The Two Poulans

Two Poulan Pro 31cc String Trimmers I picked up, well, more along the lines of "They were in a lot of trimmers I bought" on FBM.

They're actually not bad trimmers, to be honest. Simple operation, but I'm not sure what I think of the top mounted fuel tank, but it's just something different, so perhaps that's the issue? Just not used to it, I guess. We'll see how it grows on me, as I have 2 in this video, however I have a few Homelite trimmers as well, not to mention a pair of Echos, however one is missing a fair amount of parts for it, the other is missing an air filter, and cover. I wish I could find the right part, but eBay is a no go, as the shipping along is quite prohibitive, and there's no way I'm paying that for an air filter cover.
I mean, sure I have already made a profit off the lot, just by selling one trimmer, that I got for free, entirely apart from this lot of trimmers, so I'm already in the positive on them.

Anyway, I'm getting sidetracked. Regarding these two Poulan trimmers, unfortunately one was missing the head, and missing an air filter, and cover, as well as the spark plug. Sure, I have a few plugs around, from salvaging out of other trimmers that were pulled apart for parts, but the parts missing from it made it that I simply cannot actually get it started.

I'll be ordering some replacement parts for the trimmer, such as the air filter cover, gas cap, and primer bulb.  It would be good to have the two working, as they can easily turn a pretty good profit, considering the whole lot is already bought and paid for in full.

On to the repair of these machines, and honestly, it was interesting, to say the least. 
I started off with a spark test, to confirm that, yes, I am getting consistent spark, which I was. That's a 

good sign, I'm sure. Next, I decide, let's check the engine compression, to make sure I'm working with a good engine, which, honestly, I was pretty sure I was, but just to make sure... And this is where things go a little downhill, and that's because of the compression results.  76psi.  That's not a good sign at all! 
But the weird part, is that I got the same reading from a Homelite trimmer. To put that to the test, I decided to test the other Poulan, and sure enough... exact same results!

There's no way that I can use that tester on two three different machines, and get the exact same results, without calling the tester faulty... Although to be fair, it isn't technically faulty, it's just horribly inaccurate with engines of that size.
Larger engines, such as on Lawnmowers, it is much more accurate, and gives very good results.

Nevertheless, I pressed on with the repair, understanding that the results I got with the compression tester are entirely inconclusive, and cannot be used in terms of determining the health of the engine.
Next was checking the piston, and cylinder out.  That meant, pulling the exhaust, and sure enough.. Springs! Oh how I love springs (no I don't)...

That was an entirely new challenge.. Pulling apart the machine was pretty simple, it was only a dozen or so screws, and the machine was apart. 
Then I was confronted, face to face, with the dreaded spring restraint exhaust.  I do not like those, and would much prefer they have bolts, as springs are nothing more than stored kinetic energy.
They can cause much pain!

Well, I fought and fought, and sure enough, got the hooks off... The cylinder looked perfect, as did the piston. Ring moved just fine, and so I put it back together.
But I had to fight with the machine, as those springs really did put up a fight, and didn't want to go back on.

Carburetor was then opened up, with the diaphragm being a rock.. hahaha! It was hilarious! It was as stiff as cardboard, and would do no pumping... So carburetor was put into a Mineral Spirits bath, inside a glass jar, then placed into the ultrasonic cleaner for about 20 minutes to get nice and clean.  And nice and clean it was!

Bought a new diaphragm for it, shipped from Amazon, put the carburetor together, reinstalled it on the machine, replaced the fuel lines, reinstalled it on the shaft, added fuel, and....

Took it outside for its first test... and sure enough! It fired up just fine and dandy.. 
Sounded fantastic!  

It's always satisfying when a machine fires up after you've repaired it.  

If you haven't already, check out the video! 

Anyway guys, chat soon!

 

What I've Learned On YouTube So Far

 One of the most interesting things I've learned so far on YouTube is the absolute necessity of a good thumbnail.  
It's something I struggle with, but a few videos I have managed to turn a poor performing video into one that has just been gaining in views at a very steady rate.

The video in question, originally, was called "MTD Episode IV: A New Rope", and I even have an awesome Star Wars intro, but due to the Star Wars theme being copyrighted, I had to use a "Commons" music piece, but it sorta works.
Unfortunately, the original Thumbnail performed very poorly, so I had to change it, but prior to changing it, I thought it was the name. So I changed the name to "I Bought A Cheap Lawnmower"... It picked up a view or two, but it still was performing quite poorly.

So I changed the thumbnail, and waited.... 
I didn't have to wait long either, as it just took off.  Going from 167 views 118 days after publishing, to 1100 views in 245 days since publishing. 

Quite remarkable really, at how well it took off.

So in summary, if you're considering starting a YouTube channel yourself, here are a quick few tips.

I highly recommend starting with at least 3-5 videos, all of which you upload all at once. The reason for this, is simple. You're a brand new channel, and you need to grow your viewer base.  By uploading 3 to 5 videos, you show that you have more content.. That said, you don't have to publish them immediately upon uploading. Have at least 3 more videos recorded for "future content" that publishes on the time of your decision, showing that you'll be back, say, weekly, daily, monthly, etc... Up to you, but it'll give you some time in between to get more video ideas worked out, and a small buffer to record, edit, and publish.

Use the "Scheduled Publish" to your advantage, as you have have several videos uploaded, ready to go, and let it publish on a schedule that you decide on.

This will help your viewer base grow, and your new audience will know how often to expect a video from you.

That said, also make sure that you have a good cover page, and a profile photo, so new viewers can see they're in the right place.

That said, the biggest thing, is have fun, and invest in yourself, but don't overdo it, or you'll burn out.

Anyway guys..

Chat soon...

A New Direction

Although this is a Photography Blog, it is not strictly a photography blog. I do have a post about the dangers of CFL bulbs.  Although CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light) bulbs are not something sold anymore, due to the absolute domination of LED bulbs, and the odd few Incandescent that are still sold, CFLs are pretty much nearly non-existent.
I plan on updating this blog a bit more regularly, however I'm not going to strictly focus on photography. I plan on focusing on a multitude of things that I enjoy, from small engine repair, to automotive repair, and discussion, to the discussion of the ridiculous Electric Vehicle push.

So an update on what I've been up to. Well for starters I left the podcast I was with for several years, due to a complete falling out with the Podcast main-host. I'd rather not get into it, but he is quite narcissistic, and incredibly rude. It was for the best, and I had already planned on leaving the podcast as it was moving completely in the wrong direction, and had lost the plot.
So after leaving, I ended up putting down my cameras, and focusing on learning new skills, and honing the ones I have.

For one, I had started up a YouTube Channel, but no, it wasn't a serious attempt and push into the world of YouTube, it was an experiment, and an experience.  I learned a lot about video editing, and planning.  I mostly learned editing, planning however I was still out to lunch on, and same with video production. Good grief I was terrible.

I did it for about a year, but then left YouTube as I found the niche to be too restricting, and limited. After being off YouTube for a couple of years, and mostly just focusing on work, and family, I got laid off, and had to figure out what to do with my time away from work, little realizing that I'd be off for several months (close to a year) before going back to work.  That was when I learned about the repair of small engines.  
Of all things, when so many people are going to Battery Electric, why would I want to start repairing gasoline engines?  Well, for one, gasoline engines are not going anywhere, anytime soon. Let's face it, generators are going to start to become a hot ticket item as more and more people start to claim to switch to electric cars. 
So someone will need to know how to repair those engines to keep them running.
However, instead of just learning first how to repair these engines, I decided to document my journey on YouTube at the same time.  Crazy idea, I know.
It is what it is.

So fast forward to today, I'm both working, and repairing small engines on the side, while recording YouTube videos.

I plan on mixing up my YouTube channel and blog together. 
I think it'll be a great mix, sharing the video on Blogger, with a post on what I did, why I did what I did, and any other story along with the video and repair.
Hopefully they mesh together, and I can keep it going.  It will be a challenge, but will be worth it.

So, this may be a bit all over the place, but right now, I pretty much am too.

Chat soon guys!

Evolving In The New Reality

Time continues to march forward, and technology continues to evolve.
My last post, I was discussing having a hiatus from photography, published on December 25th, 2019.

Little did I know that the following year, well. All hell broke loose!

Suddenly we're slammed into the middle of a crazy pandemic, with people scared, and the doors are closed everywhere for weeks on end.
Grocery Stores were deserts, with little patronage, as they had queues lined up outside, everyone forced to stand six feet apart.

I didn't do a lot of shooting much after that, at least not on film, and I sold my digital gear during that time at home, no longer using it I decided it'd best serve someone who will use it.

I sold several of my film cameras as I am downsizing my collection, significantly, not to mention sending giving away many to old friends, who I haven't had much contact with after the Pandemic, and it seems I'm not alone as many people grew distant during that time in forced isolation.

However, here we are, almost 5 years after that post, and I've learned to appreciate how far technology has actually come over the past few years. 
Now picking up a new hobby, 

Pulling apart these small engines, and repairing them.
It's actually led me down a path to start a YouTube channel, which has been quite an enlightening, and fulfilling experience.

Now what does this have to do with appreciating how far technology has come?
Well, the video capabilities of my cell phone has surprised me immensely, plus the multitude of different accessories that you can get for them, for the purposes of recording video seamlessly, is astonishing. From wireless microphones that have crystal clear audio quality, to 4k 60p video that has stunning detail.  Sure, it may seem like I'm giving massive praise to digital technology, but in all fairness, digital technology is far superior in cost, to production, to value, for video recording, that ya, I will have to give Digital that win.

But with photography, there's no reason for the image to be instantaneous, as it's meant to be a memory captured for a lifetime, where as video trends are fleeting.

However for the niche I do on YouTube, I appreciate the "How-To" style videos, as those style have helped me learn multiple different techniques, and skills in video and photo editing, plus how to maintain, service, and repair the small engines I make videos of doing just that.

Lawnmowers, generators, weed trimmers, chainsaws, etc. Pretty much anything with a small engine, I'll happily toot around with it and see what I can figure out how to repair it.

Sometimes I am able to, sometimes I'm not. Most times I have been able to get them running, and have even had a small side hustle selling refurbished machines for a small profit.
Keeps them out of our landfills, and helps others get a much more affordable machine, and they're often better built.

Now, this being a photography blog, I cannot lie, I do often use my phones as a camera. 
Whether on a walk with my youngest, and the dogs, where the phone does a pretty impressive job in low light, keeping the image together, without losing the detail.

I have to give digital photography a win in this aspect, as low-light situations are definitely a lot easier to do with a digital sensor that can keep the detail at a high ISO, than a film equivalent version can, however I'm sure a film version is more than doable, as I have done it. I just find that cost vs reward just isn't.

Using a phone, as I always have it on me, does give me a bit of liberal use of the camera on it for some lovely landscapes, especially of the sunsets while traveling on the country roads, with the vast farm fields around.
It can be quite picturesque.

But there's a certain aspect that I cannot lie, it is somewhat lost, using a phone for the imagery, but honestly, in the end, I can't be bothered to make the argument anymore.
I've lost a significant amount of interest in shooting film, in general, as I have just lost the desire to spend countless hours of processing, developing, scanning, and editing the images. The time freedoms allowed by just pulling out the phone, double pressing the power button, and using the volume button as a psuedo shutter button, with multiple cameras set up for multiple different functions, such as a built in telephoto, wide angle, and standard angle, all which can work in unison for some impressive photos.

Anyway, I digress... If you have interest in learning about small engines, do check out my YouTube channel, and I do plan on making the odd post in the future.  As the feelings take me to post.

Until next time...