The Shine Is Back

I've taken on another clock project.  As mentioned in past posts, I restored mantle clocks as a hobby and haven't done one for a couple of years.

  

My two friends (brothers) must have decided I need to get back into it and presented me with a clock that needed work.  In this case it is a 400 day anniversary clock, which should look similar to this when restored:

 

This clock has potential, however needs work.  I've not worked on an anniversary clock before, so this will be a challenge.  The goal is to make it shine and run like it did when it came from the factory in Germany.

The first step is taking it apart and removing 66 years of tarnish.

After a couple of days of rubbing and polishing the brass is coming back to life.

 

I've ordered some parts to make the necessary repairs.  Once they arrive I'll put it all back together and see if I can get it running.  At least the shine is back for now.

Just one day more...

  

Follow The Money

LONGTIME TRUMP CFO ALLEN WEISSELBERG GIVEN IMMUNITY TO TESTIFY

JUST FOLLOW THE MONEY

Just one day more...

Draining The Swamp

DRAINING THE SWAMP

ONE CRIMINAL AT A TIME

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Uncle Pete, Part Two

In a previous post (here), I described how World War II military items which belonged to my great-uncle were passed on to me to archive.  My mother's "Uncle Pete" was wounded in Germany on December 1, 1944 and died the following day.  He was the recipient of the bronze star, purple heart and others.

I've had his awards professionally placed in a shadow box.  

Next month we will drive the displays to the hometown of my parents and their families, Regent, North Dakota, to be displayed in the local museum. 

Just one day more...

Chickens Cheated Death

We had a strange encounter here on the farm this morning.

This spring we started out with four chickens and one night some critter snatched them up.  Likely more than one critter.  Back to the farm supply store for three more chicks.

They are now full grown and are shut up in the coop at night.  We let them out in the morning to roam the yard during the day.  

That has worked well, up until this morning.  My wife glanced out the window and saw a coyote chasing the chickens.  Fortunately (for the chickens), she screamed at the coyote and he ran off into the corn field.

It is very unusual for a coyote in this area to expose himself like that during daylight hours.  It is especially unusual for them to show up in a farm yard.   Generally, they sneak around at night looking for prey.  

That coyote nearly had a feast for breakfast and the chickens cheated death. 

Just one day more...

Anatomy And Restoration

I dug out some old pre-digital camera photos of the frame off restoration I did on the 1924 Model T C-Cab truck.  The truck spent all of its life in western Nebraska and, as is the case with other Model T's I restored, was in rough shape.  

Having done restorations on several Model T's, I saw the potential of this truck with a complete engine and all other parts there.  There was some surface rust and someone had welding the sides of the cab.  Obviously they had driven into a low garage door and ripped the top back.  This required new sheet metal on both sides.



The first step in the restoration was the frame and running gear. 



The front axle and wheels were rebuilt, including new spindles, races and bearings.



The rear end was more work and involved opening the rear differential case.  Unlike the Model T cars which have ring and pinion gears, the truck had worm gears (which is why they are so much slower).  The rear axle was removed and inspected.  Over the years the axle seals had worn out and axle grease spewed all over the brake pads and brake drums.  These were rebuilt and replaced with new.

Once the frame and running gear were rebuilt and painted, it was time to work on the engine.  The box was restored and placed on the restored frame.  This made it easy to roll around the shop as needed.

 

Rebuilding a Model T engine and transmission is fairly straightforward.  It is a simple four cylinder engine, with no water pump, no oil pump, no fuel pump and no distributor.  The transmission is a "planetary" transmission (claimed to be the first "automatic" transmission) and only two speeds controlled by a hand lever that acts as a clutch.  There are three drums that are activated by foot pedals - forward, reverse and the transmission brake.  Transmission bands with pads lock or release each band based on which foot pedals are depressed.   

Fortunately I had a machine shop that could rebore the cylinders and resurface the engine block and head.  I would then replace the worn steel pistons with aluminum pistons.  Stainless steel valves also replace the steel valves.  The Model T engine did not have valve guides and the valves simply went directly into the block.  Over time the valves would wear the valve holes in the block.  Correcting this involved drilling the holes with a special sized bit and putting in valves of the corresponding size.

Wherever possible, modern engine parts were used to enhance the efficiency and longevity of the engine, such as an aluminum timing gear.

 

My Model T friend is good at woodworking, so using the old rotted top as a pattern, he built a new wood frame for the top.

Once complete, I made a trailer from a Model T frame and rear end to attach to the truck.  It worked out so well that I even hauled the body and fenders from a 1926 coupe I was restoring to the paint shop 35 miles away.

And there you have it, a brief trip down memory lane of the anatomy and restoration of a Model T truck. 

Just one day more...

Like Being In A Sauna

While it isn't as humid as the past few weeks, 65% is still very palpable, especially when temps are in the high 80's.



Here on the farm we are surrounded by corn and, as I mentioned in the past, corn sweats.  While it appears like a low hanging fog, it is actually the humidity the corn is putting off.  Great for the corn, but not so much for anyone who doesn't like to sweat simply standing still.





That haze is the corn humidity.  That's a neighbor's barn in the background, almost blurred by the humidity.

By midday the sun will burn off some, but the corn will keep "sweating."  It's like being in a sauna.

Just one day more...

Ends Well

Here on the farm another project that has been on the to do list for a while is a clothesline.  When we moved to the farm there was an old beat up wooden one that had seen better days.  It was basically just in the way, so removed.  Since then I've gotten routine reminders that we needed a replacement.  I guess after 10 years it was time to put in a new one.



The plan was to cement this new one into the ground with one bag of cement for each post.  Being accustomed to digging post holes for the barb wire fence around the property, I made these a bit too wide.  Overkill you might say.



By the time I added a bag of cement, it came short filling the hole.




Back to the farm supply store for a couple more bags.  That did the job, but somebody that has to dig out these posts someday will be cussing about the fool that used so much cement.




One thing for sure, this clothesline isn't going to blow away and will take any load of laundry.






All's well that ends well.

Just one day more...

A Little Sketchy - Edit: That's Better

I've been puttering around on the c-cab Model T truck and after sitting at my friend's place for about 10 years it has been a bit neglected.  They simply don't have adequate storage buildings and too many vehicles to give attention to just one.

A good coat of wax shined the old metal on the amateur paint job I did.  Body work is one skill I don't have, but the intention when I restored this truck was to have a good running truck to tool around county roads.  It was rough when I started the restoration, so it turned out as intended.






The deck had too many scuffs, so I decided to refinish it.  I took the sideboards off and did some sanding.  I'm trying a polyurethane product that also has a stain in it and got a first coat done this morning before it gets too hot outside.







It looks a little sketchy after the first coat, so hopefully after a couple more coats it will look better.

Just one day more...


EDIT:

That's better, the polyurethane/stain did the job.



Looks good with the side boards back on.

Chainsaw Repair

There's always something that needs repairing here on the farm and today it was the chainsaw.

Lately the chain has been seizing when it gets hot, which was a sign that it wasn't getting oil.  After checking for any debris that may be plugging the oiler it became apparent that the oiler was shot.  Time for a new one.

Putting in an oiler is a bit of a job, but can be do-it-yourself with a little effort.  The tricky part is removing the clutch.  Sometimes a pair of adjustable pliers works, however risks ruining the clutch if not careful.  The alternative is a special socket tool that is safer and makes the job easier.

Once the clutch is removed the old oiler can be replaced with a new one.

The clutch and pulley is then replaced.  Since the chainsaw had to be taken apart to replace the oiler, it seemed like a good time to replace the gear pulley.  The old pulley was showing wear on the teeth.

 

Another repair to keep the chainsaw running.

Just one day more...