Ertl International 3088 toy tractor restoration with replica box!  Below are more pictures from the restoration.  Watch the entire video to see this amazing restoration.  Lots of tips and tricks for your own restoration are in the video.

This model of ERTL tractor was produced up into at least the year 2000.  It came in several varieties of "generic tractor" as well as was used as a model for promotional pieces for various companies.  This model was even used as an incentive to ERTL employees for safety awards for 0 accidents in a certain time period.  (see video)

The Harbor Freight benchtop sand blasting cabinet is one of those controversial items that comes up in forums and recommendations on the internet.  Many opinions surround this item and it's perceived value.  In this video I'll take a look at what you get for $119.99 (before coupons or discounts), what things you will need to get this cabinet up and running, and my overall thoughts on who should buy this particular cabinet.

No this is not a bash on this cabinet or Harbor Freight, the purpose is to give a real world perspective and some of the things to consider if you are just getting started.

I was privileged enough to have 2 of my bikes selected for display at the 2020 International Motorcycle show in Denver at the Colorado Convention Center.

​If you follow me on Youtube or this website you already know all about these bikes, but for those that don't here is the low down.

The orange bike is an early 1970 Kawasaki F5 Big Horn and the green bike is a 1974 Kawasaki F9 modified into a period correct motocross racer.

My bikes were part of the IMS Vintage Garage display where at each stop of this show they have a casting call for vintage bikes near the area for the show.  They also have a restoration demonstration and some other seminar type presentations.  Below is some pictures from the show and a video of my experience at the show.

It was a great time and I hope to do it again sometime. I would recommend anyone that is into motorcycles to attend one of these shows if they come to your area.

Video of what its like to attend and International Motorcycle Show check out the video below!

Waiting to enter the venue

The day before the show, setting up

"Why, it's a henge!" I said delighted. "A miniature henge." exclaims Claire Randall Fraser, the female protagonist in the wildly popular Outlander book series (and now TV series too!) by Diana Gabaldon. This is her first of several visits throughout the series by her to the stone henge called Craigh na Dun, as well as other important characters later on. Referred to as the standing stones, these rocks play a key role as they are how Claire time travels from 1945 Scotland to 1745 Scotland, where she meets and falls in love with James Fraser, a Scottish Highlander. When she leaves 1945, she leaves behind her husband Frank Randall who can find no trace of how she vanished or where she vanished to despite searching the entire country side where they were visiting, the same area that Craigh na Dun is found. 
   
​ As an avid Outlander fan you want to display your collection of books by as well as any other trinkets that pertain to the books. Postcards and pictures of the historical buildings and landmarks come to mind but sometimes feel flat and 2-D. Now there are several important places that are a focal point that the characters center around. The first of these would have to be Craigh na Dun. Others include James' family home in Scotland and Claire and James' home in back country of North Carolina pre-Revolutionary War. Outlander trinkets are nice and all, but I thought to myself why not have a miniature henge, a miniature Craigh na Dun to display alongside some of my favorite books. So that's what we did, we created our own set of standing stones. Up next might just be Lallybroch or Fraser's Ridge, but we might need more book shelves! I will just have to be careful around the stones when dusting and rearranging books so I won't accidentally travel back 200 years and find myself my own red-headed Scottish Highlander. 


See how I built this mini diorama by watching THIS VIDEO

I got the bug to build a diorama and one thing lead to another when I got some inspiration from this picture.

Time lapse of the build

So I began to watch a few tutorials in hopes to gain some knowledge about how to go about tackling something like this.  I new I wanted to start small, something that I could display on my desk and be interesting (and a conversation starter) but also not take up a lot of room.  So I began with these materials.  Pretty modest I know, well that was the idea.

I also wanted to share my journey so I LIVE STREAMED the build and you can watch all the archived streams in the playlist below.  The pictures show the progress made after each live stream.

                                                               Watch all 5 parts in the PLAYLIST below