Posted By RichC on December 15, 2007
As a filler for a missed Saturday post, I’ll include a tech oriented “just for fun” OfficeMax sponsored ScroogeYourself.com site.
If you have a face photo of someone (my son was my trial subject) you can create a short dancing Scrooge video to share with friends and family by email around the Christmas holiday.
Check this link out. Cute huh?
😀
Posted By RichC on December 14, 2007
I’ve spend the last several years on and ‘more’ off building parts for my ‘scratch’ built Sonex experimental airplane. (note masthead)
Recently a retired friend is lending a hand and is encouraging me to move a bit more aggressively on my project. (thanks John) His experience has been really appreciated, as has the influx of ‘hobby’ dollars due the the sale of my VW TDI a couple months ago. The funds has given me a little extra capital needed to make the move on a few expensive parts: Aerovee engine (two different ones actually), prop, powder coated pre-welded engine mount and hopefully leftover for a Stratomaster Ultra Horizon XL, radio and transponder? Parts are coming together after finally biting the bullet and riveting the wings closed (lots of rivets). Amazingly, when all the aluminum parts were put together this thing starts to look ‘kind of like’ an airplane.
🙂
I was really please to see that when wing spars slide into the fuselage that only a single thin shim was need. The leveling process went far better than I expected and although I have the same wing leading edge rib bump as most other builders, I think I’ll be pleased with Nuvite polished aluminum instead of paint; we’ll see?
The tail assembly has come together well, although I did sort of fit those pieces before. Next is to work on the fiberglass tail and horizontal stabilizer tips …
… along with the aluminum gap pieces. (trial and error hand fitted) Who knows, 2008 looks to be shaping up to be an interesting year. I might even be able to at least ‘static’ display something for our EAA chapter 284 Pancake breakfast and Taildragger Fly-In?
Posted By RichC on December 13, 2007
It’s “w00t” … spelled with two zeros. Followed by facebook, conundrum and quixotic according to Merriam-Webster.
Posted By RichC on December 12, 2007
Last week my office inkjet printer and fax died, or so I thought. It was a multi-function unit that tripled as an inkjet printer, fax and scanner — Canon MultiPASS MP730. I spent a few hours cleaning, Googling for tips on how to fix it and eventually ordered a $50+ printhead. I also called a local-ish Canon repair facility but they wanted $75 to look at it. After realizing the downtime, the drive or shipping that I was going to entail and the fact that it was no longer a new model, I decided to look at new simpler products.
Canon, after realizing I was disappointed in their tech support, offered me a voucher to purchase a new machine with free shipping … so I did. This time I bought a one purpose stand alone fax machine that would replace the all-in-one machine.
Fast forward a couple days: The part, that was not available locally, arrived (printhead) as did the new discounted Canon Fax JX200. Since my old machine was still on the desk, I popped in the new part and voilà … the old fax worked fine. Hmm.
So I’m stuck with a new still in box discounted Canon JX200 fax machine … unopened. Any interest …. make an offer before I put it on Ebay or try to return it.
Overview
Advanced Inkjet Print Engine, Plain Paper Convenience.
Fax important documents. Place a call. Copy a report. Now, one machine can simplify your everyday office tasks. Its Automatic Document Feeder holds up to 20 letter-sized pages, and it’s capable of transmitting one page in approx. 6 seconds—reducing your wait time and your phone bill. If you’re out of paper or your line is busy, it can hold up to 60 pages1 in fax memory. Its inkjet print engine produces bold, clear text and graphics, and Ultra-High Quality (UHQ) image processing helps to make your faxes clean and crisp.
Posted By RichC on December 11, 2007
Although the 2:15 PM Federal Reserve Funds Rate and Discount Rate was exactly what most financial gurus expected — cut .25 point — the markets were hoping for more aggressive action in order to protect the banking industry and U.S. economy. Many believed that a .50 point cut was necessary, although the governors decided 9 to 1 to go with the .25 point cut. Markets reacted coming off of intra-day highs and quickly sold off. DJIA closed at 13,432.60 down 295 points.
Posted By RichC on December 10, 2007
Interesting: A partnership between Volkswagen and Chrysler for at least one product looks to already be happening — it has people wondering what could be next?
Chrysler, VW Getting Closer?
VW talking up more N.A. production
The ink is hardly dry on the Chrysler-Daimler divorce papers, but already, another German carmaker could be waiting in the wings for the American carmaker.David Cole, chairman of the Center For Automotive Research, said competition is forcing automakers to consider options they might not have contemplated only twelve months ago.
“There is going to be another round of mergers in the auto industry and the one company that matches up well with Volkswagen is Chrysler,” he noted.
Volkswagen already has a joint project with Chrysler to develop a new minivan, which will be assembled by Chrysler in the next couple of years and will be sold in the U.S.
See entire article at CarConnection.com.
Posted By RichC on December 9, 2007
As a hobbyist woodworker, I enjoy watching the New Yankee Workshop occasionally. I happened to catch an episode (a two part series) that offered tips for using a table saw. Although I appreciated all of Norm’s tips, there were a couple helpful ‘homemade’ jigs that I wanted to archive and build in the future. As someone who has used a table saw for quite a few year, I’ve have made several similar versions before, but never have taken the time to make them of ‘tool quality.’ These look a bit better than the ones I’ve made.
The first clip above is a fence extender for cutting rabbets and the second a panel cutting sled or slide.
Posted By RichC on December 9, 2007
Base-jumping with a Wingsuit? Gulp … wack me upside the head if I’m ever this crazy.
Posted By RichC on December 8, 2007
Although I’m not fond of French politics or the occasionally noted attitude toward Americans, I do acknowledge that some of their seafaring citizens have figure out how to get the most from the wind. Check out the impressive hydrofoil multi-hulled sailboat video below as it tows a couple of wakeboarders!
On a side note, my friend Ben Eriksen who keeps a Nor’Sea Liveaboard blog on the east coast posted his latest chilling sail (motor) video to YouTube while moving to a new winter home at Maciel Marine in Vineyard Haven. Here’s hoping for a short ‘mild’ winter and that Santa brings him a pair of warm longjohns!
🙂
Posted By RichC on December 7, 2007
Fellow experimental airplane Sonex builder Bob Abbaticchio of Florida had just installed some new instruments and returned from testing the gear on Thursday, when he came in too low at the New Smyrna Beach airport (KEVB). According to Bob, an experienced airman and former Air Force pilot, he lined up to land on Runway 2 and said “I did not realize that I was landing on a runway with 1000 ft, displaced theshold,” the marking of which he says are barely visible. The long displaced threshold is because of the large tree at the end of the runway.
Bob Abbaticchio eventually realized that he would clip the large oak branches and attempted to pull up and add power as he caught the top of the tree. He fortunately was able to level the wings and bring the plane down hard on the grass, but the impact tore off the landing gear and damaged his prop. As Bob said, “At least I came in flat or I would have cartwheeled into the trees.”
On another topic … let’s remember our ‘greatest generation’ WWII veterans and the event that triggered entry into the war back on December 7th, 1941 sixty-six years ago. (see 2006 and 2005 posts)