the smell of hot steel

I love the smell of hot steel. I mean, hot enough that when anything combustible is even close, it just bursts into flames. It's that badass. it may be the memories of being in the machine shop with my Dad as a kid, and growing up. maybe its that I associate it with being productive. could be because I like making sparks, and playing with dangerous toys, I don't know. I'm just wired that way, and I like it!

the last few weekends, with the exception of some sick time, have been productive. not a lot of eye candy, or large, dramatic steps here, but moving forward nonetheless. I have been cutting out areas with rust, patching in new metal, and getting away with just welding (no cutting and patching) where possible. there are lots of small pinholes that I am able to just fill with weld, then grind back down to smooth.

This past weekend, I got her out in the daylight for a bath. I am getting pretty close to shooting the first coat of primer on the whole cab, and I needed to get some of the 40 year old dirt out from where the gas tank used to be. this also allowed me to fill some cavities in the cab with water, and spot other pinholes that I was otherwise unable to see. welding those up was... interesting. it is hard enough to weld something that is hard to reach, mix in some welding over your head, and you get burnt hair pretty quickly! ouch.

so, small steps generally, but important steps. now I should be leak free in the cab (important in the rainy NW)

some pretty sweet photos over the past few weekends. enjoy!