Allen Wrench
Outboard Motor Throttle Handle
Auditorium Seat
Log Splitter
I've been keeping real busy at school these last few days. The maintenance guys needed a real long metric Allen wrench, so I made them one with a tee handle that's about 15" long. I bored a hole in a piece of 3/8" round stock and slipped the Allen wrench inside after cutting off the short end. It's held in place with a couple of 6-32 set screws so they can replace it later on if it wears out.
A student brought in an outboard motor to fix. The throttle handle is broken and somebody gobbed it up with an aluminum MIG once before with no effort made to straighten the thing out first. He couldn't get in to weld much of it, which in retrospect, is probably a good thing - not much to grind off that way. I'm going to try and get to that today if I can.
The seat with the broken ears is from the auditorium. We've run quite a few of these through the shop. Not too tough a fix. Grind a weld groove in one side, clamp them on straight, then tack them on real well. Turn the piece over, grind a weld groove, weld that side up, flip it over and finish the other side. I've got some really good cast iron welding rod that makes it pretty easy to do.
The bicycle guys showed up during Open Shop Tuesday night. They had a little engineering error and didn't have quite enough clearance on the chainstay for the sprocket. They took a little slice off the tube and I welded in a plate to cover the hole and get the strength back.
I started back to work on the log splitter this week as well. We had most of the pieces made up last year but it didn't get finished. I had planned on finishing it up over the summer but since I couldn't get in the shop, I'm working on it now. I should have most of the remaining pieces fabbed up by the end of next week unless something else comes in that's more pressing. And as I write this, one of the contractors just came in to use the sheet metal brake and pick up the caster I fixed for his toolbox Wednesday. Always lots to do and a huge variety of jobs.
At the beginning of the school year the students don't have the skills yet to do a lot of the work that comes in, so that leaves yours truly to do most of the work. I don't mind doing it and it's good for the boys to see the variety of things that can be done if you have some welding skills. As their skills develop, they start doing the work and get the experience. I started a couple of guys on the TIG welder yesterday, so I'll have a couple of guys who can do some aluminum welding pretty soon.
I got an e-mail from the Big Cheese with the Alternative Transportation Initiative this week. He was wondering why I hadn't filled out the application yet and if I was still planning on competing. Another high school has already come on board and he thinks it would be good for us to square off with one another. I'm always up for a challenge and my buddy has already ordered the plans for the steam engine so I need to fill out the application and make it official. You read that right - steam engine.
When the log splitter is finished up the only thing in house will be my projects (I'm sure that won't last), so I can devote some time to finishing up the Rickati and working on the steam engine. The 900 Kaw needs to get done this winter and I need to hit at least a couple of licks on the VW as well. I quit worrying about what goes on at the school. It doesn't look like anything is going to change here for a while, so I'll just be Mr. Project Man and enjoy myself as much as possible. I really enjoy building things, so that's what I'm going to do.
I went to another doctor Wednesday after school and I think he figured out what the trouble is with my chest. It's going to take a little while yet to get back to 100%, but I'm going to shoot for the 10K run on Thanksgiving day. I might have to walk some but I'm looking forward to getting out running and back on the bike. Just my luck all the knuckleheads in the county will be burning their leaves for the next month. The idiot across from the school has already started burning his. That's a boy who needs a different hobby or a mulching mower and maybe a compost pile.
At the beginning of the school year the students don't have the skills yet to do a lot of the work that comes in, so that leaves yours truly to do most of the work. I don't mind doing it and it's good for the boys to see the variety of things that can be done if you have some welding skills. As their skills develop, they start doing the work and get the experience. I started a couple of guys on the TIG welder yesterday, so I'll have a couple of guys who can do some aluminum welding pretty soon.
I got an e-mail from the Big Cheese with the Alternative Transportation Initiative this week. He was wondering why I hadn't filled out the application yet and if I was still planning on competing. Another high school has already come on board and he thinks it would be good for us to square off with one another. I'm always up for a challenge and my buddy has already ordered the plans for the steam engine so I need to fill out the application and make it official. You read that right - steam engine.
When the log splitter is finished up the only thing in house will be my projects (I'm sure that won't last), so I can devote some time to finishing up the Rickati and working on the steam engine. The 900 Kaw needs to get done this winter and I need to hit at least a couple of licks on the VW as well. I quit worrying about what goes on at the school. It doesn't look like anything is going to change here for a while, so I'll just be Mr. Project Man and enjoy myself as much as possible. I really enjoy building things, so that's what I'm going to do.
I went to another doctor Wednesday after school and I think he figured out what the trouble is with my chest. It's going to take a little while yet to get back to 100%, but I'm going to shoot for the 10K run on Thanksgiving day. I might have to walk some but I'm looking forward to getting out running and back on the bike. Just my luck all the knuckleheads in the county will be burning their leaves for the next month. The idiot across from the school has already started burning his. That's a boy who needs a different hobby or a mulching mower and maybe a compost pile.
3 comments:
You are a busy sumbits, Bro. Damn I need a log splitter like that. Been swinging the maul the last couple days.
Take care of whatever it is in your chest and get better.
One more thing. I won't be at the Appleseed shoot. Having the foot sliced & diced the day before.
The logsplitter should be a dandy. It will have a lifting arm for big logs as soon as I can do the engineering. It's a rework job that somebody else made and didn't quite get right.
Sorry you can't make it to the Appleseed. I did a little practice today. Couldn't hit squat with my 10-22 but did pretty good with my bolt action. The 10-22 just has way too much trigger pull.
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