Tuesday Torque: Oil City Two-Stroke Hybrid Engine

The lower end of this Oil City engine is just like a steam engine, and many early gas engine in the oilfield began as steamers, then were switched to run on gas by changing out the top end.  I suspect that for a while at least, you could order engines either way from some of the oilfield related companies.  This two-stroker runs about like the two-stroke Bessmers, and I really like seeing hot-tube ignition in use.

A Real Fixer-Upper

Back To The Old Grind!

Weekend Steam: Black Smoke, Black Iowa Soil

This video is up at Forest City, Iowa; a show that I have not seen, but I know some folks who go there.  We must go one of these days.  It's not often you see three traction engines plowing at the same time.  Finder's Fee goes to Merle again this week!,  Thanks, Merle!

Searching For Our New Normal

Two dates in one day.  First, to Home Depot, then to Pistol League to get re-acquainted with our shooting friends.  Susan hasn't been there in nearly two years.  I shot a couple times, concentrating on making hits rather than making good times, then ran the timer the rest of the time.  It was very much a mental exercise getting back in that groove, and we had a good time.  Nobody to check on.  Nobody to check in with.  We do have dogs, and we are glad for that.   We should return to regular posting in a few days. 

Ruger's Auction To Benefit The Light Foundation

Ruger is offering a great gun to keep in your bedroom or behind the seat in your pickup this week.  It is a .357 Service Six with the heavy barrel from 1982.  CLICK HERE to review the photos on Ruger's website.  There is pitting on the frame and they do not want the successful bidder to be surprised.  This gun was shipped to a distributor and returned at a later date.  My guess is that a customer had eaten French fries,  handled this pistol, and it was put back in a display case without being wiped down.  Stainless steel and aluminum will corrode if you feed them salt.  This is a good reminder for all of us.  But anyway, the function of this fine revolver will not be affected by a few pits, and this is a shooter, not a collector's item.  Read All About It and place your bid.  It is hard to beat a .357 revolver.  This fine pistol will sell mid-day, July 25, 2018.  $655, not bad for a good gun that you can shoot guilt-free.

Tuesday Torque: A Big One, In Honor of Patti

Patti loved steam shows, and all old farm machinery.  It's what she knew when she was growing up.  Here is a big twin cylinder Rumely on the Prony brake at Rollag, pulling 3400 foot pounds of torque.  Just the kind of thing to excite a kid who grew up in the Twenties and Thirties.


Thanks for spotting, Merle!

Patricia Ann Bentrup, July 23, 2018

Patricia Ann DuLany was born June 27, 1924 in rural Dahlgren, Illinois and passed away at her home at Belle Prairie, Illinois, July 23,  2018. Her parents were Marjory Darsham and Lewis Ford DuLany. She was raised by Marjory and her stepfather, Martin T. Knapp.  She graduated as the Valedictorian from Dahlgren High School in 1942 and moved to St. Joseph, Missouri to attend nurse’s training at Missouri Methodist Hospital. Patricia worked as an Operating Room nurse for most of her career.   

  She married Oscar(O. T.) Bentrup in 1949, who preceded her in death in 2010.  Patti Ann is survived by two daughters; Susan Johnson (David N.), Jill Heffernan (James P.),  four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Patti loved and was devoted to her family.  She cared for her mother, her mother’s sister, and O.T. until their deaths.  Family pets were one of the joys in Patti's life.  She especially loved Schipperkes, and she earned a Companion Dog Excellent rating with her male Schip, Erastus.

                                                           Walking Junior.

Patti was famous for her mashed potatoes, and she was always glad to pass on her cooking skills to the family.

Patti enjoyed studying genealogy of her family and friends.  She spent many happy hours doing research in libraries and cemeteries.

Always a gardener, Patti spent time in her garden to the very end.

Patti took up shooting as part of her therapy after suffering a stroke in 2012.  She especially enjoyed shooting pistols with her friends at the Carmi Rifle Club.  She greatly missed going to Pistol League after her health failed. 

Stir Things Up A Bit This Week

It Ain't A Grinder, But You Know What To Do!

Weekend Steam: There's A Final Time For Everything

This threshing scene was on Pattie's home place twelve years before she came into the World.  She came along in 1924 while the threshing was going on, and she has loved threshing all her life.  She has been a regular attendee at Pinckneyville, Illinois, plus Boonville, Indiana, and Evansville, Indiana threshing shows.  She also attended the little show at Bluford when that was active. 

Pattie went to Pinckeyville in 2015 and had a good day, stomping around the grounds and posing for pictures. 

She got to watch this Advance engine pull a thresher, in addition to seeing tractors, gas engines, and visiting with engine friends.


We went again in 2016, but our time was limited.  Pattie couldn't get around on her feet, but we did some visiting and looked at tractors and gas engines.  That was her last trip to an engine show, and we suspected it that day.  She had a good time, though.

Get out and do those things you like while you are able to do them.  Life is short and you have to live it while you have it.

Illinois Concealed Carry Permit Renewal!

Did you get your Illinois Concealed Carry Permit in 2016 when they became available?  If so, now is the time to prepare for renewing that permit.  A refresher class must be taken before you can renew.  Here is info for folks in Southern Illinois, especially those near White County.

                                                                Click On Pic To Enlarge.

Ruger's Auction To Benefit The Light Foundation

Ruger is offering a rare treat this week, and it does not seem to be exciting the collectible crowd!  This is a Ruger Magnum Rifle in .375 H& H Magnum, shipped in 1991 to a distributor and returned from a retailer in 1996 for unknown reasons.  Study the images on Ruger's website and you will see that there is very little shop wear; just a few very minor dents in the left side of the stock. With this rifle you can do it all.  Load it down a bit for whitetails, or go full power for moose, musk ox, grizzlies, Cape buffalo; whatever!  It comes with flip up express sights for those close shots on dangerous game, but will take care of less dangerous game, too.  This rifle is a classic so don't miss out.  Click Here to read the full description and to place your bid.  $1431.06

Tuesday Torque: 5 HP Bessemer Oilfield Engine

This size is exceedingly rare.  This one sat outdoors for many years and the iron shows the effects of weather.  It sure runs sweet now.  This is a two-stroke engine, with the back side of the piston pumping in fuel and air, then pushing the mix to the top side of the piston.  The piston rod is connected to a crosshead; just like on the steam engines of the day.  The connecting rod connects from the crosshead to the crankshaft.

Feed My Chickens

Back To The Old Grind!

Ride The Rails!

Boy oh Boy can Merle spot them.  Here are a couple of good videos to give you ideas.






Thanks for finding these, Merle!

Songs We Like For Our Anniversary

You can win a girl with this one!












Be very careful about singing Dancing In The Moonlight to a girl. You could end up married!

The Number Is 43

Yard Deer; Pet Deer?

He is a friendly little guy.  He watched me from less than 50 yards today while I shot pictures and he grazed.   He is not even afraid of the dogs when they bark.  I don't know whether to build a relationship or to make him fear humans.  I really do enjoy seeing him every day.

Ruger's Auction To Benefit The Light Foundation

Ruger is offering a rare one this week, and the bids reflect that, but do check it out and read the description.  This is a 1992 Ruger Ranch Rifle in .222 Remington, rather than the common .223 version.  This rifle was not in the catalog and it is New-In-Box.

This little rifle is the stainless version, and it comes with a set of 1" rings so you can mount a scope.  This rare beauty will sell mid-day, July 11, 2018.  CLICK HERE to read the entire description and to place your bid. $2425.01

Tuesday Torque: Evans Oilfield Engine

This smooth running engine was on display at the Evansville SIAM Show in June, 2018.

Lookin' For Work

Back To The Old Grind!

White County Farm Bureau Youth Shoot, Saturday, July 14, 2018

The annual steel shoot sponsored by the White County Farm Bureau is next weekend.  Here is a video of a bit of the action at last year's event.

Details

The Young Leader Committee of the White County Farm Bureau is pleased to sponsor the 8th Annual Young Leader Pistol Shoot. The event will be held on Saturday, July 14, 2018, at the Carmi Rifle Club in Carmi, IL. This year’s event will feature two competitions, a “Speed Steel Competition” and a “Display of Marksmanship”. Event registration begins at 8:30 am, with competition set to begin at 9:00 am.

There are two competitions in this event…
SPEED STEEL COMPETITION
This steel target competition will consist of 5 stations, 5 relays, with 5 targets at each station (minimum of 125 shots). Each round will be electronically timed. The event will include two age classes… an adult class, and a youth class for shooters aged 16 years and younger.
DISPLAY OF MARKSMANSHIP
The marksmanship competition will be the best of 10 shots at a distant target of 50 feet; with accuracy the deciding factor, not speed. All shooters will compete in one class for the Marksmanship Competition.

* The minimum age for shooters is 12 years old. Any shooter age 16 and younger must be accompanied by an adult.

Each shooter will be put in a drawing for a Ruger Mark IV .22 target pistol. The pistol was donated by The Gun Room at Indian Creek RV in Norris City. The top shooter in each class (adult and youth) for each competition will receive an additional 5 chances in the drawing; the 2nd place shooter in each class will receive an additional 3 chances, and the 3rd place shooter in each class will receive one additional chance. The top shooter in each event will also receive a brick of .22 ammunition (one winner for speed, one winner for marksmanship).

Shooters will need to furnish their own guns, ammunition, hearing protection, and eye protection. Only .22 caliber pistols are allowed to be used in this competition. In order to have ammunition ready while competing, it is recommended that you bring multiple clips for your gun. A small amount of .22 ammunition will be available for sale at our cost.

Registration is $25 per shooter if registered before July 1. After July 1, registration will be $35 per shooter. Registration includes lunch (those attending but not shooting will need to pay $8 for lunch). We hope to see you at this year’s Young Leader Pistol Shoot event!

Link

Yard Deer

There is a pretty young buck hanging around the yard and garden this summer.  He likes to eat daylilies, and that is OK, since we have an abundance of them.  The dogs bark at him, but it bothers us more than it bothers the deer.

I whacked a hackberry this afternoon that was the wrong tree in the wrong place, and our little friend was out there sampling the leaves.  Evidently they taste funny.

Weekend Steam: Chehalis, Washington, 2-8-2 Mikado

I really like the videos that show preparation before the engine is working.  There are lots of little details to enjoy.  Merle sent me several this week, and this is my pick.  Thanks, Merle!

Is That A Good Luck Charm In Your Pocket,

or a disaster waiting to happen?  Is your .380 going to throw lead when you need it to do so, or is it going to choke on pocket lint?  We had company over the weekend, and I asked the husband if he had cleaned and lubed his pocket pistol lately.  Nope!  I said, "Give it to me and I will take care of it for you."  I guessed it would be worthy of photos and I was not disappointed.  Lint on the trigger, lint stuck to the side of the magazine and inside, too.

The barrel was fuzzy.  It definitely needed to be disassembled.

The slide catch and the hammer were both loaded up with lint, and also the mag well.

The underside of the slide was also covered in lint and a bit of powder residue.  So, we know this pistol has been fired and put back in its holster dirty after the last range trip.  I cleaned up all the dirt and lint and then lubed the little LCP II properly, even using my special blend of grease on the rails so the lube doesn't run away. 

Our carry guns are not magical talismans.  They are tools and you should attend to them on a regular basis.  Guns have reciprocating and revolving parts that need to be oiled or greased to run properly, in spite of the torture tests that gunwriters love to do.  Pockets, pocket holsters, and lint all wick away oil.  The gun you lubed two months ago is probably dry by now.  The need to clean and lube is double for little pocket guns like the LCP and LCP II.  They are light, and require a firm grip to operate properly.  If you do not keep them in top operating condition, they are likely to fail you when you need them most.  You also need to practice with these little guys regularly, and make sure your grip is up to snuff so you can empty entire magazines without getting stovepipes.

Just in case you haven't read it, Grant Cunningham's article on lubrication is linked on the left side of this blog in the forum and reference section.  Also Here.  Be serious about your ability to defend yourself.  Criminals think about their work all the time.  We should do the same for our safety.

Ruger's Auction To Benefit The Light Foundation

Ruger has a nice one for you this week, and the collectors may stay away for this one so you can get a good deal.  It is a P89 from 1994 in 9mm and with a decocker.  It is new-in-box, so you will be getting a new gun!  It comes with a 15 round magazine in the original box.  This fine pistol will sell mid-day, Wednesday, July 4, 2018.  Click Here to read the description and to place your bid. $515.02

Tuesday Torque: Collis; A Rare Breed Ahead Of Its Time

The Collis engine came along in the early 1920's when other manufacturers were stuck on heavy, simple engines, mostly with hit-and-miss governors.  This type of power plant was meant to be used for powering a grain binder, orchard sprayer, or similar tasks.  The radiator is in the flywheel, and that may be what killed it off.  It was just a little too far out for most farmers at the time.  The valves are operated by a single rocker arm, which our friend Gary Bahre reports is difficult to set up correctly without an instruction manual.  He did alright, though.  I picked up the Collis at an auction because of a tip from an engine friend back in the 1980s.  Turns out he was a friend of Gary's, too, before we knew each other.  I wish he was still around to see this baby run.  I had the valves ground and put it away after I got it, and Gary rescued it from our garage.  He will be showing it at Boonville, Missouri this summer. Video by Gary Bahre.

No Pension, No SS

Getting it done at 104.  Back To The Old Grind!