Posted by Morris Dovey on February 14, 2013, 4:29 pm
On 2/14/13 9:36 AM, Ecnerwal wrote:
>> [ It /was/ a good learning experience. I learned that an oxy-acetylene
>> torch was too hot for soldering copper tubing. :-) ]
>
> Nah, you just have to use the right flame. A long, soft (fuel-rich)
> feather - you never get the cone involved, just the feather.
> Comparatively expensive, but quite effective.
You shoulda seen my expression when I flash vaporized one of the thin
aluminum fins on the first piece of tubing!
The second try melted the end off a copper tube.
Then there was a whole sequence of tries with the tubing so hot that the
solder just ran off without wicking into the joint...
I wish I had a video - it'd be a hoot. A kid in his mid-20's with no
experience and no guidance. I did the reasonable thing, I went to the
hardware store and for suggestions - then finished the job with a
propane torch.
Well, it seems funny /now/. :-D
--
Morris Dovey
http://www.iedu.com/Solar/
Posted by amdx on February 6, 2013, 12:53 pm
On 2/5/2013 11:42 AM, j wrote:
> On 2/3/2013 6:17 PM, Morris Dovey wrote:
>> On 2/3/13 11:53 AM, j wrote:
> OT for a moment...
> My sewer line here is blocked, I've tracked it with great difficulty, by
> digging and looking. It takes a right into my backyard and then another
> right so it circles the house.
> So, I found the line is blocked between the sidewalk and the street. So,
> we dug down and struck... the new (and unused) gas line, 6" under that
> the crushed sewer pipe.
> I call the city at 3PM and they tell me to file a damage report with the
> gas company. However at 5PM someone from the city shows up and says the
> city will fix it by Sunday.
> Just now, someone came out and marked the water and sewer lines, the
> ones that I had no idea where. I've never seen anything like it, he had
> a collapsible metal divining rod and just walked across the pavement. It
> snapped to the side and he marked. In fact, he marked all the water and
> sewer lines, just like that, in no time. And it matches exactly.
> So, I am thoroughly impressed with the speed and psychic powers of this
> city!
> </OT>
Still OT.
If you can tell your sewer line story I can tell mine.
My drains were running slow, I tried drain cleaners, snaking from
in the house, nothing helped. I needed to bite the bullet, and spend a
weekend digging up the yard and installing a clean out so I could snake
the run to the road.
I got a 3 ft piece of 1/4" rod and poked the ground to locate and mark
where the sewer line ran. I started digging early Saturday morning, on
my third shovel I hit the pipe, on the fourth I saw a brass clean out plug.
Eureka!!
There is a clean out I didn't now about, and I hit it in 4 shovels. I
removed the plug (destroying it), went and rented the power snake
and bought a new plug. By noon I was done. If I had started digging a
foot closer to the road I would have missed the clean out and spent the
weekend digging.
The clean out is well marked, now.
Mikek
Posted by j on February 6, 2013, 11:50 pm
On 2/6/2013 7:53 AM, amdx wrote:
> On 2/5/2013 11:42 AM, j wrote:
>> On 2/3/2013 6:17 PM, Morris Dovey wrote:
>>> On 2/3/13 11:53 AM, j wrote:
>>
<snip>
>>
> Still OT.
> If you can tell your sewer line story I can tell mine.
> My drains were running slow, I tried drain cleaners, snaking from
> in the house, nothing helped. I needed to bite the bullet, and spend a
> weekend digging up the yard and installing a clean out so I could snake
> the run to the road.
> I got a 3 ft piece of 1/4" rod and poked the ground to locate and mark
> where the sewer line ran. I started digging early Saturday morning, on
> my third shovel I hit the pipe, on the fourth I saw a brass clean out plug.
> Eureka!!
I like your luck better than mine!
Jeff
> There is a clean out I didn't now about, and I hit it in 4 shovels. I
> removed the plug (destroying it), went and rented the power snake
> and bought a new plug. By noon I was done. If I had started digging a
> foot closer to the road I would have missed the clean out and spent the
> weekend digging.
> The clean out is well marked, now.
> Mikek
Posted by Morris Dovey on February 16, 2013, 7:54 pm
On 2/16/13 12:27 PM, Bob F wrote:
> Morris Dovey wrote:
>> The page is at http://www.iedu.com/Solar/Panels
>
> I really appreciate you offering this info, even though I am in no position
to
> be able to put it to use. I'd love to use this technology,but live in cloudy
> Seattle with several large poplar and other trees right on my south yard line,
> so the low winter sun is pretty well blocked. I just wanted to say thanks. I
> find it impressive what you have done. You have certainly been one of the more
> generous participants in this forum.
Thank you for your kind words - you're very welcome!
It would have been nice to have been able to produce a "silver bullet"
that'd work for everyone, and I'm certain that what I've managed to do
can be improved upon - but it's a start. I'm hoping that over the next
century architects, builders, and landscapers will transition to more
energy-efficient standards.
I'm not really all that generous. Think of it as payback to all those
who've gone before to lay the foundations I built on and to all those
who have been patient and helpful. Without them there'd be nothing to
share. :-)
--
Morris Dovey
http://www.iedu.com/Solar/
Posted by djh on May 22, 2013, 2:29 am
Morris, I really thank you on this. I have been thinking about building one
of these since the 70's Have not had the opportunity to yet, but am always
trying to learn more and more.
Wow.. on your presentation... Much interesting information in one place,,,
and available for all to review and learn from.
Thanks... what alt.energy.homepower is all about
kudos
Dave
>
> Over the past month I've put together a web page describing a passive
> solar heating panel capable of providing 100% of the heat needed to
> maintain a comfortable temperature 24/7 in a conventional structure with
> reasonably good insulation and which is reasonably snug. The panels need
> to be installed in unshaded south-facing walls.
>
> These panels work reasonably well in overcast conditions and will produce
> heat whenever there's enough sunlight to read a newspaper. They work
> unreasonably well in clear-sky direct sunlight.
>
> Five years' experience in central Iowa indicates that each square foot of
> panel area can heat approximately 125 cubic feet of air with enough
> additional heat for storage to maintain that much air at a comfortable
> temperature for more than a week of completely dark days.
>
> My plan is to add both English and metric 3-D DXF/DWG files and an
> assembly animation, and to clean up some of the stuff that I don't think I
> presented as well as I might have. I didn't hold off because I have
> friends outside the US who need the info now.
>
> The web page will remain a work in progress for some time. If you find the
> content interesting, I suggest linking to the page rather than downloading
> a snapshot - and I ask that you not re-publish the page or any of the
> content until I have it in final form.
>
> The page is at http://www.iedu.com/Solar/Panels
>
> --
> Morris Dovey
XML site map
>> torch was too hot for soldering copper tubing. :-) ]
>
> Nah, you just have to use the right flame. A long, soft (fuel-rich)
> feather - you never get the cone involved, just the feather.
> Comparatively expensive, but quite effective.