From Veeduber@aol.com  Mon Oct  2 21:54:19 1995
msgnum: msg16877
Date: Mon, 2 Oct 1995 22:54:14 -0400
From: Veeduber_at_aol_dot_com
Subject: Grendel, Monday II


This was a GOOD day.  Lots of problems but none too big to handle.  Lots of
progress on the wheel puller and cleaning up the repair parts obtained from
the rain forest.  And my buddy in Sandy Eggo raided my shop and is shipping
me a box of bus bearings.

I'm sorta miffed at the welding shop's idea of accuracy.  Spec'd some steel
pieces to a given dimension and no two of the five pieces came out the same.
 These guys would starve to death in southern California, where 4.0" means
something closer to the mark than 4.377"  That's a BIG error for such a
little piece of steel.  The other errors were less but it still means I'll
have to cut the things myself, by hand.  And I could have done that to begin
with (which I obviously should have done).

The shop I'm being allowed to use is a treasure.  Basically, it's a lube bay
with a bench, a 200 amp Hobart mig machine on a roll-around cart.  But the
bench comes with a vise.  And under the bench are a lot of portable tools
inlcuding a big drill motor with a half-inch chuck.  I spent the day
hacksawing my expensively mis-cut steel to the correct length and drilling
holes in 1/2" steel, a fun thing if you don't have a drill press.  I don't
but I ain't complaining; I was dry and it was raining outside.  I was cold
but the coffee wasn't and he didn't mind if I puffed on my pipe while I
worked.  I got a lot done and will be back there at 0900, all elbows and
assholes until I get the job done.  Not much else to say since there really
isn't much you CAN say about leaning into a drill motor for 45 minutes at a
time. Five chamfered 5/8" holes through 1/2" mild steel stock, a couple dozen
smaller assembly & alignment holes.  After you've drilled one hole the thrill
is gone.

I'm looking forward to slicing up that hunk of Grade 8 all-thread.  I'm gonna
have muscles in my beard by the time I get the wheel puller built.

It rained like hell today.  I was too busy to notice.  Maybe that's the
secret.  Sore & tired.  Hot shower & cold beer just down the hall.  

-Bob