Above 1200 Sq/FT Restored 1930's Auto Shop
- Thread starter BB767
- Start date
Wokspaces above 1200 squarefeet.
rmalkow2
Well-known member
Thomas,
Don't give up hope on v 1.0 as it may yet still show up. Given the winter many of us just went through it could still be in someones yard. Even though our snow has been gone for awhile now I just got old mail last week from a neighbor who found it down the road in his yard after the snow melted. I can only guess the wind blew it there and it got buried until he was out doing yard cleanup.
Hopefully it will be recovered. But, in the meanwhile how do I get on the list for a chance to read v 2.0?
Don't give up hope on v 1.0 as it may yet still show up. Given the winter many of us just went through it could still be in someones yard. Even though our snow has been gone for awhile now I just got old mail last week from a neighbor who found it down the road in his yard after the snow melted. I can only guess the wind blew it there and it got buried until he was out doing yard cleanup.
Hopefully it will be recovered. But, in the meanwhile how do I get on the list for a chance to read v 2.0?
In anticipation of sending out BS 2.0 shortly, I have a request. I would like to ask those who have sent me a earlier PM about BS 1.0, could you now PM me, if you can remember, who sent it to you and in turn, who you then sent it to with at least a state or Canadian province?
That should help reconstruct its history somewhat and might uncover a few readers that we don't know about yet.
Some of you have already done this and that is enormously helpful, you have my thanks.
I did note that 1.0 had 22 sign off's and made a note of most of the locations but perhaps not all.
I held off on doing the new version so long because I was confident BS 1.0 would surface (secretly I still do, but who knows when) but I'm beginning to realize after a month we now need to move forward.
BS version 2.0 is sitting on my desk right now and was to be my personal copy but will shortly be on it's way to new adventures.
While the loss of BS 1.0 is unfortunate, we know the world is not a perfect place.
Hopefully many more of you will get the chance to read this book and share in the fun spirit with which it was written and in turn, the spirit behind its being passed around among us.
After all, if you're not having fun.....what's the point?
Many thanks to all.
Thomas
That should help reconstruct its history somewhat and might uncover a few readers that we don't know about yet.
Some of you have already done this and that is enormously helpful, you have my thanks.
I did note that 1.0 had 22 sign off's and made a note of most of the locations but perhaps not all.
I held off on doing the new version so long because I was confident BS 1.0 would surface (secretly I still do, but who knows when) but I'm beginning to realize after a month we now need to move forward.
BS version 2.0 is sitting on my desk right now and was to be my personal copy but will shortly be on it's way to new adventures.
While the loss of BS 1.0 is unfortunate, we know the world is not a perfect place.
Hopefully many more of you will get the chance to read this book and share in the fun spirit with which it was written and in turn, the spirit behind its being passed around among us.
After all, if you're not having fun.....what's the point?
Many thanks to all.
Thomas
Great work in all you do, it has being a very nice, and intresting time for me this past year! Reading your thread from start to finsih, through out the year, as time as available! Also can you pm me, i would like to see what of the old stuff you have for sell on the auction site
ps: Chris i'm am from the southmost area of the usa, 8 minuates away from mexico!
ps: Chris i'm am from the southmost area of the usa, 8 minuates away from mexico!
impala4speed
Well-known member
PM sent concerning Beltsville Shell Ver. 1.0
Hi there wicho0903 and thank you for letting me know you enjoyed my treatise on the old shop.
I don't have any items for sale but on occasion have been giving them away l as I come across folks who can use them.
There is too much "stuff" to get bogged down in trying to identify, sell and then pack and mail it. That would become my life's work.
I've been contacting car clubs to see if they want to come and sort through the tool shed and lean-to for items club members can use.
It's still fun coming across odd items. I'll be posting some of the more interesting ones.
BTW, do you happen to have a need for a 1950's Army tank engine manifold?
Thomas
mdbeck1
Well-known member
BTW, do you happen to have a need for a 1950's Army tank engine manifold?
Thomas
Asked and answered.
Build a tank!!!
magnusk750
Well-known member
Not a post in this thread in nearly two weeks
Not a post in this thread in nearly two weeks
magnusk that must mean I've answered everyone's questions.
I have actually removed some items from both the tool shed and lean-to lately but nothing notable. Recent work in the shop and barn has consisted mostly of routine maintenance to vehicles.
We've got a Lincoln Continental Owners Club (LCOC) national meet coming up and I've started to go over my 1966 Lincoln Continental in preparation for it.
I'm not happy with the performance of one of the rear windows...
...so I'm taking a peek inside...
...to see why. This is as far as I've progressed so far. I can see why these cars were so expensive "back in the day". A Lincoln cost $6,500 in 1966 when a new Chevrolet Impala could be had for around $3,000. The extra attention to detail, the quality of the materials, the fit and finish was superb.
I did acquire this...
]...extremely nice vintage Miller Dialarc HF TIG welder a while ago.
This was manufactured in 1972 and was state of the art at that time. For now I'm planning on keeping this in the barn for use out there.
It has a water cooled torch and has had the very best of care...
...and so little use the paint on the foot controller is still pristine. I have much more control with this TIG welder than the one in the old shop. I'll use that one mainly for MIG welding I expect.
As for outside the shop, tress are starting to leaf out. All our transplanted trees, seen in the distance and along the road, survived an extremely harsh winter.
These pictures were taken yesterday.
This is our second full year with our "Field Of Dreams". The alfalfa is just about ready to be cut. We're planing on 4 cuttings this year.
The area that was cleared of brush by the hedge row 2 years ago and then planted with grass seed has now fully established grass.
This is the shop side of the hedge row. I have been doing quite a bit of outside maintenance. Among that is deep root feeding the new trees with nitrogen. The feeder probe is pushed into the ground at the drip line at the base of the trees 12" (30.48 cm) deep while nitrogen is fed. The feeder is placed in 8 spots around each tree for about 1 minute for each spot. I've got over 50 trees that I'm feeding, it does take time. A rather tedious and unglamorous task but necessary for the health of the new trees until they are established. I didn't think that detail would be of any interest to anyone here.
No news yet on BS 1.0. Mike and I are still badgering the Post Office about it and I've begun to reassemble the readers who signed off on BS 1.0 in order to list them into BS 2.0. Next week we're hosting our car club annual "Picnic With the Payne's" at the shop so Chris and I will be doing prep work for that as well.
That's a rather quick overview of some of my activities of late. As I clean up some of the items from the tool shed and place them in the shop I'll get a post on that. As a group they're interesting.
Thomas
gordyy
Well-known member
Wow the buildings are looking so good inside and out.
Like that (new) TIG those were and are great machines, enjoy it like every tool
and as to the Lincoln I have owned 4 Towncars over the years and you are right the difference in fit and panel alignment etc. over the standard ford car of the same body style is outstanding.
Its like comparing a Chevy to a Caddilac there is definetly a difference in how they are made.
Like that (new) TIG those were and are great machines, enjoy it like every tool
and as to the Lincoln I have owned 4 Towncars over the years and you are right the difference in fit and panel alignment etc. over the standard ford car of the same body style is outstanding.
Its like comparing a Chevy to a Caddilac there is definetly a difference in how they are made.
markviii
Well-known member
Brian T -- Congratulating himself for all the hard work and how it turned out is not the "Thomas Way". Getting it done the way he envisioned is the satisfaction. Being able to utilize things as intended only adds to it. If it didn't turn out "right", it would just aggravate him until it was completed to his standard.
I'm busy too, so that has kept the "final exam" on hold for now... I know you're all looking forward to testing your knowledge!
Chris
I'm busy too, so that has kept the "final exam" on hold for now... I know you're all looking forward to testing your knowledge!
Chris
Laro13
Well-known member
Nice welder, it looks like new.
Thomas, I know you are very busy, but the last couple of weeks I tried to send you a PM about my Walker Jack.
Did you receive it?
I hear that sometimes the "Private Messages" don't arrive.
Thank you for all those nice stories!
Jasper
Thomas, I know you are very busy, but the last couple of weeks I tried to send you a PM about my Walker Jack.
Did you receive it?
I hear that sometimes the "Private Messages" don't arrive.
Thank you for all those nice stories!
Jasper
Nice welder, it looks like new.
Thomas, I know you are very busy, but the last couple of weeks I tried to send you a PM about my Walker Jack.
Did you receive it?
I hear that sometimes the "Private Messages" don't arrive.
Thank you for all those nice stories!
Jasper
Hello Jasper, I looked back thorough my messages and found yours. You have a PM waiting from me.
Thomas
Brian, Chris is pretty correct, I do get immense self-satisfaction from what has happened out there over the last 9 years. At times I do sit back and take it all in and just enjoy seeing and using the property as I had envisioned it. It's kind of the payoff for all my efforts to arrive at where I am presently. I will frequently "linger" out there and just soak it all up. This afternoon I had a friend stop by with his 1962 Aston Martin DB4 that he needed a little help with. We put it on the lift, got it corrected and soon he was on his way. I treasure moments like that.
Thank you so much for your continued interest.
Thomas
A35Plt
Active member
62 Aston DB4?? We need Pics!!!
gear_driven
Member
I have to say that I love what you did with the shop. I love that you kept some of the old equipment and restored them.
No kidding, I need them for myself too! I didn't have my camera out at the shop so I didn't get any but he's very close by and drives the road in front of the shop all the time. He generously wanted to pay me for my time and the use of the lift but I wouldn't have any of that so then he offered to let me drive it sometime and that I will take him up on.
He's kind of a private fellow but with his permission I'll get some pictures then. That's the first time I'd been under a DB4 and had a few minutes to look around. They do things a little bit different at Aston Martin I must say. In passing he did mention Lucas electrical bits on the car as his eyes glazed over and his voice trailed off.....He's owned it since the 1990's, and drives it frequently. It sounded very healthy as he came and as he went.
I have to say that I love what you did with the shop. I love that you kept some of the old equipment and restored them.
Hello there gear_driven and thank you for your kind words. As you've seen here, the older equipment has a certain unique "je ne se qua" that I find very appealing. I've recovered some more vintage equipment from the tool shed that I'm just now placing in the shop that is really adding to the vintage vibe out there. I feel pretty good about the time spent resurrecting "the old stuff".
Thomas
hobbitss
Well-known member
I've recovered some more vintage equipment from the tool shed that I'm just now placing in the shop that is really adding to the vintage vibe out there. I feel pretty good about the time spent resurrecting "the old stuff".
Thomas
magnusk that must mean I've answered everyone's questions.
This is the shop side of the hedge row. I have been doing quite a bit of outside maintenance. Among that is deep root feeding the new trees with nitrogen. The feeder probe is pushed into the ground at the drip line at the base of the trees 12" (30.48 cm) deep while nitrogen is fed. The feeder is placed in 8 spots around each tree for about 1 minute for each spot. I've got over 50 trees that I'm feeding, it does take time. A rather tedious and unglamorous task but necessary for the health of the new trees until they are established. I didn't think that detail would be of any interest to anyone here.
I'm interested. What do you use to dig down 12"? A shovel? Or do you bore hole? Do you just poor the nitrogen in? Is this some kind of nitrogen feeder a professional would have?
Everything I planted last year died. The cleveland pear and a red maple. I thought the pear would make it. It started to bud, but then died. The locust I planted two years ago is OK, but it has quite a few dead branches. The green cypress I planted two years ago died as well. The arborvitaes I planted did fine so I replaced the cypress with more of those.
So as you can see I'm not very successful with plants. We did have a terribly cold winter though and most of the plants that died were fine last year.
I always enjoy reading up on this thread. Thanks Thomas.
harley jim
Well-known member
just stopped by to catch up and say HI to everyone
magnusk750
Well-known member
Piuh. I'm, or you, are away for a while, AND MEANWHILE YOU GOT A BUNCH OF STUFF MADE. Splendid as usual.
markviii
Well-known member
Work never stops around here (but that's no news for our gj family), although posts take a TP now and then. Things will get even more busy and exciting later this week as the race season is upon us. How did it sneak up so fast?!! Since I'm involved in some of the vintage racing, too, my own work will take more breaks than usual with people staying at our house in between races. Currently, I'm gearing up for our car club picnic at the shop this Saturday - it's a good way to spend our 39th anniversary. The first vintage racie is just 8 days away, a drag race in MI quickly following that, then Bloomington Gold and our yearly Corvette picnic/informal car show at the end of June.
As they say, it's all good.
Chris
As they say, it's all good.
Chris
Gingger22pm
Active member
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2013
- Messages
- 38
Time to join this happy family.
I've watch this thread for over a year and a half now and loved it especially your big project picture reports Thomas. Learnt a lot and expanded my outlook which is never a bad thing. Thank you all.
Would love to have some time with BS, 1 or 2, but as I'm based in Scotland that's not so practical!
Finally, and the reason for posting now, I run an independent Aston Martin specialist shop (as you guys say!) so if you or your friend ever need any help please do PM me Thomas. I have a lot of experience with Aston Lucas electrics too.....
I've watch this thread for over a year and a half now and loved it especially your big project picture reports Thomas. Learnt a lot and expanded my outlook which is never a bad thing. Thank you all.
Would love to have some time with BS, 1 or 2, but as I'm based in Scotland that's not so practical!
Finally, and the reason for posting now, I run an independent Aston Martin specialist shop (as you guys say!) so if you or your friend ever need any help please do PM me Thomas. I have a lot of experience with Aston Lucas electrics too.....
markviii
Well-known member
Yep. 39 and counting.... (got married after college - met as freshmen in high school).
Chris
Chris
Sweet Old Bill
Well-known member
Miss Chris,
Please give Mister Thomas my congratulations. I think that your husband is a wonderful fellow; but, I am at a loss as to what he had to have done right to have won your heart. Both you & my Beautiful Bride are proof that Women marry down, and Men marry up!
Best wishes for more journeys, projects, & wedding anniversaries. Also, Best Wishes for more GJ anniversaries, too.
Please give Mister Thomas my congratulations. I think that your husband is a wonderful fellow; but, I am at a loss as to what he had to have done right to have won your heart. Both you & my Beautiful Bride are proof that Women marry down, and Men marry up!
Best wishes for more journeys, projects, & wedding anniversaries. Also, Best Wishes for more GJ anniversaries, too.
I'm no master gardner DP121 but I can grow grass from seed and have had reasonable success with transplanting trees over the years.
Don't be hard on yourself, you were not alone losing plants and trees last year. It happened everywhere.
This last year was a terrible year for plants and trees in general, at least here in the Mid-West.
We had a long stretch, several weeks, of 100º ( 38º C) plus temperatures for starters with little to no rain, again for weeks and weeks and then a brutally cold, long winter.
The high temps put plants under stress to begin with and if they weren't watered throughout the summer/ fall ( I was still watering my tress into November last fall it was so dry) that lack of moisture added to their stress.
The stressed, weaker plants then succumbed to the cold winter.
I started last summer by watering all the new trees as the dry weather took hold and as I mentioned, continued the watering routine until late fall.
I surface spread generic fertilizer (10-10-10) around the base of the tress out to the drip line. Roughly 2 cups per tree. That amount will vary depending on the size of the tree or plant.
This gave the plant some food to nourish it throughout the winter and early spring.
Then in late April or early May, just before the trees or plants leaf out I add nitrogen which will really give the plant a boost while it's starting to send out new growth for the coming year.
I use a root feeder to put the nitrogen right down at the root zone.
This feeder is pushed into the soil all around the drip line to a depth of 12". The feeder has a dimple at 6" and 12" depending or what type of tree and how new or established it is so you can be consistent with the depth. Note the hole at the end which is where the nutrient is dispersed into the soil. There are 2 holes, 180º apart.
The feeder is attached to a garden hose...
...and fertilizer refills are added in here to dissolve when the water is turned on and dispensed out the tip at the bottom into the root zone. That's why I prefer this type as opposed to just spreading material on the surface for spring fertilizing.
For spring the plants needs nitrogen...
...so I use refills that are high in nitrogen, 25-10-10. This is not an ideal way to add nitrogen since the amount added can be diluted if you leave the water on too long or not long enough.
The best way is to mix a nitrogen rich solution up and pump it from a dedicated tank.
That way the amount delivered can be more precise.
I don't happen to have that kind of equipment so this how I do it. It works but you have to time the amount of material being injected and move the feeder around the drip line.
There are several different brands of these root feeders and they all much the same I think.
Success or the lack there of is dependent on the operator. Evenly space out the amount of fertilizer around the plant.
That's our thought for the day. Hope that answers some of your questions and if not, ask away. In the meantime I'm back to hunting more gold bars in the Tool Shed.
Thomas
Glad you stopped by. Always nice when you do.
I know I haven't posted as often lately but behind the scenes I'm still add it. Thanks magnusk.
From one Scot to another a hearty welcome Gingger22pm. I know we have several members in the UK as well as Australia and I've given some thought to organizing an overseas tour of Beltsville Shell 2.0. If it gets sent to someone like you for example, it would stay in the UK and circulate there for a couple of months among all the UK readers and then get returned to the US. We could do the same for Australia/New Zealand too. That way it's only going overseas once there and then once back to the US for each continent it visits. The cost to ship overseas once isn't all that much and I'm open to the idea. When it went to Canada last year it made a few rounds there before coming back to the US. Do you overseas readers have any interest in something like that?
Thank you Bill so much for the best wishes. What I did to win favor from Miss Chris was to wear her down. It took years but eventually she came around to my way of thinking and I've never looked back since! Find a good one and then keep them and I've got a sweetheart!
Thomas
Gingger22pm
Active member
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2013
- Messages
- 38
Thomas,
I'd be happy to start the BS2.0 round the UK journey if you decide to do so.
Peter
I'd be happy to start the BS2.0 round the UK journey if you decide to do so.
Peter
If I might add, avoid the temptation to over fertilize. This is a case where more is less. Be conservative as you gain experience. The applicate rate listed on the box is rather broad so I've always leaned toward the lower end in most cases figuring something is better than nothing but if I go overboard I'd kill it for sure.
A follow up to the DB4. I was mowing at the shop a couple of days ago when Jim was driving by and saw me and he stopped to tell me his car made the round trip (about 360 miles) with no issues and reiterated his offer to let me drive the car. He's a pretty diligent sort so we tentatively made plans to make it happen sooner rather than later. I'm thinking I'll drive his Aston and he'll drive my Corvette and we'll compare notes. Neither are show cars but rather drivers so it should make for an interesting comparison. Stand by.
Thomas
DeathMagnetic
Active member
- Joined
- May 10, 2013
- Messages
- 26
Thomas...
haven't read your entire thread.. but have spent HOURS bouncing around it !
you have done some fantastic work here.. and you have inspired me to restore my workshop ..
thank you !
Joe
haven't read your entire thread.. but have spent HOURS bouncing around it !
you have done some fantastic work here.. and you have inspired me to restore my workshop ..
thank you !
Joe
ChevyEFI
Well-known member
I took a break from this thread after reading the whole thing through.
I thought by now there was going to be a landing strip in the alfalfa field.
Keep up the enjoyable documentation of your work on the property and transportation.
I thought by now there was going to be a landing strip in the alfalfa field.
Keep up the enjoyable documentation of your work on the property and transportation.
Joe, I take that as the highest compliment. I find it very cool when I've had a positive impact on someone. You will find restoring your shop to be extremely rewarding.
Take lots and lots of pictures and then share them with us.
Thomas
I took a break from this thread after reading the whole thing through.
I thought by now there was going to be a landing strip in the alfalfa field.
Keep up the enjoyable documentation of your work on the property and transportation.
Well about the landing strip....... The alfalfa field is actually within the village limits...
...(seen on the bottom left) and as such the various technical and legal hurtles it would take to make that happen are, umm, rather remote at best, for better or worse.
Even in retirement my plate is mighty full at present. I'm pressing hard to finish the tool shed and lean-to as my number 1 priority..... except when other things like racing get in the way. Chris and I will both be crewing at Indy in a couple of weeks at the inaugural Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational:http://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/about/52487/
They are expecting over 500 vintage race cars and will use parts of the Indy 500 track as well as the road racing infield track.
But before then...
... I'm cleaning and sorting.
Thomas
hobbitss
Well-known member
So yesterday was our 39th wedding anniversary and here's how we spent it. First off was our annual car club Picnic With The Payne's out at the shop...
...where years before it looked like...
...this. Note the Pepsi machine in both pictures to orient yourself.
Today the tool boxes and benches were loaded with food but 9 years ago...
...not so much. Those two pictures above are about the same spot 9 years apart, note the window location in each. Outside the shop...
...the cars were a Mid-West eclectic mix. Where else are you going to find a 1962 Aston Martin DB4 next to a 1923 Model T Ford, both unrestored original cars that are driven frequently.
My buddy Jim was cruising by and asked if I wanted him to leave the Aston for folks to look at. He was busy that afternoon so he left the car and I gave him a lift home in my Corvette.
He agreed it will be fun to drive both the DB4 and Corvette and give a report of our impressions on each so that's in the works.
Later the same day...
...as I looked down the road in front of the shop, past the row of transplanted Walnut trees...
...this rig from the west coast came rolling into our shop...
...past Mr Johnson's vintage shop sign...
...for a visit. But I'll save that for later. All in all a busy, fun day at the Restored 1930's Auto Shop. I'm sure Mr. Johnson would have approved. Wish everyone here could have been there too!
Thomas
...where years before it looked like...
...this. Note the Pepsi machine in both pictures to orient yourself.
Today the tool boxes and benches were loaded with food but 9 years ago...
...not so much. Those two pictures above are about the same spot 9 years apart, note the window location in each. Outside the shop...
...the cars were a Mid-West eclectic mix. Where else are you going to find a 1962 Aston Martin DB4 next to a 1923 Model T Ford, both unrestored original cars that are driven frequently.
My buddy Jim was cruising by and asked if I wanted him to leave the Aston for folks to look at. He was busy that afternoon so he left the car and I gave him a lift home in my Corvette.
He agreed it will be fun to drive both the DB4 and Corvette and give a report of our impressions on each so that's in the works.
Later the same day...
...as I looked down the road in front of the shop, past the row of transplanted Walnut trees...
...this rig from the west coast came rolling into our shop...
...past Mr Johnson's vintage shop sign...
...for a visit. But I'll save that for later. All in all a busy, fun day at the Restored 1930's Auto Shop. I'm sure Mr. Johnson would have approved. Wish everyone here could have been there too!
Thomas