Weekend Blog - April 2nd

[john]

This was a fairly productive weekend.

First the shop was cleaned and the adjoining area cleared of all tools and other items in preparation for the installation of a sump pump tomorrow. Not a moment too soon as the rain has started and the old basement is letting water seep in through the foundation footings.

Next came a good cleaning, waxing, and lubrication of the SS. As mentioned previously, this was long overdue.

I also got started on orders for two doll cradlles made of pine.

So, how was your weekend?

John

[dusty]

Thanks for asking but you don't want to know. I am attempting to convert a 510 table to an outfeed table. I need my autocad for drawings, dimensions, etc and it failed. I have a backup autocad on another computer; the harddrive there failed. I decided to work on a rearview camera on my RV and I wired the DC voltage to the monitor backwards and blew the monitor.

I watched TV the rest of the weekend and nothing else went wrong. Today is another day but I haven't tried to do much; therefore, so far, today has been better.

I did manage to recover the backup harddrive using a borrowed laptop. At least I still have a registered copy of autocad.

[john]

Dusty:

I'm almost sorry I asked!

Hopefully the rest of the week will go smoother.

John

[paulmcohen]

So, how was your weekend?

John

I replaced my old, dim but working 25 watt florescent shop lights with new 40 Watt, daylight ones that just flicker. I have three fictures 2 in the garage (with two bulbs each) and one in the shop with four bulbs). Garage everything works, but in the shop all I get is dim flickering. I have swapped bulbs and the problem follows the ficture. I have also put the old ones back in and they work fine. I am lost, anyone know about lighting?

[james.miller]

Sometimes the ballast goes bad or even the ends that you put the tubes into. Both can be replaced.

Jim in Tucson

[john]

I don't know much about them but I believe some of the newer fluoresent bulbs are made for newer fixtures only. They may be a little thinner or have a label stating theare for a certain fixture so you might want to verify that. I had some that flickered as well then went back to an older model and that solved the problem.

Good luck.

John

[a1gutterman]

paulmcohen,

Older fixtures have a starter in them that can go bad. Do you see a small diameter, perhaps 1/2" or 5/8", metal drum hanging down out of the fixture anywhere? If so, replace it and try your bulbs again; otherwise, like what was already said: The ballast or sockets may need replaced.

[albie]

My weekend was a bust with left over computer work. Ugh!

As far as the flourescents are concerned; with today's energy effiecnt lamps, try leaving the new lamps on to "burn-in" for several hours or overnight to eliminate the flicker.