[SEL] Sultan of Slackness

[Arnie Fero]

George's post got me to thinking (as many of his posts do).

Now I'm guessing that I'm more like most of the folks on the
list in terms of having a "projects list" that will probably
outlast me.  And it has a couple of projects that can surely
be considered "vintage" as they've been "on the list" as long
as I've been in the hobby.

So, the thread topic for a cold winter day with the snow
drifting ever higher against the shed, what are the "vintage
projects" on YOUR projects list?  These are those projects that,
like fine wine or good cheese, just get better and better the
longer they sit.  I'll start out with a couple of mine...

I'd been a fan of old engines for years before I got my first
piece of rusty old iron.  That first project was a really sad
old two-cylinder duplex water pump that I got at auction for
$10 back in 1994.  That's what started the acquiring phase
of my participation in the hobby.

That ol' water pump is STILL on the list; but it is NEARLY done.
She's all restored, painted, and fully functional.  All she
lacks now are some long high-crown hex bolts to finish her off.
And the hex stock is even sitting on the bench by the lathe.

My first engine was a 1-1/2 HP IHC "M" that I bought in 1996.
The seller ran it for me by putting some gas in the mixer bowl.
After I got it home, I cleaned it well and decided to build a
proper "M" cart.  That project took a while and when finished
I decided to give the "M" a good run.  Poured gas in the tank
and it ran out the bottom faster than it was going in.  I decided
that tank replacement was a job for "another day" and the engine
went under the bench (and became the second entry on the "vintage"
list.  That one finally came off the list when I converted the
engine to propane and hot tube ignition in time for the 2006
Coolspring show.  She's been a regular at shows ever since.

My second engine is STILL on the projects list.  This is a 3-1/2 HP
United, TG kero burner.  That was a 1996 auction purchase that
had been "cobbled" to high tension ignition by a previous owner.
I decided to restore it to original features.  The bronze body
mag was a pricy hunt and the ignitor was also a lengthy hunt.
I'm currently "working" on the plumbing for the fuel system, the
two compartment tank, and building the ignitor trip linkage.
One day she'll be a runner...  8-))

So, how 'bout you?  Have you got any of those "vintage" projects
on YOUR list that just keep getting better with age?  Don't be
shy, you're NOT alone!

See ya,  Arnie

Arnie Fero
Pittsburgh, PA
fero_ah at city-net.com

> On Tue, January 5, 2010 1:00 pm, Best, George wrote:
>> We all appreciate Arnie's legendary procrastination skills. I even admit to having
>> used him as an example to make my own procrastination look trivial.  I have
>> unfinished projects in both engines and tractors that I seem to never find time to
>> work on.  Thanks to Arnie, I don't feel the need to complete them.
>>
>> Unfortunately, Arnie does find time to read these postings and most likely we have
>> only encouraged him to seek even higher levels of procrastination.  The Lorenz
>> Registry is surely doomed now.
>