45 Years Ago

 

45th anniversary of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. My buddy Kevin and I did a half marathon in Detroit, the third greatest day of his life by the way, and we ran by the Maritime Cathedral for whatever that's worth. The Great Lakes are nothing to take lightly. This is probably the greatest song of all time  commemorating a tragic event. It's nice that the 29 sailors who were lost won't be forgotten.

Let There Be Light

 

I rode my bicycle up town to the hardware store yesterday morning to get my supplies to hook up the new light. Beautiful day once again for a bike ride. I think yesterday was the sixth day in a row with temperatures in the seventies. That's a record for November and we set a couple of individual records as well. Seven mile trip and I was up and back before the wind picked up - a little breezy but no gusting like later in the day. It could stay like this all year long in my book. I think I'd have to move to Hawaii for that. 

I cleaned the lathe and started organizing some of the stock and cut-offs that are laying on, under and around it. I've got some stock standing up in the corner near by as well as in a corner by the band saw. I need to organize both of those along with some short pieces of angle and flats. That'll go on the list for a rainy day.

I got the milk cans cleaned up and painted. The paint was still wet or I would have thrown them in the photo. I painted them in the back of the shop where the light isn't the best so I might have to touch them up a bit when I see what they look like when I get them out in the sunlight. 

I cut the shafts to length that the rollers spin on for the slip roll project. I used one of the cut-offs for a piece I need for the handle. I'm going to change how the handle is attached to the bottom roller. The plans call for it to be pinned as well as pinched. I think I'm going to weld a boss onto the handle and then drill and tap it for a couple of set screws that'll make it easier to take the handle off. If I need to move the finished roll it will be easier without having the handle hanging down snagging on things. When I was at the high school, I used to take the handle off to prevent the little darlings from running things through it that shouldn't be. The shaft on that one was much larger and had a square milled on the end of it the handle slid over. The shaft on mine is only 1/2", so too small to square off like on the one at the high school. I think I will mill a small flat on the shaft for the set screws to bite into. I've got the set-up already to go on the mill so it won't take but five minutes.

Planning on working on the handle again today as well as continuing with a little cleaning. The shop's definitely ready for a deep cleaning but that too will have to wait for that rainy day. I want to finish the roll and bend the piece of tubing for the rear loop on the motorcycle project.  

Done Painting

 

I finished painting the shop yesterday. It soaked up the paint pretty good. Maybe I'll put another coat on in the spring. I'm done painting for this year, at least outside. It's about time to do some work inside. Maybe tackle a bit of that this winter. 

I went for a bike ride after finishing the painting but that was all for the day. I'll pick up some supplies today to install the light over the big doors and paint the milk cans that normally bookend that end of the building. I've got a cup brush on a small grinder that should make quick work of the cleanup and then spray them white. 

I need to clean up the shop a bit, make the handle for the roll and maybe bend a piece of tubing for the motorcycle project. Now that the roll's almost done, I need to figure out where I'm going to put it. I've got a combination disc/belt sander coming from Harbor Freight. Going to have to figure where I'm going to put that one as well.

Cowboy Song

 

Different kind of cowboy tune but one I'm quite fond of. 

Likewise. Different kind of van but one I'm quite fond of - '47 Divco as seen on Facebook. She's a beaut!

I ran out of paint yesterday while painting the end of the shop. Fortunately, I checked Menard's website before leaving. The store I normally do business with didn't have any but another store about the same distance away had three gallons of it, so off I went. It was too late to start by the time I got home so I cleaned up and painted  the door pulls and started on the installation of the light I bought the other day to put over the doors. I plan on finishing the painting today and then maybe work a bit on the handle for the roll. Maybe just finish the painting and then take a break - admire my handi-work and get lined up for the upcoming week.

Outside Woman Blues

 

Cream was a band I listened to quite a bit back in my youth. Hard to go wrong with Eric Clapton fronting any group. I've got a radio/CD/tape player combo in the shack I rarely use. I'm going to drag it out to the shop. I've still got a bunch of old tapes along with CDs I can cue up while working. That should pretty well set me up for hibernating out there all winter.

Progress slowed a little on the slip roll due to beautiful weather. I painted the majority of the day Thursday. I did the service door on the new barn, inside and out, the trim on the chicken coop and the shop, and a couple other things. I painted until I ran out of the trim paint. I'm planning on painting the north end of the shop today. I picked up a pad painter and some caulk yesterday so I think I have everything I need. The end of the shop isn't all that big. I should be able to wrap it up in one day. 

I finished turning the last roll for the roller yesterday. I needed to get it finished up so I can chuck up a couple of the parts for the handle. My old South Bend lathe needs some attention before I do much else, however. 

The weatherman is calling for a few more days like we've been having - seventies and sunny. I want to get back out on the bicycle a couple of more times yet. Maybe a short trip on the Himalayan as well. Shame to spend all this beautiful weather without riding it a bit. I probably only put 300 miles on it this summer. I had some big plans but like everyone else, had to change them. Improvise, adapt and overcome. 

Jazzed Up

 

Pretty jazzed up with the roller project nearing completion along with the other things I'm getting accomplished with this gift of nice weather we're having. It would be nice if I could take the Missus out for a nice meal before the weather turns but that's not going to happen. By the time things clear up there probably won't be any restaurants left anyway. It's looking like no Thanksgiving or Christmas gatherings this year for us either. Regardless, I'll just keep pushing.

The nice weather brought the farmer out for some field work. This will be about the last time I see him until spring other than putting some machinery in the barn. I used to help my brother out with field work many years ago. His machinery was much smaller than what we see around here but I enjoyed driving the tractors whether it was plowing, disking or cultivating. Cultivating is pretty much a thing of the past now. Weed control is chemical rather than mechanical.

Ran a couple of errands yesterday morning, did some more work around the shack and then cut the keyways and fit the keys to the hubs. Not a lot of progress there but closing in on the finish line just the same.

I got a phone call from my running buddy yesterday. She's come down with the cooties. I haven't seen her in about three weeks so shouldn't be at risk. This definitely answers the question about participating in the upcoming 5K. She'll be in quarantine for two weeks and in no shape to run a week or so later I would imagine.  This is getting a little too close for comfort. 

I'm going to see about making the handle for the roller today. This should be the last part needing to be fabbed up. A little more welding and then it should be ready to run a piece of sheet metal through it. 

And concerning the election:

"Well, the people have spoken… the bastards."

– Dick Tuck, candidate for California Senate, 1966

From Here

 

Great Weather For Working

 Great day yesterday - the temperature was unseasonably warm, blue skies with a few clouds. It was a little breezy in the morning but no complaints from me. I got out on the bicycle late morning and put in 5 miles. They just recently paved one of the back roads I ride so I picked up the pace with a nice tailwind and went a mile and a half at about 17 mph. Since I'm not in the best of shape the return trip was a grind at about 9 or 10 but it's what I needed. It's supposed to be nice all the way into the weekend so I'll try and get out every day.

When I got back from the bike ride I replaced a hand rail on the front steps that had warped something terribly - something that I should have done about a year ago. I got back on the slip roll project after that.

In the top photo you can see the drive gears I got welded up. I need to cut a keyway on the shafts still - maybe today. In the lower photo you can see the keeper block to hold the top bushing and roll in place. The top roll needs to be removeable if you roll up a part with a small diameter. I also need to finish weld the end plates and the mounting feet. 

Since the weather is going to be real nice again today, I want to take advantage of it and paint some more trim on the out buildings. Maybe a couple hours at most and then get back on the roll.