Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Thread Like Summary - Coronavirus quarantine home projects

If you're like me you've got more time at home right now. I thought it might be helpful to post up some projects we're doing at home to provide some relief...so I'll start...sanded and resealed my workbench today...hope to knock out more stuff this weekend.

I stay socially distant in my garage most of the time anyway but it has really cramped my travels this year as we would normally be at our place in Florida right now catching fish. Hoping by the time the ice is out up north this has all eased up or the fish up there will get a break too. But, since we are all confined to home it is a great chance to do the things we tend to put off. Last week I reworked the top of my tool cabinets and mounted rings and lights for twelve globes where only six sat for years. I have had the set of five Apco globes in boxes for a long time and needed to make room for those to display together and this was a good space for them. Every time I squeeze out another place for globes I say I’m through buying more since I’m out of room to display them. 😂 Seems I always figure out another corner to put more.....GB

Wife and I built a farm table this week for my sons new house, pics later as we just poly'd it.

Finishing a pump restoration. I bought it back around 1990 from Terry St.Clair. I disassembled it back then and tinkered with here and there as I restored and sold many others, bought signs, sold signs,and jumped in and out of the hobby a few times. This pump was always "the next project" that was just never finished. Finally got it painted this week.
It is an Erie 10 with original GULF cast plaque below faces. Can't wait to finally reassemble and display it proudly in my new room above garage, which is also being finished in rough cut pine during this down time.

No more fading pine boards! Think I'm going to used galvanized roofing on the ceiling next.

Another day in Social Distancing. Worked at the food pantry today sorting through over 500 pounds of donated retail meats in 13 boxes. I pulled out 50 hot dog packages and other small items from the boxes on the right to go in the boxes on the left. We usually buy a package of hot dogs and a pound of hamburger for each recipient family to go with a nice load of donated canned goods, produce and some meat. Our supplier said no hot dogs or hamburger may be available when we need them. I pulled these items out to supplement the 120 packs of hot dogs we have to come up with 170. Don't know how many families will show up for food with all the newly unemployed.

Also did a mock-up of the work flow for distribution day, keeping volunteer positions 6 feet from one another. We are changing to a no-close-contact drive-through distribution to protect volunteers and clients from spreading the coronavirus. Probably 80% of all the people involved are high risk for age or health issues. Wife and I and our friends and relatives are all doing fine so far. Trying to stay that way and help others to do the same.

Finished it all up over the weekend.

I know you guys are working on stuff ... let's see it!

Come on you guys, there's got to be some of you making use of your time at home during Shelter in Place restrictions. I had this Walk sign for years, hoping to find its mating Don't Walk sign. I gave up and wired the sign to a motion sensor and hung it on the garage inside wall. Any time there is movement in the garage, I get illuminated permission to "Walk."

Let's see your projects!

Here was my quarantine project I just wrapped up. I have had this pump for awhile.......a rare Wayne 861/40, manufactured in 1933. According to the Pump Blue Book, only 300 were built. These pumps had components of both the Wayne 861 clock face and the Wayne 40 computer face pumps. There were a few unique parts, mainly a special bezel that was exclusive to this pump. It needed a few parts......luckily I live near Tom Buckles, so was able to go over there a couple times and pester him for what I needed! I also rewired the electrical conduit while it was partially disassembled.
Fun project, but now seriously considering Wasatch Man's idea!!

Working on two projects Bennett 150 clock face pump and a Hastings Casite thermometer that needed a little TLC !

With some of my free time I have been doing some woodworking though not the kind you would normally associate with the term. I have been doing what I call dry scraping. I have two 1920s wood boxes from the Imperial Oil Company. Both were covered with a fair amount of dirt and grease that covered up a lot of the writing. Taking a rounded end x-acto knife blade I have slowly scraped away this grunge to reveal all the lettering again. I realize that some people prefer them left alone but I don't. It is a time consuming process but in my view the results are worth the effort. Cheers, Don.

This 110 volt siren has been apart in my shop for over a year needing some spare time to restore and reassemble. Got it done and have been running it at 7 PM nightly in tribute to caregivers and first responders across the nation!

Finally got around to making my own set of "corn hole boxes"

Here is my Coronavirus Home project and its to drink all these Beers and listen to old country and rock and roll music . Cheers

No one is calling me for plumbing........
I am actually catching up on Veeder Roots

Finally installed the light I bought at Hershey a few years back. And to keep the wife happy installed hardwood flooring in spare bedroom and painted a couple of rooms.

Here is the table my wife and i built last week for our sons new house.

Finishef building and decking the bridge this morning ,
Now will have to skirt and do the railings

I love the workbench!
I just got done with a coronavirus project myself. Several years ago I remodeled our basement to be a Petro display room. I must have been so excited to hang up signs, that I never got around to finish off the three windowsills. I cut the oak boards and moldings, put them in and applied the finish in the last couple days. Yay!

I was running out of room on the Texaco can shelves...so, I tore it apart, added a shelf and designed it so I could create another shelf behind it and maximize the shelf space. Then I sated rearranging cans and kept finding a boxes of cans that I didn't have room for. So, I had added 10 feet of shelf and have already used about 7 of it. I have also left some spaces for cans I am looking for....anyway..kind of during and after picture. Ialso took down the signs that were blocking the view....

Good looking garage light, ALSS72. Envious of your workshop wall there, Rabbitman.

Not an accomplishment to compare to any of the above posts, I found an old double-end brass tire chuck to go on my restored Revere island pole.
I had it all along in my stash of priceless petro junk.

Post what you're doing during Shelter-in-Place

Panels

Top panel

That pump looks great Eric.

Its been working for me but I have to admit its just on the weekends .

Killer work, Rick!

I saw a craftsman at a flea-market selling one like yours except with a "Killer" 1900-era HEAVY + ORNATE CAST Base. They sure made quality stuff back in the days. They did not care about weight

He said he wanted $2500 (or will keep it) since the Base is very-very hard to find. Went back at the end of the day, it was gone. He told me the person that bought it, wanted it BAD.

I can not find the picture.

One of my projects for the shut down . . .

I've had these lenses sitting in a raw body for years and decided that I needed a patinaed body to display them in.

Especially since one is an original lens with some significant wear-n-tear (and it's the only original lens known).

So I spent some time and using a few colors of rattle can paint put a few coats of paint on the body.

Then after everything dried, I used some wet-or-dry sandpaper (wet) to remove/age the finish.

Making one side a bit more aged than the other.

After the sanding, I significantly thinned some black One Shot and wiped down the entire body to add some grime to the paint.

Then, using One Shot again, I added in some 'rust' - mixing some sawdust with the brown to give it some texture.

And . . . finally I shot everything with some matte finish clear to knock down any shine and to seal everything up.

Oh, and this is an aluminum body.

I had my friend do this custom "Flashing Stop Sign" while doing "social distancing". Shipped all the parts to Keith.

Keith built a custom bracket to hold the "STOP" signal to the "Brass pole". I found the Brass pole at a flea market.

Also, provided the flashing circuitry that runs off a 12V supply.

I wish I had the "talent" of Keith's.

Here is the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9Yjzz0xZgo