mfg0772
Well-known member
Very lucky with the power situation! It seems that it's things like that that are never considered in the real estate market. You could spend all that money to get power to the barn and it wouldn't change the value.
...and so it begins
- Thread starter fourbyford
- Start date
Jayman17
Well-known member
Wow those ducks are big now! Those are spectacular sunset photos. 
Jay
Jay
OP
fourbyford
Well-known member
Hey Mike...
Yep, the electric hook-up is a real windfall and, you're right, something most people never consider. I'm guessing the neighbor will have more than 30 large into it by the time he gets power to his place. I'd guess it would've cost me 10 - 15 if I would've brought power to the barn myself... would've made that project pretty spendy!
Jay...
The ducks continue to grow and they are pretty comical to watch. We're thinking next Friday is the launch day for ducks in the pond. I hope we dont scare the wild birds away... hopefully everyone can get along... lol
We don't get nice sunsets every day... in the winter it's usually too overcast and, in summer, too clear. But, every once in a while...
Thanks for the visits, guys!
...D
Yep, the electric hook-up is a real windfall and, you're right, something most people never consider. I'm guessing the neighbor will have more than 30 large into it by the time he gets power to his place. I'd guess it would've cost me 10 - 15 if I would've brought power to the barn myself... would've made that project pretty spendy!
Jay...
The ducks continue to grow and they are pretty comical to watch. We're thinking next Friday is the launch day for ducks in the pond. I hope we dont scare the wild birds away... hopefully everyone can get along... lol
We don't get nice sunsets every day... in the winter it's usually too overcast and, in summer, too clear. But, every once in a while...
Thanks for the visits, guys!
...D
Pressingonward
Well-known member
Wow, that sky is spectacular!
C_F
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Man, what a great stroke of luck you have, with your new neighbors bringing in power lines...AND that it's going right through your property! That's not quite a lottery win, but pretty darn close, I'd say.
BTW, your yard & the land around you really looks wonderful, just a big sea of green. I hope it doesn't dry up too dramatically this summer. Thanks for sharing your great photos!
Your ducks are really looking great, and WOW are they getting big! It's too bad I'm not nearer to you, I would bring you Walter's old pool. It's roughly 3 times the size of your kiddie pool. However, because you have a pond, a larger pool wouldn't really be necessary, I suppose.
I had to put a "flying wood chip guard" on the bottom 6" of our little "chicken Hilton", the chicks can really send the chips-a-flying as they scratch! I think the largest white one may be a rooster, since he really loves instigating fights with the others.
Yes, the women in my life are really loving the chicks. They are thinking we will move the chicks outside near the end of May...I said "they will probably be adults by then"!
I think I'd better start building a full size chicken pen next weekend, in case I'm right.
Here's two shots of my wood chip guard, it's made from a section of vinyl billboard material. The carpet stays MUCH cleaner now.
Oh, speaking of sunset shots, this is one that happened on Thanksgiving evening 2017. I haven't seen one here since, that's topped this one.
BTW, your yard & the land around you really looks wonderful, just a big sea of green. I hope it doesn't dry up too dramatically this summer. Thanks for sharing your great photos!
Your ducks are really looking great, and WOW are they getting big! It's too bad I'm not nearer to you, I would bring you Walter's old pool. It's roughly 3 times the size of your kiddie pool. However, because you have a pond, a larger pool wouldn't really be necessary, I suppose.
I had to put a "flying wood chip guard" on the bottom 6" of our little "chicken Hilton", the chicks can really send the chips-a-flying as they scratch! I think the largest white one may be a rooster, since he really loves instigating fights with the others.
Yes, the women in my life are really loving the chicks. They are thinking we will move the chicks outside near the end of May...I said "they will probably be adults by then"!
I think I'd better start building a full size chicken pen next weekend, in case I'm right.Here's two shots of my wood chip guard, it's made from a section of vinyl billboard material. The carpet stays MUCH cleaner now.
Oh, speaking of sunset shots, this is one that happened on Thanksgiving evening 2017. I haven't seen one here since, that's topped this one.
Last edited:
OP
fourbyford
Well-known member
Hey Justin...
Yeah, we get some nice skies once in a while... I was lucky to have been outside that evening.
C.F.
My stroke of luck just got better. The new neighbors came up this evening and told us they would pay for the transformer next to our barn as compensation for signing the easement. That means I'll be paying a few hundred (instead of SEVERAL thousand) when it's time to connect to power. Wow! Now, I can't wait to get started on that project!
Our "older" ducks continue to grow... I think they're about 7 weeks old now and I still have trouble comprehending how big they're getting. I've read they mature at about 7 or 8 months so will continue to grow for some time yet.
My misses keeps a variety of tubs of water around the yard, including the kiddie pool, and, of course, they just can't stay out of them... lol
In other news, the new ducklings FINALLY got here. I had ordered 4 females for my misses' birthday. Originally, they were to have shipped on Monday, 5/27... but I was notified they wouldn't ship until Tuesday. OK, that meant they would arrive a day late but, fair enough. So, I thought they would arrive on Thursday. Nope. Then, I thought Friday for sure. I had already talked to the ladies at our mail truck... gave them my phone number to call when the ducks arrived. By 11 am Friday, still no call. So I drove down there. The USPS tracking info said they'd be delivered Friday evening by 8... I knew that was BS but tried to figure out where the ducks actually were. Through the miracle of the USPS' highly advanced tracking system, we were able to determine the ducks were most likely somewhere in the continental United States and that I might get them on Saturday. After driving nearly 100 miles, to 3 different Post Offices, I finally had to admit defeat. Getting them on Saturday meant they'd be without food, water, or warmth for about 4 days. I didn't see any way the poor little guys could survive it. On Saturday morning, I got a phone call a bit before 8. It was a different Post Office than our normal one and they had just gotten a chirping box. I hurried down and got them. I had ordered 4... three survived the ordeal but definitely looked stressed.
My misses tended to them all weekend and it appears that the three will live. I emailed the hatchery with some concerns on Monday morning and haven't heard a single word. I plan to call them tomorrow morning. As far as the package, it sat 90 miles away, in Spokane, Washington, for just under 2 1/2 days. If I'd known, I would've gladly driven there and picked up the ducks myself... I'm sure they were all alive when they arrived there. I just can't believe the USPS would leave that box sit. It was clearly marked that it contained live animals... and, all anyone would have to do is listen to know what the story was. The label on the box said "2 day priority"... that I received in 5 days. I got the address for the Consumer Affairs dept for this area... can't wait to hear the BS reply when I file my complaint.
At any rate, these girls are growing (although not quite as fast as the Rouen girls) and are an absolute joy. 3 are so much easier than 6... lol.
I hear ya on the "scatter shield"... our ducks splash water... your chicks throw chips... lol. Looks like they're growing as well. Too fun!
Good luck building your new chicken coop... sounds like you'll need it soon!
And, beautiful sunset! Was that near your place? I absolutely loved living in Utah, the population was just growing too large and too fast for me... I'm just an ol' farm boy at heart... lol
Gents, thanks once again for the visits!
...D
Sent from my SM-N960U using The Garage Journal mobile app
Yeah, we get some nice skies once in a while... I was lucky to have been outside that evening.
C.F.
My stroke of luck just got better. The new neighbors came up this evening and told us they would pay for the transformer next to our barn as compensation for signing the easement. That means I'll be paying a few hundred (instead of SEVERAL thousand) when it's time to connect to power. Wow! Now, I can't wait to get started on that project!
Our "older" ducks continue to grow... I think they're about 7 weeks old now and I still have trouble comprehending how big they're getting. I've read they mature at about 7 or 8 months so will continue to grow for some time yet.
My misses keeps a variety of tubs of water around the yard, including the kiddie pool, and, of course, they just can't stay out of them... lol
In other news, the new ducklings FINALLY got here. I had ordered 4 females for my misses' birthday. Originally, they were to have shipped on Monday, 5/27... but I was notified they wouldn't ship until Tuesday. OK, that meant they would arrive a day late but, fair enough. So, I thought they would arrive on Thursday. Nope. Then, I thought Friday for sure. I had already talked to the ladies at our mail truck... gave them my phone number to call when the ducks arrived. By 11 am Friday, still no call. So I drove down there. The USPS tracking info said they'd be delivered Friday evening by 8... I knew that was BS but tried to figure out where the ducks actually were. Through the miracle of the USPS' highly advanced tracking system, we were able to determine the ducks were most likely somewhere in the continental United States and that I might get them on Saturday. After driving nearly 100 miles, to 3 different Post Offices, I finally had to admit defeat. Getting them on Saturday meant they'd be without food, water, or warmth for about 4 days. I didn't see any way the poor little guys could survive it. On Saturday morning, I got a phone call a bit before 8. It was a different Post Office than our normal one and they had just gotten a chirping box. I hurried down and got them. I had ordered 4... three survived the ordeal but definitely looked stressed.
My misses tended to them all weekend and it appears that the three will live. I emailed the hatchery with some concerns on Monday morning and haven't heard a single word. I plan to call them tomorrow morning. As far as the package, it sat 90 miles away, in Spokane, Washington, for just under 2 1/2 days. If I'd known, I would've gladly driven there and picked up the ducks myself... I'm sure they were all alive when they arrived there. I just can't believe the USPS would leave that box sit. It was clearly marked that it contained live animals... and, all anyone would have to do is listen to know what the story was. The label on the box said "2 day priority"... that I received in 5 days. I got the address for the Consumer Affairs dept for this area... can't wait to hear the BS reply when I file my complaint.
At any rate, these girls are growing (although not quite as fast as the Rouen girls) and are an absolute joy. 3 are so much easier than 6... lol.
I hear ya on the "scatter shield"... our ducks splash water... your chicks throw chips... lol. Looks like they're growing as well. Too fun!
Good luck building your new chicken coop... sounds like you'll need it soon!
And, beautiful sunset! Was that near your place? I absolutely loved living in Utah, the population was just growing too large and too fast for me... I'm just an ol' farm boy at heart... lol
Gents, thanks once again for the visits!
...D
Sent from my SM-N960U using The Garage Journal mobile app
OP
fourbyford
Well-known member
I've actually managed to check some things off the list over the past few days.
I spent some time in the duck house and got the plywood installed over the insulation in the ceiling. I decided the easiest way to fit the panels was to create full-sized paper templates of each "bay"... so I made them from the paper I used for the lino on the floor.
Other than needing 3 hands to get large sheets of paper stapled to the underside of the roof framing, the process went well. Each panel fit... first time!
Once I got all the panels in place, I installed a trim strip on each end. This was needed because when I originally built the wall on the west end, I only ran the plywood to the top of that wall (instead of to the underside of the roof) which made sense at that time... but created a bit of a problem in the duck house. Anyways, the trim strips solved that issue and look OK.
And, once they were done, I added an additional light inside. Now, it's nice and bright! I'm sure we'll appreciate that during the dark winter months.
And, I wired a switch into the outlet that the heat lamps plug into. Now, we can just switch them on/off instead of plugging/unplugging the cords.
So... the work inside the duck house is pretty much wrapped up... for now at least!
Sent from my SM-N960U using The Garage Journal mobile app
I spent some time in the duck house and got the plywood installed over the insulation in the ceiling. I decided the easiest way to fit the panels was to create full-sized paper templates of each "bay"... so I made them from the paper I used for the lino on the floor.
Other than needing 3 hands to get large sheets of paper stapled to the underside of the roof framing, the process went well. Each panel fit... first time!
Once I got all the panels in place, I installed a trim strip on each end. This was needed because when I originally built the wall on the west end, I only ran the plywood to the top of that wall (instead of to the underside of the roof) which made sense at that time... but created a bit of a problem in the duck house. Anyways, the trim strips solved that issue and look OK.
And, once they were done, I added an additional light inside. Now, it's nice and bright! I'm sure we'll appreciate that during the dark winter months.
And, I wired a switch into the outlet that the heat lamps plug into. Now, we can just switch them on/off instead of plugging/unplugging the cords.
So... the work inside the duck house is pretty much wrapped up... for now at least!
Sent from my SM-N960U using The Garage Journal mobile app
OP
fourbyford
Well-known member
I had a bit of work still to do in the area of the entry into the duck house.
The 8' sheets of plywood (installed vertically) were about a foot short of reaching the underside of the roof, so I cut/fit strips to finish out the wall. This left a pretty ugly seam across the wall and, since the ply hadn't come from the same sheet (obviously) there were a couple of areas where the color/grain mis-match were very noticeable... lol. My OCD couldn't let that one go so...
First, I removed the strips. Had to add a bit of F/G insulation into the stud wall (where the pre-cut strips were too short) and shoot some "Great Stuff" expanding foam around gaps caused by the round (log) rafters joined by dimensional lumber. That done, upper strips reinstalled and some trim for that ugly seam! ...complete with (a sort of) crown molding. Just what every duck house needs!!! ...lol
Then, around to the outside, covered area. My misses wanted to divide off a good portion of the area to keep the ducks out. We decided straw bales would work.
They seem to work just fine. They keep the breeze out, the ducks where we want them, and, they're easily moved when we need access to that area. And... they look "farm-y" and you know what they say... happy wife...
Here's a shot of the ramp and one of their feeders
And another shot of the end of the building. You'll probably notice the new fence around the 2 new blueberry bushes (along with the 3 older ones)...
It turns out that ducks love blueberry plants... buds, leaves, blooms... the whole she-bang... so, a new fence it is!
This morning, we had a guest on the kennel building... one of the Canadas that has been living on our pond. Pretty sure he was scoping out his kingdom.
Speaking of which... I had mentioned previously that I was sure his mate was sitting a nest...
Sure 'nuff...
Yesterday morning, my misses looked out our upstairs window and saw two adult Canadas sitting on the bank of our pond... along with 8 goslings...
Still trying to get a pic of them.
Now, if Mrs. Mallard will come through!! ...lol
...D
Sent from my SM-N960U using The Garage Journal mobile app
The 8' sheets of plywood (installed vertically) were about a foot short of reaching the underside of the roof, so I cut/fit strips to finish out the wall. This left a pretty ugly seam across the wall and, since the ply hadn't come from the same sheet (obviously) there were a couple of areas where the color/grain mis-match were very noticeable... lol. My OCD couldn't let that one go so...
First, I removed the strips. Had to add a bit of F/G insulation into the stud wall (where the pre-cut strips were too short) and shoot some "Great Stuff" expanding foam around gaps caused by the round (log) rafters joined by dimensional lumber. That done, upper strips reinstalled and some trim for that ugly seam! ...complete with (a sort of) crown molding. Just what every duck house needs!!! ...lol
Then, around to the outside, covered area. My misses wanted to divide off a good portion of the area to keep the ducks out. We decided straw bales would work.
They seem to work just fine. They keep the breeze out, the ducks where we want them, and, they're easily moved when we need access to that area. And... they look "farm-y" and you know what they say... happy wife...
Here's a shot of the ramp and one of their feeders
And another shot of the end of the building. You'll probably notice the new fence around the 2 new blueberry bushes (along with the 3 older ones)...
It turns out that ducks love blueberry plants... buds, leaves, blooms... the whole she-bang... so, a new fence it is!
This morning, we had a guest on the kennel building... one of the Canadas that has been living on our pond. Pretty sure he was scoping out his kingdom.
Speaking of which... I had mentioned previously that I was sure his mate was sitting a nest...
Sure 'nuff...
Yesterday morning, my misses looked out our upstairs window and saw two adult Canadas sitting on the bank of our pond... along with 8 goslings...
Still trying to get a pic of them.
Now, if Mrs. Mallard will come through!! ...lol
...D
Sent from my SM-N960U using The Garage Journal mobile app
drivesitfar
Well-known member
4by: i'm trying to get my shipping guy to work, but last time I heard he's still trying to find his pile of shipping boxes so he can pack up a box for you. sorry to hear about all the issues getting your new ducks to your place and maybe Uncle Sam should add animal casualties to the list to pump up their Covid #'s.
GEESH that was sad about losing one and hope the other new members of your feathered friends enjoy a nice long life on the pond. heck sounds like they'll have plenty of company with a new bunch of bigger Canadians to keep them company.
hope you are getting some of this great weather and i'm heading out to mix and pour some concrete (by hand) now so take care.
cheers
GEESH that was sad about losing one and hope the other new members of your feathered friends enjoy a nice long life on the pond. heck sounds like they'll have plenty of company with a new bunch of bigger Canadians to keep them company.
hope you are getting some of this great weather and i'm heading out to mix and pour some concrete (by hand) now so take care.
cheers
OP
fourbyford
Well-known member
Hey Drives,
Yeah, I've read about inflated casualty numbers... guess this one is related to the kung-flu as well.
While yesterday was supposed to be the "Big Day"... the maiden voyage for the ducks on open water... it turned out to be somewhat anticlimactic.
It seems the Canadas are taking their wee ones for a foraging run from mid morning through late afternoon which frees up the pond for "open swimming". As it warmed up nicely yesterday afternoon, we lured our girls up the bank of the pond and to the edge of the water. My misses was able to coax them into the water by tossing chunks of banana just off the shore. Once there, they began rooting around in the mud and seemed to be finding all manner of tasty morsels. This food hunt kept them occupied for a couple of hours. During that time, all of them were wading... a couple got in deep enough water they had to swim but, none seemed all that thrilled at the thoughts of venturing into the vast expanse of water. I stayed around for 20 or so minutes, my misses for about an hour but, we both decided to move on... as there was nothing to see there... lol. The girls sunned themselves on the banks of the pond for another couple of hours then, came back to the lawn where they wanted their kiddie pool refilled. They spent most of the evening there. I had seen a couple of you tube vids where people were trying to introduce their ducks to their ponds... pretty much the same results. As it gets warmer this summer, they may be in the pond more. Dunno. At least they know it's there.
Thanks for the visit! Looks like you survived yet another concrete job!
One of the things on my list for yesterday was to get the lawn tractor back on the road. On Monday, my misses was mowing and I was totally engrossed in one thing or another when she came walking up and told me that the "wheel fell off of the mower". All sorts of things began to run through my mind... how in the hell does a wheel fall off?? I remembered that a couple of years ago I had taken off both front wheels to have the tires filled with foam but... that was a couple years ago... and I was absolutely certain that I had reinstalled them correctly. So, we walked out to the mower and, sure 'nuff, the left front was laying in the dirt. Front spindle snapped off just below where it pivots on the axle. Hmmm... time for a recovery mission. After thinking for a minute, the 3 point hitch on the big lawn tractor seemed to be the best choice. So, I rounded up the draw bar and a chain and towed the mower up to the garage.
Too bad I don't have a bigger tractor... this ol' girl had a real struggle getting the mower up to the garage... hahaha
On Tuesday, we had a list of things to take care of in the big city so, while we were there, I stopped by the JD dealership. With a bit of a struggle, the parts guy seemed to find the part I needed for the mower. I picked it up on Thursday but didn't get around to working on the mower til yesterday. Well, wouldn't ya know... not the correct part. And, because of the fertilizer escapade a few pages back, the grass is growing like wild fire. So, I decided to just go with it. Actually, it's not that big of a deal. The vertical portion of the spindle... the part that goes into the axle itself (resulting in the pivoting/steering) was about an inch too long. It has a ring groove machined into it and is retained by an "e" clip. So, long story short, I found a stack of 3/4" washers for the upper part of the spindle, reinstalled the "e" clip, replaced the vinyl cover, and it looks and functions just like the other side. One day, I'll cross-drill it and tap in a roll pin which will allow me to saw off the excess length... or not... That's a job for a day when I have absolutely nothing better to do so, probably wont ever get done... lol
So, I had the spindle mounted to the lawn tractor... when I went to put the wheel back on, the bearing wouldn't fit. I got out the dial caliper... the original spindle measured right at .750"... new one was .753"... no bueno. The entire part was painted satin black... looked to be powder coat. Anyways, a strip of abrasive from the shop roll and a few minutes of the ol' back and forth... paint gone and new spindle measures .749"... wheel back on. Shortly after, my misses is down from the pond and mowing. She got most of the yard done and was mowing out by the big barn... forgot to lift the mower deck as she was mowing the "rough"... Yep, plowed dirt with the deck and broke a bearing assembly that holds the center blade. So, now at the top of my list this morning is to remove the mower deck, clean it up and remove the broken bearing assembly. I'll call and order a new part on Monday morning... should be back in operation by Wednesday... just in time to mow again!
Meanwhile, lots of other things on the list... just not sure what will be next...
...D
Sent from my SM-N960U using The Garage Journal mobile app
Yeah, I've read about inflated casualty numbers... guess this one is related to the kung-flu as well.
While yesterday was supposed to be the "Big Day"... the maiden voyage for the ducks on open water... it turned out to be somewhat anticlimactic.
It seems the Canadas are taking their wee ones for a foraging run from mid morning through late afternoon which frees up the pond for "open swimming". As it warmed up nicely yesterday afternoon, we lured our girls up the bank of the pond and to the edge of the water. My misses was able to coax them into the water by tossing chunks of banana just off the shore. Once there, they began rooting around in the mud and seemed to be finding all manner of tasty morsels. This food hunt kept them occupied for a couple of hours. During that time, all of them were wading... a couple got in deep enough water they had to swim but, none seemed all that thrilled at the thoughts of venturing into the vast expanse of water. I stayed around for 20 or so minutes, my misses for about an hour but, we both decided to move on... as there was nothing to see there... lol. The girls sunned themselves on the banks of the pond for another couple of hours then, came back to the lawn where they wanted their kiddie pool refilled. They spent most of the evening there. I had seen a couple of you tube vids where people were trying to introduce their ducks to their ponds... pretty much the same results. As it gets warmer this summer, they may be in the pond more. Dunno. At least they know it's there.
Thanks for the visit! Looks like you survived yet another concrete job!
One of the things on my list for yesterday was to get the lawn tractor back on the road. On Monday, my misses was mowing and I was totally engrossed in one thing or another when she came walking up and told me that the "wheel fell off of the mower". All sorts of things began to run through my mind... how in the hell does a wheel fall off?? I remembered that a couple of years ago I had taken off both front wheels to have the tires filled with foam but... that was a couple years ago... and I was absolutely certain that I had reinstalled them correctly. So, we walked out to the mower and, sure 'nuff, the left front was laying in the dirt. Front spindle snapped off just below where it pivots on the axle. Hmmm... time for a recovery mission. After thinking for a minute, the 3 point hitch on the big lawn tractor seemed to be the best choice. So, I rounded up the draw bar and a chain and towed the mower up to the garage.
Too bad I don't have a bigger tractor... this ol' girl had a real struggle getting the mower up to the garage... hahaha
On Tuesday, we had a list of things to take care of in the big city so, while we were there, I stopped by the JD dealership. With a bit of a struggle, the parts guy seemed to find the part I needed for the mower. I picked it up on Thursday but didn't get around to working on the mower til yesterday. Well, wouldn't ya know... not the correct part. And, because of the fertilizer escapade a few pages back, the grass is growing like wild fire. So, I decided to just go with it. Actually, it's not that big of a deal. The vertical portion of the spindle... the part that goes into the axle itself (resulting in the pivoting/steering) was about an inch too long. It has a ring groove machined into it and is retained by an "e" clip. So, long story short, I found a stack of 3/4" washers for the upper part of the spindle, reinstalled the "e" clip, replaced the vinyl cover, and it looks and functions just like the other side. One day, I'll cross-drill it and tap in a roll pin which will allow me to saw off the excess length... or not... That's a job for a day when I have absolutely nothing better to do so, probably wont ever get done... lol
So, I had the spindle mounted to the lawn tractor... when I went to put the wheel back on, the bearing wouldn't fit. I got out the dial caliper... the original spindle measured right at .750"... new one was .753"... no bueno. The entire part was painted satin black... looked to be powder coat. Anyways, a strip of abrasive from the shop roll and a few minutes of the ol' back and forth... paint gone and new spindle measures .749"... wheel back on. Shortly after, my misses is down from the pond and mowing. She got most of the yard done and was mowing out by the big barn... forgot to lift the mower deck as she was mowing the "rough"... Yep, plowed dirt with the deck and broke a bearing assembly that holds the center blade. So, now at the top of my list this morning is to remove the mower deck, clean it up and remove the broken bearing assembly. I'll call and order a new part on Monday morning... should be back in operation by Wednesday... just in time to mow again!
Meanwhile, lots of other things on the list... just not sure what will be next...
...D
Sent from my SM-N960U using The Garage Journal mobile app
drivesitfar
Well-known member
4by: there is a reason why guys that own farms are HANDY. It's because THEY HAVE TO BE. GEESH that mower work sounded terrible. not that I would have known even how to use a riding mower didn't your bride hear the rocks and dirt and see the dust or was it too late by that time? pretty cool that she's able to use it and get the mowing done around the house.
good to see the ducks and the Canadians are taking turns and hoping when they meet in the pond it's a friendly one.
enjoy your day cause guessing since it was 80 here yesterday it's going to be a nice day for you today.
cheers
good to see the ducks and the Canadians are taking turns and hoping when they meet in the pond it's a friendly one.
enjoy your day cause guessing since it was 80 here yesterday it's going to be a nice day for you today.
cheers
Pressingonward
Well-known member
I've got a John Deere L120 mower and while mowing on Monday I turned the steering wheel and the tie rod popped off the pivot ball. Popped it back on and made it 30 feet before it did it again.
Ordered new tie rod assemblies, but now both my tractor and mower are sitting in the field waiting for parts. Thankfully I only had a 20x50 area left to mow, and the push mower fired right up after sitting for 5 years
Ordered new tie rod assemblies, but now both my tractor and mower are sitting in the field waiting for parts. Thankfully I only had a 20x50 area left to mow, and the push mower fired right up after sitting for 5 years
OP
fourbyford
Well-known member
Hey Drives,
There was a bit of a learning curve a couple of years ago when my misses decided she wanted to be in charge of the lawn mowing. A couple of mishaps. No injuries and no major damage so, we just chalk it up to experience.
I think the geese and ducks will get along just fine... the gander seems to have calmed a bit but is very involved in the safety and security of his young family. That said, the wild Mallards are still on the pond, unmolested so, I'm thinking our girls would be OK as well.
Our weather has been spectacular! Sunny and warm. Looks to be a chance for rain mid-week but, only a day or two. This time of year, I'm hoping for the rain!
Hey Justin,
Sounds like your luck runs about the same course as mine! At least replacing the tie rods won't involve jacking the mower up or anything too involved... eh?
Your Ford tractor is out? I saw in your thread where you had just used it to load the truck frame... didn't realize you broke it... lol
Good luck with the repairs!!
Guys, thanks for the visits!!
...D
There was a bit of a learning curve a couple of years ago when my misses decided she wanted to be in charge of the lawn mowing. A couple of mishaps. No injuries and no major damage so, we just chalk it up to experience.
I think the geese and ducks will get along just fine... the gander seems to have calmed a bit but is very involved in the safety and security of his young family. That said, the wild Mallards are still on the pond, unmolested so, I'm thinking our girls would be OK as well.
Our weather has been spectacular! Sunny and warm. Looks to be a chance for rain mid-week but, only a day or two. This time of year, I'm hoping for the rain!
Hey Justin,
Sounds like your luck runs about the same course as mine! At least replacing the tie rods won't involve jacking the mower up or anything too involved... eh?
Your Ford tractor is out? I saw in your thread where you had just used it to load the truck frame... didn't realize you broke it... lol
Good luck with the repairs!!
Guys, thanks for the visits!!
...D
Pressingonward
Well-known member
Yep, tractor is down due to a broken front axle. Looks like it got cracked a long time ago and finally let go a week or so ago.
Thankfully I was able to find a replacement on eBay for not too much money (plus my father-in-law insisted on paying for it since he was using it at the time).
Gonna try and post about it on my thread soon. Always seems easier to post on other threads than to update my own
Thankfully I was able to find a replacement on eBay for not too much money (plus my father-in-law insisted on paying for it since he was using it at the time).
Gonna try and post about it on my thread soon. Always seems easier to post on other threads than to update my own
OP
fourbyford
Well-known member
Sorry to hear about the tractor mishap. Cool that you found a replacement axle... maybe not too bad of a job to do the swap?? Probably the worst part will be lifting/supporting the front end...
Know what ya mean about updating... sometimes I'm just too tired or distracted to organize my thoughts into something remotely coherent...
Anyways, good luck with getting your machinery operational again...
We just finished breakfast and a few household chores... now, I'm off to pull that mower deck!
Thanks for the visit!!!
...D
Know what ya mean about updating... sometimes I'm just too tired or distracted to organize my thoughts into something remotely coherent...
Anyways, good luck with getting your machinery operational again...
We just finished breakfast and a few household chores... now, I'm off to pull that mower deck!
Thanks for the visit!!!
...D
C_F
ALLIANCE MEMBER
That photo was taken from my back yard. It was sooo amazing to witness, one of the many wonders of this world.
Yes, the population boom here northern Utah is growing like crazy, the Salt Lake valley is practically 100% full & now it's spilling over into what once was my little quiet small town area of Eagle Mountain. I've been here since '99...I recently discovered the "master plan" of our area for what they want it to look like by 2040, and then I clicked on the plan of a freeway running through our area (about a mile west of me), I went YIKES!
I am now seriously thinking of GTFO of this place by 2022, in favor of some place like your current nirvana.
Anyway...Your news about the new little ducklings is heartbreaking! FIVE days without food & water, while stuck in their USPS "system"? Damn!
The fact that three of them survived is really amazing, those poor birds. I hope you will be able to make some heads roll, but in this time of the big Wouhan Red Death scare, I have a hunch they will pull that card as their easy out for anything gone wrong. I hope the little tykes will continue to grow & be healthy.
That's great that you're pretty much wrapped up the duck house. I hope they don't outgrow the size of their door & ramp!
I had no idea that ducks love blueberry plants, that's kinda funny. I know they don't give a **** about pine trees or lilac bushes. The maiden voyage for the ducks in the pond made me chuckle. I didn't have that with my duck, because I didn't have a pond...BUT...Walter the gravy **** absolutely LOVED when I would take the hose & make a big muddy puddle, he would trample anybody in the yard to come over & root around that puddle with his beak, searching for great tasting bugs. He was such a character, I still miss him.
Sorry to hear about your mower woes, and the parts-guy's mis ordering. I'm a parts guy, and anything implement related always begins with a VIN or model number, to eliminate incorrectly ordered parts. There are SO many minute changes those companies do, it's crazy. And half the time, when you do all questions right, you still end up with the wrong 'Chit, it drives me nuts!
So on my Homefront, last Sunday was cage cleaning day, and because we were having such a wonderful weather day (sorry for you easterners), I decided to put them in my old wabbit pen on the back lawn for a couple hours, so I didn't have to chase them all over the yard. The "vote for" thing on the top I slappped there for some shade, it was almost 88° that afternoon, so far they haven't known any temps above 72°
At first, the chicks didn't know what to make of the grass under their feet, it was kinda comical. Then about 20 minutes later they began scratching & pecking.
They are funny, they totally stay huddled up when they are presented with each new experience that deviates from the normal they have previously known. I bet I could have dumped them loose from their red Tupperware in the middle of the yard & they probably would have stayed in a clump the whole time. Gonna try that next time.
With my luck, I will lose that bet & I'll be chasing fast moving chicks for the next hour LOL!
Last edited:
OP
fourbyford
Well-known member
Hey C.F.
Thanks for the update!
Yeah, it's absolutely unbelievable how fast the entire Wasatch Front is developing. We were through there summer before last on our way to a family wedding in Aspen Colorado. I couldn't believe how much things had changed since I was last there. The little barn/pasture I used to lease for my horses (when I had it, was waaay out in the country... lol) is now surrounded by subdivisions. Years ago, I couldn't understand how/why people were building high dollar houses right next to I-15 in Ogden and points south. Now, there are miles of sound walls. When I lived there, I-15 was essentially 4 lanes except for a small stretch through SLC... 6 lanes. Now, wow!!! When I first arrived in Utah, in '83, IIRC, Ogden was just over 80k and SLC was pretty easy to navigate. As much as I like Utah, I'm glad I don't live there now. But, it's still a great place to visit... just not during rush hour... lol...
So, a plan to leave? Probably a good idea. I don't think I could abide a freeway even within a mile of my place. Seems it would be traffic noise 24 by 7. Maybe late fall or next spring you should plan a road trip? Either is a great time to tour this area. Pretty much any living situation you might want is at hand. Moscow, Idaho and Pullman, Washington are both home to universities... about 35 miles west of us. Lewiston, Idaho and Clarkston, Washington both have colleges and are a bit more "industrial"... about 45 miles southwest. Lewiston is where I go to the farm store and Home Depot, etc. Around us is primarily agricultural and timber. Further north, around Coeur d' Alene and Sandpoint is more lakes and forest... although we have lots of forest here as well! Even though we're fairly remote, civilization is a short drive!
As far as the little ducks... I have little hope of any resolution. As you mentioned, seems most government agencies always have SOME excuse for incompetence.
But, the three survivors are thriving! They were so tiny when we got them, we weren't sure we received the Jumbo Pekins we ordered. Now, I'm pretty sure we did! They are growing even faster than our Rouen girls did. Uhhh... Houston, we may have a problem! I may need to embiggen the doorway/ramp. Hope it can wait a couple of months!
Our older girls still aren't really thrilled about going into the pond. They seem to be content splashing around in the Rubber Maid feed trough, turned swimming pool. But, they're just now a couple of months old... (hard to believe, looking at them)... I'd guess when it gets hot this summer, and they're a bit older, they may go in. Like Walter, they really enjoy when my misses is watering the yard. They find all manner of delectable treats.
Yesterday, my neighbor stopped by on his way home from work. Said he'd just seen what he was pretty sure was a wolf... traveling west to east, pretty much at our north property line. Crossed the county road right in front of him and ran along the fence line of the property the new neighbors just bought. I was mowing some tall grass in the steep/rough areas we can't mow with the rider... was almost a quarter mile from the house. Good thing I didn't have a need to protect myself... could've been a situation... Guess I'd better dig out the shoulder rig and start carrying some iron when I'm out. I'd much rather have it... and not need it...
As far as the part for the mower...
The dealership had the S/N of our mower on file. Evidently, there were two possibilities and the roll of the dice proved to be the wrong part. They would have re-ordered the other part but that would've meant another two day delay to get the part in. If I'd waited for that, I'd be looking for a baler as well. Our grass is growing like wild-fire! I was able to get this part to work... it just hurts my OCD. Guess I might have to find the time to put it right. Wish there was some way to cut the ring groove... but, the way it's assembled, no real way to do it. Guess a roll pin will have to do!
I did get the mower deck off. First order of business was a good cleaning.
Although we use the hose attachment thingy to clean the deck, I think the grass has been so damp lately, it has built up so much, the cleaning feature hasn't been all that effective. When my misses last mowed, she had finished the main yard, then began to cut the area near the old barn. When she accidentally plowed dirt with the mower deck, it threw dirt into the damp grass which almost instantly solidified. This bound the center blade and split the bearing housing. Much gunk!
I swear I cleaned 75 pounds of **** from the underside of the deck!
Changing the bearing assembly was mostly uneventful so, no pics... except of this...
Anyway, back together and cutting fine!
Awesome pics of your brood... looking at them makes me smile! It's funny how smart these birds are... and what creatures of habit.
We aren't doing things exactly the same with the new ducks... mostly because of how tiny, and stressed, they were when we got them. We'd had them more than a week before my misses introduced them to the bath tub. 1 was fine with it... the other two, not so much. I got a good laugh out of that one... ducks that don't like water... lol...
Anyways, today was round three and they're all swimming like champs!
Interesting you mention about the shade...
Our girls frequently look for shade... under anything and everything. Lately, it's my truck. For some reason, they love laying under it. I needed to go to the Postal Truck a couple days ago and had a heckuva time getting them out!
Your story about the grass between the toes made me chuckle as well...
Not sure about turning them out in a clump next time... once they figure out they're free to run, Dad may just get a workout! hahaha...
Anyways, thanks for the visit... always good to get the latest from your neck of the woods!
...D
Sent from my SM-N960U using The Garage Journal mobile app
Thanks for the update!
Yeah, it's absolutely unbelievable how fast the entire Wasatch Front is developing. We were through there summer before last on our way to a family wedding in Aspen Colorado. I couldn't believe how much things had changed since I was last there. The little barn/pasture I used to lease for my horses (when I had it, was waaay out in the country... lol) is now surrounded by subdivisions. Years ago, I couldn't understand how/why people were building high dollar houses right next to I-15 in Ogden and points south. Now, there are miles of sound walls. When I lived there, I-15 was essentially 4 lanes except for a small stretch through SLC... 6 lanes. Now, wow!!! When I first arrived in Utah, in '83, IIRC, Ogden was just over 80k and SLC was pretty easy to navigate. As much as I like Utah, I'm glad I don't live there now. But, it's still a great place to visit... just not during rush hour... lol...
So, a plan to leave? Probably a good idea. I don't think I could abide a freeway even within a mile of my place. Seems it would be traffic noise 24 by 7. Maybe late fall or next spring you should plan a road trip? Either is a great time to tour this area. Pretty much any living situation you might want is at hand. Moscow, Idaho and Pullman, Washington are both home to universities... about 35 miles west of us. Lewiston, Idaho and Clarkston, Washington both have colleges and are a bit more "industrial"... about 45 miles southwest. Lewiston is where I go to the farm store and Home Depot, etc. Around us is primarily agricultural and timber. Further north, around Coeur d' Alene and Sandpoint is more lakes and forest... although we have lots of forest here as well! Even though we're fairly remote, civilization is a short drive!
As far as the little ducks... I have little hope of any resolution. As you mentioned, seems most government agencies always have SOME excuse for incompetence.
But, the three survivors are thriving! They were so tiny when we got them, we weren't sure we received the Jumbo Pekins we ordered. Now, I'm pretty sure we did! They are growing even faster than our Rouen girls did. Uhhh... Houston, we may have a problem! I may need to embiggen the doorway/ramp. Hope it can wait a couple of months!
Our older girls still aren't really thrilled about going into the pond. They seem to be content splashing around in the Rubber Maid feed trough, turned swimming pool. But, they're just now a couple of months old... (hard to believe, looking at them)... I'd guess when it gets hot this summer, and they're a bit older, they may go in. Like Walter, they really enjoy when my misses is watering the yard. They find all manner of delectable treats.
Yesterday, my neighbor stopped by on his way home from work. Said he'd just seen what he was pretty sure was a wolf... traveling west to east, pretty much at our north property line. Crossed the county road right in front of him and ran along the fence line of the property the new neighbors just bought. I was mowing some tall grass in the steep/rough areas we can't mow with the rider... was almost a quarter mile from the house. Good thing I didn't have a need to protect myself... could've been a situation... Guess I'd better dig out the shoulder rig and start carrying some iron when I'm out. I'd much rather have it... and not need it...
As far as the part for the mower...
The dealership had the S/N of our mower on file. Evidently, there were two possibilities and the roll of the dice proved to be the wrong part. They would have re-ordered the other part but that would've meant another two day delay to get the part in. If I'd waited for that, I'd be looking for a baler as well. Our grass is growing like wild-fire! I was able to get this part to work... it just hurts my OCD. Guess I might have to find the time to put it right. Wish there was some way to cut the ring groove... but, the way it's assembled, no real way to do it. Guess a roll pin will have to do!
I did get the mower deck off. First order of business was a good cleaning.
Although we use the hose attachment thingy to clean the deck, I think the grass has been so damp lately, it has built up so much, the cleaning feature hasn't been all that effective. When my misses last mowed, she had finished the main yard, then began to cut the area near the old barn. When she accidentally plowed dirt with the mower deck, it threw dirt into the damp grass which almost instantly solidified. This bound the center blade and split the bearing housing. Much gunk!
I swear I cleaned 75 pounds of **** from the underside of the deck!
Changing the bearing assembly was mostly uneventful so, no pics... except of this...
Anyway, back together and cutting fine!
Awesome pics of your brood... looking at them makes me smile! It's funny how smart these birds are... and what creatures of habit.
We aren't doing things exactly the same with the new ducks... mostly because of how tiny, and stressed, they were when we got them. We'd had them more than a week before my misses introduced them to the bath tub. 1 was fine with it... the other two, not so much. I got a good laugh out of that one... ducks that don't like water... lol...
Anyways, today was round three and they're all swimming like champs!
Interesting you mention about the shade...
Our girls frequently look for shade... under anything and everything. Lately, it's my truck. For some reason, they love laying under it. I needed to go to the Postal Truck a couple days ago and had a heckuva time getting them out!
Your story about the grass between the toes made me chuckle as well...
Not sure about turning them out in a clump next time... once they figure out they're free to run, Dad may just get a workout! hahaha...
Anyways, thanks for the visit... always good to get the latest from your neck of the woods!
...D
Sent from my SM-N960U using The Garage Journal mobile app
drivesitfar
Well-known member
4by: my bride for years has wondered what the people way out in the sticks do to make income and my usual response is they usually brought the cash with them and some sort of income generating thing to keep everything moving forward. that said it looks like your new ducks are doing better and i've seen duck eggs but can't say I've ever ate any. are either of these duck breeds egg layers or maybe they are more entertainment than good TV? I don't think you can even cover the feed costs with eggs, but maybe eating them will keep you from paying the doctor your tool and fun funds.
it's been rain and sun off and on around here and this morning we had a downpour you might get so better get that lawnmower fixed cause I know with all this rain and warm weather yours (and ours) grass is growing at a fast pace now.
best of luck getting the right parts or some close enough to fix your lawnmower cause i'm sure your bride wants to get back at it and finish her work.
cheers
it's been rain and sun off and on around here and this morning we had a downpour you might get so better get that lawnmower fixed cause I know with all this rain and warm weather yours (and ours) grass is growing at a fast pace now.
best of luck getting the right parts or some close enough to fix your lawnmower cause i'm sure your bride wants to get back at it and finish her work.
cheers
OP
fourbyford
Well-known member
Yep, our original ducks are somewhat marginal layers, but, the new ones are apparently prolific. And, those eggs should be fairly large. A few years ago, I used to get fresh eggs from a friend. About 50/50 duck/chicken. Couldn't really taste any difference between the two. But, there is a HUGE difference between farm-fresh and store bought!
Actually, since we've had the ducks out free-ranging, our feed bill has dropped significantly. They may nibble a bit overnight but most of their diet comes from whatever they're finding around the place. Will definitely be a different story during winter months but that doesn't last all that long around here.
The mower is back together... my misses is mowing now.
Thanks for the heads up on the wet weather. I think we're supposed to have a thunderstorm this afternoon followed by a week of off and on rain. April was a pretty dry month for us so it's good we're getting rain now. I have plenty to do indoors... will be working in the garage this afternoon!
Thanks for stopping by!
...D
Actually, since we've had the ducks out free-ranging, our feed bill has dropped significantly. They may nibble a bit overnight but most of their diet comes from whatever they're finding around the place. Will definitely be a different story during winter months but that doesn't last all that long around here.
The mower is back together... my misses is mowing now.
Thanks for the heads up on the wet weather. I think we're supposed to have a thunderstorm this afternoon followed by a week of off and on rain. April was a pretty dry month for us so it's good we're getting rain now. I have plenty to do indoors... will be working in the garage this afternoon!
Thanks for stopping by!
...D
drivesitfar
Well-known member
4by: good to hear your mower is back up and running again. nice fix.
I hear you on the fresh eggs and we buy the nicer ones (somewhat farm fresh) and even we can tell the difference when we get some from friends that have chickens that don't live that close to grab eggs often.
maybe some more rain and sunshine heading your way, but at least it's getting a bit warmer now.
cheers and have a great weekend
I hear you on the fresh eggs and we buy the nicer ones (somewhat farm fresh) and even we can tell the difference when we get some from friends that have chickens that don't live that close to grab eggs often.
maybe some more rain and sunshine heading your way, but at least it's getting a bit warmer now.
cheers and have a great weekend
OP
fourbyford
Well-known member
It's been a while since my last post. This is always a busy time of year around the farm.
One of the things that's kept me busy is trying to keep up with the yard. We have about three acres, give or take, that we consider "lawn" and try to keep mowed. My primary concern is to minimize the potential for fire. If we didn't mow, the grass would literally be 4 to 5 feet tall around all the buildings. This probably isn't news to a lot of you, but is an eye-opener for me since I've lived most of my life in the semi-arid parts of the mountain west. Grass just doesn't grow like this where I've lived in the past. In addition to the concerns about fire, I think it's nice for the place to look like someone actually lives here... even though there aren't a lot of people around to even notice... lol... A few years back, I was gone most of a summer and the grass got away from me. Four to five feet tall on both sides of the driveway with barely a two track leading to what appeared to be an abandoned place. I really don't care for THAT look.
Anyways, over the years, I've used a "walk behind" weed eater to clear areas that hadn't previously been mowed. This was necessary because of all the debris that either was never moved to begin with (stumps, rocks ranging from soft ball sized to over 300 pounds, partially rotted and abandoned fence posts), or things that a previous, previous owner had thrown on the ground and left... primarily, 300 miles of wire... or, any old part that fell off, or was removed from, an old truck or tractor. A few of the things I found were actually somewhat cool and are displayed in various places as part of the farm's history... most was just junk that would have surely killed the mower. I've literally lost count of the number of truck loads of scrap that I've taken to recycling. Anyways, that said, we now can mow most of the lawn with the rider. There are, however, a few areas where it's either too steep or too rough for the rider to safely go. So... the walk behind gets me plenty of fresh air and exercise...
Although it's a bit hard on my knees, and my allergies have really been acting up this year, I can't really call this work. I spend as much time looking around as mowing. Just makes me smile...
Another little chore that's been put off for waaay too long was to clean up a debris pile left over from when I set the pole for the TV antenna. Nothing drastic, just a bit of dirt with a lot of rock and "gravel" that I dug out of the post hole. It had enough "junk" in it I definitely didn't want it to get into any of the lawn areas to become shrapnel when hit by the mower... but, the old "out of sight/out of mind thing had kicked in. I had pretty much forgotten about it. Which reminds me of something an Amish guy once told me... "When a man says he'll do something, he'll do it. Why does the wife have to keep reminding him every six months???" Amen, brother!
Anyways, I hooked the dump cart behind the 4 wheeler and got after it. A short time later, headed down to the bottom of the drive way and dumped the load at the outlet of the culvert that runs under. A lot of water moves through and I've been trying to deal with erosion in the ditch that runs along the county road... think I finally have enough rock there to hold it but, it is a convenient place to put a load or two of rubble that I dont want anywhere else. And anyways, more is better, right?
Another fun project recently cropped up...
One evening, as we were experiencing a "Wyoming Breeze", my misses and I heard a THUMP. We looked around and couldn't figure out what it might have been. Next morning, she looked out the window while coming down the stairs and saw a shingle laying on the porch roof. Damn! And, wouldn't ya know...
So, the first PITA was to get the ladders...
I don't use them all that often and, the tractor usually sits in this bay, so I hung them high on the wall to keep them out of the way. I'm definitely getting too old for this... lol
Once I got the ladders set up, it wasn't that big of a deal to slip a new shingle in. One challenge was... I didn't have any roofing nails. Note to self... lol... But, I had to pull the old nails anyway... so, I just re-used those. The PO's wisely left a couple of bundles of shingles in the old barn... easy-peasy. New shingle in... some roof schmoo on 6 or 8 of the surrounding shingles that were loosened up in the process and... it's all good. I half expected the upper ladder to slip... even though I had coerced my misses to sit on the lower rung. I was nearly 30 feet up... kept reminding myself to "roll right" if anything went wrong... lol.
So, the roof is back to "normal" and I seem to have survived the ordeal. But, as I was looking around, I'm thinking I'll be doing a re-shingle at some point in the not-too-distant future... not looking forward to that!!
Sent from my SM-N960U using The Garage Journal mobile app
One of the things that's kept me busy is trying to keep up with the yard. We have about three acres, give or take, that we consider "lawn" and try to keep mowed. My primary concern is to minimize the potential for fire. If we didn't mow, the grass would literally be 4 to 5 feet tall around all the buildings. This probably isn't news to a lot of you, but is an eye-opener for me since I've lived most of my life in the semi-arid parts of the mountain west. Grass just doesn't grow like this where I've lived in the past. In addition to the concerns about fire, I think it's nice for the place to look like someone actually lives here... even though there aren't a lot of people around to even notice... lol... A few years back, I was gone most of a summer and the grass got away from me. Four to five feet tall on both sides of the driveway with barely a two track leading to what appeared to be an abandoned place. I really don't care for THAT look.
Anyways, over the years, I've used a "walk behind" weed eater to clear areas that hadn't previously been mowed. This was necessary because of all the debris that either was never moved to begin with (stumps, rocks ranging from soft ball sized to over 300 pounds, partially rotted and abandoned fence posts), or things that a previous, previous owner had thrown on the ground and left... primarily, 300 miles of wire... or, any old part that fell off, or was removed from, an old truck or tractor. A few of the things I found were actually somewhat cool and are displayed in various places as part of the farm's history... most was just junk that would have surely killed the mower. I've literally lost count of the number of truck loads of scrap that I've taken to recycling. Anyways, that said, we now can mow most of the lawn with the rider. There are, however, a few areas where it's either too steep or too rough for the rider to safely go. So... the walk behind gets me plenty of fresh air and exercise...
Although it's a bit hard on my knees, and my allergies have really been acting up this year, I can't really call this work. I spend as much time looking around as mowing. Just makes me smile...
Another little chore that's been put off for waaay too long was to clean up a debris pile left over from when I set the pole for the TV antenna. Nothing drastic, just a bit of dirt with a lot of rock and "gravel" that I dug out of the post hole. It had enough "junk" in it I definitely didn't want it to get into any of the lawn areas to become shrapnel when hit by the mower... but, the old "out of sight/out of mind thing had kicked in. I had pretty much forgotten about it. Which reminds me of something an Amish guy once told me... "When a man says he'll do something, he'll do it. Why does the wife have to keep reminding him every six months???" Amen, brother!
Anyways, I hooked the dump cart behind the 4 wheeler and got after it. A short time later, headed down to the bottom of the drive way and dumped the load at the outlet of the culvert that runs under. A lot of water moves through and I've been trying to deal with erosion in the ditch that runs along the county road... think I finally have enough rock there to hold it but, it is a convenient place to put a load or two of rubble that I dont want anywhere else. And anyways, more is better, right?
Another fun project recently cropped up...
One evening, as we were experiencing a "Wyoming Breeze", my misses and I heard a THUMP. We looked around and couldn't figure out what it might have been. Next morning, she looked out the window while coming down the stairs and saw a shingle laying on the porch roof. Damn! And, wouldn't ya know...
So, the first PITA was to get the ladders...
I don't use them all that often and, the tractor usually sits in this bay, so I hung them high on the wall to keep them out of the way. I'm definitely getting too old for this... lol
Once I got the ladders set up, it wasn't that big of a deal to slip a new shingle in. One challenge was... I didn't have any roofing nails. Note to self... lol... But, I had to pull the old nails anyway... so, I just re-used those. The PO's wisely left a couple of bundles of shingles in the old barn... easy-peasy. New shingle in... some roof schmoo on 6 or 8 of the surrounding shingles that were loosened up in the process and... it's all good. I half expected the upper ladder to slip... even though I had coerced my misses to sit on the lower rung. I was nearly 30 feet up... kept reminding myself to "roll right" if anything went wrong... lol.
So, the roof is back to "normal" and I seem to have survived the ordeal. But, as I was looking around, I'm thinking I'll be doing a re-shingle at some point in the not-too-distant future... not looking forward to that!!
Sent from my SM-N960U using The Garage Journal mobile app
mfg0772
Well-known member
Wow - those views are awesome. I could sit on a mower all day if I had that to look at. The pushing part might get old but I would even be able to tolerate that for some time.
From the pics, the roof looks in good shape. Was it just a bad install. Mine is coming up on 30 years old and I will likely be talking it this fall or next spring at the latest. It is not in dire enough shape for me to be willing to get up there in the summer.
From the pics, the roof looks in good shape. Was it just a bad install. Mine is coming up on 30 years old and I will likely be talking it this fall or next spring at the latest. It is not in dire enough shape for me to be willing to get up there in the summer.
OP
fourbyford
Well-known member
Hey Mike,
The particles on the shingles are wearing a bit thin in a few places. The edges look "shiny" when you look at the roof in bright sun. I'm guessing these must be 25 (or so) year shingles and I think they've been up about 15 (or so) years. I may have 3 - 5 years before I HAVE to do it... but, I need to tackle it before I get much older...
As steep as these rooves are (12 pitch) I would've thought the P.O.'s would've used the best shingles on the market... but, not so much. Whenever I get a round tuit, I'll definitely be using 50 year shingles... although I wont be around long enough to worry about those failing... lol
Thanks for the good words and the visit!
...D
The particles on the shingles are wearing a bit thin in a few places. The edges look "shiny" when you look at the roof in bright sun. I'm guessing these must be 25 (or so) year shingles and I think they've been up about 15 (or so) years. I may have 3 - 5 years before I HAVE to do it... but, I need to tackle it before I get much older...
As steep as these rooves are (12 pitch) I would've thought the P.O.'s would've used the best shingles on the market... but, not so much. Whenever I get a round tuit, I'll definitely be using 50 year shingles... although I wont be around long enough to worry about those failing... lol
Thanks for the good words and the visit!
...D
mfg0772
Well-known member
Funny how you are planning it by age. My thought is that I will need to do it now and then hopefully only one time in the future.
OP
fourbyford
Well-known member
lol... yeah, if those rooves weren't SO steep, I wouldn't be at all concerned but, I dont see me climbing around on them after I'm 75 or so... fortunately, I have a few years!
My buddy and I both re-shingled our rooves (in Wyoming) in 2005. I used O/C 40 year shingles and he used Malarkey 50 year shingles. They both look brand new... still!
I'll probably go with the Malarkey Legacy (50 year) shingles... unless there's something better on the market now. I can't see spending all the time and money, especially on a "challenging" roof, to not use the best shingles I can buy. This will definitely be the last time I'll do the roof on the house... although I'm sure there'll be others!
...D
My buddy and I both re-shingled our rooves (in Wyoming) in 2005. I used O/C 40 year shingles and he used Malarkey 50 year shingles. They both look brand new... still!
I'll probably go with the Malarkey Legacy (50 year) shingles... unless there's something better on the market now. I can't see spending all the time and money, especially on a "challenging" roof, to not use the best shingles I can buy. This will definitely be the last time I'll do the roof on the house... although I'm sure there'll be others!
...D
OP
fourbyford
Well-known member
My misses and I had been thinking we would like to have one of the big, bronze stars for the red barn. A couple weeks ago, we were in the farm store and found one we liked. So, she bought it for me... early Father's day...
So, since I had the ladder out...
I'm not sure if it's because we had such a mild winter or because the past few weeks have been so cool and wet... but the trees are providing quite a show.
Around here, spring is always nice... green everywhere you look... but this year is the best yet! We've always called this tree Charley Brown because when we got here, it was literally a stick with about 1 1/2 branches... looked like the little Christmas tree from Charley Brown's Christmas. It's now about 10' tall and very healthy. Won't be too many years til I'll be trying to figure out how to trim it away from the power lines. By then, I'll probably just call someone... lol
Not even sure what this little tree is... some sort of ornamental.
The fruit trees have had a lot of blooms as well...
And, I think I've mentioned before... very little "daylight" here in winter... but, the chores still need doing. So, I've been lighting things up as much as possible. Since my misses will be trending to the ducks early mornings and late evenings, year 'round, I thought it best to light that building up a bit. 2 strings of LED lights from Costco... connected to a photo-cell dusk to dawn control. In all, 48 bulbs, 1 watt each. Lots of light for very little expense. I did have to install some cable under three different areas of the roof. When this building was built, there was no concern for "conventional" building methods... rafters are wherever they happened to land... ditto for the strapping under the metal roof. Since the lights are spaced every 2 feet, there wasn't always a place for attaching them... thus, the need for the tensioned cable...
...D
Sent from my SM-N960U using The Garage Journal mobile app
So, since I had the ladder out...
I'm not sure if it's because we had such a mild winter or because the past few weeks have been so cool and wet... but the trees are providing quite a show.
Around here, spring is always nice... green everywhere you look... but this year is the best yet! We've always called this tree Charley Brown because when we got here, it was literally a stick with about 1 1/2 branches... looked like the little Christmas tree from Charley Brown's Christmas. It's now about 10' tall and very healthy. Won't be too many years til I'll be trying to figure out how to trim it away from the power lines. By then, I'll probably just call someone... lol
Not even sure what this little tree is... some sort of ornamental.
The fruit trees have had a lot of blooms as well...
And, I think I've mentioned before... very little "daylight" here in winter... but, the chores still need doing. So, I've been lighting things up as much as possible. Since my misses will be trending to the ducks early mornings and late evenings, year 'round, I thought it best to light that building up a bit. 2 strings of LED lights from Costco... connected to a photo-cell dusk to dawn control. In all, 48 bulbs, 1 watt each. Lots of light for very little expense. I did have to install some cable under three different areas of the roof. When this building was built, there was no concern for "conventional" building methods... rafters are wherever they happened to land... ditto for the strapping under the metal roof. Since the lights are spaced every 2 feet, there wasn't always a place for attaching them... thus, the need for the tensioned cable...
...D
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OP
fourbyford
Well-known member
I've recently mentioned about all the good fortune that's come our way... being able to buy the 5 acre parcel adjacent to the N/E corner of our farm, having power running by the barn I've been wanting to power up... it continues...
As the new neighbor across the road has been working toward building their place, he discovered that the road (only a bit over a year old) wouldn't be able to carry the weight of concrete trucks trying to get in and out of their property. So, he called in yet another neighbor (that runs an excavating business on the side) to rebuild it. It looks as if there will be several truck loads of rock/clay/soil that they'll need to remove to get to a suitable base for the road. So, excavator neighbor (knew I've wanted to "reclaim" a steep slope to eventually build a tractor shed)... called me and asked if I'd be interested in this as fill. He didn't need to ask twice! He'll bring whatever they have left over and will level and pack it once it's on the ground.
So, I figured I'd better get the walk behind and at least mow out a spot so he knows where to dump.
A bit steep... lots of gopher holes and rocks but...
Mowed and the first load is on the ground...
And, since the ducks are free-ranging, my misses wanted a sign coming up the driveway...
How hard could this be?? Well, if you live in north Idaho... more specifically, if you're me... pretty dang hard... lol
I normally like to set my posts down about 36"... with the hole a bit larger in diameter than the post. In this case, 9" would've been just about right. After about 3 hours, and a hundred pounds of rock...
I did manage to get down to about 30" when I hit some pretty solid rock. In the east, I think you call it ledge...
I thought about some sort of breaking hammer... but, it's just for a sign... pretty sure 30" will suffice... lol
...D
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As the new neighbor across the road has been working toward building their place, he discovered that the road (only a bit over a year old) wouldn't be able to carry the weight of concrete trucks trying to get in and out of their property. So, he called in yet another neighbor (that runs an excavating business on the side) to rebuild it. It looks as if there will be several truck loads of rock/clay/soil that they'll need to remove to get to a suitable base for the road. So, excavator neighbor (knew I've wanted to "reclaim" a steep slope to eventually build a tractor shed)... called me and asked if I'd be interested in this as fill. He didn't need to ask twice! He'll bring whatever they have left over and will level and pack it once it's on the ground.
So, I figured I'd better get the walk behind and at least mow out a spot so he knows where to dump.
A bit steep... lots of gopher holes and rocks but...
Mowed and the first load is on the ground...
And, since the ducks are free-ranging, my misses wanted a sign coming up the driveway...
How hard could this be?? Well, if you live in north Idaho... more specifically, if you're me... pretty dang hard... lol
I normally like to set my posts down about 36"... with the hole a bit larger in diameter than the post. In this case, 9" would've been just about right. After about 3 hours, and a hundred pounds of rock...
I did manage to get down to about 30" when I hit some pretty solid rock. In the east, I think you call it ledge...
I thought about some sort of breaking hammer... but, it's just for a sign... pretty sure 30" will suffice... lol
...D
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OP
fourbyford
Well-known member
I'm not sure what's going on... the young cat
and the old cat
just can't seem to get enough of the German Shepherd girl dog. It's cool that everyone gets along... lol
And, the big ducks still prefer splashing around in a swimming pool...
they really like it when the sprinkler is on... and, the trees need water so... win/win
But, the past couple of days, they have been spending much of their time up at the pond. They're still not really getting in very deep water but, the Mallards and geese have been in the water as well so, maybe our girls will get it figured out yet...
And, finally, the baby ducks are growing like weeds...
I have a number of projects to get done on my truck... today is the day to get started on that. Pretty sure I have all the tools and supplies I'll need. Headed for the shop now!
...D
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and the old cat
just can't seem to get enough of the German Shepherd girl dog. It's cool that everyone gets along... lol
And, the big ducks still prefer splashing around in a swimming pool...
they really like it when the sprinkler is on... and, the trees need water so... win/win
But, the past couple of days, they have been spending much of their time up at the pond. They're still not really getting in very deep water but, the Mallards and geese have been in the water as well so, maybe our girls will get it figured out yet...
And, finally, the baby ducks are growing like weeds...
I have a number of projects to get done on my truck... today is the day to get started on that. Pretty sure I have all the tools and supplies I'll need. Headed for the shop now!
...D
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Pressingonward
Well-known member
Place is looking good!
Not sure I would have kept at it for the duck crossing sign after hitting rock like that - you're determined!
Not sure I would have kept at it for the duck crossing sign after hitting rock like that - you're determined!
OP
fourbyford
Well-known member
Thanks for the visit! And, yep, sometimes I don't know when to quit! ...lol
We (meaning my misses) decided that the sign needed to go on that side of the driveway... and in that general area, approaching the house. And, because of the way I have to move snow, there weren't a lot of choices. The problem is, that entire hillside is rock. It wouldn't have much mattered much exactly where I put the sign... would've been the same result. So the answer was to just "cowboy up" and git 'r dun... lol.
As it's been a while since my last post, I have a bit of catching up to do. Pretty sure I won't get it all caught up this morning... the crew is coming to install the power line to my barn... and the neighbor's building site in a couple of hours. And, I need to get back in my garage.
I bought my truck about 3 1/2 years ago with 66,*** miles on the clock. And, yes, I did a "car fax" check and the mileage was correct. The truck was never in any accidents and never had any "major" work done... at least anything documented. For its first 10 years, it was owned by the USFS over toward the east coast. When the Forest Service sold it, it somehow found it's way to Oregon where it was owned, apparently, by a couple of older guys... maybe just hauling things around their places. At any rate, when I got it, the truck was in pretty good shape... although a few things had been neglected. Over these past few years, I've fixed what needed fixing but now, at 25 years old, time is taking it's toll.
I have a pretty big laundry list of things to get done. Since a number of them involved being/working under the truck, I figured things would be much easier without the bed. It's not all that difficult to remove anyways and I've been down this road before. I have a loft above the center bay of my garage. 12' span with 2 x 8 joists 16" on center. I've spanned 4 of the joists and installed a (temporary) lift point for a block and tackle. The bed probably weighs a bit over 300# so, not that big of a deal. Remove 6 bolts securing the bed, the safety chain tiedowns for the gooseneck hitch, unclip the wiring harnesses... and lift. I have the frame for a small utility trailer project (that I'll finish one day soon!) that's perfect to place the bed on to move it out of the shop and out of the way.
The whole thing is light enough that I can move it around by hand.
Bed gone... truck ready for work. At this point, a smart guy would have washed the winter's worth of grime off but... I guess I'm still looking for that smart guy. I was anxious to get going on the first order of business... getting rid of what was left of the original exhaust system. The rear part of that wasn't too difficult. Last winter, just before I was headed back to the farm from Wyoming, I heard a "clanging" sound as I was driving one day. One of the tail pipes had rusted through and, fortunately, was held onto the truck by the factory hanger. No time to replace the system so I cobbled up a "repair". Guess it wasn't too bad a job... it was still together (albeit, by a thread) when I went to take the old system down. Since I was replacing the entire system, I didn't need to be extremely careful... the air cutoff tool made fairly quick work of the ordeal. I did have to spend a bit of time removing the catalytic converter... had to make sure I didn't cut into the head pipe.
Not a lot of in-progress pics... not much to look at... lol
...D
Sent from my SM-N960U using The Garage Journal mobile app
We (meaning my misses) decided that the sign needed to go on that side of the driveway... and in that general area, approaching the house. And, because of the way I have to move snow, there weren't a lot of choices. The problem is, that entire hillside is rock. It wouldn't have much mattered much exactly where I put the sign... would've been the same result. So the answer was to just "cowboy up" and git 'r dun... lol.
As it's been a while since my last post, I have a bit of catching up to do. Pretty sure I won't get it all caught up this morning... the crew is coming to install the power line to my barn... and the neighbor's building site in a couple of hours. And, I need to get back in my garage.
I bought my truck about 3 1/2 years ago with 66,*** miles on the clock. And, yes, I did a "car fax" check and the mileage was correct. The truck was never in any accidents and never had any "major" work done... at least anything documented. For its first 10 years, it was owned by the USFS over toward the east coast. When the Forest Service sold it, it somehow found it's way to Oregon where it was owned, apparently, by a couple of older guys... maybe just hauling things around their places. At any rate, when I got it, the truck was in pretty good shape... although a few things had been neglected. Over these past few years, I've fixed what needed fixing but now, at 25 years old, time is taking it's toll.
I have a pretty big laundry list of things to get done. Since a number of them involved being/working under the truck, I figured things would be much easier without the bed. It's not all that difficult to remove anyways and I've been down this road before. I have a loft above the center bay of my garage. 12' span with 2 x 8 joists 16" on center. I've spanned 4 of the joists and installed a (temporary) lift point for a block and tackle. The bed probably weighs a bit over 300# so, not that big of a deal. Remove 6 bolts securing the bed, the safety chain tiedowns for the gooseneck hitch, unclip the wiring harnesses... and lift. I have the frame for a small utility trailer project (that I'll finish one day soon!) that's perfect to place the bed on to move it out of the shop and out of the way.
The whole thing is light enough that I can move it around by hand.
Bed gone... truck ready for work. At this point, a smart guy would have washed the winter's worth of grime off but... I guess I'm still looking for that smart guy. I was anxious to get going on the first order of business... getting rid of what was left of the original exhaust system. The rear part of that wasn't too difficult. Last winter, just before I was headed back to the farm from Wyoming, I heard a "clanging" sound as I was driving one day. One of the tail pipes had rusted through and, fortunately, was held onto the truck by the factory hanger. No time to replace the system so I cobbled up a "repair". Guess it wasn't too bad a job... it was still together (albeit, by a thread) when I went to take the old system down. Since I was replacing the entire system, I didn't need to be extremely careful... the air cutoff tool made fairly quick work of the ordeal. I did have to spend a bit of time removing the catalytic converter... had to make sure I didn't cut into the head pipe.
Not a lot of in-progress pics... not much to look at... lol
...D
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Pressingonward
Well-known member
If you find him let me know...
I do like how easy it is to take the bed off of pickups - I've pulled several Ranger beds to replace the fuel filler hoses that like to crack and leak.
I always cringe when I hear a vehicle came from the east coast, but the rust on your pickup doesn't look too bad. How many miles are on it now? What engine do you have?
OP
fourbyford
Well-known member
Yeah... it seems that older vehicles from the east coast are usually "rust buckets"... apparently, this one came from an area where salt wasn't used.
Just turned over 102,*** miles... largely "trouble free". 460 gas engine/ E4OD trans/ 4.11 ratios... rear limited slip. Mostly identical to a tonner I had years ago... I installed the Banks exhaust system on that w/a bit of a cam. It had really good power but, because it had a C6 trans, the mileage was pretty tough. At one point, I was getting around 13 -14 mpg from this one... have had a couple of minor issues and the "economy" has slipped a bit but I will get it back to where I want it... eventually!
Thanks for the visit!
...D
Just turned over 102,*** miles... largely "trouble free". 460 gas engine/ E4OD trans/ 4.11 ratios... rear limited slip. Mostly identical to a tonner I had years ago... I installed the Banks exhaust system on that w/a bit of a cam. It had really good power but, because it had a C6 trans, the mileage was pretty tough. At one point, I was getting around 13 -14 mpg from this one... have had a couple of minor issues and the "economy" has slipped a bit but I will get it back to where I want it... eventually!
Thanks for the visit!
...D
OP
fourbyford
Well-known member
A very interesting day...
The crew began showing up a bit before 9. A couple of the guys came up our driveway to chat... one said he thought they'd start at our power pole and work their way east... but wasn't sure. After I hadn't seen them for a while, I got on the 4 wheeler and went looking. They had decided to start at the neighbor's place and pull that cable down toward the county road. When I got down at the bottom of our drive, I could see the machines at the bottom of the neighbor's field. I drove up to the building site just in time to see them finishing up the transformer and loading up equipment. The neighbor was ecstatic! After lunch, the cable crew was up at our place. They got their machines around back to the power pole and began to dig. The original plan was to trench back, at a depth of 42", about 10'... then pull the cable from that starting point. At a bit over 3' deep, they hit some pretty solid rock. The hoe operator managed to get down to about 40" or so but it was so rocky, they decided he'd need to extend the trench because the vibratory puller wouldn't be able to get the cable deep enough... and, would probably damage the machine by trying. So... the trench ended up about 40' long. They finally found the edge of the rock shelf and were able to start pulling cable with the vibratory.
Once they got the cable started, the hoe operator began to backfill the trench.
Once in the field, pulling the cable was mostly uneventful. The operator did find a small area of rock but along most of the length, the cable is down at least 42"... in the one small area, it may be closer to 3'. It's just a field... shouldn't be a problem...
So... the cable made it down to the corner of my barn... pulled up and out of the ground... new hole dug and vibratory started again... headed for the bottom/county road. At that point, a base was set, transformer set... and connected.
The money shot...
Too cool...
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The crew began showing up a bit before 9. A couple of the guys came up our driveway to chat... one said he thought they'd start at our power pole and work their way east... but wasn't sure. After I hadn't seen them for a while, I got on the 4 wheeler and went looking. They had decided to start at the neighbor's place and pull that cable down toward the county road. When I got down at the bottom of our drive, I could see the machines at the bottom of the neighbor's field. I drove up to the building site just in time to see them finishing up the transformer and loading up equipment. The neighbor was ecstatic! After lunch, the cable crew was up at our place. They got their machines around back to the power pole and began to dig. The original plan was to trench back, at a depth of 42", about 10'... then pull the cable from that starting point. At a bit over 3' deep, they hit some pretty solid rock. The hoe operator managed to get down to about 40" or so but it was so rocky, they decided he'd need to extend the trench because the vibratory puller wouldn't be able to get the cable deep enough... and, would probably damage the machine by trying. So... the trench ended up about 40' long. They finally found the edge of the rock shelf and were able to start pulling cable with the vibratory.
Once they got the cable started, the hoe operator began to backfill the trench.
Once in the field, pulling the cable was mostly uneventful. The operator did find a small area of rock but along most of the length, the cable is down at least 42"... in the one small area, it may be closer to 3'. It's just a field... shouldn't be a problem...
So... the cable made it down to the corner of my barn... pulled up and out of the ground... new hole dug and vibratory started again... headed for the bottom/county road. At that point, a base was set, transformer set... and connected.
The money shot...
Too cool...
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OP
fourbyford
Well-known member
The crew got the cable run to the top of our power pole and preliminary connections made. The transformers at my barn and at the neighbor's building site are connected. His meter base is set and has been inspected. The machines are at the bottom of our driveway. The next step will involve boring under the county road, through a wooded area, and under a creek... maybe a bit less than 150' total. Unfortunately, the boring machine is on another job. Looks like Wednesday morning is the day. These two machines will sit here til then.
Doesn't really matter to me... I wont be connecting to power til spring...
My neighbor, on the other hand, is "patiently" waiting... his lumber was delivered and framing crew showed up just after lunch.
...D
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Doesn't really matter to me... I wont be connecting to power til spring...
My neighbor, on the other hand, is "patiently" waiting... his lumber was delivered and framing crew showed up just after lunch.
...D
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OP
fourbyford
Well-known member
Another job that's been on my list for a while now is to replace the cab mount bushings. Having the bed off and the exhaust system down made the job a bit easier... but it was still a chore.
Goes without saying that every bolt put up a pretty good fight... even with wire brushing the threads and spraying with PB. Oh well... the joys of rescuing a vintage rig...
This was the passenger side, rear mount. Good access without the exhaust pipe. The drivers side wasn't quite as accessible. Front fuel tank directly below the bolt... skid plate covering the fuel tank. I had hoped I might be able to sort of loosen the tank mounting straps and sort of shift the tank a bit to reach the bolt. No bueno... Had to remove the skid plate and both mounting straps. I had the tank sitting on a couple of milk crates and was finally able to get to work.
The OEM bushings are (obviously) a two part assembly but... the steel cores (that support the rubber bushings) are a tight interference fit.
My guess is that the factory had some sort of hydraulic press that swaged the upper and lower parts together. Those bad boys were TIGHT! I'm glad I looked at the install sheets that came with the replacement bushings... the info indicated the need to create a couple different types of pullers...
The first was a scrap piece of 3" x 1/2" flat bar with a hole drilled somewhere toward the center... length and width. That, with the correct combination of wood blocks and the OEM bolt that originally held everything together pulled the two bushings at the rear of the cab... they finally came apart with a ton of applied torque and a loud bang as they two pieces blew apart...
The pair of mounts directly under the floorboards required a different sort of puller. I used a section of the heat shield (from around the exhaust pipe I had recently removed) and the piece of flat bar.
These gave up with a bit less of a fight.
I was able to grab a portion of the front mounts (under the core support) with a pipe wrench.
While all of this was a fairly straight-forward process... the rust and corrosion, limited access, and the fact that I do all this on my own... no one to hold the wrench inside the truck while I'm wrenching underneath... meant that the relatively "simple" job took a couple of afternoons to complete. I was feeling a bit bad... that my age was starting to creep up on me... lol... until I happened to look at the Ford forums. Read several posts from guys much younger than I saying that the job took them a LONG day (or more) and pretty much everyone mentioned needing a buddy to help out. I didn't feel quite so bad after reading all that.
I also found a You Tube pro who stated he could replace the driver's side rear mount without removing the fuel tank. I'm thinking I must've overlooked something so watched a bit of the vid. Ummm... yeah... the guy was one bolt away from removing the tank. He had the front of it pretty much on the ground and was trying to shove it to the side to get it out of the way. In the long run, I think it was easier to remove everything holding the tank and get it completely out of the way...
Sent from my SM-N960U using The Garage Journal mobile app
Goes without saying that every bolt put up a pretty good fight... even with wire brushing the threads and spraying with PB. Oh well... the joys of rescuing a vintage rig...
This was the passenger side, rear mount. Good access without the exhaust pipe. The drivers side wasn't quite as accessible. Front fuel tank directly below the bolt... skid plate covering the fuel tank. I had hoped I might be able to sort of loosen the tank mounting straps and sort of shift the tank a bit to reach the bolt. No bueno... Had to remove the skid plate and both mounting straps. I had the tank sitting on a couple of milk crates and was finally able to get to work.
The OEM bushings are (obviously) a two part assembly but... the steel cores (that support the rubber bushings) are a tight interference fit.
My guess is that the factory had some sort of hydraulic press that swaged the upper and lower parts together. Those bad boys were TIGHT! I'm glad I looked at the install sheets that came with the replacement bushings... the info indicated the need to create a couple different types of pullers...
The first was a scrap piece of 3" x 1/2" flat bar with a hole drilled somewhere toward the center... length and width. That, with the correct combination of wood blocks and the OEM bolt that originally held everything together pulled the two bushings at the rear of the cab... they finally came apart with a ton of applied torque and a loud bang as they two pieces blew apart...
The pair of mounts directly under the floorboards required a different sort of puller. I used a section of the heat shield (from around the exhaust pipe I had recently removed) and the piece of flat bar.
These gave up with a bit less of a fight.
I was able to grab a portion of the front mounts (under the core support) with a pipe wrench.
While all of this was a fairly straight-forward process... the rust and corrosion, limited access, and the fact that I do all this on my own... no one to hold the wrench inside the truck while I'm wrenching underneath... meant that the relatively "simple" job took a couple of afternoons to complete. I was feeling a bit bad... that my age was starting to creep up on me... lol... until I happened to look at the Ford forums. Read several posts from guys much younger than I saying that the job took them a LONG day (or more) and pretty much everyone mentioned needing a buddy to help out. I didn't feel quite so bad after reading all that.
I also found a You Tube pro who stated he could replace the driver's side rear mount without removing the fuel tank. I'm thinking I must've overlooked something so watched a bit of the vid. Ummm... yeah... the guy was one bolt away from removing the tank. He had the front of it pretty much on the ground and was trying to shove it to the side to get it out of the way. In the long run, I think it was easier to remove everything holding the tank and get it completely out of the way...
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OP
fourbyford
Well-known member
So... I finally got everything apart... and the new urethane bushings in place. Assembly was pretty easy. I did take a few minutes to measure and make sure I had the cab "straight" on the frame...
Rear supports...
Middle supports...
And front supports...
Apparently, someone had removed the front fuel tank... and wasn't too careful when replacing it. From the factory, some self adhesive rubber strips on the frame cross members and the straps holding the tank were meant to protect and cushion the galvanized tank. Whoever reinstalled it just shoved it into place and wrenched the straps with no consideration for the rubber strips... which were wadded up and pretty much useless. This resulted in the zinc being worn away and resulted in significant rust and corrosion. The tank is mostly in good shape (although I'll probably replace it at some point) but, I wanted to stop the rust before it got any worse. So, I just pulled it from under the truck and used wire brushes on my die grinder and scotch brite discs on my angle grinder... got rid of the bad stuff. A coat (or two) of Rustoleum and I think it'll be good until I can get the replacement. I also spent a bit of time cleaning the grunge from the skid plates. Thought about taking them for powder coat... that may be a project for this winter.
Next up... getting the exhaust system hung...
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Rear supports...
Middle supports...
And front supports...
Apparently, someone had removed the front fuel tank... and wasn't too careful when replacing it. From the factory, some self adhesive rubber strips on the frame cross members and the straps holding the tank were meant to protect and cushion the galvanized tank. Whoever reinstalled it just shoved it into place and wrenched the straps with no consideration for the rubber strips... which were wadded up and pretty much useless. This resulted in the zinc being worn away and resulted in significant rust and corrosion. The tank is mostly in good shape (although I'll probably replace it at some point) but, I wanted to stop the rust before it got any worse. So, I just pulled it from under the truck and used wire brushes on my die grinder and scotch brite discs on my angle grinder... got rid of the bad stuff. A coat (or two) of Rustoleum and I think it'll be good until I can get the replacement. I also spent a bit of time cleaning the grunge from the skid plates. Thought about taking them for powder coat... that may be a project for this winter.
Next up... getting the exhaust system hung...
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OP
fourbyford
Well-known member
Getting the exhaust system back together was another fairly straightforward job. I bought a "cat back" stainless system from Banks Engineering and a new cat from Magna Flow. The Banks system is robust and well thought out but the info sheet they supply is of limited use. A bit of info is just plain incorrect. This was a "package" that works on Super Cabs and Crew Cabs (probably standard cabs as well) and includes a variety of parts for the various configurations. The info sheet sort of leads you down a rabbit hole for the crew cab install. At least they mention not tightening anything until everything is in place... duuhhh... so when you have to shuffle parts around it's not that big of a deal. After a false start, everything ended up where it should. The catalytic converter is listed as a direct replacement for my truck. Everything bolted up fine... except the 1" diameter air tube that goes into the top front of the cat. Will resolve that this afternoon.
Catalytic converter and the center exhaust pipe...
Big *** muffler...
Big *** tail pipe...
I bought all new rubber hangers and replacing most of them was easy. A bit of WD 40 and the old ones came right off... new ones back on... no worries. The one supporting the tail pipe, however, was another story. The bracket for that one was riveted to the frame and the rubber hanger was riveted inside the bracket.
Time to get out the carbide...
Pretty quick work... just had to punch the remaining bit through the frame...
Then, I had to grind the head off the rivet holding the rubber hanger in the bracket...
Bolted everything back together and all is well.
Warm(ish) here today... I've been sitting here drinking some ice water while taking a break from mowing with the walk behind. I think break time must be over... better get back at it!
Sent from my SM-N960U using The Garage Journal mobile app
Catalytic converter and the center exhaust pipe...
Big *** muffler...
Big *** tail pipe...
I bought all new rubber hangers and replacing most of them was easy. A bit of WD 40 and the old ones came right off... new ones back on... no worries. The one supporting the tail pipe, however, was another story. The bracket for that one was riveted to the frame and the rubber hanger was riveted inside the bracket.
Time to get out the carbide...
Pretty quick work... just had to punch the remaining bit through the frame...
Then, I had to grind the head off the rivet holding the rubber hanger in the bracket...
Bolted everything back together and all is well.
Warm(ish) here today... I've been sitting here drinking some ice water while taking a break from mowing with the walk behind. I think break time must be over... better get back at it!
Sent from my SM-N960U using The Garage Journal mobile app
Pressingonward
Well-known member
I've never replaced cab bushings - let me know if it makes a difference in noise/vibration - I'm curious.
Sounds like a fair bit of work, good job!
Sounds like a fair bit of work, good job!
OP
fourbyford
Well-known member
Thanks for the kudos!
It was a bit of work. As I mentioned, probably the most time consuming thing was figuring out how to do various things by myself. It was almost comical to see... I used a couple of my wood working clamps to clamp wrenches in a variety of locations. Sometimes it worked, other times I had to experiment a bit to figure out what would work. Whatever it takes... right?? The best part is... it's done!
I had a couple of issues with the OEM bushings. The most obvious was the mismatched body lines. The rear of the cab was sagging about an inch lower than the bed. The other issue was ride quality. The truck rode with a '70's "land yacht" feel... pretty squishy. I bought urethane as a replacement. I've read a few negative comments about urethane bushings... mostly concerning a "harsh" ride. A "firm" ride certainly won't bother me... it's a truck. I daily drove an f550 for over 12 years... best truck I've ever owned! My buddies would always complain any time we went somewhere in my "lumber wagon"... I have no idea what they were complaining about! ...lol
Anyways, I've definitely cured the sag... I'll let ya know soon about the ride quality...
Guess I'd better get back to mowing...
...D
It was a bit of work. As I mentioned, probably the most time consuming thing was figuring out how to do various things by myself. It was almost comical to see... I used a couple of my wood working clamps to clamp wrenches in a variety of locations. Sometimes it worked, other times I had to experiment a bit to figure out what would work. Whatever it takes... right?? The best part is... it's done!
I had a couple of issues with the OEM bushings. The most obvious was the mismatched body lines. The rear of the cab was sagging about an inch lower than the bed. The other issue was ride quality. The truck rode with a '70's "land yacht" feel... pretty squishy. I bought urethane as a replacement. I've read a few negative comments about urethane bushings... mostly concerning a "harsh" ride. A "firm" ride certainly won't bother me... it's a truck. I daily drove an f550 for over 12 years... best truck I've ever owned! My buddies would always complain any time we went somewhere in my "lumber wagon"... I have no idea what they were complaining about! ...lol
Anyways, I've definitely cured the sag... I'll let ya know soon about the ride quality...
Guess I'd better get back to mowing...
...D
racer-john
Well-known member
Regarding C.F.'s pictures
"Originally Posted by fourbyford "
And, beautiful sunset! Was that near your place? idn't show on my computer, also all his pcs up to the chicken coup didn't show either.
Read thru your entire saga well done mate. The ducks look like fun all 9 0f them.
Cheers.
"Originally Posted by fourbyford "
And, beautiful sunset! Was that near your place? idn't show on my computer, also all his pcs up to the chicken coup didn't show either.
Read thru your entire saga well done mate. The ducks look like fun all 9 0f them.
Cheers.