Washed the frame and installed the engine:

It was easy enough, degreasing the frame was the hardest part.

Lots of wiring to do to get the kill switch and electrical system finished up.

Throttle cable and air cleaner installed. See that rusty bolt? That’s the clutch bolt, and it’s not long enough. I had to order one from U.S.Motor Power, and I suspect that it’ll take ten days to show up. But I’m not bitter, dammit.

The kill switch, exhaust gasket, exhaust stud set, air filter gasket, and clutch lock washer are coming from Fillman Machining. I’m officially at a standstill.

I finally got the new engine for the Rokon:

It’s going to take some work, and more parts to get it in the bike- A longer torque converter nut and lock tab (ordered) and some odds and ends like new grade 8 bolts, washers, fuel hose, and the like.

Another view:

U.S. Motor Power has installed an angle plug head and a 1″ carburetor and elbow on this engine, and along with the square exhaust port-

It ought to run a bit better than the old, worn out mill.

Today I’ll install the cylinder head bracket and head bolts, and I hope to get the engine in the frame tonight.

More to come.

I got a bit of a late start yesterday, but left work by 10:30 and got to the unit. Things went pretty fast once I was able to move the first set of shelves, and it was handy to have another clear place to put things. I threw away a lot of stuff, mostly old lumber and pieces of cardboard I’d been hoarding for…something, whatever that is. At the end the landlord and and two of his laborers helped me, and it was something like thirty minutes after that that I was moved. They helped with the heavy things, and I was finished. Today I stopped down to hang up tire chains, hoses, etc., and to neaten up the area. There’s still some work to do, but I’m nearly finished with the hard stuff-nothing I can’t put off until I’m rested. I’ll go to work tomorrow morning, hoping for no snow. The good news is that January is nearly half over, and spring is just around the corner.

 

But not for the house, thankfully. I’m moving my shop/storage to a more convenient location in the same block of units I’m in now. Seems that an old car club wants a block of four, and to accommodate them, the owner has offered to help move me to a different unit on the west side of the structure- less snow, new door, way better trailer-backing access.

He’s also going to extend the walls up to the roof today to keep prying eyes out. The units I’m in are tin covered red iron with 2 by 4 interior walls, and the walls are just short of the roof, so you can look at your neighbor’s stuff from a ladder, and vice versa.And when someone leaves a door up, wind and dust blow through unimpeded. The new door and the walls will help keep some of the dirt out, I hope..

It’s been pretty slow at Wyowanderer Mansion, although I finally purchased a brand new ice auger, so drilling holes in the ice for ice fishing (yes, people really do that- it’s the only kind of fishing that keeps the beer cold) will be a bit easier. I might use the Mora hand auger as a loaner now. You don’t think I’d loan out the new gas auger, do you?

I’ve also ordered a new engine for the Rokon from U.S. Motor Power for the Rokon. It’s a 82043 with lighting coil, and according to Chris at U.S.M.P. it’s improved from the one in my bike with a square port, bigger carburetor elbow, and bigger carburetor. My old 82043 is pretty tired, and I’ve decided to rebuild it and put it in storage for the day that I’m ready to “restore” the bike. In my mind, it’s a bit like restoring an old piece of farm equipment-it’s a perfectly fine thing to do, but restoring a working implement that will be worked hard isn’t for me, at least right now. I’ll be hard pressed to clean the frame of the bike thoroughly when I install the new mill…

 

 

Whenever you return a borrowed pie pan, make sure it’s got a warm pie in it.
Invite lots of folks to supper. You can always add more water to the soup.
There’s no such thing as woman’s work on a farm. There’s just work.
Make home a happy place for the children. Everybody returns to their happy place.
Always keep a small light on in the kitchen window at night.
If your man gets his truck stuck in the field, don’t go in after him. Throw him a rope and pull him out with the tractor.
Keep the kerosene lamp away from the the milk cow’s leg.
It’s a whole lot easier to get breakfast from a chicken than a pig.
Always pat the chickens when you take their eggs.
It’s easy to clean an empty house, but hard to live in one.
All children spill milk. Learn to smile and wipe it up.
Homemade’s always better’n store bought.
A tongue’s like a knife. The sharper it is the deeper it cuts.
A good neighbor always knows when to visit and when to leave.
A city dog wants to run out the door, but a country dog stays on the porch ’cause he’s not fenced-in.
Always light birthday candles from the middle outward.
Nothin’ gets the frustrations out better’n splittn’ wood.
The longer dress hem, the more trusting the husband.
Enjoy doing your children’s laundry. Some day they’ll be gone.
You’ll never catch a runnin’ chicken but if you throw seed around the back door you’ll have a skillet full by supper.
Biscuits brown better with a little butter brushed on ’em.
Check your shoelaces before runnin’ to help somebody.
Visit old people who can’t get out. Some day you’ll be one.
The softer you talk, the closer folks’ll listen.
The colder the outhouse, the warmer the bed.

Hat tip to Angel

No doubt that by now all of you have heard of the pResident’d newest executive order travesty. In short, he’s “ordered” that all firearm transfers go through NICS. So selling a firearm to someone else, or giving one as a gift will soon be a felony unless we submit to the government’s authritAH.

It’s got a lot of folks riled up, and rightfully so. Some will be talking about civil disobedience, even violence.

I urge each of you to keep calm. Violence right now will play right into this narcissist’s plan, if I’m seeing things right. It looks like to me that he’s goading the common man into rising up, and who knows what that might accomplish for him- another executive order to suspend elections, rule of law…something else?

Less than a year from now we’ll have a different Narcissus, and perhaps he/she/it will be less hostile to the folks who build things and produce. Until then, lets be at peace, and prepare for what will inevitably come.

Keep training.