Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Technical Questions pics of my speaker wires

Today's off topic conversation about heat shrink:

While at the farm this past few days, I went to visit my fiancee's cousin. When I pulled up, he was mowing his lawn and his brother-in-law's car was in the driveway with the hood up. I asked what was up. He said that he'd tried starting it and it would stall seconds later, so he popped the hood and found a woodchuck sitting on the engine staring at him, and that it had eaten a wiring harness. I asked if he'd killed it, he said he hadn't, that it was still in the engine compartment.

Between him poking at it with a stick, the dog crawling under the car and barking at it and me with a garden spade waiting to cosh it over the head, it dropped out under the car, but kept climbing back up into the engine compartment. Finally he gets a good poke at it with a piece of rebar and its legs and torso stick out through the frame, but it's managed to wedge its head between the oil pan and crossmember.

After pummeling it repeatedly with the spade while it hung there, effectively turning it into a bag of pulp, we both came to the realization that... we had succeeded in killing the critter, but it was now hanging under the car, up to the groin laying on the ground.

I suggested we fix the wiring harness (the talk of shrink tube triggered this for me) and tell him it's one of those car audiophile ground straps.

Bren R.

Dear Bren,

Thank you for your graphic depiction of the slaughter of a wild animal. I particularly liked the mention of how it's head was wedged, and the nonchalant tone of the description. I personally take pleasure in dropping large stones on mice that get caught in glue traps, and kicking pigeons that walk across my path at the park. Perhaps we should get together sometime to show rodents and other small animals that they should fear us because we are vastly superior to them in all respects.

Sincerely yours,
Andrew

PS: I will bring the alca-seltzer, can you bring a bb-gun?

I too am a bit too left of center to have enjoyed reading that...

Back to shrink wrap tubing...

Once all the pieces arrive for my speaker cable experiement, I'll let you know how it goes. I'll post pics even if it turns out to be a disaster.

You can pick up a heat gun on ebay for about $10. This is the tool for heat shrink. Also polyolefin rather than pvc heatshrink is much better. I also like the dual wall or adhesive type heat shrink. You can find it on ebay too.

this story has finally answered the question,

HOW MUCH WOOD WOULD A WOODCHUCH CHUCK, IF A WOODCHUCK, COULD CHUCK WOOD??

apparently, not very much when its wedged between the oilpan and a crossmember.

i am not fond of little furries either.. we get squirrles in the attic sometimes.. i gotta go up there and get postal on'em.

bigjohn

That's polyolefin. The shiny plastic is PVC, isn't as flexible, and doesn't last as long.

Ouch, guess I should have asked for a show of hands from PETA members first.

Ringmir - next time I'll give you a call and you can come out and give it a written invitation to a pancake breakfast.

Bren R.

I wrote that mostly for humor value, although the nonchalantness did come across a little harsh. In all seriousness though, I like innocent animals, and I hate guilty ones. For example...the pigeons walking across my path go kick-free. However, mice found rummaging through my food get capital punishment (although not gleeful rock smashing). Squirrels in my attic would be murdered in their sleep if I got the chance, that sounds damned annoying. I think chewing through the wiring harness of a car is a sufficient crime to warrant the punishment, I just wonder if you could have gotten him out with a hose or something.

Ringmir-
Whew... was hoping I wasn't being made out as a criminal - I draw the same distinctions - I've taken in strays, contribute to the local no-kill animal shelter and was even a vegetarian for 2 years (until I became anemic - I have enough trouble balancing a diet being able to eat anything, never mind removing a whole food group!)

Although, back to soldering - one of those times when I wish I'd had my own equipment around, replacing a 20ga. wiring harness using only a butane flame-type (not even a butane one that heats a tip!) soldering gun(?), a 4" piece of electrical solder, and the wild choice of 16ga. stranded or 14ga. solid wire was less than fun. Though they did have some P.O. shrink tube in nearly the right size. Ah, well, at least I didn't have to use my Zippo and put on my metallurgists hat and build my own solder out of a chunk of lead and a chunk of tin.

Bren R.

Hmmm.. There is such a thing as a woodchuck? I figured they were like Snipes of the East Coast.
In my minds eye I saw muddy water in the background, thick tick infested underbrush and trees, overalls, sweet smell of fresh baked pie and was that banjo's playing through the rear surrounds?