Well, it's Tuesday, and you guys all know that means I'm too tired to think straight this morning. So, here's a few things rattling around in my head this morning.
- The Triumph and the Vespa are both just about due for service. We've been pretty happy with the shop that services the Vespa, but I gotta find a new shop for the Triumph. Can anyone recommend a good shop in the Phoenix area that works on Triumphs?
- Yesterday it was crazy hot out, and today it's supposed to get up to 104. It's only mid-May! We've got an "Excessive Heat Warning" today. Time to get a cooling vest, I think.
- I would love to get a personal air conditioner for the garage.
6 comments:
Since you probably can't afford one of those portable personal air conditioners, what you can build is an "Okie Air Conditioner" (TM) Ok, it's not really trade marked, but I'm claiming the name based on my Okie heritage.
What you need is a box fan, a wash tub (Traditional) or large metal bowl/bucket. Place a large amount of ice, block preferably, in the tub/bowl/bucket. Aim fan so it blows over the ice and towards you. Heat is extracted from the air by the ice thus cooling said air before it gets to you. Works pretty slick.
If you're REALLY into "agricultural engineering" you build duct work out of cardboard boxes/salvaged sheet metal/old cars held together with tons of duct tape (You do watch Red Green don't you?) to keep it efficient.
You can also rig it into a swamp cooler by using a small pump (Salvage a windshield washer pump outta one of them old junker cars, or your neighbor's new Lexus) to spray water onto a furnace filter on the upstream side of the fan. Better yet, recycle the water that melts off the ice to precool the intake air thus increasing the density and reducing the temperature. Congratulations, you've just supercharged and intercooled your garage. :)
Now if you feed all that into an old space suit...
Dave T.
Lucky,
You should check out
http://desertmotorat.blogspot.com/2008/05/yesterday-was-first-day-over-100.html
He posted about one of those cooling vests you speak of.
Ah yes, the old homemade air cooling solution - ice and a fan. I'll have to try that out this summer. I've got fans, buckets and even some cardboard to make ducts out of.
Mr. Moto - thanks for the heads up.
I am amazed at how you can even get out and ride in those kind of temps. Doesn't your head get hot?!
Bikerchickz
Becky - All of me gets hot in the summer. I've got to be sure to wear long enough pants to protect my legs from the heat coming off the motor. I've gotten some unpleasant burns on my shins because the skin was exposed a little bit.
When you ride in the heat everyday, though, you really do get used to it. The worst part is baking at the stoplights. We don't have much humidity here, so our sweat actually cools us off.
I have a close friend in Scottsdale that has been working on bikes for forty years...
Runs an outfit called "Oltman Tools".
Call him and tell him his Savannah riding buddy sent ya. He can either do the work, or recommend someone trustworthy that can.
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