2011 at the Hammond Barn

[Jordan Baker]

and if you think that breeding a Hup with a C60 is odd you should see the size of the condoms we use to keep them from getting out of hand

so thats what all the Mod tentage is for that you've been buying.

[RHClarke]

Whew! Finally some time to myself. This work thing really interferes with the hobby. Now that things have calmed down at the office, I can finally post some more pics of the last HUP recovery.

First, a big thank you to Bob for making his truck and trailer available for the early morning run to Mount Royal. Second, gratitude to Grant for lending his considerable energy and assistance in this recovery. Next, a big thank you to the Sûreté du Québec for staying off the roads during the snowstorm...My biggest fear was that we were going to get the unwanted attention of the local constabulary. Luck was with us and we made it back to Ontario unmolested.

At Prefair, our buddy Jacques fired up the pay loader and gently placed the C60 frame aboard the trailer. After some adjusting (smashing down the rear cab panel - which was toast anyway), Jacques loaded the HUP onto the top of the C60. With the front two wheels resting on the cab floor and the back two wheels straddling the frame, the HUP settled in nicely.

Bob, Grant and I knitted the two trucks together with chains galore. Then we bear-trapped the load and invented a new game. Who can slacken each other’s bear trap. This involved placing the initial bear traps on the right side and then doing the same on the left side. The process of tightening the chains on one side made the chains slack on the other side and so on…After making sure everything was secure, we wired the handles of the bear traps to the chains and took a spin to check if anything moved improperly. I think we have learned some good lessons from past recoveries because things went very smoothly indeed. By this time the store had opened, so we took advantage of the situation and did some green shopping. I’m surprised that Grand did not buy the million candle power spot lamp, but I wasn’t surprised that Bob bought some old wooden boxes…

Eventually, we hit the road for the city. It was snowing somewhat lighter by this point, but the roads were quite slippery. The closer we got to Ontario, the better the conditions got. However, once in Ontario Lady Luck dealt us a small but significant blow. The windshield wiper fluid couldn't reach the windshield. So we pulled into the metropolis of Casselman to troubleshoot the problem and to clean the windshield. Get this, not one, but both of the windshield washer nozzles on Bob's truck had broken at the under hood connection. Luckily, we found a local Ford dealer who set us up with replacement parts (another story there). Meanwhile, the locals gazed with great curiosity at what appeared to be two procreating CMPs on a trailer. One fellow stopped by to ask "What the hell is "that" thing?" After politely educating him, he drove off muttering something that sounded like "silly tuckers" or something like that...

Now, back at the barn, Bob invited his neighbour Dave to stop by with his front end loader. The HUP was too high off the ground for Bob’s tractor to handle, so we decided to go with two machines. With the loader up front, and the tractor at the rear, the HUP was chained up. Dave, being new to the world of old trucks was very “enthusiastic” in his first lift. The quick pick up caused one of the chains on the rear to lose purchase and the HUP decided to show its displeasure by rotating left onto its side. Fortunately, it was only a few inches off the ground when it decided to spin…Removing the C60 was a breeze. After thanking Dave and sending him on his way, we dragged both vehicles to the wagon lines behind the barn. The rest of the day was spent cleaning up and putting the gear away.

This was another good recovery in that we brought home more CMPs and we did it safely. Again, thanks to the Hammond Barn Boys for their help in giving a HUP a new home. Here’s to the next mission!

Photos:
1 - Bob's mobile CMP recovery shop
2 - A close up of the chaining process
3 - Bob inspecting the work
4 - Casselman's first and only CMP parade
5 - The snow melted off the trucks - just ignore the blue oval in the background...

[RHClarke]

Photos:
1. Safely (for the moment) back at the barn - Bob providing some scale for the trailer load. This was not our tallest load. The Caldwell haul and the Huntsville haul were higher.
2. The HUP being introduced to the rest of the Hammond herd

[servicepub (RIP)]

Nice to see that, instead of rusting in isolation, it will now rust in good company.

[RHClarke]

Originally Posted by servicepub

Nice to see that, instead of rusting in isolation, it will now rust in good company.

Nae, Clive. That is not rust, but the fine patina developed by valuable metal... I have other delusions as well, but my doctor says not to talk about them in public...

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally Posted by RHClarke

Photos: 2. The HUP being introduced to the rest of the Hammond herd

. . . good camouflage and concealment from air assets in a winter setting . . . and a nice quiet herd even . . .

[RHClarke]

Originally Posted by Mark W. Tonner

. . . good camouflage and concealment from air assets in a winter setting . . . and a nice quiet herd even . . .

Mark,

We suffer constant attack by shit hawks and crows. The snow provides some protection from the bird guano, but the biggest threat is from the herd of cats that have developed the curious habit of using CMPs (Cat Mobile Potties?) to relieve themselves. Now, that odour keeps most civilized folks away from the trucks, but wouldn't deter anyone on an unauthorized shopping trip.

The CMP herd is due for a thinning out soon. I will have the orange Ford and a load of spare Ford parts, the C60 frame (stripped) and various other CMP parts for sale in the Spring. Got to make room for at least one more HUP...

[RHClarke]

On Saturday morning, it was sunny and -13oC at 7AM, with a stiff breeze dropping the wind chill to about -22oC. After stoking Lucifer's fire, snow was removed from in front of the barn doors -we only got about 2mm of snow which was whipped up by some strong winds the night before. Both of my shelters had the modular tent sections/tarps blown halfway off. After knitting them back onto the shelter frames, it was time for some more chores.

Bob's trusty trailer got swept clean and its tarp laid out in the sunshine for cleaning. Some time was spent tarping up the newest HUP and removing the ice and snow that collected on the roofs of the trucks and beds of trailers in the wagon lines. The cold weather made working outside a little uncomfortable, so we retired to the barn - yes, we are getting a little "soft" as we approach our dotage.

With Grant taking the day off from the barn, Bob busied himself with two very interesting chores; the first, sorting nuts and bolts into bins, which took most of the day to do, and then cleaning out the cat house...more on that chore later.

My time was spent making metal flanges for the "opera" window on the HUP. The long rectangular window is held in place by two long "L" shaped strips on the top and bottom, and two similar but shorter strips on the sides. I misplaced the side strips a few years ago and made replacements out of 18 ga metal. Once bent, I drilled holes, sandblasted the strips, acid treated and then painted them. Hanging by Lucifer dried the Tremclad paint in short order. After lunch I put them on the truck.

Following that it was time for "lip" service. The replacement lips for the large hatch on the HUP lines the hatch hole with the lips providing part of the seal with the hatch cover. As previously mentioned, these strips were spot welded together, will be cut to fit and welded onto the roof hatch of both the 45 and Prototype HUPs. To prepare for the installation, each of the six strips were cleaned up. This involved using a grinder and flap wheel to clean up the ridges caused by the spot welder and to take the sharp edges off each strip - this will prevent the hatch lips from cutting into the foam that fills the hatch cover corresponding channels. Once that was done, the strips were cleaned, acid treated and given their first coat of paint to keep them from rusting further. Later the strips will be MIG welded to the hatch opening.

The next chore was to replace the oil pressure line that accidentally melted to the exhaust manifold during my last visit. The new nylon tube was encased in copper tubing to make sure that it stayed out of pinch points and did not rest anywhere near the manifold. The ends of the tubing were capped with a couple of inches of rubber tubing to keep the nylon tube from chaffing or rubbing agains the ends of the copper tube. The copper tubing was then bent accordingly and the new fittings put in place. Next week I will secure the tubing and take some photos.

At the end of the day Bob decided he had enough fun playing with his nuts and bolts and decided to take on a less tedious challenge...the photos tell the "tail":


Photos:
1. Hatch Lips - pre-cleaning
2. Bob sorting bits and pieces (excuse the camera...it didn't like the cold)
3. Bob, a HR advisor is used to dealing with sh*t, so this chore was no problem
4. Cathouse "leftovers" - yes, he has a few feline friends...

[Phil Waterman]

Hi to the Barn Crew

Sounds like and interesting day, loosing parts is always a pain, I generally find them later in the project after making replacements and then wonder why do I have these bits left over.

Talking about cats, we have a 18 lbs house cat who has been not keeping this part of the bargain about chasing critters out of the house, the proof of this was discovered the other morning when I went to put on my work boots only to find one of them filled with kitty kibble, I'd worn the boots the day before.

Keep up the spirit of spring should be here in about 4 months.

Cheers Phil