To Who Gives a Hoot in H................

Love the shop Ron! I could spend days in that shop making pipes and other woodworking projects. Very nice.

You realize that's a scene from Frankenstien's monster, Towns people getting ready to attach the castle" ?

Getting closer and closer to finishing... Exciting.

Thanks guys, and yes.......minimal stress, one day at a time.
My duct work pieces will be here Monday so I'll be busy with getting it put in and all setup. With a bit of luck
I'll get most of it finished in time before the lathe shows up to complete it and then on to setting up the lathe.
It'll certainly take some time getting use to the new lathe because my old one had NO increments of measurement and was completely
manual, almost like running a wood lathe in that sense. But, it will certainly make my work, less work and more enjoyable.

Glad to see it all coming along Ron, I am glad to hear that the new tools will aid you in efficiency, and precision... less time standing in a workshop.
I recommend getting some anti fatigue mats, you can trim them down for your work areas... they really help for people on their feet.

Have you ever tried an inversion table?

My back miraculously is in great shape (knock on wood) but when I occasionally jump on the wife’s contraption, it feels good on the back.

Sorry you had a bad day from start to finish. Too bad you didn't live closer to one of us...at least you would have had company in your misery.

That really sucks, rdpipes. I'm so sorry that happened.

Yeah, back when VHS was the thing and purchasing one was about $20.00, I was selling off a bunch for $1 apiece, and old rag complained to me that they should have been fifty cents, because that was what she could get them for at a thrift store...which as far as I had seen at the time was a lie.

A few years back, my neighbor was selling a twin bed with headboard, footboard, frame, box springs mattress....basically never used.
He was asking $10...  same thing a guy comes up..."I have $5 cash" as if he was some sort of high roller being generous. My neighbor told him, "I would get more enjoyment by tking a hammer to it than selling it for $5.00.
I have no desire to have people on my property of such low places in life.
Certain items that have value, I will put on offer up, or craigslist...a lot of people i know use Facebook Marketplace.

Other than that, off to the Salvation Army.

UPDATE: Looks like I'll be lucky if the lathe gets delivered by the end of the month.
UPS told me they would deliver it yesterday, and now there making up stories why it wasn't.
Yes, this might sound harsh but, I have good reason. I paid extra for a "Lift gate Delivery" and when they contacted me to setup delivery they wanted to meet me at the end of the road to pick it up. I told them I paid for a lift gate delivery, and she said the 48' trailer its on has a lift gate.
So why do I need to meet the driver at the end of the road? I explained to them I used to drive truck and they were not making any sense.
Put it on a half set with a lift gate and deliver it. I did it for many years and didn't ever make excuses why I couldn't do my job or I'd been fired. This morning the trailer still hasn't left the terminal so I called and she told me I rescheduled the delivery yesterday, and I told her I had to because they didn't deliver it when they said they would. Now they just want to stall me in hopes of either picking it up at the terminal (which they laughably asked me) or I give in to meeting the driver somewhere to pick it up. I know there's a member here that works for them and I'm sorry but, I've had nothing but, problems with UPS for years now. They need to put there big boy pants on and do the job there paid for.

That sucks being in that predicament, but I could see how that could happen with the company that I work for...

The tendency of the freight companies is to put freight on longer trailers many with gates on them, and the company that I work for is no exception. I told my dispatcher that I will haul only pups...I usually just pull one, but if need be, I will take a set and break them up..otherwise, a lot of freight is coming back, there are too many places that I go are just too tight, and I have the authority to not deliver whenever I deem it too tight or unsafe. Industrial park areas...yes, a '53 makes sense, but I do a combo of industrial, to mom and pop, to residential.

Even saying that, sometimes low power lines prevent me from getting close to some homes in Apache Junction...if I take down power lines or cable lines on the street, that is on them utilities, if I do it on someone's property be it commercial or residential it is on me.

Liftgate delivery is usually curbside, most drivers will work with a consignee and put it in the garage, but I am guessing that it is a challenge to back in from the road to your property, Ron? And of course once the pallet jack leaves the liftgate, unless the landing pad is asphalt, or concrete, a pallet jack is useless.

I would diplomatically talk to the operations manager or the terminal manager and explain your situation and ask what they can do to get it to what would be reasonably to your home add not at the end of the street, I would also let him know that you are a retired driver and know that what you are asking is not an unreasonable request, as delivering on a pup is do-able. If you live in a very rural area, they can deviate from "this is the way we always do it", but often balk at doing anything that disrupts their pattern...the driver can break a set that day.

I sometimes talk to UPS Freight/ Fedex/ Saia/ Estes guys that say how they are glad that they don't want to bother with hooking and breaking sets.....I see them sitting outside places that they cannot get in, and out on city streets blocking intersections as they park in the middle and physically have to move barricades to make the turn...I can break a set in about 3 minutes...besides I am paid by the hour.

If you get no satisfaction from dealing with the bosses that herd the office clerks, Ron email the shipper with timelines and conversations...the shipper is the true customer (I know you know that), and the consignee is often though of as a third party.

Too bad you didn't settle in these parts, I could have gotten you white glove service with my company for no extra cost....


Sorry for the ramble.

That is true. I used to have a pallet fork for my tractor. No more. That was handy for unloading.

Which reminds me of a story (Shite! He is at it again. Somebody stop him!). Years ago, I had to help an elderly Dutch Machinist and Blacksmith unload a large metal working lathe from a flatbed truck. This was before lift gates. No loading dock. No tractor or mechanical advantage. SO, we stacked a mass of 6 X 6 timbers he had on hand for such occasions at the back of the truck. We got the lathe on to the top of the timbers, held steady by a chain and binder attached to the truck. Then, using a come-along, rocked the lathe, removed a timber. Repeated over and over again until it was on the ground. Then used the truck- a 1 1/2 ton flatbed Studebaker, to push the lathe through the door of the shop. The come-along was used to drag it across the concrete floor to its resting place. Took most of the day but we got it done.