Above 1200 Sq/FT Cleaning Up My Shop

[Rex_A_Lott]

Liking the trim on the windows. I'm guessing you make your own hatchet handles too? It looks very custom.

 

[oldironfarmer]

No reason to apologize.. those are VERY nice! And a cool story behind them.. thank you for sharing.

Thanks! I'll try to get picture of one of them. He very nicely stamped each lady's name into her dumb bells.

Andy, that picture is precious. One Easter vacation with my grandparents when I was 6 or 7, I walked down the road to see my friends at the farm. Their cow was giving birth and it was the most amazing and wonderful thing I had ever seen.

When my children were born in 1962 and 63 I wasn't allowed anywhere near the process. The other father in the waiting room was having an anxiety attack so we walked down the street to a bar to celebrate with drinks and cigars. I ended up in the same condition as my wife -- not out cold but groggy (she from anesthesia, me from... well, you know).

I did get to share in the birth of several of my grandchildren and as wonderful as that was, the calf was still the first and the best. Happily, the farmer sold the calf so I didn't get as attached to it as I have to my grandchildren.

Sometimes you're very funny. Did you know that? Amazing how I get attached to each new calf. They are up within an hour and are running with their mates later that day. Just amazing.

The window frames turned out beautifully!

Thank you!

Vieux nailed it - well, I guess Andy actually nailed it, but you know what I mean.

Great work Andy.

You can be kind of funny, too. Laughed out loud at the "nailed it" routine. Maybe I'm just easy.

 

[oldironfarmer]

good story about the "dumb bells" properly named, didn't they use to be called bar bells? Any way I was more wonderment in what is with the little table top burner I see a couple of cans of bug spray, and some cooking utensils Just wondering whatca cookin???

I think dumb bells originated from looking like a bell clapper but were not used to ring a bell, hence the use of dumb as silent (dumb animals) for dumb bells. Either that or they were small so ladies used them, hence "dumb bells" whereas the larger bar bells (weights on a long bar) were used by men who frequent bars, hence, bar bells. I just don't know.

The items on the desk are the result of flat surface syndrome and are not necessarily related, even thought he desk has been cleaned. There is not yet a place for every thing. The burner is for heating casting wax to cast into molds to make masters which can be carved. In this case we used to make custom soap bars and I had some master designs which I would make a silicone mold from, then cast a blank in that mold which could be carved with designs or a family name, etc. Then a silicone mold of that carving is used to cast soap with the color a fragrance of choice.

Some utensils are for wax casting while others are for working clay down for pottery preparation. Missing is my toaster oven used for various heating tasks. But no food preparation in implements used for wax, clay, and other chemicals.

Ford power valves. They look to be 2 barrel carbs, but will fit four barrel application as well.

Zoooom right out of the past! Yeah, my buddy was a Ford guy. When we graduated college in 1971 he really wanted to work for Ford Racing. Unfortunately he fell into the gap of factory racing in the seventies. For many years auto makers seemed to distance themselves from fast cars and competition. At least US makers. Anybody else remember that?

ANDY: Morning!! i had to smile when i saw JIM'S Poem about you and i thought it was worth copying and pasting and posting again.

Heard on the street.

"Yes, that Andy is quite the character around here. Have you seen his tractor collection? The way he swept the countryside clean of old tractors, you would swear that he has a broom machine."

"I hear ya. Did you know that he boxes his shop windows with quarter sawn oak?"

"Well, he is a real estate magnate. I hear he is an attorney."

"I heard he was in gas and oil."

"That's just bull. He's a cow whisperer. They follow him around like puppies."

Andy
The Man
The Legend

WELL DONE JIM!!

so let me see you think all you managed to do was a couple windows yesterday? well you did a fine job as per usual and happy to hear ANDY'S HARDWARE STORE had plenty of supplies. i do like the oak and also like how you router and leave a portion untouched on the window frames.

Now I like you noticing the stopped rout! I do that just so people will know the trim was custom milled. I started to stop the uprights too but thought it might be a little fancy looking for the plain roundover in this room.

so WHERE'S WALDO or where's the calf in the picture is more like it. hard to tell, but i'll (we'll) take your word for it. does the vet come out to give your new calves shots or check them out or is that another hat you wear cause you are the Vet too?

He had laid back down with his legs out as I snapped the picture. I could have taken another one but I was about out of film. I never use a veterinarian. My herd health plan is good nutrition and it seems to work. I also don't bring cattle onto the place, only very rarely. I used to give calves blackleg vaccination but stopped that. I don't think I have any on the farm. Like my wiring, my method is not recommended but it works for me. I do use a medicated mineral (primarily salt) to avoid fly and mosquito borne diseases.

any idea how many cows are pregnant and how many calves will be walking around soon at your place? also do cows have twins or triplets or just one at a time?

Twins are not a good thing. I've only had one pair in 30 years. A common feature of twins in bovines is called martin's syndrome: one male and one female and the female will be sterile. Lots of guys sell the female as a baby calf (buyer beware) but I let mine raise both of hers. They were runts but still brought more at sale than one larger calf would have. they were smart little thieves, too. They would watch and when a calf quit nursing they would get tight in there and often the momma would not know she had changed calves so they could eat at several cafeterias. They were smart enough not to try it while the other calf was nursing but if mom was busy eating they could have a field day, so to speak.

If they aren't all pregnant somebody gets to go to town. I keep track and if a cow misses calving in 18 months (pretty liberal criteria) she gets to meet new people.

i saw the dumbbells on your desk and didn't think much of them until you mention they are custom sizing (i've never owned a 6 pound dumbbell) and made out of one piece of stainless steel. pretty cool.

You think cool when you get them out of a cold car on a winter day to exercise with. Bone chilling cool. The weight work with Zumba involved fast moves and I got used to 5 lbs and needed to move up for a challenge.

just one question and I'm sure you'll have an answer to set me right, but what is the red/orange bowl on your burner made of that looks like plastic and what do you heat up in it??

That is a Tupperware bowl and it has mouse poison pellets in it. A pack rat had stored the pellets in a box and they got saved in the bowl for future disposition. I had to go to a solid bait bar.

Have a great SATUR day!!

All this talk about dumbbells made me realize I needed to post one of my deep thought inspiring epic posts.

Although as 1/2 cup said, oak is a beautiful wood, I prefer teak and mahogany. I did get to thinking how much money you actually saved by " remember I have to select the rough sawn lumber, carry it down from cramped quarters in the mezzanine, face joint and plane it, rip, joint, and rout, and then I'm ready to measure and cut to length and nail in place. It's a little tedious but very economical." My calculations are that lost you a net of $.50 per board foot.

I was in Home Depot the other day and they are getting $5 per board foot for red oak!!!! My stash probably did cost me $0.20 per board foot.

My preference is red oak with walnut and bois d'arc a close second for tool handles. I think red oak furniture looks better than walnut, teak, or mahogany. And it glues a lot better than the oily woods.

I also noticed that you didn't disturb the cow while attending her calf. Maybe you aren't so slow after all. I can tell by the look in her eyes that she did not "trust you"

She don't trust nobody nohow around a new calf. But I could have walked up to the calf, as long as I was quick you can ear tag them right there. Mom will not hurt her calf so you are safe while you have it in your hands. But you'd best back off quickly when you're done, bub.

By the way I too loved that post Jim made, and your reply. Enough said.......carry on.

Jim's post was great! I still want to meet that guy, but he probably wouldn't have time for a bumpkin like me.

Liking the trim on the windows. I'm guessing you make your own hatchet handles too? It looks very custom.

Thank you very much! Yeah I do green wood working. A little oak but mostly hickory. Mainly hammer handles and other tool handles. The hickory works well when green but it does not stay green long. It also works ok dry. But when you cut a tree you best have some work lined up and get to cracking or you'll have dry wood in a very few days. Hickory tends to burn and stink with a circular saw but the band saw and lathe work well so I make a few small things out of dry hickory. It is tough and stringy, does not split well when dry.

What a great crop of replies! Thanks guys!

It's off to my heart doctor now! They're still looking for it. Must be small and hard.

 

[dchance]

Andy
I think that I have located your heart doctor's problem. He should be looking for something large and soft instead of small and hard.

I like the woodwork and the fact that you have taken that wood from the tree to the window sill. Custom work is never fast but you always have next Sat. to finish it.

Dwight

 

[bolensboneyard]

Bar bells are such because the weights clang together when snatched up and ring with the movement.

 

[drivesitfar]

DC: i think you hit that nail on the head. i'd be surprised if ANDY'S Dr. couldn't hear ANDY'S heart beating across town.

Bolen: here's what i think BARBELLS look like but have no idea where the names BAR BELLS & DUMB BELLS originated.

ANDY: it's always fun reading your responses to any and all posters. i'm not sure why you are headed to the Dr., but hope it's for just a check up and he says you have another 50 years left.

if you get a chance i'd love a few close up pictures of your custom made 6 pound dumbbells made of one piece of steel.

cheers

 

[bolensboneyard]

DC: i think you hit that nail on the head. i'd be surprised if ANDY'S Dr. couldn't hear ANDY'S heart beating across town.

Bolen: here's what i think BARBELLS look like but have no idea where the names BAR BELLS & DUMB BELLS originated.

ANDY: it's always fun reading your responses to any and all posters. i'm not sure why you are headed to the Dr., but hope it's for just a check up and he says you have another 50 years left.

if you get a chance i'd love a few close up pictures of your custom made 6 pound dumbbells made of one piece of steel.

cheers

Nice set up drives. What are you training for or are you just trying to stay in shape?

 

[oldironfarmer]

Andy
I think that I have located your heart doctor's problem. He should be looking for something large and soft instead of small and hard.

I like the woodwork and the fact that you have taken that wood from the tree to the window sill. Custom work is never fast but you always have next Sat. to finish it.

Dwight

Thanks for the kind words. I do plan on getting back on the shop next Saturday.

Bar bells are such because the weights clang together when snatched up and ring with the movement.

Interesting concept.

DC: i think you hit that nail on the head. i'd be surprised if ANDY'S Dr. couldn't hear ANDY'S heart beating across town.

Bolen: here's what i think BARBELLS look like but have no idea where the names BAR BELLS & DUMB BELLS originated.

ANDY: it's always fun reading your responses to any and all posters. i'm not sure why you are headed to the Dr., but hope it's for just a check up and he says you have another 50 years left.

if you get a chance i'd love a few close up pictures of your custom made 6 pound dumbbells made of one piece of steel.

cheers

My doctor assures me if I follow his instructions to the letter I'll have another thirty years. He warns me if I don't I'll be lucky to last three more decades.

316 stainless steel

If you've ever stamped steel you'll be impressed by the letters stamped in this. If not, I can't explain it

Six pounder standing up, seven pounders in the back of the box.

Thanks for the comments guys!

 

[oldironfarmer]

The new momma did not come in to eat again today. That's her out in the pasture watching over her baby. I expect her to come in tomorrow or the day after. We'll see.

The guys in the foreground are five young heifers and one old cow I'm taking extra care of.

Still plugging along today. This is how my front door has looked for several years.

Got the window trimmed, rest of the door trim and baseboard installed, and added a wire to a porch light. I've been needing a porch light for a long time. I found a motion activated light. I knew I had one, but it was white and the one I found was brown I have no idea where this one came from and no idea where the white one is, but, it will work.

Also got the wiring tied down. Did I tell you how easy it is to modify my wiring scheme? Also designed a shelf for the broom and loom room wall. That will have to wait until next Saturday, er, tomorrow!

I am pleased with my green wood work, here is a better picture of the hatchet handle. This is an old Plumb hatchet head. Hickory came out of a log I cut down on the farm.

I keep the hatchet razor sharp and use it regularly when trimming green stock for handles. Maybe I'll get some pictures of my woods.

And here's a miniature hatchet I made to carry in the pickup. Folded over a flat strap of steel and forge welded it tomahawk style. Then made an oak handle.

Thanks for stopping by!

 

[Bob Heine]

And here's a miniature hatchet I made to carry in the pickup. Folded over a flat strap of steel and forge welded it tomahawk style. Then made an oak handle.

Thanks for stopping by!

Andy, I love the tomahawk, it looks like a wonderful tool for the pickup. I think my frontal lobe has been slow to mature so I don't have much impulse control. Therefore, I have not applied for a concealed weapon carry permit (also don't want to give my wife any ideas -- this is Florida). I do keep a ball pein hammer under the front seat. It's a more polite response to road rage than a one-finger salute. It also helps to have that crazy old man look that I'm perfecting.

 

[BBChevro]

I still have my grandfather's axe in the shed, it's very old - and it's only had the head replaced twice and a few new handles over the years.


Seriously, very nice work on the handles and the home-made tomahawk Andy.



.

 

[Vieux]

This is a great forged axe. I also have a few old axe. Here is one of them.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Andy, you and Vieux have a lot in common - master craftsmen..

No matter what you turn your hands to.

Regards

 

[NedNorton]

Andy,
Nice job on the trim. I'm with you on the DIY satisfaction of milling your own lumber. Those windows are the envy of every Morris chair with the quarter sawn!

Cheers,
Chris

 

[Rex_A_Lott]

Really admire the home made hatchet and the hickory handles.
I've made some tools over the years, but it was mostly make do stuff for working on cars that I either couldnt buy, or couldnt afford. Seeing your truck hatchet gives me an idea: I've got plenty of old leaf springs laying around, and I should try to make my own version of that hatchet.
Back in the mid 80's when Roy Underhill was doing so much work at Colonial Williamsburg, I lived less that 15 miles away, at the Yorktown Naval Weapons Station. BUT, back then I was only interested in cars and racing and had never heard of Roy. It almost makes me want to cry when I think of the literally HUNDREDS of opportunities that I missed seeing him work and learn what he was teaching about history, hand tools and making things with wood.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Andy, I love the tomahawk, it looks like a wonderful tool for the pickup. I think my frontal lobe has been slow to mature so I don't have much impulse control. Therefore, I have not applied for a concealed weapon carry permit (also don't want to give my wife any ideas -- this is Florida). I do keep a ball pein hammer under the front seat. It's a more polite response to road rage than a one-finger salute. It also helps to have that crazy old man look that I'm perfecting.

Had you made yourself available I'm sure you could have played the part of Emmet Brown to a T. Maybe they modeled him after you? Maybe an Emmy for Emmet ahd you been the actor?

However you may have misunderstood as to the purpose of my tomahawk. I do have a concealed carry permit and open carry permit and always have my Glock with me. It is amazing how having the ability to silence some idiot immediately and then go to prison for thirty years helps you realize the satisfaction gained by that impulse is actually minor satisfaction. To that end, you might find, as I did, that having the capability vastly reduces the tendency to road rage as you now have the power to put yourself in jail should you lose control for an instant. As my son says "no warning shots, ammunition is too expensive". I keep practiced up and if I am successful I will never fire weapon in need. But if you show it you'd better be using it.

Did I go too far?

In any event, the little hatchet was originally made to chop sprouts from a tree a gate was attached to on a place I had leased for cattle. It was a big tree, and healthy, and I had to keep trimming sprouts so I could get the gate open and closed. Or I would have to rehang the gate. I no longer have the lease but still have the tool. (Limb loppers would not cut the sprouts close enough, I always have them on my truck for fence repair)

I still have my grandfather's axe in the shed, it's very old - and it's only had the head replaced twice and a few new handles over the years.


Seriously, very nice work on the handles and the home-made tomahawk Andy.



.

and thanks for the compliment

This is a great forged axe. I also have a few old axe. Here is one of them.

I'm thinking that is not a fresh picture you took yesterday

Old axes are like vises. You can't have enough. I'm sure the Plumb is forged too, with a tool steel bit. My little hatchet was made from 1090 spring steel so no separate bit required. But after I forge welded it and ground the edge I can't see the weld, so I got a good weld on it.

Andy, you and Vieux have a lot in common - master craftsmen..

No matter what you turn your hands to.

Regards

I am but an amateur but having fun trying. Vieux, on the other hand, is who we emulate. I sure need to get back out into the blacksmith shop and get some things done. I'll put that off until Saturday.

Andy,
Nice job on the trim. I'm with you on the DIY satisfaction of milling your own lumber. Those windows are the envy of every Morris chair with the quarter sawn!

Cheers,
Chris

The Morris Chairs are looking down their collective noses at the unfortunate boards that wound up nailed to the wall

Really admire the home made hatchet and the hickory handles.
I've made some tools over the years, but it was mostly make do stuff for working on cars that I either couldnt buy, or couldnt afford. Seeing your truck hatchet gives me an idea: I've got plenty of old leaf springs laying around, and I should try to make my own version of that hatchet.
Back in the mid 80's when Roy Underhill was doing so much work at Colonial Williamsburg, I lived less that 15 miles away, at the Yorktown Naval Weapons Station. BUT, back then I was only interested in cars and racing and had never heard of Roy. It almost makes me want to cry when I think of the literally HUNDREDS of opportunities that I missed seeing him work and learn what he was teaching about history, hand tools and making things with wood.

Old leaf springs work great. Newer leaf springs have manganese and do not forge weld as well. This came from a spring tooth harrow from the thirties. Any spring from the fifties and before is generally plain carbon steel. I've read all of Roy Underhill's books and learn a lot from him. Especially the line about honing your blades and oiling your planes when you are stumped by a problem.

If you don't have a forge it is easy to set one up and any hunk of steel makes an anvil, even a short piece of railroad rail but a square or round (maybe 5" or 6" across) makes a good anvil. amazing how there will be big pieces of steel in a scrap yard. A railroad coupler makes a good one.

Best thing to learn blacksmithing is to get the iron hot and start hitting it. Some guys spend their life trying to find the right tools but a pair of pliers and a ball peen hammer are all you need. You can get the iron hot in a camp fire.

It's SATURDAY

 

[drivesitfar]

BOB & ANDY: I feel safer already knowing guys like you are on the road!!!

seriously it's bad out there somedays and you have to exhibit a lot of patience driving through some towns. there are the idiots that pull in front of you and slam on their brakes, those that drive 55 (OR LESS) alongside a slow semi or tractor on a two lane 70MPH highway and the list goes on.

i've contemplated getting my permit to carry a Glock, but instead i'm saving the permit money and going to build a 007 type car.

ANDY: great stories as usual and another option to the hatchet to cut down a pesky tree or branch is i have a 18v Ryobi chainsaw that if the blade is sharp i can cut straight thru almost any type of tree 8 inches or less. it's light and quiet and quick. I actually sold my Stihl and bought a second Ryobi chainsaw cause i really don't cut much anymore bigger than 8 inch.

thanks for the dumbbell pictures and love the name stamped in them too. is that from one solid piece or am i seeing a screw instead of threads in that hole where it might be a 3 piece dumbbell?

 

[Vieux]

i'm thinking that is not a fresh picture you took yesterday

Yes this photo was taken a long time, here it is done today.
Old forged axe, I found it in the ground when I went to look for treasure. Very high quality axe

 

[krcoomer]

Andy, I am eating the elephant, I mean reading through your thread and keep seeing how you mention having happy cows. With all the earthquakes you have been having, it reminded me of the California dairy council ad from a few years back showing the cows getting a regular "foot massage" which made them happy cows.

I am sure it is better to have a happy cow than a mad cow.

I will see this post in about 30 more pages. Cannot wait to see what you have completed by then.

 

[BUGTHUG]

He now gets milk shakes!

 

[Bogdan M.]

Great thread! Love the brooms and the old axes.

Here that type of broom is still quite common, but I have never seen one made with the same attention to detail as yours are.

 

[tjdux]

I'm only about 7 pages into your thread but it's inspiring. It's a great project you have going on here. I know you're way past where I'm currently reading by now but I'm looking forward to getting through all of it.

Growing up on a farm we always saved most everything we could. My grandpa lived through the great depression and passed that hording/saving culture to my dad and me. We have gotten better with time deciding what's worth saving and what's scrap but my dad's 60x80 machine shed is still full of stuff a lot of which I can't identify.

I actually for started him on a similar project to yours because hopefully many many years from now when he goes I won't know what to do with a lot of it so if we start tackling it now we can have a much better space in the future.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[oldironfarmer]

BOB & ANDY: I feel safer already knowing guys like you are on the road!!!

I can feel the sarcasm!

seriously it's bad out there somedays and you have to exhibit a lot of patience driving through some towns. there are the idiots that pull in front of you and slam on their brakes, those that drive 55 (OR LESS) alongside a slow semi or tractor on a two lane 70MPH highway and the list goes on.

I'm pleased to report that the idiots no longer make me mad. I just move over and let them by, or slow down and let them in.

i've contemplated getting my permit to carry a Glock, but instead i'm saving the permit money and going to build a 007 type car.

ANDY: great stories as usual and another option to the hatchet to cut down a pesky tree or branch is i have a 18v Ryobi chainsaw that if the blade is sharp i can cut straight thru almost any type of tree 8 inches or less. it's light and quiet and quick. I actually sold my Stihl and bought a second Ryobi chainsaw cause i really don't cut much anymore bigger than 8 inch.

I carry my chainsaw in my truck toolbox too. Never know when you need to cut a downed tree out of a farm road, or occasionally a public road. It's frustrating to need your tools and not have them with you. But it has a 20" bar. I can't imagine the battery saw having enough power to keep you out of tight spots.

For the need I had for the hatchet, a chainsaw was of no good because there was iron pipe swallowed by the tree. I had to trim the sprouts back flush with the iron. No room for a pruning saw either. Tree was at least 36" in diameter and spreading branches similar to a live oak. To cut it down would have been a big job and involve damaging the fence and closing the county road to clean up the branches.

thanks for the dumbbell pictures and love the name stamped in them too. is that from one solid piece or am i seeing a screw instead of threads in that hole where it might be a 3 piece dumbbell?

That's just a center hole. The dumbbells are indeed one piece.

Yes this photo was taken a long time, here it is done today.
Old forged axe, I found it in the ground when I went to look for treasure. Very high quality axe

So, you found treasure looking for treasure That was a real find!

Andy, I am eating the elephant, I mean reading through your thread and keep seeing how you mention having happy cows. With all the earthquakes you have been having, it reminded me of the California dairy council ad from a few years back showing the cows getting a regular "foot massage" which made them happy cows.

I am sure it is better to have a happy cow than a mad cow.

I will see this post in about 30 more pages. Cannot wait to see what you have completed by then.

Happy cows are like happy wives: things just go better! I don't know what the cows think about the earthquakes. However they slowed fracking dramatically and we haven't any earthquakes since.

I know you won't read this for a few days, but glad to have you look through my drivel. You can eat an elephant one bite at a time, but likely you should refrigerate it unless you're a fast eater, so I'll just chill out and wait for you.

He now gets milk shakes!

Udderly delightful!

Great thread! Love the brooms and the old axes.

Here that type of broom is still quite common, but I have never seen one made with the same attention to detail as yours are.

I have a friend from Romania and he was always going to bring me one back from holiday. I no longer work with him (I no longer work) so I never got one. The machine makes it easier to make a tight broom. And, that type broom is very common around here (my farm).

I'm only about 7 pages into your thread but it's inspiring. It's a great project you have going on here. I know you're way past where I'm currently reading by now but I'm looking forward to getting through all of it.

Growing up on a farm we always saved most everything we could. My grandpa lived through the great depression and passed that hording/saving culture to my dad and me. We have gotten better with time deciding what's worth saving and what's scrap but my dad's 60x80 machine shed is still full of stuff a lot of which I can't identify.

I actually for started him on a similar project to yours because hopefully many many years from now when he goes I won't know what to do with a lot of it so if we start tackling it now we can have a much better space in the future.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

I heartily suggest starting a thread on GJ to document your effort. It can be very motivating.

I don't imagine you'll read this for a few days, so happy slogging!

Thanks everyone for stopping in and commenting!

 

[BBChevro]

Andy, I am eating the elephant, I mean reading through your thread and...
I... will see this post in about 30 more pages...
...

You may have to chew faster, this elephant is still growing.



.

 

[oldironfarmer]

A 1/2 Cup Trivial job today. I store squares at the end of my work bench. Just happened I had 1/2 of a 2x4 exposed. I have up to five framing squares which reside there. And every now and then vibration knocks a few off.

So I've been meaning to put a cleat on there for years and years. Trimming up some salvage shiplap I had some ideal scraps to do this job. Literally a two minute job but the squares will not be taking any more self-directed journeys.

A few notes about my wood shop. It is 15 ft by 30 ft (not including the planer room). The black work bench is Formica and has held up well. It was a premade counter top I bought at a mill works clearance sale. I don't care for the black color but I'm used to it now. Somebody asked about Formica for work benches and I can't find that thread.

By the way, everybody know why it is called Formica? It was invented in a search for a synthetic substitute for mica in electrical circuit boards.

I set the shop up to handle 16 ft lumber. Here I'm trimming the end of a 14 ft shiplap salvaged board.

I can cut 7 ft 1 inch on the far side of the radial arm saw.

Here is my stash of 14 ft 1x8 shiplap. I'm down to 16 boards.

The drill press at the end can drill to the middle of a 9 ft board without being moved. It has not been moved in several years.

Made a shelf with pegs to hang brooms from.

It will get hung tomorrow.

Also made a shelf for broom tools and sock knitting supplies. This has been a long time coming too. I decided to use the shiplap and keep the broom and loom room rustic.

Cleaning up under where the broom hangers will go, I had to move my splitting wedges. The two wooden wedges are bois d'arc and don't look like much but they are very very tough. When you split a big log (36" is big to me) you start across the end with steel wedges, then down both sides. Once you get the end opened up some you start wooden wedges in the ends as you can get more separation with them.

I made those wooden wedges when I had a 42 inch log that was too big to go in the sawmill so it had to be split first. 10 ft long red oak way at the north end of the farm.

Note the 2x4 showing under the sheetrock. I had struggled over how to trim that out as the flooring I'm using cleans up 1/4" too narrow. Today decided to use shiplap then I'll use flooring to cap it off.

Pretty good showing for today. I spent a fair amount of time sorting and filling the new shelf. Maybe a couple more days on the broom and loom room and I can move on! Actually I may not move far, I want to make a bench for the loom before I tackle another room. I'm really feeling progress now

 

[oldironfarmer]

You may have to chew faster, this elephant is still growing.

.

Good one!

 

[oldironfarmer]

Here's a little one for JB.

Years ago in the refinery we had a company come in wanting to take large radiographs of piping systems. Nothing we ever do, but we let the salesman go out and take a few shots. He was a smart salesman and found a potential major leak. I had the shop cut out what he found.

We always ultrasonic test for thickness of piping components. Here is the outside of the offender.

This was an elbow with an acid injection nozzle to treat butane. The flange was mounted vertically. There is an injection tube inside the nozzle to get the acid to the middle of the butane stream.

Typically ultrasonic measurements would be made on the side of the elbow and on the outside centerline. It is hard to get measurements in the inside centerline.

The radiograph caused us to take the elbow off.

WOW! A butane leak would have shut the process unit down and may have caused a fire. While refineries are well suited to contain small leaks and fires such as this, it is obviously very desirable to avoid them. You can see that thickness measurements on the side of the elbow and on the outside radius missed all the damage. Obviously the injection nozzle had fallen off.

A little story: I got an early Sunday morning call that there was a fire at the refinery and they wanted me out there immediately to assess damage and make repair plans to resume production as soon as possible. I hopped into my Nomex and into my car and was doing 80 down the freeway. Highway patrolman pulled me over. I jumped out (this was back when you could walk to the patrol car), instinctively slapped on my hard hat, and walked briskly to the patrol car. He got out and in a laid back Oklahoma drawl "What's the hurry, partner?" "Fire at the refinery" "Well you'd better hurry" and he jumped in and led me at 90 mph to the refinery. I was really glad there was still some smoke when we got there. He led me right to the front gate and the guard knew my car and waved me right in rather than checking credentials. Smooth. (Very minor damage, they didn't need me but at least I didn't have to pay a fine to find that out)

 

[Grumblebum]

I've just been following along lately to the great yarns and tinkering. But in reviewing the above pics I am wondering if the two little 5 drawer cabinets there in the wood shop might look nice cleaned up and moved out under the ends of the new bench in the extension?

Good to see you haven't been lazy, there is dust on the farmall stool

GB

 

[1/2 Cup]

Andy, great to see you are following good 1/2 Cup Corporate Policy..

See how easy is it...

quote [" I think I am going to make it Corporate Policy in the Shed Downunder on my weekly To Do List from now on and that is " include at least one trivial job on that list every week" .] unquote

Done well.

 

[slimpickins]

Andy,

Sorry I haven't been around lately. Just caught up on the last 1/2 dozen or so pages, laughing and being humbled by your humour, wit and talents. I agree with the other posters about Jim's (? I think it was Jim's) poem! Definitely a Legend! (Just take a bow already Andy and accept the praise! )

I too noticed the dumb bells in the broom room but someone else made the same query I was thinking and my concerns were answered.

The quarter sawn oak, window and door trim, baseboards, wiring, new shelf for the broom room, the "widget" for the squares, cow birthing, fireman stories and 90 mph police escorts, stamping steel, caboose possibilities, (like the model train room idea and the man cave for whisky and cigars), 15,000 ft twine spools, vac repair, porch light, and on it goes.

Whew! What a ride reading your thread!

Thanks for sharing it all!

Cheers!

 

[jbmatth]

Great progress yesterday Andy, if you aren't careful you will have your shop all cleaned up before you know it. As for the injection point on the elbow, that is very interesting. I know we have lots of rules on injection points, we aren't allowed to have them in elbows now, and there is a requirement on how long of a straight run based on pipe diameters before and after the injection. The other interesting part is the injection nozzle and pipe have to be Hastalloy C276 or another approved material. I was in a turnaround and discovered one that wasn't adaquite right at the end. We couldn't find a nozzle soon enough so I had the machine shop make one out of a solid bar and gave them all of the important dimensions, 2 hours later we were on to the next emergency. As you know there are hundreds of "emergencies" during every turnaround so it was just part of the process.

Speaking of fires, luckily I've never been around any even small fires and have only had to deal with the aftermath of very minor ones. Knock on wood. But have to deal with small leaks too often, usually steam or gasket leaks.
JB

 

[Wreckster23]

Impressive wood shop you've got there. Love the saw dust on the floor.

 

[oldironfarmer]

I've just been following along lately to the great yarns and tinkering. But in reviewing the above pics I am wondering if the two little 5 drawer cabinets there in the wood shop might look nice cleaned up and moved out under the ends of the new bench in the extension?

Well, yes. But there are three. One by the drill press, one under the Formica bench, and one under the two small drill presses. The one by the drill press has drilling supplies and new band saw blades as well as scroll saw blades. The next one has wood chisels, router bits, hand auger bits, and small tools, and the last one has hardware, glue guns, and other craft supplies. But at least one would go good in the Skelly Garage! They were cheap like $2 each at company office furniture auctions. I thought I might mount tools on them, like a bench drill press but they are too low.

Good to see you haven't been lazy, there is dust on the farmall stool

GB

HA! Fooled you! Just ask Dan... I'm actually too lazy to dust off the stool

Andy, great to see you are following good 1/2 Cup Corporate Policy..

Yes sir! I worked long enough to know not to willfully violate Corporate Policy

See how easy is it...

quote [" I think I am going to make it Corporate Policy in the Shed Downunder on my weekly To Do List from now on and that is " include at least one trivial job on that list every week" .] unquote

Done well.

It is not easy, I spent several hours trying to find a suitably trivial job to satisfy your never ending corporate demands. But the results are gratifying!

Andy,

Sorry I haven't been around lately. Just caught up on the last 1/2 dozen or so pages, laughing and being humbled by your humour, wit and talents. I agree with the other posters about Jim's (? I think it was Jim's) poem! Definitely a Legend! (Just take a bow already Andy and accept the praise! )

Duly noted, and humble bow taken

Hmmm... think I may have pulled something in my back taking that bow. As I've said before, of all the things I'm proud of, I'm most proud of my humility.

I too noticed the dumb bells in the broom room but someone else made the same query I was thinking and my concerns were answered.

The quarter sawn oak, window and door trim, baseboards, wiring, new shelf for the broom room, the "widget" for the squares, cow birthing, fireman stories and 90 mph police escorts, stamping steel, caboose possibilities, (like the model train room idea and the man cave for whisky and cigars), 15,000 ft twine spools, vac repair, porch light, and on it goes.

Whew! What a ride reading your thread!

Thanks for sharing it all!

Cheers!

Now I'm tired, I think I need a nap. Thanks so much for your comments!

Great progress yesterday Andy, if you aren't careful you will have your shop all cleaned up before you know it.

Surprisingly cleaning up my shop was part of my original plan. I cleverly hid my plan somewhere in the title of the thread.

As for the injection point on the elbow, that is very interesting. I know we have lots of rules on injection points, we aren't allowed to have them in elbows now, and there is a requirement on how long of a straight run based on pipe diameters before and after the injection. The other interesting part is the injection nozzle and pipe have to be Hastalloy C276 or another approved material. I was in a turnaround and discovered one that wasn't adaquite right at the end. We couldn't find a nozzle soon enough so I had the machine shop make one out of a solid bar and gave them all of the important dimensions, 2 hours later we were on to the next emergency. As you know there are hundreds of "emergencies" during every turnaround so it was just part of the process.

Hastelloy everywhere is a bit of an overkill. Are you by chance in Quebec?

Speaking of fires, luckily I've never been around any even small fires and have only had to deal with the aftermath of very minor ones. Knock on wood. But have to deal with small leaks too often, usually steam or gasket leaks.
JB

Most of our fires were originated in failed pump seals. Same at your place, but the wave of mechanical seal replacements in the '90's eliminated that source. Had a leak in a crude heater box on day. Through a weld on a return. Just a little spray of flame. I asked the lead operator what he thought. "If I'm going to have a fire in a refinery I want it in a firebox". Good point. He continued "it will coke off within a few hours." I told the inspection department we weren't going to shut down for a fire. They squealed, it coked off, and all was well. I was kind of an activist maintenance superintendent. Really wasn't my call. Except my cowboy reputation grew, and that's not a good thing. Plant manager got to asking me to second guess the inspection calls. Made my relationship with inspection a bit strained but fortunately I never made a bad call In fact, after a particularly divisive argument in the plant managers office on a Sunday morning (where the manager directed me to make the final radiograph interpretation) the head of inspection followed me to my office. He was frustrated and asked "why is it every time I argue with you I lose?" I seized the moment, leaned back in my chair, hands behind my head and said "I never argue when I'm wrong". Small audience but they thought it was hilarious, and as everyone here is ever so slowly learning, making people laugh is always my underlying goal. It's healthy. And the inspector laughed too.

Did I wander again? Dang

Impressive wood shop you've got there. Love the saw dust on the floor.

Thanks, I think? I'm too lazy to keep it clean, but the middle was swept a few days ago, just been routing the trim roundovers. I've got piles in the corners I really need to get cleaned out and see if I'm getting moisture damage on the sheetrock. And I've got a central vacuum system if I can ever find the time to get it hooked up. But it is a working shop not much of a showplace.

Thanks for stopping by each and every one. Whether you comment or not you visit is always appreciated. It helps keep my laziness somewhat at bay.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Took the day off today. My wife is a big fan of Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman cooking show. Beautiful 72F day today so we loaded up and went to Pawhuska, 40 miles straight toward Kansas state line. The lady has opened a restaurant and store in Pawhuska. It is a small Oklahoma county seat, devastated by the current oil bust. (I know everybody but us loves low oil and gasoline prices). The store is called "The Mercantile" and it had 40 people in line waiting to eat at 2:00 PM.

VERY nice store with expert restoration. They spared no expense. While the Drummonds are a very wealthy ranch/oil/banking/legal practice family (many thousands of acres) the Pioneer Woman has done quite well for herself. Many high quality American made products for sale, no cheap trinkets. One of the clerks told me they get as many as 20,000 visitors per week. That has created a significant demand for other businesses in Pawhuska. Really good for that town, she is making quite an impact.

And their bathroom doors made me think of Hugo.

I love prosperous businesses and this one was quite a treat to visit.

 

[BUGTHUG]

I will have to take Mrs. BUGTHUG.
We were there for a motorcycle show probably 10 years ago? They had a BBQ place on the west end of town, wasn't 2 bad.
The place has a Cracker Barrel resemblance?
I use to live in Bartlesville, back in 83. That's when they had some real bad times in that area. The Phillips 66 Company had a big BIG layoff, the other big business there was TRW, and they almost closed the doors and layed off almost all the 600 people. I was working in Dewey Ok as a truck driver for a medical company. I delivered drugs and laundry to all (a lot) of the small towns, and a few big towns hospitals. I went thru Pawhuska 2X a week and went to OKC and had about 6 places there, then out to Moore hospital, then thru Tulsa, a couple places there, then back to Dewey. It made a very long day. I was in a old Volvo rental truck that would top out at 60 mph, full or empty No AC, no radio, and bad tires. But I did have a job and was thankful for that at that time. I seen a lot of Oklahoma.
Would always like to go thru the small towns and just see how much that area of Ok would change in just over a year. Was a very hard hit area, lots of poor peeps. Sorry for the memory, just thinking about Pawhuska.

 

[slimpickins]

Andy,
I thought of you today when I ran across this picture on the internet. It looks like something that would be right at home on your farm!
View media item 68043
It's a CHICKEN COUPE!

Now back to the regular programming!

Cheers!

 

[oldironfarmer]

I will have to take Mrs. BUGTHUG.
We were there for a motorcycle show probably 10 years ago? They had a BBQ place on the west end of town, wasn't 2 bad.
The place has a Cracker Barrel resemblance?

I think I've eaten there. One time when we had a meeting at Ponca City then drove to the job site at Bartlesville Research Center. Good food.

I use to live in Bartlesville, back in 83. That's when they had some real bad times in that area. The Phillips 66 Company had a big BIG layoff, the other big business there was TRW, and they almost closed the doors and layed off almost all the 600 people. I was working in Dewey Ok as a truck driver for a medical company. I delivered drugs and laundry to all (a lot) of the small towns, and a few big towns hospitals. I went thru Pawhuska 2X a week and went to OKC and had about 6 places there, then out to Moore hospital, then thru Tulsa, a couple places there, then back to Dewey. It made a very long day. I was in a old Volvo rental truck that would top out at 60 mph, full or empty No AC, no radio, and bad tires. But I did have a job and was thankful for that at that time. I seen a lot of Oklahoma.
Would always like to go thru the small towns and just see how much that area of Ok would change in just over a year. Was a very hard hit area, lots of poor peeps. Sorry for the memory, just thinking about Pawhuska.

You'd be surprised at Pawhuska, worth going back, and your wife will love the store. I loved it, and I'm pretty effeminate (that means you like girls, doesn't it?)

Andy,
I thought of you today when I ran across this picture on the internet. It looks like something that would be right at home on your farm!
View media item 68043
It's a CHICKEN COUPE!

Now back to the regular programming!

Cheers!

Cool! Looks like the ex-wife found a use for the chopped rod she appropriated from the poor guy that really really pissed her off. That rig looks like a good starting point for a project. It is already proven to be popular with the chicks.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Found some pictures of the log I split and then milled, and dried, and am now using for window trim. Only the biggest log (farthest in this picture) had to be split, thank goodness.

This was in May of 2007. That's my full time help. It was hot and humid and he was wearing himself out on driving wedges to split the log so it would fit in the saw mill.

That's the stump the tree came off. The rot spot didn't go far up the trunk. Used all the wedges I had.

The log did not split clean, it had some wild grain. But in the end it came apart and went through the sawmill. That's one of the bois d'arc wedges now in the broom loom and wedgie room.

Logs were too heavy for me to move so I towed the sawmill to the tree. Maybe I'll dig out a picture of this tree stickered up for drying.

Thanks for stopping by!

 

[Wreckster23]

Thanks, I think? I'm too lazy to keep it clean, but the middle was swept a few days ago, just been routing the trim roundovers. I've got piles in the corners I really need to get cleaned out and see if I'm getting moisture damage on the sheetrock. And I've got a central vacuum system if I can ever find the time to get it hooked up. But it is a working shop not much of a showplace.

Definitely a compliment. I like the look of a working shop. It feels good to have saw dust under foot.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Definitely a compliment. I like the look of a working shop. It feels good to have saw dust under foot.

A fine line, isn't it, between great patina and trashy? And beauty is all in the opening of the hive (the eye of the bee holder).

Thanks for the compliment!