Tank birthday, 47+ years

[atoll]

About 2 hours work cleaning off the old mortar reducing the old new coppings to size with an angle grinder, mixing mortar and bedding the new old coppings on and pointing up.

 

[Sailfinguy21]

Wrenches, I am glad we are on wrenches now.
I have been wrenching for a very long time, My Dad died when I was 10 and I got a job when I was 12. (on Saturdays) That was in 1959 or so. I worked in a car wrecking yard tearing cars apart with either a wrench or an acetylene torch. (my neighbor owned the place) Today if you gave a kid a torch, you would get arrested because a 12 year old today doesn't even know how to pee. At 18 I was a General Motors mechanic and used quite a few wrenches. I still have those wrenches.

I prefer SK wrenches which have the rounded inside. I don't see it as a problem, I just like the feel, look and quality of the wrench. They also have a smooth, polished finish that some people may not like because you can probably hold one of the wrenches you pictured better. I just don't like the finish on those. It's just a personal opinion just like I don't like Craftsman wrenches. They are great for a homeowner but not as good for a professional although I have some that are probably 60 years old. I also prefer to have some 5 sided box wrenches as well as the 10 sided. (or is it 6 and 12? I forget, I am old)

I bought many cars, like this "Simca" for a few bucks, like ten and turned them around for a few hundred in a few days. I also bought a 1961 Chevy for $10.00 and sold it in a week for a few hundred. For a 16 year old in the 60s that was a fortune and I did that almost every week. Which is why I always had money. Making money for me was very easy, and it still is. All you have to do is be a little smarter and more ambitious than the next guy and not be afraid to get your hands dirty.

At 19 I was a sergeant in Viet Nam
I am the good looking one in the back on the roof.


We know about them, just like we know about bell bottoms, Sputnik, Elvis, Edsel's, Apollo 7, "The Momma"s and the Papa's, The cold war, (as well as the hot war) Eisenhower, Roy Orbison and an entire plethora of other non important things. We just don't consider them that important.
Those wrenches you pictured, I am sure are fine wrenches, but any wrench will loosen a bolt. An American one will just do it more Patriotically.
That's all I was implying.
Sailfinguy, thanks for posting and I hope you come here more often.
Atoll is just an old friend who visits often and I like the change in venue from fish to tools. This thread is all over the place anyway.



I was just lookng under my rocks with a flashlight. (I know, I'm weird) And I got all tingly. I saw my Gecko Gobies that I figured croaked months ago. But there they are, healthy as ever and they are probably the nicest looking fish I have almost seen.

The wrench i circled roughneck is american made.. the others i posted were just examples.. sure they will losen a bolt... but there is also the possibility some of these wrenchs are weak metal... Ive seen the tips bend out allowing the nut or bolt to slip on a tough nut to crack specially a nut with a stripped corner on the hex.. thats why rounded isnt the best. this is why i prefer the wrench with a fitted bottom vs rounded bottom.

I dont think they even make the wrenchs i have anymore sadly. The roughneck one.


Fyi today you cant bring torchs to salvage yards lol so there is no worry about giving one to a 12 year old haha

As for snowflakes... i hope youre not calling me one.. i may young but yea... i sometimes have to edit my posts 10x over or id banned immediatly.. I already got a warning from a mod not too long ago... Thats the problem with forums.. i cant talk like i do in real life because im very blunt

 

[Paul B]

Sailfinguy, I was not calling you a snowflake.
Snowflakes are "special" kind of people that I can't describe here or like you said, I would get banned. I can't mention politics much as all forums frown on that, for good reason. Everyone would fight and get banned. Including myself. (Boy, I hope that Bernie Sanders gets in so we can all get free fish )
I know about Roughneck wrenches and they are good wrenches for sure as any American tool is. In 60+ years of turning wrenches I have never broken an American wrench even when I put a 6' breaker bar on them.
I didn't know you couldn't use a torch in a wrecking yard any more. That is probably a "snowflake" law made by snowflake because he burned his pinkey.
How do they take cars apart now? Use harsh language on them!

 

[atoll]

I have had all manner of tools many of which I have had 50 plus years that I consider quality tools. I have both used and abused them without them breaking. I have US and UK carpenters tools like Diston saws, Estwing hammers Britool and Bedford spanners, the list goes on. If somebody doesn't think they are quality that's a shame for them not me I am.more than happy with the quality esp if they are still in very good condition after all the years of use and abuse. Why do I need to consider somebody else's opinion on them when I don't. They the truth of the pudding is in the eating well my tools taste mighty fine to me. Anybody who knows the brands I mentioned above know they are quality but then many may never have even heard of them never mind used them. [emoji846]

 

[Paul B]

When I don't need my tools any longer or think they are not good quality, I grind them up and make money out of them.

 

[Paul B]

Last night this thing tried to carry my wife away. I lent him my hand truck.

 

[atoll]

Last night this thing tried to carry my wife away. I lent him my hand truck.

He was after your tools Paul not your wife.[emoji12]

 

[Sailfinguy21]

Sailfinguy, I was not calling you a snowflake.
Snowflakes are "special" kind of people that I can't describe here or like you said, I would get banned. I can't mention politics much as all forums frown on that, for good reason. Everyone would fight and get banned. Including myself. (Boy, I hope that Bernie Sanders gets in so we can all get free fish )
I know about Roughneck wrenches and they are good wrenches for sure as any American tool is. In 60+ years of turning wrenches I have never broken an American wrench even when I put a 6' breaker bar on them.
I didn't know you couldn't use a torch in a wrecking yard any more. That is probably a "snowflake" law made by snowflake because he burned his pinkey.
How do they take cars apart now? Use harsh language on them!

Alot of salvage yards in maryland well most are owned by LKQ some company bought all the big salvage yards.. And they wont even allow you to bring in multimeters... so you cant eveb check electronics lol.

As for torchs.. i just bring a small handheld butane torch and put it in my pocket... it isnt a super hot torch but it itll get bolts hot enough to turn.. specially the ones with blue locktight on em...

 

[Paul B]

I bet it takes a long time to burn off an exhaust pipe with that handheld butane torch.

 

[Paul B]

This morning about 5:15 I took my bike out for a ride. I like to go before the sun rises so I can see all the deer, rabbits, frogs, and Muskrat Sally's. We have loads of them.

Then I came home and made a nice batch of blueberry corn muffins from fresh blueberries that grow up the block and local corn.

It is almost ready, but no one is up. I like to cook for us and my neighbors who are our lifelong friends.


On another subject, I read these forums in the mornings, (after bicycle riding and baking ) and it really Irks me the amount of fish we are losing and the number of fish we allow to get sick. It's like the Holocaust of fish and it bothers me. There is no reason to let our fish get sick.
We are killing them with kindness and quarantining. Fish come to us already immune. AAAAAAhhhhhoooooo. I am fed up to here (my hand is under my chin) with so many fish dying. But what do I know? It just sickens me because I really love fish. Not like I love my wife, Christie Brinkley or linguini and clams, but you know what I mean.
Just keep the fish healthy or throw them back into the sea. Just my opinion of course.

 

[atoll]

This morning about 5:15 I took my bike out for a ride. I like to go before the sun rises so I can see all the deer, rabbits, frogs, and Muskrat Sally's. We have loads of them.

Then I came home and made a nice batch of blueberry corn muffins from fresh blueberries that grow up the block and local corn.

It is almost ready, but no one is up. I like to cook for us and my neighbors who are our lifelong friends.


On another subject, I read these forums in the mornings, (after bicycle riding and baking ) and it really Irks me the amount of fish we are losing and the number of fish we allow to get sick. It's like the Holocaust of fish and it bothers me. There is no reason to let our fish get sick.
We are killing them with kindness and quarantining. Fish come to us already immune. AAAAAAhhhhhoooooo. I am fed up to here (my hand is under my chin) with so many fish dying. But what do I know? It just sickens me because I really love fish. Not like I love my wife, Christie Brinkley or linguini and clams, but you know what I mean.
Just keep the fish healthy or throw them back into the sea. Just my opinion of course.

Fish and corals dying needlessly is a worrying thought. like you I lose the odd fish but I dont see them swimming eracticaly or diseases ridden and most live long lives as yours do Paul.

 

[HotRocks]

Paul you know the "experts" on here will be thinking how stupid he's going to wipe his tank out don't you [emoji33]
[emoji6]

Paul doesn't wipe his tank out . It doesn't need any wiping or glass cleaning

Plus he has screwdrivers and pliers etc. Readily available off need be

He knows what he's doing come on @atoll

Atoll. You know what I call those "experts" don't you? Noobs.

Considering your tank is older than me, I take will take the noob comment as a compliment!

Hope you guys all have a happy safe 4th!

 

[Paul B]

Those tiny fish I collected as tiny fry are growing a little faster than I would like.
As Long as they cling to the surface, I can catch them and remove them if I have to. If they get big and go to the bottom, they may be the only fish I have.

Oh No! They are not at the surface any more which means they are in the rocks growing disproportionately larger than any other thing in the tank and they will multiply into giant, toothed predators more violent and fearsome than Godzilla, forcing me to dis mantle the tank and move from this neighborhood because I will be an outcast, shunned by men and women alike, forced to live as an outcast on the outer fringes of society. Mingling only with the degenerates, murderers, draft dodgers and other dregs of the Earth. Slime mold and fungus would be my only friend, Maybe with a little Cyano, but nothing else. Even Mrs Pelosi won't welcome me. Woe is me, I am totally screwed.

But wait, there is hope. I see them. No, it is hopeless, they are heading for the rocks and I will never catch them.
Nothing left to do but dismantle my tank.

 

[Sailfinguy21]

I bet it takes a long time to burn off an exhaust pipe with that handheld butane torch.

Who burns off an exhaust pipe these days ? I use a lithium powered sawzaw takes 2 seconds.. faster and safer then a torch

 

[Paul B]

Who burns off an exhaust pipe these days ? I use a lithium powered sawzaw takes 2 seconds.. faster and safer then a torch

I have no idea. Exhaust pipes now seem to last forever but that was not always the case. They used to last two years at most,then rot off.

 

[Gareth elliott]

Tank is looking great! Love the puffer addition, gorgeous fish.

 

[Sailfinguy21]

I have no idea. Exhaust pipes now seem to last forever but that was not always the case. They used to last two years at most,then rot off.

Oh they still last 2 years if you buy a walker tailpipe and non stainless steel chinese metal.... those will fall apart in 2 years lol... same with the cheap mufflers and cats..

Unless you paint em with high temp paint then youll get a few more years.

But yea i hear you.. my 98 grand cherokee still has its 21 year old cat exhaust pipes and muffler lol.. and this is in northern va wjere the roads are covered in white brine salt.. i need a new muffler though finally.


Just welded a whole new exhaust on my moms Jeeo after hers fell off.. having no lift sucks.. i couldnt use a full helmet and so i had to use goggles instead.... my entire face burned to a crisp haha... that hurt jist touching my beard hair.. i might put on sunblock next time lol

 

[Paul B]

I still have my drive up ramps but I rarely get under my car any more. Sometimes, but not much. I can still cram myself into my boat bilge, but it takes a little doing.
For most of my life cars didn't have "cats". That is a relatively new invention. We didn't have any anti pollution anything. Cars just smoked. ;Wideyed
They also had points, and you had to time them and change the plugs all the time. I think I still have the tools. Ball joints also had to be changed all the time.

We also didn't have lap tops and cars, or anything else didn't have computers which were only in Science Fiction movies.

 

[Sailfinguy21]

I still have my drive up ramps but I rarely get under my car any more. Sometimes, but not much. I can still cram myself into my boat bilge, but it takes a little doing.
For most of my life cars didn't have "cats". That is a relatively new invention. We didn't have any anti pollution anything. Cars just smoked. ;Wideyed
They also had points, and you had to time them and change the plugs all the time. I think I still have the tools. Ball joints also had to be changed all the time.

We also didn't have lap tops and cars, or anything else didn't have computers which were only in Science Fiction movies.

Cats were required by law in i believe 78 or 79.. Hardly relativly new thats over 40 years ago lol. I hear you though.. besides my cat on my grand wagoneer.. which i kept on because its federal law.. and well tbh a cat doesnt restrict an engine i gutted all the emissions crap on my wagoneer. I kept the charcoal canister simply to vent the gas tank because its well smart.. even though charcoal isnt reneweable so i think charcosl is the biggest scam in history.. I deleted the egr.. remove the smog pump.. took that stock air hat off with the crap openeing and closing flaps to warm the engine up faster... and the bazillion vacuum lines


My 90 gw has no computer other then a little box for the i guess more (modern) ignition system for a carb lol. The furthest ill go for modern vehicles is OB2 once you go beyond OB2 you need a degree in computer science to work on a car.

 

[Paul B]

Cats were required by law in i believe 78 or 79.. Hardly relativly new thats over 40 years ago lol.

It's still new to me. I was a professional mechanic in the 60s. My Jeep now needs a "software Update". I can't do that because anything with the word "software" in it is code for "something a snowflake built that is just silly". Jeep has to do it. There is no need for software to make my 4 wheel drive work,but aparently now there is. Myold Willy's Jeep had great 4 wheel drive and didn't need no stupid software. It just didn't show me a little picture of a Jeep covered in mud when I threw it in 4 wheel drive. It was just a "Man's" car.

Look at the "sleek, aerodynamic lines on that beauty"
I rebuilt the engine and was amazed. The connecting rods are like a foot long, compared to say a Corvette which are like 4". That is for power, but not speed.
No plastic or aluminum, just steel. It would plow through snow over the roof without slowing down for a cup of coffee. You could change the oil with Vaseline, WD 40 or tar. The Jeep didn't mind.