Whirlpool Modular Crescent Mold Ice Maker Operation
Let's take a look at the design and operation of this amazing little gadget that's tucked away inside many refrigerator freezer compartments.
Modular ice maker diagnostic information:
http://www.american-appliance.com/old_Site/service_pages/Ice_Maker/modualimdiag.htm
More to come..
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Louisiana Fairytale by Austin Rogers
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Replacing a Worn Out Modular Ice Maker
After 10 years of use, the plastic coating on the ice cube mold failed and the ice maker needs replacement.
Was unable to find an exact parts match to the original ice maker W10190934 but found a later model number that seemed to be a good match.
Whirlpool Ice-maker W10190965:
https://amzn.to/3mrHKiy
Modular ice maker diagnostic information:
http://www.american-appliance.com/old_Site/service_pages/Ice_Maker/modualimdiag.htm
The original 2007 ice maker was replaced under warranty in 2010. It had a failed heater coil and the service tech used the test points on the front of the unit to diagnose that problem. Another common failure point is the control module on the front of the ice maker. Since I now have two working modules, I wanted to make sure the new unit I purchased would be compatible with those older modules.
More to come, we'll take a look at how this ice maker works inside...
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Louisiana Fairytale by Austin Rogers
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Dumbarton Bridge Loop Bicycle Ride - SF Bay Trail
With the mountains closed due to fire operations, I rode the south portion of the SF Bay Trail, crossing the Dumbarton Bridge to make a loop.
My bike computer showed about 40 miles (64km) for the loop, Google Maps shows more like 38 miles (61km):
https://goo.gl/maps/fwHggau4ENEnhr186
Total ride distance to and from the loop was about 50 miles (80km).
Was nice to get to ride the newest portion of the bay trail in the Ravenswood Open Space Preserve. Aside from a short section of road side trail between that segment and the Dumbarton Bridge, you can ride from the south end of the Bay to the bridge on trails. It's always very windy over the bridge as it sits perpendicular to the prevailing NW wind coming off the Pacific ocean.
Managed to find 4 out of 7 GeoCaches I attempted. There's a lot more along the east side of the bay that I need to return and try to locate:
https://www.geocaching.com/profile/?guid=9f32230f-5b33-476f-aa85-9ac355a62080
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#GeoCaching #geocache #gravelbike #gravel #cycling #baytrail
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Power Outage. 16 AUG.2020
A severe lightning storm rolled through the SF Bay Area area sparking numerous fires and taking out power for about 9 hours. Got a chance to try out the power wall to keep critical appliances powered for an extended period of time.
With the freezer, refrigerator, tankless water heater and microwave oven all running, the load was ~1740W and 15.3A. No problems with startup current over the day. The outage reduced the daily energy consumption from 10 to 7 KWH and the solar charge controlled pulled in over 5.5KWH or energy for the day, plus what the SBMS-120 pulled in. Ended the day with batteries at 100% SOC.
I did have to sort out a few issues with the office UPS but otherwise that worked out well. Ultimate plans are to bring in solar power circuits to several areas in the house and then be able to have these devices plugged into that source all the time. The power inverter will then be set up to run off solar, then battery and fall back to grid power if needed. With this setup, no need for extension cords and manually reconnecting appliances to backup power. It'll all be handled by the transfer switch in the hybrid inverter.
About half way through the power outage, I took off on a long bike ride and when I returned, power was restored. Stay tuned for a video from that ride.
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Intro/Outro:
Louisiana Fairytale by Austin Rogers
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Getting the Old Fraser Johnston Gas Furnace Running
This is a 70's vintage standing pilot natural gas furnace made by Fraser Johnston.
Disclaimer: I make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability of the information contained in this video for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
This Fraser-Johnston gas furnace is rated at 100,000 BTU/hr. gas input and 80,000 BTU/hr. of heat output (i.e. 80% steady state efficiency). Likely AFUE rating is in the 60% - 70% range. It's at least 2X the size needed for the 1200 sq.ft. house in my climatic zone, especially now that it actually has insulation in the walls and attic, unlike when the furnace was installed on the '70s. Not sure of the actual age of this furnace. It doesn't even have a blower door switch that I can see.
It's been at least 15 years since the furnace was actually used for heating the house on brief occasions. It was last fired up in 2011 for a full check by the gas company.
Not sure how the wiring was messed up, it was working fine in 2011 after the furnace was last operated. Opened it up in 2020 and wow, what's up with that? It's not like the wires could have slipped out of the push-in terminals. You need to insert a small screwdriver into a slot and push down hard to release a wire so it can be pulled out. The high-limit wire is a much thicker stranded cable and there's no way that can fit into the gas valve terminals. As it was, both wires from the 24V transformer weren't connected to the gas valve. The only connection on the valve were the 2 thermostat wires, effectively shorting out the gas valve.
Found the wiring diagram (link below) and corrected the problem. Simple series circuit:
24V transformer - high limit switch - thermostat - gas valve - return to transformer
For furnace to run, thermostat must be closed and the high limit switch must remain closed (it opens if high limit temperature is exceeded).
Yes, it's an old, inefficient behemoth. But it's rarely used, requires no regular maintenance and it's paid for. This furnace is only used as a 2nd backup heating source. Main heat for the house is is solar hot air, backup to that is a wood burning fireplace insert. Apparently the house originally had 2 in-wall gas heaters, one in the dining room and one in the bedroom hallway. There may have been some sort of issue with those, so they were removed and this unit was installed.
Also some sort of "approved" HVAC system, like this furnace, is likely needed to maintain an occupancy permit for the house. Ultimately I would like to replace it with a mini-split system or a central heat pump system/air handler to make use of the existing duct work under the house and get heating and cooling. Added benefit of a mini-split system would be regaining use of the only non-bedroom closet in the house by removing the old furnace.
Gas valve wiring:
https://www.hvacrschool.com/th-tr-thtr-gas-valve-terminals/
Furnace checked out by a utility gas technician following this work.
@grayfurnaceman has an excellent playlist on old gas furnaces:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLItXrh64d2JN_IZgSy-Aim-SEo7uMlJrw
Furnace is older than 1979 as it's missing and Energy Guide sticker:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EnergyGuide
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Intro/Outro:
Louisiana Fairytale by Austin Rogers
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G2 Extruder Stepper Motor Replacement
It seems that the failed extruder cooling fan caused the extruder stepper motor to fail.
After the failed extruder cooling fan caused the hot end to overheat, the stepper motor started acting up. If would make a loud buzzing sound at slower speeds and ultimately stopped turning at all. SO it was time to replace that part.
I found that setting 3.0mm of exposed shaft beyond the end of the extruder drive wheel worked well.
New stepper motor from:
https://solidstateprinters.com/
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Intro/Outro:
Louisiana Fairytale by Austin Rogers
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Cutting Silicon Bronze Ingots
Be sure to check out the end of the video and links below for some examples of what this bronze gets used for!
Timeline:
01:22 Saw setup
02:48 Change saw blade speed
05:13 First cut
07:06 Second cut
09:04 All the ingots cut
11:50 Some amazing artwork photos
Searching the inter-webs revealed some scattered information on how to cut this material, to summarize:
1. A new, coarse, bi-metal blade, I used a Starrett 4-6 TPI bi-metal blade
2. Slow speed, 80-90 FPM
3. High down-feed pressure, I opened up the down-feed cylinder all the way
4. Lots of coolant, I used Kool-Mist Formula 77 mixed with water
Initial cuts took 4-5 minutes. After 12 ingots, the cuts slowed to 15-20 minutes, so the saw blade was definitely showing signs of wear. This highlights point #1 above and was mentioned in one of the threads I read, a new blade is very important. This "worn" blade still cuts mild steel, aluminum and plastic just fine, even months later.
My take is that bronze work hardens as it's cut and you need the saw teeth to cut deep enough to get below the work hardened material. As the teeth dull, they can't cut fast enough and end up cutting more of the work hardened material and the cuts take more and more time, in my case almost 5 times longer after just 12 cuts! Interestingly, that blade still works well on other materials.
Links to cutting information:
https://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general/band-saw-blades-bronze-363209/
https://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/forum/general/21896-sawing-bronze
Link to artist's website: https://terrykreiter.com/
Artist blog: http://terrykreiter.blogspot.com/
Youtube vacuum casting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTCfwEu9zNo
Youtube spin casting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkmBYpPmhqw
Prelude No. 20 by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: http://chriszabriskie.com/preludes/
Artist: http://chriszabriskie.com/
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Series1 Pro 3D Printer Extruder Fan Replacement and X-cable Support
I missed filming the actual fan replacement but it's really simple, unplug the cable from the circuit board and remove 2 screws that hold the fan to the back side of the extruder heat sink. Secure new fan with the 2 screws and plug the connector back into the circuit board. Full details in the video below:
https://youtu.be/SMy5o7pG70I
I had previously had one X-cable fail a few years ago. While I like the design with all the hot end wiring coming through that flat flex cable, the implementation was not well thought out. I felt that adding a support for that cable would greatly reduce the stress on the cable and connectors.
I designed a cable support that fit in between a 1/8" gap between 2 circuit boards where the X-axis stepper motor sits. There are 2 standoffs about 2-1/16" vertical and 1-1/2" horizontal spacing onto which the support fits. There's 1/4" dia. half holes for the top and bottom standoffs that hold the support in place. I cut a few prototype pieces out of card stock, trimming the lower end until I got a good fit.
The support was cut from 8" wide perf. board. The bottom of the support is even with the top of the circuit board and then extends up about 1" higher. The fiberglass PCB material is stiff and resists warping from heat and has the copper plating on the back side that makes it easy to attach the wire hooks to. I used some 14AWG solid copper wire, stripping 1" for soldering to the PCB and leaving the rest insulated. Then bend the hooks back and up to just support the flat flex cable in a straight line. Finally wrap the end of the support in electrical tape to insulate it and also to make for a tight fit into the gap.
More to come...
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Louisiana Fairytale by Austin Rogers
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Magnified LED Worklight V2, Part 2
Fitting the 8" round LED tube into the lamp housing, wiring and testing the finished product.
Unfortunately I had discarded all the original tube mounting hardware 5 years ago.
The 3D printed standoffs were designed in Fusion 360. 30mm diameter with a 30mm diameter cutout (to match the LED tube diameter) and the base about 10mm high to allow air flow above the tube. Standoff design on Thingiverse:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4518586
Used some plumbing strap material to make the bulb retaining pieces, cut and bent to fit.
The lamp stays fairly cool, a bit of heat out from the driver but well within the rating of the part. The old CFL tube used to heat up the lamp housing and made it uncomfortable to use in the summer with that heat radiating up onto your face.
12V 8"/200mm round LED tube:
https://m4products.com/xw-round-cw-cool-white-8-round-12-volt-t9-led-tube-light-6000k/
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Intro/Outro:
Louisiana Fairytale by Austin Rogers
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Magnified LED Worklight V2, Part 1
After 5 years of use, the original LEDs used in the magnified work light are failing. Time to replace them and also repair the broken switch.
The switch is rather complicated mechanically as it served both as an on/off push button switch as well as a manual starter for the old fluorescent tube that used to be installed. The switch had broken and with the hold-to-start feature, it was very hard to use as you had to hold the button down and see if the lamp would strike then release and see if the switch would stay on. It might take 30 seconds to turn on the lamp sometimes.
As I had never seen inside the switch when it work, it took a while to realize the shaft was broken. I repaired it with some JB Weld epoxy and sanded that smooth to rebuild the shaft. Then I could figure out how the switch worked and identify the maintained contacts. Since the lamp housing had screws and hole set up for this exact switch, it was best to repair it.
I also located an 8" (200mm) T9 circline LED tube with a 12VDC power supply from M4 Products:
https://m4products.com/xw-round-cw-cool-white-8-round-12-volt-t9-led-tube-light-6000k/
When I ordered, they had a 4500K natural white option, now it seems only the cool white version.
I'm trying to use 12VDC power for as many things as possible on my electronics workbench. One reason is lack of flicker and 60Hz buzzing noise and EMI. It's safer by minimizing exposure to line voltage. Also, I can power this off my solar battery bank.
More to come, we'll fit the circular lamp into the lamp housing and get the power supply installed.
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Intro/Outro:
Louisiana Fairytale by Austin Rogers
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California Scrub Jay Band Practice
While descending the Grizzly Flat Road on the bike, heard a band of Scrub Jays calling to each other in the depths of Stevens Creek Canyon.
I don't think the camera mic was able to pick up the spatial sound quality, but there were calls coming from all directions.
Upper Stevens Creek County Park:
https://www.sccgov.org/sites/parks/parkfinder/Pages/UpperStevensCreek.aspx
More information on this bird:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_scrub_jay
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Why Cycling Glasses vs. Cheap Sunglasses
Examining the difference between cheap sunglasses and cycling-specific sunglasses.
This video is not sponsored and am only using the sunglasses I have personal experience with. There are many other sun glass brands on the market. I just wanted to share my experiences with cycling-specific sunglasses. I'm not into "bling" and wearing $80 sunglasses just to look cool. I use them because they work much better than the cheap sunglasses I used to use.
I've been a die hard "cheap sunglasses" fan for decades of bike riding. For road riding in full sunlight, pretty much any old pair of sunglasses that fit you will work. But take that bike off pavement and venture into the mountains and those cheap sunglasses may not be "good enough" anymore. Go bombing down a technical single track in full sun then around a turn into deep shade and you can't see anything.
I first found I needed a photo gray lens that could darken in full sun then lighten up in full shade. It took me a few tries to dial in the exact light/dark shade numbers that would work for my riding. This is where sticking with one brand is helpful, because shade numbers can vary between brands. I found the cycling glasses fit better and the quality of the lenses including color rendition and contrast was much better than my cheap sunglasses.
Since cycling glasses need to fit tight around your face to protect your eyes from bugs and debris, they can trap heat. That's why I opted for a slightly more expensive Crit sunglasses with with venting around the lenses.
In a previous video, I repaired my old Podium sunglasses and changed them to a fixed shade lens. These work great for walking and working outside in the sun as well as for driving. You can visit the Tifosi web site through this affiliate link:
https://www.tifosioptics.com/?ref=4Crawler
So are they for everyone? Probably not. If your bike riding consists of 30-60 minutes on the local bike path or bike lane, anything that fits you well will do the job. But if you ride for many hours at a time and/or in challenging terrain/conditions, then you might consider investing in some cycling-specific sunglasses.
Sunglass information on the REI web site:
https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/sunglasses.html
Image credits:
Sports Tourer: https://waterfordbikes.com/SchwinnCat/flschwinn_1971_1980/1971_09.html
Cheap Sunglasses: pinterest.com - Donna Germer-Hiestand saved to Song Lyrics I Love
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Harvesting 18650 cells from 4-cell (2S2P) Cable Modem Batteries
Working through 200 4-cell cable modem batteries for the power wall.
Working with lithium ion batteries is inherently dangerous. Be sure you are experienced at doing this kind of work and take adequate safety precautions before attempting this yourself. The techniques illustrated in this video are for entertainment purposes only. No doubt, there are many other equally good ways of opening these battery packs. I used what worked for me with the tools I had on hand.
There are likely several ways to open these packs. I found this technique worked best for me. It was fast and involved no cutting with sharp blades. I experienced no cell damage in opening hundreds of these packs using this technique, YMMV.
These batteries have not been cycled but likely have been sitting in a warehouse for some time. Date codes on the BMS boards are mostly in the 2015-17 range. They have a variety of 2200mAH cells in them:
Sony - SE and SF
Samsung - ICR18650-22F
LG - LGDAS31865
Sanyo UR18650A
These cells seem to have a much wider range of capacities and there seem to be a few groups looking at the chart. There's still the 3500-3900mAH range like the 8-cell (LG) batteries had, but there's another cluster in the 2700-3300 range and then a few lower than that.
Initially I was disappointed in the lower capacity cells, but then realized that I need cells in this lower range to build some battery packs that match capacities of my extra modules built a while back.
Battery Hookup link for modem batteries (stock varies):
https://bit.ly/3ftt0LQ
More to come...
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Intro/Outro:
Louisiana Fairytale by Austin Rogers
https://web.archive.org/web/20170402222425/http://drfiddle.com/show_tune.php?id=94
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Harvesting 18650 cells from 8-cell (2S4P) Cable Modem Batteries
Processing a batch of 8-cell Arris cable modem batteries to build additional battery packs for the power wall.
Working with lithium ion batteries is inherently dangerous. Be sure you are experienced at doing this kind of work and take adequate safety precautions before attempting this yourself. The techiniques illustrated in this video are for entertainment purposes only.
There are likely several ways to open these packs. I found this technique worked best for me. It was fast and involved no cutting with sharp blades. I experienced no cell damage in opening hundreds of these packs using this technique, YMMV.
These batteries seem to have two different LG cells in them, the older LGCAS31865 and the newer LGDAS31865, both rated at 2200mAH, 1075mAH nominal charge rate. I picked up 80 battery packs, netting 320 pair of cells for testing. I think I had 2 - 4 pair of cells that tested out below 2000mAH, those I'll need to separate and see if any of the individual cells are still good.
The average capacity was 3623mAH and the median was 3613mAH. This comes in higher than my existing new and used battery module capacities, so I'll probably use the upper end of this group to build some higher capacity modules and then some of the lower ones to build some 35AH modules to match the 4 - 35AH modules I have left over from the old 4S system.
Battery Hookup link for modem batteries (stock varies):
https://bit.ly/3ftt0LQ
More to come, processing some 4-cell modem batteries...
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Intro/Outro:
Louisiana Fairytale by Austin Rogers
https://web.archive.org/web/20170402222425/http://drfiddle.com/show_tune.php?id=94
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Tifosi Podium Sun Glass Lens Replacement and Repair
Time to repair the old Tifosi Podium sun glasses with new a new lens and nose bridge.
Since I couldn't find any information on replacing the lens on this exact model, I wanted to document how it's done in case others are faced with a similar repair. Also, I was originally under the impression that this model was not repairable, but that was not correct. While they are no longer in production, spare parts are still available.
Replacing the damaged lens and missing nose bridge on the old sun glasses with a fixed shade lens. These glasses weigh in at just over an ounce at 30 grams. They are also quite comfortable and also have a wide, wrap around lens that provides excellent eye coverage. So it seemed worth the $20 in parts to repair them.
I really like the contrast the Golf and Tennis lens provides, should make an excellent driving glass and is also great for walks or bike rides during the day in full sun. The new adjustable nose bridge is an improvement over the old non-adjustable version.
Links to replacement lens and nose pads used in this video:
https://store.prolens.com/tifosi-podium-replacement-lenses-p1272.aspx
https://store.prolens.com/tifosi-replacement-nose-pads-p862.aspx
This video is not sponsored, replacement parts were purchased from the above links.
You can also visit the Tifosi web site through this affiliate link:
https://www.tifosioptics.com/?ref=4Crawler
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Louisiana Fairytale by Austin Rogers
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#righttorepair #tifosioptics
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24V to 12V DC Power Supply
Setting up a 12VDC power supply to run off the 24V lithium ion battery bank to power DC loads around the house.
Motivation for this was to free up a 335W solar panel to allow a more efficient series-parallel combination to feed the 24V charge controller more efficiently. I also wanted something to keep the old 12V lead acid batteries in workable condition. Added benefit of the system is getting a free 12VDC uninteruptable power supply) UPS. I can also retain the old 25A - 12V power supply I have as a backup, and that was used in this video while I swapped over the charge controllers. At 20A output and ~13.8V, this can deliver approx. 275W of DC power, which is enough for my needs at this time.
With 4 solar panels feeding the 24V charge controller, I can set them up in series/parallel for a better performance. I can't run all 4 in series, as the 164Voc would exceed the 145V charge controller maximum rating. With the series-parallel setup I get 68.2 Vmp x 19.66 Imp or 1340 watts. With the current 2.7KWH battery bank, I've seen 1050W maximum so far, but the battery bank is usually topped off long before the sun hits the peak angle. Time to add to the battery bank, which will be in upcoming videos. Later, with 7.5KWH battery bank, I now have seen about 1.3KW from the 4 panels.
I was thinking of changing out the 12V circuits for 24V, but that gets messy as I have some 12V loads, then there are 15V loads driven through a step up converter as well as 24V loads again via a step up converter. I would have to add many small step-up-down converters all over the place. I could of course pick up a 24V DC power supply to use as a backup, but I already have the 12V supply and it works just fine. This is the only time in over 7 years that I actually used the backup power supply, so it's not a high priority, but having working backup systems are nice to have
More to come...
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Intro/Outro:
Louisiana Fairytale by Austin Rogers
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Laurel Park in Stevens Creek Canyon, CA.
Exploring a random point of interest on Google Maps as well as remains of an old homestead.
At first I was skeptical about this Laurel Park point of interest on Google Maps as I've ridden by here hundreds of times and never noticed anything special. But after a few stops to look closer, I think there may be a few faint remains of the old swimming hole from the 1960's.
Link on Google Maps:
https://goo.gl/maps/6BSGvQvhXikrb1FY6
The old stone work remains are just up the road from Laurel Park at the next power pole. I see no dwellings shown in the area on either the 1897 or 1940 top maps:
https://digicoll.lib.berkeley.edu/record/59124
If anyone has any more information on these two locations, feel free to post up in the comment section below or e-mail contact information in the channel About tab. If you know of any book or article titles to look for, that would also be of interest.
Still trying out various camera setting on the Open Camera app with the Armor-7 smart phone.
More to come...
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Adding Trail Gaiters to Cycling Shoes
Setting up the new Pearl Izumi cycling shoes with gaiters to keep socks free from stickers during off-trail excursions.
With the lace-up shoes from Pearl Izumi, it was easy to add a Velcro tab at the base of the heel to attach the Trail Gaiters to. I found that ShoeGoo adhesive stuck well to the shoe material and then either use a non-adhesive backed Velcro tab or remove the adhesive with acetone.
With this style gaiter, you first slide it over your foot and then put the shoe on. Then clip the front hook under the laces and fasten the back Velcro tab to the heel. You can easily ride with these gaiters on and heck, might even shave 10 watts off your air resistance :)
Trail Gaiters:
https://www.altrarunning.com/shop/mens-gear-accessories
https://amzn.to/2AeCLhG
Pearl Izumi X-Alp Canyon shoe:
https://amzn.to/3fTmLBY
More to come...
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New Cassette and Pedal/Cleat/Shoe Ride Report
Dialing in the new 11-45 cassette as well and testing out the multi-release SPD cleats on the new cycling shoes.
Timeline if you want to skip the trail closure rant at the beginning:
2:00 Cassette
4:53 Rear Derailleur Fine Tuning
9:18 Multi-Release Cleat/Shoe review
The 10sp 11-45 Garbaruk cassette is proving to be a nice upgrade. The top end flows so much nicer on pavement, you can shift up and down through the cogs and if feels good. The 38t and 45t cogs on the bottom end are nice for the steep dirt trails. I had to turn the B-tension screw in a bit more to get a little gap between the jockey wheel and 45t cog. Also turned the low limit screw in just a bit to get the chain centered on the large cog. I think the cable barrel adjustment may not have been needed.
Was testing out some new camera settings and the first segment of the video didn't come out as nice.
Multi-release cleat:
https://amzn.to/3bx7DGR
Pearl Izumi X-Alp Canyon shoe:
https://amzn.to/3fTmLBY
BTW: Did you notice how crowded this open space preserve is (not!).
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#gravelbike #monstercross #garbaruk
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SPD Multi-Release Cleat Installation
Swapping out a set of standard release SPD cleats for the multi-release version.
When I picked up the new Pearl Izumi X-Alp Canyon shoes I threw on the first set of cleats I found in my parts box. I had purchased a set of multi-release cleats some time back and assumed that was the only set I had on hand. But somehow, there was a set of standard release cleats in the box and I just assumed they were the multi-release version.
After finding the new cleats very hard to use, I started investigating and found that my old shoes had the multi-release cleats and that I had installed the standard release cleats by mistake. After finding the new cleats buried deeper in the parts box, it was time to swap them out. This is when I realized the "M" marking was the distinguishing feature on the multi-release cleats, otherwise they are very difficult to tell apart.
If anyone who runs SPD clipless pedals and finds them hard to get in and out of, I highly recommend the multi-release cleats. I may pick up another set and put those on my Giro road bike shoes.
Shimano Multi-release cleat:
https://amzn.to/3bx7DGR
Pearl Izumi X-Alp Canyon shoe:
https://amzn.to/3fTmLBY
More to come...
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#gravelbike #monstercross
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Shimano PD-A530 Flat/Clipless Pedal - Long Term Review
Long term review of the Shimano PD-A530 flat / SPD clipless pedal with added pins.
I used the Shimano PD-M324 SPD pedals when I built the bicycle in early 2012, but found them too slippery. So I changed to the A530s and later modified them by milling off the raised bumps and drilling/tapping the pedals for some #6-32 set screws. An M3 or M4 set screw would work as well. I drilled the holes in the spaces between the bumps but Shimano seems to have the EH500 holes drilled in the raised areas. I was looking to keep the platform height as low as possible.
I really like having a dual sided pedal as most of my rides involve several hours of pavement with several hours of dirt riding in the middle. I find clipping in on the pavement and on long fire road ascents / descents is more efficient. When the trails get technical, rocky, and narrow, I like to unclip and get on the pinned flats. The A530 pedal, when on the flat side, has very little hanging down below to cause pedal strikes.
PD-A530 pedal:
https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/tiagra-4700/PD-A530.html
PD-EH500 pedal:
https://amzn.to/2y11WDB
More to come with a look at the multi-release SPD cleat...
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Adding a 10sp 11-45 Cassette to the Bike
For a whopping 900% gear range!!!
Garbaruk Cassette - not sure if the 10sp versions are still available:
https://www.garbaruk.com/cassettes.html
WolfTooth RoadLink:
https://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/collections/components/products/roadlink
Drivetrain:
Shimano Crankset 175mm, 44/32/20 - SLX M660 with custom 20T ring
9 sp Front Derailleur bottom swing - XTR-M971
Shimano A530 platform/SPD pedals with added studs
Shimano Rapid Rise Rear Derailleur - XT M770-SGS
Is this breaking the rules?
Yes I am. My Shimano XT M770-SGS RD is rated for 34T maximum cog and 45T wrap and I'm double digits past those limits, 11T over the maximum cog size and 13T past the maximum chain wrap. I set the chain length to just fit the big-big combination and yes, the chain does go slack at around the 6th cog on the cassette. I don't have trouble with dropped chains, but YMMV. And to top it off, I'm running a 9sp MTB FD/RD on a 10sp drive train with road bike shifters. I say if you are going to break one rule, might as well break them all!
Is it rideable?
Yes, very much so. I use the small chain ring with cogs 1-5 (or 6) to avoid the slack chain and to limit cross chaining. Middle ring can work in all 10 cogs and in the large ring, I usually stick to cogs 4-10 to limit cross chaining. I tend to treat the 3x10 drive train and 3 separate 1x drive trains. I run the big ring on flat pavement, drop to the middle ring on rolling hills or dirt/gravel trails. Then for steep hills, I'll drop to the small ring. On my typical ~40 mile ride, I have about 15 miles of pavement out and back where I'll run about 10 miles in big ring and 5 miles in middle ring (return ride is all big ring). Then I do about 10 miles of dirt trail riding in the mountains in the small ring. So on that typical ride, I shift the FD 3 times, big to middle to small and back to big. The only gear combination I almost never use is the 44-11 (big-small), maybe only hit that once or twice a year. I've been riding this setup since 2012, first 11-36 (720%), then 11-42 (840%) and now 11-45 (900%).
Can you even ride the bike in the 20-45 combination (around 12 gear inches)?
You bet. It does take some bike handling skill and you need to keep your cadence up, but after all that's the reason for lower gears. I usually maintain a 2-3MPH speed in the lower gears. This is handy for picking my way through technical terrain, where skinny 40mm touring tires on a rigid bike, might have problems with grip. Also very handy on narrow multi-use trails and when I get stuck behind some hikers with no room to pass. I can maintain walking speed until the trail widens out and I can safely pass.
More to come...
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#budgetmullet
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Craftsman C3 Hedge Trimmer Handle Repair
Repairing a broken handle on the cordless C3 Hedge Trimmer
For the repair, originally used epoxy adhesive for the crack then filled the deep screw hole with epoxy putty. While that held, it didn't feel strong enough for continued use.
To reinforce the lower bend, wrapped the handle in 2 layers of Kevlar kite string. Then encapsulated that in polyester resin and top coated with flat black enamel paint. I ultimately picked up two longer screws and drilled in through the filler in the handle and inserted the screws. Under side loads, the handle was springy enough to pull out of the recesses.
Kevlar kit string: https://amzn.to/3cWhkji
Bondo Fiberglass Resin, 1 quart can from a local hardware or auto parts store
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Intro/Outro:
Louisiana Fairytale by Austin Rogers
https://web.archive.org/web/20170402222425/http://drfiddle.com/show_tune.php?id=94
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Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles
No pasta, no problem. Let's make Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles!
I put this dish together, no hard and fast recipe. Just take your favorite Shrimp Scampi recipe and add the zucchini noodles to the pan for the last minute of cooking.
Ingredients are:
Olive oil - enough to cover the bottom of a large pan, maybe 2T
Butter - 1 pat
Garlic - a few cloves, I used 6 or 7, chopped and/or garlic paste
Red pepper flakes - 1t as you prefer
Saute garlic for 5 mins. on med-low heat
Shrimp - I used 4 or 5, about 4 oz. / 125g. For some added zip, add some Cajun seasoning
Turn heat to medium, add shrimp and cook 1-2 minutes per side
Zucchini - 1 medium, spiral cut into "zoodles"
Parsley - Italian or curly, handful chopped and added to zucchini
Turn heat to med-hi, add vegetables, toss to coat and cook for no more than 60 seconds.
If you see any signs of moisture on the bottom of the pan, get it out of the pan and onto a plate right now.
Optional - dry grated cheese or better yet, Johnny's Parmesan Garlic seasoning:
https://amzn.to/3czs5L4
Est. nutritional info: 25g protein, 10g carbs and 40g fats
This is great low carb dish, tastes great, easy and inexpensive to make in one pan in less than 10 minutes.
Italian food rules:
https://www.thelocal.it/20160422/bizarre-italian-food-rules-foreigners-fall-foul-of
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Intro/Outro:
Louisiana Fairytale by Austin Rogers
https://web.archive.org/web/20170402222425/http://drfiddle.com/show_tune.php?id=94
#lowcarb #lchf #zoodles
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20P Battery Module Capacity Tests
Testing the 3 - 20P battery modules removed from service after 1.5 - 2.5 years of daily use.
Months Start/AH End/AH Loss-%/mo
29 32.8 29.3 0.37
26 35.1 33.9 0.13
18 35.1 32.4 0.43
The average is 0.31%/mo. or around 4%/yr. Testing temperatures may have been different between the 3 modules and affected the results. A sample size of 3 is not good at drawing general conclusions, but it seems the used laptop cells fair as well as the new BAK cells, at least one of those two modules.
More to come...
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Intro/Outro:
Louisiana Fairytale by Austin Rogers
https://web.archive.org/web/20170402222425/http://drfiddle.com/show_tune.php?id=94
3
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