Tracks in Ronstan RF666 Traveler

Posted on May 24, 2018 by patclem
Working on the Thistle, the main traveler car sheaves were sun rotted. One was missing along with the pin entirely. First I had to make a pin. I found a 1/4" sheave pin and used the South Bend lathe and a collet chuck to cut a groove for the E-ring. Next I had to order new sheaves and install. The untested sheave is a RF1741 19mm acetal. I haven't tested it yet. I'm going to have to re-rig the line path due to the transom reinforcements installed by a previous owner. Battens arrived Keep reading [...]
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Thistle Dinghy

Posted on May 10, 2018 by patclem
Sometimes I cruise Craigslist and find interesting things for a price I can afford.  I research them. If it's interesting enough I just might buy it.  Well, that's what happened with a Thistle dinghy sailboat. Sometimes a bargain isn't as good a bargain as it might seem. First, I'm writing this with a boat that's only been on the trailer so far for me.  I looked it over generally, and things seemed right.  The guy I bought it from didn't seem to know much about the boat so I figured all Keep reading [...]
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Jetty

Posted on May 10, 2018 by patclem
When you've had the company of a pet for 15 years, it gets hard to remember the time when they first come into our lives.  This is the story of our Jetty.  I remember there were three stray cats in the backyard of our new (old) house when we moved.  I didn't think much of cats.  There was Momma Cat, Brave Heart and Scaredy Cat.  The previous owners had been feeding them regulary so they were normal outside visitors.  When we showed up, they taught our Holly (our dog) valuable lessons, such Keep reading [...]
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Holly – the first of them all

Posted on December 1, 2015 by patclem
I've written several pet obituaries over the years, and when doing so I could never imagine what I could write to express how special Holly was to me. Tonight I came home from work, lights were out, not uncommon. Izzie was excited as usual. Holly was asleep in her usual spot, but tonight she didn't wake up. In early fall of 1998, Donna and I, settled in a new house, having those nurturing feelings, decided it was time to get a dog. At the Nashville Humane Association, we found a cage full of fluffy Keep reading [...]
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Buffalo #21 Camel Back Drill Press

Posted on July 2, 2015 by patclem
My tool addiction is getting ahead of me.  With my life in flux, what I really need is a 1200lb drill press that's too tall to fit in my current garage.  But for $200 I couldn't pass on this rare special piece of Americana. It's not home yet.  Actually it's going to a buddy's barn until I get settled. Known problems - missing V belt, stuck back gear lever, crack in cast cover, missing gear teeth. The whole thing needs to be disassembled, cleaned, paint removed and reassembled. Why did I buy Keep reading [...]
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Night Owl DVR / iPhone LIte client Installation notes / troubleshooting

Posted on March 23, 2015 by patclem
So, I bought a Night Owl camera / DVR system and got it installed this weekend. No, you can't get near my house without being recorded, and backed up remotely. It's a Night Owl Security L-85-8511, http://amzn.com/B00H7OEK1M. I had a lot of trouble getting the Night Owl Lite software to access my box remotely. I'm not sure what the exact cause is, but here are the steps that appear to have made it rock solid. If you're not technical, you might not be able to understand what any of this means. Keep reading [...]
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1977 Ford F150 4×4 Audio Dilemma

Posted on December 16, 2014 by patclem
So back in the summer, I bought a 1977 Ford F150 XLT truck. It has a 4" lift kit, big tires, big engine. I always wanted one in highschool so I guess that was part of my midlife crisis. Anyhow, so the truck has almost zero rust, and of course I'm chasing mechanical issues constantly. The interior is in great shape for an almost 40 year old truck. But, someone chopped up a big hole in the dash and installed a Pioneer DIN style rectangular stereo system in it, while everything else is original. Keep reading [...]
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Rural State Senator Derails Funding for Urban Alternative Transportation Project – The AMP

Posted on February 15, 2014 by patclem
I met State Senator Jim Tracy, Chairman of the Transportation Committee, at the Fiddlers Jamboree in Smithville several years ago.  He was campaigning the crowd.  Of course I struck up a conversation with him about alternative transportation (bike/ped) and we started having a very good interaction.  He finally asked where I was from.  When I told him Nashville, he was almost rudely dismissive with me.  That tells me either he didn't want to waste his handshaking time, or he's just not interested Keep reading [...]
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Beloved Buggy

Posted on November 20, 2013 by patclem
September 1999 - November 20, 2013 I remember the first time I laid eyes on her.   Donna and I had caught Jetty as a stray kitten and we thought he needed some company when we traveled.  A friend of Donna's knew a guy Tom, who was renting an apartment and was moving.  He had three "teenage"  cats that he couldn't take so we decided to go pick one out.  I've never really liked scaredy cats - a stranger comes in and they run like some kind of demon has entered the house.   Honestly I never Keep reading [...]
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How to, not to paint a Nutcase helmet

Posted on July 2, 2013 by patclem
So I got on a kick to get a Nutcase helmet and paint a graphic on it. Since there's nothing on the Internet about how to paint one, I thought I'd share my experience. I'll first share a little about Nutcase bike helmets. They have an awesome adjustment system for the head strap - big knob that adjusts firmly. The magnetic buckle can easily be operated one-handed, if you ever need to buckle your helmet one-handed? The outer coating claims 360 degree visibility at night - a reflective coating? Keep reading [...]
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