Missed a week....

 Hello everyone,

Yep, missed a week. My wife and I had rented a cabin in the mountains of Tennessee to have a small special gathering for Christmas with just our family. We left last Monday and drove down there, it was beautiful. On Tuesday the oldest boy called and said him and his family had the “cooties”. So they weren’t coming, which was fine, we didn’t want to get sick. Wednesday we played around, went to town, came back to the cabin still beautiful. The youngest son came on Thursday and it had rained all day. Right after he got there the rain turned to snow. Spent Christmas Eve talking and eating and having a good time, went to bed about 10:30 or so. About 1:30 there was a huge bang followed by a blue fireball outside the window and the power went out! By the time we got up in the morning the temperature had dropped into the teens and still no power. We made the best of it, Cooked burgers on the grill outside, boiled water for coffee etc.. But, by afternoon the temp still in the low 20’s we decided it was time to go. So, we packed up and got to the bottom of our mountain and started up the next mountain and ...... stuck. Couldn’t get out, so Friday night we camped in the new van. Got up on Saturday and spent the whole day waiting and trying to get out, still couldn’t. Spent that night in the van as well. Got up Sunday and finally made it back over the mountain about 1:30 in the afternoon. It was quite an adventure! Stopped at a hotel near Lexington Kentucky on Sunday and came home on Monday.

Finally got the alternator for the Harley and put it aside. After spending nights in the van, we decided to start planning and building the bed and stuff for that project. In between, I’m going to start working on the Harley. I have a small frame modification to do and then I can start cleaning, sanding and painting or powder coating, whichever I decide on as I go.

So, today is a clean up day in the shop. I moved firewood yesterday and the Gator wouldn’t stay running, so I need to look at that because I don’t have the four wheeler back yet. That I should get back next week.

And so it’s back to the grind, a few old projects and a few new projects. Should be interesting!

I think that’s all for now.

Talk to you soon,

         TVI

Relaxing week, stuff still got done

 Hello everyone,

I don’t know why but, this week was pretty quiet. Did my usual things. But the weekend was like, nothing going on, as a matter of fact, on Sunday I never got out of my pajamas!!

The week started out making the plates for the golf cart to mount things up.

Finished up installing those and making sure everything was working. I’m waiting for the amp so I can mount it and see if the old speakers work, if not I found another set in the stash. Actually the amp should be here today.

On Wednesday my middle son and I went to the oldest boys house and put up more fence. Actually got a pretty good bit done. 

On Thursday I had to have some tests run for the doctor, kind of typical stuff for my age. Well, the sleep study one had me spend the night in a hospital. Kind of sucked. Friday after I left the hospital I didn’t do much, Saturday I didn’t do too much, I did finally get the new drill press, so I put that together and got it mounted on the box.

Oh, I almost forgot, the water pump for my outdoor boiler went out sometime between Friday night and Saturday morning and I had to replace that.

That wasn’t too bad, there is a local place that stocks those pumps. Sunday I helped the wife sort and wrap Christmas gifts. I have some to buy today for her and then a few odds and ends to pick up. This week, I hope to do the amp and then a huge clean up of the shop. The alternator for the Harley should be here this week, I have one more expensive piece to buy and then I could start on the frame modifications. I’m hoping I can fit that in, in between working on the camper/ van, which will start after Christmas.

Well, I think that’s all for now.

Talk to you soon, 

TVI

Not as busy, but still moving along

Well, not as busy but got some things accomplished. Started out repairing the old gator again. Broke the hitch off that I welded on it not long after I got it running. Added a gusset and welded it back on, I think I did a little better job this time.

Well, I couldn’t figure out how to rotate the picture but, you get the idea!

Started working on the red golf cart. Put in a converter from36 volts to 12 volts. Pulled out a five gallon bucket full of jacked up wiring. Added some lights, a fuse block and some switches. This week I need to make some mounting plates for the switch panel and a battery gauge so we know when it’s going to die out. I also ordered a little amplifier so we can have some tunes while we’re working and 

I also redid my drill press cabinet, still don’t have my drill press but the cabinet is at least ready.

On the weekend I went to my oldest son’s house and helped him fix his old sliding patio door and started putting up a fence. The fence is kind of a pain in the butt! The guy who owned the house before was an iron worker, so the fence frame is metal. In order to hang pickets from it you have to predrill holes and use self tapping screws. I’m planning on going back on Wednesday and doing some more and then probably Saturday too.

Well, we’ll see how this week shapes up! I think that’s all for now.

Talk to you soon, TVI

P.S. I also picked up the alternator I was wanting for the old Harley, should be here in a week or so!

Busier week than last week!

 Hello everyone,

This week, even with the holiday was much busier than last week. I thought retirement meant slowing down! Guess not.

First things first, I had some little repairs on the red golf cart, which is the newer one. Nothing big, welded up an adjuster for the seat brake, put in some new bolts and tightened some others up so it doesn’t creak when you’re driving it.

Next, stripped some more old fencing sections to do floors for the new platform. By the end of the week the platform part was finished, still have more to do and it already needs an addition for the cable ride.

Fished up my wiring holder in the new cabinet, that cleared up a little much needed space and I also sold all my old Cat tools to a friend I used to work with at Cat, he still works there.

The wife and I bought a van for traveling in. We want to build in a bed and a few things so we can sleep in it when we travel. My wife is not exactly a camper. We’ll see how it goes!

Last, but not least, I bought a new drill press. Hasn’t arrived yet, probably towards the end of the week, maybe early next week. I want to redo the rolling cabinet it going to sit on. I’ll try to get to that this week so I can just mount it on there and start drilling.

I’ll post some pics of that next week.

We’re supposed to get our first snow of the winter today, and so it begins!

Well, I think that’s it for now.

Talk to you soon,

TVI

Quite a few things going on!

 Hello everyone,

Well, it’s been a pretty busy week this week. I had to give up, I think, on the four wheeler. I’ve tried everything I knew to try and fix it but it still does the same thing. So, I put it all back together and made an appointment at the motorcycle repair place in town.

I did get the truck fixed, and indeed it was the thermostat.

The rubber seal had come apart and it would not bypass. Changed it and put in new antifreeze and, just like that, good as new.

Started on the workbench top and the new cabinet. Got the cabinet all put together, and got the top on the workbench on. The top needs to be squared up a little bit, but that’s done .

I’ve got some finishing work to do on both of them but they’re up and functioning for now. 

When the weekend came the grandson came along with it. We had bought him a new BB gun and he got to shoot it for the first time. We were out on a golf cart ride and he spotted an old hunter’s platform, asked if he could have one. So, we put our construction hat and started that project!

It also isn’t quite complete, but I’ll probably get to that for the next few days. We had a skyline type thing in the woods and a tree fell on it a couple of months ago. So, I went over and got it and will try to put it up using this as the jump off point. It’s only about eight feet off the ground so we won’t be going to fast!!

So it’s been a pretty busy week, so busy in fact I almost forgot my birthday!! Turned sixty- seven this year. Did manage to go out to eat but this was a little nicer:

morning coffee with the wife and a fire! Nice!!

Well, I think that’s all for now, we’ll see what this week brings me!

Talk to you soon,

            TVI

Working on the shop and more hats,

 Hello everyone,

This past week I got some drawers installed in one of my old workbenches and I also made a sliding shelf under the same bench for one of my old tool boxes. That box will hold tools I don’t use very often but that I’m not ready to part with just yet.

Where the grey cabinet is sitting on the bench is where the next project gets started. I’m going to build a new cabinet there to hold all my wiring stuff. That bench also gets a new top.

In the process of trying to multitask, and clean out some things, I made a rack to hold all my pry bars.

I had some two by two aluminum angle that I’ve had for a few years, so I used it to make the holder. I bolted it to the side of my old tool box. 

I received the parts I ordered for the four wheeler and am still having issues. Today I took my truck up north and it’s overheating! I think it’s the thermostat, so I stopped and picked one up. I’ll get to it tomorrow.

This past weekend the wife and I went to Shaker Village in Kentucky and spent a very nice weekend doing nothing! It’s an historical village that we volunteered last year to help prepare for Christmas, and we had volunteered again this year but they cancelled it because of the cooties.

The first picture is us by the fire on Saturday eating chocolate pecan pie and drinking coffee with bourbon cream. The second one is just one of the many restored buildings.

So, this week I have to have a four wheeler mechanic’s hat and a truck mechanic’s hat! Plus, hopefully a cabinet builder’s hat! We’ll see how it goes!!

Well, I think that’s it for now.

Talk to you soon,

TVI

A little more of this and that

 Hello everyone, 

Finished up the air compressor install, ran almost all of the lines and drops for the piping system. Turned out very nice. I used a system called Rapid Aire for most of the drops. A little pricey, but a breeze to put up and looks nice also.

The blue plastic tubing and the nice aluminum block are part of the system. The cooler I made didn’t turn out as smooth as I would have liked but, it works perfectly.

And, after all that monkeying around, it works very well. I purchased a new saw blade for the metal chop saw, it works quite well also.

The wife and I spent a couple of days doing day trips, drove over to a large discount center near us and bought some back up groceries and assorted other goodies. The next day we just went for a ride, ended up near Plymouth. Ate a nice lunch, sitting outside, drove the whole day with the top down on her convertible. The weather has been absolutely amazing the last week or so for November in the Midwest. 70’s for the highs and 40’s for the lows.

I also had to add another hat to the collection this week when my four wheeler broke down. I’ve narrowed it down to the carb. Ordered parts and they should be here on Thursday.

Well, I think that’s all for now. 

                       Talk to you soon,

                                    TVI

A little of this and a little of that

 Hello everyone,

Well, I’ve had to add a few more hats to my repertoire since I last wrote. Appliance repairman, and air line engineer. I’ve spent a long time trying to figure out the air piping setup I want in the shop, and I finally came up with a drawing and parts list. Went yesterday up to the big stores to make an all out purchase and came home with about half of what I needed! Surprise, surprise! Well, went back today and traveled around a little and got about 90 % of what I need. I think what’s left will be an add on for a little later.

The compressor is all done, just the bottom drain line needs to be hooked up.

It’s also in its new spot. I’m going to make a copper cooler to cool and hopefully dry out the air going to the drops. I have some extra dryers and an oiler setup, which is why it took me so long to figure out all the plumbing.

I spent some coffee drinking time putting the labels in the new toolbox to mark what’s in the thing. I have to say I’m doing some things I’ve never had the opportunity to do before and it does make things nice.

Spent a few days and evenings enjoying being retired this week. Went to my grandson’s house last Thursday and carved pumpkins.

Friday night we spent the night in Chicago, went to Fitzgerald’s Night Club and watched a band play. One of the guys in the band is in Heartsfield, the band that played at my retirement party. Came home Saturday and went back to the grandson’s and passed out candy while his parents to him trick or treating.

That’s him and grandma!

So, I’m on landscape patrol today, so tomorrow I’ll start on the plumbing part, unless the oven controller comes in, in which case, I’ll put on my appliance repairman hat and do that project.

Well, I think that’s all for now.

Talk to you soon,

TVI

Time to start working on the shop

 Hello everyone,

Well, the wood is all done, should be fine for the winter. Next batch of shop projects is up next.

First one is to see if the air compressor I got will work and fit in the space I want it to go. Drug the compressor  into the shop and started installing the new motor. 

I have to run to the hardware store this morning and pick up a few parts for the electrical set up. Once that’s done, I’ll have to figure out the plumbing.

I had a lot going on this past week. I finished up the old Ford and put it on Facebook Market Place and sold it within 24 hours! That was a little surprising, but glad it’s gone. Went with my brother to look at a Gator that he wanted to buy, and he did.

It’s a pretty nice machine, overall. He got it for his daughter and grandkids, they have a little mini farm and they’ll put it to good use!

I’ve decided to start working slowly on the old Harley I have, that actually is the whole reason I started this blog. I just bought a set of 5 gallon fatbob tanks to hopefully modify to work with the side shift that goes on the bike. I haven’t gotten them yet, they should be here this week. Hopefully when” Shop Teacher Bob” stops by and gives me some insight on how to fix the frame, I’ll talk to him about the tanks at the same time.

Well, I think that’s it for now.

Talk to you soon,

TVI

A man of many hats

 Hello everyone,

I managed to screw up my back this past week and had to take 4 or 5 days off( lucky me!). So I started feeling much better yesterday and finished the repair on the gator and got it put all back together.

The first two pics show the gussets I made to strengthen the repair on the fork and the last one shows the “pride” of the fleet all back in working order. I haven’t hauled a load of wood in it yet but I ran  over some stumps and bumps to test it and it seems pretty solid.

So, since I’ve been retired I’ve been a plumber, an electrician, a carpenter and a timber jack. And , today I’m a car mechanic!

I drove a 2005 Ford Five Hundred back and forth to work for about the last 7 or 8 years. 110 miles a day, round trip, and now I’m ready to part ways with the old girl. With 300,000 miles on it and the last few weeks of working, the rear brakes started grinding. Took it all apart today, and needed a tool to screw the calipers back in. Borrowed it from Auto Zone and it turns out there’s one for right hand threads and one for left hand threads, I got the right hand thread one and needed the left hand thread one. Figured out what was going on and knocked them loosed with a punch and wound them in with the wrong tool! 

So, by the time I got that far, I had promised my wife I would make dinner. We had some leeks in the garden and picked the last of them yesterday. So I made homemade leek and potato soup. It was pretty damn good, even if I do say so myself.

So, I’ll get up in the morning and start putting the car all back together, and I’m supposed to meet a friend for lunch in town, and then maybe I’ll finish it up tomorrow evening.

Well, at least that’s the plan, and I think that’s all for now.

Talk to you soon,

TVI

Whopsie!

 Hello everyone,

Had a minor catastrophe yesterday! Had just finished cutting and splitting the last of the wood already on the ground and had to come in and get cleaned up to run an errand in town. Had the splitter still hooked up to the old gator and pulled in the shop and crunch!! She stopped dead, motor still running but stopped dead! I thought what the hell...... looked down and the front tire leaned all over to the left and got off and the right side bottom of the fork is laying on the ground.

Appears that it’s an old repair from some time ago and not done very well. I’m not exactly as good a welder as “Shop Teacher Bob” is but I thought I could do a better repair than the one that was on it currently.

So, I took it all apart, ground all the old stuff off, found a piece of round stock that I could fit in the tube got it as square as I could and tacked it back together.

Welded it up, not great but good practice with the new welder. Needs a couple of spots filled in yet and started fitting in some gussets to hopefully protect it for future generations to come! LOL!

Didn’t get the last gusset finished last night and kind of took today off for a bunch of errand running. We’re supposed to go for a ride south tomorrow, so I won’t finish up until Friday. As I was disassembling the front end I noticed a lot of worn parts that will need to be repaired or replaced when I try to do the motor swap. Probably next winter. I have some big plans for the old gator if time and money work out.

Well, I think that’s it for now.

Talk to you soon, 

TVI

And so it begins......

 Hello everyone,

Yep the wood stockpiling has begun in earnest.

We had quite a bit already cut into chunks in the woods from last year. Got all of that split and mostly stacked. Had a couple of big limbs come down, I need to cut them in to chunks and split those. Also there are two 100’ trees in the back that area so bent that they need to be taken down before they fall down! I’ll tackle those this week, maybe.

Got a pile of mulch delivered while we were gone and it needs to be spread out before they end up bringing more. 

Managed to get some more tools and supplies put away and swept up the shop. It’s so nice to be able to keep it relatively clean. Never really had that before!

Well, this week is starting to shape up into another week of logging but, we’re going to take a little mini break at the end of the week and go south for the day to look at the fall colors, maybe take a hike in the woods and stop at one our favorite eating spots and pick up a picnic lunch.

Well I think that’s all for now.

Talk to you soon.

TVI

Home and back to work

 Hello everyone,

Well the trip home was uneventful. Got up this morning and trimmed the pliers holder rack down to fit the drawer and filled it full of pliers.

Don’t know why I can never get the spacing right but, oh well.

As far as the coffee goes it’s excellent, I ground the beans for the pecan flavored beans and made a pot this morning and it was really good. I might just order some more when the time comes!

I received the new compressor motor, but I’m not ready for that project just yet. Checked the saw chains I ordered and they are the correct chains, so I’ll probably start that tomorrow.

Well, I think that’s it for now.

Talk to you soon.

TVI

Relaxing time and heading home

 Hello everyone,

Well, my vacation is almost over and it has been wonderful! Very relaxing, some great conversations, met some (hopefully) new friends, made stronger bonds with some older friends. Had some great food, my personal favorite part! 

I had never been to Hilton Head Island before. Been close a few times. Could never afford to live there full time but a nice place to visit.

Before I left I ordered some new saw chains for both saws and a rack for the new tool box to hold pliers. They’re supposed to have been delivered along with some coffee I ordered from a place called “ Gearhead Coffee”.  I’ll give you all a report, good or bad.

The new agenda gets busier when I finally get home. I beat my house with wood using a wood fired boiler.  This year I have to drain it and change the anode rod and put new chemicals in the water to stop it from rusting. The problem there is I went to do it last year and when I borrowed the pump from one of the guys in the wood burner group, it was a mess! So I have it back to him. Well, turns out he never got it fixed, so, when I get home that’ll be the first project!! Then, it’s time to start cutting wood.

So, I think that’s it for now.

                                         Talk to you soon, 

                                                   TVI

Party’s over, time to enjoy!

 Hello everyone,

Well, survived the party, what a great time! Lot’s of old friends, lots of partying, and great music!

The band that played was Heartsfield, a band from the 70’s that my wife and I really enjoy. They played in our backyard last year and we got them back for my party. We’ve become friends with the guys so it was a blast!

I’ve slowly gotten a few things ready for my”assault” on retiring! I finished up the old tool box and picked up the top half of my new one. I managed to pick up some socket, wrench, and screw driver holders, so I might have an actual organized box!

My sons pitched in an bought a Caterpillar wall clock with neon!! It’s pretty cool! I’ve already got it up on the wall and working!

My wife and I are going to relax for a few days, and take a little road trip. It’ll be nice to get away for a few days. I’ll post some pictures of the trip when we come back, and a few pictures of the party when my oldest son gets us the pictures.

Well, I think that’s it for now.

                             Talk to you soon,

                                         TVI