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Thursday, December 28, 2023
Tuesday, December 12, 2023
Brivis Wombat gas heater-
Watching TV last night and must have fallen asleep because I didn't notice anything. ET yells out did I turn the heater on - nope - so got up to have a look. Ceiling vents blowing cold air... UH-OH
Checked the thermostat and heater was turned off - not good.
Thursday, December 7, 2023
Saturday, December 2, 2023
Friday, December 1, 2023
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Saturday, November 25, 2023
Wi-Fi Chicken Annex Door - Upgrade 1
As planned I have upgraded the 3mm MDF door to a heavy gauge carbon steel Cookie Sheet - Arrruuuuggghh! (Tim Allen).
Product Details
• Dimensions/Size:
• Exterior: 1.8cm (H) x 43.5cm (W) x 28.3cm (D)
• Interior: 1.6cm (H) x 38.1cm (W) x 25.4cm (D)
• Material: Carbon steel
• Colour: Black
Features
• Medium size
• Heavy gauge, carbon steel for enhanced cooking performance and even heat distribution
• Premium 2 layer non-stick coating
• Oven safe up to 230 deg.
• PFOA free coating
Thursday, November 16, 2023
Wi-Fi Chicken Door - Painting 2
Chicken annex door - standing in the annex looking out.
Wednesday, November 15, 2023
Sunday, November 12, 2023
Wi-Fi Bird Feeder repairs - Part 2
For Part 1 we repaired, modified and strengthened the bird feeder.
For this session we are reducing the height of the stand down to about five and a half feet.
Girls have been with me all the time in the workshop scanning for every individual seed lol.Saturday, November 11, 2023
Wi-Fi Bird Feeder repairs - Part 1
We need to further strengthen the feeder to withstand Cockatoo attacks!
Remove the Wi-Fi Valve aka Actuator from the base mount.Thursday, November 2, 2023
Wi-Fi Chicken Annex Door 5
With a medical appointment this morning and a dental one this afternoon wasn't much left of the day but did manage to fix the wire mesh to the door frames.
Trimming and stapling the wire mesh onto the internal (chook run) door frame.Wednesday, November 1, 2023
Wi-Fi Chicken Annex Door - Part 4
With the wi-fi chicken annexe door installed went back this morning to tidy up the wiring for that. Looking around decided to review all the wiring - electrical and networking - and it's a good thing I did that!
Setting up to tidy-up the annexe door wiring.Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Wi-Fi Chicken Annexe Door - Part 3
With the annex door installed into the annex gate we can move onto mounting the actuator on a base and make the actuator arm.
The door actuator is ready to install.Sunday, October 29, 2023
Wi-Fi Chicken Annexe Door - Part 2
In this session we installed the wi-fi door into the annexe gate.
Removed the annexe gate and took it into the workshop.Saturday, October 28, 2023
Wi-Fi Chicken Annexe Door - Part 1
Making another door this time for the chook run annexe gate.
I stuffed around for quite a while making the first one for the chook run this one took less than one hour!
This one will cop the weather so we are using exterior 3mm plywood.Wi-Fi Chicken Door - Upgrade 1
Yesterday we did the cookie sheet upgrade to external annex door. Today we are doing the same upgrade to the internal chook run door.
Thursday, October 26, 2023
Wi-Fi Bird feeder - Part 4
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
Wi-Fi Bird feeder - Part 3A
In the last session we mounted the water valve on a round plywood base.
Wi-Fi Bird feeder - Part 2
This time I'm discarding the supplied hardware; mounting foot and pipe clamp and instead using a mounting block to which the actuator will be secured with nuts & bolts.
Wi-Fi Bird Feeder - Part 1
I still have things to do with the Wi-Fi Chicken Door, some refinements and also need to paint everything.
Taking a break from that and starting a Wi-Fi bird feeder. This is for our Bluey the rose-ringed parakeet AKA ringneck parrot.
Bluey visits us morning and afternoon.Tuesday, October 24, 2023
Wi-Fi Chicken Door - Echo Show Demo
This video shows how the wi-fi chicken door can be controlled via the Smart Life app on Amazon Echo Show.
Monday, October 23, 2023
Saturday, October 21, 2023
Thursday, October 19, 2023
Wi-Fi Chicken Door - Part 10B
After gathering the tools we need went out to start installing the chook door and then... the heat got to me!
Wi-Fi Chicken Door - Part 10A
Construction photos showing the main components and configuration of the device via the Alexa app on my Samsung J7 Pro phone.
For testing am using my 14" band saw to secure the actuator mechanism (wi-fi valve)Monday, October 16, 2023
Wi-Fi Chicken Door - Part 9B
In the last session we decided to use the wi-fi valve mounting hardware and here we are making a new frame for the smaller 3mm MDF door using the previous chicken door.
Wi-Fi Chicken Door - Part 9A
Having another go with a revised valve mounting arrangement and a lighter weight door. The actuator was struggling to lift the door not helped by me jamming it a few times stressing the servo mechanism.
I put that one aside for the Bluey bird feeder.
Saturday, October 14, 2023
Wi-Fi Chicken Door - Part 8
The 3mm plywood sliding door has been replaced with 3mm MDF.
The wi-fi valve was doing the job but the actuator arm was struggling a bit to complete the lift.
More thinking...
Friday, October 13, 2023
Wi-Fi Chicken Door - Part 7B
In this session we are routing the pulley, assembly and working mock-up.
Wi-Fi Chicken Door - Part 7A
With the door and frame assembled we can now start working out how to mount the water valve with a string connection to the top of the door - new ground.
Wednesday, October 11, 2023
Wi-Fi Chicken Door - Part 6
For this session we are up to the point where the frame sides and the bottom (base) have been screwed together with the door sliding nicely up and down. In the next session we will fit the frame top and take it from there. Oh... lovely day.
We can start putting it all together.Tuesday, October 10, 2023
Wi-Fi Chicken Door - Part 5
Back after lunch... we are going to route channels in the frame sides. I haven't used the router table for over 12 months, had to clear away all the stuff that was stored on top and brush off all the sawdust - and cobwebs.
Monday, October 9, 2023
Wi-Fi Chicken Door - Part 3
With the Wi-Fi Valve setup and operating we can start making the door frame and the actual door that will slide up and down inside a frame.
After rummaging through my limited timber supplies this should get us started.
Timber is so expensive these days!
Wi-Fi Chicken Door - Part 2B
With the smart valve setup and operating we can start making the actual door that will slide vertically inside a door frame.
Sunday, October 8, 2023
Wi-Fi Chicken Door - Part 1
Looking for a way to let the chooks in and out main chook run and the adjacent chook annex. With that in mind doing some research to come up with some ideas to make a wi-fi controlled chicken door that would sit inside the chook run gate, at the bottom and centered.
Saturday, August 26, 2023
Friday, August 25, 2023
Windows Explorer crashing
I have been jousting with this for a while now!
Explorer crashes if I try to copy a file or folder or right click to view file or folder properties - bugger!
I use WFE a lot to manage media for Facebook and blogging.
Tried all the usual things including running SFC to check for corrupt system files and finally started investigating shell extensions in particular third party shell extensions - Bingo!
Download ShellExView:
The Bone Bus
Thursday, August 24, 2023
Rosie roost - Version 6.2.1
Bin collection today
Yellow bin is recycle and Green garden & kitchen waste.
This week Yellow is chockers due mainly to the concurrent annual hard waste collection so I've been doing the rounds collecting whatever can go out.
Before the trucks come around council inspectors have been monitoring bin contents to check that residents are following the bin sorting rules - they are watching! Some neighbours have had their bins tagged warning and notifying to follow the rules.
Anyway... went out this morning with another hand full for the Yellow bin a we have - been tagged!
Wednesday, August 23, 2023
Tuesday, August 22, 2023
Sunday, August 20, 2023
Looking for the Wi-Fi Chicken Doors?
Stay tuned... over the next few days I will be catch-up posting the Wi-Fi chicken Doors. Oh... and my Wi-Fi Bird Feeder. I'll be back...
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SK5 steel, non stick coated cutting blade Includes saw attachment Telescopic aluminium pole Ideal for sawing or lopping hard to reach p...
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Suitable for use in the chook run where there is 240V power for the 12V power supply or powered from 12V SLA battery (also solar panel) for ...