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31

'round the pot-bellied stove / Western Ohio Update

« on: November 08, 2015, 01:20:42 PM »

Gene,

My condolences on the passing of your brother Edsel.  Does not sound like he let psychical difficulties hold him back.  

On another subject, I frequently look for some pictures of the new shop floor but have not found them.  Hope it turned out well.

Ralph,

 The truck looks as stately in a little snow as it does in bright sunshine.  A lot of resemblance to the '51 Ford  3/4 ton I used to use to haul corn ensilage  to the barn when I worked on the dairy farm. My Father had a '47 Ford for a number of years during my kidhood.  That one ended up belonging to my older brother and moved to Arizona with him in about 1962.  Carried all of his belongings.


This past week was a weather bonus for us.  Broke high temp. records three days in a row and tied the record on the fourth day.  Tons of sunshine with mid 70's F.  Just perfect weather to take a trip or get outdoor chores done before winter. The bad news my leg and hip have been too mean to use a lot and my wife  has been sick so I mostly needed to stay in with her.  It sure can be a frustration to see the last  few summer like days passing me by but great to spend the little time I could out there.  

Dean,

It has not been a good week for my cat population. Lost two to traffic in the road, one being the Momma on the three little yellow kittens and just of very loving kitty.  Never saw her go in the road and did not find her there but she was only about 20 feet away and I am assuming.  The other was a big longhair grey tiger with four white boots and a white chest, born last May 15.  He two was a nice friendly cat.  The ones that eat my food but won't come near me survive.  Humph!

Charlie

32

'round the pot-bellied stove / Western Ohio Update

« on: October 20, 2015, 10:03:10 PM »

The way these critters keep multiplying makes me wish they were beef cattle.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]928[/ATTACH]

33

'round the pot-bellied stove / Western Ohio Update

« on: October 16, 2015, 06:38:36 PM »

Good for you for passing your duct exam, Gene.  So glad to hear that all was clear.  I think I mentioned previously that I had a golf ball size stone removed from my common duct back in '78.  I was in the hospital two weeks for that surgery and do not want to do it again.

Good luck to you on the concrete pour.  Any heating and such in the floor, or just floor.??

Charlie V.

34

'round the pot-bellied stove / Western Ohio Update

« on: October 10, 2015, 02:31:17 PM »

Seems everybody must be working hard and keeping quiet.  I hope by now Ralph has all of his wheat in the bins and the flax too for that matter.  But then again if the rain hasn't let up, well....maybe not.  Between hauling produce for the neighbors and finishing the new shop, no telling where Gene is at.  

We had 2 1/2 inches of rain about a week ago. The ground seemed to take that pretty well.  Most of the ponding went away fairly soon.  Then yesterday, starting in the early morning hours rain moved in and dropped nearly 1 1/2 inches more.  We are still not flooded but it seems to me the soil has about all of the water it wants to hold.

In years of normal rainfall I expect to see cattails growing out back in my water hole / marsh area.  With all the rain this year the darn things have even showed up in my flower bed.

Picture below!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]917[/ATTACH]

There you have it.

Charlie

35

'round the pot-bellied stove / Western Ohio Update

« on: September 19, 2015, 10:08:40 PM »

Hi Guys.

Bringing this conversation back up for an update.  Had been doing some reading on the net and watched a u tube or two on filling tires with foam.  Ordered some cans of silicone foam on the net in case I decided to go that way.  Silicone is a closed cell foam that will not absorb water.  Great Stuff is open cell.  Long story shorter, took the nasty tire off the mower yesterday and ran water on it .  Could not fine the leak so got a pan and dunked the tire.  Still no leak.  Something wrong here because it goes flat fast enough.  Then I found the tire had already lost it's air, so no leak.  Pumped it up again.  Still no leak showing.  Well dang. Out of air again.  Leaking fast enough to go flat between the garage (air hose) and side of the house (water pan).  Pumped it up again  a little extra hard and hustled to the water.  As I expected, air was blowing right out an age crack in the sidewall.  

Now that I know this tire is a dead duck, nothing to loose by trying the foam so that I did.  Nothing hard about that except knowing how much foam to put in.  The brand I have expands 200 to 300% from what is applied.  I took the approach of putting in some, then waiting a couple minutes before squirting in more.  Put in a whole can that way and waited a little.  Nothing expanding out the valve stem so put in some of a second can.  The stuff started expanding out the valve stem (core removed) pretty fluently so I put the valve cap on.  When I pulled the tube from the fill hole I had drilled, foam started gushing from there.  I put my thumb over the hole and pondered what next.  There laid a stick of wood (small branch) about 15 inches long that looked about the correct diameter. Broke the end of the stick off clean (one handed) and stick it in the hole in the tire.  Perfect.  Just enough interference to hold it in.  Nothing like being prepared for a job........................and a little lucky.  What now???  Will that stuff expand enough to blow the tire?  Well, I let out a little more foam then re-plugged the hole with my lucky stick.  From there on I just moved the tire out of the hot sun and waited it out.

The whole deal was a bit of an adventure but the foam seemed to set ok and I have a nice hard tire as it should be.  Is it set to the core? or will it set to the core of the contents?  I do not know.  Not sure if contact with air is needed to trigger setting or if the expansion is the trigger.  Anyhow, I put the wheel back on the mower last night but left it on the jack.  I will give it a few days extra setting time before letting weight on the tire.  Do not want it to develop a flat spot.  Mower rides bad enough now.  

It has been an interesting project and a learning experience.  If it works out, I will have a reclaimed tire for not much over five bucks.  A little less if I hadn't overfilled the thing.  Will keep the forum posted.

Charlie V.

Not sure if anyone is out there or not, but just in case, more follow up.

The tire fix worked, sort of.  After letting it cure for a time, I mowed the lawn.  The tire stayed hard and all was well.  Then a few days later, after sitting in HOT sun,  it was soft.  Not flat, but soft.  Checked it out to find quite a bit of empty space inside the tire.  Opened up the valve stem with a small drill bit and refilled it with the remainder of the partially used can of foam that was left over.  That was enough to again expand out the stem and my drilled fill hole in the sidewall.  Let the thing cure again for a day or three before mowing.  Have now mowed once or twice and the tire is still like a rock.  Is this the end of the story or will there be more episodes??  Only time will tell.

Charlie

36

'round the pot-bellied stove / Western Ohio Update

« on: September 02, 2015, 11:31:35 PM »

Ralph, your Chevy 2 looks real happy sitting in line by that rat rod pickup.  Nice line  up.

No, did not try slime.  I have not tested this tire in water but the sidewall is pretty seriously age cracked.  I suspect that is where it leaks.  From what I read on the Slime label it is not effective for sidewall leaks.  The sealant has to come in contact with the leak as the tire rotates so that pretty much limits it's use to the tread area. Have you used slime??  I will most likely buy a new tire on the net for twenty some dollars.  Those small tires can be a bear to change buy hand, but I have done it on others. I am tempted by a solid rubber tire all mounted on wheel but that is 80 some dollars. Will I ever get that much use on a now 12 year old machine???  But then, just install the new wheel.  No tire changing.  Decisions, decisions.  I spend the money like it was my own.  Well,actually it is.  Bah Humbug.

Charlie

Hi Guys.

Bringing this conversation back up for an update.  Had been doing some reading on the net and watched a u tube or two on filling tires with foam.  Ordered some cans of silicone foam on the net in case I decided to go that way.  Silicone is a closed cell foam that will not absorb water.  Great Stuff is open cell.  Long story shorter, took the nasty tire off the mower yesterday and ran water on it .  Could not fine the leak so got a pan and dunked the tire.  Still no leak.  Something wrong here because it goes flat fast enough.  Then I found the tire had already lost it's air, so no leak.  Pumped it up again.  Still no leak showing.  Well dang. Out of air again.  Leaking fast enough to go flat between the garage (air hose) and side of the house (water pan).  Pumped it up again  a little extra hard and hustled to the water.  As I expected, air was blowing right out an age crack in the sidewall.  

Now that I know this tire is a dead duck, nothing to loose by trying the foam so that I did.  Nothing hard about that except knowing how much foam to put in.  The brand I have expands 200 to 300% from what is applied.  I took the approach of putting in some, then waiting a couple minutes before squirting in more.  Put in a whole can that way and waited a little.  Nothing expanding out the valve stem so put in some of a second can.  The stuff started expanding out the valve stem (core removed) pretty fluently so I put the valve cap on.  When I pulled the tube from the fill hole I had drilled, foam started gushing from there.  I put my thumb over the hole and pondered what next.  There laid a stick of wood (small branch) about 15 inches long that looked about the correct diameter. Broke the end of the stick off clean (one handed) and stick it in the hole in the tire.  Perfect.  Just enough interference to hold it in.  Nothing like being prepared for a job........................and a little lucky.  What now???  Will that stuff expand enough to blow the tire?  Well, I let out a little more foam then re-plugged the hole with my lucky stick.  From there on I just moved the tire out of the hot sun and waited it out.

The whole deal was a bit of an adventure but the foam seemed to set ok and I have a nice hard tire as it should be.  Is it set to the core? or will it set to the core of the contents?  I do not know.  Not sure if contact with air is needed to trigger setting or if the expansion is the trigger.  Anyhow, I put the wheel back on the mower last night but left it on the jack.  I will give it a few days extra setting time before letting weight on the tire.  Do not want it to develop a flat spot.  Mower rides bad enough now.  

It has been an interesting project and a learning experience.  If it works out, I will have a reclaimed tire for not much over five bucks.  A little less if I hadn't overfilled the thing.  Will keep the forum posted.

Charlie V.

37

'round the pot-bellied stove / Western Ohio Update

« on: August 19, 2015, 10:51:52 PM »

Very sorry about the liver spot, Gene.  Hope all turns out well with that.  I hope your liver invasion was not like the direct liver injection I had one time.  I  had a golf ball size cholesterol stone in my common duct for two years but no one could find it. I sure was a sick puppy. Ate a lot of jam sandwiches because I could not eat much else.  Being cholesterol it was no show to x ray.  Finally with a direct liver injection to get the effervescent or whatever it is called (dye) to the stone a half moon image was seen on x ray.  That proved I did not have the ulcer that some said was there but it could not be found either.  One Dr. even said I had nothing wrong but nerves.  I wished I could have fed that guy that stone with a 12 gauge.  Back to the subject, the liver injection was not a good time at all.

Get recovered quick and get back to the show.

Charlie

38

'round the pot-bellied stove / Western Ohio Update

« on: August 19, 2015, 11:07:20 AM »

Dean. that SM just seems to improve with age.  You must be feeding it the right stuff.  I think I see all new red on the outbuilding roofs.  Your work is really starting to show on your property.

I can't tell from here if Gene is out working on the new shop, but maybe???

I have pretty well been hiding from the 91 degree heat.  

Charlie

39

'round the pot-bellied stove / Western Ohio Update

« on: August 14, 2015, 11:09:02 PM »

Ralph, your Chevy 2 looks real happy sitting in line by that rat rod pickup.  Nice line  up.

No, did not try slime.  I have not tested this tire in water but the sidewall is pretty seriously age cracked.  I suspect that is where it leaks.  From what I read on the Slime label it is not effective for sidewall leaks.  The sealant has to come in contact with the leak as the tire rotates so that pretty much limits it's use to the tread area. Have you used slime??  I will most likely buy a new tire on the net for twenty some dollars.  Those small tires can be a bear to change buy hand, but I have done it on others. I am tempted by a solid rubber tire all mounted on wheel but that is 80 some dollars. Will I ever get that much use on a now 12 year old machine???  But then, just install the new wheel.  No tire changing.  Decisions, decisions.  I spend the money like it was my own.  Well,actually it is.  Bah Humbug.

Charlie

40

'round the pot-bellied stove / Western Ohio Update

« on: August 11, 2015, 11:08:24 PM »

Guess I have been hiding out lately.  Just tired and working to keep up with daily needs and not much more.  A few odd jobs done like change the oil in the zero turn and sharpen the blades.  Now I need to buy a new front tire as one goes flat about every 20 minutes.  Not so good for the level cut when one side of the deck drops an inch.  Kept bust today selling water puddles.  Yesterday pm and last night gave us 4.75 inches of new rain.  We did have nearly a week of good weather prior to that.  Not much wheat left standing now.  Combines worked hard the last two weeks.  See some great corn and some fields with up and down spots from the record wet June.  Most bean fields around here looking pretty nice.  

Worked hard a week ago Sunday with a couple of young fellas who decided they wanted to buy a 1966 Impala that I had hidden out back.  We cut some trees and a pile of grape vines out of the way to get access to the car.  They wanted to hear it turn over so hooked my jumper pack on and it turned fine.  Just a 283 cid.  Then they wanted to hear it fire.  Gas tank straps were rusted away and dropped the tank so we primed it and nothing.  No spark.  They wanted to go buy a new coil but I suggested the points were probably corroded.  These young guys had never seen ignition points and did not know where they were.  I gave them a free lesson on what a distributor is and how to file points and put them back in.  Gave the carb another prime and it fired right up for a few seconds.  

The car was totally blocked in front and rear so I loaned a 4x8 sheet of 3/4 inch plywood, two floor jacks and two air tanks so the tires could be pumped up, (three actually held air) then the back end jacked up and rolled sideways.  Then we hooked a chain from the 340 and tried to pull it out of there.  I dug a whole lot of holes in my gravel and crushed stone with the back tires.  Car would not move very much at all.  Turned out the brakes are rusted solid so the wheels will not turn.

Buy then darkness was not far off.  One of the guys had been on the phone much of the day trying to find a ride 35 or 40 miles for the car to their location.  He had no success with that.  In the end, between no ride for the car and the wheels being locked they asked to undo the deal but would leave me some $$$ for the work they caused.  I learned their plan was to enter that car in a demo derby this week so they could not wait until this last weekend and come back to work more on the move.  

They seemed like decent young men so I went along with their new deal.  I did gain a few $$$ and their free labor in digging the old Chev. out of the wilderness, not that that was on my bucket list right now.  Actually my plan for that beautiful day was to take the Mrs. and go for a long ride to who knows where.  This is the second time over the years I have sold that car but it still lives here.  I guess it just wants to stay.  Then too, I am glad it did not meet a sad end in a demo derby.  Not a good way for a 49 year old car to go out.

Charlie

41

ATIS General Tractor Discussion / Plowing Pic

« on: June 27, 2015, 10:57:11 PM »

Thanks for these posts, John and Gene.  They made a visit to this forum a rewarding experience tonight.

Charlie

42

'round the pot-bellied stove / Western Ohio Update

« on: June 23, 2015, 11:05:51 AM »

Wet, wet, and wetter here in WNY.  Thank you for thinking of me, Gene.  I am just sort of struggling along here.  Keeping the house going but not much out of doors.  You are by far the high water champion here on the forum, but at least half of my ground has standing water on the surface most of the time.  Just have to wait for a small window to mow a bit of grass here or there.  Managed to do a good part of it last evening without messing up too much mud.  Had to leave half of what I call my back lot due to standing water there.  Knew more storms were expected during last night so did what I could.  A storm came through around 5 AM and dropped another 4/10 of an inch.  Some of the storms earlier on last week dropped 2 inches in 45 minutes.  Clay soil does not take that well.  The corn I see varies from just sprouted to knee high.  Wheat and oats are looking great with some yellowing on the wheat.  Hope it dries enough to get combines in the fields by about third week in July.  The fact that much acreage has underground drainage these days has to be a super benefit at times like this.  Those installations were money well spent.  Some towns in the area that are not set up to handle rains this heavy have had serious flood damage.  Luckily, not ours, but the falls downtown spend a lot of time raging like spring flood time.

I saw Ralph's new video blowing flax seed into some pretty wet soil.  Hope the weather cooperates to make it grow well.  Good luck to Gene for getting weather to finish the shop.  The worm has to turn at some point.  Dean must be in the chosen spot and enjoying himself.  That is good and a sign that he lives right.  

As for me, I went back to using my two canes wow or three days during the last two weeks.  Took a while to remember where they wee stored away but I found them.  This wet weather and inactivity doesn't do my body and favors.  If anyone ever tells you that hip replacement takes away all the pain, as I was told many times, tell them I said they are full of mud or something like that.

Charlie

43

'round the pot-bellied stove / Western Ohio Update

« on: May 25, 2015, 12:17:15 PM »

MEMORIAL DAY, 2015.  Wishing a pleasant day to all.  Dean, congratulations on your marriage.  May you and Tracy enjoy this day and many Memorial days to come.

Charlie

44

'round the pot-bellied stove / Western Ohio Update

« on: May 18, 2015, 10:56:21 AM »

Well Ralph, how did you make out with the freeze last night.  Hope you did not loose too much.  We were down to 34 a few nights ago.  In spite of frost warnings I only saw frost out in open areas of lawn away from the house.  I had some concern for some Hostas that I set out late last summer because they are coming so good.  No problem.  However, last night at 60 degrees the lousy deer ate all of the leaves from some of them.  If it aint one thing it is another.

Charlie

45

'round the pot-bellied stove / Western Ohio Update

« on: May 10, 2015, 11:09:37 AM »

Sad to say, the bottom part of the wheels rusted off the old dump rake I used to ride as a kid, Ralph.  They keep your feet and one arm busy when pulled with a tractor instead of a horse even if no lines are involved.  This is the side delivery rake Dad bought to replace the old dump rake.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]873[/ATTACH]

Here is a peek at my lawn rollong.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]874[/ATTACH]


Weather has been a little warm here for a few days.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]875[/ATTACH]

Pushes the blossoms out overnight.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]876[/ATTACH]

Charlie