Coffee 1-31-15

Just a simple scrambled egg, some toast & good coffee. I'm ill! I picked up this crud that's been going around and have been in bed for two days..... which is where I'm headed in 15 minutes. I do have to go make two passes with the John Deere to break a path for sister in law so she can feed the goats. Or, maybe she can park on the road & hike. There's 8" of heavy, wet snow & the plow has been by a couple of times. You're not getting in the driveway right now without 4WD. This is on top of the 16 inches we got from "the blizzard of 2015".

BUT... it's warm in here and I don't have to lug wood and feed a beastly wood stove. Thank you coal!

Mornin all, simple is good Freddy:) Feel better my friend--Yep, we got another 4 inches or so overnight on top of 6-8 we already had. I'm thinkin my road truck is due for a new battery--this sub zero stuff knocks the hell out of the old starting concept. Enjoy the week-end people:)

Sorry to read that you are ill Fred, so go easy on the snow blowing!
I'm over north of Chicago, picking up a mini-van load of Pierce arrow parts. I have to hustle out of here early this afternoon, Chicago is forecast to get 8-12" of snow.. now snow when at home is OK, but not when I need to drive 5-6 hours through it. so I'll be doing my best to get around the south side of Lake Michigan before the flakes fly.

Greg L.

I agree with FF, a simple breakfast is just fine. Sorry to hear you aren't feeling well Freddy, I hope you get well quickly.

The storm Greg is talking about will also be tracking through here, then up your way FF and Freddy. More heavy accumulations.

Be careful driving in that mess Greg.

Take care and be safe all

Freddy, I'm sorry to hear that you are sick but appreciate the dedication to the Coffee Club. I hope you are feeling better soon.

I don't have the snow you guys in the Northeast have but we do have some of the white stuff hanging around from earlier this week and expect either snow or ice Sunday night into Monday. The wind was roaring in the trees all day yesterday but that dead tree which stands just off my property line in the county parkland hasn't gone over yet. Actually, there are a couple of such trees in view from my back door we having been watching for a couple of years. They lean away from any homes so we just watch them. They provide homes to squirrels and birds.

The beehives are there but don't show any signs of life. I'm hoping that they had large enough numbers of bees and plenty of food to allow the majority of the them to make it through the winter. They are huddled down and won't come out again until the next time it's 45*.

I don't have much on the schedule today. I'm hopeful I can get good look the vintage cook stove I picked up last weekend. Most of it's in boxes. For sure I'm going to take the "splatter guard" apart and put the chrome in permanent climate controlled storage. I'll save the other pieces for patterns when it's time to reconstruct the "splatter guard."

I am researching the name I can see on the stove - Richmond Stove Company. Apparently, it doesn't have anything thing to do with Richmond, VA but the company was formed in 1867 by A. Richmond in Norwich, Conn. Sometime around 1920 the Richmond Stove Company was sold to the Southern Stove Company and moved to Richmond, VA. From that point on the Richmond Stove Company appears to drop of the face of the earth.

I was told this is 1942 model but my research leads me to think it's probably older because of the Southern Stove Companies acquisition of the Richmond Stove Company in the mid 20s and the fact that coal stoves had lost favor with homeowners by 1942 due to the development of natural gas and electric stoves. I guess I'll continue to pull on the strings I have and see what is revealed.

It's a good project, DK is happy I have something to do. Take care, stay warm, Lisa

Get well Freddy - we'll take it from here. Get some rest! The snow will still be there tomorrow.

We've got 6° right now, with howling winds! Even though the house is up to temp, it just feels cold when you sit on the couch next to some windows. The plastic over them doesn't do much in this weather. Watched the boiler for a bit this morning. It actually reached the 170° set temp! Didn't expect that - last few times I've checked on it in similar weather, it seemed to be running non-stop and 5° below. Not getting excessive stack temps (not even hitting 200°), so my guess is this batch of coal isn't what it was last year. House is warm, but it's costing a bit more this year.

I've got to come up with a better way to clean those fire tubes. Stainless wire brush won't even touch the hard, baked-on, crusty crap that's lining them now. I'd expect the stack temps to be higher than last year ... but they're lower. This is why I suspect the coal. I'm thinking of trying one of my cylinder hones out in the tubes - hopefully that'll get the crap out of there. Not sure I have the right size though - seems I have everything larger, and smaller than needed. Always the way!

In other news, I decided to test out a chainsaw I had just fixed last week. Bad move. Knew I should've waited until I was better rested. Cut a set of 3 maples that shared a stump. The center one landed right where I wanted it. The right one went right ..... and landed on my flatbed trailer. No harm no foul there - it's built well. Didn't even scratch it. The left tree went left, and landed on the damn Volvo. Well, that makes my decision between "parts" or "fix" alot easier anyway. Ironically this is the same saw my wife crashed the Blazer picking up! This thing is possessed - I want it out of here!

I'd better get out there and get the waste oil burner fired up - gonna take a few hours to not see my breath out there. Got my buddy coming up with a slow leaker that needs to be found and patched.

Stay warm!

Quick cereal and coffee this morning, nothing fancy, wife has to work all day today and tomorrow, unfortunately. I have some projects to work on, it'll keep me busy.
Stoves are cranking, the LL Hyfire is running FR98 keeping up! down to about 2 ton in the bin, hopefully last thru March-April, it'll be close.

Freddy - Sorry to hear your under the weather, it's going around thats for sure.

Greg - Drive safe!

We're in for the same storm Greg is running thru, here in WNY. Here some totals thru Monday nite. oh boy!

Morning Freddy. So far this morning it's been only coffee here, but breakfast is not too far off. Per Weather Underground the forecast for the Wadsworth, Ohio area calls for 8" to 12" of snow tomorrow. It looks like it will be our turn to get a taste of what the east coast experienced several days ago.

Good morning. It is frigid here. -5 and windy. Our house is comfortable, but every radiator in the house is hot!

Morning everyone... at 12* cold (for us but probably not for you northerners!) and very windy here today I will be going through about 80 lbs probably in 24 hrs. Eggs sound good and I am adding waffles to the buffet selection as well.

I was thinking about an outside project this morning, but with the wind decided to work on rebuilding a set of polk speakers I have had since '81. The new tweeter & crossover components came this past week and i'm interested to see if I can notice any difference with my lousy hearing. It will be a lot warmer working on those down by the stoker than messing around outside!

Hope you get over the crud quickly Freddy.

Good Frigid Morning,Gang !! Sick Call For The Dedicated Freddy Is In High Order This Morning !! Sorry to hear it,but as Madame Fogs stated:"Your Dedication To The Coffee House Is Admired " or something like that !! To All Of You,whether Home or Away,whether ill,semi low to good spirits,stay with it and stay warm ! I'm just doing the quick java routine this a.m.,then it's off to get new wiper blades for the Suby,and replace the destroyed mailbox at the road.....Past that,I'll do a little cooking to surprise Mrs. Ham with something hot and fresh after I've picked that Hard Working Girl up from a little 5 hour O.T. Venture this morning. She's been too good to me for these past 26 Years,and I always follow Freddy's Advice in Appreciating Her !! Oh,bring that Storm On ! After the unexpected Lake Effect Dumping Of "Ohio White" that We took yesterday,it'll be just a "Routine'r" Pile-On ! With Winter Bulkiness setting in on me,I gotta' tell Ya's,I'm Appreciating You All Being Here ! Yes FFred,even You and Your Tired Battery ! Get that thing out of the kitchen,as it's interferring with my ability to peel spuds fast enough fer Ya'....Warming it up in the Potato Bin really is just a Wive's Tale! Many Coal BTU's To You All !

Mornin' everyone,
BRRR!!!!!!! COLD! It's that time of the year for the 4-legged critter in Puxa......, Pa. to tell us we have 6 more weeks of Winter.

Lisa- http://www.stovebook.com has a catalog on 1932 Richmond Stove Co. I think you'll find yours, about page #50.

Cheers

Yep HB, jumped the road truck & got down to my buddies shop--put it on the tester & she started at 12V & in about 3 min. dropped to 3 V. LOL yep she was due 875 cranking--"Interstate"----$110.00--

Get well soon Freddy !!We are not immune to that same crap here. Last saturday,last day of Jan. already. I do not like winter time & it is usually a very slow season for me.But I have spent too much time outdoors slaving with fire wood which made the winter seem to drag on & on & on & on &on &..... This yr with coal heat ,we are not spending much time outdoors & winter is flying by !! Been busy this week in our shop & we are still picking up coal in small quantities & then bucketing it into the coal bin.I forgot to set the EFM up to 6 teeth & 6 air from the 5/5 it has been on. We had 6* this a/m with 30+ mph wind,my usually HOT shower was only warm so I knew the 5/5 setting was stretched beyond its capability . The boiler water temp was down to 140* & the heat exchangers in the shop were not able to satisfy the t-stats. I set the stoker to 6 teeth/6 air & then to speed things up I set the air to the max & hand cranked extra coal in .That sure gets things hot quick ! The shop heat exchangers are cycling as they should now.Gotta go pick up another 1/2- 1 ton of rice again b4 this next snow gets here.

Freddy, was that you I just heard getting in the bathroom ?? Are you staying up or headed back to the rack ?? It's Saturday. Head back to bed, we got enough hanging around here to cover for ya'.

FFred, I think you need another Lean4 so you have a place to park the plow truck. Rig up some electric in there so you can get a block heater or a trickle charger to help keep that old bucket of bolts running. Yep winter time will separate the good batteries from the bad.

Today I will spend time finishing putting my 250 back together. Put enough on it last Sunday to get it on the road, but now I can start cleaning it and installing all the trim. Hate like hell putting a newly refinished truck back on the road in all this slop. Not to mention PennDOT's insistence on making the roads solid white with salt and brine. AAARRRGGGHHHH. Going to try some fluid film on the underneath and in the door interiors to see if that will help maintain my rust repairs.

Al least I'm in a warm shop........

Take care and remember to hug the loved ones.

Rick