“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those that love Him and have been called according to His purpose.” – Romans 8:28.
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This tractor restoration has taken quite some time. Over a year in fact. I did, however, manage to make some progress on our Toro 880 lawn tractor restoration over the past few weeks.
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This snowblower rebuild was a lot of fun. I got to try some new things – mainly a paint restoration as well as valve tuning. There were a few hiccups, but in this video you can see how it all turned out.
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This Snow Boss 500 was the first snowblower that I finally got around to fixing. It only took me three years. If you remember, I bought 5 snowblowers for a grand total of $6.00, so $1.20 each. And then, they sat.
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Buying new tools is both a blessing and a curse when it comes to learning a new skill or trade. Everyone loves new tools, but it’s also hard to justify the cost. The good news is that if you invest in quality tools, they should last a lifetime. I can’t afford the top of the line brands like Snap-On or Mac, but I have had good luck with what I have gotten. Since the theme for March is snowblowers, I’ve put together a list of 12 tools for the home mechanic.
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14×36 Timber Frame Greenhouse
A huge priority for us regarding the homestead is beginning crops as soon as possible so that we can start to sustain our family. Living in northern Minnesota has its drawbacks – mainly the shortened growing season. We’ve always wanted a greenhouse to prolong our growing season and perhaps allow us the opportunity to grow some crops that we otherwise wouldn’t be able to. This greenhouse I designed as a step up from the firewood shed. It measures 14×36 on a slab. We figured that we would have some raised beds inside and the slab would help to radiate the sun’s heat to maintain the temperature. The rafters are spaced 2′ on center as it is sometimes easy to find cheap glass in that width. However, the rafters can be spaced to pretty much whatever dimensions you require. The posts and beams are a bit overkill to compensate for the lack of structural roof support. Because of the larger timbers, this project is a step up from the firewood shed. If you’re looking to build a greenhouse, I hope you’ll consider supporting us by purchasing these plans. Plans come with elevation drawings and a materials list.
*Update: I have decided to discontinue sales of our plans. I hope to relist them in the future when the time is appropriate.