What was your most interesting recent non solar project?

[JJJJ]

I replaced our kitchen faucet this past week

Nice! Did this about 8 months ago. Such a "joy" finding a way of getting underneath the sink to remove things. You get extra credit for this! Can appreciate the plastic concerns.

Recently went on a toilet repair journey. Nothing gross but ended up purchasing and using a toilet auger because something got mistakenly flushed and was slowing the works on an intermittent basis. Thought I was losing my mind. Ended up cleaning up the siphon holes and other supplies in the bowl. We have hard water so it was a labor of love. Long story short, saved a repair bill, have an extra tool just in case and the wife is happy which is the best win of all because everything is running as it should now.

 

[Q-Dog]

Nice! Did this about 8 months ago. Such a "joy" finding a way of getting underneath the sink to remove things. You get extra credit for this! Can appreciate the plastic concerns.

The old model (Damixa) had a complicated mounting system with a folding retainer that made it possible to do most of the mounting from the top. The new model was all done from under the sink, so not a lot of fun. I found a place in England that lists Damixa replacement parts, so it may yet live to see another day if I can get it apart and find part numbers. I did once contact them (it seems they are still in business) but never did receive a reply.

 

[Dagoth Ur Does Solar]

I replaced our kitchen faucet this past week. Took a while to find something we like. When I originally renovated this kitchen I installed a contemporary European faucet with a top mounted handle and a side sprayer. In the 20 plus years since, I can not find replacement parts for it. And of course, most of the taps you find today have the handle on the side, which for my preference is on the wrong side. A top handle is preferred by the main dishwasher (wife) and the main cook (me).

Anyway, we finally found a Delta model with a similar style as the original, but instead of heavy, solid brass this new model is mostly lightweight plastic junk. Pathetic, but will have to do until the current kitchen fad dies out and, hopefully, something better becomes available.

Old

View attachment 280558
replacement
View attachment 280559

I replaced our entire kitchen sink and re-plumbed under there a little over a year ago.

We got this Kohler combo from Costco on sale, I think we paid like half what it costs at other box stores.



I'm sold on the sprayer head type like this. This is a way more solid construction than our old one, as the sprayer is not only magnetic, but locks in with a square peg, so I think it will last.

Also, we're never going back to the shallow dual-sink setup. Having one big and deep sink makes managing big pots, cutting boards, etc. way easier.

 

[Q-Dog]

I replaced our entire kitchen sink and re-plumbed under there a little over a year ago.

We got this Kohler combo from Costco on sale, I think we paid like half what it costs at other box stores.

View attachment 280569

I'm sold on the sprayer head type like this. This is a way more solid construction than our old one, as the sprayer is not only magnetic, but locks in with a square peg, so I think it will last.

Also, we're never going back to the shallow dual-sink setup. Having one big and deep sink makes managing big pots, cutting boards, etc. way easier.

We looked at those. My wife hates the spring thing. I don't have a problem with the style, but we both dislike the handle placement. Left handed operation is an issue with large things in the sink.

 

[42OhmsPA]

Folks saying there will be shortages, so I'm debating building another coop to use as a brooder, getting an incubator, and hatching my own. I stopped in TSC today and they had ducks but no chicks.

Check your local farm supply stores.
I found a handful around here, all ~$5.50 a chick.

 

[fatjay]

Check your local farm supply stores.
I found a handful around here, all ~$5.50 a chick.

Oh they've got the bins set up, they're ready to receive, but so far only ducks, no one has received the chicks.

 

[rhino]

Oh they've got the bins set up, they're ready to receive, but so far only ducks, no one has received the chicks.

Why are people avoiding getting ducks? You can't taste the difference and their eggs are just like jumbo size chicken eggs. We've been using only duck eggs for years now.

 

[Jmhai3]

Why are people avoiding getting ducks? You can't taste the difference and their eggs are just like jumbo size chicken eggs. We've been using only duck eggs for years now.

Good question,
In your experience are they any more difficult (cost, food, damage to area, life span) to raise.
Do they lay as often as chickens?
Could you ask the same with quail, are they comparable?

Don't have any of them myself just think in the future.

 

[rhino]

Good question,
In your experience are they any more difficult (cost, food, damage to area, life span) to raise.
Do they lay as often as chickens?
Could you ask the same with quail, are they comparable?

Don't have any of them myself just think in the future.

The chickens will scratch the ground to try and stir something up. Ducks will dig their beaks in and really stir things up. Over time if ducks are left in same outdoor area they will turn it into dirt quicker then chickens will, especially if it rains. They love fishing around in the water with their beaks. If you can move them around they make really good lawn mowers. We've had better luck with the lifespan of the ducks than chickens for whatever reason. The ducks aren't laying now over winter since they have no extra lighting or heating and has been pretty cold (down to -30°F air temp). They lay as often as chickens when they are laying.

 

[Frugal Devonian]

I haven't kept ducks yet but I've read they are better foragers than chickens they take more slugs too.

 

[fatjay]

The complication with ducks is they require liquid water year round in the form of pond or river, which I don't have, and don't particularly want to deal with maintaining. Wife keeps bothering me about ducks too. I don't want to deal with it.

 

[rhino]

The complication with ducks is they require liquid water year round in the form of pond or river, which I don't have, and don't particularly want to deal with maintaining. Wife keeps bothering me about ducks too. I don't want to deal with it.

This is simply not true and not sure where this comes from. Have been keeping ducks for years and during winter they simply have a small 2 gallon bucket that gets refreshed in morning and evening. During summer they have a kiddy pool that they sometimes have access to but otherwise have the same 2 gallon bucket that is refreshed in morning and evening as well.

 

[featherlite]

In the neighborhood I grew up in, everybody started illegally riding a home made mini bike and then we moved up to bigger motorcycles, starting with dirt bikes. You could get a motorcycle driver’s license to legally ride a “real’ motorcycle at age 14 vs. age 16 for a car.

Since then, I have never not had a motorcycle. We all thought that if a guy did not like motorcycles, then there was something wrong with him. I still think that way.

 

[fatjay]

This is simply not true and not sure where this comes from. Have been keeping ducks for years and during winter they simply have a small 2 gallon bucket that gets refreshed in morning and evening. During summer they have a kiddy pool that they sometimes have access to but otherwise have the same 2 gallon bucket that is refreshed in morning and evening as well.

So liquid water you have to maintain twice a day year round?

 

[MattMan119]

In the neighborhood I grew up in, everybody started illegally riding a home made mini bike and then we moved up to bigger motorcycles, starting with dirt bikes. You could get a motorcycle driver’s license to legally ride a “real’ motorcycle at age 14 vs. age 16 for a car.

Since then, I have never not had a motorcycle. We all thought that if a guy did not like motorcycles, then there was something wrong with him. I still think that way.

Same thing here, there was 5 in our group.. the other 4 all had major wrecks in the 5 years that followed.. I was told it was my turn, and get ready for what I was due. So I have never got on one again… Just could never get over it.. but I always liked them just been 40 years and don’t think I will ever do it again.

 

[Dagoth Ur Does Solar]

Well this was a multi-day ordeal... But a while back I ordered a kit from the UK for my Gaggia Pro Classic, which adds a bunch of features... PID-controlled temperature, a flow control knob, a pressure gauge (that actually measures pressure at the coffee puck), and a nice top box to put it all in that looks pretty close to factory.

Not my photo, took the one from their storage page, but more or less how mine looks (the black box on the top and the stuff in it are the kit):



I also bought their LED kid to add some light into the water reservoir so that I can actually see how full/empty it is. In the past I had done the 9 bar OPV spring mod, and I'm using a different basket in my portafilter, something my wife had selected.

There was a hell of a lot of parts, connectors, fittings... It was a multi-day project for me. And I'm not done. I lost the M8x0.75 nut (or never had one in my kit) for the potentiometer for the flow controls, so it's just dangling in there. I have some on the way and then I can tighten it down properly.

Anyways, hoping now that I can actually see the pressure at the coffee, I will be able to better tune my grind and tamping to get more reproducible results. Not to mention having the PID controller will ensure the temperature is pretty much a constant, so that's one less thing out of the equation.

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

In the neighborhood I grew up in, everybody started illegally riding a home made mini bike and then we moved up to bigger motorcycles, starting with dirt bikes. You could get a motorcycle driver’s license to legally ride a “real’ motorcycle at age 14 vs. age 16 for a car.

Since then, I have never not had a motorcycle. We all thought that if a guy did not like motorcycles, then there was something wrong with him. I still think that way.

Oh the memories.... Sullivan county riding around on a briggs and straton powered Sears & Roebuck minibike on the gravel roads... thats how I broke my first collarbone

 

[Crowz]

Oh the memories.... Sullivan county riding around on a briggs and straton powered Sears & Roebuck minibike on the gravel roads... thats how I broke my first collarbone

We had a blast doing that by not telling new kids during summer break that were riding the minibikes for the first time that we never replaced the brakes when the failed years ago

Now I need to point out this was a large field that should of been 100% safe. Was for most with them stopping eventually before the trees at the end of the field after lots of screaming in panic.

Though it seems some people are wired to gun the throttle when it wont stop...... Strange response but funny as hell !

Our parents would of beat the crap out of us if they knew we did it but would of still been worth it

 

[42OhmsPA]

Sullivan county

PA? Some great riding and hunting.

 

[seneysolar]

I ride a honda 650 single

Me too

 

[featherlite]

I waxed the rear section of the vinyl seat with ArmorAll before giving the girls a ride. They hung on tight, which was a thrill for both of us.

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

PA? Some great riding and hunting.

Sullivan Indiana but the same applies hunting and riding wise

 

[sunshine_eggo]

I waxed the rear section of the vinyl seat with ArmorAll before giving the girls a ride. They hung on tight, which was a thrill for both of us.

Oh gawd... that reminds me... the bike in question. I bought it on ebay and flew out to San Jose to ride it down the PCH and home to Phoenix (bucket list shit)... The guy has his kid detail it before I got there.

Have you ever ridden with ArmorAll ON THE TREAD???? WTF?! You moron!!!!!

That was the most tense ride I've ever had, but I still managed to enjoy myself. Those tires came off before I took another ride.

 

[Dagoth Ur Does Solar]

Well this was a multi-day ordeal... But a while back I ordered a kit from the UK for my Gaggia Pro Classic, which adds a bunch of features... PID-controlled temperature, a flow control knob, a pressure gauge (that actually measures pressure at the coffee puck), and a nice top box to put it all in that looks pretty close to factory.

Not my photo, took the one from their storage page, but more or less how mine looks (the black box on the top and the stuff in it are the kit):

View attachment 280672

I also bought their LED kid to add some light into the water reservoir so that I can actually see how full/empty it is. In the past I had done the 9 bar OPV spring mod, and I'm using a different basket in my portafilter, something my wife had selected.

There was a hell of a lot of parts, connectors, fittings... It was a multi-day project for me. And I'm not done. I lost the M8x0.75 nut (or never had one in my kit) for the potentiometer for the flow controls, so it's just dangling in there. I have some on the way and then I can tighten it down properly.

Anyways, hoping now that I can actually see the pressure at the coffee, I will be able to better tune my grind and tamping to get more reproducible results. Not to mention having the PID controller will ensure the temperature is pretty much a constant, so that's one less thing out of the equation.

As a follow up to this, I'm pretty blown away by the PID alone. I've pulled two espressos today and they've been totally fine, changing nothing else about my workflow. I think trying to brew espresso without proper temperature control is completely a fools errand, so I'm even more annoyed they would even sell machines like this that don't give you any insight into temperature.

Looking forward to playing with the flow control and pressure, but it would seem having the PID controlled temperature is a non-negotiable... Otherwise you're doing rituals with "turn the machine on for 60 seconds, flip the brew switch four times quickly, do a rain dance, pray to your deity of choice, then start brewing" type of deal.

Now I have to decide if I want to upgrade the steam system in my machine, or consider saving for an automatic grinder... Currently using a manual burr grinder which is fine, but if you're trying to dial the machine in with new beans or a new workflow, doing all the hand grinding can get old.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

As a follow up to this, I'm pretty blown away by the PID alone. I've pulled two espressos today and they've been totally fine, changing nothing else about my workflow. I think trying to brew espresso without proper temperature control is completely a fools errand, so I'm even more annoyed they would even sell machines like this that don't give you any insight into temperature.

Looking forward to playing with the flow control and pressure, but it would seem having the PID controlled temperature is a non-negotiable... Otherwise you're doing rituals with "turn the machine on for 60 seconds, flip the brew switch four times quickly, do a rain dance, pray to your deity of choice, then start brewing" type of deal.

Now I have to decide if I want to upgrade the steam system in my machine, or consider saving for an automatic grinder... Currently using a manual burr grinder which is fine, but if you're trying to dial the machine in with new beans or a new workflow, doing all the hand grinding can get old.

God... I feel like such yuppie trash...



No adjustments. Push buttons. Get coffee. Done. Device included, in my entire life, I have never had a cup of coffee where I said... "MMMmmm! That's yummy!" Coffee is a black bitter caffeine delivery system. Nothing more.

I am baffled by, but respect your dedication.