Things Are Good On The Right Side

 

Right side motor mount bolted on. You can't see it in this view but the mount extends down below and has two more bolts and a gusset - should be hell for strong. The next step is to get a couple of tack welds on the part that goes on the frame rail. I need enough strength to support the engine so I can remove the piece I have bolted to the front of the engine supporting it now. I need to get that out of the way so I can get the water pump and fan on. I get that taken care of I can figure out my radiator and start coming up with what I want to do with the grill shell. I'm also going to get the cockpit fastened down. I can then work on everything in between the two. 

Went to the dentist yesterday and of course I need to have a root canal done. So now that I've gotten over the pain from the recent extraction, more dental fun and games. On the plus side, however, the Missus and I stopped on the way home and had a late lunch inside an actual restaurant. No carry out - real live dining in. The first time that's happened since somewhere around the end of February. The Missus is still very much concerned, as she should be, but you can't put every restaurant in these small towns out of business by restricting them to carry out only. We've still got the mask requirement but unlike the craziness you see on the news, no-one around here seems to care whether you're masked up or not. Hopefully it won't get too extreme again when the flu season starts. Was sure nice having a nice meal in a sit-down restaurant once again.   

Right Side Mount.

 

Right side motor mount finished up. I painted the finish color after the photo and I'll bolt it on to the engine today - paint should be dry enough. I've got a dentist appointment that'll blow a big hole in the day but I should be able to get a little something done in the shop. It's going to cool off this week and get some rain, so depending on the weather, I'll work in the shop or paint the house.

I found a transmission but it's in Indy. The price is right so it would be worth driving down there. Hell, it would be worth driving down there just to get out of the house. The governor relaxed the rules as of Saturday so it's probably even more important that I take some precautions if I go but I'll contact the guy and see if it's still available. Now that I've got the front mounts taken care of, with a tranny I can make a cross member and then work on everything forward of the seat. I also need to finish the repair on the tube bender and finish up the roller I started on a couple years ago. I'm going to need it one of these days.

Have a good week but don't let your guard down.

Himalayan Review

 The new Cycle World magazine came in the mail Friday. There's an article on the Himalayan by Peter Egan. If you've been reading motorcycle magazines for any length of time you'll recognize the name and know that he's been around a long time and knows his motorcycles. Anyway, he bought a Himalayan and put 3,600 miles on it this past summer. In his review he mentions how much he enjoys the bike as well as a couple of the quirks - like the compass has only a vague correlation with the actual direction and that the bike won't idle until it's warmed up. Same as mine.

He didn't mention the kickstand being a bit too long but, coincidentally, there's an advertisement for the Himalayan in the magazine and it mentions a shortened kickstand and an updated compass on the 2021 model. I was thinking of shortening up my kickstand this winter. Probably only have to take about 3/16" out of it to fix it. The Missus said I should call the dealer and see about buying a new one. I may do that but as a welder of some experience, it would be embarrassing to have to tell someone I bought a new one rather than doing the job myself.

 Egan bought the factory panniers and crash bars like I have and he also bought a new seat cover and foam from Seat Concepts. They offer two seats for $180.00, both use the stock pan. He bought the tall one. Egan and I are about the same height and age, so if it works for him it would probably work for me but I'd like to try one before buying one. As it is, I'll probably just fix the kickstand and call it done.

The magazine also has a nice article on the Harley XR-750 by Allan Girdler who is the guy who literally wrote the book on these bikes. I haven't read the rest of the articles yet but this looks to be an especially good issue. I don't know what I'm going to do when they stop publishing bike magazines in print. I spend way too much time on the laptop as it is - especially since I just finished a book on the dangers of EMF from laptops, cell phones, smart appliances, etc.    

New Stairs

 

I got the new stairs made yesterday. Not that big of a job, especially since I had the other ones for a pattern. Two pieces of treated lumber was a tick over $50.00. I don't know what all happened with the treated lumber supply but the local lumber yard was out of it for a while - maybe they still are. I got this from Menards and at least I saved the 11% this week. 

When I got ready to start on the stairs, I was gathering up all the tools and threw them in my old carpenter's box. I made this maybe 45 years ago. When I made it all my woodworking tools would fit in there but like most handyman homeowners, the tool collection continued to grow. I'm at the point now there's very little I don't have and not much of anything I would like to have. A planer would be nice but I don't I don't do enough woodworking to justify having one. I was pretty proud of myself yesterday with the tools I threw in the box. I had most everything first trip out - only had to make one trip back to the shop. Energy conservation is becoming more important all the time.

The left side motor mount is done. Looks pretty good. After I get the right side made up, I'll weld the parts that support the rubber biscuits to the frame rails. I'm going to have to go on the hunt for a transmission one of these days soon so I can make a crossmember and finalize the engine placement.

My metal order arrived yesterday. A sheet of aluminum for the firewall and a couple of small flat bars that the local guy I normally buy my steel from doesn't carry. I'm not ready for this stuff but they had a 20% off sale, so the time was right.

I'll juggle my time in the next couple of days between finishing the right side motor mount and doing some painting on the shack. Supposed to cool off next week but also calling for rain. Still got about another month of painting weather so too soon to panic.

Go Driver, Go Go

 

Been on the road the last couple of days. Not far with the cooties, of course, but a couple of grocery stores, credit union, bank, lumber yard, dog groomer, and a gas station. And in two different counties. The governor is relaxing the cooties rules as far as restaurants, gyms, etc. as of this weekend but the mask order is still going to be in effect until the middle of next month. Lots of people are already disregarding the mask rule. I wear mine when I go into a business mainly because I don't wish to have a confrontation. I don't need to be arguing with anyone about my rights or the effectiveness of the masks or anything else under the sun. Just want to be left alone to do my own thing.

The Missus and I have cast our ballots for the November election. In Indiana if you're over 65 that's all the reason you need to vote by mail. There was a Libertarian presidential and gubernatorial candidate on the ballot, by the way. Neither one of them has a snowball's chance in hell of getting elected, I would guess, but I'm glad to see a third party option. I'd like to see Jo Jorgensen, the presidential candidate, be part of the presidential debates just to spice things up.

Left side motor mount for the jitney project. Lovely looking weld, even if I do say so myself. It's a half open corner joint welded with the TIG process using ER70S-6 filler on A36 steel - that's welder talk right there, Brother. However, I'm going to have to see about having the cataract surgery done pretty soon. My vision isn't what it should be when I'm driving now, nor is it what it should be when doing most every thing else, like TIG welding small parts. Since I'm near sighted, I wear glasses all the time except for close-up work like TIG welding. I can't raise my head up to look thru the bi-focal with the welding hood on, so I usually just take my glasses off and stick my nose down in close. Even that's not working all the best now with the fuzziness in my right eye. I'm going to see next week about getting the surgery scheduled. Get it done before the bad weather hits.

I'll bolt up the left side mount today - paint should be dry and make a set of stairs for the deck. I'll have to make them on the deck so I won't have far to go to install them. That treated lumber is heavy. It was about all I wanted dragging a 2x10 x12' up on the deck. Definitely need to get this job done before the weather closes in along with some painting on the shack. I do have some material ordered for the jitney and I've got the right side motor mount figured out. So like always, doing my best to keep all the balls in the air. 

A Bit of Progress +

 

I saw this over at Handverker. He hadn't posted for quite some time but I checked it out on a whim yesterday and was pleasantly surprised to see he had been pretty active. He hasn't posted again in about a month but he put up lots of good stuff prior to that. He and I have much in common, so I'm always interested in seeing what he's been up to. He seems to have settled into his new teaching position and new homestead quite nicely. Glad to see it.

I got the motor mounts bent - came out pretty nice. I bead blasted them afterwards to remove any scale to facilitate welding and give a nicer finish when it's time to paint.

Next up is the make the mounts that bolt to the engines. Each side of the engine is different. This is the left side and should be pretty straight forward. The right side will be a bit trickier but I need to get them finished up so I can move on. When I get the engine located on the mounts I can bolt on the water pump and fan which will allow me to start figuring out the radiator. I saw one in the Speedway catalog that might work for me. It's got a long filler neck that will allow me to have it stick through the top of the grille/housing like in the top photo. In fact, I'm looking to build the jitney along similar lines. Good looking automobile. I especially like the louvers. Be nice to have a louver press but this project will probably be the last time I would ever need it. 

While I had the torch out I straightened out the piece for my tubing bender. I bent it while bending the tubing for the cockpit. That was only 3/4" square and the dies go up to 1" square. I'm going to plate the out sides of the bender and then tackle a piece of 3/4" round for the Rickati project. I'll keep the torch handy and heat the tubing up if need be. I'm disappointed in this set of bending dies but it's what I've got.

Roamin' in the Gloamin

 The movie Harry and Tonto was on the other night. I've seen it a half dozen times at least but watched it again just the same. The older I get the more I appreciate the movie. Plus it's got Art Carney and Arthur Hunnicutt both doing a short bit about being cat salesmen. I don't know if that was something from an old vaudeville skit or what, but it's funny when Carney does it during the cab ride but it knocks me out when Hunnicutt says the same thing later in the movie. Watch the movie to get the Roamin' in the Gloamin reference.

When I took my last load over to the storage shed Saturday, I got a fault code on the truck dash saying a turn signal was out on the carrier as I turned in to my drive. When I put this thing together I soldered all the wire connections and used brass screws for the grounds to prevent corrosion. The light is an LED so it should last at least my lifetime. I turned on the headlights and the the taillight didn't work either. I took the carrier off the truck and I'll have to get out the volt meter one of these days to see what's going on. The only other time I used it was a trip to Indy. What the hell, 2020? 

I got the motor mounts cut out and ready to bend. Cut some grass and did my walkies. Eyeballed some of the projects, read the paper, did my chores - good weekend.

The "Dub"

 

Postcard my aunt posted on Facebook - my first teaching position. Started in '76 and worked there four years before I was transferred to the Career Center. I loved working there. Great faculty, especially in my department, administration and students. Mostly working class people in a "steel town". The students were a bit on the rough side but respectful. If you treated them with respect, they returned in kind. The school's long gone now. They consolidated Washington and Roosevelt to form Central High. That created a few problems with Washington being in the Harbor and Roosevelt being E.C - long time rivals. I was up that way earlier in the week. I was planning on going to a welding supply where I used to do a lot of business but it was closed up. I guess they're right - you can't go home again.

I moved some stuff to the storage unit yesterday. The bike carrier worked well. I moved a few other things as well as a few bikes and then moved some things around in the shop. I need to think about what else I'm going to move over - maybe two more bikes before I take the carrier back off the truck. I do like the space being more open. I've got a piece of tubing to bend - it'll be a lot easier with some clear floor space.

Corn Binder

 

Photo From Here

Old International from the '50s. There's a newer one not too far from me that's sitting at an abandoned house. There have been a couple of other additions added recently but I've never seen anyone around the place. 

I rented a storage unit the other day to clear up some room in the shop. I don't have enough room to work without tripping over something or having to move things to get to some of the tools. When you do a lot of welding and grinding, keeping the sparks off of things and avoiding burning the place down is a constant battle. I should be able to increase the output a bit now, plus, I'll have a nice place to store the finished ones. As a bonus, it's only five minutes from the shack. Since I got rid of a bike recently and I've got room in the shop for the VW again, might consider actively seeking out a farm truck. I'll never get that XKE, so maybe settle for a truck. Besides being a lot cheaper, it would also be a little more practical.

Did a little origami out in the shop yesterday - motor mount patterns for the jitney project. The right side I'll make out of one piece and bend the ears up. The left side needs an offset bend that will interfere with the ears so I'll probably make that from three pieces and weld them together after bending the offset. Might just bend, hammer the ears flat and then bend them up.

I'm going to try and get those made today but I also want to move a couple of bikes to storage and I've got to cut some grass along with the daily chores. Looking forward to getting some room in the shop, though. 

Constitution Day

 It's Constitution Day. If you're not familiar with the US Constitution, you are not alone. It seems that most of our legislators aren't either. Either that or they just don't care about upholding the Constitution. You on the other hand, can take a free course from Hillsdale College that will set you straight. I've mentioned this a few times before and I must confess I've not taken the course yet, either. However, I've got a copy of the Constitution and I've read it a couple of times. 

The Bill of Rights, or first ten amendments to the Constitution, should be guiding the actions of our "betters" in Congress, but it sure doesn't seem that way. Most all of us are familiar with the 1st & 2nd amendments but the 10th should really be observed much more. Federal powers are supposed to be very limited and we'd all be a lot better off if that was the case. I don't know if there's a Libertarian presidential candidate that will be on the ballot here in Indiana this year but it would be nice if there was an alternative to the other two. Maybe after the revolution. There is a Libertarian candidate for Governor on the ballot. He doesn't stand much of a chance I would guess but he'll probably get my vote. Less government is best government the way I see it.

Royal Enfield Flat Track

 

Royal Enfield is in the flat track business. They entered a bike in the production class with Johnny Lewis in the saddle. He runs a school where you can learn to slide around like a pro on Himalayans. I'd like to give that a try. I mean I haven't broken anything in a while and it only takes me about five minutes to get out of bed and get moving in the mornings. Why not get some professional guidance and then put a 250cc Sprint together for a bit of vintage flat track? Or get myself another Himalayan and get it set up. Want to learn more about the Slide School? Check it out here. Want to know more about the bikes? Check that out here.

Fuel Cell and Seat

 

I saw this one on Facebook. Corbin seat on a Himalayan like mine. I checked on the seat at the Corbin website - not cheap naturally enough - but they have options. I couldn't get to that page for some reason, however. I definitely wouldn't go with the white piping. It's one piece, rather than two like the stock one. Realistically, since I rarely ride farther than 25 miles from the shack, the stock seat is adequate but one should never confuse want and need when it comes to motorcycles.

Went with a fuel cell for the jitney project. 10 gallon capacity and will fit nicely between the frame rails. Aircraft style filler, sending unit, two outlet and vent fittings. And I couldn't make one for the price. No-brainer.

Headaches are still a bit of a problem but every day is a little bit better. Looking to get back at it. Since I hit 70, the clock is definitely ticking.

Books & Nuts

 

Hazel nuts. I would have liked to have left them on the bush a week or two longer but if I'd done that they would have been eaten. I think it's a raccoon that gets them every year but I was keeping an eye on them this year. I noticed some shells on the ground two days ago, so it was time to harvest. That bucketful will only yield about a cup full of nuts but that's OK. Some for me, some for the wildlife.

I knocked out a few library books while I've been nursing the sore tooth - still a bit tender by the way. When I finished the library books I read the Mickey Thompson book from my library. The book focused on the man rather than going into a lot of detail of his many accomplishments as a racer and a business man. It's a good read with quite a few photographs of his various racing machines. And from the stand point of an old dude contemplating building something for Bonneville, the book's got a good dose of inspiration.

This is one I recommend to every one. Short book comprised of short chapters loosely following the old Paul Harvey format of the rest of the story. 

I've been able to up the book count lately but the pile of magazines is getting higher. Production on the projects has ground to a halt as well. Toothaches & headaches mainly to blame but that has to stop one of these days soon. My magnolia tree in the front yard lost another big chunk. I'll probably just cut the remainder of it down now. I've got a bunch of other grounds keeping chores to deal with as well. I bought a gallon of paint yesterday to touch up the shack a bit before the snow flies. I'd like to get out and do a little camping this fall. I can't remember the last time I spent the whole year sleeping in my own bed.

Labor Day

 I looked up the East Coast Timing Association and it appears they no longer run in Ohio. They've got something going on in Arkansas but I didn't spend much time at the website. I did, however, look up the Southern California Timing Association. A current rulebook is $10.00, so I think I'll order one. Realistically, I'll be lucky to even get the jitney finished but if I build it to the rules I will be able to run it, or Surly and the boys can take it out there some day.

Saw this one here. I missed out on the flat track race at Terre Haute along with all the other stuff Cuzzin Ricky and I had planned this year. Definitely need to get out to the races next year even if I have to suit up in Tyvek and a gas mask.

Working man's holiday today. I'm guessing there are plenty of people out there who wish they were back to work right about now. The year started out at about as close to full employment as is possible but now, who knows what the real figure is? I saw the figure of a bit over 8% but I'm not buying it. I haven't seen the figure of how many are actually working but I'd guess the real unemployment figure is closer to 15%. This country has had some serious struggles with labor practices over our history and things were really pretty damn good just prior to the cooties hitting. There was still room for improvement - real take home wages haven't kept up with inflation by any means but working conditions have improved. Many pension plans are in trouble now though. If they weren't before they probably are now. Going to be some hard times coming.

On a happier note, enjoy your holiday all you working men and women out there. Keep your heads up and keep punching the clock. This country needs hard working people now more than ever. Stay safe and don't over-do the BBQ today.  

Messing With The King

 

I saw on the news the other night that the "protesters" painted a bunch of graffiti on the walls outside of Graceland. Tearing down statues of presidents and war heroes - that's bad. Destroying businesses that people have worked their whole life to have - that's even worse. But messing with the King? That's crossing the line. I'm thinking it won't be long before you see old guys showing up at the protests. That'll be when it all gets real. Get prepared and avoid crowds.

 Bonneville again. This one actually set a record which is way cool. Probably due to that bitchin' expansion chamber. 

My running buddy's hubby dropped this one off for me to repair the other evening. It's the front spindle assembly for a Gator, I believe. I'm thinking one of his sons plowed into something. I doubt seriously that 3/4" shaft would have sheared off during normal usage. I'll have to cut some of the flat bar away so I can weld the shaft back together and then replace what I had to cut away so there's a flat surface for the thrust washer to sit on. Depending on how the tooth is treating me, maybe tackle it today. I'm still having headaches a week after having the tooth removed. I'm back on solid food but the jaw is still tender to the touch. Harshin' my mellow, as they used to say.

I ordered a fuel cell for the jitney project. If I was to get the rag out of my ass, I could have that thing ready to trailer out to Bonneville next year. There used to be an East Coast Timing Association. I don't know if they are still a thing or not, but they ran in Ohio. Maybe look into that. Might be the incentive I need to put this project into high gear.

Get yourselves squared away, avoid crowds and don't believe everything you read in the funny papers.

Seventy

 I made it to seventy. Between a couple of medical things and several things brought on by my own dumb-assery, there were some times where making it to seventy was a bit iffy. Actually, I'm in pretty good shape for a guy who has broken his skull, nose, collarbone, wrist, finger, knuckle, and several ribs. And I've outlived Elvis by 28 years - so I've got that going for me. On the serious side, I'm still married to the same woman for almost 50 years, we're blessed with a wonderful son and his family, and compared to many people in this train-wreck of a year, I don't have a care in the world. 

I'm planning on celebrating with a bike ride and another evening spent at home just like the last 160 evenings.

Stay safe everyone and thanks for following along.

Streamliner

I saw this on a metalworking group on Facebook. Looks like it's pretty much ready to go once they get it skinned. I'm going to have to make another trip out to Bonneville before it's too late. I don't know if watching guys go as fast as possible is much of a spectator sport, especially when the track is a couple miles long, but I'd love to see the machinery making the attempts.

Yesterday was spent about like Tuesday only not quite as much pain. I did a few chores around the house and caught up on some of the mail but no shop work. Dealing with the sore jaw's not that troubling but the headaches I can do without. It didn't help any that we had some weather blow in. That's one of the normal causes of my headaches. Ever since my accident years ago, my head's like a barometer. It's not near as bad as it used to be but I figured pulling the tooth was going to trigger a headache of some sort - and that it did. I should be back to "normal" in another day or two. 

Ouch!

 I had the last wisdom tooth pulled yesterday. No fun at all. The tooth had five roots rather than the usual four and two of them were curved like a banana. The dentist had to do some serious twisting and pulling to get the tooth out. And then to top it all off, when the numbness wore off I developed a migraine. So besides the serious jaw pain, I had a sharp shooting pain behind my eyeball and my temple. That cleared up after a couple of hours but the jaw is still swollen and sore this morning. Looks like a day of ice packs and pain killers on tap for me. And pudding, of course.