Some Assembly Required - 68 Raider 12

[RJ Hamner 1,011]

Bought this little guy three years ago.  Was going to restore it but it keep being pushed back by other projects. 

Now it's its turn!

What it looked like when I brought it home.  What it looks like as of 4/19/19

 

[ebinmaine 68,874]

Wicked cool man. Chiming in to follow...

[Pullstart 63,201]

They come apart so quickly, don’t they?  It’s falling back together that takes so long!

[WHX?? 49,486]

26 minutes ago, pullstart said:

They come apart so quickly, don’t they?

Yes they do!

[RJ Hamner 1,011]

1 hour ago, pullstart said:

They come apart so quickly, don’t they?  It’s falling back together that takes so long!

I guess "quickly" would be accurate.

However the "quickly" entails:  use of heat, broken drill bits, trips to the store to buy the correct "easy out" since you broke the correct one on the last tractor, multiple cans of PB Blaster/Liquid Wrench, hubs that defy all attempts to remove, setscrews that were rounded out by a previous owner/repair shop, discussions with a particular parts heritage that turn the air blue in the workshop, the annoying comment from the other half of "Problem dear?" and the often discussed and most problematic "the beloved STEERING WHEEL"

 

Yes, the "putting back together" takes a long time BUT they go back together so easy because you have worked your butt off scrubbing, blasting ,sanding, chasing threads and using new bolts, nuts, cotters and hollow pins.

 

But you do it because in the end you can stand back and say "WELL DONE".   

And then "Wait till the next one"

[WHX?? 49,486]

Well said RJ and so very true!

[RJ Hamner 1,011]

Have you ever found yourself praying for rain?  Will I did. 

When you just started a new project and it's springtime.

My wife is the nursery owners best friend as she brought in a pickup load of plants, bulbs and seeds.

If its not raining I get the infamous "I need your help" or "Can you give me a hand?  This will only take a minute"  Uh right.

Well it rained!!!!!!

Since I am waiting on some parts for the transmission and am not one to waste a rainy day.....

Thought I'd work on the frame and wondered if it would fit in the blast cabinet.  IT DID!

Changed out the grit, put on a new nozzle and fired up the compressor

One thing led to another and almost ran out of places to hang things and wires to hang they with.

But, it raining again and she's at work!!!!!!!!

 

[ebinmaine 68,874]

3 hours ago, RJ Hamner said:

almost ran out of places to hang things

Just go toss some clothes out of the closet.

Plenty of space in there.

 

[RJ Hamner 1,011]

Got a chance to do some more work this afternoon.

Suffered another "missing mass" problem.  Can't find the parking brake lever.  Know I have/had it.

I know for sure I WILL find it because I ordered another one off ebay. 

I am positive that when it shows up the first one will instantly appear

 

[ebinmaine 68,874]

Maybe it's a good thing to have a spare parking brake lever?

 

[Pullstart 63,201]

11 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

Maybe it's a good thing to have a spare parking brake lever?

 

 

Oh, so that’s why I keep hauling more tractors home?

[WHX?? 49,486]

I'll have to chastise you abit for buying a brake lever ... I have several for the asking! 

[Tractorhead 9,065]

Loved the Colormix between black and Red.

curious how the final State looks.

[Lee1977 6,868]

On 5/3/2019 at 7:43 PM, RJ Hamner said:

Got a chance to do some more work this afternoon.

Suffered another "missing mass" problem.  Can't find the parking brake lever.  Know I have/had it.

I know for sure I WILL find it because I ordered another one off ebay. 

I am positive that when it shows up the first one will instantly appear

 

It's hanging some where you don't usually hang things to dry. I have been there myself looking for the cable tube clamp. Found it a week or so later after using the one off the 312-8.  I have an unfinshed basement with lots of brighing to hang things off of.

Take some pictures around your garage and see whitch Eagle Eyed Wheel Horse hunter can spot it.  

Edited May 5, 2019 by Lee1977

[RJ Hamner 1,011]

Raining again today so gotta work inside.

If it doesn't quit soon I may have to bale the back yard

I am not sure what the title of this picture should be.  Impressionist Sculpture?  Everything is Upside Down? or Cr@% I'm Running Out of Floor Space!

The grey panel in the rear is going to have to wait for good weather.  It needs some welding done on it and that's really hard to do in the rain

[RJ Hamner 1,011]

Suffered a minor (?) setback with a paint issue and had to re-blast all the parts for the tower.

But with all the rain and the wife out of town at a meeting I had lots of time to spend fixing my screwup

Must have got all my boo-boo's out of the way the first time cause the second go around looks pretty good

Got the replacement parking brake arm (still haven't found the one I put in a safe place) cleaned, painted and installed.

With the rain I've had to paint inside so it limits the number I can do at a time.

And, since it turned real cool I've had to fire up the heater again to help dry the paint.

I often ask myself "Are we havin' fun yet?"  Ans:  YEP!

[ebinmaine 68,874]

Love those rear wheel studs. We do that to all of ours.

[WHX?? 49,486]

Hey Bob you are missing a hub!

 

Tip on those studs is use a lock washer or thick AN type washer  behind the stud and blue lock tite. They will seat much better and help prevent loosening with the washers. Also torque the bling nuts, regular ones too, to the max a 7/16 fine thread bolt will take.

A piece of tubing slid over that spring will keep the spring from rubbing off red on the brake band.

[RJ Hamner 1,011]

Not a bad couple if ideas. AN hardware? Your old rating is showing. 

Grade 8 will probably work too

Glad you pointed out the missing hub. Wonder where it went??

[WHX?? 49,486]

15 minutes ago, RJ Hamner said:

Wonder where it went??

Same place as the brake lever?

Edited May 13, 2019 by WHX22

[RJ Hamner 1,011]

LMAO

[WHX?? 49,486]

Hey Bob I FOUND IT ..you must have dropped it on the floor and it rolled all the way to my place! Sending it home today...watch for a big brown truck in your driveway!

[RJ Hamner 1,011]

If they had made them square they wouldn't roll so far. 

 

Thanks

Bob

[RJ Hamner 1,011]

Progress has been a little slow but have managed to get a few things finished.

Been giving the blast cabinet a real workout.

This will be the second media change in a month and working on the third nozzle.

[RJ Hamner 1,011]

Noticed while I was starting to assemble the hood that I only had two hood ornaments.  One with one of the "legs" broken off and the other was full of pits and cracks in the chrome.

I tried cleaning up the unbroken one (used to work pretty good on some of the chrome on a couple of cars when I was a LOT younger)

It wasn't working too well.

Then I thought.....well maybe...

Sanded the ornament down to smooth and gave it a shot of gloss.

 

So what do ya think of my solution?????