blog1118

Saturday, November 3, 2018

Again I drove to Winfield to check out an auction, and again there was nothing to keep me there. Instead I spent the day changing tires. Or I should say I spent the day changing the same tire four times. After about 3000 miles one of the new tires on my runabout went flat. The problem wasn't the tire, of course. The tube had a hole, which I patched yesterday. As soon as I remounted the tire and tried to inflate it, air was blowing out. So I took the tube out and patched it again, remounted the tire, and tried to inflate it. Another hole. Today after the fourth patch was on, the the second patch split open. As you can see in the picture, even after the tube has been inflated in a tire for over 3000 miles, it still has a crease from being folded before it was used. It stayed folded long enough to be permanently creased, and now it's splitting along the crease. I have one more tube of this type. I suppose I'll try it and see how long it lasts. If it goes early like this one, I'll try a different brand and hope it's fresh.

Sunday, Novemebr 4, 2018

I was pretty much worthless today, sitting around dozing a lot of the time. Occasionally I was awake enough to waste time online. I did get that tire mounted one more time, and it seems to be holding air. If it's still OK tomorrow I'll put the wheel back on the car. But I will also be contacting tire dealers to see what kinds of tubes are available.

Monday, November 5, 2018

It would be hard to be less ambitious than I was yesterday, so I did get more done today. I put that last wheel back on the runabout and aired all the tires up to 70 psi and put away tools where they belong. I cut up a pile of branches in the yard. The shop heater had quit heating, so I fixed that. And I called tire dealers to find out what kind of tubes are available. Hartfords are made in China, the Custom Classics that have been giving me trouble are from India, and there are some unbranded ones from Europe. I ordered a couple of the European tubes. We'll see how good they are.

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Back to work on the runabout today. I cleaned oil off the undercarriage, which was pretty well soaked all over by the big leak at the mag post. I repaired the ground wire for my battery-operated tail lights. It had been temporarily cobbled together after it broke during my September trip. I tightened up the loose running board support rods, and reattached the fuel shutoff rod that was knocked loose by that giant pot hole in Chicago. In the afternoon I walked over to the township hall to vote, and when I got home worked on editing the story about my OCF trip that will be published in The Vintage Ford.

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Freezing weather will be here soon, so I got back to work on that kitchen wall. I want to get it done and get all the tools out of the way so I'll have room to sit by the stove and keep warm. I'll install the sheet rock, but I'll leave the finish work, including some plastering, until next spring when wood-burning season is over and I can move the stove out of the way.

Thursday, November 8, 2018

Recently I was looking for a picture of a Holley NH carburetor and realized I didn't have a good one. So today used my new small parts photo setup to take a couple of shots. Today's trip to town was to buy celery and carburetor cleaner. Celery is to eat, of course, and the cleaner is for many small parts, not just carburetors. One immediate use for it is cleaning up the spout off one of my running board gas cans. On my September trip the spout fell off the can, so I need to clean it up and solder it back where it belongs. Those cans are an important accessory. They've saved me an unscheduled long walk more than once, so I don't leave home without them. Another activity of the day was sharpening the chain saw. I didn't use it due to the drizzly weather, but tomorrow is supposed to be dry so I can get out and get some firewood cut, split, and stacked. The forecast says freezing weather is coming tomorrow night, and we'll have more of it after that, so it's time to start building up the wood supply.

Friday, November 9, 2018

One project used up the day. That was installing the new sheet rock on the east kitchen wall. I had planned to work on that part of the day and then tackle firewood after the temperature warmed up to 40º. But a strong, cold north wind persuaded me to stick with the mostly indoor work and leave the outside job for a calmer day. That 40º felt more like 20º in the wind. I finished all the installation I'm goung to do now. I still have to plaster the area around the stove pipe, but that will wait until I'm through using the stove and can take down the pipe. I expect that will be in May.

Saturday, November 10, 2018

Laundry day. My usual practice is to wash the clothes at the coin laundry then bring them home and use the solar clothes dryer. There was a strong south wind today to get them dry in no time. Other chores were little odds and ends like adjusting the length of the bolt holding the light fixture on the wall and putting a nail in the wall to hold a calendar.

Sunday, November 11, 2018

It was a day for winter fun, and it's not even winter yet. I got busy with the saw and the splitter and turned big pieces into smaller pieces. With my truck out of action until I fix the brakes, I put the wood in boxes and hauled it in with a dolly. The forecast says we're about to have some weather, but I have enough firewood to last until it's over and I can bring in more.

Monday, November 12, 2018

In the wee hours of the morning the first snow of the season arrived. It was only about an inch, and although a few flakes were in the air most of the day that inch never seemed to get any deeper. My project in the shop was to get started on a carburetor for my 1915 runabout. The one that's on it now is a Holley NH. It's fine, but the NH was used in the twenties. The Holley G would be correct for 1915, so that's what I'll use. Today I picked a good body out of the parts stash and gathered most of the other parts to go with it. I'm missing a few pieces which I'll have to buy. I put the body and other bronze parts to soak in carburetor cleaner, and the ferrous pieces went into a container of rust remover. I'll order the parts I need to buy tomorrow, and hope to have the whole thing done next week.

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

With time out to go get some wire brushes, I spent the day on carburetor work. I cleaned parts, mined a few carb bodies for more parts, and put the ferrous parts to soak in Evaporust. The WD-40 rust remover I used yesterday didn't do much good. I won't be buying any more of that. It turned out that I have all the parts I'll need to make up a complete carburetor and won't have to buy anything new.

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Today I finished cleaning up Holley G parts. I painted the bowl, which I'll let dry overnight. I'll assemble the carb tomorrow and see if it works.

Thursday, November 15, 2018

Ooops! No I won't. In painting that bowl I missed part of it. I have to let it sit 48 hours before adding another coat of paint, so I won't be able to do that until tomorrow night. Then it will have to dry, so I won't have the carburetor back together until sometime this weekend. I need to fix my oven so I can speed up drying times. Anyway, I'm sure I can find something else to do while I wait.

Friday, November 16, 2018

What a day! I went to an auction in Shidler. It was a lifetime collection of old vehicles, tools, and stuff. A lot of it was junk you'd have to pay me to haul off, but there were some good items that kept me there. The selling started at 10:00 AM, and when I left it was 6:20 PM. I came away with a two gallon jug of weed killer and part of another for $5, a fan for $2.50, a sharp shooter for $3, and 250 square feet of oak flooring for $35. It was such a big sale that the auctioneers didn't get through all they had planned, and will have to add today's leftovers to the second half on Tuesday. I expect that will run late too.

Saturday, November 17, 2018

Today I was reminded of how much I dislike bleeding brakes. Somehow this theoretically simple procedure is always a hassle on my pickup. I did the front wheels, but ran out of time. I'll have to do the rear wheels later. I had to quit early for a drive to Wichita to see Can You Ever Forgive Me?, one of those movies that will never make it to the local theater here in Podunk. It was worth the trip. Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant are excellent.

Sunday, November 18, 2018

Most of the chilly day I was in the shop doing carburetor work, but in the afternoon I got busy with the saw and ended the day cutting and bringing in firewood. The forecast says tomorrow will warm up above 50º, so maybe I can get more outside work done.

Monday, November 19, 2018

Nope, I got so involved in the world of carburetors that I never made it outside. I've done several Holley Model NH carbs over the years, but this is my first Model G. The second day of the big auction in Shidler is tomorrow, so I may not get this thing on the car and try it out until Wednesday.

Tuesday, November 2018

Day Two of the auction in Shidler was shorter for me than the first day. By three I had bought all I wanted, so I came home in daylight this time. Today's haul: two light fixtures for the living room, $15; trailer ratchet strap, $12; Dremel, $7; two Craftsman routers, $10; a three-way lamp to restore, $1; a radio, $2; a hammer and box of miscellaneous small stuff, $1.

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Odds and ends. I gassed up the car, bought cereal and cheese, unloaded some of yesterday's auction plunder, washed the two light fixtures I bought for the living room, and researched carburetor parts. I should have cut and split more firewood, but didn't get around to it. Maybe tomorrow.

Thursday, November 22, 2018

Nope, no firewood today. This morning I installed that new carburetor on the runabout and tested it drving to town for Thanksgiving with the cousins. Wally brought the sweet potatoes, bean casserole, and salad. I supplied the turkey and the eggs. Pete did the cooking. Shorty came because she loves to ride in the roadster. It was a swell feast. I got home too late and too stuffed to do any work.

Friday, November 23, 2018

At last I made it outside and did some firewood cutting. Mostly I cleared a way to drive west of the shop, moving large branch parts around back by the splitter, sawing up some of the smaller branches, and cutting off little voluteer trees and dosing the stumps with Tordon. I want that area clear so I can drive the 1923 touring to and from the north door of the shop. I may have to drive it next week while the Camry is getting a new CV joint.

Saturday, November 24, 2018

Somehow I managed to complete almost nothing today. I did a little bit of sorting and cleaning in the shop, charged a battery, and spent way too much time sitting at my desk dozing. I did finish two things. I went to town and bought a couple of light switches and a plate, and I made a gas gauge hanger. One of the switches is for putting lights in the north side of the cellar and the other is a spare for some undetermined future use. The hanger keeps the stick out of the way but handy.

Sunday, November 25, 2018

Morning brought a cold north wind, temperatures falling into the low thirties, and blowing snow. But it never amounted to much. By noon the snow had quit, by three the sun was out, and by sundown most of the snow was gone. During my internet play I discovered a satirical website called America's Last Line of Defense, and it brought me to tears. Some of the stories and memes were really funny, but people's reactions and comments were even funnier. The sad part is that I recognized some items as stuff that people I know have "shared".

Monday, November 26, 2018

At last I made it outside for some wood cutting. I attacked an old dead tree that had fallen across my north brush pile road. I need to clear the road so I can drive my truck there whenever I get the brakes working again.

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Today's first adventure was taking the Camry to town, leaving it at the garage for a new CV shaft, and walking home. I ordered the shaft online this evening. The shipping will take a few days, but it's often worthwhile buying that way because the same part from local sources can cost two or three times as much. With the Camry out of action I drove the 1915 runabout when I went shopping. I went for groceries, but I also stopped at the bike shop and got a sensor for the bike speedometer on the 1923 touring. I want to get that car back in service because with a back seat it has a lot more room than the runabout, which is awfully crowded when shorty rides along.

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

With the modern car grounded and waiting for new parts, I'm traveling by Model T this week.

My depleted supply of clean sox told me this was wash day, so I hauled my basket of laundry to town. While the clothes were washing I went to the pharmacy and got this year's flu shot, then stopped at the hardware store for a piece of tubing to hold the speedometer sensor on the touring car. I hope to fix the speedometer and have that car ready to drive in a day or two.

I use the solar clothes dryer, which has zero CO2 emissions and zero cost. After hanging the laundry to dry I went exploring, looking for some engine parts. I didn't find those, but I did find the box of light switches and other electrical hardware I've been looking for. I ended the day with the chain saw and the splitter, laying in enough firewood to last a few evenings.

Thursday, November 29, 2018

Planting day. The trees from the Arbor Day Foundation were delivered Tuesday, so I got them in the ground today. They're supposed to soak for three hours before planting, so I put them in a pail of water and let them sit while Shorty and I walked to town to get the Camry. The new CV shaft for it won't be here until Tuesday, so I might as well have it to drive until then. I took Pete her white fir that was included in the tree order, and I planted two American sweet gum and three hydrangeas. Whoever packed the order screwed up and left out three forsythias and a red maple that were supposed to be included. Correcting the mistake is considered a new order, and we're past the ordering deadline, so I won't get those until the spring shipping in March. That's pretty annoying. I wanted those plants in the ground before winter and ready to take off in the spring.

This time of year hedge apples (Osage orange) are on the ground.
Bushytail has been digging for seeds.

Friday, November 30, 2018

Today's first activity was a drive to Wellington to check out an auction. There was a lot of stuff, but nothing interesting enough to keep me there, so I headed for home. On the way I picked up some groceries and wasted my time looking for terminal screws for switches and outlets. There were none to be had, so I'll use ordinary machine screws. I could buy what I want online, but shipping would more than triple the price. No thanks. When I got home I fired up the chain saw and attacked a dead redbud tree that had fallen over and was blocking my north brush pile road. I got it mostly cut up and the smaller pieces boxed and moved into the house for firewood, but before I finish clearing the road I need to sharpen the saw.