Machine Builders Network+ Forums Machine Builders Network General Discussion What odd jobs did you do today?

Need to come up with some kind of pivoting cradle I can bolt on where the spare tire mounts, that the towed vehicle can be strapped into. just use the winch to get it in there. that way there won't be any slam bang shit going on. be like towing a trailer

Jim Ive thought of a swivel bar setup to tow a dead quad with as well,it would keep it from running into the back of my quad..but nothing seems to be versitile enough to really handle everything that comes up..except the HD bumper on my quad,we just ratchet strapped the dead quad to it with some upwards pull and go,just get the front wheels off the ground,with 8-10" of 'leash' so to speak and it just goes..I towed a friend off a mountain in KY-(Evarts,KY-Harlan,KY)-some of the most aggresive territory Ive ever ridden..the quad(Twin Peaks Kawi) held tight and came down off that mountain..we were up so high on the mountain we came down thru the clouds into and thru a rainstorm..what a miserable night..never forget it

Made a bit of progress on the trailer lights today,---AFTER I got pissed off and tore the rest of the front part of the wiring out and,----yup!,---damn bunch of FACTORY splices and all nasty! ---anyway after yanking all of that out I started way up the line towards the truck and worked back from there. Did some temp. hook ups to see if it worked or not and NOW I am on the right track,---got tail lights on both truck and trailer, so now to solder/tape the connections and tie up the wires to the outside of the frame where rodents wont bother them,---gonna look like hell but I am not runnin a show queen!
Not sure on the hidden brake wires,---for now I dont care about that! Brake controller fried when I hooked to the tri axle many years ago! Got froze for the last 2 days messin with it but maybe by spring I can get it finished.

Sonny one thing Ive learned is to make all your connections with good quality pressure connector butt splices and then seal the ends with some RTV silicone sealant..I like to run all my wiring thru the black plastic corrugated flexible wiring loom,it keeps the wiring harness from chafing against the frame and suspension mounts,fuel lines,etc..I have little problems with my wiring because of all that. Best of luck to you

Pulled the carb off the mini hoe yesterday and cleaned it got tired of having to run half choke all the time. started on getting things together for the new loader valve.

Runs great now.. damn I love the ultrasonic cleaner.

Got the wires done on the trailer! Dont look great but I got lights. Had to cut out some of the damn butt connectors that I tried to use,--- totallt HATE them!! NEVER had any luck with them,--anyway I even managed to mount the cluster light under the place that had the 3 big azzed holes cut in the frame at the factory, guess I could stick the lights back in the holes to cover them,---too cold to plug all the holes in the frame right now, so gotta do that later. Even had one tail light wire long enough to reach up along the side to add some side lights on the bed so I taped it up and tied it out of the way til I get more lights to put up there,---dont need them but they would make the trailer easier to see from the side.
Even re-connected the brake wires but there is about 6 feet of them in the frame on one side and the same amount on the other side. Its a different harder coated stuff and only 2 wires in it. Dont know how they feed to the pass side either so I guess if somebody borrows the trailer I have to explain that it SHOULD have brakes but dont count on it and drive accordingly! One guy that uses it dont even plug in the lights!--gotta keep on him to plug the damn thing in and at least be somewhat legal!
I want lights that work and are bright! ---I dont drive fast enough that brakes would do me any good anyway! Automatic transmissions stop you like you hit a brick wall as soon as you let off the throttle ---at least the F-350 does and what little I pull it with the Explorer I never get out of low range.
After another 8 hours in the cold,---I cooked Virginia some chicken legs on the grill while she made noodles in the kitchen, so we pigged out for supper tonight! lol!

take care brother.. this stuff is just bullshit gotta work stuff. mostly just frustrating. It'll all work out. take a step back and relax. it'll all still be there tomorrow.

made a jig to support the rims for the MG so I can powder coat them. It's shinny because I took the pic After I used it.

Powder coated the rim for the spare tire. these are going to look good....

Sonny if you are using one of those flat-metal handle type wire connector crimpers with the screw cutters in the handles then there's where your problem is..they don't offer enough pressure to fully crimp the barrel or butt splices,and/or lug terminals that go on the ends of the wiring..creating a loose or high-resistance connection..Get a pair of ratcheting crimpers or T+B makes a pair of cutter/crimpers (orange/black handles)for wiring work.

These are what I use. Klein... Never had a butt connector pull apart with these.


and these heat shrink connectors. put a squirt of dielectric grease in each one before you crimp the wires and heat shrink. Never had a problem with the connection going bad. This is How I work the wires on my boats.

yup I think everyone makes a version of the famous T+B(Thomas and Betts) crimpers now..they used to be Orange and Black handles,originally made for UN-insulated crimp lugs,but they crimp down onto the insulated ones too..never had a joint fail with these and nylon splices/terminals..30-somethin-years ago I had a lot of harnesses getting cuts and nips in them from the cutter on the end-so on one pair I ground the cutters off the end so they were just crimpers for close harness work..still got 'em

Ya,--- mine are all the chimna flat POS models! I did have one like in your pix. at one time but guess somebody else needed them worse than me,--anyway I cant finsd them.!

I pretty much just use the cutter part for zip ties. Honestly, I pretty much use the space right in front of the one for non-insulated. It just crimps so much better. Don't work too goo on the yellow ones 12ga & up so I do those in the back one. I have the ratcheting ones with a variety of dies too. I just use those for the pin type connectors.

Well I got this adapter for my jack a few years ago and couldn't use it because it didn't fit my jack. Well... Had to replace my jack because I loaned it out & it didn't come back.. Go figure right? any way it fits the newer jack.. think I've had the jack 2 years now & just thought see if this thing fit tonight.. Jacked up the MG pulled the dollies all out & oiled up the wheels, so it'll move easier. works great. more stable platform for a jack..

got some of my hardware shipment today, it's amazing what a bag of screws cost these days..now I know WHY I recover as much hardware,nuts and bolts off of scrap items as possible.

Been doing it for years BUT you gotta keep it organized

Squirted some purple shit on the MG tonight.

all it needs now is a 6.0L Chevy LS crate motor under the hood

I've heard of these things having 6 cyl. engines shoved in them. Gets along pretty good with the 1.8L / 62.5 HP 4 Cyl. I have more money invested in the damn thing than it's worth already.

looks like a fun ride tho

love the color!!! It will be a nice ride when done!!!!
I didnt get much done,---did help sis rake leaves and cut brush at the home place and got a load of leaves for my compost pile! ---trailer lights were still on when I got home this time and a lot brighter than usual,--the factory splices up front were junk for sure!!!

good deal

Worked on the MG some more. was going to lay some more purple on it last night but, there was a big spot on the right front quarter that had a shit load of BONDO on it. Apparently, It got crunched somewhere along the line and it cracked it all to hell, so I ground it all out and re did it with New Bondo with fibers. Whipped some primer on it tonight but was overanxious and started sanding before the primer was cured.....
SHIT!!!! well tomorrow is another day.

Man the price of Bondo filler went UP!! I always try to keep a gallon can of the Rage bondo filler here for shop use but WTF is it liquid gold or what?

It sure has. I usually just buy it by the quart but lately just the pint size works for me and it was about $13. I waste as much as I use by mixing too much and it starts curing. Wish there was a slower acting hardener that would give you a minute or two instead of 30 seconds.

Havent bought/used any for several years here, but I hear its went thru the roof like everything else! I used to use it by the gallons! --Dont have time nowdays to do the body work on the trucks like I used to.

Yeah I'm ready to go buy some chickens. $6.00 a doz. for eggs is CRAZY.

I used a bit too much cream hardener the other night & that shit kicked while I was mixing it. Haven't price it lately it's a can I've had on the shelf for a few years. wasn't even sure it would set because the hardener was funky. I probably should have kneaded the tube better.

I went out back and put a case drain line on the skid steer brush cutter..it came with no case drain provision,but the hyd motor had the case drain fitting plugged off in the top..so me being me I modded a brand new machine and ordered the hose and fittings from SurplusCenter..the hyd motor has a hard to find JIC5 port on it,I had to adapt down in size to JIC4, then right angle out of the hyd motor/gearbox tunnel and hose up to the quick connect that fits to the coupling block on the machine..all this does is relieve the internal blowby case pressure inside the hyd motor back to the machine's internal hydraulic tank. All hyd motors have internal leakage or blowby,if you dont give it a provision to vent back to the tank when running at high pressure it builds up in the motor and blows the shaft seals.
pretty easy to fit all this up but with a cold wet wind blowing,I prefabbed it all in the shop then went out back to install it..success,but enough for one day

planted a sweet potato top in a pot to grow some new plants and its starting out with several sprouts,---kinda early but it was gonna grow anyway so i cut the top off and ate the rest of it. Have grown them this early then planted them out when the right time comes and they produce.
also did a test grow of the lady finger pop corn that I wanted to plant and it came out 99.9%, so guess its good.
moving/sorting some of the last summer boxes from the auction,--- got one flat of a ton of drill bits in it,---MOST of them look new!
Never know what you will find in the misc. boxes/totes/buckets! LOL! Found some snap-on wrenches, craftsman, mac, and top name good quality older stuff. Got 2 full sets of box end stuff put together from the assorted stuff. Now I have a set in the wood shed and dont have to carry tools out there every time I work out there.
Gotta sharpen the planer knives,--mount another chain grinder to the bench, sharpen a few more chains, and finish working on one of the sawmill blades, got it sharp but now gotta round out the gullets on it.

Well didn't get anything done on the MG. Went out to the shop and the heat was barely blowing, so I ended up fixing an issue with the ductwork upstairs. It was nice & warm up there. then I rigged up a small 7 Gal. electric water heater so I can wet sand the car without my fingers freezing off. warm water works better for washing any way. My water supply to the shop is from a well and it has LOTS of Iron. Not really good for washing down the car prior to painting. Have a hose running out there from the house for now But I think I'll break down & run a line out just for stuff that needs pure water. I did burry a 4" PVC pipe as a conduit to handle the air, electric and Eventually water, before I poured the cement. the electric runs straight to the breaker panel in the house but the air has a union where I used to have a Quonset hut and that's where the 4" pipe ends, so I'll either have to cut a trench in my driveway to the house or tunnel under it somehow.

My old deep-rock well drill worked great for tunneling! wish I still had it! --- You couldprobably rig a small pipe with short wings on it and chuck it in a big drill and get under wit it. maybe spray water stream along pipe while turning? Just thinking out loud here!

I could use the Jetter attachment that I have for my pressure washer If I can figure out a way to make sure it doesn't wander. high pressure water stream will follow the path of least resistance. When I pushed a conduit under the slab to run a gas line out to the shop I had the benefit of having a trench to lay the pvc pipe in to send it under the slab. I cut a hole in the slab up next to the house & ran up to it.. In this situation I have a ground box to deal with so I can't aim the conduit like that. This is where the power & air came up into the old quonset hut that used to be my shop. now I park the RV in that spot.

Made a cover for the dog crate. she's figured out how to pull the blanket we were using off from inside. Still need to make a flap for the front. if she can see out when we put her in, she whines. Actually pretty lucky with her. she's pretty well behaved for 13week old pup.

1127Am EST 1/16/23
cleaned out the scrap steel bucket in the shop..clips,strips and chunx, and some old dented driveshafts..transfer to the big scrap tip hopper out back..turn it in once a year

hung shoplight in the woodwork shed, adjusted the used 1055 sharpall I just bought, mounted the Oregon chain grinder,--(nother auction find) and sharpened a chain to see if it worked. Tried the jointer and got it working again, next item is to get the big planer hooked up in this shed. 220 is in and working, just gotta run a longer wire to reach the planer.

Sanded on the MG (wet sanding before spraying the base color) on the front half and sanded some boogers off on the back half in prep for the next coat.

Made a front flap for the dogs' crate cover.

Got the rest of the fittings for the loader valve that I got for the backhoe a long time ago. picked up a couple of new hoses at tractor supply. Just need some decent weather to install it now. AND a big drip pan to catch all the fluid.

worked on a few saw chains/bars getting them straightend out again. gotta squeeze the rails and regrind the top of them once in a while to make them cut straight again. 6 saws ready to go when I go loggin again.

Oh,--the internet auction,---- got a few things,-- got outbid on TONS of stuff! -- must be nice to be rich!! People are always nuts on these Jan. sales,--money to burn I guess. anyway we have the big farm expense to deal with this year. Next year we should be back on track with income from the farm.

sanded on the MG some more. was going to spray some more purple but saw way too many boogers for my analism to accept.