Summer fun 2017

Not my video but I was there as an "extra" in some of the scenes from last summer. Nice weather and scenery. Might do it again this summer.

Fort San

Or more accurately, the Fort Qu'appelle Tuberculosis Sanatorium. I put together a few minutes of old still shots and some  video . Its not much but all I've got of this interesting piece of local history that affected so many lives of this area. It features prominently in the Nevardblog as this was where Bill and Dick Nevard worked for years after they left the farm. The area is now privately owned and  the buildings that have survived wrecking are gradually falling into ruin.

Engine Lift

Yes, just another boring update on the engine lift I'm trying out on the Mercury flathead engine. Going against the advice and recommendations of the folks on the ford barn forum, I just had to try it out. I can see where the 3 wheel design could be a little unstable compared to 4. So I very carefully attached it and kept the chain hoist attached as well just in case disaster should strike and the whole thing tip over causing injury to myself or wreck a valuable engine.
It reminds me of years ago when most ATV manufacturers were selling three wheeled vehicles. After a few people were injured when these dangerous three wheelers tipped over, mostly due to operator inexperience or careless driving, the 3 wheel design was dropped. And 4 wheelers replaced them. Safer? A bit, yet we still hear of accidents and injuries involving 4 wheelers.
I've been driving one of those dangerous and unpredictable 3 wheelers for maybe 15 years now without incident. In most cases it seems to be the nut that holds the wheel, or in this case, the handlebars, that is the weak link. I'm hoping my luck holds out with the engine lift. So far it looks good.

Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year.

Seeing the date, and the cold and snow we still have this April second I was reminded of this old tune, Spring Will Be...
I think it was 2012 on the first of April I was roto tilling the garden already. This year, what ground is showing is still frozen solid. Everything else covered in snow. It has been a long winter.
Its even cold working in the "Roosty6 Restoration Shop" unless I want to turn on the furnace and increase my carbon footprint even further.
I'm making a few small steps forward on the old rusty cars. Learning how to take a few dents out using real body shaping tools.
I almost made a "how not to do it" video today while trying out an engine lift. I deleted all the scenes of me using the wrong methods. Would not want to lead impressionable minds astray.

The Old 730

I think it was 1965 my uncle Don bought the 730 Case tractor. It was close to new, at least as close as we had ever got to a new tractor except for the ones on the dealer's lot. At 57 horsepower it was a good sized tractor around here for the time.
I learned a lot about working summerfallow in the summer of 1970 when I went to work for him. Somehow the old 730 survived that episode with only a few scratches and dents. And the summerfallow got worked, sort of.
The 730 is in semi retirement now getting occasional exercise on the rotary mower or some blade work. I was going to do  a little snow pushing with it this morning until I realized that the dozer blade itself was buried under a snowbank. I wasn't about to start digging it out so the tractor got a rest and the snow remains.
And Roosty6 made another video :-)

March 11 53 Merc Update

No big news here but I thought it was time for an update in case anybody was curious. The cold weather limits my ambition and endurance for working in the shop. I don't want to increase my carbon footprint too much by running the oil furnace and actually working in comfort. The world is warming up though. Snow was melting at the south doors of the shop in the bright sunshine.

I actually got the new brake shoes installed on one wheel. Then did it over again twice when I found some little detail I had left out. At this point I think I will need to remove them again, at least partially. The old wheel cylinders are seized and won't allow enough clearance for the drums to slide on over the new shoes. Getting lots of practice anyway.



Did I mention we had a lot of snow recently? Of course, you have seen the videos. Just in case you missed them, here is a drone shot from a few days ago. Looks like ideal snowmobile conditions, if I still had a working snowmobile.

Snowblower On The John Deere

Never too old to learn, or change I guess. After running the McKee snowblower on the Cockshutt 40 for probably 40 years I decided to try it on the "new to me" John Deere 2140. It took a few adjustments and modifications but I finally got it attached and working.
Last week I would have never expected to be installing the snow blower the first week in March but this recent record high snowstorm has made it necessary. There are places I can't get in with the blade and big tractor and I'd rather avoid shoveling if possible so the little six foot snowblower is the best choice. Beautiful sunny day with blue sky and no wind. You guessed, there is video.