Anacortes September 2013

I've been absent for quite a while, so hello again.
Since returning from America last year I've suffered with a long term back condition affecting the sciatic nerve, which has made walking, standing, sitting and sleeping rather difficulrt, and at times impossible. Recently it has shown a slight improvement, to the point where I can now sit at my PC for more than a few minutes, so here are some images I meant to post 8 months ago.

Last September I visited my son on Whidbey, and one of our trips was to Anacortes, on Fidalgo Island, to watch a parade of vintage machinery.


Regards,
Stuart

Hi Stuart,

Good to have you back, hope that your health will keep improving.

Thanks for posting this nice collection of images of old equipment, some of which looks very well restored/maintained. The designs are simple and effective, some even have a nice styling for today's standards.

Cheers,
Bart

Hi, Stuart,

So sorry to hear of your sciatic nerve problem. I am having just a wee bit of the same, and even that reduces my "productivity" substantially.

Thanks for the wonderful series on old machinery.

I had for a long time been aware of the general idea of "hit-and-miss" speed governance. The distinctive sound of hit-and-miss engines on small concrete mixers was very familiar to me in my childhood (1940s).

But I had always imagined that they worked by disabling the ignition when the governor indicated that the set speed had been reached. It was only through your comment that I realized that (at least generally) it is done by holding the exhaust valve open.

Through some further reading this morning, I find that in turn that prevents the intake valve from opening, since it is not opened by cam but rather is just a sort of "check valve", opened by the "suction" of the intake stoke (assuming that the exhaust valve is not being held open by the governor).

Neat stuff.

But of course the pictures are wondrous, each in their own way. I especially like the second one of the second set (IMG_1699), with the view through the spokes of the turning flywheel. The 1/50 sec exposure seems to have done just the right thing there! Perhaps especially I like the little red wire in its Fahnstock clip).

Thanks so much.

And I hope that your neurological/orthopedic problem continues to improve.

Best regards,

Doug

StuartRae said:

The Oil Pull has a kerosene burning, oil-cooled, single cylinder engine of 10" bore by 12" stroke, ~6 litres. The driver is looking rather pleased because for the last 10 minutes he's been trying to start it by turning the big flywheel.

Click to expand...

Stuart,

Welcome back! I wish you a continued recovery of that sciatic nerve injury. You are in excellent company as a photographer with back or sciatic issues, LOL! I had my scrape with that 5 years ago and had 3 moths of pain and weakness! Now I limit my gear to less than 15lb.One fellow here just photographed what arrived near his window while he nursed his lower back, cemented to his bed!

In a way, our live for making the vintage machinery work reflects our own struggle to deal with well worn parts. One has to learn the nuances of the surfaces and orifices that get stuck and use the right remedies to tinker but not break the system altogether!

Still, sometimes, one can get a new part made and then one is really up and going again!

Asher

Thanks you all for your good wishes. I still need a stick to walk, but at least my gait no longer resembles that of a constipated duck!

Doug; yes, it's a neat solution. It also prevents unburned fuel passing through the exhaust and allows the engine to rotate freely (no compression) between power strokes.

Regards,

Stuart