I like this sucker

[homebrewed]

A friend with a CNC shop had a coolant spill. The cleanup kid vacuumed it up with the shop vac, bud didn't bother to empty it. Several days later someole turned on the shop vac. The sparks from the motor ignited the methane produced by the coolant and blew the top off the vacuum. It made a large dent in the metal roof 20' over head.

Let's be careful out there.

As a young engineering student in a very unruly college dormitory I devised a tennis ball cannon. It was driven by the rapid combustion of warm alcohol vapor in a tube formed by several (steel) beer cans, tops and bottoms removed -- except for the bottom one. I discovered that tennis balls were a pretty good fit to the ID of the commonly-available beer cans at the time. The tops and bottoms of the cans were removed, then they were duct-taped mouth-to-mouth. Except for the bottom can, which was the combustion chamber -- its top was left more intact to act as the rest for the tennis ball. Firing the thing off through a touch-hole heated up the combustion chamber a bit, but it wasn't all that much.

In the dorm it became a "thing" that escalated like some arms wars we have seen. The last one I made shot a tennis ball a couple hundred feet with little drop in elevation. That was the end of that, at least for me!

Overall, the most fun was emptying the beer cans to make the cannon.

Since then I've thought we were very lucky to have not suffered any injuries. Getting older does (hopefully) impart some wisdom.

 

[Just for fun]

Good idea, I have used a shop vac one time to install a drain plug washer that I didn't get in place after changing oil. I taped the hose to the valve cover and turned on the vacuum, in a hurry I removed the drain plug installed the washer and reinstalled the plug. I didn't lose a drop of oil, and luckily didn't suck in any gaskets causing bigger problems. LOL

Tim

 

[cathead]

The pumpkins are a variety called "Cinderella" due to their similarity to a particular conveyance in a movie. It actually is a heritage variety from France and is quite tasty AND has large edible seeds. The other stuff, well....other stories hehe. Good thing I didn't use a wide-angle lens....

About a month ago after butchering a large Hubbard squash, I saved a pile of those large seeds and soaked
them in some brine. Then they were roasted in a toaster oven. I have to say that it is a tasty snack or treat.
Currently I have the seeds from a pumpkin heading for the same fate and the remains of the pumpkin are now
feeding a hungry young rabbit who is trying to survive til spring.

I can see the utility in making something to suck up used oil out of an engine, something to ponder on I guess.
The idea of reinforcing the bucket is a good one.. It is amazing how much force a vaccuum can produce.

Maybe we should start a page showing our lathes with all the junk underneath them. That would be interesting.
I don't even know what all is under there any more. I guess at least for me it is time to grovel a bit and find out
for sure. No fair cleaning up under there before taking the photo. Homebrewed could have his garage cleaned
up in a few minutes. Me, on the other hand could keep busy for weeks finding treasures long forgotten about
along with a machine tool or two lost in the mix. I know there is a clamping block down there somewhere that has
not seen the light of day in years.

 

[rabler]

Yeah, well, it's a large garage with two people that have a wide range of interests I thought about commenting about the other stuff in the OP but, oddly enough, thought I'd get to do that later....

That 'wide range of interests' is what makes this place fascinating, at least for me. Thanks for sharing a bit about the pumpkins.

 

[homebrewed]

That 'wide range of interests' is what makes this place fascinating, at least for me. Thanks for sharing a bit about the pumpkins.

You're welcome! I also agree about the wide range of interests found here. And I have to add, an amazing collection of skills and life experience as well.

 

[Just for fun]

Not to derail your thread. But after seeing your fence post driver laying there. I just had to share my modified fence driver. My wife and I just fineshed installing 1,800' of 8' high deer fence. We used 10' tall T-posts all on steep hillside. Here is what I ended up doing.

 

[rabler]

We used 10' tall T-posts all on steep hillside.

Not only steep, but rocky. I bet that was some work!

 

[Just for fun]

We definitely had some challenges.

 

[homebrewed]

Not to derail your thread. But after seeing your fence post driver laying there. I just had to share my modified fence driver. My wife and I just fineshed installing 1,800' of 8' high deer fence. We used 10' tall T-posts all on steep hillside. Here is what I ended up doing.

View attachment 398512View attachment 398513View attachment 398514View attachment 398515View attachment 398516

That's some ambition, for sure! I'm just setting posts around a ~2000 SF garden to keep the deer out so you are in an entirely different league.

 

[Just for fun]

Here are some cool photos from the fence project. These were all last year, the ones with snow were from last day for the year. I made a cart and installed a pully system to pull fence post and the wire up to the job site. It was a lot of work but fun at the same time if that makes sense.



If you zoom in, you can see the fence coming down the hill on the other side just to the left of the little forest.


I build this little gate so we can get out to check on the flowers and irrigation along the street.