Nuts
Well-known member
So was it lead or babbit? Cause well, a gold babbit paper weight might be worth more.
Doug
Doug
Above 1200 Sq/FT Restored 1930's Auto Shop
- Thread starter BB767
- Start date
Wokspaces above 1200 squarefeet.
Sweet Old Bill
Well-known member
Call me curious, is that a TR4 or a TR250. The 250 had the inline six.
Unless they took the badge off the rear fender (in front of the taillight), it's more than likely a TR4.
I owned one of each, fun cars for a young man!
(Fun fact, the 250 was the TR5 in the ROW, it had fuel injection while us Yanks got a couple of SU's)
willy3486
Well-known member
OK I'll finish some more replies later, guess what showed up at my door early this morning.
...it's a beautiful Peterbilt...
Talk about a small world. Those trees may have been grown here where I live. I live in a area in Tennessee that is called the tree capital of the world. It has probably more nurseries per square mile than any other place in the USA. There is a nursery behind me and they have rows of those trees. A lot of the trees that are cultivated in these nurseries grow like weeds here. I don't think I have bought any trees as I have so many wild on the place,magnolias,dogwood,cedar,pine,etc.
If that truck was from McMinnville or Smithville TN chances are it has been by my house or I have been by that nursery. I have so much nursery stuff that has been lost in front of my house I never need anything. I have a lot of the buckets ,wire frames like on those and my favorite,string. The nursery people here will have boxes of string they tie up trees with in the back of their truck. The string will flap in the wind as they drive and sometimes it catches something. When it does it will unravel from the box. If I see it I will get a nail and drive into a piece of wood. I then put the nail in my cordless drill and wind it up.
On a side note there is a local company that has come up with a process to recycle household garbage into "fluf" as they call it to use as soil for trees. If that tree is from McMinnville then the dirt in it might be paper towel I threw away at my local KFC. You might get a kick out of their website. This process can recycle 100 % of all wastes if I remember correctly. Here is some info on it.
http://www.wastaway.com/products.html
OK, I started reading this thread post for post and I'm only on page 25 and can't imagine it getting any better!!
Please stop posting until I catch up!
Great thread.
Great job on the restoration.
Great cars.
Great occupation. ( My son has his Private and basically wants your job. lol)
Great location. (I'm near Rockford so I plan on visiting some time!)
Hello Homebody and welcome to the thread! You've got some serious work cut out for you at the rate we're going around here. As you might have read I had no idea when the thread got started how many folks might be interested in what's taking place out here. Who knew?
Perhaps I should go fly a trip or two and give you a chance to catch up? At any rate we're still having fun, 'cause if you're not having fun, what's the point. 
When you find yourself down this way give us a shout ahead of time and we'll do our best to set up a tour.
Thomas
Figures... I don't see any new posts and go to work...
Come home and what do I find but photos of the TOOL SHED!!!!
I really like that adjustable wrench... Any tools hiding under the scrap metal in the drawer??. Nice Battery Charger....
Is that a Triumph in the background of the second to last photo of the paper weight???
Joe I was out in the Tool Shed all morning again today sorting. I managed to load about 1/2 trailer load of scrap metal (no C-clamps this time!), much of it old barb wire fence from the new property clean up. When Chris and I were at a Lincoln show in Chattanooga last spring we toured a Tow Truck museum. I spotted this old tow truck...
...note what's sitting in the back of it.
A very nice General Electric Tungar battery charger.
Envision this one after just a little TLC.
Very sharp eye on the...
...TR4. It has quite an usual story about how I adopted it and it came to live with Gus and all the other pals in the barn. I'll save that for another post. From Ramblers to VR-4's to TR4's to Corvettes and just a few Impala Super Sports and more it's a strange mix for sure.
Thomas
ZRX61
Well-known member
Why isn't that adjustable wrench in the shop being restored? Kinda looks like this one:
https://sphotos-a.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/306764_3955895308586_2110337316_n.jpg
https://sphotos-a.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/306764_3955895308586_2110337316_n.jpg
HOTFR8
Banned
But of course. You have a reputation to uphold!
Thomas
You have just been nominated as the resident GJ Jester.
I went digging for Gold here but never found any. You had to fake yours
.
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hobbitss
Well-known member
Sweet Old Bill
Well-known member
Thomas,
I, too, had a TR4, back about 40 years ago. It may benefit you to know that the motor is also used for combines by Case. I had to replace the water pump pulley, circa 1975. The "British" car dealer quoted me an obscene price, for the deeply offset pulley & I told him that I just wanted the pulley, not the motor. He told me that he was the only "British" car dealer within 85 miles. I said goodbye and drove about 10 miles to a Case dealer. When I walked in there, they told me that they did not sell car parts. I said: good, I just want a water pump pulley for a Case 4 cylinder combine motor. They asked: for what? I told them, for that car. The counter guys all had to come look, they expected me to pop the "bonnet". I just reached in and started it. They instantly recognized the sound & had to have a look. Their price for the pulley was about 25% of the "car dealer".
I, too, had a TR4, back about 40 years ago. It may benefit you to know that the motor is also used for combines by Case. I had to replace the water pump pulley, circa 1975. The "British" car dealer quoted me an obscene price, for the deeply offset pulley & I told him that I just wanted the pulley, not the motor. He told me that he was the only "British" car dealer within 85 miles. I said goodbye and drove about 10 miles to a Case dealer. When I walked in there, they told me that they did not sell car parts. I said: good, I just want a water pump pulley for a Case 4 cylinder combine motor. They asked: for what? I told them, for that car. The counter guys all had to come look, they expected me to pop the "bonnet". I just reached in and started it. They instantly recognized the sound & had to have a look. Their price for the pulley was about 25% of the "car dealer".
csp
Well-known member
I see that one still has the washer fluid bag on the passenger fender. My dad's '66 has that bag and the washer fluid is pushed out via a foot operated manual pump under the dash.
I've wondered that myself regarding when they went to an open driveline. The '66 has the closed line and oddly enough, the front joint is a double cardan joint.
Lead bar and a tin of gold spray paint.
I've found this lead bar almost from the day I bought the shop, out in the Lean-To. I've just hung on to it figuring someday I'd find a use for it. It then occurred to me that I've often joked about finding gold bars somewhere on the property and every so often Joe will refer to Tool Shed treasure and that sparked the idea.
The bar was an unusual shape so with a little gold spray paint, place it out in tool shed somewhere and voila! Thomas will get a visit from the Internal Revenue Service (they're the government tax folks here in the US). It really didn't take much time at all and I thought that paint did a credible job of turning lead into gold.
Anyway I hope everyone enjoyed a good laugh over it. I expect everyone who now comes for a visit will surly want to see the Gold Bar. Wait till the young neighborhood kids see it and go home and tell their parents. That's how rumors get started ya know.
Ok I'll get back to more serious work shortly. In the meantime for those who asked here's another TR4 picture.
Thanks everyone for indulging me.
Thomas
Kevin54
MEMBER EMERITUS
Thomas,
Just spending my time this morning getting caught up. I was three whole pages behind. Nice find on the gold bar. The scrap metal places will probably pay you dearly for that.
Three things caught my eye, well maybe 4 things, one is the shape the manuals are in with the barn finds. I'm surprised the mice didn't shred them to pieces making their home in there
The second thing is that poor vise on the bench. I keep waiting to see it mounted to your new bench wearing a new powdercoating of red, but it still sits out in the old barn in the dark just waiting.
On the picture of the battery charger in the wrecker, I see that the one in the wrecker has a switch under the r.h. dial and yours doesn't. What would the switch be for as it says low and high? 6 volt and 12 volt possibly or maybe slow and fast charge? Other than that yours appears to be identical to it.
And where did you plant all of the evergreen trees? I was expecting to see a picture of the completed task. I did notice that where you had your new grass coming in, you also have a row of Hedgeapple or the correct name is Osage Orange. Here is a page about them http://hedgeapple.com/ Personally I find then a troublesome tree just because of the fruit they drop. I've had a couple hit the top of my vehicle while driving as the city won't cut it down where it overhangs the road. But one of the old tales about the fruit is that it will keep spiders and mice away. Whether it does or not I don't know as I haven't tried it.
Anyways, I'm caught up on my reading of the thread. I find if I don't check in regularly, I end up 4 or 5 pages behind and that is in a couple of days time.
Firefighter315
Well-known member
Kevin, I can confirm the myth BUSTED on hedge apples keeping spiders away. Mice - no idea on that one...
markviii
Well-known member
I don't think it keeps away any rodents at all. They may actually be attracted to them. Our acreage is overrun with squirrels who tend to make fast work of the osage oranges. The lawn tractor takes care of the leftovers when mowing gets done.
And yes, those things are heavy - I've been hit by a few and I wasn't even standing under the trees. I think they have some sort of ability to throw themselves down past the canopy!
Also, any cars (especially modern ones) may become a feasting place for squirrels and mice. They love the plastic wire coating in vehicles and are known to chew off wire harnesses. That's one thing our son is dealing with on one of his cars.
Chris
And yes, those things are heavy - I've been hit by a few and I wasn't even standing under the trees. I think they have some sort of ability to throw themselves down past the canopy!
Also, any cars (especially modern ones) may become a feasting place for squirrels and mice. They love the plastic wire coating in vehicles and are known to chew off wire harnesses. That's one thing our son is dealing with on one of his cars.
Chris
dcm5652
Active member
Here is a picture of " Beep Beep " pulling a float in my brothers homecoming parade in 1973, The car got me around 35 + miles per gallon around town and 44 on the road, it has the same engine as a MG and was a lot of fun to own for several years,,, I wish I had it back. The car is a 1960 Metroplitan.
Attachments
Lead bar shape. I melted wheel weights down for lead bullets. A piece of angle iron with ends welded on it makes a good mould. Melt the weights and scoop off the clips and pour it in. The gold one you have is just icing on the cake.
Scott
Scott
donnie
Well-known member
Hang on to that lead it can be used when you build you Land Speed Racer for ballast.
Just make sure to wash you hands well after handling it.
Just make sure to wash you hands well after handling it.
Amitygravel
Well-known member
Hello Thomas !
It's good to see the Triumph in such a safe environment under caring and deserving hands !
Craig
It's good to see the Triumph in such a safe environment under caring and deserving hands !
Craig
MBeaty
Well-known member
When Chris and I were at a Lincoln show in Chattanooga last spring we toured a Tow Truck museum. I spotted this old tow truck...
First I wanted to thank you for this inspirational thread. I have been reading on it now since it first started, but never got around to commenting.
When I saw your image of the charger, I knew it looked familiar, but could not place it. Once you showed the image from the Towing and Recovery Museum it all clicked. A little over a year ago, when I moved to Tn and was in Chattanooga for some training, I toured that museum. For a place as small as it is, it sure is full of interesting things and is a great place for any car guy to see.
Keep up the awesome work
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willy3486, I'm a little (OK a lot) behind here but I wanted to let you know those trees are from a local nursery near Blue Mound, IL. That's about 50 miles from here. The Peterbilt is also local, based as I recall in Lincoln, IL. We had to use such a large truck because of the size of those threes and how much they weighed.
You can see how much space my tress took and there were more trees on the back of the trailer for another customer. From your description it's sounds beautiful where you live. As you can tell I'm very fond of trees myself. Thanks for taking the time to post that information. From all that's been going on and all the different chance meetings and such it wouldn't have surprised me one bit to have my trees come from across the road where you live. That would have been pretty cool.
Thomas
I agree!!!
TOOLS!!!!
Well, here's why.....
I'm just finishing up a very extensive refreshing of the '62. This is but a very small part of the work done. I promise I'll get to the wrench all in good time. I'll admit it's a pretty cool little wrench and I probably should relocate it inside though. Just not enough hours in the day I'm afraid.
Thomas
matta5
Well-known member
Wow! great job.
I wish I had known about the museaum. I just made atrip down to Chattanooga monday, back home Tuesday (for work). I would have loved to see the museaum.
willy3486
Well-known member
No problem Thomas, I know what its like to be so busy. There are a lot of trees grown here. Where I live you cannot drive a mile in any direction and not see trees growing for a nursery for probably 30 miles. One guy over a 100 years ago left this area and moved to Oregon to start a tree farm. I don't know if it is still going but the city he founded McMinnville Oregon and named it after the place I grew up in TN. Powermatic and Tennsmith tools were also founded there.
As far as Chattanooga I was there this summer for vacation and highly recommend the dinner cruise they have there and also the steamboat hotel they have docked there. We enjoyed our stay. Chattanooga is probably my favorite city to go to.
As far as Chattanooga I was there this summer for vacation and highly recommend the dinner cruise they have there and also the steamboat hotel they have docked there. We enjoyed our stay. Chattanooga is probably my favorite city to go to.
W_A_Watson_II
Well-known member
hobbitss
Well-known member
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donnie, washing your hands when handling lead never occurred to me. Thank you for the timely reminder. Of course there's a layer of paint now preventing direct contact with my lead bar but still a good reminder.
Thomas
Thomas,
Just spending my time this morning getting caught up. I was three whole pages behind. Nice find on the gold bar. The scrap metal places will probably pay you dearly for that.
Three things caught my eye, well maybe 4 things, one is the shape the manuals are in with the barn finds. I'm surprised the mice didn't shred them to pieces making their home in there
The second thing is that poor vise on the bench. I keep waiting to see it mounted to your new bench wearing a new powdercoating of red, but it still sits out in the old barn in the dark just waiting.
On the picture of the battery charger in the wrecker, I see that the one in the wrecker has a switch under the r.h. dial and yours doesn't. What would the switch be for as it says low and high? 6 volt and 12 volt possibly or maybe slow and fast charge? Other than that yours appears to be identical to it.
And where did you plant all of the evergreen trees? I was expecting to see a picture of the completed task. I did notice that where you had your new grass coming in, you also have a row of Hedgeapple or the correct name is Osage Orange. Here is a page about them http://hedgeapple.com/ Personally I find then a troublesome tree just because of the fruit they drop. I've had a couple hit the top of my vehicle while driving as the city won't cut it down where it overhangs the road. But one of the old tales about the fruit is that it will keep spiders and mice away. Whether it does or not I don't know as I haven't tried it.
Anyways, I'm caught up on my reading of the thread. I find if I don't check in regularly, I end up 4 or 5 pages behind and that is in a couple of days time.
Hello Kevin, as you've seen, not checking in here frequently is done at your own risk. For as long as you've been following along here, you of all people know that.
I can't explain why the mice ignored the shop manuals, the drawers were full of leaves. I have found several publications over the years that they chewed up. Maybe they were Minneapolis- Moline fans? Go figure.
Next, as long as you brought it up, that vise is a black smith's vise. Not being familiar with smithing I honestly don't know what that vise would be used for that a non black smith vise would be used for? Can someone fill me/us in on why that vise is different and what's capabilities are. I agree it's a little sad leaving it out in the Tool Shed all this time but I'm getting really close to finishing up that area and bringing it in. I have no idea how long it's been there but it was buried in that back corner so it's been several decades.
If you read the front panel on the battery charger it only mentions 6 volt batteries so my guess about the switch is for slow/fast 6 volt charging. I think it's a newer charger than mine.
Lastly, I haven't forgotten the trees. I've got a final post on planting them coming up along with some related material. Thanks for asking.
Thomas
MetalMangler
Well-known member
Hello Kevin, as you've seen, not checking in here frequently is done at your own risk. For as long as you've been following along here, you of all people know that.
I can't explain why the mice ignored the shop manuals, the drawers were full of leaves. I have found several publications over the years that they chewed up. Maybe they were Minneapolis- Moline fans? Go figure.
Next, as long as you brought it up, that vise is a black smith's vise. Not being familiar with smithing I honestly don't know what that vise would be used for that a non black smith vise would be used for? Can someone fill me/us in on why that vise is different and what's capabilities are. I agree it's a little sad leaving it out in the Tool Shed all this time but I'm getting really close to finishing up that area and bringing it in. I have no idea how long it's been there but it was buried in that back corner so it's been several decades.
If you read the front panel on the battery charger it only mentions 6 volt batteries so my guess about the switch is for slow/fast 6 volt charging. I think it's a newer charger than mine.
Lastly, I haven't forgotten the trees. I've got a final post on planting them coming up along with some related material. Thanks for asking.
Thomas
A somewhat short answer regarding the blacksmith vise (or Leg Vise) is that the design allows it to be beaten on.
The vises that you've shown in the past (on your PDR and in other locations) the screw is an integral part of connecting the movable jaw to the stationary base/jaw, and excessive pounding can damage the screw. With the leg vise you have the post that extends down to the ground (the leg) which supports the jaw and transmits the force of pounding down to the ground. The movable jaw is mounted to the leg, but is independent of the screw. The screw is used to tighten the jaws together, but they expand because of a piece of metal between the jaws acting like a spring to push them apart. The difference in how the screw action is set up I believe protects the threads from getting damaged in the pounding.
MM
realvc
Well-known member
This is the coolest thread.
I never knew about black smith leg vise design. My grand dad had one of those on a bench in his barn. I always thought it was just an old timey vise. Now I know why it was made like that. Thanks to this thread and MetalMangler.
Thomas your 62 Chevy is very nice too. I remember the heater control valves on cars and the heat riser on the exhaust too. Most of them were by passed, cut out or blocked open. It never occurred to most people I knew back in the day to spend the money and replace either one.
Thanks again for a great place to learn and relearn a lot of useful stuff.
Vince
I never knew about black smith leg vise design. My grand dad had one of those on a bench in his barn. I always thought it was just an old timey vise. Now I know why it was made like that. Thanks to this thread and MetalMangler.
Thomas your 62 Chevy is very nice too. I remember the heater control valves on cars and the heat riser on the exhaust too. Most of them were by passed, cut out or blocked open. It never occurred to most people I knew back in the day to spend the money and replace either one.
Thanks again for a great place to learn and relearn a lot of useful stuff.
Vince
+1
I'm not much of a poster, but have been following this thread (and preparing for the test) for a couple of years.
Many, many thanks to Thomas and Chris.
Good site about the vise...
http://anvilfire.com/FAQs/blacksmith-vise.php
Well, there's 3 days of my life I won't get back! Read (OK, browsed) from beginning to end, and it was time well spent. As an Illinois native, I travel home several times a year. To think of all the times I was within a few miles of the Center of the Universe, and never knew it.
A fantastic thread, full of fascinating stories and people. I can't wait to read future installments.
A fantastic thread, full of fascinating stories and people. I can't wait to read future installments.
Well, there's 3 days of my life I won't get back! Read (OK, browsed) from beginning to end, and it was time well spent. As an Illinois native, I travel home several times a year. To think of all the times I was within a few miles of the Center of the Universe, and never knew it.
A fantastic thread, full of fascinating stories and people. I can't wait to read future installments.
A brief but warm welcome to you DynoDave. This is brief because it's after 2:30 in the morning- I've been in an 767 flight simulator for the last several hours doing just some of my annual simulator emergency training- and warm because, well.......gee, when I guy tells you he just spent 3 days voluntarily wading though some material you've written and is looking forward to more, how can you not like someone like that?
Thank you for the kind words and encouragement. Should you get back this way in the future, stop on by. Once I'm home, more is in store! Again, welcome.
Thomas
Reading DynoDaves post, and others before him, I partly feel grateful towards the garage-spirits who led me in the direction of this thread at such a a relatively early point in its development, but also partly great compassion towards all of the poor souls who unknowingly wander into this now...
Maybe we somehow should force Thomas to take a break, have a seat, and just admire his work? And just relax. Do nothing? Just to let everyone catch up, I mean?
Unless someone has some very interresting ideas on how to get this done, I see this would be completely hopeless. And not to mention straight out dumb, as that would lead to a halt in the tool-shed findings, and no more tool-photos for Joe and myself...
And it would probably also lead to Thomas crawling up the walls at home instead.
Sorry, back to work for you Thomas. No rest for the wicked, we wait for no man, leave everyone behind!
Maybe we somehow should force Thomas to take a break, have a seat, and just admire his work? And just relax. Do nothing? Just to let everyone catch up, I mean?
Unless someone has some very interresting ideas on how to get this done, I see this would be completely hopeless. And not to mention straight out dumb, as that would lead to a halt in the tool-shed findings, and no more tool-photos for Joe and myself...
And it would probably also lead to Thomas crawling up the walls at home instead.
Sorry, back to work for you Thomas. No rest for the wicked, we wait for no man, leave everyone behind!
MisteR Tee
Well-known member
Kevin, I can confirm the myth BUSTED on hedge apples keeping spiders away. Mice - no idea on that one...
However, acorns or horse chestnuts do! Been doing it for years in my house, although we see the odd one now & again, that's all. But they need to be renewed each year to maintain their effectiveness. One in each corner of all rooms does the trick.
hobbitss
Well-known member
Unless someone has some very interresting ideas on how to get this done, I see this would be completely hopeless. And not to mention straight out dumb, as that would lead to a halt in the tool-shed findings, and no more tool-photos for Joe and myself...
NOOOOooooooooooo........
Sweet Old Bill
Well-known member
Thomas,
Great work on the 62 Chevy, it looks even better than it did last spring! It looks like you should have it ready for Michigan next year!
What do you expect the TR4 to do on the track?
Great work on the 62 Chevy, it looks even better than it did last spring! It looks like you should have it ready for Michigan next year!
What do you expect the TR4 to do on the track?
Thanks Thomas. The pilot business certainly is an interesting one. Lots of long, irregular hours, but you get to see some fascinating places, and it pays well.
Our summer trip back to Illinois included taking my son to an aviation careers summer camp down at SIUC.