Iron Skillet Rehab

Susan is needing another iron skillet in the kitchen, so she sorted through some we had stashed in an outbuilding and found one she liked. It was dirty and rusty. She washed it, but it was still mighty nasty. I put some good white oak pieces in the stove, put the skillet on them when they had charcoaled up nice, and opened the draft.

The rust crumbled up nice and the stink was gone after the coals were burned down. I started washing and was amazed by the dark rust that came off. 

 

I finished up with a stainless mail scrubber. It looks like a good one. 

 Seasoned with beef tallow and ready to go to work. We will have to post pictures of food next!

Brassman Bart: Gladiator March

Tuesday Torque: Wheel Horse Re-Works

 Wheel Horses should get more of these conversions. They have a heavy duty trans-axle and a good frame. We used a  Wheel Horse for many years to mow our lawn, and now I sorta wish I had kept if for a retirement project. Oh Well. The first one is a Bradford engine, and the second one is an IHC. 

A Double For Monday!

Susan and I were in Mt. Vernon and whipped into this filling station to have a gander at this neat setup. The guy with the beard had just acquired these two Fairbanks-Morse engines and two grinders on a nifty wagon. These were in an estate auction near Louisville on the Indiana side of the Ohio. He's ready to get Back To The Old Grind!

 

Weekend Steam II: Pomona, California

 Thanks for the museum visit, Merle. We are getting better at traveling vicariously!  I figure I will never get to California again, so this is a nice little trip.

"Steam engines on public display in Pomona, CA. These giants are among the last surviving examples of their kind. The bell and whistle in the Santa Fe 4-6-4 Hudson are operable. Some of the engines on display have working bells/whistles, which are all fed by a large air compressor at the station."

Weekend Steam: Steaming Up The 7 1/4 Inch Feldbahn

 This video is a whole lotta fun, from rolling out the little tank engine to backing into the shed after a fine outing.  Many Thanks to Merle for finding this one!

Quick Method Of Taking Down A Springpole

 Wood floating up in the air isn't really a trick. The trick is getting it down, and if it is in a place where there are people, you must bring it down. In this instance, the top of a tree we cut was being held up by an understory black walnut, and that tree was made into a springpole by the weight of the wood it was holding. Springpoles and extreme leaners need to be cut in special ways so they don't break and smack you in the face, so I did a face cut, a vertical bore cut to establish the hinge, (The walnut was too small in diameter for a conventional bore cut.) and a release cut. Chainsaw trainers will teach you to repeatedly shave the compressed side of a springpole, and that is fine on sapling size trees, but when they become large saplings or bigger, shaving and nicking can become very tiresome, and fatiguing your arms while running a saw is a bad thing. I have been using this vertical bore cut method of dealing with springpoles for several years now, and it works for me every time. On small diameter trees like this little walnut, as you punch through, the tree will settle a bit and pull your rpms down a bit on the saw. Be ready for that, keep it wide open, and pull back a bit, then finish. Pull out and sever the backstrap.

Dope Out The Compression And Tension When You Buck

 You need to evaluate downed trees and limbs before making your bucking cuts and figure out which side is under compression and which side is under tension. A stem that is suspended on both ends is easy to dope out, and with no side pressure, this is an easy job.

More Fun With Fire!

 Back in 2017 we had this tree taken down with a backhoe because it was hollow and leaned severely. We worked up the easy parts for firewood and the big old hulk was just lying on the north side of they yard looking ugly. We will be cleaning up the remains for several days and then till and seed this spot. 

A Couple Of Simple Drops

 Here are a couple of simple pole sized trees to drop. If you thin your timber you will be cutting many trees of this size. They are great to work up into firewood, and just need to pass through your splitter one time. Evaluate where the tree wants to go by its lean and weight, and aim it that direction with your open face. Bore it to make the back of your hinge, and then cut out through the backstrap. Remember to escape from the stump as soon as you finish your release cut.

Brassman Bart: The Spring Maid

Fun With Fire!

 Susan and I burned off the dam on our pond today. We have to burn it every few years to discourage trees from growing on it, and it went quite well today, with a southwest wind of 10 to 15 miles per hour to help it burn and to move the smoke. It wasn't quite as hot as we would like, but we can use herbicide to kill off the trees that did not get burned. We don't get up and go to work; we are surrounded by it!

Tuesday Torque: Chris Epping Shows Off A 3 HP Victor Vapor Engine

This engine will have you scratching your head! I will need to watch it a few more times before I can comment with an intelligent question!

Good Comparative Info From Who_Tee_Who; .22 LR HP vs. .380 ACP HP

 Who_Tee_Who is a regular guy who is making videos regularly for his YouTube channel. He has been doing many of these videos with clay blocks instead of the ballistic gel that other channels use, and I really like seeing the results. This is gonna be a real fun video!

Finally, Some Spring Weather!

We had several wet, cold days but the weekend was good, and Monday is going to be nice. We are enjoying the flowers. 

 It is nice not having to bug out in the morning and go to work five days a week, but on the other hand, we are surrounded by work!  Back To The Old Grind!

Weekend Steam II: Abandoned Narrow Gauge Railway in Flintshire Wales, UK

 This is an interesting place to visit. One of the commenters did some research and this was evidently a railway used in lead mining, and finally to move munitions in an ammo dump during World War II.  Click the video over to YouTube so you can read all about it. I love seeing old iron, and since retiring four years ago I am not seeing things in the wild like I did. Thanks for another great pick, Merle!

A Little Heartbreak This Week

 January didn't seem too bad, but February was a beast, with an extended cold spell with snow. We had seen bluebirds show up too early, and thirteen of them huddled up in one of our boxes. It was too cold for too long. Dang.

Weekend Steam: Springtime In The Harz

 Ten drivers! Pretty exciting, Merle!  Thank You!

Brassman Bart: When Irish Eyes Are Smiling

 Brother Ben has a special one for this day!

St. Patrick's Day Festival! Danny Boy, Cathy Maguire and John McDermott

 From 500 Best Irish Jokes and Limericks: Kate and Liam were walking along the road in the late evening.

"I'm terrible afraid, Liam," she said.

"And what would you be afraid of at all, at all?"

"I'm afraid that you might be going to kiss me."

"And how could I kiss you and me carrying two buckets and a hen under each arm."

"I was afraid that you might put a hen under each bucket and then kiss me."

St. Patrick's Day Festival! Garyowen, Bobby Horton, Homespun Songs of the Union Army

 From 500 Best Irish Jokes and Limericks: Phelan was burying his third wife but O'Donnell, his neighbour on the next farm, wouldn't go to the funeral.

"And why won't you?" asked Mrs. O'Donnell impatiently.

"Well, to tell you the truth I feel ashamed. He's asked me so often, and I've never asked him back once!"

Tuesday Torque: McDonald Imperial Diesel Engine From Down Under

 Thanks, Merle for another great pick. This guy has been around engines for a few years, I'd say. His first start after acquiring it, and he made it look easy. Just in case any visitors have never worked on a Lawn Boy mower, after watching this video you will know how air is brought into the crankcase! A couple of our dogs barked, too, when this thing fired up!

St. Patrick's Day Festival! The Sick Note, The Dubliners

 Back To The Old Grind!

St. Patrick's Day Festival! Star Of County Down, Van Morrison And The Chieftains

 Three thugs attacked Slattery and it was a fierce struggle. Finally they got him down and took threee shillings and a half-penny from his pocket. 

"WHat the hell did you put up a fight like that for three shillings and a halfpenny?" asked one of the disgusted hijackers.

"Sure I thought you were after the ten pound note in me sock."

Weekend Steam II: Firing Up And Evaluating The Atlas Automatic Steam Engine

 Thank You for this pick, Merle!

Weekend Steam: Steam Revenue Freight, On The Road To Paradise

 Merle keeps picking 'em and we keep playing them! Thank You, Merle!

St. Patrick's Day Festival! Irish Washerwoman Medley, Don Richardson

Peader woke up in a hospital bed and he knew that he was suffering from more than the normal hangover. Groaning with pain, he turned over to find his faithful friend Terence beside the bed.

"What happened to me, Terence?"

"You went up on the roof of  "The Silver Swan" and bet you could jump off and fly over the city."

"Why didn't you stop me?" groaned Peadar.

"Sure, I had a ten bob bet on you!"

Hmmm...Needs A Blower And A Ceiling Fan!

St. Patrick's Day Festival! The Minstrel Boy, John McDermott

 From 500 Best Irish Jokes and Limericks: Mrs. Redmond went into the confession box and was about to start when she noticed an unfamiliar face behind the shutter.

"You're not Father Donlon. What are you doing there?"

"I'm the french polisher, M'am."

"Well, where is Father Donlon?"

"I couldn't tell you, but if her heard anything like the stories I've been listening to, he's gone for the police!"

St. Patrick's Day Festival! The Rose Of Tralee, Roger Whittaker

 From 500 Best Irish Jokes and Limericks: The Co. Donegal farmer was convinced he'd swallowed a horse and he couldn't be persuaded otherwise. Eventually they got him to a psychiatrist who gave him an injection, put him to sleep and brought a big white gelding to the bedside'

"There yoiu are, Finnegan. I removed the horse."

Finnegan shook his head sadly. "Tis fooling me you are. Sure my horse is a Connemara pony."

St. Patrick's Day Festival Bonus! Brassman Bart Performs Garry Owen!

St. Patrick's Day Festival! When Irish Eyes Are Smiling, John McCormack

 From 500 Best Irish Jokes and Limericks:  Finnegan's phone rang in the small hours of the morning and it was Hourihan who wanted to know the time.

" 'tis four o'clock in the morning."

"Thanks," said Hourihan, 'I hope I didn't disturb you."

"Not a bit of it. Sure I had to get up to answer this phone anyways!"

Tuesday Torque: Hit-and-Miss Rat Rod!

 Merle spots good ones! Thank You, Merle!

St. Patrick's Day Festival! Mother Machree, Tom Waits in Buster Scruggs

 From 500 Best Irish Jokes and Limericks: The American tourist was looking over Phelim's farm. 

"How many acres have you got?" he asked.

"About thirty," Phelim said proudly.

"You know," the American went on, "at home  in Texas it takes me two days to drive around my ranch."

"Poor you," sympathized Phelim. "I had a car like that wanst, but I sold it."

Barn Door, Horses

 It's always something. We had an "event" last week. We had trespassing fishermen, dealt with that, then found later in the day that we had been burglarized. Then we were burglarized again the same day. Were the fishermen the burglars? No proof, but those are mighty big coincidences. Entry was via a clunker pickup truck that came through the road ditch into our property, so now we are putting up fencing to make that harder to do again. Oh Well, or words to that effect.  The truck belongs to the girlfriend of one of those guys. Neither one has a driver's license. One said they came to fish at 2:00, the other said they came at 4:00. Looking at the entry, they had come in twice and left once, so they possibly hauled off loot before they fished. After law enforcement arrived and the fishermen were interviewed they were charged with fishing without permission, fishing without a license, and both received a warning for trespass. We discovered the burglary after law enforcement and the fishermen were gone. 

We needed to block off the ditch where entry was made, so we went out Saturday afternoon to buy fencing supplies, and on our return we interrupted the burglars while they were piling items from the barns to steal. We sorted through those things and took aluminum and copper to a scrap yard, netting 58 bucks. We continued to find more evidence of thieving as we tightened up through the week. It's all very frustrating.

St. Patrick's Day Festival! My Wild Irish Rose, The Irish Tenors

 From 500 Best Irish Jokes and Limericks: A classical Belfast joke tells of a new policeman who found a dead horse in Chichester Street, Belfast.

"How do you spell Chichester?" he asked some of the people around him, but no one knew.

"All right, then. Give me a wee hand to pull the animal into Mary Street."

Weekend Steam II: A Day On The ATT & NW RR

 This fantastic little railroad was over at Steelville, Missouri and was open only for special events and groups. The comments on YouTube relate that the land had to be sold, so I guess that this railroad is no more. Thank You, Merle for spotting this one!

St. Patrick's Day Festival! O'Sullivan's March, The Chieftains

 From 500 Best Irish Jokes and Limericks: They were completely drunk but when they saw the black crepe on the door they decided to go in and show respect for the dead. They tiptoed into a darkened room lit only by two candles on a grand piano.  Heads down, they went over and knelt beside it, said a prayer and tiptoed out again.

As they staggered away Aongus shook his head at Fergus. 

"I'll tell you one thing, Fergus..."

"Whash that?"

"That corpse had the finest set of teeth I ever saw!"

Weekend Steam: Ffestiniog Railway Victorian Weekend, 2018

 This is really a neat video with all these little locos chugging around. Thank You, Merle!

St. Patrick's Day Festival! Finnegan's Wake, The Irish Rovers

 From 500 Best Irish Jokes and Limericks: "How is your son the doctor doing in Dublin, Mrs. Lenihan?" asked the curious neighbor.

"Grand, to tell you the living truth. He's making so much money that he doesn't have to operate on every patient now."

St. Patrick's Day Festival! The Wearing Of The Green, The Wolfe Tones

 From 500 Best Irish Jokes and Limericks: The Irish policeman was doing his best to stop a suicide from jumping off a New York skyscraper.

"Think of your sweetheart," he shouted at the man.

"I haven't go one," came the reply.

"Think of your father and mother," pleaded the cop.

"I'm an orphan," wailed the suicide.

"Think of the saints of Ireland, " begged the cop.

"Why should I? I'm English!"

"Jump, you swine, jump!"

St. Patrick's Day Festival! Molly Malone, Patty Gurdy, With A Hurdy Gurdy!

 From 500 Best Irish Jokes and Limericks: Ferguson the blacksmith came in with a badly damaged foot. The doctor was surprised, for Ferguson was a careful man.

"What happened to you, Paudeen?" he asked.

"Well, thirty-three years ago I was a young apprentice with Twomey of Ballinanaspickbuidhe..."

"But about your foot....?"

"This is about me foot. Twomey had a daughter and your eyes could gaze on her like the way a bullock would eat good grass. The first night I was there she came in when I was in bed and asked if I was comfortable and if I wanted anything and I said I didn't. The next night she came in when I was in bed and she was wearing her nightdress and she asked me if there was any single thing she could get me or do for me and I told her I was as comfortable as a bug in a rug. The next night she came in and the girl hadn't a thing on her and she asked me if she could do anything for me and not wanting to keep her standing in the cold and she without a shift I said there was nothing."

"What has that got to do with your foot, Ferguson?" asked the doctor impatiently.

"Sure it was only this morning that I finally thought of what she meant and I was so annoyed with meself that I threw me hammer against the wall and it rebounded and broke me ankle!"

Brassman Bart: Old Kentucky Home March

St. Patrick's Day Festival! Song For Ireland, Luke Kelly

 From 500 Best Irish Jokes and Limericks: The Judge was stern. "O'Driscoll," he asked, "have you ever been up before me?"

"I don't know, Judge. What time do you usually get up at?"

Tuesday Torque: Beijer 35 HP Hot Tube Engine, Running This Week!

 We're revisiting the Beijer hot tube engine that was rocking for us last week, and watching it run like it was meant to run. Many thanks to Merle for spotting these videos for us!

St. Patrick's Day Festival! Harrigan, James Cagney and Joan Leslie

 Kennedy came along the road to find his friend Finnegan lying in the ditch where he had been thrown by a passing truck. He lay on his back groaning and moaning, the rain was pouring down and lightning was flashing about.

"Kennedy, Kennedy, get me a rabbi! Get me a rabbi"

"Are you mad, Finnegan? Sure you're a Roman Catholic and what would you want a rabbi for?"

The victim opened his eyes reproachfully. "Aw, Kennedy, you wouldn't think of asking a priest to come out on a night like this!"