Above 1200 Sq/FT Ernie's Place

[1/2 Cup]

Consider your seat idea borrowed, that seat is neat. I have a similar sized 12 foot length of very old Red gum bridge beam timber that is just begging to be transformed.

Well done.

 

[Grizzly Guy]

StormcrowAz,Your a heck of a craftsman,I really like your work.I'm very happy to see that you are remembering your grandfather,I'm sure He would be very proud of You and would love the garage.By the way I like what Your going to do with the old Scout.Keep us updated for sure.Thanks for sharing.

 

[StormcrowAz]

Consider your seat idea borrowed, that seat is neat. I have a similar sized 12 foot length of very old Red gum bridge beam timber that is just begging to be transformed.
Well done.

Thanks! I’ve borrowed so many ideas from others out there and it’s nice to be able to contribute for a change. I finished up the bench and threw it out in the back yard yesterday. It will make a nice addition to the fire pit and couple of chairs we already had. Just need to clean up the weeds and fill in some gopher holes before it gets cold…

StormcrowAz,Your a heck of a craftsman,I really like your work.I'm very happy to see that you are remembering your grandfather,I'm sure He would be very proud of You and would love the garage.By the way I like what Your going to do with the old Scout.Keep us updated for sure.Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for the compliments! Although compared a lot of what I see on this forum I feel more like a Novice Tinkerer.  Ah well, as my great-grandmother used to say: “you live and you learn, you live and you learn…”



This weekend was fairly productive. The water pump on the swamp cooler went out so replaced that and while I was at it replaced the pads and gave it a good cleaning.

Pulled the new lift wiring through the conduit using the vacuum cleaner method. Worked great and the gantry came in handy again. Certainly looks like a lot of shenanigans going on in the pictures, though.




To make more space in preparation for the lift install I took the gantry apart and tucked it away in the corner.



Woke up early Sunday, stepped out to the shop, and was greeted with this view:

 

[j p smith]

Looks like you are staying pretty busy Todd! Ocotillo art, cool bench and it seems your license plates are breeding. Trailer project is real interesting, I have thought of something like that for my Hit & Miss engines, storage when not going to a show and 4 less engines in the shop. Still wanting to get out and see your place.

 

[StormcrowAz]

Big day here at Ernie’s Place! The Mohawk guys showed up this morning and installed the lift! While I think this is something I could have done myself I am happy with the decision to let someone else do it. What took them three hours probably would have taken me all weekend. Not only that but they install, service, and certify these for a living so it’s a big peace of mind to know experienced professionals were making sure things were all good. Now here come the pictures!

Getting these upright was easier than I thought it would be. Using a cherry-picker they hoisted the lighter end up at a great enough angle to where they were able to muscle it upright the rest of the way.




They then “walked” the columns into place, lining them up with pre-measured lines they snapped earlier.


One of the puppies making sure everything is squared away

 

[StormcrowAz]

Drilling the anchor holes


Hammering in the anchors and torqued down


Installing the overhead lines. Ironically the previous shop put extensions on the factory lines to extend the height and it turns out they line up perfectly with the rafters in my place!


Topped off the fluids and fired it up. A nervous couple of minutes while the lines bled and both sides were raised to the top.

 

[StormcrowAz]

Time to test it! No sense in *****-footing around, break out the heavy rig…


Success!!!


Watched the weight gauge as it was going up and it was reading 9500lbs. Once it stopped upward movement it settled to 8500lbs. I’m guessing it reads higher when it’s under load? Regardless, it’s within lift limits and that makes me a happy camper!


Threw the Toyota on there because, well…because I could. 


I plan on relocating all the lumber, but in the mean-time there’s still plenty of maneuvering room in the front.


Still need to finish up running the conduit and permanently attaching the outlet. More of that later…

 

[StormcrowMom]

Hi, this is Todd's mom. We're happy to see all the progress on the shop & in case you're reading his thread, you must know how proud we are as his parents, knowing that he had a great teacher & inspiration in his Papa. By the way, Todd, thanks for the completed ocotillo!

 

[bonecrrusher]

Your gantry crane makes that lift look small!

Looks awesome!

 

[StormcrowMom]

If you don't mind a few splinters where you sit, you can enjoy the rustic charm of a weathered bench like these in the patio area of the DeGrazia Gallery in Tucson.

 

[StormcrowAz]

No major updates, but a few little things going on.

Changed a leaky fuel pump and the fuel filter on the Hummer. Sadly, I am thinking of selling the Hummer. Just don’t drive it as much as I used to.



Added the Flag and blind children near sign



My buddy came over and we threw his long bed 2500 on the lift for giggles.



Started working on the trailer project. First up was to replace the bearings on the forward axle. I had already replaced the other axle assembly entirely in order to get it home.

 

[StormcrowAz]

Found out that tandem axles won’t allow the lift forks to swing in far enough to contact the frame. Thought I’d make something to fix that… ten foot section of 2” square tube and short sections of pipe welded to keep it in place.





It works, but I don’t feel comfortable about the amount of bow in the tube



Need to figure out something more substantial before I actually get under it to work on it. Looking at the pictures now, I suppose I could have swung the arms in closer by a few degrees. That may help a little, but not sure that will be enough. Any suggestions?

 

[StormcrowAz]

Added some supports to the lift adapters. No more flex in the tube and it looks/feels solid!






I feel a lot better about crawling around under it now. Next up is to address the bent frame issue...

 

[StormcrowAz]

More progress on the trailer project. Cut out the bent beam and welded a new section in. While I was at it, added some additional cross-supports for good measure.






Got spring-over axle conversion kits and installed those




All said and done it provided 5” of extra clearance

 

[StormcrowAz]

Started to dig into the electrical and realized it wasn’t up to standards. A bunch of splices plus from the factory it was run, exposed, through washers tacked to the bottom cross-tubes. Essentially the lowest point on the trailer, not good for going over rough terrain. So tore all of it out and will be running new wire through conduit sleeved through the frame. (thank you Jeff Smith for your trailer inspiration). Wasn’t sure how to handle the elbows and T’s needed and my buddy suggested regular electrical boxes since I’m running EMT anyways. I am planning on foaming and skinning the bottom of the trailer, so the boxes should be handy access points for performing any future maintenance/repairs.

 

[j p smith]

Trailer project looking good Todd! Are you going to up size the tires since you have raised the trailer?

My yearly clean up project went well and we had 52 guys for the hit & miss workshop.

Also I think I have a sign that will fit in with your other road signs.

 

[StormcrowAz]

Trailer project looking good Todd! Are you going to up size the tires since you have raised the trailer?

My yearly clean up project went well and we had 52 guys for the hit & miss workshop.

Also I think I have a sign that will fit in with your other road signs.

Thanks! And yes, can't go any wider but certainly have room for something taller. Need to figure out the right tire size here pretty soon.

I checked out your hit and miss thread and looks like a good time was had by all! Somehow you managed to make an already-clean shop look even cleaner with the re-organization, very nice!

Still plenty of room on the walls...if you get some free time head out (even further) West and check out Ernie's Place. Maybe it will motivate me to do a little cleaning of my own!

 

[vonhef]

Your lift turned out great!

One day I will be in the League of Lift Owners.

 

[StormcrowAz]

Your lift turned out great!

One day I will be in the League of Lift Owners.

Thanks for stopping by, Hef! While I haven't had the lift very long, I can already see why everyone raves about them. I shudder to think about what it would be like doing these trailer repairs and modifications with just a couple of floor jacks.

It would certainly make for a great addition to your Hidey-Hole!

 

[j p smith]

Thanks! And yes, can't go any wider but certainly have room for something taller. Need to figure out the right tire size here pretty soon.

I checked out your hit and miss thread and looks like a good time was had by all! Somehow you managed to make an already-clean shop look even cleaner with the re-organization, very nice!

Still plenty of room on the walls...if you get some free time head out (even further) West and check out Ernie's Place. Maybe it will motivate me to do a little cleaning of my own!

Thanks for stopping in and the compliments Todd. Are you taking any time off next week. I'm going to be off wendsday & thursday.
Jeff

 

[StormcrowAz]

Managed to squeeze some shop time in over the holidays.

Brother-in-law brought over his 40’ trailer for some small mods. He had these 4” strap holders that bolted to the frame rails and wanted them a bit more permanent. So now they are both bolted and welded in place:




Made some Christmas presents for friends.

Jerry can mini-bar:







Motherboard clock:

 

[StormcrowAz]

Jeff Smith stopped by for a visit and graciously donated this sign for my collection. Thanks again!!!



Took a closer look at the trailer tongue and noticed the c-channel was slightly bent. Decided to cut it out and replace it with 2” x 3” x .188” tubing. Also made a little box to keep the wiring junction box and break-away batter box out of the elements (still need to make the cover)

 

[StormcrowAz]

More progress on the trailer. Made some bracketry for the wiring junction and brake battery box. Added a grounding stud and bent up a quick lid for the whole thing.


It seems Mother Nature has decided to provide Phoenix’s average annual rainfall in the course of this week alone. Getting that out of the way early this year, I suppose. Unfortunately this kind of put a damper on my painting plans. So instead of doing it outside I rigged up a sort of temporary, poor-man paint booth.



Kind of kooky, but got the job done. A run here or there, but this isn’t exactly a show car. Good enough to keep rust to a minimum. Oh, almost forgot the safety chains. Threw those on last-minute before starting all the painting shenanigans.





Will wait a couple days to let it cure before doing any more work to/around it. Wiring is up next.

 

[j p smith]

Hey Todd. Had a good time visiting with you, sign looks good.

Nice job on the trailer tongue project! What's up next windows?

Guys, Todd has the most deluxe shop bathroom I think I can remember seeing anywhere.

 

[zmotorsports]

Trailer is turning out very nice.

Mike.

 

[Bears Fan]

"Made some Christmas presents for friends. Jerry can mini-bar"

I wish I was your friend

 

[1/2 Cup]

You have just got to love that Jerry can now that is a winner.

Great work on the hitch as well.

Regards

 

[StormcrowAz]

Hey Todd. Had a good time visiting with you, sign looks good.
Nice job on the trailer tongue project! What's up next windows?

Jeff - Thank you again for hanging out and the cool addition to Ernie’s Place! Windows are going to have to wait. Still need to clean them up and source replacement felt and seals, not to mention making new frames, cutting holes, etc. etc. Going camping in a couple weeks and don’t think I’ll have time for all that.

Trailer is turning out very nice.
Mike.

Mike – Appreciate it, and thanks for stopping in!

I wish I was your friend

Bears Fan – You’re more than welcome to come hang out if you’d like, but it might be a bit of a drive. The mini-bar actually took a bit of time and effort, but this friend of mine has been a good friend for 20+ years and it was worth it to see the look on his face when he opened it up.

You have just got to love that Jerry can now that is a winner.
Great work on the hitch as well.
Regards

Thanks, ½ Cup! Appreciate the visit and compliments!




Now that the bulk of the trailer tongue has been completed it’s time to start work on the wiring.


A good friend came over to help out and also noticed that the trailer jack handle suffered some damage, too. The handle bent and cracked at the thin points where it was drilled for a roll pin that engages the drive gear. It actually broke off while taking it apart, forgot to get a picture of that, but here it is welded back together, cleaned up, and the hole re-drilled


The handle was still bent so while I was fiddling with wiring my buddy broke out the torch and straightened it.




Re-installed back into the jack

 

[StormcrowAz]

Salvaged the connector plug that goes to the truck and added a six foot wiring harness to it. In retrospect that’s probably a bit excessive, but I wasn’t sure what a standard length was and it seemed reasonable at the time. Better too much than not enough, I suppose.


Here is the battery box and wiring junction box installed and wired up.


Wiring loom added and all buttoned up.


All done!




Oh, turns out that the other axle had a bent spindle as well so ended up replacing that with a whole new assembly, including the spring-over conversion. ***** having to re-do something, but at least it’s all new stuff now. I added some wiring loom for protection and put a weatherpack connector in place for ease of future axle removal/installation. Actually glad I did, one of the factory crimp connectors fell off when I first touched the wiring. So now it’s all soldered/heat shrinked.

 

[StormcrowAz]

Took the trailer out camping. Hauled two quads and all the gear with no problems.



Now that it’s complete and functional - it’s time to switch gears and start on the Scout projects. First on the block is to get this up to speed as a reliable daily driver.

 

[j p smith]

Great progress on the trailer Todd!
Looks like you missed all the white stuff on the camping trip.

 

[StormcrowAz]

Picked up a nasty cold/flu after I got back from camping. Took me down for about two weeks. Now that I’m feeling human again it’s time to get back into the groove.

Pulled this front end out of my pile o’ parts



I bought a matched set of axles out of a ’75 (?) Scout II a few years ago with the intent of replacing the Dana 27’s in the ’67 Scout. Best I can tell the rear is a Dana 44 and the front is a Dana 30. Should be plenty enough for running around town. Nice thing about the front axle is the open knuckle and disc set-up. I pulled the steering links off and attacked it with a wire wheel



Pulled a caliper off one side and currently sourcing for new components or a re-build kits.



And then the wife talked me into another house project…she’s always wanted one of those bar-b-que island thingies, so this is what I’ve come up with - house/patio is in blue, new bbq in grey:



I have quite a few 2x6’s left over from the shop room tear-down still, so want to use a bunch of that. I think it’s going to be overkill, but can’t beat the price of free. Will most likely need to purchase a few feet of 2x4’s as I don’t have as much of that laying around. Here’s what I have so far, starting with the bar-countertop ends. I mapped it all out first, it helps me to visualize before I start cutting stuff up. I really have almost no carpentry experience/skills so bear with me and feel free to critique.

The bar end sections. Red = 2x6’s and Yellow = 2x4’s. The grey panels are whatever plywood or paneling is handy.


Here’s an exploded and dimensioned view for purchase calculations and I can cut most, if not all, pieces at one time and then assemble. Hopefully it will speed things up.


I also ordered one of those Kreg jigs, from what I’ve read they are supposed to make life easier. We’ll see!

 

[j p smith]

You have too much spare time on your hands Todd!

Should look awesome on your patio.

 

[cat06]

more work but if you have plenty of 2x6's you could/can rip them down to 2x4's and save buying them

 

[wazzza]

Cant wait for the BBQ-pit!

 

[StormcrowAz]

You have too much spare time on your hands Todd!
Should look awesome on your patio.

That’s funny, I always think there aren’t enough hours in the day.

more work but if you have plenty of 2x6's you could/can rip them down to 2x4's and save buying them

That’s a great idea, thanks! I ended up doing that to a few pieces.

Cant wait for the BBQ-pit!

Thanks for stopping by! The wife can’t wait for it to be finished so it can look pretty next to the house and I can’t wait for it to be finished so I can work on the Scout!



Had a fairly busy weekend but still managed to squeeze a few hours of shop-time in. Started on the BBQ Island and even had the Mrs. helping out.


And of course, no project can be without Supervision


So we measured and cut most of the pieces for the two bar-sides.


As the saying goes: "No plan of operations extends with certainty beyond the first encounter with the enemy's main strength" - Well it’s no surprise that my carefully laid out plans were no exception to this battle. When creating the 3D model I forgot to take into consideration that a “2x4” isn’t actually 2 inches by 4 inches. Overall not a big deal, had to re-cut a few pieces to maintain some important dimensions, but fully expected to have to adapt on the fly for uncertainties and mistakes.

One feature of the bar ends is to house ice chests inside. Don’t really feel like running power to the island at this time, so no bar fridge. Beer on ice will have to do when company comes over for grilling.


Mocking up and verifying the bar height and overhang/knee space. This felt pretty good.


Hope to make additional progress throughout the week…

 

[StormcrowAz]

Got quite a bit done this weekend. The Mrs. helped out and a friend hung out for a bit. Having help makes things go a lot quicker and easier!

Basic framework for both bar ends done:


Drug the bbq over and started on the center section.


Here’s the Mrs. and our “Pack”. The bbq was in dire need of a cleaning, so she attacked it with the wire wheel and wire brush. Nasty work that…I think she did Mike Rowe proud.





Amazing how quickly things can get cluttered up

 

[StormcrowAz]

Making this modular so I can separate the bar ends from the center section. That way if we have to replace the bbq I won’t have to rebuild the whole thing and can at least salvage the ends. Four bolts connect each end to the center section.


Cut and installed plywood. Leaving the front clear for now until I can figure how to make/install some doors.




Not going to cover the back since it will be up against the wall. This will also allow easy access for maintenance/cleaning.


And of course, at the end of the day…

 

[onemanarmy]

Such a nice workspace. Really like the gantry crane and the many uses that just seem to pop up. I'm also working on getting license plates from all 50 states.

What are the drivetrain plans for the Scout?

 

[StormcrowAz]

Such a nice workspace. Really like the gantry crane and the many uses that just seem to pop up. I'm also working on getting license plates from all 50 states.

What are the drivetrain plans for the Scout?

Hello onemanarmy, thanks for visiting! For the Scout on the lift I have a donor 1996 (?) Caprice station wagon with what I believe is an LT1 350 and automatic transmission in it. A buddy of mine drove it for a long time until the rear end gave out (bad seal somewhere I think) and he parked it. It was still running fine with 100k + miles on it. Hopefully it still has a few more miles left in it!