Hey,
We have a new Turkey cooker, a propane job. It’s a Home Depot Char Broil, “the Big Easy” Infrared. Billy Evans knows how to operate it, but he’s also a ship’s captain and was called out to move a vessel from Marina Del Rey to the Port of Los Angeles. He was going to buy as ham, but instead bought a turkey and stashed it on his boat.
The Redhead got a call at noon. Billy’s boat transfer ran into a hitch off Redondo Beach. The boat stalled out and he was forced to call vessel assist for a tow. At less than five knots it would take 6 hours or more. The redhead had to rescue the turkey from Billy’s boat and cook the bastard in his strange vertical .
Have you used one of these cookers? Let me know the tips. It cooks way faster than an oven, but we still don’t have a handle on the process.
Harold and Ruthie came over and Ruthie loves to cook. Harold is a retired Berdo HA member, who is over 80 and lives on a 40-foot Columbia. He loves to come to the shop and check the Salt Torpedo action.
You know me, I can’t sit still and talk about old times when we’re burnin’ daylight. My grandson Frankie showed up with the lovely Em who is another well-known tattoo artist. Harold and I said hello and peeled for the shop. I had to monkey with the Torpedo exhaust system again. The turn-out was going to be an issue.
Frankie, me and Harold removed the exhaust system and cut off the turn-out. Tim, from San Pedro Muffler made us another piece of 4-inch exhaust with it expanded to slip over the existing pipe. With a C- clamp we were able to slip the pipe over Tim’s collector and we made progress.
About the time we were finished the chow was cooked and I carved the bird.
Two of my grand kids and my son had troubles with drinking and drugs. They are devoted to being clean and sober, so I don’t drink around them, but after the clan departed I had a glass of whiskey called the Green Dot. Good stuff.
Let’s shift gears:
SALT TORPEDO UPDATE–
Micah,
The salt surface has some irregular pressure ridges off the prepared racing surface that can easily be two inches tall depending on preseason weather conditions. Your trike configuration with the wide track forward will need at least that two inches of ground clearance to avoid rubbing the body on the ground, add any suspension travel at either end to this figure if you have soft spring rates.
The aerodynamic drag would be reduced significantly if you could get the rider/driver down inside the basic diameter of the tank body farther. Some of the four wheeled lakesters that have used this body style actually have a Lexan formed windshield installed in the upper half shell and the driver is completely down inside looking out through the nose contour. Your tank looks a bit smaller than the traditional P-38 style, so getting clear down inside may be nearly impossible without a significant length stretch, but reducing the height of the cage and putting a windshield directly on top of the tank diameter with compound curved canopy enclosure above would reduce frontal area and drag a bunch.
I would also suggest the front hoop of the cage be sloped quite a bit more, bottom forward to provide more coverage and safety envelope, especially for the drivers hands and forearms. Remember that the bottom of the chassis under the seat and leg box must also be considered as part of the cage in terms of materials and size.
The rear shape can be more of a flattened fish tail that will wrap around the tank, engine, rear tire, suspension, and exhaust pieces. Carrying the height farther out behind the mechanical parts is a good thing to shift the CP aft and provide yaw stability. The lower surface can have an integral rear wheel pant that extends down closer to the ground, then blends into the trailing edge behind the rear tire.
How fast are you planning to go with this configuration? Nice looking fabrication effort so far.
–Tom Burkland
SOMETHING FROM THE HISTORY BOOKS–Regarding Thomas Jefferson
His Portrait is on the Two $2.00 Dollar Bill.
This is amazing. There are two parts. Be sure to read the 2nd part (in RED).
Thomas Jefferson was a very remarkable man who
started learning very early in life and never stopped.
At 5, began studying under his cousin’s tutor.
At 9, studied Latin, Greek and French.
At 14, studied classical literature and additional languages.
At 16, entered the College of William and Mary.
Also could write in Greek with one hand while writing the same in Latin with the other.
At 19, studied Law for 5 years starting under George Wythe.
At 23, started his own law practice.
At 25, was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses.
At 31, wrote the widely circulated “Summary View of the Rights of British America” and retired from his law practice.
At 32, was a Delegate to the Second Continental
Congress.
At 33, wrote the Declaration of Independence.
At 33, took three years to revise Virginia’s legal code and wrote a Public Education bill and a statute for Religious Freedom.
At 36, was elected the second Governor of Virginia succeeding Patrick Henry.
At 40, served in Congress for two years.
At 41, was the American minister to France and
negotiated commercial treaties with European nation
along with Ben Franklin and John Adams..
At 46, served as the first Secretary of State under George Washington.
At 53, served as Vice President and was elected
president of the American Philosophical Society.
At 55, drafted the Kentucky Resolutions and became the active head of Republican Party.
At 57, was elected the third president of the United States.
At 60, obtained the Louisiana Purchase doubling the nation’s size.
At 61, was elected to a second term as President.
At 65, retired to Monticello.
At 80, helped President Monroe shape the Monroe Doctrine.
At 81, almost single-handedly created the University of Virginia and served as its first president.
At 83, died on the 50th anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence along with John Adams.
Thomas Jefferson knew because he himself studied the previous failed attempts at government. He understood actual history, the nature of God, His laws and the nature of man. That happens to be way more than what most understand today.
Jefferson really knew his stuff.
A voice from the past to lead us in the future:
John F. Kennedy held a dinner in the white House for a group of the brightest minds in the nation at that time. He made this statement:
“This is perhaps the assembly of the most intelligence ever to gather at one time in the White House with the exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.”
“When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe.”
— Thomas Jefferson
“The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.”
— Thomas Jefferson
“It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.”
— Thomas Jefferson
“I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.”
— Thomas Jefferson
“My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.”
— Thomas Jefferson
“No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.”
— Thomas Jefferson
“The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.”
— Thomas Jefferson
“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”
— Thomas Jefferson
“To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.”
— Thomas Jefferson
–from Sam Burns
MY TUESDAY REPORT–
I called Pro Shocks regarding the front shocks. The guy said Brian will call me tomorrow.
I contacted Yelvington. They have bunches of 11-inch shocks for the rear and will send me a set ASAP.
As you know a new harness arrived.
I reached out to Kai from Easyriders regarding a fiberglass guy. He contacted me this morning with Radio Bob, a local guy. I hope to hear from him.
I sent an email to Kent Riches from Air Tech Streamlining. I may go to his website and just try to order them.
I reached out to Pirelli about front tires.
Anything I missed?
Micah and I got together on Monday and hammered at the firewall. We had a long discussion with Drew, who is a Bonneville AMA, and FIM tech. We kicked around the massive fire suppression bottles and whether we need two or one for both compartments.
We lost. So, we grappled with how to mount both. Those are sort of our last hurtles, the fire bottles and the fire wall. Oh, and the Fiberglass. Monday morning early, after a couple of aspirins and cups of coffee, I had a conversation with Gary Maur who explained fiberglass construction. We can do it, but I still wouldn’t mind some help. I know how I can make a mess with chemicals.
I also spoke to the boss at Pro Glass about what we need to have a Poly Carbon windshield made.
I watched a strange 1941 movie with Gregory Peck the other night. He was a pilot in Burma during WWII. This woman, who was played by Wim Min Than saved his day forever. Amazing. I thought about using that name for a Cantina Episode. Hang On! I’m about to launch a new episode, Number 84, and I’m also ready to start another Salt Torpedo Chapter.
We’re burning daylight.
Ride Free Forever,
