From Newsgroup: rec.crafts.metalworking


The end of May I had a couple weeks where I was really productive. Not necessarily with perfect results, but mostly things were just working.

The last week or so not so much. I decided to take off yesterday and
work on something just for myself. Not to improve the shop. Not for a customer. Not to help anybody out. Just for me. I was hoping maybe it
would give me a bit of a reset.

I decided to get my smaller boat running. I haven't used it in two
years. I hadn't planned on it setting so I had not run it dry last time
I used it. I figured charge the batteries (they all charged, but they
are off of other boats) clean the carbs and it would be good to go. I
wasn't expecting totally clogged, but it took a while before I even got
that far. I struggled with even priming the engine until I realized the pickup tube fell off inside the gas tank. They claim its repairable,
and the swivel head should just pop out with a pull and a twist. Nope.
Not even with a vise grip slide hammer as hard as I could hit it while standing on the gas tank. I could waste three paragraphs describing the issues that ensued, but just rest assured it was a whole thing.

I grabbed a portable carry tank out of the storage container, but a
quick connector on it, and hosed it up. I can prime the engine (I
think) but it still wasn't getting any fuel. It was a whole thing as
well.

The only thing I accomplished was cleaning out a tool cart so I had a
place to put the carbs after I pulled them off the engine, breaking to fittings you can't just order... so I'll have to make them. This engine already has an oddball t-fitting I made out of aluminum after the last
time I got it running after sitting a while.

I'm not even going to work on a personal project today. I'm going out
to lunch with a couple buddies and if we don't spend the rest of the day shooting the breeze I'll go bank fishing on the way home.

Those carbs can just sit in the top of that tool cart for months until
the next time I feel like having a really frustrating day. I did figure
out that the way they were setup they weren't quite going full throttle
at full forward throw on the throttle lever. Probably a mistake I made
last time I worked on them.
--
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff

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From Newsgroup: rec.crafts.metalworking

On 6/10/2026 11:44 AM, Bob La Londe wrote:

The end of May I had a couple weeks where I was really productive.-a Not necessarily with perfect results, but mostly things were just working.

The last week or so not so much.-a I decided to take off yesterday and
work on something just for myself.-a Not to improve the shop.-a Not for a customer.-a Not to help anybody out.-a Just for me.-a I was hoping maybe it would give me a bit of a reset.

I decided to get my smaller boat running.-a I haven't used it in two
years. I hadn't planned on it setting so I had not run it dry last time
I used it.-a I figured charge the batteries (they all charged, but they
are off of other boats) clean the carbs and it would be good to go.-a I wasn't expecting totally clogged, but it took a while before I even got
that far.-a I struggled with even priming the engine until I realized the pickup tube fell off inside the gas tank.-a They claim its repairable,
and the swivel head should just pop out with a pull and a twist.-a Nope.
Not even with a vise grip slide hammer as hard as I could hit it while standing on the gas tank.-a I could waste three paragraphs describing the issues that ensued, but just rest assured it was a whole thing.

I grabbed a portable carry tank out of the storage container, but a
quick connector on it, and hosed it up.-a I can prime the engine (I
think) but it still wasn't getting any fuel.-a It was a whole thing as well.

The only thing I accomplished was cleaning out a tool cart so I had a
place to put the carbs after I pulled them off the engine, breaking to fittings you can't just order... so I'll have to make them.-a This engine already has an oddball t-fitting I made out of aluminum after the last
time I got it running after sitting a while.

I'm not even going to work on a personal project today.-a I'm going out
to lunch with a couple buddies and if we don't spend the rest of the day shooting the breeze I'll go bank fishing on the way home.

Well, that was a waste of time. I left more annoyed than I was when I
found the fuel pickup tube dropped off in the fuel tank. I also decided
to invite one fewer people next time I round up a lunch time catch up
session.

Those carbs can just sit in the top of that tool cart for months until
the next time I feel like having a really frustrating day.-a I did figure out that the way they were setup they weren't quite going full throttle
at full forward throw on the throttle lever.-a Probably a mistake I made last time I worked on them.

Now about those carbs... and those broken fittings. Still not done.
--
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff
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From Newsgroup: rec.crafts.metalworking

On 6/11/2026 1:26 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:

Those carbs can just sit in the top of that tool cart for months until
the next time I feel like having a really frustrating day.-a I did
figure out that the way they were setup they weren't quite going full
throttle at full forward throw on the throttle lever.-a Probably a
mistake I made last time I worked on them.

Now about those carbs...-a and those broken fittings.-a Still not done.

I found fittings that, "should" work. Good. One less thing to deal with.
--
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff
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From Newsgroup: rec.crafts.metalworking

On 6/11/2026 2:52 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:

On 6/11/2026 1:26 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:

Those carbs can just sit in the top of that tool cart for months
until the next time I feel like having a really frustrating day.-a I
did figure out that the way they were setup they weren't quite going
full throttle at full forward throw on the throttle lever.-a Probably
a mistake I made last time I worked on them.

Now about those carbs...-a and those broken fittings.-a Still not done.

I found fittings that, "should" work.-a Good.-a One less thing to deal with.

And it may not have been necessary to break those fittings. The fuel
line has a liner, and the liner bunch up creating partial obstructions
at each point the fuel hose was splice for things like a squeeze ball,
fuel filter, quick coupler, etc. Frack!

I do have some automotive alcohol resistant fuel line on hand, but I'll
have to wait for those replacement fittings to arrive now or go ahead
and make some.

Since I have them off already I'll go ahead and take those three carbs
apart just to be safe.

It's turned into a whole-nuther thing. I figured since its down I'd
move some weight "permanently" forward. Flat bottoms are notorious for porpoising and slapping at speed. Often you can get more speed out of
them before they trim to high and porpoise by moving weight forward.
The heaviest items in the boat usually are me and my passenger, so
moving the console and bench forward is what I decided to do. I could
put trim tabs or flotation boxes on the back instead, but I would prefer
to keep the boat no longer than it is if I can help it. There are some backwaters I can barely make it into around some very tight turns.
Moving everything forward really only requires a longer steering cable
anyway. I already had longer shift cables and wire is just wire, of
which there was already an excess.

I do think I may make a new console rather than use the old one, so
there may even be some actual metalworking involved. Not just unbolting
some stuff to move it.
--
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff
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From Newsgroup: rec.crafts.metalworking

On 6/12/2026 6:27 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:

On 6/11/2026 2:52 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:

On 6/11/2026 1:26 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:

Those carbs can just sit in the top of that tool cart for months
until the next time I feel like having a really frustrating day.-a I
did figure out that the way they were setup they weren't quite going
full throttle at full forward throw on the throttle lever.-a Probably >>>> a mistake I made last time I worked on them.

Now about those carbs...-a and those broken fittings.-a Still not done.

I found fittings that, "should" work.-a Good.-a One less thing to deal
with.

And it may not have been necessary to break those fittings.-a The fuel
line has a liner, and the liner bunch up creating partial obstructions
at each point the fuel hose was splice for things like a squeeze ball,
fuel filter, quick coupler, etc.-a Frack!

I do have some automotive alcohol resistant fuel line on hand, but I'll
have to wait for those replacement fittings to arrive now or go ahead
and make some.

Since I have them off already I'll go ahead and take those three carbs
apart just to be safe.

It's turned into a whole-nuther thing.-a I figured since its down I'd
move some weight "permanently" forward.-a Flat bottoms are notorious for porpoising and slapping at speed.-a Often you can get more speed out of
them before they trim to high and porpoise by moving weight forward. The heaviest items in the boat usually are me and my passenger, so moving
the console and bench forward is what I decided to do.-a I could put trim tabs or flotation boxes on the back instead, but I would prefer to keep
the boat no longer than it is if I can help it.-a There are some
backwaters I can barely make it into around some very tight turns.
Moving everything forward really only requires a longer steering cable anyway.-a I already had longer shift cables and wire is just wire, of
which there was already an excess.

I do think I may make a new console rather than use the old one, so
there may even be some actual metalworking involved.-a Not just unbolting some stuff to move it.

I'm making progress on a couple of my own projects . I was gifted a chipper/shredder because they "couldn't find cutter blades" - which it
doesn't need , it uses pivoting strips of steel like a bush hog . It
needs the (new) carb installed and a couple of mount tabs on the rotor
shaft bearings welded and probably could use some new belts .
I'm also fabricating/modifying a winch mount for the ATV , which is
also getting a new set of rear tires and the rest of the new tie rod
ends installed .
Once I get these two wrapped up I'll be installing new brakes on the
Yanmar compact tractor and repairing some fatigue cracks in the fenders
and their brackets since I have to remove them to access the brakes .
And somewhere in this mess I'll find time to work on my toy , the '86
GMC pickup . It's going to get me into new territory replacing rocker
panels and parts of the floorboards . It also needs some electrical work
in the dash and I'm still puzzling out the torque converter lockup
problems - it doesn't lock up .
--
Snag
I appreciated foreign cultures more
when they stayed foreign ...
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From Newsgroup: rec.crafts.metalworking

"Snag" wrote in message news:110ibsc$39f2l$1@dont-email.me...

And somewhere in this mess I'll find time to work on my toy , the '86
GMC pickup . It's going to get me into new territory replacing rocker
panels and parts of the floorboards .
Snag

--------------------------------
I'm still beating (literally) on the 91 Ranger's cab floor rustout patches. The job was on hold while I split and stacked next winter's firewood to dry.

I bought the HF door skin hammer and dolly kit after unsuccessfully looking for a used one for less than HF's price. Several body shop men showed me how they reshaped the faces of theirs to form compound curves in difficult recesses the long necked head can reach into. Stretching the metal over a deeper recess in a wooden block doesn't ding it as much as compressing it on an anvil. A replacement floor panel would still have the primer drain hole whose rubber plug trapped salty wheel splash that started the rust, my
patches cover it and extend the stiffening ribs that stopped short of the
plug hole.

The other useful tool which I made is a 90 degree vee groove anvil hardy to form radiused bends at the rib edges by hammering the sheet metal into the
vee under a rod of the proper diameter. My 36 Lb Wilkinson anvil is heavy enough for flattening, curving and riveting sheet metal, and light enough to take out to the job. In sunlight I could see the light stamping of ...'SON'
on the uneven forged surface.

Apparently that weight range is a "bench" anvil meant for tin and copper smiths and knife makers, rather than heavy hot forging. It cures the temptation to pound on machine tools, as students did to my lathe's
tailstock.

Amazon supplied 25 more Clecos to the 10 in my Aircraft Spruce kit. #5 bolts of 1/8" diameter also hold a patch temporarily while you fit and drill more
of it as long as you can reach both sides to tighten them, which is not
always easy or possible in auto body repair. Clecos are much faster and easier.

https://clecofasteners.info/the-role-of-cleco-fasteners-in-metal-fabrication-a-guide-for-beginners/

For butt welding exterior patches HF sells clamps that hold the edges
aligned with the gap that absorbs heat expansion. https://www.harborfreight.com/butt-welding-clamps-8-piece-60545.html?

I first fitted steel patches closely and aligned the edges with magnets but welding heat expansion made them overlap and there wasn't clearance from the inner fender liner for a dolly to hammer the joint flush, so I ended up with recessed patches and Bondo. Those clamps kept the edges aligned where I had room behind to insert the clamping strip. No Bondo needed.

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