old crafstman brushwacker - getting resistance on the pull cord...

[Turbosaurus]

I've seen the number stamp on all kinds of things today- but I've never seen the number stamp on a fuel tank... Its good to know. I don't have a heat gun, but I bet I can pull it off with a blowtorch and a light touch... obviously on a clean dry tank i'll wipe with isoproply...

I think this thing is as old as I am.. and forgive me for sounding like a fuddy-duddy but they definitely don't make 'em like they used to. It doesn't have a build date (and I have no desire to figure out the SN code). I used to borrow this one from my dad before I bought my own - and mine has a 2004 build date. My father probably bought this thing in '82 when dinner parties included spray cheese out of a can, and Lionel Richie was on the top 40 lol!

 

[bertsmobile1]

Spray goo that had a cheese flavour was a product only found in the USA ( thank heavens ).
Doing it with a naked flame is very hard as plastics burn and once it starts to burn then the ends of the molecules will have an O on then and no linger able to join onto another plastic molecule.
The heat just provides enough energy for the ends of the molecules to make them active so when they touch another plastic molecule it joins onto the first one and they are welded.

As an aside, any two metals that are absolutely clean will also weld together at quite low temperatures.
This is why transistorised switching got invented.
At very high altitudes ( and in space ) the oxides evaporate off contact surfaces and the amount of heat generated by the power flowing through the switch ( or contacts on points or relays ) is enough to weld the switched closed.

 

[Turbosaurus]

that is absolutely true - there is definitely a huge difference between melting (physical change) and burning (chemical change) and the blow torch is not the right tool

providing enough heat energy to facilitate the chemical bond between plastics (melt) rather than the O2 in the atmosphere (burn) is really going to take a lot of patience.

but I've used a blow torch to soften110 year old window glazing w/o braking the glass (in March) and managed to bend clear acrylic without singing it. Its Not for faint of heart, and if I hadn't used a blow torch incorrectly before I wouldn't try it on what remains of an obsolete part... but its definitely manageable.

and spray goo cheese was fantastic Burt... it's a cultural relic akin to clovis points

 

[bertsmobile1]

No Way for spray cheese.
Occasionally I get a glut of veggies from the garden and the freezer is full so I pop onto the web for some recipies that use whatever I have as a principle ingredient.
I can not believe the stuff that is put up there, particularly by supposedly women's religious groups, unless it is designed specifically to hasten the time before they get to the pearly gates.
I am sure my weight goes up 20 lbs just from reading them.