Post a bad thing that happened in your life today

[Mr Standfast]

I'll own up to three soldering irons as well, you see the big one is too hot, the middle one is too cold and the little one is just right.

 

 

What?

[sb photos]

21 hours ago, spacecadet said:

It probably won't do that, but it may well get a bit warmer than it should because the poor contact increases the resistance, and no fuse or circuit breaker will detect that. Sue may well not notice if it's out of sight, but it certainly isn't improving with age.

Bit of a hobby-horse of mine as you can see but then I do have three soldering irons.

Lecky a good servant, bad master and all that.

I only have 4 soldering irons, they all have their uses. The 100 watt Weller iron gets very little use now. It used to be used to unsolder heavy duty connections to high current stud mounting rectifiers in high current SM PSU’s.

 

my oldest iron is a Weller TCP24 iron. It’s bits are numbered to its temperature. Cost a lot in its day and is still in good working order.

 

For SMD work I have an excellent temperature controlled iron with a very good selection of bits.

 

Last a recent acquisition, a mains powered temperature controlled iron. Temperature control is via a small knob incorporated into the iron handle. Was cheap and so far is still working.

 

I have more camera bags than soldering irons.

Edited November 28, 2021 by sb photos

[Bryan]

I'm hardly qualified to enter this conversation with only one soldering iron and a spare bit, not to mention a tin of flux.

 

However I do possess an ancient wooden parallel scriber or marking  gauge inherited from my grandfather. I used it recently to repair a garden bench.

 

Whilst on the obscure, hanging on my garage wall and gathering dust is a valve spring compressor, which was used to remove valves from those old fashioned IC engines that we once used to power our vehicles. I can also probably find a valve grinding tool and a tin of grinding paste. Time I recycled this kit methinks. 

[wiskerke]

On 28/11/2021 at 04:40, Bryan said:

I'm hardly qualified to enter this conversation with only one soldering iron and a spare bit, not to mention a tin of flux.

 

However I do possess an ancient wooden parallel scriber or marking  gauge inherited from my grandfather. I used it recently to repair a garden bench.

 

Whilst on the obscure, hanging on my garage wall and gathering dust is a valve spring compressor, which was used to remove valves from those old fashioned IC engines that we once used to power our vehicles. I can also probably find a valve grinding tool and a tin of grinding paste. Time I recycled this kit methinks. 

 

Aahh the Zen of Valve Grinding!

 

wim

(3 irons on last count)

[sb photos]

On 28/11/2021 at 03:40, Bryan said:

I'm hardly qualified to enter this conversation with only one soldering iron and a spare bit, not to mention a tin of flux.

 

However I do possess an ancient wooden parallel scriber or marking  gauge inherited from my grandfather. I used it recently to repair a garden bench.

 

Whilst on the obscure, hanging on my garage wall and gathering dust is a valve spring compressor, which was used to remove valves from those old fashioned IC engines that we once used to power our vehicles. I can also probably find a valve grinding tool and a tin of grinding paste. Time I recycled this kit methinks. 

No valve grinding tool, but do have a grinding tool for water taps. If a tap starts to leak in a hard water area the tap washer seating wears. Haven’t used it for a long time.

[Bryan]

26 minutes ago, wiskerke said:

 

Aahh the Zen of Valve Grinding!

 

wim

(3 irons on last count)

 

Indeed a patient but strangely satisfying task.

 

I clearly need to up the iron count, we do have a clothes iron but I guess that would be disqualified ?

[spacecadet]

24 minutes ago, sb photos said:

No valve grinding tool, but do have a grinding tool for water taps. If a tap starts to leak in a hard water area the tap washer seating wears. Haven’t used it for a long time.

Quarter-turn ceramic cartridges. Although we have replaced three in 30 years compared with exactly no washers. But they have had by far the most use.

I got the 85W iron for stained-glass repairs, it would fry most other things.

I will not be grinding any more valve seats because I intend to keep on top of the timing belt replacement. If you don't break a timing belt, you never find out if a valve needs grinding. Ignorance is bliss

Edited November 29, 2021 by spacecadet

[Ed Rooney]

 

Brrrrr! This is the coldest week I've had since leaving NYC in February 2018. Maybe I should have taken The Big Coat with me? 

 

If you should find yourself in Liverpool and you're cold and hungry, take yourself to Elif on Bold Street and have some Turkish moussaka and the accompanying monster lunch for just £12.95. I asked my waitress how to say thank you in Turkish. She didn't know but she told me how to say it in Irish. 🙂

 

"Brrrr" in Turkish is brrrr, I think. 

 

Edited November 29, 2021 by Ed Rooney

[Allan Bell]

46 minutes ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

Brrrrr! This is the coldest week I've had since leaving NYC in February 2018. Maybe I should have taken The Big Coat with me? 

 

If you should find yourself in Liverpool and you're cold and hungry, take yourself to Elif on Bold Street and have some Turkish moussaka and the accompanying monster lunch for just £12.95. I asked my waitress how to say thank you in Turkish. She didn't know but she told me how to say it in Irish. 🙂

 

"Brrrr" in Turkish is brrrr, I think. 

 

 

It is warming up again soon. Then cooling down again after.

 

Allan

 

[spacecadet]

1 hour ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

Brrrrr! This is the coldest week I've had since leaving NYC in February 2018. Maybe I should have taken The Big Coat with me? 

 

If you should find yourself in Liverpool and you're cold and hungry, take yourself to Elif on Bold Street and have some Turkish moussaka and the accompanying monster lunch for just £12.95. I asked my waitress how to say thank you in Turkish. She didn't know but she told me how to say it in Irish. 🙂

 

"Brrrr" in Turkish is brrrr, I think. 

 

Teşekkür, the "s" is a "sh" sound. An umlaut you can probably deal with, Ed. The "r"  a bit like rrrr.

I can also manage please, tea, toilet, night and day if you need them. And beer and wine, and consequently, red and white.

Edited November 29, 2021 by spacecadet

[gvallee]

5 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

Brrrrr! This is the coldest week I've had since leaving NYC in February 2018. Maybe I should have taken The Big Coat with me? 

 

If you should find yourself in Liverpool and you're cold and hungry, take yourself to Elif on Bold Street and have some Turkish moussaka and the accompanying monster lunch for just £12.95. I asked my waitress how to say thank you in Turkish. She didn't know but she told me how to say it in Irish. 🙂

 

"Brrrr" in Turkish is brrrr, I think. 

 

 

I've been giving a few degrees C to people who need them on FB yesterday. 40C where I'm camped in the Bush. Panting panting... Thank God for our aircon, icecreams and cool water in the fridge. We had plenty of ice cubes in our white wine at Happy Hour. A very pleasant sound.

[Ed Rooney]

 

My brrrr was not really a weather complaint, Gen. When you have nothing to say, you talk about the weather, right? So far the weather here is mild. I've spent a winter in Montreal and lived in the steamy tropics and hot-and-dry Texas. None of that stuff here.

 

Also, I've not seen a single crocodile, not even at the Chester Zoo.

Edited November 29, 2021 by Ed Rooney

[Betty LaRue]

6 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

Brrrrr! This is the coldest week I've had since leaving NYC in February 2018. Maybe I should have taken The Big Coat with me? 

 

If you should find yourself in Liverpool and you're cold and hungry, take yourself to Elif on Bold Street and have some Turkish moussaka and the accompanying monster lunch for just £12.95. I asked my waitress how to say thank you in Turkish. She didn't know but she told me how to say it in Irish. 🙂

 

"Brrrr" in Turkish is brrrr, I think. 

 

Low 70s F today in Wichita. Very nice with bright sunshine. Stunning day.

[Michael Ventura]

Cold here in DC.  Close to freezing and the sun went down just an hour ago.

[Dave Nelson]

Low teens (F) here this morning, going down to around 10 F tonight.  But this afternoon we had a balmy 26 F with a touch of sunshine!

[Bryan]

10 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

 

Also, I've not seen a single crocodile, not even at the Chester Zoo.

I could introduce you to a venomous snake or two Edo, if you are missing that kind of thing. Visit the aptly named Adder Hill, on the moors behind Cragside in Rothbury, Northumberland.

 

Regarding the weather, the recent storm caused our parked caravan to take a short stroll down the drive. Fortunately no serious damage done. However it did demolish a large  section of the perimeter fence around our allotment site. I was tempted to drive to the coast to photograph the waves crashing over Roker pier, but the police were advising against any unnecessary travel. The last time I drove in high winds, a large road sign broke loose and attacked our car, requiring an expensive repair. Fortunately it chose to strike below windscreen level, as otherwise it could have been rather nasty.

Edited November 30, 2021 by Bryan

[gvallee]

9 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

My brrrr was not really a weather complaint, Gen. When you have nothing to say, you talk about the weather, right? So far the weather here is mild. I've spent a winter in Montreal and lived in the steamy tropics and hot-and-dry Texas. None of that stuff here.

 

Also, I've not seen a single crocodile, not even at the Chester Zoo.

 

Come and cruise on the Adelaide River Edo, you'll see a few wild ones.... 

 

[gvallee]

Talking about cold temperatures, I've just read the headlines. "Australia hottest town set to become the warmest place in the WORLD with freak week-long heatwave to bring 46C (114.8F) temperatures". Glad I visited earlier. So I guess I should post this in the Good News thread...

[Note to self: Gee how long did it take me to digitally repaint the faded sign? Hope it sells].

 

[NYCat]

3 hours ago, gvallee said:

 

Come and cruise on the Adelaide River Edo, you'll see a few wild ones.... 

 

 

 

Nice jump, fella.

 

Paulette

[gvallee]

5 minutes ago, NYCat said:

 

 

Nice jump, fella.

 

Paulette

 

Nice head shot. Caiman jacare. 

[NYCat]

2 hours ago, gvallee said:

 

Nice head shot. Caiman jacare. 

 

Yep. The Pantanal.

 

Paulette

[Allan Bell]

3 hours ago, gvallee said:

 

Nice head shot. Caiman jacare. 

 

59 minutes ago, NYCat said:

 

Yep. The Pantanal.

 

Paulette

 

Are you two speaking in a foreign language?🤨

 

Allan

 

[NYCat]

9 minutes ago, Allan Bell said:

 

 

Are you two speaking in a foreign language?🤨

 

Allan

 

 

Yes. It is only spoken by those who have travelled the Transpantaneira.   

 

Paulette

[Cecile Marion]

I’ve just driven back from spending a glorious week in a rural area along the Florida gulf coast, (but a description of the trip would go in the "good" thread). Unfortunately, the drive back from the islands, with over an hour through dense pine forest on a two lane road, was a bit harrowing with dense fog the whole way. If I’d realized the fog was so bad, I would have delayed my drive an hour or two. It was daylight and traffic wasn’t bad, but many of the cars I saw did not have their lights turned on, which boggled my mind. It certainly made it more difficult to see traffic coming my way. The speed limit is 60 MPH and we often see dead animals along the way. I avoid driving it in the dark because many deer come to feed along the right of way and I certainly don’t want to hit one. I did pass a dead deer on this morning’s drive, but also saw something I’d never seen before, a very large, very dead black bear. Quite sad. 

Edited December 3, 2021 by Cecile Marion

[Michael Ventura]

 

5 minutes ago, Cecile Marion said:

I’ve just driven back from spending a glorious week in a rural area along the Florida gulf coast, (but a description of the trip would go i the "good" thread). Unfortunately, the drive back from the islands, with over an hour through dense pine forest on a two lane road, was a bit harrowing with dense fog the whole way. If I’d realized the fog was so bad, I would have delayed my drive an hour or two. It was daylight and traffic wasn’t bad, but many of the cars I saw did not have their lights turned on, which boggled my mind. It certainly made it more difficult to see traffic coming my way. The speed limit is 60 MPH and we often see dead animals along the way. I avoid driving it in the dark because many deer come to feed along the right of way and I certainly don’t want to hit one. I did pass a dead deer on this morning’s drive, but also saw something I’d never seen before, a very large, very dead black bear. Quite sad. 

 

I know this may sound crazy but driving in fog or a snowstorm can be safer with headlights off.  Reason being that the light reflects off the snow or fog water droplets and it can be even more difficult to see (for the driver).  Of course it is easier to see the other car if their lights are on...so your are damned if you do and damned if you don't use regular headlights.   That is why cars with "fog lights", the lights are usually low to the ground so you don't have the light reflecting right back in your eyes.   I had them on my old Subaru and they worked great instead of headlights, on snowy or foggy days.