Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux
Moderators: rickf, raymond, Mr. Recovery
Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux
Yea, I sent a few away under similar circumstances. What a lot of people do not understand is the massive amount of money a mechanic has to spend on tools, especially nowadays. Back in the late 70's I had over ten grand in one tool box, yes, that was the one that was stolen that I mentioned in a different thread. I had between a 10-20% markup on parts plus my labor was actually much lower than dealers at that time. So when I got the one that wanted to rant and tell me how so and so down the road will do it cheaper I say fine. Take it to him. But when it does not work out do not come back here asking for a cheap price again. I was not in a big town and all of the shops knew each other. Most of us got along and many sent special jobs to others. Most of local shops would send problematic electrical work to me since that was my specialty. Also high performance carb work usually came to me. whereas I would usually farm out transmission work to another shop that did mostly transmissions. So when someone ranted they were going to so and so I knew they were not going to get any better price unless it was one of the few fly by night places around there. And then they were back. If they had gone to one of the reputable shops chances are good I had already gotten a call from that shop telling me they pulled the same stunt with them so when they show back up I simply tell them sorry, you said you could get it done somewhere else cheaper. I don't work cheap, I work good. And I send them off. If the person went to one of the fly by nighters then it gets real interesting because you can bet they got work done and the work failed or caused all kinds of other problems so now there bill is much higher. And I will tell them the chance of that before I even bring it in to check it. They usually do not argue at that point and have the work done without complaining. I got out of the wrenching business because it got to the point of you having to buy new specialized tools every year and a new scanner every three years. A scanner can run upwards of 20,000.00 and that is with trading in your old one! And "Technicians" now just replace parts, they don't do diagnosis. Can it still be done? Absolutely it can be. You take the scan tool and read the data coming out of the computer. Anybody can buy a scan tool that will do that for a hundred bucks. BUT, You need to know what you are looking at. You need to know how to interpret the information and understand how each item interfaces with the others. New Techs mostly do not know how to do that. So if the scan tool say the mass air sensor is bad they simply replace it. They don't look at data to see if it possibly a vacuum leak or dirty sensor or filter.
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone
Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux
Speaking of cars that go twenty different directions at once...
I've got Nice Lady's ancient Ford Excursion up and running. This was chiefly a matter of replacing it's radiator with an aftermarket kit that turned out to be a very excellent product in terms of it being a direct drop-in replacement. The only thing that was off were the bosses for the two little bolts that hold the fan shroud which was something I discovered when the fan began making a tiny bit of intermittent noise. So, with a second look, I determined the easiest correction would be to drill two new mounting holes in the shroud, up and to the left. There was adequate room for that to happen with the happy result that, afterward, there were no dramas.
I have been hearing stories about how No Account Boyfriend and Nice Lady's daughter had been taking this truck out and continually returning it after some disaster befell it...one darned thing after another. Deer strikes, tires coming apart, radiator blowing up...you name it. Writing off damage to a deer strike and just living with it is one thing. Continuing to drive without a working radiator and on junkyard tires is quite another. They ran it hotter than the hinges of hades, guys... not caring what the result might be.
Another problem was the interior of the truck, which looked like it was being used for background in a Rob Zombie film with a few corpses being the only thing missing. This Ford truck also suffers from the usual troubles associated with the switches that tell the truck when the door is ajar. When a switch goes bad, the truck thinks the door is ajar and the interior lights stay on and the running board lights stay on...draining the battery...annnnd there are only six switches that I'll have to have to check.
The people at Ford should be ashamed of themselves. If nothing else, they might have chosen to install a switch that, when it went bad, didn't call the lights on. Duh.
Because there are SIX of the darned things, dealing with that particular problem is a bit like playing Russian Roulette. Which switch is it? There is no easy access to any of them.
Where are we going and why am I in this hand basket?!
No Account Boyfriend's approach to solving the problem was to pull EVERY interior light apart. No, I'm not talking about just removing bulbs....but literally APART. Wires were hanging down, pieces of truck interior were everywhere, fuse panel on the back seat, fuses scattered all over and the worst thing which was a steering wheel that was covered in so much filth your hands would stick to it; just a horrible situation and in that equally horrible condition, it was returned to the Nice Lady.
Here ya go! Your truck is broken, by the way.
After my radiator repairs, I took the Excursion out for a test drive on one of the country roads and there was a detectable wobble coming from the back. Closer examination revealed a going concern. Left rear tire was separated and just barely beginning to come apart in exactly the same position where the last tire had exploded. That wheelhouse was already badly damaged. No Account Boyfriend's solution? Put yet ANOTHER junk tire on the truck. Nice Lady's property is littered with 'em. Slowly but surely, with the assistance of No Account Boyfriend they are making their way BACK onto the road.
Like a good service agent, I loaded up Nice Lady and we went for a drive so she could get a feel for where this truck's repairs were headed. Nice Lady said she wanted NEW tires and was willing to pay for 'em...NOW....and we needed gas. So, after getting gas and returning Nice Lady to her abode, Sir Billiam and I decided to throw caution to the wind and take the Excursion back home where I would deliver it to Discount Tire (her choice, not mine) and have new skins put on the thing.
By some strange stroke of luck, it turned out the Excursion had a marginally decent spare and so, since Bill and I are intellectual giants and all that stuff, we determined the best course of action would be to drive it twenty miles back to my town... on a tire that could come part at any moment. Naturally, Bill would follow in his truck. Maybe he would catch my death on camera and become a one hit wonder on YouTube.
Don't judge me. I lived through Afghanistan and Covid. Now I'm living on the edge through the current administration. So, yeah, I'm an adrenaline junkie.
Guilty as charged.
And with the skies turning really evil looking, owing to that plume of Saharan dust, and with a little precipitation, also owing to that plume of Saharan dust, complete with lightning and thunder, also owing to tha....well....
What could be better than the visceral excitement of having a tire come apart on a wet stretch of hilly Interstate highway, then (assuming I survived the initial tire discombobulation) having to get out to change that tire in the middle of a broad, open expanse of highway, with great risk of being smote by a lightning strike while doing it... Well, you just don't get that kind of entertainment staying at home reading posts on the G838, fellas.
What could possibly go wrong? HELL YEAH, I wanna do it! Count me in!
There I was at 1000 feet AGL. All four engines ablaze, the tail nearly shot away, no parachute and nothing to do about it other than to pop that last stick of Beemans Gum in my mouth and ride her in while singing a popular melody...
Coming in on a wing and a prayer!
Gentlemen, my Master Plan was to gently toodle down the hilliest stretch of freeway at about 50 MPH. This was necessary because it really is the most direct route to the destination. The Hill Country is a crazy place with no roads (other than the Interstate) capable of taking you anywhere in a straight line. Taking the back roads would certainly add another 20 miles to the trip. The Interstate was the only logical choice.
By now you must realize that I am speaking as though logic actually entered into ANY part of our thinking (which it did not) but the bonus to this sketchy plan would be, after that first, very risky 10 miles, things would begin to flatten out and I would be able to get off the freeway and take the frontage road the rest of the way in at a much-reduced speed and come in, victorious, for a nice soft landing.
Or, we could change the tire first, in the comfort of Nice Lady's driveway, and drive home like normal folk do.
NAWWWWWWWW!
So, off I went, humpty-bumpty and wibbley-wobbley with Bill comfortably (and safely) riding behind me in his pickup...well outside of any potential blast radius. 50 MPH seemed okay, judging by the gently swaying wires hanging down from the ceiling. People were passing me and giving me the stink-eye (this being a 75 MPH zone). But, with downgrades, that 50 MPH sometimes slipped up to 60 MPH. At that speed, a round tire with a small bump begins to feel like a hexagonal tire.
The spare tire, was where it belonged but predictably, it was loose because some parts that were meant to keep it secure were actually missing because....YOU GUESSED IT....
No Account Boyfriend.
With that spare being located DIRECTLY over the bad tire (left rear) it wobbled around in its designated space and complained loudly about being loose, making a repetitive squeaky noise. So, I turned the radio volume WAY up and slowed back down to 50 where I belonged. That seemed better but now I noticed that the spare continued to squeak, even at the lower speed. Could it be that the separated tire was getting worse? Maybe I should stop, get out and take a look? Maybe I should secure the spare mo bettah?
NAWWWWWWWW!
Now came the BIG grade and with my attention focused right where my attention belonged, which is to say I was making a futile search for some radio station that had something other than Yodeling Cowboys (I HATE Yodeling Cowboys) the wounded and essentially driverless Excursion drifted up to 65 MPH.
Okay, I'm telling a little white lie. It got away from me and it drifted up to 70 MPH.
The truck and I were now OFFICIALLY going twenty different directions... all at once....and apparently on square tires! The rumble sounded like a Saturn V rocket lifting off. The windshield visors dropped down, the handle thingy on the end of the shift lever popped off, the ABS light came on, loose pieces of truck interior jitterbugged off the seats and onto the floor; cowboys yodeled as a surprisingly good-looking Craftsman 9/16 wrench appeared on the right floorboard...and then just as quickly disappeared again to who-knows-where.
(That might ACTUALLY be mine! Someone remind me to check my tool bag.)
The deep filth that had been ground into the carpet was being shaken so vigorously that it migrated to the top of the carpet nap and those drooping wires were whipping around in a frenzy. I was on a Fun House Ride gone wrong. The noise from the dancing spare was deafening and taking on a new squeaky-swirly noise with a hard, machine gun, rat-a-tat bump as punctuation as it struggled to be free of its moorings. Just imagine all the worst parts of Armageddon crammed into the interior of an SUV and you'll pretty much have it.
The first thing I did was turn the radio volume ALL THE WAY UP (which helped, even though the yodeling cowboys were still hard at it). I rolled down the front windows creating a slipstream which kinda straightened out the whipping wires and then I gently applied some very much-needed brakes.
Priorities, fellas. They're important.
Okay, we're not doing THAT again. My exit was coming up. Salvation was at hand! Now I might die at 30 MPH instead of 50 MPH. Excellent! I drove her into town at 30 MPH with the radio off. Apparently Nice Lady's truck only gets country music stations. 10 loooong miles at 30 MPH. But I made it. See how easy that was?
Whew. What a nice day to still be alive!
Cheers,
TJ
I've got Nice Lady's ancient Ford Excursion up and running. This was chiefly a matter of replacing it's radiator with an aftermarket kit that turned out to be a very excellent product in terms of it being a direct drop-in replacement. The only thing that was off were the bosses for the two little bolts that hold the fan shroud which was something I discovered when the fan began making a tiny bit of intermittent noise. So, with a second look, I determined the easiest correction would be to drill two new mounting holes in the shroud, up and to the left. There was adequate room for that to happen with the happy result that, afterward, there were no dramas.
I have been hearing stories about how No Account Boyfriend and Nice Lady's daughter had been taking this truck out and continually returning it after some disaster befell it...one darned thing after another. Deer strikes, tires coming apart, radiator blowing up...you name it. Writing off damage to a deer strike and just living with it is one thing. Continuing to drive without a working radiator and on junkyard tires is quite another. They ran it hotter than the hinges of hades, guys... not caring what the result might be.
Another problem was the interior of the truck, which looked like it was being used for background in a Rob Zombie film with a few corpses being the only thing missing. This Ford truck also suffers from the usual troubles associated with the switches that tell the truck when the door is ajar. When a switch goes bad, the truck thinks the door is ajar and the interior lights stay on and the running board lights stay on...draining the battery...annnnd there are only six switches that I'll have to have to check.
The people at Ford should be ashamed of themselves. If nothing else, they might have chosen to install a switch that, when it went bad, didn't call the lights on. Duh.
Because there are SIX of the darned things, dealing with that particular problem is a bit like playing Russian Roulette. Which switch is it? There is no easy access to any of them.
Where are we going and why am I in this hand basket?!
No Account Boyfriend's approach to solving the problem was to pull EVERY interior light apart. No, I'm not talking about just removing bulbs....but literally APART. Wires were hanging down, pieces of truck interior were everywhere, fuse panel on the back seat, fuses scattered all over and the worst thing which was a steering wheel that was covered in so much filth your hands would stick to it; just a horrible situation and in that equally horrible condition, it was returned to the Nice Lady.
Here ya go! Your truck is broken, by the way.
After my radiator repairs, I took the Excursion out for a test drive on one of the country roads and there was a detectable wobble coming from the back. Closer examination revealed a going concern. Left rear tire was separated and just barely beginning to come apart in exactly the same position where the last tire had exploded. That wheelhouse was already badly damaged. No Account Boyfriend's solution? Put yet ANOTHER junk tire on the truck. Nice Lady's property is littered with 'em. Slowly but surely, with the assistance of No Account Boyfriend they are making their way BACK onto the road.
Like a good service agent, I loaded up Nice Lady and we went for a drive so she could get a feel for where this truck's repairs were headed. Nice Lady said she wanted NEW tires and was willing to pay for 'em...NOW....and we needed gas. So, after getting gas and returning Nice Lady to her abode, Sir Billiam and I decided to throw caution to the wind and take the Excursion back home where I would deliver it to Discount Tire (her choice, not mine) and have new skins put on the thing.
By some strange stroke of luck, it turned out the Excursion had a marginally decent spare and so, since Bill and I are intellectual giants and all that stuff, we determined the best course of action would be to drive it twenty miles back to my town... on a tire that could come part at any moment. Naturally, Bill would follow in his truck. Maybe he would catch my death on camera and become a one hit wonder on YouTube.
Don't judge me. I lived through Afghanistan and Covid. Now I'm living on the edge through the current administration. So, yeah, I'm an adrenaline junkie.
Guilty as charged.
And with the skies turning really evil looking, owing to that plume of Saharan dust, and with a little precipitation, also owing to that plume of Saharan dust, complete with lightning and thunder, also owing to tha....well....
What could be better than the visceral excitement of having a tire come apart on a wet stretch of hilly Interstate highway, then (assuming I survived the initial tire discombobulation) having to get out to change that tire in the middle of a broad, open expanse of highway, with great risk of being smote by a lightning strike while doing it... Well, you just don't get that kind of entertainment staying at home reading posts on the G838, fellas.
What could possibly go wrong? HELL YEAH, I wanna do it! Count me in!
There I was at 1000 feet AGL. All four engines ablaze, the tail nearly shot away, no parachute and nothing to do about it other than to pop that last stick of Beemans Gum in my mouth and ride her in while singing a popular melody...
Coming in on a wing and a prayer!
Gentlemen, my Master Plan was to gently toodle down the hilliest stretch of freeway at about 50 MPH. This was necessary because it really is the most direct route to the destination. The Hill Country is a crazy place with no roads (other than the Interstate) capable of taking you anywhere in a straight line. Taking the back roads would certainly add another 20 miles to the trip. The Interstate was the only logical choice.
By now you must realize that I am speaking as though logic actually entered into ANY part of our thinking (which it did not) but the bonus to this sketchy plan would be, after that first, very risky 10 miles, things would begin to flatten out and I would be able to get off the freeway and take the frontage road the rest of the way in at a much-reduced speed and come in, victorious, for a nice soft landing.
Or, we could change the tire first, in the comfort of Nice Lady's driveway, and drive home like normal folk do.
NAWWWWWWWW!
So, off I went, humpty-bumpty and wibbley-wobbley with Bill comfortably (and safely) riding behind me in his pickup...well outside of any potential blast radius. 50 MPH seemed okay, judging by the gently swaying wires hanging down from the ceiling. People were passing me and giving me the stink-eye (this being a 75 MPH zone). But, with downgrades, that 50 MPH sometimes slipped up to 60 MPH. At that speed, a round tire with a small bump begins to feel like a hexagonal tire.
The spare tire, was where it belonged but predictably, it was loose because some parts that were meant to keep it secure were actually missing because....YOU GUESSED IT....
No Account Boyfriend.
With that spare being located DIRECTLY over the bad tire (left rear) it wobbled around in its designated space and complained loudly about being loose, making a repetitive squeaky noise. So, I turned the radio volume WAY up and slowed back down to 50 where I belonged. That seemed better but now I noticed that the spare continued to squeak, even at the lower speed. Could it be that the separated tire was getting worse? Maybe I should stop, get out and take a look? Maybe I should secure the spare mo bettah?
NAWWWWWWWW!
Now came the BIG grade and with my attention focused right where my attention belonged, which is to say I was making a futile search for some radio station that had something other than Yodeling Cowboys (I HATE Yodeling Cowboys) the wounded and essentially driverless Excursion drifted up to 65 MPH.
Okay, I'm telling a little white lie. It got away from me and it drifted up to 70 MPH.
The truck and I were now OFFICIALLY going twenty different directions... all at once....and apparently on square tires! The rumble sounded like a Saturn V rocket lifting off. The windshield visors dropped down, the handle thingy on the end of the shift lever popped off, the ABS light came on, loose pieces of truck interior jitterbugged off the seats and onto the floor; cowboys yodeled as a surprisingly good-looking Craftsman 9/16 wrench appeared on the right floorboard...and then just as quickly disappeared again to who-knows-where.
(That might ACTUALLY be mine! Someone remind me to check my tool bag.)
The deep filth that had been ground into the carpet was being shaken so vigorously that it migrated to the top of the carpet nap and those drooping wires were whipping around in a frenzy. I was on a Fun House Ride gone wrong. The noise from the dancing spare was deafening and taking on a new squeaky-swirly noise with a hard, machine gun, rat-a-tat bump as punctuation as it struggled to be free of its moorings. Just imagine all the worst parts of Armageddon crammed into the interior of an SUV and you'll pretty much have it.
The first thing I did was turn the radio volume ALL THE WAY UP (which helped, even though the yodeling cowboys were still hard at it). I rolled down the front windows creating a slipstream which kinda straightened out the whipping wires and then I gently applied some very much-needed brakes.
Priorities, fellas. They're important.
Okay, we're not doing THAT again. My exit was coming up. Salvation was at hand! Now I might die at 30 MPH instead of 50 MPH. Excellent! I drove her into town at 30 MPH with the radio off. Apparently Nice Lady's truck only gets country music stations. 10 loooong miles at 30 MPH. But I made it. See how easy that was?
Whew. What a nice day to still be alive!
Cheers,
TJ
Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux
It has really been getting blazingly hot around here. I've a feeling that hole in the ozone is overhead because I'm feeling like a piece of bacon in a microwave when I'm not in the shade. Wuff!
Speaking of overhead cover... we're still plugging along with the scrapping job which often morphs into projects that are 'other than scrapping'. Nice Lady needs the help and we're capable so, why not? We got Nice Lady's awning support beam replaced, which is to say we laid another beam in alongside the old one, rather than try to take the old one out which would have been a game not worth the candle, believe me! The new one is several inches lower than the original because of how it is situated but, it is strong, square and will do the job for many years to come.
Finally we are doing something for ourselves on the home front. Yesterday we dismantled the flathead Ford somewhat, by removing everything that was in the way of putting it on the engine stand and only then removing it from the chassis which was STILL sitting right where we left it...on Peach. With that accomplished, we made an immediate trip up to Nice Lady's place to unceremoniously dump the chassis on a pile of steel and return Peach to usefulness once again.
...d
g o n e
...n
...e
13 points on Words With Friends!
Afterward the engine got deposited on my driveway where we mated it to the engine stand mount (with new hardware, of course), hoisted it up and plugged it into the stand. Later, I put the carburetor back on and pilfered the air cleaner off the 47's flathead and then reattached everything the way it should be because if this engine turns out to be anything like everything else around here, it will be a while before I get back to it....measured in YEARS.
I did make an offhand comment to Bill (just to see if he was listening for once). I said, "Bill, this engine is gonna look GREAT in the M38."
Bill turned around, ever so slowly....and just stared at me.
Cheers,
TJ
Speaking of overhead cover... we're still plugging along with the scrapping job which often morphs into projects that are 'other than scrapping'. Nice Lady needs the help and we're capable so, why not? We got Nice Lady's awning support beam replaced, which is to say we laid another beam in alongside the old one, rather than try to take the old one out which would have been a game not worth the candle, believe me! The new one is several inches lower than the original because of how it is situated but, it is strong, square and will do the job for many years to come.
Finally we are doing something for ourselves on the home front. Yesterday we dismantled the flathead Ford somewhat, by removing everything that was in the way of putting it on the engine stand and only then removing it from the chassis which was STILL sitting right where we left it...on Peach. With that accomplished, we made an immediate trip up to Nice Lady's place to unceremoniously dump the chassis on a pile of steel and return Peach to usefulness once again.
...d
g o n e
...n
...e
13 points on Words With Friends!
Afterward the engine got deposited on my driveway where we mated it to the engine stand mount (with new hardware, of course), hoisted it up and plugged it into the stand. Later, I put the carburetor back on and pilfered the air cleaner off the 47's flathead and then reattached everything the way it should be because if this engine turns out to be anything like everything else around here, it will be a while before I get back to it....measured in YEARS.
I did make an offhand comment to Bill (just to see if he was listening for once). I said, "Bill, this engine is gonna look GREAT in the M38."
Bill turned around, ever so slowly....and just stared at me.
Cheers,
TJ
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux
Come to think of it, I have seen every engine known to man in an M38 but a Ford Flathead. GO for it!!!!!!
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone
Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux
I thought it might be a pretty straightforward swap...and not too much engine for the chassis
Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux
Ran a load of aluminum over to the scrappers in order to generate a little unexpected income for Nice Lady and for the purpose of learning how to be a bit more skillful on the matter of scrapping. It might mean a few extra bucks for her and that knowledge might just help me out at some later date.
So, we arrived 21 minutes ahead of the end of their lunch break which left us with two choices. Sit stationary in the mid-day Texas sun like a couple of bumpkins or, the better option which was to backtrack and visit ANOTHER flea market; one that I had never been in but had always wanted to visit.
So we descended upon the place in our usual style, being far too much of everything... too loud, too boisterous, to causal, too friendly. Be nice to the lady behind the counter and sometimes you'll get more meat in your taco. Thats the old SAPD credo.....and did I ever get more meat in my taco!
Ended up making a few pics and worked a no-cash barter deal for something that the proprietor was looking for.
I snapped up 13 cutting discs in a cut-down milk crate (to help keep things organized).
I came away with yet ANOTHER ancient screw jack (which works just fine).
A iron fancy table (in need of a paint job) along with an equally fancy marble top.
And, a lockable retailer's LP gas cage which needs a little metal work. It's ugly, but functional. Why the cage? Because I need some secure outdoor storage. Recently, the local cops rounded up a small cabal of youths who had been ransacking a neighborhood not too far from my place. So, I've decided to fortify things just a little bit rather than wait for trouble to come find me.
The cage has a clever door system which hinges on the front corners just as you would expect, but it also has another set of hinges halfway back the sides. Those hinges are probably for knocking down the cage to make transporting them more efficient. With some modification, this extra set of hinges should make getting some heavier items in and out of it that much easier.
Cheers,
TJ
So, we arrived 21 minutes ahead of the end of their lunch break which left us with two choices. Sit stationary in the mid-day Texas sun like a couple of bumpkins or, the better option which was to backtrack and visit ANOTHER flea market; one that I had never been in but had always wanted to visit.
So we descended upon the place in our usual style, being far too much of everything... too loud, too boisterous, to causal, too friendly. Be nice to the lady behind the counter and sometimes you'll get more meat in your taco. Thats the old SAPD credo.....and did I ever get more meat in my taco!
Ended up making a few pics and worked a no-cash barter deal for something that the proprietor was looking for.
I snapped up 13 cutting discs in a cut-down milk crate (to help keep things organized).
I came away with yet ANOTHER ancient screw jack (which works just fine).
A iron fancy table (in need of a paint job) along with an equally fancy marble top.
And, a lockable retailer's LP gas cage which needs a little metal work. It's ugly, but functional. Why the cage? Because I need some secure outdoor storage. Recently, the local cops rounded up a small cabal of youths who had been ransacking a neighborhood not too far from my place. So, I've decided to fortify things just a little bit rather than wait for trouble to come find me.
The cage has a clever door system which hinges on the front corners just as you would expect, but it also has another set of hinges halfway back the sides. Those hinges are probably for knocking down the cage to make transporting them more efficient. With some modification, this extra set of hinges should make getting some heavier items in and out of it that much easier.
Cheers,
TJ
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Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux
Locks are for honest people but cages, now you are talkin', They can be used for when you spring the trap on the hoodlums' that do show up at your place. You were a cop so I am sure you have your own set of corralling skills to round them up and then pack them in the cage and call the police and tell them you have a present for them, and by the way, no hurry, they will be waiting for you whenever you get here.
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone
Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux
Cages don't float and the water ain't too clear around here...
Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux
Waste of a good cage. Did you see the bit on Sheriff Grady Judd from Fla. about the active shooter they had down there? The guy threatened to take out his wife and all the deputies that came to get him. They saved his wife and as soon as hit came out the door " We shot him, A LOT! "
If that man ran for president tomorrow he would win. Anything that happens in his county he is right there and as soon as the shooting stops he is right there on the camera telling it EXACTLY the way it went down, good or bad. No covering anything up, NO excuses and NO B.S.!!! This man has arrested bad cops, internal informants and judges all within the last year or so.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9-WlXOeaBo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af51b-BkPQU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5QDIbjo0GI
If that man ran for president tomorrow he would win. Anything that happens in his county he is right there and as soon as the shooting stops he is right there on the camera telling it EXACTLY the way it went down, good or bad. No covering anything up, NO excuses and NO B.S.!!! This man has arrested bad cops, internal informants and judges all within the last year or so.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9-WlXOeaBo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af51b-BkPQU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5QDIbjo0GI
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone
Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux
Got started on the process of straightening this cage up and discovered that the hinges are the weak points. Horribly weak points! Remove three bolts on each side and both doors come off entirely, even if locked together. So, I'm either going to have to tack weld each nut to its corresponding bolt or come up with some other means of securement. Grrrr.
ONE HUNDRED degrees today and the tools were almost too hot to pick up and I'm not stretching the truth on the matter.
Do you smell.....BACON?
Work was done in a series of steps, with me going in and out of the house for cool-down periods. Wasn't smart enough to take my few tools with me.
Consumed a LOT of water and juices INSIDE....sweated it all out, OUTSIDE.
As it turned out, the middle shelf that somebody added was welded to the 'side doors', immobilizing them. Not a deal breaker by any means. I did straighten the fold-up floor pan and secure it with bolts rather than rely on the single spring loaded pin on one corner. The additional bolts help to keep the rest of the cage square to the floorpan which helps everything else stay square. This cage has had a hard life and it shows.
All these folding points and hinges are clearly meant to reduce the whole thing to a much smaller size for transport when empty.
By the end of it, the things that HAD to be straightened were straightened and aside from the need for tack welds on the nuts and bolts, I think this thing is almost ready to go to work.
Cheers,
TJ
ONE HUNDRED degrees today and the tools were almost too hot to pick up and I'm not stretching the truth on the matter.
Do you smell.....BACON?
Work was done in a series of steps, with me going in and out of the house for cool-down periods. Wasn't smart enough to take my few tools with me.
Consumed a LOT of water and juices INSIDE....sweated it all out, OUTSIDE.
As it turned out, the middle shelf that somebody added was welded to the 'side doors', immobilizing them. Not a deal breaker by any means. I did straighten the fold-up floor pan and secure it with bolts rather than rely on the single spring loaded pin on one corner. The additional bolts help to keep the rest of the cage square to the floorpan which helps everything else stay square. This cage has had a hard life and it shows.
All these folding points and hinges are clearly meant to reduce the whole thing to a much smaller size for transport when empty.
By the end of it, the things that HAD to be straightened were straightened and aside from the need for tack welds on the nuts and bolts, I think this thing is almost ready to go to work.
Cheers,
TJ
Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux
I've been away for a few days. I'm back and don't see one thing posted here on the matter of D-Day.
Did I miss the post, or did it go unobserved (like the current administration has done for the last TWO years)?
Anyway, I'm hoping no one forgot to recognize the day in their own way.
As it turned out, Nice Lady's father was there...on D-Day, no less!
Cheers,
TJ
Did I miss the post, or did it go unobserved (like the current administration has done for the last TWO years)?
Anyway, I'm hoping no one forgot to recognize the day in their own way.
As it turned out, Nice Lady's father was there...on D-Day, no less!
Cheers,
TJ
Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux
I was wondering the same thing. Usually somebody posts something but not this year.
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone
Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux
It was probably one of the most important days in the history of the 20th century.
Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux
The Greatest Generation, in more ways than one!!
mark
1968 m274A5
1960 m151
1981 m151A2
1964 m416
1971 m416
1968 m274A5
1960 m151
1981 m151A2
1964 m416
1971 m416
Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux
Have I mentioned that it is HOT lately?
When working outside with tools, it's wise to cover them with something because they are nearly too hot to touch if you don't and that's no jest. We topped out at 104 degrees yesterday.
Yesterday we went up to Nice Lady's place as early as tolerable (I'm just not a morning person) dragged a large convoluted arrangement of heavy gauge 3" pipe that had been welded into, well, I don't know what and dragged that up where we could work on it. This move was owing to the need for electrical service to run the cutting tools. Unfortunately, this meant moving it from a place where there was at least some shade, to a place where there was NO shade. So we hustled so as to get things done before the heat really set upon us.
Unfortunately, the only electrical circuit available to us would not handle TWO death wheels running at the same time so, that part of our hustle came to a screeching halt. Now, you need to understand that this collection of pipes was going every whichaway. Whatever it was meant to be is just beyond my comprehension so I can't even begin to tell you what it was. It consisted of an ad hoc sledge base with some sort of vertical arrangement and cross-pieces and other pieces welded to that. it is one of those things that, during assembly, or just being moved around, inevitably becomes stressed in some fashion, which means cutting through any particular pipe may reveal that hidden, stored energy at the least opportune moment, such as at the moment of any final through-and-through cut.
SCHPROINGNGNGNGNGNG!
Just the slightest relief of stress on the pipe can really trap a blade and, if you're going at it like your hair is afire it might mean a ruined blade, or an exploding blade. (USE EYE PRO, fellas. ALWAYS) I was getting tired of tip-toeing around these cuts and finally resorted to a slightly helical cut which meant the two cut lines ended up coming around with one slightly above the other. If you think having the cuts meet would be more desirable, it just ain't so. Trust me on this.
So, with the cut lines just barely missing one another, I finished joining them with a gentle plunge cut across the two cuts which had the effect of finishing the cut on the pipe, while avoiding getting bushwhacked by the inevitable...
SCHPROINGNGNGNGNGNG!
This on-the-fly solution was something I though was rather clever, and worthy of mention. After all, we are salvaging, not building fine furniture. No extra points for pretty cuts that meet perfectly. Your mileage may vary. Not valid in all 50 states.
Our hustle proved fruitful and we separated the large chunks of this thing into more manageable pieces which, upon our return, can then be brought into the shade and dealt with as we see fit, including the possibility that some parts might just be put right on one of the scrap piles. Oddly, this thing had some sort of large, unfinished, unpainted sign grafted into the middle of it (for no obvious reason). This sign, with some minor effort, could be turned into an actual sign and perhaps even illuminated. Dang thing is about 5' by 5' and slightly keystone shaped. Pretty impressive for something that actually does nothing. So, we set it aside. Somebody will buy it.
The purpose for cutting this crazy thing apart? Well, we actually cut it down, keeping the base of it intact. The base will be massaged into a support structure for a semi trailer that is on the property; one that has no axles under it and which is leaning a bit precariously on its present pedestal which isn't a pedestal at all. It's a really NICE, professionally built welding trailer...
and we want it.
It's going to be a real job, jacking that semi trailer up, but we'll manage it.
IN OTHER NEWS....
Home Depot has the best deal going for entry level battery powered tools that I have ever seen and I have had my eye out for just such a deal for several years now.
I have been wanting a small 1/4' drive, battery powered impact (nothing fancy) because that fella Arthur Itis comes a-callin' too often, now. The Deal is this - For $99 Ryobi will give you TWO 4 amp-hour batteries with a single port charger and then you can select a tool for your batteries for free and the selection of tools they're offering is remarkable. Now, before you spill your coffee while running out the door in order to get in on this deal, nothing is really for free.
In the spring, Ryobi sold a bunch of stuff that came with absolutely junk batteries (much to their embarrassment) and the guys at Home Depot told me not to buy ANYTHING from Ryobi at that time. HD said they were taking things back as returns just as fast as they were sold. I've never been comfortable with the idea of battery powered anything (and this problem Ryobi was having didn't do one single thing to allay my fears) but conversely, Sir Billiam has had good luck with his Ryobi cordless tools and let's face it....cordless IS handy. I checked back in with the HD guys about a month ago and they told me Ryobi was back on track.
That said, here's something to compare this present bargain with. I compared Ryobi's regular offering (which was a bundled set of tools) of a drill, a impact similar to the one I bought, including two 1.8ah batteries, a single port charger and a nifty bright green bag that your wife will probably claim as her own for doing who-knows-what. The price for that bundle is $99. Either-or, Ryobi is coming in at about $50-$100 LESS than other brands at the moment...
and just in time for Father's Day.
Cheers,
TJ
When working outside with tools, it's wise to cover them with something because they are nearly too hot to touch if you don't and that's no jest. We topped out at 104 degrees yesterday.
Yesterday we went up to Nice Lady's place as early as tolerable (I'm just not a morning person) dragged a large convoluted arrangement of heavy gauge 3" pipe that had been welded into, well, I don't know what and dragged that up where we could work on it. This move was owing to the need for electrical service to run the cutting tools. Unfortunately, this meant moving it from a place where there was at least some shade, to a place where there was NO shade. So we hustled so as to get things done before the heat really set upon us.
Unfortunately, the only electrical circuit available to us would not handle TWO death wheels running at the same time so, that part of our hustle came to a screeching halt. Now, you need to understand that this collection of pipes was going every whichaway. Whatever it was meant to be is just beyond my comprehension so I can't even begin to tell you what it was. It consisted of an ad hoc sledge base with some sort of vertical arrangement and cross-pieces and other pieces welded to that. it is one of those things that, during assembly, or just being moved around, inevitably becomes stressed in some fashion, which means cutting through any particular pipe may reveal that hidden, stored energy at the least opportune moment, such as at the moment of any final through-and-through cut.
SCHPROINGNGNGNGNGNG!
Just the slightest relief of stress on the pipe can really trap a blade and, if you're going at it like your hair is afire it might mean a ruined blade, or an exploding blade. (USE EYE PRO, fellas. ALWAYS) I was getting tired of tip-toeing around these cuts and finally resorted to a slightly helical cut which meant the two cut lines ended up coming around with one slightly above the other. If you think having the cuts meet would be more desirable, it just ain't so. Trust me on this.
So, with the cut lines just barely missing one another, I finished joining them with a gentle plunge cut across the two cuts which had the effect of finishing the cut on the pipe, while avoiding getting bushwhacked by the inevitable...
SCHPROINGNGNGNGNGNG!
This on-the-fly solution was something I though was rather clever, and worthy of mention. After all, we are salvaging, not building fine furniture. No extra points for pretty cuts that meet perfectly. Your mileage may vary. Not valid in all 50 states.
Our hustle proved fruitful and we separated the large chunks of this thing into more manageable pieces which, upon our return, can then be brought into the shade and dealt with as we see fit, including the possibility that some parts might just be put right on one of the scrap piles. Oddly, this thing had some sort of large, unfinished, unpainted sign grafted into the middle of it (for no obvious reason). This sign, with some minor effort, could be turned into an actual sign and perhaps even illuminated. Dang thing is about 5' by 5' and slightly keystone shaped. Pretty impressive for something that actually does nothing. So, we set it aside. Somebody will buy it.
The purpose for cutting this crazy thing apart? Well, we actually cut it down, keeping the base of it intact. The base will be massaged into a support structure for a semi trailer that is on the property; one that has no axles under it and which is leaning a bit precariously on its present pedestal which isn't a pedestal at all. It's a really NICE, professionally built welding trailer...
and we want it.
It's going to be a real job, jacking that semi trailer up, but we'll manage it.
IN OTHER NEWS....
Home Depot has the best deal going for entry level battery powered tools that I have ever seen and I have had my eye out for just such a deal for several years now.
I have been wanting a small 1/4' drive, battery powered impact (nothing fancy) because that fella Arthur Itis comes a-callin' too often, now. The Deal is this - For $99 Ryobi will give you TWO 4 amp-hour batteries with a single port charger and then you can select a tool for your batteries for free and the selection of tools they're offering is remarkable. Now, before you spill your coffee while running out the door in order to get in on this deal, nothing is really for free.
In the spring, Ryobi sold a bunch of stuff that came with absolutely junk batteries (much to their embarrassment) and the guys at Home Depot told me not to buy ANYTHING from Ryobi at that time. HD said they were taking things back as returns just as fast as they were sold. I've never been comfortable with the idea of battery powered anything (and this problem Ryobi was having didn't do one single thing to allay my fears) but conversely, Sir Billiam has had good luck with his Ryobi cordless tools and let's face it....cordless IS handy. I checked back in with the HD guys about a month ago and they told me Ryobi was back on track.
That said, here's something to compare this present bargain with. I compared Ryobi's regular offering (which was a bundled set of tools) of a drill, a impact similar to the one I bought, including two 1.8ah batteries, a single port charger and a nifty bright green bag that your wife will probably claim as her own for doing who-knows-what. The price for that bundle is $99. Either-or, Ryobi is coming in at about $50-$100 LESS than other brands at the moment...
and just in time for Father's Day.
Cheers,
TJ