What's everybody doing?

I ordered in 200 correct machine screws for the Kohler dipstick tubes that came in a few days ago.  They should last for the rest of my life.  

Pulley mania happened yesterday lol.  I order these from the peeps who make them for Toro and bypass all the middle men like I do with most stuff.  It was nice to see they are still not made in China, yet at least...     The 310 I've been working on recently is back in mowing mode again, I went out and used it for about 30 mins last night before leaving.  It's finicky because there's still some water and garbage in the tank but he doesn't want me to pull the tank off and do a proper job so it is what it is...  

Also got the rest of the parts for dad's old jack stands painted, just need to put them back together now.  I'm trying to finish up a lot of small jobs because the Spring rush is pretty much here already.  It helps to have all the little jobs done and put away to concentrate on what's coming next.     

 

My friend Kevin is coming up tomorrow and we have lots of things planned so there will be no updates on anything tomorrow.  

Dads old jack stands are back together and ready for use.  They are a new color scheme of course but he would be proud because he loved the Horses as much as I do.  

I've been looking for my 3/8" square drive socket since last year and found it yesterday.  When I was doing all the parting from the farm move of all the tractors last March and later the torch was being used so much I left it on one of the tanks.  I found it a few days ago and went on and made a tee handle for it from an old 3/8 drive socket and some scraps in the back.  Everything old gets used for something new, eventually.  One more thing off the list and another lost tool found...   

The 310 I've been working on lately headed home today as well.  It was 83 degrees and sunny all day so I worked outside a lot and got another project in for next week, what an awesome day it was.  

 

I decided last week I was gonna play hooky today and tomorrow to do some things I wanted to do.    

I finished up the customer 310-8 work early last Thurs and got the blades sharpened on the clipper for the first time.  The bench lift was a big help instead of lifting the deck by hand.  My back thanked me lol.  It's no wonder it cuts like it does, I've never seen so much sharpened edge on a blade before, or as high a lift design.  Grass is growing already so time to start thinking about yard work and enjoying the sun.    

The project I started on last Friday mentioned in the previous post was doing some rearranging and making more room in the small garage.  One thing out there in need of some work was the wheels on my radial arm saw as you can see in the pics.   I've had it for around 25 years, it's been a good one.  I got it in the shop last Friday and started on a cradle with wheels for it today.   

 

The jig was still set up on the iron worker for the throttle clamp pieces so I finished 3 more for now.   

The radial arm saw wheel cradle is done.  I think I'll put the making of it in the Tools + Equipment section tomorrow in case someone else wants some ideas.  

It was 78 degrees today so I went out and mowed for about 30 mins to warm up the Clipper so the oil could be changed.  I wish they wouldn't use such a small filter on these things that makes it hard to get off but I guess they're cheaper...  It's got a man size one on it now.  

My 2 days of doing things around here are up so I guess it's time to go back to work tomorrow.  

 

Catching up on a lot of little things scattered around the shop to make room, get them out of the way, and get them where they belong.  There's a huge restoration coming from PA this Friday morning so I'm trying to wrap up a bunch of stuff around here before it gets here.  Seems like more parts show up almost daily anymore and they start piling up everywhere.  10 more of the small shift knobs came in today and more on the way from another warehouse.  Plus Kevin is coming up to help me with putting the double doors in the waiting area this Sat so bigger tractors can go up there.  Once the double doors are in I plan on getting the articulating 525 up there asap.  That will free up a lot of space in the back and more peeps can see it as well.  

Also finishing up the tiller this week, I added a post about it already.  More parts came in that need to be put away and just a lot of small things to do but everything eats a day up pretty quick..  There's been a battery box sitting here for awhile for the bench that needed to go in there so it got done too.  Slowly but surely things are getting done and out of the way, and off that huge list I have...    

Gonna be a hectic week to say the least, especially with warm weather around the corner.   

 

Haven't seen everything put away and both benches cleared in about 3-1/2 months, looks weird...  

The big restore is coming in from PA around 9 am tomorrow.  Not sure how long they'll stay so I may be able to start a topic on it, or not.

My friend Kevin is coming up Sat to help me get the double doors in.  I've been getting everything ready throughout this week and it's all ready to be cut out and framed in.   The light switches + outlet are out, the old switch boxes are on the shop side now and going in the wall with a removable panel over them.  All of the switches for the fans and lights are now wireless like I did in Dad's new barn and can be put anywhere.  I can't wait till it's done then any tractor can go up front, 1st one being the covered up most of the time Articulating monster taking up so much room in the shop.  

If I don't get much posted over the next few days I'll put it all up beginning of next week.  

 

The restore from PA is here, will be making a beginning post on it after this one in the Restore section.  We spent a lot of time figuring out what it's to look like when done, it's gonna be a lot of work.

After they headed out I started getting some more things apart for the double doors tomorrow.  I really shouldn't be allowed to have a coil nail gun as you can see in the pics.  Between the way I built it and the foam insulation I know why I've never heard a creak or any other noise in this building even with 70 or more mph winds that we get sometimes over the past 29 years...  I forgot that I also used 16 penny spiral nails like in pallets so things really didn't want to come apart.  I guess too much is always better than not enough though...  

 

Took this pic last Monday the 6th.  I thought it looked like a Lockheed SR71 Blackbird, or the Prometheus if you're a Stargate SG1 fan like me.    

The waiting area double door project is done for now. Next focus before the Articulating 525 goes up there is the ceiling project starting soon I hope.  The 525 will be started some when up there and will turn the ceiling black for sure so it's getting redone in black 3D plastic panels that are easy to clean.  This is another project I've wanted to do for many years.  The ceiling is the only ugly part of the waiting area that's been done for 28 years or so.  It's going from 2x4 to 2x2 panels so a lot has to be done.  I thought the 2x4 plastic panels may sag a little (driving me crazy) so the 2x2 panel seemed like the better choice.  The new extra cross braces and ceiling tiles have been here for a few weeks.  The old panels will be on top of the new ones for extra insulation so there will be a lot of cutting and fitting of all 48 old panels, 24 of the new panels around the outside edges, 10 of the new new cross braces, cleaning up the existing beams and braces so they can all be painted black, and light cutouts.     I'll start a post on it when it begins.  It will be a bigger project but  be really nice when done and another thing off of my list...

 

Made a paint setup for the 1-1/8" axle transmissions, will post in the Home Made Tools Section later, made some short Onan plug wires I was out of, got more of the Toro shift knobs in separate bags so they don't get scratched up (I get them in bulk) put a bunch of other new parts away (benches were clogged up again), and ordered some new bushing samples for the Horses from the German peeps I dealt with on the steering support bushings, and about 10 other things.  Just the norm around here.