What have you done today? (Pt 2)

[Gopher Gary]

Yesterday I did my Saturday housework and vacuumed the cars. My Sunday spring cleaning cycle doesn't start again for another month and I've already done everything in this cycle, so I don't have anything scheduled to do today. I'll probably find something. 

[DirtDawg]

Not today, but yesterday!
Out walking the dog I came across a community yard sale. Had to stop!
Bought a shotgun, but that's not odd. That's pure 100% American Patriotism!
Carried that home, no problem. Indiana respects Our Second Amendment Right more than most pansy ass liberal states!!
I can walk down the street with a shotgun.

But MOST importantly, I came across my next project! I also found an old '50s era Baldor 1&1/2 HP motor offered as junk for two bucks.  Old fellow selling it said it was worth over forty buck as scap metal and was hoping someone else would take it to the dump for him.

It turns and it's a Baldor. Not much can go wrong that I can't fix! Almost eighty pounds though. More than I care to pick up very often, let alone carry more than a few steps.
Paid for it, gave him an extra buck to hold it while I went to get my car.

Got it home and on my bench. It has had a hamfist in there doing something, maybe trying to reverse the motor without Clue One on hand.
But just getting under the connection plate allowed me to confirm all the stator windings are good. Needs bearings really bad and lots of thrust control work, but this old crusty rusty dried out cast iron beast is going to RUN!

[Genesis]

Went to church, now I'm hiding in my basement.

[Parts]

Cleaned up 40 post office box doors and made sure they unlocked.  Got some other stuff ready for the show this weekend

[Genesis]

Realizing when I find it adorable when friend(s) can actually be themselves.

[renaeden]

DirtDawg, if I carried a shotgun down the street, I'd have the police on to me in minutes! Just goes to show how different our countries are.

I fed the cats and myself (not with the same food), crushed my collection of coke cans and rang the Australian Tax Office to stop my Australian Business Number from being cancelled. They had sent me an email saying they were going to cancel it. Looks like this year I'll have to file a tax return even though I don't earn enough to be taxed.

[Genesis]

Woke up, checked the mail, teared up a postcard from a guy who keeps sending unnecessary postcards asking to buy my parents house, checked up on my birds, made sure Louie needed to do his business, now I'm hiding in the basement again.

[Parts]

DirtDawg, if I carried a shotgun down the street, I'd have the police on to me in minutes! Just goes to show how different our countries are.

 

It would not go over well where I live either.  The states are all different even in the same state it's not the same all over.

[renaeden]

Yeah, in our state it would not be allowed in suburbia but out in the country where people hunt it would be more acceptable. Everyone who has a shotgun would have a licence to use one though.

[DirtDawg]

Yeah, in our state it would not be allowed in suburbia but out in the country where people hunt it would be more acceptable. Everyone who has a shotgun would have a licence to use one though.

As Parts says things can be different from state to state or even cities overstepping and hindering guaranteed freedoms.

Indiana is a great state.
The whole country needs to come back into balance and then maybe we can work some of that stuff out.

All I need to express my Constitutional Right is an ID, if I'm ever questioned.
You couldn't get within a couple of blocks of any event open carrying a weapon, though. Even going into a concert you have to pass through metal detectors. No blades either.

[Parts]

Loaded up the van for the weekend
Hid two garden gnomes in my son's yard for the grandkids to look for.  I hide little ones around my house for them to find like a scavenger hunt when they come over

[renaeden]

Loaded up the van for the weekend
Hid two garden gnomes in my son's yard for the grandkids to look for.  I hide little ones around my house for them to find like a scavenger hunt when they come over

Aw, you're a good grandfather.

All I've done this morning is feed the cats and take meds.

[DirtDawg]

A couple of days ago I spent half the day with my daughter on a plant search, but not the bigbox stores. We trekked to find the local mom and pops nurseries looking for something unique, but mainly to support small business rather than just saving a buck or two.

Lowe's doesn't care, but dropping $40 on a plant at a small store means more to them.
I came home with three nice big well grown perennials to plant out.

Started that same afternoon preparing the spots for planting.
Soil in this place is absolute garbage junk crap, mostly clay with enough stones to make a concrete starter.

Today, I got all three in the ground! Properly bedded for years, the way I do it up.

*hero pose*

[Gopher Gary]

Yesterday I grocery shopped and picked up prescriptions. Today I did my Saturday housework and washed the cars.

[DirtDawg]

Not today, but yesterday!

But MOST importantly, I came across my next project!
......  this old crusty rusty dried out cast iron beast is going to RUN!

Back to this for a moment ........    been busy today with this .........

That Baldor sat here for too long (gardening season - NOW) before I even brought my old dim bulb thingy over to see what happens when I try some juice. Nothing smoked. I kept going.

It runs on 220V dual phase normally, but there is a connection configuration setting for 110v single phase, which I had handy and I tried. It worked, barely, sounded horrible, so I re-figured all the wiring and set it up for 220V. Managed a long cable. Don't ask.

Well, this old rusted out motor blasted away like a herd of turtles. IT RUNS!! It's rough, but it's NOT junk. I'll make it new again!

I took the safety thing away and gave it another shot. It works and seems powerful, but it sounds like a thrashing machine.

I shut it down right away, oiled everything again. Gave it another go. The damn thing runs sharp as a tack on 220V, but needs bearings and such.

This is another time when I wish I could give a shit about yuotube. Rebuilding this beast might make for what ever it is that makes ad revenue from shit you just post out there.
Not my area.

Next is to just take it completely apart, clean everything and redress all the moving and contact surfaces. I actually found the exact replacement bearings and brushes from a few minutes search. Less than easy, compared to some things I've tried to find.

I thought about just waiting until I was done with my current project before ordering the parts, but it's only about $90 for everything, even the new thrust bushings with smaller extras to set thrust properly. That and the oiler felt pieces I had not even thought of yet. It's very old. It has its ways! But it's made out of cast iron! Heavy as fuck!

Once I move it off the bench, I am afraid that forever might be here before I get started on it, again.
Ordering the parts seemed smart.

Grainger to the rescue. I decided to call, talk to a human and place the order.

I'm ordering all this motor stuff and of course, I am upsold as far as possible, but the guy never offered me anything that I couldn't use on this rebuild. His problem with building his sale to me was that I already have everything else I need to get this back to better than brand new with modern super bones from his company and freshly revived guts, all new copper wiring connections, etc.

Tip of my hat though for decent treatment to a random nobody like me on the phone from that guy serving customers. I'll ask for Jason D, next time!


Still watching the weather for a decent painting day. I want to finish my speakers! It's been toooooo wet.