What did YOU do today?

[Curious Hound]

was it invigorating for you?

It was a back saver, having them up at a good working height. My St Bernard's were both rough coat, ie; Long hair. It takes a while to get water and shampoo worked down through all the Long Hair and the undercoat, then get it rinsed out again. Lots of washing. Hair everywhere when finished. Dog irritated. Me exhausted.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Sounds really expensive by the time you get all the tooling needed. I'm going to have to replumb my house some day. It's polybutylene, but hasn't started leaking yet. The times I've had to modify it, sharkbite fittings to the rescue. Was thinking about using PEX when I eventually replace, but maybe I'll just stick with good ole PVC.

Yeah, it is, and the fittings aren’t cheap either.

You talking the grey polybutylene? That stuff is like thin, cheap PEX. Ugh. I’m glad sharkbite fittings work with them, lol.

The cheap PEX isn’t terrible if you use the copper crimp rings instead of those stainless clamps and make sure the rings are crimped correctly. Definitely better and longer lasting than most plastics. Since fittings are a restriction on cheap PEX, use 3/4” for the trunk lines and as few fittings as possible to keep from losing too much flow.

PVC for water lines is a bad idea, especially hot water lines. CPVC handles hot better, and it will last longer than PVC, but it’s still not as good as PEX.

 

[Roert42]

Is it an automatic drive through or did you have to spray the dog?

Drive through.

 

[Roert42]

My house is mostly cpvc. I hate it. Every time I need to modify or fix something I’ve got to cut it apart and redo everything, and takes hours to cure before it can be tested.

I like that copper can be reworked indefinitely and can be tested immediately.

Pex had the advantage of being able to expand significantly before bursting, unlike copper and cpvc. I’m considering using pex in the future just for that reason.

 

[Blmpkn]

Super cool! Looks like some snowshoes or XC skis are in order. Bummer about the sleds, looks like it would be fun sledding too. Renting is tough when I know I can get a janky POS for the same or less, and what fun is a snowmobile trip if you know you're making it back?

We didnt think of it until we got there.. but we definitely could of brought some snowshoes. Beans has a "use room" in a part of their returns processing warehouse that's full of outdoor gear their employees can sign out and take wherever.. everything from a camp mess kit to kayaks/canoes. Pretty sweet deal.

It would of been nice if it were summer though.. beans set up each cabin with its own motorboat for people to buzz around the lake on.

It's really no wonder why they're consistently voted as being one of the best places to work in the state. They employ a metric shitload of people too.. everyone in maine has either worked at beans or known someone who works at beans lol. I'll probably go work in the fishing department once I'm too broken to hang gutters

 

[Uncle Gump]

Well I haven't done it yet...

But I'm gonna knock out some household chores... put a big ol batch of Korean BBQ wings on the grill... homemade slaw and then watch the Detroit Lions get one step closer to making Hell freeze over.

 

[JoshT]

You talking the grey polybutylene? That stuff is like thin, cheap PEX. Ugh. I’m glad sharkbite fittings work with them, lol.

Yeah that stuff, the stuff they stopped using like 20+ years ago due to issues. They say as long as you don;t mess with it, it last, but still a ticking time bomb. Only bits I've touched were to replace a leaking shutoff valve for a toilet, to adapt to new kitchen faucet, and new water heater. In all three cases I sucessfully used the sharkbite fittings.

PVC for water lines is a bad idea, especially hot water lines. CPVC handles hot better, and it will last longer than PVC, but it’s still not as good as PEX.

Pex had the advantage of being able to expand significantly before bursting, unlike copper and cpvc. I’m considering using pex in the future just for that reason.

As said in a subsequent reply, when I'm talking about them I tend to refer to both as PVC. I'll use the right thing when I'm working with them.

The PVCs might be an issue in some climates, but doesn't seem to be around here. Most or all of my parent's house is PVC and it was built in the 70s. I know of plenty others that are as old or older. I understand the need for expansion in freezing climates, around here it only drops below freezing for very brief periods. Usually not long enough for pipes to freeze with no preparation. Using a little precaution, they'll never freeze. If it ever got cold enough for them to freeze with preparation, we've probably got bigger issues than a busted pipe.

For now I'm not going to worrt too much about it. After I get a shop built in the next few years I might start replumbing the house. It'll all have to be replaced and I think I want to switch from a standard tank water heater to dual tankless. So the idea is to build out a complete second system under the house, then shut off the water to the house and connect it once ready. In the event that the switch over takes longer than expected, I'll have water available in the shop to get me by for a few days.

 

[Rick W]

Did I ever say to you guys a coat of paint will help anything, and that I like Rustoleum?

I got the big air compressor that I’m going to flip painted, and my $15 ramps.

I have to paint the handle, and I’m going to do some accent colors when this paint dries.

 

[sgtsandman]

Did I ever say to you guys a coat of paint will help anything, and that I like Rustoleum?

I got the big air compressor that I’m going to flip painted, and my $15 ramps.

View attachment 105196View attachment 105197

I have to paint the handle, and I’m going to do some accent colors this paint dries.

The compressor looks to be sitting upright. When and how are you going to flip it?

 

[Rick W]

The compressor looks to be sitting upright. When and how are you going to flip it?

You’d never know looking at me now, but I was a gymnast in high school (rings). I’ll figure it out.

 

[Bill]

Woke up, stared at the ceiling until three hungry cats threatened to maul me if I didn't get up and feed them. Then I made and drank four cups of coffee. I waited for about an hour for the coffee to kick in and decided to make another pot of coffee. Sat in the recliner staring at the walls until I heard a banging noise that sounded like it was right outside the front door. I went out to investigate, but the noise stopped immediately when I opened the door. It started again after I sat back down. So, I got up and took another look. But again, the noise stopped when I opened the door. This repeated about two more times until I decided to sit on the bench and wait for the sound to continue. And it did. As I got up to look a woodpecker peaked down at me. We both stared at each other for a minute until he flew away. Theat was a neato looking bird. I went back inside, sat in the recliner and spaced out for another hour, then went out in pack and potted up some of the bareroot ponderosa pine saplings. And now I'm trying to figure out what script, or something otherwise, on therangerstation that is causing Firefox to go nuts.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Been working on the camper this weekend, again... yesterday I got the fiberglass side scraped and finished then took some marine epoxy and sealed up the two holes I put in the side prying it off...

Today I flipped the side up and out of the way so I could get the welder over there to weld up the aluminum subframe that was broken... started by practicing on some scrap irrigation pipe my brother gave me then went to it... not pretty but had enough penetration, ground flush since it needed to be flush... then started removing rotten 1x2 wood and replacing it with good wood, used up about 10' so far of the 40' I bought. So far so good, not perfect but it'll be WAY better than it was...

 

[JoshT]

Hopefully tomorrow will be clear, if it is I think I'm going over the the parent's house and work on getting one of my old parts vehicles ready to go to the scrapper.

Well the weather cooperated. It was clear, cooler and felt like the breeze was coming off a frozen lake, but clear. Got the bed of the parts truck cleared out so it's almost ready to go to the scrapper. Hopefully some afternoon this week we'll be able to get it loaded on the trailer and I can pull the last few pieces I'm saving. Air bags, rear axle, springs, driveshaft, wheels, and reciever hitch for sure. There's also a few harness connectors I want to identify under the hood and save to for the V8 swap.

I'll have to see how it looks once on the trailer, can't see underneath very well right now, but I might save the exhaust too. It's definitely got aftermarket dual exhaust, looks like it might be 2.5". I'm sure it splits at the muffler, but it might be a good start to an exhaust system for the V8. If it works out I'd just need to get a dual in/out muffer and some small sections to connect it all together.

Did I ever say to you guys a coat of paint will help anything, and that I like Rustoleum?

I got the big air compressor that I’m going to flip painted, and my $15 ramps.

View attachment 105196View attachment 105197

I have to paint the handle, and I’m going to do some accent colors when this paint dries.

I thought craftsman was supposed to be red. Aside from color it looks very similar to one dad used to have and my compressor motor came from, but that one was belt driven.

We've almost got mine together. I'd gotten a new pressure switch for it week before last because PO had damaged and/or lost part of the original. Dad installed it last week but it wouldn't stop leaking. He couldn't tell if it was coming from the body or the relief valve, but it was an Amazon purchase so I decided to send it back and pick up a Porter Cable one from Tractor Supply. He called me Friday after I'd dropped off the return and said that he found the cause of the leak and the switch was probably good. Oh well, the Porter Cable is probably a better quality switch anyway, same manufacturer and switch as his big Kobalt compressor.

Those pressure relieve valves are supposed to bleed off pressure between the pump head and the tank, but for that to work there has to be a check valve where the air enters the tank. Well the check valve body was there, but for some dumb reason the PO had gutted it. The pressure relief valve was draining the whole tank.

I was already questioning POs intelligence, but wow!!

New check valve arrived today. I dropped off new switch and hose today, but discovered I had purchased a 1/4" regulator when it needed a 3/8" regulator. Also need a 3/8 close nipple to mount the regulator and a 3/8 to 1/4 reducer for the hose, but score one for the parts truck. As I was cleaning out the bed I found an old regulator and filter setup burried in the junk from PO. Unfortunately the regulator and filter were waterlogged, so they both went in the trash, but it had exactly the fitting that were needed.

As I got up to look a woodpecker peaked down at me. We both stared at each other for a minute until he flew away. Theat was a neato looking bird.

And now I'm trying to figure out what script, or something otherwise, on therangerstation that is causing Firefox to go nuts.

I might have known someone to get rid of a few of those when I was little because they kept knocking holes into the front porch columns. They are neat, but they can be destructive and annoying as hell.

As for the browser going nuts, try an ad blocker. I have seen some ads on this and other sites cause problems like that. I'd be surpirised it it is actually this forum's code that is causing the problem, but anything is possible.

 

[Rick W]

Well the weather cooperated. It was clear, cooler and felt like the breeze was coming off a frozen lake, but clear. Got the bed of the parts truck cleared out so it's almost ready to go to the scrapper. Hopefully some afternoon this week we'll be able to get it loaded on the trailer and I can pull the last few pieces I'm saving. Air bags, rear axle, springs, driveshaft, wheels, and reciever hitch for sure. There's also a few harness connectors I want to identify under the hood and save to for the V8 swap.

I'll have to see how it looks once on the trailer, can't see underneath very well right now, but I might save the exhaust too. It's definitely got aftermarket dual exhaust, looks like it might be 2.5". I'm sure it splits at the muffler, but it might be a good start to an exhaust system for the V8. If it works out I'd just need to get a dual in/out muffer and some small sections to connect it all together.



I thought craftsman was supposed to be red. Aside from color it looks very similar to one dad used to have and my compressor motor came from, but that one was belt driven.

We've almost got mine together. I'd gotten a new pressure switch for it week before last because PO had damaged and/or lost part of the original. Dad installed it last week but it wouldn't stop leaking. He couldn't tell if it was coming from the body or the relief valve, but it was an Amazon purchase so I decided to send it back and pick up a Porter Cable one from Tractor Supply. He called me Friday after I'd dropped off the return and said that he found the cause of the leak and the switch was probably good. Oh well, the Porter Cable is probably a better quality switch anyway, same manufacturer and switch as his big Kobalt compressor.

Those pressure relieve valves are supposed to bleed off pressure between the pump head and the tank, but for that to work there has to be a check valve where the air enters the tank. Well the check valve body was there, but for some dumb reason the PO had gutted it. The pressure relief valve was draining the whole tank.

I was already questioning POs intelligence, but wow!!

New check valve arrived today. I dropped off new switch and hose today, but discovered I had purchased a 1/4" regulator when it needed a 3/8" regulator. Also need a 3/8 close nipple to mount the regulator and a 3/8 to 1/4 reducer for the hose, but score one for the parts truck. As I was cleaning out the bed I found an old regulator and filter setup burried in the junk from PO. Unfortunately the regulator and filter were waterlogged, so they both went in the trash, but it had exactly the fitting that were needed.



I might have known someone to get rid of a few of those when I was little because they kept knocking holes into the front porch columns. They are neat, but they can be destructive and annoying as hell.

As for the browser going nuts, try an ad blocker. I have seen some ads on this and other sites cause problems like that. I'd be surpirised it it is actually this forum's code that is causing the problem, but anything is possible.

Waste not, want not, the paint color was decided because I had a contaminated can of silver. It was a mixture of three or four cans that I have combined repeatedly, probably over the last 15 or 20 years. When I say contaminated, it was thick, and had chunks and chips in it. who knows what. I tried to strain it one time, and it wouldn’t strain.

The ramps, even though I brushed them, were still kind of rough on the surface, and the air compressor also had minor scratches and chips. I rolled them both with a nappy roller, and only used the brush to cut in corners and such. It left me with a couple of tablespoons of silver that I can use for a touchup after I put them back together.

And BTW, when I got it, it was a burnt orange color, and I think that was original, it didn’t look like it had been painted before. My impression is that it’s 15 or 20 years old at least

Hey, I got the two for $20 and about $30 in gas. I’m keeping the smaller one which matches my original for parts, and I’m going to ask $100 for this one. First guy with 70 or 80 dollars, bye-bye..

 

[JoshT]

Today I played musical wheels. Dad wanted the wheels on my donor Explorer Limited for his Ranger, so I dug a set of rollers out of his barn the other day. Today got those swapped over, then loaded every thing up and swapped the Limited wheels in place of my Explorer 18s that had been on his truck for too long. Now I need to figure out how to play musical tires without breaking the bank.

Was browsing my phone pictures and realized that I never followed up on this. Here's pictures if the Explorer Limited wheels on his Ranger.

To make the match the Ranger better, I ordered some 91mm Ford oval center cap emblems online. I would have installed them over the original Limited emblem, but he removed those and the new emblem ended up recessed a little.