Now and then, I like to tackle some little job that really needn't be done -- the less it needs doing, the better. I figure that if I have the time and resources to do something really needless, I must be relatively wealthy. If I were truly dirt poor, I'd have to spend all my available time and resources on things that must be done.
So, in keeping with that notion, herewith is a 'restoration' of a rusty old ring-lag that I found at a campsite years ago. It's pictured below.
It's still usable, but it's way uglier than it ought to be. It's just begging to be improved upon.I'll separate the two pieces, wire brush them and give them a gloss black paint job. That should occupy me for awhile in a manner befitting a rich man.
- - -
Here's the lag screw eye clamped in the vise with the eye just having been opened up for separation of the two pieces.
I hammered it open using a piece of hardwood for a 'punch', so as not to distort the threads. Now it wants wire brushing and setting up for spray-painting.
Any and every item that's to be spray-painted presents you with the problem of holding the thing so you can spray all of its surfaces without marring any of them. Some things are easily dealt with; some things are a bit more challenging.
The screw eye was pretty easy. First, I primed and painted the screw end. Once that paint had hardened sufficiently, I made up a stand from a piece of 2x4 to support the thing while I painted the upper 'eye' portion, like so.
But a ring is another matter. A ring has no end -- anywhere. There is no place you can hold a ring that isn't a place that needs to receive paint.
The best I could do to resolve that dilemma was to rig this arrangement with a pair of diagonal cutters and a small bungee cord.
The ring will be gripped at only two very small points. I can touch up the voids that will be left after it dries.
And further to 'touch up', there's another problem inherent in disassembling, painting and reassembling a ring-lag; I'll unavoidably damage the paint on the screw eye as I close up the eye in the vise. There's no way around that. I'll have to touch up that as well.
Anyway, it turned out quite well. Here's the result -- a nice glossy black ring-lag for locking up a bike or tethering a goat or whatever.
Bill Gates, eat your heart out.
Here's the lag screw eye clamped in the vise with the eye just having been opened up for separation of the two pieces.
I hammered it open using a piece of hardwood for a 'punch', so as not to distort the threads. Now it wants wire brushing and setting up for spray-painting.- - -
Any and every item that's to be spray-painted presents you with the problem of holding the thing so you can spray all of its surfaces without marring any of them. Some things are easily dealt with; some things are a bit more challenging.
The screw eye was pretty easy. First, I primed and painted the screw end. Once that paint had hardened sufficiently, I made up a stand from a piece of 2x4 to support the thing while I painted the upper 'eye' portion, like so.
But a ring is another matter. A ring has no end -- anywhere. There is no place you can hold a ring that isn't a place that needs to receive paint.The best I could do to resolve that dilemma was to rig this arrangement with a pair of diagonal cutters and a small bungee cord.
The ring will be gripped at only two very small points. I can touch up the voids that will be left after it dries.And further to 'touch up', there's another problem inherent in disassembling, painting and reassembling a ring-lag; I'll unavoidably damage the paint on the screw eye as I close up the eye in the vise. There's no way around that. I'll have to touch up that as well.
Anyway, it turned out quite well. Here's the result -- a nice glossy black ring-lag for locking up a bike or tethering a goat or whatever.
Bill Gates, eat your heart out.# # #
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