blog716

Friday, July 1, 2016

Today brought a pleasant surprise. I was working on the Suburban's fuel tank support strap which had a broken bolt. To get the old bolt out I had to remove and replace three rivets. Cutting and grinding and punching out the old rivets was pretty simple. Then I went to town to buy a new bolt I can adapt to replace the broken one, and to shop for new rivets. I was pretty sure I would have to order the rivets online and wait a few days for them to arrive. So it was a nice surprise when the local Ace hardware actually had some real steel rivets that will work. In the evening I went joyriding. That's a form of entertainment that has fallen out of use for most folks. In the early days of motoring it was common to go out for a drive just for fun, and for no other particular purpose. That's what I did this evening. I drove the roadster on country roads, mostly at 13-25 MPH. I drove about ten miles. By the time I got home about nine, the magneto headlights were starting to show a little light on the road and the lightning bugs were doing their aerial dances.

Saturday, July 2, 2016

In the morning I was off to Wellington to check out an auction. It turned out that most of the stuff was junk you'd have to pay me to carry away. When I got home I spent some time adding a new page to my website's Model T section, then made a replacement for the broken bolt from my Suburban's fuel tank support strap. The next step on that project will be riveting the bolt into the strap. For that I'll need to recruit a helper to keep the rivets hot while I mash them.

Sunday, July 3, 2016

Thinking I would take advantage of the relatively cool morning to do some work in the attic of my shop, I went looking for a ladder. After spending too much time looking, I used a different ladder. I don't know if the one I looked for "wandered off" or if I left it somewhere and forgot it. Probably the latter, and I'll find it when I'm not looking for it. Anyway, I did get to the attic, and located the wiring I need to check, but by then it was getting a bit toasty in there, so I'll continue that job later. I spent a couple of hours filing all my June receipts, then did a little more welding on the T-bolt I made yesterday. I wanted to make sure it won't come apart. In the afternoon I went to town for groceries, and on the way home stopped to visit Mom at the cemetery. I posted the picture on Facebook and commented that I do miss the old timers. I sure do.

Monday, July 4, 2016

Today I was installing a new electrical outlet in my shop and had to go to town for parts. So I dressed up the roadster with a flag set, took this picture of it, and made a video of the trip.

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

This is really annoying. I've been using Boraxo hand soap since the Eisenhower administration. Recently it disappeared from the shelf at the only store in town which had stocked it. The owner says his warehouse doesn't supply it anymore. Today when I went to do laundry I stopped at Kora's Asian market to buy kimchi. I've been getting it there for years. But now they're not selling it anymore. You can't stock up with a lifetime supply of something like kimchi, but I suppose I should have done that with the Boraxo. If there's a product you like and have bought for years, expect it to disappear.

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Iowa corn and clouds.

Travel day. I'm off to Wisconsin to prowl the Iola Swap Meet and visit Elizabeth and the kids. I'll go as far as the last rest area at the north end of Iowa, sleep there as usual, and go on to Iola in the morning.

Thursday, July 7, 2016

I arrived in Iola and spent the afternoon tramping about the grounds visiting with some other Model T forum guys and shopping for bargains. I bought some wrenches, clamps, and small cutoff wheels for the shop. Model T items I found were a New Day timer case for $1 and a Ford transmisision adjusting ratchet for $2.

Friday, July 8, 2016

Another day at the swap meet included more visits with my fellow Model T affcionados and more treasures to haul home. In the evening Elizabeth, Austin, and I went to the Friday night movie in the park.

Waiting for the movie to start.

This morning Elizabeth and I went kayaking on the Plover River. This evening we went to dinner at El Ranchito, where Austin and Bella had a staring contest.

Sunday, July 10, 2016

Travel day. On the road for home.

Monday, July 11, 2016

I bought electrical connectors for the fuel gauge wire, and got a friend to help me rivet the new bolt in the left support strap. Tomorrow I'll get a can of undercoating and start reinstalling the gas tank.

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

At 1000 miles the roadster was due for an oil change. So I did that, oiled the places that need oiling, turned the grease cups, added a little water to the radiator, and made sure all the tires were up to 60 psi. I tightened the brake and low bands half a turn, but the reverse band didn't need a thing. My non-T automotive work was on the Suburban, spraying undercoating on the repaired support strap and adding a couple of feet to the fuel gauge wire. That last job was infuriating because the soldering irons I have often won't get hot enough to melt solder. At last, late in the afternoon, I got that part done. I hope tomorrow I can get the tank back in place. This evening I went joyriding. People don't generally just drive around for fun anymore, but I do. I enjoy driving a well-running Model T. I drove about nine miles exploring some local roads.

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

At last, I got the tank with its new filler hose back in the Suburban, and reinstalled the trailer hitch. I cleaned all the windows, and tomorrow I'll drive it down to the Gasino and fill 'er up. With the Suburban back together, I can haul the engine/transmission from my touring car to Mike Bender whenever he's ready to work on it. My other completed chore was an oil change in the Camry.

Thursday, July 14, 2016

My first job of the day was driving the Suburban down to the Gasino for a fill-up. The filler hose replacement was a success, with not a single drip, and for the first time in a couple of years I was able to fill the tank completely without having it run over. The big event of the day was a nice gullly washer that left 2.4" in the rain gauge. Along with the rain came lightning, and one strike knocked out the power for two and a half hours. It was too dark to get any inside work done, so I sat on the front porch and did a little catching up on my reading, then took a nice nap. It was a cool day. I don't think the temperature ever got up to 80º. In the evening I took the roadster out for a drive, exploring local roads. I drove about ten miles, and saw one other car. But I did pass several people walking.

Friday, July 15,

2016

Yesterday's rain made the ground perfect for pulling weeds, so that's what I did. I removed a large stand of weeds west of the house. My next job was to finish derusting a pair of transmission adjusting wrenches I brought home from Iola, then to loosen them up so they work, and oil them. The last big project of the day was to start setting up the lathe in the east room of the shop. I bought it April 30. It sat in the Suburban until I could clear a place for it, which I did a couple of weeks ago. Today I started reassembling it so I can free up the engine hoist for other duty. That will be to pull the engine/transmission from the touring car for rebuilding.

Saturday, July 16, 2016

Well, that was a nice surprise. I was working in the shop this morning when I heard voices. Turned out it was Bob Hester and his brother-in-law. Bob is a fellow Model T fan from Florida. He's visiting family in Belle Plaine, and while the wives were out antiquing he and Larry came down to visit this antique in Parkerfield.

Sunday, July 17, 2016

This morning before daylight I was on the road to Wichita. Yesterday my visitors told me about Doc, a B-29 bomber that was to fly today for the first time in decades. So naturally, I had to go see that. I joined the crowd along 47th Street at the south end of the runway and shot some video as the plane took off.

Monday, July 18, 2016

Up before the sun, I did my morning three mile jog, had breakfast, and set up the sandblasting equipment. Before hitting the shower, I blasted the front axle that's going to replace the one on my roadster. Later I painted it. I left it hanging in the paint booth to dry 24 hours, and tomorrow I'll hang it outside to bake in the sun for a couple of days before I install it. I worked a little on setting up the lathe in the east room of the shop. I need to get that done so I can bring the hoist back into the west end of the building. I'll need it to pull the engine/transmission out of the touring car to go to Mike Bender. I talked to Mike this morning. In a couple of weeks he should be ready to tear into the thing and see what it needs. Based on what I've found in the rest of the car, I expect we're going to find a lot of worn out parts to replace.

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

With my mowing tractor not wanting to run, I have to use the push mower. So that's how I started today, spending the first couple of hours mowing in the cool of the morning. By 9:30 the temperature started to climb, so I went back to work on the house, cutting and nailing up new siding. As I'm working on the north side, it's in the shade. Except for a trip to town to buy lumber, I spent the rest of the day on that. In the evening I went for a nice eight mile cruise in the roadster, and stopped to take a picture of it with the full moon in the sky.

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Again I used the cool of the morning to get in a couple of hours of mowing, then got back to work on the house. I nailed on the last of the new siding, then filled the space below the siding with mortar. Now I'm about ready to install flashing and start nailing up shingles. This evening I went for another drive in the roadster. It was ten miles of pleasant therapy.

Thursday, July 21, 2016

Another day of morning mowing. The push mower takes too long. There's still more to do. This was my day for bill paying, including a trip to the courthouse to renew venicle registrations. I also wasted a drive to Blackwell. A shop there repairs generators and starters, so I took them the starter off my mowing tractor. When I got there at 1:15 a sign on the door said Gone to lunch. I waited until 2:15 and gave up. Next week I'll call them to be sure somebody's there, and try again.

Friday, July 22, 2016

Morning mowing again, and most of it is done. I did a little work on the back wall again, then got ready to hit the road. I'm off to Colorado for my cousin Cara's memorial service tomorrow. Here's a scene from I-70 in western Kansas.

Saturday, July 23, 2016

It was nice visiting with family, some of whom I haven't seen for a few years. A large crowd turned out for the memorial service, and Cara's sister Camille delivered a wonderful eulogy. I was fine until about halfway through the slide show of Cara's life. It was a photo of her at about age seven, with two front teeth missing, that got to me. I loved seeing all the folks, but I hate the reason that brought us there.

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Mostly a travel day, driving home. The Camry is a great highway cruising car. Got back about 2:30. This evening I went joyriding again, with another Model T twilight cruise exploring local country roads. There are too many calories involved to do it every day, but I think tomorrow evening I may roll into town for an ice cream cone.

Monday, July 25, 2016

A nice morning rain got the day off to a cool start. I sorted and organized receipts to file later, then made a run to town for a little shopping. In the shop I got the lathe aligned on its table and ready to bolt down, but I'll need to buy bolts tomorrow. I also spent part of the day looking for things I know I have but don't know where I put them. When I win the sweepstakes and have millions, the first thing I'll do is hire somebody to follow me around and keep track of where I put things.

It was cleanup day. I mowed first, of course, in the cool of the morning, then made a trip to town for bolts and groceries, then removed the Marion County mud from the car. It's been muddy since my off-road adventure in May, so it was long overdue for a washing. In the afternoon I continued the cleaning theme, vacuuming and mopping in the bathroom and kitchen and cleaning the southeast bedroom in case of company. I never made it to town for ice cream yesterday, so I drove in and had a cone this evening.

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Again starting with early morning mowing, today I finished setting up the lathe in the shop. Bolting the lathe to its table didn't take long, but getting the whole thing level did. This evening George Clipner rolled in from L.A. George is moving back to Missouri and stopping here for a visit on his way. This evening we went to town in the roadster and had dinner at La Fiesta.

Thursday, July 28, 2016

This morning George and I posed for the official portrait, then went to town for breakfast. About ten he took off for Missouri, and I went to the optometrist for my annual eye checkup. I can still see OK with glasses, and apparently I'm not about to go blind. When I got home I did alittle research on my lathe, which is missing a couple of parts. I'm going to have to do some shopping for a tool post and some bit holders.

Friday, July 29, 2016

Rain last night and this morning left 1.35" in the gauge. The total for July so far is more than double the average for this month. The plants are enjoying it. My project of the day was taking tools out of the tool box I had in the trunk of the roadster and putting them into one that will fit under the back seat of the touring, so I can carry it in either car. Part of the job was cutting square gallon cans to make smaller boxes that will fit inside.

Saturday, July 30, 2016

Drat! Thursday evening when I was driving the roadster the middle welch plug fell out. Luckily it happened close to home and I made it back without melting the engine, and yesterday I replaced the plug. Today I noticed that while the replacement was OK, the front plug was leaking. So I drained out all the coolant, dried the area, and slathered more Permatex around the plug. If that doesn't stop the leak, I'll have to replace that one too.

Sunday, July 31, 2016

With the forecast showing a few days with rain unlikely, I got out the sprayer this morning and attacked the johnson grass. I didn't spray all of it, but got all on the north side of the road and some on the south side. Then I took advantage of the soft ground from Friday's rain and pulled weeds. I gave that up about eleven, the third time I was blinded by sweat carrying mosquito repellent into my eyes. I'll go back to that early in the morning before it becomes such sweaty work. My other main job of the day was working on a timer. This is the New Day timer off a TT at the Mennonite Heritage Museum. Members of the Flatland T's are working on the truck to get it put back together and running for the museum. I cleaned the timer and sanded the contacts smooth. We'll be assembling the truck next week.