Well, after all this time i finally did an engine swap so I have the working engine on my old deck (which is in better shape and better tranny). I noticed fuel leaking onto the deck from the carb area so i replace the fuel lines and got better clamps to ensure the leak wasn't coming from where the fuel line connects to the carb or to the bottom of the gas tank. Today, i noticed that since i've done that there is still a slow leak of fuel coming from the carb area. I can rule out any leaking from the fuel lines so it must be coming from the carb itself or possible where the carb connects to the main engine (bad gasket?). I should mention that i put the air cleaner and the muffler from my original mower on to this engine. So, as far as fixing this leak what do you guys suggest? Options: Order the carb kit that has new gaskets etc and see if that stops the leaking OR I could take the carb off the other engine clean it and see if that one leaks or not (I've never cleaned a carb so I'd need some advice on that). I did take off the carb on the engine I"m not using today and after fighting to get the carb rod loose I got the carb off. I must admit it's kinda of a pain but at the same time I'm enjoying messing with engine myself. This is my first engine project. Sorry for the long post.

You know, I keep finding myself dreaming of some way to rig up a garbage disposal unit over my compost bin, so I can dump my kitchen pail right into it and have it grind everything into little bits. I guess it's just one of those crazy notions that often fill my gourd, but it is one that visits me often. As far as tetanus shots go, I have been wondering what kind of critters are in that pile, along with the warm and fuzzy types. I never thought of tetanus though. I do wonder if "quarrum sensing" goes on in there, to cause one species to check out who else exists in the neighborhood, and what that might cause to happen or not happen. It makes me want to learn a whole lot more about microbiology.

Since I live across the pond from you, I am curious as to what 30 quid would be to us in the states. To me the term quid sounds much more charming than does our buck or dollar. Commercial shot or sandblasters might be an option for you; you might ask around at local metal fabricators, machine shops or auto body shops. If you go the paint stripper route, there probably will be diificult to remove paint in nooks and crannies that a DIY suction-type sandblaster could probably clean up.

Wish this conversation was more current. I have a vulcan range with six eyes fitted for propane. I never thought about the issue until I had it for a while. I had old timey ranges that only had pilots and it never seemed like an issue. These six eyes have large pilots that waste a lot of gas. The oven is a completely separate issue. I'm also a jack of all trades electrical engineer that has been a controls engineer and a controller board designer among other things. The post about the igniter control module is probably the most reasonable way out, but then you need a solenoid valve that must be activated to supply the gas and time out if the flame detect feedback signal is not received. Right there I'm already over anybody's head that does not have at least some of my training. That is also a point of contention for me because consumer type controllers have no source code or schematics so you can maintain the thing indefinitely. They expect you to throw it away after 5 to 10 yrs and when a controller goes out that you can no longer get (and they are ridiculously expensive if you can) typically renders an otherwise perfectly operating appliance worthless. So let say one other thing in response to the post above that defended the high price of consumer type similar stoves: You will always notice that the commercial grade are built from much heavier gauge metal and and have less custom plastic or otherwise easily damageable parts on them. Those reasons are why I wanted a commercial range. I am still on the fence of what to do. One option I have considered is use igniter modules with a solenoid valve at the oven input regulator and then I will need a user interface, the simplest being a small NEMA enclosure with some industrial push buttons and and lights. Next I need a way to control these. This falls in 3 categories: 1) a bunch of relays ('70's stle industrial control - big, cumbersome, wiring in a cabinet, but he most Neanderthal electrician that work on it, but you need to know how to design it, but it's not rocket science). 2) a PLC - (programmable logic controller) - some electricians can work on these, these days, the are reasonable price ones out there but you need the experience of design and programming - another step up from relays - however, if the PLC has an Ethernet connection and a Modbus interface, you can integrate you oven control into an overall home control system and control or monitor it from the other side of the world. 3) The next is custom design a board with a microprocessor, the advantage being that you can make the wiring minimalist, but beyond that the requirements of what you need to be able to do are so great I won't waste any time discussing it further. No one else would be able to ever work on it and your insurance company would not like it. I lamented the same issues when I designed my septic system that uses crude float switch control and ended up using a PLC for that project. The inspector passed my system and said it was the most sophisticated in the county. So I can monitor the flow of T---s from the other side of the planet....Eureka !!!! Seriously there are a lot of advantages to it, but that is way beyond the scope of this post.