Stubborn Fairbanks 118 At Evansville

I sure do hope this fellow has put a few drops of oil in his crank handle by now. That squeaking really bothers me!
Well, this little oilfield engine didn't want to go. I've watched pumpers start these and other Fairbanks engines; they usually primed them up with gasoline or drip fuel, then adjusted the natural gas or LP to keep it running. A pumper down in Southern Illinois found some boys drinking beer at one of the wells he took care of, and the boys had shut the engine down so they didn't have to listen to it while they enjoyed their brews. The pumper blocked them in and made them try to start the engine up again. They didn't enjoy their party so much then. He fired it right back up after they gave out.

Don't Be A "Great White Defendant!"

This poor man took bad advice from his lawyer. He won't last six months in prison, and he did nothing wrong.



Here is what you are up against with today's thugs. A blow to the back of the head, your head hits the sidewalk. You could well be dead before the cops show up to make a report with a "vague description."

Beats Pick and Shovel!

He had me at the continuous-miner teeth!




Avoid manual labor at all costs! Back To The Old Grind!

Oak Tatters; Herbicide Drift

Weekend Steam: New Iron In The Steam Powered Machine Shop!

Parking In The Shade?

Look up before you lock up!

This chunk fell this week!

Mass Shootings Ignored By Mainstream Media; "It's Bothersome."

World Music Day! Here's Something To Ponder.

Poor old Randy Newman. He's a great musician, composer, and entertainer, but the numbers are small. I like all of his songs, and here is a paradox.

Here's Randy doing You've Got A Friend In Me with Lyle Lovett. 84 thousand views since 2011.
Here's Randy performing solo 1 1/2 years ago. 16 thousand views.
Randy Newman, one year ago, 400 thousand views.
A guy with his little kid, six months ago; 15 MILLION views.
I hope Randy is getting royalties on that one!

Ruger's Auction To Benefit The Light Foundation

Ruger is offering another special collectible firearm this week, and the collectors are lining up. It is a 25th anniversary .44 Magnum Carbine made in 1982 as production of this neat little rifle came to a close. The bidding is up to $1525 as I post this, so take a deep breath before you post your winning bid. CLICK HERE to read all about it. This fine collectible carbine will sell mid-day, June 21, 2017.  $1525

Tuesday Torque: Cold-Natured Associated Engine

More Wheels Is More Better!

Back To The Old Grind!

Once Won't Kill Them

Many of the tree planting projects have been in river bottoms along the Little Wabash, Elm, and Wabash Rivers, plus tributaries. Flooding often occurs after trees have been planted, and it kills the leaves. Trees hold back a set of buds and will usually survive, putting out new leaves after the waters recede. One Spring we had a second flood, and that will kill a tree planting project. There aren't any reserve buds left after two floods. This project is a 60+ acre planting near Crossville, IL, and it went under after the leaves were fully emerged this year. Click and enlarge the photo and you can see the new leaves coming out.

We see a similar mechanism with drought. If the trees can grow long enough to store up reserves and form buds for the next year, they will often survive a severe dry spell in August that kills the leaves.  One of my good friends once said that "We shouldn't worry so much about how we plant trees. Leave a field alone for ten years and trees will be all over the place." I do like to see good ones growing, so I still obsess over it all.

That's Gratifying!

My YouTube channel passed five million views early this morning. Our first video was in October 2007 and we are still having a good time making them, although we have pulled down most of the old 78 records to avoid copyright problems. Viewers like chainsaws better than shooting and old engines. We have many good friends from YouTubing and blogging, and that is the best part.

Weekend Steam: Need To Go To Abilene!

Sourwood Flowers

Our sourwoods are blooming now. We brought them from Eastern Kentucky as tiny seedlings in 1984 and we wish we had more. They are a beautiful reminder of our years before Southern Illinois. The flowers are small, delicate, with a soft fragrance, and are famous for the honey produced from their nectar.

With only two small trees we will not have any sourwood honey to sample, but Susan's bees do like them. These flowers came on as the persimmons finished, so we should have planted more sourwoods. The white blooms are brilliant in sunshine and they brighten eastern forests after the other trees are done blooming.

Sheba, June 14, 2017

                                                                 Click To Enlarge.
Sheba has died as a result of a twisted gut (torsion). She got real sick early Wednesday morning, and we were rolling at 5A to take her to the emergency clinic at Glen Carbon. We got there before 7, and her heart attack began during the initial exam. She passed at 7:25.

Sheba began showing symptoms of GI distress a year ago, and she has been to Glen Carbon (diagnosis, pancreatitis), and to our regular vet (diagnoses, ear infection, anal gland infection). Little dogs don't get torsions, and every vet knows that. Sometimes you have to get past your education. Of course, no vet is going to take a dog in for surgery after the symptoms ease up, so Sheba had to wait for the big one, and then she couldn't be saved.  She has been my close buddy for almost two years, and a constant companion since I retired.

Before The Great Society and the Welfare State, We Had Families

$350 for one of those man-killing machines in 1952! That would be almost $6000 in today's money, going by the increase in postage stamps. A big felling saw power head is around $1000 today, depending on size and make, and that is still a big purchase you have to think about before you drop your money.

Ruger's Auction To Benefit The Light Foundation

Ruger is offering a 1975 vintage .357 Blackhawk for sale this week. It has a 6 1/2" barrel, and has been stored in Ruger's vault all these years. Photos on Ruger's website show a bit of wear on the left side of the muzzle, and fingerprint stains on the hammer, plus a tiny ding on one of the stocks, so I would call it slightly shopworn. It will sell mid-day, June 14, 2017. Click Here to read the full description and to place your bid. $616

Tuesday Torque: Mogul 6 HP At Evansville

This smooth running, good looking 6 HP Mogul was running over at the Evansville SIAM show on June 10, 2017. It's hypnotic!

I Couldn't Help Myself!

Tony Sage of Vincennes, IN had a great display with two IHC Ms running. One was turning a corn sheller, and the other was turning a grinder. I still get up and stay busy, so, Back To The Old Grind!

Right In America's Heartland

Pay attention to the advice from a cop toward the end of this video by Colin Flaherty.

Weekend Steam: Old Steam Powered Machine Shop 23, Sleeving A Cylinder

I have a soft spot in my heart for big Economy engines, and that is what machinist David Richards is working on in his latest video.

When Stuff Happens, It Happens Fast!

Nobody was hurt; no equipment was hurt; but it was close!




Our guy dug all around this big leaning white oak in preparation for pushing it over, but as it went over a branch caught the back of the bucket and nearly wreaked havoc on the backhoe. If the branch had hit the cab it would have broken all the windows and showered the operator with glass. This tree was rotten through and through, and I think that allowed the branch to tear off. Otherwise, it would have pulled the backhoe into the hole.

Pay Attention, Pass The Word, Blaspheme Daily

The Ramadan massacre continues and the pace is picking up. Thirteen days in and more than 800 are dead from terrorist attacks by faithful Muslims. Over at the Religion Of Peace blog I see the UK Daily Mail reports there were eighteen missed opportunities to stop the Bridge Massacre. Right below that, the next headline tells us that UK police are going to crack down on "offensive" Facebook posts. Whatever you do, don't offend a Muslim on Facebook if you live in the UK. Continue to submit to Islam and the police will leave you alone. Yeah, they will leave you for the Muslims to handle.

Worse Than Pulling Teeth; The Big Pin Oak Comes Out Of The Pond

Boy oh boy was this a full day. Our guy with heavy equipment showed up and we spent the day pulling and cutting. He could just barely make that tree move, (Two big limbs were jammed into the bottom of the pond.) but we persisted. We cut a couple big chunks off to lighten the load as it came out, and then we began cutting big limbs out of the crown. We just have some branches in the pond to pull out tomorrow, and then I can start making firewood.