Entropy

Relax in southern comfort on the east bank of the Mississippi. You're just around the corner from Beale Street and Sun Records. Watch the ducks, throw back a few and tell us what's on your mind.
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JR.
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Re: Entropy

Post by JR. »

mediatechnology wrote: Tue Oct 30, 2018 2:34 pm Aspirin? Benadryl?
I just took an anti-histamine but the date on the package says it expired in 2016... :roll:

The good thing about time passing faster as you get older is this will pass relatively quickly.

I can already make a fist again. :lol:
I'm constantly worried about picking up fire ants on a garden hose or extension cord.
You get into the habit of not standing still without looking down at the ground under your feet. You can walk through an ant mound with little harm, but do not stand still on one. :o Likewise you wear gloves almost all the time.

I didn't wear my gloves when trying to clean my roof... Likewise when I got bit/stung with my water meter box cover a while back, I wasn't wearing gloves while driving my lawnmower... (now I keep a pair of gloves with me while mowing).

I am actually making progress driving the ants out of my yard but I let my guard down... my front yard is really clear of ants but this was in my back yard. That colony is dead now too...

JR
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mediatechnology
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Re: Entropy

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JR. wrote: Tue Oct 30, 2018 3:06 pm You get into the habit of not standing still without looking down at the ground under your feet. You can walk through an ant mound with little harm, but do not stand still on one. :o Likewise you wear gloves almost all the time.
You got that right. Particularly after a rain when they're mad (when are they not mad?) and rebuilding. Mounds come up overnight.
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JR.
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Re: Entropy

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mediatechnology wrote: Tue Oct 30, 2018 10:30 pm
JR. wrote: Tue Oct 30, 2018 3:06 pm You get into the habit of not standing still without looking down at the ground under your feet. You can walk through an ant mound with little harm, but do not stand still on one. :o Likewise you wear gloves almost all the time.
You got that right. Particularly after a rain when they're mad (when are they not mad?) and rebuilding. Mounds come up overnight.
After a rain when they are digging out, is when I like to poison them because they are easier to find. Not like hot and dry two days ago when I didn't even see the mound. There is a reason they like relative high ground, to avoid flooding. I routinely find them hugging tree trunks and anything even slightly higher.

BTW I found yet another bite/sting on the back of my thigh... I felt it at the time but kind of forgot about it... now two days later the hard pustule is unmistakable. That ant must have paratrooped in from above (I was wearing baggy coveralls). An ant wouldn't climb that high just to bite/sting. Odd for my eyelid to itch.. :lol: I have so many bites that I have resisted draining them, so pus filled lumps everywhere. They break by themselves, so I just need to keep my hands clean to avoid infection.

Today is better than yesterday, and tomorrow will be even better. (opposite the general trend). :lol:

JR
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Re: Entropy

Post by Gold »

I figured out where to kick the generator for the well pump. The spark plug gap gets coated with carbon very easily. I removed it and used the only wire brush I could find. It was a grill brush. It had thick bristles and was covered in grease. Not ideal. I put the spark plug back in but no luck. I then found the right brush. I made the gap shiny but I thought I might have bent the tab, so I bent it closer to the other side of the gap. Then I dipped it is gasoline and mounted it again. This time it worked. Next time I know the dance.
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mediatechnology
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Re: Entropy

Post by mediatechnology »

Paul - I have that same problem sometimes on the first start of the lawn mowers. There's enough conductivity where it just won't spark. Have an aerosol can of starter fluid on hand too. That sometimes helps when you have a low spark or use it to flush the insulator.
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Re: Entropy

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mediatechnology wrote: Wed Oct 31, 2018 11:22 am Have an aerosol can of starter fluid on hand too. That sometimes helps when you have a low spark or use it to flush the insulator.
That's a good idea. I'll pick up a can. Next time I'll see whether I flushed all the water out of the system or if it's frozen. The instant hot water unit I bought is either too touchy to use or non functional. Upon further research the instant hot water units are touchy. Maybe not the best choice for intermittent use in a harsh environment. I'm thinking about an RV hot water heater tank now.
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JR.
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Re: Entropy

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Gold wrote: Wed Oct 31, 2018 11:45 am
mediatechnology wrote: Wed Oct 31, 2018 11:22 am Have an aerosol can of starter fluid on hand too. That sometimes helps when you have a low spark or use it to flush the insulator.
That's a good idea. I'll pick up a can. Next time I'll see whether I flushed all the water out of the system or if it's frozen. The instant hot water unit I bought is either too touchy to use or non functional. Upon further research the instant hot water units turn out to be touchy. Maybe not the best choice for intermittent use in a harsh environment. I'm thinking about an RV hot water heater tank now.
[/quote]

Spray ether? used a lot to start balky big diesels, but don't use too much (can cause explosions if liquid accumulates in manifold).

When working on small motors I would like to watch for a spark with the loose plug held grounded to the motor. Of course you have fun getting stung if you become the path for high voltage discharge.

JR
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mediatechnology
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Re: Entropy

Post by mediatechnology »

Ether, but not too much.
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JR.
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Re: Entropy

Post by JR. »

My halloween costume this year is just to hold up my hands and say I have leprosy...(bad joke).

JR

[edit found one more bite/sting on top of my head.. another day better [/edit
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Re: Entropy

Post by JR. »

Back on topic, today's equipment failure was my electric screwdriver... I was late to get on board, just to screw in screws, but my drum tuner uses 18 screws so the electric screw driver actually saves me real time over the years. Today it stopped working in one direction.

It came apart after pulling a U pin (to hold the front gear assy on) and 3 screws to open the clamshell package. The problem was pretty easy to see, a failed (black) wire/connection opened the circuit to the battery. Not really a faulty solder connection, but every strand of the stranded wire had finally failed.

It appears the forward/reverse direction switch fatigues these wires every time I change direction. While I was inside there the red wire looked like it was on it's last strands so I re-soldered that connection too.

All good, back together and fully functional so time for a victory beer... :lol:

JR
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