Well, its been a week and a half since I started this thread, and I swore I wouldn't skip to the end. But around page 409 all the pictures disappeared, and without being able to see Thomas' beautiful work, I ended up checking nearly all of the last 150 pages to see if the pictures would return, but alas it was not to be.
(EDIT: this was a computer glitch on my end. No fault of Thomas or Photobucket or anyone else.)
This has been an incredible journey, and quite entertaining. I feel like I somehow know all of you now. I had so many things to add to this thread or comment on, I made lists of things to note, I checked following pages for additional comments or answers to the mysteries and items in question, I even did my own research on some things just to satisfy some desire to know what all the fuss was about. And now here I am at the end, and I have so much less to say than I planned. I took a deep breath, shed a tear for all the lost and scrapped history, then another for all that was saved. Where was I during all of this saga? I could have helped to ID and save so much of the agricultural items you were unsure of. That answer is simple: I was in college in Iowa living my life unaware of the happenings in the Center Of The Universe: Philo, Ill.
I have a few quick notes that I feel I need to share, but may or may not be of any help at this point in time, since some things happened nearly 10 years ago, making my ever-so-pointless opinions a little outdated.
1) I am now well aware of your powder-coating reputation, but maybe, just maybe in your future use of powder-coating, you might consider POR15 as an alternative in applications where modification or wear'n'tear might be a factor. Since powder-coating is compromised with chips and scratches, POR15 can be readily applied over itself where such wear and tear occur. I hate removing powder-coating, so I have switched to POR almost exclusively. Its hard, its tough, and its easy to fix in the event of me grinding some off and welding on a bracket and re-coating.
2) I spotted a JohnDeere wheelweight on John's scrap trailer in the final clean-out of the lean-to and toolshed. Usually tractor weights sell for around a dollar/pound, and any farmer can always use more weights, ask any of them.
3) I think Gus needs a welder. Either in the bed or on a trailer as seen in your old photos. It seems fitting for an old welding shop to have one. It would be fun to be able to run across town or out to the field to weld up a breakage like Mr. Johnson could/would have back then. At the risk of venturing into restoration territory, I will ask if you plan on attempting to pull Gus' rear bumper out a little bit? No need to make it perfect, but a little straightening with enough left to blend in with the rest of his wonderful patina might be ok?
4) I am saddened by the loss of the McCormick planter from the very beginning of this story. I know its impossible to know everything about every different field of hobby but there are so many places that would be grateful for an excellent specimen such as it was. Hindsight being 20/20 and all, having contacts in other areas of interest is a real help when you have material to move and aren't sure what to do with it, as you know by now obviously. There are Threshermans Associations across the country who save relics like that and can sometimes even arrange shipping depending on the size and abilities of their group.
5) I hope your Snap-on man treats you really well. You probably put his kids through school. You send him holiday cards right? Same goes for your Powdercoaters.
6) While you surely love your Rotary lifts, I do recommend Mohawk for the 2-post models. Any Mohawk lift user will tell you they feel less comfortable standing under any other brand of lift after using a Mohawk. There's nothing wrong with your modern Rotary, but for someone who does everything 150%, it might be worth looking into.
7) My family maintains one of (if not the only) remaining Osage Orange tree rows in Northeast Ohio. The green balls they drop are called "Monkey Balls" or "Osage Brains" around here. They are not fun to hit with a mower, but they are certainly fun to watch cars run over on the road. We used to take them to show and tell in elementary school because most kids haven't seen one. The wood burns so hot in the woodstove in the winter we have to be careful how we burn it.
8) I cannot explain to you the relief I felt when it was discovered that the long-handled hammer had a real purpose. I found it interesting it had a railroad background but I was not surprised you found it on Mr. Johnson's property. He seemed to have something from everything. What a mystery that was!
9) Your PTO gearbox piece you powdercoated would have made a great "third arm" for the welding table. That was my first thought on the topic after seeing where you display it anyhow.
Thomas and Chris, you are an inspiration and an internet legend. You set the bar so high we have to build new figurative stands just to mount it (powdercoated of course). I hope to one day incorporate much of what we have seen here in my own shop, just as others have and will earlier in this thread. Thank you for the entertainment, stories, and fun.
-An Ohio native who resides in central Iowa
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