Photo Test

 

Test photo: 2" hitch ball with really lousy threads. It looks like it has a stud threaded into the ball but I couldn't get it out without a lot of monkey business. Of course, the threaded part might have been machined on the ball to begin with. I think I'm going to cut the threaded part off and then chuck it up in the lathe and see if I can drill and tap the ball. The logical thing to do would have been to toss it in the load of scrap the other day since I've got a couple of spares already. However, the photo came through like it was supposed to, so there's that.

Beautiful day yesterday again, so I did some lumberjacking. Loaded up my little trailer with wood from the Hawthorn tree and pulled it out to the splitter with the zero turn. Without thinking about it, I just yanked back on the control levers and managed to pull quite the righteous wheelstand. Seems smooth application of power is called for when pulling a heavy load. Anyway, I got quite a bit of wood split. I've got another pile from the other tree yet to go and I need to cut some of the pieces to a smaller size. The fireplace insert has a pretty small firebox, so the pieces work best if they are 16" or shorter.

I took a look at the jitney while I was out there yesterday. I need to fix up the heater hoses, not that I'm going to have a heater in that rig, but I need to connect the water pump to the block. Someone has replaced the top hose fitting with a short piece of brass pipe. There's no "bump" on the end of it like most all heater hose fittings have, so I'm going to make a little something with the bump and with a hex so I can put an open-end wrench on it instead of using a pipe wrench. Not a big thing but I'm trying to get back on that project a little now that I've finally got the rear end. 

Starting next week back to college two nights a week, one night a week boxing, finish the vintage trials bike, get the BSA going, same with the Sportster, and try to get caught up with all the rest of things that come around. It's going to be a busy spring but I better move forward while I'm in the mood for it.