Newest Toy

[alanmcorcoran]

The wife had a $40 credit at Pep Boys...http://184.72.239.143/mu/4b041bb0-bf30-852b.jpg

[cayuse]

Great for inflating tires, blowing off water after a wash, blowing out the air filter.... the list goes on!

[Moedad]

Neato!

[BillInGA]

:drool: But this is just the beginning. Soon you will discover the wonderful world of pneumatic tools. Then, one day you will come home to find that your new pneumatic drill needs a bigger compressor, so...

I managed to stop with a brad nailer. Good luck!

[alantf]

Soon you will discover the wonderful world of pneumatic tools.

Who, Alan????????? :crackup

[Water Warrior 2]

Alan is more likely to hook up a compressor to a pipe organ and entertain his neighbors.

[blaine]

Alan is more likely to hook up a compressor to a pipe organ and entertain his neighbors.
:tongue: :poke2: :crackup

[alanmcorcoran]

I'm having enough trouble just mastering Putting Air In Tires. It's a bitch to get to the nipple on the Strat. Finally got it worked out on the front, still haven't tackled the back. Took me some effing around to get the hose attached. Learned that the connections aren't worth shit without some teflon pipe tape.

I've got a whole garage full of neat tools i lost interest in (table saw, routing table, miter saw, etc.) so I've lost a bit of the tool bug. I focus nearly all of my puttering on the piano at this point.

But I'd be interested in a farkle with a flexible air input doo-jigger and a built-in pressure gauge if amy of you mechanical types can recommend one.

Two major plusses to having the air in the garage: Tires are cold when checking pressure AND, more importantly, tailpipe (and brake discs) is ALSO not skin blistering hot, when effing around under there.

[Water Warrior 2]

A flexible air dealie with a guage will probably be best found at an industrial or mechanical supply house. Take a ride and tour 3 or 4 stores some afternoon. A big plus for cool tires and pipes. Our vehicles sleep in the shade and there are a couple 12 volt compressors available. I can plug into the car,truck or either bike with ease.

[5th_bike]

Wow. Your compressor is bigger than mine.

[Water Warrior 2]

Compressor envy !!!! What next ????

[jonathan180iq]

I'm having enough trouble just mastering Putting Air In Tires. It's a bitch to get to the nipple on the Strat. Finally got it worked out on the front, still haven't tackled the back. Took me some effing around to get the hose attached. Learned that the connections aren't worth shit without some teflon pipe tape.

I've got a whole garage full of neat tools i lost interest in (table saw, routing table, miter saw, etc.) so I've lost a bit of the tool bug. I focus nearly all of my puttering on the piano at this point.

But I'd be interested in a farkle with a flexible air input doo-jigger and a built-in pressure gauge if amy of you mechanical types can recommend one.

Two major plusses to having the air in the garage: Tires are cold when checking pressure AND, more importantly, tailpipe (and brake discs) is ALSO not skin blistering hot, when effing around under there.

They make angled schrader valves. So if space for filling the tires on the Strat is limited, that might be an option. It's what I did on my scoot. You can even get valves that come out at a 90 degree angle.

http://www.wheel-weight.com/photo/sm_0e39bab61b83b0849621089b1b16b3c1/Tubeless-Clamp-in-Valve.jpg

Or, like you said, you can get some different jig-a-ma-roos to squeeze in there...

Air chuck with gauge:
http://arizonasphynx.com/images/cheap-220-psi-pistol-type-lock-on-air-chuck-with-dial-tire-gauge-w-flexible-hose-discount-sale.jpg

[alanmcorcoran]

Thanks IQ. What's the brand/model of the air thingie...

[jonathan180iq]

For that specific one? I have no idea. I just google image-searched "air chuck with gauge".

I'm sure there are more than enough options out there that you can find one to meet your needs.

If all else fails, try Harbor Freight.

[5th_bike]

I have no idea.
When are you going to pick up your Kawa Illuminator?

[jonathan180iq]

I have no idea.
Unfortunately, things didn't work out as I had originally planned. I sold the Metro, no problem and the guy preferred to sell the Kawasaki instead of trade. So, I have my van and I'm still looking for a super affordable bike.

[5th_bike]

...still looking for a super affordable bike.
Ouch. Bummer. :sad:
Good luck finding an affordable bike, this time of the year...

[jonathan180iq]

Thanks IQ. What's the brand/model of the air thingie...

Hey man, checking back in...
I just picked one up at Wal-Mart this evening for $14.88
It was a Campbell-Hausfield

[alanmcorcoran]

You mean one of these?

http://184.72.239.143/mu/4b041bb0-fe5c-455f.jpg

[alanmcorcoran]

Iq, ordered the gun, rubber hose and misc connector crap (the plastic hose kit my wife bought was crap.)

[jonathan180iq]

You mean one of these?

http://184.72.239.143/mu/4b041bb0-fe5c-455f.jpg

Spot on!
We're garage-stuff twins! :)

[jonathan180iq]

Iq, ordered the gun, rubber hose and misc connector crap (the plastic hose kit my wife bought was crap.)

Yeah, I had to get a real air hose today too. I think the standard hose that comes with these smaller compressors are all junk.
I found an orange one at Home Depot rated for 300psi for $12. It came in a 50 ft section. (Amflo) I also picked up a female quick-link for the air gun because there was no way to link it to the hose. I tried to pull the factory connector out of the bottom of the gun but it was actually a reduced size... I can't imagine why they did that.

Anyway, I'm rambling. Glad you got your stuff!

[alanmcorcoran]

IQ,

Here's how i set it up - had Goodyear 50' rubber hose (it was actually cheaper than the 25' on amazon, go figure) had two male 1/4' ends. Put a female quick connect plug on one end and used that to connect it to the blower. Then put a quick connect "connector" on the other end (so's I can "quick connect" stuff to it.) Then added another female quick connect plug to the CH filler/gauge thing. I had some funkiness with air leaking from the quick connect connector where it was connecting to the filler/gauge plug but it seems to have resolved itself - I think there might be a defect in the innards.

Anyway, the setup is pretty sweet - the thing locks onto the tires and you can add air in one pound increments - it's a huge improvement over the stick, guess and check. Plus no "Christ I hope I don't blow up the frigging tire anxiety cause you have no idea how much you are pumping in" anymore. (any of you ever blow up [as in explode] a bicycle tube at a gas station? It will scare the eff out of you, assuming you don't also lose an eye.)

I posted the recommended inflations for front and back for all three bikes on a little wall poster I can see from anywhere in the garage. I am, literally, pumped!

[blaine]

I had some funkiness with air leaking from the quick connect connector where it was connecting to the filler/gauge plug but it seems to have resolved itself - I think there might be a defect in the innards.

Quite often the quick connects will leak a little air until the pressure builds up.Or sometimes you need to give them a little twist for them to seal.
:roll: :)

[alanmcorcoran]

Thanks blaine. When I demoed it to the wife, it seemed to be sealed. I'll keep an eye on it - I figure worst case scenario I have to order a better piece of hardware. This sort of stuff is well within my limited mechanical range.

I took a peek inside the thing and there is a smallish brass colored piece in the center of the works that looks like the business end of the airstream that looked a little cockeyed (bent?) Thought that might be the issue. In any case, it seems to be working for the time being.

[mrlmd1]

AC's giving free blow jobs now if you stop by his house. :poke2: :2tup: :rawk: :)
(Go fill up your tires).

[Moedad]

...any of you ever blow up [as in explode] a bicycle tube at a gas station?

Back in high school I and a couple of friends were on PCH in Seal Beach and one of my friends (Mark) decided the rear tire on his bike was too low (we had Schwinn Varsitys, but he had a nice light foreign road bike--don't remember the brand anymore). We pulled into a service station (kids, back then you could get air for free right on the dispenser island. Yes way) and as he was topping off his tire, we sauggested that he might be overfilling it (no pop-up guage for whatever reason). He replied, "I know EXACTLY how much air to put in."

He finished and proceeded to add air to his front tire ("As long as I'm doing the back tire..."). He finished up and we were rolling our bikes away from the island and his bike stops, like his brakes locked up. A quick glance showed the problem--a huge bulge in the tire was jammed behind his rear brake.

He reached out to feel it as he said, "Wow, I didn't--" and as he touched it, it blew. BAM!! My other friend (Jim) and I laughed very hard. :lol: "Oh, I know EXACTLY how much air to use!" :poke2:

None of us had tools to fix a flat, so Mark and Jim went to see if the gas station guy would loan us anything to get us back on the road. I was left to watch the bikes. As I'm sitting there, I hear this odd kind of creaking sound. Lo and behold, before my eyes, Mark's front tire is developing a bulge just like the one on the back tire had looked.

I jumped up and ran after Mark and Jim. "Mark, Mark, your front tire is--" BAM!!

I don't think I have ever, EVER, laughed so hard. For years, if Mark ever disagreed with us on ANYTHING, we'd say "We know, Mark, you know EXACTLY how much air to use." Ow. My ribs hurt just from thinking about it.

[alanmcorcoran]

When I was about 12 I blew up an old school shwinn tube at a gas station. Mine didn't develop a bulge, it must have been an old tube/tire combination (with five boys and bikes made up of cannibalized parts, my family wasn't exactly a poster for scheduled maintenance.) Blew the tube and the tire right off the bike. Sounded like an M80, knocked me on my ass, and had ringing in my ears for about 24 hours.

To top it off, I had about 50 Thursday News Tribunes in the front basket that had not been delivered. Had to walk home, get another bike, deliver the effing papers, buy a new tire and tube, ride back to the gas station and put it on - couldn't get the tire on the rim - the station mechanic helped with that, then ride the second bike back home. By then my parents were home and I at least got a ride back to the station. A long effing evening of fun. Paper routes suck.

Never filled a bike up at a gas station again. But I did put air in my wife's bike with the new setup. Very cautiously.

[jonathan180iq]

Took the whole family riding one after in Chickamauga Battlefield. My middle sister, Julie, knows how to ride but she is pretty new to. So new in fact that she didn't even have her own bike. So on the way up to the Battlefield, we stopped at K-mart (I think) and got her a cheap-o mountain bike.

Things were going great for a while. We were cruising along, just enjoying the scenery and being outside.
Then, later in the ride, after having taken a 10 minute breather and water break, Juli was the first to jump out ahead of us and lead us up the next hill. Just as she eclipsed the crest of the hill and the top of blonde head disappeared behind the brim, we all heard this huge explosion coming from her direction. Now, my mom, who is prone to over reaction anyway, immediately thought that my sister had been accidentially shot by a drunk hunter, even though firearms are strictly prohibited on battlefiend grounds. Some of the other in the group were just kind of scratching their heads, wondering what it could have been...

I cranked up the hill and saw her just standing there beside her bike with a bewildered look on her face. Her back tire, which oddly had held up for about 6-8 miles, had just ripped itself apart. The tube, even though it only had roughly 45-50psi in it, let loose along the seam (a manufacturing flaw) and everything else was a downhill ride from there.

We weren't that far from the car so I pedaled over and drove the Tahoe back to K-mart, bought a replacement inner-tube, this time with SLIME and we finished our little ride.

I guess you could say we had a blast ;)

[BillInGA]

...even though firearms are strictly prohibited on battlefield grounds....

That would make battles much more civil! :)

(Sorry, I couldn't help myself)

[jonathan180iq]

...even though firearms are strictly prohibited on battlefield grounds....

That would make battles much more civil! :)

(Sorry, I couldn't help myself)

:lol: well played