Craptain
Well-known member
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Going to need a paint booth though.
If you recall he has a paint booth but it is pretty full of things that don't need painting. Maybe this is the incentive to "clean up the shop"
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Going to need a paint booth though.
Andy, far out you have been busy..
I will be an apology for the 29th sadly but if you are making this an annual thing I can plan ahead for next year..
Cheers

I'm going to say I think you have a wonderful shop and beautiful land and I think you're a great man. I think you take great pictures and even though you claim to be Lazy (Andy) you are far from it. You have more going on for you than most people I know.
OKAY, did I say enough nice things??????
That's not what you expect from me. I know better.
As tempting as it is to show up at your place at the end of this month, I will wait until next year if Steve is actually going to make the trip. I'd like to meet him also. But don't be surprised if I just mossy into your backyard someday. (I'll be the guy listening to what your cows are really saying about you.)
I'm not going to comment on you pile of iron.![]()

Andy: i love your Studebaker and anxious to see it running if that is the plan. the Ford is ok and i'm sorta kinda looking for a 1956, but at the moment i'm without a big shop so not in any hurry to buy something and have it sit in the rain.
sorry i haven't been taking you up on your Cokes cause i'm an ice tea and water guy, but if it was Coke from the pre 30's when they put the REAL THING in it i might be tempted to see how that was.
love the bridge crane idea if that's the plan or maybe something a bit smaller like a gantry so you can load and unload your trucks and trailers. or do you have plans to bring in somethings that are really big and heavy?
have a great SATURDAY and from my chair it sure looks like you do get a lot done every day. did i read you are relocating the Yellow and the Purple cars? did the grandson's get them or tell or don't tell cause i'm not one to ask much about what you comment on. or am I?
sadly i won't be able to drive or fly to Oklahoma this year, but might be a possibility next year if i can GET ORGANIZED.
cheers

Andy your trusses gave me an idea for a bridge across the pool, now a fish pond. I am going to check out using some of the old ham radio tower I have for support beams.
If you recall he has a paint booth but it is pretty full of things that don't need painting. Maybe this is the incentive to "clean up the shop"
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My bridge was inside when the shop burned in '89 and I cut the ends off and scrapped the bent metal. I may have some I-beam which will work from an old bridge I salvaged.
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That's 28 ft of straight 6-inch beam from the old bridge (highway bridge, not crane bridge, I'll use bridge steel to make bridge steel, that's not repurposing is it?). I salvaged the bridge to get a ton of genuine wrought iron for blacksmithing. I have some leftovers.
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Wait........what???????
Can't say I know too many people that can make that statement.
Dan, some folks are into bigger, weirder, or more ******** things than you and I (and most other GJers). Ol' Andy here probably has a couple moon rocks kicking around, too. Ol' Andy here probably has a couple moon rocks kicking around, too.![]()
Spring Cleaning!
So here's an idea. It's fun to meet other Garage Journal people, so if there's interest I'm thinking of hosting a Saturday get together at my shop. April 29th, Terlton, Oklahoma, USA.
I'll provide Coke from the machine and a pot of stew with parts of one of my dead cows in it.
We can do a little blacksmithing, make a broom or two, take a ride in the Studebaker (I guarantee it will be ready to roll by then), and talk shop. Tour the shop and see if I've been photoshopping my pictures. (Is it really that dirty?) Poke around the junk and look at the cows if there's any interest. And with a little encouragement I'll perform: juggling sharp knives. Maybe melt some cans or do a little sand casting. I might have a garage sale table with free stuff to good homes if I can find any extra stuff I don't have an immediate need for. Might even have a souvenir cow patty for each visitor.
Families welcome, of course, but obviously my shop is nowhere close to being child proof so children would have to have close supervision.
If there is interest, let me know. OK to respond on the thread but if we decide to go forward I will need an RSVP by PM so we will have enough food. If the weather is bad I'll have a spot cleaned out inside, but don't expect me to be a host and have the shop cleaned up. My name is not Don Long and I don't know how to host a party. But I can have a lot of friends over.
So let me know.![]()

Wait........what???????
Can't say I know too many people that can make that statement.
Oh, yeah that... that's some scrap from a bridge he salvaged.Dan, some folks are into bigger, weirder, or more ******** things than you and I (and most other GJers). Ol' Andy here probably has a couple moon rocks kicking around, too.
![]()

Andy,
As I watch I am beginning to get the idea that your are picking up the things on the floor and are going to put them over your head. At least you won't stumble on them. But does this lead to out of sight out of mind?
Great use of space. Think of all the projects you will have time for when you are not searching for things.
Thanks for the posts looks great
Dwight
Back in the day I actually had hold of a couple of pieces of moon rock. I worked with the scientists who were on that project.
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I'm in, as long as this isn't a trick to get help cleaning up the shop.
I think I have some scrap aluminum around here somewhere that I need to relocate so I can say I'm cleaning my shop.
Glen
Andy,
I’m not sure where to start. I started reading this thread when it was only a few pages and somehow never followed it as it progressed to the saga it is today. I read your entire broom thread and enjoyed it enough to share it with my wife and she thoroughly enjoyed it as much as I did but I never made the connection between this thread and the guy that makes the brooms.
You and I had a little side hijack in JB’s thread talking about TA’s in refineries and I finally made the connection between you and this thread. Well it has taken me almost 2 weeks to read it in its entirety. I didn’t skim it, I read every post and reply. By doing so, I feel that I have learned so much more about you and the old iron farm as well as so many of the other regular contributors to your thread. I have to tell you that I was so engrossed in your daily endeavors that I have not been able to keep up on any other threads that I have been following and now I have a lot of catching up to do.
I really appreciate the wisdom that you share and your approach to life. You have motivated me to look deeply into the things that I thought were important and maybe re-evaluate my priorities. I’m done feeding your non-existent ego, but I had to get that out.
Your “Bob’s” cousin lives with me and as someone that works mostly alone, I could not survive without him. Having Bob’s cousin (Bob’s cousin doesn’t have a name) is like having another person in the shop with me.
I’m enjoying your casting escapades, so keep them coming. I’m still in the process of building my first coal forge and I’m sure that will lead me to eventually follow in you casting footsteps.
There was only one dime in the dish on top of the machine and I didn’t want to be the old maid so I didn’t have a Coke. “Someone needs go get a shitload of dimes”
So now that I’m up to date, I just want to let you know that I’ll be watching what happens on the farm.
I have 64 dimes and the machine holds about 80, so when all the dimes are inside it is time to reload (sorry JB), not that you asked.
I'll be rich!

. I calculated the volume required and used their density guidelines, then added 10% but still came up short. I won't be short next time
I'll have to see how it looks when the form is off, this may be waste.
Spring Cleaning!
So here's an idea. It's fun to meet other Garage Journal people, so if there's interest I'm thinking of hosting a Saturday get together at my shop. April 29th, Terlton, Oklahoma, USA.
I'll provide Coke from the machine and a pot of stew with parts of one of my dead cows in it.
We can do a little blacksmithing, make a broom or two, take a ride in the Studebaker (I guarantee it will be ready to roll by then), and talk shop. Tour the shop and see if I've been photoshopping my pictures. (Is it really that dirty?) Poke around the junk and look at the cows if there's any interest. And with a little encouragement I'll perform: juggling sharp knives. Maybe melt some cans or do a little sand casting. I might have a garage sale table with free stuff to good homes if I can find any extra stuff I don't have an immediate need for. Might even have a souvenir cow patty for each visitor.
Families welcome, of course, but obviously my shop is nowhere close to being child proof so children would have to have close supervision.
If there is interest, let me know. OK to respond on the thread but if we decide to go forward I will need an RSVP by PM so we will have enough food. If the weather is bad I'll have a spot cleaned out inside, but don't expect me to be a host and have the shop cleaned up. My name is not Don Long and I don't know how to host a party. But I can have a lot of friends over.
So let me know.![]()

Hi Andy
Just checking in tonight
I was several pages behind so I spent this evening reading up on your many subjects, New trucks, iron bridges, overhead cranes, black smithing and a little shop cleaning for a party??? Are you saying that I'm a party pro??
It's my sweet wife that makes our parties a hit. She's the real host. I just clean and set them up.
Is that Ford truck a 1 ton?? It doesn't look like the 40 ford p/u I traded for our greenhouse. My cousin had a 50 stude p/u but it melted in his garage fire a few years ago.
I'd love to attend your get together if I were in the area.
Maybe Drivesitfar will consider swinging by and picking me up on his way over.
I'll be checking in again next week
Don
Hi Andy
Good thing I'm not a betting man. I would've bet the Dodge was fixed and off the four post in a week and the tractor would still be in pieces in 2018!
That's the best part about your cleanup, all the wild tangents you go haring off on.

Andy, your exterior wall framing is progressing well by the looks of things..
The mezzanine floor should make for some extra storage and capitalise on the height you have..
Regards

If I didn't live in IL and also didn't go to college I'd be down. Maybe in 4 years
Awesome of you to do, though.![]()



Wow Andy, you need to slow down a bit, I'm struggling to keep up with your thread.
Great score with the trucks, the Ford is nice but I've had a crush on those Studebaker pick ups since watching the old movie "Hot Rod" (not the recent comedy) - the main character's side kick had one.
The star of the show was the'41 Willy's of course, but the Stude was in lots of scenes - often in the background like this pic that I googled...
View media item 69787
Great work on the mezzanine and the refractory section.
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Andy - Your get-together sounds fun. If I wasn't worried about getting blown away by one of those spring Oklahoman twisters, I'd jump in my clown car and take a gander up that way to check out the fixings and shop.
Anyways nice score on the trucks. You can get timeWarp to throw an EcoBoost into that Ford for you.
I know a guy that just got a hearse out of his shop. He might have room for a couple new projects. There is a lift, so they can be stacked.
I need more Saturday's to keep up Andy.
Cheers GB.
Every time I stop I go to sleep. Drives my wife crazy.

Q--What does it mean when there is empty space in a shop?
A--Shop's not full. Need more stuff.![]()

More stuff
Need more stuff!!

ANDY: I'm sorry to say i won't be driving down to your place this year, but maybe next year might be doable and if i do happen to swing by Don's place to give him a ride i hope he lets me choose which car or truck we can drive to your place. best of luck with this year's little get together and maybe have each member bring something rusty, old or cool to add to your pile of gems? like a piece of their local bridge or something maybe a bit smaller. trades an option since rumor has it you don't SELL ANYTHING?
loving all the work you've been doing inside the shop.
Jim: i guess you haven't looked outside Andy's shop at all those tractors and cars and trucks he needs to park inside? you are too funny and i bet before next Sunday rolls around he'll have bought something else for his Foundry, broom business, shops, acreage or for his cows. just sitting in my chair every morning and tuning in to see what his adventures turn up.

My hired man took the day off, so I cleaned a spot for the scaffold to insulate and sheetrock this wall. I call it clean...
![]()
I'm spying those steel "spare parts" from bridge and thinking they would make a bitchin' carport frame that could have an engine hoist trolley, if you used a sturdy I-beam across !!![]()
Looks clean to me! My garage is a lot more cluttered than that.
I've been following along, but haven't posted before. Nice job on building a mezzanine for your new shelves -- it's nice to have the ceiling height to be able to do that.

I know a guy that just got a hearse out of his shop. He might have room for a couple new projects. There is a lift, so they can be stacked.
I need more Saturday's to keep up Andy.
Cheers GB.

There is always room in the W.H.H.H. for one of your cars Andy, you know just to help you out. Now I can't guarantee how long it would take for me to get it in working order once it arrives. I also couldn't guarantee how long it would stay working if you dropped it off that way.
I will make it to your get together however I'll be a bit late, my daughter has a soccer game that won't be over until 11:30. I'll ask if they want to join and let you know in a PM.
I was jealous of your bus, Bob, broom machine, etc. but now that I know you have a life size bridge erector set I don't think there is anything left that can top that random bit of tool guy gold.
JB
just had to google your ford p/u cause i love it. it turns out to be a one ton model, and by the pics they sure clean up well. would certainly make a great feed hauler.

Lights are really pretty cheap. And they don't cost anything else to operate if you don't use them. And if you do use them the cost of good light is well worth it.
More than I expected, but it will be 15 ft wide by 14 ft high. That is a big door. I've decided to go with a panel garage door but with a chain fall operator for precise positioning of the door. I don't think I want a power opener. Just never been a big fan of them.
According to what I've read on my Duramax you are supposed to change them with every oil change ~8,000 miles give or take. The Cummins 5.9 interval is longer according to the maintenance schedule at 12,000 to 15,000 miles if it is a 12v or 24v. I'd say you got your money's worth out of it. 
no, i am not positive. it could be a 3/4 ton.
jim
Did I read it right that you got 300K miles on the original fuel filter? My FIL carries a filter for his Powerstroke and has changed it in a rest stop before when he got some watery diesel on the road. Is there a separate filter for water on the Dodges?
And there is a water alarm and drain on the bottom of the filter. I have drained it a few times over the years.300,000 miles on a diesel fuel filter!According to what I've read on my Duramax you are supposed to change them with every oil change ~8,000 miles give or take. The Cummins 5.9 interval is longer according to the maintenance schedule at 12,000 to 15,000 miles if it is a 12v or 24v. I'd say you got your money's worth out of it.
Even if the family can't make it or doesn't like stew and awesome vehicles/tractors I'll still make it and bring some aluminum castings I removed from the engine I'm tearing down.
JB
Do I still get the cast aluminum?
and a rebuild on the axle about 280,000. One new thermostat and now the power steering pump is bad. Replaced fuel lines. Three sets of batteries and oil changes. Everything else is factory: water pump, generator, radiator, turbo, etc. It's been a good truck. But I repeat myself.
Hmmm, Cummins are truck engines and Powerstroke and Duramax are automotive engines.Do I still get the cast aluminum?
I'm just a guy with a grease gun too, but, hey, greasing equipment is 80% of the way to maintenance.
A word about my old Dodge. I bought it new in December of 93. We had gone to pick up lumber in a truck with no tail lights (had brake lights) and my wife was after me to get a new truck so we went and looked. We finally wound up at a Dodge dealer, I really liked the retro style of the new design. And wanted a Cummins. We negotiated until after dark and my wife, in her cagey way of negotiating, told the salesman we had to buy it because we had no tail lights. I told him I had driven home with red plastic over a flashlight before so pay no attention to her.
It's been a good truck. Early failure of the injector pump at 40,000 miles completely covered under warranty. Three transmissionsand a rebuild on the axle about 280,000. One new thermostat and now the power steering pump is bad. Replaced fuel lines. Three sets of batteries and oil changes. Everything else is factory: water pump, generator, radiator, turbo, etc. It's been a good truck. But I repeat myself.
Keep after it and you will have the truck running by the BBQ on the 29th and just under 4 months no less. Our road trips tend to be wildly unplanned events that can be expected from a couple of guys with extra time, extra money, an empty trailer and no adult supervision.
Bruce