By Lee Bell

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Febuary 07, 2010                         Murphy Day

  Today was one of those days when everything that can go wrong does.  I had to take a short trip down the road this morning and it turned into break-down drama. 

  The first fun started out after I got about a block away on my e-scooter. The rear chain decided to break (again) and then the front motor quit after about 50 feet.  That seems to be the fuse holder again and this time it's going to be replaced.  I'm also going to get a new chain as this is the second time this one has broke on me. It was a different spot on the chain and not where it was repaired last time.  I mark the links so I can tell if they break again.

  After I finally managed to push it back home, I went with the tadpole trike for the second attempt.  This time I got about 3 blocks away and had a freewheel stop working on the rear jack shaft.  Since it was the one that operated the rear drive chain the bike couldn't be pedaled or run with the engine.  Pushed that one back home again and with my bad leg and the fact that a recumbent trike is really hard to steer and push at the same time, it took me almost 1/2 hour to push it back.  That free wheel gear was fixed as soon as I got back. What actually happened is the drive gear that was tack welded to the freewheel hub broke loose.  Evidently I didn't weld it on good enough the first time.  It's welded solid now though so I shouldn't have that problem again. 
 
  I did finally run the errand but had to use my wifes bike. She is about a foot shorter than I am so I was riding with my knees right under my chin the whole time.  A real Murphy type day.



Febuary 06, 2010                         New Project Trike Update

  As I stated on an earlier entry I am planning to build another tadpole trike and donate it to my neighbor down the street that has a lot of trouble trying to balance a 2 wheeler now since he had a stroke a couple of months ago.  Since his bike was his main source of transportation he is somewhat in a bad situation (I've been there too - didn't like it at all.)  and so hopefully the trike will solve that problem.

     Today I picked up two 20" bikes that will be used for about half the needed parts.  I found them on Craigslist and the price was only $25 for both of them.   A very welcome surprise for me when I got there was the seller, Mr Jack Mathis, decided to donate them to the project instead so I would like to personaly thank him here.  What he did was very generous and was greatly appreciated by me since now I can use that money instead to get some of the other stuff that will be needed for the project and being on disability myself, every little bit helps!



Febuary 04, 2010                         Solved a Question

  For about the last 3-4 weeks my firearms page has been showing up on my statistics as getting more hits than my main index page and this has confused me a bit because looking at the referral links it shouldn't be that way.   Today I finally figured out what was going on.  I did a google search for experimental firearms and my page is #1!!   I wish I could do that with my e-biz pages.  I might actually make some money on them  then.



Febuary 04, 2010                         A Master Model Maker

   Sometimes while just surfing around the net, I run into a site that just boggles my mind with the effort it takes to do what ever is in the site..  Here is one of those sites.     This guy has to be one of the best model makers I have ever seen.
 The cars are accurate enough to look real in these trick photos he does adding scenery behind them.

  It's a site well worth taking the time to look over.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24796741@N05/sets/72157604247242338/with/2346008881/

 I used to think I was fairly good at it but compared to this guy, well..... just call me grasshopper..........



Febuary 01, 2010                          Shop Update

 It's been a busy couple of days.  A number of new files have been added to the various library sections so there are now 676 different pdf's for free on there.
 
 I finally had to start adding a few ads to the website.  I didn't go with those adsense things but various ebooks on different subjects from clickbank. Hopefully I will sell a couple a month so it will help pay for the site. My wife lost her job in December do to health reasons and that wiped out about 2/3 of our income which wasn't all that much to begin with being that she was a kindergarden school teacher and I'm on Social Security disability..

 I do have a new project in the works though. I'm supposed to pickup a couple of small 20" bikes next weekend and they will be part of a new tadpole recumbent trike.  This one is being built for a neighbor ( a good friend) down the street that had a stroke a few months ago and can no longer balance on a regular bike.  Since biking was his main transportation before the stroke, he has no way of getting anywhere now.

  I've been there and know the feeling so I decided to surprise him and build him a basic tadpole trike.  I know there is no way he can fall off that!   It won't be real fancy but just a single speed trike with the single brake on the rear wheel unless I get lucky and find a multispeed rear wheel and derailer somewhere on  trash day.   I know that sounds kind of cheap but 95% of the bikes I pick up out of the trash have nothing wrong with them except for flat tires or a rusty chain.  Once I get done with it, it will look pretty much new anyway.  I don't plan to paint it though until I give it to him. That way we can paint it whatever color he prefers.