skinning cats

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That's what we do.It's not as mentally exhausting as herding them.  But they can and will wear you out in the doing.As we know there are as many ways to skin cats as there are cats and cat skinners.One of the advantages I have in business is my reputation.  Price shoppers don't call and people wanting a unique perspective do.  I look at problem solving like folks do skinning cats.  There are a dozen ways of doing things.  I have mine.Good customer calls.  They have a problem.  Traffic control.  It's a gated community and the folks out front are homeowners doing their dues I suspect.  They wanted to know if I could drill some five inch holes in the concrete roadway and put in some removable four inch (4 5/8) pipe bullards.Two nightmares instantly came to mind.  One, a little old lady trying to pull said bullard post.  Two, after pulling post said lady stepping into five inch hole in concrete.So I suggested an alternative.I know this is singing to the choir.  But since it's cat skinning and maybe, just maybe a newbie might drop in, I thought I'd do a show and tell.My thought is one and quarter inch pins with plates to hold four inch (4 5/8) PVC posts.  This way the hole will only be one and three eighths approximately, smaller hazard.  And if an irate or just errant driver does hit a bullard a couple of good things happen.  There isn't much damage to the vehicle and the good ole boys at the homeowner's association can go down and buy a piece of PVC and with their cordless drills replace the broken post.First problem.  I can't find any thin wall three and a half inch (4" O.D.) pipe  to attach the PVC.  So I grab some tools and some 1/8 by 2 plate.  Some quick math and I cut me ten strips 11 3/4 inches long.Here's the start, minibender in truck mount Attached ImagesLast edited by wroughtn_harv; 01-25-2005 at 02:05 PM.life is good
Reply:What I need is a circle about three and seven eighths that's relatively round. Attached Imageslife is good
Reply:Rounder tools.1. hammer2. piece of three inch heavy wall pipe in post vice.  BTW a post vice is designed for hammering.  If you pull this with a machinest vice plan on maintenance issues.3. vice grips Attached Imageslife is good
Reply:Fitted up, ready to weld.Let's say you're doing something like this and you're  like me more of a weldor than a machinest.  And things don't really want to match up.  Take a good look at the vice grips.  See how they not only pull the piece together, they are used to also align it.BTW these are blind welded.  If you do like I do and stick the squirt gun in there and not watch you'll eventually go blind.  It's not what I recommend.  But it's what I do. Attached Imageslife is good
Reply:After it's welded on the inside it's brought back to the rounding tools for some finishing. Attached Imageslife is good
Reply:One finished and nine to go.  I only sold them eight assemblies.  But I've found spares not only save service trips.  It's great for customer satisfaction. Attached Imageslife is good
Reply:Here's ten of them close enough for most weldor's to work with. Attached Imageslife is good
Reply:This is the finished brackets.  All that's left is to clean it all up with a grinder or two, primer them, and then install the PVC posts.  Tomorrow I'll go drill holes in the concrete, hydraulic cement in some 1 1/4" pipe stubs, and we'll be nailing another cat skin on the wall.  Love them trophies Attached Imageslife is good
Reply:There is a difference between a machinest and a weldor.The weldor looks at a gap and shrugs. "It nothing but a quarter of an inch.  Heck, if I can step across it I can fill it."A machinest just goes bananas at the same gap. "MY GAWD!  IT'S TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY FREAKIN' THOUSANDTHS!!!!!!!!"And yes, that is a headache rack I'm building.  It'll be powdercoated three different colors.  Just the way it should be. Attached Imageslife is good
Reply:Story time. I like it. Photo's of the happy ending? I understand the welder/machinist issue, as I play both parts at various times.
Reply:Great job Harv -- I wish they had done the posts at the college where I work that way.  The big steel pipe they made used are a pain to lift out of the hole.  I will remember this "skinned cat"  Leo in San Diego
Reply:Here's the tools I needed for the installation.  My trusty and truly loved Hilti TE75, a two and a half inch core bit, a one and three eights percussion bit, portaband, vacuum cleaner--blower, vise, and viseholder (truck) Attached Imageslife is good
Reply:Then it was a simple matter of drilling holes, first the corebit and then a relief hole with the one and three eighths, four holes per side. Attached Imageslife is good
Reply:hey that looks like fun     and it looks warm there  4 feet of snow here   great post idea too.     well keep havin fun   in the sun
Reply:Quick Rok is a great product.  It's a hydraulic cement like Pour Stone etc.Back in days of old before all the nail ins, drive ins, wedgies, etc kinds of anchors we used to use all thread and Pour Stone to anchor into concrete.Here I put in a one and a quarter inch schedule forty (1 5/8) stub as the receiver for the one and quarter inch stubs.The reflective tape is DOT tape for trailers and trucks.  It ain't cheap.  To get a decent price I only had to buy a hundred and fifty foot roll.  OUCH! Attached Imageslife is good
Reply:Show and tell. Attached Imageslife is good
Reply:These folks have a unique set of gates I've made for their entry and exit.  They appear to be six by eight cedar beam gates, thirty six foot openings, eighteen foot double drives with power operators.  I'd guess them about eight or nine hundred pounds each this time of year (wet).Actually they're two by six fourteen gauge tubing frames with the wood attached via TEK screws.  About half the screws have what appears to be large antique bolt heads.  These were made with one inch pieces of half by one bar stock beaten for character and then welded to TEC screws.  Pain in the butt to make but worth the effect. Attached Imageslife is good
Reply:Skull isn't that a dry cold?  Today it was damp and in the low forties, miserable.  Reminded me of Mark Twain's "the coldest winter I ever experienced was the summer I spent in San Francisco."life is good
Reply:Here's a detail of the gate and antique'd TEK screw Attached Imageslife is good
Reply:Very Nice Havey!!!!As always, you've made the complicated simple.
Reply:Great story Harv  .... and educational too.AJIT
Reply:You should teach this stuff.  Outstanding job of putting the process you used together.  It was easy to understand and follow along.  I was telling my wife how this site contains so much talent.  Great Job!
Reply:I was just wondering what the 2 1/2" core bit was for?   From what I understand the pin is 1 1/4".  The 1 3/8" hole is what the pin slides into on the concrete, right?  Thanks
Reply:Originally Posted by weld55I was just wondering what the 2 1/2" core bit was for?   From what I understand the pin is 1 1/4".  The 1 3/8" hole is what the pin slides into on the concrete, right?  Thanks