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must be gettin' old

I had some ... uh ... learning experiences today whilst welding 1/4" aluminum rod to make an "expander cage" for my livewell. Some years ago I made an oval aluminum ring, covered with vinyl tubing, to which was sewn a Wal-Mart polyethylene mesh laundry bag -- green to match the boat. This was so I could keep minnows in the small livewell and not have to chase the little devils at end of day. Just lift out the laundry bag to remove all minnows. Missed minnows stink a whole bunch after a few days!

Some of the gas welds turned out gorgeous, but I learned that there's no such thing as a "local puddle" in 1/4" rod when gas welding. SPROING. Oh, golly! I was able to recover with TIG and a jig; not pretty, but servicable. Lesson learned: use a jig when welding

1/4" al rod so it'll stay put when hot short.

Then I went to grind off the boogers.

Grinder seemed slow. Pressure gage said 40 PSI. The compressor is down. Oh golly again.

I'm an engineer, I know how to solve problems, right? I got out my voltmeter and methodically chased thru the power path. Socket's hot, check. Pull cover off of compressor pressure switch. Motor terminals hot, check. Pull plate off of motor. Motor terminals hot. Conclusion: motor shit the bed. Oh well, that motor's a good 20 years old.

Found a suitable 5HP NEMA 56 frame motor on the HF website. Checked Grainger to see how much more they want for a Dayton motor. (double)

I noted that the Grainger motor had manual thermal reset.

Manual ......thermal......reset. Kuh - - - - lick. I went back to my compressor and pushed the little red button. Vroom, budabudabuda.... Houston we have air! DUH!

It was a hot day today and I'd been doing some gritblasting, didn't notice that it'd quit running before reaching 175 PSI in the tank. It's been so long since that thermal switch has tripped that I'd plumb forgotten it was there.

Warm puppies are good, but there's also a lot to be said for not needing a new motor after all....

Reply to
Don Foreman
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Forgot to mention why the expander cage. The laundry bag develops folds in the livewell, depriving the bait of swim room they need to breathe and stay frisky. The expander cage will keep it open to at least 4 gallon volume.

Reply to
Don Foreman

Reply to
Robert Swinney

Good move, Don. Thanx for the suggestion to not overlook little red buttons. And congratulations on being the first person to ever get anything out of Grainger without having to pay double or triple for it.

Reply to
Robert Swinney

Honestly that single pair of sentences has preceeded more humbling experiences for me in the past than I care to discuss.

They're sorta the moral equivalent of "Hey Bubba, Watch This!!" for the more cerebral crowd. :^)

Jim

Reply to
jim rozen

I'm an engineer, I know how to solve problems, right?

Honestly that single pair of sentences has preceeded more humbling experiences for me in the past than I care to discuss.

The trick is to keep quiet about being an engineer until you've solved the problem, then casually admit it. Saves a lot of embarassment. Bugs

Reply to
Bugs

ROFLMAO!! Your candor is truely appreciated!!

signed (with guilt) Bill in phx.

Reply to
BillP

My favovite is: "You might want to stand back a little, in case this doesn't work...you DO have insurance, right?"

Reply to
Tom Gardner

Don, where are you and what time do you want me on the dock?

Reply to
Tom Gardner

ROFLMAO!!! Indeed...

Gunner, blushing at memories of his own. "Considering the events of recent years, the world has a long way to go to regain its credibility and reputation with the US." unknown

Reply to
Gunner

I have a joke that I tell technicians and fellow engineers. You stand there with your volt meter en garde and say "trust me -- I'm an engineer. I know things". Managers and interns will be confused, but real engineers will smile and the technicians will laugh.

Reply to
Tim Wescott

Lake Minnewaska MN between Starbuck and Glenwood. You wouldn't need to bring any tackle, plenty of tackle in me little green boat for guide trips, but you'll need a vaild nonresident fishin' license. They're not pricy in MN.

I'm no MInnewaska guide thus far, but I've never been skunked on that lake even in outings of 2 hours or less.

Be on the dock before .... oh, golly ... noon or so, but be on deck for morning coffee earlier. Morning coffee on the deck is not to be hurried. The fish will be there when we get around to chasing them.

Reply to
Don Foreman

A civil engineer says the glass is half full. The mechanical engineer says Its half empty.

The grade 6 student asks why they used a glass that was twice the required size.

Reply to
Rudy

The mechanic grabs the glass, drinks the contents and asks "Why was this meeting called? I've got work to do."

Reply to
Ken Davey

A mechanical engineer may design weapons systems. Civil engineers design:

Targets.

(top posted for your convenience) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Keep the whole world singing . . . . DanG (remove the sevens) snipped-for-privacy@7cox.net

Reply to
DanG

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