Saturday, December 31, 2016

A Pleasant Note To End The Year

Gary Bahre has completed his finishing touches for the 8 HP vertical Bessemer, and he fired it up today.



It's been a long time coming! 1976...


1992; A yard ornament...


2014; The hard part begins!


Parts... (Gary Bahre photos)



Sleeved! (Gary Bahre photo)


New Rod! (Gary Bahre photo)


Almost Done, Pinckneyville, October 2015


Found on a farm in Lawrence County Kentucky in 1976, brought to Illinois in 1980, this engine held a mailbox by the side of the road from 1992 until 2014. Gary Bahre took it on as a project and has made a basket case run again. During this engine's working years it powered a sorghum press at Martha, Kentucky. It had water in it during a freeze, and the water jacket was broken. When we bought it there was a big, ugly brazing job holding the water jacket together. Gary Bahre cleaned that up so it hardly shows now. The farmer continued to use this engine until the rod broke; we guess sometime during the 1920's. It sat outside and rusted until I saw it in 1976 as I was going to a timber marking job at Martha. My wife and I went there after work, bought it from the son of the man who originally purchased and ran it, and we loaded it in the back of our AMC Rebel station wagon.

Thursday, December 29, 2016

With No Help From Me


After my little surprise yesterday it is a good time to remind myself that some trees are more ready to come down than others.  I saw this one last February, and it collapsed all by itself.  Stick a saw into one this rotten, and it may come down around your ears.  A sounding axe is a valuable accessory when cutting snags and high risk trees. I promise to thump a little more than I have been doing lately.

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Marlene Dietrich, December 27, 1901

She made something like 500 appearances for Allied troops during World War II.


Ruger's Auction To Benefit The Light Foundation


Here's a chance to buy a nearly new (It is marked Used.) Ruger Standard Model pistol, made in 1979.  This gun has been residing in Ruger's vault for many years, and now it can be yours!  Click Here to read all about it and to place your bid.  This rare find will be auctioned off mid-day, Wednesday, December 28, 2016.  100% of the proceeds of this sale will go to benefit the Light Foundation. $755

Rifle or Pistol, Pull The Trigger Without Moving

Monday, December 26, 2016

Tuesday Torque: Bessemer Update


Gary Bahre has been fine-tuning the 8 HP upright Bessemer this winter.  The magneto drive gears were just a bit loose on their shafts, so a flywheel was removed, the gears came off, and new bushings were installed.

This view allows you to see the manual cut-in lock for the early 20th Century impulse mechanism on the magneto drive, and the ramps that are part of the governor actuating system. The rest of the governor mechanism is mounted on the flywheel.


The magneto on this engine has its own impulse for starting, so this impulse mechanism has been locked in the "run" position. The old spring doesn't have much snap left, anyhow.


Gary also took off the side plates and adjusted the rod shims now that the babbit rod bearing is broken in.  This  engine will run like a champ now, and it should start easier, too, with this magneto setup.  Gary is letting the gasket compound solidify this week, and he plans to fire it up on New Year's Day.

Photo Credit: Gary Bahre

John Denver and the Muppets: The Twelve Days Of Christmas!

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

12 Pounder and Cannister Shot!

This is a fascinating look at smoothbore artillery used during the Civil War.  If you have been to a re-enactment with artillery you have been cheated just a bit.  The brass cannons firing powder only make a nice boom, but you are missing something.   The brass tubes ring like a bell when a projectile goes rattling down the bore.  You get to hear plenty of it in this video, so enjoy this rare treat.


Old Toy Trains, Roger Miller

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Monday, December 19, 2016

Tuesday Torque: 2016 Engine Shows Come To A Close

Our friend Gary Bahre shot a few videos at the last engine gathering in our area.  Bob Gill of Paducah hosts a private crankup every year in the late fall, and there is always a good turnout.  It was 16° and there was frost on the engines, but they all fired up.  Here is a very nice IHC Famous engine that belongs to Bob.


I Saw Three Ships, Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Sunday, December 18, 2016

Lo How A Rose E'er Blooming, The Cambridge Singers

Nestled All Snug In Their Beds


Drained or protected with anti-freeze, the engines in Gary's engine shed are all safe during this cold snap. 2017 will be a busy for this collection, with several trips planned to regional engine shows.

You Knew This One Was Coming, Didn't You!?

It's just not Christmas without Da Yoopers performing Rusty Chevrolet.  Once.  That will be enough!


Thursday, December 15, 2016

Necessary Facebook Page For Dog Lovers

We belong to and follow the Facebook page, I Love My Schipperkes.  It is just one of several Schipperke pages we follow, but the greatest joy on that page is seeing Eric Janssen's dog Saartje in natural Schipperke habitat; a boat on the waterways of the Netherlands.



Saartje seems to be leading an idyllic life on Eric's boat, and we look every day to keep up with her latest adventures.  It is a page worth watching. CLICK HERE.  Photo Credit: Eric Janssen, on his Facebook page.   Eric also publishes under his own name in addition to I Love My Schipperkes.

Once In David's Royal City, King's College Cambridge

Choir and Congregation

World War II Stories; John McCreary

Imagine being tangled in barbed wire in enemy territory, taking your boots and clothes off to get out of the wire, and then being captured. This is a great interview with John Mc Creary, who passed away in 2009. You will wish you had met him after you listen to him.

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Muzzleloading Artillery!

It's all kinds of fun if nobody is shooting at you, and if you have time to swab before loading.  Get in a hurry, and the rammer will remove your hand when a spark ignites the powder you are ramming.


It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

The Christmas Song, Nat King Cole

Ruger's Auction To Benefit The Light Foundation


Ruger has a rare one this week; a distributor sample of the Mk II series Competition model.  This firearm was shipped to Lipsey's, and after inspection it was returned to Ruger, where it has resided in the vault.  This fine, rare pistol will sell mid-day, Wednesday, December 13, 2016.  100% of the proceeds of this sale will go to benefit the Light Foundation. Click To Read And To Bid.  $813.88

Monday, December 12, 2016

Still, Still, Still, The Piano Guys

Tuesday Torque: Big Changes In The 1940's

The changeover to rubber tires was a huge topic in farm magazines 70 years ago.  Look at old magazines in flea markets and estate sales and  you will see that it was as big as the switch from steam to  gasoline.


Friday, December 9, 2016

Blue Christmas, Elvis Presley


That makes me think of this one:

Steam Engine Parts Stores: Building One The Hard Way!

Fifty years ago an old boy told me that steam shows wouldn't last because the engines were too expensive to maintain. He thought people would give up their old toys in the near future, way back in the 1960's. I am glad his pessimism has been proven wrong. These videos are from Herb Crosby, showing part of the work needed to preserve steam powered Lombard Log Haulers that were used in
the North Woods. Visit the Maine Forest and Logging Museum website HERE.

Thursday, December 8, 2016

It's Been A Great Fall

But it's all over now.  The weathermen are calling for So. Illinois to go down to 15° F tonight.  We have both stoves fired up, and extra wood is on the hearths so we don't have to step out in the night. Here are a few highlights from Autumn this year.




Christmas Time's A Comin', Bill Monroe

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, The Piano Guys

Ruger's Auction To Benefit The Light Foundation


Ruger is offering another 25th Anniversary .44 Magnum Carbine this week, and if you want one you might as well bid.  They don't seem to get any cheaper.  As I post this on Tuesday night the bid is up above $1500, but it is for a good cause.  Click Here to read all about it and to place that winning bid.  This fine little rifle will sell mid-day, Wednesday, December 7, 2016.  $1650

Frosty The Snowman, Jimmy Durante

Monday, December 5, 2016

Jingle Bell Rock, Bobby Helms

Tuesday Torque: Steamboat Arabia Artifact

I've been fascinated by steamboats since I was a little kid, but there aren't very many around to study.  There have been a few dug up by adventurers who did research and then went looking. Digging up a steamboat wreck is a tough job, because even though the boat may be under farm land now, it is still in the river valley, and the river also flows through the alluvium.  Digging out a boat is a real engineering feat, and you must have good pumps  to keep the hole dry, because the river will fill it right up from the bottom.

The Arabia is an exhibit  in Kansas City, and it is a must-see museum if you are in the vicinity.  Here is a necessary little steam engine from the boat that is little known today.  Boilers need to be fed, and water must be pumped from the hull to keep the boat afloat.  It looks like this engine performed both tasks.  It is a real piece of history.  Video by our friend Gary Bahre.


Friday, December 2, 2016

Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree, Brenda Lee

Weekend Steam: A Whole Lotta Iron!


It's hard to believe that big engines like this are still being found and saved. These videos are from '09 and 10, so I will have to look for more information and see if the engines have been reassembled.

Thursday, December 1, 2016

There's No Place Like Home For The Holidays, Perry Como

Visiting Old Places

Most of my time during the last year was spent looking at tree plantings done over the last 25 years and writing new plans for them.  I haven't been back to many of these fields since I checked them after planting, and it is satisfying seeing a good looking young timber replacing a farm field that doesn't fit today's agriculture.


These pines and oaks are a project that repaired a worn out, eroded field in Wayne County, Illinois.  The fellow that planted these trees also planted a couple fields on his parent's farm, a few miles away.  I wrote up over a hundred projects like these over the last year, and more are showing up to do every week. I don't know how many trees I have helped people put in the ground, but one file drawer is nearly full of tree orders  from the last 28 years.


Getting back to this project; the man who planted these trees never got to enjoy them, and he comes to mind every time I go near this project.  He died in a house fire shortly after he planted them and that has always weighed on my mind.  He was just an average country boy who grew up on a farm and held down a job in addition to farming a bit. I called on his mother a few years back, and she was dressed up as if she was going to church.  She had fallen and actually broken a leg the night before.  She showered and dressed up, and she had me get her car out so she could drive herself to the hospital.  She wouldn't hear of me giving her a ride; she said she wasn't hurt that bad.  People's Good.

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

What Child Is This? Lindsey Stirling

I've Seen The Big Guy Three Times; Still No Pictures


Hello


Good-Bye


Not The Big Guy

That's the way it goes.  I saw the big one at this spot a month ago, and twice since then.  When all the deer move one way, he goes the other. He is smart and obviously does not want any close calls.  Firearm season starts again Thursday morning, and then we will have Muzzleloading Season.  After that he is home free.  I still hope to get a picture of him. 

You Can't Reason With People Who Believe This Crap

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Ruger's Auction To Benefit The Light Foundation


This week we have a good deal that would make a great Christmas present for anyone who loves to shoot.  This is a Ruger P85 Stainless Decocker in 9mm, made in 1990; and it is new-in-box.  These pistols do not bring the inflated collector prices that many of the Rugers bring, so be sure to Click Here and read all about it.  100% of the proceeds of this auction will go to benefit the Light Foundation, and the hammer will fall mid-day, November 30, 2016.  $615

Carol Of The Bells, Mannheim Steamroller

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Thanksgiving Highlights


We hope that all of our visitors have had a happy and blessed Thanksgiving Day.  Pattie, Susan, and David.

The Schipperke Got Second

We missed this on TV, but we are catching up on YouTube.  The Schip ought to win every time by our way of thinking, but they usually do not.  Oh Well.


Where Ya Gonna Go?



"Didn't do no wrong. He just shot a cop." "Ooh, poor white people!"



We saw a video clip from St. Louis where one of the shooter's friends spoke to the news crew. He said he shooter had been depressed. Does that make it all better?

Firearms Are Being Stolen During Shipment By Rail...

...in Chicago, of all places. And BATFE doesn't want to talk about it.  Report Here. 

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Ruger's Auction To Benefit The Light Foundation


Well, go figure.  Ruger is offering a Convertible Blackhawk in 9mm/.357 Magnum this week, and it is a run-of-the-mill revolver from 1977.  The purchaser back then returned it to the factory for unknown reasons and the gun appears to be in good working condition, with the addition of a U to the serial number to show it is a used gun.  The bidding is above $1000 as we post this, and the suggested retail on a new one in Ruger's catalog is $749.  You could probably buy a new one for around $600, not that I'm telling you how to spend your money.  People are generous and they are running the money up for a good cause.  If you feel like hopping on this bandwagon, CLICK HERE to read all about it and to place your bid.  I am staying out of this one, but I do marvel at the bidding.  People's Good!  This fine single-action Ruger will sell mid-day, November 23, 2016. $1141.51

Monday, November 21, 2016

Tuesday Torque: 1867 Otto-Langen at Coolspring

I do not understand what little I know about this engine.  Flame ignition is mostly a mystery to me, and the workings between the piston and the crankshaft also appear to be a mystery, or magic.


Friday, November 18, 2016

Weekend Steam: Let's Revisit The Old Steam Powered Machine Shop!

Merle wrote and reminded me of this series, which we looked at for a few weeks earlier this year.  This is fascinating stuff, and I think any machinery buff will enjoy this segment.  Be sure to watch to the end because you will see a couple of nice steam engines pulling a sawmill.


Thursday, November 17, 2016

Car Dealership Crime Epidemic, From Colin Flaherty

Busy Fall Weekends

The weather has been perfect for working outdoors this fall and our main safety concern is being careful with fire because of wildfire danger.  We have had only two frosts, and the first freeze may hit us during the upcoming weekend.  Pretty good for being over halfway through November. Tonight we still have tree crickets talking to us in the woods.



About that dogwood used as background for the cricket. Many years ago a neighbor lady asked me to get a couple of dogwood trees for her. I am the Tree Guy, aren't I?  I'm not in the business, but she was a nice lady, so I dug a couple of nice young saplings in our woods and brought them to the house. I called her and told her to have her son-in-law come and get them, and to plant them for her. She responded that she wanted me to plant them for her. Mind you, her son-in-law lived right next to her, and she evidently had some problem with asking him to plant them. I told her that getting the dogwoods was on her, and if she didn't get them, I would plant them in our yard. She didn't, and I did. So those trees are named after her.

We have torn out the raised beds in the garden, and tilled up the entire area for a regular, old fashioned garden next year. It was much easier to do the larger area with the tractor than to tear up the raised beds and clean up between them.  We also have the wildflower beds sprayed, mowed, and tilled in preparation for seeding in the early spring.


Firewood is a year-round activity, but we do more of it in the fall and winter. We have been bringing wood to the house from the barn, and putting new wood in the barn to dry. That will be going on nearly every weekend until spring.


The first firearm deer season is this weekend, but I won't be hunting.  My primary activity will be watching for trespassers who think that I keep all the deer on this place.

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Complex Dog Mind

We don't give dogs enough credit for their smarts.  Junior regularly communicates wordlessly with me, and Jack has done that, too, since he picked us out in 2008.


Telepathic Jack


Anyway, Jack and I have a routine.  I come home at night and feed him his dog food before I feed the cats, and then I go out and toss a glucosamine dog biscuit and a couple of other treats in his doghouse for him.  I was late getting home the other day, so Susan fed him his kibbles before I got home, but not his treats.  I came home and took care of my cats, then I broke his biscuit in two, grabbed a couple of his treats, and also some kibble.  I went out on the porch and put it all in his food bowl.

Jack came over to his bowl, picked up one of the biscuit halves and stopped.  He stood there with his mouth over his bowl, drooling with his biscuit in his mouth, thinking.  He laid the biscuit down next to his bowl, ate his kibbles, then his treats, and finally his biscuit.  Who knew that a dog could think about the order of eating his food, and saving the favorite piece for last?  He never ceases to amaze me.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Ruger's Auction To Benefit The Light Foundation



Boy oh Boy do the collectors want the Ruger .44 Magnum Carbines!  As I post this the bids are up over $2000, and this little rifle will probably remain a safe queen.  Oh well, it's still fun to go take a look, dream, and maybe place a bid.  This rifle was built in 1970, and it has a few minor dings on the stock.  It wears a receiver sight, and is drilled and tapped so you can mount a scope on top of the receiver.  It sells mid-day, November 16, 2016.  100% of the proceeds of this sale will go to benefit the Light Foundation. $2050

Shopping For Antlers?

One of the cameras fried itself, one was stolen last week, but the third one grabbed a few video shots of deer walking by.  The big buck hasn't been captured on a card yet, but I have seen him a few times.  He is magnificent, and I will not be disturbing his hideouts during deer season.


Sunday, November 13, 2016

No, Mr. Bond. I Expect You To Die!

This is from one of the greatest movie moments ever, in Goldfinger.  It came to mind last week when I was going under a laser to have an incision made in my left eye, rather than getting an old fashioned knife.  You don't even know when it happens.  Pretty neat.  Got a new lens in that eye, and I think it is seeing 20/15 again for the first time in years.  The other eye will be getting the same treatment soon.

This is much easier to watch than a video of Intraocular Lens Surgery, which you can find on YouTube if you do a search.  They do the incision, jackhammer up your lens, suck it out, and insert the new lens.  It is all done very quickly, but you will only need to see it once.


Had Enough Pumpkin?



Back To The Old Grind!

Chicago Police Say "Divisive Speech Is Not Acceptable"

You have probably seen the video of the fellow being beaten at an intersection in Chicago.  Here is the report, with the news video that tells more of the story.  He should have stayed in his car, but he did not know he was about to be attacked.  Be aware, think ahead.  ABC 7, WLS, Chicago.

Here is another recent video from Colin Flaherty.  You may not like his message, but you might live longer if you listen to him and make the appropriate changes in your life.


Saturday, November 12, 2016

One Of The Wars Going On In This Country

Colin Flaherty posts daily, and he is worth watching.  Pay attention to the news and you will see it, even if the news-hacks try to sugar coat it. The lady in this news report seems to have learned nothing. Don't be like her; it will get you killed.


Levels Of Intoxication, by Ralfy

Tipsy on two or three or four or FIVE?  Ralfy is stronger than I am.  What would make him only tipsy would have me s**t-faced, I think.  I take plenty of spills when I am out walking, but the forest is usually a soft place to fall.  Falling down sober is embarrassing enough.  His Green Zone and Red Zone don't quite agree with mine, and I need to be able to hop in the car and go at a minute's notice.


Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Got The Game Cams Out

We have been looking at the deer and now we are getting some photos of them.  I have been watching a mama and her two babies for some time, and we have a good trophy buck that I have seen on a couple occasions.  I don't have a picture of him yet, but here are some from the first week of having the cameras out.


This fella is a respectable deer and he has antlers that would entice many hunters.


Nice size.  He has been tearing up some trees and making some good scrapes and rubs.



We have a big family of mothers and babies with no antlers.


This guy needs to go another year or two.  There are a lot of hunters who would take this deer even though he has not reached maturity.


This deer is kind of like a dumb teenager.  I hope no-one wastes an antler tag on him.  He has some growing up to do.

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Ruger's Auction To Benefit The Light Foundation


No bargains this week, but Ruger's offering is sure interesting, and it is drawing in the bidders.  This is a Mk II pistol that was part of the run of the final 1000 Mk II pistols.  This one also says Final Production, which makes it even more desirable to collectors.  Click Here to read all about it and to place your bid.  This rare Ruger will sell mid-day, November 9, 2016.  100% of the proceeds of this sale will go to the Light Foundation.  $2005!

Tuesday Torque: The Thrill Of Collecting A Barn Fresh Find

I don't know what country this video is from, but we don't need to know that, or understand the language to see what is going on here, and what it means to everyone.


Monday, November 7, 2016

Tuesday Torque: Model T Tractor Kit

You are liable to see Model T tractors if you hang out at engine shows.  There were kits that used complete cars so you could swap back to your car for trips to town, and ones like this that made  the changes permanent.  I think they would be boiling over regularly, and the rods probably got to rattlling, too. Plowing with one bottom looks like a slow job.


Sunday, November 6, 2016

Don't Be Too Caught Up In Your Work!



Back To The Old Grind!

Crankin' It Up: My Buddy, From 1922

We pulled a new one out of the cabinet, and it's a good one for Veterans' Day.  My Buddy is a sentimental song that was popular with with WWI vets during the 1920's, and fifty years later it was featured in All In The Family when Archie Bunker sang it.  The men who fought in World War II heard this song during the years they were growing up, so it became an important sentimental song for them, too.  This record is a violin solo, and it's a good one.


Friday, November 4, 2016

Weekend Steam: Ingenious, Beautiful Miniatures

Merle sent the link to me for this video.  These are cute little engines, and could be built by just about anyone who wants a small model engine for entertainment.

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Susan's Birthday


We celebrated another birthday recently, mostly by working outdoors in the unusually pleasant fall weather that just won't quit.  I was looking at some old snapshots and ran across this one that I had not seen before.


Susan, on another birthday, down on the Hinkson in her first year at Mizzou.  We would meet about a year after this photo.  I wonder the same thing her mother does; what the heck did she ever see in me?

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Natural Points Of Aim Matter


I was a little sloppy when I shot the Postal target with pistols and I shot a four and a three.  That's not bad, but I was muscling in the sights and I should have used Natural Point Of Aim to at least center up the windage for each nut before I squeezed off.  I wobble enough it might not have mattered, but it matters more when you move out to 25 yards and shoot with a rifle.  I lined up on the top left nut, squeezed off; and missed high and left.  I was shooting with my elbows on the bench and using a hasty sling for steadiness, but when you break that trigger the rifle will drift toward your natural point of aim before the bullet leaves the barrel.  If that spot is somewhere other than your intended target, you will miss.  I adjusted my position for the remaining nine nuts, breathed, paused and shot, and made all of them.

These nuts are just a little bigger than a 1 inch circle, so at 25 yards you just need the ability to shoot into 4 minutes of angle to make a respectable score.  With a pistol at 25 feet you need to be able to hold your shots inside of 12 minutes of angle.  These numbers have been my guide behind putting these targets together.  If you make the required minutes less than those you make the target more about luck than good shooting technique.  You should utilize NPOA for pistols, too.  Adjust your stance so your windage is dead on the center, and then adjust your grip and holding method so your elevation wants to center vertically.  I use a close-in hold with my left forearm on my chest when I am shooting .22 pistols, and it keeps me closer to the center of the target than shooting with my arms extended.  I do the same thing when I shoot a rifle offhand, and also use the sling to tighten up my hold.

I enjoy watching Hickok shoot his gong at 80 yards, and he can hit it with just about any pistol he tries.  Do the math.  It is a 24" gong at 80 yards; that is 30 minutes of angle.  At 25 feet where we have been shooting our e-Postal targets, that is equivalent to a 2.5" circle. You all have been hitting 1" circles at that distance with your pistols, so you could do the same as Hickok with ease after you learn your holdover for the relatively slow pistol bullets.

You can go to the Label section of this blog, bring up the e-Postal matches, download the targets still out there on the Internet, (All of mine are there.) and relive all the good times we had here shooting against each other.  Make up your own rules for shooting them and keep up your shooting skills.

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Ruger's Auction To Benefit The Light Foundation


Ruger is offering a rare one this week.  It is a P89 Manual Safety Convertible.  This pistol has the .30 Luger barrel installed, and a 9mm barrel is included.  This model was made for only one year.  CLICK HERE to read the entire description and to place your bid.  This rare firearm will sell mid-day, Wednesday, November 2, 2016.  100% of the proceeds of this auction will go to benefit the Light Foundation.  $1525

Olney FFA Forestry Team Takes Third Place!


The Olney FFA Forestry Team took first place out our local meet in September, held at Sam Dale Lake State Park.  They went to the State Contest at SIU in Carbondale and took first place there, too.


That win sent them to the National Contest at Indianapolis where 39 top teams from all over the country competed.  Olney won third place there, which is pretty darn impressive.  They also won first place in a team activity event.  It looks like each contestant won a neat little hatchet as a reward for their hard work.  I bet they will treasure those the rest of their lives.  Congratulations to these excellent students, and to their FFA teacher, Jamie VanDyke.