First sale at redbubble.com

Just announcing that someone just bought an iPhone cover with the Testarosa III graphic for 30$.

It is one of my coolest photos so I am a bit proud of that.

More light fixture related stuff

There was some streetlight fixtures included in the lightning fixture bundle I recently acquired. Some of these were cracked and needed some repairs.

The repair was done using Araldite epoxy. 

The gluing procedure:

1. Warm up the sauna to 90 degrees Celsius.
2. Clean up: Basic clean-up of the lenses with soap and water.
3. Sanding: sanding of the crack edges with 400-grit sandpaper.
4. Clean-up: This time with isopropyl alcohol.
5. Application of glue: Pried the cracks open and applied epoxy liberally.
6. Curing/tempering: Carefully placed the lenses in sauna to cure and temper the glue.

Tempering of epoxies is something I learned from 3M datasheets as they claim that tempering the epoxy might increase the yield strength of the glue by 10-20%.

Epoxy might get yellow over time as it isn't uv protected.

The dates on these say that they were made in 1988. So maybe a little yellow epoxy doesn't matter.

Car troubles: The saga continues, replacing the main bearing of a viscous coupled fan of a Audi A6 C4 2.5Tdi with AAT or AEL engine

Some of the parts arrived.

Schaeffer part number

The lip seal was already twisted over itself from the factory.

Maximum allowable interference fit for double row self-aligning ball bearing is around 24um. The bearing running-clearance for c3 bearings is 11um.

The inside of the bearing is 40ųm on the negative side.

MOQ for the bolts was 10pcs. And they cost a whopping 3.6€ a piece.

Sure, they look nice.

The m14 din609 fit bolt neck is exactly 15.00mm

Source and more info

Car troubles: Replacing the main bearing of a viscous coupled fan of a Audi A6 C4 2.5Tdi with AAT or AEL engine

Half a million km on the clock. It is time to fail for some components

The cooling fan driven by the serpentine belt in Audi a6 2.5 tdi avant and other audis with later ael/aat diesel engines and a quite a lot of the gasoline counterparts is fixed to the engine block by a carrier which has a bearing and axle assembly. This assembly is called "flangeshaf". Its part number is 046115136 and it can be found at trshop.audi.de 

image courtesy of audi tradition shop Link to the product

image courtesy of audi tradition shop Link to the product

The price for this is currently at 190,9€ of course enthusiasts have found alternative routes to solve this problem. As it happens to be the viscous driven fan also eats up 1-5hp of engine power.

Thanks to audifinns forum for this images.

Thanks to audifinns forum for this image.

Thanks to mkvgti forum for this image.

Thanks to audifinns forum for this image.

Thanks to https://forums.quattroworld.com/s4s6/msgs/33332.phtml for this image.

Part catalog view for the later style "flangeshaf".

Thanks to https://forums.quattroworld.com/s4s6/msgs/33332.phtml for this image. On the same forum UrS695 posted his success purchasing and replacing this later style bearing. He said: "To remove the bearing I heated the housing with Oxy/Acetylene being very careful toheat even and not to overheat. Then with a punch I was able to drive the bearing out quite easily. Getting new bearing in is going to be a challenge as some folks talk of pressing it in but how do you hold that awkward housing while pressing. And one post mentioned that his bearing was slipping out of the housing. I measured the old and new bearing diameters - both measured right at 40mm on the nose so at least they are dimensionally the same. I then put the bearing in the freezer overnight. The next day I heated the housing, again careful not to give it too much and then with the bearing cold it dropped right down into the housing and hit bottom. A second later when every thing was at the same temperature it was "locked" in and would not budge."

Thanks to mkvgti forum for this image

Thanks to mkvgti forum for this image

Thanks to mkvgti forum for this image

Hand sketch for the adapter piece in place of the original bearing

Tensioner freewheel for mb w202 (alvadi.ee)

This is my own design and it should become the suitable bearing carrier piece to fit in the place of the "flangeshaf" 046115136 and to adapt the Mercedes-Benz freewheel to the bearing housing. I will post a non-blurred image when fitment is certain.

Sources:

Audifinns: https://www.audiclub.fi/audifinns/forum/tekniikka/moottori-ja-voimansiirto/40213-flektin-laakerointi-c4-a6-r5

Quattroworld: https://forums.quattroworld.com/s4s6/msgs/33332.phtml

Garage lightning upgrade part 1.

This time I managed to score some Asea skandia 2x58w t8 luminaries from a demolition site. The texts indicate that these could be from the transition period from t12 to t8 fluorescent tubes as these have markings for both 2x58w and 2x65w additionally some other configurations are shown in the specifications indicating that these could be also found in 1x65w 2x65w and 3x65w forms and in 58w respectively.

These luminaries have still the old ip23/ip43 -rating label which has a droplet inside a square. (Might be only Finland-specific)

Thorn 7616b outdoor light fixture - Retrofuturism anyone?

Thorn 7616b is a light fixture that has been used widely on different buildings and public spaces for the last 20 to 30 years. It was discontinued as recently as in 2015. Its Finnish standardized electrical product number is 45 202 88.

Thorn 7616b catalog image from Rexel catalog

This writing presents one product of this series known by its technical name as j7616B/1-80/125. It is IP23 rated and the body is made of die-cast aluminium and the dome is opaque acrylic. The lamp weighs a hefty 3,9kgs and it has integrated ballast and igniter for hse-e type of e40 threaded metal halide bulb.

Thorn 7617b catalog image from the year of publication.

I scored these are Thorn 7616B luminaires which are typically used for illumination of public spaces and buildings from the local seller in Tori -marketplace.

My Thorn 7616b luminaires. 

These come with a 125w mercury lamp (hql). 

Each Thorn 7616b fixture is painted white inside. A little chalking of the paint has happened.

These will be led-retrofitted at some point. Here's one that I found on the lighning-gallery website from Iceland Lighning-gallery Thorn 7616b

Salvaging a vintage gilded picture frame

Score! I managed to score a fantastic find at a local thrift store - a ruined gilded frame. This frame, which was originally made with a gold-copper gilding technique, had unfortunately been painted over with silver spray paint at some point in its past. Despite its less-than-perfect condition, I was immediately drawn to its potential and knew that with a little bit of TLC, I could restore it to its former glory. As I examined the frame more closely, I noticed that the gold leaf was peeling off in some areas, revealing the copper underneath. I knew that this would be a bit of a challenge to restore, but I was up for it. I was excited to bring this frame back to life and give it a new purpose in my home. Whether I decided to use it to display a family photo or a piece of art, I knew that this thrifted find would be a unique and special addition to my home decor.

Next, it was time to roll up my sleeves and get to work on the minor refurbishing of the frame. The first step was to do some minor plaster repair on the frame where necessary. This was done by carefully filling in any cracks or chips with a fine plaster and smoothing out the surface to match the rest of the frame.

Once the plaster repairs were done and the surface was smooth, I was ready to add the gold paint. I chose to use Tikkurila Taika Kulta, which may not be considered the best option for restoration, but it was perfectly adequate for an abused frame whose gilding was already far gone beyond repair. Using a small paintbrush, I carefully applied a thin, even coat of paint to the frame, taking care to cover every nook and cranny. After allowing the paint to dry for several hours, I applied a second coat, repeating the process until the frame had a beautiful, rich gold finish. Checking the match to the other decor.

Nice, time to do some weathering. Adam from Mythbusters gave a good tutorial of weathering with acrylic paints at his YouTube channel Tested below. 

The weathering really brings out the details and adds realism in the low-end faux gold look.

Retrofuturism: Hoover Constellation 867 / 867A

Just found this old Hoover from my attic and when it comes to vintage vacuum cleaners, the Hoover Constellation 867A is a true classic. This canister-style vacuum cleaner is known for its sleek, retro design, with a Smoke Pine / Swedish Green color scheme that is sure to catch the eye, However, it was not the only color scheme available for the Constellation 867A. 

.

It's a Hoover constellation 867, made between 1956-1958. Not sure how it differs from the -A models. Another color scheme that was available for the Constellation 867A was white and blue, this version featured a white body with blue accents and was intended to be a more modern and sleek design. A third color scheme that was available for the Constellation 867A was black and gold, this version featured a black body with gold accents and was intended to be a more luxurious and high-end design

The colour is probably Smoke Pine / Swedish Green (according to some sources Garland green).

It comes with a full kit of accessories. Great feature of the Constellation 867A is its long, flexible hose that attaches to the main body of the machine. This allows for easy access to tight spaces and hard-to-reach areas. The vacuum also has a built-in dustbin that can be easily emptied and a long power cord for extended cleaning reach. Additionally, the Constellation 867A comes with a variety of attachments such as a crevice tool and dusting brush, that help to clean all areas of the home.

The insides look like new.

The pivot works. One of the key features that sets the Constellation 867A apart from other vacuums is its Floatation Cleaning technology. This innovative technology uses a series of air vents located on the bottom of the vacuum to create a cushion of air underneath the machine. This air cushion allows the vacuum to hover over the floor, reducing friction and making it much easier to maneuver. Additionally, the vacuum's nozzle design also plays a role in its ability to float over the floor. The wide, flat nozzle allows for a larger surface area to come in contact with the floor, which helps to distribute the weight of the vacuum more evenly. As a result, the Hoover Constellation 867A glides smoothly over the surface, making cleaning effortless.

The foot has some wear. Overall, the Hoover Constellation 867A is a durable, powerful and versatile vacuum cleaner that is built to last. Its Floatation Cleaning technology and variety of attachments make it a great choice for anyone looking for a vintage vacuum cleaner that can still get the job done. Additionally, with different color schemes like silver and orange, white and blue, black and gold, it can fit in any home decor.