The way you phrased this made me think the plate came with a car attached. If only!

Wednesday 16 Jan 2019 addendum:
What the heck????????? No idea why this post exists. Dementia must have at full force at the time.

Spent most of the morning working on this Railgun toy for my honorary MOTU figure Sky Knight.

Completed Project: Peace of Mind

Friday afternoon a DFAS military retiree pay statement arrived in my mailbox, reflecting my upcoming Feb 2019 pay, deductions and allotments. I was looking forward to this one, as it spells out what my take-home is for the remainder of the year with new FEDVIP dental and vision insurance accounted for. Only, those to allotments were conspicuous by their absence. This, as you might imagine, was no little cause for concern.

Due to timing I had to wait until Monday morning to call DFAS, which I did first thing. After being transferred to a rep who could help me, research at last revealed that those allotments are indeed accounted for and will be deducted. Good news for sure, though it doesn't help me plan my yearly budget. Not until I get a revised statement with those allotments reflected.

Nice!







I thought it would have taken longer than that for them to correct the omission! That was really fast! I guess one branch of the government is "on the ball," at least! I hope they don't gouge you too much for that coverage.

This made my day! Thanks for the smile!

Thanks and here it is complete .

OMG, that is AWESOME !!!!!!!!!!!!

IKR . The instructions where in Japanese but it still had diagrams that made it easy to assemble it. I bought it from Amazon for about $5.00 but totally worth it if you need a Railgun toy but like I said you need to paint it. Another thing about this Railgun is that it can configure into different types of Railguns like here its in what I like to call Assault Rifle mode, then there's a Sniper rifle like configuration and taking off that end piece you can have your traditional Railgun appearance. $5.00 totally worth it!

In Japanese, you say?


Maybe I should re-ignite my language project?

Yep but there's diagrams that show what goes with what and to assemble it. Looks complicated but once you start putting it together it becomes a cakewalk...Mmmmm---cake. Only downside is you have to paint it BUT I found some paint pens at my local Hobby store that made painting this model toy fun .

Did someone say cake?

Both recent projects of note involve the game Transport Fever.

First, I uploaded another TpF video to YouTube, this one a repeat of episode eleven's Epping - Kidderminster train ride, only with 'improved' scenery and no 'old film' filtering. A link to it can be found among yesterday's (17 Jan 2019) "What are you playing?" postings.

Second, I captured a number of video clips for use with an upcoming TpF YT episode. Combined them in my video editor and rendered out a first draft. To my horror, the resultant video was unusably pixalated. Checked my editor's 'export' settings and tried again. Same results. Removed everything I'd done, re-added raw footage and tried yet again. No difference. By now it was late in the day. I admitted defeat and went to bed.

After breakfast this morning I deleted all evidence of my video work project (except raw footage which is good quality) and started afresh. I'm happy to report that once all clips were in place and blended together, my test rendering turned out well. No pixalation whatsoever beyond for what has to be endured at 10k bit rate.

Working title for an upcoming project of mine.

Wow, I wonder what caused the pixelation issues? I had that happen only once = when I tried one of the "On Board" video processors that came with my new PC. It was enough to send me running back to FRAPS; and haven't had the problem since.

I'll have to work my way over to the "What are you Playing" thread and see the revised vid, sorry for all the trouble!






Ooh, sounds interesting!

It was no trouble. As I might have mentioned, I intended to produce and release this revised Epping-to-Kidderminster passenger ride to show off a rock cliff I built and general scenic improvements along the route made since the previous Epp-Kidd video aired. If anything, your comment spurred me to finish adding text commentary, which is all it lacked at the time.

New Project:
Last night I ordered and downloaded TurboTax off Amazon in preparation for preparing and filing Fed and State tax returns next month (Feb). First time I've not bought TurboTax as a physical copy. All went well. I got so far as launching the application, filling out personal info, and making a save before calling it quits until all needed tax documents arrive.

Yes, yes you should.

I passed 365 days on Duolingo myself. Still can't speak for crap. Or listen. Reading is .. okayish for my vocabulary level.

Thanks . I might delay getting a new gun the first as I need buy the necessary figures and new editing software.

Why? You can't shoot bullets at watermelons with figures and software

Or can I!

Mini Project:
After almost a year of threats, earlier this evening while attempting to print out TpF mod info my laser printer finally informed me it would print no more until I replaced its toner cartridge. I've had said cartridge on hand since those threats began, knowing this day would come. As little printing as I do, Laser Jet toner lasts me a LONG time. In consequence, I recalled nothing of the replacement process. Not that it mattered. The 'new' cartridge came with well crafted instructions. Had it not, I've my printer manual to fall back on. The old cartridge was out and the new one installed in no time at all. Printed out at info. All's well.

Good timing. Expect to be printing out tax returned early next month, then my brother's sometime March.

Ongoing Project: Transport Fever YouTube videos WIP
Last night I finished capturing supplemental video clips for an upcoming YT TpF video whose main clip was recorded some time ago. This morning I assembled all clips in their proper order with my Video Editor and added transitions. All that remains is text commentary, always the hardest part for me. This one is destined to be episode 14. Episode 15 is likewise recorded, assembled, and awaiting text. (It was to be episode 15, but I had a change of heart.)

Completed project: Grocery run
Not much to this one, except it was COLD outside. I intended to postpone the run until afternoon. Me being the morning person I am, to the limited extent I'm any sort of person any more, I got antsy around 0815 and made the run at my accustomed time, 0830ish. Took a while to scrape ice off the front windshield. In consequence, I began feeling rather crappy early evening. Feel somewhat better now, except for a nasty cough. This was one of my less costly food runs, totaling no more than circa $33US, including a "splurge" ham, turkey and cheddar sammich from Walmart's deli section.

Completed project: Stop gargling
Yesterday morning, just after breakfast, I administered my morning medicated inhaler treatment, gargled with water, moved to the bathroom, brushed, gargled with water, and gargled with mouthwash. The normal morning ritual. I like my mouthwash gargle to last at least 30s, but have been known to gargle up to two mins. Being Monday and errand day, after beginning the gargle I immediately shaved, shampooed and showered in preparation for my grocery run. Near shower's end I realized I was still gargling! I immediately spit it out in the tub. That's got to be a gargle record for me!

Failed Project: Upload TpF YouTube episode

I intended to upload a Transport Fever video overnight. The upload file was finalized. I'd made a thumbnail and written out a description for cut-and-paste. The idea was that I'd start the upload then retire to bed for the night, in hope it would be close to done when I returned to the computer this morning. But...

I had a rough night the night before. Lots of neck pain and little sleep. In consequence come evening I was too out of it to want to mess with the upload...or anything else for that matter. I'll try again tonight, depending.

Completed Project: Upload TpF YouTube episode

I began uploading my latest Transport Fever ride-along video just prior to retiring for the day yesterday evening. It is now processed and ready for view. A link is found in our "What are you playing" thread.

Otherwise, I've no significant projects until next month, when I tackle Tax Prep. I do need to continue work on another TpF YT episode. Footage is already shot. A rough splicing together of individual clips exists in my video editor. Just need to fine-tune those splicings and add text commentary. The latter is always my downfall. I'll spend days at it and never be satisfied with the results.

Well---I got most of the characters ready to start filming, now I just need Point Dread Playset and a new video editing software to begin filming.

The Great Rebellion.

The Evil Horde.

The printer that I bought with my old PC used up a cartridge every time I printed anything; no matter how small the printing job = and the cartridges were expensive! I finally unhooked the printer and when I bought my new PC = never got a printer. I do wish I had a printer occasionally; but not enough to pay for any more cartridges for that darn HP that kept eating them.

Good time of year for an extended gargle with a good mouthwash like Listerine though. It will stave off some of these airborne flu germs you get exposed to when grocery shopping, etc. at this time of year.






Aw, I'm sorry to hear about the pain. Is this still from that bed not letting you sleep comfortably?







Yeah, the splicing has to be a smooth transition = or were you referring to the text commentary? I loved your voiced commentary on your Oblivion vids; your humor in those was one of the greatest parts of the vids!

Had a thought for a plot twist in my Sky Knight and the Princess of Power stop motion project. The scene is at some point in the story Sky Knight and She-Ra/Adora get captured, later we see Catra come in and begins taunting the two at which point it becomes revealed that though Sky Knight is indeed Eternian and does work for the royal family all his memories regarding his mission to find Adora and Rebellion was all set up by Hordak to plant him into the Rebellion and causes so much of an uproar that the Rebels tear themselves apart. Not only does this cause Sky Knight to have a mental breakdown but causes him to expose himself as the King of Brightmoon's executioner thus REALLY driving a stake in the heart of the Rebellion, also he's actually been on Etheria a LOT longer than he thought he did. I think this will work nicely as a plot twist .

FINALLY got new teeth for Cavator but the holes are wrong. Not much, but 45mm C/C instead of 40mm C/C. Bah. But I think I can work with it, maybe drill up the holes in the bucket to make them fit.

Why can't they send you the right sized teeth? Isn't that twice now they have sent the wrong teeth? I would be afraid drilling the holes differently would compromise the integrity of the bucket; and why should you have to? If the company you are dealing with can't send you the right item you have ordered; I'd make them refund your money and find a company that can send you the correct parts you have ordered. You shouldn't have to modify your bucket; or next they might send you the right size. You won't be able to make the holes smaller again.

The company haven't made a mistake. I talked to a guy on the phone and when I explained that my teeth are all flat and not U-shaped, he didn't know what I was talking about. Nor did his collegues. And I know I spelled that wrong.

He asked if my bucket was Volvo original but I can't say, there aren't any markings on it. Then again if it was it could have been scratched off by now. Anyway, I sent him pics of the teeth and he found one variant that was close to it. I asked about the C/C of the holes but he couldn't say as there was no info about that. They weren't so expensive so I just decided that he'd send them to me, knowing full well I couldn't send them back if they didn't fit. So it's all on me.

I'll try to fasten them on the bucket without making any holes bigger. Maybe I can use one big bolt and one smaller.

Aw! I don't see how they couldn't understand flat teeth if they are in the business though. Can you find a picture on the internet of the teeth you need and the size holes you need and shop for them that way? Even without knowing the manufacturer; just make sure you are getting some from a reputable company and that the material is steel and not iron; etc.

It is frustrating to think about possibly compromising your bucket; you really use that Little Yellow 'Cavator A LOT!

I certainly do, and I already have several projects ready for this year


Compromising the bucket as you say is the final solution and even then I'll make as little changes as possible. No one I have talked to have been able to help me, and I've already talked to a lot of companies in the business. This one company deals with the exact brand of machine I have and if even they don't know what I'm going on about I doubt anyone does. I've been looking for new teeth since last summer and I'm growing restless knowing about my new projects.

Should these teeth prove to not fit at all in the slightest I can always use the old ones. They work but they are so stubby now.

So these are one-piece teeth that bolt direct to the bucket? When I googled, everything seemed to be two-part, where a holder bolts to the bucket, and the replaceable wear part connects to that.

Is there a chance that the bucket itself isn't a Volvo one? In which case, you may be looking in the wrong places.

Yes, that's what the guy told me.


I suspect it isn't, especially since it's imported from England. They must have another system there. Still, I just assumed it was the same on all and simply never gave it a single thought.

How many inches is your bucket? I found those teeth on a "Titan Toro Front Hoe Bucket" that came in various sizes; (8"; 10"; 12"; etc. = I was trying to get the image to post here and it wouldn't let me take the image. But if they have the bucket; they will sell the teeth. Here is a page showing a closeup of the bucket and teeth; if this is anything like yours:

https://www.palletforks.com/12-fronthoe-bucket.html


By the way; when you were talking to the company you bought the teeth from; did you send them that picture? Or any pictures of the bucket you may have taken in the past before you wore them down to nubs?

Those teeth are really sturdy the way they are attached; so maybe you can change the hole size slightly without too much damage to the bucket's integrity.

Ghastley is right on what he says; a lot of the companies sell replacement teeth that you "crimp" onto the nub; but if you can replace the full tooth you are looking at a much longer lasting solution.

You should check the paperwork from where you bought the 'Cavator and see if the bucket model is listed there; or if you kept any of the info on it from when you bought it. Didn't you buy it from a relative? Maybe they can tell you the bucket brand or where to get the replacement teeth?

You could send this picture (or better yet; if you have one of the bucket from before you wore it down). That picture itself would help a manufacturer find the correct model teeth you are needing; but you might have to put something beside it on the floor for size comparison to give an idea of the accurate size of the tooth and the distance between the holes.

A good thing to do when buying the teeth = measure the bucket and how many teeth it has or take a picture to fax with the request - then measure the tooth itself; the width and length of the part that attaches and the distance between the holes/distance the holes are from the edges and end of the shaft; and the size of the hole itself.

Fax that to the different tooth companies that carry for Volvo Excavators so you will have part numbers and dealer names the next time = you will be ahead of the game when the next tooth breaks.

I don't know the inches of the bucket, never measured it. I did post that pic to that guy but the teeth have always been nubs like that so I don't have pics of them full-length.

The seller couldn't help me as he doesn't deal with spare parts unless a similar machine comes in. I don't think he knows much about the bucket. He just imported the machine, used it and then sold it to me basically. And no, it's not a relative.


Paperwork doesn't say anything specific. It's just a receipt stating seller, buyer and model. I have a manual but it's general, much like a car manual. It doesn't mention anything like bucket models.



Anyway, I'll see if these fit. It looks like they would, those 5mm should not make it impossible.

The crimping teeth are not that great for heavy jobs like you do. They work in soft dirt; but the crimp doesn't hold up to heavy duty work at all; then you will be out a bunch of money and still need teeth. You are doing the right thing trying to find the full tooth if possible.

If those teeth don't work, you can always sell them on Amazon = it is loaded with people selling those crimping backhoe teeth, lol.

Good to know I'm doing the right thing after all. I'm glad to have a cavator expert here

And yeah, heavy work indeed. There's barely any soft dirt between all the rocks - Thanks a million, last ice age!


I can prolly sell them no problem if I can't use them, yeah. But I hope I can and I will certainly try!

I don't blame you on that, I hope so too. If my Dad was still alive, he would have found you the right tooth in a heartbeat. (and probably sent them to you; that is just how he was).

- SPECIAL REPORT - SPECIAL REPORT - SPECIAL REPORT -

Teeth fit bucket. I repeat: Teeth fit bucket.


Yeah, no problem there. The holes are a little askewed but not much and I tested with bolts and they dropped in just fine. Cavator also started up nicely and showed no sign of any problems so I'm a happy camper.

I'm gonna order another set of teeth while my contact has them in fresh memory so I'm covered in the future.

This being the first two sentences of a post, the first post on a new thread page, and the first time I read about this situation, I initially though it referred to a poorly made set of dentures or a partial.

As for myself, false teeth aside it dawned on me a short while ago that I have let myself fall behind in creating text narrative for my upcoming TpF Scenic Excursions YT upload. I swear thinking up something worth saying gets harder every episode. They're bloody train rides for goodness’ sake! Start at point A. End at point B. Try not to fall asleep en route. There's not much more to them than that, barring discovery of a nifty new mod. Be that as it may, I'm not even two minutes in and can't think of anything more to say. Maybe something will come to me over time?

(My upper partial fits well enough, thank you.)

This is AWESOME news !!!!!!!! Fantastic !!!!









This post had me rolling! You sure know how to start the day off with a smile!

Well I HATED to have opened most of my MOTU Classic figure but I think in the end it'll all be worth it. I just need Mermista and Pinnacle Studios and some fresh batteries (or new camera) and I can begin.

Oh, so that sound I heard earlier was the resale value dropping like a rock?

It was the sound of a million She-Ra fans crying out in horror then suddenly silence. Oh well by the time I get around to selling them IF I sell them I'll be on my deathbed probably .

Project: Create YouTube thumbnail for upcoming Transport Fever episode upload.

This morning, right after breakfast, I decided to create a thumbnail for what will be Transport Fever Scenic Excursions episode 15 once uploaded. (Assuming I can come up with at least a minimal amount of text narrative.) Launched the game, Found a spot I felt ideally suited for the purpose. Played the game until my train reached that spot. Paused the game. Found a good camera position. Captured an image.

Exited the game. Launched my photo editor of choice. Was about to resize the image in preparation for adding text. Then...I realized I had captured an image for what will be episode 16, not 15. Doh! Back to the drawing board.

At least now I already knew the exact image I wanted to capture. It would be a still from my video footage. Launched VLC video player. Opened the raw footage in question. Moved to the frame I wanted. Captured it. Exited VLC. Launched my photo editor of choice. Opened the captured image. Was about to resize it. Then...I realized I had captured an image for what will be episode 17, not 15. %#$#@#$# *&(&##$!!!!!! Back to the drawing board.

Launched VLC video player yet again. Opened raw footage for what had better be the right episode. Moved to the frame I wanted. Captured it. Exited VLC. Launched my photo editor of choice. Opened the captured image. Reduced it to proper YouTube custom thumbnail size. Framed it in a dark red background. Launched another editor. Added text. Exported the file to PNG. Opened it in my photo editor of choice. Saved it as a JPG. DONE! Third time's the charm, as they say.

On the bright side, I now have suitable thumbnail images for three upcoming episodes! (Only episode 15's is finalized with text, border, etc.)

What a doofus!

I feel bad for your frustration in this; but that aside = the way you tell stories always brings a smile!

Imo, no point in having toys you'll never play with.

My MOTU figures are currently on display but they'll be used in my stop motion as soon as I get a new video editing software.