Leaderboard

Added another round hood to my herd. I've always liked the looks of the round hoods, but was not a big fan of the square aluminum gas tanks. For this reason I had been looking for a 704 to add to my herd. @WHX?? alerted me to one that for sale on Face Book close by and was willing to do the FB work to get me hooked up. Thanks Jim !! Pics of the newest addition. PTO does not look correct to me. The gas tank that is in it is not right, but I have the correct one. Anyone see any thing else out of place please let me know. I also got this deck with it. It looks in pretty good shape but is not on the implement list for the 704. Anyone know off hand what it should be mated to? One more of my bucket lister's obtained. Only ? more to go.

I added an additional 20 lb barbell weight plate to my existing Bolens 75 pounders, as there was enough room for it in the C81 wheel... the problem is they now weigh 95 pounds each and are a bear to install. Solution - adapt the floor jack to lift & center the weights..... works well.

Another 3 point build because of course I needed just one more... This tractor is much like several others I have, being a mix of parts to make it how I wanted it. Frame and tranny from a C-120, sheet metal from something in the 60s, front axle and rear wheels from a 520, V twin Vanguard engine, LEDs front and rear, and pretty much anything else that could be upgraded has been. The 3 point isn't by itself, and the dash tower, lifting mechanism, and toolbox were greatly overbuilt to take the weight of the rear lift. Anyway, another custom in the Herd!

Built this for my son to play with. Made to look like a 1962- 1964 but actually a 1967 L157. The dash tower/ tool box was cut and welded up to match a set of Suburban fenders. Also added an 8 speed transmission and Kohler K181 because I'm allergic to Techumseh. Changed over to 6 inch front wheels and added running boards for safety. Also has a reciever hitch integrated into the toolbox.

Just a small job today. The plastic instrument panel cover/lens of the GT18 was a bit yellowed and cloudy to say the least. Here's how it looked before cleaning: After about 30 minutes of rubbing compound, polish, wax...and elbow grease...it turned out pretty decent. Not quite as clear as glass, but not bad: I do run out of elbow grease once in a while, but usually a hot shower, a favorite libation or two, and a good night's sleep replenishes the supply.

Started another one a little while ago. Again all entirely done without using any power tools . I am continually asked why . Sometimes it sounds like people think I like to torture myself but it’s much deeper than that. Besides the cultural aspect of it, if I don’t use what was handed to me the way it was handed, it will be lost first by me and consequently by others not having the opportunity to see what is possible without relying on machinery . On a deeper level I like to feel what they felt and to decipher not only the why but also the how of the parts they didn’t have the chance to teach me. Many of those are not even possible with power tools. When that happens they are many times outright emotional moments of accomplishment unequaled by any other time. With your indulgence like before I’ll continue posting its progress as I go along. It all starts with some ideas and a drawing. Always with strong influences from the ones before modified to reflect my own ideas but still respecting and acknowledging the originals. The material comes next. Carefully selected and guarded for many years waiting for this moment. Ash the traditional species used for this due to its strength and flexibility under load or stress. As is from the mill from now on no power tools will touch it. Flattened , straightened , unwound , and reduced into a certain thickness to start the process. a template is made of drawing to choose the best area of plank to use and to layout all the cutouts. Important to choose area of plank carefully since much of end product may have very thin or delicate areas which will be prone to cracking if not done so.

Found a praying mantis on the shop floor today. I don't have much of a project going other than trying to solder some LED lights to make them blink or represent a campfire for the model train layout. I wrote "trying" because, it's getting harder to see where to solder and then my hands don't seem to be as steady as I need to solder these tiny connections. Thus I decided to take a break and that's when I found this praying mantis. It was probably 3~3 1/2" long. This bug entertained me off and on all afternoon. It didn't seem to have any place to go and spent most of the day on the spare folding chair in the shop. The most it moved was when I put it on the back of my hand and it would immediately crawl up the sleeve of my flannel shirt to which, up near my shoulder, I would allow it to crawl up onto the back of my other hand where it would start it's journey again. I killed a fly and a fed it to the mantis and a dying cricket as well. As I watched, it would use it front legs to hold the back legs and bring them to his face for grooming. It's days are numbered because we are expecting low twenties early next week. I zoomed in close and made a video of this creature so that the grandkids enjoyed at supper this evening. They were fascinated and so was I.

Today is Election Day. Please vote. Regardless of your political beliefs. Billions of people around the world do not have a say in how they are governed. We do. Millions of Americans have lost their lives defending our right to vote. Honor that. A Republic, if we can keep it. Ben Franklin

Another project going on here simultaneously with the yoke is another batch of hand planes .I just get bored with myself and am always looking at something else to start, always having at least two things going at the same time. This is a batch of 39 planes which are my signature tool and used to be carried many years ago by a prominent tool company in NYC. I have made quite a few of these in the past and it’s something I always enjoyed. Why 39 asked my oldest grandson. Well, I think 40 would put me over the edge and discourage me. With very few exceptions all the work is done with hand tools. The exceptions are due to the quantity being made so it expedites things a bit, otherwise ye olde shoppe gets backed up. I have been at it for a little while and I will demonstrate the process as I go along.

Bought this tractor 38 years ago for mowing and snow removal mainly. At that time it came with a belly mount 3 blade mower and front plow blade. Over the years added a single moldboard and harrow that was used for a 25' x 75' garden deep with beautiful farm loam. After moving North it sat for sometime before I started to do a clean up and repaint. In October I was able to have help in splitting the A apart and replace clutch, pressure plate, throw out bearing and original carb stripped rebuilt and clear coated. While waiting for parts to come in I cleaned out the bellhousing and tunnel full of mouse mess and sanded up anything that needed it. Up and running now and did it ever feel good to be sitting up high listening to that 4 cylinder purr at idle, almost a nice lope to it. Change oil & filter, greased and adjust the width of the front end. If it wasn't so late in the year I would use it this Winter for a little snow plowing. Working on the front grille trying to straighten the horizontal bars now and some painting to do. I was able to locate a nice set of tools to do it. Gave it a cleaning yesterday and moved some leaves to the pile. I will update as I progress along. Pictures are through the course of years since purchase with the rims painted all red and left rear tire on backwards. It's getting there.

first year on my c145 had it on my 75' c120 last 2 years hydro work much better than gear drive tractor least i have hydro lift

Two years ago Kevin @Pullstartbrought me a truckload of Ipê and Ash scraps to the show. It has become a source of many projects . Here are just two of the latest. The first a new piece for the leg vise on my bench and the other one done by my son Alex, two planters for some vegetables built like a cage so they can survive the deer onslaught.

The things a guy keeps for way too long…

For International Tongue Twister Day, celebrated every second Sunday in November, don’t get your tongue tied this November 9. We’re not talking about rolling or curling your taste-tester. In fact, we’re looking at Peter Piper, the woodchuck, and all their friends. Tongue twisters are a silly way to pass the time or practice pronunciation. Shoot, you can even use them to practice a foreign language! It’s time to celebrate all the twisty things you can say with your tongue. Tongue twisters have technically been around since as early as the 19th century when John Harris published “Peter Piper’s Practical Principles of Plain and Perfect Pronunciation,” which included a twisty tongue tango for every letter of the alphabet. And while the book was meant to help children learn the fundamentals of speech mechanics, its titular twister garnered quite the attention and inspired a lot of lore about its namesake. Speculation aside, it turns out Peter Piper was based on French horticulturalist Pierre Poivre, whose last name actually means ‘pepper’ in French. Pierre was said to be exploring the viability of growing American spices in the French Mediterranean. Whether you’re trying to master Peter Piper, the woodchuck, or even “The Guinness Book of World Records’” most difficult recorded tongue twister, “The sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep’s sick,” you’re sure to get your tongue endlessly tied.

Work started Friday of last week on my new workshop. Friday the footing was dug out, inspection on Monday, and then framing started yesterday. Everything is delayed about half a day due to the weather last Thursday. Proposed finish date is before Thanksgiving. Roofing went on today: And of course the kids had to climb. The inside wall will be attached to the old roof, and the whole roof redone: I've had issues with the scale. I measured the footprint in the shop at work before settling on dimensions, but without anything there to give a sense of scale it feels "wrong". So I got out the tape measure and some cinder block and started adding some points of reference. The two blocks against the wall are the foot-print of my bigger (home) tool box, approx 6x2. The other two out farther are roughly the spacing and position I want for the lift. With those in place it is starting to look more like how I'd expected size-wise.

Yesterday, I reinstalled the rear fender assembly on the GT18 (more on that later), and I did another small job today: I cleaned and reinstalled the GT18's rubber foot rest mats. I had some plastic 'variable-depth push pins' that I thought would be a good match to the originals, but it turned out they weren't quite long enough to get a good grip, and I didn't want to pay the crazy price for OEM plastic push pins, so I used 7/8" OD stainless washers and 10-32 stainless truss-head screws, with stainless lock nuts. They were cheaper than the OEM plastic push pins. The washers fit perfectly down into the 7/8" diameter recesses in the rubber mats, and the truss-head screws are low-profile, so when they're all tightened down, the tops of the screws are at roughly the same level as the surface of the mat. They might not match the original black plastic push-pins, but I kind of like their heavy-duty appearance, and they're certainly stronger than the plastic pins.

Test fit and ran this little 3k WH genny this morning. Needs a little body work on the top cover but other then that it was complete and unmolested. It was a good find and runs good.

We took a 4 day outing up to The White Mountain National Forest on the Maine/ NH border off Route 113. Awesome trip! Here's a pile o' pics...

Got the shed built today! Now the chore of moving everything out there hopefully before it snows. Gonna have to wait till spring to spread stone around shed & under lean to. Probably do some landscaping & a ramp at the front

Seen the steam train on the way to putting my truck in winter storage. I timed it well, only waiting a few minutes for it to arrive at each of the two locations I stopped at. IMG_4492.mov

Took my wife in for cataract surgery this morning, now that she has a patch over her eye she is going around the house saying ARGH Shiver my timbers Yarrr and the cats won't come near her.

Took the 60” off and cleaned/oiled it and wrestled my new to me 44” two stage on now just gotta weight the rear down and hope it wards off any snow lol

Took the Ber Vac off the 520 and got it loaded for the trip to its new home tomorrow.

The atom is, by volume, 90% empty space. It looks like you have a lot of empty space in there, it's just in small pockets scattered everywhere across the floor. Try arranging your particles in a denser formation.

Or full blown?? Little story on the find ... saw it on FB MP and remembered something ... for once don't expect it again... Dan was snooping around at the BS for a 704 and narrowly missed out on one so I knew he had a hankerin for one. Texted him on this one and we kinda knew the guy. Cindy even says him and his dad were at our plow day one year and kinda met him at other shows and plow events. Younger kid who is a JD fan ... go figure ... and took forever to respond to my inquries. Turned out he works a lot so was excused. Did I mention I hate FB finds but sometimes one does stumble on local horse finds. Well we finally connect and get something setup up for a look see and pick up. I was gonna get it on my way home from deer camp since I had a empty trailer but just didn't work out. So I says to Dan hook up and take your trailer to work go get it Friday after work. Off he goes and I sit wondering on what mission from hell did I send him on! Gotta remember Achto doesn't FB ... smart man ... so never had any kind of contact with the seller. A blind date if you will and some of you might remember how those go... @Shynon sends me a alert PM on it when Dan's on his way to get it. Thanks Tom! Dan gets there and seller says picking it up for Jim? Nope He's tractor heavy...

Too much wind today to do leave patrol again so decided to clean up the B80 and to finally put on the anti skid I had laying around . She cleans up pretty nice I think

Weatherman says there may be snow this weekend. Not sure I believe hime, but figured since it was close to 60 degrees today, it was a good day to clean the snow pusher!

Straight from the back burner, I have been tinkering with this 520H. I bought an orbital steering valve from 19richie66 and decides to modify the 520 to power steering. I seen a thread a while ago were someone added steering to a 518. Figured that would be a nice side project if I came across a reasonably priced steering valve. I wanted to keep it looking the same and tucked in the column. It was a little tricky with a mix of face seal and jic piping. Picked up some face seal fitting from MMC and silver soldered to the steel pipe. For now it is on ice, next will be the front axle mod to accept the steering cylinder. Absolutely don't need a 520H with power steering but I like to build things and keeps me out of the Mrs. cross-hairs. Used the c120 and old deck belt to test run. front view

My other hobby (ok, obsession) is old flashlights. I’m kinda hot and cold with it though. I can easily go a year without buying one or even looking for one. Today the wife and I were in an antigue store and I wasn’t even looking for flashlights, but stumbled across this one so I picked it up to give it a once over and see what the price was. Bulb is missing and it’s not in great shade. Plus I like em older (this one is about a 1948 light). It was heavy, which usually means old dead batteries that have leaked out and corroded the inside. Yes it had old dead D cells inside, but they hadn’t leaked out. Check out the use-by date on them! Which means they were produced before that date. Bought this flashlight just for the batteries…. $7.00

702

Yup - just like my old Engineering days... Access the problem.. Define the weights and forces required.. Sketch up at least two possible solutions.. Pick the "better" choice & streamline it to be as simple as possible.. Utilize suitable existing resources & materials... Source & purchase what is needed.. (Two muffler clamps & flat stock) Fabricate & evaluate. Note any required changes. I would call this a "2 beer job"!

Wrong PTO and deck, Wrong rear tires and wheels, Should be 6-12's Loved my 704 until @clueless pried it away. I'll never forget that day. It felt like I sold one of my beloved pets!

I have had this metal building steel around 40 years decided to make a front weight out of it. Got it cut out and tacked together. Turn into a joint project with Kevin as he welded it up. Had enough steel left so I cut another one for Kevin. It has around 2" of sheet lead inside. Best guess it weights 50 #.

swapped some Deestone 8.50's for some Carlisle 8.50's raised rear of tractor a little over an inch.

Hope she didn't marry you for looks cause you may be in trouble after she got her vision fixed.

Yep, not a blowable snow for 10 years. So it's going to NE Ohio to take care of the snow coming off the lake. Now I can plow the sloppy wet snows we get in the warm cab.

Got her home today C-160 with a unique K431 engine It is a K341 but had a dyslexic label maker. She needs work...Engine is free but that is all I know.. Will be awhile before I get to her

Extremely therapeutic. My natural way of dealing with stress or worry has always been to work . It keeps me calm and grounded. This has also always been my life’s passion so I probably spend spend more time here than anywhere else combined. Sometimes I just hang out sitting on my favorite chair chair thinking, reading or just looking at things. Sometimes sipping a little expresso and Port like today😸.

Once the plank is marked on one face one proceeds to drill through the parts that will be removed as much as possible minimizing labor in clearing them later. This is one of the most crucial operations since one has to drill it perfectly perpendicular to face of board. Opposite side will have exactly the same carved design and any small deviation in the drilling process can be catastrophic. Contrary to in the past I no longer do that on top of my bench therefor not being able to have a square standing next to the auger for reference. I started drilling it on the actual carving table which is at an angle. The previous way was taking a toll on my back from hours of leaning over bench. At the carving table I stand with a straight back all the time. This however proved to be quite difficult in maintaining auger perpendicular to board since I also could not have a square next to it as reference. For that I devised this articulated jig which will guide auger perfectly perpendicular to board and can be adjusted and moved readily through out it without being removed each time. It will work for any size auger since it guides the side of auger within the "V". One merely "taps" it to put the screw tip of auger on desired hole's centers. I have been improving it over time now adding a bronze angle as a wear strip.Sides of auger were cutting through it quickly.This has proved to work really well specially on my back. Shaded areas to be removed Drilling of shaded areas New way using jig to stay perpendicular to board at tilted table Jig slides and articulates through entire board Jig with bronze wear guides. Old way

Jim, That’s the same reel as the one on my 702 so I know it’ll fit that. It’s missing the lift rod and the bar that connects the pedal to the gearbox, which is what engages the mower. Both should be easy to make.

I’m going to vote on my way to work. Voting is something that my father instilled in me since I was 18. I don’t think I’ve ever not voted in an election.

We need a pic of the dumpster! I'm trying to get my B-I-L to get one. I think he has a bunch of 76 4 dr. Plymouth Volare parts he can't seem to part with. English car eh.? Better stop at the store and get a couple of bottles of this.

Gave a 867 a bath before the washer goes nighty nite for the winter. What a greasy pig!!!! Pullstart brought this over from MI and I know fer sure we overpaid. Was having seller's remorse from sending another one back to Shynon but I needed his tool box worse. The crap was two inches thick on the motor & frame I kid you not. Spread the stuff out on the blacktop and walla ... seal coated. Never even tried to start it but probably wouldn't have taken much. Head gasket is blown among many other things. Nothing cobbled too bad that can't be reversed & strait sheet metal. good ags & orginal fronts in good shape. No sure what to do with it. Mechanical resto is right up my alley but missing lots of paint and don't think a touch up of rusty primer will do or look right. I've got a freshened up 181 shelf motor that is gonna go in it fer sure so partially dissembled it on the splash pad gut to get more crud off.

I don't sleep on the ground. Never did. We've tried MANY ways to compensate for my fibromyalgia and related pains. This most recent tenting bedding setup has been the best. Far and away. We were using two cots zip tied together with a nice air mattress over them. Quite comfortable. The new camper setup.... even better. A LOT better. Trina bought a California King sized 8" thick 3 section memory foam mattress. It's wonderful. It's lovely. It's incredibly comfortable. I got THE BEST sleep I have in many years. We will be ordering an identical mattress for the home.

Back home after spending 4 days in the BILs cabin. Notice the windmills on the far mountain above the roof. No electric or water in the cabin.

Somehow, during this time of year, every year, I manage to realize what kind of hurt I’m putting myself in! Somehow, 40 feet of this barn needs to be taken up by the new diesel pusher! 🤦 Along with needing to make room for that, on Saturday or Sunday we are picking up some sort of British sports car. I don’t know if it’s an MG, triumph, or something else in that line of vehicle types. I’m pretty sure it’s red, and I’m pretty sure it’s a convertible. I haven’t seen it in about 10 years, and a supplier who I used to work with, and Mrs. Pullstart currently works with, is giving it to us!

The engine on the portable generator at my son and daughter’s camp stopped working. After too much time spent diagnosing, I finally realized that the intake valve was frozen open. It’s an old Tecumseh HHO55 and just not worth the cost/effort to repair. I had picked up a lightly used B&S 6 hp from a failed generator for very short money so yesterday was “move the generator” day. I knew that getting the stator off the tapered engine shaft was the real tricky part. I’d seen a YouTube vid where they press off with a push bolt; a process very similar to removing an electric clutch from a WH. Our (bleeping) stator, however, did not have internal threading for the push bolt! It took a day (age does that to one), but it dawned on me that I could tap the hole myself. so I did. ⅜”-24 in the 21/64” bore. I inserted a 5⅝” x 5/16” rod into the bore up against the end of the engine shaft leaving room to thread in a 1-½” bolt to push it. I wanted to have the push bolt thread in at least ½” before contacting the rod. It didn’t take as much torque as I expected and it popped right off. I had piled a soft support under the heavy stator to catch it when it came off since any damage would’ve defeated the whole job! Here’s the tapered end of the engine shaft, nice and clean. Those four bolts holding the generator base to the engine gave me some resistance but I won. I’d already checked over the new-to-me engine so it was only a matter of installing all the generator parts. After making sure all was aligned and spinning freely, I was able to start and test it. All good!

Ed, I am OLD SCHOOL but I do have direct deposit.

Voted on my way to the post office to pick up my SS check.