Colt Case Ingersoll Garden Tractors

I had a few friends and neighbors drop off some small welding projects in the last week that were starting to bother me about not being done. With spring happening and all the activities on my list like lawn mowing and shrub bed sprucing up time is at a premium. Not to mention the honey dew list which seems to keep on growing.

I got up early about 5:30 had coffee and headed to the shop. First I welded up my wife's garden cart that had a broken support bracket. What a cheap piece of garbage it is, so a quick MIG weld took care of that.

Then my neighbor on one side of me had his zero turn break down on him a few days ago and his lawn needed cut. A bracket that held a switch of some sort as a lock out. Remove the switch so I didn't melt it grind off the MIG welds that were put on originally and TIG welded it back together. Now it's much stronger than it was from the factory.

My neighbor on the other side of me is building a 1940 Ford pickup, ground up resto. He had two piece's of aluminum angle about 3/32" thick and 18" long that were in a V shape and were supported by a 1/8" thick piece of aluminum in the middle. He wanted the V and supporting bracket welded together. It's a trim piece for the bottom of the hood. TIG weld again but aluminum is a little different than steel or stainless. No color change when it melts but it turns shiny when it's time to add the filler wire and start to move. Since the angle was very thin keeping the piece from melting into a mess needed attention to detail. Plus he had a gap where he wanted it welded together.

Finally a friend dropped off a umbrella stand that the threaded post came loose in the base. I cleaned up the base and the post with a grinder. The base was cast iron and the post was steel tubing. Stick weld this time with a little preheat from my oxy-acetylene torch on the cast base and four one inch welds with nickel electrode. The hardest part was trying to keep the post square in the base. I ended up supporting the post with two arms tack welded to the table until the welds cooled.

I enjoy doing these kinds of repairs which keeps my mind active and my skill level with different metals honed. Maybe now I can get my hot pepper plants in the ground of my garden.

Keep the Peace
Harry

There is satisfaction in doing those kind of small jobs. Sounds like you got off this day to a great start Harry!

Our tomato plants made it to the garden yesterday. Lots of people in Ontario lost their plants last week due to an unexpected flash cold front, even people who covered their plants. Lucky me I didn't have any time to plant the tomatoes until yesterday. We're not doing much of a garden this year, due to time constraints.

Let's us see your hot pepper plants when you get a chance to deal with that. We like garden pictures!

Nice helping out the neighborhood Harry.

Been a short weekend here too. Our youngest daughter's highschool graduation was Saturday.
Got some wood splitting done yesterday before more parties.
Finally got the garden worked up today, which is probably fine. Saturday mornings frost even nipped some of my Father's plants he had covered in his garden.
Well gotta get some spuds planted and work on the push mower. That should kill the afternoon