Getting Ready for the May 22 Rail-Mower Work Session

Sunday, May 22, was another rail-mower work session with Frank Glatzl.  But I had a lot to do before he came over.  First was mixing concrete and setting the posts for the hoist that were now ready.  During the preceding week I had pounded in stakes and nailed wood to the posts and the stakes to hold the posts in place while pouring the cement.  This was not my own idea--I don't have a lot of original thoughts when it comes to "handyman" activities (see wife's remark in the post for yesterday, below).  I got this bright idea when I walked next door to inspect the neighbor's foundation to try to figure out when the concrete mix trucks were going to come.  But I gave up on them getting here anytime soon so that is why I was going to mix and pour my own concrete.

Anyway, I bit the bullet and began opening 60lb bags of mix, dumping them in the big wheelbarrow I borrowed from my tenant (and repaired yesterday) and then adding water.  Used a small shovel to mix it up well and then dropped the wheelbarrow load into the post hole, after first placing six inches of dry mix in it.  Don't ask me why, that's what the instructions on the bag said to do for setting posts.  Guess the wet concrete from above converts the dry mix.  Or maybe the dry mix sucks up any moisture that makes it way down.  I didn't use a piece of lumber to compact the concrete as I now remember seeing my Dad do 40-odd years ago.  That probably was a mistake but live and learn.  I tapered the concrete so water falls away from the post and compacted the concrete at the top at least.  I watered the newly poured concrete a couple of times during the day and will continue to do so for the next four days, per the instructions.

What I like about how the job turned out is that the bar is almost exactly level and the posts are plumb, at least at the top.  They warp toward the ground but, like I said, they were free, so I can live with that.

Next job after setting the posts was to clear away the stakes and lumber that held them in place and then paint the bar.  Got that done in short order.  Now I just need caps for the tops of the posts and endcaps for the bar.  Might also bore some holes and put a big pin through each end of the bar to keep it in place, but that's a project for next weekend.  Here is a photo of the final product:

After taking a rest break inside the air-conditioned house, I then sprayed some trees that I am trying to keep from losing their leaves.  So that was another chore to do.  But I spent two days hacking vines off that little group of trees right in the front of my property so I had a personal interest in making sure they flourish.

Then I remembered I needed to prime and paint parts of the dashboard and the Bolens 1250 frame before we reassemble things.  I did the priming and half an hour later I chose a gunmetal gray color for the paint.  Nothing fancy but I figured this is the only attention the frame is going to get for another 10-20 years so might as well do something for it.  I had already wirewheeled the frame so it was simple to spray the primer and paint on.

Moved tables over to the work area and brought some tools and parts over to sit on the tables.  Then I took a shower, went to get gas for the 1250 if we got that far, along with ice and soft drinks.  Plus I returned the wheelbarrow to the tenant.  I finished all my chores to get ready for Frank's visit about ten minutes before he arrived.