Above 1200 Sq/FT The Lone Beech Garage (60x46x16)

sbosecker · Sep 28, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

Wednesday - September 27, 2017

With the weather being warm and dry at the moment, it seemed like a good time to try to get the Craigslist-acquired industrial steel table cleaned up and ready to paint.

The top of the table had been removed some time ago and some cleanup done on it. Now I'm going to take apart the rest of the table and get it cleaned up for some new paint.

I'm going to try using chemical warfare versus mechanical removal of the paint. I've never used paint removers like this before so I'm sure I'm going to learn something.

I did learn something! With at least 4 layers of paint removed I discovered the manufacturer of this steel table is LYON.

All the crooks & cranny's in this leg made for tedious work. There seems to be a couple of layers of grey paint, then a layer of thick and tough green paint followed by what appears to be the original paint.

I spent a couple of hours on this one leg and then I ran out of daylight. I'll try to knock out the other leg tomorrow.

Scott

matt_i · Sep 28, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

Very nice table, I have one similar in my shop, its very versatile. Sort of like my office-desk except for parts and projects.

I think if you get used to the utility of the lathe you are going to want a bigger one. But you have all of the facilities you need right there to do so

drivesitfar · Sep 28, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

SB: old Lyon cabinets and benches might be my favorite maker cause they tended to over build and most are very STOUT and heavy duty. taking off years of PATINA and prior owner's paint and abuse is a job and looks like you are making good progress. i prefer not to use chemicals when taking off old paint cause i can't stand the smell or having to wear a full on mask so hopefully you had a mask on even though it looks like you have more than enough air flow.

good luck with the bench re do.

on a different subject i notice over in lighting that you started a thread about exterior lights. did you end up finding some that you really like or did you find some later that you wish you would have bought cause i'm having to buy 10 new lights for the exterior of my one story rambler? my wife found some that were pretty reasonable with motion detector and camera for the entrances, but for basic lights we are still looking. thoughts?

I hope none of those Hurricanes end up coming up as far as you with more than just some extra rain. best of luck cause it looks like mother nature is on the warpath this year. we've had more fires here in the PNW cause i bet we've only had less than an inch of rain in about 4 months now.

sbosecker · Sep 30, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

matt_i said:
Very nice table, I have one similar in my shop, its very versatile. Sort of like my office-desk except for parts and projects.

I think if you get used to the utility of the lathe you are going to want a bigger one. But you have all of the facilities you need right there to do so

matt_i,

I think I'll be quite happy with the table once I get it cleaned up.

I agree completely that once I start using the lathe I'll want a more capable machine. I have been keeping an eye on Craigslist and see machines posted there pretty much every day. I'm hoping that using the mini lathe will give me insight in what to look for in a larger machine.

An example is the 3-jaw chuck that came with the mini lathe. The spindle hole in the mini lathe isn't anything to get excited about but the 3-jaw chuck's hole is even smaller. Stumbling across these sorts of limitations as I start working with my machine raises my awareness of what to look for in the future.

Best regards,

Scott

sbosecker · Sep 30, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

drivesitfar said:
SB: old Lyon cabinets and benches might be my favorite maker cause they tended to over build and most are very STOUT and heavy duty. taking off years of PATINA and prior owner's paint and abuse is a job and looks like you are making good progress. i prefer not to use chemicals when taking off old paint cause i can't stand the smell or having to wear a full on mask so hopefully you had a mask on even though it looks like you have more than enough air flow.

good luck with the bench re do.

on a different subject i notice over in lighting that you started a thread about exterior lights. did you end up finding some that you really like or did you find some later that you wish you would have bought cause i'm having to buy 10 new lights for the exterior of my one story rambler? my wife found some that were pretty reasonable with motion detector and camera for the entrances, but for basic lights we are still looking. thoughts?

I hope none of those Hurricanes end up coming up as far as you with more than just some extra rain. best of luck cause it looks like mother nature is on the warpath this year. we've had more fires here in the PNW cause i bet we've only had less than an inch of rain in about 4 months now.

DrivesItFar,

No doubt about it the chemicals must be handled with respect. There's no free lunch I suppose as mechanical abrasion releases dust that might be problematic (lead?) as well.

Exterior Lighting: Eventually I went with some black "Lantern" type lighting that came pretty close to matching what's on our 25 year old house. That's for the areas in between the garage doors and around the man doors. For the area-lighting of the front concrete pad and the rear of the building I used some pretty stout LED flood lights that I am fairly confident would be severe overkill for your house.

Usually by the time a hurricane gets to my neck of the woods the winds are manageable. Tornados... that's another story. Ha!

Having spent a couple of years in your part of the world, I have to say that small amount of rain for 4 months is surprising. I hope you get some relief soon.

Best regards,

Scott

sbosecker · Sep 30, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

Saturday - September 30, 2017

Things that make you go Hmmmm...

Thursday I called the store that had my Generator's fuel filter on back order. This time the fellow that answered the phone wasn't so optimistic about when it might arrive. "We really don't know", he said.

After I had cleaned the carburetor the only reason I hadn't tried to start the generator was because the fuel filter had been promised to arrive quickly. Why not wait for a fresh filter before running gas towards my squeaky-clean carburetor?

So Thursday afternoon - tired of waiting for the filter - I decided to try starting the generator.

The results were disappointing.

Prior to my "maintenance" the engine would start on the first pull. Now I was yanking like no tomorrow and the engine didn't sound like it was that interested in starting - choke or no.

Finally it did catch (choke on) but it wasn't too happy. After sputtering and missing for a while it finally began to run OK ...but still only with the choke on. I shut the machine down.

Yesterday I had to fly an airplane to San Juan, Puerto Rico to assist in relief efforts there. This occupied the whole day but, when I got home last night, there was a message on my answering machine.

The fuel filter had arrived.

This morning I drove over to Saw & Mower Sales & Service to pick up my fuel filter. It was quiet at the store so I could explain my engine's symptoms without hindering business. The fellow behind the counter seemed confident - despite the fact that I had told him about my cleaning efforts - that a dirty main jet was the culprit.

I started to leave but then I asked the parts man about the generator's fuel shutoff valve. I had seen one report on the internet of the valve being replaced solving the symptoms I was experiencing.

The parts man asked for a description of the valve which I provided. He disappeared into the back of his parts room and returned with a fuel valve that appeared to be identical to mine. I really didn't think the Fuel Valve was an issue but I was at the parts store and it was a cheap part. Not counting Georgia sales tax, I paid less than $7.00 for the two parts and left the store.

The Fuel Filter (Part # 0051102SRV) is on the right & the Fuel Valve (Part# 698183) is on the left. I think the Fuel Valve part number is a Briggs & Stratton part number as when I look online I see a PowerMate Part# 0L0813.

I went out to the LBG and got the generator back over the drip pan. The Fuel Valve is held in place by a couple of plastic clips and can be freed by pushing the valve toward the inside of the housing. The white arrows show where the Fuel Valve lives.

I used a hemostat to pinch off the fuel line. I decided to replace the filter first and see if that made a difference.

It didn't. The engine would only run with the choke on.

Now I replaced the Fuel Valve. I pulled the starter cord and the engine started but was sputtering a bit. I pushed the choke in and the engine smoothed out and starting purring like a kitten.

Hmmmm...

I snapped the Fuel Valve back into position and tidied up the fuel lines. I left the Lone Beech Garage with a smile on my face.

Scott

Keywords:
generator only runs with choke on
Honda GX390
carburetor
Coleman Powermate
PM0647000

Ole Slewfoot · Sep 30, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

Nice.

Try to look into the tank where the fuel feeds from and make sure there are no floaties waiting to clog your valve. Debris from the cap seal shows up sometimes, and Ive even found a scorpion.

AZpilot · Oct 1, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

Isn't the interwebs great?!

sbosecker · Oct 1, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

Ole Slewfoot said:
Nice.

Try to look into the tank where the fuel feeds from and make sure there are no floaties waiting to clog your valve. Debris from the cap seal shows up sometimes, and Ive even found a scorpion.

Ole Slewfoot,

I'll take a peek. I have the "cap seal debris" problem with my Honda Riding lawnmower so I'm familiar with this.

Scorpions show up occasionally on our property - haven't found any in machinery so far. Ha!

Best regards,

Scott

sbosecker · Oct 1, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

AZpilot said:
Isn't the interwebs great?!

AZpilot,

The interweb certainly is a magnificent resource. The signal to noise ratio is sometimes pretty low though. Ha!

Your post made me realize I should put a few "key words" in my Hmmmm post. It might help a Google search find this rather unexpected solution to a common problem; might help somebody out.

Best regards,

Scott

sbosecker · Oct 3, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

Tuesday - October 3, 2017

Sunday, with the generator now operating normally, I decided that an oil change for the generator's engine would be appropriate.

Once again the Tornado Shelter was asked to multi-task to make this maintenance a bit easier to perform.

I wanted the generator to be in top form for the task I accomplished today.

Continued in next post...

sbosecker · Oct 3, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

Continued...

A week or so ago I had called Sabel Steel in Newnan, GA and inquired about the cost of a 20-foot stick of 16-gauge thick, 1.5-inch square steel tube. During this phone call I learned that there was a $100 minimum and a $25 cutting charge.

Since my metal brake is designed to handle 18 gauge steel, I asked about a sheet of that material. It turns out that a 4x8 sheet of 18 gauge steel added to the tube I wanted would being the cost to exactly $100. I asked if I would be allowed to cut the tubing on their property with my portable band saw powered by my generator. They said that I couldn't plug into their power to cut the tube but if I had my generator along with me it would be OK to make the cuts on their property.

So today I loaded up my trailer and made the 1/2 hour drive to Newnan. I paid for my steel and then pulled the trailer into the building to be loaded.

I had the loaders put the sheet metal flat on my trailer and I carried the relatively light tube outside. I sat the tube down and pulled the trailer out into the lot where I secured the sheet metal to keep it from possibly becoming a lethal kite during the drive home.

I fired up the generator and used the trailer as a work table to cut the tube. I cut four 35-inch lengths from the stick, leaving a piece a bit over 8-feet long. The tubing was placed in the bed of the pickup and I drove back home.

Unloading the sheet metal was a bit of a challenge since I was by myself. I used a piece of OSB and my dollies to move the steel from the trailer to the LBG.

I'll need to come up with some way to store this sheet metal - I'm thinking clamping it to a sheet of plywood and standing it on end against a wall in the long bay - that would probably work.

Here's the reason for the purchase of the tubing. When I got the Lyon table those drawers in the first picture were mounted underneath the table ...sort of. They weren't attached in a secure fashion. My plan is to use the tube to secure the drawers to the table. The 1-1/2 inch tube SHOULD fit into the bends of the table's top (second picture) and stiffen the table top a bit as well as provide a structure to hang the drawers from.

Scott

sbosecker · Oct 5, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

Thursday - October 5, 2017

Yesterday I drove back over to Sabel Steel in Newnan, GA. When I was building the Lone Beech Garage we bought some of our steel at Sabel and I asked them if they sold "drops". A year and half ago I understood them to tell me they sent all their drops to be recycled at their mothership.

When I picked up the tubing and the sheet metal a few days ago, I asked the question again. This time the answer was "Yes; what are you looking for?"

I asked about 1/2-inch plate and they described to me what they had. After considering the possibilities, I returned yesterday and got a 34-inch by 48-inch piece of 1/2-inch A36 steel.

I left the steel in the bed of the pickup and parked the truck inside last night to prevent dew from forming on steel this morning.

Today I worked a crow bar under the 231 pound object and got it up on some bricks.

I brought my pickup into the long bay of the LBG and positioned the truck bed under the electric chain hoist.

I used 4 C-Clamps and some rope to raise the plate up off the pickup bed and then drove the truck out of the shop. The hoist was used to lower the steel onto a platform that could be moved around with a pallet jack.

Continued in next post...

sbosecker · Oct 5, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

Continued...

With the steel plate safely dealt with for now - I hope to make a welding table in the future - I turned my attention back to the Lyon Industrial Table I've been refurbishing.

I continued cleaning up the table leg I've been working on with a wire brush, some picks and compressed air. Then I hit the piece with primer and some black paint. The weather outside today was perfect for painting - warm with a light breeze.

I hope to work on the table some more tomorrow.

Scott

Ole Slewfoot · Oct 6, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

Might just be a quirk of where I live, but I've found agricultural and architectural fab shops sell steel for for a better price than the metal suppliers, and none have mentioned a minimum buy.

That sling got me wondering...
$279 shipped for a 1000KG lift magnet I thought they'd be more.

matt_i · Oct 6, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

Nice use of the chain hoist!

With your considerable skill at culling gems from the local craigslist, I could definitely see the utility of a 3000 lb compact forklift for the LBG

It could come in handy if you plan to use the loading dock feature to unload large dry-van semi trucks.

(both of my forklifts, 3000# Clark and 7000# Hyster came from Dallas, GA and Lithia Springs, respectively, when I lived in Smyrna-Mableton)

sbosecker · Oct 6, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

Ole Slewfoot said:
Might just be a quirk of where I live, but I've found agricultural and architectural fab shops sell steel for for a better price than the metal suppliers, and none have mentioned a minimum buy.

That sling got me wondering...
$279 shipped for a 1000KG lift magnet I thought they'd be more.

Ole Slewfoot,

Thanks for the tip on potential steel deals! I'll look into those possibilities in the future.

Regarding the Lifting Magnet...

I've been looking at these since I got the Yellow Beam/Electric Chain Hoist setup. There seem to be some very expensive ones and some relatively inexpensive ones.

The guys at Sabel Steel used one to load my purchase onto my truck. I took a picture but all I had was my smart phone and that didn't go well so I won't post it.

The same one you provided the link to at Wally World is also available on Amazon. The main reason I haven't pulled the trigger is the almost binary reviews regarding the reliability of these cheaper devices. I've tried to do some research on the web and haven't had a lot of luck. I don't know if the folks that are giving them a bad review are using them correctly.

It is my understanding that the rated lifting weight is a maximum and the shape & thickness of the material can greatly reduce the magnet's effectiveness. So the question is: Is it a bad product or operator error?

Again, if I thought the one we have links to - or something similar - would do the job I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

Best regards,

Scott

sbosecker · Oct 6, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

matt_i said:
Nice use of the chain hoist! With your considerable skill at culling gems from the local craigslist, I could definitely see the utility of a 3000 lb compact forklift for the LBG It could come in handy if you plan to use the loading dock feature to unload large dry-van semi trucks.

(both of my forklifts, 3000# Clark and 7000# Hyster came from Dallas, GA and Lithia Springs, respectively, when I lived in Smyrna-Mableton)

matt_i,

I almost called my wife in to read your post...

See honey! It's a skill!

I doubt if she would agree. Ha!

I too can see the utility of a forklift. I might have to build an annex if I get any more treasures. That really would set my bride off. Ha!

Best regards,

Scott

sbosecker · Oct 6, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

Friday - October 6, 2017

The good news.
For the first time in a very long time, I was able to devote pretty much the entire day to working in the shop.

The bad news.
It really didn't result in that much of an increase in output.

I took a couple more components of the Lyon Industrial Table outside to chemically remove the layers of paint that have been applied over the years.

It is simply unbelievable how much paint is on the surface of the metal!

Then the sun rose above the tree line and was hitting the metal directly - warming it up quite a bit. When I would apply the paint stripper to the hot metal the gel-like material would bubble. I thought maybe this would improve the reaction and remove the paint faster but it seemed that almost the opposite was true. I don't know if the working agent in the stripper was vaporizing and reducing the effectiveness or what but the paint remover really wasn't doing the job.

I went inside the LBG and decided to try - again - to remove the covers from the Walker-Turner Band Saw. I applied some PB Blaster to the hinges and exercised the covers a bit - opening and closing them in an attempt to work the penetrating oil around the hinge pins. I also rapped the hinges repeatedly with a ball peen hammer to persuade the oil to work its way into the hinges.

After giving the penetrating oil a little time to work, I got a punch from my tool chest and attempted to drive the hinge pin out of the hinge.

This hadn't worked before but now the pin started moving. Eventually my punch was too short to drive the pin any further but a Vise Grip Pliers became my friend as I gripped the hinge pin's head and pulled and twisted. After quite a bit of work I had both pins out and both covers off.

I took a break for some lunch.

With the LBG now providing some shade, I returned to the Lyon Table parts. I decided to use a DA Sander in conjunction with a knotted wire wheel on my angle grinder to remove what paint had been left behind by the Paint Stripper.

This actually worked pretty well.

I got the larger piece cleaned up very nicely using mechanical means after the paint stripper. Then I primed and painted it.

That was it for the today.

It should be noted what a difference it was to work on the bottom of this piece with the DA Sander. The bottom only had the original paint on it and removal was a piece of cake!

Hopefully I can get more accomplished on this project tomorrow.

Scott

drivesitfar · Oct 7, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

SB: it looks like you might have been better off buying a NEW LYON bench. just kidding, but GEESH that's a lot of work.

i tend to just pull out my 7.5 inch milwaukee or Dewalt grinders and put a cup twisted wire cup on them and put on a mask and start finding bare metal like i did on this old bench (maybe also built by LYON). (sorry pics of old steel bench with cup grinder on top in old half dead computer or maybe a few posted on GJ if I can remember which thread).

I also like the steel piece and is it going to be a bench cause i might have skimmed over that part?

cheers

Ole Slewfoot · Oct 7, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

If you cover the stripper with plastic sheeting, it goes further and doesn't kick off as fast.
not saran wrap, but the drop cloth type stuff.

shortykorte · Oct 7, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

Isn't the hoist great to have. I used my little crane to remove a 4x8 sheet of 3/16 plate. And cheaper than a fork lift. A fork lift does come in handy though.
When doing jobs like stripping, have you considered using the loading dock as a table? Sure would beat bending over. Not sure if the sun would be a problem.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

sbosecker · Oct 7, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

Ole Slewfoot said:
If you cover the stripper with plastic sheeting, it goes further and doesn't kick off as fast.
not saran wrap, but the drop cloth type stuff.

Ole Slewfoot,

This is useful information as I will be using the stripper on the remaining leg for sure.

Best regards,

Scott

sbosecker · Oct 7, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

drivesitfar said:
SB: it looks like you might have been better off buying a NEW LYON bench. just kidding, but GEESH that's a lot of work.

i tend to just pull out my 7.5 inch milwaukee or Dewalt grinders and put a cup twisted wire cup on them and put on a mask and start finding bare metal like i did on this old bench (maybe also built by LYON). (sorry pics of old steel bench with cup grinder on top in old half dead computer or maybe a few posted on GJ if I can remember which thread).

I also like the steel piece and is it going to be a bench cause i might have skimmed over that part?

cheers

DrivesItFar,

This week, as I was laboring on the Lyon Table, I considered the same thing... If I valued an hour of my time as much as my employer does, I'd have been able to buy one of these rascals straight up based on the amount of work I'm putting into it.

...but where's the fun of that? Ha!
Plus, I work pretty cheap for myself.

The steel plate is intended to be used in a welding table at some point.

Best regards,

Scott

sbosecker · Oct 7, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

shortykorte said:
Isn't the hoist great to have. I used my little crane to remove a 4x8 sheet of 3/16 plate. And cheaper than a fork lift. A fork lift does come in handy though.
When doing jobs like stripping, have you considered using the loading dock as a table? Sure would beat bending over. Not sure if the sun would be a problem.

shortykorte,

The biggest trouble with the loading dock is it is 4 feet from the floor of the loading bay to the top of the dock ...and I'm a runt.

The sun would be shining in that area a bit longer than where I'm currently working but probably not a significant amount of time more.

So far the stoop labor hasn't been that bad so I'll probably stick with it for this project.

Best regards,

Scott

sbosecker · Oct 7, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

Saturday - October 7, 2017

I was expecting to get up this morning and try to get another piece of the Lyon Table stripped and painted before having to shut down in preparation for Hurricane Nate.

To my surprise we had gotten a light rain before I got up this morning - the first since Hurricane Irma. It was also overcast and looked like more rain might be possible.

With uncertain weather I limited myself to priming and painting the opposite side of the piece I did yesterday. I gave it about an hour outside and then I brought it inside in case we did get a shower.

So I did a few odds and ends jobs the rest of the day. When I moved the planer from the basement to the LBG, I took it off its mobile base during the move. I had a 50/50 chance of getting it back on the mobile base the same way as it had been before. ...so you know how that went.

Actually I didn't think it made any difference how it was on the mobile base until a few weeks ago when I started tweaking the planer to make it totally functional. That's when I discovered the mobile base's single, swiveling caster interfered with the belt cover.

Today my son was available and we rolled the planer under the chain hoist, lifted it a few inches, and turned the mobile base 180 degrees to allow unfettered access to the belt guard.

Here's the job I really needed my son to help me with. The mounting system for the flag came to a screeching halt when I learned that the "6x9" flag was really a bit over 9 feet and a bit under 6 feet.

Today my son assisted measuring the required adjustments for this bad assumption. Then he helped stabilize the steel as I fastened it to the studs in the wall. I brought the flag into the house and will give it a good ironing before using the magnets to hang it up again.

I will still need to mount a couple of steel pieces vertically on each end to help keep the air from the ceiling fans from causing havoc but that steel hasn't been measured and painted yet.

Scott

drivesitfar · Oct 8, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

SB: well one thing for certain is once you get that old Lyon bench finished you'll know every part of it. best of luck with that.

I hope the next hurricane doesn't come by with any force and only a little rain, but crossing my fingers and saying a prayer for you.

cheers

sbosecker · Oct 8, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

drivesitfar said:
SB: well one thing for certain is once you get that old Lyon bench finished you'll know every part of it. best of luck with that.

I hope the next hurricane doesn't come by with any force and only a little rain, but crossing my fingers and saying a prayer for you.

DrivesItFar,

Prayers are always welcome but either they weren't needed here or yours are particularly effective.

Nate is northwest of us and heading for - if the weather guessers are correct - New England. We got 1.3 inches of rain (so far) and winds were unremarkable.

I'm sure the northern gulf coast states took a lot more of a beating.

Other than that today was a lost day for working in the shop. I did something to my left ankle last evening that left me hardly able to walk - it was like a really bad sprain but I don't remember any particularly Caucasian Old Man athletic moves that would have caused this.

Regardless of the cause, I've been taking NSAID's today and sitting in a chair watching a series of YouTube videos of a guy breaking down a Wells-Index Knee Mill and moving it into his basement ...by himself!

It was red-neck engineering at its best ...but it really couldn't be RNE because it took place in Massachusetts.
I guess it's Yankee Ingenuity there. Ha!

Every time I looked out the window at the LBG my wife would glare at me and I'd return my gaze to YouTube. Anyway, a lost day ...but my ankle seems to be improving.

Best regards,

Scott

shortykorte · Oct 9, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

Best to do what momma says. Speedy recovery.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

sbosecker · Oct 13, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

shortykorte said:
Best to do what momma says. Speedy recovery.

shortykorte,

Thanks for the recovery wishes!

In addition to my bride's supervision, I had my own motivation to heal. On Monday, October 9th, I was going to fly up to Indiana and the next day my father and I were going on a road trip to the Lone Beech Garage from the Lone Beech Melon Farm.

Fortunately my ankle cooperated and what was left of hurricane Nate also cooperated so I was able to do that this past week.

Best regards,

Scott

sbosecker · Oct 13, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

Thursday - October 12, 2017

On Monday, October 9th, I flew to Indiana (delayed by a late arrival and then a mechanical after pushback). After about 4-1/2 hours of sleep in an Evansville, IN Hampton Inn, I got up and started preparing for my father's arrival.

He arrived early. Ha!

We drove towards Peachtree City GA and had just crossed the border from Tennessee into Georgia when we felt an odd vibration coming from dad's 2003 Chrysler Town & Country. I was driving and trying to evaluate the situation when the vibration stopped. All I could think of was a patch of rough Interstate ...until it happed again about 30 minutes from our destination.

This time the vibration didn't stop and we started to smell something hot. I took the next exit and pulled into the first filling station I saw. We got out and the right front brake was smoking a bit. Even better - we weren't in the best neighborhood in Atlanta.

It took a while but the we got the vehicle towed to a nearby Firestone store and my wife came to take us the rest of the way to Peachtree City. My 86 year old father was pretty tired and, after my short layover in the Hampton Inn, I was running out of gas myself.

The next day the mechanics called and their diagnosis was the right front brake caliper needed to be replaced. This seemed consistent with what we had experienced. The repair was authorized at around 10 am. The car was ready for pickup about 1 pm. My wife and I fetched dad's minivan.

Today we finally had a little more time to visit.

I am so very pleased that dad was able to make it down to see the Lone Beech Garage!

There are a few things that were accomplished in the shop while he was here but I'll save that for later. Saturday, October 14th, we will get up early and drive back to Indiana. I will fly back to Georgia early Sunday morning

Scott

drivesitfar · Oct 13, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

SB: I'm guessing DAD gave you a thumbs up on the new garage/shop/man cave LONE BEECH GARAGE?

happy to hear your situation with Dad's T&C and the area worked out O.K.

I hope your DAD enjoyed his visit and i bet you were happy as a clam showing him all the improvements you've done. did he like anything in particular or just everything like I (we) do?

cheers and have a great weekend and i haven't heard of a HURRICANE heading your way this week.

sbosecker · Oct 15, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

drivesitfar said:
SB: I'm guessing DAD gave you a thumbs up on the new garage/shop/man cave LONE BEECH GARAGE?

happy to hear your situation with Dad's T&C and the area worked out O.K.

I hope your DAD enjoyed his visit and i bet you were happy as a clam showing him all the improvements you've done. did he like anything in particular or just everything like I (we) do?

cheers and have a great weekend and i haven't heard of a HURRICANE heading your way this week.

DrivesItFar,

I can't speak for Dad but I had a great time having him visit. It had been a decade since he had last been here.

Of course I had been sending him pictures so he had a pretty good idea of what the LBG looked like. Based on a few of his comments pictures are one thing but seeing something in person can be a different experience.

I have to think he enjoyed seeing his Lone Beech Melon Farm sign mounted on the wall in the center bay as much as anything.

We drove his minivan back to Indiana yesterday and I flew back from Evansville, IN at 6:00 am this morning.

I had vacation this past week - spending it with my dad was a great way to use vacation time!

Best regards,

Scott

sbosecker · Oct 15, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

Sunday - October 15, 2017

A review of work done in the Lone Beech Garage this past week.

Wednesday - October 11, 2017

With the Right Front Brake Caliper having been replaced earlier in the day at the Firestone Complete Auto Care shop, I brought dad's 2003 Chrysler Town & Country into the LBG and placed it over the Tornado Shelter.

A couple of months ago I had visited dad in Indiana and, while he was driving this vehicle, we had heard some noises coming from under the minivan. We placed the Town & Country over dad's mechanic's pit and determined that the Sway Bar Bushings were worn.

I got under the minivan and checked out the front end of the vehicle.

From left to right:
The passenger side Sway Bar Bushing.
The Bolt that holds the passenger side Sway Bar Bushing Bracket in place.
The driver side Sway Bar Bushing. Yes it's there hidden behind the Power Steering Fluid Cooler (I think) - white arrows point to the bushing.

Continued in next post...

Key Words:
2003 Chrysler Town & Country Sway Bar Bushing Replacment

sbosecker · Oct 15, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

Continued...

It had been a pretty long day so I decided to start with the passenger side bushing as it was very easy to access.

The new OEM bushing is different from the original OEM bushing. The new ones have a plastic sleeve in addition to the rubber portion of the bushing. I got the sleeve on without trouble but there was not enough clearance to get the rubber part of the bushing around the Sway Bar.

I realized I needed to release the driver's side bushing to get the Sway Bar to have enough freedom of movement to install the new bushings.

Continued in next post...

sbosecker · Oct 15, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

Continued...

Thursday - October 12, 2017

I had worked on removing the driver's side bushing bracket for a while last night and then gave up and went to bed. The lack of accessibility to the bushing bracket's bolt head on the back of the frame - and the nut on the front - was giving me fits.

The primary problem was the bolt head - I could not find a tool setup that would give me a REALLY secure hold of the bolt head.

When I came into the house last night I did a quick viewing of 4 YouTube videos that documented (sort of) this procedure. One of the videos did mention - but did not show - using a 15mm offset box end wrench to get at the bolt head I was having trouble with. When I returned to the LBG this morning, I grabbed an offset box end wrench and entered the Tornado Shelter.

At first I didn't see how this wrench was going to be any improvement as I was looking for access from the bottom of the vehicle. Then I tried threading the wrench in from above and the side (white arrow). That did it!

While it wouldn't have been absolutely necessary, the use of a pneumatic ratchet wrench really helped remove what turned out to be a pretty corroded bolt. Why was I surprised that the most inaccessible bolt/nut combination was rusty and the easily accessible set looked almost brand new?

I called a local Chrysler dealership's parts department to see if they had a bolt/nut combination to replace the corroded set. I was informed they would have these parts at their location by 8:00 the next morning.

With both bushing brackets removed, mounting the bushings on the sway bar was simple. Now I tried to get the one good bolt/nut set onto the driver side bushing bracket.

At this point I learned I really needed to evolve at least one more set of arms/hands; a prehensile tail would be really useful as well.

In lieu of waiting for that to happen, I manage to find some scraps from the Miter Saw Station build that allowed me to support the Sway Bar and still have the side-to-side motion necessary to position the Sway Bar.

I loosely attached the nut on the driver's side sway bar bushing bracket.

Continued in next post...

sbosecker · Oct 15, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

Continued...

Friday - October 13, 2017

I picked up the bolt and nut from the Chrysler Parts Department.

The passenger-side bracket had been placed in position the day before. Now it was just a matter of tightening both the bracket nuts. This was done with the pneumatic ratchet wrench while a wrench held the bolt head. Again, while not a necessity for the job, the pneumatic ratchet made this task much easier.

The nuts were torqued to 50 Ft-lbs. and then the power steering cooler was remounted into position.

I was really expecting these old bushings to be in poorer condition than they were. They are worn but look much better than any of the similar examples I saw in my YouTube research.

I took the Town & Country out for a test drive with dad riding shotgun. We both agreed that the noises were gone. I thought the minivan's handling was improved but I didn't voice this opinion.

Saturday - October 14, 2017

Dad drove the minivan when we got back to Indiana and he told me - I thought I heard a bit of surprise in his voice - that the Town & Country's handling "felt tighter". If I hadn't perceived the surprised tone, I would have thought he was just being nice.

Ha!

Scott

AZpilot · Oct 16, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

Nice! It is awesome when we get to use our tools for their intended purpose. Glad your dad came down. You could have a party in that garage.

Jeff Scott · Oct 16, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

Sir,

I'm very pleased to see that your Dad got to come down to visit the LBG. I've been following your build for quite some time and you have a first rate facility there. I recently completed the initial build on my shop and more than anything, I wish my Dad was around to see it, (we lost him in 2011). It did my heart good to see your Dad's visit and I know it's always a special time when family gets together.

Thanks for sharing!

Jeff

sbosecker · Oct 17, 2017

Re: The Lone Beech Garage Build Thread (60x46)

AZpilot said:
Nice! It is awesome when we get to use our tools for their intended purpose. Glad your dad came down. You could have a party in that garage.

Jeff Scott said:
Sir,

I'm very pleased to see that your Dad got to come down to visit the LBG. I've been following your build for quite some time and you have a first rate facility there. I recently completed the initial build on my shop and more than anything, I wish my Dad was around to see it, (we lost him in 2011). It did my heart good to see your Dad's visit and I know it's always a special time when family gets together.

Thanks for sharing!

Jeff

AZpilot & Jeff,

Thanks for coming along for the ride!

It is nice to use the building and the tools for the tasks they were designed for!

Dad's visit... yes, that was very special! ...for both of us I think.

Best regards,

Scott

Above 1200 Sq/FT The Lone Beech Garage (60x46x16)

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