More than a month

Yes, it’s been more than a month since the last post.  Not that I’ve been idle.  Rather, I’ve been very busy with outstanding projects.   Let me explain.

We took advantage of the West Australian State Government $400 grant to install a security system.  I didn’t want to pay for off-site data storage and eventually opted for a system by Eufy.  We bought their storage hub, external camera and video doorbell.

The Hub sits on a shelf under the coffee table beside my chair.  It’s linked to the cameras and our home network.  The Hub comes with 16GB of storage but a hard drive can be installed in it should more storage be desired.  I have it configured to provide an audible warning when either the external camera or doorbell camera detects motion.

The Hub

 

The doorbell has two cameras.  One looks towards the approach to the door and the other at the base of the front door where a parcel might be left.  It has a speaker and mic allowing us to communicate without opening the door.  Actually we could be advised there was someone at the door our mobile phone if we weren’t at home.

I’ve mounted the external camera in a box on a pole against our boundary fence where it has an uninterrupted view of the front of the house and the street.

Whilst watching a You Tube video of two men crossing the remote Anne Beadell Track (something I want to do) I noticed their trailer was the same make and model as ours.   Later in the video they showed how a wheel had come off the trailer when a wheel bearing failed.  They didn’t have a replacement bearing and had to abandon their trailer in the desert.

I realised I also didn’t have a spare wheel bearing!

The prudent thing to do would be to buy one before my next trip.  But what size were the Chinese bearing?   I’d need to remove one set and measure them.

Tarzan must have tightened the wheel nuts because removing them was a challenge.  Thanks eldest grandson!

I don’t have any fancy tools to remove wheel bearings but I do know your shouldn’t punch a bearing shell out using steel against steel.  The cost of a bronze or brass punch seemed excessive so I ordered a 250mm length of brass rod from eBay.

The rod enabled me to remove the bearings and measure them.  They are standard Ford trailer bearings. 

I bought one set for the side I had removed.  Greased the new bearings and reassembled the wheel hub.  The old bearings will be my spare set.

Jan ordered some new kitchen knives.  German and apparently high quality.  Not wanting to throw them in a kitchen drawer where they would rather rapidly get blunt she asked about a knife block.

I rummaged around in the shed and garage looking for suitable timber offcuts.  Some pine that previously been repurposed twice and some Jarrah left over from the display cabinet.  There was also some Australian Ash and Spotted Gum.

I bought some water resistant food grade wood glue and started cutting, planning, gluing, cutting, planning, gluing, etc

Jan was asked which face on the block she wanted to the front.  This enabled me to cut a bevel on the top.  There was enough left over to make a second block.

I started thinking about selling the Kipor generator.  It’s been run once in the last six years which is a good indication it’s not needed.

The first thing to tart up was the pull cord hole which has been torn.  I glued a large washer on one side and added more adhesive to the rear.

There exterior was given a thorough clean and then I started it.  Except it starts on the first pull and promptly dies.  I think it has a carb issue.

The project has gone to the bottom of the list.

The repaired Shimano Alfine hub was installed back in the wheel rim and then fitted to my bike.  The gear return spring wasn’t working.  Bugger!

The hub would have to be disassembled.

I’ve never disassembled the hub to this depth.  Eventually I discovered the gear return spring was in the axle which is the final part of the disassembled hub.  Then the hub went “sprong” and components ricocheted all over the workshop.

Double Bugger!

After scrambling around the workshop benches and floor for several hours I think I have all the components.  However disassembling the hub doesn’t form part of the Alfine Workshop Manual.  I appear to have a jigsaw puzzle with no picture.   Another slow project.

My friend Ken, gave me a 36V lithium battery he had obtained.  A check of the voltage suggested it was either flat or had an issue.  The number of external pins suggested the battery required an external Battery Management System (BMS).

It’s off an e-scooter

I decided to pull it apart.  Easier said than done as the retaining screws had a unique head.  I had to drill off the screw heads to open the case.

This is where I discovered the steel outer case contained an inner plastic case

And the battery cells were then encased in a rubber compound.  It’s actually well made but a right bastard to disassemble.

Underneath all that rubber I found a BMS.

Eventually I got it down to the cells .  At this point I moved on to the next project.

The Swimming Pool

We’ve been having problems with the pool for most of this year.  Unfortunately for us the pool equipment manufacturer no longer has a retailer or distributor in the State. 

Our pool problem became worse after the new patio was extended over it.  Swarf (small pieces of steel) from the construction made their way into the pool despite us laying a protective cover over it.  The swarf has now rusted and embedded itself into the walls and floor of the pool.

Whilst we wait to have the pool equipment problem diagnosed I decided to drain the pool and remove all the rust.

Searching for a method to drain the pool I settled on the outback camper trailer 12V shower pump.   It took two days but eventually the pool was empty.

 

Rust Spots

Once the water level was below my nether regions I jumped into the pool and started grinding.

My technique was to use a small wire brush in the portable drill.

Three days (my back confirms that) later the work was complete and I could start refilling the pool.

Are you getting bored with all this???

I’ve made a start on our eldest grandson’s yacht autopilot system.  There have been too many issues to write about at this time (the post is getting too long!)  However I did solve a problem with the 7” touch screen monitor which was purchased from Aliexpress.

It didn’t work.  After careful examination I came to the conclusion the likely fault was the ribbon cable on the back.  It didn’t appear to be correctly inserted and the retaining clip was unlatched at one end.

Fitting the ribbon correctly was easy as the two ends of the ribbon were offset.  However with some patience and perseverance I managed to correctly secure it and the monitor works. 

Phew…. leave the rest for another day!