Jacks and Chairs

 

Went for walkies yesterday with Coach Jen - got 4 miles in - and she said her husband had a small job for me. I stopped by their barn later and he's making a jack mount for his camper. Needs the pipe welded to the piece and holes drilled in both of the flat bars. No biggie - I'll get it knocked out in the next couple of days. 

You'll notice the parts are sitting on the sheet for the oil tank job. I went out to the shop the other day to get started on cutting out the pieces and I saw a woodchuck run past the big door. I quick went outside and saw the bushes moving where he ran along the side of the building. The raspberries have been taken over with scrub brush and weeds, so I stopped work inside and started clearing a spot about two feet wide next to the shop. I didn't find a burrow, but a couple of years ago one actually chewed through the siding of the shop and found its way in. I need to just cut everything down and start over with the berries. Of course, it continues to rain and the mosquitoes are terrible, but I need to make sure the woodchuck isn't burrowing under the shop or coming through the wall again.

Meanwhile in the fun never stops department, the $20.00 recliner I bought not too long ago broke after the Missus body slammed it while forcing it to recline. I think I figured out how to repair it without too much trouble. Not much of an initial investment, but the upholstery is like new and it's American made. It just wasn't designed for the rough and tumble reclining method.  

 Need to mow again because it's only been a day - mow the front, mow the back, wait a day, and repeat. As long as it's dry enough. If not, I end up with big clumps of grass all over the yard. Usually, this time of year everything is brown, mow maybe once every week and a half. Always something.  

Architecture

 

Surly came down the other afternoon and gave me the highlights of his recent motorcycle trip - 1800+ miles into Canada and around the Great Lakes. The photo above is St. Andrew's church in Kingston, Ontario, rebuilt after a fire in 1889. The photo is one I glommed off the internet. The couple Surly showed me were taken at night and were much nicer. Anyway, as per usual, our conversation veered off to an architectural conversation including Brutalism

I was in Lowell, Mass. years ago on a grant from Eli Lily and did a walking tour of the city. Along the way our guide pointed out a building as an example of Brutalism. I had never heard of that style of architecture before and thought at the time that was a pretty cold description of the building. Later I realized Brutalism was a real thing, not just the guide taking a cheap shot at the building's style. Surly sent some links so I could be better informed on Brutalism. The only forms of architecture I'm familiar with are Gothic and the industrial buildings made of red brick, steam power, line shafts and big glass windows and skylights. 

The county courthouse where I went to make arrangements for mail-in ballots for the Missus and I in the upcoming election. This building was made in 1898 - beautiful inside and out. The church, the courthouse, the industrial buildings I'm familiar with, and the old farmhouse I live in were all constructed during the American Industrial Revolution. My house was built along with several others in my little village as a result of the railroad coming through. Would have been a great time to be alive for a guy like me. 

I need to fill in the void in my education on building styles - maybe find myself a book or two to study this winter.

Sad Day

 

Rest in Peace Dolly!

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I made a lay-out of the tank on the 16 ga. sheet I'll be using. I wanted cold rolled but got hot rolled instead, so I'll have to grind off all the surfaces where I'll be welding, especially if I TIG weld the seams and all of the bungs. The layout doesn't have the top as part of it because he had the steel supplier cut that out to size. I don't have a finger brake, so I think I'll bend up the long sides and cut the ends out and weld them individually. 

Assembly procedure as follows:

Cut out all parts and drill holes

Bend sides

Tack weld end pieces and top together

Finish weld sheet metal pieces

Install all bungs and filler pipe. 

I haven't decided if I'm going to TIG weld the sheets or gas weld them. Likewise, I might TIG weld the bungs or braze them in place. Lower heat input with braze welding and I should be able to get a nice, smooth, leakproof fillet all around them.

I might try a couple of practice pieces before committing to either method.

Filler Neck

 

I did a little homeowner work yesterday and then made my first move on the oil tank for TVI. The weld-in bung is pretty short. It was designed to be poked down into the tank until it bottomed out on the flange so it would be only about 1/8" proud of the sheet. However, TVI wants it to be parallel with the bottom of the tank, rather than at the 8-degree angle of the top sheet. I'm going to weld the bung into a tube that I'll cut at the proper angle and then weld the tube to the top sheet.

So how did I arrive at the 8-degree angle, you ask? Let me count the ways. First, I checked the angle with a protractor. Second, I used the trig formula tan A= a/b and looked up the number in the Trig Tables in Machinery's Handbook. Third, just to get a little better with the calculator on my phone, I ran the numbers and figured out how to enter the second function on the tangent. The protractor gave an approximate 8-degree answer, the trig tables gave me the answer in degrees and minutes, and the calculator gave me the answer in a decimal format. Sounds like a lot of work but it only took me about 5 minutes. 

I'm still contemplating my sequence of operations for putting this thing together. There are quite a few fittings that need to be welded into the tank and each one of them will potentially warp the edge of the sheet. I'll give it a little more thought before I jump in.

Oil Tank

 

I think the safety posters only work if people can figure out the message, even at that, no guarantee.

I went to check out the oil tank job yesterday. TVI had purchased all the fittings and the sheet metal a while back, he was just waiting to get his engine back to check the fit of his pattern. We talked over a few other bike things and shot the breeze a bit - nice chat. 

Beautiful day, so when I came home I swapped out the mower blades and then cut the front yard. Did a bit of tinkering as well. Looks like the next few days are going to be nice - be a real blessing for the storm victims. I'm going to try and get some more outside work done while it's dry, myself. Maybe get out on the bike as well.

Buckets O' Fun

 

Real deal Rock & Roll

We've been reorganizing and doing a serious clean around the house. I went to Menards yesterday, bought a set of shelves for the laundry room, some buckets with the Gamma lids and some other items. The shelves are for the cases of water, soda, laundry supplies, etc. The buckets are for pasta and cake mixes. The air-tight lids will keep the pantry moths out of the food stuffs for long term storage. The laundry room will be this week's job when the cleaning lady comes back.

Cut the back yard after getting home - managed to finish up right before it started raining again. I want to cut the front yard today, but it might be too wet. This is usually the time of year when the grass is all brown and dormant. I did sharpen the spare set of blades yesterday, so rain or shine, I'll swap out the blades to be ready when it's dry enough to mow. I also poked around on the Jitney a bit trying to remember where I left off. If it doesn't quit raining soon I'll have to start on an ark.

Going to look at TVI's Harley project today. He sent his engine out to get rebuilt and it finally came back. He wants me to make a new oil tank for sure and maybe more. I'll find out this morning.

My Opinion

I'm not so sure this in an unpopular opinion. I went walkies on Sunday with Coach Jen - 4 miles. Stopped on the way home at CVS to pick up a prescription for Larry Joe Cocker and they had a new sign-in screen gizmo at the counter. I typed in my name and birthdate as required and nothing showed even though they had called and said his script was ready. The screen said if nothing came up go to the drop-off window. So I did but that's like no man's land. One of the ladies finally had pity on me and got me hooked up. I just need to remember to type the dog's name in next time. However, I might just bypass the counter and use the drive-up instead. 

I got my blood draw yesterday that I wasn't able to get last week due to the storm damage. Had to check in at the kiosk there as well. That went pretty smooth because I had already checked in online prior to my first visit. But this is also the place that couldn't do any business because even though they had power, they were dependent on the internet for all transactions.

A couple of side notes: 

All the roundabouts that have been installed up there actually are a plus when the traffic lights are out. So that's a good thing. 

I picked up the spare tire kit for the wife's new car yesterday while I was out and topped off the tank. The station I stopped at usually has donuts, but the bakery is still out of power, which is not a good thing. Not that I need donuts, but since I had to fast for the blood draw a donut was sounding good.

The parts I ordered for the quick-change rear on the Jitney project showed up the other day - oil, gears, gasket and studs for mounting the brake backing plates. Need to get the trials bike buttoned up so I can get it out of the way and then get the car back in the queue. Hard to find the time right now with the mowing and weed control, cutting and splitting wood, doctor's appointments, and all the rest, but I'm doing a little something every day.

This & That

 

Here's the young man that was in the photo a few posts back that was sparring when I went to Indy with Coach Jen. He won a split decision in his bout in Texas and ended up with a title of some sor. Coach Jen didn't know exactly the belt they were fighting for, but he beat the hometown champ, so he must have fought well.

Speaking of Coach Jen, she's selling Earth Magic Body Potions now. All natural products for both men and women. I'm thinking about trying some of the beard oil. Check it out, or better yet, order a little something and help her out.

I went out to the shop Friday evening and found a bunch of torn up foam insulating board on the floor. Looking up there was no doubt where it came from - a new hole in the ceiling. It didn't take long for a raccoon to get in there after repairing it. I had set the live trap and sure enough, had a 'coon in the trap. I disposed of the varmint, so now I'll patch the hole and reset the trap after doing a little work to keep the trap anchored in place. I'll also once again walk around the building to see if I can figure out how they're getting in. 

A little more rain in the forecast for today and tomorrow. Looks to be dry and pleasant for at least seven days after that. Let's hope so. We don't need any more rain anywhere in the state now.   

Prepping

 

As per Bob Dylan, a hard rain is going to fall and will continue for a few more days. As I mentioned in the previous post, lots of rain, downed trees and power outages. NIPSCO which is the power company for most of the customers north of the river, says 300,000 of them were without power on Wednesday. In fact, that was the worst power outage they've ever had. I had to zig-zag a bit on my way home after getting shut out for my lab test, but it would have been much worse had I tried to go north. Long lines at any gas station that still had power and I heard of a couple of stations that ran out of regular. 

So, my advice is first of all never let your tank go below half full and as long as you have a place to safely store it, get a couple of 5-gallon cans, treat them with Sta-Bil or something similar, and a funnel or pump so you can pour the gas into your vehicle. Most 5-gallon cans when full are going to weigh about 45 pounds and, depending on the spout on the can, it'll be tough lifting the can up and getting the gas past the flap in the vehicle's filler neck without thinking it through in advance.

Get some shelf stable grub to keep on hand as well - canned goods, rice, pasta, etc. Having a freezer full of food is great but depending on the ambient temperature and how often you open the door, frozen food won't stay frozen long without power. And of course, you need to be able to prepare the food. If you have all electric utilities, need a stove of some sort or figure on cold meals. Peanut butter on bread or crackers works well in the short term. I have a gas stove in the kitchen plus several types of camping stoves.

Water is a definite item to keep on hand. I have a well and a generator, I keep a few cases of water on hand, and I drove a well a few years back with a pitcher pump. You need water for drinking, cooking cleaning and sanitation. I keep some paper plates, bowls and cups on hand along with plastic utensils.

Fortunately, even though it's August, the temperatures aren't ungodly hot but weather disasters can occur anytime of the year. We had an ice storm years ago in March and were without power for 4 days. This was before we had the generator and the weatherman predicted the storm accurately, so I filled up the bathtub in order to wash up and flush the toilet. I have a small gas heater that's safe for indoor use, put a kettle of the stove and kept a fire going in the fireplace. It wasn't toasty warm in the house, but not uncomfortable, especially for a guy who has camped in all kinds of weather. 

The point of all this is: don't get caught with your pants down!  If you need meds, get some to keep on hand. If you've never done any camping, maybe try a couple of nights at a park to see what type of equipment you need to live unsupported for a couple of days. With all of my bicycle camping, I've got it down to a science - travel light and stay hydrated. Dress for the weather and carry a good flashlight and first aid kit. 

Most importantly, don't be a dumbass! If you have to wait in line for an hour to get fuel for your rig, or you don't have any cash on hand. that'll definitely put you in the dumbass category. The Governor has declared the whole state a disaster area so remember the Scout motto: Be Prepared.  

Jazz, Socks & Rain

 A little old school jazz - music to soothe the savage beast and all that. I need something on the soothing side after what I went through trying to buy some socks.

I went south the other day and went to Walmart to see about buying some socks since the two different orders from Amazon didn't work out. I found some with a high cotton percentage and the right length but they were just a little small for my big feet. Since they were what I was looking for, I decided to order the bigger ones online from Walmart even though I would have to pay the shipping cost - at least I would have the type of socks I wanted.

And this is what I got. Instead of 6 pair of Golden Toe crew socks, I got three size 14-16 Hunter Green  polo shirts. I filled out the paperwork and printed it out to take with me when I headed north to get some lab work done. However, I didn't realize the storm on Tuesday was as bad as it was. My first clue was going through the little town north of me and there was a line about a mile long of people trying to get into the gas station. The next station north wasn't as bad but backed up. The lab was closed, as was the college which was going to be my second stop. I abandoned the rest of the stops, except for Walmart, due to more rain coming down and all the traffic lights being out. I was able to return my socks and as long as I was there, I figured I'd check out the sock aisle.

 

And I got lucky - 12 pairs of 78% cotton crew socks big enough to fit me for $21.16 with tax. I did have to stand in line for a bit. The line wasn't that long but the lady in front of me was dragging two carts through the line and I figured since all I had was my socks, she'd let me go ahead. She never acknowledged I was even there but there's no law saying she should be courteous when shopping at Walmart. Besides, I was pretty happy to stand in line since I finally got new socks.

Celebrating the Missus' birthday today. Just going out to eat locally since there's still a lot of power outages if we try to head north, not to mention the roads that are closed due to flooding and downed trees. Birthdays aren't as big a deal as they were when we were young. The most important thing is we keep having them.

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Storm Damage

 

It rained Sunday a bit and again Monday night into Tuesday morning. Tuesday morning rain was a genuine storm. Lots of thunder and lightning. I received a phone alert from the college later in the morning, even though I no longer work there, warning of a tornado and the chance of winds up to 100 mph. I don't think the storm managed to get to 100, but it sure did blow and rain. We lost power for about 5-6 hours, but the generator kept the lights on. It finally quit raining about 3:00 PM, but we got a lot of rain - especially when you add in the rainfall on Sunday and Monday.

As you can see in the photo, lost a big part of the elm tree in the back yard. The photo doesn't show it very well, but two large branches split off the main trunk, opening up a big gash. The trunk had already been compromised by the loss of another large branch a couple of years ago. I should be able to clean this up myself, rather than having the tree guy come back out since where it broke off is not too high up the trunk.

The windstorm seems to have pushed the old oak over a little more. If you look at the photo a couple of posts back, you can see the difference. Also, if you look at the right side of the photo you'll notice the end of the lower branch is now touching the ground. When I mowed the other day, it was about two feet above the ground. I might have to have the tree taken down. I had that one and the other one to the left of it trimmed a few years back so nothing was overhanging the roof of the house, but at the angle it's now leaning, if it goes down it might hit the corner of the house. I'll give it a good hard look and decide what I'm going to do. I'll hate to see it come down, but I'd really hate to see it in my bedroom.

Tomato

 

And I'm lucky enough to have both.

The first of many to come from the garden. I had another ripe one already, but it had some bottom rot so I tossed it on the compost pile. This one's a keeper, though. 

I've already picked some cukes, and the peppers are coming in. Just a small patch but I've managed to keep up with the weeds and the weather this year. Maybe expand it a little more next year.

I need to get back in the shop but I've still got some work to do with the logs in the yard. Clean up, splitting and stacking will continue as time and weather allows. However, I've got a guy coming by tomorrow with an aluminum welding job. Have to see what that entails.

Rainy Day Radio

 

Rainy day yesterday and the "domestic help" was here continuing with the kitchen cleaning and rearranging. I spent some time moving things and being close by without being in the way. Pulled out the computer for a bit and rather than feed my paranoia listened to some music. My buddy Kevin and I had looked into starting one of the low wattage radio stations at the high school, but it didn't look like it was going to get any support from the office at that time, so it didn't go anywhere. So today you get a few of my favorites. No classic rock or jazz in the lineup, just some nice, easy stuff for a rainy day - the Johnny Winters tune being an exception.

 

I don't think I've featured any of these here before - maybe the John Prine tune, but "that's all right mama." 

Tar & Chips

 

The Surprise lilies popped up the other day. You never even know they're there, then overnight they're a couple of feet tall and in bloom. Lovely.

I've been getting a lot of yardwork done but still a long way to go. It's been relatively cool, so I've been trying to take advantage of it. Ninety-degree weather is not for me but by going out on my bike in the morning and working outside late afternoon/evenings, progress is being made. 

However, the county hit the road in front of my place with a fresh coat of tar and chips yesterday. While there are some cyclists who relish riding gravel, I'm not one of them. After a couple of weeks, since everyone drives down the middle of the road, the chips will be pushed to the side and it makes it tough on a cyclist to ride when moving over to allow a car to pass. Plus, the cars and trucks don't always slow down, so they end up slinging chips on the bike rider. They also do the same when going by another vehicle in the opposite lane resulting in broken windshields. The fresh chips end by the railroad tracks just out of the photo to the left, so if that's all the farther the county is planning to go, that'll be the way the Missus will be going in her new car whenever she leaves the shack regardless of her destination.

 

Tree Trimming

 

The tree crew showed up yesterday morning. They took down two oak trees and trimmed up a bunch of stuff. In the photo the bucket man is trimming the branches away from the shop roof and then moved on to the big barn and did the same thing. He topped a couple trees in the front yard to keep them out of the power lines coming into the house as well. That should be good for a few years now - at least until the trees grow back into the power lines.

These will be the next ones to come down. They both are leaning as a result of a big storm that came through right after we moved in. There was another one to the right of these two that was uprooted. After it got cut up, I started counting the growth rings but gave up after getting to two hundred. The tree was probably at least 300 years old as are the ones in the photo. There's another one to the left of these two that has a trunk a bit larger. It'll be a shame to have to cut them down when the time comes but they both dropped a large branch in the last big blow. 

I've planted a bunch of trees since I've lived here and I've allowed some volunteers to grow. I've been cleaning up some of the scrub trees and undergrowth lately. The backyard looks like a park when it's trimmed up. I'll do a little more trimming and start splitting the pieces the tree guys left for me. I'm going to have a lot of nice firewood.

Boxing Day

I tagged along with Coach Jen to ATT in Indy today. The gym has open sparring on the first Saturday of each month. Not a lot of boxers there today but some really good sparring sessions. The guy on the right in the photo is a pro fighter with a record of 10-0. I've seen him fight several times and he seems to be the most relaxed guy in the ring you'd ever want to see. He's scheduled to fight another guy who's also 10-0. Should be a good bout.

I worked with one of the boxers. Jen told me he's a hard worker but due his short stature, he needed some help on getting inside. I showed him a couple of things to help with that along with a couple other things I noticed when he was sparring. I hope it'll help.

I had a good time today - watched some quality sparring, had lunch with Coach Jen and then a nice chat on the drive home. Beats working!