Coffee Shoppe XXIV

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Littlefoot, I vote you should build the layout. First layouts are a great hands-on way to learn about the things you prefer doing in the hobby. From personal experience and what I have learned from others, 3 years is probably longer than the first layout will last anyway.
 
Jeffery-
The NOALOX should work for copper wire also, as long as it does not contain "gritted" particles for use in compression connectors. The gritted particles are silicon oxide, used to scatch through the aluminum oxide that forms the instant aluminum wire is exposed to air.
The oxide-inhibiting grease seals out moisture and contaminates from the air on aluminum, copper and other metals (like lead battery terminals).
Clean your wires with fine sandpaper or wire brush and apply a thin coating of inhibitor.
Do not use a silicon grease as it is an electrical insulating material.
Be careful of your clothes, most retail store inhibitors are petroleum based and can stain clothing.
BTW, most electric utilities use aluminum for cables #4 and larger.

Be VERY carefull with aluminum house wiring, it doesn't take much bending to break the strands!
 
The NOALOX should work for copper wire also, as long as it does not contain "gritted" particles for use in compression connectors.
Thanks. That's what I needed to know.

Be VERY carefull with aluminum house wiring, it doesn't take much bending to break the strands!
You will be happy to know that although it's 60 years old my trailer doesn't have even as much as 1 millimeter of aluminum wire. I've known about the evils of aluminum household wire since I was a kid. I completely rewired my trailer in 1995 and put in all copper 12-2 with ground for the regular outlets and lights and 10-2 with ground for the microwave, water heater, AC and heater. Everything is 110. There's no 220 and no gas. The outlets are rated for 20 amps and the light switches for 15 amps.
 


Gentlemen how ya been?

Ive got to figure out what i want to do for a proffession too.

We have to have a Proffession lined up! :eek::eek::eek::eek:


Holy Crap why am I the last to know these things!:eek::eek::eek:

Matt, make sure what ever you do it's something you WANT to do and LOVE to do even if you want to hearding fat people away from buffet lines at the all you can eat BBQ joint that had way to much!! Going to a job you hate.......Not good, Not good at all!



BTW: Just build that dang RR!
 
Well thank ya fellas, those are the answer i was looking for :D Now i get to spend more of that $7.50 an hour income :rolleyes: Woo! Is the blue foam good enough for a base? Its probably an inch and a half thick. Also, for now, can i throw a 4x8 on a table, maybe take some and build it into a 5x10 if i can. I can always build legs on to it later.

Jeff and Alcoman- My names matt, feel free to call me it.

Chris- Something about herding fat people at Golden Corral doesnt apeal to me :eek: Ive got to put some thought into this... :confused:

Jim- Missed your post! Little guys have a smaller center of gravity then taller people, still gotta take some "umph" to get him down. If i build it now, dads right upstairs to help with wiring and anything else i might need an extra hand for. I know my mind will probably change a lot before the time comes to start searching. In the 8th grade i took Biology, which is a 10th grade class, so that helps the encon career choice. This year is Chemisty, i dont know if that helps at all. Ive been involved with the school/town Youth Court too, which is sort of along the lines of criminal justice. Ive considered taking the heavy equipment operation and maintenace course through school. I also looked at the mechinac courses, figured those covered a wide enough area.

I really like the woods, which makes logging industry and the DEC officer really apealing, but i also like the idea of an enginer because i really like big equipment and running its a blast. Odd hours are not a problem for me. I love freshwater too, but i dont know many jobs that involve that. Im not wild about saltwater, besides im 5 hours from any salt water. For the winter driving a plow truck would be cool. (thats a dump truck with a big sander in the back and a plow on the front and a plow on the side for you southerners who arent familiar :p )
 
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Afternoon, everyone.

Well, I just about finished with my post when it vanished into cyberspace. :mad: Rats!

Rex, I overlooked the part of your post that said the depot took on water. I hope it was just the floor and didn't get into anything else. I'm still waiting to see my first drop of rain since returning from Honduras.

Matt, I'm not all that tough a guy, but this thug was a scrawny 5' 4", and I can still take someone like that, even without pepper spray. Besides, I was really tired and cranky when he pulled out that little pocket knife. Now, if he was a six footer with one of those Crocodile Dundee kind of knives, I'd still be in Honduras, waiting to get my passport replaced. :) I say go ahead and build the layout. I built my first one at about your age and learned a lot. If you wait until you're older with more money, your mistakes will be a lot more expensive. As far as careers go, I'm like Terry and Karl. None of things I planned to do at your age ended up being what I actually did. One thing to think about, since you like hunting and the outdoors, is looking at some courses in wildlife management and criminal justice. There's always a need for Fish and Game officers (or whatever they're called in your state), and taking courses that lead to that goal will allow you to branch out into other professions as well.

Terry, thanks for the kind offer of help. I don't know if you've ever worked on a Trek, but they are strange beasts, with the bed that retracts into the ceiling. It's great...if the motor works. I've gotten one seat back freed from the bed and I'll work on the other one tonight. I got some bed stops in the mail today, so I can work on it without worrying about the bed coming all the way down with a crash. If the motor still doesn't work, it's time to tear the bed apart and check out what's happening. If I'm lucky, it's a bad wire. If not, I'll wait until I get the new bed motor. I'm sure I'll need you help then. :confused:

Corey, it has indeed been a trying year. Except for taking the RV out for a few shakedown weekends, I'm done traveling voluntary this year. Sounds like you had a very pleasant weekend. I'll be interested to see some pics of your forest making progress.

Alco, sorry to hear you had a flood too, although I'm glad it didn't get to any of equipment or layout. Luckily, my basement is dry as a bone. Of course, I'm not sure we've ever had enough really heavy rain to test that theory yet.

Jeffrey, I've used NOALOX on the Trek wiring, some of which is constantly exposed to the weather. Just look for the stuff that says it's good for copper too. Seems to have held up fine, and isn't hard to get off if you need to change a connection. Smart move changing out that aluminum wiring. I'm sure you've seen more than a few fires caused by aluminum wiring. You have to wonder what engineer in his right mind though that was a good idea. :rolleyes:

Larry, no trip to Alabama is complete without a tour of Rex's and CJ's layouts. They are really something, each in it's own way. Only trouble with visiting Rex is that you'll be handed a throttle and told to start blocking up your train. :D

Chris, I guess things haven't improved on the marriage front, but it sounds like you're doing the right things for your son. I hope you either get more lawn contracts or that graveyard shift job.

It looks like the whole South is in for a really hot weekend. I don't know how it can get much worse, but the NWS is already issuing warnings for heat indexes of 112. There's only a few scattered thunderstorms around today. none near me. If this keeps up, I'm going to cancel my lawn service and sell the yard for hay when it gets tall enough. :( This is now our 10th straight day with highs over 100 and no rain.
 
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Chris, I guess things haven't improved on the marriage front, but it sounds like you're doing the right things for your son. I hope you either get more lawn contracts or that graveyard shift job.

Your right on the marriage home, no better. She refuses to talk to me person to person and continues to attack me through ryan. She's burning the bridge on both ends:rolleyes: I feel nothing but pitty and sadness for her and pray she wises up one day before it's to late. They said, "I was Selfish and childish".....:confused: They must of been looking in the mirror when they thought that one up!


I'm hoping and praying for both! A graveyard shift+Lawn Service= $$$$$$$$ The jobs here haven't got any better, 3rd shift jobs are rare and few far in between!
 
Chris- Something about herding fat people at Golden Corral doesnt apeal to me :eek: Ive got to put some thought into this... :confused:

Ya, that doesn't sound good does it? Our GC adds MSG to the food! MSG=Nasty Bathrooms!:eek: Another job to look into is Federal Parks! Harder to get but damn nice job if you can land one!
 
I won't be doing very much more today. My ankle was aching when I got up this morning, deep bone pain, about all I can feel anymore below the knees. It's gotten worse throughout the day and is now to the point I had to take a couple of Oxycontin tablets to get it under control and now they've got me a bit buzzed. The only way I can walk around at all is with this heavy orthopedic boot on. About all my foot is good for is to keep the blood from running out. I was hoping to make some decals today but I'll have to put that off until tomorrow or the weekend. With very little feeling in my hands at the best of times I have to be extremely careful with scissors and other sharp tools. I don't dare use them in the shape I'm in right now, so I'll limit my activities to safer things. I did at least run a new electrical line in my bedroom so I now have light switch next to my bed. Now I don't have to get up to turn the light on and off. The wires look a bit garish being stapled to the ceiling as they are with plastic staples but at least it works. Such is trailer life. I have the two GP30's at the front of the layout and ready for their appointment with the paint shop. One is painted for the L&A already and just needs the road name and numbers added. The other is an old GN unit and will be patched for the L&A.
 


Terry, thanks for the kind offer of help. I don't know if you've ever worked on a Trek, but they are strange beasts, with the bed that retracts into the ceiling. It's great...if the motor works. I've gotten one seat back freed from the bed and I'll work on the other one tonight. I got some bed stops in the mail today, so I can work on it without worrying about the bed coming all the way down with a crash. If the motor still doesn't work, it's time to tear the bed apart and check out what's happening. If I'm lucky, it's a bad wire. If not, I'll wait until I get the new bed motor. I'm sure I'll need you help then. :confused:
If it looks like this, I still have nightmares about working on it...:


http://blog.rv.net/2009/04/tricks-for-a-trek/

The absolute worst RV I've ever worked on was a really morphodite-looking diesel pusher that had a mounting bracket over the king size bed. The bracket was for a harness so you could hang in the harness to work on the engine. I hadn't seen one before, haven't seen one since, and if I never see another one, it'll be too soon!
 
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Thank you Matt. My friends call me by my Indian name, Running Bear. Feel free to use it. That goes for you others here too. I believe we're all friends here.

Is that Running Bare or Bear or Barely?:confused: If it's the first you could be called the streak too!;) Let see, Running Bare and feeling free to use it?!?!?! HmmMMM sounds funny to me!
 
Got all three yards cut today. Mine, my late neighbors and my late FIL's. Then came in and ripped out the closet in the utility room. Starting the demo for the new cabinets and floor. Next week I get to work a forty hour week and then the following week I am off to finish the demo and install the new floor. I hope I can complete it in a week because the new cabinets will be delivered Aug 17th, the new dishwasher Aug 12th and the new laminate flooring should be here any time. The flooring will go on after the cabinets. I have never installed laminate flooring before but form what I have read and seen in demos it should not be hard at all. The family reunion was a blast and I talked to one of my 2nd cousins and he may be able to help me with the floor. He has been doing remodeling for the past ten years and is trying to get out of it but offered to help unless he falls into another job before hand. He is getting tired of people wanting everything for nothing and then griping about his prices which I have found to be very fair. They think since he is a small operation his prices should be half of what the big boys want but his cost are the same as the other guys. Well I better hit the shower afore wifey gits home may even fill up the whirlpool and soak a while.
 
Jeff- Whats Running Bear mean? I didnt know they even was much of a bear population in LA. If i was native american, id want a name relating to Sasquatch. Thats where my screename comes from too. Not to mention the folks over on the BFF thinks i had an encounter :cool:. But thats another story :D

Chris- Dont be picking on Jeffs name, we dont pick on you for throwing monkey poo. Now dammit children behave! :D

Practice got cut short tonight. Since i went late, it was really quick for me. I had a good reason for my tardiness though, it was steak and baked potatos for dinner tonight, i wanted to eat that fresh, not 2 hours later. Anyways i showed up, got my VARSITY :) locker, lifted for an hour or so, and went out to play a pickup game of football. I was doing fine til i went out for a pass and forgot about the fence. Right into my lower back. Ill feel that in the morning im sure :o Coach came over and broke it up though because one of our seniors got hurt, and with camp starting soon, he really wants us to take it easy.

Speaking of take it easy, have a good one gentlemen.
 
Evening gang!
Well. we done gone and done it, we settled on the new house today. What kills me that even at a 4.75 interest rate, we will almost pay double for teh house at the end of the 30 year note...scary huh?:eek: After settlement came a trip to Lowes for new locks, and a few hours spent replacing them. However, 2 of the doors are steel, and the lock mechanism plates are not fitting right. Never did, even with the original locks. I got em about half assed so the doors are secure for now. Tomorrow after work I'll go back with the Dremel and some cut off wheels and carbide tips to get em fitting right.
Then theres lots of painting and yard rehab to do before we move. The house was a byproduct of a divorce, and after she left, he pretty much stopped cleaning and maintaining the house. Thankfully it's only about a 5 mile trip from here, so shuttling equipment isn' that much of a problem.

Matt, build the layout, drop the fish idea. I had a 55 gallon tank,,bookoo maintenance! Plus Oscars will wreck anything "nice" you put in the tank. Plants, ornaments, filter tubes, etc. As will just about any ciclid. I don't think your Mom may be ready to maintain such a tank when you go to college.

Running Bear Dont worry about what the crazy paleface from the land of the bluehairs says. He's jealous cuz when he is "running bare" he gets locked up!!:eek: (thats a mental picture we can all heave to!)

Jim Good luck with the Trek and with going where no man (with any sense) has gone before! Comedian Bill Engvall said it right. "RV doesn't mean recreational vehicle, RV means ruins vacations!"

Well, the rains came today, then went, and didn't take the humidity, so I'm off to the shower. Have to, wife think I'm trying to smuggle a skunk in my shirt!:eek:
 
Jeff- Whats Running Bear mean? I didnt know they even was much of a bear population in LA. If i was native american, id want a name relating to Sasquatch. Thats where my screename comes from too. Not to mention the folks over on the BFF thinks i had an encounter :cool:. But thats another story :D
I'm not exactly sure. I think it has something to do with my temper. My grandfather hung it on me when I went through the Cherokee rite of passage to manhood. He was Owl at Home. His brother, my great uncle, was Running Wolf. My place in the line, since my father isn't Native American, is Running Bear, son of Dancing Crow, grand nephew of Running Wolf.

Running Bear Dont worry about what the crazy paleface from the land of the bluehairs says. He's jealous cuz when he is "running bare" he gets locked up!!:eek: (thats a mental picture we can all heave to!)
He doesn't bother me - much. He might want to watch his doors and windows though or I might have a new hair piece to decorate my lodge.:D

Matt: I used to have a couple of large aquariums. The largest was 45 gallons. Believe me, the bigger they are the bigger PITA they are to maintain.
 
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Hi Jim! Dang good to see that you are back. I figured your trip would be interesting, but WOW...not quite that much. Yes, we have had a few big and quick downpours, unlike the last several summers. Of course getting a shower before dark, the sun pops out and then look out...the steam is horrible. All other days have been hot and you almost drown by breathing the air. Come on Fall!

Larry: Good to see that you got a visit from some downhome bama folks. I hope you could understand their language :D. Yeah, if you have time during your visit, you are more than welcome to come by (maybe latch on to Carey in Hoover and both of you come over to T-town). Don't know how familiar you are with Selma's history, but Carey certainly has a solid knowledge of it all. Pretty interesting stuff.

Matt: Chris had the best advice: choose a career that you will be happy doing...regardless of the dollars. Take a little of my advice: 1. don't get in a hurry to make up your mind and don't take short-cuts by jumping into quicky jobs. 2. Get a solid foundation in your education with math and science (this will allow you to have more options in your selection). Heck, many college students do not make up their minds what they want to major in until the end of there second or third year, as more choices become apparent. Even then, many will change careers at least twice in their working life. BUT: go to and graduate from a college!;):)
 
Jeff, I want to be known as "Running Bare!" Much more free and fun sounding!:D;) Rex is "Running Barely"!:eek:

Matt, Rex is right on the classes thing, If you look into the Fed. parks it requires collage in those fields and also History! If I had it all to do over, My self I would have pushed for that Fed job!
 


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