Making Parts Again

 

Pleasant day yesterday - sunny and about 50 degrees. I did a bit of work in the shop and opened up the big doors. Quite comfortable with my hooded sweatshirt on - no heavy coat or heater required. It's supposed to be warm again today, so I'll to get out in the shop for a little bit before I go walkies. Maybe drag the bicycle out to the shop, check the tire pressures, oil the chain and give it a good looking over.

The photo shows the pieces I made for the side hustle. Two pairs of two different part numbers. The boss originally wanted five pairs of each so I'll have to get some more made. I figured he'd be calling by now looking for them but since he wasn't, I spent my work time shoveling and plowing. My back's got a kink in it as a result that is going to require some professional attention before I do much more.

The top pieces in the photo are for the engine mount to put the SR500 motor on the engine stand. Since I found the bolts, might as well finish that project up. When I go for walkies I'll swing by the storage space and grab the empty set of crankcases so I can make sure the spacing between the side plates is spot on.

I'm going to see if I can get the computer to pick up the signal from the new gizmo I bought. If it works I'll finish my design for a cabinet or shelf to house everything. If I decide on something out of wood I'll get to the lumber yard this week and get it made up. Time to pick up the pace on the jitney - music will help.

Music?

 

I think I have the solution to hooking up the computer out in the shop. The Powerline 1200 is supposed to do it. According to the instructions and what the salesman told me, you plug one of the units into a wall outlet and then run the ethernet cable to the wi-fi gizmo. Plug in the second unit to a wall outlet where ever you want to hook up your computer or smart TV, connect with the ethernet cable and you're in business. 

I haven't tried it yet due to the plug configuration on the power strip that runs my main computer, printer, etc. It has a right angle plug and I'm not able to plug in the new sending unit and the power strip unless the power strip cord has a straight plug as you can see from the photo. So I need another power strip or a short extension cord with a straight plug that I can plug the power strip into.

I also need to clean off a spot or hang a shelf off the wall to accommodate the laptop near an outlet. I've got a pair of speakers that I plugged my mp3 player into that I can use but I need to make provisions for that set-up as well. Nothing too difficult here but everything needs to be protected from flying sparks and all that. Maybe make a framework above the computer and amplifier that I can hang a tarp from like a miniature shower curtain or make a wooden cabinet I can hang on the outside of my welding booth where things will be protected and hang the speakers on the inside of the doors. Open the doors, turn on the power and I'll be set. Close the doors and the electronics will be safe and relatively spark and dust free. 

I think I'll get an extension cord for the computer power strip in the house, plug both units in and see if it works as planned before I get carried away making things, however. It'll be sweet if it works. Music of all types, no commercials, how-to videos if need be. Just what the doctor ordered.  

More Yamaha

 

That's a beauty of an SR right there. The only problem that I see is that it's too pretty for what I'm planning on doing even though I'm not real sure yet what it is I'm planning on doing. The combination seat & tail section looks good on there but that item is pretty commonplace on "real" flat trackers like the HD 750s. 

Airtech sells several fiberglass seats in addition to the XR model. They've got a couple designs that have number plates built into them. I can't see me needing that but the XR seat is $114.00. I couldn't make one for that price out of aluminum by the time I bought material and had it upholstered. However, I'm into making rather than buying as I'm sure you've surmised by now.

I like the looks of this one a bunch. Not a tracker or an SR500, but a pretty scrambler like they used to run. Putting something together like either one of these would be a fairly straight forward project. I just need to decide on what I want to do with it after I'm done. I looked at the SR seat the other day and I could shorten it up and wrap the sides in to form a back  and then have it re-upholstered. There's a guy within walking distance of me who does upholstery work. Using the stock seat pan would mean it would be a straight up bolt on after it was upholstered. That's not a bad thing. And white piping is always in style.

I like the high pipe on this one also. If I decided to take the bike to ride on public lands, I assume I would need a muffler with a spark arrestor. I can make a muffler and buy a Forest Service approved spark arrestor for only about twenty bucks or buy something like this one:

Going that route I'm definitely falling more into the scrambler camp than the flat tracker but I could end up with a bike that's capable of most any type of off road riding I'd want to do. My first thought was go with a low pipe and use SuperTrapp inserts.

The nice thing about these is they are tunable by adding or subtracting discs, and they are suitable for off-road.

I've got a long way to go before I get serious about this project but I haven't been spending all my parts allowance lately, so it wouldn't hurt to buy a few parts that I know I'll need sometime down the road. 

I went through the boxes at the storage space yesterday. I found a couple of bolts for the engine stand but no cylinder head - a couple of bottom ends and transmissions, a barrel, and a bushel and a peck of brake parts but no head. That obviously will be a problem for a low buck build. 

I did a bunch of running around yesterday. It warmed up to 45 degrees and was nice and sunny Went to the college for some business, the grocery store, Menards, bank, and ran the truck through the car wash. I also stopped at Best Buy - might have found the solution to getting the computer on line out in the shop. So I didn't get much else done but a great day to be out after all the cold and snow we've been having. Great day to be alive. And it's supposed to be above freezing for the remainder of the week.

Sidecar Hero

 

Chris Vincent passed away last week. If you're a fan of sidecar racing, especially if you're my age or there-abouts, you'll recognize that name. Pretty accomplished solo rider as well. RIP Mr. Vincent.

Didn't do much over the weekend. It did warm up some but I wanted to watch the outdoor hockey game on Saturday and on Sunday I got a chance to talk to Surly for a bit and I got out and did walkies with my running buddy and her husband. Actually, it was more like hiking since the walking trail was snow covered. We did 3-1/2 miles or so. Good to be out among the unwashed for a change. No hugs or handshakes but good to be able to get caught up a bit with friends and family. 

I need to run the tractor down the lane again today due to some drifting and fresh snow but I'm planning on getting back out in the shop after that. It's looking like it will be above freezing this week. That'll be warm enough to get me back on the projects. 

Have a good week. Spring is just a short month away!

Smile

 

Lovely voice - in itself enough to make you smile. But as they say in the commercials: "Wait there's more!"

The oldest grandson turned 16 the other day. Of course we didn't get to visit with him but the Missus and I did have a phone visit.

I went to the eye doctor Thursday. Had a check-up on the new bionic eyeballs and got fitted for some glasses. My vision is just damn near 20/20 but the new glasses will have a bit of correction as well as the proper bifocal power. Medicare pays up to $74.00 towards bifocals with UV lenses, so I got away with a new pair of specs with my share being only $70.00. I've got insurance that pays for new frames once every two years but I can't cash in on that until July - maybe get some prescription sunglasses then.

The seat for the jitney showed up on Thursday. With my plowing job on the lane being a little less than stellar, the FedEx guy left it at the mailbox not quite a quarter of a mile away. When I went down to grab the seat there was another package that I thought was going to be more car parts but instead was a box of live plants. The box was clearly marked live plants, do not freeze and it had an arrow pointing which way was up. Of course the box was upside down and sitting on top of a snow bank. Needless to say the plants were all dead. I'm assuming they were riding around in the back of the unheated van for quite a while before they got to my place because I retrieved them less than ten minutes after they were dropped off.

I'll have to wait until I get a trans to determine where the floor pan will be and then I can determine the seat height. It's sitting a bit higher than the frame rail in the photo but I think it will eventually be even with the bottom of the rail which will drop it down three inches. That being the case, I'll have to cut holes in the back sheet metal for the harness and run a cross tube on the roll cage to anchor the top straps.

The car parts I was waiting on showed up Friday. Alternator, trans mount and a couple of radiator hoses. Same scenario - FedEx dropped them off by the mailbox but nothing that could be harmed by the cold temperatures. I'm going to make sure I get the weather forecast before ordering anything in the future. I don't like the idea of my packages sitting out by the road where they could be stolen easily or frozen as with the plants. I think part of the problem is the FedEx drivers come out of the city and aren't used to driving out in the country or down farm lanes. A few years ago they tossed a package out half way down the lane. In the summer, during daylight hours. FedEx doesn't make me smile. 

Lastly, nothing puts a smile on your face like a big pot of bean soup when it's cold and there's two feet of snow on the ground.

Stay warm and safe.

Stove Building

 

I have a nephew living in Portland who commented on social media the other day that he'd really like a cup of coffee. Apparently since the power was out, no coffee maker. Several people responded on various ways to make a cup all of which required a heat source, naturally enough. I think he has a gas stove but many of the folks who have lost power recently have all electric appliances. If that's the case, a small plumber's backpacking stove should definitely be part of their preps. The photo shows most everything needed to make one other than a tuna can, some cotton balls and alcohol. Step by step directions can be found here.

I made mine years ago and it's been all over the country on my bicycling trips. I use gas line anti-freeze for my fuel source. It comes in screw on lids now, so it's possible to close it up without it leaking. I've currently got my fuel in a long neck aluminum beer can with a wine cork for a stopper - improvise, adapt, overcome. 

The stove will heat up a Sierra cup full of water in about 5 minutes. When cycle camping, I typically heat water for my oatmeal and then heat a second cup for my tea or coffee. My buddy and I then normally break camp, ride for a couple of hours and then stop some place for our second breakfast at a cafe or restaurant depending on what is available. When we did the trip on the Cowboy Trail my buddy didn't want to mess with cooking breakfast so we had a real meal at a restaurant every morning and then hit the road. The little stove did come out a couple of evenings, however.

So even if you're not a camper, make yourself a stove, buy a metal cup and store it with the rest of your preps. When the power goes out you can have a hot cup of coffee or tea, warm up the baby's bottle or fix a simple meal. Make two and keep one in your vehicle for peace of mind if you're caught out in a storm like we've been having. Just be careful with the alcohol. It burns with an invisible flame.

Also, on the related topic of staying warm during a power outage, I bought myself a catalytic heater to use in my teardrop trailer for winter use. I've never used it for the intended purpose but I did use it a few years ago when the power went out during a weather event like we've been having. While the heater is no where big enough to heat the old farm house, it kicks out 1,500 BTUs and has a shut-off if the oxygen level falls below a safe level. At that time I also put the kettle on the stove and lit a kerosene lamp, giving me light and a bit of heat. With the fireplace going it wasn't enough to heat the whole house but it did slow the cooling of the house quite a bit until the power came back on. I've also got a Coleman lantern I could have lit. They put out a nice bright light as well as a lot of heat. In fact, ice fisherman will put them inside a box they sit in that has holes punched in it to warm their fannies and feet.

The conclusion you could draw from this is, even if you're not a camper, camping equipment is prepping equipment. With an investment of maybe $200.00 you can equip yourself for most any emergency that results from a power outage. And don't forget to drain your pipes if you're in an area like Texas that normally doesn't get extended periods of freezing temps. Drain the water into a bucket or pot and transfer it to the bath tub so you'll have a water source for flushing the toilet. 

Stay warm and remember the Boy Scout motto: Be prepared.

Common Thread

I'm currently reading this one. I paid $5.00 for the book according to the price marked inside the cover. I don't remember where I got it or how long ago it's been but I figured since I'm working on the jitney project, the time was right to finally get around to reading it. Decent book with lots of good info on the cars and the more well known builders. I also finished a couple of books about Glenn Curtiss recently - one a biography, the other documenting the difficulty Curtiss had with the Wright Brothers. 

Here comes the common thread of the title. Glenn Curtiss not only was one of the pioneers of aviation but he was also an accomplished bicycle racer. Additionally, he set a land speed record on a motorcycle of his own design and construction. He's also credited with inventing the twist grip throttle used on most every motorcycle for the last 100 plus years.

In The American Racing Car book one of the biographies is of Louis Chevrolet. Chevrolet started out building, racing and marketing his own bicycles under the name Frontenac. Later he was in partnership with Will Durant of General Motors fame with the Chevrolet Motor Company. Chevrolet had a falling out with Durant and lost the rights to the Chevrolet name. He then started building cars under the Frontenac name, the financing of which came from Albert Champion, who I mentioned in a post recently, himself a champion bicycle racer. It's interesting to note that Champion did Chevrolet a major wrong and Chevrolet beat him almost to death. Champion later was involved in another altercation and died as a result of a punch to the chest.

Another of the biographies is of Harry Miller. Miller was famous for manufacturing carburetors and racing engines - most notably the Offenhauser. Miller left home in 1895, headed west and got a job in a bicycle shop. He then started his own part time business making parts to convert ordinary bicycles into racers. "To get to and from work he designed and built a bicycle on which he mounted a small one-cylinder engine. It has often been claimed that this was the first motorcycle in the United States."

Fred Duesenberg of race and luxury car fame got his start with bicycles as well. "the bicycle was the great, revolutionary form of personalized mechanical transport of the day, and Fred gravitated to it as a rider, then as mechanic, then as a racer, and then as a builder of his own fast machines. At age twenty-one he had his own small manufacturing business, continued racing and, in 1898 was credited with having established the worlds records for two and three miles."

It's interesting that the bicycle craze attracted some of the greatest names in automobile racing and development both as builders and racers. If you look just at the history of the Indy 500, you see the names Chevrolet, Miller and Duesenberg, and of course many of the cars were powered by AC or Champion spark plugs, just as many of the cars still are today. The late 1800's - early 1900s were pretty exciting times. It would have been a great time to be involved in the automobile industry. Indiana was a big player back then. There would have been plenty of opportunities for young guys to be involved as mechanics, machinists, coach builders, etc. It would have been great to apprentice under some of those guys.

Snow Day - Again

 The old tractor started right up yesterday. A fresh 12 volt battery spinning a 6 volt starter motor on an engine with low compression is just the ticket to get things turning over even when it's 10 degrees. The weather man was right on the money when he was forecasting 8" of new snow. In fact, we may have gotten a bit more with what came down in the morning. The blade on the tractor does a great job when the snow is 4-5 inches or less, not so much when it's trying to push 10-12 inches when you add up the new snow and what was already there.

I got it opened up but not quite wide enough I discovered when I tried to drive the truck down the lane later in the day. I managed to get stuck 4 or 5 times which required a bunch of shoveling to get me moving again. I noticed when trying to rock the truck back and forth it wouldn't spin the wheels at a high rpm when I had it in reverse. I don't know if there is some type of electronic governor or what but I could have used a few more revolutions a couple of times.

When I got down to the end and turned around I hit the throttle and tried to keep it going without having to lift. I was really "chopping wood" as the sprint car guys would say, sawing back and forth on the wheel. I made it though. I'll run the tractor down the lane again today to widen it out a bit and scrape it down more.

I'm certainly not alone in battling the snow and ice. We didn't lose power like much of the country has these past few days. I saw that Texas had blackouts due to the extra demand put on the grid from to the cold temps. I've got a nephew who lives out by Portland who was without power due to the ice storms and, of course, California has blackouts as a regular occurrence. President Biden has just decreed that all the government vehicles are going to be "E" rigs in the future. It'll be real interesting when all those vehicles won't be able to move due to the grid shutting down for whatever reason may come around. I think if I was going to buy an electric vehicle I'd make sure I'd be able to charge it back up if there was a power outage and always have enough charge to make the return trip. 

New Battery

 

A nice Irish ballad - another one I heard from the Irish station I've been listening to as of late. 

It was about six degrees yesterday morning when I checked and we got roughly 3 more inches of snow before it stopped. I went out about 1:30 to shovel the walk and check on the condition of the lane. Things weren't looking real good and since they were predicting more snow staring about 3:00, I pulled the battery box apart on the old Allis, got the part # and then called the auto parts store to see if they had one. The answer was yes, expensive, but yes, so I pulled the battery and headed up town. The trip down the lane was a little dicey but made it out OK. The return trip about a half hour later was really dicey - I just about didn't make it. I put the battery in the tractor about the time the snow started again. I heard on the radio while I was out that another 8" of drifting snow could be coming my way along with continued cold. It was 12 when I was swapping out the battery.

When I was pulling the car out of the garage, the top roller on the door came off. I think I've got some extra bracket bolts around here. If not, I'll just stick a couple of regular 1/4" bolts in there until I can get the ones it's supposed to have. Then check all the rest of the bolts on the doors to make sure nothing else has worked loose. Always something. And always more fun when it's cold out. 

I'll probably have to spend at least a couple hours pushing snow around today. It's rare that we get this much snow. Even more rare that we get the continued cold temps so the snow sticks around. When it warms up I'll see about getting a new alternator and battery cable for Allis. I need to be more diligent on checking the water level in the battery as well. As long as I stay on top of that and the fluids, the old girl should serve me well for as long as I'm going to be living here. Or living, period, for that matter. 

More Winter

 

The Champion spark plug company was formed by Albert Champion as was the AC spark plug company. I did a quickie book review several years ago after reading a biography about him. I just happened across this photo the other day and thought it was a cool picture, as well as reminding me about Albert Champion. 

Took a vacation day yesterday. It was -3 at 6:30 when I checked in the morning, so I stayed in the shack all day other than a quick trip to take the garbage out and check on the chickens. First day in about a week that I didn't have to shovel snow which was nice since it was so cold out. The Chicago weather said the high for the day was 4 degrees which was a record cold for the high temperature on the 14th.

I did order some parts for the jitney, however. I've got an alternator, radiator hoses and transmission mount coming. They should be here this week. I checked the part number on the transmission mount and it's the same for both a manual and automatic trans so no matter what trans I end up with, I'll be set. I also ordered a seat. It's back ordered and is supposed to ship April 2nd. 

In addition to making a transmission mount, I'm going to make a driveshaft loop as well. Bad things happen if the front U-joint breaks. If it sticks into the road at speed it can lift the car like a pole vaulter. It's also capable of beating the bottom of the car up, destroying brake or fuel lines and wiring. Many of the sanctioning bodies require one. I don't know what exactly I'm going to do with this thing when I finish it but making a loop is easy enough, just need to get a transmission. 

I'm supposed to take the Missus to the doctor today but it's supposed to be cold and windy as well as start snowing about noon. I'll have to see if she wants to make the trip or cancel the appointment. As I write this they're forecasting a total of 5"-7" of new snow Monday afternoon into Tuesday. It's about 50 miles round trip. I'd just as soon stay home, myself. Either way, won't be getting anything done in the shop.

Delbert Mc Clinton and Shop Radio

This song has one of the greatest lines ever: "I'll still love you baby, but I don't want you back."

I heard this on an Irish radio station I stumbled across. It surprised me but I recognized Mc Clinton's voice right away.  You would think with all the music this guy has made over the course of his career, I should be able to hear it locally, rather than having to go to Ireland to hear it.

Here he is with Roy Buchanan. Buchanan was a guitar monster. This one's kind of bluesy as well but if you want to hear another Mc Clinton/Buchanan collaboration that really showcases his guitar work, go here.

Bruce Channel's Hey!Baby with Delbert Mc Clinton on harmonica. This is from way back in '62. Great little song - only 2 minutes long but it'll have you humming it all day long.

I'm thinking as soon as the weather breaks I need to start spending more time in the shop. I've got a lot of projects in the queue and time waits for no man and all that. I've got a radio out in the shop but it only picks up about three stations clearly. Actually those are about the only three that I would consider listening to anyway but things get pretty repetitive after a while. I used to listen to the public radio station out of Chicago but they don't play music like they used to - Mike Flynn's Folk Sampler, Dick Buckley's Jazz Showcase, Marion McPartland's Piano Jazz, Fiona Ritchey's Thistle and Shamrock, and Steve Cushing's Blues Before Sunrise. Great line-up for a guy like myself with diverse taste in music. Now it's all talk, all the time. Like I need that.

However, I'm working a plan to get myself access to a better selection of music. I consulted with Surly and he threw out a couple of ideas for me. First up is to take my laptop out to the shop and see if I can pick up the signal from the house. If that works, I'm well on my way. If not, plan B. I've got a nice receiver and speakers in the house I seldom use. I might drag that out to the shop as a stop-gap. I'll still be limited to FM stations rather than the internet but it should give me better reception, meaning more choices and better sound. The end goal is internet access without buying a smart phone with little to no monthly fee and decent sound quality in a noisy environment. Should be do-able.

The reality is I should play this on a loop since the "scared to run out of time" is becoming a reality. Since I turned 70 I figure I'm now counting backwards from 10 - and that's if I'm lucky and God's willing. Definitely need to turn up the wick on the projects. 

Happy Valentines Day, lovers!

It's Finally Bazooka Time Again!

 I watched The Prizefighter and the Lady on TCM yesterday morning - old film from 1933. Not exactly great cinema but it starred Myrna Loy and Max Baer so I tuned in. The denouement* was the big championship match between Max and Primo Carnera and was refereed by Jack Dempsey. All great heavyweight fighters from the past. 

And then later on I got a call from Bazooka Joe - he's fighting in Des Moines, Iowa next Friday and wanted to know if I could work his corner. Unfortunately, I had to turn him down. Joe says he's been training steady, doing some trail running as well as speed work and working on some of the things he needed to improve. This will be Joe's second pro fight and his opponent's first. Joe's been waiting to get a fight since his pro debut in December of 2018 that ended with Joe stopping the guy in the 2nd round. I think that's the last time I was at a fight - been way too long. I did renew my coaching license for the year which included taking the new Green Level exam, updating me from the Legacy Level I. The way things are going, I'll be lucky to have an opportunity to use it this year. I haven't heard anything definite but I'm assuming the Golden Gloves is cancelled again this year. Just like with the schools being affected, the virus has been playing hell with amateur sports programs. Damn shame.

After I did a bit more snow shoveling, I ran over to the storage space to check to see if the plates I made for the engine stand were going to work. The plates look good but I need a couple of different bolts. I had measured the diameter of the holes in the cases with a tape measure and it looked like a 7/16" would work but no go. The threaded part of the bolt will start in the hole but not the body. I'll have to get a couple of metric bolts or take the time to go through the boxes and see if I can find the ones that hold the motor in the frame. 

Looking at the photo, The old Yamaha doesn't look much like the BSA a couple of posts back. In fact, it doesn't look like anything more than a clapped out 43 year old basket  case. That being exactly what it is. However, I prefer to look at it as a diamond in the rough. If it wasn't for the fact that I had rented the storage space, I would have taken a pass on these gems. I didn't need any more projects but a quasi-flat tracker should be fun. I can make a track around the perimeter of the corn field and have a few giggles - at least until I crash hard and break another wrist or collar bone.

Didn't do anything in the shop other than cleaning up and putting the tools away. Might work on making some parts for the side hustle today and maybe a little something on the jitney.

* Big word I learned in a film appreciation class I took in college years ago. The only elective I took in all those years of schooling that wasn't something trade related. Fun class - watched classic films and ate popcorn.

The Troubles

Scotch-Irish Arkansan singing a favorite of mine. One very, very accomplished musician who had a few troubles of his own.

I've doing some thinking about Ireland as of late - several reasons for it, actually. I ran across an item about Bank of America turning over its list of customers to the government. The article mentioned both the number of ATMs they have and how easy it would be to disable them. Coincidentally, I also came across an item that mentioned "Irish Democracy", that being how the Irish kept the British Army hopping for 30 some years during The Troubles until they finally gave up and went home. Basically, death from a thousand cuts. It's also approaching the anniversary of my trip to Ireland two years ago and I'd love to go back. Ireland spoke to me. 

Now with most of us out here in the middle country being labeled domestic terrorists and with what's sure to be the forthcoming assault on the second amendment, there's just liable to be a bit of Irish Democracy coming in our future. I'm certainly not advocating violence but if "laws" get passed that make felons out of everyone who has a semi-automatic rifle, more ammo than what's allowed or a magazine that holds more than ten rounds, there's liable to be some backlash. Couple that with the on-going impeachment trial, the transgender sports fiasco, the actual unemployment rate being maybe 20% rather than the government's figure of 6.3%, the soon to be expiring mortgage and rental forbearance and then who knows what the last straw might be.

Get prepared. It's going to be an interesting few years. 

---------------------

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I got the rear frame section cleaned up and primed. Looks pretty sexy from where I'm sittin'. I also got the bike frame repaired. The welding was easy enough. Most of the work was grinding out the crummy welds from the other guy. Looked good when I finished up - a lot better than the end bell on the winch I did recently. If they were all like that I might take up knitting instead. 

Don't know what I'll get done the next few days. I'll just see what the weather brings and if I can break the seal between my ass and the recliner.

I've Got Gas

 

BSA boiled down to the essentials. Give it a kick, open the throttle, turn left. Other than the wire wheels and the rigid frame that's about what I envision the SR500 to look like. 

I was able to get my argon tank swapped out yesterday. And I was able to get it close to home. And at about half the cost from the previous source - win-win all the way around. It's supposed to be cold again today but not as cold as the next few days, so I'm planning on repairing the aluminum frame today and then work on a little something on the jitney as long as I'll have the heat on. Maybe lay out the grill opening and come up with a design of the grill.  

We're supposed to get some more snow today and tomorrow. This has turned into an honest to God winter. I need to take the battery out of the tractor and see about getting a new one. Fortunately the old girl worked when the big storm came through but if it's going to continue snowing, I'm going to need more than the snow blower. 

Bikes

 

Moto Guzzi is celebrating their 100 year anniversary this year with a few special edition models. I like the looks of this scrambler model even though most of the off -road riding I do is on my gravel lane - and I don't do much of that. I had plans to do a little something last summer with my Himalayan but that fell through, of course. Maybe this summer.

Three cylinder DKW. The tank has a different look to it. No effort what so ever to planish any of the hammer marks out. In fact, it looks like they used a ball peen hammer to planish it. Looks like the seams were gas welded, again with no effort to knock down the lumps. Interesting look, especially since the rest of the bike is so finely finished.

Another Guzzi from back in their racing heyday. The cam timing cover, crankcase and the rear hub all look to be cast magnesium judging by the color. The tank is a pretty intricate shape and not a hammer mark in sight. These usually had a dustbin type fairing and from the photos I've seen, they were always metal finished to a rather high level.

SR500 from Sideburn magazine. Surly left a comment a couple of posts back about print edition magazines. While my post was mostly addressing finding a couple of decent car mags, he sent me some info on a few car and bike mags. Since Cycle World and Motorcyclist folded their tents, I don't subscribe to any bike mags anymore. Sideburn mag would be a good one since it covers flat tracking and I'm hoping to turn a SR500 into a flat track ride. I looked at the Hop Up magazine website and they've caught my eye. Old school hot rods and jalopies and one of the back issues is a Bonneville special edition. Might need to order that one.

A guy dropped off an aluminum bike frame yesterday that needs a bit of work. Not a big job, just need to correct someone elses attempt at welding it. I need to get my argon tank refilled first, however. I'm hoping for a break in the weather but it doesn't look too promising for the next few days. More cold and snow on the way. I'm having a hard enough time keeping the lane open. The tractor battery won't take a charge so I fired up the old snow blower yesterday and cut a couple of wheel tracks down the lane so the guy could drop the frame off, plus I was expecting a delivery from Fed Ex. 

I had the lane cleaned up pretty well on Monday but the guy delivering the bottled water managed to get stuck when he was backing out. It's a pretty big truck and as soon as it stopped moving it slid sideways into the piled up snow along the berm - happened a couple of times. It took us about 45 minutes to dig him out. I've been getting a pretty good cardio workout the last few days shoveling, plowing and snow blowing. Between all that and the "nutritarian" diet, I'm down to 172. Seven more pounds and I'll be a middleweight once again. I'm not trying to lose weight but it's a pleasant by product. 

Take a Seat

 

Jegs house brand aluminum seat $124.00, with the cover $185.00. A 36" x 48" sheet of aluminum of the same thickness is $130.00. I get 15% off this month but I would still have to add in shipping costs and see about getting it upholstered. Buying rather than making seems to be the better idea even if it does go against the grain a bit. If I buy this one it ships free but wouldn't ship until April 1. Speedway Motors has a good selection of seats as well but I'm leaning towards this one right now. It's 35.5" tall x 17.5" wide which would fit me well and offer good comfort and protection. And I like the idea of having a cover that snaps on and off. I won't be ready for it until I get a tranny so I know where the floor will be, so waiting a while for delivery won't be a problem. 

Cold day yesterday - high in single digits. Negative numbers Saturday night and last night. Maybe some snow showers today but the latest forecast isn't quite as brutal so I'll see about going to the welding supply and running a couple errands later in the week. Need to keep pushing forward. 

Car Mags

Since I'm homebound these days, I'm spending more time than usual on the computer. I went looking for a magazine or two that might have some adverts for hot rod parts, both for the jitney project and an actual hot rod that's been lingering for far too long. Knowing that many of the print magazines have died off, I figured I'd look online to see what's still available and if it was worth a trip to Barnes & Noble when I take the trip to Menards and the welding supply. I found out that a couple of the old stand-byes like Rod & Custom and Street Rodder have folded up their tents. During my search I came across a good article about the demise of the car magazines from a guy who was in the business for years. You can find it here if interested. However, I did receive an e-mail from Chris Alston's Chassis Works that's promoting three car/truck mags that are available in both print and digital versions. I'm thinking I'm going to subscribe to Modern Rodding for a year. Might be worth it for some inspiration as well as sourcing some parts.

It warmed up more than the forecasted temperature yesterday - hit a balmy 21 about 1:30 so I headed out to the shop. I got the ends wrapped and welded and I had enough argon to finish weld both of the rails. I've still got some grinding and sanding to do but I'll get out there one of these afternoons and take care of that. I'll take the finished job down the basement and get some primer on it after that. 

EDIT: I normally write a post in the evening for the following morning, that is write on Saturday, new post appears on Sunday. I must have gotten my days mixed up on this one. I wrote it on Saturday for Sunday but it came in on Saturday.  

Improved Photo

 

The rear frame rails clamped in place. I need to finish wrapping the ends but that will have to wait. I went out to the shop to take this photo and it was about 16 degrees with a pretty brisk wind blowing outside. The wind chill was probably zero or below and even though the shop felt much warmer by comparison, I snapped the photo and headed back to the shack. They were forecasting a high of 18, which will be the warmest for the next six days or so. It doesn't look like I'll be working out there until it warms up, especially with night time temps in the negative numbers. 

While I doubt seriously I'll be bored during my quarantine within a quarantine, I'm going to start on my taxes and try to pick up where I left off on a project on the basement workbench. I would like to finish welding the frame rails and finish using the argon bottle up so I can get it refilled. I'd like to be ready to  go when it warms up. 

I'll spend a little of the down time shopping the parts catalogs. I need an alternator for sure, maybe an electronic distributor and a seat. I could make a bomber style but I could probably buy something cheaper than I could make one and have it upholstered. I was originally thinking of mounting a headrest off the roll cage but I'm leaning now towards a high backed seat. While I started building this rig from a set of plans, I want to make this thing uniquely my own - circle track/ hot rod/Bonneville mix. 

Stay warm folks. Dangerous cold out there.  

Radioactive

 

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I'm starting on cleaning out some of my "treasures" and came across this old Civil Defense handbook. I was curious to see what all was contained in it so I read it cover to cover. You need to remember I grew up when this stuff was a big deal. We never got too wrapped up in the "big one" scare at my house but Mom did put together some essentials down the basement. Of course, with four of us growing boys we probably would have eaten our way through the food supply in a couple of days and I can't imagine us staying down in the basement for a full two weeks as recommended in the Civil Defense handbook.

Obviously nearly all of the material in the book is outdated and the threat of a nuclear strike isn't anywhere near the top of my list of concerns but I did find it extremely interesting since I lived through that era. Most public buildings back then had the yellow and black signs on them signifying that they were a fallout shelter.

The occupancy was figured on each individual having 10 sq. ft. of space - that's not much at all - I couldn't even lie down flat without having 12. Supplies were stocked with much of the food in large metal cans that looked like the 50lb cans welding rods come in.  The handbook mentions that conditions will be primitive but soldiers have had to endure worse so suck it up or words to that effect. 

There is a chapter dealing with farm populations since they'll probably be too far away from a shelter to reach it in time and of course there would be livestock to deal with. One fact I found interesting was that chickens are able to absorb more radioactivity than all the other common farm animals. 

Interesting book from a historical perspective. With people building bunkers and safe rooms, it does address the issues of sanitation, fresh air and communication with the outside world that would be a concern in this day and age as well, whether from a nuclear strike or a natural disaster. One thing the book didn't address was pets. You definitely weren't going to be able to bring your dog or cat to the fallout shelter. It's pretty easy to get a cat set up for two weeks but what about your dog? Just turn him loose? I'm pretty well equipped to live down the basement for two weeks as far as food and water goes but I can't imagine spending that time with the animals and dealing with all that would entail. Might be easier just to let the gamma rays have their way with me.

I did some more on the frame rails yesterday. I got the round tube tacked in across the back and some more welding on the seams. I took a picture of it clamped in place but I was talking to a buddy of mine trying to troubleshoot his MIG and took the photo one-handed. I've posted some blurry photos on here before but this one was just too bad. I'm heading back out there today, so I'll try to get a better shot of it. The rear frame looks pretty good, even if the photo doesn't.

John L.

 

The great John L. Sullivan as seen yesterday on a Facebook group I belong to. I've been blessed to sleep inside the barns where John L. trained for his 75 round bare knuckle championship fight. I was also honored to be a Person of the Year of the Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame - definitely one for the highlight reel. If and when it becomes safe to travel again, I want to head back out that way. I'd like to see Cooperstown as well. Actually, I'd love to go most anywhere as far as that goes. I haven't been to the gym, the Golden Gloves was cancelled along with all the other amateur events as well as all the 5K runs and walks I used to participate in. And, of course, no open wheel racing.

I got the newsletter from the Kokomo Rescue Mission the other day and it had an insert in it about a walk they're hosting. It goes online tomorrow. Even though it'll be "Walk Where You Are", I'm thinking about signing up for it. They do good work - they served close to 100,000 meals last year - as well as providing other services. It'll do me good to train for an event and get outside. I'll talk to my running buddy after I get the details and she if she'll want to do it to keep me honest. 

I worked on the second frame rail yesterday. I got it tacked together and then started finish welding both of them. Unfortunately, I'm about out of argon and the local place I've been getting it is no longer a drop point, so I'm going to have to do a bit of traveling to get my tank refilled. I'm going to tack the round tube cross piece to both rails as well as tack a temporary spreader on the other end. After I get it squared up I'll go ahead then and weld until I run out of gas. With a little bit of luck I might be able to finish welding it up before the tank goes dry. That'll be about it for a few days anyway. They're talking sub-zero temps over the weekend. That's not for me.

Snow Day

 

The weather forecasters were correct in their predictions. It started snowing about 3:30 Saturday afternoon and continued most of the night. The wind was blowing hard from the east, so I ended up with some drifts in front of the doors on the big barn and the new barn. I spent a good hour Sunday shoveling and plowing. I had started the tractor up and let it run a bit Saturday to make sure it would run on Sunday but it turned over about twice was all before the battery quit. I put it on the charger and got it fired up and it did the same thing again Monday. The tractor's got an ammeter and it wasn't showing a charge when I had it running. It had been changed over from a 6 volt generator to a 12 volt alternator before I bought it and I put a new battery in it after I bought it but that's been quite awhile ago. I think I'm going to buy a new alternator and battery. That should eliminate any and all starting and charging problems as long as I'm going to be using the old girl. 

I did more shoveling and plowing Monday since it continued to snow on Sunday, and I'll need to run the tractor down the lane again today. I walked down the lane yesterday to get the mail and some of it had blown in again. Needless to say, I didn't get much else done. We got about 9" of heavy, wet snow with some drifts close to 24". By the time I got done with the snow removal, my back and chest were both feeling the effects so I spent the remainder of both days in the shack. It was nice out Monday, though. Sunny day, about 32 degrees with only a slight breeze. Got some much needed exercise and fresh air.

I'm going to pick up the piece of material I need for the second frame rail today, run a couple of other errands and then get back to work. They're forecasting some really cold temps this weekend so I want to get the frame rails finished and make some progress on the job for the side hustle. Sissy that I am, I don't want to even leave the house when the temps are in negative numbers. I'll be real content just keeping the fireplace fed while catching up on my reading.