the I'll show you OFF TOPIC bike thread

[metalchewy]

52 here as well.

@Son of Kradus I hope everything with your OP went well. Ive been lucky so far, but at some point soon I arthritis surgery on my hands is in my future. The ortho says he's had like an 85% rate of improvement, but worry about making it worse.

‐-------------

Another way off topic.

This old treadle singer, Model 127 from April 27, 1927 fell into my lap yesterday. Not froze up. Seems to need some oil a belt and some TLC, new wood is in its future. Looks to have spent some time outside at one point.

 

[Captain Awesome]

the house across the street from us went up for sale yesterday.

Is that good or bad?

How’s the market by you?

 

[ifitsfreeitsforme]

Is that good or bad?

How’s the market by you?

I'm always fearful it will be bad. When the quiet, respectful people next door moved, loud trashy people bought the house. It was a quiet woodsy neighborhood til they moved in. I think they got ticketed the last time they had an all-nighter, and they've been eerily quiet since, so here's hoping they learned. Anyway, the market is good. Out of curiosity, after looking online at what the house across the street is listed for, I noticed my house is evaluated at almost twice what I paid for it 7 years ago. That's only temporary, I know, the market will crash or self-correct at some point.

 

[Captain Awesome]

I'm always fearful it will be bad. When the quiet, respectful people next door moved, loud trashy people bought the house. It was a quiet woodsy neighborhood til they moved in. I think they got ticketed the last time they had an all-nighter, and they've been eerily quiet since, so here's hoping they learned. Anyway, the market is good. Out of curiosity, after looking online at what the house across the street is listed for, I noticed my house is evaluated at almost twice what I paid for it 7 years ago. That's only temporary, I know, the market will crash or self-correct at some point.

Same boat here. Nice quiet neighborhood brought down mostly by rental companies buying up houses and then having zero control over their customers.

But on the upside our market was already on a permanent upward trend before all this insanity and i now have almost 80% equity in my place even if I sold it at the median market price. Considering my other 2 properties are paid for completely it makes building and getting away mortgage free look SO much more appealing sooner

 

[Ulu]

Sometimes there’s a silver lining inside that dark cloud. We twice had a dark cloud land next-door to us.

We moved from Clovis to Fresno when we bought our first house. We moved from Fresno to Clovis, to get away from the crappy neighbors who moved in next-door to us after about five years. First they started a parking lot, and then they started a drugstore.

Fortunately we bought a larger property, and later sold the first during the real estate bubble (2003) We actually made a good bit of money on the sale allowing us to buy something in a much nicer neighborhood & town.

The new property was paid off several years ago, and has appreciated in value by 100% or more. (Of course so has everything else in this time.)

All in all, that was a lucky turn of events, from the day my neighbor’s teenage kid threatened my 40+ y.o. wife, and we decided to move.

We have been super happy with this neighborhood and the convenience and security of its location.

I’ll tell you about the second silver lining when I find the related photographs.

 

[Ulu]

2007

 

[Ulu]

That looks like a pretty dark cloud!

That’s the house next-door to our current house, which at some point became a halfway house for troubled kids. Evidently the landlord found there was a lot of state money to be garnered in that business. Evidently he wasn’t well schooled in the risks. It only took a little while for the kids to burn the thing nearly to the ground.

After that situation, the property owners had the place re-built and been very picky about who they rent it to. So far we’ve had a chef, a dental tech and a fireman there since 2008. Not much turnover for 15 years, and very nice people.

 

[Son of Kradus]

Nothin worse, we had the best neighbors move in next door, both sides, but it came at a cost, they were great people, lovely and well mannered, worked and were just a great chat at the fence, until at night their cat would come and hassle ours and beat it up, it then started during the day and so on, nuthin we can do but our peaceful yard had become a battle ground at night, but then on the other side of the fence they have a lovely small dog that suffers anxiety and barks all day till they return from work! Grrrrr, theres been a couple times ive left the shed to get a break from the barking!
very small things impacting a very big piece of my life...my home! funny how it works!

 

[Son of Kradus]

52 here as well.

@Son of Kradus I hope everything with your OP went well. Ive been lucky so far, but at some point soon I arthritis surgery on my hands is in my future. The ortho says he's had like an 85% rate of improvement, but worry about making it worse.

‐-------------

Another way off topic.

This old treadle singer, Model 127 from April 27, 1927 fell into my lap yesterday. Not froze up. Seems to need some oil a belt and some TLC, new wood is in its future. Looks to have spent some time outside at one point.
View attachment 245390View attachment 245391

WOW @ almost 100yrs old that is the score of the century, the actual sewing machine is absolutely gorgeous, dont make em like that anymore! its got style and curve's and some gold bling bling.
Interesting point, Laid up on the couch yesterday and an old black n white movie came on "whiskey Galore" one of the first scenes had a lady working a "spinning wheel" making some thread, the daughter says whats that ha ha ha , I had a ball explaining what it was and how they worked!
Good luck on the arthritis, your not alone, I have a worsening tinitus and I need glasse's to read now, my physical capabilities have diminished somewhat and the wife says my new found limp when walking is sexy??? but hey....im stll sucking in gods beautiful freash clean air, and thats worth celebrating!

 

[metalchewy]

I got glasses for the first time this year. I wear them in the evenings or doing fine work that I need to see. Progressives because I am near sighted with astigmatism in one eye and far sighted in the other eye. The zoom vision I used to have now just gets blurry.

 

[GuitarlCarl]

52 here as well.

@Son of Kradus I hope everything with your OP went well. Ive been lucky so far, but at some point soon I arthritis surgery on my hands is in my future. The ortho says he's had like an 85% rate of improvement, but worry about making it worse.

‐-------------

Another way off topic.

This old treadle singer, Model 127 from April 27, 1927 fell into my lap yesterday. Not froze up. Seems to need some oil a belt and some TLC, new wood is in its future. Looks to have spent some time outside at one point.
View attachment 245390View attachment 245391

Hey that's my birthday...

 

[GuitarlCarl]

I got a couple scar stories. I rolled that Alfa Spyder in September of 85 and broke my back. Docs at Northwestern wanted to fuse my back, I said no. Recovered with no surgery no scars. Fast forward to 2010 and I got bone chips in my lower back pinching nerves and piercing pain. So they cut a slot in my back about an inch long vertically and go in with tweezers and pick out the chips. Outpatient! Next day I'm fine and I got a scar on my back like a piggy bank.
Went thru a window tripping and seeing ufos in 81 maybe 82 woke up in the hosp buckled by my wrists to the bedrails and my right hand is a ball of bandages and I can't feel a thing... I whistle to the nurse and she has no idea what's inside cuz I was there when the shift changed. So I convinced her to cut the wrappings off and lets look. Middle finger and pinky are both lacerated down the back on my hand ( just like i put it thru a window duh )
I'm 63 clean and sober since I was 35 but I got more scars and more stories from those years before. Bar fights and crashes take toll on your hide...

 

[SwissGuy]

52 here as well.

@Son of Kradus I hope everything with your OP went well. Ive been lucky so far, but at some point soon I arthritis surgery on my hands is in my future. The ortho says he's had like an 85% rate of improvement, but worry about making it worse.

‐-------------

Another way off topic.

This old treadle singer, Model 127 from April 27, 1927 fell into my lap yesterday. Not froze up. Seems to need some oil a belt and some TLC, new wood is in its future. Looks to have spent some time outside at one point.
View attachment 245390View attachment 245391

Quite a treasure you seamed to have scored there. Just saw this add for a similar one:

This is an image (not mine) of the machine I use for most of my sewing projects:

Elna #1
Mine is from around 1940. It's the first free wing compact electrical sewing machine, invented and built in Switzerland by a Spanish engineer.
It still runs like a charm, only needs some drops of oil from time to time.
(I think the brand belongs to singer nowadays).
I had a whole homepage about this machine, but I recently changed my provider and didn't get to reupload the page (elna.graedel.de) yet.
At the moment I'm in the middle of rearranging our apartment...
We are swapping rooms around and the living room serves as storage....

 

[metalchewy]

Hey that's my birthday...

Thats our wedding anniversary.

I got a couple scar stories. I rolled that Alfa Spyder in September of 85 and broke my back. Docs at Northwestern wanted to fuse my back, I said no. Recovered with no surgery no scars. Fast forward to 2010 and I got bone chips in my lower back pinching nerves and piercing pain. So they cut a slot in my back about an inch long vertically and go in with tweezers and pick out the chips. Outpatient! Next day I'm fine and I got a scar on my back like a piggy bank.
Went thru a window tripping and seeing ufos in 81 maybe 82 woke up in the hosp buckled by my wrists to the bedrails and my right hand is a ball of bandages and I can't feel a thing... I whistle to the nurse and she has no idea what's inside cuz I was there when the shift changed. So I convinced her to cut the wrappings off and lets look. Middle finger and pinky are both lacerated down the back on my hand ( just like i put it thru a window duh )
I'm 63 clean and sober since I was 35 but I got more scars and more stories from those years before. Bar fights and crashes take toll on your hide...

I have similar stories from my heavy partying days as a teenager. I Rolled and endo'd a ramcharger. Spun a Nova into a guardrail around a corner

Sounds like you were lucky to walk and luckier to not be fused. Glad you made it out alive. Very good on your sobriety, I still partake from time to time bit not like I did back then.

Quite a treasure you seamed to have scored there. Just saw this add for a similar one:
View attachment 245451
This is an image (not mine) of the machine I use for most of my sewing projects:
View attachment 245452
Elna #1
Mine is from around 1940. It's the first free wing compact electrical sewing machine, invented and built in Switzerland by a Spanish engineer.
It still runs like a charm, only needs some drops of oil from time to time.
(I think the brand belongs to singer nowadays).
I had a whole homepage about this machine, but I recently changed my provider and didn't get to reupload the page (elna.graedel.de) yet.
At the moment I'm in the middle of rearranging our apartment...
We are swapping rooms around and the living room serves as storage....
View attachment 245453

Thats elna is a cool looking machine. I Haven't ever seen one in person. That Singer looks way older and a bit more sought after than this model 127. Both will sew leather and heavy canvas which my other two working machines have a hard time at.

Come to think of it I have 4 sewing machines now, plus an embroidery machine. I have a singer from the 60s, a Nicco from the 80s, ,an old 50s Montgomery wards which I keep trying to give away and now this singer sphinx,

Cleans up nice. I think detailing bikes prepared me for the cleanup. My uncle used to do sewing machine repair. Gonna ask him for a few tips on getting things like the bobbin winder working on this new one. Maybe he'll give it a tune up and dial in for me. We will see.

 

[Ulu]

I get a new scar every week just from working. But I’ve never been in a major accident that convinced me to give up my bad habits. No idea what that is like. :wow:

I have lots of scars from working on cars etc, but they are all tiny.

Worst is likely a 1” gash on my head from when I was on a ladder, and leaned back, getting clipped by a ceiling fan.

Somehow, I instinctively climbed down off the ladder to lie down the floor immediately. It was painful, but I guess I didn’t want to go into shock and fall off the ladder.

Now I have had much worse injuries, but just no great scars. I came off a motor scooter once and flew through the air hitting my leg on a tree. I thought it was broken but it was just a deep bone bruise and there wasn’t even any blood.

I’ve been off the high side, off the low side, over the handlebars, and off the back hill climbing with a 600 pound bike falling on top of me, but I never really got hurt.

 

[metalchewy]

I get a new scar every week just from working. But I’ve never been in a major accident that convinced me to give up my bad habits. No idea what that is like. :wow:

I have lots of scars from working on cars etc, but they are all tiny.

Worst is likely a 1” gash on my head from when I was on a ladder, and leaned back, getting clipped by a ceiling fan.

Somehow, I instinctively climbed down off the ladder to lie down the floor immediately. It was painful, but I guess I didn’t want to go into shock and fall off the ladder.

Now I have had much worse injuries, but just no great scars. I came off a motor scooter once and flew through the air hitting my leg on a tree. I thought it was broken but it was just a deep bone bruise and there wasn’t even any blood.

I’ve been off the high side, off the low side, over the handlebars, and off the back hill climbing with a 600 pound bike falling on top of me, but I never really got hurt.

I have a lot too. I know exactly what you mean. Except i Have lots of scars too. Many over the years. Some permanent like the one in my eyebrow from a glass stereo cabinet, and any stitched places. And many on the hands and legs that fade over time but show. Pedal scars on the shins and ankles.

I Still have one scar from trying to hurdle the barb wire gate out back on my way to feed the animals. I was 14 that's got a six inch scrape on my leg. Was hanging upside down on it, until I figured how to release the wire at the post with my foot so the gate would lay down. Not enough for stitches but it's still showing.

Hands (5+), face (3), shoulder, arms, elbow, knee(4l), foot(3), ear, thigh, buttock all had some sort of stitches at one time or another

Broke every finger at least once over the years. Some more than once. Each foot has been broken at different times. No arms or legs though. A few concussions. Most of this breakage and scaring before I was 20. Grew up in a mountain town and did a lot of fun, but stupid things.

Ah memories . Heheheh

 

[Kevin B]

One stu

I got a couple scar stories. I rolled that Alfa Spyder in September of 85 and broke my back. Docs at Northwestern wanted to fuse my back, I said no. Recovered with no surgery no scars. Fast forward to 2010 and I got bone chips in my lower back pinching nerves and piercing pain. So they cut a slot in my back about an inch long vertically and go in with tweezers and pick out the chips. Outpatient! Next day I'm fine and I got a scar on my back like a piggy bank.
Went thru a window tripping and seeing ufos in 81 maybe 82 woke up in the hosp buckled by my wrists to the bedrails and my right hand is a ball of bandages and I can't feel a thing... I whistle to the nurse and she has no idea what's inside cuz I was there when the shift changed. So I convinced her to cut the wrappings off and lets look. Middle finger and pinky are both lacerated down the back on my hand ( just like i put it thru a window duh )
I'm 63 clean and sober since I was 35 but I got more scars and more stories from those years before. Bar fights and crashes take toll on your hide...

I know you're thankful that you were still able to play music. That is what always worried me about hurting my hands.

 

[GuitarlCarl]

Built a bike when I was maybe 13 or 14. Cantilever 20" apes, nice chrome triple tree chopper style forks and a touring saddle. We'd put two or three steel garbage cans on their side and put a 2 x 6 on it for a ramp. So I had a back axle on my front rim so it'd stick out a good inch and my buddies could stand on them and lean back against the apes. We could cruise like that with the longer forks, it was pretty neat.

So one day we was jumping cans and I decided to stand one on end. We had a 8 ft 2 x 6 for a ramp board, not a good match or idea for that matter and I had a spectacular crash. I'd came off the side of the board before I was airborne and hit the trash can with my back tire, immediately flipping me forward. At some point when I hit the ground my front axle stabbed me in the side of my knee, right up under the cap in the soft spot. Big o' puncture hole blood pouring out, I was about 6 blocks from home. Bike was surprisingly rideable. Mom was an RN so she pours iodine right in the hole as my buddies watched. I had to bite my tongue cuz it burned but I'm supposed to be tough ya know... That thing seemed like it oozed all summer and I still can feel the scar tissue and the burn...

 

[metalchewy]

I had to sa

Built a bike when I was maybe 13 or 14. Cantilever 20" apes, nice chrome triple tree chopper style forks and a touring saddle. We'd put two or three steel garbage cans on their side and put a 2 x 6 on it for a ramp. So I had a back axle on my front rim so it'd stick out a good inch and my buddies could stand on them and lean back against the apes. We could cruise like that with the longer forks, it was pretty neat.

So one day we was jumping cans and I decided to stand one on end. We had a 8 ft 2 x 6 for a ramp board, not a good match or idea for that matter and I had a spectacular crash. I'd came off the side of the board before I was airborne and hit the trash can with my back tire, immediately flipping me forward. At some point when I hit the ground my front axle stabbed me in the side of my knee, right up under the cap in the soft spot. Big o' puncture hole blood pouring out, I was about 6 blocks from home. Bike was surprisingly rideable. Mom was an RN so she pours iodine right in the hole as my buddies watched. I had to bite my tongue cuz it burned but I'm supposed to be tough ya know... That thing seemed like it oozed all summer and I still can feel the scar tissue and the burn...

I had to react with Cool, because the story started out with jumping cars...

That iodine had to hurt like a mother. My mom ( was an LPN) also had methiolade which she would put on punctures over the iodine. OmG can't describe the burn.

 

[metalchewy]

That high quality LUK POS stuff has been removed from the dart. Weird wear on the clutch disc. It broke in poorly after 2000 miles.

Pep boys warrantied it at 6000 miles because the disc came completely apart last time. Second one died after covid and pep boys quit doing parts.

Pressure plate looks like the fingers weren't centered which caused the problem this time around...

So. Ordered a better brand and it should be here tonight (hopefully)