Tank birthday, 47+ years

[BeanAnimal]

Glad to see you displaying my fish everywhere but its rightful home.

 

[twentyleagues]

I have enough screwdrivers, torx screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers, welders, hydraulic jacks and every other tool to start my own Home Depot, Sears, Lowes, and every other kind of store and fortunately the vast majority of them I rarely use now.

Before I was an electrician, I was a plumber and before that, I was a mechanic for Oldsmobile. I have tools that I forgot what they were for.
In the 60s to tune up a car you had to have a dwell meter, timing light and a special tool to adjust the points. (google it)


Imrahilwjz, 20 years ago I also changed careers, Now I am a bum who just builds all sorts of weird things that have no purpose, But in my house I have all sorts of cabinets that disappear into the walls automatically. High drawers that magically lower down by themselves so you can reach them and a whole lot of these useless things. I sold over 40 of these in various configurations. All useless creations.

First, I love all your artwork!
And B, I grew up in the '70s and '80s for the most part and wanted to be a mechanic. I realized after spending my high school years and going to a big (at that time) tech school to learn about cars that I didnt want to be an everyday regular mechanic. It only took 9 months of being abused by the foreman, service manager and the tech I got stuck to in my first real dealership job to realize (all of them were good drinking buddies). Anyway, years later I had had enough of working retail auto parts (store manager). I applied to work for the motor pool of the post office. After a written test I was invited to perform a bench test. A bench test is where they have you do actual work on one of the vehicles. 5 tests were given, brakes (disc and drum), figure out an electrical issue, a/c system diag, and pull the distributer out and turn over the engine and get it to run again, all the tests are timed. I didn't know at the time the post office used S10 pick ups as their base 4.3 v6, easy. What impressed the guy giving the test was that I knew what static timing was. I pulled the distributer. He turned the motor over for about 30 seconds and said alright get it to run. So I found tdc on cylinder 1, put the distributer back in with the rotor facing number 1, connected all the plug wires and energized the ignition system and turned the distributer until spark plug 1 fired, I backed the distributer up just a tooth and tightened everything down. He says, "What did you just do?" I said, "its called static timing" he says, "so do you think its going to start?" my reply "Yes". He tuned over the ignition, and it started. He said because of that I will overlook the use of needle nose plyers and a no.2 Phillips screwdriver you used to assemble the drum brakes, you do know there are tools to do that right? I passed all the tests *. Apparently *, he was going to fail me for the wrong tools on the drum brakes but being impressed with the static timing thing he "forgot all about it".

They had me go into the Lansing facility a week later to meet the manager there with a start date of 30 days once the "old guy" retired. Unfortunately, because of government cutbacks I never got the job. They went from 5 techs to only 2 and outsourced most of the big jobs. 5 years later the guy that administered the test called me and asked if I was still wanting to work for them. I told him unfortunately no I had a good job as asst parts manager at a busy dealership and am quite happy, the techs love that I understand what they need when they come up to get parts, they dont have to point out the pics or the numbers. It took a little bit for them to get used to talking to me like a fellow tech and just tell me what they are doing. Dealership management and ownership love me because the techs love me and I guess because I do the job well. He understood and said yeah with that kind of job security I wouldnt go anywhere else either.

 

[Freenow54]

First, I love all your artwork!
And B, I grew up in the '70s and '80s for the most part and wanted to be a mechanic. I realized after spending my high school years and going to a big (at that time) tech school to learn about cars that I didnt want to be an everyday regular mechanic. It only took 9 months of being abused by the foreman, service manager and the tech I got stuck to in my first real dealership job to realize (all of them were good drinking buddies). Anyway, years later I had had enough of working retail auto parts (store manager). I applied to work for the motor pool of the post office. After a written test I was invited to perform a bench test. A bench test is where they have you do actual work on one of the vehicles. 5 tests were given, brakes (disc and drum), figure out an electrical issue, a/c system diag, and pull the distributer out and turn over the engine and get it to run again, all the tests are timed. I didn't know at the time the post office used S10 pick ups as their base 4.3 v6, easy. What impressed the guy giving the test was that I knew what static timing was. I pulled the distributer. He turned the motor over for about 30 seconds and said alright get it to run. So I found tdc on cylinder 1, put the distributer back in with the rotor facing number 1, connected all the plug wires and energized the ignition system and turned the distributer until spark plug 1 fired, I backed the distributer up just a tooth and tightened everything down. He says, "What did you just do?" I said, "its called static timing" he says, "so do you think its going to start?" my reply "Yes". He tuned over the ignition, and it started. He said because of that I will overlook the use of needle nose plyers and a no.2 Phillips screwdriver you used to assemble the drum brakes, you do know there are tools to do that right? I passed all the tests *. Apparently *, he was going to fail me for the wrong tools on the drum brakes but being impressed with the static timing thing he "forgot all about it".

They had me go into the Lansing facility a week later to meet the manager there with a start date of 30 days once the "old guy" retired. Unfortunately, because of government cutbacks I never got the job. They went from 5 techs to only 2 and outsourced most of the big jobs. 5 years later the guy that administered the test called me and asked if I was still wanting to work for them. I told him unfortunately no I had a good job as asst parts manager at a busy dealership and am quite happy, the techs love that I understand what they need when they come up to get parts, they dont have to point out the pics or the numbers. It took a little bit for them to get used to talking to me like a fellow tech and just tell me what they are doing. Dealership management and ownership love me because the techs love me and I guess because I do the job well. He understood and said yeah with that kind of job security I wouldnt go anywhere else either.

I would have failed you too. Philips screwdrivers suck " a satanistic tool if ever was one " Hope you know what a robertson is. A guy many years ago up here invented it got a patent whoever made Philips must have lobbied to not allow then in the US. I don't know how many do it yourself shows I watched and listened while they stripped the drive part of the screw. When the patent ran out suddenly there was this " great " invention in the US called a Square head screw. Thank Mr. Robertson for them best screw ever. they were numbered. Glad things worked out for you. I changed carrers too from Industrial Steamfitting to HVAC ( heating and cooling ) way more interesting. If anyone ever asks you the best trade path tell them Refrigeration . I was licensed but never did it its like being a General Practitioner or a brain surgeon. You can retire by 55 and have all the money you would ever need

 

[Paul B]

Twenty Leagues, you are a talented guy. I started my mechanic career at 12 years old in a car wrecking, or junk yard. My Dad died 2 years before and I needed money as my Mother had a mortgage and took in laundry to make money as she had 2 sons.

The junk yard owner taught me a lot about cars, and I would go out to the yard and burn off the part I needed with an acetylene torch. Today, you would get arrested for letting a 12-year-old use that torch, but I learned a lot.

Then, at 16, I got a job at a gas station, and the mechanic there, Bill, was a real old-time mechanic who knew everything. After a short while, so did I so I got a job as a mechanic in Oldsmobile.

I made a tool that you screwed into the spark plug hole, which would diagnose many things in an engine.

It was a spark plug that I hollowed out and had a connection for an air hose. You turn the crankcase so that the piston is at top dead center and push air into that cylinder.

Then you listened. If air came out of the exhaust pipe, the exhaust valve was bad. If air was heard in the carburetor, the intake valve was bad. If bubbles were seen in the radiator, the head gasket had blown, and if you heard air in the oil fill in the valve cover, the rings were likely bad.

It would diagnose everything on an engine in those days before computers. I rebuilt dozens of engines, including my 3 boats.

So far, I have never hired a mechanic to do anything on my cars or boats, and I have never hired anyone for anything in my houses, including raising the dormer and adding an apartment upstairs. I also put in all the heating, water, sewers, gas and electric. I love doing that stuff including building my furniture.

Money is no problem because there is money all over the place and someone is always willing to throw some at you to either fix something, move something or build something.

I don't know how many cars I bought for almost nothing and re built to sell.

This piece of junk is a Simka. Yeah, I never heard of one either. I am the good looking 16 year old on the roof in the back. I bought that car for about eight bucks and re built it. I forgot what I sold it for, but I took the money and bought a 1960-something Chevy Impala for another 8 bucks. Re built it and got a few hundred for it, and it went on up to more expensive cars, and I didn't even have a license yet.

 

[Paul B]

Unfortunately, today I think too many people go to too much college and can't get a job as they are overqualified and lazy so they walk around all day texting their other lazy friends about how bored they are. I can't get bored and I am retired. There are just so many things to do that the days are much too short and I get out of bed about 5:30 am to start my day, which starts with me walking for an hour for exercise. I wish I didn't have to sleep as it cuts into my time too much.

This magazine on my M-16, I built. The one that they give you only holds 18 rounds, but our enemy's AK-47 held 22 rounds so it didn't seem fair so I built that 30 round magazine. I think I cut some metal out of a crashed helicopter



and used some tape or something because this was a jungle so all I had was bamboo and monkeys.

There were crashed helicopters all over the place.



I also built this cool blast wall out of bamboo. The object was that when they fired a RPG at you, it would blow up at the bamboo and the sand bags behind would stay intact. Once.

I got the tarp from some Air Force guys in a rear area that I had to go to once for something, but I forgot what it was.



I moved a lot so I had to build many different things, some are in my book about my time there.

 

[twentyleagues]

Twenty Leagues, you are a talented guy. I started my mechanic career at 12 years old in a car wrecking, or junk yard. My Dad died 2 years before and I needed money as my Mother had a mortgage and took in laundry to make money as she had 2 sons.

The junk yard owner taught me a lot about cars, and I would go out to the yard and burn off the part I needed with an acetylene torch. Today, you would get arrested for letting a 12-year-old use that torch, but I learned a lot.

Then, at 16, I got a job at a gas station, and the mechanic there, Bill, was a real old-time mechanic who knew everything. After a short while, so did I so I got a job as a mechanic in Oldsmobile.

I made a tool that you screwed into the spark plug hole, which would diagnose many things in an engine.

It was a spark plug that I hollowed out and had a connection for an air hose. You turn the crankcase so that the piston is at top dead center and push air into that cylinder.

Then you listened. If air came out of the exhaust pipe, the exhaust valve was bad. If air was heard in the carburetor, the intake valve was bad. If bubbles were seen in the radiator, the head gasket had blown, and if you heard air in the oil fill in the valve cover, the rings were likely bad.

It would diagnose everything on an engine in those days before computers. I rebuilt dozens of engines, including my 3 boats.

So far, I have never hired a mechanic to do anything on my cars or boats, and I have never hired anyone for anything in my houses, including raising the dormer and adding an apartment upstairs. I also put in all the heating, water, sewers, gas and electric. I love doing that stuff including building my furniture.

Money is no problem because there is money all over the place and someone is always willing to throw some at you to either fix something, move something or build something.

I don't know how many cars I bought for almost nothing and re built to sell.

This piece of junk is a Simka. Yeah, I never heard of one either. I am the good looking 16 year old on the roof in the back. I bought that car for about eight bucks and re built it. I forgot what I sold it for, but I took the money and bought a 1960-something Chevy Impala for another 8 bucks. Re built it and got a few hundred for it, and it went on up to more expensive cars, and I didn't even have a license yet.

I dont know if I'm talented so to say, I just know some stuff I guess. Owning my first house and not being super wealthy taught me a lot too. I have done the same thing with cars. I bought my first car a 1980 Pinto with the shocks in the trunk and the cyl head in the back seat for $200. Put that together at 15 and drove it for a year. I sold it for $600. I was raised by a single mom so money was very tight. I had a paper route from about 10 years old, shoveled driveways in the winter and mowed lawns in the summer with a lawn mower I had fixed I found in the trash. At 12 my mom was the office manager at an olds dealer and the owner had asked if anyone with kids old enough to not get run over in the parking lot wanted to earn some cash keeping the lot cleaned, I took that real quick. That led to me sweeping the tech areas and sorting scrap metal. I did some fixing of cars that I purchased as well nothing as cheap as $8 though, a '60 something chevy work truck with 3 speed on the column $800 sold for $2500, 56 bel air $1800 sold for $5600 should have kept that one, '74 vette t top $7000 sold for $10k, a few others as well all before I was 25. Engine and trans swaps in most of those except the vette that got some "mods" after rebuilding the trans and diff.

That tool was ingenious! So simple but what a great idea.

I have always wanted to learn to weld and I am crap at brazing lol.

 

[twentyleagues]

Unfortunately, today I think too many people go to too much college and can't get a job as they are overqualified and lazy so they walk around all day texting their other lazy friends about how bored they are. I can't get bored and I am retired. There are just so many things to do that the days are much too short and I get out of bed about 5:30 am to start my day, which starts with me walking for an hour for exercise. I wish I didn't have to sleep as it cuts into my time too much.

This magazine on my M-16, I built. The one that they give you only holds 18 rounds, but our enemy's AK-47 held 22 rounds so it didn't seem fair so I built that 30 round magazine. I think I cut some metal out of a crashed helicopter



and used some tape or something because this was a jungle so all I had was bamboo and monkeys.

There were crashed helicopters all over the place.

So you were the originator of the 30 round mag! I think that has been pretty common since the late '70s. All the ars I have owned besides the 10's have been 30 rounds. Too bad you didnt patent that. I am guessing someone made some money off your idea.

 

[twentyleagues]

I would have failed you too. Philips screwdrivers suck " a satanistic tool if ever was one " Hope you know what a robertson is. A guy many years ago up here invented it got a patent whoever made Philips must have lobbied to not allow then in the US. I don't know how many do it yourself shows I watched and listened while they stripped the drive part of the screw. When the patent ran out suddenly there was this " great " invention in the US called a Square head screw. Thank Mr. Robertson for them best screw ever. they were numbered. Glad things worked out for you. I changed carrers too from Industrial Steamfitting to HVAC ( heating and cooling ) way more interesting. If anyone ever asks you the best trade path tell them Refrigeration . I was licensed but never did it its like being a General Practitioner or a brain surgeon. You can retire by 55 and have all the money you would ever need

Yes but they work great for putting the return springs back on the drum brakes! You dont have to fuss with that little lip on the tool that holds on to the hole for the spring end. Half the time I use that the spring come back out with the tool at least for me, the phillips just slips right out.

 

[Freenow54]

I dont know if I'm talented so to say, I just know some stuff I guess. Owning my first house and not being super wealthy taught me a lot too. I have done the same thing with cars. I bought my first car a 1980 Pinto with the shocks in the trunk and the cyl head in the back seat for $200. Put that together at 15 and drove it for a year. I sold it for $600. I was raised by a single mom so money was very tight. I had a paper route from about 10 years old, shoveled driveways in the winter and mowed lawns in the summer with a lawn mower I had fixed I found in the trash. At 12 my mom was the office manager at an olds dealer and the owner had asked if anyone with kids old enough to not get run over in the parking lot wanted to earn some cash keeping the lot cleaned, I took that real quick. That led to me sweeping the tech areas and sorting scrap metal. I did some fixing of cars that I purchased as well nothing as cheap as $8 though, a '60 something chevy work truck with 3 speed on the column $800 sold for $2500, 56 bel air $1800 sold for $5600 should have kept that one, '74 vette t top $7000 sold for $10k, a few others as well all before I was 25. Engine and trans swaps in most of those except the vette that got some "mods" after rebuilding the trans and diff.

That tool was ingenious! So simple but what a great idea.

I have always wanted to learn to weld and I am crap at brazing lol.

Great stuff the imagination to make and use that tool. So Cool. My Brother in laws were what were called Motor Heads. I Hunted or fished and walked or thumbed everywhere that was it. Wading in the back of water reservoir's training for Nam that never happened getting covered in leaches burning them off life was good wasn't it?

 

[Freenow54]

Yes but they work great for putting the return springs back on the drum brakes! You dont have to fuss with that little lip on the tool that holds on to the hole for the spring end. Half the time I use that the spring come back out with the tool at least for me, the phillips just slips right out.

What about hook nose needle nose? I wish I read your timing method back when I did all my own work. I don't know how you guys can get around all the computer stuff. I read three different ways to do my GMC brakes the truck age was spread over 4 years one had electronic safety brakes that you had to turn off or wreck your brakes. I had no desire to start at that. My son does all his work. I think I'm getting chicken as I get older. Never afraid of anything before

 

[Paul B]

So you were the originator of the 30 round mag!

Maybe I was, that was in 1970. It seemed so stupid to me that the other guys had more rounds than we did. The only issue was that that old M-16 could fire fully automatic so I could fire all 30 rounds at once. The weapon would get so hot the barrel would glow, so I had to wrap an empty sandbag around it to hold it.

If I tried to do it twice in a row, the bolt would jam and the thing wouldn't fire until it cooled down in like 20 minutes which I very rarely had, so I almost never used it fully automatic. In a firefight it is not easy to hold back firing so you want to send as many bullets as you could which wasn't always the best idea, but necessary.

I also had a 45-caliber pistol and for a while carried a thing I think called an M-74 or 79 which had an M-16 barrel on top and a grenade launcher barrel under it. But it was heavy and for the grenade launcher you had to break it open like a shotgun to load so it was one shot at a time. But it had a lot of fire power.

The grenades that it fired were either HE (high explosive) or buck shot. But the buck shot was huge, not like you hunt ducks with more like lead marbles.

I don't know how it works now in war, but in Nam I could carry anything I waned, even a crossbow if I was stupid enough and could get one.

Some idiots hack sawed off the end of the barrel and the stock essentially making the M-16 into a pistol. Of course we had better pistols then that and the thing wouldn't work automatic like that, so you had to pull back the bolt every time you wanted to fire it. I am not sure of the reasoning but whatever it was, it was stupid.

 

[Paul B]

I still have my brake tools for drum brakes, I don't know why, I just can't throw away tools.

 

[twentyleagues]

What about hook nose needle nose? I wish I read your timing method back when I did all my own work. I don't know how you guys can get around all the computer stuff. I read three different ways to do my GMC brakes the truck age was spread over 4 years one had electronic safety brakes that you had to turn off or wreck your brakes. I had no desire to start at that. My son does all his work. I think I'm getting chicken as I get older. Never afraid of anything before

With needle nose pliers you could possibly bend the return spring causing it to be shorter and affecting how the brakes function. Much better to use the phillips like how the brake tool is designed to be used lol. Any more I dont mess with newer vehicles especially brakes. You could not time a computer-controlled car like that now for 1 they have no distributer. I dont think I would try anything like that even with a distributer past '99-00 unless it was something along the lines of a boat with a v6/v8 or the government work vehicles as a lot of those still use pre 2000 tech. Although I do see some of the mail carriers driving sprinter vans and the small ford van things as well, some of those old school S10 chassis are still around though.

 

[twentyleagues]

I still have my brake tools for drum brakes, I don't know why, I just can't throw away tools.

Did you ever figure out how to use them properly? Those pliers are the worst, only thing they are good for is the hold down springs. Multi-tool junk lol.

 

[smitten with ocean life]

paul, my white worm culture needs new dirt. its starting to smell. im trying to flood them out but its not working. do you have any tips?

 

[Paul B]

Did you ever figure out how to use them properly? Those pliers are the worst, only thing they are good for is the hold down springs. Multi-tool junk lol.

Of course. Working as a mechanic I had to use them almost every day as there were no disc brakes at the time.

paul, my white worm culture needs new dirt. its starting to smell. I'm trying to flood them out but its not working. do you have any tips?

Yes, I put the entire thing in a sink. Not my kitchen sink because I want to remain married so have a slop sink but a hose will work.

Fill the thing up to the top and stir it. Let it settle then gently dump out the water. Do that a few times. Then let the water slowly fill the container and allow it to overflow " slowly". I put a piece of plastic over the water surface so the stream doesn't pick up too many worms. Let it overflow like that for a few minutes,

Shut the water and pour some water out. Stir the dirt and do it again.
Then after the water is fairly clear, dump the entire thing in a large net. Some thing with small holes but not very small.

Run sink water over that until it is clear. Shut the water and gently squeeze excess water out. About now your phone will, ring because someone wants to sell you car insurance. That always happens to me when my hands are full of worms.

Thats it, dump it all back into it's container. You will lose dome dirt so you may have to add some.

Don't wash your hands but make yourself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and eat it. Now you will also be immune to ich.

 

[smitten with ocean life]

got it!

 

[Rocks reef]

Of course. Working as a mechanic I had to use them almost every day as there were no disc brakes at the time.


Yes, I put the entire thing in a sink. Not my kitchen sink because I want to remain married so have a slop sink but a hose will work.

Fill the thing up to the top and stir it. Let it settle then gently dump out the water. Do that a few times. Then let the water slowly fill the container and allow it to overflow " slowly". I put a piece of plastic over the water surface so the stream doesn't pick up too many worms. Let it overflow like that for a few minutes,

Shut the water and pour some water out. Stir the dirt and do it again.
Then after the water is fairly clear, dump the entire thing in a large net. Some thing with small holes but not very small.

Run sink water over that until it is clear. Shut the water and gently squeeze excess water out. About now your phone will, ring because someone wants to sell you car insurance. That always happens to me when my hands are full of worms.

Thats it, dump it all back into it's container. You will lose dome dirt so you may have to add some.

Don't wash your hands but make yourself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and eat it. Now you will also be immune to ich.

Absolutely the best reply I have ever read!

 

[Paul B]

Yesterday I took my Grand Son Teddy fishing for Porgies. We tried to get on the boat we went on last time but they raised the boat owners docking fees by $5,000.00 so he sold the boat. We found another fishing boat in another place and got on that.

This boat goes to deeper water, over 100' so the fish were much bigger. My best friend also came.

We each caught about 12 or 15 Porgies, and they averaged about 14" or 15" which is good for porgies as they only have to be 11" to keep.

As soon as my hook hit the bottom, I got these two at the same time.

I still have about 100 of them in my freezer so this week we will be eating a lot of fish.

 

[Paul B]

On my raining early walk this morning I saw something in the grass in the distance. At first I thought it was a wounded baby deer, or a rabid racoon or maybe even an Alien from the Andromeda Galaxy. But No!. It was this snapping turtle about 25lbs and about 2 1/2' long head to tail.

I tried to pick him up from the back of his shell because they have a nasty bite, but I am going for a new shoulder in a few weeks and the thing hurts enough, so I decided not to pick him up. So, I decided to just walk behind him and nudge him back to a large pond that is full of big bullfrogs which is most likely where he came from.
He is probably running out of food and the water is shallow, so he was looking for a new home. In the direction he was going, he would have had to walk for miles to find another freshwater pond so against his will, I returned him to his pond.