Monday, February 21

Jet Engine Powered Beer Cooler

This was apparently an item on Slashdot a couple of years ago, but it is new to me, and freakin Highlarious. A Crazy Kiwi, Jet Engine, Cold Beer.

I discovered the site linked from one about the mini-lathe, a small table top metal cutting lathe with screw cutting (threading) capabilities. The last couple of post presidential election, wintertime doldrums, have led me down the path to explore technical subjects that I have previously not found or made time to investigate. In 2000 it started with crystal radio and ended with the passing of the elements required to operate as a licensed Amateur Radio Operator. This time around it would seem that I will take the shop classes I did not take in High School. Tracking and all that.

I think my fascination with the metal lathe took hold when I read somewhere that it was the "only machine capable of replicating itself". This was about 10 years ago. Shortly afterward I purchased a series of books detailing the construction of machine tools from castings made from molten beer cans and other scrap aluminum, (one of these days......., and let me tell you the backburner has exceeded capacity). So here we are, I am back in 'school' (Berglund institute of Technology), a couple of months into a fulltime job (Lots of Lathes and milling machines afoot), and no longer really able the time or intrest to continue apace the documentation of the continuing trainwreck that is the Bush administration.

I guess the above is just a fancy way of explaining the lack of updates recently. In some ways I really miss the oportunity to run my mouth on and on, opine, and attemps to modify or mangle the lexicon (it's your choice). In any event, this blog will stay around, though my contribution may be minimal. In other words, I have enlisted a bit of help, and in the next week or two, there will be some other kids (at heart) firing up some posts, and at least one of them has been paid to write! WooooHooooo!!

Also, one of my pal's Watertiger has a new blog which I will add to the roll when I find the link.

Cheers,

Kent