Random thoughts from the moose cave.

Stay warm and dry and take care of yourself.

I actually like winter mode better. now that Ima have good heat in the shop, it will be much better than last year. gonna buy some more insulation, and patch some holes in the cabin better than before, as well.

and I have hot water on demand with the stove percolating all day. makes the shower option more attractive after a day of something yucky...

distributor is out, and on the bench. bad wiring from the module started it a shorting, it would appear.

I dint charge him a diagnose fee, as a neighbor, so I better be right. I'm just making grocery money on this one...

We learnt something new today...

a friend asked me what made a "melonized" distributor gear worth $45. and if it was critical to the overall health of the motor. (lots more details nobody else wants to know)

* * * * *

I found the following information on Internet (from website of Burlington Engineering) Melonite and Melonite QPQ

"Melonite™ and Melonite QPQ™ are thermochemical processes intended for the case hardening of iron based metals. These processes are categorized as molten salt bath ferritic nitrocarburizing. During these processes, nitrogen, carbon, and small amounts of oxygen are diffused into the surface of the steel, creating an epsilon iron nitride layer (e - FexN).

A degraded form of this nitride layer (gamma prime: g' - Fe4N) is obtained during plasma or gas nitriding. The nitride layer is composed of two principle zones. Zone 1, called the compound or "white" layer, extends to a case depth of ~0.0004" to 0.0008". The compound layer is porous, which lends to the lubricity of the finish, and hard (~700HV to 1600HV). Zone 2, called the diffusion zone, extends to a case depth of ~.004" to 0.008".

In addition, small quantities of substrate carbon are pulled from deeper within the substrate toward the surface. The diffusion zone demonstrates a decreasing gradient concentration of carbon and particularly nitrogen as the gradient extends deeper into the surface of the substrate. This property yields a tough outer surface or shell, yet alloys the material to retain ductility, thereby lending to the overall strength of the material.

Resulting properties from these chemical and structural composition changes are increased surface hardness, lower coefficient of friction, enhanced surface lubricity, improved running wear performance, increased sliding wear resistance, and enhanced corrosion resistance. Naturally, the alloy of the substrate will influence which properties are principally affected and to what extent they are affected."
Francesca Assone
electroplating shop - Torino, Italy

http://www.finishing.com/78/22.shtml

We decided best to spend for it and keep marching forward. it's always something, but the roller cam it interacts with specifies it...

got my neighbor's truck done. he hadda have it to go chase down his car from town. he had to leave the car for brakes. maybe next time he will just walk next door and let me do them...

and I sold him a used cap and coil I had laying around that were in much better shape than his.

he's pleased. and I have grocery money.

gonna try and round up 4 serviceable tires tomorrow to put on my new truck so I can tow it home.

1955 Ford F100. original straight six, 4 on the floor. rusty but complete...

and cut my roof hole. it's firkin cold in the shop at night now.

brrrrrr.

dangit.

I've got a coat of stripper sitting, but the game went extra innings...

it's on the bottom side of a firked up rear fender, Ima let it set for another inning and hope somebody wins.

it can't sit forever..

gonna be a late night. got one more coat of crap on...

and a lil' baked tater in the mini-oven. needa eat something before I quit.

bought a pork roast to make in the crock pot with taters and carrots. I got a gravy jones from hades going on.

dunno when Ima be here all day to cook it. mebbe saturday...

I decided I had best bring my expensive primer into the cabin until I'm ready to use it. (hopefully to start soon)

It doesn't freeze well.

got the stove too hot again. until it gets really cold, it doesn't take much wood. but I want to get enough coals that it stays hot most of the night. it's a subtle science, pioneer heating...

sitting down to my potato. sour cream and butter, salt and pepper.

got some chocolate chips for dessert. with a little yogurt...

Just saying g'day, Rocky.
So how was the baked potato & the chocolate chip cookie?
Hope they hit the spot!

Sounds freezing where you are.
Go enough woollies on?
The weather's confused were I am ... rather sticky & uncomfortable & what looks like a helluva storm brewing.
But I could be wrong, of course.

g'day.

baked potato fills the void, msO. cheap and hot.

and not a cookie, just some chips with my vanilla yogurt.

gluten free cookies are kinda pricey. we're on lockdown just yet...

we've got warm windy days with nights at freezing right now. just off the line of snow yet.

we'll be snowed on soon enough, I'm afraid...

I'm rather partial to baked potatoes myself, Rocky.
Been doing a bit of serious belt-tightening myself.
Not the greatest of times, I know .....

Just curious, does where do beans, pulses, lentils, etc, fit into a gluten-free diet?
I honestly don't know. Maybe they are no-nos.
But if they are allowed, I have a bunch of tasty, inexpensive recipes to share!

Oh! I wasn't wrong about the brewing storm.
Thunder getting closer!
(My cat won't like this at all!)
And here's the rain!
Heaps of it!

grains generate most of the no-no's...

then there are some other things (red meat) that my crohns has troubles with.

beans and lentils are ok. I just made a pot of northern beans last week for the smokester and myself, and have another hamhock in the freeze.

recipes would prolly be better shared on my gluten thread...

I woke up this morning, and could not find stinky anywhere. normally he sleeps by my head, or between my feet.

he was lounging under the stove with the dregs of the coals keeping him warm.

traitorous feline varmint...

Oh right.
I forgot all about about your other thread.
Sorry.

Now that's what I call a cool Truck.

it has potential...

I bought an old broken down mountain bike today at the scrap yard. $5...

guess what size the tires are?

22 inch.

it becomes a donor for the trike. don't have time to do it right now, but it will ride again. on knobby aggressive rear tires. with hand brakes. and a variable speed rear gear...

first I gotta paint a convertible.

then, I just may get crazy. I have a small amount of candy tangerine motorcycle paint. just enough to spray the trike...

candy tangerine?

like this?

yeppers.

gotta lay a silver base first...

oooooooooooooh

I think this is the color that will end up on the bug...

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/444/mercurycougarxr77.jpg/sr=1

rose metallic.

camel top and seats...

I'm almost done with the chemical stripper. If I would quit watching baseball and go get my busy on, I could prolly be done with it tonight.

most likely tomorrow is the end of it...

needa make something quick for supper, or have a snack. grumbly guts.

and I gotta go split some more stumps tonight. not enough inside wood to go the night. freezing again...

10 o'clock, and I'm eating dinner.

that never happens.

creamed salmon on toast.

stinky's favoritest meal of all. he gets first crack at the scraps. bubba is devouring the rest as I type. in the shop...

series is blah. but over tonight...