Good morning

[Bobster]

Maybe we should ask about the government's lack of investment in America's crumbling infrastructure like bridges, roads, airports, dams, eelctrical grid, etc.

Another item of concern is America's current lack of shipbuilding industry. My dad was in the Merchant Marines until he became old enough to join the Navy in 1944. We all remember the Liberty ships and the impact they had in the war, well he was on one. Once in the Navy, he was an aviator helping hunt subs in the Atlantic. After the war he also flew patrols around Greenland for a stretch during the Cold War.

Gootoob channel "What's Going on With Shipping" has a number of very good videos on shipping and maritime-related subjects. In one recent video, the host Sal Merc., does a very good job of talking about China's huge lead in developing their Navy. While interesting, it is also somewhat alarming. He also has good presentations on the recent US seizure of "stateless" vessels, particularly oil tankers. As one who has never lived more than 20mi from the Atlantic or her tributaries, I had opportunity to work in many industries in the port cities of Newport and Bristol, RI and New Bedford/Fairhaven, MA. One of many reasons I find his videos very enlightening.

 

[CaddmannQ]

I watch Sal as well. Interesting show.

I see China is arming cargo ships now. I guess the Houthies and Somalis just can’t be trusted….

 

[CaddmannQ]

It dried up nicely here and it hit 60F yesterday. Painting weather in January!

Some of the steel used on the new bench was pretty crusty.



All that rust and dirt was a PITA, but free structural steel was what I had to work with. I hit it with a 7” wire cup before welding. My whole work area was filthy. Thank heaven it wasn’t all like that.

I cleaned up the welding area of the boatyard, cleaned up the new bench a bit, vacuumed the concrete, and shot some fast rust conversion paint on the bench.

Then I cleaned up 10 buckets of damp leaves from under my boat etc.

After the bench dried, I rolled it into place with my atv jack. Then I put all my short tubes and bars etc on the lowers for ballast.

It’s plenty heavy now, with more steel stock to come, and its really nice to have a place to store short stuff. My stock rack is 4’ long and won’t hold the shorties.

Finally I rearranged my little welding shed and swept it out. Cleaned up the random junk on my tool bench. Now I can get my electric tools on the tool bench again instead of the floor.

 

[Ernst]

Bobster, you are absolutely correct about shipping.

Sal's What's Going On With Shipping is a great show.

The other area that really need investment is our outdated Air Traffic Control system which today is almost totally dependent on overworked humans.

How about "America First" for a change!

 

[Husker88]

Crazy weather here for January. 65 yesterday - 60 today with sun, rain and even some thunder. Tomorrow starts the slide back into winter. 24 Saturday AM, 18 Sunday AM.

Totally agree that the US is way behind on ship building as well as most manufacturing. The allure of cheap chinese labor is finally starting to come around to bite the US.

 

[Ernst]

 

[Ernst]

 

[meanstreak]

Good morning. Yesterday this time was cloudy and rainy. Today cooler but sunny. The weekend highs will be in the 40s. Grocery, pharmacy, and dog park today.

Have a grand day.

 

[Husker88]

The weather here has been so crazy that I now have three different coats by the door. I never know which one I'm going to need until I check the day's weather.

 

[Ernst]

 

[Ernst]

 

[meanstreak]

Good morning to all. Clear and 35 this morning. The forecast now says 52 today and 49 tomorrow.

Our mayor weighed in on the Minneapolis shooting by the I C E agent. He Is a democrat, so of course he comes out on the side of the woman obstructing the officers . Personally, I am thinking the more they shoot the better.

No apology for my feelings.

Y’all have a nice day.

 

[Husker88]

No sympathy or compassion for those that try to injure, kill, interfere with or otherwise obstruct ICE and every other law enforcement branch. It's self defense to hit back hard against domestic terrorist groups. Period.

We moved out of Minneapolis back in1979, and even then it was well on it's way to becoming Mogadishu. Obama ramped it up with his imported Somali communities that occupied entire congressional districts.

 

[Husker88]

 

[Ernst]

On this day, January 10th, in 1776 Thomas Paine published his "Common Sense" pamphlet.

Worth reading if you have a moment.

1776: Paine, Common Sense (Pamphlet) | Online Library of Liberty

Related Links: Collections: The American Revolution and Constitution Thomas Paine Source: Thomas Paine, The Writings of Thomas Paine, Collected and Edited by Moncure Daniel Conway (New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1894). Vol. 1.

oll.libertyfund.org

 

[CaddmannQ]

The Blue Jew is not wrong. Germany is getting hosed.

 

[Ernst]

So Meany, given your advancing age (78) and your new living conditions we're wondering if this could have been you????????????

 

[CaddmannQ]

I have gone looking for my eyeglasses when they were literally on top of my head or actually on my face. Fortunately I always remember to put on my welding helmet. Well except for one time when I was wearing the grinding shield, I flipped it down and struck an arc. That wasn’t a happy moment.

Fortunately no such thing happened today, and I am busily putting together a parts washer out of various crap I have collected.


I have to cut these frames and make them into one.





There’s the back legs, and I have the tank height mocked up. Now I have to build the front legs.


It’s really about 90% finished, but you will see that 90% of the welding & fab was already done. I’m not showing you everything yet.

 

[CaddmannQ]

OK! I now I have the second frame built, and it matches the first one neatly.


I’m using the big vise! It’s so nice to have this on a really solid bench. I threw a couple hundred pounds of miscellaneous steel on the bottom rack for extra ballast.


I need to get the rust off of this old frame before I continue welding.

 

[Ernst]