6/18/12

So Friday evening I left work a little early and went to Automotive Machine to pick up my cylinder head.  Oh, I also stopped in at the credit onion to get a money order for a speeding ticket and some cash to get the head out of hock.  I dropped the head in Fiona's trunk and headed over to say “Hey!” to Kevin at… whatever that place is where he works.  From there I went to local “Ticket Fixer” James Mallory to drop off the money order for differed adjudication on said speeding ticket.  After that I went to Northern Tool & Supply to get a valve spring compressor.  They didn’t have one.  I don’t remember if I went anywhere else that evening… well, except home.  Saturday morning I helped mom with her computer then went to Harbor Freight (AKA Pearl Harbor or Harbor Fright) for the valve spring compressor.  I then went to the shop.  The parts for Gregg's father’s Saiga 12, and one of my trigger groups, had arrived the other day so I had my tactical 7.62x39 in the trunk as well.  I decided to go ahead and install the new US made hammer, sear, and disconnector in that gun before messing with Lil' Wiggly's heads.  I disassembled the gun and cut the trigger off of the sear then installed the new parts.  The Tapco sear is much nicer than the Arsenal unit… but both are better than the Russian sear.  The Arsenal and Russian sears make for a really long trigger pull whereas the Tapco sear is nice and quick and crisp.  I did smooth and polish the contact areas on the sear and hammer, and it is better than when I first installed it, but it still has the long pull.  I might have a look at “tuning” the Arsenal sear some more later.  We’ll see.  With the gun reassembled and in the trunk, I had a look at Lil' Wiggly's head.  I removed the #1 zorst valve and took the bits to the new head.  I DO have the suction cup lapping tool.  It does NOT work.  I wound up spinning the valve with the stem and lapping the face.  When I had it all clean of lapping compound, I took a valve stem seal and tried to install it.  Yeah, that ain’t happening without some special tool.  I wound up ruining one seal.  Fortunately I found another set of seals so we’re going to be ok.  Also, the “Head Off” valve spring compressor I bought won't quite reinstall the valves.  I stopped and walked away before something expensive got broke.  I cleaned up and left.  I took Fifi to Lowes to shop for an OSHA approved cabinet for my oils, pains and other chemicals.  They don’t carry them.  I went back to Northern Tool & Supply… they don’t have them either.  I had a look at Harbor Fright while there and they don’t have them either… either.  Why am I looking for an OSHA approved cabinet?  Because I got a letter from the facility saying their insurance, and the fire marshal, ordered it to be so.  I'm really getting ready to move away from there.  I knew I could get one at the Grainger store behind Bloodbath & Beyond so I headed this direction.  They aren’t open on Saturday.  I went back to the shop to swap back into Fiona and when I pulled in the gate I saw Marty Smith coming out of his shop.  I asked if he were in trouble with the fire marshal too.  He’s got it worse since he actually lives in his building and has to comply with even more bullshit.  I asked if he were willing to follow me home and bring me back so I could take Fifi to the house.  He was willing but wanted another half hour.  I went to my shop and replaced the nut on my tactical 7.62x39's cleaning rod with one like on the shotgun’s rod.  I cut the notch in the barrel shroud for the captive washer to click into and reinstalled the rod to the gun.  I can now pick up either gun with the cleaning rod and it won't slip out.  I'm sure I did something else but eventually went back to meet Marty.  He followed me home and brought me back to Fiona.  I then went to the shoosting range in Whiskey Flats and tried out the new 9mm.  Me rikee rots!  I burned up all but fifteen rounds of the +P ammo and then went home.  There I cleaned the gun and loaded all of my remaining +P ammo into the two magazines for the pistol.  I put five or six loose rounds I had forgotten about in the magazine of the Beretta 9mm carbine and went on line.  I ordered a “Head Off” valve spring compressor from Summit and went shopping for OSHA approved cabinets.  Now I'm really pissed at the facility.  I have to buy a fucking $500.00 cabinet so YOUR insurance company will be happy.  Why the fuck don’t YOU have to buy the goddamned thing?  I find one on McMaster Carr’s site but can't quite afford it right now.  I did buy an “oily rag” bucket thing and the momentary off push button switch for Lil' Wiggly's fuel pump and headlight cutoff starting circuit.  I wasted the rest of the evening and all day Sunday.  So, there you have it.  I'll tell y'all about the feely-meely, lovey-dovey, hippie-crap show I had to attend today… um, tomorrow.