Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967

Bugs. You forgot to mention the bugs... Texas can be downright bugular, don'tcha know... And I mean other than the scorpions and spiders.

Five-in-Ones~!

Indeed~!

I think your arithmetic might be off a little on #5...

Thank you all for your kind thoughts and wishes. The fire evidently started in a wall separating the office from the "chemical room," where everything from solvents to grease was stored, and spread quickly. Thankfully it's the off-season, and not the middle of harvest! Anyway, the Kid's resilient, and was back to work at the crack of dawn today (Thursday). He runs the shop, so no down time for him. They started clearing out the old facility, salvaging what little they could, and moving their "base of operations" to a smaller shop at the boss' house. Scrambling to replace stuff; he called me this morning to ask if I had an extra printer. I did not; he said that they've made a list of things absolutely needed to start up again, ranging from a printer to a grease gun. I suspect he'll be taking his "home" mechanic tools to work, at least temporarily, until he can replace the ruined ones. Building a Toyota 22r engine at home...

Ever read O. Henry's The Ransom of Red Chief...?

It's an ag mechanic shop - they maintain and repair tractors, harvesters, and other farming equipment. Couple of tractors and other implements were lost. Literally melted. At this point the "official" cause is a wiring fault in the office. Gee... that must be what set off the burglar alarm. There was a loft over the lathe, unfortunately used to store truck tires. The tires burned. Tires burn at something like 1375. The aluminum power handle at the very top of the lathe motor housing is gone; aluminum melts at 1220. Is the lathe salvage-able? Maybe... if the frame escaped warping and the temper of the steel components (gears and such) isn't too critical, what Duff says might work. It'd be a pile of work, though, and not cheap. Darnit... and I had decided last night to call the Kid today and ask him to shorten a Ruger Blackhawk cylinder for me. Other tools: He said that his locker, which contained larger pieces and his pneumatic tools, is toast. His tool box [below, moved to a buddy's shop] didn't fare well; he said the wrenches and sockets were all "sooty, and when I wipe 'em off instead of being all chrome shiny they're now black." Undoubtedly have lost their temper. I suggested he just clean 'em up and use 'em 'til they break or bend. Torque wrenches are just a memory. Heck... the screwdrivers melted! I can't even bear to think about his Mitutoyo micrometers and calipers and other precision instruments. Uh... I seriously doubt the Kid's boss will be able to do much toward replacing any of the Kid's tools; I kinda suspect his insurance will only partially cover his own losses.

Thanks... and I re-loaded the original pictures - hopefully they'll be visible now.

I'm wondering if it's possible to salvage that lathe... It was a really sweet old LeBlond. Here's a "Before" shot:

Woe be unto the bad guy, rabid Rottweiler, or attack squirrel who may attempt harm upon 4T or members of his tribe~! So Tom... does it look like this one?

And Hardpan appreciates the humor this morning, and can certainly use it.

When you get one of those 3:00 am calls, it's usually a drunk friend or bad news. Sassparilla Kid had one of those calls last night - unfortunately, not a drunk buddy... but his boss. Fire at the shop. Arson suspected. Many of the tools - large collection of mechanics tools as well as other equipment - are the Kid's; I hope he can salvage some of them. But I suspect his lathe is toast. No pun intended.

Okay... Fresno Channel 30 had some coverage... locals are having fun with this!

I'm all for foxes~! [WE3-27-09... "Oh, I used to be a Fox, and a good ol' fox too..."]

This may be a bit off-topic, but... Evidently Fox News is now part of the Disney world. Somehow, learning this does not leave me feeling warm and fuzzy.

And some folks enjoy dining out... not dinning out. Not to mention that we tend to see "alot" used a lot.

Picture, Forty...?

Nope.

Not so comfy in the summertime.

1971 ~ Scoped Marlin 336. $145, from F. Bob Chow, in San Francisco. Anyone remember Bob Chow...?

Oh, I dunno... Personally, I find her to be a source of great amusement and even jocularity. She's a binding force! The Nitwits of the Nation congregate about her, and while she is divisive to her own party by disrupting their "mainstream" efforts, she provides a cohesive thread for "common logic" people everywhere! Naw... leave 'er there. She's the "sacrificial zinc" on the nation's keel. The lightning rod on the hay barn. The sump in the Capital's basement. And a passable substitute for the late Benny Hill.

I already know, but it's an easy guess...!

Steam it~! On a more serious note... what is this rifle? Is the barrel replaceable? Still... may not be worth the cost. Barrels can be straightened using V-blocks and a press, but this one has a serious dog-leg. Straightening could result in a bore aberration that may be acceptable if it's just a plinker.

That's about two and a half centuries or so...

But... was it loaded~?