topgun2

My "old" toaster oven decided to retire itself after many years and miles of use. It seems that toaster ovens have not been watching their diets since I last bought one and they all have gained a considerable amount of girth. So, I've been on the search for a toaster oven that fits into the cubbies above the dinette and I - finally - found one. Certainly not the most expensive or feature filled, but, for toast/english muffins, warming pizza, etc. it does the job. It can be found HERE. Bill

Jelly Bean Restore 2 6-2016.jfif

That 90 degree turn around the windows puts a bunch of stress on the channel. Still, no excuse for a product using inferior bonding tape. Having said this - before removing the entire thing and reinstalling, I'd suggest trying a bit of E6000 on the places that are detached. Hold in place for 24 hours with blue painters tape and don't go crazy on the E6000 if you care about how the repair looks. Bill

Are there trout in that stream? Even if there aren't any it really looks inviting. Bill

It would be helpful if you could supply additional information as to which Q7 you have. Towing capacity for the Q7 ranges from 4,400 to 7,700 pounds depending on year and options. If your Q7 is at or very close to the upper capacity limit you could be OK for most towing situations. Bill

Pics would help if you can get them. Bill

I've just received emails from both Shallowgal and Mossemi. Both report bunches of wind and rain. Power was/is out for both since between 9:30 and 10:00 last night. Apparently a small tree has fallen on Mossemi's house causing little damage. Shallowgal "only" has small tree branches to clean up around the house. Hopefully most of the rest of Florida sees similar. Bill p.s. glad to read Seadawg's report above too.

For the last few hours members of our "family" have started to feel the effects of this hurricane. This is only the beginning of a 12 to 16 hour period that is forecast to bring up to 20 inches of rain and a record storm surge. Hopefully everyone will make it through this storm safely and the damage that it is sure to cause will be somewhat limited. God speed to all of those in the storm's path. Bill

Nope - neither Oliver nor the MW Manufacturer has it. My frame was/is cracked like Mikes. Once I got the MW secure inside the cabinet then I drilled two new holes in the face of the frame (midway down on each side), put a long stainless steel screw into the wood behind it and used black decorative caps on the screw heads in order to make it look a bit nicer. Yep - I drilled those two holes as per the instructions from Oliver Service. Not sure why you have three versus my two and I didn't even think to add a third. I don't remember how many pieces of wood I put into the space to secure the MW but I did make sure that the final pieces I put in needed to be "tapped" into place for a tight fit. Bill

Your experience is about to be tested with Milton coming your way. Good luck and hope that everything goes well for you guys. Bill

There's not exactly a bunch of things near the Badlands to block or even slow down the wind. That wind comes down off the mountains to the west and can really blow. I've been there when it is calm (relatively) and not crowded. It is a special place at both sunrise and sundown. Bill

I'm not sure what anyone can do to prevent a storm surge of 10 to 15 feet. I pray that all those (especially you and the family and the Mossemi family) in the area of the storm remain safe. Certainly Milton is one powerful storm!😟 Bill

Good pics from jd1923! Here are a couple more that show the microwave without the "brace" on top. In the case of my microwave - the top brace was never installed during manufacturer such that the only thing holding it in the cabinet was the trim frame. Obviously the trim frame didn't hold it in place very long and with the help (via phone) I added the top brace. Unfortunately, even the top brace didn't hold the microwave securely - perhaps it is all those dirt roads I travel looking for trout that combine to shake it loose. The oven bounced around in there such that the "feet" on the bottom actually eventually broke off! In any case, as long as you have things apart I would highly recommend that you add additional bracing between the cabinet and the microwave such that the oven is basically wedged into the space and does not move with or without the brace. I simply used scrap pieces of wood for this purpose. Bill

Great spot - unless it is windy.

I was just thinking about this last night. Perhaps we have not been exposed to virtually any news coverage concerning those in Florida and south Georgia because the news here in western NC is all about what is happening here. Yes, Florida folks may be better prepared for and "used" to these storms, but the problems associated with them are the same for all effected. And, now the weather forecast is showing a fairly good chance that Florida is about to get hit again. Hopefully this "brewing storm" will not be bad. But, even a bit of rain will not help at this point. Bill p.s. For anyone planning to head towards Western North Carolina over to view the changing leaves - the Blue Ridge Parkway is currently closed. While some areas of it may reopen over the next few weeks, it is unlikely (in my opinion) that most of the Parkway southwest of Asheville will reopen anytime soon. This along with interstate highway closures of major portions of 40 and 26 (north of Asheville), I'd suggest a change of plans and either plan for 2025 or for States much further to the north.

Its actually easier than it looks. Do one side at a time, take pics as you remove the broken string so that you can remember the exact routing. Unfortunately, I never found a way to "test" my progress as I went. That meant that I never really knew if I was doing it correctly until I got it all back together and tried putting the shade up and down. Perhaps one additional hint - take another of your shades into the work area with you to use as a reference. I'm not saying that you should take it apart, but, having one that you know works properly as a reference provided me with at least some assurance that I was on the correct track. Bill

"I can't remember the exact sequence of events, except when I unscrewed the anode that sucker shot 20 feet across my yard just missing me by inches. Live and learn! Dave" Dave: You were lucky! Personal experience tells me that not being missed by inches hurts. Remember that the height that anode is just about the same height as your "man purse". I'm telling you that you will certainly remember the result of not relieving the pressure in that tank before you even think about even putting a socket on the puppy.🤪

Yep - Even if only a 1/4 inch shackle is used, it is better than nothing.

Several years ago it was found that the battery tray slides used on "older" Elite II had a single latch that could break under the right circumstances. There was a fair amount of discussion about this here on the Forum with several "solutions" being recommended. In order to solve the problem with my tray, I drilled a hole in virtually the exact same place as you did for your lock and placed a short bolt with a wing nut through it thus preventing the tray from sliding open. I never thought about using that hole for a lock! Thanks for the idea. Bill

I believe that your assumptions about getting home are correct. 40 west of Asheville will be closed for some time. 26 north of Asheville will be closed at least until Spring. 26 south of Asheville had problems but those are now cleared. Other highways - like 276 north of Brevard and south of Brevard are closed due to landslides, but, I've not heard of anything that would prevent you from getting west on 40 from 77 or simply taking two lanes from 77 over towards your place. In any case - be careful! Bill

I just got back from the facility where I store my Oliver. I'm very happy to report that all is well, Twist is still there high and dry. Unfortunately though I had several discussions with people that live in and around the town of Mills River. All of those that I talked to are still without power, water and sewer. Free water is being distributed in a number of places as is free food. Even while I was at the storage yard a young fellow drove by with cases of water in the back of his truck asking if anyone needed it. To his credit - he wouldn't even take the $20 bill I offered him to help pay for his gas. And, out of the five people that were near me only one took a case of water because the rest of us simply didn't need it. A local Holiday Inn is offering free showers to anyone needing one. FEMA has arrived in our town as of this afternoon and I noticed that several of the downed power lines that were down as I drove back towards town were being worked on. Our electric provider (Duke Energy) has posted that virtually all of the Transylvania County residents should have restored power no later than Friday evening. And, most important, it has been reported that there have been no deaths in the county due to this storm. Bill

Heck! I had mine apart on the workshop floor for a few months!🤨

A few lessons learned from the recent storm here in Western North Carolina: 1: Get and/or make a copy of any drug prescription(s) you may have. A neighbor of our went to CVS to get a refill for one of his meds. Due to having no computer and/or internet access the pharmacy could not verify his prescription and, therefore, had to deny his request. They advised him to go to the local hospital where he could see a doctor to get a new script. 2: Keep a supply of cash (in small bills) on hand. Since power and access to computers/internet was lost in the region, the only way to get any services and/or products was to have cash. 3: Keep at least a 1/2 tank of gas in your vehicle(s) at all times. First the power went out. This caused the gas stations to not be able to pump the gas that they had on hand. Second, the power came back on but then there was "panic" buying and long lines to get gas. Third, when the gas stations were re-supplied there were still long lines due to the "panic" and uncertainty of when or if gas would be available in the future. 4: Keep bottled water on hand. Obviously the amount partially depends on the number of people, the area where you live - to include climate and time of year. 5: Consider some type of satellite communications device. This can be something as "simple" as a personal communications device like the Garmin InReach mini, a satellite phone, or Starlink. Bill

I used a thin piece of wire to help thread the string. Yes, Mike is correct - there is a screw in each corner that holds the frame together. The only other "hint" I can give is that however the string in routed on one side of the frame, you should/must route the string on the other side in the exact same manner. If you don't, the shade will not work properly no matter how you set the tension of the spring (don't ask me how I know this!). Bill

I'm BACK Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers - especially those that were specific to me and my family. We never lost power, satellite TV, or water/sewer in my sub-division. We had several trees down that blocked the roads into/out of our home but our City workers pushed those aside fairly early after the rain stopped and then my wife and I cleared the 95% of the mess up until I ran out of gas for the chainsaw. However, even though (as far as I know) the small town where I live "only" had relatively little damage, the storm had major effects on many areas around the entire Western North Carolina, north Georgia, and Tennessee. Specifically, the small town of Chimney Rock is basically gone. I don't mean damaged, I mean it is literally gone. There are highways that are gone, bridges gone, and, of course, buildings that are gone. I've heard varying numbers of deaths due to the storm but there are still areas that have not been visited because there is simply no way to get to them other than helicopter fly overs. Fortunately, these types of storms are not "normal" for us. Certainly THAT is good news. But, the bad news is that our infrastructure is not prepared for this type of thing. Also, our personal and governmental structure is basically not prepared. Curfews have been place since early on and I've not traveled so that the people, equipment and supplies that are needed can more easily get to where it is really needed. However, what little I've personally observed is amazing. We did get cell and land line phones back yesterday and just this morning slow internet is available. My wife went out early this morning in the hopes of getting some fresh fruit and milk. It took longer than "normal" but she returned with those supplies. Only one grocery store had those things in stock though and of the three stores she stopped into only one was accepting limited credit card payments. Apparently the local gas stations have received fresh supplies of gas but there are still long lines to get it. I'm guessing that by Friday things should be getting back closer to "normal". Unfortunately, I can't say the same for other nearby areas where I'm sure it will take months (if not years) to find any sense of "normalcy"😟. Bill p.s. I store my Ollie in a storage yard about 10 miles from my home. I'm assuming that it is still there and undamaged - I'll try to go for a visit by the weekend.