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When many vehicle owners need car, truck, van, RV, or jeep parts, they usually turn to their local junkyard. Many of these junk yards have a pick and pull policy. Meaning, you can buy the part for cheap, but you must find that part yourself and remove it from the vehicle in question. Although it sounds like a lot of work, it is a great way to find cheap auto parts. Another way is visiting Craigslist.org. In fact, which is the best approach?

Unfortunately, not all junkyards in the United States sell used car parts. This is unfortunate, as these pick and pull yards have shown us that even the oldest cars and those in the worst shape still have salvageable parts. If you do not have access to one of these auto establishments, it is best to visit Craigslist.org. To get started, select your state and then the nearest city. Browse or search the website to find car, truck, van, RV, or jeep parts.

One of the many benefits to using Craigslist to find cheap car accessories is the search function. You don’t have to spend hours sifting through a junkyard to find what you need. Instead, you sit at home on your computer and perform a search. To find the best deals and what you need, search with targeted phrases. Search with the make, model, or part you need. For example, Honda Civic fenders, Mercedes hubcaps, Geo Tracker door, Dodge Ram tailgate, and so forth.

At most pick and pull auto yards, you are charged a set price for each part. This is good if you only need one or two items. However, many buyers want to have an entire junk car on hand for parts in the future. At an established auto yard, this can cost you thousands of dollars or more. On Craigslist.org you are likely to find better prices. You may get a junk car for as little as $100! These cars don’t run and the seller doesn’t want to bother with needed repairs, so they sell the vehicle as a junk car and sell it for next to nothing. The only downside is you may need to rent or borrow a car trailer to tow it home.

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Source by Adnan Masood

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Concrete cleaning can be a lucrative business to start. Here are some tips which will help you do it right.

First and foremost there is one thing you need to understand when you are cleaning concrete and that is that concrete cannot always be restored to its virgin state after it has been stained. You can always get stains lighter or bleached but completely removing it is very difficult. So when talking to a customer explain this to them otherwise they will be asking for a job that just can’t be done unless the entire concrete slab is ripped up and re-poured. Now with that in mind let’s talk about equipment that is needed for this type of work. Remember safety is always important when working with a pressure washer. Some times there are chemicals involved in cleaning some stains. Thus, you should always use some type of eye protection. Also, when you are using chemicals you need to wear jeans to protect your legs.

Chemicals made for concrete are very strong and should not be toyed with. Would a person rather work with dry feet or wet? It is recommended that you get rubber waders or some type of rubber boot. They will keep your feet from getting wet and keep them from getting burned by the 250 degree water. Orange cones are also important to have for this job. These help make people visually aware that you are there if you are in a high traffic area or where there are a lot of contract workers at say a newly constructed house that needs the concrete cleaned. This makes everyone around you safe and you are helping prevent accidents. Of course you are going to need a Hydro-Twister for this job. You can technically do the job with a wand but it will take a lot more time and water, not to mention you can cause streaking if you are not using even strokes across the slab of concrete. Most of the new car wash trucks come with them now but if you don’t have one and or you need a second unit and go to buy one be sure to get the larger of the two. There my be only a 5 inch difference in surface coverage but it is well worth it when you are trying to save time without cutting corners.

Remember this business is all about time relevant to money. You want to be making at least a $1 a minute when doing concrete work at a minimum and aim for $100 to $200 per hour. If you are not achieving this income level then you work too slowly or you did not bid correctly on the accounts you are taking. You need to have a work order form. This form should have an area for time it took to do the job, how many people were on the job, gas to get to the site and mileage to get to the site. If you need a sheet like this the trainers (Jason & Rand) in Scottsdale will be more then happy to fax you one. Call them at 1-602-432-1308.

For your wand you need to use a green tip for steam and a yellow or 15-degree tip for breaking up dirt from an area or pushing the dirty water from an area. You need to have an extra one hundred feet of pressure hose with you on the truck. This extra hose needs to be available when you are at a job site where there are many contract workers and space is limited. More then two hundred feet of hose will be required to get to places like the back yards of houses. You will also need two hundred feet of garden hose. More often than not you will have a job that requires more than 200 gallons of water or multiple jobs on a single day that will use more than 200 gallons of water. You have to remember that hard water is not really all that important when doing concrete. Soft water is good for doing vehicles to help prevent hard water spots but is not necessary for concrete. Plus, it is not worth the time to refill your water tank just do concrete. If you have a regular concrete cleaning customer you may just want to tell them you will use their water and you will decrease their bill by about fifty dollars a month to help cover their water bill.

You need a push broom or hand brooms to help move lose dirt before starting the job. On larger jobs you may want to consider a blower, the type that are used for lawns. This will help move more dirt faster. You need a floor squeegee for helping push water out if you are in a garage or other area where water should not stand very long. The half-moon shaped floor squeegee works best. Plus it helps identify an area that you may need to go over again or chemically treat to get the stain out. A flat-ended shovel is important to have if you have concrete that has spilled on the flat slab already or small rocks that have accumulated on the concrete. If you spray the concrete when these little rocks are still on there and you hit them just right; they may catch a nearby window and cause damage. You could break up the excess concrete with the pressure wand but once again this is wasting time and money that you could be making at your next job. A very important item to have is some type of cover plate. This plate will be placed in front of doorways or floorboards when you are using the wands to get around the edges of the concrete. A lot of the competition does not make this additional effort when doing a job. This is what makes us the best because we care about the work that we do.

The truck should be set up so that you can use a garden hose and external water supply should we need one for concrete or other types of jobs. The trucks should come with quick releases between the tank and the intake tube to the pressure washer. There should also be a valve that is turned so the water is running from the black tank that now holds the external water that comes in. There needs to be a connection for a water hose that is on top of the black small tank. The inside of the tank can be fitted with a floater in it so water will not run over when you are not depressing the trigger and letting out water. When cleaning concrete always use 3000+ PSI and 250+ degree water. These two elements are key to cleaning concrete effectively and correctly. Now let’s talk about chemicals for a minute.

To clean rust there is a product made by Simonize (that can be ordered from Howard at AAA Pressure Washers)

http://www.aaapws.com

that is called Concrete Cleaner and Etch. This chemical is an acid and can be very dangerous. To apply this chemical you can spray it with a metal hand held spray canister. If you use a sprayer that has plastic parts to it, the sprayer won’t last more then a one or two times before the parts melt and it is useless. The chemical should be mixed 50-50 with water. If you are using it on colored concrete try a test patch first because this stuff bleaches and lightens so it might make it lighter than the original concrete. For removing oil or grease stains Simonize SC-260 can be used. It is a granule type chemical that looks like kitty litter. To apply it you need to wet down the area to be treated first then spread a thin layer of it over the spot. Take a brush and agitate it to work it in. Let it set about fifteen to twenty minutes before removing it. Make sure you are very through in removing the granules. This next chemical should be used for emergencies if at all possible. This stuff is very thick and should be applied with a roller brush that is an adhesive type roller. Let it set for fifteen to twenty minutes and then remove it being very careful not to get it on you or any of the other chemicals for that matter. To develop the most efficient use of time at a concrete job site one person should be sweeping up loose debris from the work area while the other is setting up the equipment. Be sure all the corners are swept well because this is the area where most lose dirt seems to end up. Remember that when you hydro twist an area that you are simply lifting the dirt and stains.

You need to go back over the areas afterwards to move the dirt away from the concrete. After you have used the hydro twister on the area you then need to cover all siding up with your cover plate or what ever guard you find works best and proceed to hand wand any trouble spots and the outer edges of the concrete. Finally, when working where a lot of contractors are working be sure to be polite and try to work around them. You never know who they have contacts with. They may refer you to some one else. Concrete is a great “filler” account if it happens to be raining. You can always do concrete in any type of weather and it pays very well for what you to do for the job. So remember, concrete work is always good to have.

For ideas on marketing it might be a good idea to go to;

http://www.concretewashguys.com

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Source by Lance Winslow

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Pet Transportation Services are needed as the number of pets in the U.S. has grown tremendously over the past few decades. According to the U.S. Pet ownership and Demographics sourcebook, there are an estimated 60 million dogs and 70 million cats in American homes today. Apart from that, households which own pets have been recorded to spend 36% more in 2001 as compared to 1996. With this, owning a business that caters to the pet market, including a pet transportation service has lots of potential for healthy growth.

This is due to the fact that many Americans move around the country yearly and thus would require pet transportation services to move their pets as well. On a smaller scale, pet transportation services can also cater for local residents who require these services to transport their pets to and from the vet, within a local area or even to the crematorium for pets which have died.

Start Up Costs and Financing Sources:

Starting a pet transportation business really depends on the scale that you want your business to be. If you want to start on a smaller scale, all you really need is probably a pickup truck that has been modified to be safe and suitable for the transport of animals. Of course, you will need to set up an office or operate from your home with just a telephone, email and a fax machine. All of these will cost you less than $20,000.

On a larger scale, especially when you are considering cross border transportation, you will probably need to invest on a larger truck that can accommodate a few pets at the same time. Apart from that, the insides of the truck will need to be made suitable, safe and clean for pets, with adequate ventilation and cleaning facilities. In order to make this business viable, you may need to quickly expand your business to include sales agent offices in various locations. This way, you can build up business volume in order to increase profitability. All of these may cost you anywhere from $200,000 to $500,000 in initial start up costs.

Financing can be obtained from investors who may be interested in the potentials of such a business. Other than that, lending institutions such as banks can be approached to obtain a loan for the business. As with any business start-up, an impressive business plan must be developed for potential investors and financiers, indicating the potential growth as well as the estimated annual costs and revenue of the business.

Pricing Guidelines for Service:

The pricing strategy for a pet transportation service business fluctuates based on the fixed and variable cost of the business, as well as the nature of the service provided. Local transportation services may start with a minimum charge of $20 to $40 for the first 20 miles and an additional $10 for every 10 miles after that.

As for interstate transportation or transportation between cities, the distance between the origin and the destination will be the major price determinant. With this, prices may range from $100 and up, depending also on the size of the animal and the pet carrier.

Advertising and Marketing:

As you are targeting pet owners, the best marketing approach would to advertise in locations where pet owners would go. Reading material for pet owners as well as events that are attended by the same target group. Placing brochures within pet stores and probably awarding pet stores with commissions for every customer they recommend to you would be a good idea. Advertising in pet magazines or getting a write up on your services would be helpful. Of course, classified ads in the Yellow pages are a must in order to make it easy for customers to locate you.

Other channels of promotion would be participation as a vendor in dog shows or exhibitions. Doing this will help increase awareness on the existence of the business. Additionally, working with associations such as the American Kennel Association would create and improve visibility to pet breeders and pet store owners. Especially when you participate in events organized by these associations.

Launching a website and allowing potential customers to get instant price estimates from your website would also be a great idea.

Essential Equipment

This business requires a fair amount of equipment, in which the most important would be the vehicle that is used to transport the animals. Apart from that, other equipment such as crates, kennels and carriers may be required as some customers do not have these items with them. The size and usage of these crates must be according to the guidelines set by the Independent Pet and Animal Transport Association (IPATA).

Handlers and drivers will need to be employed to care for the animals while they are in transit. Other equipment required would be built-in sinks within the vehicle to allow for easy cleaning and water refills.

Recommended training, experience, or needed skills:

There is no extensive training required for a pet transportation service business. However, good and responsible drivers and animal handlers need to be engaged. It would be best if you have a background and experience in handling animals during travel so you can train your staff and ensure that they are handling animals in the correct manner. Apart from that, your staff must also know what to do if they encounter problems during the journey, and should also be equipped with the latest kennel and vet location information in case of emergencies.

Apart from that, the business owner must be well informed on all legal requirements pertaining to pet transportation. For example, there are IPATA guidelines on the size of crates and wire crates that are required by law. Moreover, all pets must be accompanied by an inter-state travel certificate that has been certified by a veterinarian.

Income potential:

The income potential of this business is dependent on how large the business grows to. A larger business with multiple offices and destinations will be able to sustain a higher sales volume. With this, the pet transportation business will be able to generate at least a six- figure income each year.

Target market:

Pet owners, pet stores and animal breeders.

Success tips:

A pet transportation business requires investment and a passion for welfare of animals in order for it to be successful. As it is also a niche market, lots of marketing and advertising need to be invested into the business in order to create the awareness of the services.

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Source by Randy Wilson

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It is a roadside assistance contractor or a road service operator that normally offers the towing services. In case of breakdowns, collisions or accidents of vehicles, they tow the vehicle to a garage or some other destination, if the authorities do not impound it on legal grounds

Sometimes you have a horrible accident or collision far from home, or you can have an irreparable breakdown. All these conditions require towing your vehicle, and you could do well to remember that the multifarious applications of the towing service could stand you in good stead in emergencies. The most important factor in towing is to bring the vehicle to safety. However, in your own interest, ensure that you employ a good towing service with the appropriate trucks to bring your vehicle undamaged to the destination.

A towing service always comes in handy when you are in the precarious situation of a breakdown or an accident. Always remember to keep your roadside assistance number or that of your towing service at hand for use in any kind of vehicle emergency. The traffic police also use the towing trucks to remove vehicles parked in restricted areas, or to tow away vehicles involved in accidents or from a crime scene, for further forensic and braking efficiency tests. Since the incidences, requiring towing is on an unprecedented upswing, the towing services are also modernizing their operations with the latest tow trucks and techniques.

Most of those who earn towing services either do the work on their own or work as a subcontractor for other agencies. The owner has a higher responsibility than the workers do, as he has to bring in the investment and obtain a certified license for towing, failing which they will have to work within restricted hours only. With a certified license in hand, they can operate unhindered round the clock, 24×7 and 365 days.

Insurance

In this business, it is imperative for the towing truck owners to cover the insurance risk for his tow trucks, his employees and the truck or vehicle that requires towing. The owner must, additionally submit proof of insurance coverage in case of an accident involved with the customer’s car/vehicle, during the towing process. It is mandatory to carry the insurance documents in the tow truck at all times.

Background verification

Selection of the driver for the towing services is extremely important, as the rules clearly state that the driver should have a clean record without stamping of major offenses like DWT (drinking while intoxicated). They will also have to undergo criminal background checks including drug test. Employment of drivers with criminal background can cause the owner to lose is towing license forever.

Today, most towing companies equip themselves with the right tools, techniques and vehicles to tow vehicles carefully without damage to the destination. Most vehicle owners can buy peace of mind when they hand over the vehicle to the towing service. However, do not ever make the mistake of employing an inexperienced company; you will only end up as penny wise and pound-foolish.

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Source by Sooraj Surendran

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As I glanced in my rearview mirror, I could see the huge red fire truck bearing down on me… lights flashing aggressively.

Hastily, I made it out of the way just in time.

But then something odd struck me… the sirens were not blaring. There wasn’t an emergency. What was going on?

Then I looked closely. And what I saw?

A lovely young girl with hair like burnished gold… maybe 19, 21, dressed in sparkling white bridal garment… along

with a sharply dressed, smiling young man. Holding hands together and standing in the back of the open-air truck they were

waving and smiling at the crowd.

Whoa! This young couple newly married just hired a fire truck for the evening drive around town!

I joined the crowd and waved back. The spectacle just brightened the whole place and drew smiles of joy from the face of everyone.

At that moment it dawned on me what a precious joyful thing marriage was designed to be.

This was 6:15pm Thursday evening.

Another Time, Another Place

Different set of people.

By 7 am Sunday morning in church I was jolted back to hard cold reality… like someone poured a bucket of ice-cold water

on me.

It happened when I innocently asked a brother how his family was doing …

“She’s gone… walked out on me with the kids,” came the sad reply.

“Y…you m..mean…” I stammered trying to contain my shock. Not these ones. They always seemed so happy… always smiling.

“She just said she felt like she was in prison or something. Packed up with our 2 kids and left for Arizona,” he said sighing wearily.

Then a thought struck me.

“I’m so sorry to hear that.” I began.

“That’s okay, thanks,” he said.

“Excuse me for asking this…is there any pattern like this in your family… or hers?”

“Not mine,” he said gently but firmly, “in her family no one stays married for long.”

Hmmm.

Before that week was over I had heard of 5 more similar cases.

What could be going wrong?

Shocking Revelations

In our ministry years back we did an in-depth spiritual research into disintegrating marriages and up came certain shocking revelations.

Some of them were not pretty.

In fact, the enemy starts with one of the oldest and most successful strategies in the book – confusion of tongues.

For students of the Bible, this dreaded weapon was first used by

God Himself against the builders of the tower of babel in Genesis 11.

It is such an effective weapon that it can create suspicion, misunderstanding and general confusion in a marriage…

in no time at all.

It begins when the husband and wife start to disagree on practically everything… no one is listening to the other and before long communication breaks down… then the enemy unleashes other dangerous weapons.

So we leant to pray the prayer of the psalmist, “O Lord, divide the tongues of all those targeting my marriage for destruction.” – see Ps 55:9.

In these marriages, we also uncovered a pattern of:

* breakup or divorce either in the husband’s family or on the wife’s side or both.

* marital problems transferred from one generation to another… using such vehicles as unbroken curses and unknown covenants.

* hidden spiritual marriages in place.

* invisible marks of hatred placed on the husband or wife. This makes one repulsive to the other and vice versa – after only a few years of marriage.

* warning signals ignored or simply not understood. Sometimes these warnings came through dreams.

etc.

To give you an example, once we found a man who was deeply in love with his wife – for 6 months.

Then all of a sudden he couldn’t stand the sight of her. No one could think of anything wrong that she had done.

Eventually he walked out on her.

She went for counseling… no solution.

Her friends took her to all kinds of “prophets.” She went to see 5 different therapists, 2 psychics and even an hypnotist.

Nothing worked.

She went into prayer asking God for another husband.

No response.

As she put it she had desperately prayed to God to send her that special someone with whom she could glorify and give Him praise… no answer.

In fact all she seemed to be getting turned out to be nothing but “wolves in sheep’s clothing.”

She gave up… not knowing how to navigate the tricky minefield of finding a sincere, God fearing man to share her love with.

Then the Lord had mercy on her.

One day, a friend at work invited her to a Friday night prayer meeting.

It was hot and wild …no-holds-barred kind of praying.

During the prayers one sister noticed an invisible mark on her forehead… a tiny star-shaped symbol that was not visible

to the naked eye.

She stopped the prayers and raised this singular prayer point just for her:

“Blood of Jesus, wipe off all handwriting of hatred and rejection from my life in the name of Jesus.”

They prayed it 3 hot times, thanked the LORD for the answer and moved right on to the next prayer point.

Result?

That same weekend the husband called for the very first time since the breakup.

12 more sessions of customized prayers (with fasting) followed …and hubby came home.

101 Prayer Points

I digged around. And found this ebook I wrote last year as an

instructional manual for couples facing marital challenges.

It contained 101 of the most potent prayer points we’ve ever

prayed on this issue of marriage and relationships

I’ve revised it, added fresh material… more teeth, more bite,

hard working prayer points to hit straight at the root of the matter and continue working long after everyone has forgotten

about them.

I’ve added some explanatory notes and scriptures.

Plus specific instructions on how to handle them.

Please listen carefully…

Do you happen to know anyone whose marriage is not all

it could be, maybe a friend or even a relative?

* Or the marriage is on the verge of hitting the rocks

* Or has broken down already

* Or tell-tale signs of wear and tear are beginning to show

* Or someone believing the LORD for a godly spouse

* Or any couple just trying to safeguard their marriage

* Or a close friend just fed up with the boredom and loneliness of the single life?

Do them a favor… get this article to them.

They need to learn the spiritual secrets of how to keep their marriages intact.

Why?

Because the #1 warfare going on in the spiritual realm right now is targeted against marriage and family.

Because if you allow the enemy to steal the joy of your marriage and family, no amount of financial blessings can quite fill

the gaping hole… in the heart.

Because the #1 way to bring back the honey and joy of your marriage is to dedicate it to the LORD through specific prayers.

In order NOT to become a casualty in this raging battle I advise my readers, especially Christian women, to learn these

prayers of:

* housecleaning

* restoration

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Source by Elisha Goodman

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Replacement Theory in Operations Research

It is used in the decision-making process of replacing existing equipment with us by a new one. It is like replacing our old refrigerator, moped, car or any machinery in garage, workshop and so on. Some real life examples of this situation are decisions to buy a new TV, Car, Truck, Lathe Machine, even our House or Apartment.

What data is required to apply this technique?

One needs to two kinds of data in these situations. The first one being the maintenance cost of the equipment, that is, how much you are spending every period (every month, every year depending on the life of the item). This also keeps our spending in check and otherwise also it’s a good habit to maintain our expenses. Secondly, you need to have approximate resale value corresponding to the respective period that is weekly, monthly, yearly and so on. This resale values can be obtained by consulting experts in respective fields or even elders home.

What is the theory?

The costs mentioned above have typical characteristics. The maintenance cost of items usually goes up while its resale value goes down. This maintenance cost after a while can be huge while at the same time, the resale value of that item can drastically go down. This result into a total loss and most of the times, in such cases, we throw away that item or scrap it. Replacement theory gives a optimum trade-off between rising maintenance cost and declining resale value. This optimum period, when the replacement can be actually made, is the sum of maintenance and depreciation in the original cost of equipment.

Illustration

Consider the example of a Truck; the pattern of failure here is progressive in nature, that is, as the life of vehicle increases; its efficiency decreases. This results in additional expenditure in running or maintaining this vehicle and at the same time its resale value (also called as scrap value) keeps on decreasing. The above case makes this situation a typical case for applying ‘Replacement Theory’.

Lets see a text-book problem. A transport company purchased a truck for $100000. The resale value of the truck keeps on decreasing from $75000/- in the first year to $20000/- in the eighth year while, the running cost in maintaining the truck keeps on increasing with $3000/- in the first year till it goes to $25000/- in the eighth year. Determine the optimum replacement policy?

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Source by Rajesh Timane

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I had read the articles, the various reports and scientific data and so, it was now time to put this apparently miraculous product to the ultimate test. A good friend of mine who specializes in the hand crafted manufacture of Ash furniture gave me the suggestion that we could try it out on a freshly cut slice of Ash tree. Normally he fills the trees, removes the branches and they are then stacked for periods of up to twenty years to completely dry out the wood and make it suitable for use in the manufacturing process. What he now suggested was that we cut a large slice from a recently felled and still wet tree, then apply this cedar oil based product to it and see what happens and if there is any noticeable difference.

Armed with a five gallon bucket of the product, an extremely long chain saw, some gasoline and a couple of saw horses, we set off in my friend’s truck towards the site where his Ash trees were kept. After about forty minutes we drove up a bumpy gravel road and turned into an area that appeared to be an abandoned stone quarry. We stopped his truck and got out to view some well stacked piles of huge trees, all set out in neat rows to both sides of the truck. We commenced by emptying out the truck box of all the items we had carried with us. My friend set up the two saw horses in the middle of the gravel yard and then proceeded to gas up his chain saw and give it a first start. Now convinced that everything was in good working order, we headed off towards one of the log piles.

I was advised that this particular stack of trees had only been felled just over one week previously and as such, they were still as wet as the day they were cut down. My friend studied each of the trees in the stack and then made his decision as to which one would be our subject for the experiment. Marking the end of it with chalk, he picked up his chain saw and climbed up to a suitable position where he could access the tree’s diameter with ease. With ear muffs on and a couple of fast pulls on the chain saw string, that well known buzz burst into life and the long chain was ready to start cutting. He stood firm and straight on the logs and commenced his first cut through a tree with a diameter of almost five feet. Within a few minutes and a couple of position moves on his part, the end of the large tree fell free to the ground. The exposed cut was clean and straight and I could see most of the circles quite clearly. Without hesitation, he climbed back up to his original position and started his second cut. The chain entered the tree about three inches from the newly exposed end and once again he worked away steadily until an almost evenly thick slice again fell free to land on top of the first slice. With that, the chain saw stopped buzzing and he climbed down to explain that this was the slice we were going to do our experiment on.

Together, we carefully pulled the large tree slice away from the pile and then, with one of us one each side we lifted the rather heavy piece of wood up and over onto the two awaiting saw horses. Placing it carefully on top of the horses, we had to adjust one of them to get it lying more solidly in position without a wobble. After a short five minute rest, we took over the bucket of fluid to start our test. Armed with a three inch brush each, we coated all of the upper side with its first coat of the cedarshield oil. It soaked into the timber as quickly as we applied it and that in itself was quite amazing considering how wet the timber was. We waited another five minutes or so and then commenced applying our second coat in exactly the same way as the first and yet again, it continued to soak in to the wood almost immediately. After this we waited maybe ten minutes before starting our third and final application. This time, by the time we were about half way across the large circle of wood, the fluid started to drip from the underside and onto the gravel below. We completed our application, closed the bucket and placed our brushes tightly into a plastic bag then went back to examine the now actively dripping tree slice. Sure enough, the underside was oozing the fluid we had applied on the surface but it did feel different to the touch. At that point we really didn’t understand what was happening or why the fluid coming through the downward side felt so different to the touch.

The real surprise came when the fluid finally stopped dripping through the wood and we decided it was time to lift the slice back to the truck. Again, with one of us at each side we grabbed hold of the wood and commenced to lift it. We both stopped in unison and dropped the wood back onto the saw horses for we had discovered it was now very light in weight compared to the time we had placed it in position. After some discussion on this, we again lifted it up and carried it over to the waiting truck for transportation back to my friend’s workshop. With everything now packed up and well secured, we left the site and headed back home with our newly cut slice of Ash tree. Upon arrival at his home and workshop, we were both eager to investigate the treated timber in more detail. Yes, its weight was now equivalent to that of dried Ash of the same dimensions but we had to ask ourselves why? We sent the slice through his planer and thickness machine and out it came fully dressed just like a piece of fully seasoned dry timber I was advised. To my friend who was well used to working with this type of timber, this discovery was truly amazing in itself. However, when we read the technical data for the fluid and found that the wood was now dimensionally stable, that it would not split or warp and that it was also fully protected from all types of fungal attack, rot and insect attack, my friend looked at me and stated “This has to the most miraculous invention for the treatment of wood ever!”

Upon reading the technical data further, we discovered that the cedarshield fluid contained double tailed molecules within its formulation and upon its application to timber, these molecules would instantly attach themselves to hydroxyls within the timber, acting as a water scavenger and instantly turning the inherent moisture into ethanol gas which immediately evaporated and left the wood totally dry and completely preserved again almost everything. Truly an amazing achievement and even more so when we considered that this fluid is 100% natural organic in its make up and contained no toxins, poisons or hazards of any kind. My friend continued to work on our newly cut circle of Ash wood and now, I am the proud owner of a highly polished and most certainly all natural Ash picnic table that I seen being manufactured literally from start to finish. This unique fluid is now saving my friend from waiting for periods of up to twenty years before he can work his beloved Ash timbers. It is most certainly a wonderful, safe and highly effective product that is likely to be used throughout all areas of the lumber industry.

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Source by Robert M Littlejohn

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Depending on the size and design of the steel building there are two options for moving it. Larger steel buildings sealed to a foundation will need to be disassembled and reassembled, while smaller steel buildings may be able to be moved short distances in one piece. Either way, moving a steel building 50 feet or 500 miles requires a lift and a skilled lift operator; if it’s being moved any significant distance an 18-wheeler will be required.

It is possible to move smaller steel buildings like sheds or small garages without disassembling it. If a smaller building is being moved a short distance, say from one end of a property to another it can actually be slid. The process begins by carefully raising the front of the steel building with a lift and sliding wood under it to act like a stand and then again repeating this process on the back to the building. Then, by attaching a towrope to the wood beneath the building, the steel structure can be towed from one place to another.

While this method is much less costly than disassembly and reassembly it’s also more risky. Uneven movement can cause bending and warping that can damage or destroy the structural integrity of a steel building. An advisable, but not surefire method of preventing flexing is to reinforce the skids by attaching 2×4’s cut to the width the building to the skids creating a sort of frame. In the end the building can be towed on the skids by a truck; much like a child being slid through the snow on a sled by his parents.

If the building needs to be moved further then it can be raised up by the lift from the 2 until a truck is able to move below it at which point the lift can lower the steel building or shed onto the bed of the truck. The truck can then relocate the building and then again a lift and raise and lower the steel building onto its new property.

Moving a larger building is much more complex because it involved breaking down a building into its basic components, transporting the components, and then reassembling them back together. The most important part of breaking down a building is organization. Improper deconstruction can create costly expenses in the form of lost or damaged parts. It’s highly highly recommended that skilled laborers be hired to ensure the structural integrity of the steel building is protected through all phases of the moving process.

Breaking down a building is essentially done in the reverse order of constructing one. Remove the trim and accessories, then the roof and wall sheeting, then the framing. A new foundation with the appropriate anchor bolts will need to be prepared at the new location. Once all of the components are moved from the original location to the new location the reconstruction process can begin as if it were a brand new building. High-quality buildings will be easier to move because their components will be able to better withstand the wear and tear of being taken apart and put back together. Also, pre-welded clips on buildings will speed up the entire process and prevent the loss of loose bolted clips during the move.

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Source by Cristina La Fevers

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When it comes to long haul trucking, one of the most important accessories of the tractor unit is the sleeper. Sleeper units come in many different shapes and sizes, and can be built as part of the cab or an add-on unit that sits directly behind the cab. The sleeper is, in a sense, the drivers’ home away from home. Depending on the need and design of the sleeper, some units offer just enough room to accommodate a bed and a few modest necessities, while others provide all the comforts and accommodations one would find in a modern RV!

Although the sleeper has been around for many years in one form or another, there was a time when a trucker did not have even the simplest sleeping space available to them in their semi tractor. For decades the cab-over was the design of choice because of regulatory rules that restricted the combined length of the tractor/trailer assembly. To pull a longer trailer required a shorter tractor, and a shorter tractor left little, if any room for a sleeper. If a trucker needed to stop and sleep they had a choice – either stop at a motel, or pull over at a truck stop or wayside rest and sleep sitting-up in the drivers’ seat.

As years passed there was development of cab-over units that integrated a small sleeping area behind the seating, and in most cases, small was the operative word! More like a tiny bunk than a bed, it allowed drivers to “comfortably” get some sleep. Curtains that separated the driving area from the sleeping compartment blocked light and afforded some privacy. Drawbacks to this design included the need for the driver to climb over the “doghouse” (area of the cab that covered the engine) to get into the bunk, and the inherent design of the cab-over configuration. When maintenance was required on the engine the entire cab unit tipped forward to allow access to the engine. That meant everything in the cab not secured or stored correctly would fall towards the windshield area. Although this sleeper design helped truckers get some required restful sleep, design improvements were obvious and changes had to be made to provide more room, comfort, and safety.

The Federal Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 modified previous limits to tractor/trailer combinations. The length of the tractor and trailer were now measured separately instead of as one unit. Two big changes happened at this point; Conventional tractors (driver sits behind the engine compartment) became the norm, and longer semi tractors allowed for longer, bigger sleeper units. As materials and technology advanced, larger yet lighter and more powerful tractor designs hit the market. Following close behind were changes to sleeper units. Utilizing the same lightweight materials and design technologies, sleepers slowly evolved from a cramped bunk to living spaces that can easily be described as rolling motel rooms.

Conventional semi tractors can be manufactured with the sleeper unit as a seamless part of the cab, or ordered from the factory without a sleeper unit. There are several after-market sleeper manufacturers that can design, build and install a sleeper unit on a tractor frame assembly. The size of the sleeper is dependent on the length of the frame to provide adequate spacing from behind the cab unit to the fifth wheel. The advantage to an add-on after-market sleeper is that it can be removed from the tractor assembly and transferred to a new tractor when the old tractor is traded-in or re-purposed.

Modern sleepers provide more space and greater comfort than those of the past. Sleepers can be easily entered from the cab through an ample access way, and some have enough height for a person to stand and move around with ease. Furniture such as tables and seating can be easily maneuvered to provide a comfortable work environment for two people. These interstate “home away from home” sleeper units provide the ultimate in luxury and efficiency for team drivers, especially husband and wife teams who professionally ply their driving expertise for weeks or months at a time.

The cab-over-semi tractor of decades ago, designed and built strictly for sheer brute strength and pulling power with little (if any) thought to driver comfort, has faded into the past. Total sleeping comfort in a semi sleeper world is now commonplace when it comes to long-haul trucking. Almost every tractor unit on the highway today is of conventional design, and most sport some type of factory or after-market sleeper unit that provides amenities and comfort for drivers who need quality and restful sleep. From simple sleeper units that provide a comfortable bed and needed storage space to behemoth custom built assemblies that proved every comfort of home including a shower and toilet, almost anything a person can imagine can now be custom built and incorporated into a modern, sleek and aerodynamic sleeper unit!

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Source by Greta Golfis

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Car repairs are expensive. While the initial cost of a car might not be that much, bringing that same car to the mechanic can easily empty your bank account. Hundreds of people lose money every day due to a car that doesn’t work properly. If you rely upon your car to get to work, to pick up your children, and to simply get around town, you know how important your vehicle really is. But, what can you do if you just can’t afford to pay for those pricey car repairs?

Have you considered applying for a car repair loan? That’s right – car repair loans do exist. These loans are reserved exclusively for those that cannot pay for car repairs up front. While traditional lenders might provide loans to those with stellar credit, these lenders hardly every approve any kind of loan for those with poor credit. If your credit report isn’t something that you are proud of, you can take solace in knowing that there are private lenders out there that will approve a car repair loan for you – no matter what your credit report might look like.

How does this type of loan work? While customary lenders will base your loan entirely upon your credit history, other private lenders will base a loan only upon your assets. This means that your bad credit report doesn’t matter at all. All you need to have is some form of steady income, a car that’s less than eight years old, car insurance, and a clear car title. Car repair loans through bad credit lenders are the easiest and most efficient way to fix your vehicle. Car owners with no credit, bad credit, and a history of bankruptcy can gain a specific car repair loan. This type of loan is also perfect for truck drivers.

Car repairs might cost a lot, but repairing a large truck is another kind of expense altogether. If your rig needs major alterations, don’t skip another day of work. There are lots of loads out there that you might be missing out on if your truck doesn’t work properly. Still, finding the money to repair a large truck might seem like an impossible feat. If you are stuck in this situation, you should know that car repair loans can apply to you as well – regardless of your credit history.

You’ll also be happy to know that paying back this kind of loan is also easily attainable. Monthly payments will always be well within your budget, and you’ll find those repayment terms easy to follow. Why should your credit report prevent you from getting where you need to go? It shouldn’t. Instead, apply for your car repair loan online right now. Within moments, you should be approved for that loan that you so desperately need. Why put your life on hold due to car repairs? Instead of trying to scrape together the money for those large car or truck repairs, sign up for an Auto Title Loan… and get your life back in motion.

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Source by Molly Wider