Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux

[m3a1]

Well! FINALLY a full day of good weather. We've had rain, wind, sleet, ice conditions, cold, freezing, and yes, even a touch of sunshine just to help the break the monotony but, today we had a WHOLE day of goodness...perfect for getting things done. Waste not, want not! It was far better than having to stare down the barrel of a crazy 'weather gun' like a condemned man tied to a stake.

So, I rounded up two completely petrified 8.25x20s on low offset rims and finally laid hands upon my recently acquired WWII one ton trailer, most commonly referred to as a 'Ben Hur' trailer (G-518). Haven't picked it up yet but once I replaced the rotting wheels and tires with something that is still actually round, I am one step closer to having the thing brought home.

[m3a1]

Xloflyer volunteered his time and trailer (actually, his whole rig) for the transportation of the old Ben Hur trailer back to my place. So, Billyboi and I rode over in fine style with Xloflyer doing the driving. "Take me to the green stuff, Jeeves!" His is a very nice truck with all the bells and whistles. Alas, in all the excitement, I forgot to try out all the front seat comfort options. We packed everything but the kitchen sink and had more than enough of everything for loading and load securement. Didn't even need to use the compressor because unbelievably, the petrified tires continue to hold air...

which is not something I would have bet good money on!

Now, the G-518 is a largish trailer, rates for one ton of payload and has a tare weight of some 1,300 pounds. Take away some weight for weight reduction owing to rust and add some back in for the slightly oversized, petrified tires and I imagine it was still right at 1,300 pounds. But, no matter, we rolled that trailer right down the driveway and into the street and lined it up behind the car hauler trailer...all by hand and all without breaking a sweat. Considering how awful the thing looks, it rolls very sweetly so it's going to be a keeper and I'm looking forward to sorting all that ugly out. We loaded with a small winch and we unloaded with the small winch. The whole process was a no-brainer.

Most, if not all the hardware for the stake sides had been tossed into the bed and left to rot, along with all the other forgotten and unloved stuff in the bed. I'm not saying it was in any useful condition to be used but, it was all there. The real prize was the brake handle for setting the parking brakes. It WAS present, which is to say most of it was present....and rusted into a vague lump of rust resembling a brake handle. It was NOT worthy of being put back to work. But, as luck would have it, I never, EVER pass up a military handbrake handle. Wherever I find them, I grab them, bring them home, clean them up, and throw them on the pile because you never know... What did I find in the garage this evening? Yup. An absolutely correct and proper handbrake handle for this poor, unloved Ben Hur G-518 trailer.

Ring the starting bell on this project, fellas... because with that handbrake handle, we are off like a shot!

About this trailer - The good? Well, everything that is important is present. What is broken can be mended. The bad? Well, tires, tubes and flaps are not cheap. The ugly? Floorpan is badly rusted and when I say badly, I mean - BADLY. The saving grace on that matter is that everything that supports or connects to the floor pan is in satisfactory shape. I am not averse to the idea of excising the floor pan and installing a newly made one, except for the fact that these trailers are notoriously watertight and sit notoriously nose-down when unhooked, which creates no end of troubles for an all-steel box. So, I will have to decide whether to go with wood for a new floor (which will speed the process of restoring the trailer back to usefulness) or go back to an all-steel floor and grit my teeth about the inevitable return of The Rust Monster for as long as I have it.

There really is no wrong answer.

Cheers,
TJ

[rickf]

Good paint and floor drains. What size tires? Did the old ones have air in them or were they just so hard they held there shape with no air?

[m3a1]

7.50 x 20. As for the condition of the 'original tires'...well, both the tires were irrevocably flat on one side and also petrified. You know how it is. It's the usual mountain I have to climb...

I just put the other (still round) petrified tires on so that it could be rolled around easily.

[m3a1]

So today I figured the best course of action would be to make the trailer just a bit more presentable because what I brought home had the appearance of being stunningly syphilitic. So, I held my nose and had a go at cleaning all the junk out of the bed. Lots and lots of stake-bed side hardware was found and after counting everything up, the only two bits that were missing had probably disappeared because the whole wooden bit (which floats above the tail gate and is supported at either end) was robbed from this trailer for use on another trailer. These pieces are nothing more than a piece of strap steel with a bit of rod welded to it. No biggie. There were a lot of rotting bits of wood that had been the bones of the stake-bed sides and every other sort of discarded stuff, from chicken wire to aluminum siding. Once all the big stuff was out I got a rake and a shovel and a broom and swept the bed

Drum roll, please!

Well, it's certainly not as bad as it might have been. The back half of the bed might even be good enough to save. I'm always pleased to see my work load cut by half. So, to answer the earlier question (Wood or steel?) the answer is certainly, STEEL. But, for the moment, the floor pan looks awfully ugly.

To bring some balance back to the curious question of How Bad Is It, Really, I brought out a big scraper and went over the whole trailer and removed every flaky bit of paint that could be coaxed off the thing. The Billmeister stopped by and after some internet sleuthing, concluded that this trailer had been used by the Belgian military. Frankly, I think it looks like a definite 'keeper'.

So, the most popular question now is, is this trailer an American hand-me-down or is it one of the Ben Hur trailers manufactured, post-war. by Germany? Very difficult to say. I found some olive drab and some remnants of white stenciling beneath the European camo but I could not find any evidence of rivel holes for VIN plates. All very curious, but in the final analysis, not really a big deal, either way. One thing is assured. The trailer looks 1000% better than it did yesterday.

Cheers,
TJ

[m3a1]

Another piece of the Ben Hur trailer puzzle arrived today in a text from my brother. Note that I did NOT say that the puzzle piece dropped into place. He sent me a link to an instagram page posted by a well known guy in the MV hobby; a guy who had a wood-bodied Ben Hur produced (or perhaps refurbished) in the Netherlands. Well, from the usual sources of MV discussion I was aware some were made (and again, the word 'made' might also mean refurbished) in Germany, post WWII. I also know that mine was used by the Belgian military but this new information was the first time the Netherlands involvement in Ben Hur (re?)production had been proven (to me, anyways). Of course, it would be no small stretch of the imagination to recognize that the Netherlands would be involved, given its location between Belgium and Germany, and its many sea ports (which represent an ability to conduct trade very easily). Still, it is unwise to draw conclusions and represent them as fact without empirical data.

Of even greater interest to me is the fact that I have FINALLY found an image of my particular style of jockey wheel which has a very plain, smooth center dish..but, of course none of this sleuthing is ever very straightforward so, while I have now found a jockey wheel that matches mine, the yoke that supports it is a definite departure from the standard, stamped steel yoke... the production of which would require the exact same sort of machinery that the allies were only too happy to bomb the double-compound-doggie-doodoo out of existence, during the war. In fact, it is a far heavier (and stronger) design and one that is produced without the use of a huge stamping press. So, one cannot make any definite conclusions about a particular Ben Hur trailer by looking at it as a whole. The rest only seems to point to standardized designs for U.S. production....or not.

It is important to realize that a lot of these trailer parts and pieces did not necessarily begin their life on any one particular trailer. U.S.-produced trailers came as kits, in a knocked-down form and crated for transport. After a rough time of it, parts would quite naturally begin to migrate from one machine to another. I cannot say with any authority how post-war produced European Ben Hur trailers were produced; as a whole in one facility, or more likely, by the piece in a variety of facilities or even how they were doled out to the various European militaries. Any record of this sort of thing doesn't exactly make for popular reading and it is rare that those tiny facts survive the tests of time and tide.

Unless you happen to be a guy like Ken..

We DO know that Uncle Sam brought a whole bunch of Ben Hur trailers to Europe and a lot of them were 'rode hard and put up wet' and we also know that Uncle Sam was refurbishing worn out Jeeps on the European continent....so why not trailers? It would make sense, but alas, I have no evidence.

And then, there is the matter of re-importing Ben Hur trailers to the U.S.... which, in my particular trailer's case, definitely DID happen at some point. I have seen small mountains of reimported Ben Hur trailers which were completely disassembled to save space during transport back here. Billyboi actually selected the parts for his Ben Hur from (literally) big pile(s) and the seller put it together for him so we know his isn't exactly as it came from the factory. Nope. His is just another Ben Hur frankentrailer but with a slightly better provenance.

But, it would nice to be able to say with some degree of certainty that certain things are indicative of U.S. production whilst others are not. So, the next time you encounter a lowly piece of military history (particularly those that have a history of having been shared with other militaries) take a second and maybe even a third look at it. There's a lot of questions that need to be answered.

Cheers,
TJ

[rickf]

You need to contact George on here, He is from Holland and is big into military vehicles and the hobby in general. He also has his own shop over there so he might have some info on them. His info is below.

https://www.g838.org/memberlist.php?mod ... ofile&u=82

[m3a1]

Hello all. Well, I've receive a lot of help from others lately and I'm grateful for all of it.

Rick set me on the path to acquire a bit of rather obscure militaria, which I dared to look at and then immediately opened my wallet. Naturally, this took place just before Valentine's Day when one is supposed to be doting on one's wife and showering her with gifts. So...while the timing for this fateful financial hit was not horrible, it came at exactly the wrong time. But, I freely admit I cannot wait to see it when it gets here.

Meanwhile, our very own George has been doing yeoman service by getting me pointed toward resources that would otherwise be too deeply buried in the internet for me to find but, with his guidance, I got not only great information on Ben Hur trailers but also a whole new set of questions and, some really eye-opening facts that have left me with my fingers laced over the top of my head in an effort to keep my mind from being completely blown.

But more on Ben Hurs and mind-blowing revelations later.

Yesterday I received a call from a fellow for whom I did a good deed and he very casually said he would give me (he GAVE THEM TO ME, mind you!) four wheels, upon which were mounted four reasonably good tires.... for my Gama Goat. What are the odds! No, REALLY...what ARE the odds?!

Well, let's just say odds are you'd have better luck being invited to eat an extra large order of nachos grande off the Mona Lisa in the Louvre....

and while there is still plenty of kindness in the world, there aren't a whole lot of wheels and tires for Gama Goats....and Dirty Gertie really needs new shoes. Lloyd, if you're reading this...

YOU ARE THE MAN!

Today, he showed up at the casita in a big, white dually loaded with humungous tires. Thanks, buddy!

Cheers,
TJ

[m3a1]

So, there have been even more changes around here. For instance, the old 47 Ford Super Deluxe has moved onto a new pasture to become....Yard Art, and in fact, it looks WAY better there than it ever did here. Here, it looked like my passion for rusty stuff had overflowed the property and spilled out into the street. It was also taking up valuable curb space and my wife's parking rarely showed any concern for the mailman. Now, she has no excuse.

I sold the new owner the engine for a pittance and with that, gave him a free car, from which I kept the wheels and tires since that was the singular thing I had invested time and money in. If the opportunity presents, I will move the tires and tubes over to jeep-sized wheels and let him have the original wheels back.

Had a fella commit to buy the M416-Beach-Blanket-Bingo Adventure Trailer Wannabe and at the last second (after I moved a bunch of stupid stuff in order to be able to get it out) he bowed out which, where this trailer is concerned, is the tipping point for me. I suppose it's time for me to slice off all the extras and return it to some semblance of its military status. It IS an interesting trailer because its an air transportable version with some of the stuff that mades it air transportable still attached. Somebody added a heavy gauge steel floor to the tub which is far and away better than anything Uncle Sam blessed-off on and that will stay because as far as I'm concerned, it's a real improvement.

It's also far better than my civilian Bantam which is so lightweight and so stiffly suspended that it leaps into the air when going over the slightest bump, if unloaded. Not exactly desirable trailer behavior when being pulled by a short wheelbase vehicle. Still, on the 416 there will be a lot of cutting and grinding to get it pared back down to the basics. There is also some wrinkled sheet metal on the front panel which I figure is just there to put a checkmark the 'pre-disasterized box'.

Anyhoo, I wanted a decent trailer for my YJ and I reckon the ol' 416 won't look too lost behind it. The first bridge I had to cross with it was that several lug nuts were degraded to the point that they were all whittled down to a nub with rust. Apparently, Cooper the Wonder Dog made it his mission to pee on that particular wheel every day for the last three years, leaving me with only two lugs in a condition that was good enough to remove with the standard sized socket.

*sigh*

So, I popped into Harbor Freight and purchased the little Maddox brand socket set that is designed to defeat recalcitrant lug nuts that want to round off and chiefly meant for locking lug nuts that have become separated from their so-called key. These special sockets are meant to be driven onto the lug nut and they have teeth that have a slight twist that is meant to bite into the lug a bit when put under a lefty-loosey torque load. I must say, I was impressed. Removing the damaged lug nuts was just as easy at using a regular socket, discounting the additional step of having to drive it onto the lug nut with a copper mallet. The kit contains four sockets and a pin meant for drifting the damaged lug nut back out of the lug-remover, and all stowed in a blow-mold case. With new lug nuts on order and with the old lug nuts removed, I'm officially over the first hurdle.

Cheers,
TJ

[m3a1]

Okay, so here's the reason that a bunch of research has left my mind completely blown.

We know that Ben Hur trailers were made by countries other than the U.S.A. in the post WWII period. We also know that a bunch of them were imported into the U.S. and, quite naturally, many of them have later been modified to appear almost indistinguishable from WWII U.S.-built Ben Hur trailers, which leaves me rather curious as to what folks are actually paying for the post war Ben Hurs down the line because -

LOOKS like a WWII artifact,
ACTS like a WWII artifact so...
Why not charge the same money?

I'm rather sure a lot of MV owners may own Ben Hurs and have paid good money for something that is, in fact, a counterfeit. Now that's disturbing enough but I'm concerned that the reality is, most folks don't dabble in the larger stuff and since the Ben Hur trailer is a one-tonner meant to be found being pulled by bigger MVs, for most folks in the MV hobby, the attitude is: 'As long as it ain't MY ox being gored, I don't care.' Or simply put....

it ain't my problem.

Well, what if I told you that it MIGHT be? It kind of depends upon where your interests lie

By way of example, I think that most of us would agree that a counterfeit M151 would not necessarily hold the same value as an original, U.S.government M151 of the same quality. Which would you pay top dollar for? And before anyone gets their dander up, I'm not talking about professionally restored (but otherwise original) machines such as those that can be achieved nowadays. No, I'm talking about machines that were NEVER in the U.S. inventory.

Be of good cheer. I haven't found anyone counterfeiting M151s so, we're not going there. But, I will tell you what I have found. Not only were Ben Hur trailers made overseas, post WWII. Are you sitting down? Okay, lace your fingers over the top of your skull, 'cause here it comes.

M100 trailers were ALSO manufactured overseas, post WWII !! And you know how hard THOSE are to find!

Frankly, I find this rather unsettling because I've been in this hobby for quite some time and was completely oblivious to post war Ben Hurs and M100s.

This provides yet another opportunity for a U.S. consumer to buy for top dollar what he (or she) may think is a genuine WWII trailer when in fact, what is being offered is actually a counterfeit. In some cases, these may be nearly indistinguishable if not actually indistinguishable from the real thing.

Now, to be entirely fair, not everyone is a crook but the lure of big money makes some people crazy. And, not everyone really cares about the provenance of what they buy so long as it looks and behaves like what they want to own. I am in the second category. I will tell you outright that you should never buy any of the Rolex (and other high-end) watches that might be offered by my estate upon my death. I bought very high quality counterfeit watches from the PX while overseas. I love 'em and they look great.

Don't judge me. Uncle Sam said it was okay.

But, those watches are NOT the real deal. They look and act very much like big name timepieces...but their value, compared to the real thing, just isn't there.

But, LAWDY! I had to have that Yacht Master.... and before you begin wagging your finger at me, it's illegal to buy and sell them here, but not there.

I am an honest fellow and I didn't buy my Ben Hur, or my watch(s) to flip them. The Ben Hur is German-made, but I bought it at a very, VERY fair price...just like the watches. Come the day when it's time to let the Ben Hur go and send it down the road with the next guy, I'll let that person know it's not really a WWII Ben Hur and if that bothers him, well, there are other trailers out there to be had.

ANYHOO, I though some of you might be interested in this sort of stuff. There's a lot of weird stuff going on out there and if it comes to looking at buying Ben Hurs or M100s (and certain watches) you need to be VERY careful about what you buy.

Cheers,
TJ

[rickf]

BUT, Were those trailers made under contract from the US Government? That does make a difference because now they actually ARE the real thing since they would have to be made to the same exact specifications. I have come to find out that the engine block in my M37 was actually cast in France in the 60's. Whether this makes it a forgery (would that be a Forged forging?) or a duplicate or a contract build I don't know but it runs just like any other flathead 6.

[m3a1]

Well, no, they weren't. At least not the ones I've found out about. By that point in time we were giving the stuff away and back-filling that with our stuff that was waiting to be shipped at the end of the war. Wartime contracts are often quick to be cancelled at war's end but the QM never stops looking for newer, mo-bettah stuff. The trailers I'm speaking of were being made for the various European militaries who, no doubt, began their military build-back with a lot of hand-me-down U.S. (and other nation's) equipment which it is why it made more sense to continue building what they had the most of, at least until they got back on their feet. It's really interesting to see how foreign Ben Hur designs were changed to better suit their foreign users in nips and tucks.

But, as your comment has demonstrated, one can begin the argument as to what is real, or counterfeit, where-ever one wants to begin. My point was, either it is equipment that was on the U.S. Military's TO&E during WWII, or it isn't. That is where I draw the line and that is what most hard core WWII collectors want. I believe that is the most common standard.

My Ben Hur is a good example of post war foreign production. There are notable differences between foreign manufacturers that you would never see between U.S. manufacturers. The QM corps was very strict about any of their contracted manufacturers making unapproved 'improvements'...but by design, these trailers are a monocoque body and that means that almost every part can be unbolted and swapped around, leaving the tub as the keeper of the identifiers.

Thus, minor variations in equipment and design between post war foreign manufacturers usually amounts to things that can be unbolted and swapped around so, even those items carry very little weight when it gets down to absolutely identifying who made each particular trailer...and when it was built.

Trailers are useful tools and they get passed around quite a bit rather than just sent to scrap. Over time, you can pretty much bet on parts being shared between inventories which, at this late date, makes the whole proposition of what is real WWII kit, and what is NOT real WWII kit (using the metric I've given) a rather daunting one unless you're lucky enough to have an original data plate firmly attached to your rig by the original fasteners.

Cheers,
TJ

[m3a1]

We are in an early Spring and the grass around here (with the notable exception of my front yard) is growing like crazy. Because I am borrowing space on the otherwise empty back lot (which belongs to another fella) it is my responsibility to keep it mowed as a form of rent. Things looked nice and tidy after I mowed and I found myself staring at the WWII/CJ2 jeep chassis conglomeration of parts. You remember that one. That's the one I dragged out of its grave as part of a trade. Anyhoo, we kinda tugged it around in an effort to see if all the stuff in the trans and transfer case was moving power between the engine (which was only recently seized up) and the roller wheels (which used to be round and made of rubber) and it quickly became apparent that the clutch wasn't clutching.

Why should I expect ANYTHING to work on this rig, right?

Opened up the inspection port on the top of the bell housing and found an extensive cache of acorns occupying the space which, by itself, doesn't necessarily explain why the clutch isn't doing its thing...

but it's probably a helluva big hint.

It's not a big deal. At least all the drive shafts were rotating as we motivated the chassis backwards and forward, and I can bar the engine over and vacuum many of the acorns out but, this become a bit like picking at one's toes. Entertaining, yes, but not particularly productive. The takeaway should be, if you intend to rob parts off a machine (ANY kind of machine!) and if doing that leaves a big, gaping hole, have the good manners to close up said hole and save the next guy some trouble. Few of us are able to honestly defend our bad manners by saying -

Yes, in fact I WAS born in a barn...

or, raised by wolves.

Just try to do the right thing by the next guy. Happily, this exercise in automotive mayhem is still no more important than toe-picking and soon, I will have this awful thing reduced to its main parts, as it should be.

[m3a1]

Okay, coming at ya with a couple of Harbor Freight product reviews.

First, is the BRAUN magnetic slim bar folding rechargeable LED light (item 59536). This is a small work light with a hardy aluminum chassis with a really SERIOUS magnet at it's base. I am very impressed with the strength of the magnet. With the light's head folded outward (containing about a 3 1/4" x 1/4" LED strip, claiming 500 lumens) the whole thing ends up being 12 1/4" x 1 1/2". Head folds down against the handle, reducing its overall length to 6 1/2" so it could fit nicely in the average glove box. Push button on/off gives you three light settings (full power, lowered power, and a tiny tip light for looking in small holes and such). Charges from a USB port with a charging light that goes green when the battery is charged. I got my first one for $14 and change, on sale. Liked it so much I went right out and snagged another. This is a very, VERY capable light, perfect for working in the dark corners of your MUTT.

Second, is the McGraw air-powered needle scaler (item 58645). It is Harbor Freight's mid-range needle scaler. I bought this tool because I had some old steel wheels with super heavy rust scale on them. Normally, I'd let acid do that kind of work but I was anxious to try out a needle scaler and then, if satisfied, add that to my arsenal for fighting rust. The price was $56 and change. This scaler has 19 'needles' (more like nails) and HF also sells replacements in packs of 19 for just under $10. As for its performance, well, let me just put it this way. I have a new favorite tool. It has three power settings and friends, this tool works like gang busters on even the heaviest rust nodules and burns through heavy surface rust like a brush fire. Just imagine, thousands of relentless little sailors wielding chipping hammers on your rusty, crusty bits of steel. But, be forewarned. This IS a tool that is hungry for air, so guys with tiny

...errr...

compressors. Yeah, THOSE guys need not apply. Also, this is a heavy hitter so it's not for light-weight materials and it is LOUD, requiring at least some kind of ear protection. An added benefit is the user can manipulate the needles with one hand to draw them into a shape more suitable for the contours of whatever is being de-rusted. The tool works better if whatever you're working on has no way to recoil from the needle blows.

Bottom line - if your time is valuable, this tool is for you.

Cheers,
TJ

[m3a1]

In the days leading up to the Spring-time half of the bi-annual Warrenton bacchanal, I finally had a day where I had some time that was not entirely spoken for. So, I decided to check on Nice Lady and see how she was doing. Her daughter's no-account boyfriend had successfully landed himself in jail and he had been locked up since the last summer (which is a very good place for him, by the way) so we didn't have to worry about bumping into him. I also went up because I wanted to do a little shopping and had a few things in mind that I reckoned were still languishing in various states of disrepair in, on, and around Nice Lady's place.

Sir Billiam came along because I'm the most entertaining thing in his life and he likes to watch me work the ol' pickin' magic. Now, I was looking for a wood lathe. I've never had a wood lathe because, up until this point in my life I've managed to do without one BUT..

...and you know I like big BUTs and I cannot lie...

BUT, I had also decided that if I had a working wood lathe; something nice and compact, well, that would be good karma for some up-coming wood-based projects I have had on the back burner for too long. So naturally, I went to Nice Lady's place and purchased a rusty, NON-working wood lathe that was ancient and over 6' long and as ponderous as it could possibly be. But hey, I did get it dirt cheap...heavy on the dirt (and rust). Thus far, restoring it to usefulness has been like being a first-stringer in the epic, never-ending battle between Good and Evil. However, I am winning and slowly having my way with it, chiefly because I am too stubborn to cry, UNCLE!

With that monster loaded into the truck, I told Billiam I wanted to return to the scene where I had once recovered the big piece of the ancient belt driven buzz saw (aka - a 'cordwood saw') and because we were in the early part of the year, most of the weeds that were 3' tall in the later part of the year were, momentarily, only 20" tall. So, stuff that was submerged in weeds most of the year were now visible.

And there it was! (insert angels singing Hallelujah, here)

I recognized it immediately. A Dearborn (subsidiary of Ford) Model 22-1, three-point lift, cordwood saw missing only the saw blade, the pulley (which, being made of paper, had disintegrated) and the wood for the feed arm table had rotted away....Oh, and the paint. That was all gone as well. I offered a fair price for it and Nice Lady accepted. Having that puts me so much farther ahead when it comes to the matter of scratching a buzz saw itch. I'm absolutely thrilled to have it and, if you remember, I already scored the belt drive for the tractor so things are coming along fine.

Now, you may be asking yourself, what's his thing with buzz saws, with their big, dangerous, barely-guarded blades whirring away like a swarm of angry wasps? Well, they take me back to simpler times in Ohio. Almost everyone had a fireplace where firewood was burned; firewood that had been cut on someone's buzz saw. Men were MEN and they drove tractors and DeSotos that were big enough to have their own ZIP codes. They wore buffalo plaid jackets in the winter, along with buffalo plaid ball caps (with ear flaps). And men of lower intellect (or men who were just darned unlucky) could be identified by their missing digits. EVERY community had a guy who they called, Stumpy. You had to really watch that guy because he'd roll up to the gas pumps and hold up his hand for gas. If the pump jockey put in five bucks worth, when he went to collect, Stumpy would grin, hold up the hand that was missing two or three fingers and the pump jockey would be on the hook for the difference. Ask me how I know.

Yeah, I was a pump jockey all through high school and OH BOY! Brother, did I get an education!

Anyhoo, a couple of days went by and Billmeister and I headed to Warrenton, Texas on a Saturday. Saturdays at Warrenton are a lot like being a Tokyo pedestrian in a Godzilla movie. Always LOTS of action with people going every which way. It had rained in the days before we got there and the vendors, having lost some precious time to sell-sell-SELL! were anxious to wheel and deal and make up for the loss. There was blood in the water...

...I could smell it.

I found a few things that mildly interested me but played coy because, jump too soon and suddenly the thing you REALLY cannot live without presents itself and you find you've already squandered your dough. The day wore on and I was coming up with bupkis. Then I saw IT. A lovely, useful-looking rack-cart-thingie with quality wheels under it and in good condition; ready to be put to work. Just the sort of thing I love having around because moving heavy stuff, effortlessly, is really my thing. It had an odd sort of leaned back look to it. What this particular rig was meant for was wheeling bundled newspapers from the presses to the loading docks and onto the trucks. They're called 'distribution carts'. The guy gave me a right price straight away because all most people would see was a crazy, leaning rack-cart-thingie. I had worked for a newspaper for a short time so I recognized it and I couldn't wait to pay him. MINE! Purchase number one was in the bag.

We hiked further back into the furthest reaches of the realm. There, the prices were almost always fabulous. I fell upon three WWII 30 cal ammo cans, all in once place, and wrangled myself a small discount, chiefly because one was, embarrassingly, missing the carry handle. What the seller didn't know was, the carry handles of modern ammo cans are made EXACTLY like the handles of ammo cans of WWII and since ol' TJ never throws ANYTHING away, I had a few can lids just sitting around waiting to donate parts.

Don't judge me.

The price still stung a little bit because while the price was certainly 'right', I'm not really used to buying these cans in large lots (they're getting fewer and farther apart).... so, I bought 'em all. Why? Because that's what a wise man does....and because half tracks are forever loaded down with many cans of ammo, I get cans when I can. Purchase number two was in the bag.

One tent down (and nearly the LAST purveyor of fine junque on the whole property) I spied an American Scale Co. (Washington D.C.) penny slot sidewalk scale. It needed a makeover but was intact and by golly, it worked...though it was in need of being dialed in. I'm sure I don't weigh 433 lbs. You probably know these scales from your youth. These are the ones that not only gave you your weight, but also gave you your fortune (WOW!) ....all for one, thin penny. These could be found outside nearly every Rexall Pharmacy and Ben Franklin 5 & Dime store in the 1960s. I'm a fan of every coin operated machine made back in those days. Pop culture items such as this absolutely scream AMERICANA to me because they are made to be attractive as well as meant to pick your pocket for every last coin.

What's not to love?

Cheers,
TJ