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From: "Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.metalworking
Subject: Re: Saved a wad today
Date: Mon, 7 Jul 2025 07:29:20 -0400
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"Snag"  wrote in message news:104fbh2$qhc0$1@dont-email.me...

  The PTO clutch on my old JD 317 died recently , and today I got around
to figuring out why . The rivets that hold the clutch disk to the pulley
assembly had vanished ! Wore plumb off down to nubbins is more like it .
So I jumped on the interwebs to see what it would cost to replace ...
and there ain't no way in hell I'm going to drop 250 bucks for this part .
   So I got to inspecting and figured out that I could machine some
rivets from a piece of hot rolled 1/2 inch mild steel . And it worked .
....
Snag

-----------------------------------------

I think my machine tools and welders have saved several times their purchase 
price on things I could repair or build from scratch instead of buying. It's 
hard to add up because the sawmill to salvage straight oak trunks and bucket 
loader to clear snow were helpful but not essential and I could have limited 
myself to electronics at work instead of adding machining. Some of the 
shop-made parts that salvaged free/cheap old outdoor equipment might have 
been found at the cost of time and gasoline. The rebuilt garden tractor and 
log splitter enabled free wood heat, a big but unknown savings. MIG welding 
has kept the vehicles registered, I machined custom tools for them but not 
automotive parts which are often heat treated and plated. Antenna instead of 
cable TV saved a big bundle, the machined repair parts for antenna storm 
damage should count against antenna replacement rather than the whole 
system. The elements aren't tubing, they were rolled from flat stock which I 
have copied with hand tools. When they hit the roof they break without 
damaging the shingles.