Sort of back in the groove

 Hello everyone,

Well, I fixed the sink in the van, installed the beginnings of the 12 volt system and put in the new fan. Got a couple other things squared away as well. 

Cleaned and put away stuff in the shop and started eyeballing the Harley. Not quite ready yet but it’s beginning to be an itch I need to scratch. Ordered the parts for the chain saw. They won’t be here until next week.

The youngest son is coming to visit for a few days on Sunday evening and the oldest is supposed to bring the family down on Sunday for a day of messing around. 

The youngest wants to go shooting while he’s here and in general knock around. The wife and I are supposed to go on a big adventure next weekend for a week or so. Supposed to meet the oldest boy and his family in Florida for a few days.

So I have a small mountain of chips I’d like to get spread this week before I leave, and probably while I’m on vacation I’ll order the parts for the tractor and do the maintenance on it when I get back. Today we started the large task of cleaning up the property after winter. Which is always a huge undertaking. It generally takes us until late April to be done.

So, I think that’s it for now.

Talk to you soon, 

TVI

Trying to move on

 Hello everyone,

The son who’s living with us, went to the neighbor’s house and cut down some trees for him in his cow pasture. I went over with the tractor and loaded them up on a trailer and brought them home to split. We’re just about to the end of heating season here so, this’ll get us started for next season.

My wife and I took the van on its maiden voyage last week and it performed well. Couple of small things, the sink leaked water, and we found it’s very close quarters if you have to spend an extended period of time in it when you’re sitting still.

Other than that, seemed fine.

I’ve recovered well enough that I can pretty much get on with taking care of things here. I have a maintenance list that needs attention. The tractor needs a full service and new blades and anti scalping wheels. The clutch bearing on one of my saws went south and took the new brake band and possibly the cover with it. Both saws need new bars and some new chains to go with.

So, I’ll order parts for those things in a week or so, and then, forge ahead. In another month or so, it’ll be time to start prettying up the place for summer. 

We had a couple of teaser days last week where the temps hit almost 70. The wife and I had a fire in the outdoor fireplace and it was wonderful. So ready for that to be a much more available thing!

Well, I think that’s it for now.

Talk to you soon,

TVI

Sometimes the end is hard.

 Hello everyone,

My mom passed away yesterday. She was in hospice for about 8 days. Hard to watch the end of a loved one, although she didn’t suffer, it was still hard. She pretty much died of old age, no serious cancer or other ailments. My father passed away about 32 year’s ago, so I’m hoping they’re reunited in heaven again. 

For me, that’s the end of that side of my life, all the grandparents are gone, all the brothers and sisters of both sides, except for one of my dad’s brothers. He moved to Colorado a few years ago and all of us have lost touch with him. I still have a lot of cousins left and most I still talk to. 

It’ll take some time to figure it all out but I know we will.

I think that’s it for now.

Talk to you soon,

TVI

Tough week

 Hello everyone,

It’s been a very tough week and not over yet. My mother is 92 years old and in an assisted living facility. She is coming to the end of her life and so we have spent as much time as possible with her this last week or so. 

So, projects have been put on hold for now. I had a nice visit with “ Shop Teacher Bob” this week and discussed several things about my old Harley. Years ago the Harley dealer that was in our area had an old Knuckle side car rig. He told me a story that a friend of his had modified the gas tank and made the capacity 6 gallons instead of the standard 3 1/2 gallons. I fell in love with the look of the wide tank because it was so pleasing to the eye and fitting of the “wide” look of the old  Harleys. 

My cousin’s son expressed the idea of the worth of the tanks and that the modification of them would cut into the value of them, after discussing with “Bob” about the widening of the tanks. I understand the history, and the fact that original tanks, like the ones I have, are rare. I’ve tossed this over in my head thousands of times over the last 40 years, and have weighed my options at least that many times. I’ve had a vision of what I’ve wanted this bike to look like and become for that many years also. This bike will never be a 100 point bike. My vision was always function first. As I’ve gotten older and tossed around the idea’s about this bike I decided I wanted some form as well. There are many things that will be my idea of that vision, if, I indeed get to finished product. One of the reasons I’ve never approached “Bob” with the idea of widening them was that they were rare and if I decided at some point to pack up this project and step away, they would not have been altered yet. 

The truest thought on the whole vision thing was, I wanted the bike to look, by the average passerby, as an original stock bike. Plus, I wanted it to be truly mine. There are some pieces that won’t be on other bikes like this. No one but me will probably ever notice or understand why I liked it that way. I don’t think any of these will be an improvement in design or performance, but instead a pleasurable thing for me.

So, because I haven’t moved forward yet with any of said modifications, all or most all of the pieces I have collected over all these years are, stock, original parts with very few reproduction parts.

Again, if I make it to finished product, the modified tanks would top off my vision of this bike, and if not..... they’ll be completely uncut and for sale.

I think that’s all for now. 

Talk to you soon,

TVI

Getting better

 Hello everyone,

It’s been two weeks since the surgery and I’m improving everyday. Don’t quite feel like a spring chicken yet, but maybe by spring I will!

Well, as far as the the van starter deal goes, went out when the weather warmed up and the damn thing cranked right up! Not sure what that’s all about but, I decided to not replace it for now.

I finally finished the complete installation of the battery isolator setup and it tests out fine.

I made up a cover for it so I can still see the fuses. Had a hard time finding a convenient “key on” power supply, but that damn van has about 5 different fuse blocks on it! Bought an “add a circuit” setup so both sides are fused and it seems to be fine.

I have to work on the extra chair mount setup this week and then I think we’re going to christen the van by going and seeing our youngest son next weekend.

Well, I think that’s all for now.

Talk to you soon, 

TVI

Recovering

 Hell everyone,

Well, just like the title says I’ve spent the last week or so recovering from my double hernia surgery. First few days were pretty painful, but the last few have been better everyday. Still pretty tender but, able to move around smoother each day. Pretty good, I think, for being sixty seven years old!

Haven’t done much, but I did get the solenoid mounted for the battery isolator. Made up the short cables for the fuses and mounted the cables and the fuse blocks. 

Last week the temps dipped into the negatives over night and the wife went out to start the van and it was a no go! Yesterday, I tested the battery and charged everything up and it appears the starter went out of it. At the moment, I’m not in any shape to change the starter, so I’m trying to figure out if my son is capable of changing it or, if I’ll have to have it towed to town and have it replaced.

I’ll have to come up with an answer fairly quickly, because I’ll need to test the isolator setup and make sure it’s all charging correctly.

The shop is a disaster, so I need to clean it up and put things away this week too.

Well, decisions, decisions! I think that’s it for now.

Talk to you soon,

TVI

Making progress

 Hello everyone,

The camper van thing is moving along. Made some serious progress this past week, in between doctor visits. The end of this week I’m having hernia surgery, and then, hopefully, no more doctors for a while.

I finished up the first wall and shelf unit and got it mounted in the van. 

I built the next wall and added the storage baskets etc.. I also put in the inverter and mounted it to the second wall.

Plus, I built the battery box and put it in place.

So, all that’s left to do is install and wire the battery isolator and it all should be ready for a shakedown run. There’s still more to do to make it finished but, all in do time.

I probably won’t get much more done this week, I have to run up north to the ear doctor today and then the surgery on Friday. I’m not sure how well I’ll bounce back from that at 67 years old, but we’ll see.

I think that’s all for now.

Talk to you soon,

             TVI