How (and why) to Ramble on your goat sideways
Crunched the front of my Mazda 3 last night. Was driving home from dinner in a downpour on the interstate. I was in the middle lane, maybe 3-4 car-lengths behind a car in the right line. Heavy rain but road surface was okay. There must have been a big patch of standing water in the right lane -- the car ahead hit it and sent a huge spray over my car that covered the windshield for a good 2-3 seconds (it felt like forever).
I kept the wheel straight and braked as hard as I dared, but the car ahead must have swerved over into my lane and hit the brakes. Just as my windshield cleared I had a split second to see the car before I rear-ended them. Not sure how damaged their car was but they didn't stop.
The 3 isn't too bad. Corner of the bumper is pushed in (and the edge popped out) but the hood and fender appear unbent. Headlamp is smashed. Steering got super heavy but I couldn't tell if the power steering actually went out or if it was because the bumper got pushed back into the right front tire.
Sucks. That was the nicest, newest car I've ever owned. I think it's probably repairable, but I'm always surprised at how much bodywork costs, and it's probably worth $5000-5500 max, so I'm not sure.
Oh, and then we got in my wife's car this morning and discovered that the sunroof had leaked overnight and there was standing water in the center console and front seats.
I kept the wheel straight and braked as hard as I dared, but the car ahead must have swerved over into my lane and hit the brakes. Just as my windshield cleared I had a split second to see the car before I rear-ended them. Not sure how damaged their car was but they didn't stop.
The 3 isn't too bad. Corner of the bumper is pushed in (and the edge popped out) but the hood and fender appear unbent. Headlamp is smashed. Steering got super heavy but I couldn't tell if the power steering actually went out or if it was because the bumper got pushed back into the right front tire.
Sucks. That was the nicest, newest car I've ever owned. I think it's probably repairable, but I'm always surprised at how much bodywork costs, and it's probably worth $5000-5500 max, so I'm not sure.
Oh, and then we got in my wife's car this morning and discovered that the sunroof had leaked overnight and there was standing water in the center console and front seats.
Where do you reside, my contentious friend?
Elite Member
iTrader: (15)
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Murfreesboro,TN
Posts: 2,043
Total Cats: 265
Trying to decide if I should move to Atlanta this year. My wife finishes up her Master's in Nursing and will be looking for a new job anyway, so the timing makes sense but I can't seem to stop coming up reasons not to (only later to prove myself wrong on why they are bad reasons).
mkturbo.com
iTrader: (24)
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Charleston SC
Posts: 15,177
Total Cats: 1,681
Trying to decide if I should move to Atlanta this year. My wife finishes up her Master's in Nursing and will be looking for a new job anyway, so the timing makes sense but I can't seem to stop coming up reasons not to (only later to prove myself wrong on why they are bad reasons).
Elite Member
iTrader: (15)
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Murfreesboro,TN
Posts: 2,043
Total Cats: 265
My wife is getting wanderlust and wants to live in a new city. We already have some good friends that live in the area and she wants to be closer to the beach (with a plane ticket). I'm at a point in my career where I can still change paths without much problem as well. It would be nice to be closer to more than one track.
Moderator
iTrader: (12)
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Tampa, Florida
Posts: 20,652
Total Cats: 3,011
My wife is getting wanderlust and wants to live in a new city. We already have some good friends that live in the area and she wants to be closer to the beach (with a plane ticket). I'm at a point in my career where I can still change paths without much problem as well. It would be nice to be closer to more than one track.
Elite Member
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Detroit (the part with no rules or laws)
Posts: 5,677
Total Cats: 800
I've got a question for you fellas much smarter than me.
Here at the shop we have a Hoffman blower:
It's just a big low pressure air pump. Runs about 3-5psi and supplies air to pretty much all of our 70 tanks (anodizing process)(air agitation system).
On this unit there is a filter. It just sits on top of the machine and draws regular air from within the building.
The problem is, in the summer time these filters will last 2 or 3 months. We pretty much use only 2 or 3 of them in the summer.
Now in the winter, the filter needs to be changed every week or so.
Our gauge indicates 0 - 50inHg. At max(50inHg) air agitation in the tanks is little to nothing. This is after a while.
So the question is, why in the winter months would this filter clog up ten times faster than summer?
In the summer we have the doors open and a negative pressure in the building(roof fans on). So much negative pressure in fact that people have been hurt by doors closing fast.
Winter is the opposite. Doors closed and positive pressure. We can't have cold air leaking in anywhere, our caustic lines will freeze around 50F. Air temperature and humidity for the most part stays the same. Dust could be a factor, but there is no visible signs that it's more dusty in the plant during winter months. In fact, the filters in the winter that are clogged after a week look MUCH nicer than the filters taken off in the summer. My theory is chemicals in the air, but i need an easy way to prove this.
Anyone have any theories, or suggestions to fix the issue. I can't find any micron information on the filters either, which doesn't help.
Here at the shop we have a Hoffman blower:
It's just a big low pressure air pump. Runs about 3-5psi and supplies air to pretty much all of our 70 tanks (anodizing process)(air agitation system).
On this unit there is a filter. It just sits on top of the machine and draws regular air from within the building.
The problem is, in the summer time these filters will last 2 or 3 months. We pretty much use only 2 or 3 of them in the summer.
Now in the winter, the filter needs to be changed every week or so.
Our gauge indicates 0 - 50inHg. At max(50inHg) air agitation in the tanks is little to nothing. This is after a while.
So the question is, why in the winter months would this filter clog up ten times faster than summer?
In the summer we have the doors open and a negative pressure in the building(roof fans on). So much negative pressure in fact that people have been hurt by doors closing fast.
Winter is the opposite. Doors closed and positive pressure. We can't have cold air leaking in anywhere, our caustic lines will freeze around 50F. Air temperature and humidity for the most part stays the same. Dust could be a factor, but there is no visible signs that it's more dusty in the plant during winter months. In fact, the filters in the winter that are clogged after a week look MUCH nicer than the filters taken off in the summer. My theory is chemicals in the air, but i need an easy way to prove this.
Anyone have any theories, or suggestions to fix the issue. I can't find any micron information on the filters either, which doesn't help.
Moderator
iTrader: (12)
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Tampa, Florida
Posts: 20,652
Total Cats: 3,011
I am familiar with that type of blower. That is one of the two designs commonly used on sewer jet-vac trucks (the other being a Roots-Dresser PD blower). In our application a large cyclonic separator is usually employed as opposed to filters, but filters are used for baghouse-type applications.
I am not familiar with your process. Are airborne chemical particulates a part of your process? Some airborne chemical particulates are far more dangerous than the silica dust, pollen, organics, and other standard outdoor air particulates. Cyano-acetates from auto refinishing are pretty nasty, for instance. They are essentially Super Glue and stick to the aveoli in your lungs just like it sticks your fingers together.
I am not familiar with your process. Are airborne chemical particulates a part of your process? Some airborne chemical particulates are far more dangerous than the silica dust, pollen, organics, and other standard outdoor air particulates. Cyano-acetates from auto refinishing are pretty nasty, for instance. They are essentially Super Glue and stick to the aveoli in your lungs just like it sticks your fingers together.
Elite Member
iTrader: (21)
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 6,593
Total Cats: 1,259
Simple. You're getting a lot more evaporation in the winter. Lower humidity means more solution in the air. It's condensing & crystalizing out on the cooler filter material.
BTW, I work in a place that uses similar processes, just not anodizing. We have the same issues in our copper plating area.
BTW, I work in a place that uses similar processes, just not anodizing. We have the same issues in our copper plating area.
Elite Member
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Detroit (the part with no rules or laws)
Posts: 5,677
Total Cats: 800
Yes. The environment in the plant is extremely harsh, lots of chemical particulates in the air. We have 70 tanks and about 1/3rd of them is filled with a high concentration of some form of harsh chemical. Even though the harsh tanks like the process tanks, strip, and etch all have scrubber hoods, it is not 100% efficient. Plus with the air agitation and temperatures on some upwards of 180F, it just spews off. Though i'm not a chem tech so i really don't know to much about it, other that it destroys everything that isn't stainless, PTFE, or polypro.
Cyclonic separation probably wouldn't let harsh airborne particles fall out. Though, i'm not sure how necessary that is.
The blower moves upwards of 3,000CFM. I don't know how effective that filtration system would be either. We have the plague that is fish flies.
I'm going to be trying a different style filter with a different micron rating.
I may also plumb in the intake to just pull in outside fresh air.
I'm almost positive it's because of the atmosphere here in the shop during the winter. I just wish i had a way to prove it. I hate doing things without being able to explain why.
Cyclonic separation probably wouldn't let harsh airborne particles fall out. Though, i'm not sure how necessary that is.
The blower moves upwards of 3,000CFM. I don't know how effective that filtration system would be either. We have the plague that is fish flies.
I'm going to be trying a different style filter with a different micron rating.
I may also plumb in the intake to just pull in outside fresh air.
I'm almost positive it's because of the atmosphere here in the shop during the winter. I just wish i had a way to prove it. I hate doing things without being able to explain why.
Elite Member
iTrader: (15)
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Murfreesboro,TN
Posts: 2,043
Total Cats: 265
Yeah, I was planning on be there at the one last year but something else came that I had to take care of. I started searching to see what sort of mechanical engineering jobs are open in the area last night.
(I know the answer, I just wanted to ask a question too)
Elite Member
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Detroit (the part with no rules or laws)
Posts: 5,677
Total Cats: 800
What are the variables here?
I've only used it on 1/2"+ sch80 PVC with positive results. I also zip tied it to the pipe instead of wrapping it around.
I have no idea why your lines would freeze and mine wouldn't using basically the same technique.