[AT] Ring gap and auction

[Indiana Robinson]

	I was at an auction sell out of an old grain elevator/feedmill yesterday where the owner 
had died. They sold an old Oliver 60 as a parts tractor. It was mostly there except the 
hood (had the radiator section on the front and the cowl/dash) and was missing the oil 
pan. The rear fenders were very good and the rubber was "fair". It had been sitting in a 
barn for a very long time. I considered bidding on it but have too many irons in the fire 
right now. The head was off and he had pulled one piston which was laying in a toolbox. I 
picked it up and was looking at it and noticed that even if you compressed the rings the 
ring end gap on the old rings was at least 1/4" or a bit more, maybe even 3/8". I know it 
was a low compression engine but that gap seemed a bit much...
BTW, it sold for $200. I thought about buying it and parting it out at the Portland Swap 
Meet next month but was afraid I would not be able to bring myself to part with it once 
home...   :-)
	I did buy a team of work horses. You have heard of "paint" horses, these were "saw" 
horses...   ;-)   Poplar I think.   :-)  Cost me a whole dollar.
	One purchase I have wanted for a long time. That was a 4" wide flat belt splicer. I have 
seen them around for sale especially at Portland but always too much $$$. I got this one 
and a box of splices for $20. It is an older one, weighs a ton and operates with two 
handles. I also have a few more wrenches and a few more hammers. One of the hammers I 
wanted for my grandson who is 9. It was a very nice good quality 13 oz claw hammer. It 
fits him a little better than a common 16 oz. It was one of 4 hammers in a box of 
assorted stuff for $4.
	Son Scott went to a different sale yesterday. An old fellow I knew had passed away and 
they were selling his stuff. He didn't talk about his past much but other people did. He 
had been one of the top speciality machinist for one of the major gun makers before he 
retired. I think it was Winchester or Remington. He was retired but they still sent him 
special jobs for years. Scott went with a friend and neighbor who was looking for a 
milling machine. Scott did acquire for me a new in the box and still wrapped with paper 
and grease 8" 3 jaw universal lathe chuck. I have a regular 4 jaw chuck but had wanted a 
3 jaw to speed up simple quick work on stuff that didn't require tremendous accuracy. 
Most farm machinery bushing and such don't have to be perfect. This chuck had both inside 
and outside jaws and 3 backing plates. It was made in England by BSA. He paid about $60 
for it. He also picked up a good antique hand crank forge blower and of course several 
boxes of "misc. stuff".   :-)
-- 
"farmer", Esquire
At Hewick Midwest
      Wealth beyond belief, just no money...

Paternal Robinson's here by way of Norway (Clan Gunn), Scottish Highlands,
Cleasby Yorkshire England, Virginia, Kentucky then Indiana. Here 100 years 
before the revolution.


Francis Robinson
Central Indiana USA
robinson at svs.net