...especially if your supervisors do not support you! Being armed probably is not an option if you are working in any kind of government office, so you must come up with alternate plans to be safe and extract yourself from situations like this. At minimum, keep a Pearl Harbor book.
Saturday, August 19, 2017
Friday, August 18, 2017
Pinckneyville Weekend, 2016
Here's a video by Ernest Bontrager showing the waterlogged show in 2016. S'posed to have good weather this weekend, so pack up and go!
IHC is the featured brand this year, so you should see lots of Famous (Video below), Titan, and Mogul engines, plus a boatload of red tractors.
IHC is the featured brand this year, so you should see lots of Famous (Video below), Titan, and Mogul engines, plus a boatload of red tractors.
Thursday, August 17, 2017
Pinckneyville, This Weekend, Be There!
The American Thresherman Show starts today and goes through Sunday. Steam, gas, and more! Pick up the babies, grab the old ladies, and everyone goes! Click Here for information.
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
Chicago Had Riots? Yes, But They Don't Want To Talk About It
Night of August 14:
Takeaway Quotes: Safe Summer Basketball League; Long Summer of Game Time Fights; No arrests made; Ya Know What I'm Sayin? Sounds like fun doesn't it? It's been a quarter of a century since we had a president who promoted "Midnight Basketball." Guess that's not working out too well.
Takeaway Quotes: Safe Summer Basketball League; Long Summer of Game Time Fights; No arrests made; Ya Know What I'm Sayin? Sounds like fun doesn't it? It's been a quarter of a century since we had a president who promoted "Midnight Basketball." Guess that's not working out too well.
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Ruger's Auction To Benefit The Light Foundation
Ruger is selling another 25th Anniversay .44 Magnum Carbine this week. It seems like everybody wants one of these, and Ruger hasn't made them for more than thirty years, so the bidding always goes up. As I post this, there have been twenty bids and it is up to $1525. This beauty sell mid-day, Wednesday, August 26, 2017, so CLICK HERE, read all about it and place your bid. $1875
Monday, August 14, 2017
Tuesday Torque: Restoring A Basket-Case Fairbanks 10 HP
Gary Bahre has graciously allowed us to post his photos here so you all can see some of the steps one has to go through in restoring an engine. Gary picked up this Fairbanks at an auction last February. It had been disassembled and left outside for forty years. Everything was rusted and stuck, and he has it running now.
This is how it looked upon arriving at Gary's shop. Everything has to come apart to have the rust cleaned off.
The cylinder was open to the weather on one end, so the piston was stuck tight. A charcoal fire was used to crack the rust loose before sending this assembly off to a shop.
Pressing the piston out is risky, but it must be done. If these parts had been destroyed, they could be replaced since Fairbanks engines are fairly common. Other makes are often irreplaceable.
The fellow who pressed it apart also bored the cylinder 0.060" oversize because of pitting. Rather than press in a sleeve, the piston was built up and turned to fit the bore. It is now a 7.060" bore by 9" stroke. 352 Cubic Inches! The rings available today are 1/2 the width of the original rings, so two were fitted per groove.
Gary began reassembly of the block while he was waiting on the cylinder to be completed. One of the main bearing shells was missing, so Gary poured new babbit for that. The cart is a Witte factory cart, and it looks like it was made for this Fairbanks.
And here it is, ready for a test run! But first, a little break-in time so it will roll over a bit easier. Gary belted up one of his 6 HP IHC M engines to spin the Fairbanks for half an hour.
Gary has secured a cooling tank that will look good with this engine. He has to do the plumbing for the fuel and cooling systems, and he will be making a new needle valve for the carburetor. The original one is pitted from sitting out in the weather and does not run well. This engine will get a new coat of paint because there was no original paint left to save after exposure to forty years of outdoor weather. Gary and other engine men often say that all engines cost the same. Buy an original or well restored engine, and you have to pay for that. Buy one that's a wreck and you have plenty of expense making it work again. If someone gives you an engine, it just may bankrupt you!
Photos and videos by Gary Bahre.
This is how it looked upon arriving at Gary's shop. Everything has to come apart to have the rust cleaned off.
The cylinder was open to the weather on one end, so the piston was stuck tight. A charcoal fire was used to crack the rust loose before sending this assembly off to a shop.
Pressing the piston out is risky, but it must be done. If these parts had been destroyed, they could be replaced since Fairbanks engines are fairly common. Other makes are often irreplaceable.
The fellow who pressed it apart also bored the cylinder 0.060" oversize because of pitting. Rather than press in a sleeve, the piston was built up and turned to fit the bore. It is now a 7.060" bore by 9" stroke. 352 Cubic Inches! The rings available today are 1/2 the width of the original rings, so two were fitted per groove.
Gary began reassembly of the block while he was waiting on the cylinder to be completed. One of the main bearing shells was missing, so Gary poured new babbit for that. The cart is a Witte factory cart, and it looks like it was made for this Fairbanks.
And here it is, ready for a test run! But first, a little break-in time so it will roll over a bit easier. Gary belted up one of his 6 HP IHC M engines to spin the Fairbanks for half an hour.
Gary has secured a cooling tank that will look good with this engine. He has to do the plumbing for the fuel and cooling systems, and he will be making a new needle valve for the carburetor. The original one is pitted from sitting out in the weather and does not run well. This engine will get a new coat of paint because there was no original paint left to save after exposure to forty years of outdoor weather. Gary and other engine men often say that all engines cost the same. Buy an original or well restored engine, and you have to pay for that. Buy one that's a wreck and you have plenty of expense making it work again. If someone gives you an engine, it just may bankrupt you!
Photos and videos by Gary Bahre.
Sunday, August 13, 2017
Rescued!
Photo Credit: Sangamon County Animal Control, Springfield, Illinois.
This handsome young Schipperke showed up on the Internet. Communications were made, and Midwest Schipperke Rescue secured him. The little dog was running loose in Springfield, and was caught by Animal Control. He is not chipped, and after eleven days nobody had come looking for him. I made a flying trip to Springfield, and then to the St. Louis area to leave him in quarantine at Midwest's vet. The staff at the pound named him Skippy, but there are a lot of Skippys out there in the Little Black Dog World, so he has been renamed Titan.
He seems to be a good dog. He is quiet when he travels, he behaves on the leash, sits by your side, and he appears to be healthy. If he gets a clean bill of health from the vet he will go into foster care and then adoption.
P-40 Walkaround and Orientation!
Who doesn't love the P-40?! Here is the only trainer version in the world, and a tour and explanation of all the controls. This is Part 1, and it was just posted yesterday, so I will be watching for Part 2.
Friday, August 11, 2017
Squib Safety Lesson From Hickok45!
Always a timely subject! We keep lengths of weed-whacker cord in our shooting bag for checking the bore, and we have used it a few times. It's better than looking down the bore at the range.
The Road Grader Ain't Gonna Fix This!
Seen on a township road on one of my recon outings:
Yes, this is a township road! The truck is parked way back, and I am hoofing it.
Look at all that water! This is the Embarass River (Pronounced Em-Bra) and the smaller stream is the North Fork of the Embarass. Working in glacial lakebed rivers can be challenging!
Yes, this is a township road! The truck is parked way back, and I am hoofing it.
Look at all that water! This is the Embarass River (Pronounced Em-Bra) and the smaller stream is the North Fork of the Embarass. Working in glacial lakebed rivers can be challenging!
Wednesday, August 9, 2017
Dicamba Drift and Damage...
...Be watching for this in the news. The various state ag departments don't want to talk about it. The farm newspapers are trying to play it down. It is damaging crops and timber, and there has been a homicide in Missouri because of it. You do the searches. I think this is what has been causing cupping and leaf tatters at our place. Your universities that teach ag-related programs should be spreading the word for all to hear, but they get their money from companies that make and market the chemicals, so I am a few years behind the learning curve on this...Here's one I saw in Wayne County, Illinois today. Thirty acres of high quality white oak timber, with all the foliage damaged.
Tuesday, August 8, 2017
Ruger's Auction To Benefit The Light Foundation
This is special. It was made in 1988, never in the catalog. It is an ultra-light action in .223, blued, laminate stock, and it comes with Ruger scope rings. It sells mid-day, Wednesday, August 9, 2017. Click Here to read all about it and to place that winning bid. $1125
Monday, August 7, 2017
Tuesday Torque: Economy Engines at Evansville
Hercules and Economy engines were made at Evansville, so you must stop and watch a few while you are there!
Sunday, August 6, 2017
Friday, August 4, 2017
Weekend Steam: Locomotive Maintenance
Let's crawl under a locomotive and do some serious work on it! Don't forget your jack stands! Well, maybe we don't actually have to get under it, but this is real work on a real machine that any gear head will enjoy. Many Thanks to Merle for spotting this one and sending it in!
Thursday, August 3, 2017
Life's Little Challenges
We are fostering a couple of homeless Schips right now, and they are doing well, but one of them...
...has heartworms, and was just treated this week. He has to be kept quiet for three weeks or more. We are keeping him kenneled in subdued light, and he goes on the leash for his very slow outdoor walks. This is how he normally is:
...has heartworms, and was just treated this week. He has to be kept quiet for three weeks or more. We are keeping him kenneled in subdued light, and he goes on the leash for his very slow outdoor walks. This is how he normally is:
Wednesday, August 2, 2017
News Hacks' Code Words Explained By Colin Flaherty
Just in case you hadn't figured out all these terms...
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