Well, the parts that were supposed to be delivered here (Dover NH) yesterday got sent to Detroit, instead.  But the Post Office recovered, and supposedly they'll be in today's mail.  The other set I ordered at the same time is FINALLY into the postal system, due to arrive next week.

Yesterday was a wash-out, Dr Appt and then the A/C repair guy. But the system is fixed and fully serviced, except for one item they recommend replacing as it's making noise.  So I'll wait for the estimate on that and schedule it.  Better to replace than to have it fail mid-winter...

Today's plan is to dig out the static grass gun and try making tufts.

dave

Back from the Dr appointment and now the HVAC guy is here.  Hope what he's swapping out fixes the problem!  Update:  Yup, now that we don't need it for the rest of the season, the A/C is fixed...

dave

Weather here is sunny and a bit warm for this time of year.  

German class at the Senior Center this morning (last 2 weeks were off, teacher was on vacation).  Then back home, to work on more scenery under the bridge.  

dave

Fill and first scenic layer (dirt) added under the bridge.  The white styrene pieces are those 'plugs' that I'll remove to let the trestle bents look buried in the ground.  


I might do static grass (long & scraggly) around the entire trestle scene, but I need to do that before I glue the bents into position.  

dave

I'd say "You smoked this build!" but I'm afraid Tom would haul me up before The Judge :-)

And you're absolutely right about 3D printing!  Inexpensive laser cutters produced a lot of small manufacturers, 3D printing is producing another revolution in hobby manufacturing (including "print-at-home".)

dave

The dogs are at the groomers today, so things always feel strange when they're gone.  Last night was a bit rough, but today I feel a lot better. But I'm tired and lacking in motivation.  So I need to force myself to go do something, even if it's only clean up the basement...

Here's the wood truss taped to the bottom of the track, to get a sense of how it looks:


dave

Looks great!  

dave

Well, I bought my first Christmas present of the season yesterday ("50 Beer Hikes in New England" for a friend who likes both activities.)  I was his support guy when he ran the Marine Corps Marathon (about 20 years ago...)  When I picked him up after the race, he said "We have to stop by a 7-11.  I need a bottle of Motrim and a 6-pack of recarbohydration."  

Cloudy and seasonally cool in SE NH, fall is definitely here.  I did well last night, but we'll see how today goes after yesterday's surgery.  But I'm off the "no knives, no power tools, no driving" restrictions.

dave

Tommy, thanks!  Seeing the two more-or-less side-by-side on the same page helps highlight the differences.

dave

Is that SMRW Thorndike, or the plaster version of RDA's Hermanson mill?  

dave

Quote from: ReadingBob on September 24, 2024, 10:46:08 AMMorning all,

Mowing, edging, trimming and blowing are on the agenda for this afternoon.  It'll be hot when I do it, so I'll have to make sure I stay hydrated. 

First up is swapping the monitor out on this PC.  When I retired the company wanted the laptop back but not the monitors.  It'll be a slight upgrade.

I really need to update my build thread too.  I'm making some progress.  It's starting to look like something. 

Have a great one!

When I retired, I had to figure out how to return the 50lb laser printer.  That wasn't company property, it was bought under contract so officially it belonged to the US Army.  I said, "This is a 7 year old printer, it likely has no depreciated value.  Can't you just write it off?"  "No, you have to return it.  And no we won't pay for shipping."  So eventually I got a trip to NJ and dropped it off at the (remnant of the) company office, just before the company went under.  (When I joined the company, I made sure to write into the agreement that my Mac laptop would be a company asset rather than a contract asset, and I had the option to purchase that for depreciated value if I left.  By the time I did leave, that machine had no depreciated value.  But I'm still using it... :-) )

Speaking of 'under', my outpatient procedure was uneventful.  Arrived at 10:00, OR at 11:30 (dr was running early), awake by 1:00, home by 2:00...  Dr says "You should have discomfort probably for the next 2 weeks."  But as those highway signs say "Temporary inconvenience, permanent improvement."

dave

Today's work is determining the size/width of the trestle bents that will hold the truss bridge (over the road.)  I think I have this worked out:
\

The constraints are (a) enough clearance for my largest car (60' passenger) and (b) a max size for the mud sill at the bottom of the bent while (c) preserving the 'batter' (angle of the diagonal posts on the bent.)

I also glued the diagonal parts inside the truss.  Sanding those to fit is where the Ultimation sander really shines.  

Tomorrow I have an outpatient procedure.  5 minutes to do it, but it's under general anesthesia...  I'm waiting for the scheduling call.  But until then, it's liquid diet for me, and I'm hungry... 

dave

Some progress on the truss:

The wood spacers help hold things together until I get the diagonals and counters added.  This will be a "straining truss" with the iron tension rods outside of the truss rather than through the middle. 

And the Steelers won, even without my watching.  I did track the last couple of minutes of the game while working. 

dave

The Society for Creative Anachronism holds the "Pennsic Wars" where they recreate medieval battles, etc. https://www.pennsicwar.org The loser gets Pittsburgh 

It's seasonally cool and cloudy in SE NH, but after the warm September it feels chilly.  The little bit of rain yesterday restored the green to the yard, at least that part not already covered by leaves.  

My choice this afternoon is watching the Steelers game or heading to the train room.  I don't think I could tolerate the political ads in between the football, so it's down to the basement I'll go.

dave

It's posts like Tommy's above that make me wish there was a "like" button here. 

dave