What I found while cleaning out the garage.

The cleanup continues. With the storm today there wasn't much else I could do and besides I really want to get my work space properly clear so can carry on with my cyclecar build without falling over stuff.
Nice things keep turning up like three 28inch wheels with almost perfect plating on the rims Then there was the gaggle of rusty 20inch rear wheels with Sturmey Archer three speed hubs and Sachs kick back two speed hubs. I'll cut the hubs free of the spokes and they can go in my hub spare parts box. The remains of the wheels can go back to the tip.

With the heavy rain I discovered that I have a leak in the garage roof and that overnight water had been dripping steadily into the box where I keep my huge collection of vintage Chater-Lea frame lugs
I am not at all looking forward to getting that lot dried out and safely reboxed again as there are dozens and dozens of them.

In addition to my cyclecar build I want to get my old Hercules tricycle rebuilt with a longer wheelbase and a vintage looking cargo box body. Now that I've dug out my tube bending kit from the cobwebs and shadows I'll be able to make a start on getting the longer subframe made.

The cleanup is definitely on the downhill run now. This afternoon I was able to raise the roller door and actually wheel bikes in and out of the workshop, - I have not been able to do that for a very long time.
I am never never never going to let my workshop get in such a big mess again!

There was a final surprise though tonight. Back when I took early retirement I purchased all the workshop equipment I'd been wanting for a long time. Somehow though with me having been ill and then with looking after Mum when she developed dementia I completely forgot about one particular item that I'd purchased. When i first moved in here I must've stuck the thing in the bottom of my workshop cupboard and then forgot all about it.
It's not an easy thing to forget because it's made of cast steel and weights all of 25 kilos at least. So tonight when I was busy with tidying up my workshop cupboard and sorting fasteners and bicycle spare parts I discovered it in its tatty cardboard box and nearly did myself a mischief dragging it out into the light.

Alright alright, no more suspense, - I'll tell you what it is. It's a mandrel bending tool for accurately making bends in steel bar stock and steel rod. I'm not sure what possessed me to buy it, - it must've been on discount or something. I'm certain that I'm going to find it useful, but the thing's huge and it has this great long steel lever for making the bends with. Just as well I've got a good solid workbench made from native hardwood to bolt it to.

Yes true enough Theon. For a while there it was looking like most of the equipment I'd purchased for myself was going to be never used, but my health seems to be turning a corner now and I'm able to spend a nice amount of time each day in my workshop doing the things I want to do.

I certainly feel a good deal happier in myself and my daughter has said exactly that to me, - that I seem to be happier and a lot more positive now that I'm working on my projects again. My own Dad used to talk about what he was going to do when he retired, then died of a massive heart attack just before he was about to retire. i took a lesson from that, - do what you want to do NOW because you don't know what tomorrow will bring. This April I'm going to be two years older than the age my Dad was when he died which feels a little strange to tell the complete truth.

It's great that my daughter is like me and has an interest in mechanical things. The other evening when she was working on my VeloSolex and she needed a puller to take the flywheel off I was able to make the needed tool for her using some of that workshop equipment I'd purchased all that time ago. Wonderful quality time too because I was able to show her one or two metalworking tricks I'd learned during my years of making stuff.