OldIHC

I "think" I might be able to make nicer looking welds with TIG. I like TIG for making small parts like drawers, small brackets, modifying windshield wiper drives and gloveboxes. I like to use MIG for general fabrication on heavier stuff. .
After I get back to the shop with some 75-25 I might MIG weld the joints.
My MILLER MATIC 200 is nearly 40 years old and works the same as it did when new. It may be time for me to upgrade. The technology has changed for the better. My TIG is a Miller 180SD. I bought it about 20 years ago. A few weeks after I got the 180sd home, the next Square wave Miller was on the market. The newest model has pulse. My Miller Spectrum 300 plasma cutter does everything I want.
Adom Booth, AKA, Abom 79, one of the You Tube makers has a fantastic channel. He took drlivery of new EVERLAST welders. I did try to buy Everlast here in British Columbia. The only dealer is in Ontario, Canada and this does not work for me. I do not want the dealer I buy from to be 5000 plus kilometers away. I suppose I could buy in Washington State, but our dollar is suffering and DC has set up some troubling tariffs that have stopped me.
I may as well stay with Miller. It is time for me to check out the latest and greatest Blue Stuff.

First task get exchange argon and 75/25 shielding gas cylinders. Second, buy axle straps at Princess Auto. The axle straps should make lifting safer.
https://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/ ... -p8020697e
In the shop: Final assembly before welding.

Nothing today but yesterday I opened up a mail package from Rock Auto containing some new lower rad hoses for the 52 Merc. I've had pretty good luck shopping for old vehicle parts there.
https://youtu.be/N4vuieYguZw

I miss my shop!!! December 26th I had open heart surgery for a new valve and a by-pass, got out of the hospital on January 3rd. 10 pound weight limit now for 6 weeks, then a 20 pound limit for another six.

Before surgery I was just finishing putting a foot operated clutch on our Fairmont M-14 rail speeder car, a fun project I am antsy to get back to. My wife and I have become involved in a new hobby of taking rail excursions with a group called NARCOA, or North American Rail Car Operators Association. Google it if you don't already know about it, you may find it interesting.

So far I have binge watched the Deadwood series, Better Call Saul, and an interesting series called The Detectorist's about a group of people in England with metal detectors and their antics. Orange is the new Black is up next. Made it to the book store today so it isn't all video to fill in the time.

I will sure be glad to get my hands dirty again, the worst part of this whole ordeal is the lack of strength, it's coming back slow but sure. As soon as I get the doctors ok it will be time for a knee replacement. Oh boy! more rehab!

I understand your anxiety. I suffered the slow pace of being released from ICU three years ago. Hang in there.

I did most of the welding on my turret punch base/cabinet this afternoon. This took about 90 minutes. I stayed in the shop for another hour to watch for smoke on the off-chance a welding spark found a flammable place to rest.

Not really in my shop but rather at the kitchen counter. Last night I started teaching my daughter (she's 9) how to tool some leather. We spent about half an hour going over the names of the basic tools and the patterns they make and then she tried them out. She tried her hand at making a couple of flowers and what she says is a blackberry in addition to trying out some edging and just some playing around with the different tools.

I finished welding the base cabinet and installed the casters. My turret punch is rigged and ready for transfer to the base, in the morning.
I dug out my old HOUGAN mag drill and broached some mounting holes in the base.
The Hougan was a Craigslist buy. For $400 I got the mag drill and a small toolbox filled with rotary broaches.

Good for you and daughter !
The knowledge will last her a lifetime.
Nothing more important than spending time with our youth and if you
are able to pass
on a thing or two while you have their attention what better ?
Thanks keep it up!

My daughter has always been a shop girl. She did her mechanics apprenticeship with a big company. When the company moved their shops to Eastern Canada, my daughter returned to trade school and the University of BC. She is now a teacher in a major high-school. She teaches robotics, coding, shop practices and CNC.
Parenting does not come with a best practices book of instructions. My wife and I did the best we thought was right and we are lucky to have both of our kids turn out really well. The surprise for us was, my daughter is the mechanical person and my son is more a managment type. Our L110 Shorty IHC project started out as a Father and Son project and over time it turned into a Father-Daughter build. I should say this, they both are very mechanically inclined and do shop practices naturally. He has less interest in being in the shop.
The delayed L110 Shorty build can be viewed on this forum. The project moves ahead every now and then as I find a buy the components we will need for the build. I got a screaming deal on a really nice GM cloth upholstery material. I found the material in an end-of-the-roll fabric shop. I bought all five or more rolls and got an even better deal. The colour is a dark blue with random images in complimenting colours. This is a fits-all fabric.
The body colour, most likely, will be a turquoise and cream two tone. My daughter would like the paint to be like OEM . The running boards, dash, seat frame, bumpers and window mouldings will be Ford Argent. I bought a set of 4 Ram 1500 20 inch wheels to fit the bolt pattern of the Ram DANA 44 axles. The tires will be M+S 275/60R20. Big rubber should fill the over sized OEM fenders, nicely. This will be a rubber ratio change.
I have wasted several days looking for a two drawer set. I made these drawers and cabinet for my Myford lathe. After 35 years I took the drawers off and replaced then with a MAC side cabinet. I have added a set of casters to the MAC end cabinet since this picture.
I cannot find the drawer set anywhere. I have decided to make a new set of drawers. This will guarantee the missing drawers will be found.