What did you do today? - 2020 version

[Moemg]

We have gotten into a Sunday routine . In the afternoon we go to a local park and walk the trail . We then stop for a late lunch .Today was barbecue the beef brisket was great.

 

[socca]

Today was yard work day, mowed the grass and changed the oil on the lawn mower. It's new and supposedly you never have to change the oil. I don't buy that for a minute.

Home Depot is advertising a 22" Toro lawnmower with a Briggs & Stratton engine that "never needs to have the oil changed." This piqued my curiosity so I went to the B&S website and can't find any evidence of a revolutionary new engine design. I check the oil in my lawnmower before every mow, and it gets steadily dirtier as the weeks go by. I do an oil change when the oil becomes dark brown.

My 22" Toro push mower with B&S engine is still working fine after 5 years. It's a tad under-powered (can't use it to mulch), but it does the job.

 

[braumeister]

I made a sign to put out at my community garden plot.

The best of all possible signs for that location!

 

[Walt34]

Opened a youtube account and posted my first-ever video, done in Adobe Premiere Elements, of a FPV (First Person View) flight of a UMX Radian, small sailplane, with a TV camera/transmitter on it and recorded with a DVR in a monitor screen. All-up flying weight is 54 grams, or 1 7/8 ounces. Pilots will notice a "wiggle" from the tail, I suspect either from turbulence caused by the TV camera or the stabilization system "hunting" or a combination of both. It's so minor that I never saw it from the ground but it is definitely there.

The score is a freebee that comes with Premiere Elements and is there because there's no microphone on the camera and I just liked it.

And yes on landing it was "too high and too fast" so I had to go around for a second try.

The photo under the link is of the sailplane and transmitter/monitor on the workbench. Needless to say I don't expect to make a penny from youtube. Oh, and my real name is not Irving J. Smaklebits.

 

[pacergal]

Less shaggy today, Got a haircut!
Salon was 50 % capacity, masks required by all, stay outside or your car until appt and they text you to come in. In and out in about 20 minutes, felt fairly safe.

 

[1242Vintage]

Today was another exciting day in retirement land.

Workout on my bicycle for an hour, a couple hours pruning trees in the orchard, hit the gym for a late afternoon workout and then took FIL out for an early bird dinner and Father’s Day celebration.

In other news, the calendar is opening up and I signed up for a gravel endurance bicycle race in September. Everything I had on the calendar this Spring and Summer was cancelled. Need something to get the adrenaline flowing again.

 

[JP.mpls]

I've spent the last two afternoons taking the head off of the chevy small block 350 in my old truck.

I had zero compression on one cylinder.

I found a damaged exhaust valve. Everything else looks to be in good shape.

I will be repairing the valve, and hopefully get this engine running good again.

JP

 

[aja8888]

I've spent the last two afternoons taking the head off of the chevy small block 350 in my old truck.

I had zero compression on one cylinder.

I found a damaged exhaust valve. Everything else looks to be in good shape.

I will be repairing the valve, and hopefully get this engine running good again.

JP

View attachment 35404

Yikes! I haven't seen a valve lose a chunk like that in 40 years of tearing down engines! Did you find the chunk?

 

[Ronstar]

Walk/ weights. Changed oil/ filters and sharpened blades on riding mower, deep cleaned the gas grill, and made a large suet feeder in attempts to attract pileated woodpeckers.

 

[Winemaker]

I have lost about a dozen tomato plants this year also. They grow fine for a few weeks or more, then start wilting, then tip over. The stem just above soil level is very thin, and is being attacked by something..........a fungus, I'm pretty sure. Damping-off fungus is only supposed to kill very young seedlings, but whatever fungus is killing my tomato plants is able to weaken and kill much larger plants.

I don't know what I can do about this. The research I have done on soil-borne fungi basically says there is not a whole lot you can do about it, other than plant your tomatoes in a different area next year. The problem is, this is happening at various locations throughout my whole garden, so it's not restricted to just one small area. Frustrating!

I learned this trick from a You tube video a couple of years back. You may have to search for yourself to get exact formula, but the gist is you spray your tomato plants with a aspirin/water solution. The mixture triggers the plants immune system into high gear and keeps the plants healthy.

 

[Nemo2]

9:05 a.m. appointment with the eye surgeon,(ongoing, wow since October 2016 now), re shingles on cornea.

8:15 a.m. call from the office.....questions....and instructions....one person in the building at a time, wait in the parking lot, (what are you driving, etc?)... someone will come and escort you into the building, (there's a first....escorted out OK...nothing unusual there...but escorted in?)

Minimal staff...surgeon himself waves me in.....no change in the eye....back in the Fall.

 

[REWahoo]

.....no change in the eye....back in the Fall.

Very good.

 

[street]

Started building some buck & rail fencing at the ranch. I have a lot of old cedar posts and rail so won't cost me anything but time.
It is easy and very fast to install and erect. I built a jig to build the bucks and then will take them where they will be setup the fence.
I setup up a few to see how things will go.

 

[Chuckanut]

Cleaned, scraped, patched and primed my old wooden deck. Just some touch up painting left to do.

 

[braumeister]

Went to the local woodworking store for a tool this morning, and another customer arrived at the same time. Door was locked and there was an employee standing at the register with his hands in his pockets looking at me. I tapped on the window and pointed to the door. He held up ten fingers (it was 9:40 am). I pointed to the sign on the door that said they were open 9-7 on weekdays. He pointed straight up. I looked again and saw a little paper sign taped up high over the door that said COVID-19 hours were 10-6. So he wanted us to just stand there for another 20 minutes before he would open the door. We looked at each other, said a few choice words, and left. Two more purchases from Amazon. IMHO this is one of the key reasons why businesses fail.

 

[ls99]

Dropped suburban at shop for annual safety and emssion inspection, let them change oil while they have it. Then visited a goodwill, nothing found to buy.

 

[JP.mpls]

Aja8888,
No, I didn't. My friend, and more experienced mechanic asked me if I dropped hardware into the engine, but I don't believe I did.
I replaced the carb about a year ago, unless something fell out of the carb while driving. (A carb jet?)
The cylinder wall looks smooth and clean.
I'm going for it, and having both heads rebuilt.

Will be thrilled if my old truck is running soon.

Take care, JP

Yikes! I haven't seen a valve lose a chunk like that in 40 years of tearing down engines! Did you find the chunk?

 

[MBAustin]

Opened a youtube account and posted my first-ever video, done in Adobe Premiere Elements, of a FPV (First Person View) flight of a UMX Radian, small sailplane, with a TV camera/transmitter on it and recorded with a DVR in a monitor screen.

Great video, Walt! Thanks for sharing!

 

[1242Vintage]

Today was a rerun of yesterday; mtn bike ride, tree trimming, gym. Except today jumped on the mower and added circuits around the back pasture to tame the grasses.

Loving this routine so much better than what was happening a few months ago in pre-retirement; executive briefings, endless project and staff meetings, calls with clients and solving employee issues that they should have solved themselves!

 

[Ronstar]

Opened a youtube account and posted my first-ever video, done in Adobe Premiere Elements, of a FPV (First Person View) flight of a UMX Radian, small sailplane, with a TV camera/transmitter on it and recorded with a DVR in a monitor screen. All-up flying weight is 54 grams, or 1 7/8 ounces. Pilots will notice a "wiggle" from the tail, I suspect either from turbulence caused by the TV camera or the stabilization system "hunting" or a combination of both. It's so minor that I never saw it from the ground but it is definitely there.

The score is a freebee that comes with Premiere Elements and is there because there's no microphone on the camera and I just liked it.

And yes on landing it was "too high and too fast" so I had to go around for a second try.

The photo under the link is of the sailplane and transmitter/monitor on the workbench. Needless to say I don't expect to make a penny from youtube. Oh, and my real name is not Irving J. Smaklebits.

Awesome video Walt! Keep'em coming!

 

[aja8888]

Aja8888,
No, I didn't. My friend, and more experienced mechanic asked me if I dropped hardware into the engine, but I don't believe I did.
I replaced the carb about a year ago, unless something fell out of the carb while driving. (A carb jet?)
The cylinder wall looks smooth and clean.
I'm going for it, and having both heads rebuilt.

Will be thrilled if my old truck is running soon.

Take care, JP

You got lucky. I'll bet the valve piece went out the exhaust and right out the back end, or it's in the cat/muffler. Along time ago I had a air-cooled 4 cylinder VW that swallowed a valve (head broke off) @ 50 MPH and the piston and head was destroyed (beat into submission) plus shrapnel went through the intake to the other three cylinders. Totaled the engine.

Good luck with the truck!

aja8888

 

[Venturer]

I went to Dr. to have a "routine" procedure to remove a cyst from my back/neck, as they were stiching me up she kept asking if I was ok. all thru the procedure from the deadening till then I was sitting there just leaned over with no problem. Then I started to feel warm then hot and sweating,which I told her and she had the nurse help her sit me up. Then i became very nauseated and they grabbed a bucket for me. Lets just say I proved to them that I had eaten lunch. It was along time ago after a long night of drinks since I was that sick! Whew after recovering she finished stitching me up and called my wife to come pick me up in case I got sick again.After the feeling came back last night I took some Tylenol and went to bed. no more sickness but some pain this am.I have never had anything like that happen to me but they said it does sometimes.

 

[JP.mpls]

I drove and maintained old VWs on a daily basis for about 20 years.
I self learned how to work on cars using the "How to keep your VW alive for the complete idiot" book.
I finally got tired of no heat, and started driving Hondas.
This is my first American built truck. I use it to haul my boat, tools and supplies to my cabin.

You got lucky. I'll bet the valve piece went out the exhaust and right out the back end, or it's in the cat/muffler. Along time ago I had a air-cooled 4 cylinder VW that swallowed a valve (head broke off) @ 50 MPH and the piston and head was destroyed (beat into submission) plus shrapnel went through the intake to the other three cylinders. Totaled the engine.

Good luck with the truck!

aja8888

 

[Chuckanut]

I drove and maintained old VWs on a daily basis for about 20 years.
I self learned how to work on cars using the "How to keep your VW alive for the complete idiot" book.
I finally got tired of no heat, and started driving Hondas.

Fantastic book. Entertaining, easy to follow and allowed me to keep my 1970 VW in good shape for may years.

I finally needed more room and luggage capacity and ended up with a Toyota Corona. Then a Honda Accord with the CVCC engine. I believe it was the last car sold in the USA that did not need unleaded fuel to meet the new air pollution rules. During the two oil embargoes, I remember easily pulling up to the Regular leaded gas pumps while others waited in long lines for the unleaded fuel their cars required.

 

[JP.mpls]

Chuck,
I remember being totally ignorant and afraid to work on my car. Got sick of paying too much for repairs, and being at the mercy of some repair shop.

That book was amazing. I rebuilt a VW motor by following that book step by step. The damn engine even ran when I was done.

The confidence and skills I picked up from doing this work saved me thousands of dollars over the years, and allowed my wife and I to save for retirement by LBYM.

Plumbing, home remodeling, appliance repair. Most of these tasks are mechanical and logical.

I don't really belong on this forum. Just a working stiff who followed a LBYM lifestyle, and saved consistently in 401K accounts.

Sorry for rambling. I obviously had fun doing all of this stuff.

I've considered getting another old VW, but so far I have held back doing that. Going 60mph down the freeway in a bug with someone texting while driving a few feet off of my back bumper doesn't sound that fun.

My old truck is fun too, and I can even use it to haul things. I kind of smile driving an old beater truck around town. Most people look shocked that the damn old thing even runs, and that some old fool actually wants to drive it. It is a very crude and rough old vehicle ( 3/4 ton 1971 GMC) .

JP

Fantastic book. Entertaining, easy to follow and allowed me to keep my 1970 VW in good shape for may years.

I finally needed more room and luggage capacity and ended up with a Toyota Corona. Then a Honda Accord with the CVCC engine. I believe it was the last car sold in the USA that did not need unleaded fuel to meet the new air pollution rules. During the two oil embargoes, I remember easily pulling up to the Regular leaded gas pumps while others waited in long lines for the unleaded fuel their cars required.