Tis the season

Good Morning all,
As the holiday approaches, finding that perfect gift, the parties and preparing the great feast are first and foremost in our minds. Please, however, take a moment to remember what is really important. It is not the price of the gift that makes it special, it is the love in which it is wrapped, not the gourmet quality of the meal, but with whom you break bread that makes it a memorable event.

If you are blessed with family and friends, please let them know how much they mean to you, this season and all seasons. The worth of a man or woman is not measured by the money in their pocket but by the love in their heart, shared freely, without expectation, that measures their true wealth.

Let's share this wealth of love with those close to us and the new friends who we have not yet met.

CHUCK IS BACK!!!

Chuck is back!!!

Chuck Russell, my friend and fellow Hospital Commissioner, is on the mend and had one of his first public outings today at the Valley Tavern, the business he owns.  It was good to see the spark back in his eyes again.  He told us all how badly he feels that someone lost their life in the accident, something he says he will carry with him for the rest of his life.

I am looking forward to working again with Chuck on the Hospital Board for the rest of his current term and THE NEXT 6 YEAR TERM!!  We have missed his wisdom, his quick wit and the way he quickly glean through the mass of information presented to find the correct course to of action to take.

He still has much to offer our Hospital Board and to those he serves, the residents of Eastern Jefferson County.  His common sense approach and honest willingness to serve his community has been a great asset to Jefferson County Public Hospital District #2 during his term as OUR Hospital Commissioner.

I would hope that you would VOTE to allow Chuck Russell to continue to serve our community as OUR HOSPITAL COMMISSIONER, but, what really matters is that you VOTE, make your voice heard!!!

Welcome Back Chuck!!

Good Evening

Hi there,

Not much time to work in the shop, have a few projects pending but, right now, a bit short on time.  I have been rather busy between my new part -time job at Arrow Lumber & Hardware and helping on the campaign committee for Chuck Russell, Hospital Commisioner.

I really love my new job with Arrow, great place to work, a company that reflects my commitment to exceptional customer service while offering great value for the dollar spent.

I have had the opportunity to work with Chuck Russell for 18 years as a fellow Commissioner on the Board for Jefferson County Public Hospital District #2 dba Jefferson Healthcare.  He has contributed so much to making our hospital, clinics and related medical and health service the success they are today.  He has always worked to improve the quality and safety of the services delivered by the district.  His efforts have been rewarded by the District receiving numerous awards and certifications for excellence.  With all this, he has never wavered from his commitment that the services are available to ALL residents of Eastern Jefferson County.

Chuck Russell still has much to offer our county and its residents.  Please vote to keep his experience, wisdom and talent on the Board for another term!!!

Thank you

Even economy equipment can be saved

Hand truck issues: 

I worked on an econo handtruck, you know the type, Harbor Freight special.  The tires would not hold air.  Good thing about these is that the wheel rims split apart by removing 4 bolts. 

I removed the inner tubes, inflated and tested each for leaks, none found.  The apparent cause was the really awful Schrader valves (those little things with the pin head in the tire stem).  I replaced the valves in each stem and they now hold air.  Good thing I have so many replacement parts for all facets of small engine repair.

Back to my “day job” tomorrow!!

It's a Honda!!

This machine took a bit of digging. This is a Honda walk-behind mower a customer brought in for routine service and assessment. Compression was great but could not get a good ignition spark. I tracked the problem down to a little momentary contact "kill" switch. Most engines of this type just use a small bit of spring steel to short out the high voltage to the spark plug stopping the engine. With these, you usually just clean the contacts.

Leave it to Honda to make it complicated. The little black plastic switch shown in the pictures is the culprit. I have a replacement on order but, again, as is Honda's way, you can only buy the OEM switch and it runs around $25.00. I checked all my usual sources as well as new ones, but same answer from all of them.

Now that I know what is wrong, I can do the work on the rest of the mower, then set it aside, waiting for the part.

Another challange

Project for a customer. He brought this in for service and asked about why he was not able to see the oil in the window on the pump. During the work-up on it, I found the pump portion to be nearly empty of lub oil, usually the kiss of death for a piston pump of this type. The other issue is that the engine compression is a bit below 60 PSI, too low to operate.
I contacted the manufacture of the pressure washer and was told to contact the pump manufacturer. Finally got a response. I will now do a deeper dive into the issues with the engine and pump. As with all jobs like this, I do not charge for basic diagnosing of the problems and this unit may turn out to be too far gone, but haven't given up yet, love a challange

IT'S ALIVE!!!!

This was a curb-side free find. It definitely had some issues. I did a complete workup on it, diagnosing its problems. Now, after a valve job, honing the cylinder walls and a complete tune-up and service, it runs great and I can sell this for a low price to someone who needs one but cannot afford a new one. This was saved from the dumpster and brought back to life!