Checkin' In

[CastingIron]

My old account got balled up, so I started a new one.
I am doing ok.
Lots of health issues this year, but I have resolved a few of them lately, so doing better at the moment.

I am gearing up to attend a model engine show in Alburn this weekend.
I attended NAMES in 2019, because as I told my wife "What if something happens, and they cancel NAMES, and this is the last chance ever to attend NAMES ?".
LOL, did I call that one or what ?

https://indianaengineshow.net/

I tried to attend the Auburn show last year, but had too many work projects, and did not feel very well either.
This year I found a relatively inexpensive hotel nearby, so I am going.
I think a 9.5 hr drive, which I can do (I think).

I am only taking two engines, since I am still working on a large project, and won't have much free time until next year.
Next year I may retire when I finish the last project on the books; or perhaps semi-retire.

It looks like the other foundry forum is officially DOA.
Apparently someone snapped up the IP address when it expired, and so that now leads to what appears to be either/or a gaming/anime website.
Too bad; there was a ton of info on that site.

I am rebuilding my info on my site, including my furnace build thread.
I am not sure if my site will ever appear on a web search; it is not showing up at all when searching for "Backyard Metal Casting Forum".
That description has been used by so many people so many times that it is really useless as a search term.
Most links go to either fb, redit, or mainly to Oliver's original Alloy Avenue website.
I will go it alone I guess if necessary, but I do have a lot of material, and I will be posting it.
The site is hosted by Xenforo, and is a cloud forum, which I guess all forums are.
Since Xenforo is providing the software and the hosting, I am hoping that the new site will be stable in the long term.

I had a relatively inexpensive private forum going for a while, and it was working ok, but then it started going down for most of each day, for no particular reason. After about the 2nd week of constant outages, I cancelled that forum.
I did not have much loaded on it.

Not many of us left in the hobby as far as I can tell.
Facebook and Redit have some casting groups, and so that is siphoning interest away from the forums.
I can't handle fb or redit, but I do have a fb account to get access to the marketplace, which seems to be where all the hit-and-miss engine sales went.

I have been mostly tied up with work projects for the last 5 years or so, and just now getting caught up.
I have one more project to complete for this year, and one project due next year, and nothing after that.
My foundry stuff is in the driveway, and ready for use.
I think early next year I will have time to do some more foundry work.

I am pushing hard on getting permanent aluminum patterns made for a 1/2 scale Baker Ball Hopper Monitor, and would like to make a limited run of castings in iron for that engine; perhaps farming the work out to a commercial foundry, or perhaps the Amish.

Another project I am excited about is the O-S steam engine 1/2 scale project, since it is a lot more simple an engine than the Ball Hopper Monitor.
So far I only have the base and flywheel in 3D models for the O-S engine.



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[CastingIron]

I noticed that the Algonquin show is very close, and I am tempted to swing by Chirpy's place on the way home from Alburn, and hang out a week until the Algonquin show starts.
I think my wife would axe me though if I did that.

One day I want to make it back to Algonquin and check out what Chirpy is up to.
He always has something interesting going on in his shop/shed.

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[Jammer]

Always something going on at Chirpy's Place. I'm glad I activated you, we have been getting so many spammers, I've been deleting most new registrations. Good to hear from you.

[cae2100]

lol, really not much going on here atm. Ive been down sick with a stupid bug for a few weeks now and it's determined to kill me I swear. I try to go in and deal with new user applicants, but usually jerry is beating me to them it seems, or it's all just spammers and I just delete them also.

Speaking of everyone checking in, has anyone heard from rasper lately?

[CastingIron]

Earth to Rasper.............
Earth to Rasper.............
Come in Raspter............
Do you read us........... ?

I think he lives on a nearby planet or something.

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