[sammons]

My mower turned good/bad/good. I got,(fell on the ground) to get my deck off for repairs, needed a different tool. I rolled around on the ground for 15 mins trying to get up. Called Tom, he came over and pulled the pins and drug it out for me. Went to put new blades on, wobble wobble on one spindle lower bearing. Pulled it out,  only took 2hrs🙄 Between my severe muscle fatige and can't no longer couple/uncouple my air tools with out draining the compressor to do so. I know i have an extra used one some where but can't find it.

Tom called couple days later, his old ladys friends dad died and they were selling farm. He helped clean stuff up, says what is your deck size. Told him 42, he says 9 old riders out there and one in shed 42" good deck. He brings it home and dropped it off. This baby is the same year as mine (1998) but has low hrs, is a DLT 3000 instead of my LT 1000, but almost everything the same. It has small single 18.5 hp, but same extended wheel base, large rear tire, rear big gas tank and 6-speed on the fly shift manual as mine.

Called Tom up today, as i got it in the garage to drop deck to swap with my mower. Got (fell) on the ground to try and unhook, 2 clips off and i was done. 15 mins to get back up, called Tom. He came over dropped, went to check everything and all topside looked good. Told him to flip over to check blades, he said look at all the shinny new parts. Flipped over blades bad. Had him swap, first one had bolt crossthreaded and drove home😡 got blade off, they never got the star shaft in the blade. It wore out the star, junk. Pulled the other spindle shaft out, they were both brand new, not even surface rusted. Replaced the other new shaft and bearings  in mine. Found a complete deck rebuild kit with everything, $75 and free shipping. Can't go wrong there. I had him order that for the new deck.

Any whoo, slap in the face to me. I'm really done doing anything labor wise. Not depressed, just pissed off at having life sucked out of me with this damn Rheumatoid Arthritis😡 Doc said very few
% of people get the really bad stuff. I'm the winner🤪

[sixball]

Sad to hear that. I'm starting to have hand issues I can't ignore any more. I need to see a doc?or to see if anything can be done. I'm sorry someone with your skills is having so much trouble.

[sammons]

Falls under the.. It is what it is, and theres nothing i can do about it. Just try and work around it.

Sixball, my hands started with pain in the knucles. Then hot slight swelling when used alot. Before long i couldn't lay them flat on table, next was not being able to open all the way, and they started turning out. Running hot water over them in the morning helps a bit.

If you can't lay your hand flat on a table, you might have Dupuytures contracture. There is non surgicle and surgery to help correct that.

[chopper526]

I'm sorry about this Sammons, and I get it. It sucks for sure and it's easy to say that, unfortunately it's part of life, but that doesn't make it better or easier. I'm also starting to have hand issues and other stuff too. I didn't realize getting older was going to be a challenge. Hang in there and slap reality back

[sammons]

Chopper glad to see ya back, and thanks. I feel for anybody with hand issues, most of us made our living with our hands. Lol, Golden years my butt. Getting old ain't for wimps😁 I get irritated when some of these old farmer guys around here, 80s-90s, still throwing iron around and moving like a 30yr old. Mean while i shuffle worse than O'Biden😄

[sixball]

Sammons, Thanks for the rundown of the beginnings & progression. I need to get to the Doc before it gets worse. It has gotten worse the last few months but I can still sorta' play the guitar, but not for long.

[sammons]

Sixball like anything else, early diagnosis is key to stopping damage. I went 5 years before they figured mine out🙄

Believe it or not, Doc told me to keep playing as long ias i could. It keeps fingers independently moving. I played through the pain untill my fingers turned out and was two frets off where the should be.

I think i had 7-8 guitars, sold one and give all but one away. Kept my acustic/electric Ovation Celeberty for visitors to play.

[sammons]

Talk about pathetic, had to spend $15 on a ball valve and nipple on my air hose. I could no longer couple/uncouple air tools with out draining the pressure off the air compressor each tool change. I can now😄

Tore my deck down for rebuild 3 weeks ago
 Finally got deck repainted and all new parts imstalled. Still have to make a discharge chute hinge and ship up the deck wheel brackets to take the wobblys out.

[Essex_29]

Good looking deck you got there now.
Sorry to hear bout your arthritis.
I had an old Rally mower on which I never got the belt to last. My son drove it around
the yard and on the fields around the house. I put three twos on it and rattle can-flamed
it for practice, planning to flame the Essex which ended up gettting scallops instead.




The little guy is 32 today, pics snapped in 2005

[sixball]

Sammons, I missed the guitar post. That is a nice one. I still have several. I had  the neck re-set on my '42 Martin 000-18  a few yeas ago. It plays so easy now. I've been trying to play often. I cab still play but net as well.  I think mine is Dupuytren's Contracture. Need to see a doc.

That is a naive mower deck. Mine is a brush hog behind the tractor. It is a rock throwing window breaking son of a gun! Can't use it anywhere near the house of cars.

Essex, nice flames. I did more simple ones on my '53 & saved them when I painted the truck. Primer to primer




 

[TFoch]

Sammons sorry to hear your RA has gotten worse.  Great idea for a work around with the ball valve!  That mower deck came out nice!

[sammons]

Essex, that ol mower was cool. My first Craftsman i got was used. Got it all working great and painted it up like a 340 'Cuda. Sub lime green with the black out hood bump and a bit on the sides of the hood, (i put a set of 340 magnum emblems on there), tail light panel and made a kansas tag that looked real that said "MOW-PARR". play on Mopar and my little golf course.

Six ball, my buddy Tom sold his bush hog after a big rock slung forward thru the chains and hit him in the back. He bought a finish pull behind, works great.

Thanks Tom, it's advancing faster than i ever thought it could🙄

Which brings me to another decision that i've been struggling with, my Coupe. All the freinds that were mechanicly inclined to give me a hand building the coupe have died, with the exception of my buddy Tom. I'm not going to be able to finish it.

A younger friend of mine that is turning out to be a good fabricator stopped by to see me yesterday and give me a hand installing the deck spindles. I told him of my situation, and he is very interested in the coupe. 90 questions i asked him, such as something he would keep. Could he refrain from Rat rodding it, no 20" wheels, no mexican blanket seat covers etc. I told him i would like it finished as per my plans. He said that would be great as he liked my vision. He asked if i would advise him along the way to finish, of course.

I have 95% of the parts already. He said when i thought it through and could give him a price to let him know. I would feel good with him getting the coupe. He has already built 3 half hotrod/rat rods for his last 3 kids, so he is capable. The last kid left the nest, so his wife and him want a hotrod to travel around in now.👍

[Rattiac]

Nice guitar 🎸.  I played the drums through Jr high and part of high school.  Even played in a metal band but I got a bit depressed and let the drumset go.  Besides ever hear of a hard rock coming out of Utah.  Yeah right.  Those guy's turned into meth-heads anyways . Had one try to friend me on fake book and never replied back.
Years later I picked up a drumset with double bass pedal for free.
The next week I smashed my right hand.  It's been about 3yrs and the pain went away, except cold mornings but I'd like to bust that set out and play some songs I've always wanted to do.
Maybe one day this summer.