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Wroughtnharv · 06-07-2017, 09:16 PM

Glenda picked up the finished desk bud made for Jane. Most of the photos were taken at his shop but a couple of them were taken where it will sit in Jane.

I wanted a top that would hold the 21" IMac with a drawer beneath it to hold the wireless keyboard and mouse. I also wanted a file area beneath the desk that could hold the files etc on Jane. When we get to the Arizona mountains I want to be able to work on the novel. I want to have the IMac because it has so much more to work with over the IPad Pro etc.

It looks like my idea of the engineered wood floor has been superseded by the person in charge. Right now it looks like we'll use the newest and greatest Allure product from the box store from Heck. It will cost us a couple of hundred more even with my discount, disabled vet, than the wood. There are some battlefields you die on, on some you surrender to fight another day.

The windshield screen came in and we installed it. She's happy, I'm happy too. It's simple to put up and take down and does what it is supposed to do. I removed the fluorescent fixture over the bed and will install the LEDs per Ron Hall's instructions.

A new generation of field mice/rats have moved in and we've offered them some special treats. Hopefully this time they will go over into the hay barn to die instead of finding a hidden place in the coach for a final resting place.

Lil Blue is coming together rather well. One of the issues I have is the short term memory is in shambles. I'm not quite to the bats in the belfries stage but where I used to be able to disassemble and reassemble weeks later with no hiccups are a thing of the past. I have found a reason for a couple of days now to avoid doing a final installation of the exhaust manifold. I can't explain it but there was something there that encouraged me to go do something else.

This afternoon I talked myself into biting the bullet and getting it done. As I went over it one more time there was one thing besides a nagging something wasn't right going on. I had an extra 6 mm cap screw in the exhaust parts box that I didn't know what to do with. Then I saw it, a piece of steel tubing laying down on the cross member. I pulled the exhaust manifold, it was just resting in place waiting for the nuts and bolts party to begin. The tubing went into the backn side of the water pump, 6 mm cap screw was what held it in place. We got this.

Ten minutes to install the nuts and bolts installing the exhaust manifold will be done along with everything thing else on that side of the motor. Then the real fun begins, intake manifold with all of the lines and wiring for the injection package. It shouldn't be a big thing but any fuel line leak or wiring hiccup could make it veddy veddy interesting. The power steering pump and alternator are on that side and I will install them first. Then it's the front with the belts and fan to install, radiator and hoses, fluids, find out if we did it right the first time or the next time.

It isn't as much fun as blacksmithing or some fabrications. But it's still fun in its own way.

mkohler30 · 06-07-2017, 09:24 PM

Looks great!!! Sounds like lil blue will be glad to be put back together....sounds like progress always moving forward...

Mk

okmunky · 06-07-2017, 10:09 PM

Beautiful desk, Harvey! Y'all did good.

I've learned the hard way to take photos with my cellphone camera when I need to disassemble anything. Sure makes up for those missing brain cells when it's time to put them back together.

Franka548 · 06-08-2017, 04:43 AM

Harvey,
Desk looks great, will do the job nicely. Sometimes as we age, we just have to plow through our projects the best we can and then just go with the flow when we have to redo because we forgot something. I think we all cn relate to that.
Frank

Lloyd in S.C. · 06-08-2017, 05:22 AM

Nice desk Harvey! That will be very nice. Got me thinking.

You will get little Blue, just will take a little longer. No worries.

L.

Gordon Dewald · 06-08-2017, 08:08 AM

Good looking desk. Been thinking about something similar but the procrastination bug has bitten hard. Will be looking forward to seeing the finished product in Yuma next winter.

Wroughtnharv · 06-08-2017, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gordon Dewald

Good looking desk. Been thinking about something similar but the procrastination bug has bitten hard. Will be looking forward to seeing the finished product in Yuma next winter.

Uh, Gordon, this winter, we'll be together this winter, comes right after this fall which follows this summer. The desk replaces a barrel chair. And the desk frees up the kitchen table to be a kitchen table.

Barb, have the photos, even the book, still issues with comprehension. Seeing and believing sometimes have nothing to do with understanding.

I think we might have found a compromise for the flooring, Allure that looks like granite tile. You have to see it to appreciate it.

Installing the intake manifold, I hope it goes back in a lot easier than it came out. Some of the younger crowd would have enjoyed watching me hunt for the alternator. It took an hour of hunting to finally stand there and look hard under the hood area and notice the air cleaner assembly was also missing. But I knew where it was hiding-and-holding-alternator. Gawd I love it when it works.

Gordon Dewald · 06-08-2017, 03:44 PM

OK - this winter. I guess I am into longer range planning. At least I talk like I can do it. Planning - Yes, Delivery - Maybe?

guardrail53 · 06-08-2017, 11:19 PM

I like the desk, Harvey!

Bud did good! I had one made for me here in Lampang, as all the one's for sale here were to short for me, so had a guy make it for me, we got together, and drew it up, and 4 weeks later he delivered it! Made out of teak, and he did a great job! So good in fact, that is had him make me a table for my TV to sit on too! He charged me 4500 baht/128 dls. for the desk, and 4000/114 dls. for the TV table! Rail!

Wroughtnharv · 06-12-2017, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guardrail53

I like the desk, Harvey!

Bud did good! I had one made for me here in Lampang, as all the one's for sale here were to short for me, so had a guy make it for me, we got together, and drew it up, and 4 weeks later he delivered it! Made out of teak, and he did a great job! So good in fact, that is had him make me a table for my TV to sit on too! He charged me 4500 baht/128 dls. for the desk, and 4000/114 dls. for the TV table! Rail!

It's going to cost you more to ship it to the States than what you paid for them, teak=HEAVY. Heirloom stuff for sure. BTW in Nam we had some telephone pole made from local trees, teak, harder than a bad girl's heart. In school they told us that a hook one sixteenth of an inch in a hardwood pole would hold you just fine. They were right but it was still tough on the system to look down and almost see skyhook support while working.

Wroughtnharv · 06-13-2017, 07:06 AM

Yesterday afternoon Glenda talked to dad for over an hour about what we're going to be doing in the mountains when we finally get there this summer. They're both jewels in that they seem to have unlimited patience with me and the way I work.

I love blacksmithing. I think it's the using of a hammer and heat to make things do what you want them to do. If there's resistance then it's either more heat or a bigger hammer that is needed, sometimes both.

Ron Hall sold me some LED components for making my own lights. The fluorescent light in the bedroom went out about a month ago. Friday between other things going on I decided to change it over to LED strips with voltage regulator. The heat and hammer philosophy doesn't work so well working with solder and small items. There was some frustration involved but once I got the hang of it we ended up with six strips in the fixture instead of the four Ron recommended. My theory of too much just being enough is alive and well.

Lil Blue could be running today, or not. We're shooting for running. If she lights up and runs fine without too much fuss it will be a major thing for me. It's almost a zen journey thing tearing her down and then figuring out how to put her back again. Memory doesn't contribute much but Lil Blue is put together in a logical manner and it's just figuring out where what fits.

ronjhall · 06-13-2017, 03:39 PM

Wow all that light and you in front of a mirror. 🤡
I forgot. You got a haircut Friday. [emoji41]

Franka548 · 06-14-2017, 06:58 AM

Looks good Harvey, should give plenty of light for you.
Frank

Wroughtnharv · 06-14-2017, 11:45 AM

I put some antifreeze in the new radiator, made sure one more time everything was attached to something else, and then, I sat down in Lil Blue, pushed in the clutch, turned the key to start.

Motor spun over for a minute and then the battery gave up. I hooked a charger to the battery after making sure nothing like the starter or battery connections were hot. Hit the starter again and she lit up like a happy camper. Idle was high so I adjusted the throttle cable and Lil Miss Blue sounds better than she ever has with us. I tried the clutch and that works fine too.

Now I'm off to get some new plastic rivets (scrivets) so I can reassemble the body panels etc.

Yeah, I know. It was a fool's journey to go through all that work and frustration at my age. But at times like this, I feel very lucky to feel this good this old.