John's Unabashed STACK Challenge Thread: 2

jalind · **Reply #30 on:** March 27, 2016, 03:03:45 AM

Day 25 -- 26 March 2016

More mail today! Opened it and the contents with the Cyber Tool 34

One of them is a Wenger Highlander . . .

Another of them is a Wenger Evolution S10

More SAKs! A used Rambler, and two BNIB Wenger: a Highlander and an Evolution S10

John

jalind · **Reply #31 on:** March 27, 2016, 09:02:46 PM

Day 26 -- 27 March 2016

The deadlatch on the back door to my house is no longer working. When attempting to close the door earlier today it abruptly stopped with the latch failing to push back into the door at the striker plate, and I had to rotate the knob very slightly to free it and close the door.

When closing a door, the latch should retract when its curved bevel is pushed back into the latch mechanism by the curved bevel on the striker plate. The additional pin seen on the inside of the latch is a "deadlatch" which is found on exterior door locksets. When it's extended as seen here, the main latch should be able to be pushed back into the latch mechanism along with the deadlatch pin. When the door is latched, the main latch itself extends back out, but the deadlatch pin is blocked from doing so by the striker plate as there's no opening in the plate for it. This prevents the latch from being pushed back into the latch mechanism, but it can still be retracted by turning the door knob. It's only found on exterior door locksets and it's intended to keep someone from jimmying the door open using a card, screwdriver or as is commonly attempted now, a thin 2x4 inch strip cut from a plastic soda bottle (which can be worked around door jamb corners to attempt manipulating the latch).

First step was removing the knob to investigate why the deadlatch was no longer working properly when closing the door. Used the Cyber Tool 34 #2 Phillips bit to remove the two long Phillips head machine screws holding the interior and exterior knobs together with the door sandwiched between them.

Once removed, it's obvious looking at them the problem is not with these two parts as all they do is retract the latch with the lockset allowing rotation of the square pin that retracts the latch when it's unlocked and preventing rotation when it's locked. Indeed, I was 99.9% certain the problem was not with the knobs and their lockset, but the knobs with the lockset must be removed before the latch mechanism can be removed. I've changed entry knobs and locksets, including the tumblers in them (and reset their keying with new tumbler pins) numerous times, along with deadbolt mechanisms. It's not the first time I've had these things apart, although it's been a while with Schlage as these were put in by the door installer, and I'd had Kwikset high security locksets for the twenty years prior to these. Basic operating principles are much the same, with the differences being in their mechanical design details to implement them. It's an extremely mature technology.

The latch mechanism is held in place by two Phillips head wood screws on the edge of the door and removing it is simple once the knobs are removed.

Once out the failure is not immediately obvious on its exterior. It is also evident that while I could disassemble it if I wanted to determine failure cause and attempt to rectify it, that this was not designed for disassembly. Note the twist tab along the top at the back of the latch mechanism. There's a matching one on the other side. These would have to be twisted back vertical and the plates removed to go any further. I've torn down products to document how they were fabricated and assembled in manufacturing them, including the processes used, as a part of my work in the past. It's not that I couldn't take it apart, it's the risk of not being able to reassemble it very easily and the consequence of not being able to lock, or even latch, an exterior door on my house, until it was successfully reassembled. Even then, there was no guarantee that whatever had failed was repairable. More likely than not, a part was cracked or broken inside. I've had the equivalent Kwikset high security deadlatch mechanism apart in the past. Its numerous internal springs made it a time consuming nightmare to reassemble.

I reassembled the latch and knobs onto the door. It's currently operable by turning the knob very slightly until a new deadlatch mechanism can be obtained. Schlage has a limited lifetime warranty on residential their knobs, latches and locksets (long term finish durability is not part of that), and that includes the deadlatch. Made a call to Schlage after reassembling everything and identifying the specific door knob style and its finish. Schlage is sending a new deadlatch which I should have in a week or so. In the meantime, the latch is functional, albeit currently listed among the walking wounded.

This deadlatch failure with these exact symptoms is not uncommon for Schlage exterior door locksets. They usually occur with about five years age, perhaps longer, depending on how much the door is used.

John

glenfiddich1983 · **Reply #32 on:** March 27, 2016, 09:45:31 PM

That Cybertool is getting some good and useful use this month!

Certainly more than my SwissChamp got when I did the challenge. Most of the time I only used it to cut apples and open envelopes with new SAK's

Humppa · **Reply #33 on:** March 27, 2016, 09:54:45 PM

Great thread...

Love to see the CT34 working so hard. Well, you seem get a truck load of packages every day. I mostly get envelopes with invoices contained instead of nice SAKs

jalind · **Reply #34 on:** March 28, 2016, 05:54:27 AM

Quote from: glenfiddich1983 on March 27, 2016, 09:45:31 PM

That Cybertool is getting some good and useful use this month!
Certainly more than my SwissChamp got when I did the challenge. Most of the time I only used it to cut apples and open envelopes with new SAK's

Thanks. There never seems to be any end to the projects that arise. Entropy reigns supreme in my house. I must remember to reach for it instead of the nearest one at hand or in my pocket and take a few photos with the iPhone to keep the STACK challenge going with it. If you look at all the days, it has been used it to dispatch a couple mangoes, an apple and a number of envelopes (most with new SAKs)

Thanks
John

jalind · **Reply #35 on:** March 28, 2016, 06:49:14 AM

Quote from: Humppa on March 27, 2016, 09:54:45 PM

Great thread...

Love to see the CT34 working so hard. Well, you seem get a truck load of packages every day. I mostly get envelopes with invoices contained instead of nice SAKs

Thanks. Entropy is very much alive and well in my house. As a consequence there's been no shortage of things to do with the CT34. The packages will be slowing down as I've acquired what I'd like to have. Much more user than collector. Some of the most recent have been used SAKs for cleanup and refurbishing to give to my brother, his significant other, and a good friend.

Stockpiled some Tinkers and Waiters to convert into Apprentices and a couple Spartans. Got some extras presuming the learning curve would entail one or two failures with liner damage before getting it right, but it had greater success than anticipated. It's resulted in some extras I can give out to other friends as opportunity arises.

What I didn't show were some of the invoices . . . which were also in the mail

Thanks
John

jalind · **Reply #36 on:** March 29, 2016, 03:44:42 AM

Day 27 -- 28 March 2016

Recycling . . . using the Cyber Tool 34 to cut up and prepare packaging materials for the bin . . . many materials consume much more volume than necessary unless they're broken down or collapsed:

Among the most obvious is corrugated cardboard box breakdown:

Cutting up the soft cardboard egg carton to stack its halves, similar to breaking a box down to conserve volume consumed:

Not so obvious is the ability to recycle some of the large air pillow padding materials being used now. Note the recyclable plastics category "4" printed on it, something I hadn't noticed before! Like boxes and cans, this can take up unnecessary volume if left inflated. Deflating them can be done easily with a sharp knife blade slashing them, or in this case, some quick snips with scissors . . .

John

jalind · **Reply #37 on:** March 30, 2016, 04:35:42 AM

Added a cooling fan to the front of Desktop PC #3, this one to pull air in as the exhaust fans are on top and in back. The Cyber Tool 34 was made for the #2 Phillips used throughout.Access to the fan mount is through the front, behind the plastic facade which snaps to the front on the left side and hinges on the right side. First step is to get the left panel off so the front facade can be unsnapped by removing its two screws.

After the left panel has been removed, the left side of the front facade can be unsnapped, rotated open and removed to get to the front fan mounts.

The fan can be mounted to a fan housing with four screws.

Like the front faced, it's hinged on one side and remounted to the case front frame (behind the facade) with two screws. The power cable is connected to the motherboard

Front panel is hooked in and snapped back on, and then the left side is screwed back on.

Cyber Tool 34 comes through again, this time with a cyber task!

John

jalind · **Reply #38 on:** March 30, 2016, 11:44:14 PM

Day 29 -- 30 March 2016

I don't use my garage door opener external keypad very often. Indeed, it's rare. Attempted to use it last night and as the keypad didn't light up it was evident either the keypad battery was dead or, as has happened often in the past, weather exposure has oxidized or corroded the battery contacts, and possibly the battery terminals. Either way the battery cover has to come off. The Cyber Tool 34 bit driver's #2 Phillips is just the tool for removing the cover.

As I suspected, the battery tested OK as it's not that old, but the battery contacts are obviously oxidized causing untold resistance and voltage drop. The sharp edge on the can opener can be used to scrape and burnish the contacts, if used gently so that it's abraded and not scratched or gouged.

The other contact is oxidized and after some burnishing we're down to the bright copper on both contacts that's needed for good current flow.

A check of the battery shows it's generally clean although one of its terminals had a little crudmium on it.

Back together, it's now functioning perfectly. Need to ensure the cover is closed completely and remains closed completely as it at least slows down the battery contact oxidation. This has occurred numerous times in the past during the winter in which snow and ice have built up on the opener. It's over 20 years old, but I'm loathe to replace it so long as periodic contact burnishing keeps it working.

John

jalind · **Reply #39 on:** March 31, 2016, 05:38:27 AM

Quote from: jalind on March 30, 2016, 04:35:42 AM

Added a cooling fan to the front of Desktop PC #3, this one to pull air in as the exhaust fans are on top and in back. The Cyber Tool 34 was made for the #2 Phillips used throughout.Access to the fan mount is through the front, behind the plastic facade which snaps to the front on the left side and hinges on the right side. First step is to get the left panel off so the front facade can be unsnapped by removing its two screws.

I don't know quite what occurs with the WYSIWYG editor which does some crazy things at times including crazy microscopic font sizes. Cannot edit it to fix it now.

Should have read:

Quote

Day 28 -- 29 March 2016

Added a cooling fan to the front of Desktop PC #3, this one to pull air in as the exhaust fans are on top and in back. The Cyber Tool 34 was made for the #2 Phillips used throughout.Access to the fan mount is through the front, behind the plastic facade which snaps to the front on the left side and hinges on the right side. First step is to get the left panel off so the front facade can be unsnapped by removing its two screws.
. . .

yud · **Reply #40 on:** March 31, 2016, 06:03:06 AM

Good luck on the final day

jalind · **Reply #41 on:** March 31, 2016, 04:07:56 PM

Quote from: yud on March 31, 2016, 06:03:06 AM

Good luck on the final day

THANKS!

John

jalind · **Reply #42 on:** March 31, 2016, 05:10:00 PM

Day 30 -- 31 March 2016

Decided to celebrate on the last day with something that I haven't had in a long time . . . Weizenbier, or perhaps a little more correctly Hefeweizen as it's an unfiltered wheat beer. Last time I had some was long ago in Germany.

Not just to drink it, though, but to make beer bread using it, and of course, since these bottles do not have twist-off caps, the Cyber Tool 34 bottle opener is the perfect tool to use.

When I bake things, it's not just the standard recipe. Extra things to make it more interesting to the palate are added. For this beer bread, a form of quick bread (i.e. it does not use yeast to rise) I've added 4 oz of diced ham and 4 oz of grated hard sharp cheddar cheese, roughly 1 cup of each. I've learned to weigh dry ingredients as it's more accurate than volumetric measures. Afterward I was thinking about 4 oz of pineapple chunks would have been good too. Something for next time I do it with diced ham and grated cheese.

An hour later at 375 F, we have a loaf of bread, albeit it must cool before it can be removed from the stoneware bread pan and sliced. I put some grated cheese on top along with melted butter before heaving it into the oven. Here it's been sliced and I've already had two of them to test it.

It's been a fun 30 days, having to remember documenting something with the Cyber Tool 34 every day!

John

glenfiddich1983 · **Reply #43 on:** March 31, 2016, 07:27:25 PM

That's looking very good!

jalind · **Reply #44 on:** March 31, 2016, 10:14:06 PM

Quote from: glenfiddich1983 on March 31, 2016, 07:27:25 PM

That's looking very good!

Thanks . . . more pieces are gone now, too! Not hard to make, either. Simpler than most folks think as it's a "quick bread." Baking powder is the leavening agent instead of yeast, which eliminates the cycles of kneading and rising that yeast requires.

John