Life in Alaska

[AKwelder]

17 hours ago, iowaboy1965 said:

Congrats on the graduation. I didn't realize they were that old now. And I'm glad he is ok. Cars can be replaced. I feel bad for my folks now and how much I must have worried them.

Thank you. Having boys, even boys that are much less wild than I was, really helps understand my parents. 
 

We will find another beater with a heater for him soon. But he can be without for awhile to let that sink in

[New Englander]

4 hours ago, AKwelder said:

Thank you. Having boys, even boys that are much less wild than I was, really helps understand my parents. 
 

We will find another beater with a heater for him soon. But he can be without for awhile to let that sink in

We boys do some stupid $hit until we're 40 or so. Brains are not fully developed until 20s then maturity slowly sets in. I'm glad he's OK. He'll figure it out as we all did, some faster than others.

[AKwelder]

Spring is getting better

 

the hives are getting built up

 

 

new bee yard this year.  Took some hives over this morning 

 

I will be working a few items through the shop today, picnic at the SIL place this afternoon 

[AKwelder]

Finished installing a mini split on the new house today 

still need to put the covers on and run the condensate drain, but it works just before the forest fire smoke rolled in

 

new to use JD 185. One of the previous owners had a sense of humor regarding the stickers, lol

 

was in Prudhoe bay and had to fill the truck. 

 

$7.21 a gallon. 
 

The other lawn tractor was running poorly and surging. Took the carb apart and it was a mess.  Need to order a new one 

 

last week we added more bodies to the hives. I will go out tomorrow and check on them.

[hardtail]

I see Dale has a pic of 2.95 in N Dakota for regular, guess living by the north slopes isn't equating to saving $$$, the lawnmower cleaned up nicely, was 2C here this morning around Edmonton, got 10" snow outside Calgary 

[AKwelder]

9 minutes ago, hardtail said:

I see Dale has a pic of 2.95 in N Dakota for regular, guess living by the north slopes isn't equating to saving $$$, the lawnmower cleaned up nicely, was 2C here this morning around Edmonton, got 10" snow outside Calgary 

Snow?  Dang.  

[AKwelder]

Been warm here, and that brings fires. Hazy.  Something like 250 fires burning right now

 

Neat Willy’s in town

 

Working hives

 

Moose at my bee yard.  Nice looking spike fork, still young though

 

 

we bought the in-laws house, and that’s where our Peonies are, looking good with the wife always 

 

[AKwelder]

Well, my son called with a dead car.  He had just gotten back in town after doing a hiking trip with friends. Car wouldn’t move.  I go find him and it drives. I can not get it to fail.  He drives it about 30 seconds and the tranny might as well be in neutral. I limp it home by running in gear as fast as I can until the engine starts to drop the load.  Throw it in neutral and shut the car off and coast. 30 or 40 seconds later I start the car and away we go for 30 seconds. And rinse and repeat. 
 

It is a 2009 Toyota rav4, 4 cylinder with an auto if anyone has any ideas. Meanwhile we will drop the tranny pan and change the filter.

[AKwelder]

Nice views from today’s job site

 

[mark60]

did you find the problem with transimission?

[AKwelder]

4 hours ago, mark60 said:

did you find the problem with transimission?

No, we didn’t.  So we dropped the pan and changed the fluid.  Seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary.  Fluid did not smell burnt but was black. Changed some fluid.  He’s driving it around town, and I got a used transmission module from the junk yard to try if it acts up again, but I can’t find a failure.  Could use a fluid flush and I don’t know. 

[Cool1566]

To my eye there is a lot going on with each pipeline support. Would you care to elaborate on the design of the supports and especially the apparatus sticking up on each post? Thanks

[AKwelder]

6 hours ago, Cool1566 said:

To my eye there is a lot going on with each pipeline support. Would you care to elaborate on the design of the supports and especially the apparatus sticking up on each post? Thanks

Sure.  Where the permafrost or other ground conditions would make the ground unstable they put the pipe above ground. They drill and set two 18” pipes in the ground (vertical support members or VSM) like conventional pilling, then a tee bracket is set over the top and a horizontal support between them with the pipe supported by a shoe.

the “tee bracket” is supported by a welded stop underneath it. Thermal siphons (heat pipes) are set inside the VSM that re-freeeze the ground in the winter, originally these used Ammonia  but have been rebuilt with CO2 as they fail.  They draw the heat out of the ground in the winter and keep the ground frozen to support the VSM. Then insulation is on the pipe and a cover over the shoe.

 

 

 

[Cool1566]

Thanks for the great explanation!  Does the pipeline somehow float in the supports to allow for expansion and contraction from different temperatures?

[Rawleigh99]

Yes, and earthquakes!

[AKwelder]

On 7/18/2025 at 3:37 PM, Cool1566 said:

Thanks for the great explanation!  Does the pipeline somehow float in the supports to allow for expansion and contraction from different temperatures?

The pipeline is anchored every so often to heavy set of VSM’s.  It slide or floats in between anchors and normally has a zig zag between anchors to accommodate the expansion and contraction.

it also as mentioned allows for seismic events.

 

picture from the internet of the pipeline zig zagging 

 

 

[AKwelder]

Drove home yesterday, we had been a little over 200 miles south of Fairbanks, nice view coming through Isabel Pass, glaciers in the background 

 

[CRVB91]

Making it my life mission to visit Alaska someday! Thanks for the pictures in the meantime, I love this thread the most. 

[AKwelder]

3 minutes ago, CRVB91 said:

Making it my life mission to visit Alaska someday! Thanks for the pictures in the meantime, I love this thread the most. 

Glad you enjoy it.  Make sure to let me know if your in the neighborhood 

[oleman]

On 7/6/2025 at 12:00 PM, AKwelder said:

Well, my son called with a dead car.  He had just gotten back in town after doing a hiking trip with friends. Car wouldn’t move.  I go find him and it drives. I can not get it to fail.  He drives it about 30 seconds and the tranny might as well be in neutral. I limp it home by running in gear as fast as I can until the engine starts to drop the load.  Throw it in neutral and shut the car off and coast. 30 or 40 seconds later I start the car and away we go for 30 seconds. And rinse and repeat. 
 

It is a 2009 Toyota rav4, 4 cylinder with an auto if anyone has any ideas. Meanwhile we will drop the tranny pan and change the filter.

The pesty mice chewed off the speed sensor wires to the ECM on our 2013 Nissan. It would only not get to 20 MPH, and the engine would no rev-up, my son thought the tranny was bad, these computerized vehicles leave a lot be desired in diagnosing interface problems.  Now the speedometer does not indicate speed but the distance traveled keeps incrementing normally. So we now use the GPS for Speedometer. Amazing the improvemets we get when the wires are still connected. I hear the soy based isolation is an attractive food source for field mice.

[AKwelder]

Well yesterday marked a milestone for us, my wife and I took our vows 20 years ago.  We celebrated by taking a trip, just the two of us, to Vegas. and yes, it is hot.
 

saw Hoover dam yesterday 

 

 

The sphere is also pretty neat

 

Constantly changing.  
 

[TroyDairy]

16 minutes ago, AKwelder said:

Well yesterday marked a milestone for us, my wife and I took our vows 20 years ago.  We celebrated by taking a trip, just the two of us, to Vegas. and yes, it is hot.
 

saw Hoover dam yesterday 

 

 

The sphere is also pretty neat

 

Constantly changing.  
 

Cool congrats

 

I havent been down there for many years now.  Cooling off in Fairbanks?   Days are warm here (80) but nights have dropped like a rock to low 50 and damp.  Feel early fall coming.  Some populars are just changing colors already....😒

[AKwelder]

4 minutes ago, TroyDairy said:

Cool congrats

 

I havent been down there for many years now.  Cooling off in Fairbanks?   Days are warm here (80) but nights have dropped like a rock to low 50 and damp.  Feel early fall coming.  Some populars are just changing colors already....😒

Yes.  I have been surprised how fast it’s cooling off. Maybe 2-3 weeks ahead of the last few years. In fact I turned the boiler on before we left.  It was cold in the house last Saturday morning.  

[AKwelder]

6 minutes ago, TroyDairy said:

Cool congrats

 

I havent been down there for many years now.  Cooling off in Fairbanks?   Days are warm here (80) but nights have dropped like a rock to low 50 and damp.  Feel early fall coming.  Some populars are just changing colors already....😒

And thank you. 
 

 

glad we came, I’ve never been.  Hit some of m bucket list items. It’s been fun

[oleman]

On 7/6/2025 at 12:00 PM, AKwelder said:

Well, my son called with a dead car.  He had just gotten back in town after doing a hiking trip with friends. Car wouldn’t move.  I go find him and it drives. I can not get it to fail.  He drives it about 30 seconds and the tranny might as well be in neutral. I limp it home by running in gear as fast as I can until the engine starts to drop the load.  Throw it in neutral and shut the car off and coast. 30 or 40 seconds later I start the car and away we go for 30 seconds. And rinse and repeat. 
 

It is a 2009 Toyota rav4, 4 cylinder with an auto if anyone has any ideas. Meanwhile we will drop the tranny pan and change the filter.

We have a 2013 Nissan Versa, (34000 miles on it, since new) it developed a no drive in a forward gear after starting in forward. The problem was the pesty mice chewed the wires off the transmission speed sensor, it would move and go after a few yards stopping.  Splicing the wires back together repaired it. 

Best thing I have done recently was a complete service manual set on a CD from Rockauto for the 2013 Versa.  If all else fails, read the D^&^ manual, same thing I always told the techs that worked for me!