Finally got back to work on the Minn. Moline tractor body for Tom J. This has been a 5 year project! Adds new meaning the saying "slow but steady". Apparently there are no 1/16 scale models of this year and style MM and Tom is a big collector and wanted to know if I could make one. Took some pictures of a real one 5 years ago and working from them came up with this. Made from some copper sheet I had and bent by hand. Getting screen for the from radiator was a challenge but found a supplier in Utah.
A coat of primer and it looks good. Will post some pictures when it is done and mounted on the MM model frame. Hope it dosen't take another 5 years.
Also took on the making of 40 mini canoe paddles for this years Pecatonica Canoe Festival. The committee awards thes to the differrent sponsors Gold paddle, Silver, etc. to get donations from local businesses and individuals. 10 down 30 to go!
Had an interesting opportunity to work with some 3 phase electricity. The local printer replaced the 120 Vac laminator with a 220 Vac machine. They called me because they could not get the new plug to go into the old one. As it should be because of the different voltages. The solution would require getting 220 to the machine. In a "normal" house system this would require a double breaker and 3 wire run. The thinking was that maybe a 220 abandon circuit existed in the ceiling. No luck. So down to the fuse box. To my surprise it was 3 phase! You can see the three phase wires feeding in at the top of the picture. Further examination showed that the old 120 Vac laminator was fed from this box (second breaker from the bottom on the left). How could this be as I thought all 3 phase was 220. As I checked measuring from any phase to another it was 220 Vac so how could this breaker be 120?
Reading the tape on the unused breaker below it was written "Wild Phase". That was a puzzler and when I checked the voltage was 220. How could that be? A single breaker at 220. Well after considerable research I learned about Open Delta with a high leg 3 phase service.
Long story short, Moved the wire down to the Wild Phase breaker, replaced the plug at the other end and walla. Problem solved.
Also took some time to work on the World duct Tape collection display. Update the listings and made the collection more mobile. Then displayed it at the Our Town event in Darlington to get the word out about the collection. Now have rolls from 62 different countries in the world! Each roll is signed by a citizen of the country that it came from. The stories for each roll are written in a log book and then I post details about it and the collection on my blog ducttape2thefuture.blogspot Check it out.
On the way home this weekend going through Mauston, WI at the Culvers resturant to my surprise there are 6 Tesla charging station set up on the back of the parking lot! Go figure Mauston with a population of around 4,000. Pretty cool.
Buy a Tesla and get free fuel. Will have to do some research on this and report back.
