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Author Topic: Methings we need a new category, "How to"  (Read 10402 times)

GuyFawkes

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Methings we need a new category, "How to"
« on: July 16, 2006, 02:37:54 PM »
Cos there's lots of people done things that other people want to do, for example How to pour a concrete base to Lister original spec, and it seems a shame to see the same questions asked all the time and the same answers given.

New Category - How To

new forums in the category

How to - Engines
How to - Gen heads
How to - Electrics
How to - Ancilliaries

wotcherfink?
--
Original Lister CS 6/1 Start-o-matic 2.5 Kw (radiator conversion)
3Kw 130 VDC Dynamo to be added. (compressor + hyd pump)
Original Lister D, megasquirt multifuel project, compressor and truck alternator.
Current status - project / standby, Fuel, good old pump diesel.

Procrustes

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Re: Methings we need a new category, "How to"
« Reply #1 on: July 16, 2006, 05:37:29 PM »
A wiki might work well too.

Doug

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Re: Methings we need a new category, "How to"
« Reply #2 on: July 16, 2006, 06:51:20 PM »
Sounds like a good plan.

Doug

ixtow

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Re: Methings we need a new category, "How to"
« Reply #3 on: July 16, 2006, 06:57:36 PM »
I kinda agree.  DIY is something that the lack of tooling and know-how at the local home store stifles.  I bet there are a ton of people who would like to go back to "the old way" and just cannot find the support to get their feet wet without breaking the bank re-discovering things.

A Lister is a good place to start, and I think a compilied and concise How-To filled with the enormous volume of otherwise unorganized data held here, would be a great boon for all.  A quicker reference for "Our People" and an easier way to learn for the newbies.  Open-Source Software is full of how-to's targeted at newbies.  This forum, in a sense, is a chunk of Open-Source Life, and the community would benefit greatly by adopting the same model.

I'm somewhere in between, and I can experess first hand the frustration I have when trying to DIY, but "off the shelf crap" is all the vendors can relate or comprehend.  "Why are you doing that?"  "You're crazy"  "What's wrong with you, are you a Terrorist?"  "Why can't you just be 'normal' and buy this handy plastic wrapped piece of crap, and then buy one again in a few months."  "Is it even leagl to do that?"  "You better not talk about it, you're going to get in trouble."  I am not a know-it-all by any stretch of the imagination.  These obstacles to ingenuity, be they fabricated for the benfit of dispoable corporate resale or just plain ignorance, can be insurmountable for someone trying to break the mold.

This forum has been useful to me on topics not even relating to the Lister (becasue I don't own one yet).  It's full of ideas that apply to many things.  When I have a problem with my truck(s), a diesel, I come here first.  any time I say to msyelf "there's got to be a etter way," this is where I come.  I almost always find it.

mobile_bob

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Re: Methings we need a new category, "How to"
« Reply #4 on: July 16, 2006, 09:00:33 PM »
i too vote for it.

perhaps an outline format or chapters so to speak.

such as:

chapter one, a thread that pertains to all that is lister or listeroid, in trouble shooting, preparation, overhaul, repairs and maintenance, improvements etc., with links to other sites, vendors, and diy'ers sites

chapter two, power transmission, couplings, belt drives, chain drives, jack shafts, with links to browning, gates, bearing manufactures, lovejoy, dodge, etc.

chapter three, electrical, st heads, induction generators, alternators, etc, with links to the manufactures, charts, diy'ers pages etc.

chapter four, electrical controls, regulators, rectifiers, batteries, relays, disconnects, with links to manufactures, data, diy'ers etc.

chapter five, mounting, concrete, forming, steel framework, rubber mounts, etc, with the same links to manufactures, tables/charts etc., diy'ers links

chapter six, books, that relate to the subject, here is a good place to post books old and new, that relate to engines, generators, batteries, controls etc.

chapter seven, monitoring, guages, engine temp, oil pressure, shutdown systems, diversion etc.

chapter eight, etc etc.

this sort of fomat should include only those posts that relate to the chapter, not anything to do with politics, religion or personal crap

a format something like this would make it easy to locate particular information related to a specific subject. imho

as for not being able to get info for the diy'er, i too have been frustated by the prevalent attitude of buying and not making.
seems like there arent many who build their own anymore, or at least far fewer than back in the 50's and 60's when publications such as popular science and popular mechanics routinely ran articles on howto do just about anything. these articles had blueprints, parts lists, everything to build all manner of stuff from welders to air compressors. now these publications are showcases for manufactures products.

i have spent many years collecting all manner of books from early blacksmithing, to engine design, from electrical to refrigeration.

in some ways we are living in a tough time for a diy'er, but never has the time been better for the diy'er because of the availability of surplus stuff, and a wide variety of all sorts of components that simpy were either not available or we didnt know where to get them. with the internet, these sources of components are now widely known and available.

with fewer diy'ers around there is more to pick from. and with the use it till it breaks mentality there is alot of useful stuff being discarded that has alot of life left in it. such as lawn mowers with bad gas in it, it dont start so the guy thows it away, a boon to the diy'er who can clean it up and reuse the engine for another project. thirty years ago, the guy would have had it repaired and used the mower until it was worn out typically then throw it away.

industry is no different, i pick up all sorts of stuff from our local airplane manufactures surplus yard for as little as 1 cent on the dollar, that has never been available before, such as new belts with an original cost of around 80 bucks purchased used for 50 cents each.

yesterday i stopped at a yard that is being cleared off, it was an old lumber mill of some sort, there is a gang saw there that will go for scrap that has over 50 hd. 1.5 inch pillow blocks and over 50 1.25 pillow blocks, dozens of taper lock 3 groove pulleys, etc. can't imagine it will go for more that 30 cents a pound.

large machine tools such as lathes, mills etc are going to the scrapper everyday, that have alot of life in them for the diy'er. this was never the case 30 or 40 years ago.

in one way i see it as maddening, in another way i see great opportunity

bob g

otherpower.com, microcogen.info, practicalmachinist.com
(useful forums), utterpower.com for all sorts of diy info

mobile_bob

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Re: Methings we need a new category, "How to"
« Reply #5 on: July 16, 2006, 09:04:53 PM »
perhaps a "DIY/ HOW TO" catagory can be added, then the chapters can be posted under that heading, that should be easily implemented and maintained.

 this way it can become a living document that can expand with information pertaining to each section or chapter

bob g
otherpower.com, microcogen.info, practicalmachinist.com
(useful forums), utterpower.com for all sorts of diy info

Tom

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Re: Methings we need a new category, "How to"
« Reply #6 on: July 16, 2006, 10:48:29 PM »
I'll vote for it too.
Tom
2004 Ashwamegh 6/1 #217 - ST5 just over 3k hours.

pigseye

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Re: Methings we need a new category, "How to"
« Reply #7 on: July 17, 2006, 10:27:20 AM »
I agree, great idea.

mobile_bob

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Re: Methings we need a new category, "How to"
« Reply #8 on: July 23, 2006, 05:39:52 PM »
thought i would bring this back to the top
hey admin
how about it?

bob g
otherpower.com, microcogen.info, practicalmachinist.com
(useful forums), utterpower.com for all sorts of diy info

B K Lahey

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Re: Methings we need a new category, "How to"
« Reply #9 on: July 25, 2006, 08:50:28 AM »
Ifink its a great idea ::), itill make it a lot easier to access information, thats allready on hand but not recorded, anyfink that helps the hobby is AOK in my book, fanks Guy.
              BK ;D
nothing like a good crank!!

oldnslow

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Re: Methings we need a new category, "How to"
« Reply #10 on: July 25, 2006, 07:46:52 PM »
A compiled, organized library like that would make a valuable refererence or .pdf file to download for DIY'ers. Nice thing here is that it would be a living document with constant additions and improvements. Great idea Guy. How does one find the time to do it?
Mistakes are the cost of tuition.

Andre Blanchard

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Re: Methings we need a new category, "How to"
« Reply #11 on: July 25, 2006, 08:44:14 PM »
A compiled, organized library like that would make a valuable refererence or .pdf file to download for DIY'ers. Nice thing here is that it would be a living document with constant additions and improvements. Great idea Guy. How does one find the time to do it?

To keep it useful is, I think going to take good deal of weeding or it will soon be cluttered with off topic posts and threads and then become just another Engine and Generator discussion area.  I have made my share even if I usually try to wait until a thread is winding down. :)
An example would be the dyslexic thread.
Nothing personal meant rcavictim.
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Procrustes

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Re: Methings we need a new category, "How to"
« Reply #12 on: July 26, 2006, 04:10:56 AM »
Like I said, a wiki is the way to go -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki .  There's lots of free software one can use to set one up.  Rather than bickering over differences (alloy vs. iron pistons, Bon Ami for seating rings vs. Bon Ami is for fucknuts), I favor presenting them in parallel.

rpg52

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Re: Methings we need a new category, "How to"
« Reply #13 on: July 30, 2006, 04:46:03 AM »


Also.    With all respect to t19 - could we correctly spell "Original" in the "Origional Lister Cs Engines" category?
 Thanks, mr. picky spelling.
PS Listeroid 6/1, 5 kW ST, Detroit Diesel 3-71, Belsaw sawmill, 12 kW ST head, '71 GMC 3/4 T, '79 GMC 1T, '59 IH T-340

oldnslow

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Re: Methings we need a new category, "How to"
« Reply #14 on: July 31, 2006, 11:01:01 PM »
Anyone dive into this project or did it die on the vine? Not complaining, just curious.

Would it be possible to take each section or "category" and make a large .pdf file out of it? You could clean up the graphics like in the "printer friendly version" to take up less space. Perhaps certain threads could be selected by the moderators and made into individual files....like the famous BHP is bull**** thread  ;D. Or threads of the same subject could be combined into one file. You could download the file/thread or group of threads and then search it/them when necessary using the built-in "find" command within the acrobat reader. Primitive but better than nothing. Perhaps the forum could periodically issue file-lists to members based on certain date fields like inception to 3 months, and quarterly thereafter? Or by subject? I have no idea what the size limitations of an acrobat file is nor what size a section or thread of this forum would take up.

I guess I am hoping this site stays around forever but there is no free ride in life.
Mistakes are the cost of tuition.