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The boss wanted the front porch/deck spruced up since it was getting pretty ratty and she's getting tired of restaining it every year. She wanted composite so we bit the bullet and after much research went with Trex. If the cost of the actual decking doesn't kill you the additional odds and ends will do the job. Started with this. As with most projects preparation is key and often time consuming. Composite requires a minimum of 16" c/c joists and we had 24" so I added a joist in between the existing. Looking in the window you'll see that I was closely supervised along the way. Some (many) of the existing joists were marginal so I replaced them. I should have just torn is all off and started from scratch. I ladder back from each post to the house so I could 'picture frame' the new decking. I'm thinking it was a step that was more work than it was worth. Finally got it done, coated and ready for the new planks. I didn't take many pictures along the way so I just fast forwarded to the final project. Railing, post wraps and redesigned steps. I didn't expect this to take as long as it did between the weather, a host of other projects and the fact that I don't get the mileage that I used to it consumed a large part of the summer. Next summer the rear deck gets the same treatment. It will be even more involved as it is larger and I want to tear down or move that funky structure.

My 20x30 tent garage is sitting on two layers of pressure treated 2x6 with the upper layer notched for the tension straps. I did this to keep the steel frame off the ground and to gain the 3" of extra height I wanted for my tractor with cab to pass in easier. It has been 12 years now and the wood & metal are getting along just fine with no rot or corrosion. +

I went looking for a decent reversible scoop, and saw this:

Someone please call a doctor, @T-Mo has lost his mind.

Don't have group photos but this one is a group upon itself.

That’s the best line I’ve heard in a loooong time!

Picked a set of these up at the show $75, but that was an insider price from Fast Eddie's. That valve stem on the outside is a luxury, but I have welded them shut and drilled new on the other side.

Excellent work! Glad to see you used the joist tape too. I do see some blocking between the joists in the joists between the door and window - did you add blocking thruout? It makes a huge difference in lateral rigidity. I finished redoing the large country L shaped porch last year at my rental. The 3/4" T&G fir decking was rotted, as were a couple of joists in the corner. It had perimeter framing in sections, no blocking and no footings in the middle of the runs. It was rather springy when it was in good condition 50 years ago! I did both, along with doubling up the joists above the footing supports in front of the doors, I figured that was where the max loading and traffic would be - moving appliances in and out and such. Rock solid now.

I welded up one with, one without. The band made things much easier. Probably much stronger as well. But it's 3 welds all the way around. Two outside and one inside.

That wasn't a good picture of that structure. It was from the realtor shots years ago. Here's a current shot. Those two smaller windows are at the kitchen sink. The door to the right of them goes into a mud/laundry room. The garage starts just to the right of that door. The far right door does go in the garage. The fenced area is to keep the abundant coyote population away from our little fur babies. The structure was screened in but the screen was a mess. I just removed it all. We no longer even have an outdoor grill. My wife has a countertop gizmo that does just as good for the two of us. We have put a smoker in the room now and then. It does sit on a special mat. The bottom line is that we just want it gone. We don't use it. It is a decent structure Richard. Ideally we find somebody that has the means to move it to another property. At 12' x 12' moving it down the road would be an issue. I can't help but think it's doomed for destruction and a dumpster. That's the first I've heard of sealing the ends on composite decking. Over last winter I gathered 10-12 samples and literature packs of all flavors of decking. Talked to countless contractors and sales people and watched a gazillion videos. I can't say it wouldn't be a good idea but it was never mentioned.

Every time I mention a Wheel Horse for sale, my wife says, "You can get it if you sell one of yours." I be like...

Did you hear the rumor about butter? Well, I'm not going to go spreading it!

The word on the street is that Trex or any of the composites require you to seal any cut ends because they are basically plastic coated compressed glued sawdust on the inside... Why not move the offending structure over to be in front of the two garage windows instead? A screened in sun room is a nice feature during the summer... a comfortable living space on the inside, bugs on the outside... I did not see an outdoor gas grill in back - a word of caution if you have one on a Trex surface. Grease drippings from the grill that land on the decking will leave stubborn, almost non removable stains. Home stores sell a containment tray that the grill sits on - it looks like an oversized boot tray. 953 types faster than I do......

A lot of decisions to be made. If it is practical, the screen room could be moved behind the garage, it looks like a keeper to me. We had a small covered porch that will accommodate a couple of chairs before I built the deck and we kept that. Bering at floor level I can go to the porch with my walker and go down two steps to the patio.

The deck looks great Bob. I can't do heavy work like that any more so I got bids for replacing the old PT decking with Trex. An inspection of the framing reveled some serious degradation of the majority of the joists so we had the deck removed and a paver patio put in, love it. The deck dominated our small back yard and the patio allows us to enjoy the deer and other critters that come through.

I checked on doing that, but I could by whole wheel cheaper than buying blanks and centers ( 306 compared to 216 for a set of 2). Found some 12x10.5 fer 108 free shipping and would probably be hard to beat that price but only thing is valve stem is on outside and was really needing them on the inside because of the WH wheel weights I was wanting to run.

I bought blanks and welded the centers in. Easiest way to do it.

Replaced front axle pivot pin/bolt, drilled drag link out and made a couple bushings on lathe for drag link on 701. I didnt relize how wore everything was until I really got to looking closer at front end. My niece was driving it around the other day and I could see it better watching it go by I guess .

418-8 and 520-8 both owned by me.

953s on the straight and narrow. part of my herd fighting over the right to be first on the trailer.

Doesn’t meet the criteria really. Hopefully I can get it out and another tractor to take a new one

Shoddy Wiring But 14HP, Hydro, Good Seat, Front Carriage Where is the picture of it in your garage Horse do like company, haven't you built that bunk in the garage yet Who am I to talk, there's a Black Hood on MP for the last few days 2-3 miles from me. My wife actually spotted it on MP before I did. In one sentence, she asked if I was going to look at it and wasn't I going to sell some of the ones I had

Hope you brought it home.

That front carriage is a desirable thing

October 9, 1986 "The Late Show with Joan Rivers" premieres on Fox, making her the first woman to host a US late-night TV talk show; she is fired in May 1987.

That's Fastenmaster deck frame coating. It flows into the old screw holes, cracks and crevasses real nice. The blocking you see is where I laddered back from each post allowing a board to run from the post to the house. It is purely cosmedic and blends with the perimeter non-grooved board. With no more span than there is and 12" o/c additional blocking wasn't needed and it's rock solid. I've done a tremendous amount of decking over the years but this was the first time I've used composite. It's the same as using treated yet entirely different in ways. There's things I'd do different and mistakes along the way that shouldn't happen when I do the deck in the back next summer. The important thing is that I got an atta-boy and a grin from the boss lady. I've got the winter to think about that project. I think the hardest part might be getting that structure off the deck. Ideally it should be moved but I just don't see that happening. Most likely it will be piece by piece into a dumpster.

Check that governor shaft in that block. The little stop tab inside likes to break off. If it's good, save it. You might need it someday.

When I was shopping for sheds to store the tractors I considered a metal building. Plan was to install it on a gravel pad & use pressure treated lumber (4x4s) as the perimeter then shed supports would attach to the wood. Hurricane auger type attachment points would be inside the wood perimeter. The salesman (Amish & very knowledgeable) absolutely advised me against it. He stated the copper & other metals used to treat the lumber will have corrosive effects on the metal of the shed. In fact, even voiding the warranty. Ultimately, I ended up with a traditional 12x16 w/10' lean to along the 16' side. The pic is almost a year old. Now its landscaped around & stone spread under lean to.

The Work Horse, the foot pedal off a late 80s early 90s Bolens! (I had one), i cant remember what it had for a foot pedal! Honestly, i like both of them. They’re both wicked simple!

It seems like around here most of the malls that we used to visit have closed. I never was much of a mall shopper. Usually hit the Sears tool department and then ready to head home.

years ago i wanted a set of wider wheels. i bought the 10 inch wide ones form miller tire along with the center blanks. weld in for whatever backspacing you desire

Since we are on the topic, and I now have one to contribute.. This is Sondra: Vet says she is pretty healthy, and about 7 weeks old. She seems to be adjusting well to indoor life. She likes it better than the wood pile, because in the wood pile she was cornered. In the house she can fit through the gates we use to control the dogs' movements and just go to her room where her food and toys are, without the dogs.

That sounds like a strong possibility Steve. Or the 3/2 gear isn't hooked to the fork or the fork is broken. Gotta wonder how that could happen though. 🤔

And so do all of us

I put a different Schnacke recoil on my patina 1958 RJ today! i had Joe Papke replace a spring and stainless steel cable in my spare Schnacke recoil! This old motor with the Schancke starts on the first pull! I changed oil in the oil bath air cleaner and motor! Still smokes a bit but runs best of any Kohler I own! I also changed air filter in my 314-8 today!

Here it is running. Next up are oil/filter changes for the engine and transmission, and change the fuel lines and filter. Then I’ll button it up and put the loader back on and put it back to work! IMG_6029.mov

That one is from a Kubota tractor.

that might help it return better too? I think running through the linkage causes a good bit of drag on the spring power. I know I ended up using a tighter spring on one to get constant return.

Then I'd jump off my shrimp boat and swim to shore to meet her.

A photon checks into a hotel. The bellhop asks, "Do you have any luggage?" The photon replies, "Nope, I'm traveling light".

I have made a few improvements to mine. 18 HP Vanguard, 5 lug front wheels, transmission frame brace, tie rods with heims joints. and rebuilt the axle pivot, Added brass bushing at clutch and PTO shafts.