Seems like I'm back to 1/2 day work 1/2 day camper. Finished off another shaft and a couple of sprockets for some customers. Then had to do a quote for some special oil-coolers we have made in the past for a power station in the "North West" (to go on some jet turbine engines - quite interesting really). I actually love these - not a great margin but - I order some laser cutting done (and they bend all the parts to shape as well (really good as they are responsible for making them fit)), order tubing the right size to fit and ring up a contract welder I know who is really good and needs no supervision at all. The only thing I have to do is courier the finished items to the zinc-plating, powdercoating and dispatch office. Oh yes - and send the bill- and they deposit the money in my account at the end of the month. In the past if they ordered more than $20K worth they would even front up with part payment on order - don't you just love customers like that??
Tuesday afternoon . . .
Well I am having trouble envisaging the mounting system for the mudguards. There is just too much going on in that part of the chassis to use the standard system so I am going to have to custom fit them. Is it just me?? It is going to take some cantilevered brackets and extensions to get the attachment points on the guards down where I need them. These guards are only made from ABS and wont carry big loads so the mountings will have to be near the mudflaps or they will just vibrate themselves to pieces in no time.. The only way to make this look neat is to get some pipe rolled into a circle just a little bigger than the guards and then cut it up into sections to match the guard and attach the mountings to that and then across to the chassis at a convenient point. That way the pipe circles carry all the weight etc.. There are some guys called "Allbend" that I have used for this type of thing before and they have always been very good so off to see them and what they can do. "Yes. No problem. Ready on Friday" "Thank You. Here's my card. Please ring when they are ready and I will collect them." Back to the workshop.
Better fill my car on the way.
And there's another story - had a gas over diesel option fitted to my Prado (which is a humongous gas guzzler) to try and make it more powerful/economical. Total disaster - company called "AUTOGAS converters" using a system marketed as "D-GAS Diesel Enhancements" did a completely "bodgie' job which they wanted me to pay for before they would fix it. When finally the installation was reasonably neat the damn thing wouldn't work! Wouldn't put any gas into the system. It was changed twice over the next month and failed each time. Then it started using gas but with no improvement in economy - in fact all it did was add the cost of the gas onto the diesel. At the moment it's a standoff - they don't know why it isn't working properly and they won't remove it and give me my money back - I'm quite annoyed to say the least. However - let's not get the blood pressure up again. Wait a minute - where's my credit card - I need it to pay for the fuel. AAARRGGHHH!!! Hmmmm. Took out my wallet to give the tube rolling guy a card - might have dropped it then - phone him - "No. Not Here." Last time I used it was to pay for the mudguards etc. Phone them - "Yes it's here. But we're closing now. You'll have to pick it up from another address if you want it today or from the shop tomorrow."
Well that was the end of work for Tuesday . . . .
But "Surprise!' a courier arrived just as I was closing up for the day (having rescued the credit card). So what is all this? Never imagined I would get so excited about a toilet system! Dometic VT2501 the all ceramic model. Vacuum flush just like flying. Comes as a complete kit - docking station (permanently plumbed in), piping and fittings etc. Cassette tank for storage and even a locker style access door (you have to supply your own infill).
The ceramic bowl. I think I should have ordered the extra riser - this thing is about ankle height!!
But you have to order an extra tank if you want additional storage.
Wednesday . . .
When I was in there looking at how to mount the mudguards yesterday I was really pissed off with the arrangement I had come up with for attaching the airbag system. So - you guessed it - tear it out and make it the way it should have been in the first place.
The Airbag Bracket - neater and stronger (even if out of focus). I promise that's the last about the airbag system. I'm not one to go on and on and on and on . . . . . :)
That's half the day gone.
Let's try and tidy up some of the small jobs this afternoon. The front mudflaps are just lying there. There is a peculiar anomaly about the mudflaps. I have replaced the left one twice now. It seems the airflow is different from the right to the left (it may be something to do with mounting of the right flap is on the chassis and the left one is on the cab - and lifts up and down with it) such that the left flap keeps getting blown forward and touching the tyre and getting ripped off (not before behaving like Rolf Harris's wobble board for a while). Hopefully the new flaps are more rigid and this wont happen. But then again maybe tomorrow I will go and get some light chain and fix it to hold the flap back so it wont happen again.
Ok. Let's try and make sure these suckers wont come off.
The Right Flap
The Left Flap
Now all I have to do is find the old horn so I can replace it with the new airhorns!! I think I saw it behind the front grill one other time.
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