#linuxcnc Logs

Jun 08 2025

06:32 PM -!- #linuxcnc mode set to +v by ChanServ
06:59 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> could be a safety intelock?
06:59 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> I had an issue with the electric pto - the switch had a safety contact that allowed the engine to start - it was dirty
07:22 PM roycroft: i am back from town, and ended up getting a portable ac unit
07:22 PM roycroft: the hvac guy was useless, which i thought might be the case
07:23 PM roycroft: he kept saying "you should buy a mini-split from an hvac contractor and have them install it then move it - you can't do it yourself"
07:23 PM Tom_L: maybe he can't
07:24 PM roycroft: i'm pretty sure that i can, though
07:24 PM roycroft: but i got no answers on whether i can disconnect it without losing refrigerant
07:25 PM roycroft: so i went with the portable unit
07:25 PM roycroft: it was $329, and if i get a couple years of use out of it before i get the mini-split it will be well worth it
07:25 PM roycroft: plus, i'll have it as an emergency spare
07:26 PM Tom_L: if you are disconnecting the outdoor unit or the service valve cap, refrigerant loss is likely
07:26 PM roycroft: now to go hook it up in the hot shop
07:26 PM roycroft: that's what i'm thinking
07:26 PM Tom_L: so was AI
07:26 PM Tom_L: :)
07:26 PM roycroft: i believe those self-install units have seals that are pierced when installing the unit
07:26 PM roycroft: and once pierced, they don't hold the refrigerant in if loosened
07:27 PM Tom_L: my kid might know, i'm not sure he works with minisplit units
07:27 PM xxcoder: yeah thats what I remember too
07:27 PM roycroft: it doesn't matter at this point
07:27 PM roycroft: because i have a portable ac
07:27 PM Tom_L: curious minds want to know
07:28 PM roycroft: and when i get the mini-split, be it a self-install unit or a professionally installed unit, it won't have to move once installed
07:28 PM roycroft: i'm no longer curious
07:28 PM roycroft: but if you are still, feel free to ask your kid :)
07:29 PM * roycroft is gonna go muscle it out of the car and attempt to install it before passing out from heat exhaustion
07:29 PM roycroft: i weighed myself when i took both showers today
07:30 PM Tom_L: he thinks once hooked up you'd need to purge the lines and start over
07:30 PM roycroft: the second time, after rehydrating with a liter of water and a big bottle of gatorade, i weighed 2kg less than this morning
07:30 PM roycroft: that's what i have been thinking
07:30 PM roycroft: and not being to get an answer that indicates otherwise, i decided to not get the mini-split today
07:31 PM Tom_L: i have heard of that but never experienced a unit like that
07:31 PM * roycroft leaves the comfort of his home and braves the intense heat outside
07:32 PM xxcoder: stay safe
07:32 PM Tom_L: watch for bear
07:32 PM roycroft: it's actually down to 34
07:32 PM Tom_L: and misquitos
07:32 PM xxcoder: 92f, starting to turn around I think
07:33 PM roycroft: i don't see mosquitos here
07:33 PM roycroft: the bears are in the hills
07:33 PM roycroft: but the hills are within easy walking distance
07:33 PM Tom_L: they'll be bad this year with all the rain i suspect
07:33 PM roycroft: i've not hear of them coming down to town though
07:33 PM roycroft: anyway, i need to get the unit out of my car, and i'll see how i feel after that
07:35 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> I once walked into a hvac compay in our small town. Asked if I could buy a furnace. He said - are you licenced to install the furnace? I said - do I need a licence? He said - no.. at this point I thanked him and walked out.
07:36 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> I anded up buying a furnace from the maitnenence guy at work who could buy it from a supplier..
07:36 PM Tom_L: you probably would nowdays
07:36 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> maintenance...
07:37 PM Tom_L: i got my last AC unit wholesale and the neighbor traded work to install it
07:37 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> Well - you can now buy furnaces and such from the big box stores.. So maybe? I bet it depends on your county
07:37 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> Dad installed a furnace in the shop and a boiler in the house a few years ago..
07:37 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> backup
07:38 PM Tom_L: when i did my basememt i did all that myself
07:39 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> we didn't run the boiler at all last year. I need to look at it. He didn't want to hook it into the water - so he would pressurize it with a pump. Which is weird - because he had an electric boiler that he did have hooked into the water to keep it pressurised..
07:39 PM Tom_L: http://tom-itx.no-ip.biz:443/~webpage/temp/house/4.jpg
07:39 PM Tom_L: i had the walls poured but did everything else
07:39 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> oh - I remember you doing that
07:40 PM Tom_L: one of the best things i ever did to the house
07:46 PM Tom_L: boiler for steam?
07:46 PM Tom_L: or just hot water
07:46 PM Tom_L: we don't use those around here
07:47 PM Tom_L: not residential anyway
07:48 PM Unterhausen: Somebody my wife knows just showed up in a camper without warning. Nice
07:49 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> hotwater
07:59 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> plasma torch sure makes everything hot
07:59 PM lcnc-relay: <ccatlett1984@> lol
08:01 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> that engine/transmission must weigh a ton..
08:01 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> https://photos.app.goo.gl/bURzhjGBoKfWocPr6
08:02 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> Have to figure out what is holding the front of the engine in - then I can separat the two and go to town on the frame. Or just put it all in the truck
08:03 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> time to put the plasma back in though.. I don't know how many amps it is - but it sure cuts nice - thick too
08:04 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> I found dad has a whole new torch for it too.. I think this one is a bit sticky - you have to tap the torch to get it to re-set some times
08:07 PM Tom_L: what was that?
08:09 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> forklift
08:09 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> looks like the plasma is 80 amps
08:11 PM roycroft: the shop is getting cooler, slowly
08:12 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> roycroft: this is one of those things that has a tube that goes out the window?
08:12 PM lcnc-relay: <big_kevin420@> yup, it weas the carb solenoid, i didnt check the PTO circuit, but there is something that doesnt let me start if its engaged. at this point i have most of the saftey interlocks bypassed, except the PTO and the seat switch
08:13 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> the little craftsman mower actually has a key postion so you can reverse the mower without shutting off the deck. It is nice
08:14 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> we have a small motor guy in the next town over that has a ton of parts in stock.. It is going to be sad when he retires
08:15 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> (for us - not for him)
08:20 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> Tom_L: it was a stand on the back forklift
08:21 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> it is really nice outside right now. Feels like a storm is coming 🙂
08:22 PM roycroft: yes, skunkworks8841
08:23 PM roycroft: and it has a wifi interface, and an app for ios and android
08:23 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> neat
08:23 PM roycroft: which means there's a good chance i can manage it with home assistant
08:24 PM roycroft: thank you, github
08:25 PM roycroft: "If your device is compatible with the official Toshiba AC mobile app or Toshiba Home AC Control it has good chances to be supported by this integration."
08:25 PM roycroft: my device is compatible with the official toshiba ac mobile app
08:26 PM roycroft: allegedly
08:26 PM * roycroft will work on that later
08:26 PM roycroft: like when the shop is nice and cool and i can bring a laptop out ther to work on it :)
08:26 PM Tom_L: skunkworks, i kinda figured that
08:26 PM roycroft: it will be nice to know the temperature in the shop without having to go out there
08:27 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> https://photos.app.goo.gl/dSkcYqhwQd3YCi5M8
08:28 PM roycroft: yeah
08:28 PM roycroft: that's important these days
08:28 PM xxcoder: nice
08:28 PM roycroft: 'cuz it's an iot world now
08:28 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> it is nice.. I can turn it on or change it to heat if mom complains that she is cold. (from work)
08:29 PM Tom_L: andy set something up like that for his mom too iirc
08:29 PM Tom_L: i think it may have been his own creation
08:31 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> neat
08:31 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> plus I can turn the air on in the attic on a hot spring day 🙂
08:36 PM roycroft: i'm hoping to see the shop temp and shop ac status on my home assistant dashboard
08:36 PM roycroft: and program it to turn on and off form ha
08:37 PM * roycroft decided to go ahead and install the integration now, just to see if it works eout of the box
08:42 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> I also managed to burn a substantial amount of hair off my arm.. no clue how. Didn't burn. Was wondering why I smelled burnt hair
08:44 PM roycroft: looks like i need to install the app on my iphone to do the initial config, then i can use home assistant
08:45 PM roycroft: that's a tomorrow thing - it's chill time tonight
08:45 PM roycroft: when the days are this hot my energy runs out pretty early
08:47 PM Tom_L: google screwed that one up... did a time/path search between to addresses... 22min alternate: 1hr 45min
08:48 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> Home assistant is something I want to play with
08:48 PM roycroft: the learning curve is fairly steep
08:48 PM roycroft: but the rewards are well worth the effort
08:49 PM roycroft: i can monitor my 3d printer with it
08:49 PM roycroft: and i did not even know that was possible, and did not set it up
08:49 PM roycroft: it just discovered it
08:51 PM roycroft: it will be interesting to see how i can intergrate my linuxcnc machines with it
08:52 PM roycroft: i spent ~$170 on an ecobee smart thermostat around the first of the year
08:53 PM roycroft: i think i've reached my roi on that purchase already from the savings on my powerbill due to my managing the hvac system with home assistant
08:53 PM roycroft: the bill went down about $40/month immediately after i installed it and configured ha to cool the house off a night and when i'm away from home
08:55 PM Tom_L: now you get to start over with that
08:55 PM Tom_L: or was that at your new place?
09:06 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> Looks like to get the home assistant to see mrcool - you need a iot-uni-dongle
09:07 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> Looks like you have to replace the wifi dongle (USB) that comes with it
09:12 PM roycroft: if it's not too expensive it would probably be worth it
09:13 PM roycroft: at the new place, tom_l
09:14 PM roycroft: at the old house i had no home automation
09:14 PM roycroft: i did a long time ago - i had x10
09:14 PM roycroft: but that wasn't really "home automation"
09:14 PM roycroft: it was more like "centralized remote control"
09:15 PM roycroft: the old place had radiant ceiling heat, and each room was its own zone
09:15 PM roycroft: i had a smart thermostat in each room, and did program them for different time of day settings
09:15 PM roycroft: and that helped
09:16 PM roycroft: but with ha, if i'm leaving for the day i just tell it i'm leaving for the day and it drops the temp in the whole house until either i come home and tell ha i'm home or i tell it what time i'll be home and it starts ramping up a while before that
09:17 PM roycroft: i haven't set this up yet, but i can also vpn in from town or wherever i am and tell ha what time i'll be home as i'm heading back
09:18 PM roycroft: and there are other ways to control ha remotely that don't require a vpn, but they do require setting up a cloud account, which i'm reluctant to do
10:41 PM roycroft: abom made two rookie mistakes in this week's video
10:41 PM roycroft: it's nice to see that occasionally
10:41 PM xxcoder: its just fact of life :)
10:41 PM xxcoder: I dont drop channels due to errors, but hiding errors? yeah
10:42 PM roycroft: i don't think abom ever hides mistakes
10:42 PM roycroft: he just doesn't make too many
10:43 PM xxcoder: yeah. I had dropped abom just because I got tired of all new stuff showcases
10:43 PM roycroft: he was single point cutting a thread on a manual lathe today when he made his first mistake
10:44 PM roycroft: so it was old school abom
10:44 PM roycroft: but yes, i stopped watching him for quite a while
10:46 PM roycroft: but my brain is pretty fried from the heat right now, so i'm just chilling and watching videos
10:47 PM xxcoder: yeah was real hot. starting to cool down. still turning myself into "swamp cooler"
10:47 PM roycroft: the shop is slowly cooling off
10:47 PM roycroft: i did not expect the portable ac to make it frigid
10:47 PM roycroft: and it was really hot to being with
10:48 PM roycroft: if i turn it on before the shop heats up i bet it will do a good job of keeping it at a tolerable temperature
10:53 PM roycroft: i also have an overhead air filter in the shop, and i'm running that while the ac is on, just to help circulate the air better
11:34 PM xxcoder: getting nicely cool now
11:35 PM xxcoder: eating some grape tomotoes thats nice and cold