Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines
The Regular Stuff: Chat, Buy, Sell, Off Topic, etc. => Off Topic => Topic started by: St Paul Steam on March 18, 2019, 06:57:53 pm
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By the way, the best paper towel I have found is made by the brand Viva. They are cheap, durable and absorbent.
That's what we buy. Amazon Prime have them really cheap every so often and we buy a lot.
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It's nice knowing I'm not the only one that buys multiples , I notice the variacs got much cheaper as well the other day when the guy I worked on the Jensen #55 for asked me what kind I had....& I looked them up.
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Great story Gil and it's even more fun when you find steam engines that you have no memory of buying ;)
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I do the same thing. But usually my wife magically knows where stuff is.
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I do use paper towels over and over until they are too oily and soiled to be useful.
I have been known to buy tools I remembered not finding at home when I saw them on the store rack.
Yes I have brought them home only to find the those I could not find before.
Then there is the mysterious disappearing variac. I looked all over for it in December. No luck.
Mid January I looked all over the house again when Charlie came by for a visit on the way to Cabin Fever.
Still.... No luck!
When Charlie lost his variac at Cabin Fever due to the effect of gravity on a 50 foot air manifold made of 2" schedule 40 pipe when the tables are no longer supporting it, I decided I had better order a new one...!
Still.... Stubborn as I can be and not quite believing I could actually lose something that large and that heavy, I just held off ordering another until after a few more searches. Last week I broke down and went on ebay to order and they are now half the money I spent 8-9 years ago so I ordered 2. One from each of 2 different vendors, both $70-72 delivered. I got an ebay shipping notice with tracking number from both vendors. This morning I got an apology from the one that should have been delivered yesterday saying he had sold his last unit before I bought mine. (odd since his ebay listing said he had them in stock, something like 2 left.
This morning I went back on ebay, told the errant seller I would gladly accept a refund.
I also searched again and found one for even less and I ordered one for $67 including postage!
By now you must know where this is going.
The reliable seller's variac arrived today.
I carried it into the Office of Steam, opened it, walked around the corner to put the box in a storage room and there it sat- my original variac sitting on the floor right next to a wood box I had opened to look for it!
So I now have 2 with #3 on the way.
Gil
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After the water dries out of the oily paper towels, they are still good for one more use .... fire starting in the wood stove!
I have been known to save them for our campfires too ;)
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After the water dries out of the oily paper towels, they are still good for one more use .... fire starting in the wood stove!
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Had to laugh at this one Nick. I do nearly the same thing although I have a overhead furnace that blows down nicely on a bench to dry them, the oily ones I reuse again because they're good for wiping down certain steam items, they're not thrown away until they become so oil soaked that they put more oil down than they pick up. I use the blue shop towels, I pick them up at Walmart 3 pack for like $3 and they seem pretty durable.
Oh yes, I save the ones with a little oil on them :D They go through a 3-step process here... the new ones are used for mainly water, then on their second use they get used for a little oily-water mix and by the third time I use them on the oily mess and they're usually shot after that :D Gotta save that money for more engines! :D
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Mechanical wrist watches, can't resist them, I like mechanical clocks as well and obviously steam engines... :D Allan.
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Rog, I'm so cheap that I re-use my paper towels that I mop water up with. I hang them up in the basement and re-use them at my next steam-up. Oily ones are disposed of and I try not to re-use Q-tips, especially in my ears ;D
By the way, the best paper towel I have found is made by the brand Viva. They are cheap, durable and absorbent.
Had to laugh at this one Nick. I do nearly the same thing although I have a overhead furnace that blows down nicely on a bench to dry them, the oily ones I reuse again because they're good for wiping down certain steam items, they're not thrown away until they become so oil soaked that they put more oil down than they pick up. I use the blue shop towels, I pick them up at Walmart 3 pack for like $3 and they seem pretty durable.
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Good tip Nick, I will pick up some VIVA brand paper towels on my next shopping run. Not sure I will try hanging up to dry though, virtually all my used paper towels end up with oily residue on them !
Rog
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I usually keep my tools where I can find them so not buying multiples.
BUT, dang I use a lot of paper towels and Qtips (cotton buds) !
Rog
Rog, I'm so cheap that I re-use my paper towels that I mop water up with. I hang them up in the basement and re-use them at my next steam-up. Oily ones are disposed of and I try not to re-use Q-tips, especially in my ears ;D
By the way, the best paper towel I have found is made by the brand Viva. They are cheap, durable and absorbent.
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16' Stanley tape measures, getting harder to find US made ones, and really hard to find the ones I already own. I did find a half a dozen at Menards a couple weeks ago that were made in France, so I bought all of them. I don't like the "Fat Max"
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Steam Engines :)
Don't I remember you posting this not so long ago?
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great stuff keep them coming, I also find that I buy alot of long reach lighters.
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Biros (can never find a pen), socks (one always goes missing in the washer).
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dang I use a lot of paper towels and Qtips (cotton buds) !
Me too and those little tubes of super glue.
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I usually keep my tools where I can find them so not buying multiples.
BUT, dang I use a lot of paper towels and Qtips (cotton buds) !
Rog
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Small drill bits, I tend to remove them from the chuck and set them down instead of returning them to the index, easier to go to my stash than searching.
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I've gotta go with Jim on this one!!!
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Ammo...brass and aluminum stock for turning and milling projects....qny early electrical device with an original "edison screw plug" instead of the modern 2 or 3 prong plug.
crazydoug
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Steam Engines :)
brilliant reply ....
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What is the one item you buy over and over again even though. ... you know you own one?
Steam Engines :)
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Ha...
1.5 power reader glasses. Dog thinks they're chew toys.
absolutely Scott...I just bought a 3 pack of them yesterday @ Wal-Mart :)
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Ha...
1.5 power reader glasses. Dog thinks they're chew toys.
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What is the one item you buy over and over again even though. ... you know you own one? For me. ... it's 2 mm polychord, little oil bottles & large toenail clippers.
this doesn't necessarily have to be steam related.