Coffee 5-8-10

 
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lowfog01
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Joined: Sat. Dec. 20, 2008 8:33 am
Location: Springfield, VA
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Mark II & Mark I
Coal Size/Type: nut/pea

Post by lowfog01 » Sat. May. 08, 2010 6:39 pm

Rick 386 wrote:On top of that I just lost my father-in-law 2 weeks ago. Rick
I am sorry to hear about your loss Rick. I know you will remember the good times and appreciate all he did for you'll more now that he's gone. My prayers will be with you and your family as you move through this time.

I just received word that my dad has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. He is 80, also. My mom is still with us and in excellent health. She went through this with her mother about 30 years ago but I don't really know what's in store for the family. Thankfully, my sisters live in the same town and can be there to care for her as they move through this period in their life.

Take care, Lisa

 
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Cap
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Location: Lehigh Twp, PA
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harman SF 250, domestic hot water loop, heat accumulator
Coal Size/Type: Nut and Stove
Other Heating: Heat Pumps

Post by Cap » Sat. May. 08, 2010 8:51 pm

Hello List-
I've been absent lately as warm spring air pulls me in other directions. But I just lit a new fire for tonight! Will do the same Sunday night too. Most of us want to only use one match? My goal each time is to start a fresh nut coal fire with only one short 4x4 block of oak split into 6 pieces. :lol:

The good news today...my oldest child and only daughter Jackie graduated at Millersville University with a psychology degree. She begins graduate school in five weeks next semester. Jackie has been a great student and very independent having lived in Millersville, PA all four years usually working multiple jobs at once while graduating *censored* Laude-Honors. Never gives us any troubles. She's very quiet and very amazing.

( Latin word sensored. No idea why! )

 
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freetown fred
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Hand Fed Coal Stove: HITZER 50-93
Coal Size/Type: BLASCHAK Nut

Post by freetown fred » Sat. May. 08, 2010 8:59 pm

Cap,congrats to the daughter :) --I remember when our oldest one got done with nursing school--made Momma & me real proud--now she's going for her Masters in admin work but wanted to know what it was like on the floor first--maybe on that censored word you should of tried come instead of *censored* :lol: interesting,huh :cheers: :junmp:


 
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CoalHeat
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Joined: Sat. Feb. 10, 2007 9:48 pm
Location: Stillwater, New Jersey
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1959 EFM 350
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harman Magnafire Mark I
Baseburners & Antiques: Sears Signal Oak 15 & Andes Kitchen Range
Coal Size/Type: Rice and Chestnut
Other Heating: Fisher Fireplace Insert

Post by CoalHeat » Sun. May. 09, 2010 8:58 am

The cold front blew through here late yesterday afternoon, left most of a tree down in the yard and knocked out the power for 4 hours. Hope my chainsaw starts!

I'm in a funk because I ran out of buck for the Alaska and haven't had time to pick any up yet. I actually had to fire the Lennox oil furnace this morning. :( The Fisher woodstove is burning. I do have some nut left for the Harman, I might light that tonight.

The good news is there are big coal-burning plans in the works for this place...details to follow. :D :o

 
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SMITTY
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Location: West-Central Mass
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520 Highboy
Coal Size/Type: Rice / Blaschak anthracite
Other Heating: Oil fired Burnham boiler

Post by SMITTY » Sun. May. 09, 2010 9:21 am

Crap! I missed Saturday Coffee again! :x I hate when that happens! :o

Sorry to hear about your loss Rick. It's not a downer - you gotta let it out. That's what we're here for! ;)

Congrats Cap! 8-)

My RD project is coming along nicely. Painted my cases last week - looks nice! Got the transmission assembled using the best of the best of my 3 trannys I had on hand. Also swapped out the shift forks from the parts bike - they were a little scored after that lack of oil incident that happened when I first got the bike! :oops: (remember - vintage bikes don't have sight glasses!) My new crank finally arrived back from Falicon in FL. It's been completely rebuilt using Yamaha parts, lighter rods, was lightened & dynamically balanced with the pistons. Almost looks too pretty to go back in the bike! But I assembled the cases yesterday, & I'm several steps closer to riding this beast!

Didn't get to work on the RD yesterday though, for the same reason I missed coffee - had to install a massive coolant hose assembly in my brother's Duramax. What a setup! Never seen anything like it - a gigantic assembly of 4 hoses all molded together! Cost him close to $100 just for that! We threw those on & replaced the 2 thermostats & the upper hose as well. Filled her up with Amsoil coolant & distilled water & went for a ride. Had a leaker though .... that o-ring that seals the upper pipe to the t-stat cover got pinched. I had used some leftover Dex-Cool to lube it before I put it back together -- but it turns out Dex-Cool is a poor lubricant! I noticed it felt less slimy than the old green stuff too. So I had to grab a slightly smaller o-ring from my stock & use that. Only this time I lubed it with 10W-40 bike oil. Now all is well - full pressure & running 15° cooler than before!

Some pics from the week:

Attachments

RD350 painted cases.jpg
.JPG | 54.5KB | RD350 painted cases.jpg
RD350 Falicon crank 2.jpg

They even polished it!

.JPG | 57.1KB | RD350 Falicon crank 2.jpg
RD350 Falicon crank.jpg
.JPG | 59.1KB | RD350 Falicon crank.jpg
Duramax hose assembly.jpg

Hose assy. from hell

.JPG | 43.4KB | Duramax hose assembly.jpg
Duramax, dual t-stats.jpg

Dual t-stat setup. One opens 5° before the other.

.JPG | 50.7KB | Duramax, dual t-stats.jpg

 
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LsFarm
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Baseburners & Antiques: Keystone 11, Art Garland

Post by LsFarm » Sun. May. 09, 2010 10:04 am

I hope everyone is having a nice Sunday morning, it's sunny here, and even though we had frost last night, it is near 40* already.. another frost/freeze warning for tonight.

I worked late last night,, I was cleaning out buckets and washing thinset off tools and my hands at 11pm last night.. I overdid it a bit :shock: I mixed up a bucket of slightly thinner thinset to put down a few tiles that were thick and needed only a very thin layer of mud.. But then moved on to some thinner tiles, and needed thicker thinset, so I mixed up some in the normal consistancy.. I had plenty of precut pieces ready to put down..

As I worked around the island putting down tiles, leveling, cleaning as I went, I worked around till I was done with the perimeter of the island.. then I discovered that I couldn't get up off my knees.. I was so stiff in the kneeling position that even with pulling on the countertop, I couldn't get up. So I crawled over to the stairs, and crawled up the stairsteps, till I could turn around and slowly straighten my legs. When I did stand up, my knees really protested..

I still had enough thinset mixed up to put down about 4-5 more pieces of slate, so back to the floor I went, and about an hour later I had used up most of the mud, and gave up for the night..

I've already started in again this morning,, I'm off this week, and other than a doc appt or two, I plan on doing nothing but slate tile till this %%##$$%$%#$^^&%% job is done.. I don't want to look at it any more..

It is a very clear, bright sunny day,, maybe I'll take the mutt for a short walk, and check out the AA. It's chugging away out in the boiler building.. I probably need to empty the ash pan, I can't remember who or when it was emptied last.. :shock: :mad: Probably overflowing

Well, back to the wet-saw and knee-pads.

Greg L.


 
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Cap
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Location: Lehigh Twp, PA
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harman SF 250, domestic hot water loop, heat accumulator
Coal Size/Type: Nut and Stove
Other Heating: Heat Pumps

Post by Cap » Sun. May. 09, 2010 11:28 am

LsFarm wrote:\
As I worked around the island putting down tiles, leveling, cleaning as I went, I worked around till I was done with the perimeter of the island.. then I discovered that I couldn't get up off my knees.. I was so stiff in the kneeling position that even with pulling on the countertop, I couldn't get up. So I crawled over to the stairs, and crawled up the stairsteps, till I could turn around and slowly straighten my legs. When I did stand up, my knees really protested..

Well, back to the wet-saw and knee-pads.

Greg L.
My knees shot too from years of service tech work, probably from climbing/jumping in & out of bed of service truck. Now I am much more careful in my current job. I have been receiving *lubrication* shots in my right knee this month. 3 shots over 3 weeks. The third one due tomorrow. Too early yet to tell if this will help. It's only a 9 month fix but supposed to delay the total knee repalcment surgery.

 
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LsFarm
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Posts: 7383
Joined: Sun. Nov. 20, 2005 8:02 pm
Location: Michigan
Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman Anderson 260
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Self-built 'Big Bertha' SS Boiler
Baseburners & Antiques: Keystone 11, Art Garland

Post by LsFarm » Sun. May. 09, 2010 11:46 am

Hi Cap, too bad we can't install a zerk fitting into our knees and give 'em a shot of lube every day or two ! :shock: :lol:

I'm eating Glucosamine-Chondroiten like popcorn, it does help a lot.. if I stop for 4-5 days I'm a cripple. So I take 'em every day.

Glad to hear your daughter is doing well.

Greg L

 
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CoalHeat
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Posts: 8862
Joined: Sat. Feb. 10, 2007 9:48 pm
Location: Stillwater, New Jersey
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1959 EFM 350
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harman Magnafire Mark I
Baseburners & Antiques: Sears Signal Oak 15 & Andes Kitchen Range
Coal Size/Type: Rice and Chestnut
Other Heating: Fisher Fireplace Insert

Post by CoalHeat » Sun. May. 09, 2010 10:10 pm

I have knee problems from time to time as well, same reasons, years of use. Glad you finally were able to get vertical Greg!

I feel a little better now, the Harman has been lit since this morning, there's some cool weather in store. There's nothing like a nice hand-fed coal fire!

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