[AT] [External] Reminded of an old ATIS friend this week

Thu Sep 2 06:14:47 PDT 2021

Yes Dean, you are exaggerating. The tractor Cecil would have been offered
would have just been hand waxed and polished. He had a knack for good
fortune finding him, probably karma trying to pay him back for his good
will.
Chuck Saunders
KCMO

On Thu, Sep 2, 2021 at 7:58 AM Dean Vinson <dean at vinsonfarm.net> wrote:

> Very enjoyable to remember Cecil and other now-passed members from years
> back.   Cecil in particular set such a fine example for the general
> character of the ATIS list—knowledgeable, generous, respectful,
> welcoming.
>
>
>
> And as I recall he had an amazing ability to find great bargains on old
> tractors, along the lines of “I was on my way home from the hardware store
> when a fellow flagged me down and offered to pay me $500 to haul off this
> dust-covered but otherwise pristine WD45 sitting in the back of his barn.
> I couldn’t accept any money from him, so he threw in an Allis G that was
> next to the WD45.”   Okay, that’s probably an exaggeration, but in my
> memory it seemed like those kinds of scenarios had a way of finding Cecil.
>
>
>
> Farmer, when I first read your post and saw the “old ATIS friend” subject
> and then your initial “tool lover” statement, I couldn’t help but think of
> the blue-handled fence pliers.  I’d been thinking of them just the other
> day, too… was struggling this past weekend to modify a kitchen exhaust duct
> in my old farmhouse, as part of an ongoing renovation, and went out to the
> shop to look for a particular pair of pliers I knew I had somewhere but
> couldn’t immediately lay my hands on.  Eventually found them and had to
> chuckle at the mental image of those blue-handled fence pliers…
>
>
>
> Dean Vinson
>
> Saint Paris, Ohio
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* AT <at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com> *On Behalf Of *Mattias
> Kessén
> *Sent:* Thursday, September 2, 2021 1:30 AM
> *To:* Antique Tractor Email Discussion Group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com
> >
> *Subject:* Re: [AT] [External] Reminded of an old ATIS friend this week
>
>
>
> Thank you Farmer,
>
>
>
> That really brought a smile to my face. I've never had the opportunity to
> meet with any of you but I've gotten to know some of you quite well over
> the years. Cecil for sure was one person I got to know very well. we had
> many conversations spanning from poultry through cupolas to Norway.
>
>
> Med vänlig hälsning
>
>
>
> Mattias Kessén
>
>
>
> Hässelstad Solhöjden 2
>
> 594 93 Gamleby
>
>
>
> 070-523 59 00
>
>
>
>
>
> Den tors 2 sep. 2021 kl 03:40 skrev Gunnells, Brad R <
> brad-gunnells at uiowa.edu>:
>
> That's a great story Farmer. Glad to see you here more often sharing them
> as you have an eloquent way of telling these stories.
>
>
>
> While I've never been to Portland, and I've only met Spencer and one other
> member, this list has always been like a family of friends. I can relate to
> the acquisition of tools as to have thing available when needed. I have to
> say, I'm not sure I recall the hammer handle topic. I may have to go back
> and search for that. I have a few that could stand to be replaced......
>
>
>
> Brad
> ------------------------------
>
> *From:* AT <at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com> on behalf of Indiana
> Robinson <robinson46176 at gmail.com>
> *Sent:* Wednesday, September 1, 2021 5:50 PM
> *To:* at at lists.antique-tractor.com <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> *Subject:* [External] [AT] Reminded of an old ATIS friend this week
>
>
>
> I'm a tool lover and still watch for bargains at yard sales etc. Last
> weekend I bought 4 adjustable wrenches in the 11" to 12" range. Three of
> them were high quality like Crescent and Diamond and the 4th was a decent
> wrench that said "Japan" on the handle and some name I didn't recognize.
> Still a fully functional wrench, especially if you are a long way from the
> shop and something really needs to be "wrenched".  :-)
>
> I'm working on having a small basic tool set on everything like tractors,
> mowers and special machinery (like the basket lift and several others). I'm
> also putting basic tools in a few more widely separated buildings including
> one in the next county. I have done this for some time in vehicles. I just
> don't like to be anywhere without tools. I'm sorting out a set now for the
> old motorhome. I could get a hernia moving the box from the truck to the
> motorhome.  :-)
>
> Those 4 wrenches and a fifth item were all $1 each...
>
> The fifth item was a fair sized ball peen hammer. I can't pass up a good
> hammer... It had a high quality head (those that live with their tools
> understand how you can usually tell good tools by sight). It had a very
> nice brand new handle. The only problem is that the attachment of the
> handle could only be described as "scary"... The new handle had in no way
> been shaped to fit the head and did not extend all of the way through the
> eye in the head, lacking about a half inch. A new steel wedge had been
> driven down into the end about half way and any attempt to hit anything
> more than a pillow would surely send the head flying. I paid my $1 for it
> considering it to be a "kit".  :-)
>
> Has anybody guessed which old friend I was reminded of? It was one of the
> really good guys... Cecil Monson. We were discussing replacing hammer
> handles and sharing our own favorite tips on the list. Cecil was lamenting
> his inability  to ever successfully replace a hammer handle no matter how
> hard he tried. Cecil didn't lack for skills generally; it was just that he
> had never been taught that particular skill. I wrote a post detailing the
> procedure I used as did others and never thought any more about it. That
> year at Portland Cecil parked his RV right next to mine and he had no more
> than shut his truck off that he came hurrying excitedly over to where I was
> at, carrying a hammer. I had forgotten all about the thread on hammers but
> Cecil had brought that hammer from home on the front seat of his truck just
> to show it to me. He had done a very serviceable job and was really as
> proud as any person could be of a hammer handle repair.
>
> The memory of Cecil's joy has made me smile several times this week...
> :-)  I will be thinking of him again when I repair the hammer properly...
>
> Cecil and his wife were super nice folks. I miss them still.
>
>
> --
>
> --
>
> Francis Robinson
> aka "farmer"
> Central Indiana USA
> robinson46176 at gmail.com
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> AT mailing list
> AT at lists.antique-tractor.com
> http://lists.antique-tractor.com/listinfo.cgi/at-antique-tractor.com
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.antique-tractor.com/pipermail/at-antique-tractor.com/attachments/20210902/033c0f81/attachment.htm>