Shop Time w/T.W. Friends. Torque wrench on spark plugs, we need answers so cast your vote now

Good morning shop crew. Rainy Thursday on tap down here, looks like a good day to stay inside and do manly stuff

Happy birthday @StayinStock Bob!

 

@StayinStock -

 

Thank you!!

Thank you!! Today is a regular day off.

Thank you!! I'm going to burn limbs today, unfortunately I'm at the age where burning limbs in my yard is exactly what I want to do. Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

Thank you!!

Thank you??

Thank you!!

Thank you!!

Thank you!!

Thank you!!

Jacob?

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, @StayinStock!

 

Thank you, sir!!

 

I missed this thread!

Happy birthday @StayinStock

 

I'm watching you


Thank you, Miss Mollie!

 

nope!

 

I had quite a bit of experience with one as well. Several years ago our church had one that wasn't working so I offered to take a look at it. If I remember correctly, there is a small motor and gearbox that drives the wire that keeps the kernels moving while they heat up. The gearbox had worn and would skip making the agitator stall. I took it apart and shimmed the gears so they would stay meshed. I also stripped down the entire cabinet and cleaned years of goop off of everything, it looked like new after hours of disassembly, cleaning and reassembly. I didn't actually make popcorn, but everything was working great. I asked how it was working a few months later and was told that they tried it and didn't think it was working right so they threw it out. I was slightly crushed.

 

I did not go into details but the first cleaning I did on it was after about 3 years. That took about 20 hours. After that I tried to make sure it was cleaned once a year. Notice I said make sure it was cleaned, as in one of our part time employees, not me. The excess oil sprayed around by the popping kernels always coated those gears exceptionally well to the point if you did not clean them they would not engage and viola, one order of burnt popcorn coming up! Fresh popcorn smell equals salivating customers who can't wait to eat it. Burnt popcorn drives the same customers far away.

 

Good to hear from you
Sounds like that cat picked you - must be a smart one.

All of ours have been rescues.

 

Many years ago I worked with a manic who was obsessed with the idea of maximum yield from a bag of microwave popcorn.

He kept a log of the time, un-popped count and microwave number, the break room had several.

It is a fine line between max yield and burnt popcorn -- the smell lingers for hours especially if they just throw the burnt bag in the trash...

 

Yep, I don't know how long that one went without a good cleaning, but 20 hours isn't out of the question for what I spent on it. I was bummed when I heard they just trashed it after that. I'm entirely unconvinced it wasn't working properly. I think they were working on approval for a new machine and I could have potentially thrown a proverbial wrench into that plan.

 

reminds me of my popcorn machine experience.

my first 'real' full time job out of high school was at a home theater installation company. i was there for 1.5 years before the housing market tanked and took the job with it.

but during that time, i learned how he created his list of future clients.

in the shop was one of those popcorn machines on wheels, sort of a faux showy piece. it was maybe worth $200, max. we would occasionally make popcorn with it because why not.

about 3 months in, there was a local home show i had to help setup for. we dragged that old used popcorn machine out, cleaned it up with some windex and paper towels the best windex cleans butter/grease. and then the boss plastered signs all over it "WIN THIS POPCORN MACHINE, ENTER HERE"

turns out he'd go to most home show events like that, and for the last 3 years, would set up that popcorn machine in a booth. people would enter their contact info, and then he'd use the info to cold-call them later "about their interest in a home theater system."

no one ever won the popcorn machine.

and that is why i laugh every time now when i see anything with "WIN THIS ___, ENTER HERE" plastered on it.

 

I get a noxious reaction to that burnt microwave popcorn smell. Pounding headache for at least an hour.

Have a good night folks

 

Does anyone have recommendations on who can help install suspension lift kits? Baller on a budget in So Cal.

Thanks in advance!