Above 1200 Sq/FT Cleaning Up My Shop

[Guster]

Fine here, thanks for asking. Slept through all of it though I was told it was felt here and the upper floors of a hospital in south Auckland got evacuated when it started shaking.

Bob has it bang on! Though it is a pretty big event. Swarms of earthquakes over an area of 1000's of kms, several aftershocks over 6 on the Richter scale. The main event was a 7.5 in Kaikoura but was quickly followed by a few large ones and so far over 400 significant earthquakes in total. Caused a localised tsunami and only claimed 2 fatalities due it happening at midnight and over mostly farmland. Otherwise lots of damage to roads, property and infrastructure with two cities in crisis.

 

[Vieux]

The lathe is a very useful thing for the workshop

 

[oldironfarmer]

Good job on the adapter bushing

Thanks for the visit

Fine here, thanks for asking. Slept through all of it though I was told it was felt here and the upper floors of a hospital in south Auckland got evacuated when it started shaking.

Bob has it bang on! Though it is a pretty big event. Swarms of earthquakes over an area of 1000's of kms, several aftershocks over 6 on the Richter scale. The main event was a 7.5 in Kaikoura but was quickly followed by a few large ones and so far over 400 significant earthquakes in total. Caused a localised tsunami and only claimed 2 fatalities due it happening at midnight and over mostly farmland. Otherwise lots of damage to roads, property and infrastructure with two cities in crisis.

I'm sure help is on the way, lots of earthquakes all over the world it seems. Lot's of people in distress, we feel for them, and pray for them.

Really glad you're safe. Thanks for the update!

The lathe is a very useful thing for the workshop

It's how the world turns! Thanks for taking the time to stop in!

 

[oldironfarmer]

Picked up my lights today, got a little discount at Walmart for buying them all at once, 53 lights and bulbs for $908.

Also finished trimming up my sheave

Trimmed the edges and faced off the side to chuck it flat the other way around.

Parted off the extra length

I use a dowel to catch the waste piece

And bored out the inside to 1.279", I'll fit a sleeve to press in to that dimension.

Also chucked and test spun the other sheave for the fan shaft. It was laying under my stairs and I didn't know whether it was bent. It's good. I don't know what this came off, probably an Allis Chalmers All Crop by the color. Everybody know what that is?

Then I started running wires, pictures at 11:00.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Started my surface wiring. This is where I'm coming through the wall, a bit of a mess from adding on to wiring when this room was enclosed from being an open shed.

I never finished the transition from inside wall to outside wall wiring.

Breaker box is inside the wood shop on the other side of the wall. I've cut two slots to route my surface wiring through.

And still on an old slide projector table are wire cleats I had left over several years ago. I really need to clean this place up.

Ready to start putting up plywood and running wire.

Thanks for visiting!

 

[jimreed2160]

53 lights!!!

Astronauts in the space station will use your shop for nighttime guidance.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Andy, quick question??




Do you think you will have enough lights??? ...far out.



Regards

 

[oldironfarmer]

53 lights!!!

Astronauts in the space station will use your shop for nighttime guidance.

Nice! But I've got a roof

Andy, quick question??




Do you think you will have enough lights??? ...far out.

Regards

1/2 Well, I hope so.

Actually I think I may have a few extra. I ordered 50 with 54 lamp pair, to get an even carton count of six pair per carton. However they shipped 53 in the wrapped pallet so I bought all 53. It took long enough to pick them up as it was (1-1/2 hours in the store).

So I counted like this

Skelly garage, 40 ft long two rows of seven - 14 fixtures
Skelly garage, two over work benches - 2 fictures
Foundry room, - 4 fixtures
Entrance to paint booth, two rows of three - 6 fixtures
Paint booth, six rows (three each side) of four - 24 fixtures

Total - 50 fixtures

My current shop has 14 fixtures plus two in the front you can barely see under the overhang. There are also two in the welding area.

It's nice light, but really not overdone. These fixtures are cheap but have served me well. I currently have 48 of these in the rest of the shop. Five of them are bad, one won't come on, two go out after being on for an hour, and two will not come back on if they've only been off for a couple of hours. The electronic ballast requires replacing the fixture so I really could have used 57 new fixtures. I don't think I've got too many planned for the paint booth.

I'll eek by for now.

Thanks for asking

 

[dlcwent]

Andy, As I get older I can never seem to have enough light. I don't think you've overdone it. JMO. And I can't seem to find it now but I thought you asked me if I had a precision level to use for my lathe. Can you add any pointers as to how I should go about leveling the thing the right way. I'd really appreciate your advise.

 

[bgarrett]

-----When they are put down it has to be in a calm atmosphere without fear in order to have good tender meat----- I was stressed today because it was the last Saturday of the week.

But after Sunday we start over again![/B]

I was stressed today because it was the last Saturday of the week.

But after Sunday we start over again!

How do they do that?
When I worked at Sam Kane Meat Packing in Corpus Christi, the cows in the pen were not happy and the cows in the chute were hysterical.
(with good reason) The first one in line got hit with a sledge hammer loaded with .22 blanks and when it fell down, the revolving door pushed it into the first room where the guy with the knife was standing in ankle deep foamy blood. He put a choker chain around a rear ankle and the hoist lifted the cow so that the cow was hanging head down when the knife guy cut its throat. Next was another chain for the other rear ankle and pneumatic shears removed the feet, all four. Next was an enormous rip as the entire hide was pulled off, then the cow was halved and some were quartered . It looks like I didnt mention the gutting. Its just as well.

I was amazed that the cows knew what was coming and they were terrified.
How do they do it now and keep the cows calm?

 

[bolensboneyard]

Ditto. I have been holding off putting more light in my machine shop as the blacksmith end does not need white paint on the walls. However, as soon as I get the damage from hurricane rains patched up, that is if the insurance covers it, I intend to double the lights and paint the ceiling at least.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Andy, As I get older I can never seem to have enough light. I don't think you've overdone it. JMO. And I can't seem to find it now but I thought you asked me if I had a precision level to use for my lathe. Can you add any pointers as to how I should go about leveling the thing the right way. I'd really appreciate your advise.

Really just common sense. Level the ways at the headstock first, both directions, then level the ways in line with the ways at the tailstock. Should already be level because the lathe is strong lengthwise. You'll lift or lower the tailstock to level lengthwise.

Now level across the ways at the tailstock. The lathe is flexible in twisting so you can level across at the tailstock without affecting the headstock. Then check the headstock end. A precision level is good because you can get the ways really straight. The lathe does not have to be level, the ways just have to be straight and parallel and using a level is the easy way to do that.

Make sure each corner is solidly shimmed and bolted down. When the tool gets to chattering you don't want the shims to move putting the lathe out of alignment.

Then you can adjust the tailstock to be in line with headstock. Turn a sharp point on two small rods (at least 3/8" so it's not too flexible) and put one in your chuck (if you use a four jaw you must use a dial indicator to center the rod) and one in your tailstock drill chuck.

Slide the tailstock close to the headstock and confirm they are in alignment. If not, there should be adjustments on the tailstock to make the points match. That's good enough for the precision you'll likely do.

To get better, move the tailstock all the way back and chuck a long rod to both headstock and tailstock. Then use a dial indicator on the cross slide to confirm the tool will be at the same distance from the rod all the way from the headstock to the tailstock. Do the same for elevation. Otherwise when you're turning between centers you will have a tapered workpiece based on the misalignment.

Intentionally misaligning the tailstock is an acceptable way of turning a very slight taper, like to make a go/no go gauge or a tapered mandrel to mount work with a hole in it, like a pulley with no hub.

I'd better stop. Good idea to buy a manual if you don't have one, and read it. There's one from the 1920's by South Bend, "How to Run a Lathe", or something liek that. You can find Logan manuals too. Interesting reading and they are not written by PHD's or gifted Chinese writers.

 

[Bob Heine]

Andy, my grandfather was born in Denmark in 1888 to one of the men who helped establish the country's canned bacon industry. Not a big deal today with refrigeration available almost everywhere but it got my great grandfather knighted.

My grandfather spent most of his life working in the meat processing industry and for a while operated his own butcher shop. He treated all animals with respect and made sure they suffered as little as possible when their life was taken. I remember hunting with him and being disappointed when he didn't shoot the buck. He didn't feel he had a clear shot and would not take the chance of wounding the animal. This picture was taken decades before I was born.

 

[oldironfarmer]

How do they do that?
When I worked at Sam Kane Meat Packing in Corpus Christi, the cows in the pen were not happy and the cows in the chute were hysterical.
(with good reason) The first one in line got hit with a sledge hammer loaded with .22 blanks and when it fell down, the revolving door pushed it into the first room where the guy with the knife was standing in ankle deep foamy blood. He put a choker chain around a rear ankle and the hoist lifted the cow so that the cow was hanging head down when the knife guy cut its throat. Next was another chain for the other rear ankle and pneumatic shears removed the feet, all four. Next was an enormous rip as the entire hide was pulled off, then the cow was halved and some were quartered . It looks like I didnt mention the gutting. Its just as well.

I was amazed that the cows knew what was coming and they were terrified.
How do they do it now and keep the cows calm?

They were not doing it right. Hopefully they were making canned meat and not steaks to grill. After the cow is dead, how you lift it and clean it is inconsequential to the animal, they're gone. The only reason for them to be wild in the chute is that they are being mis-handled, probably with cattle prods. There is no way for them to know what is going on inside. Cattle really don't understand death. You can walk up to one and kill it in the pasture (youth in Asia) and they don't go berserk, unless there is a loud noise. They are curious and will walk over and look at the dead animal. I've never witnessed the animal rights contention that they "smell death and are filled with fear".

My butcher understands and everything is calm, except for the fact they are in a strange place and that is unsettling.

Ditto. I have been holding off putting more light in my machine shop as the blacksmith end does not need white paint on the walls. However, as soon as I get the damage from hurricane rains patched up, that is if the insurance covers it, I intend to double the lights and paint the ceiling at least.

You seem to have a dim view of modern lighting. More light is always better to a point, but having been in your shop it seemed well lit to me.

Andy, my grandfather was born in Denmark in 1888 to one of the men who helped establish the country's canned bacon industry. Not a big deal today with refrigeration available almost everywhere but it got my great grandfather knighted.

My grandfather spent most of his life working in the meat processing industry and for a while operated his own butcher shop. He treated all animals with respect and made sure they suffered as little as possible when their life was taken. I remember hunting with him and being disappointed when he didn't shoot the buck. He didn't feel he had a clear shot and would not take the chance of wounding the animal. This picture was taken decades before I was born.

Truly a man ahead of his time, no wonder he was knighted. Did you inherit those knightly qualities?

Thanks for the account. Mr. FFOTIG

 

[Bob Heine]

Truly a man ahead of his time, no wonder he was knighted. Did you inherit those knightly qualities?

Thanks for the account. Mr. FFOTIG

Andy, the knightly thing skipped my generation. Even my court jester application was rejected.

I somehow missed seven or eight hundred posts (clicking on the "Go to first new post" button didn't work as advertised). Had to go back quite a few pages to get back up to speed. Now I'm going to take a nap -- you make me sooooo tired.

 

[jbmatth]

Well that took longer than expected, I take a month off to work and you go on adding 11 pages to this thread. Glad to see you at least made some good progress in my absence. Earlier you were talking about the earthquakes in the Bootheel of Missouri which is where I'm from before college and the eventual move to Oklahoma. Funny even with all of the quakes there I never felt one. In the last year I've felt 4-5 and two of which were unnerving to say the least. The three big earthquakes in 1811 and 1812 near New Madrid were between 7.4-7.9, stories of the Mississippi river running backwards, the earth flowing like the ocean, and still present are giant sand blows in fields. Now back to work,
JB

 

[oldironfarmer]

Andy, the knightly thing skipped my generation. Even my court jester application was rejected.

I somehow missed seven or eight hundred posts (clicking on the "Go to first new post" button didn't work as advertised). Had to go back quite a few pages to get back up to speed. Now I'm going to take a nap -- you make me sooooo tired.

I'm quite surprised your application for court jester was rejected. The only thing I could imagine was your royal bloodlines prevented being considered for court jester.

I'm a little frustrated that things are moving so slowly. I have to focus on at least making a little progress.

Thanks for stopping in, I study your levity as I would like to learn that craft some day.

Well that took longer than expected, I take a month off to work and you go on adding 11 pages to this thread. Glad to see you at least made some good progress in my absence. Earlier you were talking about the earthquakes in the Bootheel of Missouri which is where I'm from before college and the eventual move to Oklahoma. Funny even with all of the quakes there I never felt one. In the last year I've felt 4-5 and two of which were unnerving to say the least. The three big earthquakes in 1811 and 1812 near New Madrid were between 7.4-7.9, stories of the Mississippi river running backwards, the earth flowing like the ocean, and still present are giant sand blows in fields. Now back to work,
JB

I think the reference was to the New Madrid earthquakes of 1811 and 1812. From far away New Madrid area looks to be pretty close to Oklahoma. Glad you're back from T/A duties! I enjoyed managing turnarounds, but I think I liked working as a T/A engineer better. Lots of activity, opportunity, and urgent decisions to be made.

I'm thinking about mounting some LED lights down low on each of my four post lift posts. Sure like your results but I don't have the stomach to break up my new concrete.

Thanks for the visit.

 

[oldironfarmer]

I think I'm going to have to buy more lights

I've been laying things out and it looks like 53 may not be enough. I talked to NASA and they did not seem to be concerned. Whew!

Finally finally got started on electrical. It's getting dark early and I'm getting tired of dragging temporary lighting around.

I got into the old chicken coop and drug out some old plywood and paneling scraps. Scraped the mud dauber nests off of them and ripped into five inch strips. Then I worked out a rough wiring diagram and started nailing up raceways in my planer room.

And cut slots at the end to get the wires into the foundry room.

This is the other end, the breaker box is just through the wall on the right.

Got most of the raceway up in the foundry room. The top run goes on to the Skelly Garage and the front room in front of the paint booth. The lower run goes to foundry room lights, outlets, paint booth lights and paint booth fan.

I know my wiring design is a little unique. OK, off the wall (on the wall?). OK it's oddball design. But it works for me. The main advantage is flexibility. And you can trace the wire anytime you like. I have to do that occasionally and am comfortable with the design. I'm also comfortable with the safety aspect. And I am also aware that electrical inspectors who would pass it may not be very numerous.

 

[oldironfarmer]

I meant to add, Today is four months since I started trying to clean up my shop, deciding to add a little space and close in an open shed to have a good space to store excess items from the shop. One thing leading to another, now I have a paint booth, foundry room, and Skelly Garage. And only a bit more storage space. But I'm having a great time and really loving what it's turning into. It's been three months since we poured the slab. A month ago I expected to have electrical done and air system in place but that just didn't happen. I'm eager to get the new construction finished and then move right in to cleaning out and fixing up each of the existing rooms!

Thanks to all who have looked in, and special thanks to those willing to comment. It is amazing how the comments are invigorating and help keep things moving.

 

[Craptain]

Is it only 4 months?
This thread has become such a part of my life I thought it had been here for years. And still you make better progress than I do. My shop is still a disaster after several years.

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

 

[Vernmotor]

You can never ever have too much light !

 

[53PontiacSD]

Gee Andy, you've been working too hard in 4 months. Maybe it's time to go to a farm and ranch show, like here in Amarillo and sell brooms.

 

[don long]

Looks like you have found the light at the end of the tunnel.
You have made great progress Andy.
your shed sure looks different now 4 months after showing us your challenges.

This thread moves too fast to stay current for a guy that doesn't read very fast so your pictures are very helpful to an old guy like me

Thanks Andy.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Is it only 4 months?
This thread has become such a part of my life I thought it had been here for years. And still you make better progress than I do. My shop is still a disaster after several years.

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

It's already been four months? I was sure I'd have my open shed closed in in a couple of months.

I always look forward to your visits and comments. Thanks for stopping in!

You can never ever have too much light !

Gee Andy, you've been working too hard in 4 months. Maybe it's time to go to a farm and ranch show, like here in Amarillo and sell brooms.

While that sounds like fun, I have become very selfish in my retirement and am doing the things I want to do. Those things are getting the shop in shape so I can move on to projects I want to do in a clean shop. Now that I'm feeding cows every morning that cuts into my QST. And I have had some rent house issues lately which has drawn on my time.

Thanks for thinking of me! I appreciate the visit.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Looks like you have found the light at the end of the tunnel.
You have made great progress Andy.
your shed sure looks different now 4 months after showing us your challenges.

This thread moves too fast to stay current for a guy that doesn't read very fast so your pictures are very helpful to an old guy like me

Thanks Andy.

It is getting closer. I am elated by the changes.

Thanks for the comments, I never know if people like more pictures or not, but I do so I guess I'll continue until I'm asked to stop.

Always a pleasure to have an international celebrity stop in!

 

[sublime68charger]

Great work!

It's taken me better part of a week to go through your thread but you have made a lot of progress.

Just wondering you said you have around 50 tractors or so?

What type of iron you collecting?
I have seem some red I your pics due you have other colors as well?

 

[dlcwent]

Andy, thank you for taking the time to give a detailed description for me. And I do have the operators manual for the lathe. But all it said about leveling was that is was of extreme importance, nothing more. So I do appreciate your help. As far as your 4 months of progress, all I'm going to say is........Way to go Lazy Andy.

 

[drivesitfar]

ANDY: i love your use of old wood, but honestly i've never seen electrical runs like that in my life that weren't in conduit. makes sense if you have intelligent people around that don't put sharp objects where they don't belong, but our inspectors around here might red flag it and not return to give the person a second chance here if i (we) did it that way.

only you would buy a PALLET OF LIGHTS and say it might not be enough. most of us buy 2, 4 and maybe 8 or so of those to put in our garages, but i have to say with enough light i probably wouldn't need my reader glasses so you have me thinking.

so tell me do you practice your humor on your cows before GJ or maybe just the opposite you practice on us and then if it works let the cows hear while you are feeding them everyday?

cheers

 

[walt111]

I envy your progress you are light years ahead of my shop sometimes I think it will never grow. Piles of lumber and metal in the back yard covered under tarps. I thought if I watered them I could see growth but then I realized the piles were covered top keep them dry. My builder showed up one day last week and managed to put up batter boards and string then told me he was going hunting this week. I dream of looking out back and seeing my 50X80 rising out of the dirt. Keep up the good work on your shop I read every post but not to great a poster.
walt

 

[jbmatth]

... Glad you're back from T/A duties! I enjoyed managing turnarounds, but I think I liked working as a T/A engineer better. Lots of activity, opportunity, and urgent decisions to be made.

I'm thinking about mounting some LED lights down low on each of my four post lift posts. Sure like your results but I don't have the stomach to break up my new concrete.

Thanks for the visit.

I'm very glad to be free from the T/A as well, that was a fun 3 weeks of work, but the last week was pretty much spent on waiting for one channel head to return from one of your neighbors in Sand Springs, which was a little boring. Some more oddball projects during this T/A were that we pulled two "Rocket" style exchangers and replaced the top head on a reformer reactor, 2.625" thick 1.25 chrome. We fought tube leaks on the bigger of the rockets for a week straight. Best line during this one came from the water jet team that was cutting off the reactor head, we were discussing the details of the double bevel and the foreman asked, "What is a back bevel?".

Yeah you need more light, I do too, but will deal with it for now. I think LED lights would be a good fit for your lift, some rope lighting stuck to the rails should help tremendously.

JB

 

[jimreed2160]

I bow to the master--four months of entertainment without a bit of the promised cleaning. Well done, Andy. Us readers are as happy as cows with molasses oats.

 

[sublime68charger]

I bow to the master--four months of entertainment without a bit of the promised cleaning. Well done, Andy. Us readers are as happy as cows with molasses oats.

well cept for the ones that got loaded up on the cattle trailer 2 pages back.

there signing On the Road again!

or Convoy

maybe there switchin at each rest stop?

 

[Growlertdi]

good times. nice shop!

 

[Pointbock]

well cept for the ones that got loaded up on the cattle trailer 2 pages back.

there signing On the Road again!

or Convoy

maybe there switchin at each rest stop?

Convoy is close, but CW MCCall's best cattle-trucking song, nay, I say the best cattle-truckin' song in all of history is Superslab Showdown.

I get the sense that Andy could appreciate some of CW's finer phrasing.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Great work!

It's taken me better part of a week to go through your thread but you have made a lot of progress.

Just wondering you said you have around 50 tractors or so?

What type of iron you collecting?
I have seem some red I your pics due you have other colors as well?

Wow! Thanks for slogging through my drivel! The best part of GJ is I can go back and see where I've been. That is a great motivator when you're down and thinking no progress has been made.

Yes, I had 65 at one time, that included my bulldozer, backhoe, and motor patrol. I've sold the dozer (might have well sold my caboose) and sold a few tractors, but I've bought a few as well. People ask "do they all run?" the answer is "they used to". My dad had a Farmall M, and my mom's dad had a Farmall M and H. I have his M. My dad's dad bought an F-14 from my mom's dad long before they were a couple and I have it. My first tractor was a 1937 JD A, which I still have (I keep my first dime in it), it has factory round spoke wheels and is "collectible". People see all the red tractors and ask whether I have any JD's, so I take them around back and show them a couple of desirable ones "just so you won't think I don't know any better". I've got about six JD's two Allis B's and might have a Massey Ferguson.

I basically buy anything I can afford but have slowed way down when I started buying old cars. I still use my Farmalls to do my farming supplemented now with my Bobcat.

Thanks for asking And for stopping in

Andy, thank you for taking the time to give a detailed description for me. And I do have the operators manual for the lathe. But all it said about leveling was that is was of extreme importance, nothing more. So I do appreciate your help. As far as your 4 months of progress, all I'm going to say is........Way to go Lazy Andy.

I hope a real machinist will correct my misunderstanding and errors. But any attempt to level is better than none.

Glad to have you stop by even if you can't keep the secret about me being lazy.

ANDY: i love your use of old wood, but honestly i've never seen electrical runs like that in my life that weren't in conduit. makes sense if you have intelligent people around that don't put sharp objects where they don't belong, but our inspectors around here might red flag it and not return to give the person a second chance here if i (we) did it that way.

I kind of made up my electrical wiring system so it's not surprising you haven't seen it before. I posted the system on the GJ electrical forum just for fun, expecting to be roasted. Some actually liked it. But there was a bit of roasting going on as well. One guy said "you just wasted all your time". He didn't know it has been in service for years. I enjoyed the ***********.

Sharp objects can also cause issues with outlets and extension cords. But per code, none of us leave extension cords plugged in when not in active use. And everybody reads instructions and do not use extension cords when the instructions say not to. My argument is the Romex sheath is pretty tough, coupled with the insulation, and I run it up where it is in plain view, and some of my circuits are even on circuit breakers.

Damn right about an inspector not coming back for a second try I've had a couple of electrical engineers look at the system (at different times) and neither of them had a concern other than apparent failure to meet code. Ever see someone hang a trouble light from Romex in an unfinished garage? Ever see Romex stapled to poles in a pole barn? Is that any better?

I ran Romex in the walls of my wood shop. When I extended the woodshop and tore off the outside sheet metal, I found mice had eaten to bare wire a few places. Hmmm.... did not look good. Nobody else has mice but I get them occasionally and they can live in the walls. If you look closely at the wall where my sink is you will see old white Romex wrapped in black tape. That is covering mouse damage and being in the open is no longer subject to additional damage, just code prohibited "must be protected".

That being said, I would never promote someone else using my cockeyed wiring system but I love it. Easy to modify. Ever try to add a wire to a conduit run? It's called pull, discard, run all new wire. Or run new conduit. Easy to trace wires too, real easy. In your face easy. By the way, my shed is not a commercial garage and is not open to the public.

only you would buy a PALLET OF LIGHTS and say it might not be enough. most of us buy 2, 4 and maybe 8 or so of those to put in our garages, but i have to say with enough light i probably wouldn't need my reader glasses so you have me thinking.

I'll make you a deal on half a pallet of lights if I bought too many...

so tell me do you practice your humor on your cows before GJ or maybe just the opposite you practice on us and then if it works let the cows hear while you are feeding them everyday?

cheers

No, I check GJ before feeding my cows. I don't like to feed them until it gets light, they're black, and big, and clumsy, and might unintentionally hurt me if it was dark.

Ever heard of "Laughing Cow", I rest my case.

Thanks for stopping by. Your comments are "always a treat" as our upside down friends are want to say.

 

[oldironfarmer]

I envy your progress you are light years ahead of my shop sometimes I think it will never grow. Piles of lumber and metal in the back yard covered under tarps. I thought if I watered them I could see growth but then I realized the piles were covered top keep them dry. My builder showed up one day last week and managed to put up batter boards and string then told me he was going hunting this week. I dream of looking out back and seeing my 50X80 rising out of the dirt. Keep up the good work on your shop I read every post but not to great a poster.
walt

You're learning the hard way about growing a shop. Most farmers try to grow Crescent wrenches and other tools by planting them in the field. It doesn't work but we stubbornly keep trying. Win/win for you. If he gets a deer he'll come by to brag about it, and if he doesn't, he'll come by and work to buy food and a better rifle. When the contractor does show up your progress will soar past my one man effort.

Thanks for the humor, it gets a little slow around here sometimes.

I'm very glad to be free from the T/A as well, that was a fun 3 weeks of work, but the last week was pretty much spent on waiting for one channel head to return from one of your neighbors in Sand Springs, which was a little boring.

Said exchanger shop in Sand Springs to remain nameless as those who might need them know them and nobody else cares. but they are aces, and ship all over the world. We are spoiled being so close to them. I don't know of a refinery that does not use them and I've been in at least 40 US refineries.

Some more oddball projects during this T/A were that we pulled two "Rocket" style exchangers and replaced the top head on a reformer reactor, 2.625" thick 1.25 chrome. We fought tube leaks on the bigger of the rockets for a week straight. Best line during this one came from the water jet team that was cutting off the reactor head, we were discussing the details of the double bevel and the foreman asked, "What is a back bevel?".

The level of competence is astounding. One of my favorite jobs, I might have told you, was removing and replacing a two foot ring in the bottom of Plant 4 CAT Regenerator while we had guys working in the reactor (for those of you who have forgotten, the Plant 4 CAT in Ponca City is a stacked CAT, reactor vessel on top of the regenerator vessel, reactor is about 12 ft diameter and regenerator about 18 ft (JB can correct but that might be confidential information)) In any event, I had to come up with a way to support the hundred or so ft tall combination while we cut a two ft bulged section out of the bottom portion and get in and out in four weeks. Vessels probably 1-1/4" thick.

Yeah you need more light, I do too, but will deal with it for now. I think LED lights would be a good fit for your lift, some rope lighting stuck to the rails should help tremendously.

JB

If you have a link you could "show me the ropes"!

Thanks for the visit. And the cheap gas!! Our gas may be so cheap because of the big pipeline failure in Alabama has left Texas missing a big outlet.

I bow to the master--four months of entertainment without a bit of the promised cleaning. Well done, Andy. Us readers are as happy as cows with molasses oats.

Dang! You caught me. Why did you think I was cleaning my shop? I'm building on, can't you tell?

I'm having a blast, glad you're enjoying it too!

Hmmm.... Entertainment? Should I be charging? Wait, yes!
I've charged everything I've bought for the shop.

I appreciate the kind words!

 

[oldironfarmer]

well cept for the ones that got loaded up on the cattle trailer 2 pages back.

Well, maybe not, they should be very very happy now in the greatest smorgasbord on earth, eating themselves silly.

there signing On the Road again!

or Convoy

maybe there switchin at each rest stop?

Two of my favorite songs, right up there with "I've Been Everywhere, Man" but still slightly below my all time favorite chicken hauling song "Wolf Creek Pass". Hands down, a great song (hope I didn't ruffle any feathers).

good times. nice shop!

The best of times Thanks for the visit Come on back!

Convoy is close, but CW MCCall's best cattle-trucking song, nay, I say the best cattle-truckin' song in all of history is Superslab Showdown.

I get the sense that Andy could appreciate some of CW's finer phrasing.

OK, I admit I like being behind a cattle truck, unless it's dripping...

Everybody remember why Convoy song came about? Truck hijackings caused trucks to travel in convoys for mutual protection. I can remember seeing ten to twenty trucks running together on the Interstates.

But "Roll on Big Mama" with the hook "diesel smoke with every stroke" is right up there.

Is "******* The Billboard" a trucking song?

 

[oldironfarmer]

Dang! I made some progress today but spent all evening replying to posts, here and elsewhere.

Well here's a little, it was cool this morning so I asked Bob if he'd help me unload the lights.

"If it don't give me a splitting head ache"

I replied "If it does I'll take your head right off, buster"

So he helped.

The load

The target

The action, it's up!

And it's in!

Feels good!

Earlier, that same day

Those little girls are some mighty fine heifers if I do say so, ma'am.

If you want to use a 55 gallon steel drum to make a feeder, don't cut it in half. It is deep enough a calf or even cow can get upside down in it and not be able to get out. Cut it in thirds and it makes a 9 ft feeder anyway.

Satisfied customers!

This is on topic, pictures of my hay shed.

Thanks for looking in, I hope you found this post to be a mooving experience

 

[oldironfarmer]

My Son in Law brought me a gift, an old steel desk. Very heavy, not Steelcase, but it will make a nice bench and storage in the foundry room.

The wooden raceways I've been putting up are ripped off of old paneling, real wood paneling. It was damaged on one side. the narrow piece shows the old dark color.

This go around I plan to run raceway closer to the lights. I'm not too proud of the light wiring in the planer room, but it has worked for several years. Not exactly the clean look

Going to run wire today, so I looked and found an old Lazy Susan I had made to paint trivet frames. Over a thousand trivet frames. The overspray is 3/4" thick. I had small squares which would fit in a frame so I could stack four and spray them all at once. Now I can lay a roll of Romex on it and unroll it without twisting. Twists in the Romex is undesirable in my wiring scheme.

Had to make cleats to clamp the wire down, needed about 53 cleats today (not one per light), so I ripped some oak narrow to get 3/4x1/4 strips, then gang crosscut them to five inches.

Hole in each end, so jigged up!

The L shaped base was an old fixture, adding a block and clamping completed the jig. Worked up to drilling three at a time.

Done pretty quickly

Started pulling wire! The trash can is being used to turn the wire so as to not crimp it going into the wall

Popped a knockout out and put a 3/4" clamp in the breaker box (upper left)

Put a few clamps up and pulled the wire through the clamps

I used to write the service on the jacket in pencil. Then I bought a Sharpie.

And marked the first cable, foundry room outlets (I had trouble on the "S", hope to do better in the 4th grade)

 

[oldironfarmer]

Then pulled three more wires in the lower raceway, and one in the upper.

Slowly filling up!

The cables will straighten up, the clamps are loose so the wire won't stay in place.

There will be a clamp close to each direction change as well.

And here's the wire on the other side of the foundry room door

Five wires coming into the planer room from the foundry room

And here are the five wires going through the planer room wall to the breaker box. The sink is right below.

The breaker box with four more wires coming in. I need to vacuum out the box before I try to terminate at the breakers.

I felt very good about today's progress