COVID-19 DIY Build Time

[CADplans]

Well,, if I can not go anywhere, NOW is a great time to do the projects I have materials for,, and have been procrastinating,,

I have LOTS of steel,, lots of welding rods,, so, rather than sit in the house bored, I am gonna go to the shed and build,,

Up first is a tool I needed all last summer,, a Rock Digging Bar,,
Last summer I used a narrow shovel, and several crow bars,, none of which worked well.

I have plenty of one inch steel bar, and a backhoe tooth,, this is the result,,

Here is a closeup of the business end of the Rock Digger,,

This will help with many types of digging,, the bar is heavy enough to really create a LOT of penetrating force,,
The foot rest will double as a great spot to act as a pivot point, when prying out a rock

I already have the next build started,, more on that when it progresses,,


So, let us know what you are building,, to pass the COVID-19 idle time,,, :thumbsup:

 

[fruitcakesa]

Replacing the painted pine trim on the office window with some butternut that I have been saving for years.

 

[herm0016]

I'm remodeling a bathroom. painting the trim while "working" from home today. have the concrete counter top ready to go, and all the parts. now to rip out the old stuff. paint, trim and install the new vanity, which is a cabinet we already had.

 

[TnAndy]

I got a "beep beep" horn mounted on my tractor I've been meaning to do for months. Why don't tractors come with horns ?

 

[ovrszd]

I"m afraid your rock bar will need a back plate or the bar will simply move in the ground and the tip will stay in the same place.

 

[CADplans]

I"m afraid your rock bar will need a back plate or the bar will simply move in the ground and the tip will stay in the same place.

I am hoping that the foot rest will act as the "back plate",, that 11" long bar should be impossible to force into the ground, by hand,,,

 

[ovrszd]

I am hoping that the foot rest will act as the "back plate",, that 11" long bar should be impossible to force into the ground, by hand,,,

Yep, foot rest is certainly needed. Here in the great State of Missouri the backbone of the bar will simply sink into the ground and the tip won't dislodge the rock. Other areas might have much better luck!!!

 

[ruffdog]

Yep, foot rest is certainly needed. Here in the great State of Missouri the backbone of the bar will simply sink into the ground and the tip won't dislodge the rock. Other areas might have much better luck!!!

My family owned a tree farm so we just use a tree bar or a dibble bar.

Robot Check

 

[LouNY]

What free time?
Between several shopping trips for unavailable items, because my wife likes to wait till something is needed to pick it up.
Then the early bird specials at our Farmall dealer so a few trips up there for parts and fluids,
plus repairs and routine maintenance getting ready for spring.

 

[Alan W.]

I got a "beep beep" horn mounted on my tractor I've been meaning to do for months. Why don't tractors come with horns ?

Been wanting to put one on my tractor. Would love an air horn with tank and compressor. Multitasker for sure. Just aint got the room on mine.

 

[TMGT]

I wish I had more downtime, it's life as usual here. Still have to go to work, I I don't go out much anyways so doesn't really change anything. Too many things need to do at the house/in the shop anyways.

 

[jasonzee]

Its real name is the Hunan virus! It started in China. They say it racist to blame the Chinese.

 

[Molalla1]

Its real name is the Hunan virus! It started in China. They say it racist to blame the Chinese.

I believe China blamed the US military for giving it to them (China).

 

[EddieWalker]

Never seen a rock digger before. Rocks are very rare here in my part of East Texas, so it's interesting to me to see how people deal with having them.

 

[CADplans]

Never seen a rock digger before. Rocks are very rare here in my part of East Texas, so it's interesting to me to see how people deal with having them.

Rocks are not a whole lot different than small stumps, such as bushes,,
A concentrated force, applied to a good handle, with plenty of leverage, will help with extraction,,
That is why much of my digging was with a crowbar,,,

 

[CADplans]

I finished my next build, and put it to use the next morning,,
it is a seed bed prep tool.

I needed a way to firm tilled soil, and make a groove that the seeds can be placed in.
This is specifically for tiny seeds that can not be planted with an Earthway planter,,,

Here is a side view, it is a piece of 1" round steel, welded below a piece of 5/16 X 4" steel bar,,,

The handle is a piece of schedule 80 1 1/2 steel pipe,, for added weight.

For the most part, you simply set it on the tilled soil, and it imprints a perfect, 1" deep, 2 foot long seed bed.

Then, some soil can be sprinkled over the seed, to get the exact depth you want.

I planted about 20 feet of lettuce, and broccoli with it,, tomatoes in a couple weeks,,, and more lettuce,,,

 

[oosik]

He who has no rocks is fortunate. I pick my big ones with the grapple. Straight down - close - lift.

 

[ruffdog]

I finished my next build, and put it to use the next morning,,
it is a seed bed prep tool.

I needed a way to firm tilled soil, and make a groove that the seeds can be placed in.
This is specifically for tiny seeds that can not be planted with an Earthway planter,,,

Here is a side view, it is a piece of 1" round steel, welded below a piece of 5/16 X 4" steel bar,,,

The handle is a piece of schedule 80 1 1/2 steel pipe,, for added weight.

For the most part, you simply set it on the tilled soil, and it imprints a perfect, 1" deep, 2 foot long seed bed.

Then, some soil can be sprinkled over the seed, to get the exact depth you want.

I planted about 20 feet of lettuce, and broccoli with it,, tomatoes in a couple weeks,,, and more lettuce,,,

I just drag a stick through my tilled and raked seedbed. That way it doesn't compact the soil.

 

[CADplans]

The COVID builds continue,,
My SIL had a basement register in his duct-work, that was rusted open, he wanted a replacement, but could not find a match.
He bought one that was slightly smaller than the hole,, but, he could not figure out how to adapt the new register to the duct.

I had an old piece of roofing, so, I cut a piece that fit in the opening, and I cut a hole in it to fit the new register,,

He pop riveted the adapter inside the duct, then screwed the register in place,,

 

[CADplans]

COVID has all the restaurants closed,, so we gotta eat at home,, IF we are gonna eat at home, the wife gets me to grill,, a LOT!!

Well, it seems silly (and wasteful!!) to fill the entire grill to cook two steaks, or a couple burgers, a couple pieces of chicken,,,
so, I thought a ring that kept the charcoal from spreading might allow us to have the same amount of heat,, but use WAY LESS charcoal,

Out to the shop,, I found a 40 inch X 4 inch strip of sheetmetal,, (0.060" thick) bent it into a circle 12 inches in diameter,
then I used two small bolts to connect the overlapping ends together,,, DONE!!

The ring was sized to match the lower grate,, it is about 12" in diameter,,

I set the ring on the grate, then lit about 1/3 of the charcoal that I normally use,,

I dumped the charcoal into the new ring,,
that charcoal is one briquette deep, it is NOT stacked at all,,

and then slapped a ribeye on it ,, I had to "test" it,, RIGHT!!??

The ring is perfect for up to three ribeyes,, but NO MORE than that,,
it really keeps the heat localized,, and it cooks exactly like the grill does using three times as much charcoal and no ring.


I know it cooks the same, as I cook ribeyes for 6 minutes on each side, the minutes are exactly the same,,
the steaks get done the same amount (medium rare) the only thing different is that I save 2/3 of the charcoal.

The only negative is that you CAN NOT light extra charcoal,, the cooking temp will get REALLY WAY TOO HOT.

Actually, I think I could even use less charcoal than I now use,, I have only used the ring about 15 times.

I consider this ring a real success.
OH, by the way, my ring is stainless steel sheet, that is what I had in the shop,,,
I think the ring could be 3 inches, or 4 inches, or 5 inches wide, and still work the same way,,
so the width is not critical, if you make one, use what you have,,,

When my daughter and her family comes over, and I gotta cook more food,
I simply lift the ring out, and use more area of the grill,, no permanent change was made to the grill.