Fred R Clark & Son Machineworks

[Forest Cat]

I'm just wondering, how much equipment do you guys have there at the showgrounds? Have you counted everything?

 

[Nitro]

It was hot but pleasant up there last weekend, so instead of hiding in my home in AC, I decided to return to my happy place and make the best of it.
I worked out in the shop during the nights and played during the day.
The AC in my tinyhouse was an awesome refuge when things got too sticky.

Sunday came full circle as I was recruited to demonstrate the machineworks for about 20 4H kids towards the evening.

It is extremely important to form bonds with our future to inspire them to become great individuals.

Education is the most valuable tool to add to their kits.
We got to show them a bit about our past that gave them our present.
https://4-h.org/

 

[Nitro]

I'm just wondering, how much equipment do you guys have there at the showgrounds? Have you counted everything? My dad would have loved that place, if he had seen all the old tractors and bulldozers and stuff you would not have been able to get rid of him. He worked with things like that from he was very young.

I will attempt to do a count in the near future.
We hold the honor of having the biggest active vintage excavation show in the country and quite possibly the world.

During our shows there are literally several hundreds more pieces that are brought in.

 

[Nitro]

I will attempt to do a count in the near future.
We hold the honor of having the biggest active vintage excavation show in the country and quite possibly the world.

During our shows there are literally several hundreds more pieces that are brought in.

Last summer we hosted the Massey-Harris international farm tractor show that likely brought in around 200 private pieces.

We had to empty a huge machine storage shed just for the ones that really had no need to see weather. (we call those trailer queens)

 

[Forest Cat]

Last summer we hosted the Massey-Harris international farm tractor show that likely brought in around 200 private pieces.

When you say pieces, do you mean 200 tractors? Or is it tractors and tractor related things?

 

[Nitro]

When you say pieces, do you mean 200 tractors? Or is it tractors and tractor related things?

200+ tractors

 

[Forest Cat]

200+ tractors

Wow, that's a lot of tractors.

 

[Nitro]

https://www.autismforums.com/media/albums/natl-pike-steam-gas-and-horse-association-spring-2023.886/
https://www.autismforums.com/media/albums/steam-gas-and-horse-association-summer-2021.842/
It's damned near impossible to photograph an entire show because of how much is going on.

We have an active coal mining display
There is an area set aside for bulldozers and high lifts.
We have a oil derrick that is erected with dozens of oilfield engines.
A fully functioning blacksmith shop (smithy) with pedal powered wood working equipment.
There are two huge areas set aside for power shovels, draglines and excavators.

We have a working steam stationary engine that runs a rock crushing display with an additional pair of engines that run off it's boiler.
We probably have 200 or so farm tractors on site.
Our 1914 Porter steam locomotive is slated for her cosmetic restoration.
We have a replica 1930s automotive fueling station display.
Then there is the engine shed that houses our huge 3 cylinder Fairbanks-Morse engine that runs an electrical generator and our 1905 Bessemer natural gas fired gas pumping engine.

There is just too much other stuff to list.

Members can leave anything here as long as their membership is paid.

 

[Forest Cat]

I knew you guys had a lot of stuff there, but I see now it's bigger than I was aware of. Very impressive.

 

[Nitro]

I knew you guys had a lot of stuff there, but I see now it's bigger than I was aware of. Very impressive.

A nice video rundown of our (rainy) spring show.
The shop I run is at the tail end of the presentation.

This still doesn't cover it all, because there is none of the craft areas, the flea market or the car show.

There are two underground continuous coal miners on display that likely have parts on them that were made in the basement of my childhood home.

 

[Nitro]

What we operate is a live museum of the USA's industrial revolution.
It is all done on a volunteer basis.

 

[Forest Cat]

That is just an amazing collection of equipment in that video. And to think of all the hours of work that equipment has done in the past. And the people operating it. A mind-boggling amount of work. It's a very impressive museum, it looks great.

 

[Outdated]

Members can leave anything here as long as their membership is paid.

It's gone now but years ago we had the worlds largest collection of vintage cars and bikes because it worked in a similar fashion. They had a huge museum showroom and a lot of members left their vehicles in there on display where they were covered by museum security and insurance, provided they had enough ID on them they could sign their vehicle out for a day or two whenever they wanted.

And of course, having so many other owners and collectors around made finding parts and doing maintenance a lot easier. I don't know why it ended, perhaps costs. There's still a museum there but the vintage car club is gone.

 

[Nitro]

The Diamond 22 in a semi-deplorable state

This image was captured several years before I started my adventure in our shop.
That is a grinding cutoff wheel on the spindle, something you could never use on that machine.

I still remember the day she got moved and put back into proper working order.

 

[Nitro]

Matt, a Youtube sensation that goes by Diesel Creek is a member there too.
I got to talk to him last Sunday at our monthly meeting.

 

[Forest Cat]

I have seen similar places here where I live, but much smaller. That place you guys have is so huge with so much stuff.

I'm just curious, is the property and all the equipment on it owned by a group of people together? And what is the insurance situation, I imagine it would be very expensive to insure all that stuff?

 

[Nitro]

I have seen similar places here where I live, but much smaller. That place you guys have is so huge with so much stuff.

I'm just curious, is the property and all the equipment on it owned by a group of people together? And what is the insurance situation, I imagine it would be very expensive to insure all that stuff?

It's owned by the Association.

As a member, you have a say in what goes on in any meeting.
Typically it is run in proper fashion, so everything goes before a vote before it is enacted on.

We have a governing body with elected officials.

Our insurance for show liability is a bit pricey, but if we can't put on a show we would cease to exist.
It is run as a non-profit too, but lately we have had a tussle over property taxes two bodies feel they are entitled to.
Our argument against it is the amount of commerce we attract for the community should be payment enough.

 

[Forest Cat]

lately we have had a tussle over property taxes two bodies feel they are entitled to. Our argument against it is the amount of commerce we attract for the community should be payment enough.

I very much agree with that.

 

[Nitro]

Well once again, we put yet another show in the record books.
Likely broke an attendance record too.

Not too many pix to share yet because for one I was extremely busy interacting with my public.

There were several images captured by a few people who promised to share them with me, so as soon as I get them I will share with you!
Fred Clark Jr. made his appearance on Sunday and my sister managed to get a capture of the two of us together.

Fred Clark Sr's great grandson made an appearance on Saturday and was mighty impressed to see his family's equipment put thru their paces.


A personal highlight for me was the two show farm tractor parades I got to do on the ole Farmall H.
This year I had a 13 year old helper who went from mere apprentice to journeyman during the show.
A very interested and dedicated young man really impressed me for sure.

Did a ton of PR with the youngsters again passing out former participant show buttons and badges.
I rescued all of those from the dumpster a few shows ago and decided they would be an excellent way to generate more interest in the place when it is time to pass the torch.
Put a ton of smiles on the little people's faces and even more on their parents.
As much as I thought I was going to actually see the show, once again I was denied.
Who knows, maybe next year.

One of the details I highlight during my presentations is that what we offer is a glimpse of the past during our industrial revolution that gave us what we have today.

I was directly involved in manufacturing for much of my career, shared my knowledge and experience to the best of my abilities and reflecting back on it, I feel that I made a difference by doing so.

I can honestly say that at one point in time I either provided a design or made an object that has touched every life on our planet.
And I ain't done yet

Since we were once a proud country who manufactured much of the world's goods, I can proudly say that I was Made in the USA too!

I sure hope we can get back there one day

 

[Nitro]

Another super nice project is in the works.
This time I am in the process of bringing back to life a real gem of a lathe.
This old Blount lathe was born about 1900 and in need of some love before she gets to show her prowess once again.
Last weekend was spent on a total teardown for inspection and see what attention she would require to get her back on her feet.
Lots of cleaning and derusting was done to reverse her trauma, but she is looking very spiffy as we speak.
For now she runs on a retrofitted electric motor she came with, but my plans are to put her back on a lineshaft again.

So far, so good, she passed most of her muster but still needed a few minor details addressed.
The compound rest hold down hardware was pretty much a disaster, so once again, my girl at home who was born in 1952 was recruited for the project.

The lathe work was a success, so once again, the project is on hold until I can get back to the shop to profile the heads on our early1950s Diamond 22 horizontal milling machine.

Remarkable how these old girls are all willing to lend a hand to help each other out, ain't it?
I promise the photos are coming of this old Blount lathe in a future update.
The bonus of gathering this lathe will be her ability to assist in the repairs of the other equipment in house instead of frequent trips back home to use my stuff there.
The coolest part of it was that it was purchased in the fleamarket area of our last show with some cash made by selling a few personal items I had in the shop.
I find that to be the coolest of all...