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To clean off some very hard ceramic flux residue I use for Silver soldering or brazing of Stainless steel it says on the container to use "Caustic soda solution". Of course this will dissolve aluminium, but maybe if you use a diluted caustic solution and soaked COLD for a long period that would loosed the flux without much damage to the aluminium? I find 2 to 4 days of soaking that flux in Washing powder (for washing your clothes) will make it loose enough I can scrape it off easily with a sharp point or knife. It just flakes off.
K2

Thanks for the idea Steamchick,...but I'll need to try your idea on a piece of scrap first to see how well it works. I'm quite concerned that the sodium hydroxide, no matter how diluted, will attack the aluminum part.
 
I have no idea if this will remove flux residue, but it's cheap and worth a try. I had some very green and corroded battery terminals, lots of nasty looking white "fluff" growing all over them. I had recently bought a spray bottle of white vinegar to clean some surfaces with, so I sprayed the terminals with that and was going to leave it soaking for a while. All the corrosion and gunk dissolved, it took a few seconds. It might work on flux. I don't think there is much difference between white and brown vinegar.
 
Cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning. I have one of my sisters and her husband coming to stay in ten days. I have to keep the house clean for ten days. What could go wrong? Perhaps I should move out for nine days?
 
Cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning. I have one of my sisters and her husband coming to stay in ten days. I have to keep the house clean for ten days. What could go wrong? Perhaps I should move out for nine days?

LOL - - - - I can understand that feeling - - - - but methinks its a rather drastic solution - - - and then - - -if its not clean enough for them - - - well they are quite capable of changing the most egregious themselves I would think and if not - - - they are welcome to stay elsewhere.

My idea has been that I'm visiting a person/family - - - - if they are comfortable - - - well I will also try to be comfortable in their space.
If its real bad I have the option of finding other accommodations or at the very least 'helping' in the changes.
 
LOL - - - - I can understand that feeling - - - - but methinks its a rather drastic solution - - - and then - - -if its not clean enough for them - - - well they are quite capable of changing the most egregious themselves I would think and if not - - - they are welcome to stay elsewhere.

My idea has been that I'm visiting a person/family - - - - if they are comfortable - - - well I will also try to be comfortable in their space.
If its real bad I have the option of finding other accommodations or at the very least 'helping' in the changes.
I have one thing in my favour. I am the eldest in the family, so I am in charge.
 
Fueling the generator. Tree fell into the lines yesterday at 5pm. I have been running the genny 2 hours on and 2 hours off to keep the water hot and the food cold. It's 8am and the tree company just showed up to clear the tree so the troops can replace the pole and transformer.
 
My shop time has been limited to SolidWorks modeling lately while trying to stay cool. Here in Texas the temperatures have been above 100F since May with little or no rain. For the last month, temps have been 105F with little relief at night. As I write this we're at 108F. I have a couple thru-the wall heating/cooling units in my shop but their efficiency is poor, and the shop runs a constant 85F - 90F which is too hot to run any machines and nearly too hot for me. For no good reason that I won't get into here, a few influential people saw to it that Texas has its own power grid which is currently teetering on disaster. - Terry
 
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I saw that there use to be a fun thread like this, and maybe it would be fun to have it again.
I wasn’t going to reply as I’m in a sour mood. . I wanted to open a net thread but I’ll just blow off steam to day .

So as some know I’m getting old and worn out I don’t see well among others things

So I’ve been trying to get back into solid works design while I can I have some kind of tutorial book that I won’t give much of a review at this time. I have a top of the line lap top computer with memory and speed to fly . So I’ve let myself slide on this too also have a book . So I decided I would work one hour a day to get this thing up and usable I also have a desk top box computer that is a little older but still as powerhouse . Well I plugged it’s monitor in and it works and solid works comes up however the pull downs and icons are so small I can’t see them. I tried changing resolution but that doesn’t fit the picture either . I also thought maybe I could use the desk top monitor as it’s larger than the lap top well it’s got a VGA plug so at best I’d need an adaptor . A little checking around and found it’s not worth the trouble plus I’ll have a cord that would be in the way. So I’m sitting here looking at a black screen 42” supposedly smart TV set. Well it wired for about 15 minutes of some nascar race and a few innings of one MLBB game bottom line is I don’t use it. . So I looked on line and found that it’s supposed to be easy to connect wirelessly which would give me much larger screen . Sounded god on the iPad. Well all things are not easy that are supposed to be . I spent the better part of the morning yesterday attempting to make a hook up it looks easy snd I found the selections noted on line . Well no luck a few calls and a number of restarts and I still have a black screen . I’m now close to boiling over. So I found Comcast xfinity number an called after a number of selections I finally got a real person. I explained the situation . Then I said either get someone over here to fix this thing that never realy worked from day one or I was going to cancel service and the tv was going to exit stage left. So I got an appointment and the support person said it would be fixed. We have heard this before right? So I was cooled off some about half hour later the phone rings and Comcast wants to schedule another day. Boom the top blew off. No te schedule just get over here and fix this mess. So they are coming tomorrow. If it gets fixed I’ll post again.we will see what happens . I’ll probably have to get some other programming but it’s useless the way it is and I’m paying for nothing . If it works I’ll have to do a bit of furniture moving around but maybe I’ll have two useful things I can use. It may take a bit to get fluent on SW but I still remember a lot of how it works. The SW was my lost son’s snd he didn’t like the help selection for some reason also I’m not sure if the tool box works right he always had issues with it mostly because he didn’t know how to really use it. . I was able to pull up a few of his models so I can see what he was doing . Most help can be received on line so I’m not too worried about it as what I want to do is pretty easy . If I can see the fly outs and icons I can probably figure out what I need. My other sons and I have bee talking about a 3 d printer for a while so if this all works out we may be able to get something going.
So that’s what I’ve been doing. I did get a new digital very near calipers . It’s not as smooth as the old one but has a much improve display and the decima point is farthervtonhecleft so you can see it better it also has a more standard battery . It even came with a spare .

I'll start. I've been on the forum, and looking after my gardenia bush. It smells so good, especially at night in the mellow heat of summer.

And then I like listening to music. Since it is almost the 4th of July, I was listening to this earlier today. This has the Bicentennial presentation of "1812" with the cannons and church bells,etc.


LOL - - - - I can understand that feeling - - - - but methinks its a rather drastic solution - - - and then - - -if its not clean enough for them - - - well they are quite capable of changing the most egregious themselves I would think and if not - - - they are welcome to stay elsewhere.

My idea has been that I'm visiting a person/family - - - - if they are comfortable - - - well I will also try to be comfortable in their space.
If its real bad I have the option of finding other accommodations or at the very least 'helping' in the changes.
 
Sure, keep telling yourself that . . .
My shop time has been limited to SolidWorks modeling lately while trying to stay cool. Here in Texas the

It’s cooler here in minn. I don’t see well so my regular SW has sat a while I just had xfinity hook the lap top to the bigger Tv I can now see icons and fly outs much better. I’ve been devoting at least an hour a day poortudyingi haven a poor tutorial book book but at least it’s something
My lap top is quite powerful as it was a gaming toy. For my late son I don’t know how much is on the system my son did not like the help section and did not really understand the tool box. I’ve already had issues. Most questions I can get some help on line from engineering forums. Most modeling for now will be easier. As it’s not too complicated . I see he saved a variable car stabilizer that I made years ago also I think the reverse transmission for his off road buggy is there. transmission is there and a variable ignition bracket for model

Anyway I may ask for a little help as I get back into it . Rc engines is still spell check is really bad today so please excuse errors it’s just got a mind all it’s own .

Byron

temperatures have been above 100F
since May with little or no rain. For the last month, temps have been 105F with little relief at night. As I write this

I’m just getting back to SW IVE BEEN AWAY for quite Awhile learning to do . I don’t see well so my usual monitor doesn’t work xfinity came out today and got my lap top connected to my tv so I now have a more usable screen

My lap top is a very overfill gaming unit so more than capable of SW

It’s cooler here so now I just need to get fluency back units in my shop but their efficiency is poor, and the shop runs a constant 85F - 90F which is too hot to run any machines and nearly too hot for me. For no good reason that I won't get into here, a few influential people saw to it that Texas has its own power grid which is currently teetering on disaster. - Terry
 
Strange how the planet works... It has been hot here - 23 degrees is the hottest I have noted in the last umpteen years... - that was a week ago, when "Britain" (The London bit that is) had a small heat wave in the HIGH 20s C!" We are told the Capital may get to 35~39 this weekend - 39C is a rare high here... and 350miles north it may get to 23C again, but I doubt it. The North Sea with Arctic currents headed south does nothing to alleviate my heating bill, just make it grow... But it is pleasant outside in the sun.... Why to Brits like to talk about the weather, when it is one of the easiest places on the planet to live? -5C is VERY low, +35C very rare! Maybe we are jealous of your more extreme weather in the US of A and other climes?
Yesterday, the timing chain tensioner slippers went AWOL on the car... engine out job, so not for my facilities... (needs a 4-post lift to drop the engine). BIG bucks!
So today, lots of phone calls.

K2
 
Strange how the planet works... It has been hot here - 23 degrees is the hottest I have noted in the last umpteen years... - that was a week ago, when "Britain" (The London bit that is) had a small heat wave in the HIGH 20s C!" We are told the Capital may get to 35~39 this weekend - 39C is a rare high here... and 350miles north it may get to 23C again, but I doubt it. The North Sea with Arctic currents headed south does nothing to alleviate my heating bill, just make it grow... But it is pleasant outside in the sun.... Why to Brits like to talk about the weather, when it is one of the easiest places on the planet to live? -5C is VERY low, +35C very rare! Maybe we are jealous of your more extreme weather in the US of A and other climes?
Yesterday, the timing chain tensioner slippers went AWOL on the car... engine out job, so not for my facilities... (needs a 4-post lift to drop the engine). BIG bucks!
So today, lots of phone calls.

K2
Global warming is making it much harder to forecast the weather. I've read conflicting reports on the impact of global warming on Ireland, the UK, and much of western Europe. Most studies are predicting hotter climates at least in the short term, but those studies that include the warming effect of the Atlantic Gulf Stream are seeing signs that this system is slowing down, and may break down completely. Given that the UK's latitude is the same as much of Canada, if the Gulf Stream stops washing the UK in warm waters, temperatures will drop and rainfall will decrease.
Gulf Stream Study
 
I know the gulf stream washes the West and South coasts, and a bit of North Coast. But the East coast (where I live) has an Arctic current. The reason Britain gets both cold ocean and warm ocean fish off--shore. Though in summer, for a couple of months the warm water washes up the East cosst towards where I live.
The prevailing Westerly wind here is negated by on-shore cold sea breezes during hot summer afternoons. A 5deg. C. (10deg F.) change often happens within 1 hour mid-afternoon. You can feel it when driving to the coast on a motorcycle! And see the fog rolling in...
K2
 
I know the gulf stream washes the West and South coasts, and a bit of North Coast. But the East coast (where I live) has an Arctic current. The reason Britain gets both cold ocean and warm ocean fish off--shore. Though in summer, for a couple of months the warm water washes up the East cosst towards where I live.
The prevailing Westerly wind here is negated by on-shore cold sea breezes during hot summer afternoons. A 5deg. C. (10deg F.) change often happens within 1 hour mid-afternoon. You can feel it when driving to the coast on a motorcycle! And see the fog rolling in...
K2

The coastal area of Thailand where I live experiences a similar micro-climate effect due to the ocean's thermal heat sink effect. Daily highs here in Rayong seldom go much over 35C, with 32C being much more typical; drive just 10 kilometers inland and temps will go up 4 or 5 degrees C. While it's common for central and northern Thailand to go over 40C during the summer months, the southern regions of Thailand, which are all coastal, benefit from the cooling effect of the breezes blowing over the relatively cooler ocean waters. Of course, Thailand is a tropical climate, so our temps never go below 18C.

BTW, good luck with your cars timing chain issues.
 
Here where I live I'm watching the Washburn fire about 27 miles away as it works its way through Yosemite National Park. Temp is a bit lower today at 105'F, humidity at 22%. No air conditioning, just plenty of water.

Model Engine related, just finished high-res scans of my original Morton M-5 papers in case I do something dumb to the originals. Still working on getting my vertical mill moved up to my new shop.
 
Using my lathe to make new headstock bearings for itself. Just aligned the tail stock. It’s much happier. My wife says I have to paint it.
 
It has been very hot here for a few weeks, generally relatively high humidity (perhaps 71%), and temperatures often above 100F, even in the late afternoon.

It has become a battle to keep the front yard green. I have a small front yard, but I like it green, so I water it.
My backyard is basically the Sahara Desert, but at least I don't have to mow it much.

People often comment on my videos "You should NEVER run a foundry at night ! ".
LOL, trying to run a foundry during the day around here would be fatal (a certain heat stroke).

It is hot enough standing next to an open 2,600 F furnace, but then adding multiple layers of leather, and direct sunlight, and one quickly finds out that daytime casting in the Mid-South would require some sort of cooled spacesuit.

And the direct sunlight makes it very difficult to observe whether the furnace and burner are operating correctly, and difficult to see what is happening inside of the crucible.

Opening the minivan on these hot days is an interesting experience.
I have heard that the interior of a car can reach 160F. I would suspect even higher on a really hot day.
The proceedure here is to open both side doors on the van, open the windows, and then drive down the street in an attempt to blow out the 160 F air.

You can actually drive my van with the doors open, but there is some beeping that goes on, to remind you that perhaps this is not safe.
I have seen plenty of Jeeps without doors, not to say that is safe either.

My utility bill is going up exponentially (like everything else).
What was a few years ago an average of about $175.00 per month has now topped $600.00 this month.
At this rate digging an underground bunker is beginning to look pretty attractive and perhaps necessary for economic reasons, such as solvency.
There is a reason primitive people often lived in caves; it was not so freaking hot, nor cold.

.
 
Listen to her. She sounds like a smart lady.
Well cfinity came out right on time my system is working fine. I showed what I wanted and he sai all we need is HDMI cord so he went it to truck and got one plugged it in and everything worked the laptop now displays on the much bigger TV screen I’m moving a little furniture around so I can sit in comfort and begin reading learning SW. IT DISPLAYS JUST AS I WANTED. I CAN SEE THEBICONS AND FLY OUTS MUCH BETTER . My son has an even bigger TV that I can have if I want so far I see it as a liability he has a giant one that he built a rolling stand for . We could do that but at this point it might be over kill. I need to add some treason service. Have not made up
My mind yet . He also said I get an adaptor for my iPad and iPhone . I don’t see a use for that yet but it is there if I want. This too is supposed to be a plug and play thing . So I’m just now restarting the learning experience the size disparity made learning useless I only need the lap top for its keyboard and I need a better mouse area. The lap top finger pad is uncomfortable for me at this point . I never liked it at meeting demos while I was working either. So I’m goingvto create some models from my steam engine that would have saved a lot of frustration . I’ve made some sketches of what I want so I just have to enumerate them and build an assembly model. I may go back to my boiler but the guys here have made me a bit gun shy . It’s much more complicated than it looks . I have a bunch of sub projects once I make the steamer corrections. I have to make drawing sheets but that looks like a lot of work is already done there . I haven’t opened them yet but I see some of my old work still there. Most ofvthe current modeling will be various cylindrical items with shaft collar mods incorporated I cut some balsa piece so I can make a real working model mostly just to have in hand. I have handfuls of shaft collars and couplings too. I saved and washed out a number of plastic lunch meal dishes that I use for loose parts. It’s nice to have catch all things for this I’ll have a special drill tap and die one shortly

I had to take one eccentric apart so I could accurately measure it for modeling . I used blue loc tite on the screws. It really stuck then in. . At least I won’t have loose screws causing issues like before . I have an ultra quiet air compressor that you can hardly hear run. It’s a real treat not having thunder under the table. I can get 135 psi if I want but I don’t need that now . This little engine will run on 30_40 psi just fine and the capacity is near perfect . I imagine as I load the engine I may need a little more pressure buts there if I need it the nice thing is that I don’t have to use the expensive AN fittings however brass fittings are still not cheap lately . So it’s looking better. I was happy that the oncology went well . I have a full scan coming in several months but he doc said he is not expecting any issues . I haven’t even gained any weight .

I think I’ll get to work on my new computer set up . My son just said he has an even larger Tv that he is not using I’m goingvto see if there is scroll around thing available that would be good as I would not have to move furniture around that I like right where it is
 
The reports of temperatures are interesting, comparing degrees C and F makes it more so. I'm in Wisconsin, USA, where we get cold winters (can be minus 40 on rare occasions) and summer can get over 100F (38C) and we have reached that a time or two this summer. If you can consider 23C (74F) to be hot, I am envious.
 

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