Howdy Larry,

The LPs add an even more character to the shop.  It seems a shame to cover up those fine details with a roof, but it does look good. Nice work.

Have fun,
mike

Howdy Kyle, fantastic work.  I'm looking forward to next year's projects.  Have fun, mike

Good morning folks,

Rick, thanks for opening, coffee, and oatmeal.  Good luck breaking in the new hiking boots.

Curt, good luck with the gantry.  Would you mind sharing a link to the pewter black you purchased?    Jax has so many.

Philip, that shack is looking "rode hard and put up wet!"  Nice work.

Karl, are you getting any of the high winds further out west?

Ron, congrats on the nice vacation.  Hope the weather stays warm.

How is the rest of the crew?

It's a rainy day, yay.  I need to make a few 1:1 errands, then get back to working on the forge structure.

Have fun,
mike

Howdy Matt,

Incredible modeling.  Simply perfect.

Have fun,
mike

Howdy Curt,

The foundry and details are fantastic.  It's an inspiration for the rest of us.

Have fun,
mike

Howdy Tom, 

That is amazing work on Koontz.  The windows, doors, etc look amazing.

Have fun,
mike

Good afternoon folks,

Rick, thanks for opening.  That hike was amazing.

Curt, thanks for the coffee and bagels. Good luck with the floors.

TomACL, the Koontz build is looking great.  Nice bowling score.

Larry, hope the chiropractor gave you some relief.

Jerry, well wishes for your hands and fingers.  I share your pain.

Ron, hope you make it to the bench.

Karl, my condolences for your cat.  Losing a pet is the worst!  Well wishes for Vicki's friend's husband.

Hi Dave!

Philip, the shed looks great!

Matt, that's some amazing craftsmanship on the turret.  Wow!

How is the rest of the crew?

It's a hazy day with a forecast for 61°F.  I'll take it.  I worked at the bench all morning and posted an update on the oil derrick. I'm glad to be past the construction of the temper screw and sand pump.  Hopefully, I'll be able to move forward more quickly, until I get to the forge details. 

Have fun,
mike

Howdy folks,

Curt, Ron, Jerry, Larry, Rick, and John, I appreciate your following along and commenting.

I've been working on the temper screw, sand pump, and other bits for the oil well.  Today, I assembled the forge hood.

The design of the temper screw utilized numerous thin slices of tubing.  The vendor provided templates that were the required thickness for the part.  I thought the technique was a clever way of cutting and sanding such small pieces to an exact size.

Thickness templates on the right.  The plug to hold the well hole rope is on the left, the temper screw is the second from the left, and the sand pump is next to the templates.  


Another photo of the parts, including the forge hood, before painting.


Painted sand pump and temper screw before weathering.


The forge hood has one coat of paint.  It will be hidden under the roof, so not too worried about fold marks.


While the paint was drying, I began work on the forge building frame.  I think I'll leave the forge's well and exterior sides open so folks can see the detailing.

Have fun,
mike

Good morning folks,

Philip, thanks for opening, coffee, and breakfast.  The shed is looking good.

Curt, enjoy the details.

TomACL, good luck with the thread.

Jerry, easy on the shoveling.

Dave, agree on climbing stuff.

TomO, good luck on the layout.

Ron, the boxcars are looking great.

Karl, it's been a tough season for many of us.

Rick, is it cold out there?

How are the rest of the gang?

It's a cold morning but warming later to the 50s. I haven't been upstairs in a few days.  Maybe today.

Have fun,
mike

Good morning folks,

Curt, thanks for opening, coffee, and breakfast.  Wishing you another great retired day.

Rick, safe travels.

Larry, we got some of your weather and you can have it back anytime! 

How is the rest of the crew?

It's a balmy 18°F this morning, but warming to 45°F later today. Nothing on the agenda but helping MOH put up a few more Christmas decorations.

Have fun,
mike

Howdy folks,

Jeff, Curt, Rick, and Ron, you guys embarrass me, but I do appreciate your kind comments.

Brake lever with NBWs - 


The brake lever is installed on the rig.  The lever puts tension on the bull wheel and serves as a brake.


Here is the derrick's planned location.  That's a lot of raw wood between the bridge and derrick.


The temper screw is next and promises to be the most tedious task in the build.

Have fun,
mike

Good morning folks,

Curt, thanks for opening, coffee, and breakfast.  Good luck with the filter.

Rick, sounds like a fun day with the kids.

TomACL, the video sounds neat.  Looking forward to it.

Larry, the old radio sounds like fun.

How is the rest of the crew?

It's a bright morning in the Piedmont.  The high is forecast for 69°F.  I'll take it.  Last night, we attended a music concert of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong music last night.  The group was from a Florida university, department heads, etc.  It was an amazing reproduction of the original tunes. Hope to make it upstairs today.

Have fun,
mike

Howdy folks,

After working on the wheels for a week or so, I finally have photos of the assembled pulley and wheel components, including bull wheels, banding wheels, sand reel, sand reel friction pulley, walking beam, pitman arm, etc.

All put together


Sand reel, sand friction reel, and band wheel


Walking beam, pitman arm, and drill/pump hook


Bull wheels and pulley


All together with derrick removed


Next will be the braking mechanism on the bull wheels and the hand brake.

Have fun,
mike

Good morning folks,

Curt, thanks for opening, coffee and breakfast. Congrats on the pattern shop.  Get well soon wishes to your grandson.

Larry, I see a bunch of nasty stuff continues your way.  Looks like a lot of bench time, to me...

Philip, now that is amazing. 

How is the rest of the crew?

It's a bright morning but cold.  Sixties this afternoon. Bitter cold is headed our way. Still plugging away on the derrick.

Have fun,
mike

Good afternoon folks,

Rick, thanks for opening, coffee, and breakfast. Hope you enjoy the hike.

Curt, good luck at the bench.  Good luck with the sneaux removal.

Karl, good luck with your travel today.

TomO, indeed, it's sad all these trusted folks are falling from grace. Congrats on the completion of the bridge.

TomACL, The GFI replacement cost wasn't too bad.  Enjoy the bench.

Ron, wishing your wife a speedy recovery.

Jerry, good luck with the build.

How are the rest of the crew?

It's a bright day but cold and windy. I spent the morning working on the derrick.  I mostly assembled pulley and wheel axles.  There is a lot of fiddly stuff to do before I move on to the accompanying blacksmith shack.

Have fun,
mike