The CJ2A

It was a surprise to me, but one of my friends told me they would be interested in hearing about all the projects we are working on.. from wood working projects to the CJ2A project(s) and the barns/ buildings we are taking down.

To that end, I decided to write up something about each project and post it here on my blog, once a week (what day each week yet to be decided). This week I think I’ll cover the CJ2A project(s) and give everyone a bit of an idea where we are and where we hope to be in the not too distant future.

The CJ2A

Last September I told Lynn about an estate sale in Wallowa that had 5 CJ2As for sale. Figuring that there was no way we could afford even one, I sent the guy a message… and got back that he would take $400 for the 3 Jeeps he had left. One rolling chassis and two tubs… We have looked at and talked about these flat fenders for long enough to know that one of the “tubs” (the body of the Jeep) was worth that much… Yep, we scrounged and came up with the $400.

Since we didn’t get the reply back until late on a Sunday, we asked if he would hold them until the next weekend.. and he agreed. We headed over with Robert and his small trailer to get them, figuring we would have to make more than one trip.

Once there we were busy loading the Jeeps (the rolling chassis fit Perfectly in his trailer) when the guy came by and offered to throw in another trailer ( mid 50s Jeep pickup box trailer) to hold the extra tub. With one tub on the pickup and one on the other trailer we towed Roberts trailer down the road to a spot we could leave it and hooked up to the 2^nd trailer that we took to dad’s place in Imbler.

After returning for Robert’s trailer and making 2 trips to home we had all the parts and pieces (plus extra stuff we had bought from the guy) at home.

Fast forward a couple months and an add on Craig’s list came from a guy in Burns that had another frame (the one on the rolling chassis needed work) that had just been rebuilt. Yep, off to Burns to get just the frame and some misc parts for $320…. But while there we learned that he had 3 other tubs, a couple transmissions, more fenders, etc… left overs from when he and his son were building a CJ2A each, a project that ended up being 1 Jeep after the engine for his was toast. He said he was interested in selling all of the stuff, but we were tapped out on funds and had to pass…

I waited a few months and our son James offered us some money for many things that we had done for him in the past, etc… Yep, you guessed it, I offered the guy a lowball price for the whole lot of parts he had, and he agreed. By not though, its mid winter and Burns had gotten hammered with snow.

Fast forward again to late March, and we are again headed for burns with Robert and a different trailer of his… Just the axles alone were enough to convince Robert we had made a Great deal!

Now we have 6 tubs, 3 frames, 4 sets of fenders, 4 hoods, well, you get the idea. Between all the dealing I was talking to a guy back east that sometimes makes trips out to visit his wife’s family near Spokane and he expressed interest in buying all the parts we didn’t want to keep. I’m pretty sure there are enough parts to make two running Jeeps (minus one engine). With the other parts being sold or traded to the guy from back east to get us the other parts we need I hope to have at least 1 of them running by this fall! 

Spring renewal

We have all heard that spring brings renewal and re-growth. Well it seems that has many meanings.

The grass is growing like made, the flowers are blooming, the trees are budding out and my to-do list is growing by leaps and bounds! All the projects that were on hold because it was too cold in the shop are now either higher on the list or underway. We found another small barn (or part of a barn at least) to take down and are currently hauling in the boards from that project, for use on other projects.

New ideas for projects start with every sunrise, the materials for the most part are on hand, it’s the time to accomplish them all that is the issue. I know, I Know, we are not the only one’s suffering from this conundrum! It seems to be a fact of life that either you have lots of time and no money or materials, or lots of materials, and no time. Since I don’t see that every changing, we are just doing the best we can with what we have available of each and moving forward. Of that there is no choice, we could not just sit and do nothing anymore than we could wiggle our nose and make it all happen by magic!

Look for photos of new projects on here or on my facebook page soon.

Lack of shop time

There seems to have been a conspiracy going on here at my house. It’s all the things that are happening to keep me out of the shop. Broken water pipes, new jobs, more orders for Llama Hardware, taxes to get organized and off to the accountant… you know, the things that are our lives.  

On a side note, we have found a few more barn boards and will be headed out to gather those up and brought home. A few of the projects I have in mind for those are cut outs of the state of Oregon. Some I hope to add chalk board in the opening and perhaps I’ll put a mirror in one of the others.

Still on the “to get done” list are a stack of bread troughs, totes full of roughed out bowls, and a few cutting/ serving platters. I’ll be working on those soon I hope. Additional plans are in the works for a “little library” to be put on the street in front of our house.

  

These little libraries are a place where people walking by can borrow a book, leave a book or perhaps trade a book. They have proven very popular in other locations and we have an old cabinet to use to make ours.

More ideas and other projects to be added to the list soon and finished products will get photographed and put on here as well. 

Insulation

This winter has reinforced in me the need to insulate my work space. When it’s zero outside and below zero in the shop it’s easy to tell that something has to change!

Higher on the priority for this spring will be to get some insulation up on the walls and get it covered by the old boards we have from the bunkhouse we tore down at the old barn site. Something has to change, even if slowly.  

I have been thinning down my “surplus” of items. I no longer have 3 forges, just one. The dark room has went on to someone that has the room and time to make use of it, and I’m gaining room a bit here and a bit there.

The project list is still every growing but that too is getting more organized, with set goals and time lines… as much as the weather will allow at least. And, I hope to be back on a more regulated schedule of blogging as well. 

The year in review

            While it’s a cliché’ I know, I also know it’s pretty easy to be focused on the bad things in your life. The things that you perceive as preventing you from going the direct you desire or think you should be going.

            As a way to prevent that I have spent the morning thinking about all the things that have went my way this year. The things that show that my life is pretty great and that while I may not have reached the goals that I put in my sights, I am still doing pretty good.

            My shop may not be the giant space I would like, it’s far better than some of the shop spaces I have had in the past. In Anchorage I had a 10x12 storage shed out back, no heat, etc… I put up plastic sheeting on the walls in the dining room space and used a shop vacuum to keep the dust down and turned there. Not ideal, but it does make the heated space I have in my shop now seem a lot better when used as a reference.

            Now every time I think to myself that I could sure use X or Y tool, I look around at all the tools there and remember that many others are coming to my shop to use my tools, and that I have been told I must have every tool already…  (I don’t, but I can get things done).

            My wood working business has not taken off in the manner I wish it would, but it has grown considerably over the last year. Much of the issue I know is from my lack of pushing my work. From my own slacking on pushing my work and then after that, pushing it even more.

            I know that if I don’t sell my stuff, than I can’t expect anyone else to do so.  To that end, next year, well starting Now, I will be pushing my own stuff more, to a variety of places and working on stock piling product of a variety of types to show that I am serious about making this work and become profitable. 

Found history, not written history.

We all know historic archaeology is just about validating the documented history of the American west, or do we? The important things that happened in history are all written about, but almost always that is just the highlights, the important moments in time.

Seldom are those important times what life was really about. Those are just the short blips of time that happened between the long periods of simply living. The day-to-day aspects of what was required to be alive when those important events happened.

 The reality is that when we do an archaeological dig, we are far more likely to find the items of everyday life than the items used during that short period of excitement. All those items were noted for their importance and picked up at the time. What is more likely to be left behind are the items considered mundane at the time. The trick is that those items may not be mundane now. Depending on what the location was, what trade the person may have been engaged in, etc…, those mundane items will vary, but always give us more info about what happened on the site.

Think of the stereotypical photo of the “prospector” you see in all the Western movies. Name off as many of those items as you can… Great, now did you list a pocket knife? How about a fixed blade belt knife? How about a salt dish? How about a spatula? Or a Spoon, fork, bread pans, the staples of life? All the items that once you think about your own life, know that the prospector had with him, but are seldom if ever listed as items that would be found at a site.

And don’t forget about the many items that were easily procured at the local hardware store, but became very precious the farther one went from civilization: Nails, hammers, pliers, files, copper rivets, even thread and needles.

If we compare the list of items sold in a general store to the list of items that prospector is said to have, you will see a lot of missing items on the second list. It’s not that the prospector didn’t have or use those items; it’s just that those items were considered mundane at the time and unworthy of being written down. Those same items though tell us a considerable amount about the prospector. How long he might have been planning on staying (10 lbs worth of nails verses a hand full), his financial status when he set out (new knives verses well worn knives), what his drink  preferences were (lots of whiskey versus bottles for root beer), the list is long.

The size of pans could tell us if it was a single person, a small group, or an organized party with a designated cook making food for many.

So, while the “important” items might make the history books, it’s the everyday items that will tell us about who the person (people) were at any given site. 

Rehash

 I know my readers have been here before. I know because I have, and yet the solution has yet to make itself known to me…

Few artists are good at promoting, and even fewer are good at self-promotion. I fall into that category. What needs to be done to sell more of my wood working, well more of it must be presented to those that would purchase said wood work. Best way to do that, well that is a good question. A web site is one option, but a web site is only as good as the person promoting it and keeping it up to date. The same goes for other sites, Etsy, EBay, etc., they all require time spent getting items listed and following up on those listings. Like most artists, I’d rather be making items than selling items.

Where is this leading you asked? Well, I’m on the idea that there must be a better way to make this happen. I’m a small time artist so most professional promoters are not interested, there simply is not enough money in it for them. However, if I can round up enough other artists perhaps we as a unit can make it worth the person’s time and effort?

So, this is a call to all my artist friends who would like to possibly join forces. I’m not sure how much it will cost each artist, if the cost is a percentage of sales or a certain fee per month; I need to have a few people on board first to get that information. Nothing will be set until all the details are worked out of course.

If you have an interest, please let me know and we can go forward with finding a promoter and get some details on the cost and type of payment.