Projecting, tinkering, fiddle-farting around: whatcha building?

[KLF]

Every spring, same thing... something always leaks!!!

View attachment 2294724View attachment 2294725

And this is exactly why I ripped all that lawn irrigation crap out of my yard a couple weeks ago and sold it on craigslist. Haven't run it in several years. PITA.

 

[DRANGED]

And this is exactly why I ripped all that lawn irrigation crap out of my yard a couple weeks ago and sold it on craigslist. Haven't run it in several years. PITA.

LOL, mine's 6 hoses and knockers above ground, three 2-zone timers (seems like at least one cracks the sad and has to be replaced every year)... I've been contemplating underground for 8 years... There exists abandoned underground, so trenching a new system will be fun...
across the street neighbor put his system in in early 80s, never has a problem. . . .

 

[KLF]

LOL, mine's 6 hoses and knockers above ground, three 2-zone timers (seems like at least one cracks the sad and has to be replaced every year)... I've been contemplating underground for 8 years... There exists abandoned underground, so trenching a new system will be fun...
across the street neighbor put his system in in early 80s, never has a problem. . . .

Welll... my problems were based on 2 issues:

* The dude that snowblows the driveway around here had an amazing knack of finding those heads every winter, despite me putting up flags. What an idiot.

* The system was installed in 2010 by a student irrigation project. I guess they didn't bury the pipe deep enough, so eventually the pipe started popping out of the ground in a few places. Then one year I had the yard aerated by the lawn service, we flagged all the heads, but they perforated that pipe in a bunch of places. Not their fault. Not fixing it either.

It was all that fancy Hunter stuff. I sold it really cheap to a co-worker.

 

[DRANGED]

Welll... my problems were based on 2 issues:

* The dude that snowblows the driveway around here had an amazing knack of finding those heads every winter, despite me putting up flags. What an idiot.

* The system was installed in 2010 by a student irrigation project. I guess they didn't bury the pipe deep enough, so eventually the pipe started popping out of the ground in a few places. Then one year I had the yard aerated by the lawn service, we flagged all the heads, but they perforated that pipe in a bunch of places. Not their fault. Not fixing it either.

It was all that fancy Hunter stuff. I sold it really cheap to a co-worker.

WTF!
didn't bury an irrigation system deeper than 3" in NEW HAMPSHIRE?? And snow-blowing a driveway but popping sprinkler heads? yeah, i'd say that one was a little idiotic!

I just feel lame pouring so much culinary water on the ground in the desert...

 

[PAToyota]

Redesigning some brackets. Less angle (originals in second frame), slotted holes for adjustability, and a single part that can be bent up either side to make the left and right sides.

 

[KLF]

WTF!
didn't bury an irrigation system deeper than 3" in NEW HAMPSHIRE?? And snow-blowing a driveway but popping sprinkler heads? yeah, i'd say that one was a little idiotic!

I just feel lame pouring so much culinary water on the ground in the desert...

Like I said, it was a student project. They needed a lawn to practice, it cost me almost nothing. Worth every penny.

I hate running that snowblower. I pretty much hate all yard work. I'd rather be in the garage playing with my vehicles.

 

[The Jade Bean]

Was given this old Jenny compressor that was for roofers. Worked, but barely. I’ve been reviving it. I’ve got a few hundred in new parts in it so far, but given it’s about $1,200 new that’s not bad I guess. I think the rings are bad as there’s oil blow by. The compressor shop said replacing the rings is easy, so we will see. Hopefully when I’m done I’ll have a good compressor for the rest of my life. Lol.

 

[Prairie Swamp]

Yeah I'd say there's excessive oil getting past the rings based on that first pic. Hopefully it's just rings.

 

[DRANGED]

Was given this old Jenny compressor that was for roofers. Worked, but barely. I’ve been reviving it. I’ve got a few hundred in new parts in it so far, but given it’s about $1,200 new that’s not bad I guess. I think the rings are bad as there’s oil blow by. The compressor shop said replacing the rings is easy, so we will see. Hopefully when I’m done I’ll have a good compressor for the rest of my life. Lol. View attachment 2299438View attachment 2299439View attachment 2299441

I'm pretty sure I can't say the same for the husky I found in the scrap pile behind the equipment rental shop...

I thought maybe I could put my harbor freight motor on it and overwork it by a larger tank..

 

[The Jade Bean]

Yeah I may just buy a new one and sell this for what I have in it. I try to save and reuse, but at some point you get to deep. Lol.

 

[DRANGED]

Yeah I may just buy a new one and sell this for what I have in it. I try to save and reuse, but at some point you get to deep. Lol.

lol yeah,
Its not always clear where that line should be drawn.

Usually it ends up being waaay back there.

 

[YMT]

It must be compressor project time. I scored a Bostitch 2 hp pancake from the dumpster the other day. Motor runs, but isn't building pressure. I put it aside for now while I research. Going to look at the pressure regulator and tank for any leaks.

I tend to draw the line with repairing dumpster finds on half the cost for new. Otherwise, I will pay for a new item.

 

[YMT]

That said, sometimes I surprise myself. Case in point. Scored a 98 Tacoma 4x4 with 272k miles and a blown head gasket for $1200. Body in good shape, and well maintained (other than HG- it's tighter and smoother than my 2001 with 140k miles).
Since she's high miles, I started with Blue Devil sealant, thinking WTH, it can't hurt. Used the whole bottle, and didn't seem to fix it. I left it parked the last month while searching for an engine. Picked up a 138k mile engine a week ago. I start it, move it into my driveway, and realize it's no longer blowing white smoke. Test drove it and it runs smooth, no smoke.
Gotta change the oil, make sure it smogs; if all good i will run it as is.
Now I have a "spare" 3.4l engine sitting in my garage in the way.
It's weird to be annoyed and happy at the same time
I've had other projects that were simple fixes that I thought would have been more complex. I try to plan for the worst (and buy what I might need in advance) and hope for the best.

 

[The Jade Bean]

Setup the hydroponics garden tower. Now to buy plants.

 

[DRANGED]

I kind of have a thing for unistrut....
Made a hoist for the roof Box yesterday ( version 1.0)
View attachment 2190215

V 2.0

 

[DRANGED]

Setup the hydroponics garden tower. Now to buy plants. View attachment 2300117

to produce compost here you need to turn VERY frequently and apply moisturizer, e.g. water. I know people that have drip irrigation spray heads into their compost bins to produce anything. In my three or four different compost bin experiments here, it all just just petrified mummifies.

We're going to try the green cone food digester next....

Instructions say to make sure it gets plenty of direct sun. . . .

 

[YMT]

@DRANGED, looks like you have a bunch of green in that compost, but not enough browns. Try adding a bunch of coffee grounds and produce scraps. Also, try to add sides to contain it. It needs to be able to produce heat to degrade. Our compost bins are enclosed drums with vents. In the winter they're melting snow easily. We have to open them in summer to prevent overheating. But compost needs to generate around 120* to really work well. Enclosing it will also retain moisture.
It also needs to turned over every 2-4 weeks.
Sticks don't break down well, and grasses and leaves should be green and ground as fine as possible.
I see you're in Moab. I used to live there, and composted when I lived there.

 

[DRANGED]

@DRANGED, looks like you have a bunch of green in that compost, but not enough browns. Try adding a bunch of coffee grounds and produce scraps. Also, try to add sides to contain it. It needs to be able to produce heat to degrade. Our compost bins are enclosed drums with vents. In the winter they're melting snow easily. We have to open them in summer to prevent overheating. But compost needs to generate around 120* to really work well. Enclosing it will also retain moisture.
It also needs to turned over every 2-4 weeks.
Sticks don't break down well, and grasses and leaves should be green and ground as fine as possible.
I see you're in Moab. I used to live there, and composted when I lived there.

Lol! Good beta, @YMT. I had a bin I'd regularly turn and water and it would just disappear without producing. The collapsed bin has mesh sides, that was almost entirely food scraps and coffee in its firat lication but honesty wasn't turned often enough. I've done 2 different palet bins, one mostly food, but then became mostly grass, and again didn't turn enough. The last was going to be a 3-bay with removable dividers and dropable door, and was to have a watering system (modelled after a friends...they produced amazing compost)... But alas, that one is mostly a scrap wood shelf now.

I know others here that get good compst but time investing and effort are needed, for sure. Neither are appealing, so the digester seems like a good option.

 

[The Jade Bean]

Yeah we just use the tumbler mostly. We have a tarp covered grass and leaf pile behind the shed. We purée our scraps before they go in the tumbler.
I also just sold the compressor for what I had in it $325 and Mon. I’ll just go buy a new one. I tried.

 

[The Jade Bean]

Made this today for my bride. Turned out better than I hoped. The plan is to ultimately make two more.