We had the dry line drift passed us today and sure enough a huge storm followed on as expected. We got violent straight line winds followed by a powerful rain storm. Rain was blowing level with my vision across the yard. I saw water running down the window in the laundry room, never saw that before. I looked up and the gutters were overflowing.
Switched to local TV and they were saying there were embedded tornadoes in the storm. Doppler radar had detected rotating clouds, a sure sign of tornadoes forming or already formed. Of course funnel clouds are not tornadoes until they touch down. Thank God, none of them touched down around us.
We watched the storm track move across DFW and on to Flower Mound. I am sure later tonight we will learn of evidence of tornado activity some where along the track.
It is clear now, gentle breeze and light shower. Just a few rain drops here and there. Big difference from the early storm. I turned off the sprinklers, we do not need any irrigation tonight, we got washed to day.
The storm even shut down TV reception. The TV just held the last picture for about ten minutes. That indicates very thick clouds to interrupt the signal. Usually happens when it snows, or as in this case, a big raging thunder storm.
It has passed and I think we are finished with it for the day. Tomorrow will be sunny and clear. The storm will have washed out all the crap in the air.
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
Tuesday, May 28, 2019
Air Compressor . . .
I have an old Sears air compressor I acquired some years ago while living in San Bernardino,
CA. When I got this compressor the electric motor was shot. I shopped the catalogs, especially farm oriented catalogs and sure enough I was able to get an electric motor at a very reasonable cost.
I installed the new motor and the unit operated well for years. But the drive belt was showing its age. I bought some belt treatment spray material to see if that would help. It did but it was still marginal. Finally, the old belt just could not get a grip any more. I took it off and it was pretty bad, ribs missing, stretched to much, etc. Time for a replacement.
I went on line with Sears and tried to get a parts list to figure out what the belt part number was. At least I could maybe get an after market belt and replace my aging one. Sears said they got rid of their data on that unit years ago. Sure enough I found out it had been manufactured in 1971 and that made it one year older than my oldest son. You can do the math, but the answer is 48 years old.
The original belt gave up the ghost recently and I began an Internet search for a new one. I had a part number I found on the belt and went from there. I figured the configuration was fairly common and there should be other brands that used the same parts in its make up. I was right. Amazon listed about four different belts that all appeared to be the same but with different prices. I got the least expensive one.
I found the belt listed on Amazon and ordered it up. I had some misgivings in that I had measured the old belt and it appeared to be 48 inches long. And all the belts were described as being 49 inches long. What the heck, a new compressor was at least a $100 and the belt was only $14.95 shipped free on Amazon Prime. So I got the belt.
Sure enough Amazon Prime delivered the belt in about two days. It was in what I thought to be a tiny package, but I opened it up and it was indeed the belt as ordered.
Installation was bit tricky but I used my God given mechanical talent to get it installed. And the first try it popped right off. But I got it going the second go round. I plugged the compressor in and she started right up and charged up the tank to 150 PSI.
I had previously changed the oil in the two stage up right compressor unit with compressor oil. Yes, it is not the same as the oil used in a car. But the oil had been in the unit since my days in San Berdoo back in 1993 or so. Time to do a little maintenance, right. So the unit ran smoothly and worked just fine with an oil change and new belt.
I then drained the water out of the tank. When you compress air the air contains some quantity of moisture. So water builds up in the tank. I drained it and it was about a half a cup full. Not bad for some 25 or so years of use. True I did not run it every day, maybe at best ten times a year.
Judie dislikes it because it is big. That is bigger than she wants it to be. I regard it as fine piece of equipment that I keep working and using. So for fifteen bucks or so, some elbow grease cleaning it up, the old compressor is running like a top.
CA. When I got this compressor the electric motor was shot. I shopped the catalogs, especially farm oriented catalogs and sure enough I was able to get an electric motor at a very reasonable cost.
I installed the new motor and the unit operated well for years. But the drive belt was showing its age. I bought some belt treatment spray material to see if that would help. It did but it was still marginal. Finally, the old belt just could not get a grip any more. I took it off and it was pretty bad, ribs missing, stretched to much, etc. Time for a replacement.
I went on line with Sears and tried to get a parts list to figure out what the belt part number was. At least I could maybe get an after market belt and replace my aging one. Sears said they got rid of their data on that unit years ago. Sure enough I found out it had been manufactured in 1971 and that made it one year older than my oldest son. You can do the math, but the answer is 48 years old.
The original belt gave up the ghost recently and I began an Internet search for a new one. I had a part number I found on the belt and went from there. I figured the configuration was fairly common and there should be other brands that used the same parts in its make up. I was right. Amazon listed about four different belts that all appeared to be the same but with different prices. I got the least expensive one.
I found the belt listed on Amazon and ordered it up. I had some misgivings in that I had measured the old belt and it appeared to be 48 inches long. And all the belts were described as being 49 inches long. What the heck, a new compressor was at least a $100 and the belt was only $14.95 shipped free on Amazon Prime. So I got the belt.
Sure enough Amazon Prime delivered the belt in about two days. It was in what I thought to be a tiny package, but I opened it up and it was indeed the belt as ordered.
Installation was bit tricky but I used my God given mechanical talent to get it installed. And the first try it popped right off. But I got it going the second go round. I plugged the compressor in and she started right up and charged up the tank to 150 PSI.
I had previously changed the oil in the two stage up right compressor unit with compressor oil. Yes, it is not the same as the oil used in a car. But the oil had been in the unit since my days in San Berdoo back in 1993 or so. Time to do a little maintenance, right. So the unit ran smoothly and worked just fine with an oil change and new belt.
I then drained the water out of the tank. When you compress air the air contains some quantity of moisture. So water builds up in the tank. I drained it and it was about a half a cup full. Not bad for some 25 or so years of use. True I did not run it every day, maybe at best ten times a year.
Judie dislikes it because it is big. That is bigger than she wants it to be. I regard it as fine piece of equipment that I keep working and using. So for fifteen bucks or so, some elbow grease cleaning it up, the old compressor is running like a top.
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
The Procedure . . .
Well my pain doctor did a procedure on my neck. That is he administered two shots of Cortisone to my neck in the 5/6 and 6/7 joints. That is just above sixth cervical joint and the bottom the same joint. And the problem is predominately on the right side of my neck and effects the right side of the body. In this case the nerves dealing with the right shoulder, right arm, right hand and the fingers on the right hand. It weakens the ability to direct the muscles and that means a loss of dexterity in that arm and a concomitant lost of strength.
To top it all off is that many years ago I damaged the right bicep, tore the muscle and of course it has not recovered. As one Orthopedic Surgeon said he could not fix the muscle. So I do bicep exercises to keep the strength up on that arm. Of late I have been restrained from doing pressure exercises (weight lifting) and been doing restrain exercises (pulling bungee cords, etc. which is not near as effective).
I used to do curls with my right arm and was using a 10 pound weight and doing 25 repetitions. Now I can barely to 10 such repetitions with my right arm. I have recovered in left arm after left shoulder replacement and can do the 25 repetitions easily. So I am being impacted by the nerve interruption or pressures on the nerve. Since the procedure the doctor performed I have been again restrained on what I can do for a while.
The pain doctor said it was so bad that there would be three such procedures before we could really see much recovery. He said it was tight because the nerves swell and because the vias are being crushed by lack of disks holding the joint apart. Think of the disk as an O-ring between joints, it seals up the spinal cord but more importantly allows the nerves unimpeded access to connect up with all the activities of the arm. Yes, I can move my arm but not as much nor as quickly. Sometimes have to use the left arm to assist the right arm.
I sense I am using my left arm more when driving because it is stronger and responding better. I still use the right arm but it is weak sister now.
So far all the Cortisone has raised my blood sugar and not much else. Numbness is down in the little finger and ring finger. That is effected by 6/7 joint that before was not a problem. So it is sort of getting its first treatment, but not much improvement in the 5/6 joint - yet. Ergo that is why I will get more shots before this is over.
Abd what this says is I am getting old. Things are breaking down like the disks in my neck. Could this be arthritis too, yes, but I really do not know that yet. By the way this is known as Radiculopathy.
Yuck!
To top it all off is that many years ago I damaged the right bicep, tore the muscle and of course it has not recovered. As one Orthopedic Surgeon said he could not fix the muscle. So I do bicep exercises to keep the strength up on that arm. Of late I have been restrained from doing pressure exercises (weight lifting) and been doing restrain exercises (pulling bungee cords, etc. which is not near as effective).
I used to do curls with my right arm and was using a 10 pound weight and doing 25 repetitions. Now I can barely to 10 such repetitions with my right arm. I have recovered in left arm after left shoulder replacement and can do the 25 repetitions easily. So I am being impacted by the nerve interruption or pressures on the nerve. Since the procedure the doctor performed I have been again restrained on what I can do for a while.
The pain doctor said it was so bad that there would be three such procedures before we could really see much recovery. He said it was tight because the nerves swell and because the vias are being crushed by lack of disks holding the joint apart. Think of the disk as an O-ring between joints, it seals up the spinal cord but more importantly allows the nerves unimpeded access to connect up with all the activities of the arm. Yes, I can move my arm but not as much nor as quickly. Sometimes have to use the left arm to assist the right arm.
I sense I am using my left arm more when driving because it is stronger and responding better. I still use the right arm but it is weak sister now.
So far all the Cortisone has raised my blood sugar and not much else. Numbness is down in the little finger and ring finger. That is effected by 6/7 joint that before was not a problem. So it is sort of getting its first treatment, but not much improvement in the 5/6 joint - yet. Ergo that is why I will get more shots before this is over.
Abd what this says is I am getting old. Things are breaking down like the disks in my neck. Could this be arthritis too, yes, but I really do not know that yet. By the way this is known as Radiculopathy.
Yuck!
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