Author Topic: Winter Blues ...  (Read 17022 times)

Offline Darren

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Winter Blues ...
« on: February 23, 2010, 01:44:25 PM »
Oh I do wish it would hurry up and warm up a bit .... this time last year the weather was unusually warm, enough for T-shirts only in the sun (remember all the claims and constant hammering about global warming issues around the same time?)

What's it doing right now, heavy snow and freezing temps  :(
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Offline spuddevans

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2010, 02:27:38 PM »
What's it doing right now, heavy snow and freezing temps  :(

Global cooling????  :scratch: :lol:


Tim
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Offline Trion

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #2 on: February 23, 2010, 02:28:57 PM »
We had up to 10 degrees celsius last year at this time. Plus degrees that is.
When I left the shop today the outside thermometer showed -12. It is the longest winter since the fifties :bugeye:

Offline Darren

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #3 on: February 23, 2010, 02:32:59 PM »
We had up to 10 degrees celsius last year at this time. Plus degrees that is.
When I left the shop today the outside thermometer showed -12. It is the longest winter since the fifties :bugeye:

Oh make me feel like a wuz why don't you. It's about 0C around here and I'm complaining  ::)
-12 and I have no idea what I'd be up to ....

Last year about now was around 15C during the day, the sun was positively very warm
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Offline Darren

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #4 on: February 23, 2010, 02:36:34 PM »
Edit, it's 2C right now and snowing heavily.

Too bloomin cold by alf.
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Offline John Hill

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #5 on: February 23, 2010, 03:43:04 PM »
Edit, it's 2C right now and snowing heavily.



Awwwwwwh, that sounds so nice!  You will be able to get out soon and take pictures for next years Christmas cards! :lol:
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Offline John Hill

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #6 on: February 23, 2010, 03:44:14 PM »
Scheesh it was hot last night!  It took all our skills with windows and sun shades to keep the in-house temperatures below 24C. :coffee:
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Offline Darren

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #7 on: February 23, 2010, 03:50:05 PM »
I feel for you John, I really feel for you ....

Do they bang on about global warming there too  :scratch:
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Offline Bernd

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #8 on: February 23, 2010, 04:01:20 PM »
Some were around the low 30's ( 0 C) here, New York. There calling for colder and more snow this weekend.

That's OK still have many indoor projects to do. But a nice day outside at about 50 F ( 10 C ) would be highly appreciated.

Bernd
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Offline tinkerer

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #9 on: February 23, 2010, 04:19:58 PM »
I hate winter, although I know it is necessary. We have only had about four nights this year we did not dip below freezing, the lowest being 9 deg F. Not a normal winter for Georgia. We have had snows of 1", 2" & 3" with a wet snow predicted for the morning commute. I guess it is better than the ice storms that take down trees and power lines we get an average of once per winter.
Tink

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Offline John Hill

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #10 on: February 23, 2010, 04:37:44 PM »
I feel for you John, I really feel for you ....

Do they bang on about global warming there too  :scratch:

They do indeed Darren leading to considering a  phart tax on cows and other interesting things.  A couple of our readily accessable glaciers are receeding, some a few kilometres in recent times.
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Offline andyf

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #11 on: February 23, 2010, 04:52:48 PM »


Oh I do wish it would hurry up and warm up a bit .... this time last year the weather was unusually warm, enough for T-shirts only in the sun (remember all the claims and constant hammering about global warming issues around the same time?)

What's it doing right now, heavy snow and freezing temps.

Damn! I'm not that far away from you, downwind. 

Last year about now was around 15C during the day, the sun was positively very warm

Yes, but it seemed to stay around that temperature all through last spring and summer  :(

Andy
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Offline Bluechip

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #12 on: February 23, 2010, 04:57:16 PM »

Folks ...

Stop thinking of it as 2 deg C ...

Be positive ....

It's really 275K    :beer:  and swimming cozzies ..

There you are,  nice and balmy now eh?

Dave BC
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Offline Divided he ad

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #13 on: February 23, 2010, 07:33:08 PM »
Snow here too chief.... 2 inches this evening. Had to walk to the pub and back!  ::)


Can't drive my car at all in this  :(



Hopefully a sign of a good summer to come????





Ralph.
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Offline AdeV

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #14 on: February 23, 2010, 10:30:12 PM »
Due to a massive balls-up, I am able to state that: Between 8pm and 11pm, it was raining south-west of Birmingham, and snowing North of it. However, by 3am, all of the snow and almost all of the rain has stopped.



Don't ask me how I know this...
Cheers!
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Offline ksouers

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #15 on: February 27, 2010, 05:33:25 PM »
Snow here too chief.... 2 inches this evening. Had to walk to the pub and back!  ::)
Ralph.

Ralph,
You were actually able to walk back from the pub?

You obviously didn't stay long enough!   :)
Kevin

Offline Dale

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #16 on: February 27, 2010, 06:21:52 PM »
Winter has got to be the longest season of the year. I heard on the radio that because of the angle of the sun this time of the year,snow is melting at 28F.Well maybe on the edge of the highways. :). I think, at the current rate the two feet of misery we have will last for awhile. Maybe march will be better Ha!                         

Offline Darren

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #17 on: February 27, 2010, 06:37:07 PM »
Today felt positively warm here  :)
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Offline Stilldrillin

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #18 on: February 28, 2010, 06:44:13 AM »
Today felt positively warm here  :)

Not positively warm enough for me to do any shop work.  ::)

And today, the winds perrishin`....... Getting rather fed up with it all......  :(

David D
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Offline wheeltapper

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #19 on: February 28, 2010, 08:25:29 AM »
My garage/workshop has been below zero since mid December I think  :(

by the time I get back out there I will have forgotten how to do anything. :doh:

Roy
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Offline Stilldrillin

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #20 on: February 28, 2010, 08:33:23 AM »
I spent a couple of hours out there last Saturday......

http://modelsteam.myfreeforum.org/about26852.html

Took me all of Sunday to warm up again, properly.......  ::)

David D
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Offline Darren

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #21 on: February 28, 2010, 10:34:59 AM »
Crikey it's lovely here, been in the scrappies all afternoon taking a back axle of a car and a few other bits.

No coat needed  :D

It's amaizing what just a few miles apart makes
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Offline wheeltapper

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #22 on: February 28, 2010, 12:08:03 PM »
You can go off people you know   :) :) :)

it could be worse I suppose, I could be in Scotland.

cheers
Roy

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Offline Divided he ad

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #23 on: February 28, 2010, 06:03:22 PM »
Quote
Ralph,
You were actually able to walk back from the pub?

You obviously didn't stay long enough!    :)


 :lol:  It was easy.... I don't drink (alcohol that is) haven't for 17 years  :thumbup:  It was for a pool match  :thumbup:






Ralph.
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Offline Stilldrillin

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #24 on: March 01, 2010, 12:38:23 PM »
Managed some productive shop time today! 15dgrs in there!  :thumbup:

It would have been even more productive, if I hadn`t changed design half way through......

David D
« Last Edit: March 01, 2010, 12:44:16 PM by Stilldrillin »
David.

Still drilling holes... Sometimes, in the right place!

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Offline John Hill

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #25 on: March 01, 2010, 02:23:47 PM »
I went down to the 'shop wearing nothing but my undies but I did pull on a pair of overies and put my boots on.  Made a few chips, because I could.  Then did a bit of a clean and lube of my toys by which time it was late afternoon so I shucked off the shop clobber and went upstairs again for a bit of a snooze with the sun pouring in the windows.

Life is tough in the antipodes! :lol:
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Offline Stilldrillin

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #26 on: March 01, 2010, 03:42:44 PM »
Life is tough in the antipodes! :lol:


There`s no quick reply to that one John.......

David D
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Offline Artie

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #27 on: March 01, 2010, 03:55:03 PM »
but.... the sun IS setting on the antipodes.... its now March and Autumn is upon us..... I swear the temp has dropped a full 1 degree c over the last few days..... around 26 here on most days now...positively chilly.....  :beer:
South Wales, wait...NEW South Wales... Batemans Bay.

Offline Bluechip

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #28 on: March 01, 2010, 03:59:01 PM »
Life is tough in the antipodes! :lol:


There`s no quick reply to that one John.......

David D



If he's hopping about in his underfrillies, think how much tougher it is for his neighbours !

Dave BC
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Offline John Hill

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #29 on: March 01, 2010, 05:51:44 PM »
but.... the sun IS setting on the antipodes.... its now March and Autumn is upon us..... I swear the temp has dropped a full 1 degree c over the last few days..... around 26 here on most days now...positively chilly.....  :beer:

That is so true Artie, winter will be here before we know it and I do hope this year it comes at a convenient time, last year it was on a Saturday if I recall correctly.
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Offline jugs

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #30 on: March 01, 2010, 07:48:36 PM »
Snow here too chief.... 2 inches this evening. Had to walk to the pub and back!  ::)


Can't drive my car at all in this  :(

Ralph.

What you need is one of these -
http://www.flixxy.com/snow-vehicle-concept.htm

Offline CrewCab

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #31 on: March 02, 2010, 07:22:41 AM »
What you need is one of these -

That's cool  :thumbup:

Offline DMIOM

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Snow tractor - steering?
« Reply #32 on: March 02, 2010, 07:28:44 AM »
What you need is one of these -
http://www.flixxy.com/snow-vehicle-concept.htm

Thanks for that -

Have just watched that through, and although there area few frames on the subject, where the driver points out an action rod on the side of the transmission, I wasn't certain how the steering operated. The two (roller? cylinders? torpedoes?) obviously remain roughly co-axial with the engine, and they weren't using independent/fiddle brakes that I could see, so was it a variable-ratio gearbox? or was it a selective de-clutch of one side?

Dave

Offline AdeV

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #33 on: March 02, 2010, 07:44:50 AM »
I would hope that it's a variable ratio 'box - if it was down to declutching, the steering would be a mite unpredictable I think...

It could be run by hydraulics? That would allow variable power splitting relatively easily?
Cheers!
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Offline andyf

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #34 on: March 02, 2010, 07:50:24 AM »
I was wondering about that, too. I couldn't see (apart from a couple of chains at the back) how drive got to each roller, but maybe there was a differential in there somewhere, with one output or the other being braked by the steering wheel, whereupon the other side would speed up. But then the thing would try to pull itself sideways, because the contra-rotating rollers would no longer cancel each other out....

Nice way to knurl snow, though.  

Andy
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Offline Raggle

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #35 on: March 02, 2010, 08:49:06 AM »
I want one!

Too many questions in my head now. Looks like it would be good on dunes too. The track imprint looked like the one a sidewinder snake leaves behind.

I was impressed by its hauling capacity, considering the tractor unit weighed, what, 2 tons max? with a load on skids (not wheels) 10 times more.

I suspect the use of one or more epicyclic transmissions as used in Ford Model T. Any ideas?

So what happened to this venture? How do we make one?

Ray
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Offline tinkerer

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #36 on: March 02, 2010, 09:59:56 AM »
We are having our fourth snow of the season. Previous 1", 2", 3" and this one has the potential of 3"+. It was preceded by .84" of rain prior to turning to snow. Quite a bummer. Haven't been able to get in the shop in a long time due to cold. Won't be long efore we can complain of the heat, but that will not be an excuse to stay out of the shop. Not typical Georgia winter weather.
Tink

The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul.
Prov 13:19

Offline Divided he ad

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #37 on: March 02, 2010, 07:39:40 PM »
 :jaw:  :ddb:  Oh we've got to figure this one out.... How cool would smaller more personal ones be??

Kids size etc.... This has huge fun/practical potential and as long as you ain't selling them (maybe swap a few??) you shouldn't get a slap from patents etc..... Although they're probably very out of date by now?


Very cool machines indeed..... Well impressed  :thumbup:  Top find!!





Ralph.
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Offline John Hill

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #38 on: March 02, 2010, 07:43:53 PM »
You also need to be able to turn the cylinders both in the same direction so you can travel (sideways) over hard ground, concrete etc.
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Offline Bernd

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Re: Winter Blues ...
« Reply #39 on: March 03, 2010, 09:00:19 AM »
You also need to be able to turn the cylinders both in the same direction so you can travel (sideways) over hard ground, concrete etc.

Would be much easier to do with todays hydraulic pumps and drive motors.

Bernd
Route of the Black Diamonds