School...as I see it.....

As anyone in this house can tell you, I'm enjoying the machine shop. When I was taking welding, it was not often that I was home past 9pm. Now I don't darken the door until around 10:30 on school nights. I've already finished my class projects for this quarter, so now I'm working on some of my own, plus helping out the other guy in the class who is behind. I was told Monday that I've been inducted into the Tech. School Honor Society, which is cool, though I don't really know what it really does for me. Just something else to put on my "I love me" wall if anything.

I've been sparing my faithful readers from pictures that I know only my dad can appreciate, but I thought I'd post some here to show where I spend every Monday and Wednesday night.

Now for the dad stuff...what I was doing here was making the lower pin bushings for the quick hitch. Tractor Supply wants $22 a pair for the shouldered bushings,  and these didn't cost me anything but time. I didn't need the shoulder on them because they will be captured on either side. I also made a set for the tiller as I've been using a cheapo set of category 1 to 2 bushings slid inside a 2-3 bushing. For whatever reason, the bottom slots on the quick hitch are cat. 3 size, and the top link slot is cat. 2. I ran out of time tonight so I didn't get my top link bushing done, but I did use that big bandsaw to cut out my "lift ears" that will be going on the carriage. They did tell me I can come in with the day shift and work if I have time...they should never have told me that!

Thanksgiving...more gooder.

Ok, this was a pretty damn good holiday. The girls woke us up early, which pissed Deb off but worked out good for me. Who wants to waste such a nice day in bed? I spent most of the day out in the yard and in the shop. I got the deck off the big(?) John Deere and put the weights back on it. Then used the boom pole to move a few things around for winter. Most of the afternoon was spent with both of my two grinders and a sledge hamer deconstructing a fork lift carriage that will be rebuilt as a tractor attachment. A good time was had by all (me). I do wish I had a photographer following me so dad could see the current projects.

The girls started showing back up at around 4:30 for a great feed at 5. I'm still stuffed. Back to the diet tomorrow though.

The pictures are just random from the past couple days, but they are worth looking at just for the freek show picture.

Newest family member.

Here is the latest member of the clan, Morgan. She hit the scales at 5 lb., 9 oz. but is healthy even at that light weight. I'll have some better pictures when Deb gets home with the camera later tonight. Speaking of which, this digital camera thing is getting out of hand. I'll put it this way, I've got pictures of this kid before she was all the way out! Good Lord. Anyway, she was born at around 3:30 yesterday afternoon, and Lany was up walking around last night! I guess there is something to be said for lightweight babies. So far the kid doesn't make much noise, though I was able to get a little half hearted yell out of her this afternoon. I swear she is already focusing on things, but she may be tricking me. They are both heading home tomorrow.

Banner ad...big friggin' deal.

No, I didn't leave because of the horrible banner ad, I'm just on my normal once-every-week-and-a-half update schedule. For the life of me, I don't see what the hell the big deal is about the banner ad. Thinking about it, I can't think of even one of my normally visited web sites that don't have a banner ad or two on them. Maybe I'm conditioned to not notice them any longer. And, when it comes down to it, only my family and friends read this stupid thing anyway, so I'm not to worried about them bailng on me due to the ads. Hey, it could be worse....yahoo used to make you see the ad before you could read the post! Now that WAS irritating, so much so that they have since quit that ignorance.

I'll have another completed project picture for dad tonight.

Have a nice day!

In praise of gifted tools.

 

That was an odd ball title I guess.

Today was a normal Saturday for me. Nothing earth shattering or exciting at all really. Just Lyndsay and I tearing up junk in the back yard. The project of the day was cutting the mounting hardware for a front loader off of an old tractor. I've been putting that off for a LONG time...it's not exactly as glamorous as fabricating some great new gadget, or painting something up. But, money is tight and I'll take my projects as I can find them. Anyway, for some reason in the midst of this one, I looked around and found there were as many tools around me that had been given to me, as ones that I'd bought myself.

I started grinding the welds out with a 4.5" angle grinder that Deb got for me. I'd have bought a Dewalt, so when she brought home a Black & Decker, I really didn't think it would last long. Well, so far that damn thing has taken all the abuse I have thrown at it.

The life saver today was a very old heavy 7" angle grinder that dad handed down to me. The little B&D was just not big enough for this job, and was not making progress at the required rate....the old monster got the job done quick.

I did the tight spots with a die-grinder given to my by my friend Jerry from Columbus. It is Deb's x-husbands x-wife's dad (no kidding). I also did a bit of clean-up grinding with a bench grinder he gave me as well.

Of course the impact wrench used was the bad-assed composite body Ingersoll Greg gave me. I've for another one that has a bit more power (from dad), but usually this light little gun gets the job done.

When I cleaned up for the day I headed straight for the Shop-Vac brother in law Kevin gave me on the last trip. I never realized how much I needed one of these until I got this one home. It is hands down the one thing that gets used every time I'm in the shed. I'd probably have put off buying one forever, but now I don't know how I lived without it.

Anyway, here's to the folks that hand me down tools. I wouldn't get half as much done without this stuff.

Last mowing of the season????

Well, maybe I've mowed the lawn for the last time this year. Of course, it was 80, and it did rain a little this morning. I guess I won't start counting my chickens yet. But I'm sure ready to be done mowing!

My Saturday.

I spent the day in Albany, GA at a garden tractor pull put on for their annual fair. I was a good turn out with lots of tractors. I just loaded every picture I had, so good luck.

I was as near perfect weather today as I've ever seen. Because I went alone, I was able to finally listen to the new Disturbed CD at a proper volume level with the windows down running 75mph for the hour and a half drive home. Quite a nice day.

Machinist class picture for dad.

Here is some of the stuff made in class so far. The bottom two are from last quarter, and were made with only a hacksaw and file. The top one is from the lathe class I'm in now. From top to bottom: "test bar" for testing holes in something, I don't know what, "drill drift" for removing jacobs chuck from milling machines, and "tool bit gauge" for checking the angles as you grind a tool bit.