Here's the first vice I ever used- a Fuller brand. I was maybe 10 and it was mounted in the garage on a workbench. I broke it when I was maybe 17(?) and then few years later learned to weld cast iron and repaired it, then painted it with grey primer. Well yesterday I restored it with a coat of red paint and mounted it on another workbench.

The elderberry bushes are making getting ready for blooms and berries.

The blue potatoes are in bloom

I made a hinged awning/sort of thing from salvaged roof tin to protect the outdoor workbench from rain. Fortunately I picked up 2 sections of used cedar fencing and a gate for free the other day- as I needed 2 t-hinges... and the gate had them.

bags joined w/new green strap

Having found my sewing awl, I joined the 2 canvas knapsacks for use as saddle bags for the cb450.
Having a need to deal with too many carpenter bees, I made a trap to try and catch some before they drill more holes in my fence.

carpenter bee trap

I found some great used tin roofing/siding at Re-Store ($2/sheet) and am making doors for the lean-to I'm closing in for the motorbike.

one barn door installed

cedar fence pickets @ 45 degree angle used for siding

One end of the lean-to I'm keeping the CB450 in is now closed in- except for a door. Then there's the one grafted apple tree pushing out leaves.

firebrick the bottom plate will sit on

This week I started on closing in one end of the lean-to the CB450 is in. I made a brick "foundation" and framed a 38" opening in the center. I'll use old cedar fence slats to side left and right of the door.

wall/door opening framed in

I've been foraging the yard for lambs quarters greens to cook up.

new power board for the radio display

Let's see...I found the roof rack parts ($10)for the explorer at a junk yard- and a good spare stereo with working cd player ($11). I replaced the stereo display power board in the original radio with a new part I ordered on line. One stereo/radio will be a spare. Yesterday I finished making space in the breaker box and running wire/etc. for a 40 amp circuit that could be used for the mig welder.

receptacle in crawl space and 220v extension cord.

The chives are blooming. And my bucket mushroom chamber is sprouting fresh oyster mushrooms.

oyster mushrooms

I picked up an old porcelain top table the other day in a bit of barter and today painted over the ugly silver paint- it's now green...and in my kitchen.

blue potatoes on their way

The blue potatoes are doing well. I am adding ground leaf mulch around the stems as the plants grow and will eventually remove the bottomless pots. The elderberry is coming along nicely. I've dug up and transplanted several starts that came up.

some elderberries were on this property when I bought it

The '98 Explorer is now legally plated and has a new trailer plug wired.

I've been watching these 2 sparrows build a new nest in the bluebird box I built and mounted on the side of the shed last fall. In this picture one is bringing in a soft feather- what a find! One bird stands on the edge of the shed roof, holding an item to add to the nest, while waiting for the other to leave the nest after placing it's find in the new egg basket.

their house key is hidden in plain sight

in place of larger rear seat

Locking storage box for the explorer.

under construction- bottom shaped to floor

inside

Some hiking yesterday in Fredericktown area.

Having sold the '95 Explorer a while back, as it was over 190k miles and the known issues were adding up, yesterday I replaced it. I found a 1998 with about the same mileage as the '95 when I bought it over 3 years ago(150k)---and for almost the same price($2400 this time) although in much better shape -new/recent tires, battery, alternator, exhaust. This one needs nothing except the left side parking brake cable and the power board for radio display. It evidently has a fancy factory alarm. I've never had an alarm and don't really trust it not to go off when not desired so I found a wire behind drivers the kick panel and wired a switch to ground it- disarming the alarm when I want. I also removed the radio ( radio/cd/cassette player)to be able to install a new circuit board that powers the display. The piece is on order. There was a keypad on the drivers door for unlocking w/o a key- and setting alarm?. I didn't get the code and it can't be re-set...but the code is printed on a sticker on the electronic module that's hidden in the jack compartment on Explorers. I found it and it works!

 the dark purple/green stripe wire to disarm alarm

The radio comes out easily with a set of special tools...or some stiff wire inserted in the holes, pushed to the outside and pulled toward you.

stiff wires to remove radio

The CB450 finally leaves the kitchen

Let's see..last weekend I gathered some old warped 2x6's and made that ramp off the rear porch for rolling the cb450 out of the house. Today decided I'd waited long enough and rolled the bike out of the kitchen, down the ramp into the rear yard. It's out! I then bought a battery and some fuel line and went about readying it for a test fire. I found out the ignition switch was bad so used an old one to make a pig tail connector to hot wire it. Everything worked/came on- headlight(hi,lo), blinkers, horn, etc. But the starter just spun as if not engaging. Funny-I had found a bag labeled "cb450 starter chain" when cleaning up a few weeks ago- inside was a chain that goes from starter gear to the gear on the crank shaft. I thought it must have been extra, from one of the parts bikes, and set it aside. Well, it turns out I had left it off when I had removed the stator to solder new wires on- like 2 years ago. So, I removed the starter, side cover and stator and installed the missing chain. Maybe tomorrow I'll get to the gas lines and tightening the plugs and give it a serious try. An additional plus- I now have room for a kitchen table.

The rough body work is done on the tank. It's primed- someday it'll get final sanding and finish paint. I set up a ramp out the back, off the porch, to try and one day soon roll the CB out of the kitchen.

if you look close-you can tell I made this personalized plate myself

Friday night cutting up license plates- while trying not to wake red dog.

petra

The cb450 tank is coming along. The underside is primed and painted a satin black. The rest is getting the old HONDA badge mounts/holes filled along with a few dings filled and smoothed.

1973 cb450 tank

winter is gone for good it seems

Spring is not going away. The peach tree has flowers and small leaves now. The plumb tree is in bloom. My greens are all up and some asparagus are over 6" tall already. I planted the 2 apple trees I grafted in pots. It's still not obvious the grafts have taken- we'll see. Also I put some blue potatoes in the ground Yesterday.

blue potato hills in the making

Harbor Freight chain breaker worked fine to shorten new chain

The cb450 project is moving along now that the kitchen workshop is warm. The rear brake parts/linkage is all hooked up now as well as the wheel adjusters(with new nuts). That all led to a new chain install and the clutch cable being hooked up. Once the clutch cable was operating it was obvious the clutch was locked up- not to be unexpected after 25 years of sitting. So, I removed the right side cover and then the clutch plates and discs. They had to be tapped apart. I then sanded the plates (7 of them) - removing any rust. Once back together all seems fine- shifts through gears and neutral. Next the new front brake master cylinder install will be taken on.

of course- the jar is plastic

I floated the Mineral Fork river the other day in the Old Town 119(Discovery).

greens under glass

It's been quite warm here lately-60,70,even 80. The grass is growing, greening. The peach trees have nice buds. I planted the one raised bed with spinach, shard, kale and onions about a week ago and it's all coming up. I've put the window sashes on to keep heat in over night- but I open on warm days so things don't over heat.

2 freshly grafted apple trees-waiting in wet newspaper

I did a workshop on tree grafting and managed to graft 2 apple trees while I was there. A honey crisp and a golden grimes. They need to sit in the closet for a week- we'll see f they are successful.

cb450 distributor, points

The cb450 has been getting more attention than getting things together for doing taxes. I have painted and installed the rear grab bars(2) and the left and right front foot rests/kick stand. The points are in and timed I think. The carbs and accelerator cable and air filters are all on now. I just got a replacement brake master cylinder delivered so I can now finish up the front brakes. I also received the new petcock, chain and exhaust seals. When it's warm and dry outside(chilly and rain today) I will work on the tank exterior prep and priming before installing the new shut-off and fuel lines.

CB450: it won't be right till the tank gets painted

Freshly painted parts are hanging about my kitchen.

daffodils coming up- 3 days ago

Spring is coming fast. The clocks sprung forward recently so the daylight runs later- add in the warm days(70's today) and the daffodils and crocus pushing up and winter is forgotten. I've hauled a 2nd load of shredded leaf mulch(22 buckets to the truck bed) and put it in the 2 raised beds and around the asparagus as well as various other plants.

I needed to get my open truck bed back for hauling so built a stand at the height it would easily slide off for storage.

1973 cb450 tank soaking w. vinegar inside

I've cleaned up all around the motorcycle project- put away parts and tools, to start fresh. As a project, I took on one of the 2 fuel tanks I have on hand. I rinsed it out with water and soap then added a few hand fulls of hex nuts with more warm soapy water and shook repeatedly holding the tank in many different positions so as to "sand blast" the rust and grime loose. Next I filled with apple cider vinegar(really no different than white vinegar but usually sold in a little higher acid strength). I let it go about 3 days in various positions and then drained. It's about unbelievable how clean it left the steel. Then I rinsed several times with water, then water with baking soda and a few more rinses of clean water. Next it was a quart of denatured alcohol shaken about to get up any remaining water (flash rusting is an issue to avoid). After the alcohol rinse I did a few rinses with 2 cycle gas mix (oil and gasoline) then searched for a light oil and chose a quart of transmission fluid I had. I poured that in and shook it all about so as to coat the metal with oil and prevent flash rusting till I put gasoline in it. I poured the used trany fluid into my container of chain saw lube oil.

hex nuts added

clean metal inside

I traded some work on a gas blower for a nice load of ash firewood

part of the load of ash I received