Above 1200 Sq/FT Plugger Workshop

[Prospecter]

Jon: Much as some folks dislike snow, I don't like getting stuck in mud. In snow I can use the bucket to scoop down to solid ground, and then use the bucket to push myself out. Mud is heavier if I need to dig, and l am less certain of scooping out to something solid enough to push against.

 

[Prospecter]

My second shot at Dandelion Season. Northern Maine is about 10 days behind us at this point.
Working on my second burn pile. Once I got this one started, a Ranger stopped by to check on my burn permit. A first for me. All was in order though, and I'm glad they check. A trip to the transfer station with more metal. Seat springs, several drive shafts, a plow cutting edge, 3 rims, an old axle of some sort. Some plates that turned up while I was mowing. I am sure there is more metal to be found out there, but I got all I know about.

 

[Prospecter]

I'm grateful for friends today. Did some minor chores. I'll post some pictures, then read at "Camp" (our porch).

Wildfires in Canada make for smoky days and spectacular sunsets. The smoke has been bad enough on a few days to make eyes burn and throats scratchy.

A few miscellaneous garden pictures. The vegetable garden is planted. The corn is beginning to come up. I have not seen any crows or ravens about. They really don't care for my bedraggled plastic crow. The deer, however, have been actively nibbling on the corn seedlings. I'll probably need to do some transplanting and replanting. I back dragged some wet areas of the garden to turn into grass.

Took a break to tend to the dryer belt. It failed at the join. Probably a manufacturers defect. Odd, because two days before, I replaced a mower belt in Benedicta with the same failure.

 

[Prospecter]

I ordered new control lines (sheets and halyards) for the boat. The old ones were oversized, and very worn. Oversized means they do not pass through the hardware very well, and can weigh down the sails, making them more difficult to trim. This was also a good opportunity to color code them for novice crew. I don't care for metal shackles to connect to sails, because they can be dangerous if a sail gets away from crew.

While changing a halyard, I discovered the masthead had been "repaired" with standard hardware that was rusted in place, and long enough to prevent feeding the halyard over the sheaves. I cut the old hardware off, replaced with shorter stainless 1/4 20 machine screws and Nylocs. I taped the nuts onto the wrench to finagle them into the narrow opening of the mast head.

After a number of years of favoring Buttercups, they have taken hold in many parts of our fields. They come right after the dandelions. I am also encouraging Hawks Weed, sometimes known as Devil's Paintbrush or Indian Paintbrush.

Spreading 3/4- gravel in a wet stretch of field road where I often get stuck. I like the 3/4- because it packs well, and often grows grass. However, I need to work this in stages. I spread a section, then wait for it to dry out so it will support the tractor and then spread the next section.

 

[drivesitfar]

we had fires here several years in a row about an hour or two north and east of us and usually during our best months (July and August) so we didn't see our great sun much those years. yes the smoke was not great either and we ended up buying an in house air filter so at least when we were inside we had decent air to breath. I think it was about $800 and the annual filter is about $100 and it is an ALEN brand.

nice work on the repairs and of course your little 30 ish acres of yardwork probably really never does end so best of luck with all that. I just ordered 4 yards of 1.5 river rock and 2 yards of 5/8 minus gravel to carry around our house and put under our old deck to clean things up a bit. or did I just buy a gym membership since I don't own a tractor and I'll use buckets and wheelbarrow to move it a couple hundred feet.

keep up the great work!!

 

[Prospecter]

Another gravel spreading photo.
More wildflowers in the field, and a high bush cranberry in bloom.
My new sun hat. Very comfortable! Fixing the Troybilt tiller has been on my list for a while. I put a new carburator on it, which seems to have done the trick.
Finally, the obligatory garden meditation chair. Perhaps more postive than the workshop moaning chair!
Thanks for stopping by. It is good to have friends.

 

[Prospecter]

we had fires here several years in a row about an hour or two north and east of us and usually during our best months (July and August) so we didn't see our great sun much those years. yes the smoke was not great either and we ended up buying an in house air filter so at least when we were inside we had decent air to breath. I think it was about $800 and the annual filter is about $100 and it is an ALEN brand.

nice work on the repairs and of course your little 30 ish acres of yardwork probably really never does end so best of luck with all that. I just ordered 4 yards of 1.5 river rock and 2 yards of 5/8 minus gravel to carry around our house and put under our old deck to clean things up a bit. or did I just buy a gym membership since I don't own a tractor and I'll use buckets and wheelbarrow to move it a couple hundred feet.

keep up the great work!!

Drives! Great to hear from you! I think you have much worse effects from wildfires than we do. The Canadian fires typically are quite far north, and a long way from us. Although I gather the smoke crosses the ocean, and is quite noticeable in London.

Yardwork. . . As you know, a gardener can always find more to do, no matter the size of the garden. Most of our flower gardens are "Chaos Gardens" which have a plan which I no doubt do not fully comprehend, but do enjoy. The wildflowers are mostly for my own amusement. I just mow around them in the lawn, and when bush hogging the field.

The vegetable garden is equipment intensive, because I enjoy the equipment. Old tractors, attachments, old tillers, and so on. I'm probably addicted to diesel fumes.

 

[Jeff Ivers]

Great looking garden!

 

[Prospecter]

Great looking garden!

Thanks, Jeff. Good to hear from you! You keep a nice yard yourself. I imagine Oklahoma is well into its growing season.

 

[Prospecter]

Cross Post:
I can't do a regular ED order, but I didn't want to completely skip the celebration. My "Epstein's Day in spirt" order. Filling in some weak spots in my wrenches, replacing a broken pickaroon and some worn out brushes. I like the magnetic bit holder better than the X way combination drivers.

Order summary​

​ Combination Wrench Short Bonney 3/8" (1160-CW) × 1 SPATULA CITY (-$0.70) $7.00 $6.30​ ​ 2 pc Long Combination Wrench Set Bonney (231620) × 1 SPATULA CITY (-$1.25) $12.50 $11.25​ ​ 3 pc mini open end wrench set Bonney (H121618) × 1 SPATULA CITY (-$1.50) $15.00 $13.50​ ​ Bahco 5-Piece Metric Wrench Set (111MX) × 1 SPATULA CITY (-$4.85) $48.50 $43.65​ ​ Wright Tool 1/2" Full Polish Combination Wrench 12 Pt. #1216 (1216WR) × 1 SPATULA CITY (-$1.18) $11.80 $10.62​ ​ Wright Tool 7/16" Full Polish Combination Wrench 12 Pt. #1214 (1214WR) × 2 SPATULA CITY (-$2.00) $20.00 $18.00​ ​ Wright Tool 3/8" Full Polish Combination Wrench 12 Pt. #1212 (1212WR) × 1 SPATULA CITY (-$0.91) $9.10 $8.19​ ​ Wright Tool 5/16" Full Polish Combination Wrench 12 Pt. #1210 (1210WR) × 1 SPATULA CITY (-$0.91) $9.10 $8.19​ ​ Wright Tool 1/4" Full Polish Combination Wrench 12 Pt. #1208 (1208WR) × 1 SPATULA CITY (-$0.91) $9.10 $8.19​ ​ Husky Handled Magnetic Bit Holder (HUSKY-MAD-SD) × 2 SPATULA CITY (-$0.50) $5.00 $4.50​ ​ Stanley Surform Coarse Cut 10" Flat Replacement Blade (21-160) × 1 $2.50​ ​ Council Tool 1.5# Pickaroon w/ 28" Straight Hickory Handle (SU150PKRN28S) × 1 $46.95​ ​ 3/8 Old Forge Stubby Pin Punch (3804) × 1 SPATULA CITY (-$0.25) $2.50 $2.25​ ​ Magnolia USA Dust Pan Counter Brush (58) × 2 SPATULA CITY (-$1.18) $11.90 $10.72​ ​ Channel Lock Little Champ 4" End Cutting Plier (E42S) × 1 SPATULA CITY (-$2.69) $26.95 $24.26​

 

[Prospecter]

Discovered a puddle under the Green Tractor. Narrowed the problem down to either the power steering cylinder or one of its hoses. To be tackled at some future time.

I have three trailers scheduled for bearing maintenance. I didn't expect any difficulties. Started with the boat trailer, which hasn't moved far since I got it. The first side looked ok to go for a while. I repacked it, figuring I could tackle a bigger replacement next fall. The other side was worse. For starters, it is a completely different hub. The inner bearing was frozen on the axle. I cut off the rear seal, and used a puller to remove the bearing, destroying the bearing in the process. No loss, given its condition. I was able to locate new bearings, and reassembled the hub. I will go ahead and do the other two trailers, and then put together an order.

Currently up North to help out with the mowing. Finished up most of the wiring. Reduced load on some circuits, relocated those connections inside boxes, and got covers on boxes that were left uncovered by the previous owner. Misjudged the need to check a wire to see if it was live. I saw a bright light, but avoided a free perm.

 

[drivesitfar]

Nice work as per usual. Yep a little spark in a few of our days reminds us to be a bit more careful. We all do some knucklehead thing now and again no matter how many times we’ve done it.

Speaking of that I should just put a couple Bandaids on my right shin when moving heavy stuff in my wheelbarrow cause it seems more than not I usually draw blood from hitting it.

Keep smiling on the good side of grass

 

[Prospecter]

Drives: So two upsides to your wheelbarrow. . . exercise and reliability! Pretty sure you won't be blowing a hose or cylinder on your wheelbarrow!

I hear you on the shins. Probably invented to find stuff by touch, since shin level obstacles are pretty far away from my old eyes!

 

[Prospecter]

Cross post with "What did you do in your garden today?"

 

[Prospecter]

Also took advantage of Harbor Freight coupons. (Cross post with New Tools thread.) Surprisingly, the fan was fully assembled! Also, I tested HF's packing by dropping the box. No damage. 40% off was enough to get me to try out some Icon ratcheting wrenches. I have the Pittsburgs, which convinced me I like ratcheting wrenches, but the Pittsburgs don't have the reversing levers, the tooling is not as nice, and the direction on the ratchets is inconsistent. Sometimes "On" is in the same direction as open end, and sometimes the opposite. Annoying. The luxury of retirement is that I can eliminate annoyances (at 40% off.) I actually looked at Wright ratcheting wrenches, but I wanted the levers, and much prefer combination wrenches over DBE / DOE.

A posting question. . . The first picture below (the pansy picture in the thumbnails) did not fully appear full size. Oddly, it worked fine in the "What did you do in your garden?" thread. This happens to me quite often, and I have not figured it out. Usually, I just delete the photo, since I generally have plenty for your amusement. I have tried deleting and reposting, but the problem always recurs on the same photo. Anyone have an idea how to prevent this?

Update: Oddly, it fully appeared when I tried to post the problem.

 

[Prospecter]

I did not want to add to my derailment of Bob Heine's thread. . .
Mrs. Prospecter also enjoys all things granite / rock. The first two photos are porch tables. Third is a "Nice" piece of granite awaiting an application. The granite is leftovers from a granite shop. I have a dedicated circular saw with a diamond blade to cut it. I use progressively deeper cuts. Be sure to use good PPE, and only cut it outside in nice weather. The last two phots are "Pretty" rocks. those two were carted home from The County.

 

[drivesitfar]

Looking good. I think my bride and I both have that exact hat to keep the sun off our necks.

Have a grand day!!

 

[Jacko264]

The tables look great
G

 

[Jacko264]

You and your wife hav a wonderful looking garden and some lovely looking flowers
im jealous of what you. Have it

 

[Prospecter]

Drives: We do seem to have a lot in common!
Jacko: Thank you. Just a couple of doddering old folks puttering along.

 

[Prospecter]

Temps in the upper 80s today. I rotated between the garden and the porch with a glass of water in front of the fan. Tilled, hoed, planted skips, fertilized. A row at a time, with a drink and rest, then the next row. I got it done. Photos are a fawn with the zoomies.

 

[drivesitfar]

Great plan to get in the hydration and a bit of rest while you make good progress.

Do you get to name your critters or do they just come and go?

 

[Prospecter]

Great plan to get in the hydration and a bit of rest while you make good progress.

Do you get to name your critters or do they just come and go?

We don't name them, but we do recognize the regulars. The fawn and its mum visit daily. There is also a good sized antler less deer that does not visit quite as often. We have a gang of Tom turkeys. The hens and babies are fun to watch. Typically, two hens will combine their broods and travel with one hen in the lead, and one bringing up the rear, like teachers managing a pre-school class.

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

Great pics
We’ve been away for 3 weeks, so haven’t been spending much GJ time. But you have been one busy guy. Keep us up to date and how your horticultural pursuits progress.

 

[Prospecter]

The garden is not doing much at the moment. Late start + too dry + too wet + too dry = poor germination * slow growth. I reseeded the skips with the seed on hand, and cultivated. Rain at the end of the week should move everything right along. Today we have temps like Harley Jim and Bob Heine are accustomed to, so I will putter in the shop with the heat pump.

 

[Prospecter]

Just too hot to do much of anything. I spent a couple hours in the shop picking up, but anytime I stepped out of the AC for a moment, it just beat me up. Finally came inside where the AC is even colder. Figure I can catch up on frivalous summer reading.

Pics are from yesterday when it was only 87. Summer whites and my new sun hat. I worked a little, rested on the porch a little, repeat.

 

[Prospecter]

A few small projects.
Installing the thru hull for the bilge pump. Used an adjustable sink wrench that I have not had cause to use before now. Worked perfectly.


The cargo area in the back of the new van is not flat, and could use some protection, so I put together some plywood sheets with blocking at one end. Placed an all weather mat on top.

Needed a dab of lithium for some non-critical purpose. I bought this can when I was 14 for my Schwinn Varsity. That makes it 54 years old, and still 2/3s full. Probably a lifetime supply.

The van is our trip car, and often does not get much use for several weeks at a time. Installing a trickle charger set up to keep the battery up. (The starter battery for Toyota hybrids is generally in the rear of the vehicle.

 

[Prospecter]

Still warm yesterday to get a long time list item taken care of. We'd picked up some fans at the ReStore for proof of concept at "Camp" (porch). At the end, the last one need a stick to turn the blades to start. Time to upgrade.

Our yearling, which generally visits early.

An upcoming project arrived.

 

[drivesitfar]

Fans look great and should make your time on the porch even better now. I know you have more than a few critters that visit or just hang out but I’m not finished catching up on your thread and wondered if you have cats or dogs or other house pets?

Is that the trailer tongue that has a hinge to give you some extra room in your garage or do tell??

Hope you and yours have a good 4th!!

 

[Prospecter]

I do like the fans. The new ones move plenty of air and are very quiet.

A few too many critters at the moment due to young chipmunks and groundhogs. Our relocation program is in full swing!

One cat, two grand cats, and one grand dog. All strong personalities.

No hinges on trailers here. New axle, hubs, springs, and wheels for the boat trailer. The trailer itself is galvanized, but these parts were not, and very marginal due to rust. One hub forced the issue, due to damaged spindle, so it will be an opportunity to upgrade when replacing, and also lower the trailer a few inches.

70d., 50% humidity, and 15 to 25 mph winds. Just a glorious day to be outside, except for periodic showers. Dumped garden debris (4 trailers), and mowed most of the lawn before I got rained out. I will finish that tomorrow. Cultivated a few rows in the garden. Did not work too hard at it.

Did my HJE Day order early in mid-June due to delivery challenges later in the summer.

Working my way through Chandler's Philip Marlowe books. Burgers and chips for supper.

This is my idea of a perfect 4th of July!

 

[Prospecter]

Daisies are blooming in the field. These are pollinated by flies and smell like poop, but pretty.

Slowly getting the skips filled in with annual flower seedlings.

 

[Prospecter]

Relocated our second chipmunk. The groundhogs are more sneaky, but can't resist melon bits. We'll relocate them eventually.

 

[jon72vega]

Relocated our second chipmunk. The groundhogs are more sneaky, but can't resist melon bits. We'll relocate them eventually.

Witness protection program?

 

[drivesitfar]

We all have our pet peeve critters I’m guessing. For me it’s mosquitoes which are a ton less now that we have dragonflies and some plants that send them elsewhere. If you can figure out a way to relocate more than a few crows I’m all ears.

Good luck on the trailer restoration which I’m guessing is mostly a use of your time cause it’s a bit below your pay grade on skill level.

I didn’t know Maine had humidity issues during summer or is that just on occasional rainy days?

Can you grow figs in your climate cause omg a fresh fig off a tree melts in your mouth? Or maybe your winters are a bit too long or cold?

 

[Prospecter]

Witness protection program?

Yeah. Pretty much! We tend to live trap and relocate. Just convenient not to need to deal with dead bodies.

 

[Prospecter]

We all have our pet peeve critters I’m guessing. For me it’s mosquitoes which are a ton less now that we have dragonflies and some plants that send them elsewhere. If you can figure out a way to relocate more than a few crows I’m all ears.

Good luck on the trailer restoration which I’m guessing is mostly a use of your time cause it’s a bit below your pay grade on skill level.

I didn’t know Maine had humidity issues during summer or is that just on occasional rainy days?

Can you grow figs in your climate cause omg a fresh fig off a tree melts in your mouth? Or maybe your winters are a bit too long or cold?

Humidity and mold are challenging. I use mildewcide when I paint, and it's still not always enough. Mosquitoes can be bad, too, but I'm working on reducing their breeding spots. (40 years and counting!)

Those figs look wonderful!

Thanks for your confidence. The trailer looks pretty straight forward, but I don't know what I don't know.

 

[Jacko264]

Loving all you are doing
Graham

 

[Prospecter]

Loving all you are doing
Graham

Encouragement always appreciated. Thanks for stopping by.

 

[Prospecter]

Hot and humid today. Good day to putter in an air conditioned shop space. I started the boat trailer axle replacement project. Old axle off. Only one seized bolt that surrendered to my 1/2" breaker bar augmented with a car jack.

New axle is assembled with new hubs and springs, and positioned under the boat with the slipper ends of the springs in place. That's where I stopped today.

 

[Jacko264]

More then welcome
G