Tank birthday, 47+ years

[AlexStinson]

You are the kind of neighbor I need.

 

[norfolkgarden]

So yesterday for Mothers Day we went to our Daughters house in Manhattan to visit her and the Grand Kids. We had a nice, but noisy time and came home about 8:00pm. Before we got to our street we saw that the main road was closed with fire engines and police all over the place. I also couldn't help notice one of the power poles was on fire so I assumed that was bad. I am good like that. As I turned down our block I noticed it was very dark. We don't live in a cave and have street lights but they were all out. I got home and of course saw that my house was dark. The first thing I thought was OMG, my fish must be going crazy. Actually I didn't think of them at all as they have been through this many times and take care of themselves. Although I don't think they have their own generator.

I get inside and being I went to high school and everything I knew exactly where the flashlight is which I used to get to the basement and light a propane lantern.
Now I knew my wife was safe inside I walked up the block to check out the fire. It looked like there was a big short on the pole and the pole was almost burnt in half. It was also raining so maybe a sweaty squirrel or Eagle reached in between two wires and exploded. I am not sure.

I asked the guy on the pole how long until he restored the power and he said 2 hours. The power was already off for an hour so I figured I would drag the generator out. No, not for the fish, for the TV.
My friend was out there also and I asked him why he didn't start his generator and he said it wouldn't start.
He helped me drag out my machine because I have a palm full of stitches and I connected it to my gas pipe and the thing started right up as I knew it would. Now all my outside lights which I have in all the shrubs and trees lit up so it looked like Christmas in May.

Then I went to help him start his generator and after a few minutes I got it started. His wife was in the car on her cell phone as she is most of the time. He told me her biggest worry is if the phone goes out. I didn't even know where my phone was and if someone wanted to tell me something important, they could write me a letter. Like how important is a cell phone? I realize most people need the thing taped to their ear constantly in case they win the lottery, pick five or the Bachelor contest. I think it's great if the phone goes dead. For 30 million years we only had wooden cell phones and reception was terrible. We got along just fine.

Anyway, on my way back home across the street I notice my other neighbor trying to start his generator and he calls me.
I mean, Do I have a big sign on my head that says Home Depot?
Now I had to fix his machine. I start mine every few months as I do my power washer. Maybe it's me. But I told them all "Home Depot" is leaving soon so all you guys have to figure out how to do these simple things for yourself.
They just told me "I can't move"

Lol, you have a big sign on your head that says
"Competent Individual"
which is much, much worse.
[emoji12]

 

[Paul B]

Your the kind of neighbor I have too many of.

 

[Paul B]

This marble/onyx chess set free. I am moving.
I am not sure if I can put this here but I looked around and I can't find a place for it. You can play chess as you watch your fish so this is a "fish post" Almost.
I got this set in mexico when they were the big thing in the 70s. Hand carved no chips all the pieces there. Must pick up in New Hyde Park Long Island as I don't want to mail it. It's heavy.

Free, if that is too much, I will give you a dollar to take it as I am moving.

 

[Brew12]

This marble/onyx chess set free. I am moving.
I am not sure if I can put this here but I looked around and I can't find a place for it. You can play chess as you watch your fish so this is a "fish post" Almost.
I got this set in mexico when they were the big thing in the 70s. Hand carved no chips all the pieces there. Must pick up in New Hyde Park Long Island as I don't want to mail it. It's heavy.

Free, if that is too much, I will give you a dollar to take it as I am moving.

I love that set! You don't see things like this anymore.

 

[Paul B]

I know, I have kept it for many years.

 

[Paul B]

My house is a maze of boxes. I filled 7- 50 gallon cans so far with stuff I am throwing out just from my workshop. I have about 20 boxes of stuff from there that I am keeping. It's amazing the stuff you can amass in 40 years.
I can't touch the tank stuff yet because my new house is not finished. I kept my worm culture out as well as my brine shrimp hatchery because I want to feed the pipes and mandarins for as long as I can. They may not get live shrimp for a month due to me building stuff out there. I also have stuff to demolish because i don't like the way the builder designed a few things. I will move the door into my workshop and may move the furnace and water heater. I also need to move the washer and drier which means I have to move some gas pipes and exhaust hoses. I built most of my lights so I told the electrician not to install most of them. The day I move in I will put up some temporary lights. The place is mostly glass so I can't walk around in my Speedo until I install something on the windows. My neighbors may like that, OK, maybe not.
I won't have my RO/DI hooked up for quite some time as there is no water or drain near the tank. That is not a big priority so I will have to think about something in the mean time.
My boat is also in the water out there and it needs some attention before I can go out. Mostly maintenance and cleaning, filling with water, fluids etc. And I will need to get a GPS card for the Peconic bay as mine doesn't work there. It is for 60 miles away near Manhattan.

 

[Paul B]

A little while ago my door bell rang and I went upstairs to see who it was. It was this guy dressed in a bug exterminator uniform with a picture of a bug on it.
I told him I don't need any bug exterminators and I walked into my back yard. He follows me explaining how important it is to kill bugs and that his company is the best bug killing company and how they can tell a lady bug from a preying mantis and a moose from a duck billed platypus and I wasn't paying much attention.
So i turned around and this giant carpenter bee lands on his sleeve. It looked like a Blackhawk helicopter. The guy went nuts. He got the horrors and I thought he was going to have a coronary. Even the bug on his uniform was scared. I just flicked the thing off his sleeve but as it went away, it hit him in the face. I thought I was going to have to take him to the emergency room.

I said, " your not the guy who comes and kills the bugs, Are You?"

 

[Paul B]

I have two big industrial machinists Vises, one on each workbench. I was going to leave them here for the new people and buy new ones, but I can't. I can't find an American Vise. I can't believe it that we don't make an American Vise and I don't buy tools from China, (or anything else) Well so far Amazon don't have any so I will just remove my ole ones which are much better than what I can buy and mine are American. Probably also older then me, much older.

 

[User1]

I have two big industrial machinists Vises, one on each workbench. I was going to leave them here for the new people and buy new ones, but I can't. I can't find an American Vise. I can't believe it that we don't make an American Vise and I don't buy tools from China, (or anything else) Well so far Amazon don't have any so I will just remove my ole ones which are much better than what I can buy and mine are American. Probably also older then me, much older.

I have an industrial vice, made in America, and it is also old. My brother in law gave it to me. It was his Uncles. He carried it back from Chicago on one of his visits. He also had a old drill press. I'm like sure, I'll make use of that. Sadly everything is made in China now days that is for sale in the box stores because it cheap labor, crappy regulations, if any, and material even though they have to freight it back over the pond. Unless you are buying of the name brands like Festool, or similar products. Companies make more money that way rather than making something people want and would buy more of. No different than what I deal with every day at the company I work at. IT/Consultant - they provide a bid, I'm on it, and the customer says no, I won't pay that rate give me somebody in Latin America or India. Don't matter that I do the job quicker and correctly the cheaper labor always wins and if they can't do it they just throw bodies at it...the whole while we continue to lay people off, 20% in the US, through May, June, and July.

Will be interesting on the job interviews at 50 something. I wear different cloths, watch different shows, and social media inept - the talk at the water cooler should be fun. Then again, maybe I'll just call it a day.

Totally off topic on the vice though - just wanted to say I have one and yes, they don't make them like that anymore.

 

[mrpizzaface]

I have two big industrial machinists Vises, one on each workbench. I was going to leave them here for the new people and buy new ones, but I can't. I can't find an American Vise. I can't believe it that we don't make an American Vise and I don't buy tools from China, (or anything else) Well so far Amazon don't have any so I will just remove my ole ones which are much better than what I can buy and mine are American. Probably also older then me, much older.

I think Yost and Wilton still offer an American made vise.

 

[Paul B]

Sorry tripple post

 

[Paul B]

Sorry, double post

 

[Paul B]

I also want to get a tiny drill press. I have a big one but I have been doing a lot of very tiny work, 1/8" and below. I have been getting rid of a lot of my large construction tools because I had doubles and triples of them. but for my smaller, art work I need more delicate tools and my large drill press won't take tiny bits. I can't get it on Amazon because they don't tell you where the thing is made so I will go to specific manufacturers. I don't like those little Dremmel presses. A Dremmel is more of a hobbiest tool and not built for doing much. They overheat and the bearings are not that good. I have 2 of them and they are good for some small grinding purposes which is what I use them for. But they get very hot and are not very powerful.

 

[mrpizzaface]

I also want to get a tiny drill press. I have a big one but I have been doing a lot of very tiny work, 1/8" and below. I have been getting rid of a lot of my large construction tools because I had doubles and triples of them. but for my smaller, art work I need more delicate tools and my large drill press won't take tiny bits. I can't get it on Amazon because they don't tell you where the thing is made so I will go to specific manufacturers. I don't like those little Dremmel presses. A Dremmel is more of a hobbiest tool and not built for doing much. They overheat and the bearings are not that good. I have 2 of them and they are good for some small grinding purposes which is what I use them for. But they get very hot and are not very powerful.

I think Proxxon makes a pretty good one, but I think it is made in China.
Here is a Cameron Micro drill press https://bit.ly/2kdUUR7
yost made in USA vise https://amzn.to/2LfOUnB
wilton made in USA vise https://amzn.to/2KEkt9h

 

[Paul B]

Thanks. That Cameron press doesn't say where it's from. I will look into it and maybe call them. I don't need it right now as I am moing and I am still getting rid of tools. I could open a Sears with the tools I have

In a past life I was a mechanic and a plumber so I can build a Space Shuttle. A small one
I don't need my engine rebuilding tools any more because I am not going to re build any more engines, I probably won't be changing ball joints or doing much welding. My interests changed a little and a lot of my work now is tiny.

 

[Paul B]

I am soaking a large DIY rock in my back yard and it will be ready when I move in a couple of weeks. Monday will be the last day I own this house and my wife and I are sad because I built almost everything here. But it's time to get into the new place so I can start demolishing things to re build that.
My new tank stand is done and I will order the new tank next week. If they let me in the new place I need to start collecting water, a lot of it. But I can't get in yet. I will also buy a new car, a Jeep most likely. We have a new Compass which is very nice but I am looking for something, used and not as nice. I also need more room in the back to carry water and art projects that I will be making. I don't buy foreign cars.
I have had Jeeps since the 60s and always liked them. When they first came out in the 40s they were only for the Military in WW2. So I consider them very American even though they are probably assembled in Mexico, Tibet, or Samoa.

They were originally built by Willy's but they went out of business because they were not designed for civilians and were built to good so you couldn't kill them. That is not good for business.
Now that's American 1960 Willys

 

[jason2459]

Oh man, I have a lot to catch up on when I can. Glad to see your updates and posts. Love the sculptures.

 

[Paul B]

Thanks Jason, where have you been?

 

[jason2459]

Thanks Jason, where have you been?

Just trying to keep up with life beyond work.

I'm lazy when I can be so I'll copy paste from my tank journal from that "other" forum.

Cliffs: life

I have thoroughly enjoyed my tank since I last posted. Well, last before the previous post. I have not touched anything. Other then add food and refill some water. Everything else has been on complete auto pilot.

I am interested to see what the ATS looks like. It has been running the previous schedule with 0 cleanings or removal. Ha!

Life has been hell between highly important work projects and home projects and family time. I have also been working on getting back into my other passion of powerlifting having been laid off from it since injuring my back severely twice in 2014 and 2016. I had to cut down on something and it was unfortunately these reefer things. As I decided I needed my tank to just clear my mind for the time being and not for crowding it.

I'm back on track with my lifting and one work project is coming to a close soon but have two other major ones still on going but they are awesome and exciting. Home projects are never ending especially with summer coming up.

I am looking forward to getting my tank back under the microscope though.

But my tank has been doing very well with no interaction from me other then vegging out in front of it. But I doubt it has anything to do with the RUGF because I was told almost 10 years ago it would crash my tank.

It'll never be TOTM nor do I want it to be as its my slice of home on the water while still landlocked. And you've always been a big influence on it

Just took these earlier tonight. Still haven't touched anything. I just may let it go a year of doing nothing but adding water. Maybe work will have calmed down by then.