The weather is cold or wet or it's late and all you want to do is tinker with a small project on your workbench. You turn on some tunes low in the background, spread out a few tools, maybe a cold adult beverage off to the side and you have some parts of various types sitting on the bench in front of you. You slide your stool over and sit yourself down, and with the light … [Read more...]
A New Direction for The Kneeslider
It's been a while since I posted and I thought it was time to say a few words about what's going on. Briefly, it's a change of direction. I've spent so much time on my computer over the last 14 years with The Kneeslider and so little time in the garage that the need to make a change became overpowering. The last post I wrote, about fixing things, was a tiny hint of where I'm … [Read more...]
Wrench, Ride or Race?
A recent post here touched on the idea that riding time was fast disappearing, as work, for many of us, encroaches on formerly free time with smart phones a constant reminder of what we do all day. Long periods free of interruptions are harder to come by and what you do then is a choice between many competing priorities. The choice, though, isn't always a matter of what we can … [Read more...]
Builders Have to Build So Why Not a Custom Lawnmower?
There's a builder over at the Old Mini Bikes forum, goes by the name Jeep2003, and he just decided one day to build something cool, a mini custom style push mower. Sure, why not? This isn't some reconfigured standard mower, this is a scratch build. The engine is from an old snowblower and the deck is the lid from an old smoker grille. He went the full 50s style custom route, … [Read more...]
Design and Build a Two Stroke Engine with No Machine Shop?
If you're one of those people that loves to learn, you'll simply learn, all the time at every opportunity. If you keep learning long enough, sooner or later your mind will begin to overflow into the real world. That pretty much describes J. Joachim Hall. He's a self taught and home schooled builder and college student. He's quite a maker who loves everything mechanical, … [Read more...]