Marking tools for easy readability
Robert Green
things like the engraved markings on socket wrenches. Has anyone found a
way to mark these things so that they can be read in dim light by old
fogeys? I tried various kinds of Dymo labels, but they peeled off in short
order. I had a little better success using Sharpies and then painting over
the lettering with clear nail polish.
Any hints, clues, tips, suggestions?
--
Bobby G.
Existential Angst
news:hcpdva$ej$3...@news.eternal-september.org...
Well, Craftsman or someone addressed this problem with large-etched sockets,
for precisely this problem.
Heh, 'Boomers Rool!!
That's a bit of an expensive solution, tho, if you already have tools.
You could take a dremel with a round ball stone and engrave this yourself.
Or use a std buzz-type engraver. For some reason I prefer the dremel.
The problem with this is, if your sockets/tools are chromed, this will now
be a posible entry point for rust.
OTOH, if my impression is correct, most people don't really look for a
particular size -- they see what fits, thus making readable markings
semi-moot.
I'm almost tempted to just mix my SAE with metric!!! Heh, sometimes metric
fits better than the SAE on american stuff!
The only sizes I "know" are: 7/16" for 1/4-20 nuts/bolts, and 1/2" for
5/16" -- that's it.
Ditto allen -- the only size I know is 3/8" for 1/2-13 sockets screws.
Proly much more of an issue: engrave every goddamm tool in the place with
yer initials. Then fill that in with brite red nail polish. :) :)
Toward this end, I think I saw a company that will personalize new tools for
you -- purchased from them, of course.
And, having said this, if you can find someone with a laser engraver, who is
really desperate for work, they might do sumpn for you cheap.
--
EA
>
> --
> Bobby G.
>
>
Van Chocstraw
nor...@earthlink.net
colors, fairly fine tips. I used it only on camera accessories, so
don't know how they hold up in workshop wear/tear.
Bill
I leave them anywhere I might need to read something small.
"Robert Green" wrote in message
Existential Angst
news:7lb2s2F...@mid.individual.net...
> I'm buying magnifying glasses by the bucket full!
>
> I leave them anywhere I might need to read something small.
You got DAT right!
Go to yer dollar store -- you can get glasses up to 3.5 mag.... WOW.... 99c
Also, they have pretty nice 4" magnifiers, with the high-magnifier inset.
99c
. I must have a dozen of each, all over.
Ditto the 6-in-1 screwdrivers -- decent quality $2.99 jobbies from Nat.
Wholesale Liq.
Yeah, solving the I-cain't-find-it problem with sheer brute force of
numbers!!
Screw organization!!
--
EA
dadiOH
I spray stuff with flat black paint then wipe it off so it only remains in
the stamped/engraved depressions.
--
dadiOH
____________________________
dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico
Jim Elbrecht
<boobooil...@roadrunner.com> wrote:
>Robert Green wrote:
>> As I get older, even with new glasses, I find it harder and harder to see
>> things like the engraved markings on socket wrenches. Has anyone found a
>> way to mark these things so that they can be read in dim light by old
>> fogeys?
-snip-
>Why don't you get some 4x power reading glasses?
He said "even with new glasses". They aren't the same as the old
eyes-- especially at all distances and in poor light.
I where a headlamp sometimes. It not only sheds more contrasting
light, it also focuses attention.
It's a bitch getting old- but it beats *not* getting old.
Jim
mike
Cheri
news:6nu0f55t77krh61up...@4ax.com...
> It's a bitch getting old- but it beats *not* getting old.
>
> Jim
How so? ;-)
Cheri
DerbyDad03
re: "...so that they can be read in dim light by old fogeys?"
Others have already suggested reading and/or magnifying glasses.
I'll suggest turning on a friggin' light! ;-)
(See ya..I'm off to the dollar store for reading glasses and a
flashlight.)
nor...@earthlink.net
One handy device inherited from a dedicated handiperson is a fluorescent
lamp with a magnifier in the center. PIA if you need to move it, but
the lighting and glasses bit doesn't always work.....my condo has large
windows on all sides but the lighting is often not sufficient for older
eyes and fine work. New prescription, so that's not an issue.
DerbyDad03
wrote:
>
> - Show quoted text -
I have a lamp similar to this mounted on my workbench. Mine has a flip-
up cover to keep dust off of the magnifying glass.
And yes, I have used it to determine socket size many times!
Also great for removing splinters, especially tiny metal ones.
Jules
> Any hints, clues, tips, suggestions?
You could possibly notch the vertical face of the most common ones for the
types of job that you do using a hacksaw or a cutting disc in a grinder
(e.g. 1 notch for 3/8", 2 for 1/2", 3 for 9/16"). Maybe spacing the
notches at 90 degree intervals (or 45) will make them far enough apart to
avoid ambiguity.
Personally I've found that if I'm using sockets a lot I can just look at a
bolt and know what size it is, and look at a socket bit and do the same. I
seem to lose that skill if I'm not using them often though, and it all
falls apart given a mixture of AF / Whitworth / BSF / Metric sizes (which
often applies to old British cars :-)
cheers
Jules
HeyBub
> I'm buying magnifying glasses by the bucket full!
>
> I leave them anywhere I might need to read something small.
>
>
>
Here's a trick. On my last annual visit to the eye doctor, I got a
prescription for 2.25 mag contact lenses.
I wear ONE.
I can easily read without glasses (through one eye of course) and I can
drive because the magnifying lens doesn't interfere with depth perception
even if the objects are a tad fuzzy through that one eye.
The ONLY downside is precision depth perception at arm's length or less.
Most of the time it's no problem but in the case of putting teeny gears back
inside a ladies antique watch, I drop on a magnifying headset.
These AccuVu constant-wear lenses are good for one-two months and cost about
$30 ($27 at Sams) for six. YMMV.
HeyBub
I've had fair luck with "Brother p-Touch". It makes a labeling tape similar
to a Dymo but very, very thin - it's a thermal printer rather than an
embosser. It's advertised purpose is to label file folders and the like. I
would think the label's thinness would make it less vulnerable to being
knocked loose in the tool box.
Here's an example, although cheaper models are available.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JVHH9W
DerbyDad03
You are the third person in as many months from whom I have heard the
one-contact-for-reading trick.
What did your eye doctor say about doing that?
charlie
"DerbyDad03" <teama...@eznet.net> wrote in message
news:efe1cff3-0c99-4e8a...@k17g2000yqb.googlegroups.com...
===
my wife does this. it was prescribed by her optimologist. it's pretty common
now.
Roger Shoaf
engraved markings to improve the contrast. As a locksmith we used these on
safe dials.
--
Roger Shoaf
About the time I had mastered getting the toothpaste back in the tube, then
they come up with this striped stuff.
"Robert Green" <robert_g...@yah00.com> wrote in message
news:hcpdva$ej$3...@news.eternal-september.org...
tn...@mucks.net
aemeijers
Degrease real well, and paint the engraved letters with a junkyard pen,
then wipe off the excess.
Does Sears still sell the Giant Type socket sets? I haven't looked at
their displays lately, since the only socket I have used in last couple
of years is a spark plug wrench on the yard equipment.
--
aem, who is getting to have trouble seeing stuff like that myself, sends....
aemeijers
--
aem sends...
dadiOH
I've not had one who thought it bad (it isn't). BTW, one can do it with
glasses too in lieu of bifocals. In fact - if you need trifocals - you can
do it with bifocals. I did...got tired of the trifocals, made my head bob
around like a dolly hanging from a mirror in a chevvy. Now I use
progressives. Even better.
HeyBub
Okay with him.
It's roughly equivalent to wearing a hearing aid in only one ear or walking
with a single cane.
If there exists any concern, routinely switch which eye has the contact. If
you're like most people, the shape and size of each eyeball are the same as
the other, so you only need one, er, "shape"(?).
Bi-focal contact lenses are also available.
Robert Green
> <boobooil...@roadrunner.com> wrote:
>
> >Robert Green wrote:
> >> As I get older, even with new glasses, I find it harder and harder to
see
> >> things like the engraved markings on socket wrenches. Has anyone found
a
> >> way to mark these things so that they can be read in dim light by old
> >> fogeys?
> -snip-
> >Why don't you get some 4x power reading glasses?
>
> He said "even with new glasses". They aren't the same as the old
> eyes-- especially at all distances and in poor light.
Correct. At some point, no amount of lens correction is going to compensate
for the degradation of old age. Van, no disrespect or ill will intended, but
wait until you find out what "floaters" are. Then you'll realize the tip of
the iceberg has shown itself. )-:
> I where a headlamp sometimes. It not only sheds more contrasting
> light, it also focuses attention.
Yes, great minds run in the same ruts. When I realized I was having
trouble, I bought 3 at Allelectronics because they were cheap, ran on AAA's
instead of infuriating coin cells and had a nice band and swivel head.
Great for dogwalking, too, because I'd have a scooper in one hand, a feisty
squirrel-hating dog in the other and a penlight in my mouth.
Alas, when two of them went missing, (the dog is the primary suspect, but
still hasn't confessed) I went back to Allelectronics but they were gone.
That's the problem with surplus dealers. Haven't found anything near their
price or performance point since. If anyone knows where to get a good
swivel head AAA powered LED headlamp for $5, let me know.
> It's a bitch getting old- but it beats *not* getting old.
My favorite quote from Kurt Vonnegut is "I knew getting old was going to be
bad, but I didn't know it was going to be THIS bad!"
Interestingly enough, I have the kind of visual deterioration that extra
light doesn't help as much as some of my sight-challenged friends. Did you
know that older people's eyes are incredibly more yellow than young ones but
that the brain automatically "white balances" for you by assuming that the
brightest, lightest shaded item in a scene is white? I learned all about
that from some brochure about cataracts and other ways your eyes can fail in
my eye docs office.
Apparently my very yellowed eyes are helped, oddly enough, by LED
flashlights. Some people find them too blue, but I bought some 100 LED
"showerhead" flashlights and they help in lots of places. Strapped one to
the vacuum wand with hose clamps and now I hardly hear "How on earth could
you miss that?" from the missus anymore. Very bright but no "throw" - the
beam falters at about 25' feet. Those 1MCP spots are still the best for
lighting up street signs (I've got binocs in the glove box for reading
those, and I'm probably not the only semi-senior who does!).
--
Bobby G.
Jim Elbrecht
>"Jim Elbrecht" <elbr...@email.com> wrote in message
>news:6nu0f55t77krh61up...@4ax.com...
-snip-
>> I where a headlamp sometimes. It not only sheds more contrasting
>> light, it also focuses attention.
I'll take this opportunity to spell cop myself-- and apologize to my
3rd grade teacher;
"I'm sorry Mrs.Westfall- yes, I know the difference between
'where', wear & ware. My brain farted.
"
-snip-
>Interestingly enough, I have the kind of visual deterioration that extra
>light doesn't help as much as some of my sight-challenged friends.
I need *a lot* of extra light to make a difference.
>Did you
>know that older people's eyes are incredibly more yellow than young ones but
>that the brain automatically "white balances" for you by assuming that the
>brightest, lightest shaded item in a scene is white? I learned all about
>that from some brochure about cataracts and other ways your eyes can fail in
>my eye docs office.
Aha! I didn't know the reason- but I've wondered why I've never run
across any of those 'blue LEDs'.
>
>Apparently my very yellowed eyes are helped, oddly enough, by LED
>flashlights. Some people find them too blue, but I bought some 100 LED
>"showerhead" flashlights and they help in lots of places. Strapped one to
>the vacuum wand with hose clamps and now I hardly hear "How on earth could
>you miss that?" from the missus anymore. Very bright but no "throw" - the
>beam falters at about 25' feet. Those 1MCP spots are still the best for
>lighting up street signs (I've got binocs in the glove box for reading
>those, and I'm probably not the only semi-senior who does!).
I prefer to stay home at night.<g>. That's probably the worst
thing my eyes have done to me. I see fine in the headlights- but
the edges drop off a lot quicker than they did 20 yrs ago. [not just
night-vision, either, as I negotiate in moonlight better without a
flashlight creating too much contrast]
Jim
Robert Green
news:nLudnT2ptKJi123X...@earthlink.com...
> Robert Green wrote:
<stuff snipped>
> > I had a little better success using Sharpies and then painting over
> > the lettering with clear nail polish.
> >
> > Any hints, clues, tips, suggestions?
> >
> > --
> > Bobby G.
> >
> >
> There are paint pens available at hobby/craft stores. Avail. in bright
> colors, fairly fine tips. I used it only on camera accessories, so
> don't know how they hold up in workshop wear/tear.
Alas, not well, at least not on curved, shiny chrome. The stuff's almost
like teflon. The paint just sort of beads up as you apply it. I have
silver and gold versions of the paint pens that have little mixing balls in
them and that dry out if you look at them the wrong way! (-: I think mine
are made by Berol. What are you using?
--
Bobby G.
Robert Green
>
> I leave them anywhere I might need to read something small.
Been there, done that! (-: Ratshack used to make a serviceable magnifier
with a small higher mag inset lens and a battery powered illuminator. About
6 bucks a piece and worthless after the take one hard fall. Also, the
battery contacts and switch are cheap sheet metal and they fail after a
while but I wouldn't (actually couldn't!) live without them in each and
every room of the house. Paint pens work beautifully on them, FWIW, but
they're plastic and I assume the solvent eats right into it, assuring good
adhesion.
I have an even older friend who's too vain to wear his glasses or use a
magnified and lately he's burned up a hard drive putting the molex *keyed*
connector on backwards, set DIP switches wrong by not realizing he was
looking at them upside down and broken a ribbon cable with again, a keyed
connector on the end by trying to connect it backwards. Well, he didn't
exactly break it, he worked at the connector so hard trying to fit it the
wrong way that a sharp metal RF shield edge just sawed right through it.
Eventually, he'll get the idea that being able to see is worth the indignity
of wearing bi or tri-focals. I hope. (-: I've gotten the message from
Mother Nature loud and clear. For now. I hear that hearing is going to be
the next thing to go. What's that old joke . . .?
--
Bobby G.
Robert Green
<stuff snipped>
> I did...got tired of the trifocals, made my head bob
> around like a dolly hanging from a mirror in a chevvy.
Whose gonna clean up the coffee you just made me spit up! (-: My take on
trifocals, exactly. They made my neck hurt I was doing the spring-head doll
dance so much.
Went back to bifocals but just might try progressives - if I can get them in
my RX. I've got some bizarre astigmatism that causes lens makers fits and
makes it very hard to use contacts successfully.
--
Bobby G.
Robert Green
news:4af04718$0$31285$607e...@cv.net...
> "Robert Green" <robert_g...@yah00.com> wrote in message
> news:hcpdva$ej$3...@news.eternal-september.org...
see
> > things like the engraved markings on socket wrenches. Has anyone found
a
> > way to mark these things so that they can be read in dim light by old
> > short
> > over
> > the lettering with clear nail polish.
> >
> > Any hints, clues, tips, suggestions?
>
sockets,
> for precisely this problem.
> Heh, 'Boomers Rool!!
>
> That's a bit of an expensive solution, tho, if you already have tools.
Yeah, probably cheaper to buy a lighted magnifier and velcro it to every
wrench, drill bit and other "sized" tool's toolbox.
> You could take a dremel with a round ball stone and engrave this yourself.
> Or use a std buzz-type engraver. For some reason I prefer the dremel.
>
> The problem with this is, if your sockets/tools are chromed, this will now
> be a posible entry point for rust.
Thought about that and rejected it for that very reason.
> OTOH, if my impression is correct, most people don't really look for a
> particular size -- they see what fits, thus making readable markings
> semi-moot.
> I'm almost tempted to just mix my SAE with metric!!! Heh, sometimes
metric
> fits better than the SAE on american stuff!
That's how I used to do it, but another aspect of age, fumble fingers, makes
that not as simple as it used to be. The set I have is metric and SAE, and
it's often hard to tell what a nut on something's going to be so I end up
going through all off them and dropping at least one of them so that it
rolls directly under the center of the car. (-"
I've seen security inventory tags of a semi-metallic nature that stick on
stuff like it was born there, but I haven't found any label-makers labels
like that. I've bought three different units using three different tape
carts and tried about a dozen different tape qualities but all of them start
to peel when put on shiny curved chrome surface that's knocked around.
> The only sizes I "know" are: 7/16" for 1/4-20 nuts/bolts, and 1/2" for
> 5/16" -- that's it.
> Ditto allen -- the only size I know is 3/8" for 1/2-13 sockets screws.
I only know 1/4-20 on sight because it's the standard US camera tripod
screw.
> Proly much more of an issue: engrave every goddamm tool in the place with
> yer initials. Then fill that in with brite red nail polish. :) :)
Part of the wisdom of old age is that I don't lend $ or tools to friends
anymore. It's pissed some of them off, but better that they are angry at me
and I still have my tool then I am angry at them and my tool's gone. For
anyone to steal them, they'd have to get past two alarms, a feisty dog that
just bit ME for the first time in its life (nail clipping anxiety) and my
personal bodyguards, Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson. (-: That eliminates all
need to mark tools and other gear almost entirely.
> Toward this end, I think I saw a company that will personalize new tools
for
> you -- purchased from them, of course.
Yep, nice but not practical.
> And, having said this, if you can find someone with a laser engraver, who
is
> really desperate for work, they might do sumpn for you cheap.
Now you're talking. While I couldn't convince SWMBO to open the treasury
for a plasma cutter, I might be able to sell a laser engraver, particularly
if I could sell it as a potential home business. If I ever toted up the $
I've spend on stuff people have turned me onto via the internet, I'd
probably go into shock.
Thanks for your input, Mr. Angst
--
Bobby G.
Robert Green
news:f54c38b5-bc3f-4b82...@g22g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
> Use a sharpie marker and after it dries, cover it with clear tape.
That's probably going to be the ultimate solution - that or adding another
layer of clear tape on top of the labelmaker tape.
Thanks, Mike,
--
Bobby G.
Robert Green
> Robert Green wrote:
> > As I get older, even with new glasses, I find it harder and harder to
> > see things like the engraved markings on socket wrenches. Has anyone
> > found a way to mark these things so that they can be read in dim
> > light by old fogeys? I tried various kinds of Dymo labels, but they
> > peeled off in short order. I had a little better success using
> > Sharpies and then painting over the lettering with clear nail polish.
> >
> > Any hints, clues, tips, suggestions?
>
> I spray stuff with flat black paint then wipe it off so it only remains in
> the stamped/engraved depressions.
Tried that, but these damn sockets have incredibly finely etched lines and
no paint to speak of sticks.
Thanks for your input,
--
Bobby G.
dadiOH
Ditto. I've had no problem with progressives but it does take a week or so
to get used to them. They still aren't a perfect solution but I've not yet
found an 18 year old new eye donor :)
dadiOH
One other point...
Everyone has one dominant eye. If you do the near/far lens thing, put the
prescription for the activity you most use (near/far) in the dominant eye.
You can determine which eye is dominant by pointing at something. Now close
one eye...are you still pointing where you were? If so, the open eye is the
dominant eye.
Robert Green
<stuff snipped>
> One handy device inherited from a dedicated handiperson is a fluorescent
> lamp with a magnifier in the center. PIA if you need to move it, but
> the lighting and glasses bit doesn't always work.....my condo has large
> windows on all sides but the lighting is often not sufficient for older
> eyes and fine work. New prescription, so that's not an issue.
Got one on the electronics workbench, along with the headband magnifier, the
lighted magnifier and a solderer's helper with alligator clips and yet
another magnifier. The only solution seems to go Borg, and I mean the bad
guys on Star Trek with the prosthetics up the wazoo, not a big box store.
We're getting there, what with artificial knees, hips, boobs, hearing aids
and so much more. )-:
Since the magnifier lamp is an old Luxo, IIRC, it's very sturdy, made of
cast metal, steel arms and real glass and it stays where it is because it
weighs a ton. I had it lashed down tight, I thought, when we moved, and
when I went to unpack it to mount it, the wire twist'em holding the lamp
gave way at it sprung open, hard, smacking me in the place made famous by
Joan Jett, of the song "Do you want to touch me there!" fame. The lamp and
I have since signed a truce accord. I leave it alone and it leaves me
alone. (-:
I believe I got that lamp for $5 at an office supply closeout 30+ years ago
when I bought a pair of FireKing safes for 10 cents on the dollar only to
learn what
"CDO" (Curbside Delivery Only) stood for. Ironically, today, it's
shorthand for another kind of screw job, the collateralized debt obligation.
Had to buy two long planks and a winch to get them up the stairs and my
buddy still managed to get his toe pinched when he zigged instead of zagging
when winch broke free. There aren't many good places to mount a which in a
front hallway! Ending up making a square frame of 2 by fours, stapling some
carpet to it and mounting the winch on it, using doorframe as a brace.
--
Bobby G.
Robert Green
<stuff snipped>
>I have a lamp similar to this mounted on my workbench. Mine has a flip-
>up cover to keep dust off of the magnifying glass.
That's a great idea. I'm always having to wipe it down before using it. I
could easily make one out of a coffee can lid and some velcro.
Thanks for your input, DD3,
--
Bobby G.
Robert Green
<stuff snipped>
> > Any hints, clues, tips, suggestions?
>
> I've had fair luck with "Brother p-Touch". It makes a labeling tape
similar
> to a Dymo but very, very thin - it's a thermal printer rather than an
> embosser. It's advertised purpose is to label file folders and the like. I
> would think the label's thinness would make it less vulnerable to being
> knocked loose in the tool box.
I've got a RhinoPro 3000, a P-touch and a Casio label machine. So far, the
RhinoPro's super-expensive stuff sticks the best, but that's not saying
much. After a while, they start to lift and curl up.
> Here's an example, although cheaper models are available.
> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JVHH9W
Thanks. I think I will email all three companies that make the label-makers
I own and see what they have to say. I think if I find a label tape with a
sticky enough adhesive, the problem will be solved. At lunch, a buddy
suggested getting labels that are actually heat shrink tubing. Not sure if
it will work on the socket wrench but it may be worth a shot.
Robert Green
news:12572873...@news01.syix.com...
> You might want to try a paint crayon. Here you smush the paint into the
> engraved markings to improve the contrast. As a locksmith we used these
on
> safe dials.
That's an idea, but part of the problem is the engraved numbers themselves
are pretty small. It's about a 10pt so making the existing markings
readable probably won't help as much labeling or hand lettering new
markings.
I'll be sure to remember we've got a locksmith here when a lock question
arises! Actually, I do have one: I've always carried something called an
"Ilco Unican Keycard Pat pending 82511A/88 1" which is a like a thick
plastic credit card that has a copy of my car key that snaps in the middle.
My new car had an "immobilizer" and has a chip in the key head that the
ignition reads and then allows the car to start. The key head is very thick
and won't fit into a wallet very well. Is there are way around this? Do
they make "wallet" key card for RF enabled ignition keys?
Thanks for your help,
--
Bobby G.
Robert Green
news:kce1f5trv52ipnjbt...@4ax.com...
Thanks for the URL's. Maybe a different brand of paint pen then the Berol's
I've been using will do a better job. The Berol's lasted a little while,
but after sufficient use started to flake off. Chrome is a lot slippery
than I thought.
--
Bobby G.
charlie
>
> I'll be sure to remember we've got a locksmith here when a lock question
> arises! Actually, I do have one: I've always carried something called
> an
> "Ilco Unican Keycard Pat pending 82511A/88 1" which is a like a thick
> plastic credit card that has a copy of my car key that snaps in the
> middle.
> My new car had an "immobilizer" and has a chip in the key head that the
> ignition reads and then allows the car to start. The key head is very
> thick
> and won't fit into a wallet very well. Is there are way around this? Do
> they make "wallet" key card for RF enabled ignition keys?
>
> Thanks for your help,
>
> --
> Bobby G.
those are not for starting/driving. they are for opening the door when you
lock yourself out of the car.
Robert Green
> Robert Green wrote:
> > "dadiOH" <dad...@invalid.com> wrote in message news:yCeIm.48118
> >
> > <stuff snipped>
> >
> >> I did...got tired of the trifocals, made my head bob
> >> around like a dolly hanging from a mirror in a chevvy.
> >
> > Whose gonna clean up the coffee you just made me spit up! (-: My
> > take on trifocals, exactly. They made my neck hurt I was doing the
> > spring-head doll dance so much.
> >
> > Went back to bifocals but just might try progressives - if I can get
> > them in my RX. I've got some bizarre astigmatism that causes lens
> > makers fits and makes it very hard to use contacts successfully.
>
> Ditto. I've had no problem with progressives but it does take a week or
so
> to get used to them. They still aren't a perfect solution but I've not
yet
> found an 18 year old new eye donor :)
I remember a movie where guys in EMT suits come to cut some guys heart out
and as he protests they say: "This IS your signature on the donor card,
isn't it?" If I could remember the movie's name, I probably wouldn't need
progressive lenses!
--
Bobby G.
Robert Green
<stuff snipped>
> Degrease real well, and paint the engraved letters with a junkyard pen,
> then wipe off the excess.
>
> Does Sears still sell the Giant Type socket sets? I haven't looked at
> their displays lately, since the only socket I have used in last couple
> of years is a spark plug wrench on the yard equipment.
I've used this technique and it works well if the letters are stamped, but
the lettering on my socket set is very, very finely etched - I think it's
done with a laser, and hardly any paint is left in the grooves. )-:
> --
> aem, who is getting to have trouble seeing stuff like that myself,
sends....
I guess we've got a lot of baby boomers going "boom" here . . .
--
Bobby G.
Robert Green
<stuff snipped>
> You can determine which eye is dominant by pointing at something. Now
close
> one eye...are you still pointing where you were? If so, the open eye is
the
> dominant eye.
Neat trick. What does it mean if when you close either eye, neither is
pointing at the right object?
--
Bobby G.
dadiOH
Stay away from guns, you'll never hit anything..
DerbyDad03
> - Show quoted text -
re: "...are you still pointing where you were?"
Of course I am.
Closing one eye didn't make my arm move.
Robert Green
> "Robert Green" <robert_g...@yah00.com> wrote:
>
> >"Jim Elbrecht" <elbr...@email.com> wrote in message
> >news:6nu0f55t77krh61up...@4ax.com...
> -snip-
> >> I where a headlamp sometimes. It not only sheds more contrasting
> >> light, it also focuses attention.
>
> I'll take this opportunity to spell cop myself-- and apologize to my
> 3rd grade teacher;
> "I'm sorry Mrs.Westfall- yes, I know the difference between
> 'where', wear & ware. My brain farted.
Don't whirry about it.
> -snip-
> >Interestingly enough, I have the kind of visual deterioration that extra
> >light doesn't help as much as some of my sight-challenged friends.
>
> I need *a lot* of extra light to make a difference.
I can't even read the huge digit alarm clock I have (1.5" tall numbers in
bright blue!) without my specs, although I did develop a trick. If I hold
my thumbs and forefingers up to my naked eye to make a little peephole, with
a little jiggling I can read the digits. Of course, DaVinci discovered the
pinhole lens first, but hey, let him sue me!
> >Did you
> >know that older people's eyes are incredibly more yellow than young ones
but
> >that the brain automatically "white balances" for you by assuming that
the
> >brightest, lightest shaded item in a scene is white? I learned all about
> >that from some brochure about cataracts and other ways your eyes can fail
in
> >my eye docs office.
>
> Aha! I didn't know the reason- but I've wondered why I've never run
> across any of those 'blue LEDs'.
All this makes me realize that as much as I don't like it, state DMV's are
probably doing everyone a favor when the demand eye tests for seniors. I
know both my parents "out drove" their eyesight. Ask you eye doc to show
you how much difference there is between old, yellowed eyes and young, clear
ones. It's PFA.
> >Apparently my very yellowed eyes are helped, oddly enough, by LED
> >flashlights. Some people find them too blue, but I bought some 100 LED
> >"showerhead" flashlights and they help in lots of places. Strapped one
to
> >the vacuum wand with hose clamps and now I hardly hear "How on earth
could
> >you miss that?" from the missus anymore. Very bright but no "throw" -
the
> >beam falters at about 25' feet. Those 1MCP spots are still the best for
> >lighting up street signs (I've got binocs in the glove box for reading
> >those, and I'm probably not the only semi-senior who does!).
>
> I prefer to stay home at night.<g>. That's probably the worst
> thing my eyes have done to me. I see fine in the headlights- but
> the edges drop off a lot quicker than they did 20 yrs ago. [not just
> night-vision, either, as I negotiate in moonlight better without a
> flashlight creating too much contrast]
The other night, while driving in a thunderstorm the likes of which I'd only
seen a few times before, I remembered the first time I drove in a T-storm
when I was a kid thinking "they let people like me drive huge, lethal
machines like this with no experience in rain driving whatsoever? - What a
world!"
--
Bobby G.
nor...@earthlink.net
Eyes are strange....I got a routine eye exam, first in about 5 years,
last Jan. I'm post-medicare, but not ancient :o) Hubby usually drives,
so I don't drive often. Out driving alone one day, I had double vision.
It was after noon, had had nothing to eat yet, so figured it was low
blood sugar. Knew it wasn't a brain tumor, as it only happened that
once. Month or two later, got it again. Went back to the cheapo
optemetrist, who checked my prescription and later redid the exam. No
change. Got double vision again, so went to MD. Ahah! One eye crosses
(invisibly, no less) and my eyes had always "adjusted". Got new
glasses, and all is well when I drive. Now my vision is more blurry
without glasses than it was previously but no more double vision. Very
disconcerting when you know the road has two lanes but yer seein' four
lanes :o)
Robert Green
<stuff snipped>
> Eyes are strange....I got a routine eye exam, first in about 5 years,
> last Jan. I'm post-medicare, but not ancient :o) Hubby usually drives,
> so I don't drive often. Out driving alone one day, I had double vision.
> It was after noon, had had nothing to eat yet, so figured it was low
> blood sugar. Knew it wasn't a brain tumor, as it only happened that
> once. Month or two later, got it again. Went back to the cheapo
> optemetrist, who checked my prescription and later redid the exam. No
> change. Got double vision again, so went to MD. Ahah! One eye crosses
> (invisibly, no less) and my eyes had always "adjusted". Got new
> glasses, and all is well when I drive. Now my vision is more blurry
> without glasses than it was previously but no more double vision. Very
> disconcerting when you know the road has two lanes but yer seein' four
> lanes :o)
As Bill the Cat would say: "Gack!" Another thing to look forward to like
finger and toenails get so thick I need surgical scissors to cut them.
Oddly enough, inside I still feel about 25 years old (although my wife
insists I act more like I think I am 13) but outside, Father time keeps
kicking me in the knees, stepping on my fingers, grinding down my teeth,
stealing my hair while I sleep and making my hairline make a beeline for my
neckline. But I consider myself lucky. My friend goes to his dermatologist
to get his skin tabs shaved as often as I get my hair cut. And at least I
don't have double vision - yet! (-:
--
Bobby G.
Robert Green
news:hcss31$892$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
Well, my old wallet key starts and runs my 1990 car! I guess I could hide a
spare RF enabled key inside the car somewhere and use the wallet version to
let me in to get it. Not ideal, but probably workable. In fact, I had the
car broken into and the steering column popped but without the RF key, all
it did was grind up the starter motor, so I have a spare key I could cut
down like the Ilco key and carry that with me. Now to figure out where to
get a cheap key dupe for a Chrysler. The last I checked they wanted an
obscene amount of money. Any suggestions as we wonder far, far away from
the thread topic?
--
Bobby G.
aemeijers
1/3. Around here, the Chrysler dealer doesn't even do keys any more-
they send them to the local freelancer. If you don't have 2 working
keys, you will need to get the magic number from the dealer- they look
it up using the VIN. You can also buy uncut blanks on ebay, and do the
self-program voodoo on them if you have at least 2 keys, and are willing
to risk a pig in a poke versus the guaranteed keys from the locksmith.
(and if you can find a hardware store willing to cut carried-in blanks,
or are patient enough to cut them yourself by hand with a rat-tail file.)
I hate the damn security keys, personally. Both of my cars have them,
and they make my keyring painful to carry in a pants pocket.
--
aem sends...
dadiOH
Then close the other eye.
If you'll look carefully when you point you'll see that there are *two*
fingers out there pointing (unless you only have one eye). When pointing,
our brain ignores one of them and selects the dominant eye as the "rear
sight".
Stormin Mormon
resistor pellet. Wish there were. Yes, some of the RF key
head are a bit too large for my liking.
--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
HeyBub
>
> As Bill the Cat would say: "Gack!" Another thing to look forward to
> like finger and toenails get so thick I need surgical scissors to cut
> them. Oddly enough, inside I still feel about 25 years old (although
> my wife insists I act more like I think I am 13) but outside, Father
> time keeps kicking me in the knees, stepping on my fingers, grinding
> down my teeth, stealing my hair while I sleep and making my hairline
> make a beeline for my neckline. But I consider myself lucky. My
> friend goes to his dermatologist to get his skin tabs shaved as often
> as I get my hair cut. And at least I don't have double vision - yet!
> (-:
Can't help on the other problems but I've solved the long-toenail
difficulty.
Clown shoes.
nor...@earthlink.net
> <nor...@earthlink.net> wrote in message news:T6OdnWuNCIJ3hG_XnZ2dnUVZ_q-
> <stuff snipped>
>> Eyes are strange....I got a routine eye exam, first in about 5 years,
>> last Jan. I'm post-medicare, but not ancient :o) Hubby usually drives,
>> so I don't drive often. Out driving alone one day, I had double vision.
>> It was after noon, had had nothing to eat yet, so figured it was low
>> blood sugar. Knew it wasn't a brain tumor, as it only happened that
>> once. Month or two later, got it again. Went back to the cheapo
>> optemetrist, who checked my prescription and later redid the exam. No
>> change. Got double vision again, so went to MD. Ahah! One eye crosses
>> (invisibly, no less) and my eyes had always "adjusted". Got new
>> glasses, and all is well when I drive. Now my vision is more blurry
>> without glasses than it was previously but no more double vision. Very
>> disconcerting when you know the road has two lanes but yer seein' four
>> lanes :o)
>
> As Bill the Cat would say: "Gack!" Another thing to look forward to like
> finger and toenails get so thick I need surgical scissors to cut them.
And you call yourself a DIYer? On AHR?! A Dremel tool works nicely
with a sanding drum tip...Of course, if you can't reach toes or see them
well, you need an assistant :o)
Roger Shoaf
"Robert Green" <robert_g...@yah00.com> wrote in message
news:hcsr42$umt$2...@news.eternal-september.org...
> news:12572873...@news01.syix.com...
> I'll be sure to remember we've got a locksmith here when a lock question
> arises! Actually, I do have one: I've always carried something called
an
> "Ilco Unican Keycard Pat pending 82511A/88 1" which is a like a thick
> plastic credit card that has a copy of my car key that snaps in the
middle.
> My new car had an "immobilizer" and has a chip in the key head that the
> ignition reads and then allows the car to start. The key head is very
thick
> and won't fit into a wallet very well. Is there are way around this? Do
> they make "wallet" key card for RF enabled ignition keys?
>
> Thanks for your help,
>
The only wallet keys with the chip that I have seen would be on the real
high end stuff like Lexus.
What I would suggest is to get a spare with the chip, stash that in the
trunk and then get the wallet key that will let you into the trunk.
What kind of car do you have?
--
__
Roger Shoaf
Important factors in selecting a mate:
1] Depth of gene pool
2] Position on the food chain.
Jules
>> My new car had an "immobilizer" and has a chip in the key head that the
>> ignition reads and then allows the car to start. The key head is very
>> thick
>> and won't fit into a wallet very well. Is there are way around this? Do
>> they make "wallet" key card for RF enabled ignition keys?
I think that's highly dependent on the system. I had an after-market
immobilizer fitted to one of my cars and it can with a little
cylindrical widget about an inch long and 3/8" diameter which just dangled
from the same keyring as the key and was read by the immobilizer.
Are you sure your key doesn't do other stuff, too (remote door locking
etc. and therefore has a battery in it and other 'guts')? I've seen cars
where they'll supply two keys as standard - one that's just the
immobolizer/ignition and one that does all the other stuff too; the bigger
one's almost twice the size of the smaller...
cheers
Jules
HeyBub
>>
>
> The only wallet keys with the chip that I have seen would be on the
> real high end stuff like Lexus.
>
> What I would suggest is to get a spare with the chip, stash that in
> the trunk and then get the wallet key that will let you into the
> trunk.
>
Oooo! Good idea!
DerbyDad03
>
> - Show quoted text -
Whoosh! Right over your head. :-)
I wasn't talking about eyesight mechanics or the brain's
interpretation of the light rays entering either eye.
I was simply stating that I was still *pointing* to the exact spot
that I was *pointing* to before because my arm didn't move.
aemeijers
at the locksmith on the way home, to get two smaller keys programmed
using the magic number the dealer gave me. And since idiot chrysler
expects everyone to carry around that huge key the size of a serving
spoon, only the driver door and hatch have lock cylinders. Major PITA.
Key isn't just huge, the tiny loop angled the wrong direction means you
can't put it on a key ring and carry keys in your pants pocket. Been
meaning to see if anyone sells an aftermarket fob that could be
programmed to talk to the van without killing the original huge key and
vanilla security keys. Maybe buy a used key off ebay or something, and
just cut the shaft off.
Never understood the purpose of remote locks that only work from a few
feet away. You are standing at the damn door anyway, and if keys are in
your pocket, you already have to set down whatever you are carrying with
that arm.
--
aem sends...
Robert Green
news:hcuig9$cv2$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
> I don't know of any wallet keys with the RF gadget, or the
> resistor pellet. Wish there were. Yes, some of the RF key
> head are a bit too large for my liking.
When my car was broken into, they left with me two dead keys by the time my
steering column was repaired. I'm going to perform an "auto key autospy" to
see if the chip can be removed and encased in something slimmer. Then I
might try it with a good key.
--
Bobby G.
Robert Green
news:pan.2009.11.05....@remove.this.gmail.com...
I've got a keyfob that does all that, and now that you remind me, I could
technically use that to get in and out of the car (unless the battery dies!)
and keep the RF enabled key hidden somewhere in the car. The RF keys (it's
a 2002 Chrysler minivan) have no battery, just a bulbous head.
I just had a friend go through conniptions after locking his keys in the car
with the ignition on. It turns out that on that model Ford, when the
ignition is on, the keyfob doesn't work. We finally got in by using a coat
hanger to push the power window button. That incident reminded me I had
only one RF key for my van, and I ought to get a second one.
--
Bobby G.
Robert Green
2002 Chrysler minivan
--
Bobby G.
Robert Green
news:XbydnVzuDJGRRG_X...@earthlink.com...
Yeah, "what a drag it is getting old." (-:
--
Bobby G.
Robert Green
> On Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:00:56 -0500, Robert Green wrote:
> > Any hints, clues, tips, suggestions?
>
> types of job that you do using a hacksaw or a cutting disc in a grinder
> (e.g. 1 notch for 3/8", 2 for 1/2", 3 for 9/16"). Maybe spacing the
> notches at 90 degree intervals (or 45) will make them far enough apart to
> avoid ambiguity.
>
> Personally I've found that if I'm using sockets a lot I can just look at a
> bolt and know what size it is, and look at a socket bit and do the same. I
> seem to lose that skill if I'm not using them often though, and it all
> falls apart given a mixture of AF / Whitworth / BSF / Metric sizes (which
> often applies to old British cars :-)
>
> cheers
>
> Jules
Actually, part of the problem is putting the poorly marked sockets and bits
BACK into their cases, which have much better markings. I've started an
index card list of the sizes of the items around the house that always need
the occasional tightening so I can save myself the trouble of trying five
sockets to find the right one. Owned a Jag and a Triumph before I swore off
British cars forever. Got all those damn oddball sizes and know all the
jokes like: Why do the English like warm beer? Because Lucas makes
refrigerators.
--
Bobby G.
Robert Green
<stuff snipped>
> My van came with ONE of those, and no other keys. It cost me $125 or so
> at the locksmith on the way home, to get two smaller keys programmed
> using the magic number the dealer gave me. And since idiot chrysler
> expects everyone to carry around that huge key the size of a serving
> spoon, only the driver door and hatch have lock cylinders. Major PITA.
You got off cheap. My dealer wanted $125 for ONE key! That's just
outrageous.
--
Bobby G.
Roger Shoaf
"Robert Green" <robert_g...@yah00.com> wrote in message news:hd1vao$nc3
>
> 2002 Chrysler minivan
>
OK there are two ways to approach this one. First is as I suggested would
be to stash the transponder key inside the car somewhere and use a standard
key for entry. The second way would be to bypass the transponder system.
Here you could remove the antenna ring from around the lock and tape a key
inside and use a mechanical key to start the car.
This is not advised if you are in an area that you are likely to have a
minivan stolen, and your insurance company may very well balk if it is and
you file a claim and they find out you had bypassed the theft deterrent, but
the choice is yours.
--
Roger Shoaf
If you are not part of the solution, you are not dissolved in the solvent.
Jules
>> Personally I've found that if I'm using sockets a lot I can just look at a
>> bolt and know what size it is, and look at a socket bit and do the same. I
>> seem to lose that skill if I'm not using them often though, and it all
>> falls apart given a mixture of AF / Whitworth / BSF / Metric sizes (which
>> often applies to old British cars :-)
>
> BACK into their cases, which have much better markings.
Aha, OK. I'm not always that organized - half the time I end up with a
small pile of socket bits on top of the case, and every few months they'll
end up back where they should be :-)
> Owned a Jag and a Triumph before I swore off British cars forever. Got
> all those damn oddball sizes and know all the jokes like: Why do the
> English like warm beer? Because Lucas makes refrigerators.
:-) I've had several Triumphs, a couple of old British Fords, and worked
on many a vintage Rover... much of the problem was the vast number of
owners that many of these cars have had over the years though, and they'd
use whatever bits they could get their hands on to fix things. Although
Triumph's quality control could be a bit random too (and you wouldn't
believe the amount of casting sand I've pulled out of their engine blocks...
Oddly, I've never had much trouble with Lucas electrics, despite the
reputation.
Oh, I always wanted a classic Jag XJ6 or XJ12 but could never have
afforded to run it back in the UK, but of course it's a lot cheaper here
in the US (like, 1/8th of the cost) and I think they did export quite a
few, so I might find one this side of the Pond someday...
cheers
Jules
Robert Green
> :-) I've had several Triumphs, a couple of old British Fords, and worked
> on many a vintage Rover... much of the problem was the vast number of
> owners that many of these cars have had over the years though, and they'd
> use whatever bits they could get their hands on to fix things. Although
> Triumph's quality control could be a bit random too (and you wouldn't
> believe the amount of casting sand I've pulled out of their engine
blocks...
I sold my TR6 shortly after a neighbor's kid beheaded himself in a TR4. Got
a used Ford LTD patrol car at auction - a heavied up version that could
probably roll right over a Triumph. Only got 7 MPG, had a monstrous engine
in it and a trunk that was probably large enough to hold a disassembled
Triumph. That was back when gas was 32 cents a gallon and no one had ever
heard of global warming. Hard to believe.
> Oddly, I've never had much trouble with Lucas electrics, despite the
> reputation.
Neither have I, but there are enough similar jokes that I suspect there's a
grain of truth in it. SU carbs were a totally different case. Hope I never
see another one. Every bad thing I had ever heard about them was true, plus
some things I had never heard.
> Oh, I always wanted a classic Jag XJ6 or XJ12 but could never have
> afforded to run it back in the UK, but of course it's a lot cheaper here
> in the US (like, 1/8th of the cost) and I think they did export quite a
> few, so I might find one this side of the Pond someday...
Maybe. I had a Mark X and belonged to the local Jag club. I remember when
one of the guys invited me over to see his new XJ12. I was standing next to
it when I asked him why the hood was so hot. The answer was that it was
running! I had no idea because it ran so quietly it made almost no noise.
Looking under the hood revealed a mass of cross-linkages the likes of which
I have never seen before. It was the most complicated automobile engine
I've ever seen, before or since. I wonder how long it stayed as ghostly
quiet as those first few 1000 miles. With all the moving levers, I suspect
it wasn't long. What I'd really like is an X-KE, but those are incredibly
expensive now, even old rusted through hulks. I always thought Ford/Jaguar
could have made a fortune reviving that version, or one very much like it.
--
Bobby G.
Stormin Mormon
a RF transponder. Depending which kind of car it is, and
what they were using. On some vehicles, replacing the column
should not change the resistor value. Not sure about the
transponders. I've got less learning about those.
--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.
"Robert Green" <robert_g...@yah00.com> wrote in message
news:hd1thn$7r3$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
Robert Green
> Some of the "chips" are an electrical resistor. And some are
> a RF transponder. Depending which kind of car it is, and
> what they were using. On some vehicles, replacing the column
> should not change the resistor value. Not sure about the
> transponders. I've got less learning about those.
When they returned the parts to me, one of them was labelled "immobiliser" -
yes, Brit spelling, dunno why. I guess it's time for a post mortem on that,
too. My understanding is that it's device like the little foil anti-theft
things they put into high priced items at Wal-mart and other similar stores
with electronic exit gates. If the car's sensor doesn't detect such a
device during starting, the engine turns but never starts.
I found some instructions for a "Autotop Skim programmer" that's sold to
work around the problem that gives you an idea of how it works:
"This is a small standalone device that can overwrite the pin code stored
within the skim module fitted to Chrysler/Jeep & Dodge. This will then allow
new keys to be programmed into the vehicle. The skim module is Chrysler
terminology for a combined immobiliser and aerial module. Writing a new pin
code to the skim module involves removing the Skim module, which is located
around the ignition barrel, from the vehicle, which is a fairly simple
process. The pin code that is written to the skim module is a fixed code
that will be detailed with each kit. Once the new pin code has been written
to the module, keys can be programmed into the vehicle by using any
Diagnostics key programming tool which is fitted."
Not sure that helps me with two dead RF keys and one live one. I don't like
the idea of having to leave the RF key hidden in the car, either, although
that will be the cheapest solution. More research needed
--
Bobby G.
Robert Green
>
> "Robert Green" <robert_g...@yah00.com> wrote in message
news:hd1vao$nc3
> >
> > 2002 Chrysler minivan
> >
>
> OK there are two ways to approach this one. First is as I suggested would
> be to stash the transponder key inside the car somewhere and use a
standard
> key for entry. The second way would be to bypass the transponder system.
> Here you could remove the antenna ring from around the lock and tape a key
> inside and use a mechanical key to start the car.
>
> This is not advised if you are in an area that you are likely to have a
> minivan stolen, and your insurance company may very well balk if it is and
> you file a claim and they find out you had bypassed the theft deterrent,
but
> the choice is yours.
Since my need for a spare key came about as a result of kids trying to steal
the van, and the insurance company only providing one replacement key, I
would have to say I live in an area where minivans are stolen. (-:
I've been Googling all over to try to find the cheapest way to get a second
or third key made up, and it turns out that the equipment to do so would
cost as much or more as the getting the keys made from a locksmith, and
there's no guarantee they would work, either.
So, it's back to Google and then the phones on Monday to see who's got the
lowest prices on Chrysler minivan RF keys.
Thanks for your input, Roger.
--
Bobby G.
aemeijers
number' should be in there- with that, you can just start calling
locksmiths directly.
--
aem sends...
Roger Shoaf
> "Roger Shoaf" <sh...@nospamsyix.com> wrote in message
> news:12575456...@news01.syix.com...
> >
> > "Robert Green" <robert_g...@yah00.com> wrote in message
> news:hd1vao$nc3
> > >
> > > 2002 Chrysler minivan
> > >
second
> or third key made up, and it turns out that the equipment to do so would
> cost as much or more as the getting the keys made from a locksmith, and
> there's no guarantee they would work, either.
>
> So, it's back to Google and then the phones on Monday to see who's got the
> lowest prices on Chrysler minivan RF keys.
>
> Thanks for your input, Roger.
>
OK see your local locksmiths. There will be two options here, one is to
clone the key you have and the second option is to have the locksmith
reprogram with standard keys. You can get by cheaper if you go without the
remote buttons on the duplicate keys.
--
Roger Shoaf
About the time I had mastered getting the toothpaste back in the tube, then
they come up with this striped stuff.
aemeijers
(snip)
>
> OK see your local locksmiths. There will be two options here, one is to
> clone the key you have and the second option is to have the locksmith
> reprogram with standard keys. You can get by cheaper if you go without the
> remote buttons on the duplicate keys.
>
had lock cylinders, though, like my old van. Or at least a separate fob
for the buttons, like it had. Damn cheap Chrysler.
--
aem sends...
Robert Green
I hated them to, but not so much after the immobiliser kept a pair of
teenage kids from taking my van on a joy-ride to who knows where! It was
bad enough that I had a very high deductible and it cost me nearly $500 to
get fixed, but that's much, much better than having the car savaged by
savages and left in a ditch somewhere after all the insides had been ripped
out.
Thanks for your input, I'll check out my local locksmiths first.
--
Bobby G.
Roger Shoaf
Not just Chrysler but all makes are omitting mechanical lock cylinders on
trunk and passenger doors. An option is to buy the handles for the base
model without the keyless entry but that is expensive.