Off topic anything 2021 Edition!

Just left the junkyard… found my old trusty hydro out of Ole Blue.

So, my daughter really likes riding the tractors.  I have a tractor I was building for her but I think the  Trans is going out, plus it is a FNR.  I am thinking of scrapping that and another one like it.  Maybe find another Murray Widebody.  One like Fearless's or Doc's.  Build that up for her instead.  I already have a locked MST 206 for it.  I am really contemplating it.  I really enjoy having Red fixed.  Don't get me wrong, Kal is a tank, but Red is much more fun.    If I see one for the right price, I may do that.  Right now I see a couple for 100.  Another one like mine for 50 in my area.

I traded a snapper for a john deere RER with an 8hp briggs vertical and a 5 speed peerless gearbox and i considered making it like a rally mower or something like that what do you guys think its one with chain drive

Be a cool little machine.  One like this?



My 8hp died....  something broke inside.  I was thinking about putting an opposed on it.

Are hornets off topic? I went out to check under the engine shroud on the Rat Rod and then strip out the wiring harness. There was ANOTHER hornet nest under the dash. I just reached in, grabbed it and threw it. Got 3 stings on one finger. That finger is FAT now. I did get the work done but used a lot of brake clean shooting down hornets. That is fun, should be an olympic sport. Kinda spendy though...

MightyRaze wrote:

Be a cool little machine.  One like this?



My 8hp died....  something broke inside.  I was thinking about putting an opposed on it.

That looks like an ‘instant go kart kit’ contraption to me.

Yeah, I say ungoverned opt and extra fast pulley swap. That would be cool to try out, make that Deere run like they say it will!

when your 8hp is shot and locked... you go bigger.  



direct bolt down and pully install.  now for fuel, throttle cable, battery, and choke.

I'm a throttle cable shy of firing this thing up. My throttle cable for testing busted on me. I hope I found a good carb.  One I put in is an old one I pulled out of a bucket.  Not sure the old carb from Red went yet.  I'll cross that bridge when I get on it.

Carb was junk.... found Red's old carb, it was junk.  Acted the same on this engine as it did on Red's engine.  No power.  I found another carb in a bag in a bucket that I kept.  It was missing parts.  I took the 1st junk carb and the last one and made a decent good carb.  Got it dialed in and running well.  No bogging now either when the deck is engaged.  My longer throttle cable I think comes in tomorrow.  Found another temp one to work for now.

Glad some of you newer guys around here are nice to talk with. I'll be honest, I was about to get burned out and now I have 2 builds for the future. I'm back away from that edge of burnout. I did leave a half dozen FB groups today. Got tired of the clicky people and the major hipocracy in them. I'm too old to deal with such childish stuff.

Sorry, I had to get on a little soap box....

I just wanted to say that this is the first time I joined a forum or really just getting on an interactive online thingy and I was a bit nervous cause I didn’t quite know what I was in for but you guys are fantastic! I’m really glad that everyone on here is polite and helpful, and I thank y’all for that.

Rustbucket Garage wrote:

I just wanted to say that this is the first time I joined a forum or really just getting on an interactive online thingy and I was a bit nervous cause I didn’t quite know what I was in for but you guys are fantastic! I’m really glad that everyone on here is polite and helpful, and I thank y’all for that.

That’s good to hear. I will tell ya. Things kind of go in cycles.

Saw this at my local scrapyard. It's an old Simplicity Broadmoor! Couldnt get a good look at it because of all the stuff in the way and I didnt have the time because I was there on working hours. Not sure If it's worth getting but I'm going back to see if I cant scavenge some parts of a 1968 gmc they have in the yard as well, so I'll see if I can climb my way over to it and check it out more. 

No money for tractor parts so ive been playing with china quads and i found out a 110 motor i had was not an fnr motor its actuallly a 3 speed or a 4 speed im scared to top it out its quick and sketchy because theres a bare metal wire as a throttle the motor was in my yard full of water and the quad had a broke swing arm i paid 20 bucks for the whole quad. From a buddy of course. So i tore it apart when i got it home and left it to rot and used the tires for my mower. So i threw it together two days ago and its stupid fast and its a great quad that was at the end of its life and now im gonna abuse it some more and mod it out once i sell some stuff i put a couple buckaroos into it

Haven't been on here much lately, glad to see the place is still kicking. My hobby with machine tools has sort of taken over my time with mowers, but i figured I'd update you guys on some stuff you might find interesting.

First of all, I got a new Bridgeport, in a lot better shape than my old one, with a longer table and a digital readout. Having variable speed is nice too, I pretty generally don't change the speed on my VFD anymore.


Shortly after that, I delivered a mill for one of the guys i go to school with and bought a Jet lathe from him and broughtit back on the return trip. Needs a fair bit of work but will be a nice upgrade from my hundred year old South Bend.


Once i thought i was done moving machinery for a while, I took the chance to put my G&E shaper back together. Have a couple jobs I've been working on it and have already made some unique tooling for it.


As it turns out, I wasn't quite done moving machinery, as i came across this 2 axis ProtoTrak CNC retrofit mill on an online auction. Got it for a ridiculously good price. Once i have the spindle rebuilt it'll be a working manual machine, and once i fix the Y axis servo and the CRT display it'll be a real capable CNC machine.


Gotta say, I'm the only 18 year old i know with 5 tons of industrial machinery,

WOW! You have some nice toys. Good to see someone who has saved a shaper. I have a 6” one from WWII and it is a neat little tool, fascinating to watch.

I got a buddy who’d be drooling over this stuff… he’s got a old 50 ton Niagara press and a shear that I know little about. 3 stage power and all! For a young guy you have quite the shop

My friend gave me an 80 ton hydraulic press. It is in my son’s shop now along with my all my machine tools. I need to get those set up and teach him some things before I croak.

Thanks guys. I guess some above average (for my age) motivation and taking opportunities as I see them has gotten me pretty far. Helps having parents with a truck and trailer and some equipment to move them too. I definitely have good shoulders to stand on.

The shaper definitely is neat. I saved it from going to scrap, actually. Drove 6 hours one way to get it. I have it set up on a VFD for variable speed and have limit switches on the cross travel so i can set the cross feed and walk away. Would increase productivity quite a bit but most of the work have done on it is odd dovetails- power hammer dies, lathe tool holders, etc. So i do end up standing at it most of the time it's running. Yknow @Nevadablue that little shaper you have is probably worth more to most people than my big one. Most people that want them don't want a big dinosaur, just a little toy one, like a South Bend 7" or what have you.

You are right. And I actually forgot, mine is a 7” not 6”. It is an Ammco/Delta like this. I had it shipped from St. Louis to Nevada. It is in perfect condition. A true marvel.
Like this:

Im starting me a new tractor project again yay i am taking my haspin 50$ lawn mower and im bolting the body and frame rails from it to a newer mtd chassis. I plan to build support bars for the frame to be very solid and make a bad to the bone front and rear bumper setup and i will be running a big front and a big rear pully for the most belt grip because i learned my lesson at haspin

Wow, 500 posts already… Sure doesn’t feel like I’ve been here that long. Guess I’m mighty talkative lol.

Budget_gokart wrote:

Im starting me a new tractor project again yay i am taking my haspin 50$ lawn mower and im bolting the body and frame rails from it to a newer mtd chassis. I plan to build support bars for the frame to be very solid and make a bad to the bone front and rear bumper setup and i will be running a big front and a big rear pully for the most belt grip because i learned my lesson at haspin

Keep us posted on the progress please. I’m looking for a good bumper design too.

Rustbucket Garage wrote:

Wow, 500 posts already… Sure doesn’t feel like I’ve been here that long. Guess I’m mighty talkative lol.

Haha. I know what you mean. I think I hit 1k in under a year lol.

im planning to attempt a plate steel bumper with baja bars which are pinned on so i can open the hood and the whole bumper will bolt to the frame and the rear bumper is gonna be a tube welded to two tubes with a bumper hitch welded on and the whole thing will bolt on and also have an ammo can for storage like the mowercycle gang does