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Had another go-around with the squirrels this am. Watched him/her/it try several times and almost, but not quite make it... finally it did, ripped a big piece of bird food out of the basket as I got out there.... so it was back outside, tear the "stop" I had made down and modify it.

I had some scrap already cut to 4" wide so I did a 90-degree bend, clamped it in place then went out to the feeder post to see what the fit problems, if any, were going to happen. With 3" facing in, yes that most likely would have stopped them but putting the ASSY back on the post looked to be a potential problem so I went with the additional 3" of flange hanging down (a 1" spot welding flange on the 4" pieces). Again, the spot welding, although the welder is heavy and awkward when lifting it into place then doing the squeezes to do the weld but it is now done and in place.

Waiting for the pain to dry as it started raining as I was tearing things apart so I could start the task.

Keeping scrap is a good thing to have but it can also be a pain being in the way of other things.

Lee

May I suggest a cat?

Piledriver wrote: ↑Fri Mar 24, 2023 7:43 am May I suggest a cat?

Our cat was 18 years old and passed away not too long ago. I doubt that we would live long enough to care for another cat. Most of the cats in the area that prowl are now getting pretty old and not out there as much as they were. They also have animals in the area that haunt them too.

The area has changed lately so the young kids back then are now driving up and down the street quickly (and so do a lot of the adults) and are hitting some of the cats and squirrels but not the three squirrels I am dealing with. They are living and coming out of a restricted area. The life expectancy of a squirrel can be up to about 7 years.

This year the rabbits look like they are going to be in the west part of the area. Us'n old folks are getting to be the minority.

Time is very interesting to watch go by.

Learning how to (finally) use the spot welder has been a lot of fun. It isn't for everything as compared to regular welding but does have its uses. Once the metal is formed, cleaned and ready for joining the spot welding can be quick and easy (as long as you can hold it in the air when needed.

Lee

I happened to get up and look out the window this AM when one of the squirrels came hopping across the back yard. When it got close to the feeder it stopped and looked up for a very short time then turned around and hopped off. I expect a couple more of those little trips then maybe it will give up (somewhat as they don't usually but will come back but at longer distances of time).

Still playing with the buggy and changed a few things plus made a decision on the rear hoop of the cage. I am not going to put the rear facing down bars in as it is just too complicated and required cutting the body up. I still have to deal with the way the body's upper U-shaped strength flange that faces to the center of the body is located plus it's effect on the lower mounting of the hoop. I also have to deal with the angled floor and it's close relationship to the spherical radius of the lower floor. The rear hoop of the cage will be a bit narrower than the front is and the two hoops will be joined with a tube going under the flange on the seats. Kind of like/similar to one of the soft top Baja's here on STF.

The 'cross truss bar is still going to be used but now will be welded and braced in a strong manner not just tacked in place. The gas tank mounting tubing is "still in tack" and its location fits in the body correctly and the fill opening in the body is in the right place ("fill tube" and fuel tank cap alignment). The lower side of the trans mount that I came up with has to be finished so the weight of the engine, trans, and full fuel tank along with the new truss bar design can take up the loading needed off-road (sand in this case).

Lee

The bigger of the three squirrels made it up and over again. Now I have to do what I didn't want to do and that is to add flanges facing towards the inside. When I tested adding flanges to the inside yesterday, they made is look like it would be hard to get the panel back on the bird feeder so now is the try for me vs him.

Lee

I think I am through with spot welding the squirrels out of the scene. Saw one trying to get up to the bird food and fail but my wife did scare it away after the one try we observed so all the tries may not have been done (usually it tried 6+ times before getting up or (now) quitting, but I don't think it is done yet. If I have to do any more flanged metal blockages it will have to be done with "blind fasteners" (pop rivets) due to now limited access to both sides of the join.

Spot welding is fun as long as you don't have to carry the unit and slip the two hooks into tight areas as it is not only heavy but awkward. If you are going to try it, then definitely look things up online or in manuals for things such as minimum/max spacing depending on the material (et al) thickness being used.

Also, there is a spark safety warning which is something like 35 feet away from anything that could get ignited by the welding.

Lee

Piledriver wrote: ↑Fri Mar 24, 2023 7:43 am May I suggest a cat?

Youi might be correct here. My wife told me she saw a new cat in the yard the other day which could be why no birds or squirrels are here now. Some of the birds ate out of the bird feeder but also dropped food to the ground for other birds to eat.

Spring is here I guess!

Lee

Frome what it looks like, its' been a long time since I posted here.

I have been working on the black buggy but not accomplishing much.

https://www.shoptalkforums.com/viewtopi ... 3#p1304483

I did post this, but Alexi and I have been fighting over who controls my newer computer. So far, she is ahead and doing all the dam(n)age she can do... all in the way of making me pay to outside businesses to get the work done. Also, she has blocked my new disc player from working. The pix I was able to post not long ago but I cannot find them now.

I am currently playing with the steering box and shaft. The splined and notched steering shaft I cannot get a fitting to fit on it or if it does (maybe ) be usable for the long shaft to fit into. Too many splined adapters that the hole is too small or too large.

Still working on it and when I get to beat her up enough to allow me to put my editing program back on and also allow me to access new pix, I will try to get back going on this.

Lee