Dan Polk

Merging

2007-01-29T14:17:00.000-08:00

Hi all! I'm moving new posts to our family blog for the time being. You'll find it here: http://polkfamily.blogspot.com.

Woohoo! Doors fit...KINDA!

2006-11-14T23:20:00.000-08:00

The driver's door on Dad's 1980 Scout II fits perfectly! The passenger side door has about 1/2" to go and we're done with that one, too. Whew!

Fishing for dog poo

2006-09-09T18:36:00.000-07:00

The boys posed for shots in the boat today after I got a couple rod holders installed.

I broke it.

2006-08-14T14:54:00.000-07:00

New Johns Lake + 22 mph + 2 rocks = ripped off skag on rock #1 and bent prop on rock #2. In 10 feet of water even!

$100 later Bismarck Prop Works will have me fishin' again.

If you'd like to know where these rocks are, I can show you. We'll take your boat.

Fish not jumping in the boat yet, but...

2006-07-17T09:44:00.000-07:00

The boat's been working great. It could use softer seats (oak isn't exactly forgiving) , a fish/depth finder and a trolling motor, but it's quite nice as-is. We've had it on New John's, Brush and the Missouri without any serious problems or surprises. Starts well and runs great! Now I need to learn how to fish.

So I wonder what's next?

My choices are:

- Finish the Jeep
- Finish the basement
- Build a rock retaining wall at the front of the house
- Build a deck off our lower walk-out

Any suggestions?

Kart receives a transplant

2006-06-28T11:20:00.000-07:00

3hp (if it was even 3) wasn't enough for the kart. It had trouble with hills, turning, tall grass and basically wasn't any fun unless you were on a smooth straight-away.

I fixed the problem with a brand-new 5.5hp GX160 Honda knock-off engine from eBay for $100. What a difference! It's scary fast with the throttle wide open. Never fear, I'm using the built-in adjustable throttle stop so there's still plenty of torque but not much top end.

Another addition was a more conveniently placed kill switch. DJ and Adam helped with that one.

USS Minnow? D.A.M. Boat?

2006-06-28T11:14:00.001-07:00

I like D.A.M. boat. Those of you who know my kids will know what that stands for!

The boat received $100 worth of wheels and tires this weekend, along with new lower unit drain plug seals, a new water pump, new prop shaft seals and a new drain plug.

Only things left to do are:

Fill rear seat with foam
Finish new wiring
Clean
Go fishing!

Floating: IsPossible

2006-06-15T20:42:00.000-07:00

Dad brought over some caulking/sealant tonight and I plugged the 8 holes in the transom from the broken/missing transducer mounts I removed. I used sealed rivets from the boat shop and was done in about 15 minutes.

I also painted the welds where the tongue jack attaches to the trailer, and my father-in-law got the registration renewed, so I attached the stickers.

That's it!

Boat update with pictures

2006-06-10T18:21:00.000-07:00

Quick update on the boat. Stuff finished today:

Welded on a new tongue jack (didn't have one before)
Replaced bow hook safety chain and both clips
Replaced towing chains and hooks
Replaced broken taillight
Ran (but haven't connected) new wiring
Installed new trim angle pin (original was missing)

I picked up the water pump rebuild kit and the associated gaskets and seals, as well as a handful of waterproof rivets to plug the holes from the old transducers. I spent around $150 on it today.

I finally got a pic or two taken as well. I thought I'd whip out my super awesome image editing capabilities and throw them around a bit to illustrate what's changed since I got it.

Check out this first picture - when I got it, the paint was PINK from oxidation. 4 hours of buffing later (oh MAN I HATE BUFFING), it looks presentable! The stern seat looks like it's installed weird. It is - it's warped because it doesn't quite fit yet. It'll settle down once it's filled with foam and screwed down.

Fishing for a new project

2006-06-07T21:24:00.000-07:00

With the go-kart being done, it's time for a new summer project. A boat! It's too bad I wasn't thinking or I would've taken some before pictures of what it looked like when I brought it home. I might have something that's representative though, I'll have to look.

It'smy father-in-law's boat but had been loaned to his company for employee use for the last decade or so. Over the last 5 years it fell into disrepair and ended up being stuck behind the warehouse and unused for the last three years. It wasn't even seaworthy for that matter.

I thought I'd ask if I could fix it up and drop it into the water at their lake cabin, and got permission. So off we go!

It's a 16' '88 Lund fishing boat with 3 wooden seats in it and a 15HP Yamaha 2 stroke. It came with a trolling motor but that looks to be a piece of junk, and wasn't mounted correctly anyway.

Fixed thus far:

Removed and threw away 3 unmatched, broken plastic seats that were screwed to the wooden seats.
Removed and tossed old seat tops, made new ones out of oak plywood and coated with 4 coats of urethane.
Removed and threw away really crazy wooden mounting "thing" for the trolling motor.
Cut off engine lock
Removed 2 broken transducer mounts
Threw away rotten, holey cover
Removed (maybe?) working transducer. No fish finder on the thing anyway.
Removed all hardware related to the rear seat "conversion" performed by previous maintainer. This one was a good concept, but not the greatest in execution. All the floatation foam was hogged out of the rear seat, non-green treated plywood was cut and glued/silicone sealed/bolted/screwed into the inside of the seat like a box, and the seat was put back on using a hinge and a really undersized latch (which was broken). I guess this was so you could store your crap under the seat. If the boat ever tried to sink it would dunk the engine and sit bow-high in the water. Not a good idea and not safe.
Buffed paint - BLEH. Buffing. Phooey.
Removed numerous decals
Sanded & painted trailer
Removed and threw away old trailer skids and made new ones
Replaced front rubber roller/bumper
Installed new 2" trailer coupler
Installed new trailer marker lights
Cleaned, cleaned and cleaned.

Left to do:

New tires
Fill rear seat with new floatation foam
Paint wheels
New wiring and lights plug
Registration
Rebuild engine water pump (doesn't move water - bad bad bad)
New lower unit seals (they leak)
Plug holes from removal of multiple transducer mounts
Get a new drain plug
....go fishing!

I'll post a few pictures later.

DONE!

2006-05-19T19:46:00.000-07:00

The kart is DONE! Finished it today. Everything's on, secured and working. There's always something to tinker with, though: the gas tank leaks, the engine should really be a 5hp, the seat could use more permanent padding, etc, but for now - switch to on, pull choke, pull cord, press gas pedal! Works great. Here's some action shots from this evening.

Driving video...is...uh...weird.

2006-05-15T15:12:00.000-07:00

This is funny, and disturbing. I sound like a chipmunk, and the boys sound like aliens, but it's still a moving picture...so I guess that's kinda cool? I dunno what happened to it. I blame Google Video.

Making it official

2006-05-14T21:21:00.000-07:00

I have a video I need to post that shows what the boys have been doing with the kart for the last few days, but I'm still in the queue with Google Video. I guess they want to review it to make sure it's not porn or something copyrighted, I suppose. I'm sure it'll be posted next week.

In the meantime, I got everything properly adjusted and installed (except for the left hub - it's stuck on the driveshaft - I'll have to get that off later - too angry at it right now!) and the boys drove it around the yard for hours. Adam sat in the rear of the seat with DJ scooted forward. They had so much fun! DJ learned to do cookies in our driveway, and figured out counter-steering through a skid. By himself. Adam screamed the whole way and couldn't get enough speed.

So seeing as everything's ready to go, I did all my final welding and painted it this evening. One coat of cold galvanizing primer and two coats of Rustoleum red.

I need a few Ferrari emblems...

2006-05-14T21:05:00.000-07:00

So lots happened over the last 2 weeks with the kart. I got it fully assembled, all parts installed and accounted for, and took it for a drive. What a blast! I did figure out it has a weight limit with the little 3hp engine and 60 tooth axle gear. We'll have to explore a 5hp sometime in the future and maybe a torque converter setup, or at very least a 72 or so tooth gear.

Regardless, here's a few action shots as I took it out on it's maiden voyage around the block. I was breaking the speed limit in the 3rd picture! Whee!! As expected during a first drive, a few things failed: the brake, right wheel and steering fell apart and the clutch was smoking heavily when I pulled into the garage (which lead me to believe I'm a bit heavy for it - ya think?). Loc-Tite is on the to-do list. Luckily it all happened after I turned back into the driveway.

It can't go, but it can stop

2006-05-09T20:11:00.000-07:00

I made some good progress on the kart over the last few weeks. Got the brake parts from eBay and installed 'em, got the sprocket, chain and clutch (eBay), and purchased a set of really nice tie-rods and ends (again from eBay) . I also finished the spindles and installed a brake and throttle cable set I sourced locally.

I'm particularly happy with the disk brake - the cable return setup is made from a carburetor throttle return spring, some carefully cut and hammered angle iron, a custom fabbed clevis joint thing (don't know what it's called) and some parts from an excersize bike!

Kart has wheels and go-power!

2006-04-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

The kart is REALLY taking shape. You can really appreciate the width of the rear axle and tires now that it's semi-assembled. I guess flipovers are the most common problem with kids getting hurt on karts. I chose this design for the width alone. Very hard to turn over compared to most homegrown designs I've seen.

I wish it were adult sized!! If I lost about 15lbs I might fit. I'm skinny, and my butt snaps into the seat. It's not all that comfy. Oh well. It's going to be truly awesome seeing the boys tear around in this thing.

I'm going to move the engine to the other side of the seat (and obviously move the seat, too). It's a safety issue with the output shaft so close to the driver, not to mention that I'd need a jackshaft to transfer power to the outside of the frame (so the drive chain doesn't hit the frame), so it's a total no-go. Just doesn't work. No problem, though. That's why I have my own welder!

The engine was sourced from a minibike guy in town who had this in a pile of stuff he picked up. $25 netted me a 3hp Briggs and Stratton. Runs great and it's a good HP level for the boys while they're small.

On the way is the disc brake, caliper and bracket. Left to order are tie rods, control cables, kill switch and the chain/clutch/drive sprocket setup. Then we're ready for a test run.

I really need a name for it now.

Cell phone companies SUCK

2006-03-26T18:18:00.000-08:00

I tried to get a Treo 650 last week from Alltel as well as port my cell phone number over from Sprint/Nextel. I found out this is apparently impossible within a 3 week timeframe.

Without getting into much detail, I've just ended the week on Sunday after trying since Tuesday to get a plan with Alltel. I had the week off and definitely spent the greater part of my afternoons in their store dealing with long lines (30 minute wait times), untrained personnel, incompetent managers and busted computer system.

Fortunately it's not for lack of effort on the part of the employees. Unfortunately, they have no power to change things or get magically trained on how to use the new computer system (Alltel bought a local carrier called Cellular One and just finished transitioning the stores over) and according to the interim manager (their old manager quit out of frustration) they were "dumped into this computer system with no training".

I'll try again next week, I suppose. I'd go with Verizon, but their in-store employees here definitely couldn't care less about other human beings, their plans are more expensive and they have a tendency to purposely cripple their phones.

Performance engineers get a first look at the kart

2006-02-05T12:45:00.000-08:00

My personal performance engineering team got their first hands-on test of the kart's basic structure today. They gave it an energetic but "where's the engine?" thumbs up.

I spent a few weekends fiberglassing the seat joints, had a guy from eBay design the front spindles with sealed bearings, received the front wheels & tires a few days ago, and was able to get the steering column struts welded in the right place (after four tries!). I'm not sure why they were so hard...?

...and decided that I'm pretty bad at upholstery, so the seat is still super ugly. Not sure what to do about that yet. I might paint it instead of covering it with vinyl.

The project is paused for a spell. I've spent about $100 on it over the last few months, so it's time to let the ol' checkbook cool off a bit. The real problem is where to store it in the meantime!

You know, this picture made me think of something - wheels are one of the first things you want to get when restoring a car (or building one). They define so many important things about the overall look and feel of the vehicle. Stance, steering, the look of the wheel and tire in the wheel wells, whether they rub on anything (which would then require re-working the suspension) and so on. Without the wheels on the car, you can't proceed with some of the most fun and important parts of the project.

Ice Fishing Trip

2006-01-21T16:07:00.000-08:00

We went out to do some ice fishing today. I've never been ice fishing, so this was really interesting. I guess I thought it was more complicated than it actually is. The whole operation really comes down to a string, a hook, a minnow and patience.

We started out around 12:30 and headed east on the highway for an hour or so, then turned south, drove a bit on a gravel road, and ended up on a lake/pond/puddle thing about 15 feet deep. I'm not sure how big it was, but it really should be classified as a lake. It's big.

The Jeep fared well overall on the way out. It was fun - we had to drive through a field for part of the trip and it was really rough. The Jeep excels on that type of terrain. I think Dad was going to bail out when we went into the field at about 20mph but was better once he realized he wouldn't lose a kidney.

Ice fishing poles are tiny. They're almost pointless. I was more impressed with the reels inside the ice house that drop a line down into holes you get to through the floor of the house. They rattle when there's a fish on the line.

We brought sandwiches, cheetos and cookies to eat and hot coffee to drink. The coffee was key - gotta stay warm.

We fished about 20 feet down and put the minnows about 8" off the bottom. We hit a few fish within an hour of arriving from holes inside the house. The outside holes located around the house weren't doing much for us.

There were at least 6 other groups in the immediate area who left to go to other bodies of water (presumably) at about 3:00. By then we'd picked up 3 more fish - all small. We hung on to the two bigger ones for a photo op at the end of the day.

It wasn't nearly as cold overall as I'd thought it'd be. Jim's ice house has a monster propane heater in it so it was easy to warm up after hanging around outside.

I'd go again without a doubt.

First drive

2005-12-26T20:13:00.000-08:00

I fabbed up a crappy seat tonight with a skillsaw and some wire loop action, and tacked the seat struts in place.

Putting it together helped highlight the distance between the engine and seat and where the seat struts needed to go, and at what angle. I'll also be able to finish the steering column mount on the front axle and get the angle right in relation to the offset seat position.

This thing is HARD to get into. It may get better once I cut down the sides of the seat. I didn't have my Dad's scrollsaw on hand so I had to hack it out in blocks. Still turned out pretty well. It's a little tight for someone over 6', but that's not the "target audience" so it should be just right.

Metal shavings in my shorts

2005-12-21T20:09:00.000-08:00

I spent the afternoon running DJ and Adam around and looking for parts for the kart. During the trip, DJ, my Dad and I watched the old Palace Arms hotel get knocked down with a wrecking ball. I think for the short time we watched it work Dad and I were 5 years old again.

I was able to find the axle material I needed (1" cold rolled solid steel) for $9 vs. buying a new "high speed specially designed just for go-kart axle with super-awesome speed demon keyway and unbelievable roundness" for $80 from a go kart shop.

I had to cut the axle bearing hangars off and re-weld them about 3/4" closer together. I guess the metric bearing flanges noted in the plans are bigger than these. This was typical the whole evening - weld it on, figure out I screwed it up, cut it off, re-weld it, hog out the bolt holes I drilled in the wrong places, etc etc. There's at least 1/2 lb of steel on the floor in the garage. The rest is strategically located inside my clothing.

The pedals are also in - you can see them in the pic, along with the 2 other pedal positions I put in the frame for the shortcake drivers this thing will have (for a while anyway).

Wives are always right

2005-12-19T17:01:00.000-08:00

Jen suggested I go down to "Bearings and Drives" for the bearings and drives I needed for the go-kart. I thought "what an amazing idea!" and went down there. I of course found they had everything I needed, and was once again amazed at how smart girls are.

Seriously though, they had EVERY bearing I needed. Even the weird ones.

I thought Racer Performance would have some kart parts but they didn't. The guys there are nice, though. I guess I'll be looking to eBay for the heim joints and tie-rods I need.

Got the pedals made today out of $6.00 worth of solid 3/8" steel rod, and after I stopped at Porter Brothers for $15 in tube steel and my Dad's place for some 1/8" plate I should have the steering column finished complete with pitman arms by the end of the evening.

I am an addict

2005-12-18T11:58:00.000-08:00

Hey check this out - for about $150 you too can have your very own minibike! This thing is TINY. They even suggest that it's possible to make it street-legal. Right. You'd have a better chance taping two flashlights to your head and heading over to the DMV for licensing.

The plans aren't fantastic, but they're enough.

The Tom Thumb Pocketbike

Sawzall vs. 10-speed bike

2005-12-18T11:30:00.000-08:00

Update on the kart - Kernel knocked the frame over when it was leaning against his dog pen door in the garage and snapped the steering struts off, as complained about here.

Well that just pointed out that my strut material was too weak, so I looked around for a substitute.

10-speed frame vs. sawzall: guess who wins?

Go-Karts RULE

2005-12-18T11:17:00.000-08:00

Never had one when I was a kid. Wanted one, but it just wasn't in the cards.

So here's the latest project. DJ's 5 now, and it's winter, finishing the basement is currently too expensive, and I have a welder, a torch and a sawzall. And I like to beat/smash/weld/torch/cut/etc. things, so a go-kart should be a perfect project for this winter.

Now, even though DJ's a tall kid, at 5 he's still a little height challenged when it comes to touching the pedals. Gosh, I guess that means I'll be the only person in the family who wants to ride this thing for a year or two! How convenient.

I bought the plans for $20 from this website. Don from DIY Den puts together some amazing plans. Easy enough for anyone to get'er done. I've spent about 10 hours on the frame so far, pictured in the above shot. I put the creeper in there for scale. This is the kart I'm building.

I figure I'll have about $500 into the kart all said and done, including a new Honda knock-off 5.5hp engine ($120!! No kidding! Brand new!). Not bad considering the junky ones from hardware stores last 1 year and have trimmer motors vs. big'ol industrial 4 strokes.

DJ's not too excited about it yet - I think he's convinced it'll go way too fast and be scary to ride and he'll be required to balance something while driving. I get a "Uh right Dad. Riding my bike still freaks me out - you think I'm going to get in and drive something YOU built??" look from him when we talk about it.

When it's finished and he sees that it's a real car for kids, he'll change his mind, guaranteed.