Can't sleep- project on my mind

I got a good start today replacing steel on the manure spreader that supports the load on the hitch, but now tomorrow I've got a wedding I can't get out of. I should need less than 1 day of welding yet and I think we can flip it back over, but I can't keep thinking about it.

I finished welding up the hitch today at work, brought it home and cut out some steel on the front of the box that was rotted out, and then cut a good chunk out of the old hitch to splice in. That was 2 channels welded together to make a box, so I took a slitting disk and slit the welds, and cut out some 18" peices. I then cut out on the frame at a 45* angle where they were rotted and fitted the new peices in, matching the angles and tacking in place with our small wire welder. Put 45's on the front corners so I could put in the new peice for across the front I had made at work, and tacked those in as well. Then I welded everything together with 6011 rods and I have the structural part of the spreader just about fixed. Gotta grind off some of my welds and see what we've got to use for a fish plate at the joints. If I've got any undercut on those welds I'll probably fill them in with the wire machine just to prevent any cracks from developing. The penetration should be there to hold it already from the 6011 rods, and the wire should be fine for filling in where needed.


No pictures for now, but I have the camera set on the table so I can try to remember it on Sunday when I go back to finish it up. Gotta say I think my vertical up welds turned out pretty decent. Never had much practice with those before, but get the chance once in a great while.

I'll be happy once it's done, and I'll cry if something else breaks on it.

Donovan from Wisconsin

I guess it wouldnt be a good idea to tell your wife you cant go to the wedding because you have to work on the manure spreader ., best of luck,,, Larry

Take the time and enjoy the wedding with your wife, weddings don't happen every day. A wedding sure beats the college class I have on Saturday and Sunday mornings for the next few weeks.

Welding has never been a great skill of mine, mainly due to a lack of opporunities to practice. It will be nice to see what you've done to the spreader.

easy does it in Wisconsin , will write only to the mind set side .., btdt , ,,, Used to lay awake in bed and construct the entire next day,, or build a building in my mind ... you will get thru it all , it is natural and it is that kind of thinking that has made this country great .. , but also borders psycosis to Strongly want to finish that project ,, but it is most important to enjoy the wedding with your wife , and you better enjoy her company ,,. if this is a common occurace to be anxious about time needs to where it effects your slep , ANd , you are younger than 30 OR have endured this for 10 yrs. , i would suggest counsel to help rebuild your priority thinking ,, believe Me it will Help You , and You Will Get MORE DONE >>>... other than that ,, seems to me YOU ARE NORMAL ... We all are struggling with the same time needs...BUT DONT LOSE SLEEP over that ,. ok

I'll bet the $h!+ would hit the fan! big time!

I do a lot of welding.People always ask"Will it hold"?I say "It'll hold till it breaks"Enjoy the wedding.Congrats to the newlyweds.

It's not often that I can't sleep, but from time to time I get a project on my mind and i keep thinking about how I'm gonna get it done.

I know weddings don't happen every day, but this is our 5th one this year already. They get expensive, espescially when you were the best man in one...

Donovan from Wisconsin

Or, if one is trying to be more genteel, "the Vigoro will hit the ventilator."

Yep, Don, I think the spreader has to be in second place on this one. As I recall, you haven't been married all that long- you need to be up around 35 or 40 years, before you can pull off a "manure spreader priority" argument.

Go to the wedding, have a good time, and don't let on that you're giving the spreader a second thought. The key is sincerity- once you can fake that, you've got it licked.