danski0224
Well-known member
Last edited:
The GDS Skunkworks, 4 FN 27's Shop Projects
- Thread starter 4 FN 27
- Start date
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Glad you were able to enjoy the parties and get caught up with old friends Pat.
***** about the truck though. I had the same issue a few years ago when I swiped the side of our coach. I felt horrible and ashamed of myself for doing something so dumb, but I kept telling myself in all of the miles I had traveled and if that was the first incident I should consider myself fortunate. I think we are harder on ourselves for doing these things than anything else someone can say. I'm sure you'll get it repaired and it will be good as new.
***** about the truck though. I had the same issue a few years ago when I swiped the side of our coach. I felt horrible and ashamed of myself for doing something so dumb, but I kept telling myself in all of the miles I had traveled and if that was the first incident I should consider myself fortunate. I think we are harder on ourselves for doing these things than anything else someone can say. I'm sure you'll get it repaired and it will be good as new.
OutlawDrifter
Well-known member
**** happens, and to err is human.
It's a bummer, been there, but it can be fixed.
It's a bummer, been there, but it can be fixed.
But still...
Zippy you crack me up!!! Thank you!!!
Nutts...hearing of someone else's mishaps...let's just say I understand...but...
You 100% correct. Now I am paranoid.
I have heard it said "they come in 3's".First world problems.
Payment schedule? Other than the business, the last payment I made was in 2001 thanks to my WIfe the savvy investor and guardian of all things cash.
Probably spends more than that on ammo...
NTTAWWT
LOL...Believe it or not, I really don't shoot that much other than when we go P-Dawg'in. Even then it is only about 200 rounds a day.
In 2007 I saw a shift coming and invested in Precious Metals; Brass and Lead. One of the best things I ever did.
I need that reminder once and a while. Humility can be a leveling agent.
Good. I like to share the knowledge. I had some of the best mentors in the Fabrication World, a few have passed on, that shared their wisdom (experience and knowledge) with me. I added to that base and I am grateful I can share it with those who want to learn and someday too pass it on.
Thank you x 2.
Thank you.
I was planning on welding the Buckthorn Puller today and set a different coarse of direction. The truck being the main thing, getting it fixed. I drove up to a friends (the guy I did the Fuel Cell for the Mustang) Dad's Body Shop and showed him the pictures. He wants to see it before he commits. He is a 1 man show.
When I got back I started machining the 2 parts that I Water Jetted blanks for. The first part, a top and bottom hold the Ram to the fabricated I-Beam. I had a hunk of 1 inch plate and cut the blanks from that. Then I had to drill and tap 1/2-13 Threaded holes and machine down the portion that will ride on the rail. While I was at it I thought I should add a couple of Grease Zerks.
I pocketed the Zerks.
I made the "Gripper Plates" from some 3/4 inch thick 4130 drops that was left over from a EV Battery Lifter project we did a few years ago. I saw the drops and told the guys to put 100 of them on a pallets for me. They had been sitting in the cold storage area. They are a funky shape so I was limited in how big they could be. I took the original 1 piece design and and made it a 2 pieces, a left and right so they could fit on the Slug.
The 1 inch plate is to the left.
I'll hang on to these drops...I know someday in my life or somebody else's life they will get used up.
Then I set-up the Mill and did all the reaming, drilling and tapping required. Had to tip the head 45°.
I was able to use the same set-up for both the horizontal and vertical cuts by rotating the part in the Vise.
Worked on the Speed and Feed and got some really nice chips. Blue on one side and they looked like Chrome on the other. The part stay cool and after a pass you can touch the Carbide.
Then I had to mock it up. Everything fits as design so far.
Tomorrow I have a Customer's Car that needs an Oil Leak fixed. I put it up on the hoist tonight and it appears to be the Drain Plug that is dripping. I asked the owner how long it has been leaking. He said since the last oil change 2 weeks ago. Interesting, it has and oversize Plug in it now. Looks like who ever installed the Plug drilled or tapped it at a slight angle. They must have stripped it out and said nothing to the owner.
I'll dig into it tomorrow. The easy cheap fix will be to try an O-Ring with the Gasket. It is a 2020 Colorado. If the Oil Pan has to be replaced I am farming it out to a buddy who does this stuff daily at his shop. I have other things I need to tend to.
Tomorrow afternoon we have the All Company Meeting. Not sure what they are bringing in for Lunch but we are celebrating 550 +/- days without "Work Loss Injury". I heard mention of Door Prizes too??? Not sure if I am eligible???
Looks like I'll be welding on Thursday if nothing else pops up.
Payment schedule? Other than the business, the last payment I made was in 2001 thanks to my WIfe the savvy investor and guardian of all things cash.
I kind of figured that part as I was typing it
I kind of figured that part as I was typing it
Yeah, I know who it goes....I'm just glad I got rid of that payment 6 years ago or so.... granted, your place is way nicer than mine.
I am still banging away in the Shop. A lot of what I am doing is tied back to a customer, thus I hesitate to put the stuff out here.
My primary focus has been portability. We are seriously looking at moving out of MN. I live life based on my Values and currently there is a misalignment. Been selling off bits and pieces of things lying around and not in service. Extra Trailers, Tools, Equipment...things that just are not being used or have not been touched in a long time.
I don't have Internet in the shop. I look at the computer early in the morning and later in the evening when I am in the house. Funny how I see a lot of people on here only reply when they are at work...as an employer it makes me think??? I just run out of time to keep up on here...
I figure as long as I am physically able to kick *** running equipment in the shop or around the yard I should take advantage of that. I can shine the seat with my *** when I physically wear down with age.
I did head out and get more P-Dawg'in time in. Hit 2 races with my buddies Car. Sold the Motorhome, still banging away on the Super Charger as parts roll in. Currently working with Featherlite on a design build custom Trailer to replace the Logan Coach Trailer. Doing a little flying in my buddies Helicopter.
Today I am fixing a leak that developed last winter on the Geo System. Of course the leak has to be on the lowest point of the system...but thank God they have Shut-off Valves on each side of the leak.
Looking at the leak, it appears when the system was installed they found a leak and tried to repair it using more heat and Solder. I can see on the backside of the 2 inch NTP fitting there is a heat mark. It held for 9 years then started dripping.
Tight space, not a whole lot of room to make the repair. So I laid it using Solidworks...CAD meets Plumbing.
A couple of the fittings needed to be machined down .400 to get the assembly to work out.
Since I despise all things Channel-locks or Pipe Wrench I made custom Crows Feet Wrenches for the 3/4 Drive stuff. 3/4 inch 4130 should get it done.
My buddy, a Master Plumber will be here to assist tomorrow.
signcrafter
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 9, 2012
- Messages
- 12,294
Glad to hear from you Pat, thanks for the updates. Sounds like you're staying busy. Love seeing the projects you get into and the updates.
Custom Crow's Feet wrenches, why am I not surprised ?
Those would probably sell if you made them.
Those would probably sell if you made them.
Bob Heine
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Pat, my sundial shows it's your birthday today. So.... Happy Birthday Pat!
(The colors are a reminder that you may be a member of the combo gift club born this time of year.)
(The colors are a reminder that you may be a member of the combo gift club born this time of year.)
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Happy Birthday Pat. Hope you have a good one buddy.
RoninB4
Well-known member
-Happy Birthday Pat
bugnut
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Happy Birthday Pat! Enjoy the day!
Trapps
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Happy Birthday, Pat!
Thank you!!!
Pretty quiet day Designing, Water Jetting and Machining. Laying a little low recovering from a cold. Thus keeping my distance from everyone.
Still busy in the shop and wrapped up Strategic Planning to set the direction and goals for next year at the plant.
Sold the last of the snowmobiles a few weeks ago...thus why we all of a sudden got snow. Now today rain...not looking back.
Geo System is back online with the repairs made. Changed out one Zone Valve Head that went bad too.
Reverse Engineered a Fuel Tank for a '71 Moto-Ski. Looking forward to seeing this one when they roto-mold it.
Still playing Machinist working on the Ford Blower Project. Coming down the home stretch. Last parts to be Jetted and Machined today.
For my birthday I picked up a slightly used Mac Tool Box I had been hunting for on FBMP. After 10 years of looking. I don't think it saw much use.
Matches the one I use in the Machine Shop. The Red is starting to grow on me.
Again, Thank you for the birthday wishes. I plan on spending a little more time here after the first of the year. It will take me a while to get caught up.
Merry Christmas!!!
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Glad to see you're still able to work in the shop Pat. If you're like me, selling the sleds after decades of snowmobiling was hard. Looking back I have no regrets though, they were fun while it lasted and it was time to move on. My wallet thanks me too.
Are you still looking to move out of Minnesota? If so, what will you do with your business and where are you looking if you don't mind me asking?
Are you still looking to move out of Minnesota? If so, what will you do with your business and where are you looking if you don't mind me asking?
Glad to see you're still able to work in the shop Pat. If you're like me, selling the sleds after decades of snowmobiling was hard. Looking back I have no regrets though, they were fun while it lasted and it was time to move on. My wallet thanks me too.
Are you still looking to move out of Minnesota? If so, what will you do with your business and where are you looking if you don't mind me asking?
Hey Mike, I'll always be working in the shop!!!
I rode from 1970 until '91-92? and woke up one morning and sold everything. My riding buddies were all getting married and starting families and that sucked the wind out of it. In 2010 or so I bought another sled and as usual I jumped in head first and next thing I know it is a new sled every year and some years the snow is OK, some there isn't any and only 2 in the last 15 have been great years.
Typical riding season is January and February...and a little in March. 8-12 weeks of riding??? I gotta be nuts.
Thus it became an easy decision. No regrets.
Working on rotating the $ into something Belt Fed, an M3 or a BAR.
Out of MN? YES!!!
Where: SD, MT, WY, ID, TN
The Business will stay put in MN. People are what make the machine run. There is a pool of highly skilled fabricators in the area. There are a number of focused highly skilled fabricator pockets around the country too. In the areas we are looking to move, there is no one...period. Anyone worth their salt is employed in those low density areas.
Wisconsin is only 4 miles from my front door and 15 miles from the plant. Issue there is, land values have sky rocketed with all the Minnesotans jumping the boarder now that the new bridge is in place in Stillwater. Long term, WI is only 2-3 election cycles behind MN as to how they will end up.
I will maintain my ownership. With the technologies available today, communication should not be an issues. Need to develop a Drone so I can do virtual walk-throughs of the plant like I do now.
I am not at liberty to say. I suspect a prototype will be 3D Printed and then some type of "Temporary Tooling" will be developed for the molding process. Not sure on that end.
Yesterdays F'ery in the shop...adding clearance.
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
TN would be farther from the business but probably nicer weather in the winter and closer to the racing crowd.
Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas.
Bigblue&Goldie
Well-known member
Merry Christmas Pat, I hope you and your wife are enjoying it!
E.rodz
Well-known member
Hey wait a minute I was just reading about your thinking about moving out of MN. Was it something that we taxed?? ,was it the new flag 
Or the worst government leadership in the country?
I was counting on you to be in the fight to take back our country when it gets a tiny bit worse
. Merry Christmas and happy new year! Let's plan out a visit soon!
Or the worst government leadership in the country?I was counting on you to be in the fight to take back our country when it gets a tiny bit worse
. Merry Christmas and happy new year! Let's plan out a visit soon!XJSuperman
Well-known member
Weather is warming up, what's Pat up to these days?
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I wonder if he's been packing up his shop. Last I read he was looking to escape Minnesota.
lilscorpion
Well-known member
So dysfunctional but this is the kind of $hit that get's me locked in. Could be I can easily imagine setting it all up and checking it twice. DRO, Kurt vise gleaming...either way, this is what it's all about. +/- is where we are within the grey.
jlenander
Well-known member
I miss reading your posts Pat.
I hope all is well with you and your family!
I hope all is well with you and your family!
Looks like he checked in today on the forum. Knowing Pat, he'll make a grand post leaving us all to drool.