Work begins (more updates-WIRING!)

[Wolseley Hornet]

Etouffee's nice,especially to eat,I imagine. But might cause a problem with pronunciation to those not of a French turn of mind.

How about Crawfish Down ?


David.

[RazorJon]

Robs Ragen Cajun Raceway

It sings,

for a cookie what movie was that from "It Sings"

[waaytoomuchintothis]

[waaytoomuchintothis]

[waaytoomuchintothis]

See when other people tell me that, I just think they aren't as detail oriented (read that as "anal"), as I am. But when an actual artist says that, I have to listen. I appreciate the permission. Its like having a hall pass in my pocket.

[waaytoomuchintothis]

If I had the resources to do it, I'd take you to the ancient swamps (trendy people say "wetlands"), where I fell in love with pelicans, gators, Cajuns, and deeeep swamp Cajuns (waaay out there). They only exist in the Gulf Coast areas of Mississippi and Louisiana, much more in Louisiana than Miss. There are places I could take you to, off Bayou Teche, way back in, away from the Atchafalaya River where the Spanish moss on the trees is older than America, and the cypress reach all the way to the sky. Islands with mysterious names like Désespoir (Dispair), Soir (Evening), and Tête Afrique (African Head) that don't even show up on maps, all beautiful, each with a story.

But Virginia doesn't have that kind of spectacular stuff. Here in the Tidewater, where the Swamp Fox ran roughshod over the British in the Revolution, the swamps are completely different. Totally different in every way.

[waaytoomuchintothis]

wiring, wiring, wiring... All I can see are wires, wires WIRES!! I decided to do two power taps, equally spaced, even though its only 58 feet of trackage, because it is an old track, and there are a thousand things that can bite you in the butt if you don't take every precaution. I'm using bigger wire than necessary, better connectors, high quality switches and circuit breakers that are staged inline in several places, and the weak parts of the track have been reinforced. I guess I'll use an ordinary household switch for the master, I can't think of a reason not to. Anybody want to tell me otherwise?

[waaytoomuchintothis]

[HomeRacingWorld]

So what is with the brick of C4?? I know it can get frustrating at times..but that is a little harsh don't you think?

[waaytoomuchintothis]

Aw, they don't wrap that in yellow any more... the monkeys ate it, and it gave them awful gas.

[SpeedyNH]

they work, but don't buy he 99c one as i've had several fail in differrent applications. the points burn and the little arm that carries the moving contact gets weak. they're really crummy. the $3 jobs last a lot longer.
speedy

[waaytoomuchintothis]

At first, I didn't know what you were talking about, Speedy. No, I wouldn't use a 99 cent switch for anything. I do a lot of building around here, so I have boxes full of household electrical stuff. They are cheaper and much better quality that buying them that way. I figure I'll mount a box on the table and put the switch there with a nice cover.

[SpeedyNH]

yeah, i didin't know how familiar you were with the electrical stuff. cheapo depot, etc. has the really cheap wall switches. i've used a bunch of 'em over time (last ones were only 69c !) they work ok for an incandescent light or two, or a couple amps of dc, but anything more than that and they go intermittent after a while. just wanted to make sure that you didn't get trapped.
for track power, me, i use a heavy shunted relay in the line with any old switch to bypass the computer to control it. (i prefer the old WWII-style bat handle jobs myself- they give a really satisfying clack!) and if i'm really serious (as usual), i put a 22V t.v.s. or a diode across the coil. a while back i bought a buch of 'piggyback' .25 push-on term's which makes it easier to stack 'em.
anyway, good luck! you've got some reall nice stuff going on there. i like the barrier strips! you're a man after my own heart.
speed

[Wolseley Hornet]

That wiring looks heavy-duty stuff, and a complete b*****d to handle, I'll bet!

"Fil D'Enfer Raceway" perhaps?

David.

[waaytoomuchintothis]

You are so right! My fingers have little burns on them from straightening the wire, I have spent hours at a time bending the wire to lay in those chases, and the splices were maddeningly dull inside, so they had to be assembled with heavy pliers, each side separately, taking a chance on breaking them every time. Sixteen times.

Years ago, I had an electrician in here to do some work, and he had a wonderful toy in his toolbox. A small module clipped on a wire in a remote location, and he could go to the breaker box sixty feet away and touch wires with his probe to identify the wire with the little module on it, verifying that the wire he connected to the breaker was the exact one he wanted. I immediately looked into it and it cost a fortune (probably part of the reason he cost a fortune). I could have used it on this project. Also, he had a wire straightener that I should have bought no matter how much it cost. I can't feel my fingers in several places from the burns. There's an amazing amount of AWG 12 wire under this thing, because the distances going around the wire chases adds so much length.