Lewis's Life

This is the new job that I have at the shop. I quoted a high enough price, but apparently I was not slow enough and I got the job. It is a 24" diameter gear from the water company that is part of an assembly that opens a three foot water main. All of the teeth rusted during the last 60 years underground and when they went to close the valve all of the rust busted off and they discovered that there were not actually any teeth left.

It got busted when they were taking it of the shaft. More fun for me.

I will heat the whole thing up to about 600 degrees farenheit and put a lot of weld metal down where the teeth should be. Then I will grind the teeth approximately to shape. I was able to heat and weld the small pinion gear today in the gas forge and weld it up. I reheated it again afterwards and it is cooling in the gas forge even as I type.

I do little repair work pretty regularly. Not because the money is great but because it is neighborly and just basically the right thing to do.

So I was installing a security door around the corner and there was this great pair of splash-guards on the porch. They still have warning stickers on them!! When I asked about them the only answer I got was "I was gonna use them for something."

I think he gave them to me so I would quit asking WHAT that something was.

Now what am I gonna do with 'em?

OK, My duties as family man and father are forcing my return to blogging.

Marz had a great start to his new year. He was in the newspaper and his band Petchblende had its first gig. They were an opening band at Old Louisville Coffeehouse; Marz did most of the organizing for the show and is one heck of a networker.