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I got this trailer last night. It was $300 less than a 5x8 new at TSC. Needs tires. I also need to see if there are brakes on the axles. The seller was a welding instructor. This was one of his classes’ projects and as they plated the deck it shrunk the top and warped it a bit. Hauls great the way it is, and there is a little step section to the top deck too. I’m excited about it, and it was purchased all with profits from one shop job last week.

Just had my garage floor epoxied. I had been thinking about it for a while. Two young firefighters that work with my son recently started a business doing it so I got the early adopter rate ;). They did an excellent job. The biggest pain was of course moving everything in and out. Thankfully my grandson helped me move the heavy stuff. before and after photo below.

The local mom and pop tire shop quotes me $339 for 5 tires cash and carry. I’ll mount them. For now, my spare will ride on the rig until I find a wheel. They are camper axles, but have a funky wide 4 bolt pattern. the same tires on eBay mind you, are $338 for 4. I’m paying an extra dollar for my spare and keeping the local lights on.

Yesterday mounted up the 36” RD deck on my C-121. Then mowed the grandparents grass with it since it was high.

As some of you know. I've been messing with a couple of k181's. The 48 yr. old engine in HHHOOOWWWAARRRDDD!!! ran like a watch but it STUNK!!! Every time I used it I had to change clothes and shower right after. I've torn it down for new rings and valves and will have a thread on that later BUT: I had rebuilt an engine from my 875 to put into Howie. I really hate how the oil drain tube is blocked by the brake clutch pedal. I thought why not run it out the front. there's plenty of room. Just turn the pan around. So I did and installed an EZ oil drain valve. Ran the engine on my stand. Everything was fine. It sat for a few days and when I removed the engine there was like a half teaspoon of fresh oil on the frame along the flywheel side. Where did that come from? Took of the flywheel again and the seal is fine. Cleaned everything and the next day, there's the oil again. and again and again. Really couldn't see exactly the spot that was leaking but decided it had to be the pan gasket so the pan came back off I should have taken pictures then but I didn't so on this original engine I did: Notice how the oil pan gasket fits in this picture along the flywheel side. The gasket barely is on the block surface. The gasket only goes on one way. It looks the same either way but it's not. Now here is the gasket flipped. You also have to put the pan on the same way or the gasket won't lie correctly on the pan rail. I ended up putting a new drain nipple, a 90° elbow and the EZ drain pointing towards the front .

Finally put the 42" blade i picked up a few months ago together after a complete tear down and fresh paint.

I believe that it is a late '40's, maybe '48 Economy chain steer. Some one has done a modification to the front wheel mounts, the front wheels should fit in between those forks.

Eighteen. That's a quick calculation as to how many tractors Kevin WILL fit on it in one haul....

Ran across a couple videos while looking for a paint shaker and saw this contraption for spray cans. I already had a piece of 3" PVC the right length. Just bought the 3" plug - stupid thing works like magic!!!

National Static Cling Day, celebrated on April 26, is an American holiday that is dedicated to recognizing the phenomenon of static cling, its effects, and its control. Static cling is defined as the propensity or tendency of light (in terms of weight) objects to stick or cling to other objects as a result of static electricity. It is most commonly found in clothing, but occurs with other items as well, such as dust to plastic items, combs to hair, skin to leather, and so on. What typically occurs during static cling is the build-up of stray electrons, both positive and negative. The actual cling occurs where and when two oppositely charged objects come in contact with each other.

Brought a spare hydro to the shop to go through it to have a spare. Needed to split the case to replace an axle that I've had sitting around waiting on me. Considering going through the pump. It was good when I took it off but it's never been open so I might take a look inside.

This pretty much wraps up the 510-8 project…wheel paint.

Freshly painted wheels

Thursday was a nice day to get the 416 out for the mowing season. I got it set up with the 60” deck and Peco vacuum system. After years of trying to slide the deck underneath, last fall I realized it was much easier to lift the tractor and roll the deck forward or backwards. I don’t use the loader too often but I don’t think I could move the deck around without it. The damn thing is heavy!

Guy down the road from me has this out for sale in his front yard. At first I thought it may have been a ride-away model, then I thought maybe an early Speedex, then I went and looked and found no manufacturer tags, but it has a Wisconsin engine. I don't really want to buy it, I just want to know what it is, but I don't really want to talk to the guy, because they he'll think I want to buy it.

A month ago I queried this group about how best to approach a problem of lifting a 330 lb block of concrete and getting it onto a dock and then into the water. With your help and suggestions I purchased a pickup truck lift that will do the dock work. Today I completed the lift for the parking lot to place the block on a small trailer to drive it down to the dock using my 312-8. Here is the original thread (Winch vs battery capacity - Tools and Equipment - RedSquare Wheel Horse Forum) and below is a photo of the tripod lifting the block and placing it on the small trailer.

Yes! I'll take it! ( but you got to put it back together !) Do I get the tote?

I have thought about coating my floors, but I don't think it will hold up to welding, grinding, and various chemical spills. I do have carpet (previous owner) under the side where I park my bikes. No welding there!

Like any other finish the preparation will determines the outcome. My guess if the finish that failed to adhere to floor was because they skipped the step of prepping the floor with a muriatic acid etch.

I see they will let just anyone have a welder and some duct tape these days.

Got about a 1/3 of the flooring done today

Learning is not the issue Mike, it's retaining that knowledge. It's defraging the Hard Drive. It's remembering why you walked into a different room. It's knowing where you put the note that tells you where you hid something. It's trying to remember the name of the person walking towards you, and it's your Mom.

A few more photos of the top bracket. It is made of three pieces of 2" square tubing with one side cut off to create U's Each piece is 4" long and welded together at a sixty degree angle from each other. A 3/8 x 2.5" bolt secures the legs to the bracket and a 1/2 x 6" eyebolt is suspended from the top. And please ignore my backyard welding job. Joints are welded both inside and out.

I purchased a skill reciprocating saw at a garage sale. The blade mounting component was broken. After finding out i was NLA I turned it into a paint shaker. BIL donated a shoe with velcro straps. If straps are slightly loose the can will rotate while being shaken. Turn it on and walk away for a few minutes. BIL’s shoe was big enough to accommodate the tall cans also.

. When I first started working as an e ginger, we had an old, semi retires engi per that had a work room in the product engineering area. He would come in and tinker with stuff several days a week. His toom was less than organized. When he would set something down and loose it, he would take a Poloroid picture of his bench, and look for the item in the picture. His theory was that the lost item had temporarily rotated into another dimension that we can't see, but a Poloroid camera could detect.

Every year right after plow day I pressure wash my shop floor. Lots of pulled pork drippings on it along with the multitude of condiments and of course plow field dirt. Once in the spring as well from all those no mess oil changes,,, Lets just say I don't want it to turn into a cigarette butt reinforced asphalt like @Achto's. Figuring I need to keep it clean lest I bring home another tractor and have to sleep out ther. That said I often contemplate putting down a epoxy floor but it quickly passes when I think of the work to move everything out including the work benches. The guy that built those benches should not be allowed to run a air nailer. I got quotes from pros and all were in the 2-3 k range for 768 sq ft. One guy was 4.5 K ... gulp ... but guaranteed for life. Told him I wasn't gonna live that long! Diy would be about 6-700 with this stuff. https://supremepaintsandcoatings.com/collections/concrete-paint/products/3-epoxy-zenith-heavy-duty-epoxy-coating?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17182023811&gbraid=0AAAAADucSAYcOzo9Xnn1IL2grY4OUeDtK&gclid=Cj0KCQjwiLLABhCEARIsAJYS6ukvaqi09gUjwS-LiNdWeylPenl54x2GYlnLZKJQwFhBiijrHPSY-PUaAtwlEALw_wcB A tad cheaper with big box stuff. Following with interest if I decide to pull a trigger.

Wise younguns....took me 80 years to realize this.

You guys crack me up!🤣 Luckily for me, Ed and I have formulated a plan. However, I hope this banter will continue!! I’m really looking forward to getting this tractor so I can service it and give it an excessive cleaning and detailing. Then I’ll decide what I’m going to use it for. One of the things it’s going to be used for is to make me happy, because I’m pretty sure that once it’s cleaned up I’m going to look at it and say “Damn, that’s a nice tractor!” Don’t get me wrong, it’s still nice with dust on it!😁 Thank you guys for offering to help me with this, you are the best!👍🏻

Shaking a paint can is the best exercise I get some days, why would I want to mechanize it?

I watched the 2nd video. I was hoping he would paint it camo so he would lose it in his shop.

Now you all know why all my protein comes wrapped in fur, feathers, and scales instead of plastic.

Last fall my neighbor gave me a 2010 Briggs and Stratton Elite 8,000 (10,000 surge) open frame generator. It quit running so they had a whole house one installed. They were going to junk it because a shop told them it might cost half of what the generator was worth to repair it and wanted to know if I could use it. Of course I could use it! The issue was because it was left with gasoline in the tank and carburetor for several years. After removing the carb two or three times and finally getting it clean. it ran like a champ. The generator only had 11.5 hours on it when I received it and it now had 14.5. I try to start it from time to time (premium fuel and Stabil marine). This week I went to start and it was running awful. It was getting too much fuel and puffing black smoke. I removed carb and I couldn't see any issue. I figured it had to be seat and needle or float. I tried to purchase a needle and seat from local small engine shop with none available. He'd sell me a new carb $91 or a rebuild kit "almost half the price of a new carburetor". "Try to clean the seat and pay attention to the neoprene on end of needle" was his advice. I found a fellow on computer that used a Q-tip chucked in his drill with polishing liquid and he polished inside the seat. He said that fuel can make a fine coating that might cause the needle to hang up inside the seat. When I put it back together, it's once again running like a champ. Because this generator won't see much service, unless we have a storm that disrupts commercially supplies electricity, I have added a "T" to my supply line between the tank and carburetor. The "T" allows me to have a way to drain the tank and I will open the drain on the fuel bowl and maybe a dry system will be less problematic. I'm almost thinking about using something like an old coffee can with hose attached to it and feed the carburetor through my drain line. That way when I run the generator for a short time, I don't have to put gasoline in the main tank.

Must be nice to be a member of The Party, staring down at us Proles from your tower with your fancy-bird tape.

This bed probably should have been scrapped but I just couldn't do it. Some of it will be but not all. I straightened the side panels and cut the too far gone parts away. Lots of character still left (Dents). I had some metal bent to add back some height and give some structure for the bottom to connect to.

Early mode Economy, perhaps 1946 or 1947. Jim beat me.

Him, or Kev. I'm a little reluctant to tag @Pullstart because he might come buy it if it is something early WH. And he has that fancy new-to-him trailer too. @CRF857 also seems to have a wide and varied knowledge of tractordom. There was someone else who seemed to know early Speedex, but I can't remember the user name. I know he was in TX.

C-121 with the 36” RD deck

Thanks for sharing this Mike, not something you would pick up on at a glance.

A very good customer of mine that had a business that made abrasive cords and tapes that his father invented had a Company that would come in and use this type of floor in his garages and some of the shop floors. He was a very fussy individual, the best type to work for as I knew where I stood from day one. He was 75 when I started doing his Plumbing & Heating work and passed when he was I think 95. I piped miles of copper tubing for his home and shop. He was quite a man who never gave me any blueprints but would pull up a chair and give me verbal instructions, how he could remember how all the equipment could all go together was amazing with out notes at that age. I miss him very much. Thanks for Pictures of that floor, looks great. @PWL216 Just remembered the product was called Torginol if my memory serves me right.

@JCM these ones are all manual mirrors, but they work great in or out!

I have one that has more cutters and of better quality, it is for preparing the lawn for over-seeding. It actually does next to nothing.

@HyperPete Pete, I also do a little bit of welding and I specifically asked the guys if the hot sparks from the welder would damage the floor. They said no. We’ll see 🤪

Had a friend that used a Rustoleum Kit from Lowes. If I recall, the price was about $300.00. It went on easily and stayed nice for about 3 months. Then he went on vacation for a month and left one car in the garage. When he moved the car, the floor was stuck to the tires. Since then, multiple failures have occurred. By contrast, his neighbor had her floor done by a professional at a cost of over $2000.00. The floor is still in beautiful shape after 5 years.

I did my shop with a DIY kit from Lowe’s. Has held up well. I put the colored chips in also… plenty of traction, wet or dry…

I used the Epoxy with the colored chips in it like yours when we built the house fourteen years ago. It has held up well and the plastic chips do provide a lot of traction. A friend did his shortly after mine and added a clear coat over the chips and it is slippery when dry!

@HyperPete Great question! My brother had his garage epoxied and he says it’s not slippery when wet, then I talked to a friend at my sportsman club that said he’s almost slipped on his *ss twice walking on his epoxy floor from walking across the wet grass and onto the floor. His floor might have been over epoxied. My floor feels a little gritty so I’m hoping it will be ok. Time will tell…

1075 Big Block Short Frame. Enough said.