Between 265 & 485 SQ/FT Kansas Workshop

[calandrod]

I’ve always liked the idea of a thread to share all my photos and projects.
I love creating, designing, inventing, fabricating, and restoring.

I enjoy visions in my head coming to life.

Perhaps I like transformation so much because it reminds me of how much Jesus has transformed my life.

Now that I finally purchased a garage of my own (and accompanying house) I will share what I’ve been working on and I hope I can inspire and help some of you with your projects just like so many have helped me on this forum. So please let me know if there is ever something I can do to help. I have the ability to make a lot of things and love helping people!

 

[calandrod]

I will reserve this spot as an index to hyperlink the projects.

 

[calandrod]

I’ll start with my favorite project to date. Then I’ll go into some of my past projects and eventually catch up to where I’m at now.

 

[calandrod]

This was a pedal car I restored that was based off of a 1959 MACK Cabover in a farm truck paint job. A dear friend of mine taught me the body work and paint on this little car. But I spent a grand total of 254 hours and 30 minutes on it. Every time I worked on it, I logged my time. I gave it to my nephews once I finished it. If you care to read the whole, in-depth description, here is a link with the bulk of information I posted on it. At some other point, I’ll go into more detail about making each of the pieces for it.

Post in thread 'Pedalcar Builds'
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/pedalcar-builds.491409/post-9760669

 

[calandrod]

When I first started restoring things back in 2020, I started with old tools. Lots of hand sanding and elbow grease went into the early projects but with each finished restoration, I had a very nice new tool to use! This knife was my first one.

 

[calandrod]

It took awhile to get better and quicker. I finished up these pliers and then restored this small saw, learning hot bluing and cold bluing when restoring parts on both of them. I found this little punch at a garage sale for $.50 and was quite satisfied with how it turned out.

 

[calandrod]

Somewhere I found this Cochran 10” 1908 patented wrench. It was one of the first things I tried painting. I then sold it to a chap with the last name Cochran so that was fun.
I was given this little oil can and repainted it, with better results. Although the new gasket I put in it hasn’t stopped it from constantly leaking. I don’t really use it anyhow because the oil doesn’t flow quickly.

 

[calandrod]

Eventually I bought a small harbor freight sandblast cabinet (I now won’t ever shop there. Every single thing I buy there breaks and I despise their low quality). I upgraded the sandblast gun with a TP Tools gun and it greatly improved the results and frustration. I sandblasted these shears and the clamp before painting them. I’ll call that food for tonight. Perhaps tomorrow I’ll post some more old projects.

 

[Jeff Ivers]

Kansas, OK?

 

[calandrod]

Kansas, OK?

I just moved from Oklahoma. But now I'm in Kansas. I updated my profile though so it should be correct.

 

[calandrod]

Once I felt comfortable enough cleaning up and painting those little projects, I decided to go after something a little bit bigger. I had this old Mac toolchest which wasn't in the best of shape and decided to tackle it. After dealing with the wind blowing everything over and getting dirt in everything, I decided to never paint outside again. But I was quite happy with the Viper Red paint color.

 

[sh944]

What part of Kansas? Alway nice to find a neighbor!

 

[calandrod]

What part of Kansas? Alway nice to find a neighbor!

I'm in Wichita!

 

[MacTexas]

I grew up in Prairie Village, it's nice to see what's going on in Kansas.

 

[calandrod]

I grew up in Prairie Village, it's nice to see what's going on in Kansas.

That’s right over in my area.

 

[Aspen RT]

I'm in Salina

 

[Chris Christiansen]

I'm in Baldwin City.

 

[slodat]

I grew up in Greensburg, then Dodge City.

 

[whateg01]

I'm in Wichita!

Welcome to doodah!

 

[calandrod]

Thanks!

 

[calandrod]

Here’s another one I finished last year. I posted it in another thread back then. But it’s an older style Dake No. 1.5 3 Ton Arbor Press. It came out of one the airplane manufacturing plants. The blue is a custom color I call Baldor Blue. I didn’t sandblast this when it was disassembled but I really should have. I just used die grinder surface prep discs. Next time I’d save a lot of time sandblasting it. I was considering using body filler to give it a nice smooth finish but I was decided not to in case it cracked out under heavy loads.

 

[Jayman17]

Beautiful job on restoring all those tools.

 

[Shoester]

I'm in Baldwin City.

Small world, me too!

 

[whateg01]

I'm in Baldwin City.

My aunt lives West of Baldwin and one of my cousins is just east. I'm there a couple times a year.

 

[Skellyii]

Just moved out to Stilwell..technically the southern edge of Overland Park.

 

[calandrod]

Beautiful job on restoring all those tools.

Thanks!

This sledge hammer had a lot of sentimental value to a friend of mine. He remembered it being in his dads shop when he was a kid and always being broken. It was fun restoring it. I sandblasted and painted it at the same time I was restoring the above arbor press. I sanded the handle very smooth and polished the end faces as well.

 

[Jbullfrog]

We are visiting Wichita, with a pickup. Where are good places to find old tools and farm stuff?

 

[Spareparts]

Farm Auctions, Estate Sales
I,am in Lansing, Ks.

 

[whateg01]

We are visiting Wichita, with a pickup. Where are good places to find old tools and farm stuff?

In doodah there are a few antique stores but I've not visited them. Used to be a big-ish flea market that had some good stuff occasionally but the landlord ran them out and now it's an auto zone. Tools in Wichita tend to be pretty hit and miss. The aircraft workers drive prices of stuff up to what I think are unreasonable prices. I end up driving to Texas or Oklahoma for a lot of stuff because of that.

 

[calandrod]

Back in February I finished up this anvil. I bought it from a friend who bought it from a 94 year old Blacksmith in Waldron Kansas. His dad had apparently purchased it when it came over in the Oklahoma Land Run of 1893. The blacksmith had painted everything on his whole shop this yellow color. It’s an M&H Mousehole Forge 96 pounds made in England between 1854-1875.

 

[calandrod]

Last Year for Secret Santa I was given these old Rusty axe heads, the railroad track anvil, and the vice. All came from @83VillageRepair who was my secret Santa this year. These type of before and afters are particularly intriguing to me because of the stark contrast of heavily rusted parts.

 

[calandrod]

I bought something particularly neat yesterday. It’s an automatic sandblast cabinet I picked up from a guy here locally. AR Industries custom built the thing and all you do is throw a piece in there and hit the timer and it sandblasts it for you. I’m very excited to use it but I have to get it set up in my shop now. Currently I’ve got it split into two pieces awaiting its tight spot on the corner. This photo was at the shop before it came here. Hopefully it saves me a lot of time

 

[calandrod]

Here's an old Western Flyer pedal tractor that I cleaned up for a friend. He found it in the scrapyard. He traded me an old Lista toolbox in exchange for fixing it. I thought that was a pretty great trade. He didn't want it painted either. So I just cut out a new arm for the front axle and welded it into place. Then I painted the wheels, got new tires put on them, and scrubbed the whole thing down. I touched up a few spots that looked extra rough and slapped some gloss black spray paint on the axle and the seat spring. Now that she's back up and running, he told me it's going to a little boy which makes me glad.

 

[calandrod]

I bought 2 more buffers today on a deal. Now I’ll have 2 identical Baldors and the silver Gesswein. I hadn’t heard of Gesswein before but it’s also made by Baldor apparently. The plan is to clean them up, repaint them, and put them into use.

 

[calandrod]

I picked up a 1.5” thick slab of wood to use as a table top today and set it on top of an old Walker Turner base I had. When I can find some time, I’ll go sandblast the base and repaint it. Then add a little shelf in that opening for the compounds.

 

[Copymutt]

The 1917 GMC Fire truck jack was presented to retired senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell as he had no jack for his restored 1922 Chevy fire truck.
The pipe vice will go to my BIL when he retires from running retrofit jobs at nuclear plants.
I’m keeping the early widow maker high lift as its fairly rare.

 

[calandrod]

Here’s another one I finished last year. I posted it in another thread back then. But it’s an older style Dake No. 1.5 3 Ton Arbor Press. It came out of one the airplane manufacturing plants. The blue is a custom color I call Baldor Blue. I didn’t sandblast this when it was disassembled but I really should have. I just used die grinder surface prep discs. Next time I’d save a lot of time sandblasting it. I was considering using body filler to give it a nice smooth finish but I was decided not to in case it cracked out under heavy loads.

I am always happy when I get to use a tool I’ve restored. I used the Dake arbor press yesterday to start the restoration on this old brass Snap On little hammer I have. I just needed something to drive the broken piece of wood from the head.

 

[calandrod]

I took this little piece of walnut I have a cut a piece out. This is my first time using this little wood lathe I bought awhile back. Up to this point I’ve just been using the metal lathe for anything like this.

 

[calandrod]

This is as far as I got with it this afternoon.

 

[calandrod]

I finished up the brass mallet today. I left some of the deepest scars on the head since I plan on actually using it.