Post by papaof2 on Jan 11, 2019 19:15:42 GMT -6
Don't be in too much of a hurry. This ends with chapter 50. While I have some notes, I do NOT have enough ideas to flesh out another volume of this tale. However, all is not lost. While the "Homestead" muse has deserted me, the muse for "In the Dark" is still making occasional appearances. While it starts with a bang, it may be a slower story. I currently have text and notes for about 3 chapters. If it pans out - as in having 10 chapters worth of story - I'll start posting. Something to either dread or look forward to ;-)
Chapter 47 - Friday, 23 July - Apology
knock. knock.
"Yes?"
"Mr. Jackson, it's Glen."
"Not 'Uncle Jack', Glen?"
"No sir. 'Uncle Jack' might sound like I'm asking for special treatment."
"OK, Glen. What did you want to ask?"
"I need to tell all of you that I'm sorry for being stupid and hurting Alice and ask you to forgive me. I need to apologize to Miss Alice Jackson and Miss Sarah Jackson in person."
"Have a seat. I'll go tell them."
---
"You let Glen in the house, Daddy?"
"Sarah, he said he was sorry and that he needed to apologize to Miss Alice Jackson and Miss Sarah Jackson."
"He actually listened to what I said?"
"It appears that way."
"Maybe he did learn something."
"He at least learned to address you very politely."
"OK. I'll listen to him."
"Alice?"
"I'll go if Sarah's going."
"Maybe in clothes?"
"Oops!"
"Me too!"
---
"So you've left Glen to the wolves?"
"No, Sally. We can hear what's going on in there and can intervene if the voices get too stressed. I won't say 'stressed' as Glen went a little pale when Charles and I left the room."
"I would say that you're being mean to him but Sarah won't harm him unless he gets within arm's reach of her or Alice. You think they can work it out?"
"Glen seems to be making a reasonable effort and Sarah was prepared to like the model for the water park statue."
---
"Jack, Charles. Should we investigate the quiet?"
"Sally, that's the best time to investigate what kids are doing."
"Sarah, why is Glen so red?"
"Uncle Charles, you need to ask Alice."
"Alice?"
"He said he was sorry and I believe him - even if some of that is him being scared of Sarah - so I told him to get on his knees. He did and then I did what Momma does after she punishes us. I told him he's family and we love him then I kissed him on the forehead and told him not to do it again."
"Glen, how's it feel to be treated like you were five years old?"
"Dad, I think I deserved it. I was kinda scared to get on my knees because Alice might have done what Sarah did."
"But she treated you like an annoying older brother. Sally, you have some terrific kids."
"We rather like them."
"Glen has chores to finish so we'll see you later."
"Bye, Alice."
"Bye, Glen."
"Bye, Sarah."
"Bye, Glen."
---
"Sarah, you ready to pump the bellows on the forge?"
"We're gonna make the new steps for the buggy?"
"And some other things - as soon as you're in chore clothes."
"I'm doin' it! I'm done!"
"The fire is lit but I need more heat than that to melt the aluminum cans so I can cast the new steps…"
"In the sand mold thingy we made yesterday?"
"Correct. The glue has had time to dry so the mold halves should fit together securely and be ready for the crucible of molten aluminum."
"You said I can't help you pour it?"
"I did. You won't be pouring liquid metal that's three times hotter than the oven when you're baking bread."
"That's hot!"
"Yes, it's at least 1221 degrees F. I do need someone on the bellows to get the fire hot enough. Remember the rhythm - not fast but steady."
"I got it, Daddy."
"Thank you."
---
"Daddy?"
"Yes, Sarah?"
"Why do you put some potatoes in the 'luminum?"
"It's pronounced 'a-luminum' and the potatoes help get certain gases out of the liquid metal to improve the quality of the cast pieces."
"That's weird."
"Had I known in advance that I'd be making things out of aluminum, there are some commercially available chemicals that can do this, but some practical people experimented with things that were available and found that adding a small amount of raw potatoes improved the quality of the casting…"
"They were smart!"
"Maybe - or maybe they were willing to keep working at making a process better. We don't know all the things they might have tried that didn't work."
"They didn't get it right the first time?"
"We don't know, but many chemical processes involved a lot of trial and error to get to something that worked."
"Will you be experimenting?"
"A little. I'd like to add a little copper to the batch I'll use for casting the pulleys to make it machine better. I'll be using the industrial IR thermometer to check the temperature of the molten aluminum. We may need to get your mother to come pump the bellows as you may not be able to pump it hard enough and long enough to get the fire 700 degrees hotter and it's also possible that the bellows won't provide enough air to get the fire that hot."
"You don't know?"
"That's why we're experimenting."
"We?"
"I can't pump the bellows and tend the melt at the same time. You're helping me so we'll be experimenting."
"It's hard but I don't know any other kids that get to do fun stuff like this!"
---
"Why does it smoke so much?"
"Some of that is the glue in the sand mold burning away and some is probably other impurities in the sand we used. Playground sand isn't the best choice for metal casting but it's what we have available."
"If lots of people get sick and die, there'll be a lot of using 'what we have available', won't there?"
"Yes, deep thinker. What steered your ideas that way?"
"You using 'playground sand' that doesn't go with 'casting metal'."
"You're sounding 'grownup' again."
"I think it sometimes rubs off on me just being near you without touching - but I can't learn and do interesting stuff unless I'm near you so I'll just hafta put up with it."
"My 'nine going on 25' daughter is working with me today."
"I think I'd like to be 25 - this bellows thingy is hard to do!"
"Just a little longer and it will all be melted so I can cast the steps for the other side of the buggy."
"More smoke when you do?"
"Same as before because it's the same type mold. So are the molds for the slugs I'll pour and then machine into pulleys for the little diesel and the jackshaft "
"How much longer will I be pumping this thing?"
"Until we're finished. I thought you wanted a vehicle to drive?"
"I do, but I didn't know I was gonna be working this hard for it!"
---
"You didn't wait very long to start opening the molds."
"The aluminum is still very hot but it's cooled enough to be a solid instead of a liquid so it's hard enough to break the molds and get the steps out to start cooling."
"When can we file and sand them?"
"Tomorrow."
"They'll take that long to cool?"
"No, but they'll take until your bedtime to cool so tomorrow for you to work on them."
"Bummer. I wanted to do it today."
"I think you've done enough today with you almost jumping up and down to pump the bellows hard enough to melt the little bit of copper wire I added. The other work can wait until tomorrow. We might get to have a buggy ride on Sunday."
"I can drive?"
"I'll let you try but with my hands still on the reins."
"Better than not getting to try at all. You'll get the other pieces out of their molds?"
"Later. They're much thicker so I'll let them cool longer before I touch them."
"I'll be sanding and filing them?"
"No. I'll do the sizing and shaping on the lathe. I need to ensure that each slug is centered in the lathe jaws and then I'll trim it to size and cut the grooves for the belts. Because we need power and not speed, there will be a two-to-one speed reduction between the diesel engine pulley and the jackshaft pulley."
"You mean two hundred twenty one?"
"No. Two turns of the engine pulley to one turn of the jackshaft pulley. A two-to-one reduction in speed which is almost a two-to-one increase in torque."
"What's 'tork'? Does t-o-r-k stand for something?"
"It's spelled 't-o-r-q-u-e' and it means how much turning power you have. Think what's important in moving a vehicle - maybe it's how well you can turn the wheels?"
"OK, I learned a new word. So how do you make the turning power bigger?"
"Reducing the speed of a shaft by pulleys or gears often means the slower shaft can deliver more torque. The total power remains the same, but the machine's ability to turn things - in this case wheels - increases. You get more torque but less speed. Let me demonstrate. The engine pulley is half the diameter of the other pulley. These pieces from an Erector Set are much smaller pulleys but the ratio is about the same. I make a frame to hold two axles then put each pulley on its own axle and connect them with this rubber band. I'll make a mark on the top edge of each pulley. If I turn the small pulley one turn, how far does the big pulley turn?"
"It just went halfway around."
"So if I turn the small pulley another turn?"
"The big pulley makes one turn to the little pulley's two turns."
"So two-to-one reduction."
"It's lots easier when you can see it!"
---
Chapter 47 - Friday, 23 July - Apology
knock. knock.
"Yes?"
"Mr. Jackson, it's Glen."
"Not 'Uncle Jack', Glen?"
"No sir. 'Uncle Jack' might sound like I'm asking for special treatment."
"OK, Glen. What did you want to ask?"
"I need to tell all of you that I'm sorry for being stupid and hurting Alice and ask you to forgive me. I need to apologize to Miss Alice Jackson and Miss Sarah Jackson in person."
"Have a seat. I'll go tell them."
---
"You let Glen in the house, Daddy?"
"Sarah, he said he was sorry and that he needed to apologize to Miss Alice Jackson and Miss Sarah Jackson."
"He actually listened to what I said?"
"It appears that way."
"Maybe he did learn something."
"He at least learned to address you very politely."
"OK. I'll listen to him."
"Alice?"
"I'll go if Sarah's going."
"Maybe in clothes?"
"Oops!"
"Me too!"
---
"So you've left Glen to the wolves?"
"No, Sally. We can hear what's going on in there and can intervene if the voices get too stressed. I won't say 'stressed' as Glen went a little pale when Charles and I left the room."
"I would say that you're being mean to him but Sarah won't harm him unless he gets within arm's reach of her or Alice. You think they can work it out?"
"Glen seems to be making a reasonable effort and Sarah was prepared to like the model for the water park statue."
---
"Jack, Charles. Should we investigate the quiet?"
"Sally, that's the best time to investigate what kids are doing."
"Sarah, why is Glen so red?"
"Uncle Charles, you need to ask Alice."
"Alice?"
"He said he was sorry and I believe him - even if some of that is him being scared of Sarah - so I told him to get on his knees. He did and then I did what Momma does after she punishes us. I told him he's family and we love him then I kissed him on the forehead and told him not to do it again."
"Glen, how's it feel to be treated like you were five years old?"
"Dad, I think I deserved it. I was kinda scared to get on my knees because Alice might have done what Sarah did."
"But she treated you like an annoying older brother. Sally, you have some terrific kids."
"We rather like them."
"Glen has chores to finish so we'll see you later."
"Bye, Alice."
"Bye, Glen."
"Bye, Sarah."
"Bye, Glen."
---
"Sarah, you ready to pump the bellows on the forge?"
"We're gonna make the new steps for the buggy?"
"And some other things - as soon as you're in chore clothes."
"I'm doin' it! I'm done!"
"The fire is lit but I need more heat than that to melt the aluminum cans so I can cast the new steps…"
"In the sand mold thingy we made yesterday?"
"Correct. The glue has had time to dry so the mold halves should fit together securely and be ready for the crucible of molten aluminum."
"You said I can't help you pour it?"
"I did. You won't be pouring liquid metal that's three times hotter than the oven when you're baking bread."
"That's hot!"
"Yes, it's at least 1221 degrees F. I do need someone on the bellows to get the fire hot enough. Remember the rhythm - not fast but steady."
"I got it, Daddy."
"Thank you."
---
"Daddy?"
"Yes, Sarah?"
"Why do you put some potatoes in the 'luminum?"
"It's pronounced 'a-luminum' and the potatoes help get certain gases out of the liquid metal to improve the quality of the cast pieces."
"That's weird."
"Had I known in advance that I'd be making things out of aluminum, there are some commercially available chemicals that can do this, but some practical people experimented with things that were available and found that adding a small amount of raw potatoes improved the quality of the casting…"
"They were smart!"
"Maybe - or maybe they were willing to keep working at making a process better. We don't know all the things they might have tried that didn't work."
"They didn't get it right the first time?"
"We don't know, but many chemical processes involved a lot of trial and error to get to something that worked."
"Will you be experimenting?"
"A little. I'd like to add a little copper to the batch I'll use for casting the pulleys to make it machine better. I'll be using the industrial IR thermometer to check the temperature of the molten aluminum. We may need to get your mother to come pump the bellows as you may not be able to pump it hard enough and long enough to get the fire 700 degrees hotter and it's also possible that the bellows won't provide enough air to get the fire that hot."
"You don't know?"
"That's why we're experimenting."
"We?"
"I can't pump the bellows and tend the melt at the same time. You're helping me so we'll be experimenting."
"It's hard but I don't know any other kids that get to do fun stuff like this!"
---
"Why does it smoke so much?"
"Some of that is the glue in the sand mold burning away and some is probably other impurities in the sand we used. Playground sand isn't the best choice for metal casting but it's what we have available."
"If lots of people get sick and die, there'll be a lot of using 'what we have available', won't there?"
"Yes, deep thinker. What steered your ideas that way?"
"You using 'playground sand' that doesn't go with 'casting metal'."
"You're sounding 'grownup' again."
"I think it sometimes rubs off on me just being near you without touching - but I can't learn and do interesting stuff unless I'm near you so I'll just hafta put up with it."
"My 'nine going on 25' daughter is working with me today."
"I think I'd like to be 25 - this bellows thingy is hard to do!"
"Just a little longer and it will all be melted so I can cast the steps for the other side of the buggy."
"More smoke when you do?"
"Same as before because it's the same type mold. So are the molds for the slugs I'll pour and then machine into pulleys for the little diesel and the jackshaft "
"How much longer will I be pumping this thing?"
"Until we're finished. I thought you wanted a vehicle to drive?"
"I do, but I didn't know I was gonna be working this hard for it!"
---
"You didn't wait very long to start opening the molds."
"The aluminum is still very hot but it's cooled enough to be a solid instead of a liquid so it's hard enough to break the molds and get the steps out to start cooling."
"When can we file and sand them?"
"Tomorrow."
"They'll take that long to cool?"
"No, but they'll take until your bedtime to cool so tomorrow for you to work on them."
"Bummer. I wanted to do it today."
"I think you've done enough today with you almost jumping up and down to pump the bellows hard enough to melt the little bit of copper wire I added. The other work can wait until tomorrow. We might get to have a buggy ride on Sunday."
"I can drive?"
"I'll let you try but with my hands still on the reins."
"Better than not getting to try at all. You'll get the other pieces out of their molds?"
"Later. They're much thicker so I'll let them cool longer before I touch them."
"I'll be sanding and filing them?"
"No. I'll do the sizing and shaping on the lathe. I need to ensure that each slug is centered in the lathe jaws and then I'll trim it to size and cut the grooves for the belts. Because we need power and not speed, there will be a two-to-one speed reduction between the diesel engine pulley and the jackshaft pulley."
"You mean two hundred twenty one?"
"No. Two turns of the engine pulley to one turn of the jackshaft pulley. A two-to-one reduction in speed which is almost a two-to-one increase in torque."
"What's 'tork'? Does t-o-r-k stand for something?"
"It's spelled 't-o-r-q-u-e' and it means how much turning power you have. Think what's important in moving a vehicle - maybe it's how well you can turn the wheels?"
"OK, I learned a new word. So how do you make the turning power bigger?"
"Reducing the speed of a shaft by pulleys or gears often means the slower shaft can deliver more torque. The total power remains the same, but the machine's ability to turn things - in this case wheels - increases. You get more torque but less speed. Let me demonstrate. The engine pulley is half the diameter of the other pulley. These pieces from an Erector Set are much smaller pulleys but the ratio is about the same. I make a frame to hold two axles then put each pulley on its own axle and connect them with this rubber band. I'll make a mark on the top edge of each pulley. If I turn the small pulley one turn, how far does the big pulley turn?"
"It just went halfway around."
"So if I turn the small pulley another turn?"
"The big pulley makes one turn to the little pulley's two turns."
"So two-to-one reduction."
"It's lots easier when you can see it!"
---