Running Bear's June 2024 Coffee Shop

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Howdy everyone,
It's 87 and feels like 96 here in NW Indiana. Gasoline is $3.47 here and 10 miles away it is $3.02...go figure that one out.

Having the worst time gluing a Walthers Engineering Building together. Haven't built a plastic kit in years and I spray painted the walls before assembly (I could swear that I had always done that). After ample glue drying time, I pick up the kit and it falls apart like a house of cards. I have tried all glues from Testors, Revell, and Tamiya; nothing seems to work. I will try gluing 0.187 sq. bassword to the corners using Canopy glue today. Kicked around gluing basswood with super glue; but that kind of glue doesn't work well on plastic.

Too hot to do anything outside today, so going to relax in the house.
If you've painted kits before I assume you've tried a small file or sandpaper where the walls etc. meet to rough the edges slightly and remove the paint, also you might want to try Zap-a-Gap CA glue (either with a Yellow or Green label)
 
Howdy everyone,
It's 87 and feels like 96 here in NW Indiana. Gasoline is $3.47 here and 10 miles away it is $3.02...go figure that one out.

Having the worst time gluing a Walthers Engineering Building together. Haven't built a plastic kit in years and I spray painted the walls before assembly (I could swear that I had always done that). After ample glue drying time, I pick up the kit and it falls apart like a house of cards. I have tried all glues from Testors, Revell, and Tamiya; nothing seems to work. I will try gluing 0.187 sq. bassword to the corners using Canopy glue today. Kicked around gluing basswood with super glue; but that kind of glue doesn't work well on plastic.

Too hot to do anything outside today, so going to relax in the house.
I would sand the edges where the gluing will occur. As already noted by others here the paint prevents the walls from melding together. I have had great success with Walthers Cornerstones building using MEK as the solvent to melt the walls together. But because of the fumes and poisons in MEK I now use the Plastruc styrene weld glue that smells like citrus. Best to you and it’s frustrating to have a building fall apart like like.

Willie I’m sure has a method he uses for his buildings and most likely will be checking in
 
Good morning everyone!

Another scorcher in Northern Illinois today with temps in the low 90s.

Getting a late start this morning. I was up early, but downstairs gluing the cork sheets to the grain elevator area. I buy a 25' roll of cork underlayment to use. Its quit a chore handing a 4' sheet of cork solo, and finding enough items to weight it down. Biggest issue is that it comes on a roll, and when you make your cut, it instantly wants to roll back to original form.

Willie-my ideal pool temp is around 80-82. My daughter thinks that's too warm and like it a bit cooler. Usually were there by now, but our cool damp late spring affected that a great deal. Were there now, so I usually will now get in once a day. My daughter is twice a day, she loves the night swim. If her friends are over, they live in the water regardless of temperature!

Stay cool everyone, and stay hydrated!
I used to keep the pools at around 82. The daughter keeps their pool at 78 and that’s too cool for me!
 


Tom the doctor I've been seeing for the last 25 years moved to FL last year. I had to find a new doctor because my yearly exam was also most due, and I wanted to see all the new results. When I called my new doctor, I let her know my yearly checkup was due and she asked me when was your last exam. I told her July 20 last year. She said, well then, the new one will have to be after that date, or they will not pay.
Swal
Yeah, surprise the annual wellness exam, is not payable if you have it short of 365 days + 1 day, minimum...A new change that I was hit with last year...Medicare really wants to move it to the month of your birthday, but the eligibility will remain at 365 days + 1 since previous one.

After last year, I'm not participating in the wellness visit. It's just an extra doctor's visit. It's basically data collection and counseling for "last wishes"... It's all in the "It's Medicare Manual available on line at medicare.gov. under Wellness Visits.
 
I would sand the edges where the gluing will occur. As already noted by others here the paint prevents the walls from melding together. I have had great success with Walthers Cornerstones building using MEK as the solvent to melt the walls together. But because of the fumes and poisons in MEK I now use the Plastruc styrene weld glue that smells like citrus. Best to you and it’s frustrating to have a building fall apart like like.

Willie I’m sure has a method he uses for his buildings and most likely will be checking in

How do you like the Plastruc glue?

I have been using this glue, and really like it. It goes sticky almost instantly, but lets you adjust for about 30 seconds. The issue I have is the fumes are very strong, so I might need to find one that's more "fume friendly" No matter how careful, it gives me a slight headache, so I'm sure that's not good!


1718989085775.png
 
The insurance we have through the wife doesn't care about intervals of service for some of the stuff (which this year I am not under as her company wanted to add a surcharge if the spouse is covered and they qualify for their own insurance at their own employment). I think it was medical as well as dental but I need to look up the details (both plans are the same provider). I did quiz their customer representatives about it: was told they cover X service once a year, or twice a year, or whatever. For those that are covered more than once a year, they don't enforce any interval between the visits: if they cover two checkups in a year they will cover them even if done on consecutive days if for some reason you did that. No one would do them back to back in real life but I asked them as a way of understanding the "small print." So we don't worry about getting exactly 6 months or whatever for multi-visits allowed in a year.

Obviously once your number of visits for the year is up then you need to wait until the next year.
 
How do you like the Plastruc glue?

I have been using this glue, and really like it. It goes sticky almost instantly, but lets you adjust for about 30 seconds. The issue I have is the fumes are very strong, so I might need to find one that's more "fume friendly" No matter how careful, it gives me a slight headache, so I'm sure that's not good!


View attachment 192286
Mike, for some reason after years of using Testors dull cote, MEK solvent and acetone based paints for models I no longer could handle the smells but my arms would also break out in a redness. So I quit during the Covid year! MEK had worked super for me on Cornerstones!

I don’t like the Plastruc glue as IMO it’s slow to bond. But with Cornerstone buildings it worked for me after sanding the edges where the building parts join.

For any styrene building I do. I use the Tamiya glue, the square bottle with the green top. It’s quick setting and after 20 seconds or so I can leave it in a squaring tool built out of legos and walk away.

I’ve tried to use it on Cornerstone buildings and it doesn’t bond for me.

I’ve tried the various Gorilla glues on Cornerstones and none seem to work

As always though YMMV
IMG_6110.png
 
Afternoon All,

Started out the day with a walk at 75F and muggy. The trees were still dripping from the early morning rain. I did the daily animal chores then ran to the pool store for chlorine. Afterwards I headed to the train room and accomplished exactly nothing. :(

Terry- You are too much at times!:)

Hughie- I hope you didn't get too much rain.

TomO- I use Gabapentin (Neurontin). I take a capsule daily in the morning and can take up to three a day. The other day was the first time to do that. Normally 1 a day works well.

Smudge- Great video.

David- During a deployment we had a port visit in Singapore. I loved it there. I wandered into a Brit gentleman's club that welcomed me with open arms as an US active-duty sailor. I discovered Guinness there and that's my beer now. I even like it warm better than chilled. Thanks for getting me thinking of it again.

Sherrel- Good to see you posting. I'm sure you will be happy when the kitchen is done.

John- I had the same issues with the latest plastic tower from Walthers. I ended up sanding (lightly) the edges then used Bondene. It goes on like water (evaporates quickly) but if you hold the 2 walls for a minute it will be glued together. The glue slightly melts the edge to form the bond. After several hours it is rock solid.

I hope everyone has a good night.
 


Howdy everyone,
It's 87 and feels like 96 here in NW Indiana. Gasoline is $3.47 here and 10 miles away it is $3.02...go figure that one out.

Having the worst time gluing a Walthers Engineering Building together. Haven't built a plastic kit in years and I spray painted the walls before assembly (I could swear that I had always done that). After ample glue drying time, I pick up the kit and it falls apart like a house of cards. I have tried all glues from Testors, Revell, and Tamiya; nothing seems to work. I will try gluing 0.187 sq. bassword to the corners using Canopy glue today. Kicked around gluing basswood with super glue; but that kind of glue doesn't work well on plastic.

Too hot to do anything outside today, so going to relax in the house.
For smaller structures I either mask or scrape the paint before attempting to glue. Larger structures, I tend to assemble first and then paint after completion. For some scenarios, I just use Gorilla Super Glue Gel. It works on anything.
 
Seen this posted elsewhere, but thought Id share it here.

Three kids playing with fire burns down a UP bridge.

That will ruin the rest of their summer!

 
In Maryland I had a health care navigator. She walked me through the entire process, and she signed us up for health care in under an hour. Thanks to the affordable care act (ACA) I was able to get health care despite having several chronic conditions that had previously made health insurance far too expensive for me.

Previously I had been paying cash. That worked out well when I didn't have any health care emergencies. I was able to negotiate with all but a very few providers. Costco's pharmacy even has special pricing for people without prescription coverage.

Had it not been for my wife insisting I would have kept paying cash. Three heart attacks later I would have had huge bills. Health care through ACA has saved me a fortune and the great care possibly saved my life!
 
Seen this posted elsewhere, but thought Id share it here.

Three kids playing with fire burns down a UP bridge.

That will ruin the rest of their summer!

Mike I'm not sure what will be the effect on railroad traffic in your post but this bridge fire around 1975 did in Maybrook Freight Yard where 1,500 people worked. After the fire they closed down the yard. A once very busy place became what you see in the yard office photo below.
Swal

RR_Bridge_Fire_2.jpg
Maybrook_Yard.JPG
 
I seriously thought about going self pay on our health insurance back in 2022. I mentioned it to my brother and he almost came through the phone when he said don’t do it. His girlfriend didn’t have health insurance and needed a double mastectomy and hysterectomy because of cancers. She didn’t want insurance, never had it and didn’t need it. Refused his offer to put her on his insurance and then his offers to pay her debts. Even with the self care discounts, her charity care (denied due to her address) she was over $500,000 in medical debt. Refused to file bankruptcy and said they can’t do any thing to her because she didn’t have anything.

She relented and he put her on his insurance in 2024 and finally filed BK last month because the collections were relentless including from the former agency he owned. When a Nebraska collection agency called him direct everything changed a few months ago. He got her to file the bankruptcy, hired her an attorney as they then continually violated her rights and medical privacy by continuing to call him. The Nebraska agency also violated the bankruptcy stay by trying to have him pay her debt after she filed. It’s a mess that will in the end work out for her because my brother is in a position to pay the attorneys to fight against the violations. He told me at golf a couple weeks ago this is the most fun he’s had in a couple years…
 
Tom I ran into a few local 235 members I use to work with who could retire this year because their 55 years old and have 30,0000 hours. I asked them who's paying your health insurance for the next 10 years, I know the union pays for it one year after you leave but after that who's paying. They reply I don't know. That's a big problem, isn't it? Yes, it is.
Swal
 
In Maryland I had a health care navigator. She walked me through the entire process, and she signed us up for health care in under an hour. Thanks to the affordable care act (ACA) I was able to get health care despite having several chronic conditions that had previously made health insurance far too expensive for me.

Previously I had been paying cash. That worked out well when I didn't have any health care emergencies. I was able to negotiate with all but a very few providers. Costco's pharmacy even has special pricing for people without prescription coverage.

Had it not been for my wife insisting I would have kept paying cash. Three heart attacks later I would have had huge bills. Health care through ACA has saved me a fortune and the great care possibly saved my life!
Louis - There's no doubt that the ACA was a good deal for anyone with pre-existing conditions. Several things about it were not good for me. While the premiums themselves would have been less expensive, the co-pays were much greater than my COBRA would have been. Thankfully in retrospect, I never had to pay any. But most important was the much ballyhooed prevarication "that if I liked my doctor, I could keep him"! That was not true! That's why I chose COBRA. Matter of fact, not only was my primary care guy not covered, but my gastroenterologist was also not acceptable.
 


Good evening. Depending on who you listen to, or if you stick your head out the window, it's 82, and raining heavily, raining lightly, or not raining at all. Based on my personal observation, it ain't raining.
I am currently having some issues with my home internet. It's 5G based, with a base station. After the last year of my power glitching out, randomly turning on and off, and behaving like Charles Manson, I suffered another casualty. The transmitter/receiver part of the base station has become erratic, and will stop working randomly. My personal owned wireless router is working steadily, and that's what I'm currently using.
T-Mobile is sending out a replacement "Gateway" that I'll need to swap out, and return the bad one to them. After all the trouble I've had with UPS and Fedrex, this should be interesting.
 
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