Repurposing a Broken Tool

This weekend I decided while cleaning the shop out that I would finish a project that I had started getting the parts for almost two years ago.  The parts for this project kind of fell into my hands when we had an air compressor go bad at work.  We tried to fix the compressor but it was going to cost more to fix the compressor than just buy a new one so this one was destined for the junk pile.  Before it his the junk pile I snatched up the air tanks and hauled them home.  The tanks set in the basement until we moved and then they sat in the garage until this weekend when I decided that I wanted a portable air tank. 

With a quick trip to O'Reilly's I had everything I needed to make the air tank functional.  Now with all things I could have just stopped there but I didn't want just an ordinary air tank.  Had I wanted an ordinary air tank I could have bought one at a yard sale.  This air setup had to have its own toolbox to go with it.  I searched around the house and couldn't find a suitable toolbox so I asked Grampa when we were over there and he sent me home with an ammo can which fits perfectly. 

The ammo can is big enough to fit a coil style hose, a can of fix er flat and some assorted tools.  The best part is that it is still waterproof.  Using the old mounts for the air compressor I bolted on some angle iron just a little wider than the ammo can.  Then I drilled and tapped two holes in the angle iron and used a couple of bolts as set screws to hold the can in place.  The ammo can is held on there solid enough that I can pick the whole air tank up by the ammo can.  So there we have it, my repurposed portable air tank.  Let me know what you think and as always check back often. 

A Miscellaneous Night

An uneventful week makes for a slow blog post but since I am never completely at an idle there is still a bunch to share.  To start out I finally hauled my car lift home.  Allyssia is ever so impressed (NOT) with this giant rusty pile of metal in the yard but none the less it is here.  The lift has set at my parents for around seven years and I had every intention of setting it up there but as we see here it has now moved locations but is not set up. 

It is sitting in the driveway until the ground dries up where I want to set it up.  Once the ground is dry, I am going to have a dump truck load of gravel brought in and then it will be permanently set up. Otherwise Allyssia and I have been out walking in the fields and enjoying the warm weather.  The dogs are not too happy though because they cant go swimming quite yet. 

The water is not as high as it was this winter when we had an ice jam but it is moving way too fast for the dogs to go swimming.  With most of the snow melted the stream should start go down enough for the dogs to enjoy themselves soon. 

With the warm weather finally upon us I was able to test my steam cleaner out.  This winter I rebuilt the oil burner so that I could wash things with hot water and yesterday I tried to get it running.  When I tried to start it up I had no pressure but a new hose solved everything. 

With the new hose I fired the burner and honestly to my surprise I had hot water.  Later this week look for a blog post full of before and afters as I steam clean engines, tractors and trucks.  Until next time stay tuned and check back often.

Sliding!

For reasons that I have not yet figured out, some homes are built without outside bulkheads to get into the basement.  My basement just happens to be one of these fine square boxes of concrete with just a tiny little window into the basement from the outside.  This past winter I only brought a small amount of wood in and I dealt with bending over and tossing the cord and a half of wood in through the little window.  Even though I was careful in how I threw the wood in I still managed to bounce many pieces of wood off the frame and start to damage it.  I could see that after a few years I would be replacing the window casing.  That got me thinking that I can work now and avoid that work later.  With that thought I began designing a wood slide.  I very easily obtained an oil tank from work, cut the top off and burned the excess oil.

That left me with a nice tub.  With an angle grinder and a handful of cutting blades I began to carve the tank into something usable.  Once cut into a rough slide shape came the trick of getting the right angle and the correct length for the legs.  This project actually started a few months back but I had to wait for the snow to melt to get some measurements and test the slide in the window. 

After over a month on hold, my friend Tristan came over for an afternoon and helped me weld some braces and the axle on to the legs. 
Without further ado I made an awesome video of the wood slide in action and I hope you all enjoy it!
                                         The Rusty Gold Farm Wood Slide
 As always I love hearing what everyone thinks of my projects and any ideas to better then are always appreciated!  Stay tuned and check back often!

A Little Cream Separator Engine

I would think that it comes as no surprise that I have acquired yet another hit and miss engine project.  For my sake this particular engine is smaller and lighter than the last few that have followed me home.  Now I have had many people at work see me and my engines at the Apple Pumpkin Festival and ask me why I need so many because they don't do anything.  I don't have a really good answer for them except that I really enjoy the engines and I absolutely love history.  I also love to teach others what things from our farming past are, but most of all I love to use them for something useful when I can.  Without further ado I present to you the Empire Cream separator engine.

Now before you say anything - yes, it does look a little bit rough with no muffler, the skid falling apart and covered in grease but this is the best way to find them!  This little gem is going to wait until warmer weather to be steam cleaned and then disassembled because it needs a little TLC, including some paint and a nice little cart.

It is a small little engine so for now I don't mind sliding it around the garage but for shows I want to have everything on carts so that moving them around is easy and not stressful. 

So there we have it, the newest addition to the farm and newest obstacle in the garage, but it is a well liked obstacle.  As always feel free to leave a comment ask questions and always check back to see what is new here at the farm. 

The First Time Since Fall

Since before the first snowfall it has set, tucked off to the side, gleaming in the sun and waiting until today.  It has traveled many miles behind my old trusted truck that I have lovingly re named "Rusty".  It has hauled horses, tractors, the Bongo Truck, firewood and helped us move to our new home.  It is more than just any old trailer - it is Allyssia's dream trailer. 
When the notification came in today that my package had been delivered I knew that today was the day that Clunk would get to do some real work. Finally Clunk was getting a gooseneck hitch.

Before installing the plate and taking off with the trailer the truckload of shavings had to come out and the bed needed to be cleaned.  One wheelbarrow at a time I unloaded the shavings and then leafblowed the bed clean.  Once cleaned, the plate dropped into the rails that were already in the bed and I was able to pin it in. 

Since the trailer was hooked to Rusty last the jack was all the way up to make it over the flatbed so I had to drop the hitch down onto a block, extend the jack and then set it onto the new plate in the bed.  With that Cricket and I took off to see how the new truck handled the trailer. 

Just like it was meant to be is the only way to describe how well the trailer towed.  With the tow haul mode on, the truck rode smooth, shifted well and still went down the road amazingly.  The only way I could be happier is if Rusty my old '93 was pulling the trailer but until I get around to fixing and rebuilding I guess Clunk will be toting Allyssia and the horses around and probably me and my equipment as well.  Until next time stay tuned and check back often. 

Sick at Home Thinking About the Garage

Much to my displeasure I woke up this morning and had to call out sick from work.  With a chest cold and a constant cough I knew that if I went to work I would stay sick.  So from my spot on the couch I figured I would continue on the saga of the Oliver.  I want to preface by saying that there is progress being made but it is very slow progress and it is very frustrating as well.   After the last time trying to run the Oliver I asked on an Oliver forum for opinions and got a resounding response that it was still in the carburetor.  Not knowing what else to do I followed the advice of one of the forum members and bought an ultrasonic cleaner to clean the carburetor in.  Ultrasonic Cleaner.

So The Ultrasonic Cleaner is nothing to o special but with a cup of simple green mixed with the water it is amazing the amount of gunk it can take off a part that you think is already clean.  After running the carburetor through multiple cycles the water had turned brown.  After that I blew all of the passageways out with the air compressor and finished putting it back together.  Running on another response from the forum I pulled the intake and exhaust manifold off and replaced it with one that I knew was good.  With that all done and the Carburetor re-installed I plugged the block heater in and tried again.  This is not the feel good ending that I am looking for because the Oliver did start beautifully and idled like a charm it still has problems when under load, just check out the video and see for yourself. 
                                                     Oliver test run!
I am stepping back and starting fresh by rebuilding the spare carburetor that I have and then I will try that.  Until the new kit comes in and I have time to do the rebuilding of the carburetor the Oliver will be sitting idle in the garage.  Hopefully I will be over this chest cold and be back to work tomorrow but I wont be doing much this week after work except for resting up.  So stay tuned and check back often.