Slower than expected progress

     WOW - I never thought that the restoration project would take this long.  I'm not one to drag things out!  However, when you try to do something extra around the normal business of life it soon becomes evident that, when things get real busy, the 'extra' take a back seat. With that said I manages to carve out a few hours the last few days.

     The wheels have been attached, mostly to help hold the frame off the floor of the shed.  I also was able to attach the steering mechanism to the frame.  Although I was unable to get a new part to replace one that was worn out, I was able to adapt quite well.  Now, as I assemble the parts to the frame I must clean and paint the nuts and bolts and washers as I go.  I find this the main reason for the slower than expected progress.  Each step requires priming, painting, and repainting and takes several days for each small step I take.  

     During the whole process I have discovered some of the things my dad did to keep the mower in usable condition, many are not with original parts.  However, one of the changes was an improvement over the original design and , had he not done so, would probably have resulted in the front wheels being permanently ruined.  Since I will not be using the mower to mow the grass, restoring the front axle set up should last a life time.(at least mine!)

     I have also learned that I am unable to restore the engine to original specifications.  What need to be done is to have the cylinder walls bored out a bit larger and have an oversized piston and rings installed.  This would be perfectly acceptable for my engine.  However, I and unable to do so as the oversized piston is no longer available. A slight boring will not remove all the scaring in the cylinder walls but will be within specs for new rings.  Again, since I will not be using the mower to mow the grass it should last a life time.

     Heres an updated picture of progress.  Enjoy?  MAYO

Busy - Very Busy!

Yes - I have been quite busy since my last post. This doesn't give me any excuse for not posting something earlier but I will have several events to talk about today.

A NEW BABY !

No - it's not ours- not directly anyways. On September 26th we were

blessed with our first grandchild. Kayleigh Adriana Clark made her 
debut at 1:35 am. She was 6 lbs and 14 ozs and 19 inches long. She is much loved by everyone on both sides of the family. 
Proud Grandparents? You bet. I am looking forwards to more already.

ANOTHER NEW ARRIVAL !

Before we were able to accept this new arrival we were forced to depart with a 7 year old

member of our family. It was time to say good-bye to our 1996 Chevy Blazer. Although the 
body did not have any rust there were a number of issues that needed attention. In all
honesty they could have been repaired. However, with the Governments CARS program,
dealer incentives, and an aging vehicle that would undoubtedly have more repairs in the next couple years, the cost of waiting to replace the blazer did not look too promising for the future.

I am NOT too keen on the way our government is spending money so I was hesitant on using

the CARS program. However, there were two thoughts that persuaded me to accept. First,
choosing not to use it would make NO change in the amount of money the government is
spending. Second, this is one of the few expenditures the government has done that directly
benefits the people and not the pockets of big corporations. I may not agree with what 
President Obama is doing but I commend him for not sitting back and doing nothing. Only
time will tell what the impact of all this will have on our future.

So what did we replace the blazer with? How about a 2010 Toyota Camry. Even though it is

not the best gas savings I could have gotten it is a BIG improvement over the blazer. Lord willing it will last for the next 15 years!

CAMP COUNCILOR

Two weeks ago I took a week off work to volunteer as a councilor at a christian camp. Four

local churches teamed up to sponsor this week. We had about 60 kids! It was a very busy but

exciting week. It was great to see God working in the lives of kids. At the end of the week
there was a campfire with a time for testimonies. Pray that the decisions made would bring
lasting fruit.

There was an exciting water slide and lots of crazy games. However, the theme for the week

was Extreme Challenge. It was all about teaching the kids to be open to doing things that
were a challenge for them to do. We had challenging team events where they needed to work with others without the advise of adult leaders. We also had individual event, like climbing a high rock wall, to encourage kids to reach for something they were unsure they could do.
Even though a few did not make it to the top, we were able to point out that they had gone
much higher that they thought they did. That too showed the kids that they were able to reach beyond what they thought they were capable of with the help and encouragement of friends. Of course, the spiritual parallel, letting God work in and through them may mean that God will challenge them to do what they think they can not do.

RESTORATION PROJECT

Not much has been done on the restoration of the old Simplicity lawn tractor. Quite frankly

I have been very busy but the shed is very hot and not pleasant to work in. Hopefully, I can
get back to it in the near future. However, with the re-starting of another Awana year at churchI may have to put this project on the back burner for a while. Keep checking- I will get it done.

Well, time has a way of flying by. Thanks for reading my 'musings.' - MAYO

GREAT NEWS !

About 3 months ago Joyce and I renewed out life insurance. Of course, being older, the prices went up a bit. However, mine went sky high as my cholesterol level was over the 220 limit to secure the lower rate. I was told that if I could lower the number I would be able to save $140.00 per year. That's quite a savings.

My family doctor has been trying, unsuccessfully I might add, to get me on Lipitor. I have put him off for almost two years! Now I called him to get a prescription for 8 weeks to see if it would help. I had also started taking red yeast rice since it contains a natural statin - what the prescriptions are, but processed, not natural. I also found a coupon for a free 30 day supply. Well, after 6 weeks the results are in. from a high of 264 to a low of 124. Well within the range I need to be.

We called the insurance company and asked where to fax a copy of the medical report and they said "Oh, we changed our policy - we can no longer accept another's report'. So, it means another vile of blood drawn by their people. Did I mention I HATE NEEDLES! Oh well, at least I can save some money on my insurance. I can put up with a needle for that.

My second daughter has now moved out of the house. She shares an apartment with another girl. It's great to see my children growing up but it is not without some trepidation. With our third daughter a senior in high school - home school- It may not be many more years before she leaves. She has already bought her first car and paid cash for it. She has a job with a local restaurant and has done a great job saving her money.

My oldest daughter will soon bless us with a grand child sometime in early August. They already know that it is a girl. She has had some minor problems with her pregnancy but nothing serious. Well, from our perspective anyway. She now knows why we think doctors are intrusive and troublesome.

I know that it is mid summer, but it is time to work on preparations for the start of Awana at church in September. As the director I get the fun of making the yearly schedule and planning the Bible lessons.( and a bunch of other decisions that can be quite annoying.) So I'll close and do some work on that. God Bless! -- MAYO

New Project - Simplicity Restoration

It has been a few years since I had a project to consume my time. The last one was the addition to the house. Since then, my time has been devoted to Awana, a daughter in post high education / training(message therapy), (who also spent 9 months in Nicaragua on a missions trip), and another daughter who learning to drive.(She also bought her first car!).

It has been on my mind to restore, as best I can with what I know, my fathers old Simplicity lawnmower. This was one I mowed a lot of grass with as a teenager.

As you can see, the mower is red. However, the original color was orange. As I have stripped the red paint with a chemical stripper the orange color has appeared underneath. Also, there are several places around the tractor frame that still had the original color.

I am amazed how many parts can still be ordered for such an old mower. I have been able to download a schematic of the mower showing all the original part numbers. Of course, there are some things that I am having a difficult time replacing or fixing properly, but all that will reveal the authenticity of the mower. The most notable problems are the decals, the engine, the gas tank and cap, and the mower attachment parts.

The engine itself is no longer available as a new engine. The government now requires the use of overhead valve engine. The Briggs recommended replacement is a bit larger in all directions and does not fit under the hood. I have taken the original engine to a repair shop for a complete overhaul. Hopefully they will be able to get what they need to do the job. As a restoration, having the original engine is preferred, but could be more costly.

Although, I have not found several decals that are 'original' I think I have found a person who can make one with the same lettering style as the original. The old decal appears red but the tractor is originally and orange color. I am not sure if age has turned the decal darker or if the decal should actually be red.

The other big problem I am having is the gas tank and gas cap. The tank is usable but needs a very good cleaning on the inside. The gas cap has a broken glass top. I have been unsuccessful up to this point to find a replacement cap. Perhaps the glass itself can be replaced, if not I will have to just keep looking.

Below are some of the pictures showing the restoration in progress. Some of the parts have been primed and are ready for painting. The chassis pictures shows both the original orange and the repainted red color. The hood has since been striped and primed as of this writing. The mower attachment shows several parts that have been re-welded, although not very smooth welds.

This project has consumed a fair amount of my 'free' time. With the preparation needed for the upcoming Awana year I may have to slow down on my time with the work on the mower. The next step is to prim several very small parts, (including nuts and bolts), and clean and strip the chassis and get it primed. Although I have cleaned it off with a spray degreaser there is still a great deal of oil and grime on and under the chassis.

Stop back in a few weeks and see the progress.