Sister bought an older house and all the wiring was the old paper covered stuff. It might have been OK, but up in the attic, there were two junction boxes with 3 - 5 circuits twist and taped in each one. Dad and I rewired the whole house.
Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)
- Thread starter mainewoods
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I have a Columbian vice very similar to that one, but it says D66 1/2 on it (but it is a 3 or 3.5" vice). Was the first vice I ever purchased when I bought my house back in 1977. It is made in the States!
It's Alive!!! Decided to just use the same cylinder as it was easy to clean up and I know how it runs. Considered doing some port work to it, but what I could have done was very minimal, so I left it be. Just smoothed out the compression ring of the cylinder, beveled the upper transfers a bit, and smoothed the intake a bit (where it ingested some metal). (See picture #3 of prior post).
Re-used the OEM piston pin and clips. The OEM piston pin (which is tapered on the inside on both ends) is only 0.4 oz, the Meteor piston pin is 0.7 oz. Less weight = less vibrations and longer bearing life.
Since I don't have a metal lathe or machine shop, I figure out other ways to get things done, smoothed the compression ring with an AM piston with some sandpaper Gorilla taped to the top. Worked it back and forth with 2 heavy duty paint stirrers. May not look pretty, but it gets rid of the high points, and it works!
My HF foot pedal Dremel was handy for adding the bevels.
Started right up and seems to run nice and smooth. Squish measured a hair over .020 with no base gasket.
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Re-used the OEM piston pin and clips. The OEM piston pin (which is tapered on the inside on both ends) is only 0.4 oz, the Meteor piston pin is 0.7 oz. Less weight = less vibrations and longer bearing life.
Since I don't have a metal lathe or machine shop, I figure out other ways to get things done, smoothed the compression ring with an AM piston with some sandpaper Gorilla taped to the top. Worked it back and forth with 2 heavy duty paint stirrers. May not look pretty, but it gets rid of the high points, and it works!
My HF foot pedal Dremel was handy for adding the bevels.
Started right up and seems to run nice and smooth. Squish measured a hair over .020 with no base gasket.
.Attachments
Had not worked on any saws in quite a while, so it felt good to get this one done, and I had all the parts needed in inventory (a piston and 660 fuel cap).
I'll put this one back in my 2-saw milling rotation and put the 24" bar back on the 8.6 Hp 660 for ripping large rounds.
I currently now have 4 running 066/660 saws, a 99cc big bore and a ported 661 so I guess I'm OK for big saws (which is why the MS880 project saw in my shed just sits there). I've never worked on an 880, and this is an early one that has the 088-style cast muffler with spring clips to hold it in place!
I'm sure it would be a nice milling saw, but the powerhead weights a ton!
I'll put this one back in my 2-saw milling rotation and put the 24" bar back on the 8.6 Hp 660 for ripping large rounds.
I currently now have 4 running 066/660 saws, a 99cc big bore and a ported 661 so I guess I'm OK for big saws (which is why the MS880 project saw in my shed just sits there). I've never worked on an 880, and this is an early one that has the 088-style cast muffler with spring clips to hold it in place!
I'm sure it would be a nice milling saw, but the powerhead weights a ton!
benz66
Used to sell firewood for $5 a face cord, deliverd
I tape for my own stuff. Makes life easier if you have to or want to replace the device hot at a later time. A little belt and suspenders. On commercial, I tape, unless ordered not to. For hotels, generally devices are not taped. And, yes, wire bent around the terminal screw.I don't tape, but I do fold the wires in the box neatly before installing the receptacle (or switch or whatever). I have heard of taping, but I have never seen it done in person. There are cubic inch/volume specs for boxes depending on usage, though I'm guessing most standard outlets won't have an issue meeting them. By no means am I an electrician or code inspector, heck, I even called dad a few weeks ago just to confirm my welding plug wiring plan.
I just wired a 100 yr old garage. I used 12 ga MC for rodent protection and some mechanical protection. 1" PVC conduit for welder circuit. 3/4 would have worked with juice to pull. 1" made life easier, and I pulled a 4th wiire for green, even though the receptacle does not have a ground terminal. If a future user needs a ground, it is already there, and hooked up at the panel. I used a lot of 4x4 boxes with 1/2" one or two gang covers. These allow a lot of future flexibility to add a device or an additional leg if needed.
I generally use 12ga and 15 or 20A breakers. I only use 14 with 15A breakers for low load LED lighting circuits. The 12 Ga everywhere is little more initial cost, but insignificant over the long run, for an additional safety factor.
In this install, only one 120v circuit may see a 20A load, the circuit for the table saw.
MC is cheaper to install, (faster) than conduit.
Worked as industrial/commercial sparky... non-union. My methods are a little belt and suspenders, and some may consider old fashioned, but I (or my employers) never had a call back because of my wiring. When you are in business, no call backs is a big deal. Difference between profit or loss sometimes.
EchovsStihl63
ArboristSite Operative
I had a guy look at the panel last year and he said that stuff in my picture was ok (the wire itself, not that open twist n tape) as long as the insulation was not dry rotted. Under that cloth looking cover it’s just like the romex we use today.
There was a bunch that was bare wire that was live when we first bought from squirrels living in the attic, idk how they didn’t get electrocuted to death cause there were no skeletons around.
I am working on it every evening when I get home, was hoping to get everything on it switched over tonight but didn’t quite make it there.
EchovsStihl63
ArboristSite Operative
I wish I would’ve put MC back in my attic as a bunch of what I am replacing was/is rodent chewed, but it didn’t help that it was just haphazardly laying loose all over the attic floor going in random directions with no rhyme or reason, just the nature of an old house as they add this and that I guess.
Thankfully the latest stuff done in the 90s was a little neater and partially ran up in the ceiling along the roof rafters, 2 circuits was only running like 2 outlets lol. I was able to take those 2 20 amps and redo the 4 bedrooms upstairs without having to pull wire all the way back to the panel. Only thing I will have left upstairs is the bathroom which feeds up from the one below it.
I am also using 12-2/3 for everything 15/20 no matter what it is. Dude at work told me I was wasting money but it seems worth it to me to know the wiring will handle anything we would ever want to do. My granddaddy always ran 12 on his 120 stuff, he wired the old house I grew up in and that work would put most of these guys to shame today, we took pride in anything he touched and it showed.
Only thing I might use 14 on is if I hardwire in some smoke detectors so I can ditch the battery style ones.
benz66
Used to sell firewood for $5 a face cord, deliverd
The earliest wiring was knob and post. then came the cloth covered romex in the 30s. Nothing wrong with it, and in the 30s, it was twisted and taped, with no boxes, just like the knob and post. What is in the picture was ok in the early days of romex. My dad built his house in 1941, and it was cloth covered romex in steel boxes. twisted and taped in the box. (No ground) Wire nuts did not appear until the 60s. they did not come into general use until ~1970 or so. grounded devices appeared in the 60s.
EchovsStihl63
ArboristSite Operative
Yea, I figure it has been up there doing its thing for way longer than I have even been on this earth so its probably not that big of a deal, as long as they are twisted tight together that is what matters. But its also long over due for an upgrade, plus there is/was only like 1 outlet in the rooms so its time. I will take it apart for fun to rate their twist once I finish the new wiring.
My main concern at first was replacing stuff like this....... I found it the other night trying to trace down what feeds the upstairs bathroom, probably been like that the whole time we have lived here.
Her wiring was probably OK but it was such a mess up in the attic. So much easier separating the circuits from the junction boxes and pulling new wire. Good thing the old wire wasn't stapled inside the walls. Made pulling the new much easier. Replace all the receptacles with grounded (3-prong) ones.
When I wired my house, I only used 12 Ga Romax. Back then it was nearly as cheap as 14Ga and besides, that's what my mentor, my Dad, used on all his houses. I got it for something like $30 a 250' roll. Then the Cu crunch came and I had to pay $45 for several rolls and $60 for one to finish up
. Imagine what that would cost now.Back then, my hands worked properly and 12Ga was no problem to twist. In hindsight, I wish I would have use 14Ga from the switch to the lights. Messing with the heavier wire now is much more difficult when I add a light.
EchovsStihl63
ArboristSite Operative
Man I just paid $112.50 for a 250' roll of 12-2 and thought that was a deal! Pretty sure last year it was close to $200When I wired my house, I only used 12 Ga Romax. Back then it was nearly as cheap as 14Ga and besides, that's what my mentor, my Dad, used on all his houses. I got it for something like $30 a 250' roll. Then the Cu crunch came and I had to pay $45 for several rolls and $60 for one to finish up
Back then, my hands worked properly and 12Ga was no problem to twist. In hindsight, I wish I would have use 14Ga from the switch to the lights. Messing with the heavier wire now is much more difficult when I add a light.
Weather has cooled down a bit and yesterday morning, it was 45 deg. Spent a couple hours in the morning at the lake. The whit bass are starting to hit the rocks. Not a great day, but I caught 6 big ones. It was a calm peaceful day and nobody around. Not as nice as being on a trout stream - lol. I would have preferred a little wind, though. It would have helped the fishing. Maybe next week.
The September fish caught off the sand were like the small ones pictured (6-8"). I usually don't keep them that small, only enough for a meal. Others will keep a bucket full when that's all that's hitting. I like to let the little ones go and grow up until next year.
But in October when the water cools down the larger (10-14") fish can be caught off the rip-rap. Guys in boats can catch coolers full (60+ fish) in a day. A good day for me rock hopping (bank fishing) is 1-2 dozen. But man when the big ones hit, it's still quite a thrill. Largest one in the pic is 14".
The September fish caught off the sand were like the small ones pictured (6-8"). I usually don't keep them that small, only enough for a meal. Others will keep a bucket full when that's all that's hitting. I like to let the little ones go and grow up until next year.
But in October when the water cools down the larger (10-14") fish can be caught off the rip-rap. Guys in boats can catch coolers full (60+ fish) in a day. A good day for me rock hopping (bank fishing) is 1-2 dozen. But man when the big ones hit, it's still quite a thrill. Largest one in the pic is 14".
I've got a full roll left that I've been thinking of selling on CL, but I'm not sure the partial roll I have will be enough to run to my shed (conduit, cheaper than direct burial) and wire it when I get around to building it.
P.S. I was furious when I had to pay $45-60 a roll. Silly me.
Anyone climb like this?
