GRIZZ’s ‘79 - 2WD BLAZER Challenge over in London, England. “~It’s not a Project~”

[Grizz1963]

Monday morning.

Yesterday was a hot one. I cut my one side hedge and half of Mickeys yesterday. Not clever on a hot day, but needed to get it done.


The last week had been a flurry of random, but focussed action.

Lucky the Chevy truck is patient and loyal.

Loads happening, nothing related to the C10 though.

And it may be a while still.

However, after my back really screwing my life up for a year and stopping all progress on all projects, it seems to be on the mend very slowly.

It will not heal in the conventional way, but with a bit of clever use of planning, leverage etc, it is allowing me to do some stuff.

The Rezin Rockit, GoKart and a few other things are all awaiting their turn.

As is usual here, my first stop when restarting my life, is to take stock of stuff.

So a clear up and clear out was in order.

The scooter I got from Craig in 2019 found a new name on its V5c when I gave that away.

Followed by clearing out two pallets of breeze blocks, given to mate Neil. Amazing how fast stuff moves when you give it away.




So on Tuesday Neil came with his Transit van and his 13 year old grandson, to whom I had offered the Italjet Scooter. Harley had thought it over and decided he would rather build a car for when he is 17 which is a wise move. So the scooter went onto FB Marketplace and was gone, collected and ownership changed in less than an hour.

We loaded all the blocks in.

As far as it could go, so Harley and I carried the blocks through, and Neil packed them, his back is also knackered.

Nearly 150 of them.




I tried to make him take some more stuff but he declined mHarley took a very good office chair that was surplus for his own bedroom.

Walking around looking at the C10 and other stuff, Neil asked what next, so I said a new pair of fenders needed to be bought and imported……

He looked at the old ones, blasted and primed and said that if I got some patch panels, he would give them a go at repairing.

Of course I had the panels and rear supports for years.

So as a “Favour Trade” he took the fenders away and will be welding them up for me.





Pretty good result, even though not planned at all, life has it’s own way of keeping the books balanced I guess.

Next job was clearing more of the alleyway in order to build some storage space for all the lumber in the carport.

New pressure washer worked well, I cleaned the walls (they are not sealed against the garage wall, and a leak in the gutter, blus some weather and rain getting through there, plus all rain off the garage and carport actually flowing down the alleyway and out the back to the farm had left moss on the walls on both sides, of course the spray ends up on the roofing too, so I ended up cleaning all four sides of the alleyway

These plus more needed to be processed.



Before cleaning on Tuesday evening after work



After.

I also discovered 5 sheets of nasty/cheap Chinese packing crate ply, all badly rotten on the bottom edge, so stripped all the rot back with the pressure cleaner, as well as both the front and rears.

Then let it all dry, and cut the sheets down to remove the rot, as they had a job waiting too.



I took Friday as a leave day in order for Mickey and I to be able to knock out the shelving and racks.

Starting at 8.30 we worked nonstop, just grabbing tea and sodas through the day, finishing by 4.30pm

This included feeding a 45 gallon drum incinerator all day with so much of the offcast bits, and wood found to be damaged over the years.

I also have a havit of using the worst bits first and then the better. Mickey loves using the bigger longer, pretty bits, so it was bit of a job to stop him grabbing the best bits first, but he got my motivation quickly enough.

These upright posts are around £10.00 each if you buy them, they came from a deck that was lifted and you can see, undamaged, the rest if the wood, likewise.

We used a load of turbo screws, and the 120mm hex head decking screws used in the heavy stuff was all rescued from the deck that was dismantled by Mick.

So a lot of this between us, and with multiple tools, we could both measure, cut and fit.









Two cement mixers tucked into their custom space.

All the shelving was planned around the mixers that are bulky and also an aluminium table frame Mick wanted to incorporate as another dry working space outside, as it saves on getting the driveway/garage/carport full of dust and sawdust.

So this was Friday afternoon 4.30 and Mick was off to the pub for a well deserved pint.




Saturday morning by 08.00, Sally was here and the three of us started packing the wood from the carport into the racks and shelves.

I have an ability to visualise and calculate in space, which neither Mickey nor Sally can do, and in fact she was stressing.

By 11.00 all the wood, some steel etc was out of the carport.



Mick was already working at the table making a trellis for his sunny corner at the house.

Made me grin that he was straight onto using the work table, which has 45mm planks and a sheet of ply on it.

Packed.



And the carport filled with toys that all need motors and transmissions found and fitted






.

[LT7A]

Good work! I can't picture where that covered breezeway is, but I'm guessing it must be close to both your property and Mickey's? Good work on turning loose of some stuff that you had decided not to use. With the lumber, I always struggle with how much of that to keep around. I have a few stacks. In our garage growing up, there were many many sticks of different dimensions that remained there the entire process of my growing up. Hard to know how much to keep available and how much to clear out. I figure you're on the right track if you do some of each. I had to look up breeze blocks. I did not know that breeze was a synonym for ash there, what some people call cinder blocks here. The actual construction term we have for all materials of that type is CMU or concrete masonry unit.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by LT7A

Good work! I can't picture where that covered breezeway is, but I'm guessing it must be close to both your property and Mickey's? Good work on turning loose of some stuff that you had decided not to use. With the lumber, I always struggle with how much of that to keep around. I have a few stacks. In our garage growing up, there were many many sticks of different dimensions that remained there the entire process of my growing up. Hard to know how much to keep available and how much to clear out. I figure you're on the right track if you do some of each. I had to look up breeze blocks. I did not know that breeze was a synonym for ash there, what some people call cinder blocks here. The actual construction term we have for all materials of that type is CMU or concrete masonry unit.

I really enjoy your replies.

Thought through, considered, helpful and certainly a response I always look forward to.

If look from the house down the garden, behind the secret garden you find the garage, the carport is placed at 90’ to it on the front, garage is built on the rear boundary. Mickey lives to the right of me. So in 2011 we decided to remove a big section of hedge (the hedge is formally mine in England) and create a shared undercover storage area with each of us giving 3 foot down the side wall of my garage.

As for turning stuff loose, I have often turned stuff loose because someone else needed it more at the time, in the hope and knowledge that there will be another some time.

Lumber, yes, I have pieces of scrap that I have used for years rather than cut something good up.
Mickey will cut a new piece of wood, rather than change a design to use a smaller/shorter piece and even last week I had to keep redirecting him. Just because it is free, doesn’t mean you need to burn through it randomly.

I think the breeze in Breeze block implies lightness too.

Good investigation though.







So after clearing the carport, I also removed the solid wrought iron gate that had been there since 2011 between my and Mickeys yards and the shared alley storage.

This left a large hole, 6x4 foot, to be dealt with, mainly to slow the wind down when one works there in winter.



Looking from Mickeys side after I cut the hedge on his side you can see the odd shaped hole. Nothing is straight as it was never planned to be a doorway.



When I gathered the wood there were four plywood shelves, all 9 inches wide. Adding them to another sliver of ply have me the width needed.

The eagle eyed amongst you will notice the hole differs by 50mm top to bottom as the post originally fitted to create the end of the roofing sheets that hang down from the top of the structure was a twisted piece of lumber.
So that means I needed to create a door which fitted the hole, and the post will be modified to compensate for the pi$$ed post.

So Monday evening after work I quickly slapped a door together.



Mickey cannot resist the noise of a circular saw or power drill.

So fresh from a shave and shower, smelling like a teenager out to score first base, he was straight aroundf after he had had his dinner.

Supervising as always.



Screws penetrated by about 3mm so I had to cut them all back with the grinder.



After that I fitted it in the triangulated hole, and realised it needed a bit more work to fit, and with the weight, it needs a small jockey wheel.



So once that was done I shut shop, made a pizza (disappointing) and a shower.

Plans were to get back to it today after work.

[Grizz1963]

So my day was mostly spent on the phone or at my desk.

Late afternoon, the weather was still warm and dry.

So I quickly painted the front and rears. Amazingly it dried in the time it took to make a coffee and drink it.
\




Sally popped in around 5.30 and helped me lay the stripes……..

Anyone figure what I am doing ??



Yes, you guessed right.

And there is a formula for getting it right.

Ratios.





I used the 1120mm or 42” top width to calculate in order to get the Stars n Stripes ratio as close as possible to perfect.



Then opened the last of my red Hammerite smooth.



Very tempted to do a distressed flag, but thats more effort than what I felt like.





Used the last bit of paint to paint over the damage on my welding trolley.

Managing to pour the last of the paint over myself, my one foot and the driveway.

Man I cursed.



I went out earlier to check the paint and it is touch dry.

So tomorrow I will pull the tape off.

Then I just need the 50 stars to complete the job.


Coffee time, then I wont sleep.

[Grizz1963]

Went out for a haircut yesterday early. Our local-ish guy is there from 07.00 for people who need to come and go early.

Walking back to the truck I was again struck by the fact that it always makes me grin.

I like this thing.



Last night late I got a message from a South African expatriate living in Rhode Island that he had got me one of the hardest USA state plates to get. Posting it out to me this week for my collection.

Pretty pleased to say the least.





Removed the tape from the red bands and masked the blue panel for the stars.

It may take a while to get the stars to use on it but pleased so far.



Last sunny day before the weather swings back to a load of rain.

[Grizz1963]

So another long overdue job done after work last night was to fit the Dentists lamp in the carport for inspection of engines and other detailed items when you need a super light source.

Thanks to Paul “Oblertone” who brought it up to me and left it with his daughter in Essex to collect a few weeks ago.



So I prepared two 100mm x 50mm pieces of wood to fit between the roof beams, and painted and screwed them together.

Then found my 65mm drill bit (call it what you want) to drill a hole through for the adjustable hanging post to go through, as well as the wiring from the lamp to mains.



One of those purchases made years ago from a member on UKGSER who needed to move it on. At £80.00 it was and is a bargain.

My other 1950’s drillpress has ceased to function, tripping the power when you turn it on.



Used the rattle gun to run the coach screws in to hold the mounting plate in place, and cut the excess 10mm off the rear with a cutting disc.



Mounted with some more free hardware.

Its not going anywhere.



Light fitted.



Mickey of course came around to check up on me after he had his dinner.

He liked it.



Tucked away.



And seen in perspective.

Does not get in the way of headroom.




Of course I had to go see just how bright it is after sunset as well.

I think it works.




One dentists junk is another mans treasure.


Dismantle mobility scooters rear end tonight.

[Grizz1963]

Yesterday afternoon I managed to sort one of my treasure piles out.

All the steel “off cuts” that I had stashed in the garage went out to one shelf in the new wood store. After I rearranged some wood and added a few brackets for very long 8 meter lengths of plastic pipe.



Next job was to remove the motor, brackets, controller module and other junk as well as rear axle from the mobility scooter chassis.



The gearbox opened, I removed all the gears and closed that up again.



Cut the centre post off, all other loose tabs and ground it all smooth.

Then reassembled the rear axle under the chassis.

Rake added.



Current thinking is to lengthen the chassis.

Possibly source a cheap go kart rear axle, narrow it and refit with wide tyres.

OR…….. (and I need advice here)

Use a regular driven lawnmower rear axle and whatever mechanisms are in it, to fit a mower engine and its bits to make a simple, slow (safe) little ride on.



Thanks to @forddan68 for picking up a Schwinn kiddies tricycle for me on his way home last night.

No, I have no idea, I just like them. They are never cheap, and looking at the condition of this one, they should be cheap.

Needs a ton of cleaning up and paint.

But hopefully be a nice little side project






I am thinking red and Lime green.

.

[Grizz1963]

Well, going in some direction, just not sure if it is the right one.

Yesterday I had given to Sally for putting up with me.

So it was a bit of shopping, lunch and coffee at the Turkish in Chatham.

Also some food shopping.

My day was made when I found some USA made Cajun spice, I love cooking with it, as does Sally.




Before we went out, I was looking on Marketplace for a gokart rear axle and some wheels.

Found a seller who had a load of plastics and brackets, and messaged him on the off chance that he may have more parts to sell, turns out he has a ton of parts, mini moto engines, quad engines etc.

But he also had a rear axle, with sprocket, disc and bearings plus carrier brackets and a spare wheel.

Cost?

£50.00 which is way out of my cheap ass league, not negotiable, but if you add up the value, I guess it is still a good price for what it is.

So he messaged while we were having lunch that I could collect.

Went there at 3.00pm after shopping, spent 45 minutes talking to him, Sally sat in the car.

Then back home with the bounty.

Sally went home to water her garden and do a few things.




Quicky mock up shows I will have to cut about 250mm or 10” out the axle and re~weld it to fit better in proportion to the front end, which I still like.

And once the chassis is lengthened it should come into proportion.





While down at the garage, mate Craig started to interfere from 80 miles away.

Sallys son was bringing back the mini moto I had given her for the grandson.

He had partially dismantled it, as it was not running right according to him, only running well on choke.

He had also tried unsuccessfully to “govern” it to slow it down for Harry.

Then gave up.

So in stead of buying some small used motor, I got given bck some small motor that I paid for already.

He brought is back and chatted for a while, then went off again.





So this is where @craigrk comes in.

“Why don't you build it as a TRIKE as you like different, that will be different” he asked me via text.

You see, friends……. Always creating havoc.

So I will take a look and see what a single rear wheeled creation works like, or else I will remove and add just the motor to the ride, narrowing the gokart axle and going that route.


Sally was back by 7.00pm and rather than sit indoors drinking or eating in front of the telly, we did all the cutting and prep for 4 more Blue Tit nests.

To be completed today, and when I get more Soudal Crystal adhesive.



Bootfair was cancelled due to weather forecast.

[LT7A]

Thanks for the compliment. I enjoy being tapped in to how a fellow enthusiast lives out his enthusiasm in a place that is somewhat similar and yet so different from where I live. I envy your license plate collection. It's broader than mine, includes ones from states I don't have, and I live here. I made a rule for mine that I've only broken once. And that is that I don't spend money on the plates. I need to either find them, acquire them via parts or vehicle purchases, or be given them. I broke down once and bought six plates for $12 because it had a state that I didn't have, haha. I guess you got to cut yourself some slack sometimes. That dentist light is going to come in really handy. But just seeing it in your pictures, my heart started to beat faster and I got this chemical smell memory. I don't like the dentist. Let me rephrase that, my dentist is a conscientious and nice guy. I don't like what he has to do to me. I will be interested in how your cart works out.

[Grizz1963]

No bootfair, so a very lazy, slow start.

I don't think I ever had breakfast at 10.00am and then watched some Olympics with Sally.

Eventually made it to the shop.

Ad made some more birds next houses for Sally, every screw had to have a 1.5mm pilot hole as it is thin, nasty, IKEA pine bookshelf wood.

Once done, I set her off to start varnishing them with the brush she chose 10mm wide.

And I made a frame for one of the canvas prints, Anthony the one lodger made for me.



Done, as happy as I need to be.



Sally carried on painting.

But left at 13.00 to go cook Uncle Bob the hoarders meals for three days, and get ready for a BBQ we were headed to at 3.00pm





In the mean time I started to place bits together.

Rear wheel covered in a wooly hat.



Yup, I like that so far.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by LT7A

Thanks for the compliment. I enjoy being tapped in to how a fellow enthusiast lives out his enthusiasm in a place that is somewhat similar and yet so different from where I live. I envy your license plate collection. It's broader than mine, includes ones from states I don't have, and I live here. I made a rule for mine that I've only broken once. And that is that I don't spend money on the plates. I need to either find them, acquire them via parts or vehicle purchases, or be given them. I broke down once and bought six plates for $12 because it had a state that I didn't have, haha. I guess you got to cut yourself some slack sometimes. That dentist light is going to come in really handy. But just seeing it in your pictures, my heart started to beat faster and I got this chemical smell memory. I don't like the dentist. Let me rephrase that, my dentist is a conscientious and nice guy. I don't like what he has to do to me. I will be interested in how your cart works out.

My collection is primarily made up of trades, and collection on my travels.
I buy if the price is below $3.00 and it is interesting enough.

Dentists are a necessary evil, sadly.





A few random things.

Not everyones interest, but hopefully something for everyone.

About 8 years ago I built this double nesting box.

Depending on the season, the blackbirds use it every year, and some other birds have built a next in the rear section.

Sunday night it came down.



Note the neat, weaved nest, incorporating moss etc.



Rebuilt.

Blackbird mansion,



And the other side, open for pigeons or whatever birds prefer an open, eaves type space.



Followed by a nice sunset.



Today I had to pick up an order and an eBay purchase.

Soudal Crystal adhesive for the blue tit Teapot nests.

On the way home I popped in at Uncle Bob’s to see a couple of motors he has.

£50.00 buys a Honda, no centrifugal clutch.



Or a B&S motor with centrifugal clutch, but V-Belt drive.



So options for the barstool racer.

The other item was 50 vinyl cutout stars to use for the gate.



Quite challenging to be honest.





Really hard rain came down.

Nice and dry under the roof too.



And finally a coat of blue enamel.



Lets hope the stars come off easily enough once dried.

And also that the positioning is good enough to look like a cartoon style flag.

Not an easy job, placing the stars.

[Grizz1963]

Getting questioned about this door I am making, and the orientation of the stars and stripes.

So here are the reasonings.

Also remember, it is not a factory made, perfectly proportioned door. The hole is actually irregular, so I needed to just eyeball it and try get it looking a bit cartoonlike.


If you then go and look at the protocols for how the flag is flown, draped, or hung in various situations (and many people do not know these things about their own flags, including the Union Jack that has a top and bottom as well) you will find that the Union has to be to the left when applied as I am doing.

Hope this helps.




There's a right and a wrong way to hang the flag vertically.

Don't hang your flag backwards, upside down, or in another inappropriate fashion. If you're hanging your flag vertically (like from a window or against a wall), the Union portion with the stars should go on the observer's left. Never dip the flag to any person or anything.



History of the American flag - American flag layout

US flag has over 245 years of history. Our flag size calculator presents only one of 44 designs that the official American banner has had over these years.

It all started in December 1775, with the very first pattern that incorporated a Union Jack (UKemoji.jpg) into a field full of white and red stripes.
The second design in 1777 brought a very anticipated change - a union full of stars each representing a US states (there were only 13 of them at the time!). This US flag design consisted of 13 red & white stripes and the same number of stars.
Each flag that followed didn't last long - the US was continually expanding, and new states (and stars!⭐) were constantly being added.
💡 Americans always introduced new flags on the 4th of July!

The current flag was created in 1960 after the addition of Hawaii, the only island state located outside of North America. That was when the 50th star was finally placed in the union, creating the everlasting image we know today (which has specified American flag proportions).

[Grizz1963]

Quick bunch of pics.

Went down to the garage this morning early.



Started to pull off the stickers, being that the plywood is as rough as it is, I expected some paint seeping under the stickers.

Not much of a problem though, as it is a gate/door in rear of the carport.



Result.



Mate Fil “Sparkplug” asked about a handle……

Of course, as removed from a disabled public toilet.

We needed it more.





And just placed in position.

Needs the frame to be made up, then door hung.

Plan is to add a small wheel to the underside.



This afternoon during my lunch break I cleared the deck, and then after work quickly pressure cleaned it.

Taken the day off tomorrow, another long weekend, Sally is off too.

So plan if it stays dry, is to put a coat of wood sealer and stain on, followed by another coat once dried.

[68Timber]

That turned out great!

[LT7A]

The flag turned out nice. It's always frustrating to get a tip after the fact. But it's too good of a tip to not pass along. The way to avoid the seepage that you got under the vinyl stars is possible two ways. One by spraying the blue on and typically the spray would not force itself under the edges of the vinyl which would basically be a spray "shadow". When brushing the paint on, the one I learned from painters is that you paint the edges of the tape line (in this case vinyl stars) with the base color first so that what seeps under the vinyl is the white. Let that dry and your edges are sealed so that you can paint the blue over top. And no blue will seep under because the white already did the seeping. Make sense? Regardless, you did a nice job on it. Lots of good detail in the new carport.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by 68Timber

That turned out great!

Thank you very much.

Happy with it, for what it is.

Originally Posted by LT7A

The flag turned out nice. It's always frustrating to get a tip after the fact. But it's too good of a tip to not pass along. The way to avoid the seepage that you got under the vinyl stars is possible two ways. One by spraying the blue on and typically the spray would not force itself under the edges of the vinyl which would basically be a spray "shadow". When brushing the paint on, the one I learned from painters is that you paint the edges of the tape line (in this case vinyl stars) with the base color first so that what seeps under the vinyl is the white. Let that dry and your edges are sealed so that you can paint the blue over top. And no blue will seep under because the white already did the seeping. Make sense? Regardless, you did a nice job on it. Lots of good detail in the new carport.

BRILLIANT TIP !!

Obviously with just using a roller, and gloss paint from a tin, your tip would have worked perfectly.

The white is a really quick drying paint as well. So would have worked brilliantly overnight.

Still, we learn every day.

I am planning on blanking some of the seepage with a very thin brush before I hang the door.


It has been a pleasure doing this door.


Once I get to the phase of adding a Gas Station frontage to the front edge of the carport, it may come together nicely too.


My own little corner of America

[LT7A]

Thank you, counterintuitive at first, and then makes total sense. I learned about it the hard way sort of, by telling the painters they were using the wrong color. Got a nice serving of humble pie, especially when I eventually saw the crisp lines from one paint color to another. If you still have the sheets from the star cutouts, you could do it in reverse. Would be a significant effort, but you could put the outlines around the stars, paint the whole thing blue, and then come back and repaint the white over top of it.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by LT7A

Thank you, counterintuitive at first, and then makes total sense. I learned about it the hard way sort of, by telling the painters they were using the wrong color. Got a nice serving of humble pie, especially when I eventually saw the crisp lines from one paint color to another. If you still have the sheets from the star cutouts, you could do it in reverse. Would be a significant effort, but you could put the outlines around the stars, paint the whole thing blue, and then come back and repaint the white over top of it.

Good thinking.

But it is a gate, so good enough.

[Grizz1963]

So taking Friday off as a day vacation, I had thought it may be spent out back, doing stuff in the garage or yard.

But being that I know Sally rarely asks for or takes anything from me, I asked her what she would like to do, and suggested a walk in Whitstable and possibly lunch.

Of course we would go in the truck.

Surprisingly she agreed and was quite excited about Whitstable.

Nice drive down, parked up and went for a walk,,charity shops, sight seeing etc.



Tide was out in the working harbour.

Never seen it so low.



Typically maximised space.





















Sally offered to buy lunch…..

Would I say no?

Cod and chips £9.00 Guess they see the tourists coming a mile away.



On the way back the tide had returned somewhat, looked a bit better.



And one of my favourite stalls.



Back at the truck Sally got in and I went to pay for parking, and walking back I noticed a mark on the rear bumper corner.

Bugggerr !1

Right through the paint layers, being a thick metal bumper it must have done some damage to the other car too.

I took a look and feel, and then took a pic.

At that, a Chinese (looking) guy and a lady came walking over and he said “That was my fault, I am sorry”

Now my responses could range between a tirade, decking him, or losing my dignity in other ways. But the damage was done, he confessed.

So I just calmly told him that he really should look where he is driving (as he had managed to cross over the lane and hit the truck) and to maybe be kind to someone else in the next few days.

The thing is, if he did an insurance claim, my truck is involved and the way insurance works of course, the next time I renew, I am a risk, regardless of cause.

And there are other little marks on both front and rear bumpers, so a respray will happen one day.



When I got home, I chatted with Dennis and he offered to mix me some paint for a touch up and post it out to me.

I declined as the front also needs doing.

However, again………

Look at our exchange to realise just how good life is, and how many good people there are in the world.



Have I mentioned, Life is good.

[Grizz1963]

The deck we built two years ago has now weathered so I pressure cleaned it, then added two coats of decking protector ( does this stuff really actually work) that cost £42.00 per 5 liters

Also used a narrow brush to paint both sides of each board, making for about 160 meters of straight painting.

My back certainly protested.

Pressure cleaner cut back a lot.





First coat done.



That wrapped up Saturday for me.

On to Sunday.

Bootfair today…….

Thankfully not,cancelled, despite rain overnight.

Started with a bang, well lets hope it is not a boat anchor for £5.00

Same seller sold me a bag of nuts, bolts n washers for 50p and threw in some roll of nylon line off either a kite flyer or some other application, maybe someone will know. Free is good, and I will use it to just string out lines in the garden etc.



5HP Briggs and Stratton in 4 Stroke flavour, with centrifugal clutch and sprocket.

Same seller had a load of site signs, mostly 10mph and one random other that I had to have at 50p each.



Next up, a Hotwheels car for Craig, VW SP2 at £2.00 not cheap, but possibly not too common.



Later I found this medics Jeep for 50p and had to have it.




So other items included 3 more teapots for £2.50 to make Sally more bird nesting boxes.
A pair of tyre pressure gauges for £1.00
Two little clamps for Craig £1.00
Novelty mug 50p
Snap On toolbag £1.00

Not a lot of stuff, but if the motor runs, a winner of a day.





Later I got some paint brushes and started to clean the engine.

The motor had been stood in a shed for 10 plus years, so my risk was fairly high.

First job was to clean the air filter and wash it in petrol, followed by oiling it again.

Then cleaned the rest of the motor externally.




Came with centrifugal clutch and sprocket.






Fuel tank was not rusted out, thankfully.

Then I checked the oil in the crank case……..

Some mayonnaise and very greasy black oil on the two filler caps.

So I turned the motor upside down……

OOOOOPPPS, POOP !

Water dribbled out.

No oil.

So I drained it completely, then poured in about 200ml plus of clean petrol and closed the caps, shook the motor the best I could, and gently turned it over with the starter cord a few times.

Followed by draining the fuel, followed by another small rinse.

At this point , with the dry sump, I added some fuel into the gas tank, and tried to get it started…….

https://youtu.be/w_BqZJv_Wlk

Around this time, Mickey popped around. He always seems to pop around, is he a stalker ?

Anyway, we carried on and I went to make us a mug of coffee and tea for him.

While he fetched a bit of 10w50 oil and a small funnel from his garage.

So I filled the crank case.



Up to the sweet spot.



Then tried to start it again, with Mickey in charge of filming, just in case I got it going this time.

WOOOHOOO…. SUCCESSFUL.


https://youtu.be/LDcXvUAuA0Q


At this point, once the gloating was over, I put the motor aside and carried on with the bunch of teapot bird nests for Sally who was at work.

After which she came for dinner by 5.30pm.

And suddenly, long weekend over.

Thanks for checking in.

[LT7A]

Sorry to see the bumper bashing. I once had someone so severely bash the side of my truck with their car door that I had to pay $800 to get it fixed. No note, no nothing. I've determined that I am going to teach myself how to airbrush out those kind of things. Very cool that you have somebody like Dennis to get you going in the right direction. Your deck came out great! And what a good find on that little Briggs & Stratton. that thing will look cool on your little scooter sled. I think even the gold paint will look great.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by LT7A

Sorry to see the bumper bashing. I once had someone so severely bash the side of my truck with their car door that I had to pay $800 to get it fixed. No note, no nothing. I've determined that I am going to teach myself how to airbrush out those kind of things. Very cool that you have somebody like Dennis to get you going in the right direction. Your deck came out great! And what a good find on that little Briggs & Stratton. that thing will look cool on your little scooter sled. I think even the gold paint will look great.

Battle scars are acceptable.

I will have both bumpers sorted out one day.

Dennis is not just a best friend, he is also a genuine human being. Closer than my own brother to me.

B&S was a lucky strike.

And gold appeals to me, real retro feel too.

The wheels on the Rezin Rockit will be gold too.





“AT LAST”

Gate hung at the rear of the carport.

Took a bit of effort to get it right, but happy to say it will close the hole and keep the weather out in winter especially.



My house is just offset to a road junction, and the last three or four years the rain water has run down the strret, and not under it.

This week, after repeated time wasting, a team came in to investigate, dig and rebuild.

Micky, typically made mugs of tea and coffee, and I offered cold drinks.

Clearly appreciated, as an onlooker I noticed they guys actually working, and the most impressive, is the way they have left the site every night, made safe, clean and swept.

Yesterday I did see this from my side gate……. Mickey and 4 guys watching one get on with the job.

Made me chuckle



Today was the second day I had upped my daily brisk walk to 3.5km

Not a lot, but more than I was doing 4 weeks ago.

A solitary skip up at the farm already produced me a 2.5 meter length or rainwater gutter pipe.

Today I found this, dusty, new and unused hough.

Netter than a barstool for the barstool racer.




Eyes open……

[Grizz1963]

Found this on FB posted by mate Edd, @boddieanddoyle

I really want the screen from @glenanderson and the rollbar I need to still make to create this look.

Most important will be finding a rollbar that is a bit thicker than the typical scaffolding tube people use.





.

[Grizz1963]

Random small BBQ drum build.

A few months ago a friend who is a pianist and former restaurant owner, asked me if I could cut a damaged beer keg/barrel he had found with holes drilled in it in half for him in a way that he could use it as a small BBQ.

Being a pianist, I realised he had no real clue, so asked if it needed a stand as well.

Surprised he said yes please, as he had not thought of that.

I said. I would create something, using some of the angle iron I have stashed away.

So next plan was to figure just how and where to cut it, to avoid the holes someone had drilled in it. Weird, I know.

I also planned a very simple X-design stand as a cradle for the barrel.

In the mean time, I found two stools in a skip (lots of skip treasures out there) removed the nylon seating.



Mocked up, it looked pretty functional.



Then three 1mm cutting discs and a flap disc later.

It is amazing the tension in various parts of the structure.



Tabs cut so that it has some support for the old cooker oven grille planned to lay on top.





From there, I needed to make a decent grille for the floor on top of which the fire or coals can get lit, so that it can all breathe and create a load of heat.



With one more section of angle iron my welder called it a day.



Seemed to be the earth, as the trigger feed still worked, wire pushing out.

So I removed the earth cable an shoved a large phillips screwdriver in the hole, and triggered the wire to see if it arced……..

Yes. But only once.

I will also dismantle the trigger to see if anything is loose in there.



So I called it a day and asked a neighbour if I could tack the last bar with his welder, he agreed to this morning after 11.00



And completed.



So another small job done and out the way.

Today has been slow, a lot of rain, and had to go fetch Sallys Birthday pressent for Monday.

Romantic me.

[Grizz1963]

Smallest bootfair ever. Well, seen smaller.



One for mate Craig



Total.

Dinner lap tray £2.00
Teapot 50p
Bech buggy 10p



Off to the garage to empty out welding caravan that is getting sold today.