Tinkering!

[Anna]

I think I got this from my Dad, all old cooters have to go out and tinker with something.
I find myself always messing with something, my in laws want me to take this weekend off and
rest up. Do nothing and leave it all alone for once.
But if it isn't broken what's the fun in it? I will still sneak out and mess with something even if that
means pruning some trees. I think I hear the lawn mower calling it needs a new blade. 
Craftsman didn't make tools so they could sit around and look pretty neither did Snap On.
They all freaked out because the Snap On truck includes me in his route on his way home.
So what, I love to go and look inside a Snap On truck at all the really cool stuff.

[ChungDoQuan]

Although I do follow the first law of motorcycle mechanics ("If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"), I also cannot help tinkering when something needs doing. Just tell them that you can't relax knowing something needs doing. Even Dr. Oz says you relax better if your house is clean and in order--- maybe that's why I don't usually sleep so well!

[williamlayton]

I tinker with guns and Golf clubs.
Blessings

[DDZ]

Tinkering, thats what we blame each other for doing at work, when it looks like someone isn't doing to much. Its like hey Joe, I see your tinkering today. Meaning Joe isn't doing anything productive.

My Dad loves to tinker with stuff, mainly repairing anything and everything. I guess I kind of do also. Most of my tinkering is drawn to firearms. Like making a trigger better, or redoing an old worn stock, or building a 1911. I do work on engines at work all day, so my work at home on engines is done out of necessity not for the joy of tinkering.

Anna, I hear you on the Sanp-On truck. A Sanp-on truck stops at our work location once a month and I'm drawn to it like a magnet. Its a wonder my company I work for doesn't stop it from coming in, because I Generally spend a half hour on it looking and buying tools. I do try very hard to spend the companies money wisely, but I think once in a while there is something I buy, just because I want to use it. A Snap on truck to some of us, is like a candy store to little kids.   

[spruce]

When I was younger I worked at a car dealership and when the Snap-on truck pulled in everybody dropped what they were doing and ran for the truck.  Just like a bunch of kids on Christmas morning!
 
Expensive tools but worth it if you're making your living with them - or just like using quality tools.

[jhm]

     Lately my Bride has had me Tinkering with a new addition on the place a new 20 by 38 ft sunroom and dec, she is killing me, I sure miss tinkering with the recliner!!  Jim   PS  everyone have a safe Memorial weekend!   Jim

[Oldshooter]

I sure miss tinkering with the recliner!!

Ha! now thats some serious tinkering jim. 
 
I like tinkering with my tractor and getting new emplements for it, But since I'm on my own schedule these days. I do spend time in my recliner!
 
Yea, Everyone have a good memorial day, and remember those that made it possible.

[Old Fart]

Tinkering has helped me lose about 80lbs of lard off my rearend.
If I'm not tinkering, I'm stuffing food in my piehole.
 
Like a lot of folks I find "tinkering" relaxing so no need to take the day off to relax.

[DDZ]

Tinkering has helped me lose about 80lbs of lard off my rearend.
If I'm not tinkering, I'm stuffing food in my piehole.
 

Now that is funny as all heck. Thanks Old Fart, that did make me laugh.  Still laughing......

[Anna]

I figured we had some serious tinkering going on around here. I just bought a Miller mig welder
and I'm still trying to figure out how to use it. Tricky little devils aren't they?
I'm getting into that ornamental iron thing and I really like doing that stuff. Steel is so much more
forgiving than wood is, carpentry is a science all its own.
Last winter I re-blued a 22 revolver with that Oxy blue from brownels and guys for a cold blue that
stuff works pretty good. But wear gloves unless you want pretty black fingernails for awhile. 
Snap On trucks are like candy stores and its amazing all the tools they have for mechanics to get
to hard to reach bolts. Expensive they are but they do have the unique stuff no one else has.

Anyone with a welder and a lathe can just about build anything and save a trip to town to get
something simple. Mines a mini lathe and I'm thinking about getting a mini mill sometime soon.
But the Snap On guy sold me what's called a pelican vise that mounts on the lathe and with the
collet sets my lathe can mill out a lot of small stuff.
That's another thing I like about our Snap On guy he showed me how to set it up and use it.
He is either a darn good sales man or a nice guy or both but hay its in house training and that's
worth something these days.

[blind ear]

I like welding with arc but a blowpipe is much more relaxing. good luck. ear

[DDZ]

Last winter I re-blued a 22 revolver with that Oxy blue from brownels and guys for a cold blue that
stuff works pretty good. But wear gloves unless you want pretty black fingernails for awhile. 

I once used Brownells "Gun Kote oven cure" product to finish a 1911. Its a great product for a do it yourself gun finish. The stuff wears like iron, is self lubricating, and looks good. It covers in a very thin layer, so its great for slides and receivers, with no worry about interference fits. Its a great coating, all for around 30 bucks.     

[yellowtail3]

I'm tinkering with the 115hp Tower of Power on the back of my boat...

[Oldshooter]

I just bought a Miller mig welder
and I'm still trying to figure out how to use it. Tricky little devils aren't they?

What miller machine did ya get Anna? does it need shield gas and what thickness will it weld?

[Anna]

I just bought a Miller mig welder
and I'm still trying to figure out how to use it. Tricky little devils aren't they?

What miller machine did ya get Anna? does it need shield gas and what thickness will it weld?

Its a Miller 225 that uses Co2. They say its good up to 3/4 inch but the thickest I've used it on was
3/8. Got me one of those wild looking welding hoods off the Snap On truck its a skull looking thing
that made my dogs bark at me when they saw it .
I'm not that good with it yet but I like it better than my old cracker box Lincoln.
I messed up more rods with that than I used and I was getting frustrated at my ability to call
myself a welder. Tourch is a victor 150 I think, the bigger ones were to much for me to handle.
Man they weighed as much as I do! Just kidding.

They showed me a plasma cutter for my metal hobby. Any suggestions on that would be greatly
appreciated. But wow that thing went through 1/4in plate like a hot knife through butter.
They are always trying to sell me the newest and the greatest because they know I'm into that stuff.
Hay, I just discovered a great way to blacken something without using paint .
Heat it up with your touch until its red hot and throw it into some motor oil!

But don't be stupid like I was make sure the container of oil isn't in a plastic bucket. Or you will be
cleaning up a lot of oil. And what ever your trying to blacken will become as hard as hammered
lightning. I found that out the hard way after burning up a few drill bits.   
Hay give me a break I'm a girl and I'm still learning. Typical excuse huh?

[hillbill]

plasma cutters are nice for sure.you will need a air compressor to go with it tho.and be sure you have a good dryer set up on your air comp. i like to clamp a straight board on the metal to use to guide the tip when making straight cuts.and your rite, it will cut thin to medium metal like a hot knife with little clean up needed.you should see what a computer controlled plasma set up will do!the tips are a bit pricey and dont seem to last as long as they should tho. but that may be because of some of the goobers we have at work using ours.
 
i live on a farm so tinkering is kind of a way of life. if i hired someone to fix even half the broken stuff around here id need three jobs to pay for it all.today i put the left side track back on my old 450 john deere dozer.had to remove it to rebuild the left steering clucth-brake assembly.im sure that would of set me back maybe 1500 buks if i hired it done.as it was i had about 100 buks in the job.
 

[oldandslow]

I just finished "tinkering" with the kitchen, also know as a complete remodel. Only thing I didn't do was install the new countertops. It took two really big guys to carry those pieces in and set them. I did all the new woodwork and tile all by my little self. The cook is very happy with my work so I'm happy.

Now I'm tinkering with building a new gunstock after tinkering with sprucing up the place from last winter for the last few days.

[Anna]

I just finished "tinkering" with the kitchen, also know as a complete remodel. Only thing I didn't do was install the new countertops. It took two really big guys to carry those pieces in and set them. I did all the new woodwork and tile all by my little self. The cook is very happy with my work so I'm happy.

Now I'm tinkering with building a new gunstock after tinkering with sprucing up the place from last winter for the last few days.

Ahhh, a carpenter person! Do not ever ask me to do that, i split wood, bend nails, cut crooked.
And i scream like a banshee, total temper tantrum.
But I did put together one of those Kentucky long rifle kits and it came out pretty good.
I cut the threads on a rifle barrel for a compensator on my lathe and I didnt screw that up.
Actually the lathe did all the work you just dial in the threads you want and it cuts them.

[Oldshooter]

Hay, I just discovered a great way to blacken something without using paint .
Heat it up with your touch until its red hot and throw it into some motor oil!

 And what ever your trying to blacken will become as hard as hammered
lightning. I found that out the hard way after burning up a few drill bits.

Funny story; I watched a welder sharpen a center punch once and then treat it with heat and oil to harden it. He said it made the point last. So i figgered i'll do that to my mower blades.....It makes em hard but it makes em brittle as Glass. I started mowing and everytime I hit a stick or crawfish hill  a piece of blade shattered and flew out like shrapnel     Note to self; learn about tempering steel, and I did.

[oldandslow]

I just finished "tinkering" with the kitchen, also know as a complete remodel. Only thing I didn't do was install the new countertops. It took two really big guys to carry those pieces in and set them. I did all the new woodwork and tile all by my little self. The cook is very happy with my work so I'm happy.

Now I'm tinkering with building a new gunstock after tinkering with sprucing up the place from last winter for the last few days.

Ahhh, a carpenter person! Do not ever ask me to do that, i split wood, bend nails, cut crooked.
And i scream like a banshee, total temper tantrum.
But I did put together one of those Kentucky long rifle kits and it came out pretty good.
I cut the threads on a rifle barrel for a compensator on my lathe and I didnt screw that up.
Actually the lathe did all the work you just dial in the threads you want and it cuts them.

Actually I made my living for close to 40 years as a welder. Carpentry and welding involve a lot of the same skills in the lay-out of projects. I had good teachers for wood whacking in my Dad and Grandpa.

[goodshot]

     Just got a 110 welder, the chinese rods burn like sparklers, have done farming, sales, electrician,welding, refrigeration,plumbing, etc.
      What we don't know we can figure out.
      Brownells is right down the road, great people, man do they have a lot of stuff!
      Called in an order once and got a lady from the hometown.
      Minilathe on the wish list.
      Blessings
     

[ChungDoQuan]

I grew up bouncing back and forth between my grandpa's sharecropper farm and my stepdad's cabinet shop. I built my garage by myself; it's 22x30 ft--- room for two cars, several bikes and a workbench. I DID have help with the plans from the engineer from the sheet metal roofing company to get it ok'd for the permit. I helped with cabinets and interiors when I was growing up, and once we raised a barn on the farm. I can do some light carpentry, though I'm not happy about doing it. I mostly do my own mechanic-ing, especially on motorcycles, and some light metalwork. (I used to do electronics work, and brazing is really similar to soldering!) Mostly I know how to look at something and decide when to take it to someone else.

[goodshot]

I heard a real carpenter say "there are carpenters and there are wood butchers".
Blessings

[Soilman]

Haaw!  If we weren't both married, I'd be knocking on your door!  I can't stand to just sit around all day.  I've always got some kind of project to work on. Wood working, gardening, yard work, or just fixin something.  My wife, and her family are just the opposite.  They will sit in the house ALL DAY on a beautiful 75 degree day.  

[Anna]

Haaw!  If we weren't both married, I'd be knocking on your door!  I can't stand to just sit around all day.  I've always got some kind of project to work on. Wood working, gardening, yard work, or just fixin something.  My wife, and her family are just the opposite.  They will sit in the house ALL DAY on a beautiful 75 degree day.

Well common down I've got plenty for you to do. Chopping on a willow tree today with a recep saw.
BIG ladders and some monkey climbing but I am very attached to that tree.
I tried Arbor care but they sent a moron out here who wanted to chain saw the whole tree.
Not going to happen not on that tree.

[goodshot]

volunteer peach out back really set thickly this year, thinking of giving it fertilizer spikes and supporting the branches.
do you "feed" the willow?

[Anna]

Yes I do fertilize it but its as if it is just giving up on surviving. I guess I am a tree hugger with that tree my father planted it. Strange thing it started this this year right after he died.
Goodshot is it ok to pray for a tree?

[goodshot]

 Yes, I think so, we have a lot f farmers praying for the crops right now, we have had so much rain the last couple days the fields look like rice paddys.
   I recall how He delights in giving us the desires of our heart if we will but serve Him.
   I think you can root a cutting, if it is coming to the end of it's ordained life span, and in that way sustain the loving
memories of him.  You are an awesome daughter to care.
   Please don't fall out of the tree.
    Blessings

[Anna]

Thanks for caring goodshot but I'm pretty good at climbing trees. Had to as a little girl to get away
from my brothers. I used to get into their tree house where no girls were allowed and trash the place
for them.    Hay I'm looking at a CAT backhoe a guy wants to trade me my old flatbed Ford for.
You know anything about em besides the parts being so expensive?
Man that bucket and hoe would be a blessing around here its in good shape and never saw the oil
field so it isn't beat up. He let me borrow it and you can do just about anything with one of those.
I took it into a field to learn how to operate it so I didn't smash anything close by.
Good thing they are tricky little boogers and one mistake could cost you. He also has a CAT D5 dozer
but I can't think of anything I would need that for other than just saying I have one.
But when you own a back hoe its amazing how many new friends you come by. So many people
offering to help me if they could borrow it now and then. NOT!
I was told that's a real bad idea unless its you operating it if it isn't theirs they may not care about
breaking it. Anyone ever encountered one of those CATs your opinion would help its got a Perkins
engine in it are they hard to maintain or get parts for? I think that motor is British but I'm not sure.

[hillbill]

the perkins is not the problem with the cat hoe. that motor was in jcb hoes and lots of ford construction stuff and farm tractors.very good engines. fuel effecient also.im not a big fan of CAT because of the prices they charge for the stuff you can only get from them.if it is a good hoe and has no major problems and was older, i mite jump on the trade.
 
if you have never experienced how usefull a back hoe is on a farmstead you will be amazed at its capabilities.you can lift and move anything you want and never strain your back.dig any kind of hole or ditch, turn compost,remove brush or trees,stack logs with home made forks on the front bucket.stack hay bales.plow snow.dig waterline, pull your well pump. i honestly would be crippled without my backhoe.and i only have 40 acres.