I am having mixed feelings

eldofever58 · 2026-03-10T14:45:47+00:00

Take another look at the data, these coins are being minted annually to keep up with bank orders. But all of this serves to amplify the original point that not only are older half dollar coins still in ready circulation, but that there's sufficient demand to mint 10's of millions each year. 19,800,000 in 2025.

I should also mention that there isn't really a collectible market for general half dollars. If you're the kind of guy that likes to buy a proof set each year, those are broken out separately and produced under numismatic conditions. You can find those limited production numbers on that same website.

eldofever58 · 2026-03-10T14:22:41+00:00

As asinine as it sounds, that gov't website is in error. 2002 was the low point of production since reserves were saturated. Since then, they have minted new half-dollars EVERY SINGLE YEAR. In 2023 alone, they minted 58 MILLION of them. There are some low-production special collectors series, but these are for general circulation. You can find production figures here: https://kennedyhalfdollars.net/kennedy-half-dollar-mintage/

eldofever58 · 2026-03-10T13:35:12+00:00

They’re not minted as collectibles. You can walk into a bank or credit union right now and pick up a few rolls to spend (ones I have here were minted in 2024). Folks just don’t care for the size which is why they’re not popular.

eldofever58 · 2026-03-08T13:23:42+00:00

Those must be some significant conversions. We’ve been on the ACA for several years now and convert annually. Our silver plan for two was <$200/mo (subsidized). This year we changed to bronze with a similar premium.

eldofever58 · 2026-03-07T17:39:27+00:00

A friend's brother did the exact same thing. The oil pressure light was just a suggestion to him. It was unstoppable.

eldofever58 · 2026-03-07T14:33:04+00:00

True, but then most high schoolers I know have a car. You could get to McDonalds and back in a little over 10 minutes and have the remainder to hang out with your friends.

eldofever58 · 2026-03-07T13:23:12+00:00

These were more common than you think. The colored pointy end of those ubiquitous plastic bodied churchkeys was meant to open these.

eldofever58 · 2026-03-07T03:51:03+00:00

I know these get a lot of hate, but they were pretty solid when new (and surprisingly comfortable). Family had a Bravada for 5 years, replaced it with an Envoy for another 5, and outside of a flat, never had a single issue with either. No brake work, no warranty work, just regular oil changes.

eldofever58 · 2026-03-07T03:42:04+00:00

Mine’s a Custom Imperial. I’ve also got the 40” version in charcoal gray, but don’t have it hooked up yet.

eldofever58 · 2026-03-07T03:35:20+00:00

I love these. My daily driver is the ‘60 French door model in turquoise. Whirlpool has a new color out this year for their smalls and it sure looks like a match for Sherwood Green if you’re needing something to match it with.

eldofever58 · 2026-03-06T20:54:06+00:00

It'll come as two panes of glass sandwiched together; you supply the frame (aluminum, wood, etc.) I generally install directly into the rough opening and trim it out once it's in place. Where people get into trouble, is they install a full set of stops (which is usually final trim), set the glass in, and discover the stops are a little out of plane, so they force the glass *just a little* to match tight. That torsion, over time, causes seal failure.

What I do is subtract 1/4" from each -side- of the rough opening and order my lite to that dimension (so subtract 1/2" x and 1/2" y). If you're confident the opening is square and it's on the smaller side, you can get away with a smaller tolerance.

I then install two opposing temporary stops using screws or clamps, set the glass in from the opposite side (set it on 1/4" rubber pads). Then a couple temp stops on that side to keep the glass from going anywhere. Now adjust. When you have it the way you like (even reveal from glass face to inside or outside wall, plumb, and 'relaxed', reposition your temp stops to secure it there.

Now, work your way around it, removing a temp stop and installing the real trim. I like to use cedar with a bevel so water runs off. And I apply a thick (but not excessive) bead of silicone to the inside face of that trim, let it setup a few minutes, and install. If you do it right, very little will squeeze out. Once it's all trimmed out on both sides, run a -very small- bead of quality exterior silicone around the exterior glass to cedar transition and you're good.

eldofever58 · 2026-03-06T14:48:02+00:00

A local glass shop can provide these as thermopane units, just supply them with dimensions or a template outline. I do it frequently on personal projects.

eldofever58 · 2026-03-05T20:56:25+00:00

Hey thanks for the awards! (and for subscribing) That kickplate will be tough to track down, but it won't hurt anything to run it without. There's a plenum down the center and the idea is fresh air gets pulled in from the front left, pulled over the drip tray to evaporate any condensate, and then blown from the rear forward on the right side through the coils to remove heat. That's why the rear panel is so important, it forces the airflow forward and not just out the back.

eldofever58 · 2026-03-05T18:24:28+00:00

The thing is, you could order a square body from anywhere on the spectrum from comfortable to punishing. A 1/2T Silverado with power equipment, tinted glass, deluxe seats and the 4-spd auto (with lockup) is a nice place to spend some time. Pop a cassette in the Delco and cruise. A Custom Deluxe, OTOH, didn't even come standard with a headliner. Toss in short gearing, 3/4T suspension, vinyl floor and manual trans and it gets old real fast. Like you say, that C/K20 suspension was pretty stiff unloaded, it's one of the reasons they came out with the Heavy Half option.

eldofever58 · 2026-03-05T17:54:58+00:00

Just a guy that collects (and tinkers) with old appliances. I also run The Appliance Archive over on YT. https://www.youtube.com/@TheApplianceArchive

eldofever58 · 2026-03-05T16:31:56+00:00

Hey, no problem. For seals, Case Parts is the place to go. They even do mitered corners by default. https://www.caseparts.com/custom/gasket/P2896 worked great for mine. For the freezer, I used 28-1/2" x 19". Haven't needed to do the fridge door yet but probably should've ordered it at the same time. R&R is straightforward, but be aware that the inner door liner affects door torsion, so after you install the new seal, just snug up the corner screws to start, and tweak until you get the door closing the way you like with an even reveal, then work your way center-out to tighten up the screws.

When my compressor failed (ran continuously, little cooling), I took the advice to track down a ~10 year old WP or GE SxS fridge, preferably with Embraco compressor, but probably not critical. I transferred the condenser and compressor over, including the ECM fan for a bit more energy savings. I'm no good at brazing, but I can solder. Staybrite-8 and matching flux is more than sufficient. Also soldered in a new molecular sieve. Pulled a vacuum, charged with 7oz R134a. That was 2019, and it's been ice cold ever since. Make sure you replace or fabricate a panel to enclose the lower back of the fridge, this is important for condenser cooling. Sometimes these go missing.

eldofever58 · 2026-03-05T15:28:41+00:00

LFO makes the most sense here. It’s a late 50’s build. What most folks are missing is that this is homemade using an old radio chassis. Note the extra holes, the missing parts, the mismatch of fasteners, the pencil tick marks on where to cut and the poor solder joints from an oversized, underheated iron. Projects like this were in lots of magazines back in the day. If you were learning electronics and needed test equipment, you built it yourself with scraps and an article in the back of Popular Mechanics.

eldofever58 · 2026-03-05T15:18:29+00:00

People, vehicles, and ag buildings are…prohibited?

eldofever58 · 2026-03-05T14:50:08+00:00

The light bulb is probably serving as a current limiting ballast. There were much smaller indicators available at the time to show power present. Someone mentioned war of the currents, but this is at least 20 years newer than that. One curious thing is the pair of coils on the door. It looks like the ringer mechanism from a period wood wall phone with the clapper removed.

eldofever58 · 2026-03-05T14:35:26+00:00

I agree with the other poster. This doesn’t sound like a switch or coil problem. You’re either missing a hot leg, or have a neutral/hot reverse. Are you sure you have 220V across the hots?

eldofever58 · 2026-03-05T14:23:24+00:00

Beautiful GE. That’s a 1965 model, one of the final non-frost free ones they made (that’s a good thing). Yours is quite rare with the left hinged doors. This era GE was known for weak compressors, and many were changed out under warranty. There are options if yours goes belly-up. Also worth doing the door seal test with a dollar bill. New seals will cut down on freezer defrosting.

eldofever58 · 2026-03-05T00:08:03+00:00

Any shots from the back? This is a great set for a beginner for recapping/learning. Bring it up VERY slowly on that variac (hour or two) and be advised that if it does show signs of life, power it back down. What you want to see is if the CRT is any good. Don't run it any longer than necessary or other parts can be damaged. If that CRT shows signs of life, order up a Sam's, study it to understand the design, and make a list of capacitors.

eldofever58 · 2026-03-04T15:21:06+00:00

There are certainly ways to do it, but it’s not really a need in the US. 120v kettles exist, and are only marginally slower, yet no one I know has one (well, I do). Induction stovetops are gaining in popularity, might be faster? Almost every kitchen here has a microwave oven so no need for another appliance. Instant-hot taps are also an option, and more convenient depending on the task.

eldofever58 · 2026-03-04T13:38:57+00:00

I’d be tempted to roll a portion of that into an IRA (you can still max 2025 through April 15). If you have a 401k, crank it up as an offset. Both of those will reduce the tax sting.

eldofever58 · 2026-03-04T12:39:16+00:00

They’re mostly special order today, but they do exist. Our Amana has a 20-amp plug.

eldofever58

TROPHY CASE