMurf]

That's right, tighten it until it strips, back off a quarter and call it done.

Superglue, Loctite, chewing gum, duct tape and clarinet reeds will fix anything.

Remember our motto: "Hammer to shape, force to fit, paint to match."

Hey, don't forget Silicone! 

Deb

[floydjer]

MCR.....Have you been spying on me? I engaged the clutch on a 14 x 54 Monarch lathe with the T-handle still in the chuck.....ONCE. Jerry

[manta22]

FYI, I just bought a light- duty plasma cutter from Harbor Freight on sale for $399.

It isn't anything fancy and can cut only 0.200" thick steel but that is really all I need. I fired it up for the first time and cut a piece of 16 ga. scrap tubing with ease. It will also cut thinner stainless, aluminum, & titanium.

I think their sale is on for another week. The Box says "120 Volt Inverter Plasma Cutter" & "Item 97994". It isn't a Miller or Lincoln by any means but it seems to work OK and I could afford it.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Along the "tools" topic -- I'm going to Green Bay day-after-tomorrow.  Up here that's a big deal.  And bigger still -- there's a Home Depot there.  I'm probably going to buy one of their little (900 - 1,500 watt) "suitcase" generators to provide enough AC for the fluorescent lights and a few battery chargers in the race trailer.  Anybody got any experience with the H D gens?  The littlest one is all of $150 -- and has a two-stroke motor.  But the sound level is rated at something like 59db, which is pretty danged quiet.  I want quiet more than I want kilowatts -- but I'd like to be sure it's a quiet as the spec would lead me to believe.  They've got a 4-stroke one, too, for about a hundred bucks more -- and it's rater a handful of decibels louder.

So -- what's your opinion on the tiny Home Depot generators?

[RidgeRunner]

 
     No direct experience with any HD gens so can't comment on them specifically.  But...............

     I would try to listen to them for a few Min's before a purchase decision is made, let my ears compare rather than relying on decibel numbers alone.  I lived with an old military surplus 3KW powered by an 1800 RPM Onan one winter before the power line came through.  Very easy on the ears and mind, doubt there are many small 1800 RPM units on the market now.  As a teen working summers on a tobacco farm the Johny "popper" Deer was much easier to listen to all day than the higher revving and higher pitched Farmall's.  Old Roots blown EMD locomotives were also much easier on the ears and mind than the later ones with higher pitched turbo's for me.  YMMV.

     Hope to give your choice my "ear check" at April Maxton.  Been considering another rig myself, the Onan needs a rebuild and is too big and heavy to tote around for what we need.

                Ed Purinton

[salt27]

Jon,
I have no experience with Home Depot generators, but I have had a Sears and a off brand.
Then I purchased a Honda 2000, it is very quiet, fuel efficient, reliable, light [47lbs] and several hundred dollars more.
For a small load like you mentioned a Honda 1000 might work.
After owning lesser brands the quality of the Honda is worth the price for me.

Don

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Ed:

I will certainly ask for a running demo -- because there's no question, a running engine is easier to judge than a printed specification.  I doubt they'll fire one or two up for me, though.  I'll try.

As for buying a Honda -- The cost is probably too high for what I want.  I don't care nearly as much about the long-term reliability (is ten years better than three years, or whatever?), as long as I get the lights on and the trailer 12V battery recharged.  I know how quiet the Hondas are -- I want to see how quiet the less-expensive model is.  At the house I've got a nice Craftsman 6kw unit to run the entire place in the all-too-frequent occasion of a power outage, and while it's great -- 220VAC for the pump in the well and the clothes dryer and water heater, indeed! -- it's a tad noisy.  I run it in the garage and this coming summer will build a semi-permanent exhaust system.  Now it's the factory muffler with the generator sitting in the open doorway -- which faces the house.  I look forward to closing the door.

Back to what I'll buy -- I'd rather have a low-rpm unit but doubt very much that they're available in such tiny (output) sizes.  Sure hope they'll start one or two up so I can listen. . .  I'll let you folks know.

[Stan Back]

Our cheap Bonneville generator's way too loud.  Reliable, loud.  Cheap, loud.  Bought a longer cord to partially solve the problem.  Wish we had a Honda.

[landsendlynda]

I was wondering... why isn't it possible to put a silencer on the generator mufflers?  You can buy them for OHV's, so why not generators?  The one I borrow for SW and WF isn't as loud as some, but still irritating as h..l.  I hate running it in the evenings because it shatters the  quiet of the salt!  Also, it keeps Ed Shearer awake!!  There just ought to be a way!!

Lynda

[Tzoom]

This company http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=5&zenid=5f59ff767bd48bf81080d106191b7535 has a few tools that may be of use to some like a left-handed metric screwdriver or a sky hook set.  They also have an engine oil bypass kit that keeps oil temps low possibly providing horsepower gains.  They also sell adjustable power bands and brass balls just like the rally drivers have.

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Lynda, you're right in asking about a better muffler -- but some of the noise isn't exhaust noise, but rather things like the whine from a cooling fan or maybe from the generator's windings, or maybe just poor cylinder design.  The little engine on our pit bike is a two-stroke and super-quiet, so I know those motors can be made quiet.  I wouldn't want to keep Ed awake -- but then, he and Cris retired, right, so who cares about keeping him awake now?

[Richard Thomason]

Speaking of loud generators, we certainly had one for a while. We always put it on the other side of our truck and trailer so it wasn't as annoying-to us that is. One time we were pitted next to Don and Rick Vesco and on the third day our generator kept dying. We couldn"t figure out what was wrong with it until we spotted Don laughing so hard he was crying. We finally realised that he had been sneeking over and shutting it off. Great fun at the salt right? Next time we got a quieter one.