Two small solo jobs needed doing, then return to shop to make a gate because someone doesn’t know how to use a tape, or can’t see the numbers, or something. Not pointing fingers, it’s just as likely me as anyone else. (I keep notes on all my builds, I will go back and see if I fugged up my math. )
Started the repair process from Son of Bossmans personal “Fuck it!” over the weekend. He purt much destroyed the frame of the Fork Attachement to the Bobcats. I tried to get the forks loose with a sledge, but nope,,, those bad boys had to be cut loose. (cut the frame, not the forks. ) His Da was cool about it, saying ‘I’ll just buy a new frame, the forks are the expensive part.” But I know the Dads around here. There was much ribbing and rubbing the nose in it behind the scenes. Probably will be for years. (thats alright, Bossman has had a few seriously over the top screw ups too. We dont’ forget,,,)
And I did a little fabbing on the U-joint set up while I had the plasma cutter set up. In the following, I just clamped the parts in place (will drill for 6 bolts- 3 a side.) so I can see if I need to tweak anything. The centerpivot (the shiny part) is just a peice of 1 3/8″ tubing. I have a solid peice I will cut for for that. This is the latitude ajustment angle, not the tracking side. That tracking side will be a peice of Schd80 pipe, 1 5/8″ with a solid ‘axle’ ran through it. Pictures coming, when I actually make the bloody thing. Parts and peices right now. Considering just using a section of 1 3/8″ tubing for the axle as the schd80 is going to be the part under the most tension. The pipe will be as well, but spread three feet along the tube. Will see how much solid I have remaining here soon. (Note; Salvage stuff. The solid shafts I have are recovered axle shafts that had worn bearing faces. Had I my old southbend, I could have refaced them and cut to spec, but I had good ones on hand and my southbend went to a different home during the Covidiocy.)
Lane change,,,
When you have a welder and cutting tools, there really isn’t any such thing as ‘scrap’. I get bent out of shape seeing BadCuz and his GF cutting up good steel so they can get ‘the good prices’ for short iron at the scrap yard. I say nothing because it wouldn’t do any good, and I usually don’t have the cash on hand to buy it from them outright. (nor the scales to weigh it so I ain’t gettin’ screwed.) I do try to keep my stocks in order, and lately, have been having to keep it under lock and key (after I found about 30# of aluminum ingots missing. Ingots I poured from recycling the hard way.) Fortunately, my little Mexican Ho-house shed is nearly empty of tools now that I have the bigger shed, so most of the stock has been moved into there (except the really long pieces.) Were my foundry bigger, I might even keep more cast iron around. Never poured it, but I know its a whole lot hotter and needs even more PPE. (hotter than the brass I’ve poured, which is much hotter than the aluminum.)
Whats Dio getting at?
Maybe my yard occasionally looks like Sanford and Sons. Its a hazard of collecting resources. I happen to live off the beaten path and sometimes just don’t give a shit (so long as it doesn’t get in the way of working on stuff, or gather weeds in such a way that snakes become an issue.) But that makes my problem children next door envious. (they think I collect it to scrap out by tonnage, not hundreds.)
And they call me weird. Because I don’t fit their definition of life, I guess. And thats good; I wouldn’t want to fit that mold. (and I have been known to say “mold? I didn’t come from a mold: I was sculpted.” ROFL. )
right hand turn:
Had to stop at a hardware store this AM on way to jobsite, needed 3/4″ conduit for wire in a trench to a smart gate. Craziest thing I’ve seen here. Young lady, maybe mid 20’s. Absolutely beautiful asian heritage in her. I’d say Korean/Mongol mix. Tiny thing, maybe an inch or two shy of 5′.
And then she spoke to me. Appalachian Twang. Born and raised here. It was a very surreal moment for me. My brain glitched, I won’t lie. Tongue tied for a moment and looked like a fool as she counted out my change (appalachian twang as she spoke the numbers.) and I just stuttered out ”tt-t-t-t-Than-k-k-k You”,,,
and left the building in shock with my tail between my legs. Were I 20 years younger, she would likely be in my targeting equations.
But I’m old, gettin’ older. I know my limits.
Anybowzerboobalitz, its getting towards the darker stage of the day, and I still have things must be done. Y’all take care
Love y’all.
Stay curious.
Live
Love
LAUGH
Learn
LOAD!!!
