Tuesday Torque: Mike And His Reeves Restoration...

...and more! Check out the work they are doing on the Aultman!  Thanks, Merle!

John Prine...

 ...left us five years ago today. Sure do miss him.

We Survived The Rain And Storms...

 ...and so did the owls! It's silly that we worry about them, but they are OK, and the turkey hen that has been hanging around the yard is fine, too. Our geese are nesting on Goose Island, and they survived the weather, too. 

Back To The Old Grind!

1907 Thomas Flyer!

 We saw this in person in 1998 when we visited Reno. 

Weekend Steam: Nice Lineup!

 Merle sent a link for a nice Facebook page on old engines. It is the Old Iron Garage, and there is also a YouTube channel with the identical name. It looks like all the videos are shorts, so I think that these are "borrowed" from full length videos made by others. They are good samples, though, so it is worth a look. If you do YouTube videos you can select whether or not others can do this with your content. I made shorts available from mine for a friend to use, and now I am seeing segments of my vids popping up in other places. If they don't credit your channel, it does you no good. Thanks, Merle!

Click the pic to see the video. You have to look quick to catch the different brands. I see M. Rumely, Advance Rumely, Gaar Scott, Case, Frick, Case, Nicholls, and Case, plus more on down the line. 

Oh Blow It Out Your Ear, Al!

 

Blowing Up With 2.7?

The first article on reloading I read was by Col. Jeff Cooper, about the problem of 38 Special target loads blowing up guns with 2.7 grains of Bullseye powder. That article has kept me safe for more than forty years. Bullseye and other fast burning economical powders are dense, and not much is needed in each load. A double load that gets past your quality control can blow up your gun. Exploded guns show up frequently on the Internet, and it usually comes back to quality control by the person loading the ammo. 

Hercules/Alliant pistol powders have been difficult to obtain in the last several years, so most of us can't find Bullseye, Unique, Herco, Blue Dot and 2400. Study current burn rate charts to find powders that will be similar in burn rate to the old standards you have used, and then find published, safe loading information for them. I've been using Winchester 244 and Hodgdon Tite Group of late. 

 Tite Group is very close in burn and charge rates to Bullseye, so you must be diligent in loading it. Win 244 is closer to Unique in burn and charge rates. It fits in about the same niche as Win 231. Study the photos at the top of the post and note how little space a charge of Tite Group occupies in a 38 Special case. A double charge is nearly the same as the maximum charge of this powder for a 357 load. That is enough to split a cylinder in a 38. You can easily fit four charges in a case and still load a bullet. If you are new to reloading, start with a single stage press and learn the processes before you move on to a progressive loader. Slow and steady makes for safe loads. 

Tuesday Torque: A Bit Late, But Better Than Never!

 Merle sent a link for a 15-30 IHC Mogul prairie tractor, and that is a great idea. Thanks, Merle! Here are some shorts with some very nice Moguls.

Buster Schipperke, June 21, 2008 – March 27, 2025

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"Why is it that a dog doesn’t get to live too long, but he still has to die,…old.*" Buster came to us as a foster in 2023 because Mary, his owner had a major health crisis.  Giving him up was a painful decision for her.  Buster was 15 years old, blind and deaf, but still active. We made the decision to keep him as a permanent foster, rather than adopt him out, and make him adapt to another new home. Our dogs accepted him, and he liked them. He soon romped with the rest of the pack in spite of his blindness, and would bark with joy. 

Buster had two kennels; one in our living room and the other in our bedroom. He could find both of them and would often retreat to his kennels to rest. He was vocal when he needed out, day or night; a real easy keeper. He always was easy to lead on leash for going in and out, until the last few weeks when his arthritis slowed him down. He loved to stroll in the yard outside the dog yard, where he could explore and sniff new smells. 

Susan threw a birthday party for Buster when he turned 16, and he really enjoyed that. Mary, his former owner, was able to come and visit Buster on a few occasions. Buster would recognize her immediately and become animated. Those visits were special times for all of us. Mary visited us just a few days before Buster had his final downturn in his health, and we are thankful that she was able to see him one more time.

Senior foster dogs can be difficult to adopt out. Most people looking for a dog are reluctant to take on a pet whose days are limited. You never know how long a dog will live. Some die young, and some make it past any expectations. 

We always figure a Schipperke is good for around 16 years. Old Skipper made it to 18. Our first Schip, Merky, lived to 16. That number is no guarantee, though. Old dogs are a joy. They don’t have wild streaks like a pup, and they are usually content to sit and provide company for you. 

You love them just as much as a dog you have had for many years, and of course when their time comes, the hurt and sorrow are the same. They become family, just like a young dog. Rest in Peace, Buster. You have been a great dog and a dear friend. 

*Jim Stafford

 

Weekend Steam II: Building A Baker Boiler!

 Look at some videos of Baker steam traction engines and you will see that they have a round bottom on the firebox. The water legs totally surround the firebox, going down and around under the grates. Repairs nowadays switch them over to an open bottom, so we can assume the plan is to make the new boilers last more than 100 years! No more mud to work on the steel down at the bottom! Note the rivet heater. It was patented in 1913. It's a first time for me to see one of these!