Potpourri 1Q2011

[burkhome]

So, down here in the sunny south we woke up yesterday morning to a foot and half of snow on the ground. Mind you, this approaches our normal seasonal TOTAL, and this was just as the last of the last snow was clearing up.

Then, this morning we wake up to MINUS 17 DEGREES, another new record for here. This is about 30 degrees below our normal nighttime lows. Needless to say, none of the snow melted yesterday and is not likely to do so today.

Time to dig out those back issues and reread all those tips and projects, and dream of a warmer day when I can actually go out in the barn and turn on my SS.

So... are you saying you don't want us to share our weater anymore?

[fiatben]

If I wanted to spend most of my life half-frozen and stuck indoors, I'd move north. Honestly, being a good ole southern boy I have never understood why anyone lives anywhere north of Missouri, and I have serious doubts about the people who live that far north. If this is what winter is like up there, then I feel completely right about not dealing with it annually by choice. It is really hard to do quality woodworking when you are wearing two pairs of gloves and your feet are hurting from the cold seeping up thru your boots. But.... that's just my opinion, and we all know what opinions are worth....

[Ed in Tampa]

I was reading an real scientific article on global warming the other day. They provided undeniable proof that the ice caps were melting and that huge sections of the coast of Florida would be under water in less than 10 years. Only thing was the article was written in 1922!

So as you guys shovel the snow just think now nice it will be when in the next few years when you won't get any snow.

I mean the laws of probability say that sooner or later these guys have got to be right.

[dlbristol]

An old army buddy who shares an interest in WWII history sent me the link below. I have not yet figured out how to get the address in here, so this is a cut and paste version. You can just Google PT Boat 568 and find the video as well.
Of interest to me 1: did not know they were made of wood. 2: nice to see the thing running. 3. I loved the part about turning the engine over and it starts unexpectedly!!! Reminded me of my dad. ( I am working on how to post this address) After looking at the post, I guess It does it by itself! have a lot to learn here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG8x8C5I8a0

[charlese]

Tanks Dave!!!:)

As a youngster just getting into my teens, WWII was a very significant part of our lives. From rationing, to metal and paper saving/recycling, War Bonds, and hero worship, the Nation's effort always had the war effort always first in our minds.

I can understand that many folks born after 1944 don't know a lot about those war efforts, because it became our job to surpass and suppress those times.

BTW - did anyone catch the still photo of a bare chested JFK standing on PT-109?

[dlbristol]

I did see the picture and recalled the part that his role as a PT boat commander played in the campaign. I was pretty young and more interested in just about everything else, but my dad was aware that Kennedy had served and that he had a brother who was killed flying B-24s. There are actually several posts on youtube about this boat. Just as in WWII, when these boats were made buy commercial pleasure boat builders, the " brown water navy" in Vietnam got its small attack boats from the same sources. They were mostly fiberglass hulls. Also since you are so sharp eyed, did you catch the error about the engines? I think he indicated that the engines are air cooled radials, as shown on the bomber. They are in fact, in - line water cooled Allisons. These were the original engines used in P40s and the early P-51 mustangs. They are, or were, pretty common after the war in hydro- planes racing boats. They had no supercharger, and were replaced with the British Rols-royce merlin engine.

[billmayo]

I did see the picture and recalled the part that his role as a PT boat commander played in the campaign. I was pretty young and more interested in just about everything else, but my dad was aware that Kennedy had served and that he had a brother who was killed flying B-24s. There are actually several posts on youtube about this boat. Just as in WWII, when these boats were made buy commercial pleasure boat builders, the " brown water navy" in Vietnam got its small attack boats from the same sources. They were mostly fiberglass hulls. Also since you are so sharp eyed, did you catch the error about the engines? I think he indicated that the engines are air cooled radials, as shown on the bomber. They are in fact, in - line water cooled Allisons. These were the original engines used in P40s and the early P-51 mustangs. They are, or were, pretty common after the war in hydro- planes racing boats. They had no supercharger, and were replaced with the British Rols-royce merlin engine.

The original WWII PT boat engines used Packard Turbo-charged engines, I attend Engineman Class "A" school in 1955 on this engine and other larger diesel engines (up to 3600HP). It used aluminum heads, block & accessories. It was a very difficult engine to work on as the head gaskets would leak and blow if the cylinder head bolts were not tighten down in a specific rotation and torgue order. There were dozen of head bolts so this task took some time to accomplish. The instructors and WWII movies on this engine they showed left me with the idea that in WWII, most PT boats normally only had 1 or 2 engines still operating with the 3th engine being used as a parts supply. The 3th engine only added a couple of extra knots at top speed.

[dlbristol]

Ok, I stand corrected. Do you know if the turbo on the boat version was available on the Allison aircraft engine? The Rolls- Royce turbo was a two stage I think. Interesting that they only used two engines. Thanks for the information.