Boaz
12-13-2015, 11:32 PM
In 1983 I was flat broke , the oilfield crashed in in 1979 , I had a drilling rig repair service . My livelihood and means of support was gone , I was beyond flat broke . I sold my boat , living room furniture and everything I could (everyone else was down too because of the bust ) and opened a small engine repair shop but it was winter and not much happening . I was a single parent and had zip to buy my son any presents for Christmas , we were making it on beans and taters , toast and jelly for breakfast ...thats it .
I had an old minibike in the junk pile and started rebuilding it , had a 36'' Atlas lathe and figured I could do it although it was wore out all over . The project went pretty good , kept it hid from my son . Took time and sanded/steelwooled it for hours , painted it blue , rebuilt a 5 hp Briggs engine (was selling parts so got wholesale) , not trying to brag but it looked like new . Was whuppin right along , could see Robert finding it under the tree Christmas morning . Then hard luck hit .
The rear wheel had looked OK but when I broke it all down to replace the bearings I found the old bearings had spun and the lathe would only swing 10'' , the assembly was too big , the hub didn't have enough metal left to put in a oversize bearing anyway . I called every shop or anywhere I might find the wheel assembly , no dice , I was dead in the water after having everything else ready to go . Wanted to have a good present for my son , I felt terrible , there would not be something special for him on Christmas .
The day before Christmas eve an old man came in and said he was cleaning up his backyard and had a pickup load of rototillers , lawnmowers , bunch of junk and wanted to sell it needed to buy his grandkids presents . Looking from the shop door it lt seemed like a loser deal , nothing worth messing with . To humor the old man I went out and looked at the stuff .
I walked out with him and was ready to decline the load , I leaned on the tailgate looking and low and behold !! There was the same model minibike I needed the rear wheel for ! Asked him how much for the load and he said $10.00 , I said ........I'll give ya $20.00 , we were both happy . GOD is good !
Chucked the 'junk" in the scrap metal pile and jerked that wheel off , had to replace some spokes and rebuild it BUT finished The minibike . Whats the odds of that happening ?
Sounds like a small story but at that time it was big . I have never forgotten it
, Robert found it under the tree .
GOD is good .
I had an old minibike in the junk pile and started rebuilding it , had a 36'' Atlas lathe and figured I could do it although it was wore out all over . The project went pretty good , kept it hid from my son . Took time and sanded/steelwooled it for hours , painted it blue , rebuilt a 5 hp Briggs engine (was selling parts so got wholesale) , not trying to brag but it looked like new . Was whuppin right along , could see Robert finding it under the tree Christmas morning . Then hard luck hit .
The rear wheel had looked OK but when I broke it all down to replace the bearings I found the old bearings had spun and the lathe would only swing 10'' , the assembly was too big , the hub didn't have enough metal left to put in a oversize bearing anyway . I called every shop or anywhere I might find the wheel assembly , no dice , I was dead in the water after having everything else ready to go . Wanted to have a good present for my son , I felt terrible , there would not be something special for him on Christmas .
The day before Christmas eve an old man came in and said he was cleaning up his backyard and had a pickup load of rototillers , lawnmowers , bunch of junk and wanted to sell it needed to buy his grandkids presents . Looking from the shop door it lt seemed like a loser deal , nothing worth messing with . To humor the old man I went out and looked at the stuff .
I walked out with him and was ready to decline the load , I leaned on the tailgate looking and low and behold !! There was the same model minibike I needed the rear wheel for ! Asked him how much for the load and he said $10.00 , I said ........I'll give ya $20.00 , we were both happy . GOD is good !
Chucked the 'junk" in the scrap metal pile and jerked that wheel off , had to replace some spokes and rebuild it BUT finished The minibike . Whats the odds of that happening ?
Sounds like a small story but at that time it was big . I have never forgotten it
, Robert found it under the tree .
GOD is good .