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July 28, 2022 at 10:16 PM in reply to: My “suburban compound” search so far: leaning toward Rancho SD. #826459
CoronitaParticipantGood luck to you in your adventures.
July 28, 2022 at 4:14 PM in reply to: My “suburban compound” search so far: leaning toward Rancho SD. #826457CoronitaParticipantWhat? This sounds like a bad idea. It’s right up there with going long on Intel, just on a much larger and different scale.
This isn’t suburban living…This is rural living…
You sure your wife is ok with living in a rural area?
I mean if you’re going to do that you might as well seriously consider St. George.
I think you are trying too hard to prove your financial investment finesse, and your pride is going to lead you into making some pretty interesting decisions that you won’t be happy with the results.
Imho, stop and smell the roses. You can’t be right all the time and harder you try, worse the decision process will be.
CoronitaParticipantApple has been trying, and like everyone else, miserably failing at making their own connectivity chips.
5g, wifi, bluetooth etc. They are trying to get out of the Qualcomm/Broadcom monopoly.
For that, they need a presence here if they are going to poach Qualcomm talent regularly.
That’s their main reason for being here.
Google is also expanding here for a few reasons. They have a few acquisitions here, trying to build up a chip practice here, and also bought Fitbit, I think the software group is here.
Walmart Labs had expanded here as well, which was a bit surprising.
Amazon also expanding their footprint here.
That’s on top of all the biotech and life sciences that’s been building up here too.
Unlike what folks like deadzone we were doing (fabricating shit up, like he was), a lot of us in private tech sector here was just reporting what we were already seeing.
Apple workers moving from the Bay Area to San Diego aren’t simply temporary remote workers. Apple for instance, is very anti-remote work. These folks that moved down to San Diego are working from the Apple campus here. They might have first relocated here working remotely duing the start of the pandemic. But many are now here permanently reporting to the local office that is also now expanding… and that’s extra housing demand. A company doesn’t drop half a billion in real estate unless it’s an investment for the long term. Net positive for san diego economy and real estate.
CoronitaParticipantAnother completed summer project…
Changed the faucet and popup drain on this pedestal sink…
[img_assist|nid=27706|title=sink|desc=|link=node|align=left|width=500]
What a royal pain in the ass.
The drain was all rusted and the faucet handles finally broke off beyond repair. It’s never been changed, the previous owner gave me a credit before we moved in and I quickly understood why. The only real way to change the faucet and drain was to remove the sink from the wall and the floor, so the faucet and drain could be accessible. There’s not enough clearance when it’s still attached to the wall to be able to stick a wrench in there to remove the locking nut for the drain and the locking nuts for the two faucet handles…
In addition, this sink was not simply bolted to the wall. It was glued, so removing it would destroy the drywall and I would need to re-drywall and replace the faucet and drain. Even my trusty plumber didn’t really want to do the job. He said I needed to find someone to first remove the sink.. But then if that’s the case, there’s no point in me getting the plumber to change it….
So, finally, when the handle broke off beyond repair, I spent last weekend trying to figure out how to change it without destroying my wall….YouTube was no help, because all the YouTube videos showed people removing the sink from the wall.
Removing the p-trap, and water lines was the easy part…
[img_assist|nid=27707|title=ptrap|desc=|link=node|align=left|width=500]Removing the the two valves and spout was easy too. I just put a large vise grip on the fixture on top and turned, since I didn’t care about damaging the finish of the fixture..Things turned enough from the top, that I was able to tilt the valve and spout and reach the locking nut on the bottom with a long vice grip, and I shredded the locking nut taking it off.
But taking off the drain was incredibly difficult..
[img_assist|nid=27708|title=drain|desc=|link=node|align=left|width=500]
Accessing the lock nut on the drain was really hard, since it was right under here…
[img_assist|nid=27709|title=drain|desc=|link=node|align=left|width=500]
and there was no room to put a wrench or any tool up there. Not even short hand offset wrenches, or angled plumber pipe wrenches like these:https://www.amazon.com/HAUTMEC-Telescoping-Capacity-Telescopic-10-inch
So, after trying numerous things, brute force etc…I decided to go to Oreilly Auto Parts and borrow the inner tie rod removal tool that I once borrowed to remove the inner tie rods to my Audi…
Why not, since loaner tools are FREE as long as you return them in 2 weeks.[img_assist|nid=27710|title=tie rod tool|desc=|link=node|align=left|width=500]
The tie rod tool is a big ole pipe that has a bunch of different sized steel inserts for different hex nuts to turn (different tie rods on cars). I hoped one of them would fit on the drain nut, and I would slip the entire pipe over the drain and turn the nut from the bottom…
It WORKED…Sort of… The pipe too long so I could only turn drain nut down about 1cm. But that was enough for me to lift up the rusted drain from the top…and have enough room to…. cut the drain with my air grinder… heh heh..brute force…
[img_assist|nid=27711|title=drain|desc=|link=node|align=left|width=500]
[img_assist|nid=27712|title=bye bye|desc=|link=node|align=left|width=500]Putting the new drain in was easy since the new drains are all plastic and are all hand-tightened with collar you hand turn… No tools required.
Putting the new spout on was easy too since it was easy to access the tightening bolt.However, the faucet valves were a real PITA…Moen really cheapened their design, and the way the new valves are attached, there’s a C-clip on top that holds the valve to sink, and there’s a very thin lock nut on the bottom you turn to tighten it.
[img_assist|nid=27713|title=locknut|desc=|link=node|align=left|width=500]The problem is the lock nut on the bottom is so thin, it’s hard to reach and grip in a tight spot, especially on a pedestal sink. There was no way to get a tool in there to turn the lock nut…
[img_assist|nid=27714|title=grrr|desc=|link=node|align=left|width=500]Also, you’ll notice Moen’s new brilliant cheapened design on the valve, where the water line inlets are directly welded onto the main valve shaft. That prevents installer from using any of these long tube nut wrenches, since the welded inlet would prevent the long tube wrenches from turning.
Total cheap and idiotic design that adds labor costs to the consumer.
So after thinking for a few hours, and almost caving in and deciding to remove the pedestal since from the wall, I came up with a crazy idea.
I got a PVC plastic pipe cap, and hammered the brass locknut into it. And used superglue and bakesoda to bond the locknut to the PVC cap so it would not come out.
[img_assist|nid=27715|title=pvc1|desc=|link=node|align=left|width=500][img_assist|nid=27716|title=pvc2|desc=|link=node|align=left|width=500]
I could then use the PVC cap as a hand tightening tool to hand tighten the lock nut onto the valve, and not use any wrenches etc in that tight space. Something like this:
[img_assist|nid=27717|title=pvc3|desc=|link=node|align=left|width=500]
It worked!
[img_assist|nid=27718|title=pvc4|desc=|link=node|align=left|width=500]If you notice, the lock nut is on the bottom, then pvc cap on top, and the metal washer on top of the PVC cap. This is fine because the PVC cap is sandwiched between the sink and the lock nut, so even if someone tried to pull up on the faucet handle from the top with great force, the valve won’t move. Also, since the pvc cap is sandwiched between the metal washer and the lock nut, there’s no longer metal to metal contact, so over long time, the lock nut wont bind to the washer from rust. It should be easy to remove the valve in the future, hand turning the PVC pipe caps.
Shame on you Moen for not making this install easier like this…
[img_assist|nid=27719|title=done!|desc=|link=node|align=left|width=500]
Was it worth the time doing it this way, instead of ripping out the sink and redoing the wall… I don’t know…But if you folks ever need to replace your faucet and drain on a pedestal sink, but don’t want to rip the sink out of the wall, now you know it’s possible!
CoronitaParticipantWell, apple just spent 445million buying real estate in San Diego.
The San Diego Union-Tribune: Apple buys 67-acre campus in San Diego for $445 million.
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/story/2022-07-26/apple-expands-san-diego-footprint-with-purchase-of-67-acre-campus-for-445mSo much for San Diego tech not thriving, according to deadzone…lol.
Case closed. Wrong again…
CoronitaParticipantWrapping up the other not so pretty project. Finally welded the flanges onto the new catalytic converter. It took awhile to get the flanges and universal converter lined up correctly with a not-so-straight piping on the first generation Miata….weird…
Anyway, function over form…. And I can weld without getting the welding stick, stuck so often on the target piece.
[img_assist|nid=27699|title=cat|desc=|link=node|align=left|width=500]
Don’t look so bad if painted with high temp flat black paint, lol…
[img_assist|nid=27700|title=catb|desc=|link=node|align=left|width=500]But the most important thing is, smog passed. Barely, right on the money…[img_assist|nid=27701|title=smog|desc=|link=node|align=left|width=599]
I can put the race cat back on the car, lol
CoronitaParticipantFinished my other gate.
[img_assist|nid=27697|title=Gate2|desc=|link=node|align=left|width=500 ]
Turned out ok, have a gap larger than I’d like but then again over time , wood gates warp and expand a bit so hopefully won’t need to deal with that.
Ended up breaking my Dremel trying to use it as a router..so I bought a cheap router on Amazon. The router isn’t bad for light work. $60, but free with my Amazon/Chase rebate.
The 1 gallon stain from Home Depot was $50, almost the same cost as the router. Man, price for a gallon of wlpaint/stain has gone way up.
Neighbor jokingly asked if I could make her one too. She called a handyman and the current cost getting one made is around $1500. Ouch. I think my limber costs where around $100… Then misc other items and tools around $150. Plus I got to learn how to use a router and kept the tools.
CoronitaParticipantHave you thought about hooking up an automotive horn? I mean , it probably wouldn’t have helped the last time, but I have a lot of near misses with large trucks and SUVs that can’t see me. The stock horns on the Miatas are too soft. So I got myself a pair of Hellas Supertones for both of them
HELLA 003399801 Supertone 12V High Tone / Low Tone Twin Horn Kit with Red Protective Grill, 2 Horns https://a.co/d/5M2Hzyu
CoronitaParticipant[quote=Navydoc]I think the MIG wire welders are easier. I actually know how to Oxy-Acetylene weld, which is supposed to be harder. Dates back to my early days in the mid 80s as a gunsmith.
(Wonder how many people can state gunsmith to OB/GYN/MFM as a career path).
Plan on buying a MIG package at good old Harbor Freight when I return. they have one that comes with the spool gun. I have many, many aluminum scraps to practice with.[/quote]I was afraid you were going to say a MIG welder might be easier.
This was $60 on amazon, and had pretty good reviews.
But I was contemplating getting the MIG version.
Ended up going with the $60 bargain basement one.
I guess I went too cheap. Anyone want a stick welder?
CoronitaParticipant[quote=Navydoc]Scaredy, the classes for ebikes are more complicated than that.
Class I: No throttle, speed limit 20 MPH
Class II: Throttle ok, speed limit 20 MPH
Class III: No throttle, Speed limit 28 MPH
All above motors cannot exceed 750w
Class IV: Speed >28 MPH, motor >750w- these have to be registered as a moped.
Seriously convoluted, and I can assure you NO police officer understands these very well.My vehicle doesn’t fit into ANY of these categories except the class IV. I tried to get a Japanese plate on it, and City Hall here in Chatan was very accommodating. However, when I went to the vehicle registration office on base they refused to give me the necessary paperwork, stating “it has to comply with the manufacturer’s specifications”. I replied “I’m the manufacturer, it meets my specifications”. They didn’t want to hear that, so I’m riding it somewhat illegally, which is why I backed the power down. Japan puts the power max at 250w, but unless you put a tester on the battery I can just say it’s a 36v battery and a 10 amp controller. This will also apply to San Diego cops, as nobody knows enough about these things, and I can tell them whatever I want.
Xbox, there are no welds. One of the things I want to do when I get back to San Diego is learn to weld aluminum. It would make everything so much easier, and I can make NavyTrike Mk II much lighter and simpler. As for off the shelf parts, the wheels are for a Rubbermaid dump cart, just changed to Go-cart bearings, and the brakes are standard 160 mm mountain bike hydraulic brakes/rotors. Took a lot of modification to get the brake discs mounted on the wheels. Also it took me 6 different steering designs to get one I liked. The only machine tools I used to build this was a chop saw with an aluminum blade, and a bench top drill press (both from Harbor Freight). Larger machine tools would be nice, but I COULD have done the whole thing with a hacksaw and a hand drill.
For the design configuration it has a 72v battery which can deliver 60 amps, and a controller that can put out 100 amps. So the power is effectively 4320w. I have it powered down to about 1500w, and as long as I don’t get too crazy with the speed, I can fly under the radar.
My ultimate plan is to build a body around it and make a velomobile, but I don’t have anywhere in Okinawa I can work with the fiberglass. I also have a solar panel to incorporate into the hood, so it will charge itself. Works quite well. I too am very intrigued by minimalist electric vehicles. It’s just funny that something like this, which CAN effectively replace a car is totally illegal right now.[/quote]
Don’t take welding lessons from me… trust me. It isn’t pretty… I suck…
[img_assist|nid=27696|title=welding|desc=|link=node|align=left|width=500|height=500]
Somehow, stick welding is a lot harder than it seems. It’s right up there with painting, that I can never get right.
I managed to burn through steel a few times… I can’t imagine how I’ll do with aluminum…
CoronitaParticipantthat is so awesome Navydoc. 47mph…whoa.
CoronitaParticipant[quote=sdrealtor]https://www.linkedin.com/news/story/amazon-meta-rethink-us-expansions-5381212/[/quote]
Not surprising. Office space is expensive. And for a lot of white collar jobs, there’s no reason to require people to be there all the time.
If someone isn’t doing their job, that’s performance management, and that happens remote or in person.
The premise of this original thread was just wrong.
Government workers, I’ve been hearing, are going back full time. But then a lot of government jobs incredibly bureaucratic and a lot of the decisions don’t make sense, hence highly unlikely I would be working in the public sector.
CoronitaParticipantI don’t think your individual stock picking, winners and losers, are really going to make a material difference for you financially. I think it’s probably an arm’s length away from feeding your gambling addiction that others go to Vegas for.
Just my 2 cents. I say this because most folks that go to vegas always talk about the occasional winning hands, but not about the much more frequent losing hands…
ETF index funds, dripped in, and wait. That’s about it.
CoronitaParticipant[quote=sdduuuude]Glad to help w/ that woodworking any time, Coronita.
You know where I am.[/quote]thanks. I’m just an amateur…
I didn’t have a real router and didn’t think I would need one. So I just used my dremel and a plunge routing attachment. It was slow like a turtle and I won’t win prizes on the gate design. But it’s no worse looking the one old gate it replaced, lol…
[img_assist|nid=27690|title=f2|desc=|link=node|align=left|width=500]
[img_assist|nid=27689|title=f1|desc=|link=node|align=left|width=500]I stained it one more time and blended out the plugged screw holes. 5 coats of stain total.
Putting lag bolts in concrete kinda scared me. I didn’t think I would do it right. The guy who did it before me looks like missed a few times and used the wrong type of bolt attachments (the cheesy plastic ones you use indoors, lol).
[img_assist|nid=27691|title=lb|desc=|link=node|align=left|width=75|height=100]
Don’t laugh… Well, if you do that’s fine too.
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