Illiinois Senate Bill 607 will be in a House Committee today, and if you are an Illinois resident, or someone who travels through Illinois, the passage of this bill will benefit you. GO HERE and read more, then file a Witness Slip to support this important bill.
While you are on the ILGA site, register so you can easily file witness slips in the future. You need to do this one for practice, because SB 1657 will soon be going into committee. I just registered and filed a slip for the Switchblade Bill, and it took just a few minutes.
Good News! This bill passed out of Committee today and will be going to the floor. Contact your Illinois Representative and support this bill!
Tuesday, May 9, 2017
Monday, May 8, 2017
Tuesday Torque: Cam Stopper
I see references to cam stopper engines in the magazines I read, but I don't think I have ever seen one, and I won't pretend to understand how they work. What I see here is that the exhaust cam stops, holding the valve open when the governed speed is reached, and then rolls again when the speed of the engine drops. Pretty neat, but my mind can't quite get around the mechanics of it!
Friday, May 5, 2017
Weekend Steam: Let's Take A Lesson On A Vulcan Locomotive!
Merle has spotted another good video for us! Vulcan made a lot of locos for industrial applications. They aren't glamorous, but they did a lot of switching, and moved a lot of raw materials in mining and quarrying industries.
Thanks, Merle!
Thanks, Merle!
Bad Attitude Pruning
All the experts tell you not to use a chainsaw for pruning. Those experts must have never had a line of eastern red-cedars to clean up.
Several years ago we were pruning a long row of eastern red-cedars, and doing it right with a hand saw. After several trees I figured out that I was never going to finish if I didn't speed it up, because these darn things have a lot of limbs. I have been using a chainsaw for some pruning tasks ever since even though we aren't supposed to do that. If you are going to cheat like I do, do it only with trees having a wide branch angle so the top of the bar doesn't cut the stem of the tree; be extremely careful with the bar so you don't get a kickback. Have a sharp, fast-running saw. Take the weight off by making shortening the branches down to about 6 or 8 inches before your pruning cut. Make the stub as short as possible, but do not cut into the branch collar. Wear your protective equipment.
Several years ago we were pruning a long row of eastern red-cedars, and doing it right with a hand saw. After several trees I figured out that I was never going to finish if I didn't speed it up, because these darn things have a lot of limbs. I have been using a chainsaw for some pruning tasks ever since even though we aren't supposed to do that. If you are going to cheat like I do, do it only with trees having a wide branch angle so the top of the bar doesn't cut the stem of the tree; be extremely careful with the bar so you don't get a kickback. Have a sharp, fast-running saw. Take the weight off by making shortening the branches down to about 6 or 8 inches before your pruning cut. Make the stub as short as possible, but do not cut into the branch collar. Wear your protective equipment.
Thursday, May 4, 2017
More Chainsaw Work Than You Can Shake A Stick At!
We are surrounded by it! This big old pin oak fell last fall. It has been home to coons and fox squirrels for many decades and I was sorry to see it fail. Nothing you can do about it but make firewood! There is some much needed thinning needed in the background of this shot. There are some walnuts we planted in 1976, and that little area needs a touchup.
I have a video uploading, and I will post it for you in the morning!
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
All Gone
All Ten of the Goslings. They disappeared sometime last weekend. It could have been a bobcat, coyote, fox, or coon. The parents paddle around, look and honk, looking for their babies. They have not been successful for several years.
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
Mysterious Latenight Bullnoser
We have a nocturnal tiller-of-the-soil working in the yard. Skunks do this when they search for grubs, but on a limited, neater scale. Our new critter is making a mess of the yard, especially around the trees. I may have to shop for an armadillo dog, if there is such a thing. I don't think armadillos are protected in Illinois. As soon as I verify that, open season will begin.
Ruger's Auction To Benefit The Massachusetts Shooters Foundation
Ruger is offering one of Mike Fifer's personal rifles this week. It is an M77 in .300 RCM, and was used by Mr. Fifer on an Alaskan moose hunt. It was built in 2011 and includes a Carl Zeiss scope. It will sell mid-day, May 3, 2017, so CLICK HERE to read the full description and to place that winning bid. $1825
Monday, May 1, 2017
Tuesday Torque: 805 Road King's Water Cooled Briggs Is Nearing Completion!
This guy is a Library! You have to love the projects Road King does, and the documentation he shares with his fans.
Illinois Senate Bill 1657; An Attack On Your Freedom, and Illinois Businesses
Illinois politicians assault freedom loving citizens every year with anti-gun legislation, and the legislature has to be watched constantly. Last week, heinous Senate Bill 1657 (Gun Dealer Licensing Act) passed out of committee and then was passed by the Illinois Senate. It has now been sent to the House Committee for review. There has been plenty of noise in Illinois because of circumstances around this bill, and its success in the Senate. (Click The screen captures to enlarge.)
The outcry in Illinois over this bill resulted from a deal and a flip-flop by the lobbyist group, Illinois Firearms Manufacturers Associtation, which represents Rock River Arms and Springfield Armory. The IFMA had originally filed a Witness Slip to the Committee opposing this bill, but a deal was made to exclude the manufacturers, large retailers and auctioneers from the provisions of the bill. The IFMA then changed their status to Neutral, and the bill passed out of the commitee on a 7 to 5 vote. You will see that there are 1097 Witness Slips filed opposing the bill to 507 proponents. The Illinois Retail Merchants Association, Illinois State Auctioneeers, and one business (Illinois Tactical Firearms Training Institute) also filed Neutral Witness Slips.
The Devil is in the details of the proposed Gun Dealer Licensing Act. This is a 69 page law that will regulate wholesalers, retailers, gunsmiths, and firearm owners. Take some time to read the provisions of the law at the provided link and think what this will mean to small business owners who already have to follow a maze of Illinois laws, plus the regulations and requirements of the BATF. Look at the penalties for violations of this law, and think what they will mean for you as a private citizen. What if you are widowed, or unemployed, and must sell a lifetime collection* of firearms to retrieve your investment? Sell ten within one year in private sales and you could be fined $10,000. Sell one more and you become a felon. Add this bill to requirements that were added to Illinois citizens through the Illinios FOID law. Illinois citizens have been required for many years to verify that private gun transfers went to FOID Card holders, and you have to keep a record of that for ten years. Recent amendments to the rules require approval of the Illinois State Police before private sales occur, and you now have to observe the 1(long guns) and 3 (handguns) day waiting periods for transfers. If the State Police record the information for transfers from FFL dealers and private sales, they will soon have a good estimate of the number of guns that individual Illinois FOID Card holders have in their possession.
Dealers and customers will have to adapt to many new requirements if this law passes. All stores will be required to have constant video surveillance. Your FOID will be scanned and must be kept on file by the Dealer. Remember that any violation of a section of this law can result in a $10,000 fine for the dealer, and a second violation of any part of the law will be a felony. This is a very business-unfriendly law, and it will drive Mom and Pop gun shops out of existence in Illinois. Big retail chains will glide by with this law, but they will be easy pickings when the next anti-gun bill is introduced.
Here is what you need to do to fight this law. Read the Witness Slip User Guide. Bookmark the Illinois General Assembly Dashboard. Check every day for this bill so you know when it goes into Committee. File a Witness Slip (Register on the ILGA Dashboard.) showing that you oppose this law. Call or email your Representative before it comes up to a vote in the House if it reaches that point.
This is an issue that all freedom loving people need to get on top of in Illinois. Bad bills are filed in Illinois every year, and they usually don't go anywhere, but SB 1657 has legs now, and we must beat it down. Do Your Part and contact the House Committee when this bill is considered, and contact your Representative if it comes up for a House vote.
*There is a provision for Collections of firearms in the bill, but they have to meet the Law's definition of collectible firearms. Guns used for sport, recreation, and defense will not meet that qualification.
The outcry in Illinois over this bill resulted from a deal and a flip-flop by the lobbyist group, Illinois Firearms Manufacturers Associtation, which represents Rock River Arms and Springfield Armory. The IFMA had originally filed a Witness Slip to the Committee opposing this bill, but a deal was made to exclude the manufacturers, large retailers and auctioneers from the provisions of the bill. The IFMA then changed their status to Neutral, and the bill passed out of the commitee on a 7 to 5 vote. You will see that there are 1097 Witness Slips filed opposing the bill to 507 proponents. The Illinois Retail Merchants Association, Illinois State Auctioneeers, and one business (Illinois Tactical Firearms Training Institute) also filed Neutral Witness Slips.
The Devil is in the details of the proposed Gun Dealer Licensing Act. This is a 69 page law that will regulate wholesalers, retailers, gunsmiths, and firearm owners. Take some time to read the provisions of the law at the provided link and think what this will mean to small business owners who already have to follow a maze of Illinois laws, plus the regulations and requirements of the BATF. Look at the penalties for violations of this law, and think what they will mean for you as a private citizen. What if you are widowed, or unemployed, and must sell a lifetime collection* of firearms to retrieve your investment? Sell ten within one year in private sales and you could be fined $10,000. Sell one more and you become a felon. Add this bill to requirements that were added to Illinois citizens through the Illinios FOID law. Illinois citizens have been required for many years to verify that private gun transfers went to FOID Card holders, and you have to keep a record of that for ten years. Recent amendments to the rules require approval of the Illinois State Police before private sales occur, and you now have to observe the 1(long guns) and 3 (handguns) day waiting periods for transfers. If the State Police record the information for transfers from FFL dealers and private sales, they will soon have a good estimate of the number of guns that individual Illinois FOID Card holders have in their possession.
Dealers and customers will have to adapt to many new requirements if this law passes. All stores will be required to have constant video surveillance. Your FOID will be scanned and must be kept on file by the Dealer. Remember that any violation of a section of this law can result in a $10,000 fine for the dealer, and a second violation of any part of the law will be a felony. This is a very business-unfriendly law, and it will drive Mom and Pop gun shops out of existence in Illinois. Big retail chains will glide by with this law, but they will be easy pickings when the next anti-gun bill is introduced.
Here is what you need to do to fight this law. Read the Witness Slip User Guide. Bookmark the Illinois General Assembly Dashboard. Check every day for this bill so you know when it goes into Committee. File a Witness Slip (Register on the ILGA Dashboard.) showing that you oppose this law. Call or email your Representative before it comes up to a vote in the House if it reaches that point.
This is an issue that all freedom loving people need to get on top of in Illinois. Bad bills are filed in Illinois every year, and they usually don't go anywhere, but SB 1657 has legs now, and we must beat it down. Do Your Part and contact the House Committee when this bill is considered, and contact your Representative if it comes up for a House vote.
*There is a provision for Collections of firearms in the bill, but they have to meet the Law's definition of collectible firearms. Guns used for sport, recreation, and defense will not meet that qualification.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
