LabFiles at LightningRod Labs

Some time back I showed pictures of a railing I made for my son’s garage. In my usual fashion, I sped ahead without checking the building code for the spacing of uprights.   We were unable to use it because of this . I set the thing aside in my shop, wondering what to do with it. My wife, Donna spotted it while she was doing her gardens. Being clever and artistic she came up with a neat use for it.

The picture above shows her west garden which is one of many. This one is secluded behind the house and was carved from the brush.  I think they look interesting and attractive there. Hopefully they will cause the deer to detour around the garden.  As the spring progresses and the flowers grow, the garden will look even more beautiful.

This is me on my  loader tractor. I would have a hard time getting along without it. It is an antique, believe it or not. Manufactured in 1959, the year I graduated from high school. I purchased it for $1100  on an auction sale in the 1970’s when I bought dad’s farm. That same year my wife went to an auction in the neighbourhood that had listed a heavy duty loader. With advice from a cousin, my wife joined the bidding. Now we we were newly back in the aria and only the relatives and a few neighbours new Donna. When she called out her bid everyone turned and looked to see who this attractive young lady was. A woman bidding on a tractor loader was in itself unusual. The sale of the item was forgotten as they asked each other who was this stranger. You could here the whispers, “oh dat must be George Anderson’s  Daughter-in-law, ya sure, she next to Pete Peterson an dat would be her cousin den”. The Auctioneer knew it was over, called sold for $220 to the young Lady. The men turned there attention back to the sale, with more than one regretting they had been distracted.  I rebuilt the mount to fit the 340 and the result is a loader much stronger than the tractor.

Time takes it toll on every thing, no big deal just buy some new parts, simple. You Bet, not on a 1959 tractor.  No longer available, a problem Hot Roders and car restorers run into all the time.  Making the pipe was the easy part. Rule’s tire in Willmar was able to bent me a copy.The result is below, I had to tweak the pipe a bit by heating it with my old acetylene torch. Yaa, I know The power bender does a nicer job. Normally you have the unit your working on, next to the bender so its easy to do.  I’m ten miles from town and I didn’t want to run back and forth or haul the tractor.

The problem came with the muffler. No one had one on hand that would fit. ordering was a possibility.Searching the parts books for dimensions and pipe size is a pain in the butt. Plus that all takes time. I wanted to use the tractor, so the thought of a straight pipe entered my mind. Not a good idea, I  knew my hearing was already bad enough.

In the corner of the shed I spotted an old muffler from a motorcycle. I knew I had a cool solution. With a little hack saw work and my gas welder, I fabricated up a tolerable system.  [[edit from jeremy:  the muffler is half of a 4-into-2 Supertrapp system from a 1984 VF750F Interceptor]]

View the pictures below I know the tractor needs new paint, that with some work it would be pretty again, buts that’s down the road. With summer coming that means cruises and fun so getting the red convertible ready is first.

In the mean time you don’t often see custom exhaust like this on a tractor.

Recently my trusty old belt of 20 some years wore out. I priced belts in several  clothing store’s and about went into shock. Forty dollars for a plain strip of leather B.S. Even the discount stores were over priced. Now I admit I needed to be able to change buckles easily as I prefer my own buckle. That should have lowered the price as I didn’t need a buckle. Instead it lowered selection greatly.

Fate smiled on me as I was walking through a Flee Market in Mobile Alabama last February.  Off to the back of his display were the two belts shown below. Inquiring, the vendor pointed out that both had problems. One was missing the buckle and the other had a blemish in the leather. I looked them over while trying hard to show disappointment in my face. This was somewhat difficult as these belts were perfect for what I needed. I pointed out that because he was such a pleasant fellow I would help him out by taking these useless items off his hands and pay him a couple of dollars. He pointed out he had paid dearly for these new belts and that they were of premium leather. After several minutes of discussion we arrived at a compromise of less than five dollars for the two.

Above are the belts and my favourite buckle. As you can see the belts  are too long and have no way to attach the buckle. I determined the belt length I needed by slipping the buckle on the belt and holding the belt around me. Than I clamped the belt as you can see in the next picture. On the work bench are  some snaps that I had purchased in the late 1980’s for fixing leather jackets. Next I used my trusty sharpie and a small ruler to mark the spot.  Note the awl I used to center punch the spot for drilling. It is made from  a worn out Philips screwdriver, the large handle make it great to handle. I used a freshly sharpened metal bit for drilling the holes.

Below I crimp the snaps in place note I installed the first snap before I made the hole for the second snap. That way alignment is guaranteed. I use a piece of quarter inch scrap steel  that is 1.25 by 6 inches to protect the desk top that I use for a work bench. The snaps are riveted in with a special punch so the protection is needed. all that’s left, is to mark  and cut the extra off.

The finished product

Not a big deal of a project but I have a new work belt for a couple of bucks and some fun. I did this all a month ago but spring came early so I did not get around to finishing this till now.

No, I didn’t win the Bull Riding buckle in some long ago competition, when I was young and tough. I’ll admit I have spun a few late night stories to acquaintance’s, they were ment solely for entertainment. The truth is I acquired a lot of  them back when I was selling on the circuit. The thing that always  got me in trouble was, “how much would they be if I took them all”. If you feel a need for a few ( or several), get in touch with me. all are serial numbered, limited edition, vintage 1980’s.

This is my latest project as it looked on completion. My son found a deal on a nice mount bracket that takes little table room. we ran into a problem as you can see

dual mount monitures

from the following pictures. the new brackets are made to hold a monitor from the center of the back and these monitors had a mount point on the lower edge with very different mounting holes.         I would have needed longer screws if I had modified the new mount bracket. Also the mount seemed a bit unstable that way. (I did try). Rather than drive the 10 miles into town and search for Chinese metric screws I decided go the rout shown below. I knew that would be sturdy plus I could use what I had on hand.

This is the original mount that took up much desk space and was a bit unstable

Above is the new mount as you can see,  it is very different where it attaches to the monitor. Next shows the 3/16  sheet  iron plate I made to attach to the monitor, next is the new mount bracket and the 3/16 thick sheet  iron I used, The iron I used is all salvage, cut from junk or left over from projects. The last picture in the row is finished plate with the holes drilled to match the new mount bracket, note the marker and the up arrow on the iron plate. Nothing worse than to spend the time to cut and drill a piece and then to turn it wrong on the welding table and screw it up permanently. Easy to do with grey pencil marks on grey iron or trusting your eyes.

On the left above is the one inch by 1/4 iron bar on the anvil with the hammer that shaped it. The bar is also from my junk pile, much stronger than needed, but it is what I found quickly  on a cold winter day. The anvil was my fathers and I think my Grandfathers, which makes it over a 100 years old.  Even though  its shows its age it’s perfect for shaping iron with a hammer. I wonder if my Grandfather, when he hammered out plow shares or shaped horse shoes on it, could ever have imagined what I used it for today.

The next picture shows laying out the irons to determine the size. On this type of project I find it best to constantly check for size and fit. The third picture shows the iron cut to size and marks for  fit up.  Next we are back to the welding table, because I was concerned about alignment I clamped the pieces down. My weld isn’t the most beautiful work that I have done but my welding shop is unheated.  The lens in my helmet would fog up even if I held my breath. You need to see the puddle of molten metal to make a good weld and so I erred on the safe side by letting the puddle get a bit high.

No problem with some extra weld metal, the big hand grinder takes it down fast. You can barley see my nine inch yellow grinder in back of the vice.  The second picture shows us back inside checking alignment again. Than back to the welding shop  and forming a matching bracket for the second monitor. They must be the same to look right. the last picture in the above line shows the jig I made to hold parts in line for welding and to assure that the brackets match.

Above you can see all the metal work is done. In the next picture  we try it and it looks ” good enough for a town this size”. It is  now safe to finish the second bracket.  Next we take things apart and hang the brackets up and paint them as you can see in the third photo. Because it is cold outside, I paint in the wash room in the lab which get pretty strong smelling . I did have an exhaust fan set up but that blows too much heat out. The solution I have found best is to paint it than go for coffee.

The forth shows the finished brackets final attachment to the monitor, almost factory looking.

Below is the finale test mount. Next to it is the finished product, very stable as it is clamped to the table.

Below is my Son and Grandson enjoying the finished setup.

The cost of the project? Two 6013 welding rods, A couple pounds of scrap iron, some spray paint and bolts from my junk drawer.  Less than the cost of a good cup of java, plus a bit of time.

This is my grandson Gunnar Anderson on the day I gave him Donald. He is not quite two years old. Gunnar soon learned to scoot down the side walk in front of their house and loved to ride alongside me as we walked to the neighbourhood park.  Two years later when  My  Grandson came to me with his favourite toy and showed me the worn-out  wheels,  I tried to explain that Donald  was old ,well worn and almost too small for him. The “please fix the wheels, you can fix anything, Grandpa” was more than I could resist.

Upon examination  I could see the worn-out wheels were cheaply made and beyond  repair.

A search of  my back room found a set of new wheels from who knows where. They probably came from a swap meet several years ago, one of those “deals” you can’t resist even though you don’t know what you will do with it.

The old wheels were held on by retainers driven on the shaft. They are often difficult to remove without destroying everything. I used a tool I made in 1966, a simple slide hammer. The axles in Donald were too small for the new wheels so the search for new axles began. I wanted something stronger than mild steel, so after determining  diameter, I took my old calliper and began searching the junk pile. I always search the used iron pile first before I go buy new iron. It was nice years ago when I worked at a place with a big rack of new iron, just go over and pick what you need. The plus side is looking through discarded and broken machines and things gives one ideas.

I found a pair of old screen door closers whose centre rod fit the bill.Enough length, right diameter and good steel. The cylinders are definately not designed to be dissembled.

Note the picture’s of cutting the cylinders apart. the cylinders had a fairly strong spring inside of them. when I cut them open I had a violent reaction. This is why it is best to be alone when doing this type of thing. The red lines indicate where on the floor the parts ended up when they stopped bouncing.

The rest was simple as the pictures show. Test assemble to determine length, remove and cut with hack saw, then grind the  end smooth. I used some drive on caps that I had on hand to hold the wheels on. I believe they were purchased for pedal tractor repair. below are the pictures of me putting them on and the finished project.

Below is one Happy Grandson, I don’t think Donald will last very long as Gunnar is too big for it already. he can go lightning fast down the side walk but I had to say no when he took it up to the top of the slide.  No matter how long it lasts, that smile below was More than worth the effort I put into it.

Update for September Gunnar has discovered the tricycle—–although he can still go faster down grade on Donald.

I have a great shop, it is kept comfortable year around. my tools are there, I spend a lot of time in it. One of the best things is nobody complains when I make a mess even if something explodes. I have had a computer out there of course, with one shortcoming. I couldn’t reach my network as I was about 120 feet from my router in my house office . Digging a cable in is possible but hard work. Being the shop building is metal sheathed Wireless would work only if I stood in front of the only window. Not handy for doing much work. My son the wizard came up with the solution. Two Belkin wireless G+ routers. The first picture is in my house office and The second is in my shop. Note both are by windows, also they are in line of sight. The third picture shows the mounting material I used, an old clear plastic clipboard about 1/4 inch thick.

This was chosen not only because it was on hand but it wouldn’t interfere with the signal on the window mount. Picture 4 shows the clear mount sheet in place. this allows the router to be mounted so the front is visible and the signal has a clear path. picture 5 shows the 50 feet of cable to get to my work bench. picture 5 shows distribution router on the shelf above my work bench.

The system works great, I understand the two wireless routers need to be identical. The only thing I bought was the wireless routers, the rest was salvage.The additional router by my bench allows me to plug in a laptop or a computer I’m working on.

I want to thank my Son the wizard for the technical knowledge that made this possible

As most of you know a good supply of compressed air is essential in the shop. The compressor I have been using I purchased new in 1975. It was a made in USA, a Sandborn 6.5 CFM with a 30 gallon air tank on wheels. It was the biggest 110 volt compressor I could buy and even had a pressure regulater so you could dial down the pressure for paint spraying. The unit has served me well over the years, I have painted cars and tractors and run many different air tools. I even got used to waiting for the air tank to catch up.

The last couple of years I have had trouble with small air leaks that were increasingly difficult to solve. That meant keeping the compressor shut off unless you were actually using air. At my wife’s urging ( she tired of my complaints) we priced new bigger compressors. I figured I needed close to 15 CFM to handled my sand blaster and paint gun. I priced compressors and found they were much higher priced than I had anticipated. I than called Greg at Surplus Warehouse in Willmar, (actually my wife dialed the phone and handed it to me). (http://www.swrecycling.com

Greg had a 14 CfM with a 90 Gallon tank by Sanborn MFD. listed at $729.00. Now I have known and done business with Greg since the 1980’s. I have great respect for him, He is a person you can do business with on a handshake without fear. Now Greg did cut me a deal and I won’t brag as you have to do your own bargaining.

The nicest thing was when I discovered it wouldn’t fit in my van or enclosed trailer Greg offered the use of his truck to haul it the 15 miles to the farm, then went along to help unload it. When asked about payment for his efforts, he just smiled and said he needed to get away from the office for a few minutes, then asked when I was going to start on a Rat Rod.

It sure is nice to have plenty of air on hand again. The tank stays pumped up for days with compressor shut off. Its nice to be able to blow the dirt off something without waiting and I’m sure I am saving money on electricity. Below is a picture of the unit.

Here are some pictures of the railing in construction. One nice thing about Iron is you can fill gaps by welding and grinding. It is very different from wood, as you can easily fill a 1/8 to 1/4 inch gap with the weld. As a matter of fact a gap in the joint makes the weld stronger as the space insures that the metal is bonded totally rather than just on the surface. If the gap is bigger just use some scrap iron. The last picture shows the finished railing.
Unfortunately I didn’t check codes and we won’t be able to use it.

There won’t be enough steel for the whole railing, but there will be enough to substantially contribute.

While most people look at Holidays as a chance to relax and drink beer, we here at LightningRod Labs view it as a chance to save the environment.

Okay, maybe we drink beer while we’re doing it, too. Regardless of that, for 2008, we decided to document the easy way to sharpen a reel mower — potentially saving you $60+ over a professional sharpening, while still making the mower every bit as sharp. Click here for more.