DirtyComanche

Hi Guys, I know I don't come around much. Looks like things have really changed. Anyways, this petition needs YOUR HELP. It's to save Johnson Valley/The Hammers. Another wheeling area that would be horrible to lose! There's high hopes that if they can get the 25K signatures on this petition that they will have won this fight. https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/save-johnson-valley-ohv-area-be-fiscally-responsible-stop-29-palms-marine-base-expansion-keep-public/5r0C7Xw4

You will probably hate Bell products after working on the EC stuff... I got my Astar endorsement (I'm Canadian, so you need a course for each airframe/engine) after I had my 204/205. My mind was blown by the ease at which one could do things on an Astar. That said, I still really like the 205, it's just a lot of work. The 407 is a whole 'nother animal, and I try to avoid working on them as much as I can :rotf:

That Chilean company sure went with an acid-trip inspired paint scheme for a bunch of their B3s. I work on these a bit: Image Not Found And these: Image Not Found Hopefully by this winter I'll be getting some 212 time too. Did you have a work Visa for Mexico?

I never before realized that they used the proper spelling of 'Litre' on the emblems.

Man. I'd love to get that. If it was driveable/reliable I'd half consider changing my plane ticket home to a ticket to Texas and driving that thing all the way back to Canada :nuts:

It's really similar to a lot of the 'other' oil towns. It's almost a comforting feeling.

Actually, it's neat here because it's very different from where I'm from. I was here last year, but I worked out of an area near State College. The forest here is VERY different from home. I checked out Grizzly Tools today, who seems to be an importer of some of the better Taiwanese junk. Even bought some small stuff :thumbsup: Hit Sears as well, to grab a few more 'Made in USA' wrenches to add to my collection. It's a little sad to see that even in the few years that I've been working in the US that they're greatly reduced their line of USA made stuff, and eliminated a lot of specialty stuff.

Williamsport. We do a lot of work relating to oil/gas.

So, I still have a job. Actually, I'm at work in PA right now, but it's raining and our customer does not like to work in the rain :nuts: Which means I'm sitting in a hotel room while bored. Anyways, the sale of the remainder of the company, which I'm still employed by, has not yet gone through. It may not actually happen, but we're very aware that we are still on the chopping block. About 50% of the staff have quit over the past month, so we're actually back to being understaffed. Anyways, prior to heading out here, I spotted a Comanche in the yard of one of the places down the road from my house. It's white, and has a sheet of weathered plywood over the windshield, and is parked with about 10 or so other derelict vehicles. It looked like it's probably in okay shape. So, whenever I get back home I'll have to mosey on over there and inquire as to if it might be available for purchase. Hopefully it's not one of those people that collects stuff and is unwilling to part with it because they have 'big plans' (there was some other things parked with it that could also be considered slightly rare/different). I'd like to drag it into my yard so I can have 'big plans' for it instead! I also phoned the contractor that I want to have build me a shop... He's busy, but promises to come by to discuss things/quote/take my money whenever I'm back. So, I'm really hoping that in a couple weeks I will be getting the ball rolling to at least have a shop before winter hits. I'm totally unprepared to actually have a meeting with the contractor, and I left all of my notes at home, so I can't even hash out exactly what I want and draw a simply plan for him... :hmm: I might have to draw something up using just my rough memory of what the property dimensions will allow. And that concludes this installment of an update on my life. :thumbsup:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't he basically a scammer from way back...? Got his old handle banned from JF and NAXJA and a few other places, changed names and pretty much has continued with the same deal? Or am I getting him confused with somebody else?

There's cheap torque wrenches, and there's good ones. Decide what you want. The HF/Craftsman/no-name ones are the 'cheap' ones. Some of them work fine, others do not. Very hit and miss. As a general rule, if there's plastic anywhere on it, you don't want it. As far as the good ones go, there's only a few manufacturers actually. I personally like the ones sold by Armstrong, Mac and Finning, I want to say they're made by Precision Instruments (but maybe they make the Snap-On ones), since I find they have the best adjusting systems and grips. For good ones, I own a Snap-On 40-200IN-LBS, a Finning flex head 5-75FT-LBS, and an Armstrong 25-250FT-LBS. I also have a Craftsman 1/2" drive, that I rarely use. It still works okay, and calibrated as 'not too bad', but I rarely use it. Eventually the adjusting mechanism breaks on them.

And cash in the bank!

And I imagine it was there after the motor died, from ingesting copious amounts of gravel? :roll:

Congrats, and talk about trial by fire... Good luck!

I don't own anything right now, awaiting my license to show up in the mail... I'm thinking I'm going to go buy a cheap Savage bolt action... Probably an Axis XP, or something like that, in .223. And I'll probably look around for a used Remington 870 to shoot skeet with, since that's normally what we do. Not too keen on buying a new one.

What's your time worth? Parting a vehicle out to try to recoup cost can take a while, especially when you're only going to use the engine (and it's 2wd). Don't expect people to come over and pull off what they need; personally I pass on that (as a buyer) since it's just a PITA. I'd pass. Find a runner/driver with the driveline you want, take it for a spin to make sure everything works, then use all the parts and dispose of the carcass.

I could probably be on a plane for the arctic tomorrow, if I wanted, but I really don't... However, I'm going to ride this one until it's dead. I have one really awesome manager that gave the announcement, he was visibly completely distraught. He will need me until the doors close, and I think he deserves that out of me. The only thing that sucks about riding it out is that undoubtedly a lot of the others will bail, and they will probably be taking the best of the available jobs. IE, the ones that aren't in the arctic, aren't for completely shady operators, or don't require relocation.

Sa-weet. Post more pics as you get it back together :chillin:

Oh, I worked out of State College/Snow Shoe last year, just down the road from you :waving:

No EI. It's against my beliefs. That and I'd probably have to pay it back... I think I already wound up making too much this year. I worked 2500hrs last year, and they didn't pay out the O/T until this year.

The announcement was made at work today; the owners are basically uninterested in continuing to run the company, and can't find a suitable buyer... So, it's being 'parted out' :rotf: This is with all of our aircraft being booked for the entire upcoming season, and half of them being out making money right now, and following one of the busiest winters we have seen in several years. We know who the one major buyer is, and what they're taking (so far)... Another has presented contracts to buy a large portion of the remainder, but we don't know what is included in that, or what they will agree on. Is this good? Bad? I really don't know. I'd just hope they get this over with, so I know if I'm either actively looking for another job, or just being absorbed by one of the buyers. Unfortunately, both buyers are not exactly local, and no hard offers have been made to acquire the facilities. At the same time, the old owners were not interested, and we knew it, and it showed, so it will be a positive change to work for people that are actually interested in making money :dunno: Anyways, the first 12 aircraft will be handed over on the 16th. I would be surprised if I have the same employer (if any) by the end of the month :ack: Never been fired or laid off in my life, I've always left on my own terms. I guess there's a first time for everything.

Ive pulled a 6000 pound truck and a 2000 pound trailer w/o any brakes. Just drive smart. :yes: There's a heavy downgrade into town, then a heavy upgrade out of town. At two points on the downgrade are traffic lights. I'd be scared of being pushed through them, or into someone, by my trailer. And doing 30km/h downhill without lights is a bit of a cop magnet. It doesn't matter now though. :( Threw a wanted ad on kijiji (in Canada it isn't egay), maybe someone else will want to sell one.

And they sold it on me. To someone else. After they said call back tomorrow to get it (which would be today and tonight). So sad. I even borrowed a work truck to trailer it back. :(

I plan to. Sounds like it was a driving truck that ate a ditch and messed the fender/grille. They have a title, but hopefully they can actually find it. If I'm lucky I might not need my trailer, just somebody to drive me out there and give me a lift the rest of the way home when it breaks down on me :rotf:

And the brake controller on my truck has 2" of wires sticking out the back of it, then they're cut off. No signs of the rest of the wiring. :fs1: I'm not sure if it's smart to put a 3000lb truck on my 1400lb trailer and then tow it without brakes.