Amateur Hour: The thread for the little guys!

Bessy · Oct 3, 2015

After seeing a post by theSaint024 in the "Let's see your toolbox" thread, I figured I would start up a thread for the amateurs! Young, old, broke, the hobbyist, what have you, we want to see it! Show us your set up, your tools, your projects.

I tend to be a jack of many trades when it comes to my tools/projects, including carpentry (bench below)

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The 6' bench is 6'x2'x38 3/8" LWH, and has another 2'x32" rolling table (housing my old old C-man top) complete with a quick riser I had built for storing my drill and charger back before I bought a bigger set up.

Mechanically speaking, I've been restoring my 1971 Sears Suburban Tractor as well as maintaining a number of mowers for my business. Thanks to this site I have a more than sufficient set up compared to the average 21 year old. (tools are an investment right? :lol_hitti

)

The Tools
Drawer pictures:
Top 4 shallow drawers house my combo wrenches and ratchet wrenches. In descending order, we have Metric Combos, Metric Ratcheting Wrenches, including stubbies and flex heads, the following two drawers are the same but SAE, as I do plenty of work on mowers and older equipment. The bottom drawer is about 3 inches deep if I recall, and it holds safety gear, as well as measuring tools and a few other odds and ends. The top (no picture available) usually has an old oil bottle full of nuts and bolts for a given project, a few cans of aerosols, gloves, glasses, utility knife, 4in1 screwdriver, and grabbers/magnets, as well as any other **** that gets tossed up there. It's less than exciting.

Mid Box replaces the riser under my old Cman, and holds screwdrivers (I hate this set up) and pliers below in the second drawer (also not a fan, I need to get a rack for them of some sort).

Bottom Cab is a 5 drawer, that has changed orientations many times. typically sockets/ratchets/torque wrenches and related tools up top, drill, driver, accessories below that, engine tools, pullers, hammers, etc below that, and the bottom holding misc accessories, consumables, and other stuff I can't find a place for.

The new cab I bought this June to avoid the potential failure of the c-man from it being overloaded. So far I love this box, my only point of dismay is the socket drawer having only one set of slides (though the drawer is punched for a second set if anyone knows where to source SPG International or equivalent slides).

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Still not entirely finished swapping tools over, as I am constantly changing things to make myself just a little more efficient and a little less CDO (OCD, but alphabetical, the way it's supposed to be! :lol:

) Will update with more pics as they come available.

So let's see your set ups, projects, tools, what have you! Be it the new kitchen sink you just installed or that labour of love that drains your spare change!

Cheers folks!

coljar · Oct 3, 2015

For some reason, the pictues won't open for me.

Bessy · Oct 3, 2015

I'm in the middle of trying to edit the post to make photos viewable, but photobucket decided to take a dump on me. In the mean time, feel free to shoot up a post or some pics of your own! I'd love to see what the rest of us amateurs are up to out there!

Bessy · Oct 3, 2015

Pics are up, I repeat pics are up!!! Finally.

nine4gmc · Oct 3, 2015

Nice shop, you are well on your way for only 21! If you haven't seen the thread on plier organization, a lot of us use the wire closet shelving for plier storage.

My version is post #25 and #27 on this page: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3100682&highlight=plier+rack#post3100682

Finished looks like this:

theoldwizard1 · Oct 3, 2015

I can not imagine a tool chest that organized.

1 drawer for pliers, 1 drawer for "cutters" (snips, wire cutters, etc), 1 drawer for metric wrenches, 1 drawer for SAE wrenches, 1 drawer for screwdriver (straight blade on the left, Phillips on the right), and 1 drawer for hammers, files, chisels, punches, etc.

theoldwizard1 · Oct 3, 2015

nine4gmc said:
I have a fetish with things you can "put things in"...

Give a baby 1-3 years old a set of nesting blocks (Russian dolls, or similar). They will spend considerable time stacking them together and unstacking them.

Must be one of those quirks of human nature.

Bessy · Oct 4, 2015

My shop space (ok, the space I squat in in my Dad's garage when I am not away at school) is one of those compromises that I have to make between what I want and what he will allow to happen. For instance, I would love insulation in the walls and maybe another t4 in the ceiling, but he doesn't use the space often enough to warrant it.

I'm not the most organized person in general, but when it comes to getting a mower up and running in a short amount of time (I run a lawn care operation in what we Canadians call the "not winter" months).For this reason among others, I would much rather be able to walk into the shop, grab what I need (and do it with my eyes closed) and be on the road again, rather than searching for what I need. The screwdrivers drawer in the new orange chest is currently one of those OCD things that I need to sort out, but haven't because probably 80% of anything to do with screws I do with the impact driver lately. Not saying I don't need the screw drivers, as they have their place, but recent projects have warranted little use of them.

I will be sourcing out some wire rack of some sort for pliers, but being away at school currently has pushed that down the priority list in a big way.

Wrenches yes, I moved them into the new cab, but quickly restored them back into their rightful drawers as it was familiar to me (like I said, I enjoy being able to go in essentially blind and find what I need). Since getting the SPG cab I have rearranged everything probably 15 times.

I'll try to find some shots of the tractor, pre teardown as it is one of those projects I'm trying to encourage seeing, but in the mean time ramblings will have to suffice.

Cheers,

bczygan · Oct 4, 2015

OP:"The new cab I bought this June to avoid the potential failure of the c-man from it being overloaded. So far I love this box, my only point of dismay is the socket drawer having only one set of slides (though the drawer is punched for a second set if anyone knows where to source SPG International or equivalent slides)."

Have you tried SPG International?

http://www.spginternational.com/en/Our-products.aspx

bczygan · Oct 4, 2015

Looks like you have the TECH series VRB-4211OR.

Just tell them you trashed your slides and want to buy 2 new ones.

Bessy · Oct 4, 2015

bczygan,

I have emailed the service department, just awaiting a reply. I was more interested in whether or not there were a known set of slides that would fit that I could source somewhere else, as I imagine such things are available through amazon or the likes for a cheaper price.

ovrrdrive · Oct 4, 2015

Bessy said:

Anyone that can have drawers like those does NOT have OCD... (hint, one of these things is not like the other...)

Nice collection. I bet by the time you're 35 you can build a car from the ground up.

Bessy · Oct 4, 2015

ovrrdrive

You're right lol I didn't notice that when I took the picture. typically that is what happens when a family member has been in my tools :lol_hitti

. As far as the second brand/ double of the 3/4" wrench, I do tend to use 3/4 on a significantly more frequent basis, and almost always where I need two. It's handy to have.

Redwolf947 · Oct 4, 2015

Nice set of tools..

Lets see some more about that 1971 Sears Suburban Tractor.. I have one I'd like to rebuild where do you get parts?

theoldwizard1 · Oct 4, 2015

I like your avatar ! Craftsman Suburban ? 1960s ?

8man · Oct 5, 2015

I like it. Very nice.

taumac · Oct 5, 2015

theoldwizard1 said:
I can not imagine a tool chest that organized.

1 drawer for pliers, 1 drawer for "cutters" (snips, wire cutters, etc), 1 drawer for metric wrenches, 1 drawer for SAE wrenches, 1 drawer for screwdriver (straight blade on the left, Phillips on the right), and 1 drawer for hammers, files, chisels, punches, etc.

That's not too far out of the imagination. If you have enough boxes or drawers anything is possible. The plier rack Nine showed helps not only in a plier drawer but the idea can be used many other places. The more you can organize the more you can fit into a small space. That leads to a overall organized garage and it's truly not about money bit more space utilization.

Bessy · Oct 5, 2015

The tractor (hereby known as Miss Bessy) is a 1971 Sears Suburban. 12 hp single cylinder cast iron block Tecumseh engine, complete with 42" deck and 40 or 42" manual lift front dozer blade. It pushes dirt 100x better than my Sportsman, and has even dug the sportsman out of a few snow banks when it was running.

I rebuilt the engine (over longer a period of time than I care to admit), and while I had it off, I have stripped the tractor completely to repaint. The pictures below are of the tractor when I first purchased it, and after my cosmetic paint job that I did purely as a means of covering up the rust spots protect the metal a little better.

Enough talking already, pics!

Here is a shot of the tractor basically the day I received it. As you can see, it was in dire need of some love.

Original%20Paint%20-%20At%20purchase_zpsqvr1tzjc.jpg

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And at work...

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I did a budget cosmetic resto on the tractor during this time mostly to address any rust issues that were immediately present. The result is as follows:

Fresh%20Paint%20-%20Hood%20up_zpsnslcn39t.jpg

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I also added a pan seat, since the original seat was in pretty bad shape, and I like the look of the pan better.

The current project is a complete restoration on the same tractor. Throughout the spring and summer of this year, I have been stripping and priming and painting parts anytime I could find the time to do it. Needless to say, working two jobs throughout the summer months to pay for school leaves you with less than ideal time frames for painting tractors.

Here is a pic of one of the most irritating stages of the project: removal of the front axle assembly. The bolt had been seized hard in the front axle, and I had to address some rust issues underneath so it was best that it came out. not without a fight however, as it turns out.

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I won't show you guys what the sleeve of the axle actually looked like when it was finally out, but I will say that it really should be bored out completely and either sleeved or fitted with a larger bolt.

cleaning the underside of the frame, pre paint. Parts are hard to come by, so I opted not to break the steering wheel trying to remove it, so this is going to be the most fun to paint and restore...

Transmission: Mid paint job - As I was painting, I was really liking the "wet" look of the paint as it was on, and almost considered grabbing a can of gloss for it, but opted out as that was more money spent on the transmission that no one will see once it's under the frame.

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So that's about where I am now. I have the front rims essentially complete, shy of a final coat or two of gloss (spray bombs were cheap and they seem to work pretty well for my purposes).

78C-10 · Oct 5, 2015

Hi Bessy
Nice set up you have there and really cool tractor. I myself am into vintage John Deere garden tractors. Anyways, I was wondering about the measurements of the rolling bench in your very first picture in your very first post of this thread. It has the transaxle, engine, and vise on it. Thank you

Steevo · Oct 5, 2015

Your toolbox and work space are very nice, but Bessy is quite excellent!!

Bessy · Oct 5, 2015

The long rolling bench is 72x24 and just a hair over 38" high. The feel is about right when standing, but after a while of using it, it does seem that 36" would have been sufficient. I've since attached a couple of the cheapy princess auto magnetic bars as well as a ruler that I chiselled into the top for quick measurements. It's a pretty sturdy, as I have had both the engine and transaxle sitting atop it. the underside of both pieces of plywood are braced with 2x4 on 24" centres if I recall. Casters could be a little beefier, but they were on sale. Because the room I operate out of (for the most part) doubles as overflow storage of lumber, odds and ends, outboards (five or so), and endless amounts of junk that goes there to die. I had to incorporate maneuverability into all of my workspace components, in the winter time I try and avoid that room as it is not insulated as of yet.

Thanks Steevo! Have I seen some subs in your collection if I recall on MTF? I bought that old tractor from a friend of my dads after I got sick of dads cub throwing belts. I had to overhaul the engine as it appears that the previous owner attempted to reinstall the side cover with the governor shaft oriented wrong by about 90 degrees. Prior to my noticing problems, it ran flawlessly for three years under my care.

Redwolf947 · Oct 6, 2015

Thanks for the tractor pics and story.. I painted err spray bombed mine black along time ago.. unfortunately when someone else was using it they lost control and ran it into a pole thus cracking the fiberglass dash panel.. I loved that mach.. I tried to rebuild the deck but I was a kid then most of the deck parts are lost

mrodgers · Oct 6, 2015

Popping in to give another thumbs up for the Sears tractor. I had one, can't remember the year now. It was yellow instead of blue. It was also a 12 hp Tecumseh. It was given to me for nothing and was locked up when I got it. I got the engine freed up and used it for a few years. Vibration wore a hole in the gas tank and something must have sparked when I fired it up one day. I made it to the corner of my lot when I saw smoke. I flipped the lid on it to see and flames shot up nearly in my face. I was too far away from the garage to save it in time and it pretty much completely burnt up. Steering wheel melted and folded in half and every piece of wire and plastic burnt up. I was bummed, that thing was a beast. I ended up giving it away to a guy down the street who had a shop as I didn't have the time, experience, or knowledge of where to get parts to get it back in shape.

The only good that came out of it was my wife saying, "if you bought an automatic (aka hydrostatic) I'd mow. I have terrible allergies and that sounded like a good idea to me. I have mowed only a handful of times in the past 15 years. I think she likes buzzing around for 2.5 hours mowing. Took me a lot longer than that because I'd have to take a long break several times to go back in the house and clear up the allergies. Not only that but I didn't like the 15 year old across the road that stood out on her front porch in her underwear talking on the phone the whole time I mowed. If she'd done that 3 years later, I'd be mowing all the time, LOL.

Bessy · Oct 7, 2015

Redwolf947 said:
Thanks for the tractor pics and story.. I painted err spray bombed mine black along time ago.. unfortunately when someone else was using it they lost control and ran it into a pole thus cracking the fiberglass dash panel.. I loved that mach.. I tried to rebuild the deck but I was a kid then most of the deck parts are lost

I tend to notice that a great majority of the parts that are available for those machines are located south of the boarder for me. The beauty of the sears brand in the days these machines were built, is that there is great variability in terms of up/down fitting implements. Typically things like decks can be fitted with little modification across multiple years.

Not 100% sure, but there is a chance I will be heading home this weekend, and if that is the case I will try to get a few more process shots of the tractor (pieces) and the parts I have completed.

In the mean time, what is everyone else working on currently? would love to discuss other projects as well!

Cheers

Bessy · Oct 10, 2015

Well no tractor pics today, however I did manage to begin tackling another project I've been meaning to get to!

When I was a much younger, cuter version of myself, with goofy dimples (which I still have yet to grow out of) and an obsession with safety gear (a story for another time), I had a "Smitty's Lil' Haulers" big wheeled, pretty much all-terrain tricycle. For some reason, the tricycles don't seem to be prevalent online (or at least not apparent in my short lived search), however the wagons (which I have a frame for somewhere) are still in production today.

Unfortunately I only got an in process picture of the trike during dis-assembly:

This thing is a beast, despite being pedal power. As you can see, the all steel construction frame would sit nice and high on a fairly substantial set of balloon tires, making it perfect for the sandy property my family lives on.
Well fast forward a number of well used years, I outgrew the trike, my cousins played with it, my cousins kids played with it, you name it, it's been used and abused. It's sat outside for some time as I presume nobody wanted to go through the labour of opening the attic (an ordeal to get at the one where it will be stored, admittedly), so it got looking a little rough, as you can see.

Today I backed into the driveway and saw it sitting at the corner of the house. I decided that I would take it inside and see about getting some of the flaking paint off. Most of the paint that was flaking came off fine, as for the rest that had not flaked, but faded rather, I set to work removing it all (as it's tough to match the thickness of paint touchups on larger rusted areas) a task that turned out to be most of my night.

The tires on the rear of the trike were your run of the mill 4.10x3.50x4 utility wheels, which I happened to have in stock.

Unfortunately the stock axles are 1/2" diameter while the wheels I had in stock were 5/8". In my infinite wisdom, I decided to give the existing rims a quick sanding with a wire brush, and throw a coat of paint on them to match the front wheel (as they never seemed to have been painted as my memory serves me). So i shot them with primer and went ahead disassembling the rest of the trike.

Fast forward, from this:

to this:

Now depending on how things set overnight and throughout tomorrow while I am attending TG dinner number one, I will see about a light sanding if needed in any spots, and likely be ready for a Sunday coat of Armorcoat Gloss Red on the frame, and some gloss white for the rims.

I still have yet to remove one of the set screws holding on the pedals at the front, effectively thwarting my attempts to remove the front wheel so I can strip the fork. I have twisted one allen key, and both my T30 torx socket as well as my 3/16" allen socket (thankfully they are Mastercrap so I will just get them warrantied tomorrow on my way to dinner). Depending on whether or not I can get a small enough extractor, I may just extract the set screw, as I will be replacing them both with fresh ones.

That's all for now folks!

Redwolf947 · Oct 10, 2015

That's an awesome Trike.. Wish I'd of had one like that as a kid..

Bessy · Oct 10, 2015

It was an absolutely awesome trike! I recall my dad once made up a quick bracket out of oak (he's not much for metal fab) to use to tow the wagon with it. One of these days I will break out the wagon frame and refurb the wood for it as well, but one thing at a time (oh who am I kidding, I've got a half dozen unfinished projects on the go at the moment!)

rodsnratfinks · Oct 10, 2015

How amateur do you need to be to post in this thread?

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

Bessy · Oct 10, 2015

I'm going to say weekend warrior, tinkerer, husband/boyfriend extraordinaire should suffice. As far as I am concerned, I just like to see what others are up in terms of general projects/hobbies/etc. So long as you don't do it professionally. For instance, the tractor project that I we have been referring to is literally something I undertook with almost no formal mechanical training, and learned as I went along, ultimately culminating in the rebuild of the engine, and the restoration of the whole tractor (in progress). Feel free to post about anything related to your shop/space and the toys/tools within it. The intended purpose is for us weekend warriors and hobbyists to have a place to chat and show off some cool stuff that we did ourselves.

Looking forward to your input!

rodsnratfinks · Oct 10, 2015

My grandfather had that exact same Sears tractor without a deck. He painted it to look a like a John Deere. I used to throttle it up, put it first gear low, and pop the clutch to do wheelies. Then I'd go of the beaten path into the deep sand, (he lived in the California desert), and try to off road it. Sometimes I would get stuck and it would sink in and the tires would start digging it in deeper, so I would hop off with it still in great and lift the back corner to get it plant the other wheel and drive out. When it did, it would take off and I'd have to run after it and hop on. I felt like Indiana Jones! Anyway, it's a good thing I never tried it with his 8N, or I wouldn't likely be typing this right now.

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Bessy · Oct 10, 2015

The ol' girl definitely served me well when I bought it. I used it primarily for towing my lawn operation through town (small lakeside town, I could get away with it here). It was wonderful that I managed to find it with a deck and a dozer (though I'd still love to find a loader for it), as it gave me year round income potential. cut grass in the summer, haul leaves and wood in the fall, plow snow in the winter, and grade driveways in the spring. I made a considerable amount of money with that tractor.

rodsnratfinks · Oct 10, 2015

Bessy said:
I'm going to say weekend warrior, tinkerer, husband/boyfriend extraordinaire should suffice. As far as I am concerned, I just like to see what others are up in terms of general projects/hobbies/etc. So long as you don't do it professionally. For instance, the tractor project that I we have been referring to is literally something I undertook with almost no formal mechanical training, and learned as I went along, ultimately culminating in the rebuild of the engine, and the restoration of the whole tractor (in progress). Feel free to post about anything related to your shop/space and the toys/tools within it. The intended purpose is for us weekend warriors and hobbyists to have a place to chat and show off some cool stuff that we did ourselves.

Looking forward to your input!

Interesting, because I've been an auto tech, an electrician, plumber, general contractor, audiovisual tech/sound engineer, sign maker, a computer technician, and I've worked at two hardware/building supply stores. The catch? I've worked professionally at each of these for less than five years each. In essence, I'm a true jack of all trades, master of none. Right now, I'm a full time stay at home dad and freelance A/V tech.

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1/2 Cup · Oct 10, 2015

Great set up and great work, many thanks for sharing. :thumbup:

Regards

Bessy · Oct 10, 2015

Stay at home dad qualifies for sure! I was mostly looking to get away from the day to day techs and pros, and have a place where the little guys can chat and share things that are maybe a little more within the realms of reality for many of us. Think of it like: "hey guys, I just finished/i am in the process of building/refurbing/installing x, check it out!" "Hey that's a cool idea/fairly simple to replicate project, I might try something like it"

Make us all feel good about the little things we take on in our own shops/basements/driveways and share some inspiration.

theSaint024 · Oct 23, 2015

Bessy said:
After seeing a post by theSaint024 in the "Let's see your toolbox" thread, I figured I would start up a thread for the amateurs! Young, old, broke, the hobbyist, what have you, we want to see it! Show us your set up, your tools, your projects.

I just saw this post. Thanks for crediting me but looks like this has turned into a pics of you tractor and cool garage contents thread. I will try to get my amateur set up posted soon. I am surprised no one thought of this sooner. I don't think I'm the only one that has interest in amateur tools or set ups. I have no interest in going next level, so I wanted to see some pics or reviews or uses of gear at my humble level. After joining GJ, I was purposely on the lookout for people like me in the real world but apparently not common in my circles. I'm classified as a "tool guy"! There's got to be more in betweeners like me, no? Maybe that's why Sears is struggling, we're a dying breed. Either you pay someone to fix stuff or you're the guy that gets paid? DIY4life!

rodsnratfinks · Oct 23, 2015

I think we ARE a dying breed. I have met a lot of technicians that have little to no interest in tinkering, and a lot of the others seem to either have no mechanical aptitude or focus on other interests. Myself, I'm the proverbial tinkerer. I'm a jack of all trades, thrifty guy who likes build and modify and invent, the kind of guy who might find an interesting radio on the ground at the dump and lovingly restore it to like new condition regardless of its value. I like to keep my project costs modest. Some of my favorite tinkerers are people like my grandpa who would buy an old sixties car or tractor for a few hundred dollars and restore all the individual components one at a time with great care rather than buying new or NOS off of eBay.

There's a purity to that kind of hobbyist that credit card restorations just can't touch.

Bessy · Oct 23, 2015

Yes unfortunately I don't think we will ever see the kind of resourcefulness older generations were accustomed to. In a society of planned obsolescence, we are completely accustomed to throwing stuff away, and buying new. The concept of "necessity is the mother of invention" is certainly a dying ideal.

I grew up in the sticks, so most anything I ever needed as a younger version of myself involved getting in the car and driving 40 minutes. Needless to say, for this reason among others I really took an interest in the shop, because I was able to solve a number of problems on my own, without the need for rides into town or spending money. Many of my "solutions" before the days of being a licensed driver were certainly McGuiverish. You'd be surprised how many things can be fixed or made better with a piece of baling wire!

If you want reviews on here, I could definitely contribute! I've been meaning to review that roller cab I recently bought, as it was fairly affordable given the alternatives available.

taumac · Oct 23, 2015

theSaint024 said:
I just saw this post. Thanks for crediting me but looks like this has turned into a pics of you tractor and cool garage contents thread. I will try to get my amateur set up posted soon. I am surprised no one thought of this sooner. I don't think I'm the only one that has interest in amateur tools or set ups. I have no interest in going next level, so I wanted to see some pics or reviews or uses of gear at my humble level. After joining GJ, I was purposely on the lookout for people like me in the real world but apparently not common in my circles. I'm classified as a "tool guy"! There's got to be more in betweeners like me, no? Maybe that's why Sears is struggling, we're a dying breed. Either you pay someone to fix stuff or you're the guy that gets paid? DIY4life!

There's a lot more of us out there than you think. My suggestion is to go the the garage gallery and look for 1 and 2 car garages. There's a lot of great garages out there that do the a lot with very little and little budget. You've only been here few months so just have to know where to look to find them.

Amateur Hour: The thread for the little guys!

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