And now, this afternoon:
Pruning keeps the tree from growing too large, and forces it to make more fruit. I also took off a few branches that were crossed, and some that would grow too close to the shop.
Sometimes you need a tiny wrench.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Pruning the pear tree
Today I pruned the pear tree! This is what it looked like this morning:
And now, this afternoon:
Pruning keeps the tree from growing too large, and forces it to make more fruit. I also took off a few branches that were crossed, and some that would grow too close to the shop.
And now, this afternoon:
Pruning keeps the tree from growing too large, and forces it to make more fruit. I also took off a few branches that were crossed, and some that would grow too close to the shop.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
TR4 Startup 1: Before
I made a short video of the TR4 starting up.
This is a baseline "before" - mostly for the sound. I need to have the carbs rebuilt / resleeved (note the puff from the backfire on startup), the distributor reworked, and the manifold gaskets replaced again.
I put a second mike down behind the car, which gives the car a better sound but makes me sound very tinny.
This is a baseline "before" - mostly for the sound. I need to have the carbs rebuilt / resleeved (note the puff from the backfire on startup), the distributor reworked, and the manifold gaskets replaced again.
I put a second mike down behind the car, which gives the car a better sound but makes me sound very tinny.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Repurposing Electrical Boxes
I picked these up for free, they were discarded from a reno.
(Side note: Old electrical equipment is terrifying.)
I considered using the breaker panel as a sub panel when wiring the shop, but Federal Pacific (aka Federal Pioneer / Stab-Lok) got a bad reputation for making circuit breakers that didn't break when the circuit overloaded. These boxes will be gutted and used for other projects that don't need to meet any electrical safety codes.
(Side note: Old electrical equipment is terrifying.)
I considered using the breaker panel as a sub panel when wiring the shop, but Federal Pacific (aka Federal Pioneer / Stab-Lok) got a bad reputation for making circuit breakers that didn't break when the circuit overloaded. These boxes will be gutted and used for other projects that don't need to meet any electrical safety codes.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Triumph Fenders Acquired
For reasons I cannot comprehend, a pair of TR4 fenders showed up on a local classifieds website.
They were expensive, as used car parts go, but ridiculously cheap for a set of decent used fenders.
Looks like they were originally midnight blue. There's a few dings and creases from age and whatnot, but no bad rust at all. Should clean up really well.
They were expensive, as used car parts go, but ridiculously cheap for a set of decent used fenders.
Looks like they were originally midnight blue. There's a few dings and creases from age and whatnot, but no bad rust at all. Should clean up really well.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Triumphant Return
I started this blog to document some of the discoveries and processes related to camera repair.
However, upon reviewing my "bottom line" between buying / repairing / selling cameras and the same for bicycles, there's an order of magnitude of difference. The smaller margins (buying a $40 camera, selling it for $45) plus the parasitic nature of online sales (eBay, PayPal, and the post office all get a pretty good cut) means this blog is being repurposed.
I also have a sports car! A 1962 Triumph TR4:
I have had it for fifteen years now. This year, it is 50 years old. So, instead of continuing the rolling restoration that has been ongoing and off-going for the intervening fifteen years, this year it's coming off the road to receive some much needed R&R.
However, upon reviewing my "bottom line" between buying / repairing / selling cameras and the same for bicycles, there's an order of magnitude of difference. The smaller margins (buying a $40 camera, selling it for $45) plus the parasitic nature of online sales (eBay, PayPal, and the post office all get a pretty good cut) means this blog is being repurposed.
I also have a sports car! A 1962 Triumph TR4:
I have had it for fifteen years now. This year, it is 50 years old. So, instead of continuing the rolling restoration that has been ongoing and off-going for the intervening fifteen years, this year it's coming off the road to receive some much needed R&R.
Friday, December 21, 2012
Subaru musings
Last year we bought a 2001 Subaru Legacy L wagon. It replaced a 1990 Toyota Tercel that had soldiered through 300,000km and was ready for retirement. The Legacy was an ideal upgrade for us, being a roomy wagon with a manual transmission and, hopefully, engineering to match Toyota's.
The Legacy was built by Subaru to escape from the "quirky Japanese car" stigma they had achieved through years of building quirky Japanese cars. Just google image search for "Subaru 360", "Subaru BRAT" (or Brumby), "SVX" and "Subaru Spare Tire" and you may see what I mean.
Despite efforts, the Legacy does come equipped with quirks, if you're going to buy a used one. Subaru uses a horizontally opposed pancake engine in their larger cars, which puts the cylinders on a flat plane instead of straight-up-and-down or in a vee pattern. This design means a low center of gravity on the engine, with excellent balance. However, it also means that gravity is always pulling one side of the combustion chambers down.
The second and third generation legacy suffers from premature head gasket failure. In the second generation this is an internal leak, so you won't see any fluids dripping from the motor, but it will consume coolant due to the leaks, possibly leading to an overheated engine and costly breakdown. The third generation problem is an external leak, so you will get coolant and oil leaking out of the engine onto the hot exhaust, which can get stinky fast. External leaks are not as dangerous as internal ones, since it's less likely for exhaust gases to introduce themselves into your coolant, and less likely to overheat, but it can still happen.
If the motor overheats, it can warp the heads, wrecking the engine. The best way to deal with the head gasket problem is by replacing the head gaskets with modern versions. Subaru has addressed the issue, and will offer warranty repair if the motor / car meet certain requirements (service intervals, service parts, mileage). Ours was well beyond those requirements. We paid about $1500 to have the head gaskets replaced at the dealer, but that cost included sending the heads out to be machined flat again. The end result is a like-new motor that will not leak again.
Another design flaw is the rear tailgate lamp cluster. This is a large plastic lamp assembly that covers the entire tailgate. The gasket to seal out the weather will shrink and crack, allowing water to enter the cluster. We've had to deal with two blown tail-light fuses, and sometimes (but not always!) opening the tailgate will drip water into the cargo area. The fix for this will be to remove the cluster and replace the gasket with silicone sealant (a weekend job, but will need to wait for warmer weather).
Our last big issue is with the clutch. When the car is hot the clutch will sometimes shake. I think this is a warped flywheel. It's a creature comfort problem and we just live with it.
So, to summarize, here are the pros of owning our Subaru:
The Legacy was built by Subaru to escape from the "quirky Japanese car" stigma they had achieved through years of building quirky Japanese cars. Just google image search for "Subaru 360", "Subaru BRAT" (or Brumby), "SVX" and "Subaru Spare Tire" and you may see what I mean.
Despite efforts, the Legacy does come equipped with quirks, if you're going to buy a used one. Subaru uses a horizontally opposed pancake engine in their larger cars, which puts the cylinders on a flat plane instead of straight-up-and-down or in a vee pattern. This design means a low center of gravity on the engine, with excellent balance. However, it also means that gravity is always pulling one side of the combustion chambers down.
The second and third generation legacy suffers from premature head gasket failure. In the second generation this is an internal leak, so you won't see any fluids dripping from the motor, but it will consume coolant due to the leaks, possibly leading to an overheated engine and costly breakdown. The third generation problem is an external leak, so you will get coolant and oil leaking out of the engine onto the hot exhaust, which can get stinky fast. External leaks are not as dangerous as internal ones, since it's less likely for exhaust gases to introduce themselves into your coolant, and less likely to overheat, but it can still happen.
If the motor overheats, it can warp the heads, wrecking the engine. The best way to deal with the head gasket problem is by replacing the head gaskets with modern versions. Subaru has addressed the issue, and will offer warranty repair if the motor / car meet certain requirements (service intervals, service parts, mileage). Ours was well beyond those requirements. We paid about $1500 to have the head gaskets replaced at the dealer, but that cost included sending the heads out to be machined flat again. The end result is a like-new motor that will not leak again.
Another design flaw is the rear tailgate lamp cluster. This is a large plastic lamp assembly that covers the entire tailgate. The gasket to seal out the weather will shrink and crack, allowing water to enter the cluster. We've had to deal with two blown tail-light fuses, and sometimes (but not always!) opening the tailgate will drip water into the cargo area. The fix for this will be to remove the cluster and replace the gasket with silicone sealant (a weekend job, but will need to wait for warmer weather).
Our last big issue is with the clutch. When the car is hot the clutch will sometimes shake. I think this is a warped flywheel. It's a creature comfort problem and we just live with it.
So, to summarize, here are the pros of owning our Subaru:
- Carrying capacity. It's a wagon, can carry all our snow gear (or lumber)
- All wheel drive
- 5-speed stick shift lets you pretend to drive a rally car
- Predictable handling remind you that it's not
- Comfortable
- Ideal road trip car- cruise control & A/C
Here are the cons:
- Head gasket failure
- Leaking tailgate
- Shuddering clutch
- Terrible CD player
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Sewing Smoke
Our ancient Husqvarna sewing machine got into the Hallowe'en spirit last night after we made a costume. It went "pop" and smoked a lot, then started running on its own!
We pulled off the cover and found it had blown a capactitor:
Apparently the capacitor's job is to be a noise filter for TV/radio interference, and it can be safely removed. I'd still like to replace it, though, in case it also serves other purposes.
Update: The machine works fine after removing this capacitor.
We pulled off the cover and found it had blown a capactitor:
Apparently the capacitor's job is to be a noise filter for TV/radio interference, and it can be safely removed. I'd still like to replace it, though, in case it also serves other purposes.
Update: The machine works fine after removing this capacitor.
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