Tractor fun for the Christmas break

[slf-uk 914]

I have not had much tractor time this year mainly due to work and family commitments. I have the time off between Christmas and the New Year so today Joseph and I have hooked out three tractors to spanner. I have no idea what progress we will make.

 

These are the three we choose to look at. From left to right 1961 Bolens Ride-a-matic, 1962 Bolens Ride-a-matic and a Wheelhorse D160

 

 

The previous owner of the 1961 Ride-a-matic added a few "extras" I guess for health and safety reasons, or should that be "elf and safety" this time of the year

 

Joseph really loves the 1962 Ride-a-matic and can't keep off it

 

 

Santa arrived early for me too even if I had to buy it myself

 

 

To finish this post off we took a festive picture of the tractors with the outside Christmas tree in the background

 

 

Merry Christmas everyone!!

 

Iain

[Triumph66 1,256]

Great line up of three fine tractors. I see Joseph is still hankering after the '62 RAM! A man of impeccable taste!

[Alan 1,273]

The tree would look better decorated with tractor bits and piece's.

[Stormin 4,458]

BAH! Humbug! 

[Chris 642]

As I said Iain, once the presents are open today you can both crack on

 

Sure the boss lady wont mind after Christmas lunch

[DougC 63]

Merry Christmas and thanks for sharing your family pictures, very enjoyable lain.

 

We may have to band together and have a group intervention on Mr. Norm Scrooge however.....  

[slf-uk 914]

On ‎27‎/‎12‎/‎2016 at 9:27 PM, DougC said:

Merry Christmas and thanks for sharing your family pictures, very enjoyable lain.

 

We may have to band together and have a group intervention on Mr. Norm Scrooge however.....  

 

Thanks Doug. I will post the updates on threads I have already created for the tractors. Progress is always slow so I try to keep to one thread to each tractor so I can view my progress and keep track of comments and the suggestions made.

 

If you are interested, the threads are:

1962 ride-a-matic http://myoldmachine.com/topic/1333-bolens-ride-a-matic/

Wheelhorse D160 http://myoldmachine.com/topic/1136-wheelhorse-d-160/

and I am yet to create one for the 1961 Ride-a-matic.

 

Planned work on the 1962 Ride-a-matic was completed today, now onto the next.

 

Iain

[slf-uk 914]

I managed to get two out of the three running and lack of spare parts halted progress on the third. My progress is not significant compared to what some of you guys manage to do, however it was great to get into the workshop and also spend some time with Joseph. I was surprised how engaged he was and I think he enjoyed it, I certainly did. We had a few disasters but nothing serious and no permanent damage.

 

The outtakes:

"Be careful you don't loose any sockets from my snap-on 1/4 drive set" - whoops, the box has upturned into the sump oil pale

"Can I use the hacksaw?" "No problem, this is how you use it and here is some scrap" - "Ah, well done for sawing through that bracket I spent an hour making, now we can make a better one"

"Be careful using an 18" breaker bar on that small engine bolt" - "No problem, now let me show you how to remove a broken bolt"

"How are you getting on with that chisel?" - "Ah, that's not a chisel it's a snap-on screw driver"

 

The best one:

"Yes that is how you wind the rope around the pull start but please don't pull it ATM as I am holding the HT lead" - "Yes son, I think that was a naughty word and a strange workshop dance but well done, that was a good strong pull on that rope"

 

SWMBO read my mind one evening and came out with this little gem:

"When you retire you needn't think that you are going to spend the days working on tractors and the evenings drinking beer, like the last week"

 

Many thanks to Chris and Andrew for the support and encouragement. They were both getting regular updates and I also posted updates on the forum. I am not sure if anyone was really interested in my forum updates or if it was too boring and slow. It's not a problem if no one is interested but it would be could to know as it would save me the trouble of doing it.

 

I hope everyone else also had some quality workshop time over the break.

 

Iain

 

[Stormin 4,458]

Keep the updates coming, Iain.  You can't start something and not finish it.

[Triumph66 1,256]

I always say Christmas is a time of miracles! I am amazed you both survived but miracles do happen and  put it this way young Joseph learnt a few new skills and a new word which he will always treasure 

[Triumph66 1,256]

I just hope Joseph doesn't dance and swear at the same time when he's older! 

[Alan 1,273]

1 hour ago, slf-uk said:

 

 

SWMBO read my mind one evening and came out with this little gem:

"When you retire you needn't think that you are going to spend the days working on tractors and the evenings drinking beer, like the last week"

What else is there to do when you retire Iain.     Keep the beer, I mean updates, flowing.  We need to know if Joseph is taking any notice of you.

1 hour ago, slf-uk said:

 

 

 

 

 

[nigel 1,876]

That's the only way they learn lian , hands on , my boy Karl started filling my race car up with petrol and was my little gofar at race meetings at about josephs age he then started helping me build race cars then show winning custom bikes and trikes he even built me a 320 bhp  v8 engine for one of them, he went on to be an excellent welder fitter and hydrolic expert and now he's in his 30s ime his gofar, what goes round comes round 

[slf-uk 914]

 

13 hours ago, Triumph66 said:

I just hope Joseph doesn't dance and swear at the same time when he's older! 

 

We should have both had a dance because it did mean that I had finally got the ignition to work, it just would have been better if it wasn't on this attempt

 

11 hours ago, Alan said:

What else is there to do when you retire Iain.     Keep the beer, I mean updates, flowing.  We need to know if Joseph is taking any notice of you.

 

 

I was thinking that it might also be good to keep a stock in the workshop for the times when careful thought is required.

 

11 hours ago, nigel said:

That's the only way they learn lian , hands on , my boy Karl started filling my race car up with petrol and was my little gofar at race meetings at about josephs age he then started helping me build race cars then show winning custom bikes and trikes he even built me a 320 bhp  v8 engine for one of them, he went on to be an excellent welder fitter and hydrolic expert and now he's in his 30s ime his gofar, what goes round comes round 

 

It is amassing how they soak up the information and unlike me they retain it. It's great when it comes to initial carb settings or point/plug gaps, I just tell him once and then I can use him as a reference resource . I am looking forward to the day when the roles are reversed.

 

It's Not always good to get them involved as I was contacted by someone over the break who wants to sell me a tractor. The boss asked me if I had one of that model and my carefully considered reply was that I did not have one of those models. Joseph then corrected me and told her we have three of that model and proceeded to tell her about each one. Not a good move and I need to talk to him about benefits of listening to a question fully before answering

 

Iain

 

[Triumph66 1,256]

6 hours ago, slf-uk said:

 

 

It's Not always good to get them involved as I was contacted by someone over the break who wants to sell me a tractor. The boss asked me if I had one of that model and my carefully considered reply was that I did not have one of those models. Joseph then corrected me and told her we have three of that model and proceeded to tell her about each one. Not a good move and I need to talk to him about benefits of listening to a question fully before answering

 

Iain

 

 

 That made my day after the disappointing espisode  with my tactor earlier this afternoon. Thanks Joseph 

 

Essentially you want your son to be economical with the truth Iain?  This would be a good skill to master when Joseph become a politician