Lawn Mowers, Pickup Trucks, Bathrooms, Paint and Heating Systems

mac_2

So, Mike
You seem like a pretty good writer, but,
How's about explaining your comment about who drives pickups where you live?

Mike T., Swampeast MO

It's rough sometimes being different...

I use a little 17# German one-human-powered reel mower. You really can't believe the CRAZY looks I get when mowing. The strangest come from lawn companies driving by with their flatbed full of giant mowers and from middle-aged men who I presume like to talk with their neighbors about how many HP their new rider can deliver between their legs. I also seem to be on the Sunday "after church" driving circuit as I'll watch many drive by really slow looking at the lawn.

Why do I use the thing? 1) It doesn't bother my allergies and it actually makes me ENJOY mowing. 2) No noise. 3) No pollution. 4) The grass looks GREAT. 5) After five years of using it I quit using any type of herbicide this year. NO WEEDS! Like in past years the few that manage to get a foothold at the edges during hot weather get removed with the good old Buck knife as I mow. 6) Wonderful exercise. 7) I don't have to buy gasoline.

In an area where even the queers drive pickups my poor old '71 Ford 100 only gets used when I really need it. Believe me, that ugly green thing gets plenty of crazy stares as well...

Why do I use it? 1) Don't really NEED a truck too often. 2) Not the best gas mileage in the world but not much worse than a new Magnum Ram either. 3) Me, my "typical tools" and a Chilton's manual are all this decided non-automotive mechanic need to make most repairs--I can even crawl inside the engine compartment if need be.

Mine is an old house and I've done everything in my power to keep it that way--except the bathrooms. Most guests and visitors freak out about the bathrooms--not only the number of them but the way they are equipped and finished. The only people who ever say anything adverse are those "concerned" with historic preservation. I say, "When this house was built it, the 'facilities' were OUTSIDE. When you took your weekly bath it was in a copper tub in the KITCHEN. Even when the plumbing was added in the '20s you'd HATE the bath if you had to use and clean it all the time. New is EVER better in this circumstance."

Being part artist I LOVE color. I use color as much as possible. My radiators are even "bronzed" to complement/blend into/accent their surroundings. Guests/visitors ALWAYS comment on the use of color. Some certainly say, "That's not for me." Color is ALWAYS a matter of taste. Then, more often than not, they will specifically remark about the colors and how I used them when I see them in their own surroundings--sometimes repainted in a similar scheme...

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What on earth does this have to do with heating?

EVERYTHING.

IT'S ALL ABOUT ATTITUDE.

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Visitors/guests ALWAYS comment about the radiators. VERY often, "Oh, you kept THOSE things!"

In the non-heating months I say something like, "See those things? {the TRVs} I can keep every room in the house at whatever temperature I want and do it quickly." "Oh", they say, NOT UNDERSTANDING.

Winter vistors/guests though COMPLETELY understand... They really wonder about the heated floors in the bathrooms when there are NO THERMOSTATS yet the baths are supremely comfortable with "neutral" floors in moderate weather and "just warm" in cold...

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What's the point of all this?

It's ALL about ATTITUDE.

Hydronics is wonderful but many find it HOPELESSLY old-fashioned.

The radiant "revolution" of late has certainly been good BUT for every crappy "Oh, I can do it" installation there are at least 20 people FOREVER against the idea of ANY form of NEW hydronics.

It is not difficult to design and install WONDERFULLY comfortable hydronic systems at a price that won't send many running if you use good judgment and think of everything as a SYSTEM.

SUCH SYSTEMS MAY BE NOTHING LIKE WHAT YOUR FATHER INSTALLED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Dare to be different!

Arthur

Lawn Mowers Etc

Good on you're. I like your non comformers atitude. What gets me is this keeping up with the Jones atitude most people have
they have always got to be one better than the other fellow.
Perhaps it's their inferior complex showing though.
But I always admire some one who swims against the tide.
Funny how people get someone else to mow their lawns and then spent money to keep fit down at the local Gym. lol.
There is nothing wrong with your radiators bet it give the house character.

Mad Dog

c'mon Mike ya got my interest going now....

any pics???? MD

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Steamhead

MD, he posted a few some time ago

and they were stunning. Especially his radiators.

How about it, Swampy? Can we see them again?

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Mike T., Swampeast MO

Sorry for slip of keyboard...

...EVERYONE drives trucks here--the newer, taller and more powerful the better...

Regardless of real need...

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Brill Luxus Mower

In typical German fashion lots of features and incredible precision in a deceptively simple-looking package.

I wouldn't use it for a big suburban lawn but no big deal for a 2000-4000 square feet or so--more if level.

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Southwest lawn

I sincerely DON'T obsess over the lawn. It's bluegrass and nothing but bluegrass. Won't be cut down to putting green level for a couple of weeks as I keep it rather high during the summer to cut down on irrigation. Due for a mow but haven't had time since returning from Wetstock. Sorry for lighting but it's late afternoon looking West.

Lawn would be IMPOSSIBLE at my level of maintenance without the reel mower as it FORCES the grass to grow "sideways".

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Master Bath Radiator

Not yet attached. Will have it and the radiant shower floor (running "wild" off reset) attached this week.

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Sleeping Porch Radiator

"Cheated" on this one. Commercial styrene-based gold paint.

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Master Bedroom Radiator

Like all rads save the sleeping porch "bronzed" with a custom mix of mica powder, linseed oil and cobalt drier.

Photos really don't show the actual appearance of the bronzed rads as they color shift with perspective and lighting. Strange wall color that doesn't reproduce accurately on any camera.

Mike T., Swampeast MO

> any pics???? MD

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> 210&Step=30"_To Learn More About This Contractor,

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Mike T., Swampeast MO

\"Original\" Bath

Only salvagable bath fixture (original tub) on left wall opposite. When I scraped the scum off the overflow cover was shocked to see it bore the name of a relative of mine who had installed it c. 1918

Baseboard radiator you see is electric--installed in case "super-simple radiant" didn't work. If it weren't for the hole it would leave in the tile I'd remove it.

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Southeast Bedroom Radiator

Haven't found the proper artwork to hang above it yet.

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Study/Office Radiator

LOTS of experimental data on this rad as it's so convenient. My desk and windows are on South and West walls at a diagonal from the rad.

Curiously the "copper" mica used on this one took made a MUCH thicker mix with significantly less powder. Not really certain why. Maybe it has actual copper, but if so it hasn't tarnished as I would expect copper to do after five years.

David Sutton_3

52\" 23 hp. Lazer Z baby .......

nothing like mowing the lawn with your hair blowing back, and making it back around before the first cuttings hit the ground oooooahhhh

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Girls' Bath

Amazing amount of storage in a 6' x 8' (approx) bath. Built in above toilet as well. Remembered everything when planning save a good place for bath towels so had to hang a rack on the shower door.

Floor shares the same radiant "manifold" as the original bath. Tubing runs nearly identical in length and with exact same number of bends. This bath has no outside exposure and other has significant exposure. Heat transfer via copper tube in Thermofin--constantly circulating with no t-stat or other means of control. Floor surface temp in both of these baths is remarkably similar and both stay 5° above the temp of the rooms surrounding regardless of inside/outside conditions. Delta-t on this bath floor is significantly lower than that in the exposed original bath--only difference in the two is Styrafoam insulation placed between and over plates on exposed bath.

This was experimental to say the least but both of these were made as identical as possible save the exposure/insulation for a reason... I wanted to see what would happen. It's my most sincere belief that the colder wall in the exposed bath is "sucking" BTUs out of the floor--BTUs that are only AVAILABLE if needed. If not needed they essentially return to the system.

The thing you see pulled out is for curling irons and blow drier. Pilot light indicates power. It powers up when extended and stays powered for fifteen minutes unless closed or button is pressed to extend the time.

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Northeast Bedroom Radiator

This one is truly freaky in real life. It nearly disappears into the wallpaper.

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Upper Hall Linen & Storage

Not original. I built this from rough ash.

Like everything in all of these pictures I have designed, drafted, engineered, built and decorated.

Mike T., Swampeast MO

c. 1994

If you think the outside front looks bad you can't imagine the inside and the rear...

"Mean Green" the '71 F-100 still looks about the same today.

Steve Ebels

Hey Mike

Just what is driving all those cool old rads? Haven't seen any pics of the boiler.

Rudy

Old Fords

Can't vouch for the accuracy, but I stumbled across this interesting tidbit in Harper's Index:

Maximum number of miles that Ford's most fuel-efficient 2003 car can drive on a mile of gas: 36

Maximum number it's 1912 Model T could: 35

Ain't modern technology amazing?

Rudy

Old Fords

Can't vouch for the accuracy, but I stumbled across this interesting tidbit in Harper's Index:

Maximum number of miles that Ford's most fuel-efficient 2003 car can drive on a mile of gas: 36

Maximum number it's 1912 Model T could: 35

I read a book by Woody Guthrie that spoke of running the old T's on "drip gas". I guess in the old days natural gas pipelines had drip legs every so often to catch liquid condensate from the gas. Poor folks would steal this drip gas by the barrel, adjust the timing on the old model T, and run on that.

Ain't old technology amazing?

Bud_14

Very nice...but

you still do have some kind of forced air system in the house? Hows that go? "every picture tells a story" and I see a register in the mirror. Whats up wit dat! Better not show us the duct work,these here radiator guys will be getting all teary eyed and envious.

Bud

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Ductwork for A/C. Notice that everything is high on wall or from the ceiling. There is an electric resistance element in the air handler for shoulder season use. Air handler hang above closet ceilings.

I'm a nut for service access but these were tough! Not quite Levittown, but pretty close... I couldn't find a way to physically connect the return connections so it just uses a foam gasket and aluminum tape. Return end of handlers is intentionally a tad low, so it wants to pivot a bit in the hangers keeping the gasket compressed. Tolerences were right-on so had to coat the gasket with liquid soap to install.