Take a _______ And Go ________ Some ________!

Well , so far today I've pulled weeds in the garden , loaded the dishwasher , put a load of towels in the washing machine , and walked the dog ~3/4 of a mile . In the last few days I've moved a bunch of food/furniture/stuff to get at the last corner of the kitchen area to get sheetrock . Added 7 duplex outlets on 2 circuits , added a new window (opening was originally going to be a door , she objected) and installed and mudded/taped the sheetrock . I've also done a little shop work , I'm fabricating 2 pairs of clamp bands 12 1/2 inches in diameter for a guy . These are 1.250 wide by .0625 304 stainless with 1.125 square X 1.375 long cold rolled blocks for the screw . This guy makes banjos , these are for clamping his stock around the form to make the bodies . Basically a large "hose clamp" . The draw bolts are O1 drill rod .500 diameter , with a thrust bearing under the bolt head to minimize friction . Also made it to my annual VA physical , took the opportunity while in Mountain Home to pick up some smokeless powder (WW 748) and another thousand LR primers . The wife is out of town until late this week , she's on an Alaska cruise with our daughter and her family . I'd never get this much done if she was home ...

I'm headed out to the shop to make a small production run of molds, but I can only sing the same song so many times. Lets hear what you did today. (The last week or to is fine.)

------------------------ I haven't machined anything since an extension hose adapter for the HF battery fuel pump, plus one for my neighbor. The ID of the outlet is nominally 1/2" but a custom oversize holds better. Otherwise I've been splitting firewood.

Thank (deity of your choice) for standing dead trees . I am woefully behind on gettin' in the firewood for next winter . Seems like lately everybody and her brother has a "little project" for me - in addition to my own projects . I can burn green wood but it's almost not worth the effort . Got a few standing dead and some down-but-not-touching-the-ground trees spotted out for first round of harvesting .

Thank (deity of your choice) for standing dead trees . I am woefully behind on gettin' in the firewood for next winter . Seems like lately everybody and her brother has a "little project" for me - in addition to my own projects . I can burn green wood but it's almost not worth the effort . Got a few standing dead and some down-but-not-touching-the-ground trees spotted out for first round of harvesting . Snag

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HD and Lowes used to sell corrugated galvanized roofing at a decent price so I built pole sheds covered with it and could get a little ahead on the firewood, to dry it well enough for my fussy but efficient Jotul-clone stove. The design that worked best for drying was a floor of two 40" x 48" pallets that would hold 3 rows cut 16" long. A 2' roof overhang allows the shed to be left open all summer without rain wetting the wood. The stacks are short enough that shrinkage and settling from drying doesn't allow them to bow out dangerously when piled as high as I can reach. The end walls that the stacks rest against are pallets not strong enough for flooring, loosely tied to the uprights so both can settle independently from wood and snow weight. I wired the lower ends of the tree-trunk columns together to prevent spreading, since they just rest on flat rocks.

The roofing is held down by scrap tied across it so it has no screw holes and can be reused elsewhere. This is a good use for the cheap warped cull lumber at HD. Damage from falling branches can usually be repaired by reshaping the corrugations with a soft faced hammer over 1-1/2" or 2" pipe.

Since we have severe snowy winters I arranged the roofing lengthwise with extra 2' panels for the summer overhang, and retract then for winter to reduce the snow load. Crosswise works too, snow hasn't bent a 1' unsupported overhang. I'm describing the simplest of several versions I tried. HF camo tarps cover the sides and blend in well with the surrounding young pines. The tarps are hung to slightly clear the ground so snow won't pull on and tear them, and last around 10 years as long as rug scraps cover sharp edges.

I began with logs for the roof beams, "planed" fairly straight and flat on top with the chainsaw. Friends soon took pity on me for the effort and gave me access to construction debris which made roof framing easier, and reduced their disposal cost. The logs worked well, though, as corrugated roofing easily twists to fit non-parallel beams.

I found that I could make close-fitting mortices in the columns by propping the beam in place and screwing scrap wood blocks against it above and below. With the beam removed the blocks guide a hand saw to cut a notch that the beam fits snugly, since the saw kerfs are within the beam height.

The town agrees that the sheds have no value and doesn't tax them.

Thank (deity of your choice) for standing dead trees . I am woefully behind on gettin' in the firewood for next winter . Seems like lately everybody and her brother has a "little project" for me - in addition to my own projects . I can burn green wood but it's almost not worth the effort . Got a few standing dead and some down-but-not-touching-the-ground trees spotted out for first round of harvesting . Snag

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I couldn't identify recently deceased trees in winter because all were leafless, or in summer because leaves on surrounding trees obscured which branches lacked them. I had to mark the dead ones in spring when the new leaves were small or in fall when only a few leaves were left. After a few years the dead red oaks would lose their bark to woodpeckers and become easily recognized so there was a window of perhaps 5-10 years before they rotted at the base and fell. Those tended to be dry enough to burn immediately, except at the bottom end.

After cutting everything accessible from the trails by truck and winch I assembled a go-anywhere logging rig from a worn out and rebuilt Sears garden tractor with ag tires and serious towing capacity and a single snowmobile trailer of the same narrow width that let me drive the rig close enough to any dead tree. Pulling the half ton trailer had ripped apart a riding mower, the similar-looking garden tractor has a strong ladder frame and a low range for plowing. It's the tractor for which I built the hydraulic bucket loader attachment to clear snow, and I used it to lift fallen trees to cut a path through them without dulling the saw on rocks.

snipped construction details

I've got I think 16 pieces of 5 rib steel roofing 8 feet long awaiting my attention to be turned into a shelter for the fire wood ... I might even get to it this winter ! I'm lucky enough to have a neighbor that has a small band saw mill , if I need some logs sliced he's eager to help . He and his wife think they don't get enough chances to help me ... these are some of the best neighbors I've ever had .

I'm using my 1982 JD model 317 yard tractor and a yard trailer . I want to build a longer trailer that will put more weight on the tractor's rear wheels , but there's a trade-off between long enough and being able to navigate between the trees . My problem is not a lack of power , it's that I can't get it to the ground . I've got 80 lbs over each rear wheel and chains on and I still spin the too much .

Maybe add rear-wheel steer and a lever so you can control it from your seat :)

It was kinda wimpy... but I remember somebody making a 4-Wheel wagon that had coordinated steering on it. Wouldn't help your traction problem...

I'm using my 1982 JD model 317 yard tractor and a yard trailer . I want to build a longer trailer that will put more weight on the tractor's rear wheels , but there's a trade-off between long enough and being able to navigate between the trees . My problem is not a lack of power , it's that I can't get it to the ground . I've got 80 lbs over each rear wheel and chains on and I still spin the too much .

snipped construction details I've got I think 16 pieces of 5 rib steel roofing 8 feet long awaiting my attention to be turned into a shelter for the fire wood ... I might even get to it this winter ! I'm lucky enough to have a neighbor that has a small band saw mill , if I need some logs sliced he's eager to help . He and his wife think they don't get enough chances to help me ... these are some of the best neighbors I've ever had . Snag

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I mentioned only the problems and solutions, not all the structural details since you probably don't have to build strong enough for a 50# PSF winter snow & ice load or to hang up heavy equipment. The frames are similar to farmers' open sided pole sheds.

How does the neighbor handle the heavy logs? I built the overhead gantry hoists for that because I don't own a Kubota to move them and it's been a good answer for both handling logs and assembling the saw. I can rotate the logs and cants without damage by suspending them in a rope sling (or two) run through a snatch block, and adjust the centers of both ends to the same height with most of the log's weight supported. I set the saw up beside whichever storage shed they will go into with the 16' long gantry positioned to pick up logs off a trailer, place them on the saw, then move the cut beams into the shed.

My thread from a few years ago about pressing ball bearings into wheels was for a gantry track mount for the 1300# HF electric hoist.

Maybe add rear-wheel steer and a lever so you can control it from your seat :)

It was kinda wimpy... but I remember somebody making a 4-Wheel wagon that had coordinated steering on it. Wouldn't help your traction problem... Leon Fisk

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The usual problem I encountered was a wheel getting caught against a stump root or rock when I couldn't drive straight ahead due to obstacles. This is rough hilly land that had never been cleared of glacially deposited rocks for farming, though someone had gathered the smaller ones. I could lever the rear end sideways with the Peavey and firewood for the fulcrum or lift and shift it with the folding tripod and chain hoist I carried.

The hoist and tripod solved many other problems too. For instance someone took to blocking trails by rolling boulders into them. I piled the boulders in a pyramid beside the trail and he apparently decided to stop messing with the man who could lift them.

Maybe add rear-wheel steer and a lever so you can control it from your seat :)

It was kinda wimpy... but I remember somebody making a 4-Wheel wagon that had coordinated steering on it. Wouldn't help your traction problem... Leon Fisk

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A helpful addition to my tractor is a wood block height extension on the clutch/brake pedal that lets me depress it while twisted around to look backwards. Replacing the molded seat with a flatter and less restrictive folding boat seat helps too.

With his front loader ... He ran up on a screamin' good deal on a medium/small diesel tractor at an estate sale . And you're right , our winter conditions here are much less extreme than yours .

With his front loader ... He ran up on a screamin' good deal on a medium/small diesel tractor at an estate sale . ... Snag

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I keep watching for one, perhaps with price-reducing problems I can solve, having built my own bucket loader and log splitter from worn components. Besides engines and transmissions what expensive non-DIY problems should I avoid?

Unobtanium or parts that are really difficult to fabricate. Internet sources are a huge help nowadays in figuring this stuff out...

Neighbor found a deal on a Shenniu 254 that need some parts and work. I dug up a manual for it on the net. Quirky little tractor...

Take a TIG WELDER and go MURDALIZE some ALUMINUM!

Okaaaaayyyy! I have been making a frame to hold in an insert to reduce the size of a GIANT pet door. The frame is made out of aluminum T-bar and fits perfectly. Its decent a looking frame (inside and outside) that fits the opening, sandwiches the insert, and matches the thickness of the door. Okay, I know how to measure, mill, and drill, and I let one of the CNCs cut the miters for me.

I was thinking if I could weld the frames together in rectangles it would make final assembly much easier. The last time I TIG welded aluminum I made a moisture trap for the air dryer on my shop air system and it went just fine. Doesn't look like a pro did it, but it holds air (and water).

Fortunately this time I decided to practice on some scraps. I couldn't get anything resembling a weld to save my life. I'll be finishing the job with security screws and painters caulk with the frame stuck in the opening one piece at a time. Fudge. Thank goodness the pieces are well fit up. LOL.

I could have done a better job of welding with my MIG setup. The argon bottle was empty on it, and by then I just didn't feel like wrestling the bottle off the back of the TIG to swap them around.

Take a TIG WELDER and go MURDALIZE some ALUMINUM!

Okaaaaayyyy! I have been making a frame to hold in an insert to reduce the size of a GIANT pet door. The frame is made out of aluminum T-bar and fits perfectly. Its decent a looking frame (inside and outside) that fits the opening, sandwiches the insert, and matches the thickness of the door. Okay, I know how to measure, mill, and drill, and I let one of the CNCs cut the miters for me.

I was thinking if I could weld the frames together in rectangles it would make final assembly much easier. The last time I TIG welded aluminum I made a moisture trap for the air dryer on my shop air system and it went just fine. Doesn't look like a pro did it, but it holds air (and water).

Fortunately this time I decided to practice on some scraps. I couldn't get anything resembling a weld to save my life. I'll be finishing the job with security screws and painters caulk with the frame stuck in the opening one piece at a time. Fudge. Thank goodness the pieces are well fit up. LOL.

I could have done a better job of welding with my MIG setup. The argon bottle was empty on it, and by then I just didn't feel like wrestling the bottle off the back of the TIG to swap them around.

Bob La Londe

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I sympathize, I couldn't manage a good TIG weld on aluminum in night school.

Maybe you could insert a smaller door in the large one?

The frustrating part is when I did the water trap container I did one end with filler and the other end without, and both ends worked. I thought at the time that, "Its not pretty, but this isn't so bad." This time I couldn't even really establish a puddle, and its not junk mystery T-Bar. I bought it from McMaster. Maybe I should go back and see if I ordered an odd alloy by mistake or something, but most common extrusions are 6061.

Nope. McMaster claims its 6061 T-bar. It looks just like all the bar stock in the shop leaning up against the wall. I guess I just got lucky last time.