Some while back, I mentioned that I’d picked up the Chineseum welder model similar to what’s on Amazon – like this one ($28) – which is “similar-to” the very reliable Smith Little Torch which – at $155 – is a shade more expensive.
Before my review of the offshore entry, a few words contexting things for non-welders.
Ure’s Fantastic Filing System
In construction there are only a few major steps.
- Measure
- Cut
- Join
- Finish
In an industrial setting, there are two more: Design on the front-end and Selling on the back end.
Many times, products will have more than one part, so you can have, oh, in an automobile for example, several hundred discretes coming into a big rousing “Join” to finish. Still, you get the idea.
To further elucidate the Join concept, we have tons of ways to do that:
- Screw or bolt
- Melt or glue
- Fuse or weld
- Compression fitting…
- …and so forth….
Fusing falls into:
- Solvents (toluene, airplane glue)
- Curatives (photoresins) and Epoxies
- Old School: Pegs, Nails, Screws, Bolts
- Fusing which includes:
- Solder
- Braze
- Heat
- Weld (which further breaks into)
- Basic arc welding (Stick)
- Tungsten-inert-gas (TIG)
- Related is Heliarc (helium shielded tungsten)
- Wire (Lincoln Fluxcore which we use a lot), and?
- Oxygen-acetylene (gas) welding
Oxy-Acetylene is a generalization. Propane and MAPP gas are other useable fuels but are much less effective at heating. I’ve parked the BTU per cubic foot of gas at STP (standard temperature and pressure) out back, but we could go there if you need to.
No?
You’d rather weld, huh? Me too!
Clean Matters
One of the occupational hazards around here is not cleaning up precisely when done with projects. So, before we get to welding some sample materials, we first need to make sure the welding table is all photogenic-like. Haul out the burnishing machine:
Pardon the slightly out of focus look: The lens was fogged a bit from going from an icy 68F in the office to near saturation humidity and 85F outside. Point is that a small welder (tiny gas or spot electric) is not for putting together enough 3/8ths plate to lay up a Liberty ship. No, this is fine metal working gear.
In the process of burnishing out the welding top, I found some “hard spatter” left over from the last fun welding job: An expanded sheet steel foot wiping mat tacked down to 1/2″ rebar. A coat of black pickup truck bed coat and we’re talking some real fun metal work!
That said, the cleanup revealed little goobers like:
Which means – if the weather ever cools down a bit – a grinder will take off this construction oversight.
But basically, the work area was clear so I could lay out the tools for testing:
Not shown was my Lincoln cutting mast. I also could have used the wide-angle YesWelder color neutral wide-view mask, but for plasma cutting and gas welding, there’s not so much arc so a lesser shade will often give better (still safe) views of your workpiece.
The tip size here is the largest of the five that came in the box. After wiping them all down, you blow through them (like blowing on a straw). The one with the least resistance is the largest, maybe about like a 0000 (4-ought) tip.
About these coupons: They are 11-gauge, mild steel 7/64th’s or a shade under 1/8th inch.
The loose end is deliberate – I wanted to get a feel for how much raw heating power would come from this little 3 or 4 ought tip – the biggest in the kit. With a little extra O2 you can get up into oxidizing and a touch of burn-through:
The hip shot with welding with a small (albeit intense) flame is that as the discoloration shows, there’s not a lot of heat to play with.
Which happens to be fine with me. Because coming out of electronics since age 12 in a progressively serious way, I got into soldering and learned a fair bit about patience and soldering irons and what a “cold solder joint” looks like.
You can get the same kind of thing in small torch welding, too.
Our next couple of coupons went into a better butting (contact only, no fixturing). After a tack on either end of the front, a lazy weld pool was nurtured on the back side, like this:
It wasn’t pretty, but it was by-God welding. More important, though, was that the front side was benefiting from all this pre-heating. So, when the front pool was run, it looked somewhat better.
Not something I would go trusting my life with on a steel airframe weld, but certainly workable farm grade.
The Welding Connoisseur
This weld is considerably better than I can produce with a stick welder (non-HF). But, as you can see, it’s pushing things to do 11-gauge. However, for working thinner materials? Like 12 or even up to 20 gauge, a patient person with more skill than me could have a dandy time.
On the ranch, though, ugly or not, gas welding has its place. You don’t need to run power and working in wet conditions just means the Fence repair will not set off a conflagration that could get serious. Toss in a 20V grinder for the road and everything goes in the tractor bucket with a ton of room to spare.
Better weld quality shows up on projects like the solar panel racks. but these are (by definition) close to the A.C. power service entrance. MIG, wire, and shielding gas. Even here, however, gas can be tempting. Because you get much more control over the pooled metal (I think) with the gas rig. You learn to “work the heat around” and by moving back and forth you can (hope and pray) that you’ll get a decent weld by covering from both sides.
ADHD Workers
Attention deficit people (like me) are usually drawn to things we can do well – and quickly. One of the joys of electronics is that as soon as the solder is cool enough to handle power, you can get on with testing or construction of your project.
A number of other projects around here – woodworking mostly – where you have to glue up lumber and let it sit for a day (or two) or longer – just don’t cut the mustard.
Therefore, you can imagine my joy this week when I put together a small wooden kit with the medium thick, reasonably fast curing CA model glues for the first time!
That little wooden tool deserves mention – because using it got me to becoming a believer in CA wood glues:
It’s an adjustable Dead Eyes Amarrage Outils Fix Tool pour Wood Ship Model Kit Auxiliary Tool P1 that you can find on eBay.
The two horizonal bars are adjusted so that when you are building up dead eyes for the museum-quality sailing ship you get the spacing consistent.
It was an excuse to try out some of the CA glues – Gorilla and Bob Smith’s just kill the category for me – before getting into next projects in Ure’s Hobby shop.
Hobby Shop?
My pal – the Major – will be down here in October. Think I mentioned his older (late) brother was a master gas / nitro model builder?
We have both enjoyed the hell out of models but between him being magna cum laude and me being in broadcasting, I don’t think either of us ever got the “playing with advanced toys and models” out of our systems. (It’s OK, though. Because when it leaves, you’re dead…)
Next project in Ure’s Hobby Shop is building up a model of a 1978 Corvette for Elaine. She (a long time ago) owned a 77 ‘vette with T-tops. Silver-blue.
We went car shopping on eBay recently. I offered to buy her one for her next birthday (Shh!!! 80…) but we decided to act “age appropriate” and keep the old Lexus sedan and not throw out body parts trying to sit on the ground.
But a model Corvette would be fun, and that’s next up on the build list. “Maybe we SHOULD buy a ‘Vette,” she explained. “But you’d have to promise to bury me in it…we could make it my casket!” Bury a still running ultra-low mileage Z06? Uh…Not on a bet!
AFTER the screen porch gets put back together with pet proof screen all around, thanks to possums and a cranky racoon, we’ll be on to next rounds of model shop time. For now, though, waiting for stainless 1/2″ T50 staples to show up.
I assume you do know that stainless staples are available now, so you can get more than 15-years out of screen porch upgrades?
Write when the projects are all done, or even when you start one!
George@Ure.net
After all these years and after many discussions with the wife it was decided it is time for me to part ways with my 2007 Vette. Like a trophy girlfriend she was getting just too expensive and the wife was getting just a little jealous. She is far from stock and not many can reasonably justify keeping a race ready machine with all the accessories locked up in a garage. That and the last bill for exercise and service was WOW!. The fact I had a hard time getting her into the hauler and then extracting myself from the cockpit gracefully was another point. Gene the lead mechanic at the shop said I looked like a monkey effing a rolling donut climbing out. Finally there was the last bill from the insurance company, No way Jose.
After a couple months of screening buyers a fellow who was referred by Gene passed the tests and once the check cleared was given directions to the ranch. He left with her and her things last Friday and as typical after breaking up with a longtime lover I was left with only an empty garage and memories similar to those from when I divorced the Ranger bass boat years back.
My wife said she wants to park her car in there but I pointed out only if she washes it each time before she drives on the epoxy floor and doesn’t get too close to the roll away tool boxes and color keyed workbench.
I think the timing on this breakup is perfect given the current state of affairs and our economy which is a real shame since it didn’t have to be this way.
Stay safe. 73.
My heart breaks when I hear such tales of woe.
But, look at the bright side, brother!
Pulling the front of a garage out 20 feet (depending on property setbacks and the zoning Nazis) is an easy enough deal. Then, you have room for a full time (read: real) shop plus a hobby shop and reloader station.,
I’m telling you, parting is not all bad. When the DUDE closes one door, he opens a hobby shop, radio bench, home intelligence platform and oh, my, the list does get long!
Tool restoration, wood and plastic models, and the welders – never run out of STD (shit to do).
Adjust – and stay off your ass. That’s where death will come get you from. Sitting old farts are easy prey.
(But truth is, after owning my 930, parting with a Vette is a 10-minute and done -= honest!!! I still moan the sailboat and the 930 and the airplane and….)
I hear you. I count myself blessed that I have most of the things you mentioned and find myself wanting more time in the day to partake. This is a busy time of year on the ranch and keeping prepped is not easiy done either. You got me on the latest kick with the model building. Lucy’s house, where the Vette lived, is a 36 X 40 shop . Plenty of room for more toys but the wife says “you already have the tractor house and that lean on thingy with your other stuff in it and the greenhouses.”. I have also been told to move my ham “stuff” in there from the spare bedroom, gasp how can she call it stuff?, in there and I had better do something about the floor so she can park her old Maxima in there or I can just move myself in there too. Pricing horse stall mats this afternoon. Holy Shit.
73
Boy, I certainly sympathize with you. I cried when I had to sell my 1981 Saab turbo sedan with 231,000 miles on it. Could not afford two vehicles at that time. That beautiful car drove me over much of the US in comfort and speed.
Buddy of mine seeded SCCA Pro Rally guy – loved his Saab turbo – and another pal – Dennis who worked on our airline computer gear back in the day had a triple black early Saab 9-something turbo. It was a screamer!
“Insurance” is never an excuse.
Hagerty and a number of mainstream insurance companies (like State Farm) offer “collector car” insurance for nearly nothing. My Buick is $17 for 6mos, for some utterly stupid thing like $50 deductible full coverage. I’m restricted to 1000 miles per year (if I drive to shows, and 250 miles per year, if it’s a trailer queen), which is moot, since I haven’t put more than 150/yr on it in 10 years.
With that said, NOW was probably the right time to pass her on to the next caretaker…
_______
“That and the last bill for exercise and service was WOW!”
15 years (or so) ago I lusted after a V-12 Ferrari, Specifically a (20yo, at that time) 400i (because I had kids and thought a Ferrari with a real back seat would be an awesome grocery-getter.) I couldn’t understand why that kind of engineering was available for so cheap. The 400i was selling for between $6k and $10k, or half the price of a 308 (which I considered inferior, despite “Magnum, P.I.”). Yeah, it was a “family sedan” and not a supercar, but still…
Then I found out: The tune-up cost for the 400i was the same as for the old 512BB or the Redhead, or any other V12 Ferrari — about $27500 — this in 2006! Sooo, 7mpg, luxury tax, and a $27k service required every 12,000 miles?
I opted for a used pickup truck…
Speaking of acetylene, it can also be used in celebrating Independence Day. An old friend (since deceased) used to fill black trash bags with acetylene, tie the bag closed, and attach a rag (like the tail of a kite). When it was all assembled, he’d set fire to the bottom of the rag and release the bag to float out over the lake. Then there would be a window-rattling boom. That was loads of fun until he showed up at work one day with no eyebrows and a serious ‘sunburn’. He was also deaf as a post. That’s what happens when there’s a leak in the bag.
Interesting review on the mini-torch! I wonder if it would work effectively with propane, and if propane would be hot enough to weld those thin gauges? Is the fuel gas hose even rated for propane? I rent a large oxygen cylinder by the year, even though I’ve not used it this year at all. Plasma and an angle grinder handle most cuts with less effort, but cutting with oxy-propane can handle those irregular things that need it. I’ve always avoided renting an acetylene cylinder since it’s a cost and it’s only really needed for gas welding. I never learned that art since stick works best for most of my stuff, even if I need to drag a generator along. I should probably learn gas welding eventually. I’m keeping the O2 cylinder around for now because if I ever need O2 to breathe, I’ll have something available without having to beg the medical establishment. They’d reject me anyway.
So far we’ve not talked about brazing. Soldering is an acquired skill that most of us electronheads developed as teenagers. Brazing – not so much. I’ve done it badly, but even though I can make consistent leakproof solder joints in plumbing, brazing is not quite the same thing. Yes, cleaning and fitup matter, and of course heating to a proper flow, but there’s something I’m missing here! Is there something different? I’d say that it’s an essential skill if I’m to DIY my own A/C work.
Couple of nots, MIke.
Propane will weld, but you need bigger tips. Think of propane ads gasoline – easy to use, but not very VTU dense. The acetylene is more on the order of heavy diesel – so for a given cfm/hr you will get TONS more heat on task.
No, the small torch is not on R-rated (all fuel) and is only acetylene. Come on! For $28bucks of Chineseum?
On O2 – with acet I have cut 3/4 and 1″ – but Lotos plasma only does a clwean 1/2″ – and with big tips, welding 1 inch plate is done nicely with big tops (#3 or #4) – even with 50 passes, I wouldn’t trust most rigs except gas and an original Lincoln with 500 Amps on something that thick.
Gas welding is super easy. Tack ends, go to middle and melt two plates into a puddle and push the puddle (moving an 1/7th inch either side of center to keep heating even – down to the tack., Repeat going the other direction. Far better than managing the weld pool on a n 0.035t flux core, especially over 1/6th (like up around 1/4 and up). Propane is for camping, bbqs and wannabes.
I totally agree on the O2 – and in fact, even when in good health, after doing a heavy lift (>100 lbs) and working up a big sweat, a huff or two of the (non-medical) O2 sure shortens rebound time.
On Brazing – the secret is even heat application. The Original Smith Little Torch – about $160 for the real deal on Amazon – has a couple of “dual burners” for working on a/c brazing/. If I were working A/C I’d opt for one of these: https://amzn.to/3OMPZne
YMMV
Radiator shop I worked at in early 70’s used natural gas to solder. Worked for that but that doesn’t take a lot of heat.
There is a reason I keep an oxygen concentrator machine among my prep supplies.
Thanks for the thoughts George. I can keep lots of propane around and it’s dirt cheap compared to acetylene, so I’m inclined that way. I’m not stuck with a yearly rental and can get more anywhere. In times to come, getting acetylene may not be as easy. O2 can be transferred between bottles(with care) using a whip, so I can keep some around in old bottles. I’m not sure about acetylene. For cutting deep inside a machine or vehicle, an oxyfuel torch will cut where you can’t reach with anything else, and for most cutting, propane will work as well as acetylene, albeit using more gas and making a sloppier cut. For welding steel, I’d understood that the flame temperature of oxypropane was inadequate, but you say otherwise, so it’s worth a try. It’ll be a while before I try gas welding an airframe!
A lot will depend on the steel you’re using with propane welding – hard and higher temp alloys will be a lost cau7se (weak welds if you can even pool the stuff). But mild steel (Chineseum?) perhaps…
“if propane would be hot enough to weld those thin gauges?”
Barely. You can buy or build a propane-fired backyard forge that may melt steel, but that’s really pushing it and I suspect you’d need so much oxygen velocity that you couldn’t make an actual weld.
My suggestion would be spring for the acetylene, and a small Victor or Smiths welding rig. Smiths and Harris may be the best, all things considered, but Smiths and Victor are American-made and Victor was one of the original torchmakers (hence the “Victor-style” you’ll see in commentary regarding [not so American-made] other torches. I consider this important because you can buy Victor torches or knock-offs that will work with a Victor, durn near everywhere hardware is sold. I like the feel of both, and the old Airco torches, a lot — others not so much, simply because they’re overkill for any torch job I’d have.
Now, if you want to go balls to the wall and weld aluminum or cast iron with gas, you should probably invest 2x the money in the Detroit Torch DHC2000
https://detroittorch.com/
and if you think you’ll ever need to cut some serious metal, pick up a (shipyard surplus) dedicated cutting torch. The old Airco I bought many years ago will allegedly cut 16″ steel. It’s a 40 pound beast, which I have used exactly once in 40 years — just to make sure it worked.
If you think you’ll need it, you should buy it now, because it may well become unobtainable later. Gas is the easiest to use, but to make a quality weld it’s not as easy as MIG. However it is extremely versatile and will permit you to weld in the field, underwater, or in a driving rain, without (literally) risking your life. My gas welds look like SAW or TIG welds, but I’m also an old fart who’s been at it, off and on, since I was 14.
Brazing is just soldering, but it’s like “acid core” soldering, not “radio soldering” and its done at 1700 degrees, not 700. I like getting the steel to between “bright red” and “white,” then I’ll apply the rod and let it flow. If’fn yer not using a flux-coated rod, dip into the flux tub frequently. Bear in-mind that brazing is done with bronze, not brass rod, and the rod comes in hundreds of different alloy mixes and ratios. I’m not a huge fan of brazing because you have to match the rod to the job. I’ve got between 400-500 pounds of brazing rods, and I doubt there’s more’n 35 pounds of any one flavor.
Wonderful additions Ray, thanks.
@ W Wilson
The advantage to CNG or propane, if you can use them, is they burn clean. The disadvantage is lackofbtus…
Hi, George,
This comment is not about welding, but it does revolve around a big torch. Back in the day, many years ago, when my late husband and I were still casting with a small spin casting machine, originally made for the dental industry, we would cast yellow and white gold and the occasional rose gold. We also cast white gold with palladium for those customers who were allergic to the nickel in white gold but who wanted white gold. This was before we purchased a state of the art casting machine that used a nitrogen controlled atmosphere. Anyway, we would regularly wear welding leather bibs and jackets with eye protection when casting, along with the proper gloves. My late husband would wear a Darth Vader helmet. When melting palladium, which requires temperatures of just over 2831F, I would wear double goggles. I held the torch. Since I could only see the flame and nothing else, we worked out voice commands. I would say when the blob of metal was ready for pouring. Our success rate was nearly 100 percent. Nearly. Once, we had a “mishap”, when seconds before the pour, the torch tip melted. That expensive blob was sent to the refiner.
Andy- cryptos are dark pools of stagnant capital. Trading cryptos produces no net improvement for the overall economy. Even putting money in a traditional bank account frees up money for loans and adds to the velocity of money. The crypto sell-off will inject investment capital into the economy which was sitting stagnant, provided the investors stop pouring their remaining savings into stagnant Ponzi schemes.
The rapid contraction in price left a lot of the crypto investors underwater and the fire sale was at a loss for many. As to whether the net money movement was inflationary or deflationary, I would defer to a higher power to figure, ’cause that is complicated. It was an unmitigated disaster for those who bought on margin with OPM, and liquidated under duress.
I understand and thank you. I can’t explain accurately in language as intuition when it comes to cryptos.
Let me see if I can explain this to a degree,
You have to understand a few other things. Crypto.com is the sponsor for Fifa World Cup. World Cup starts around my peg for the the world markets to start a deep decline in contraction coupled with more than a few fiat currency going straight up inflation wise. There is always some feel good distraction sports or something right as the financial shit goes around the drain.
Before when you cashed out any alt crypto coin on almost every platform in many cases you has to transfer the alt coin into bitcoin and cash out from bitcoin. Now that is not the case anymore. Now you can transfer into bitcoin or Cro and cash it out from there. Cro or cronos is the official cryto currency of crypto.com. also sponsor of the LA 76’s (cross reference to 1776 the perilous fight as the national Anthem says) money = time. The God of time is Chronus.
From my understanding of things that durring the Fifa World Cup (largest world sport on the planet) everything from hotdogs to t-shirts sold at all the Fifa games will only be purchased using Cronos. Anyone who wants to buy anything at any of the games no matter what currency they use at their home land. Will have to transfer it into Cronos and use cronos to purchase whatever they are buying. So for the first time in the recorded history of the world (besides oil) food and everything will be paid for with a single crypt currency. All other currency such as rubles, loonies, pounds, euros, dollars, yuan and others will funnel into one currency to pay for stuff. Thar currency is Cronos. Not bitcoin. Not doge coin. Not us dollars or Euros or anything else. Cronos. All the currencies in the world will be funneled into a single crytpo currency. If that doesn’t speak volumes to you dude. I don’t know what to tell you.
Now you do understand that the other sponsor Qutar Energy is building the pipeline from Israel to Gaza which is a leg in the production of the pipeline to the EU from Israel. And how all that plays with Russia invasion of the Ukraine. Right?
Because when that natral gas pipeline is completed from Israel to the European union with Qutar Energy building a large portion of the pipeline? The European Union won’t ever be a slave to Russian Natral Gas again.
There is alot in play in the world right now. Alot in play.
You can think all you want that cryptos are a ponzi scheme. But I’m telling you right now? I’m buying them. Every Pay day. Because the language of creation around me after seeing a friend full of crows *aka a murder, then come spring seeing a friend full of graduates aka future leaders at husky stadium looking like crows, tells me all I need to know about Cro’s and cryptos. That and all the green cards I keep finding. Red cards are something you find in soccer aka Fifa. When creation is putting on big theatrical shows prior to the news talking about the same thing aka all currency being funneled into Cro?
And remember that the Rothchilds built a massive financial empire in time such as these when everyone was selling their ass off after waterloo? Amschel Rothschild was taking the King of England for roughly 290 metric tons of silver if my memory serves me. The King of England didn’t know it at the time.
There is a whole lot more to it than that. It’s really hard to accurately put intuition into words.
But you think what you want. I will trust my relationship with THE DUDE, what HE is showing me and i will think for myself. Thank you very much. Oh don’t worry. I’m not putting all my eggs in one basket. I have lots of options. So to speak.
Naming of a stadium,(kiss of death for the namer) crypto.com on LA Lakers’ Stadium means crypto will crash-o!
https://www.elliottwave.com/Currencies/Has-Crypto-Mania-Finally-Run-Its-Course
Just so you are aware N____
Qutar Energy is now the largest producer of LNG, not Russia. Teamed with all the Money in Israel and Crypto.com? A natral gas pipeline running from isreal to the EU and the haulting of finishing the Nordstream and of the Ukraine joined Nato it would have shut down Russias other pipeline And conico Philips aka Union 76 gas stations jumps on board with qutarenergy and israel to build a pipeline all juxtaposed to crypto.com the sponsor of the 76’ers. And evryone funneling in their currency into CRO to buy stuff To many puzzel pieces juxtaposed to not be paying attention. So Russia heads into the Ukraine….
All on a parade at the largest sport in the world to see the alliances slapping High 5’s with the largest educational company in India maybe the world..
While the communists try to take down America? and the recent leak of documents about Chinese “education camps.”
Food shortages, the vaccinated not being immune now to the flue while the layoffs come, market crashes and currencies skyrocket in inflation.
That is just little bit maybe 5% of my read. I don’t use the internet much only to validate what im seeing in the language of creation.
This isn’t rocket science dude. You don’t even need to be a gifted seer or Prophet to see the writing on the wall. Lol
So you can believe it’s all a ponzi and anything else you want.
I’m buying anything that has a chance of hedging me against this shit storm. Having atleast 5 plan B’s and 10 plan C’s and doing trial runs on all of those plans so I know what it’s like on a good day.
https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/offshore-gas-giant-qatarenergy-signs-on-to-zero-methane-pledge
Wonder what Russia thinks of Qutar Energy building a natral gas pipeline. Saw Putin went to Israel and supported them on something recently.
Cryptos being used for currency exchange is what the original intended use was for (well, that and laundering narco & off-book government funds, & evading taxes). Where I got off the boat was when hedge funds and other whales started taking trillions out of the real economy and pouring them down the hole into stagnant pools of dark money. That money benefits no one, and with the price collapse, not even the investors have benefited.
For the small investor, being crypto literate so’s you can buy ‘dogs and drinks at a sporting event doesn’t bother me. That is a currency exchange function. For you or another small investor to max out your credit cards buying cryptos on unconventional margin then losing your @ss bothers hell out of me.
When precious metal (PM) ownership got to the point where it was messing up growth and economic expansion back in the 30’s, Roosevelt dropped the hammer on the proceedings. Cryptos are where PM’s were in that period. Except there were never 2000+ types of PM’s, and a PM coin in hand is something real. A digital financial instrument in the hands of fly-by-night offshore broker is bad news for the brokees.
If you go up on the web and look at 3rd party ratings of crypto brokers, you see a pattern of massive fraud, especially with offshore brokers.
The problem with the cryptos is not with their use for currency exchange, it is their use as an unregulated investment instrument, and rampant fraud. And yes, the brokers and the serial coin minters have created a massive unregulated ponzi industry.
I understand you bro. I get it. Right now I’m on at my second 4th of July party where I put on the grill. It’s ridiculous. Hahahha in 20 years no matter what party I go to I get Andy! You are working the grill! Oh ffs. Okay. I even went to a party one year I didn’t know anyone except the person who invited me and the lady of the house said, Hey can you work the grill??? Uhhh nice to meet you. Uhhh okay. It’s like my calling in life to work evryones grill on the 4th of July.
Yes, it’s no different than Mortgage. The word Mort means death in Latin and gage comes from the root word meaning Pledge. Mortgage I’m Latin literally means death Pledge.
Lots of hot words. And don’t forget! We were all tax evading black market scoundrels to the King of England 220 years ago.
Looks like what we used to call “Gorilla Welds” – ugly, but strong as hell!
We more politely call ’em amateur farmer welds, but they do stick like hell which was the point (once upon a time in America).
RE: the ‘vette… “…and not throw out body parts trying to sit on the ground.”
LOL! Family friend was a car fanatic and traded his tricked out Nova for a ’92 C4 Corvette from a neighbor island. He was a large fellow, and found he could not get out of the ‘vette without outside assistance to pull him out! One drive, and he said “I’m over it!”. Then found his wife retired and they planned to move to the mainland. He sold me the car for $1500. Since then I have replaced all the brakes, and got the air conditioning to function again. Motor is in good shape and it’s a decent cruizin’ machine now. I’m planning to flip it just as soon as I get a decent used ‘everyday’ car to use. Used car prices are insane now.
But climbing out of that hole in the ground they call a seat is challenging. It’s a cool, beautiful car, but I will not miss it when it is gone. I live in fear of something expensive going wrong with it.
First off that is not a “screened in patio”.
That is what is referred to in the feline community as a a “Catio.” Ask Zeus.
Second, like a scar is stronger than the flesh it joins together so must a weld be stronger than the metal it joins.
Thanks for the reminder to gets some gorilla glue or super glue for my bug out bag. If ya don’t have thread to sow up a cut? Pinch the skin together and put a line of super glue on it. Hold and then it should atleast keep the dirt out better than a KFC napkin and a foot of duct tape. Less weight to travel with. Always a necessity for the shit hit the fan travel bag. Along with a tiny bottle of Orajel. If it numbs your damn tooth from aching. I’d use it on a cut or burn. Someone said you can’t put that on a cut or burn? I said why? They said it will get infected. I said you put it in your mouth dummy! Are you saying your bleeding gum will get infected if you put it in there to numb your pain? They said. Oh. Ya. Probably not.
Fyi: I got blocked a bunch today on Facebook because not understanding gender “pro-nouns” I said this is the real world. Sometimes I identify as an asshole. But I have a penis so I am a man. This is not the land of make believe. I don’t care if you identify as a fucking cat box. Penis = Boy. Vagina = Girl.
And if you think this winter when its $10.00 a gallon for gas and you don’t have food that your feelings on gender are going to matter? You are sadly mistaken.
Because the band was playing, people were drinking and smoking cigars in the bar, eating in restaurants, some even rolled back over and went to bed after the titanic hit the iceberg. Because the absurdity of the thought that the titanic could sink. It was an unsinkable ship!
Until reality hit evryone square in the face. She was taking on water and soon would be at the bottom of the ocean. Then chaos and anarchy unfolded and right quick. And evryone had one single thought! Get in a life raft now! I guarantee you they did not give a single shit about hurting anyone’s feelings in that moment of Clairity. Especially about some make believe shit about identifying as a fucking pterodactyl sexually. All they thought is oh my fucking God we are all going to die. I need to get in a life raft no matter what it takes. Then someone said, you are an idiot. I said BTW the world economy hit the iceberg a while ago. Then 2 other people said, you are an insensitive bastard!
And I said. You know. People say to me all the time. There is more to life than work. I agree with that. But now is the time to grind. I work 2 jobs, union gig and a security gig and I have other side hustles. People also say Money isn’t everything in life Andy then 10 minutes later bum a smoke off me. So my answer is this, Buy your own cigarettes bitch if money ain’t everything! And when gas is $10 a gallon and food cost $200 for one bag of groceries this winter? When you are broke as f? While I was working my ass off all summer at 2 jobs and doing side hustles to make more money? While you were off fucking a pixie at the pride parade identifying as a fucking rainbow spite?
I will send you a picture of me on the beach in Fiji eating a fat 20 Oz prime rib.
Block block block block. Hahahhhahah. Until this winter when the party ends. Then everyone will want to be your friend. No thanks. I dont have room on my life raft. I told you to build one. But you spent your money on white claws and botox.
So I did a come to Jesus post on Facebook before I go back off grid. Because the truth is, it won’t matter if it’s putins fault, Bidens fault or trumps fault or your feelings about anything when fuel gets so high they stop trucking groceries in because nobody is going to work for free and right now it cost truckers $3500 on average to run a single truck a week. The only thing that will matter will not be what you identify as sexually. It will be get food, feed your children and yourself.
When I was a kid, i asked my grandfather and grandmother about the great depression. They were in there 20s when it happened. My grandfather said he used to walk the rail lines every day to find coal that fell off the trains so he could take it back home to heat the house so they didn’t freeze to death in the winter. Nobody in this iPhone generation has had to ever remotely done anything like that.
So hate me all you want. But you won’t be able to say nobody told you.
That post is up to 120 likes and got shared a bunch of times already. Because it’s the truth. Nobody tells the truth these days. They all tell pretty lies or regurgitate words and phrases like mindless parrots.
And sometime George, you have to tell the truth. Even if you are the only one.
You know I should send my second ex wife a thank you card. After 8 months of marriage she took my house, truck, boat, over $60k in savings, the TV, even got my main coon cat. And it cost me over $200k to divorce her ass. Everything I had worked for in 14 years was wiped out in less than 4 months. I had to work as an Uber driver and a union man just to eat because my attorney in the divorce took my entire union wage (working 60+ hours a week) just to fight her in the divorce. Took over a year of hell to divorce her. Damn near bankrupted me and I almost blew my fucking brains out 3 or 4 times it was so painful.
But I didn’t. And I made it through it and it taught me alot of lessons. Stash, squirl, hide away money and resource. Don’t get so attached to material shit, shiny cars and trucks and boats and don’t date any woman who asks how much you make or likes you because she thinks you have money. Wear the world like a loose garment. Because in 4 months it can all be gone. That is how fast 12 to 13 years worth of working my ass off and saving went away. And i was super defeated and shocked and never felt so broken in my life.
So I’m grateful for that experience. I’m not even remotely that attached as most people are now days. It also taught me what I was made of.
Like elons interview question. “What is the most difficult thing you have ever gone through and what did it teach you?”
It taught me who I am and what I’m made of. And that no matter what happens in life. Whether I have much or only a little that…..
Truly, I am Blesssed and Highly Fortunate! It is my hope you are as well.
I Just had to explain to someone George who ranted. “The rich are fucking us!” I said listen to me. If you has 100 million dollars 2 years ago when gas was $2.00 a gallon and you have the same $100 million dollars today when gas is $6.00? How much is your hundred million dollars worth at the pump 2 years later? He said 33 cents on the dollar. I said yep! Even the guy with 100 million in the bank is getting fucked hard.
He said oh shit. I better go buy more food from the store today before my 100 dollars is worth 3 cents. I laughed and said, dude it already is worth 3 cents. But that is a good idea man. Grab a hammer and get some wood. You need to build a life raft now.
It’s like when I lost everything in my divorce I talked to another dude and he said my ex wife took me for 10 million dollars. I said Holy crap. I only lost my house and stuff and savings etc etc. He looked at me and said you lost everything and I lost everything. Doesn’t matter how much either of us had. All is All.
I said don’t be stupid this summer and buy shit you don’t need. Start saving for the winter. It’s important.
And…
If anyone laughs at you and calls you crazy? Look them straight in the eye and Say, I want to remind you Noah didn’t bring the unicorns with him in the first flood. This flood the economic one, Your are staying here with the other jackasses. Then get busy being about it.
Hahaha.
I don’t post to farcebook, but if I did I’m sure I’d get unfriended by most and jailed by the farcical police on the first day.
BTW, when someone accuses me of insensitivity or “offending them,” I accuse them of insensitivity or tell them their offense offended me.
I don’t care if someone “identifies” as a polyamorous rat turd. That’s an issue which is strictly between their ears and their God. They do not have the right to expect me to accept their turdiness, nor take offense because I don’t. However, I claim the right to acknowledge their stupidity, and I don’t care whether they agree with me, OR they become offended, because Homo Saps that’re that far down the food chain will cease to be an issue, one second after TSHTF…
Hi, Andy, it’s Time For The Truthtellers.
Keep telling The Truth. You will never know all the fertile soil the truth seeds land in and sprout.
That’s spreading a lot of Good News as far as I can tell.
Keep Spreading The Truth.
I spoke to my parents about their great depression and WW2 survival stories.
Dad ate corn for breakfast, peas and carrots for lunch, and popcorn for dinner, and not that much. His 0 to 18 was spent in Sioux City, Iowa, but back then 75 percent of the population was rural and 25 percent city folk, now it’s reversed.
Planting a garden is job #1 knowing those stats. Thanks, George, for being a Forerunner.
For many who come here, stored food will be a lifeline.
Mother’s parents were small holding farmers raised chickens, a few goats, and pigs. Shot and ate pheasants and rabbit, ate wild blackberries cultivated fruit trees, apple and plum, grew their own veggies and flowers.
Lived so humbly, both sides did, it’s given me the example and courage to live the same or die trying.
What incredible, wonderful people they were, musical, artistic, mechanical, great bakers and cooks, excellent seamstresses, knitters, crocheters great with animals and children. They constantly learned and grew.
I remember all of them, so much, and their examples give me strength. They really cared about others, as well as themselves.
This site is filled with so many wonderful people who care about others, too.
Thank you, one and all.
“His 0 to 18 was spent in Sioux City, Iowa”
I dated a gal in college whose grandparents were Indiana farmers during the Depression. Her mom told me they never really even felt the Depression, because they grew/raised everything they ate and much of the stuff they wore, as did all the farmers in their area. My folks weathered the Depression on the Eastern Seaboard, and told entirely different stories. This is why I just erected my second greenhouse. Having at least a sliver of a clue about what’s coming, and wanting to feel it as little as possible, make things like greenhouses, raised beds, and various means of pest control seem “only prudent.”
“AFTER the screen porch gets put back together with pet proof screen all around, thanks to possums and a cranky racoon”
I ended up making a sandwich for mine — ½” hardware cloth over wire screen (can’t remember if I used aluminum or galvanized steel) sandwiched between two 1/2″ x 5/4″ pieces of oak in made-to-size frames. (My screen frames are CCA60 SYP planed to 1 3/16″ – YMMV.) It’s both bug-proof and critter-proof…
Yeah – my neighbor who was over last night did something similar – sandwich with hail cloth (1/4 inch_) on the outside and regular screening on the inside said that’s really the ticket, right there.
Like everything, there’s a learning curve on the first one, but after you’ve flubbed the build on that one a few times, the rest come fast and easy. I made mine to fit inside my frames and ride in the rabbets which were cut for the original screen molding (kinda like the old convertable wooden storm door inserts, except I just screwed steel clips into the screens, instead of creating/installing cam-locks.) That way, they’re aesthetically-pleasing and look, from outside, like they belong.
George. I been to tell you something. I’ve talked to “the jedi” in the desert.
In my life I’ve only said some one is a Jedi Master about 4 different people ever in my life.
I’ve met more than ever count. I can’t leave the house no matter what state I’m in without someone saying do I know you? Have we met. Or they actually have met. Lots of cool people from all sorts of different social and economic status. But I’ve only met 4 people who were true jedi masters.
One is my mother. She has prayed on her knees every single day and never missed a single day in over 60 years. She has never once asked God anything for Her. She has only prayed for other people. She has a list and prays only for them. Never to my knowledge asked for a single thing for her. If she needs something. She will ask someone else to pray for her. But she won’t ask for herself. She is a true Jedi Master.
Not me. I complain and ask for shit every day. Hahahah. Fuck DUDE! what does this mean??? Hahah
Another is a long time friend who lives in Spokane. The reason I moved there. I’ve never
In my life met a more humble giant of a man who genuinely loves people where they are at. No matter what time it is or day of the week, what anyone need if he has it or can do it. It’s done. No questions asked and no appreciation or pay back needed or wanted. His heart is bigger than the whole wide world. He is huge man. He could crush anyone. But he gentle as a butterfly. He would only hurt someone to protect someone. He is true Jedi Master.
That lady I was working out at the stadiums with. I’ve never met anyone who has a can do, make it happen, against all odds cheer others on positive attitude never quit, no matter how bad it is or how exhausted she is, let’s go let’s go person ever in my life. I never met anyone who could out work me. She is a true Jedi Master.
And you George. You are a true Jedi Master. I’ve never met anyone like you either. I could go on and on about you. How big of heart and never missing a day of work, spiting out millions of word, thoughts and being genuine and authentic, honest and full of integrity year after year after year. You sir are True Jedi Master.
Out of the thousands upon thousand upon thousands more than I can count of people I have talked to or met in my life.
Only 4 people I have ever met I’ve called a Jedi Master. I talk to the Jedi in the desert once and a while. And maybe over time I will see if they are Jedi Masters as the legend says they are. But to me, I’ve only really ever met 4 Jedi Masters.
I wanted you to know that dude. I told the other ones a while back. I just been meaning to tell you that. Because i don’t think I ever did. My mother’s response? Oh son I’m going to have to pray harder for you. Hahahahah. Yes Mam. Please do. Hahahah
See ya around. I got thing to go see about.
Thanks for the kind words. Jedi? Naw.
What I try to do here ever morning is take a broad view of all the news floating by and try to discern the pattern(s). Looking for Fingerprints of The DUDE – and seeing which way the spiritual winds of man are blowing. Once you see that, easy to have a good life – just go where the winds and fingerprints (of) point.
As I was telling one of my neighbors last night: Life is like a great big humongous film school. We all come in (to our parents) and are programmed with a script. But, it’s not a fixed one – it’s one we can tweak and modify. But, of course, then you Really own the outcome and control how the “film of life” rolls.
We do the “filming” every day with our six senses; the 6th being heart/center-of-being. Our brains record it all in that little GoPro inside our heads – the “mind’s eye” is simply THE lens through which we look.
When we die – conscious of the Film School or not – we have to play back everything we’ve shot. See how it plays for other people – and from all this experience we learn, we grow, and some evidence that most come back and shoot additional rolls.
So, Jedi? Nope. Spiritual Spielberg? Well, that’d be a fine thing to aim for and share with people. Because atr some point out “lives flash before our eyes” and our efforts are judged. Pass, fry, or retake the course.
Andy feel for your relationship story but it is old news for a bunch of us. The thing we should be aware of and looking for is the day the bank doesnt open.
Economics for the first half of 2022 are looking rough:
https://www.zerohedge.com/the-market-ear/eyeson
The drought seems to expanding to the southeast:
https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/
Locally, July temperatures are looking brutal. A second hay cutting looks questionable.
The good news is apparently that the crypto enthusiasts have ta it in the end, and are moving money back into the real economy, although there is no real evidence that the money being returned to the real world is anywhere near the value originally flushed down to the crypto cesspool. I’m thinking that regulation of that entire segment is overdue. The brokers are taking advantage of the brokees, once again. Looking at the comments you see online, securities fraud in the crypto industry appears to be massive and largely unregulated. The wanna be tax cheats are being sheared.
That’s “taken it in the end”.
Wanna be ?? Have been “taking it” from guvmint for as long as I can remember. Why would freedom be bad news ? “returned to the real world” whatwhatwhat real world?
Sure N___ the world where EVERY single dollar ever printed/clicked into existence carry’s a DEBT YOU owe part of, Ure responsibility.
No trust involved in Crypto World – because obviously non cyrpto enthusiasts could-can Never be Trusted – The Evidence is OVERWHELMING. Just open Ure eyes and look around..87/97/08/today
You are defending, fighting Ure own EnSlavement..
Brokers are not taking advantage of anyone, anymore than Guns are killing school kids, or only two Lives involved in killing Human fetuses/Babies via abortion.
? when the flames from this current economic fieryshitstorm start tickling Ure underside of the balance sheets of re-hypotheticated Assests, and nothing is as it seems nor can be trusted – it will be at that moment when the value of blockchain/BTC finance is finally realized the “fernsters” (Notes are instruments of DEBT)
As the crypto tigger alwayz advises 4 all things speculative – Stop and Lick the Ice cream, bang those rails and hookers, smell da roses – its supposed to bee about Fun..https://youtu.be/VurBc_QpUbs
All gittin rich tonite ? Yayyy the gurus have all got yah short ?? No mention of gold fatso 73. 2 busy singin eatin prime pig or beef and sarkin piss !!! Yayyy !!! USA USA usa