The Random thought thread

[nomadpete]

Nowadays  E-sex covers a much bigger territory.

[facthunter]

NO sex please. We're British.  Nev

[red750]

1 hour ago, facthunter said:

NO sex please. We're British.

The randiest mob on Earth. Just watch Midsomer Murders. Someone is always having it off with someone elses wife.

[facthunter]

I hadn't  noticed that aspect. I always wondered with so  many dying how the House prices would be affected.  Nev

'

[onetrack]

Quote

I'm currently doing a small renovation at home and haven't done much building for a while. I've really noticed some differences in products available and especially the price increases. I can remember once buying sheets of bracing ply for around $15 and about 18 months ago paid $30. That same sheet now is around $50.

 

Another one is brushable hydroseal. I found an old half full tin in the shed that I probably bought 20 years ago. If I'd known the cost of a four litre tin now is over $180, I wouldn't have splashed it around so much and saved it for critical ground or damp contact uses. I used it all up before I found out about the price. That's the original oil based, turps clean up stuff.

Just got this news (below) this morning, from AIMS Industrial. The Govt reckons inflation is heading downwards. I call BS on that - what with fuel nearly or over $2 a litre, prices on everything going up every month, the AUD$ dropping like a rock in a pond, and the average grocery bill increasing at almost every shop, I reckon the inflation bogeyman is looming bigger and more threatening than ever.

 

"We've been notified of upcoming pricing changes for the following brands effective October:

• Abrasives, machining and tools: Alpha, AUSTSAW, Bondhus, Bordo, Channellock, Draper, Econocut, Euroboor, Eze-Lap, Goliath, Lockjaw, Maverick Tools, MAXBOR, Nextorch, OLFA, PG Mini, P&N, Recoil, Saber, Shaviv, Sterling, Sutton Tools and Tracer 
• Adhesives, sealants and tapes: GSA and Permatex 
• Cleaning and janitorial: Gilly, Lazco, Sabco and Septone
• Fluid handling: Lubemate and Macnaught
• Hose, ducting and fittings: Retracta
• Load restraints, material handling and storage: Fasty
• Lubrication: Inox
• Paint & Equipment: Anchor, Boston, Pacer and Phoenix 
• Portable Coolers: CW Brands
• Safety: Bushman and Itchfix"

[facthunter]

Not disputing what you state but there would be more factors in the way the Inflation rate is determined. When the silly RBA ups the interest rate THAT is inflationary and has a flow on effect. Fuel Prices are entirely out of our control. Our $ conversion rate is not dropping now but since we import so much. (Mainly from China) It has a big effect. Meat Prices should be dropping as the farmers are getting next to nothing for sheep. There's a glut of avocado's. Buy stuff in season. Stew and freeze stuff like plums, apricots, tomato etc Nev

Edited September 26, 2023 by facthunter

[spenaroo]

Ah inflation and prices aren't as closely linked.

after-all I doubt we will ever see prices dropped at the supermarket - even if inflation was to

price is what someone is willing to pay

[facthunter]

FORCED to pay. That's what you get when there are too  few competitors..  They are NOT there to do the best for you. They are there to make Profits primarily.  Nev

[old man emu]

4 hours ago, onetrack said:

Safety: Bushman

That Bushman stuff is supposed to be the duck's guts, so I bought some roll-on. Smells better than Aeroguard.

[pmccarthy]

If you get the ball type don't put it anywhere else.

[nomadpete]

4 hours ago, old man emu said:

That Bushman stuff is supposed to be the duck's guts, so I bought some roll-on. Smells better than Aeroguard.

Be careful with Bushman. It is the most effective bug repellant of all. BUT it is not nice stuff. If it is on a bit of skin that comes in contact with a painted surface. It lifts the paint off and transfers it to your skin.

 

Google the MSDS for Deet, the active ingredient.

[red750]

Some of you might like this.

 

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Those are Aussie Eucalypts, one of our most popular (not poplar) exports. 
Glad I’m not in a passing aircraft.

[onetrack]

You can see the weaponry opportunities in that piece of equipment!!

[red750]

[pmccarthy]

8 hours ago, red750 said:

Some of you might like this.

 

 

 

Not sure that I believe that. Could be faked. The energy transfer would be incredible.

[old man emu]

Good-bye sandblaster.. Hello laser cleaner..

 

 

[Marty_d]

That would have to put a bump in the power bill. Wonder how it compares with a little angle grinder with wire brush cup.

[spenaroo]

true, but then how much time doe it save?

[onetrack]

The video looks good, but apparently the laser cleaners are only effective on very light rust. Sandblasting or acid-dipping still works best on heavy rust.

[onetrack]

Here's a 4 cyl little Caterpillar head I did recently. Didn't get enough photos of the "before" state. I took the head back off the first head reconditioners, when they tried rorting me, big-time.

This mob charged me $138 for an "acid-bath" treatment, but all they did was dip it in a RoboWash parts cleaner. Passageways in the head around the valves and ports were still full of grotty corrosion.

So I acid-bathed it and pressure-washed it, twice, and it came up Mickey Mouse. Gave the cleaned head to another cylinder head repairer, and he installed all new bronze K-line valve guide inserts, cleaned up the stellite valve inserts, and installed all new valves, and all new springs - for a lot less than the first bunch of rorters wanted to charge me.

He also machined the head surface. Haven't got a photo of the completed head, I must do that, the engine is all set to be re-assembled.

 

1. Engine out and starting on dismantling (engine was running quite well, but I found pieces of piston skirt in the sump, so it had to come apart. I found two fractured pistons, and one with chunks out of the skirt).

2. Crap left in head passageways around ports and valves.

3. Same area after I chiselled the corroded crap out. New stainless core plug on the left of photo.

4. After initial acid bath and pressure wash. It went back in again for a second dip.

5. Final acid dip and pressure wash.

6. and 7. Completed treatment with phosphoric acid spray.

Edited September 29, 2023 by onetrack

[old man emu]

2 hours ago, Marty_d said:

That would have to put a bump in the power bill. Wonder how it compares with a little angle grinder with wire brush cup.

This is a baby one - 100W using 240V.

 

 

From an Australian supplier's site:

Laser cleaning is a non-contact, non-abrasive method that is powerful yet precise on the underlying surface of the material. As the effect of the laser radiation on the metal is corrosion-dependent, the cleaning parameters can be adjusted to ensure that the underlying surface remains undamaged after cleaning. Because lasers operate as a non-contact surface removal application, there is no need for a secondary medium that contributes to waste streams.

 

So no damage to the surface under the muck, and no contaminated fluids or dust to get rid of.

[nomadpete]

I didn't beieve that laser could be used against rust.

Lo! And behold!

Evilbay has these devices but they are a bit beyond my budget! Call me a pennypincher if you wish, but 20 grand buys a lot of normal rust treatment.

[onetrack]

You can buy cheap laser cleaners that are low wattage, and they're as useless as the hip pocket on a singlet. If you want a serious laser cleaner, you have to start paying out tens of thousands of dollars.

[old man emu]

3 hours ago, onetrack said:

You can buy cheap laser cleaners that are low wattage, and they're as useless as the hip pocket on a singlet.

That pretty well sums up the purchasing decision. However, uselessness does depend on the task for which the tool is being used. The 100W one in the video I posted probably isn't much use for anything more than doing the dishes, but if you wanted to clean things with a reasonably light coating of rust, maybe 200 to 500W would be the go. However, buying more power means paying more money.

 

Unfortunately, a quick glimpse on Google didn't get any results that showed the power consumption in kWHs. I suspect that the Wattage quoted was the output energy.