My Apple Wireless Mouse was turning on and off. I first thought it might be some kind of radio interference. Instead of guessing I Googled. The top hits were for the Apple Support Blog--where the world's wealthiest company, the world's most advanced technology company relies on self-selected users to solve the technical problems it's phone operators cannot.
The blog was helpful but only in that it focused my attention on the battery connection. The highest rated advice was well meaning nonsense, batteries had to be just the right size..... or they won't work.
There's that much variation between AA batteries that the spring loaded battery holders won't work?
Suspiciously the advice recommends buying rechargeable batteries from the Apple Store--they're 'just the right size.'
All this reminds me of Wozniak in college with his TV frequency interference box in his pocket. (Read Woz's autobiography it's honest and interesting.) He would flip the switch and make the TV picture go crazy. Someone would try fiddling with the rabbit ear antenna, and he'd turn off the interference.
He worked this to the point that a guy was standing next to the TV with one foot in the air. If he put down that foot, Woz flipped the switch.....
Maybe the battery size thing is like this.
The other helpful thing in these postings is that tapping the Wireless Mouse on the table top would cause the problem. I tried this and yes, it absolutely caused the problem.
I doubt there's any significant variation in AA batteries worldwide that could cause such a problem, but a perennial problem of ALL battery connections is corrosion between the battery terminals and the device.
I once bought a used Minolta Spot Meter that was attacking erratically, I got if for 1/4 of the cost of a new one. I took it home, cleaned up the contacts with a pencil eraser and used it for the next fifteen years. I'm sure it's still good.
So I tried the pencil eraser on the Wireless Mouse. I also used it on the Eneloop rechargeable batteries I use in my mouse. Surprisingly the problem got much worse. That was surprising. I just had this happen with my car, where the electrical system goes completely dead. Tapping on the battery connectors immediately solves the problem. (You then need to clean them, but usually you can drive home, drive for a week after just a tap.)
There are better ways to clean battery contacts. I happened to have some alcohol based hand sanitizer, so using a Q-tip I cleaned up the contacts. It's been working 100% for the past week.
The best place for this information is on the Apple Support Blog. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to log in on this site in a couple of years. I'm really annoyed with how Apple handles IDs and Passwords. After a few years of hassles I've finally got iTunes and iTunes App Store sorted, but whatever gets me into the Apple Support blog... I don't have enough time to bother with. Let the guys with one foot in the air have their moment in the sun.
So use alcohol and a Q-tip rub the contacts on the mouse, and if you use rechargeables clean the contacts on these as well.
One thing you don't want to do is use sandpaper or scrape these surfaces. I used to do this, because it works when you're soldering (or sweating copper plumbing pipes). It damages the surface of the contact exposing unplated metal to oxidation (corrosion).
Something else that will help is, after cleaning, to use electrical contact grease. This seals the area from air eliminating oxidation. It seems a little weird to slather the surface of an electrical contact with non-conducting grease, but the grease doesn't keep the metals from contact, they push the grease out of the way, make the contact. Anywhere they are not touching is sealed from the air.
I hope this helps.
Friday, February 28, 2014
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Vimeo doesn't work, Flash won't play outside the browsers, Adobe Flash Player doesn't work--does anyone care??
For many months, perhaps as long as a year Vimeo videos won't play in Firefox on my MacBook Pro running OS 10.9. Full disclosure: I have flashblocker on, anything I can find to block pop-ups.
flv videos I download from YouTube don't play even though I've downloaded the Flash Player. It says there's something wrong.
I used to have a plug-in in FireFox that allowed me to convert them, but that disappeared somewhere between the near-weekly FireFox upgrades, perhaps between versions 207 and 1286.
I recently tried to download a converter and got that nasty Israeli change you default search and randomly pop up advertising. It was more like "Here's another company you should despise and have nothing to do with because they are part of what is a scam."
So I spent an hour sorting that out and forgot about finding a translator for flash.
Perhaps you've also had the same problem, perhaps you've found a solution. Or perhaps you think I'm an idiot, Apple is the new AT&T/KGB, and even I have to consider that you might be completely correct .
Here's what the typical Vimeo video looks like after I've clicked on all the buttons:
Neat, huh. I see this a lot. I interpret it as a reminder that I'm probably wasting time and really didn't need to see whatever it was. In fact I screen captured this image in the last fifteen minutes and can't at the moment remember what the article was about. I know it was from the WIRED magazine site.
Here's the message I would have sent to WIRED if Disqus(t) would have remembered the name and password I'd entered at their site, used once---and then it never worked again..... Again another roundabout way to remind I should spend my time in better ways.
"This is a Vimeo video, Vimeo doesn't seem to work at all anymore on my MacBook with OS X 10.9--hasn't worked in months. Then again for more than a year Disqus won't let me sign in--so you'll never know this. Because none of this has changed I must be part of a small insignificant minority, and it doesn't matter. Oh, well. "
I probably shouldn't be so snarky. My apologies.
I like rejecting stuff that doesn't work. I hope someone is paying attention somewhere (but there's probably no one).
I sent back a Logitech camera today. It didn't work, the instructions were inadequate, but two things clinched the send-this-junk-back decision:
First after reading numerous Support blogs, and receiving a couple of e-mails from a Logitech tech, I finally learned there was an indicator light on the camera. All the other lights were mentioned in the information, and they were all lit up; but two days in and about twenty contacts later I came across the first mention of an indicator light on the camera. Obviously I had seen no light on the camera; there being one that didn't light up would've been useful information an hour or two into troubleshooting the problem. "Yup. There's your problem, right there...."
My attitude, if it doesn't work an hour out of the box--there's probably more serious problems I won't learn about until it's too late to return. Send it back.
The other clincher was this:
"Please note, if we do not hear back from you within a week, we will assume your request has been completely addressed and your case will be set as "solved". (italics are mine) At that moment Logitech will send you a short survey that will be based upon the customer service you received during this email interaction.
Question 1 will evaluate your overall satisfaction with our email interaction, and how good you believe we have been assisting you with this concern (10 being the highest)"
The second part means that the big corporation is going to ask in the survey how good this tech has done, not how good (or rotten) their product is.
If Logitech logic were to be used in a hospital, than a patient left outside, in the basement, or in a dumpster or who'd died in the room....could be assumed to be 'cured' because they stopped buzzing the nurses' station.
They won't hear back from me within a week because I repackaged their dingus and sent it back to Amazon. So I guess my issue is 'solved.' I'm so happy my need and frustration were so deftly taken care of. (Amazon Returns works and that solves a lot of this nonsense.)
Anyway, I'm trying not to be a crank. (Though I'm dying to lay out all my video and USB connectors, take a photo and then list all the times in the last two weeks one of them failed to work (ALL Apple video adapters after three months) or the correct one that wasn't in my bag (or may not exist). I've got at least ten different connectors in my computer bag.
To the techie-nerd speculation that I am indeed an idiot? Well clearly I am if I've spent thousands of dollars on computer gear, carry around a mess of cables and they only do 3/4 of what I need them to do--and they usually don't do what I need them to do when I've got a room full of unruly students. Yup, I've been had.
My son had a BMW that was really trick, and it had run-flat tires. I thought this meant you could still drive on them if they were flat. What it actually seems to mean is that they go flat every other month and cost a $1000 each to replace.
The way I see it, is if they were good tires in the first place (like the Michelins on my old Honda) than there'd be no issue about running flat because they'd last 100,000 miles and need replacing because one them them was loosing air and they were starting to break down internally. $600 for 4 tires and 100,000 miles, or $2000 for 2 tires and 1000 miles?
So nothing more on connectors. For now....
I guess as regards to high tech and fancy tires, see my last posting about making your own notebook. When has the beta version of anything worked 100 percent?
I'm on page 110 of the journal and it works great. Cost? About $2. (Costco paper 5000 sheets $35), so that's about 70 cents for 100 sheets. Toner? hot glue? a manila folder?
flv videos I download from YouTube don't play even though I've downloaded the Flash Player. It says there's something wrong.
I used to have a plug-in in FireFox that allowed me to convert them, but that disappeared somewhere between the near-weekly FireFox upgrades, perhaps between versions 207 and 1286.
I recently tried to download a converter and got that nasty Israeli change you default search and randomly pop up advertising. It was more like "Here's another company you should despise and have nothing to do with because they are part of what is a scam."
So I spent an hour sorting that out and forgot about finding a translator for flash.
Perhaps you've also had the same problem, perhaps you've found a solution. Or perhaps you think I'm an idiot, Apple is the new AT&T/KGB, and even I have to consider that you might be completely correct .
Here's what the typical Vimeo video looks like after I've clicked on all the buttons:
Here's the message I would have sent to WIRED if Disqus(t) would have remembered the name and password I'd entered at their site, used once---and then it never worked again..... Again another roundabout way to remind I should spend my time in better ways.
I probably shouldn't be so snarky. My apologies.
I like rejecting stuff that doesn't work. I hope someone is paying attention somewhere (but there's probably no one).
I sent back a Logitech camera today. It didn't work, the instructions were inadequate, but two things clinched the send-this-junk-back decision:
First after reading numerous Support blogs, and receiving a couple of e-mails from a Logitech tech, I finally learned there was an indicator light on the camera. All the other lights were mentioned in the information, and they were all lit up; but two days in and about twenty contacts later I came across the first mention of an indicator light on the camera. Obviously I had seen no light on the camera; there being one that didn't light up would've been useful information an hour or two into troubleshooting the problem. "Yup. There's your problem, right there...."
My attitude, if it doesn't work an hour out of the box--there's probably more serious problems I won't learn about until it's too late to return. Send it back.
The other clincher was this:
"Please note, if we do not hear back from you within a week, we will assume your request has been completely addressed and your case will be set as "solved". (italics are mine) At that moment Logitech will send you a short survey that will be based upon the customer service you received during this email interaction.
Question 1 will evaluate your overall satisfaction with our email interaction, and how good you believe we have been assisting you with this concern (10 being the highest)"
The second part means that the big corporation is going to ask in the survey how good this tech has done, not how good (or rotten) their product is.
If Logitech logic were to be used in a hospital, than a patient left outside, in the basement, or in a dumpster or who'd died in the room....could be assumed to be 'cured' because they stopped buzzing the nurses' station.
They won't hear back from me within a week because I repackaged their dingus and sent it back to Amazon. So I guess my issue is 'solved.' I'm so happy my need and frustration were so deftly taken care of. (Amazon Returns works and that solves a lot of this nonsense.)
Anyway, I'm trying not to be a crank. (Though I'm dying to lay out all my video and USB connectors, take a photo and then list all the times in the last two weeks one of them failed to work (ALL Apple video adapters after three months) or the correct one that wasn't in my bag (or may not exist). I've got at least ten different connectors in my computer bag.
To the techie-nerd speculation that I am indeed an idiot? Well clearly I am if I've spent thousands of dollars on computer gear, carry around a mess of cables and they only do 3/4 of what I need them to do--and they usually don't do what I need them to do when I've got a room full of unruly students. Yup, I've been had.
My son had a BMW that was really trick, and it had run-flat tires. I thought this meant you could still drive on them if they were flat. What it actually seems to mean is that they go flat every other month and cost a $1000 each to replace.
The way I see it, is if they were good tires in the first place (like the Michelins on my old Honda) than there'd be no issue about running flat because they'd last 100,000 miles and need replacing because one them them was loosing air and they were starting to break down internally. $600 for 4 tires and 100,000 miles, or $2000 for 2 tires and 1000 miles?
So nothing more on connectors. For now....
I guess as regards to high tech and fancy tires, see my last posting about making your own notebook. When has the beta version of anything worked 100 percent?
I'm on page 110 of the journal and it works great. Cost? About $2. (Costco paper 5000 sheets $35), so that's about 70 cents for 100 sheets. Toner? hot glue? a manila folder?
Monday, January 20, 2014
Notebook: DIY Perfect Binding, line numbers and page numbers
 |
| Sample pages with floating Table of Contents that also works as a book mark. |
I usually write either on the computer or in a standard composition book. What I've found is that blank page composition books are either expensive or unobtainable. When you spend more than $1 for a notebook, you're paying for not having to write on thick annoying blue lines.
I like the grids, college ruled... but if you're like me you've noticed that most notebooks seem to have really fat dark blue lines....
I've also begun numbering the pages, 1-100 from the front, (right side facing pages only); then I flip the notebook over and number them 101-200 on the remaining pages. It's like having two notebooks, with two covers. Writing will be right side up on the right, and upside down on the left. If I add an additional note on the facing page, it doesn't interfere when I'm coming back through.
I don't like spiral notebooks. I've got a Moleskin, cost me nearly $20--I'm afraid to use it.
Being a Maker and a problem solver I wondered if 1. I could figure out how to make my own notebooks, 2. Number the pages using software, 3. make my own ideal line spacing.
I'm quite satisfied with my results. A4 (letter sized) paper, so it's standard, perfect binding using heat patch material for clothes and hot glue stick (which is probably the most valuable contribution of this particular project). The line spacing is still up in the air, open to change. Page and line numbering system I made are, I think wicked cool.
I would like to share this, add it to the blog, but it would be a 100 or 200 page PDF. Readers might not like my line spacing, or they might want and 80 (160) page notebook....
Here goes. I created a simple database in FileMaker Pro for the page numbering.
There are 100 records number 1-100--in the upper right corner.
Each record is the size of two pages. At the bottom of the second page is 101-200 in the lower left corner--upside down---so print "Two Sided" makes the first page, #1 on the face and #200 on the back.
Two Fields:
Number, (type 'number'): Auto Enter Serial number
Backside Number (type: 'calculation'): = 201–Numbers
That's all it takes. Probably can do this in Open Office.
Here's a sample page from a screen capture of the Illustrator file:
Page number is Helvetica Neue Light 18 point,
lines are .5 pt, gray (40% black) .2131" (5.4 mm) apart
I would prefer a faint blue line, but my cleanest printer is a Brother Black only.
The smaller line is .09 high. I use this to space lines. (A reasonable criticism is that this second line is unnecessary. A regularly rule page should work just as well. And I should work on my penmanship....)
Squint and look at the line numbers. I've numbered every 5th line Optima 8 pt.
Why it's different from the page number....No good reason. They're almost completely invisible unless you're looking for them.
What I then would do is to flip through a full notebook and make a quick Table of Contents. In about 150 pages of writing I'd usually come up with a maximum of 20-30 topics, that I thought I might want to find at a later date.
Giving a topic a notebook name (usually a date), a page number (or range) and line numbers, within 5 line numbers is not a big deal considering I probably have 30 notebooks from the past 8 years.
I find I'll write either on my word processor journal, personal or school (work) or in a hand written notebook. Being able to organize the information and entries, can be useful. (I also see how many times I've spent an hour complaining about minor annoyances like USB cables.... which helps me skip the subject the next time Apple comes out with a new one....).
I've also made a FileMaker Pro database for my notebooks, it lists a title, again usually the date range, description (blue, red....) and a few key topics.
I'm fiddling around with writing stories, bits and pieces are scattered all over the place. This database keeps characters, events, writing fragments all sorted.
OK: Binding.
I've watched at least two dozen how to make your own notebook YouTube videos and DIY Makers pages. They're all neat, thank you.
There are two basic binding methods I considered, stitching--which is a traditional method, and Perfect Binding, which is really quite simple-you basically clamp all the pages together, roughen the spine edges of the paper with sandpaper and then smear it with glue.
I chose Perfect Binding, because I could simply use the A4 (letter sized) 8.5 x 11" laser printer paper I buy 10 reams at a time from Costco. It's not the best paper for writing on with a fountain pen, but it doesn't yellow, and works good enough. If I stitched then the edges of the pages would be uneven and need trimming--too much work (and paper cuts).
I made a simple clamp with two pieces of 1.5 x 1.5" wood. Hot glue spreads and sticks to the wood, so what I've figured out is to add a slip of paper on each side of the stack of pages. This then becomes part of the finished notebook.
Roughing up the edges is very important. I half made one without this step and it started coming apart. Use very rough sand paper. I've scored it with a utility knife, and even dragged a rasp (about grit 5 if it was sand paper) to roughen up the spine edge of the clamped notebook.
Next I dribble hot glue back and forth across the pages and spread it out a bit with a wide tongue depressor. At this point, you are done. The pages will hold together quite well.
The next step I usually do is to take a manilla file folder; score and fold it at the size of the notebook. Using a clothes iron, Wool setting, I iron on a layer of Heat-N-Bond. You could skip the Heat-N-Bond. This flattens out the hot glue layer. Heat-N-Bond has a backing sheet that you now peel off.
Take your notebook out of the clamp, trim up the two folded slips that protected the clamp (but leave them). Put the notebook into the manilla file folder, back into the clamp and apply the heated iron to the outside of the folder. This makes an OK, but not great cover. (My goal is to find a nice leather cover with pockets I can slip the manilla covers into.... )
I've used this for log books that had been kept in 3-ring binders. It makes them more compact and more archival (plastic, and especially vinyl office supplies turn to sticky goo after a few years).
I'll attach some more photos.
e-mail me if you'd like a pdf of my parts. There will be essentially two files, the front and back pages and the page numbers. You might want numbered blank pages, or a different line spacing.
An open question is could these notebooks be used as a Patent Notebook or official Science Notebook? Maybe. I don't think there's any magic to sewn patent notebooks that sell for $25. Anyone with an extra blank notebook, could with some effort, and motivation (a billion dollars?) take apart and modify one of these. A homemade perfect bound notebook like mine, would be very easy to fake, it's already non-standard. Of course forensic science will always know more than the criminally minded.
Always interested in what you think, your solutions and ideas.
And of course, Moleskin and the other commercial notebook makers--don't hesitate to contact me... I believe these are the notebooks Archimedes and Abraham Lincoln used when they were young men in Paris.... Of course Archie used a grid pattern....
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Kayak: Flush Deck Fittings
These are the best, strongest, most hassle free deck fittings ever.
(There seems to have been some interest in this so I'll try to improve it. 12 March 2016)
Dan Maroske came up with a method to make flush deck fittings for a kayak by using wire and tubing coated in releasing solution and then slipping on 1/2" fiberglass sleeve. It's a great idea.
I believe I've improved on his method. All the video I've shot so far is awful (In one of them I went fitting to fitting and popped out the mold material--spectacular--except none of it in the frame).
My primary contribution is that I used hot glue sticks for the mold, wrapping them several times with Teflon plumbing tape to keep them from getting stuck after the epoxy has set. Since then I've also used lithium grease as an additonal mold release.
Glue sticks being solid do not kink when you bend them. They are flexible and stretchy. When pulling them out stretching, even a little bit, decreases the diameter.
The link below connects to the least bad video. If you're interested in making flush deck fittings, it'll be interesting-otherwise not.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEidfGG5vGQ&feature=youtu.be
My variation solves a couple of problems.
Problem #1 Kinking. Other method:Using tubing packed with wire. The bend is a tight 1" (25mm) diameter. Hollow tubing will kink, this is why Dan Maroske packed his tubes with wire.
By using mini hot glue gun sticks, which are flexible and solid--they not only do not kink, but they make a nice smooth bend. (Full size glue sticks will also work, but their diameter is much larger than you'll need.)
Releasing from the mold: Epoxy does stick to glue sticks. (My epoxy skills are not great, I've often had problems with releasing wax and solutions.) My work around is to wrap two layers of Teflon plumbing seal tape around the glue sticks. There is some adhesion to the epoxy, but it is only to the surface of the top layer of tape. Three layers would probably be even better. This tape is fairly cheap (Harbor Freight), and the glue sticks are still usable--both in your glue gun and as molds. The glue sticks will still retain a lot of the Teflon tape, so you won't have to re-wrap three layers. What you are after is when you pull on the glue stick after the epoxy sets, you want it to slide between the layers of tape. The issue is the mechanical hold of the surface area of your mold against the now solid surface going around a 180 degree bend.
Cutting board with some 'molds' inserted into the holes.
Problem #2 making the loop. I use cheap plastic cutting boards as a base. I drill a 3/8" hole 1 inch apart in the cutting board. Epoxy will stick to the boards, so I coat these with releasing agent (lithium grease). I've got some delrin plastic (poor man's Teflon sheet) that should work even better. (The cheap plastic cutting board material isn't nearly as slick as delrin or teflon, but it's close and about 1/10th the price--I use it for a lot of things that need to slide).
After I've prepared (wrapped) a handful of sticks, I slide on the 1/2" fiberglass sleeve. When I have the sleeve on a stick, I loosely wrap the (roll) end of the fiberglass tape with blue masking tape. This accomplishes two things. (Fiberglass sleeve can be a bit of a chore opening up the end. I use a pencil. When you're using it for several pieces all the same diameter, once you've got the sleeve over the mold, wrap blue tape once around and then cut through the middle of the tape.)
1. It keeps it from unraveling and
2. It keeps the sleeve open to slide onto the next glue stick mold.
Wrap the tape, then slide the sleeve off the mold a bit and cut in the middle of the tape. This leaves two taped ends.
Next I just bend them, poke them into the holes in the cutting board and epoxy them. You want to saturate the fiberglass sleeve. Bubbles may appear, use a heat gun to make your epoxy more viscous.
It's best to put on a second layer of epoxy. Tiny holes can remain after only one coating.
After it sets, pop them out of the cutting board. Leave the mold in.
The deck of your kayak should be completely fiberglassed. You don't want to apply a layer of glass over the fittings. You can add more coats of epoxy and varnish, I make little plugs for the holds so the holes don't fill up.
Preparing the deck of your kayak:
I usually drill 7/16 or 1/2 in holes in the deck and then insert the fitting from the inside. You want a gap for thickened epoxy to bond the fitting to the deck. For the extreme bow and stern ends--that I can't reach from the inside. I've drilled larger holes and fed the fittings from the outside. I've also loosely taped them to a stick and reached in from the inside.
When they're all installed, mix up some thickened epoxy, pull them up slightly. Make sure they're coated all the way round. You already know how to do this.
When the epoxy has set: Next step is to remove the mold material,
Tools to have are a sharp knife and needle nose pliers. Some combination of cutting around the masking tape, the protruding sleeve and pulling on the glue stick with the pliers.
The great thing about the glue sticks is that when they are stretched they become narrower, this loosens them up inside the fittings. I find if I pull and wiggle on each side they will soon become loose.
When they pull out they slowly move and then pop!
Trim anything sticking above the deck, and sand smooth.
Some Teflon tape may be left inside, but it won't show and it won't interfere with inserting line. I've easily pushed through cut but unwicked (frayed) line that is almost as big as the hole. The inside of the fittings using this method are usually very smooth.
There's always something else, but this and my video (the images here are screen captures) should give you all you'll need to know. I will never try to screw a loop to a deck of a kayak again.
For a commercially made kayak that doesn't have a wood core, a fiberglass epoxy 'plate' 2 inches by 1 inch, buttered up with thickened epoxy and inserted from the inside might be a good place to start.
Let me know what you think. Especially after you give it a try. (I got a lot of poopooing about this from guys who clearly hadn't tried it. Maybe I wasn't clear enough.)
Just rediscovered these two videos. Drilling holes, setting up the molds and mixing epoxy. Only interesting if you're going to make these fittings.
Maroske Nettles Deck Fittings.m4v
Maroske Nettles Deck Fittings TWO
I'd like to do a strength test someday, but not on my kayak. I'm betting the line breaks before the fitting does.
Update: One of my fittings had a slight leak. Nearly impossible to tell exactly where. A light coating of epoxy dripped into the hole, then smeared around and cleaned out with a piece of line took care of the problem.
Has anyone else tried this method? What was your experience?
I always boast that I can learn or figure out 85% of just about anything--which is why I don't skydive. It's also why your thoughts, skills, experience are needed. Thanks. See you on the ocean.
(There seems to have been some interest in this so I'll try to improve it. 12 March 2016)
Dan Maroske came up with a method to make flush deck fittings for a kayak by using wire and tubing coated in releasing solution and then slipping on 1/2" fiberglass sleeve. It's a great idea.
I believe I've improved on his method. All the video I've shot so far is awful (In one of them I went fitting to fitting and popped out the mold material--spectacular--except none of it in the frame).
My primary contribution is that I used hot glue sticks for the mold, wrapping them several times with Teflon plumbing tape to keep them from getting stuck after the epoxy has set. Since then I've also used lithium grease as an additonal mold release.
Glue sticks being solid do not kink when you bend them. They are flexible and stretchy. When pulling them out stretching, even a little bit, decreases the diameter.
The link below connects to the least bad video. If you're interested in making flush deck fittings, it'll be interesting-otherwise not.
My variation solves a couple of problems.
Problem #1 Kinking. Other method:Using tubing packed with wire. The bend is a tight 1" (25mm) diameter. Hollow tubing will kink, this is why Dan Maroske packed his tubes with wire.
By using mini hot glue gun sticks, which are flexible and solid--they not only do not kink, but they make a nice smooth bend. (Full size glue sticks will also work, but their diameter is much larger than you'll need.)
Releasing from the mold: Epoxy does stick to glue sticks. (My epoxy skills are not great, I've often had problems with releasing wax and solutions.) My work around is to wrap two layers of Teflon plumbing seal tape around the glue sticks. There is some adhesion to the epoxy, but it is only to the surface of the top layer of tape. Three layers would probably be even better. This tape is fairly cheap (Harbor Freight), and the glue sticks are still usable--both in your glue gun and as molds. The glue sticks will still retain a lot of the Teflon tape, so you won't have to re-wrap three layers. What you are after is when you pull on the glue stick after the epoxy sets, you want it to slide between the layers of tape. The issue is the mechanical hold of the surface area of your mold against the now solid surface going around a 180 degree bend.
Cutting board with some 'molds' inserted into the holes.Problem #2 making the loop. I use cheap plastic cutting boards as a base. I drill a 3/8" hole 1 inch apart in the cutting board. Epoxy will stick to the boards, so I coat these with releasing agent (lithium grease). I've got some delrin plastic (poor man's Teflon sheet) that should work even better. (The cheap plastic cutting board material isn't nearly as slick as delrin or teflon, but it's close and about 1/10th the price--I use it for a lot of things that need to slide).
After I've prepared (wrapped) a handful of sticks, I slide on the 1/2" fiberglass sleeve. When I have the sleeve on a stick, I loosely wrap the (roll) end of the fiberglass tape with blue masking tape. This accomplishes two things. (Fiberglass sleeve can be a bit of a chore opening up the end. I use a pencil. When you're using it for several pieces all the same diameter, once you've got the sleeve over the mold, wrap blue tape once around and then cut through the middle of the tape.)
1. It keeps it from unraveling and
2. It keeps the sleeve open to slide onto the next glue stick mold.
Wrap the tape, then slide the sleeve off the mold a bit and cut in the middle of the tape. This leaves two taped ends.
It's best to put on a second layer of epoxy. Tiny holes can remain after only one coating.
The deck of your kayak should be completely fiberglassed. You don't want to apply a layer of glass over the fittings. You can add more coats of epoxy and varnish, I make little plugs for the holds so the holes don't fill up.
Preparing the deck of your kayak:
I usually drill 7/16 or 1/2 in holes in the deck and then insert the fitting from the inside. You want a gap for thickened epoxy to bond the fitting to the deck. For the extreme bow and stern ends--that I can't reach from the inside. I've drilled larger holes and fed the fittings from the outside. I've also loosely taped them to a stick and reached in from the inside.
When they're all installed, mix up some thickened epoxy, pull them up slightly. Make sure they're coated all the way round. You already know how to do this.
When the epoxy has set: Next step is to remove the mold material,
Tools to have are a sharp knife and needle nose pliers. Some combination of cutting around the masking tape, the protruding sleeve and pulling on the glue stick with the pliers.
The great thing about the glue sticks is that when they are stretched they become narrower, this loosens them up inside the fittings. I find if I pull and wiggle on each side they will soon become loose.
When they pull out they slowly move and then pop!
 |
| This particular fitting I use for the rudder deployment lines. I'm testing it for strength. Next I'll sand it flush with the deck. |
Trim anything sticking above the deck, and sand smooth.
Some Teflon tape may be left inside, but it won't show and it won't interfere with inserting line. I've easily pushed through cut but unwicked (frayed) line that is almost as big as the hole. The inside of the fittings using this method are usually very smooth.
There's always something else, but this and my video (the images here are screen captures) should give you all you'll need to know. I will never try to screw a loop to a deck of a kayak again.
For a commercially made kayak that doesn't have a wood core, a fiberglass epoxy 'plate' 2 inches by 1 inch, buttered up with thickened epoxy and inserted from the inside might be a good place to start.
I'd like to do a strength test someday, but not on my kayak. I'm betting the line breaks before the fitting does.
Update: One of my fittings had a slight leak. Nearly impossible to tell exactly where. A light coating of epoxy dripped into the hole, then smeared around and cleaned out with a piece of line took care of the problem.
Has anyone else tried this method? What was your experience?
I always boast that I can learn or figure out 85% of just about anything--which is why I don't skydive. It's also why your thoughts, skills, experience are needed. Thanks. See you on the ocean.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Kayak: Electric Pump Whale SUPERSUB Submersible Auto Pump650 gph
Quick note:
I've installed a Whale Supersub Auto Pump 650 gph following the basic guidelines of Mark in CKF and Gnarlydog.
The wireless remote set-up works flawlessly. I can turn the pump on from inside my house. It's in the back hatch of my kayak, there seem to be no signal issues.
I've installed a Whale Supersub Auto Pump 650 gph following the basic guidelines of Mark in CKF and Gnarlydog.
My battery box is almost exactly the same as Gnarlydog's but on top is a wireless receiver/relay unit (AGT 12V Waterproof Wireless Remote Control DC Universal 2-Channel Output)
At this point, YES to the remote Control, but MAYBE NO for the pump.
The wireless remote set-up works flawlessly. I can turn the pump on from inside my house. It's in the back hatch of my kayak, there seem to be no signal issues.
Also as the unit is rated for 5 amps 12 VDC, it's enough to run the pump. The pump has an automatic sensor feature that I don't use.
The pump seems to have a priming problem. It appears that an air bubble gets trapped in the strumbox, propeller area and it just spins pumping nothing. Sometimes it takes a full minute before it starts pumping.
I'll post photos and video and I'll contact Whale about the problem. There's a small air bleeder fitting on the strumbox, it's clear, but it may have some issue.
Many if not most self-rescues for a kayaker results in water sloshing around the cockpit--destabilizing the craft with the standard method of bailing being the stick-pump. This has long concerned me. First is the reason why you flipped in the first place, rough seas? but now second, you have water sloshing around further destabilizing your 'yak, but now you have to use the hands you need on your paddle to operate the stick pump.
For a few years I thought a foot pump was the answer. I designed and installed a footbrace, with a Guzzler pump in the middle and I added hinged peddles for the rudder and kite surfing foot hold downs.
Another 'fix' I installed is a carbon fiber wrapped wood post on a thin piece of plywood, hotglued to the bottom of the hull. On the post I place weightlifting weights. Yesterday I paddled with 22 extra pounds. After I landed I reduced the weight to only 10 pounds, 5 fore and 5 in the aft hatch and that seemed more than enough. This is in a Guillemot Mystery, 20' long and about 18" wide--very tippy boat. The weights are like training wheels.
More later.
Monday, December 30, 2013
Kayak: The Aleut Paddle (reference to a skinboat blog post by Wolfgang Brinck) IQYAX
None of what follows is meant to provoke an argument with anybody.
When I learn how to do anything (I'm old and I can do many different skills)--I make every possible mistake, usually come up with new ones.
• When I was little my mother told me I used to jump up and run out of the room, and miss the hallway and run right into the wall.
• I just told a friend who backpacks that I only just found out that most of the weight is carried on the belt. I used to remove the belt. On none of the backpacks I have would the belts (re-installed) fit properly on my waist. Totally clueless about one of the basics. We both laughed (at me) for five minutes.
I wonder now if making every possible mistake actually facilitated learning all my skills (I'm currently working as a teacher, I'm still a professional photographer--specializing in photographing works of art (very technical, very low pay), I've been a carpenter, electrician, plumber, activist, consultant. I've done a lot of things. OK resume over.)
THE ALEUT QUESTIONS
Just how did they paddle at 10 knots? I'm passed the discussion that maybe they were fast, but not that fast.... George Dyson made a strong case in 1991, so I'm proceeding on the premise that the Aleuts did indeed paddle their iqyaxs over significant distances at 10 knots. Over 2000 meters (1.25 miles 1.1 nautical miles (Nmiles) is slightly slower than Olympic speeds which I think top out at 12 knots. but these guys apparently could do this for several miles.
The Aleut Question is how did they do this? broken down into 'questions' would be How exactly did their gear work? What was their technique? and Is the extent gear (iqyaxs, paddles etc) really representative of the 10 knot gear?
Until someone paddles a baidarka 10 knots for a significant distance, and can do this repeatably, we really don't understand.
My goal is to figure out how the Aleuts made 10 knots. I think I've got some very solid ideas. My plan is to give myself a year to build at least one baidarka (properly called Iqyax--or so I'm advocating). I've given myself a year (which in boat building is actually an infinite amount of time...) By the end of 2014 I will have either
•Proved my ideas, developed them into something at least interesting;
• Disproved my ideas and shared what I've learned here, or
• Failing to do as much as I hope--share the whole list, my hypothesis, conjectures, designs, here on this blog.
I've been reading about Aleut paddles, and Greenland Paddles
So my first step:
I just made an 'Aleut' paddle, 96" long, completely flat face, ridge at the opposite side. It was almost impossible to use, fluttering too much. Used backwards--no problem.
(No loss I can make these paddles in a few hours and enjoy it).
I'll round the power face edge and laminate a slight double-concave center ridge (exactly what you think this means) on the face.
A flat paddle face is a mess, but my Euro paddles are concave--which should be worse. They do have a slight center ridge. So I'm thinking that balancing a paddle face is a subtle but not very difficult art. What I could do is use clay to make a center ridge--so I could easily move it around. I could then make an asymmetrical paddle face (to exacerbate the problems) and move the ridge around to balance it.
There are two basic issues with the topic of discussing paddles.
1. Descriptions. language is limited. I think I know what's going on, but I've been reading this stuff for years. A good diagram with terms would be helpful.Break down the problem, quantify it. (Above is an example of this exact problem. I should have a picture and drawing of my paddle.)
2. I don't think we've even begun to understand what the Aleuts achieved. Always in kayak discussions, skinboats less so than the others, there are too many 'experts', too much conventional (limited) thinking, too much noise and not enough knowledge and experience.
I think it would be safe to say (admit) that we really haven't even begun to understand what the Aleuts accomplished as long as people are making baidarkas and paddling them slower than 'plastic' boats (epoxy, like my strip-builts, or the mold made epoxy/glass 'yaks).
We can't know about the tools (paddles, iqyax, etc) until we can use them. Until yesterday I hadn't been in the ocean in 4 months-I wasn't as strong or as skillful as I am when I've been paddling regularly. I think any discovery of what the Aleuts really did will require a lot of deliberate practice (E.Anders Ericsson) and a high skill level.
Take the issue of 'which is the power face?' It's easier to paddle with the ridged side as the paddle face. Wolfgang Brinck has clear photographic evidence that the Aleuts paddled ridge forward.
So what's easier to us the first time or 100th time we try a paddle has limited value compared to Aleuts who were doing 10 knots actually did.
I tried to help someone make a GP paddle. He'd never done any woodworking--so he was struggling. I use a wood plane like most of us use a pencil.
The Aleuts compared to most of us (but not all perhaps) is probably just like this; probably more so.
I've got some ideas that I've given a lot of thought to, and I have some pretty good basic paddling skills; but what I've often noticed is how much of the discussions I've seen seem confused at best. Take as an example the common comment about GP paddles being better for the shoulders. Shoulders shouldn't really be an issue with a good stroke technique. (Jen Keck of Aqua Adventures taught me to practice 'Frankenstein paddling' --arms straight out--it forces you to rotate your torso. (Granted there are a lot of shoulder problems that aren't solved by stroke technique, and too when I'm in shape and paddling a lot, I use my shoulders at the end of my rotation.)
I've seen instructors, people who are actually paid salaries to teach kayaking, paddling shoulders only. What about the This is the Sea DVD's are most of the 'stars' really mostly using their shoulders? Maybe I'm just misunderstanding what I see. In This is the Sea number 5, a paddler hurt his wrist and yet was still trying to use a feathered paddle. (You could duct tape a paddle to your wrist, or put a hook on a plaster cast and still paddle--but you couldn't paddle feathered.)
This shoulder and feathered paddle stuff strikes me as a litmus test for blindly accepting conventional wisdom. (But here too, maybe I'm missing something. My friend who had trouble with the block plane, told me there are feathered Greenland paddles in the archeological collection.)
OK, I'm drifting into a rant here. I'm not too worried--as I don't think anybody is reading any of this stuff. If I pick up a few readers I'll edit more and watch what I say. (I'd rather paddle at 10 knots than argue about feathered paddles. Uh, I'd rather paddle at 4 knots than argue about anything.)
I'll try to add some photos of my 'funny' Aleut paddle before I tweak it.
I should also try to find or make a definitive drawing of paddle parts so we have a clear set of terms.
Will Nettles
always WillN2 (go)
When I learn how to do anything (I'm old and I can do many different skills)--I make every possible mistake, usually come up with new ones.
• When I was little my mother told me I used to jump up and run out of the room, and miss the hallway and run right into the wall.
• I just told a friend who backpacks that I only just found out that most of the weight is carried on the belt. I used to remove the belt. On none of the backpacks I have would the belts (re-installed) fit properly on my waist. Totally clueless about one of the basics. We both laughed (at me) for five minutes.
I wonder now if making every possible mistake actually facilitated learning all my skills (I'm currently working as a teacher, I'm still a professional photographer--specializing in photographing works of art (very technical, very low pay), I've been a carpenter, electrician, plumber, activist, consultant. I've done a lot of things. OK resume over.)
THE ALEUT QUESTIONS
Just how did they paddle at 10 knots? I'm passed the discussion that maybe they were fast, but not that fast.... George Dyson made a strong case in 1991, so I'm proceeding on the premise that the Aleuts did indeed paddle their iqyaxs over significant distances at 10 knots. Over 2000 meters (1.25 miles 1.1 nautical miles (Nmiles) is slightly slower than Olympic speeds which I think top out at 12 knots. but these guys apparently could do this for several miles.
The Aleut Question is how did they do this? broken down into 'questions' would be How exactly did their gear work? What was their technique? and Is the extent gear (iqyaxs, paddles etc) really representative of the 10 knot gear?
Until someone paddles a baidarka 10 knots for a significant distance, and can do this repeatably, we really don't understand.
My goal is to figure out how the Aleuts made 10 knots. I think I've got some very solid ideas. My plan is to give myself a year to build at least one baidarka (properly called Iqyax--or so I'm advocating). I've given myself a year (which in boat building is actually an infinite amount of time...) By the end of 2014 I will have either
•Proved my ideas, developed them into something at least interesting;
• Disproved my ideas and shared what I've learned here, or
• Failing to do as much as I hope--share the whole list, my hypothesis, conjectures, designs, here on this blog.
I've been reading about Aleut paddles, and Greenland Paddles
So my first step:
I just made an 'Aleut' paddle, 96" long, completely flat face, ridge at the opposite side. It was almost impossible to use, fluttering too much. Used backwards--no problem.
(No loss I can make these paddles in a few hours and enjoy it).
I'll round the power face edge and laminate a slight double-concave center ridge (exactly what you think this means) on the face.
A flat paddle face is a mess, but my Euro paddles are concave--which should be worse. They do have a slight center ridge. So I'm thinking that balancing a paddle face is a subtle but not very difficult art. What I could do is use clay to make a center ridge--so I could easily move it around. I could then make an asymmetrical paddle face (to exacerbate the problems) and move the ridge around to balance it.
There are two basic issues with the topic of discussing paddles.
1. Descriptions. language is limited. I think I know what's going on, but I've been reading this stuff for years. A good diagram with terms would be helpful.Break down the problem, quantify it. (Above is an example of this exact problem. I should have a picture and drawing of my paddle.)
2. I don't think we've even begun to understand what the Aleuts achieved. Always in kayak discussions, skinboats less so than the others, there are too many 'experts', too much conventional (limited) thinking, too much noise and not enough knowledge and experience.
I think it would be safe to say (admit) that we really haven't even begun to understand what the Aleuts accomplished as long as people are making baidarkas and paddling them slower than 'plastic' boats (epoxy, like my strip-builts, or the mold made epoxy/glass 'yaks).
We can't know about the tools (paddles, iqyax, etc) until we can use them. Until yesterday I hadn't been in the ocean in 4 months-I wasn't as strong or as skillful as I am when I've been paddling regularly. I think any discovery of what the Aleuts really did will require a lot of deliberate practice (E.Anders Ericsson) and a high skill level.
Take the issue of 'which is the power face?' It's easier to paddle with the ridged side as the paddle face. Wolfgang Brinck has clear photographic evidence that the Aleuts paddled ridge forward.
So what's easier to us the first time or 100th time we try a paddle has limited value compared to Aleuts who were doing 10 knots actually did.
I tried to help someone make a GP paddle. He'd never done any woodworking--so he was struggling. I use a wood plane like most of us use a pencil.
The Aleuts compared to most of us (but not all perhaps) is probably just like this; probably more so.
I've got some ideas that I've given a lot of thought to, and I have some pretty good basic paddling skills; but what I've often noticed is how much of the discussions I've seen seem confused at best. Take as an example the common comment about GP paddles being better for the shoulders. Shoulders shouldn't really be an issue with a good stroke technique. (Jen Keck of Aqua Adventures taught me to practice 'Frankenstein paddling' --arms straight out--it forces you to rotate your torso. (Granted there are a lot of shoulder problems that aren't solved by stroke technique, and too when I'm in shape and paddling a lot, I use my shoulders at the end of my rotation.)
I've seen instructors, people who are actually paid salaries to teach kayaking, paddling shoulders only. What about the This is the Sea DVD's are most of the 'stars' really mostly using their shoulders? Maybe I'm just misunderstanding what I see. In This is the Sea number 5, a paddler hurt his wrist and yet was still trying to use a feathered paddle. (You could duct tape a paddle to your wrist, or put a hook on a plaster cast and still paddle--but you couldn't paddle feathered.)
This shoulder and feathered paddle stuff strikes me as a litmus test for blindly accepting conventional wisdom. (But here too, maybe I'm missing something. My friend who had trouble with the block plane, told me there are feathered Greenland paddles in the archeological collection.)
OK, I'm drifting into a rant here. I'm not too worried--as I don't think anybody is reading any of this stuff. If I pick up a few readers I'll edit more and watch what I say. (I'd rather paddle at 10 knots than argue about feathered paddles. Uh, I'd rather paddle at 4 knots than argue about anything.)
I'll try to add some photos of my 'funny' Aleut paddle before I tweak it.
I should also try to find or make a definitive drawing of paddle parts so we have a clear set of terms.
Will Nettles
always WillN2 (go)
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