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Nov. 7th, 2020 09:16 am-Initially I put Ai on the lift for a routine oil change. Which turned into spotting a torn CV boot that was flinging grease everywhere. Which turned into removal of the axle. Which turned into complete removal of the knuckle assembly. Which I ended up replacing because it's rusted enough for small bits to start flaking off. I had a spare axle that I put in, and a spare knuckle that I couldn't immediately put in because that came with a bad wheel bearing. I kinda knew that when I got the part off ebay months ago, and it's my own fault for not preparing it ahead of time. Oh well. In replacing old parts, new skills and experiences have been acquired. Good thing this is done and Ai is driveable again, because...
-The main exhaust pipe on Nozomi is hanging on by a thread. Her inspection runs out at the end of January and any leaks or broken bits will mean an automatic failure, so I figure I might as well take care of this now. I've opted for the "replace the catalytic converter now and worry about saving the old one later" route. A new converter from Honda costs over $2k; an aftermarket one found online is $300. OEM O2 sensors would cost $700 for the pair; aftermarket ones are more like $150. Hopefully the computer isn't too picky about the new parts. Now I know that an extra $450 isn't to be scoffed at, but I know what's involved in splitting the converter/B-pipe apart and that's not to be scoffed at either. First-world problems have solutions that are all a variant of the same thing: Throw money at it.
-I'm getting a bunch of railroad car kits in undecorated because I have Some Ideas. Gonna give the airbrush a workout (after I get both girls out of the garage).
-I got a resistance soldering iron for future brass work. It works more like a spot welder than a regular soldering iron. I hear tell the heat it applies is a lot more concentrated. Just in time because CamCar-1 is starting to show the strain of being used for stunts. Not that it was meant to live an easy life; I think by rolling it off the table and onto the floor a few times yielded some amazing footage and showed me where to add reinforcements for future versions.
-Progress on the train layout: Most of the roadbed and track is in place. I have wires run under the layout for both the track power and the switch machines. When the control panel end is done, I'll be able to operate the switch machines from one place instead of running all around the layout. As a bonus, and an extra layer of complexity, I'll be able to switch between analog DC power and DCC.
-For much of the wiring for the control end, terminal blocks on DIN rail will make things easier. An unruly mass of wires and wire nuts would have worked, and for a train layout it would be acceptable. Then again I figure, I know I can do better. And I know I'd have to change something later or fix a dumb mistake or something, and terminal blocks would make moving wires around easier.
-On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being maniacal attention to realistic detail and operation, and 1 being "I just want to play with some trains", I think of myself as being at a 4, maybe 5 if I'm feeling picky.
-I test-ran one of the old brass locomotives, running it a few laps on the layout. I knew it was going to be loud from when I bench-tested it, and yet it was louder. The decibel meter app on my phone shows it reaching as high as 80dB, and it wasn't even at full power. And I have two of them, so running both at the same time may require hearing protection. In testing, I also found it draws more current than what a DCC decoder can handle, so it will likely stay as a DC-only locomotive.
-A knowledgeable HVAC tech at work gave me some advice on fixing the auxillary heater, about why it's not working and what the fixes are. Apparently, when gas-powered heaters aren't used for an extended period of time, small spiders like to build webs inside the pilot light assembly. The webs don't completely obstruct gas flow, but it's enough to prevent adequate flow for combustion. I still have to find a replacement blower motor for it.
-Lego has announced they're going to make Sesame Street sets. Given the original demographic of each, and how they both exalt the power of imagination as a dynamic of learning, it seems like a logical partnership. What's NOT logical is that the age range Lego has specified for the first set is 18+. There's always money in nostalgia. Anyway, think about what can be done with a Cookie Monster minifig in the larger Lego ecosystem.
-That said, I think it's curious Lego hasn't partnered with Nintendo for the Pokemon franchise. While Lego does have a line of Super Mario themed sets going on, I guess Pokemon itself has its own extra licensing hurdles.
-Two years ago today I was stoked for a trip to Japan. Now, all I can do is wait until around this time next year to go again.
-The main exhaust pipe on Nozomi is hanging on by a thread. Her inspection runs out at the end of January and any leaks or broken bits will mean an automatic failure, so I figure I might as well take care of this now. I've opted for the "replace the catalytic converter now and worry about saving the old one later" route. A new converter from Honda costs over $2k; an aftermarket one found online is $300. OEM O2 sensors would cost $700 for the pair; aftermarket ones are more like $150. Hopefully the computer isn't too picky about the new parts. Now I know that an extra $450 isn't to be scoffed at, but I know what's involved in splitting the converter/B-pipe apart and that's not to be scoffed at either. First-world problems have solutions that are all a variant of the same thing: Throw money at it.
-I'm getting a bunch of railroad car kits in undecorated because I have Some Ideas. Gonna give the airbrush a workout (after I get both girls out of the garage).
-I got a resistance soldering iron for future brass work. It works more like a spot welder than a regular soldering iron. I hear tell the heat it applies is a lot more concentrated. Just in time because CamCar-1 is starting to show the strain of being used for stunts. Not that it was meant to live an easy life; I think by rolling it off the table and onto the floor a few times yielded some amazing footage and showed me where to add reinforcements for future versions.
-Progress on the train layout: Most of the roadbed and track is in place. I have wires run under the layout for both the track power and the switch machines. When the control panel end is done, I'll be able to operate the switch machines from one place instead of running all around the layout. As a bonus, and an extra layer of complexity, I'll be able to switch between analog DC power and DCC.
-For much of the wiring for the control end, terminal blocks on DIN rail will make things easier. An unruly mass of wires and wire nuts would have worked, and for a train layout it would be acceptable. Then again I figure, I know I can do better. And I know I'd have to change something later or fix a dumb mistake or something, and terminal blocks would make moving wires around easier.
-On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being maniacal attention to realistic detail and operation, and 1 being "I just want to play with some trains", I think of myself as being at a 4, maybe 5 if I'm feeling picky.
-I test-ran one of the old brass locomotives, running it a few laps on the layout. I knew it was going to be loud from when I bench-tested it, and yet it was louder. The decibel meter app on my phone shows it reaching as high as 80dB, and it wasn't even at full power. And I have two of them, so running both at the same time may require hearing protection. In testing, I also found it draws more current than what a DCC decoder can handle, so it will likely stay as a DC-only locomotive.
-A knowledgeable HVAC tech at work gave me some advice on fixing the auxillary heater, about why it's not working and what the fixes are. Apparently, when gas-powered heaters aren't used for an extended period of time, small spiders like to build webs inside the pilot light assembly. The webs don't completely obstruct gas flow, but it's enough to prevent adequate flow for combustion. I still have to find a replacement blower motor for it.
-Lego has announced they're going to make Sesame Street sets. Given the original demographic of each, and how they both exalt the power of imagination as a dynamic of learning, it seems like a logical partnership. What's NOT logical is that the age range Lego has specified for the first set is 18+. There's always money in nostalgia. Anyway, think about what can be done with a Cookie Monster minifig in the larger Lego ecosystem.
-That said, I think it's curious Lego hasn't partnered with Nintendo for the Pokemon franchise. While Lego does have a line of Super Mario themed sets going on, I guess Pokemon itself has its own extra licensing hurdles.
-Two years ago today I was stoked for a trip to Japan. Now, all I can do is wait until around this time next year to go again.
