DIY and Hobby projects, small to big. Pictures of course

Rebuilding a two barrel Weber carburetor for a 1974 Ford 2.3 liter engine.

Imgur

Imgur

Using the ol’ Isopropyl Alcohol and Mountain Dew method, I see…

That is impressive, and (unlike most of my car work) even looks like fun!

I’ve discovered that cleaning a carb is a bit challenging. This thing was really dirty. I started by scrubbing it with carb & choke cleaner outdoors - that got most of the crud off. As I reassemble everything (indoors), I’ve been using alcohol as a “light” cleaner because it doesn’t stink. Have also been removing caked-on carbon using a wire brush on a Dremel.

One thing I’m not sure about: each butterfly valve was held to its shaft using a couple screws. The end of each screw (opposite the head) looks like was originally hit with a hammer and punch in order to widen it; that way, the screw would not back out. When I removed the screws it sorta “fixed” them. So I am not sure what to do. Should I use thread locking compound on the screw threads when I reassemble them?

Have you seen this?

Check post 24 in this thread, it has before and after pics of the sink. The new big sink is very nice.

We decided we’re going to do the kitchen update this spring after we’re downstream of tax season. I’ll either take everyone along for the ride in this thread or start a new dedicared thread (@What_Exit would that be too blog-like and frowned upon by TPTB?)

I’m excited about doing this project. The new appliances and hiring an electrician for the power upgrades will be the most expensive parts. Everything else is just makeup.

I think that would be fine in MPSIMS.

I’ll ask one of the MPSIMS mods to say Yes or No.
@engineer_comp_geek
@loach
@Puzzlegal
@AspenGlow

Is there any reason not to? Assuming you don’t glop it on with reckless abandon there shouldn’t be much extra that is in danger of coming off the screws and getting sucked into the engine. Use an exceedingly small brush – no bigger than a toothpick – with a small bit of threadlocker on it to put a thin film of it on the screw. Some threadlockers soften with heat so if there’s a heat resistant version thats what I’d use. Even if a bit of the threadlocker did come off and get sucked in that’s probably better than having a screw rattle out and getting pulled into a cylinder.

I look forward to seeing it. :slight_smile:

Yeah, sounds like a fun thread, and will probably attract plenty of interaction. I’m happy to see it in MPSIMS.

I started a quest to rehabilitate the dozen or so pairs of speakers I have. Refoaming drivers, repairing or replacing crossover networks or componants. Got to get my World of Sound back up to its former glory.

You are a better Man than me. My Webers mock me. But I got a cool sticker with the expensive parts I bought.

I had a hobby of woodworking back when I lived in an area where I could afford a house with a garage. I loved that shit. I made this bench. It was the only big piece I brought with me out west. We now use it as a computer desk that gets used and abused by my son who can break an anvil with a rubber ball. But one day it’ll serve as it should again. I was really particular about the wood I used for this, it took me a long time to acquire the kiln dried hard maple with minimal blemishes on at least one side. Bought a shit ton of ash to get enough decent wood for the bottom shelf. The walnut pieces came from a tree my granddad had milled over 70 years ago when he decided he wanted to build a grandfather clock but never did. Planed the top with my great-grandfather’s Bailey jointer plane.

Even though I love my current job, I can’t wait to get back to this hobby.

That is a thing of beauty.

Wow! :heart_eyes:

That’s gorgeous.

ehh… too much trouble to try to add a video

Finally done! My friend sent me a bunch of cross-stitch supplies a while back, so I was inspired to make a gift for her using only what she’d sent.

There were so many shades of green, I immediately decided a nature scene would be most suitable:

I love cross-stitch! Back in the late 70s, we were basically drawing with pixels… before we knew what pixels were!

I do not have the patience for cross-stitch. Not the making of but how long it takes. Beautiful but not for those addicted to instant gratification.

The trick is to break it down into tiny gratifications (“Hey, I got that one flower done today! All right! Now I get a drink…”)

I don’t do cross stitch any more, but I do very detailed art. Some pieces take weeks, but each square inch of it can be… gratifying.

My wife bought me a custom 8 x 5 x 2 cover for the wood stack for my Christmas present. I built a frame for it today.

There’s a second picture showing the cover on.

Since she bought it 24 inches deep, and firewood it 16 inches long, I put interior uprights to keep the wood in so I don’t have to be crafty with my stacking. May as well put ‘floor’ pipes too. The top? Well, rather than buy a bag of tees, and given that the joints came eight to a bag, why not put pipes on top too and use the joints I already bought? Besides, it will help keep the top from sagging.

Now I have to chop some wood to put in it.