The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning

Ed Nisley's Blog: Shop notes, electronics, firmware, machinery, 3D printing, laser cuttery, and curiosities. Contents: 100% human thinking, 0% AI slop.

Category: Oddities

Who’d’a thunk it?

  • Too Many Deer: Another One Bites The Dust

    One Less Deer
    One Less Deer

    Sat down for some tech reading in the Comfy Chair one morning and spotted a lump near the road, at the foot of the deer crossing warning sign.

    While I don’t know if this deer was one of that group, it’s a fair bet.

    There was no freshly smashed glass or broken plastic in the area, which indicates a relatively low-speed collision, the kind where the deer’s legs snap against the bumper and the body rolls over the hood, crushing sheet metal and deforming plastic frippery along the way.

    Many cars display that kind of damage around here. They look as though somebody walloped them with a huge sandbag, which is pretty much the case.

    The animal huggers seem strangely silent about such events. If they had the courage of their convictions, they’d subsidize drivers (and gardeners) affected by the deer overpopulating the area. But, no, they never offer to do that.

    I did find this in the driveway across the street…

    Deer Whistle
    Deer Whistle

    Before equipping your car with such gimcrackery, read that.

  • City Raccoon

    Raccoon in tree
    Raccoon in tree
    I met this fellow on my way out of a recent MHV LUG meeting; he was up a tree between the library parking lot and the adjacent (and rather busy) gas station / convenience store, minding his own business while performing body maintenance.

    That’s pretty much in the midst of the City of Poughkeepsie, but raccoons have figured out that the livin’ is easy around people. I’m sure he’s also figured out dumpster diving, although he’s likely not looking for discarded electronics…

    Love those eyes!

    Reflective eyes
    Reflective eyes

  • Warming Up on the Flight Line

    Flies on parking meter
    Flies on parking meter

    We stopped in Alfred NY to try out some trikes at The Bicycle Man, went to The Terra Cotta (not that one) for lunch, and parked on a side street. Every parking meter along the street (free on Saturday, fortunately) had an array of house flies parked along the upper edge.

    Perhaps this is the best place for flies to warm up before a flight? Was there a recent hatching?

    They swarmed off the meters as we passed, then settled back in the same way.

    Weird…

  • Electric Heater Installation: What Not To Do

    Found this installation in the Mens Room at the first rest area inside New York on westbound I-90. The extension cord trails out the window and around to the back of the building…

    I suppose the building’s heaters had failed, but, still, this seems odd.

  • Mouse Tunnels Exposed

    Mouse tunnels in the grass
    Mouse tunnels in the grass

    The snows have retreated and it seems the mice have been busy tunneling in the back yard. If we cared more about the lawn, I’m sure I’d be outraged. As it is, the tunnels will be gone after a few mowings and life will move on.

    I didn’t spot their grainery, but I’m sure the grass will be greener around the latrine…

    Certainly these were different mice than the ones who made far more extensive living quarters out front, but they’re definitely relatives.

  • Relics of the Empire: Phone Books

    Stacks of Phone Books
    Stacks of Phone Books

    Saw this mountain at Marist College. I wonder how many will go directly to the recycling bin?

    I can’t recall the last time I used a phone book; it’s faster and easier to type the name & location into that little search field, whack Enter, and click the obvious hit.

    If you look hard enough, somewhere in the first few pages you’ll find the instructions to turn off next year’s phone book. We’ll see how that works out…

  • Why You Shouldn’t Use Heat Pumps in the Northeast US

    Frosted heat pump
    Frosted heat pump

    Heat pumps behave like bidirectional refrigerators: they cool the building by heating the outside air or heat the building by cooling the outside air. In relatively mild, dry weather, this works perfectly.

    Here in the Northeast US, it’s not such a bright idea. For about half the year, the ambient temperature is low enough and the humidity high enough that pumping heat out of the exchanger drops its temperature below the dew point, whereupon ambient moisture condenses on the fins and, given the temperature differential between ambient and coil, freezes solid.

    In that situation, the efficiency of the heat exchanger drops well below zero: it turns on electric resistance heating bars to warm the inside air and runs a defrost cycle on the exterior heat exchanger.

    Lather, rinse, repeat.

    Perhaps the defrost cycle hadn’t started yet?