Harmonica Improv in C minor

A Quick Lesson in Making Biodiesel

Wear eye protection and rubber gloves when you do this.

"Trucks" Episode: Making Biodiesel

The great thing is that you DON'T have to buy one of those expensive processors, because if you're a reasonably intelligent do-it-yourselfer, it's no big deal to build your own processor for just a few bucks.

R/C airplane video over ham radio

1911 pistol assembly animation

Just something cool and educational that I found.

Top Ten Reasons the 2-71 Detroit Diesel makes the Best Homestead Generator

1. Nobody is gonna steal it; it weighs over a ton!

2. Simple design, easy to work on.

3. Built-in shutoff system for overheating, low oil pressure, etc.

4. Proven to run 24/7 for years with only monthly oil and filter changes.

5.Can be rebuilt in an hour or two, if you live long enough to wear one out!

6. All parts are available, and probably will be for the foreseeable future.

7. No expensive high-pressure injection pump.

8. Pump and injector design well-suited for running on unprocessed WVO (waste vegetable oil), as well as its own recycled lube oil.

9. Lots of them are available right now, because the railroads and telcos are replacing them.

10. Has enough power to run big welders, air compressors and other shop equipment, not to mention air conditioners for those hot summers (and soon, winters if you believe Al Gore!).

Spud Cannon!

Free eBook download: The Man-Eaters of Tsavo and Other East African Adventures

In 1898, during the building of the Kenya-Uganda Railway, during the construction of a railway bridge over the Tsavo River in Kenya, 135 Indian railway workers were killed by two lions, which dragged men from their tents at night and devoured them. Although the workers built thorn fences around their camp to keep the lions out, still the maneaters continued to break through and continue the attacks. The leader of the work party, a Lt. Col. John Henry Patterson, set traps and spent many sleepless nights waiting with his rifle, in hopes of stopping the pair. Finally, after many months he was able to kill one of the lions. Three weeks later, he killed the other one.

In 1907, Patterson published this book about his experiences. Two movies, "Bwana Devil" in 1952 and "The Ghost and the Darkness" in 1996, have been produced based on the book.

The entire book is presented here in plain text format;
it may be read online or copied and pasted into any
text program.

Free eBook download: Wild Beasts and their Ways

Wild Beasts and their Ways

Reminiscences of Europe, Asia, Africa and America


by Sir Samuel W. Baker

Originally published in 1890.

Baker travelled worldwide, hunting large and dangerous game.
He was an authority on
rifles and their use on dangerous game, and in this book
he gives us the benefit of his experience.
Early in the book is a description of an attack by a tiger;
a subject that is on the minds of quite a few
people this week.

The entire book is presented here in plain text format;
it may be read online or copied and pasted into any
text program.

Jeep XJ Cherokee Torture Test

These guys are IDIOTS, but it does show how much abuse those things will take. I'm sure the only reason it wouldn't start at the end, is they punctured the radiator and then continued trying to kill it until it overheated to the point that it wouldn't run. Even so, 500 bucks would make it reliably driveable again, albeit ugly.
Allow me to point out that older Jeep designs are even more rugged. The newer designs don't measure up, though. I'm talking about the Liberty and the latest Grand Cherokees, both of which have IFS (independent front suspension), which does NOT belong on a Jeep. It's why JP, the Jeep enthusiast's magazine, won't write articles about them; and I applaud that decision. The Wrangler is the only real Jeep made anymore, and even it has a minivan engine in it instead of the grand old, nearly indestructible inline 6.
XJ Cherokees are dirt cheap, too. They are one of the great deals in 4x4s.

Camel Trophy 1991: Siberia

I remember reading about the Camel Trophy every year in Four Wheeler Magazine, through the '80s and '90s. This was my favorite form of off-roading. Still is, in fact.
I remember reading about this particular Camel Trophy, in fact. Coordinators were flying over the course, arguing: "Nyet, there is no road there" "Da, da, is road". I also remember reading about the part where they are reading the instructions to stay to the right until the rapids, then move to the left because the water on the right is up to 7 feet deep. The medical chase vehicle (another Land Rover) got stuck and was trying to float away. That particular day was spent driving in the river because there was no road.
I loved reading this stuff, and experiencing it vicariously!
I had (and have) old Jeeps, and used them for similar but shorter trips close to home.

TSO Wizards In Winter

Trans Siberian Orchestra 2006

2-71 Detroit Diesel "Eveready Bunny" generator

I haven't done much to it yet. I added a muffler (still pretty loud), AND I discovered that the voltage was quite high, because it was running at 1800 rpm (90 Hz) instead of 1200! Here it is running at 51 Hz or just over 1000 rpm and 119 volts phase-neutral, into a ~1500 watt load. I probably need to adjust the voltage down to keep it under 130V at 1200 rpm/60 Hz, and let the phase-phase voltage be whatever it is. Anywhere from 208-260 would be fine.
I was happy to find that the overvoltage problem was caused by an overspeed condition; that's easier to fix than a problem in the field control circuit, which is what I initially suspected. 1800 rpm is not enough to hurt the engine; in fact that is a more common running speed for a 2-71 than 1200.
These railroad sets were actually two-speed switchable via a solenoid. They were used on reefer cars; the 1200 rpm position gave rapid cooling and standard 60 cycle electrical power, and they could be switched to 800 rpm for times when demand was lower. This gave 40 cycle power, which simply slowed the 3-phase motors that powered the refrigeration compressors.
I have some ideas for using it in the 40-cycle setting, for reduced noise and fuel consumption.
I plan to run it on waste vegetable oil, at least during the hot summer months.

Spartan travel trailer floor plan

The Spartanette was an economy trailer compared to the Imperial Mansion; it was cheaper to produce because it eliminated the compound curves. However, this is the same floor plan as the Imperial Mansion I'm looking at, just for the sake of illustration.
If I get it, I may change the floor plan to wit: relocate the kitchen to the end where the living room is currently, and place the living room in the center. The bathroom and bedroom would remain where they are currently.




RV Secrets: What they don't tell you!

Spartan trailer

I have found one of these. It is a Spartan Imperial Mansion, made in the '50s by Spartan Aircraft Company. Spartans are similar to Airstreams, but the typical Spartan is larger and more deluxe than the typical Airstream. The one I found is 42' long, and I initially thought it was a house trailer instead of a travel trailer; but upon further research I found that it is indeed a travel trailer: 8 feet wide and 42 feet long, which falls within travel trailer size limitations in all the states I checked (generally 8.5' wide x 45' long, max.), and it uses standard truck tires rather than the 14.5" rim temporary tires that house trailers use.
This is a big selling point with me. Had it been a house trailer I would have still found it interesting, but unworkable; because my intention (if I buy it) is to work on it at home and then, when it's ready, tow it to Terlingua and set it up on my land there. No way am I paying the fees associated with towing a house trailer that far, even if the house trailer were free.
On the negative side, it is going to need some work, because most of the windows have been broken and, though the factory wall paneling is in pretty good condition, the floor is a little soft. So I will have to replace the broken glass and put new plywood on the floor. I will probably just paint the plywood and use rugs.
On the positive side, because it needs work, it won't bring the big bucks that nice ones bring. Also, it HAS to go; and I was told that the price will strongly reflect that fact.
Hopefully, I will have updates soon.

The late, great Milton Friedman

An excellent discourse on limited government. Almost 30 minutes long, but worth every minute.

Affair With Gravity: Forever Starts Today

Kate does it again! I tellya, I'm surprised I'm not seeing her on TV yet. Not that I watch much TV; she may be on and I just don't know it.

Victor, the singing Mexican

Ron Paul on Healthcare

Desert Autonomous Zone

In 15 square miles of abandoned land, about 400 misfits—aging hippies, disillusioned veterans, teenage runaways—have built a community where no one cares if you smoke pot, fire your rifle all day, let your kids drive your car, or walk around naked in the desert heat. It's a landscape of beat-up old trailers, shacks jerry-rigged from recycled materials, solar panels, little farms, greenhouses, and at least one tipi. "Where I live is the last remaining land of America that is left," says Dreadie Jeff, a Mesa resident.
The local culture defies easy stereotypes. "Going into this community with this traditional mainstream liberal ideology," Jeremy says, "we realized all our preconceived notions were bull$t. These people were extremely into their Second Amendment rights, and they were also into marijuana legalization. They don't fit into these molds." There's a touch of madness to the place as well. Mama Phyllis, a Mesa woman who used to be a psychiatric nurse ("I couldn't do that anymore," she says, and leaves it at that), calls it "the largest outdoor insane asylum." The governing philosophy is a mix of anarchism, patriotism, New Age stoner wisdom, and a militia-style distrust of the state.

Read the article

Media Coverage of Mall Shooting Fails to Reveal Mall's Gun-Free-Zone Status

Despite the lack of news coverage, people are beginning to notice what research has shown for years: Multiple-victim public shootings keep occurring in places where guns already are banned. Forty states have broad right-to-carry laws, but even within these states it is the "gun-free zones," not other public places, where the attacks happen.
People know the list: Virginia Tech saw 32 murdered earlier this year; the Columbine High School shooting left 13 murdered in 1999; Luby's Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas, had 23 who were fatally shot by a deranged man in 1991; and a McDonald's in Southern California had 21 people shot dead by an unemployed security guard in 1984.
All these attacks — indeed, all attacks involving more than a small number of people being killed — happened in gun-free zones.
In recent years, similar attacks have occurred across the world, including in Australia, France, Germany and Britain. Do all these countries lack enough gun-control laws? Hardly. The reverse is more accurate.
Complete article

Media Coverage of Mall Shooting Fails to Reveal Mall's Gun-Free-Zone Status

Despite the lack of news coverage, people are beginning to notice what research has shown for years: Multiple-victim public shootings keep occurring in places where guns already are banned. Forty states have broad right-to-carry laws, but even within these states it is the "gun-free zones," not other public places, where the attacks happen.

People know the list: Virginia Tech saw 32 murdered earlier this year; the Columbine High School shooting left 13 murdered in 1999; Luby's Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas, had 23 who were fatally shot by a deranged man in 1991; and a McDonald's in Southern California had 21 people shot dead by an unemployed security guard in 1984.

All these attacks — indeed, all attacks involving more than a small number of people being killed — happened in gun-free zones.

In recent years, similar attacks have occurred across the world, including in Australia, France, Germany and Britain. Do all these countries lack enough gun-control laws? Hardly. The reverse is more accurate.

Complete article

Tim Anderson on sharpening knives

Making a sharpening-stone pendant

Tim Anderson is a true possum, no doubt about it.

Travels on a Vespa

I've been reading a couple of blogs by Shreve Stockton, a 30 year old woman who rode her Vespa motorscooter from San Francisco back home to New York City. This is the blog of that trip:

Vespa Vagabond

Upon arriving in NYC, Shreve realized that she had fallen irretrievably in love with Wyoming, so she backtracked and settled there in a one-room log cabin where she lives with a cat and a baby coyote, Charlie. Charlie is the focus of her second blog,

The Daily Coyote

Both blogs are worth checking out.

Shreve is also the author of a book about a gluten-free diet, linked here:

10 hp air-cooled diesel engine

Remember the video I posted [here] awhile back, of the diesel-engined bike cruising around the streets?
I said then that I was gonna have to build one. Well, I got an engine for it. It's a start.
Here it is, running. This is the most common engine used in homebuilt diesel bikes, and they get well over 100 mpg; sometimes approaching 200 mpg. Run it on homebrew biodiesel and you have some serious possum-living transportation.

German diesel bike video

This (video link) looks like a BMW based chopper. It has a Punsun air cooled V-twin diesel engine in it. These engines are rated 22 hp and make an excellent bike engine. Too bad we can't get them here.

alter Einzylinder-Trecker

Translation: Old one-cylinder tractor

Moebius Transformations Revealed

Cool science!