Don't blame me...

people just send me this stuff.

Vegetable oil heater for Nissan Patrol conversion

This is from a recent email to Bennyspoon about a recently acquired Kim Hotstart engine heater...I got it from the tipshop for $10. I'm talking about ways to change into an SVO/WVO preheater (Straight vegetable oil or Used vegetable oil):

I will probably remove and throw out the element - was considering doing a 12V or similar conversion, but I don't want to run a 2nd alternator, or even to take 50 Amps from an existing, rewired one.
Original voltage/wattage is 480AC/4000W - so no way can I get this from 12 or 24DC anyway.

The element will be replaced with coiled stainless, coupled out through the ends.

But the decision to be made is as follows:

a) Use it as a kind of plenum chamber or surge tank, with the big cavity containing fuel and being heated by water flow through the small internal coiled line.

or

b) Use it as a conventional heat exchanger, with the big chamber inline with the water jacket, and having the fuel delivered via the coil within the water chamber.

There are good reasons for a) and b) - but I'll go into them later.

More info and pics tomorrow.

(Was in the tipshop as is used from some vehicle (train or earthmover maybe?), or generator)

Dave

Cockroaches

Everything you ever wanted to know about 'em:

Roach Info

I'm hoping there's something in there that'll help me kill them even more efficiently.

We wuz Robbed!

This is my only comment on the piss-poor refereeing at this year's World Cup.

Solstice Pics

Ok - here are some catchup pics from our solstice gig the other night...

The "cooking" fire:





Palm trees in the forest at the back of my garden:





The ladies, Soph and Kat:





Looking straight up:

Brown Pics

I probably won't bore you with all of my pics of the rebuilding work - but here's the first batch:













and now to view some of the damage:










At a later date I'd say all pics will be at:
http://www.davesplanet.org/brown

It has begun...

(It seems my colour is 014 or "Orange Metallic" apparently)
It's still brown to me.
Thanks to the UK Datsun Owners Club, although they need to update their chart to show this colour as having come out with the 160 model (MQ Patrol).



Bonnet off.
Escutcheon? panel off.
Roo bar and supports off.
Grille off.
Headlights off.
Horn off.

I am back!

I just realised, today or maybe yesterday, that I'm not sick anymore!
Woohoo. Now I have this energy back, I've started getting my shit together a bit.
Kat and I have been doing some pretty intensive gardening - last night we had a pseudo campfire for the winter solstice...managed to burn the majority of the dead grass and palm fronds that have been the bane of my life recently.
All in a controlled manner of course...(It's a cooking fire occifer, please don't book me!)

Anyway, what else is news?
Sophie is in town, visiting from Melbourne.
Mark13 is back from his North American jaunt.
Rog arrives next week.
I have started work on Mr Brown! (Yes, shock horror, I know)

Dave
(and remember..."If it's whistling, it's working!")

Tonight's Dinner

Well kinda sorta!

My friend Phil...

likes to think he's a train driver.



(Just humour him, it's the easiest way to keep him happy...)

Insignificance

I don't know the source for these, so sorry to whoever they're pilfered from.
This makes me feel _small_!

Go here for a proper look.

Another Ad

Thanks Dama (You have got this thing about bags, huh?)

Another one on it's way!

Congrats Ingers and Juzzy!

This is Important!

Reclaiming our Common Wealth

See the Difference

This is just in case you missed it the first time:

See the Difference

Blonde Nimja!

Here's a free plug for that hairy man Nimal:


Nim's Blog!

Only 2 years to go!

The end of the world is nigh!

Yess!

Just a picture from opening night last weekend - looking good!

Happy Day of the Beast (6/6/6)!

Just a reminder of my true colours:

...and a big hello

to the girl I met at the Myths and Legends party over the weekend:

Her: "Hey you're on the internet aren't you?"
Me: "Um yeah...I have a computer, sure...it's online, yes"
Her: "No...you have a blog, right?"
Me: [uncomfortable silence]..."um yeah - you didn't actually _read_ it did you?"

Had to happen sooner or later.
(I'll spare you the bit where I went into some monologue about Venn diagrams and overlapping spheres of existence, I'm sure you get the drift)

(Was it Anna? I normally wouldn't have an excuse for forgetting names, but this week I seem to have met many more Annas and Amys than ever before, so I think I'll use that as a substitute for admitting I have a shocking short-term memory)

D

What the ?

Grilled Jaysus

Wrongtown!

Don't click on this if you're likely to be offended by homoerotic sketches of Hobbits...
(I know I was)

weird shit

Guess Who!

Byrne/Eno

This has always been one of my favorite albums...seems it's being all remixed and stuff: My Life in the Bush of Ghosts

Be sure to watch: