True Blue Sam the Travelin' Man

Weekend Steam

2012-01-28T00:01:00.003-06:00

CutterMedia posted this work of art. Their writeup: "This is a accurate 1/16 scale operating model of the engine which powered the Civil War Ironclad USS Monitor. It was invented and built by John Ericsson in 1861and was extremely compact for it's 300 horsepower at that time. Only one engine was ever built exactly as displayed, and it was retrieved from the ocean floor by the US Navy in 2001, and resides in the Mariners Museum ,Newport News VA, for conservation work. The model required over 3000 hours to build and all pieces including fittings and fasteners were
made from scratch ."

Crankin' It Up

2012-01-27T01:17:00.000-06:00

Tonight, a recycled old record. We came home late, and don't have time to wind up the old Brunswick. George O'Connor was a great performer before micophones, and "I Ain't Got Nobody" is a classic that is still performed by musicians today.

Recent Products From Ruger

2012-01-26T00:01:00.001-06:00

Ruger's SR22 Pistol

Ruger keeps on introducing new models, and their catalog has guns for just about every need. Last year they came out with a ten shot version of their Single-Six, an eight shot .22 caliber SP101 , a five shot .357 SP101 (both with fully adjustable sights), and their polymer frame LCR in .22 Long Rifle. You have to check their website on a regular basis to keep up with all the new products. One of their latest introductions is the SR22 Pistol, which I first saw reviewed by Jeff Quinn on Gunlblast.com. There are people commenting online about this new pistol being awfully similar to the Walther P22, but if you read Jeff's review, you will see that it has some important differences from the P22. Walther's little .22 has a reputation for being finicky about the ammo you feed it, and my experience is in line with that. The P22 does run well on high quality, plated ammo, but the review on Gunblast showed that Ruger's SR22 will run well on most ammo you put in it. The Walther has a slide that is made of a zinc alloy, and the word on the Internet is that it is subject to failure. If you are using it as a defensive pistol that is a problem. The new Ruger's slide is made from aluminum alloy, and I expect that durability will not be an issue. The SR22 has a hammer drop safety, so it can be safely decocked. The Walther's hammer must be thumbed down, which can lead to unintentional discharges.

Hickok45 just posted his own review of the SR22 Pistol, and he also found that it runs well on many brands of ammo. This gun looks like it can fill both recreational and defensive roles. If you are in the market for a .22 pistol, give these reviews a look.

The Birthday of Burns

2012-01-25T00:01:00.002-06:00

Scotch Drink

Gie him strong drink, until he wink,
That's sinking in despair;
An' liquor guid to fire his bluid,
That's pressed with grief an' care:
There let him bouse, an' deep carouse,
Wi bumpers flowing o'er.
Till he forgets his loves or debts,
An' minds his griefs no more.
Solomon's Proverbs, XXXI 6,7

John Barleycorn, A Ballad

There was three Kings into the east,
Three Kings both great and high,
And they hae sworn a solemn oath
John Barleycorn should die.

They took a plough and plough'd him down,
Put clods upon his head,
And they hae sworn a solemn oath
John Barleycorn was dead.

But the cheerful spring came kindly on,
And show'rs began to fall;
John Barleycorn got up again,
And sore surpris'd them all.

The sultry suns of summer came,
And he grew thick and strong,
His head weel arm'd wi'pointed spears,
That no one should him wrong.

The sober Autumn enter'd mild,
When he grew wan and pale;
His bending joints and drooping head
Show'd he began to fail.

His colour sicken'd more and more,
He faded into age;
And then his enemies began
To shew their deadly rage.

They've ta'en a weapon, long and sharp,
And cut him by the knee;
Then tied him fast upon a cart,
Like a rogue for forgerie.

They laid him down upon his back,
And cudgell'd him full sore;
They hung him up before the storm,
And turn'd him o'er and o'er.

They filled up a darksome pit
With water to the brim,
They heaved in John Barleycorn,
There let him sink or swim.

They laid him out upon the floor,
To work him farther woe,
And still , as signs of life appear'd,
They toss'd him to and fro.

They wasted, o'er a scorching flame,
The marrow of his bones;
But a miller us'd him worst of all,
For he crush'd him betwen two stones.

And they hae ta'en his very heart's blood,
And drank it round and round;
And still the more and more they drank,
Their joy did more abound.

John Barleycorn was a hero bold,
Of noble enterprise,
For if you do but taste his blood,
'Twill make your courage rise;

'Twill make a man forget his woe;
'Twill heighten all his joy:
'Twill make the widow's heart to sing,
Tho' the tear were in her eye.

Then let us toast John Barleycorn
Each man a glass in hand;
And may his great posterity
Ne'er fail in old Scotland!

Rest In Peace, Ken

2012-01-24T21:30:00.000-06:00

Ken Powers of East Point, Kentucky died at his home January 23, 2012 after a long struggle with Parkinson's Disease. Ken was one of of my roommates at Mizzou, and worked in eastern Kentucky for the Kentucky Division of Forestry, and later in mine reclamation. Ken was a farm boy from Chanute, Kansas, who really loved the outdoors and working with timber.

Ken was a pretty sharp guy, and you couldn't get anything past him. One of our other roommates and I cooked up a batch of chili for supper. We didn't have any hamburger, but we did load it up good with mushrooms and beans. When Ken came in he went straight to the stove, lifted the lid on the Dutch oven and loudly proclaimed "Where's the meat?!"

Ken is the third guy from the left in this photo of our crew on the Continental Divide. This was the Barker Creek Fire near Anaconda, Montana in 1979.

Ken adds a little water as we cool down the fire line just below the timberline.

Ken is survived by his wife, Misty, her daughter, and brothers in Kansas and Oklahoma.

Fire photo credit: Mike Skinner, KDF

Trimming Down

2012-01-24T00:01:00.001-06:00

The Mrs. and I have been accumulating things for many years, and the realization recently hit us that we can't get to all of our projects in our lifetime. Our friend Gary Bahre has been stopping by for several years to admire our engine accumulation, and he is a darn good old iron restorer. We called him recently to see if he needed more projects, and in a few days he showed up with a trailer, and his friend Jim Phillips, who also does fine restorations.

We got the business out of the way pretty quickly over a few cups of coffee, and then we got down to loading the trailer. Mrs. TBS was mighty surprised by my ability to find all of the parts that came with the big old brutes. Gary made it back to his shop before dark without any trouble along the road.

One of the engine parts, the ignitor trip rod for the IHC Titan, was still in Kentucky where we picked up that engine, and we had that shipped to us. We took it over to Gary's shop, which gave us the opportunity to see his collection, and some of his restoration work. This photo shows the ignitor points (bead-blasted) out of the Titan, and they show almost no wear at all. Evidently, the Titan didn't work very much in its youth. The piston, cylinder, and rings all show very little wear.

Gary recently completed restoring this 1906 IHC Famous; in fact, the tank hasn't even had gasoline in it. It has been run on ether, just to make sure it all works.

Back to the Titan; Gary has cleaned it up and inventoried all of its needs. He is having some missing parts cast in a foundry over in Missouri, so it will be a while before this engine is running. He located a replacement for the exhaust valve push rod, and a rebuilt magneto.

When the ignitor trip rod arrived, I thought it was bent, but left the kink in it for Gary to fix. When I told him about it, he said "It's not bent." and then he showed me how it fits on the engine.

Boy am I glad I left well enough alone. We will be checking in on our old treasures occasionally, and will keep you all posted on Gary's progress .

The Weather Has Been Perfect For...

2012-01-23T00:01:00.000-06:00

...catnapping.

Works For Chicken Feed

2012-01-22T18:30:00.001-06:00

Back To The Old Grind!

My Life, In Rags

2012-01-22T00:02:00.001-06:00

Scott Joplin's Ragtime Dance, performed by BachScholar.

It has been nearly forty years since the Mrs. and I met in college. Early in our dating, I had her over to the apartment I shared with four roommates. The first thing she heard from them was "Wait until you hear the kind of music he listens to!" They were referring to Joshua Rifkin's recordings of rags by Scott Joplin. That turned out to be a good thing since she liked them, too. All these years later we are still listening to that music, most recently as performed by the BachScholar on YouTube.

Not My Victrola

2012-01-22T00:01:00.000-06:00

Gene Austin, "She's Funny That Way", 1928.
Upload by BSGS98.

Weekend Steam

2012-01-21T00:01:00.001-06:00

This ad from the May 1924 issue of The American Thresherman magazine shows us a glimpse of an important and little remembered industry. On a related note, pulley advertisements are also scattered through these old magazines. All that horsepower produced by steam engines had to be moved to the machines they ran, and flat belts were the method. An interesting thing I have noticed is how horse-power sweeps used tumbling rods to run threshers and other machines. They are the equivalent of power take off shafts today, but they were not used on steam engines when they came into common use. I guess one reason belts were used for threshing was to lessen the fire hazard of a steam engine near a straw stack; but it is odd to think that horses spun power take off shafts long before they reappeared on gasoline powered tractors.

Crankin' It Up

2012-01-20T00:01:00.002-06:00

Bessie Smith recorded this song on April 11, 1923. She is a pretty big name in the music business to this day, so we will see if YouTube lets me keep this one up. It's old enough that it should be OK, but even pre-1920 Jolson records get pulled when I try it, so this will be a good test. I sure wish the original owner had invested in new needles a bit more often.

2" X 4" Kit

2012-01-19T00:01:00.001-06:00

Kentucky coffetree seedpods have been falling, and we picked some up for a fellow blogger who wants to add coffeetree to his new forest. The seeds are inside these thick-walled pods with a jelly surrounding them, much like honeylocust seedpods. The seeds need to be kept cool after they come out of the pods. Let them dry out, and the hard seed coat will shrink and split. We left jelly on most of the seeds, and sealed them in sandwich bags so they should be OK in the mail.

Tall timber, coming right up! These will be mailed to Stranded today, and he can figure on cutting lumber from them in about forty years.

Call Your Congress Critters...

2012-01-18T00:01:00.000-06:00

...and tell them NUTS! to internet censorship.

Made In...

2012-01-17T00:01:00.001-06:00

My friend Troy retired last year from his law enforcement job, and he has been keeping busy hunting, babysitting for his grandkids, and transporting veterans to the V.A. hospital at Marion, Illinois. He was wearing this hat the last time he stopped in to visit, and I took that opportunity to have him tell about the fight where he won his Silver Star.

He and a buddy jumped out of a helicopter so they could rescue two helicopter crewmen who had crashed and were surrounded by enemy. Troy landed successfully, but his buddy broke a leg when he hit the ground. So...Troy fought his way to the crashed helicopter, fought his way out while carrying one man, threw him into a helicopter, then did the same trip again for the second crewman. Then he had to rescue his buddy with the broken leg and throw him into a chopper. The chopper couldn't set down during these rescues, and Troy flew out of there hanging onto a helicopter skid with one leg and one arm. When he finished retelling all this for me, Troy handed me the hat and said, "Look at where this thing was made!"

Figures.

Stumbled Upon This The Other Day...

2012-01-16T00:01:00.000-06:00

This old Ford was a pleasant surprise the other day while I was looking at timber. This spot used to be a homesite, and once again, walnut trees were the giveaway as I got close. The only other clues at this spot were a couple of fence posts and an old rusty hog feeder.

I reached for my camera and realized that it was in my truck, but I did have my cell phone with me to take up the photographic slack. I gave the old truck a quick once-over, and it appears that one headlight rim, the grill, a few engine parts and the rear end might be of use to a restorer. Send an e-mail if you need a part off this truck and I will contact the owner for you.

In Need Of Renewal This Week?

2012-01-15T18:30:00.000-06:00

Back To The Old Grind! With A Brand New Grinder!

Click Here to see C. S. Bell's website, where you can shop for a mill to fit your needs!

Not My Victrola: Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gave To Me

2012-01-14T00:01:00.001-06:00

Ted Lewis really lets loose with his clarinet on this old masterpiece. Critics still make disparaging comments about the clarinet playing of Ted Lewis, but it always makes me smile. This record was posted by CylinderPhonograph.

Weekend Steam

2012-01-14T00:01:00.000-06:00

Click on the pic to enlarge; from the April 1922 American Thresherman and Farm Power magazine.

Crankin' It Up

2012-01-13T00:01:00.000-06:00

Ted Lewis lets a saxophone take the lead on this oldie. 2/25/1921

Long Ago And Far Away

2012-01-12T00:01:00.001-06:00

We were digging through some old photos recently and found this nice shot of Mrs. True Blue Sam, our Skips, Merky and Cracker, and an abandoned Pattin Brothers oilfield engine somewhere near Oil Springs, Kentucky. One of our Eastern Kentucky friends revisited this engine, and it had been buried during road maintenance. Oh Well, that makes the remaining engines more valuable, I guess.

UPDATE! ASM826 of Random Acts Of Patriotism took pity on my faded photograph, fixed it up and e-mailed it back. Looks just like 1978! Many thanks!

The video below is a Pattin Brothers engine we saw at Evansville a few years back.

Get Out The Sewing Machine!

2012-01-11T00:02:00.000-06:00

Mom still has the same sewing machine that I remember her using when I was just a little guy. She used to make clothes for us, and it has done innumerable repairs over the years. Dad even used it, making dozens of quilts with it after he retired. Mom's latest creation is an armchair caddy for keeping her remote controls handy for the television. It has hook-and-loop fastener sandwiched in the middle to keep it in place...

...and a pocket on the back where she can keep her home security system handy. The jeans were from the local Goodwill store, and the legs are used for making gun rugs.

Dave Spaulding Is Back For Another SR1911 Training Session!

2012-01-11T00:01:00.000-06:00

Ruger's notes: "Dave Spaulding is back again, this time with the Ruger SR1911™, to show some basic training tips designed to enhance your skills with the Ruger SR1911. In this episode Dave explains how the superior ergonomics of the 1911 evolved and how to use them to the shooters advantage."

Help Find Sharon Hopf

2012-01-10T20:57:00.001-06:00

From KCRG-TV9 and KMOV.com

Sharon Hopf of Crawfordsville, Iowa disappeared January 5 after she left home to go to work in her store at Kalona, Iowa. Her last known location was at the junction of Highways 92 and 218, where her credit card was used to buy gas. Her car was found abandoned near Wright City, Missouri. Watch the video, and CLICK OVER to KCRG's website to read about this case. Be alert, and if you have any information call the Washington County Sheriff's office in Iowa at 319-653-2107 or the Warren County Missouri Sheriff's office at 636-456-7088.

See Iowa's Missing Person report HERE.

Our Plumber Is A Nice Man

2012-01-10T00:01:00.000-06:00

We had some plumbing issues come up that we couldn't handle ourselves, and had to have a plumber come in to do the heavy lifting for us. This outfit came highly recommended, and they knocked out the work quickly and neatly. The Mrs. took some photos while they worked so I could see what they had to do.

I had to ask what this fellow was doing down at the pond. While they were digging out the problems in the back yard, one of the guys spotted a hibernating frog in the mud. Work stopped for a minute so they could rescue the little critter and move it to the pond. Nice guys! I hope the bookkeeper is this nice when the bill is added up.

Gas Engine Show Prep

2012-01-09T00:01:00.001-06:00

Photo Credit: Jim Phillips

Before you load up that Minneapolis to go to a show it will need 14 gallons of:

A. Fuel

B. Motor Oil

C. Coolant

D. Paint

Answer in comments.

Work Three Times As Hard This Week!

2012-01-08T18:30:00.000-06:00

Back To The Old Grind!

(This mill has three sets of burrs, and was used to produce corn meal.)

My Life, In Rags

2012-01-08T00:01:00.004-06:00

The Great Crush Collision March, by Scott Joplin.

From The writeup on YouTube: CORY HALL (b. 1963) is a retired concert artist, college professor, and church organist who currently devotes his time to making YouTube videos and composing. He wishes to inspire and offer advice to aspiring pianists and musicians worldwide via videos with his thought-provoking performances and tutorials. An independent scholar as well as performer, Hall holds graduate degrees in piano and historical musicology from The Eastman School of Music and The University of Kansas. BachScholar™ website: http://www.bachscholar.com.

Weekend Steam

2012-01-07T00:01:00.000-06:00

The March 1922 American Thresherman magazine provided this pleasant threshing scene.

Crankin' It Up

2012-01-06T00:01:00.000-06:00

Ted Lewis recorded this little fox trot on Feb 15, 1921.

Basic Falling Cuts Review

2012-01-05T00:01:00.000-06:00

Winter is a great time to be in the woods, and lots of people are out working up firewood during the weekends now. It's a good time to review the basic cuts you need to drop a tree where you want it. This tree is a black oak snag, with very little top left, and pretty well balanced. We made a high stump because there was some rot down low, and I wanted to work in solid wood. The stump height is more important on sawlogs, where a tall stump represents dollars left behind in the woods. I like to cut stumps off as close to the ground as possible when I work up a tree, so the tractor and cart can roll over them with no problem.

Have You Been Watching The Moonshiners?

2012-01-04T00:01:00.002-06:00

We've been enjoying the show about moonshining on the Discovery Channel, and we have fun spotting bogosity in the well produced depiction of the way moonshiners might work. One of the sad truths about real moonshining is that much of it is made primarily with sugar. The corn in the mix does little more than provide a little flavor, and that type of whiskey isn't what moonshining used to be. Not so many year ago, moonshiners would soak their corn, let it sprout, dry it, then take the malted corn to a mill and have it cracked before they mixed their mash. The enzymes produced in the sprouted corn converted the corn starch to sugar, and that produced the alcohol, instead of cane sugar in poorly crafted illegal whiskey. I bought this burr mill many years ago from the miller who ran it near Martin, Kentucky, and I asked him whether his mill had ground malted corn; and YES it did! (The red Sears engine in the background ran this mill.)

Just about every major creek in Appalachia had a place to have corn ground, so folks could have their daily bread. Most folks didn't have much money, so the miller would take a toll, typically about 1/10 of the corn to pay for milling. Malted corn couldn't be sold to corn-less customers, so millers simply remembered how much was ground for moonshining, and took the toll later, of unmalted corn from the same customer. This engine was on a remote creek in Pike County, and it's mill, barely visible in the background of the last photo, undoubtedly ground malted corn, too.

D.T. Bohon is a pretty rare label on gas engines, and we tried to purchase this engine on several occasions.

We drove up to look at it one day, and it was gone. I hope it went to a collector, and not a scrapper.

Sure Beats A Monster Maul

2012-01-03T00:01:00.000-06:00

Dave Spaulding Shows Us How To Grip Your Pistol Effectively

2012-01-02T00:01:00.001-06:00

"Dave Spaulding is back again, this time with the Ruger SR1911™, to show some basic training tips designed to enhance your skills with the Ruger SR1911. In this episode Dave discusses where to position your hands to best take advantage of the classic 1911 ergonomics." Courtesy of RugerFirearms.

A New Year Of Mondays

2012-01-01T18:30:00.005-06:00

Back To The Old Grind!

Not My Victrola

2012-01-01T00:01:00.000-06:00

Uploaded by bsgs98 on Dec 5, 2011

Unfortunate Blues
Words and music by Henry Winston and Fred Ham
Ted Lewis and His Band
Recorded Dec. 4, 1923, Chicago
Columbia 48-D

Personnel:
Walter Kahn, Dave Klein - cornets
Harry Raderman - trombone
Ted Lewis - clarinet, director
Dick Reynolds - piano
Harry Barth - tuba
John Lucas - drums

Ted Lewis was born June 6, 1892 in Circleville Ohio. With his brother Edgar, he played in a local boys' band. Ted organized his own band in 1910. In 1916 he went to New York, worked at the College Arms Cabaret before joining Earl Fuller's Band. During this time he also toured in vaudeville. In 1917 he formed his first professional band. In the mid 1920s he had his own night club and appeared there often. His career spanned more than 60 years. He worked mostly as a band leader, featured on clarinet and vocals, sang in a lazy, half-talking style that earned the title "The High-Hat Tragedian of Song." His famed trademark was the battered top hat and catch-phrase "Is Everybody happy?" During his career he employed many famous jazz musicians including: Harry Raderman, George Brunis, Don Murray, Muggsie Spanier, and Jimmy Dorsey. His recordings in the 1930s often featured outstanding personnel such as Benny Goodman and Fats Waller. In the 1930s and 1940s, he led larger sweet-styled bands, and toured with his own show in the 1950s. His last major engagement was at New York's Latin Quarter in 1965. He appeared on TV several times in his later years. Ted died in New York on August 25, 1971.

63 Years Ago This Evening...

2011-12-31T20:48:00.000-06:00

My parents, Bea and Dwain tied the knot. One year later my sister was born, and it's hard to believe that she is 62 now.

Dad's last visit to the farm was in 2003. He and Mom helped us perform some repairs on the back side of the barn.

Dad thought it was pretty funny the way I was always cranking up a chainsaw to do carpenter repairs, and he did get me converted to using a Skilsaw for some tasks.

We sent a 6" tall swamp white oak seedling that had popped up under one of our trees. He planted it, and this photo shows how it looked in September, 2010. Cancer took him in '05. I found out that he had never seen True Grit with John Wayne the night before he died, and I had just left the store where I bought the DVD for him when I got the call that he had passed. Mom's doing a good job of hanging in there and living an active life, in spite of the trials of being 80 years old. New Year's Eve is a great day to get married; everyone who knows you can remember your anniversary. At least it worked for me.

Weekend Steam

2011-12-31T00:01:00.000-06:00

Here is an interesting photo and letter from the June 1921 Issue of The American Thresherman And Farm Power magazine. This Buffalo-Pitts engine was hit by a tornado, and you can see the cylinder from the demolished threshing machine on the left side of the photo. Click the photos to enlarge them so you can read the letter.

Crankin' It Up

2011-12-30T00:01:00.000-06:00

Comedienne Margaret Young recorded this mildly amusing number in November 1922. Brunswick disc 2371-A

Before You Crank That New Saw...

2011-12-29T00:01:00.000-06:00

...check it over from end to end. We were in a Rural King store today and stopped to look at the chainsaw selection. One of the saws had the chain installed backwards, and this is not unusual for saws assembled by store personnel.

Gun Blogger Rendezvous VII Dates Announced!

2011-12-28T00:01:00.005-06:00

Packing Rat at GBR VI

Mr. Completely has announced that the next Gun Blogger Rendezvous will be September 5 - 8 in Reno, Nevada. Click Here to go to his post on the Rendezvous website. The Rendezvous is a great event that raises money for Project Valour-IT, and it is just about the most fun you will ever have. Click over to read all about it, and mark those dates on your 2012 calendar.

Here's What's Up

2011-12-27T00:01:00.000-06:00

The Mrs. stayed busy this fall laying out and painting a bear claw (with star) barn quilt. She finished it last week, and we mounted it on a frame Christmas Eve.

Lifting into position was easy. We clamped a hand winch on the end of the hay rail, loosened the top two siding boards, and ran the winch line down. We cranked up the quilt, drilled the first hole for a mounting bolt, stuck the first bolt, and then clicked the winch up a bit to level the wife's masterpiece. Lots of ladder moving and climbing up and down was necessary to drill the rest of the mounting holes, but we soon had all the bolts stuck.

We finished up after dark, as usual.

IT'S BEAUTIFUL!

2011-12-26T00:18:00.002-06:00

What is it?

It Ain't Easy After Christmas!

2011-12-25T18:30:00.003-06:00

Back To The Old Grind!

Weekend Steam

2011-12-24T00:01:00.006-06:00

Ghosts of Christmas Past. From Cletrac.

Heh...electric steam engines.

Crankin' It Up

2011-12-23T00:01:00.000-06:00

Tucker's Corner

2011-12-22T00:01:00.002-06:00

Here's Johny Tucker behind his little store at Tucker's Corner, several miles west of Dale, Illinois in the late 50's or early 60's. Tucker's Corner was a common stop for oil field workers in southern Hamilton County for about forty years. Mr. Tucker sold gas, had an air compressor out front, and made a lot of baloney sandwiches for roughnecks and well servicing crews. You got good value with your lunch at Tucker's Corner; Johny was a whistling virtuoso, and a fiddler, and if you weren't in a hurry to hit the road, a floor show came with lunch.

(The little shed holds fire fighting tools.)

It's That Time Of Year Again

2011-12-20T00:01:00.000-06:00

No ticks in December! Winter is the best time to spend a day in the woods. No sweat, not chiggers, no skeeters, and we love the smell of chainsaw exhaust in the morning.

Third Time's The Charm!

2011-12-19T00:01:00.001-06:00

Everyone who has ever mechanicked on an old engine will understand the frustration that these fellows feel as they try to start this Oil Pull. The first video is understandable; the spark plug wires are reversed, so the sparkplugs are firing almost at the end of the exhaust stroke, sending a burning charge of kerosene up the stack. The wires are on the right cylinders in the second video, but the engine is still banging irregularly, and not running right. I have seen a graphite track in magnetos cause out-of-sequence firing, and that may be what is going on here. It seems to happen on freshly dressed mags, I think with fresh graphite followers.

"Belt Cranking a Rumely Oil Pull after new valves where installed. What we don't know is that the spark plug wires where reversed, causing one cylinder to fire on the exhaust stroke. This caused Some serious backfires. Pioneer Acres Museum, Irricana, Alberta"

"Another attempt to breath life into the oil pull. The mag was still giving us trouble. The valves where also brand new and unseated, so the tappet adjustment still needed some fine tuning. Pioneer Acres Museum, Irricana, Alberta."

"The electrical gremlin has finally been defeated and the old Rumely kicks to life again."

Another Monday All Over Again

2011-12-18T18:30:00.001-06:00

Back To The Old Grind!

Not My Victrola

2011-12-18T00:01:00.002-06:00

Let's make that a double!

Weekend Steam

2011-12-17T07:52:00.000-06:00

This closet-fresh toy steamer probably made some kid happy on a long-gone Christmas morning. It is surprising and gratifying that toys like this are still available in the Computer-Age. Don't tell the regulators that a kid might burn a finger. Here's a re-play of a video produced by Mamod, which shows how these little gems are assembled.

Crankin' It Up

2011-12-16T00:01:00.001-06:00

Get Your Kitty On!

2011-12-15T00:01:00.001-06:00

Mom's new Kalashnakitty shirt showed up, and we had a little modeling session in hopes of making Mom a calendar girl. We sent this photo to Kevin, and he wrote back that the magazines should have been loaded. Oh Well, that's life. Send your photos to Kevin: thesmallestminority(at)gmail(dot)com, and maybe you can be a star!

Like I Said, They Show Up

2011-12-14T00:01:00.000-06:00

We're still working on the taming of Rambler, and another one has appeared; Tinkerbelle, who tamed down in just a couple weeks. Tink was dumped out down the road a little over a month ago, and we hadn't seen her for two or three weeks when she moved into the barn. Smart cat, coming in out of the coyotes at night. She's confined now, and will soon be going on a trip to see the doctor.

Look Quick...

2011-12-13T00:01:00.000-06:00

...as True Blue Sam goes down in flames against Caleb Giddings at the Cowboy Fast Draw event, at GBR VI.
As luck would have it, I was paired against Caleb in my first time up at the fast draw event. I knew that I didn't have a chance of winning, but at least I didn't embarrass myself, and it took Caleb all five draws to win the set. My best time was .737, and I had a nice little group centered just above the light in the middle of the target. Caleb went on to win the contest, but there were some better contenders than me who really gave him a run for his money.

Congratulations on a great showing, Caleb, and I hope you can make it to Reno next September!

Pistol Carbine e-Postal Match Results!

2011-12-12T21:55:00.001-06:00

Well, they're all in, for what it's worth. Danno and Billll, plus the family of True Blue Sam made a total of five entries, but it was fun for us, and that's the way things go sometimes. I did note looking at Danno's, and my targets that the Hi-Point trigger makes holding on your elevation difficult. Holding the windage as you stroke the trigger seems a bit easier, at least from this set of targets. It's pretty easy to keep all your shots in these bullseyes if you take an improvised rest.

I am especially proud of the Mrs. for shooting with us. Her eyes really aren't up to shooting iron sights, but she put on her ears and had at it anyway. I think she did just fine.

Here's how we did:

Class 1; Iron and Non-Magnifying Optical Sights:

Danno, of Sand Castle Scrolls, Hi-Point 995, 9mm: 46
True Blue Sam, Hi-Point .45 ACP: 38
Engineering Johnson, Hi-Point .45 ACP: 31
Mrs. True Blue Sam, Hi-Point .45 ACP: 24

Class 2; Magnifying Optical Sights:

Billll, Hi-Point .40 S&W: 52

Finally! New Videos From Ruger About The SR-1911!

2011-12-12T00:01:00.003-06:00

Ruger has been bringing out new products on a regular basis, and it's been tough watching all the new goodies, and not spending money like a drunken sailor. One gun that is sharing the top of my Must-Have list is the SR-1911, and Dave Spaulding is going to be showing this fine piece of machinery in some videos on the Ruger YouTube channel. Bea and I stopped in at the Coralville Scheel's store over the weekend and looked at one of these. The salesman told us that it was not for sale; if we wanted one we had to go on a waiting list. The supply will eventually catch up, so save your pennies and stock up on .45 ACP ammo.

Gittin' er Done!

2011-12-11T18:30:00.001-06:00

Back To The Old Grind!

Thanks to EJ for the vid!

Hey, Hi-Pointers! (Back To The Top Re-Post) Final Notice: Please Give This Lonely Blogger Something To Do!

2011-12-11T11:10:00.000-06:00

Today, December 11 is the final day to send in your pistol carbine targets, and old True Blue hasn't been exactly flooded with targets yet. If you shoot it, and send it in, I will post it, even if you just threw rocks at the target. Send them in by Midnight.

The weekend is coming up, and if you are planning a range trip, print out some targets and take along your Hi-Point Carbine! Manfred still has not posted the November e-Postal contest, but don't let that stop you from shooting this special e-Postal event. Take along family and friends!

Billll and I both shot Mr. Completely's October e-Postal Contest with our Hi-Point Carbines, and that led to the idea of having a class just for these neat pistol caliber carbines. Messages back and forth between other e-Postal shooters have firmed up the rules, and we are going to start by repeating the October contest, just for pistol caliber carbines. This means that you can enter not only with a Hi-Point, but also Marlin Camp Carbines, Marlin, Winchester, Uberti, and etc., lever actions, even Ruger 77-.357's and .44's.

We will have just two classes for shooting pistol caliber carbines; iron sights and non-magnifying optics will shoot in the same class, and guns with magnifying scopes will be the second pistol carbine class.

CLICK HERE, PRINT OUT THE TARGET and head to the range. Shoot the target standing, unsupported at sixty feet; five shots per bullseye, for twenty shots total. Touching a line counts as a hit. Scan or photograph your targets, and e-mail them with the following information:
1. Your score.
2. The name you want used when we post the results.
3. Gun description – Brand, model, semi-auto, lever action, or bolt action; caliber, and type of sights.

E-mail your targets to: truebluetravelinman(at)gmail(dot)com by ~~the end of November~~ Midnight, December 11.

Results will be posted on TrueBlueSam.blogspot.com

Mr. Completely's November e-Postal Contest should be up soon, so watch for that, and shoot it too, at sixty feet with your pistol caliber carbine if a distance is not specified for long guns by the host. Send the scans of your November targets to the host for this month. If this experiment works out well, we will encourage folks to enter their pistol caliber carbines in the e-Postal contests next year.

Results of the October Contest can be viewed HERE.

Not My Victrola

2011-12-11T00:01:00.000-06:00

Courtesy of Jim020206.

Weekend Steam: A Christmas Tradition

2011-12-10T07:12:00.002-06:00

Santa Trains, Holiday Expresses, North Pole Expresses; they're popular events all over the country. Ervans has posted many high quality videos on his channel, and this is one of his latest. You can practically smell the cylinder oil!

Mt. Pleasant, Iowa is hosting their annual Christmas train event this weekend, but you need reservations if you want to ride. They are usually booked up for every trip around McMillan Park. This video by Ctrapiowa was shot last weekend, and shows Number 6 arriving at the North Station. Don't look for Santa; he's at the South Station, at the other end of the line.

Patriotic Christmas Light Show

2011-12-09T16:42:00.004-06:00

CLICK HERE to read about this fantastic light show.

CLICK HERE to go to Semper Fi Fund.

Crankin' It Up

2011-12-09T00:01:00.002-06:00

Bennie Krueger's Orchestra recorded their rendition of this classic in March, 1921.

Skidder Bridge

2011-12-08T00:01:00.001-06:00

Even the flat flood plains of Southern Illinois present obstacles for loggers. Creeks and old channels have to be crossed while dragging logs behind the skidder, so bridges often have to be brought to the job site, or built from materials at hand.

The type of skidder actually determines when a bridge has to be installed. Cable skidders can cross a stream with a load by free-wheeling the winch as the skidder heads into the creek, which leaves the logs on the creek bank. After the skidder is on the other side, the operator winches the logs to the machine, and continues to the landing.

Grapple skidders must hang onto their load all the way from the stump to the landing, thus, bridges must be used to cross creeks on the site.

Dropping A Problem Elm

2011-12-07T00:01:00.005-06:00

This big ungainly elm sort of got away from us, and presented a big removal problem when we realized we needed to take it down. It does have nice forward lean, though, and it's nice not having to pound wedges.

Here's the problem. It's a double stemmed tree; both stems have enough side lean to take them in the wrong direction, and each stem had the potential to strike a building.

But...the stems shared a common stump, and appeared to be joined strongly enough that they would fall in the direction of a hinge, balancing out each other's side lean. An open face cut would have weakened the joined stump, so I took out a box shaped piece to form the front of the hinge, leaving the stems hooked together at the junction.

They stayed together and fell the way we wanted them to....

...and didn't break apart until they hit the ground.

UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE!

A question in Comments inquired about the aiming cut I used. In order to keep the stems tied together well at the stump, I did not use my normal Open Face Cut, but instead established the front of the hinge with a vertical bore cut, then made two horizontal cuts to take out the rectangular piece seen in the photo. Unless you have X-Ray vision, this cut requires some cleanup to make the two sides match, but it is not difficult. It is a handy technique to have in your toolbox.

2nd UPDATE!

In Comments, KurtP mentions using chains to bind together problem stems. Very Good Point, Kurt! Serious woodcutters should have high-test chains and binders in the back of the old pickup for problems like this. Click the photo to go to a post about this split ash tree. Be sure to visit Trainwreck In Maxwell on your daily blogwalk; Kurt know how to get things done!

Go, Look, and Never Forget

2011-12-07T00:01:00.000-06:00

Photos from Pearl Harbor. (Click)

Landmark Lost

2011-12-06T00:01:00.000-06:00

The Hen House in Okawville, IL has been one of our favorite stops along I-64 for years. It was about mid-way between the farm and St. Louis, so it was handy to meet the Sister-In-Law for moving pets back and forth when one of us needed a dog sitter, and the food was always good. We recently got off at Okawville and found only a bare concrete slab; it was gone and we didn't even get to say goodbye. The BK and DQ just don't quite cut it when compared to the service and food at this little bit of Americana. Oh Well, or words to that effect.

Here's A Rare Beast At Boonville

2011-12-05T00:01:00.000-06:00

This nicely restored Eagle tractor was a real treat to watch at the fall show this year at Boonville.

Ready, Willing and Able!

2011-12-04T18:30:00.000-06:00

Back To The Old Grind!

Not My Victrola

2011-12-04T00:01:00.000-06:00

"Don't Bring Lulu" was one of my first records, fifty years ago. This version, (Uploaded by YouTuber cdbpdx.) with Bennie Krueger's Orchestra and Billy Jones performing the vocals, is still in my record cabinet, but it's not as clean as this one, mainly because I played it to death with old needles when I was a kid.

Weekend Steam: Something A Little Different!

2011-12-02T19:55:00.000-06:00

Itsper uploaded this neat video, and it's not the only sled of this type on YouTube. And Another! 0 To 60 in 4 seconds! I'm not too sure that I would get on one of these contraptions, but they look like a lot fo fun

Crankin' It Up

2011-12-02T00:02:00.001-06:00

Gene Rodemich's Orchestra, November 1921.

Get Crackin'!

2011-12-01T00:01:00.001-06:00

The special-event Pistol Carbine e-Postal Match is supposed to end at Midnight November 30, but the entries aren't exactly pouring in. Unless there are several last minute arrivals, I am going to extend the contest through ~~the first weekend of~~ December 11. Beg, borrow or buy one of these nifty little shooters to take part and head to the range with targets, ammo, and friends. Click here for all the rules and to print the target.

We have been busy with our little Hi-Point Carbine, and having a great time. It shoots great with Winchester White Box ammo, but that load is definitely sub-sonic, making a nice boom as you would expect. I re-read an old article from Shooting Times about pistol caliber carbines, and learned that you could expect 100 to 200 feet per second increase with .45 ACP depending on the load...so, I picked up some hard cast 200 grain semi wadcutters and assembled some healthy loads with Blue Dot, which is on the slow end of powders that can be used in the .45 ACP, in order to maintain a good push all the way down the barrel. The first one out the tube made a satisfying CRACK and went right to the point of aim on my target. That crack let me know that the load was somewhat better than 1100 feet per second, and the primers and brass still show no excessive pressure signs.

Billll of Bill's Idle Mind has been writing to me about similar results with his Hi-Point in .40 S&W. He also picked up an extra 50 feet per second by polishing his barrel with some lapping bullets. Anyway, I am having a great time with the Hi-Point, and you would be hard pressed to have more fun for the price of one of these little carbines.

OOPS....

2011-11-30T22:40:00.000-06:00

I almost missed St. Andrew's Day. Would you believe that no-one invited us out to celebrate? Anyhow, pour a glass, and read one of my favorite stories; it's almost as good as going oot.

The Ballad of How MacPherson Held the Floor

Said President MacConnachie to Treasurer MacCall:
"We ought to have a piper for our next Saint Andrew's Ball.
Yon squakin' saxophone gives me the syncopated gripes.
I'm sick of jazz, I want to hear the skirling of the pipes."
"Alas! it's true," said Tam MacCall. "The young folk of to-day
Are fox-trot mad and dinna ken a reel from a Strathspey.
Now, what we want's a kiltie lad, primed up wi' mountain dew,
To strut the floor at supper time, and play a lilt or two.
In all the North there's only one; of him I've heard them speak:
His name is Jock MacPherson, and he lives on Boulder Creek;
An old-time hard-rock miner, and a wild and wastrel loon,
Who spends his nights in glory, playing pibrochs to the moon.
I'll seek him out; beyond a doubt on next Saint Andrew's night
We'll proudly hear the pipes to cheer and charm our appetite.

Oh lads were neat and lassies sweet who graced Saint Andrew's Ball;
But there was none so full of fun as Treasurer MacCall.
And as Maloney's rag-time band struck up the newest hit,
He smiled a smile behind his hand, and chuckled: "Wait a bit."
And so with many a Celtic snort, with malice in his eye,
He watched the merry crowd cavort, till supper time drew nigh.
Then gleefully he seemed to steal, and sought the Nugget Bar,
Wherein there sat a tartaned chiel, as lonely as a star;
A huge and hairy Highlandman as hearty as a breeze,
A glass of whisky in his hand, his bag-pipes on his knees.
"Drink down your doch and doris, Jock," cried Treasurer MacCall;
"The time is ripe to up and pipe; they wait you in the hall.
Gird up your loins and grit your teeth, and here's a pint of hooch
To mind you of your native heath - jist pit it in your pooch.
Play on and on for all you're worth; you'll shame us if you stop.
Remember you're of Scottish birth - keep piping till you drop.
Aye, though a bunch of Willie boys should bluster and implore,
For the glory of the Highlands, lad, you've got to hold the floor.

"The dancers were at supper, and the tables groaned with cheer,
When President MacConnachie exclaimed: "What do I hear?
Methinks it's like a chanter, and its coming from the hall."
"It's Jock MacPherson tuning up," cried Treasurer MacCall.
So up they jumped with shouts of glee, and gaily hurried forth.
Said they: "We never thought to see a piper in the North.
"Aye, all the lads and lassies braw went buzzing out like bees,
And Jock MacPherson there they saw, with red and rugged knees.
Full six foot four he strode the floor, a grizzled son of Skye,
With glory in his whiskers and with whisky in his eye.
With skelping stride and Scottish pride he towered above them all:
"And is he no' a bonny sight?" said Treasurer MacCall.
While President MacConnachie was fairly daft with glee,
And there was jubilation in the Scottish Commy-tee.
But the dancers seemed uncertain, and they signified their doubt,
By dashing back to eat as fast as they had darted out.
And someone raised the question 'twixt the coffee and the cakes:
"Does the Piper walk to get away from all the noise he makes?
"Then reinforced with fancy food they slowly trickled forth,
And watching in patronizing mood the Piper of the North.

Proud, proud was Jock MacPherson, as he made his bag-pipes skirl,
And he set his sporran swinging, and he gave his kilts a whirl.
And President MacConnachie was jumping like a flea,
And there was joy and rapture in the Scottish Commy-tee.
"Jist let them have their saxophones wi' constipated squall;
We're having Heaven's music now," said Treasurer MacCall.
But the dancers waxed impatient, and they rather seemed to fret
For Maloney and the jazz of his Hibernian Quartette.
Yet little recked the Piper, as he swung with head on high,
Lamenting with MacCrimmon on the heather hills of Skye.
With Highland passion in his heart he held the centre floor;
Aye, Jock MacPherson played as he had never played before.

Maloney's Irish melodists were sitting in their place,
And as Maloney waited, there was wonder in his face.
'Twas sure the gorgeous music - Golly! wouldn't it be grand
If he could get MacPherson as a member of his band?
But the dancers moped and mumbled, as around the room they sat:
"We paid to dance," they grumbled; "But we cannot dance to that.
Of course we're not denying that it's really splendid stuff;
But it's mighty satisfying - don't you think we've had enough?"
"You've raised a pretty problem," answered Treasurer MacCall;
"For on Saint Andrew's Night, ye ken, the Piper rules the Ball.
"Said President MacConnachie: "You've said a solemn thing.
Tradition holds him sacred, and he's got to have his fling.
But soon, no doubt, he'll weary out. Have patience; bide a wee."
"That's right. Respect the Piper," said the Scottish Commy-tee.

And so MacPherson stalked the floor, and fast the moments flew,
Till half an hour went past, as irritation grew and grew.
The dancers held a council, and with faces fiercely set,
They hailed Maloney, heading his Hibernian Quartette:
"It's long enough, we've waited. Come on, Mike, play up the Blues."
And Maloney hesitated, but he didn't dare refuse.
So banjo and piano, and guitar and saxophone
Contended with the shrilling of the chanter and the drone;
And the women's ears were muffled, so infernal was the din,
But MacPherson was unruffled, for he knew that he would win.
Then two bright boys jazzed round him, and they sought to play the clown,
But MacPherson jolted sideways, and the Sassenachs went down.
And as if it was a signal, with a wild and angry roar,
The gates of wrath were riven - yet MacPherson held the floor.

Aye, amid the rising tumult, still he strode with head on high,
With ribbands gaily streaming, yet with battle in his eye.
Amid the storm that gathered, still he stalked with Highland pride,
While President and Treasurer sprang bravely to his side.
And with ire and indignation that was glorious to see,
Around him in a body ringed the Scottish Commy-tee.
Their teeth were clenched with fury; their eyes with anger blazed:
"Ye manna touch the Piper," was the slogan that they raised.
Then blows were struck, and men went down; yet 'mid the rising fray
MacPherson towered in triumph - and he never ceased to play.

Alas! his faithful followers were but a gallant few,
And faced defeat, although they fought with all the skill they knew.
For President MacConnachie was seen to slip and fall,
And o'er his prostrate body stumbled Treasurer MacCall.
And as their foes with triumph roared, and leagured them about,
It looked as if their little band would soon be counted out.
For eyes were black and noses red, yet on that field of gore,
As resolute as Highland rock - MacPherson held the floor.

Maloney watched the battle, and his brows were bleakly set,
While with him paused and panted his Hibernian Quartette.
For sure it is an evil spite, and breaking to the heart,
For Irishmen to watch a fight and not be taking part.
Then suddenly on high he soared, and tightened up his belt:
"And shall we see them crush," he roared, "a brother and a Celt?
A fellow artiste needs our aid. Come on, boys, take a hand."
Then down into the mêlée dashed Maloney and his band.

Now though it was Saint Andrew's Ball, yet men of every race,
That bow before the Great God Jazz were gathered in that place.
Yea, there were those who grunt: "Ya! Ya!" and those who squeak: "We! We!"
Likewise Dutch, Dago, Swede and Finn, Polack and Portugee.
Yet like ripe grain before the gale that national hotch-potch
Went down before the fury of the Irish and the Scotch.
Aye, though they closed their gaping ranks and rallied to the fray,
To the Shamrock and the Thistle went the glory of the day.

You should have seen the carnage in the drooling light of dawn,
Yet 'mid the scene of slaughter Jock MacPherson playing on.
Though all lay low about him, yet he held his head on high,
And piped as if he stood upon the caller crags of Skye.
His face was grim as granite, and no favour did he ask,
Though weary were his mighty lungs and empty was his flask.
And when a fallen foe wailed out: "Say! when will you have done?"
MacPherson grinned and answered: "Hoots! She's only haf' begun."
Aye, though his hands were bloody, and his knees were gay with gore,
A Grampian of Highland pride - MacPherson held the floor.

And still in Yukon valleys where the silent peaks look down,
They tell of how the Piper was invited up to town,
And he went in kilted glory, and he piped before them all,
But wouldn't stop his piping till he busted up the Ball.
Of that Homeric scrap they speak, and how the fight went on,
With sally and with rally till the breaking of the dawn.
And how the Piper towered like a rock amid the fray,
And the battle surged about him, but he never ceased to play.
Aye, by the lonely camp-fires, still they tell the story o'er-
How the Sassenach was vanquished and - MacPherson held the floor.

Weather Worth Working In

2011-11-30T00:01:00.000-06:00

The weather last week during the long holiday weekend was warm for November; warm enough to paint the new wood on the old barn. We fired up the Graco sprayer, and soon had a good coat on the newest siding, and recoated the siding we had painted earlier.

We had sprayed thinned linseed oil on all the siding a few weeks back, and added extra oil to our paint. We hope that it will help the barn shed water for many years.

We finished up the painting right at sunset, and cleaned out the spray equipment in the dark. Next weekend: Firewood, weather or not!

Gotta Go On A Treasure Hunt!

2011-11-29T00:01:00.001-06:00

These photos showed up in my mailbox recently, and were sent to me by an old friend who took these shots about fifteen years ago, not too far from Oblong, Illinois. The engine is a Superior, of the same type as in this video.

The engine and an eccentric assembly sit in a power house, and rods connect the eccentric to oil wells in the surrounding area.

My curiosity is killing me, and I am going to have to make a trip and find out if this artifact is still in use. The tank in this photo is made of redwood. They were assembled with copper hardware, which withstood the ravages of saltwater better than steel.

There is a bellcrank assembly at each well to transfer lateral movement to vertical. Wells opposite each other on the eccentric would pretty well balance each other so the machinery ran smoothly, and iron could be added to individual wells for fine tuning the load.

Courtesy Of Coca Cola, From World War II

2011-11-28T00:01:00.000-06:00

Weekend's Over!

2011-11-27T18:30:00.000-06:00

Back To The Old Grind!

Not My Victrola: Vintage Humor

2011-11-27T00:01:00.002-06:00

Victrolaman posted a real beaut from 1906, and at 105 years, it still got a laugh from me.

Weekend Steam

2011-11-26T00:01:00.000-06:00

There is always more than one solution to a problem. Simple engines use steam on one power stroke before it is exhausted, and compound engines were invented to improve economy by using steam on a second stroke. Cross compound engines had separate cylinders on individual cranks. Industrial and maritime engines went to triple-expansion technology, using steam three times before it was spent. Tandem compound engines like this Port Huron had both the high pressure and low pressure cylinder on the same rod, which simplified the crankshaft considerably. Several steam engine manufacturers used a layout similar to the Port.

This Russell tandem compound is a real eye catcher. The high pressure cylinder where steam is first used is closer to the crosshead, which is reversed from the layout we are used to seeing.

Steam is exhausted from the high pressure cylinder to the larger, low pressure cylinder where it expands a second time, yielding more power before it is sent up the stack.

Cross compound engines, with their cylinders on separate rods and crankshaft throws, can have live steam sent straight to the steam chest from the throttle for extra power, and for starting without being stuck on dead center. Tandem compounds have the same starting characteristics as single cylinder engines, which means that the engineer must pay attention to the location of the crankpin when starting, and use the reverse lever skillfully to make the iron beast go.

Take A Break From Shopping

2011-11-25T22:27:00.001-06:00

and go to the range! This is the last weekend to shoot the special Pistol Carbine e-Postal Match. Manfred has still not posted the Mr. Completely Match for November, but don't let that get you down. Click Here to download the target, Click Here read the rules, and send your entry in by ~~the end of November~~ Midnight, December 11. Don't have a pistol caliber carbine? Take your visiting family and friends to the range for an outing, and submit your targets with whatever you have to shoot. Send in your target scans, and I will post the scores. Use the name you want posted on the internet on your target.

Crankin' It Up: One Worth Repeating

2011-11-25T00:01:00.000-06:00

I posted "Bluin' The Blues" (June 25, 1918) a little over two years ago, and in that time only a few more than 100 folks have listened to this great number by The Original Dixieland Jazz Band. We have been busy with family, so I haven't had time to wind up the old Brunswick this week, but I'm sure you will enjoy this repost.

George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation

2011-11-24T00:01:00.000-06:00

"Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to "recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789." G. Washington

Smokey Was Right, You Know

2011-11-23T00:01:00.000-06:00

I've worked on both sides of fires in the forest. Eastern Kentucky has a bad history of wildfires during dry spells, both spring and fall, and I have seen a lot of ruined timber. I also saw plenty of advance oak regeneration while I worked there.

The landscape and road networks of Illinois reigned in wildfires, and most oak woods in Illinois aren't burned often enough for trees and other plants to reproduce adequately, so there are lots of folks out there who are anxious to push the use of fire in timber. These stumps are a good reminder of the damage that wildfires can cause to trees. The top one is hollow due to rot from major damage, and the second stump illustrates ring shake, which is caused by the tree separating new wood from the old after an injury. Fire is an important component of forest management, no doubt, but landowners need to protect their crop trees before they light up, or they stand to lose much of the value in the trees they have produced.

Positive Crankcase Ventilation

2011-11-22T00:01:00.000-06:00

That open crankcase with the rod and shaft spinning around lets the smoke clear out pretty well. I bet someone is putting in a set of rings before next summer's shows.

Hickok 45 Schools Us About Pocket Carry Options

2011-11-21T00:01:00.000-06:00

Every little bit we hear a news report about someone having a negligent discharge because they carried a pistol that wasn't holstered properly, and a lot of those were pistols in a pocket with no holster. Hickok45 covers the basics about pocket carry, and whether you carry or not, this is a good video to watch just to learn a bit more about gun safety.

Enjoy Your Work As Much As This Fellow?

2011-11-20T18:30:00.001-06:00

Back To The Old Grind!

Not My Victrola

2011-11-20T00:01:00.001-06:00

Courtesy of SilentBacchus...and, a bonus from the other side of the block!

National Ammo Day!

2011-11-19T00:02:00.000-06:00

Buy at least 100 rounds!

Weekend Steam

2011-11-19T00:01:00.001-06:00

Michigan Steam Engine and Threshers Club, by OldFarmShow.

Crankin' It Up

2011-11-18T00:01:00.002-06:00

The flip side of "Arabian Nights", "Sand Dunes" (1919) I guess, is also supposed to make us dream of the exotic near east, but even my demented musical mind can't quite make that trip with this tune. It is fun to listen to, though. It is kind of funny to me how songs have glamorized the Arab world through the years. "Midnight At The Oasis" came out when I was fresh out of college, but my favorite of all time is "Ahab The Arab."

All The Inventin' Is Done For You!

2011-11-17T00:01:00.000-06:00

An acquaintance showed me his fish scaling machine recently, and if you like to fish, you will want to build one of these. Start out with the air filter housing from a big earth moving machine, cut out and hinge a door, and install pop-rivets all over it so they project in a bit.

Build a manifold to spray water into the back side of it...

...and install a motor and transmission out of scraps around your shop. Fill the cylinder with as many as 100 bluegills, and watch the scales wash away!

Know About Hammer Bite?

2011-11-16T00:01:00.000-06:00

Watch Hickok45's review of the 1911; you will see how hammer bite occurs, and how to prevent it with Band-Aids before you are bitten!

I Don't Like Spiders And Snakes

2011-11-15T00:01:00.000-06:00

Mrs. TBS was sorting through some things in the garage Sunday, and was bitten by a brown recluse spider. I keep snake bite kits handy in my man-purse, and put a suction cup on her hand right away, within minutes of the bite. We use these things frequently for insect stings, and they pull wasp and bee venom out effectively if we can apply a suction cup right away. This was the first time we used one on a spider bite.

I pulled it off after a few minutes to have a look, and we were astounded at the amount of blood that had come out. Evidently, brown recluse venom has anti-coagulant properties. We put the suction cup on again, and pulled less blood out on the second go. The third time pulled very little. The patient has no redness or swelling, only a tiny scab at the bite site.

If you read about the Cutter kits on the Internet you will find that medical folks despise them, and say they do more harm than good. I have never been snakebit, and I can sure understand the harm that can come from using one of these kits instead of seeking prompt medical attention, but I also appreciate the way they work for me on bee stings, and insect bites. Now we know the little suckers are good for spider bites, too.

Superior Oilfield Engine

2011-11-14T00:01:00.000-06:00

One of the big engines on display at Boonville in October. Engines like this one pumped the wells that produced oil and fuel for our war effort in World War II.

Whole Lotta People Don't Take Off For Veterans' Day

2011-11-13T19:57:00.002-06:00

Doin' The Old Grind Every Day

U.S. Navy Seabees hard at it in Korea, courtesy of the webmaster at Weblube.com, a fascinating site with lots of photos from the Korean War. This photo appears to be by Charles Godshall, who can be seen with his trusty grease gun at the top of this page (click). Many thanks to all the veterans who keep us safe in the USA!

Not My Victrola

2011-11-13T00:01:00.000-06:00

bsgs98 gives us a great slide show with Birmingham Breakdown, by Red Nichols and his Five Pennies.

Weekend Steam

2011-11-12T00:01:00.000-06:00

This set of photos is courtesy of Zeke, the Engineering Johnson, from his Labor Day Weekend visit to Old Threshers. This Avery is a top mounted, straight flue engine, which is slightly unusual since most people think of the undermounted design when Avery is mentioned. Bill Sater, one of the founders of Old Threshers had one of these engines at the show until the 1970's, so it was sweet to see these photos.

My dad and I went to an auction near Wayland, Iowa about 40 years ago and thought we might buy an engine just like this, but the bidding left us in the dust, and I realized that I would probably never own an engine. The sale was the estate auction for a Mr. Swartzendruber, and we found out last year that he was a relative of Stranded In Iowa, of the Between Two Rivers blog. It's a small world.

I think that the Avery firebox door is just about the neatest thing going in operating platform hardware.

Just Stomp and Stoke!

Crankin' It Up: A Double For Veterans' Day

2011-11-11T00:04:00.000-06:00