My Thursdays come with leftover Monday's kerfuffles. I thought I was clear to back out while turning. NOT. The tail gate needs to be taken off, disassembled, straightened and then reinstall the white plastic white shell.
Have you ever sewn broken/cracked plastic? I think I may have to revisit this skillset during the repair.
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CRAFTSMAN STILL EXIST
I needed a 4' - 1/2" mild steel rod with an eye at both ends. The length had to be +- 1/4". There were other options, but I wanted the steel rod.
I found a welding shop near the edge of town. It was called The Welding Shop. Older fellow. We visited and I showed him my drawing with dimensions. He said I will give it to the guy out back, $50 and we will have it done by tomorrow afternoon.
This simple metal project does come with a skillset and some experience. Heating and bending an eye as seen in this photo is not easy. Add the length tolerance and it is challenging. Old school fellows can put this out in a matter of minutes. And the fellow in the back room nailed this 100%. I do not want to say I had my doubts in this day and age, but was comforted by the fellow I visited with who owned The Welding Shop.
He put a measuring tape from the inside of one eye to the other and it was with in 1/8" of exact. The metal rod with two eyes was built to the exact drawing I gave them.
Craftsman still exist here on the edge of the Piney Woods.
I installed the rod, loaded the turnbuckle and one-half turn raised the other end of the gate 1/2" so as to swing freely in the receiver on the other post. Some black paint and bark on the ground and this build will get lost in the gate structure and surrounding trees.
The Texas soil can shift all it wants to now. The gate swing can be easily adjusted if needed. The post to the right is set deep with three bags of cement properly wetted and settled. I bet there is no more than 40 lbs. of pull load on the new metal rod.
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HER GRANDMOTHERS LILIES
More than three feet tall, they are taking over the front flower beds and the explosion of yellow defines the front of the house.
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CREPE MYRTLES
My wife has started these trees in her front flower beds. The red is as magnificent to these to small trees as the yellow is to the lilies.
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NEW HAMPSHIRE WINTER HEAT
Days are officially getting shorter. June and July were always the two months I filled the woodshed and built nearby rows of drying wood. Son is on the job!!
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SUNSET AFTER PASSING STORMS
Neighbors to the west shared this sunset photo taken after the big storms had moved through a week ago. I wonder if this is Mother Nature's way of apologizing or more likely, showing off what else she can do.
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JIBBER JABBER
Global Warming, then Climate Change and now it is Climate Crisis. Have to keep up with this. I think my fear level is suppose to go up.
Anyway, it is a hundred degrees as I post today. Heat index near 110 and most all folks comment that we are not yet into the hot months. Rain has the local ponds full and the first cuts of hay are baled and stored. The second cutting in the coming month.
I still have no idea how the Russia War is going. I will not be surprised though if it all goes to hell in a hand basket.
The small submarine that went down to visit the Titanic joined the tragic history of that ship. But memes are harsh; just harsh.
I am not a person who would ever have any interest in crowding into a small fishbowl submarine to submerge to see anything, anywhere at any depth. No one could ever convince me that all would be just fine and "have a good voyage." I am cemented in never going to happen.
Why were there no women on the dive team? Just wondering. Seriously though, why?
Appreciate the visit. It is not to late to put away some canned goods and the like.