My Lil' Mule

July 12, 2026

DIY Way Alignment Tool – Part 2

Making what I thought was progress on this way alignment tool. And even though the parts are workable, they don’t meet my standards and I will likely be making them again.

Special thanks to PCBWay for helping sponsor part of this build: https://www.pcbway.com

Anchorlube: https://amzn.to/3Y8LmLz

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Check out my blog: https://www.mylilmule.us
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July 5, 2026

Black Diamond Drill Grinder Repair – Discovering a critical mistake

Made some more progress on the drill grinder wheel dressers this week, but I discovered a critical mistake I overlooked when machining the base. It was an easy thing to overlook, but I have to figure out how to fix it now.

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Check out my blog: https://www.mylilmule.us
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June 28, 2026

Making a custom bushing for a table saw blade/arbor

Quick “Hey, Man” job for friend. His table saw has a 1/2″ arbor and he needed a bushing so he can use a saw blade with a 5/8″ center hole.

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Check out my blog: https://www.mylilmule.us
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June 21, 2026

1:8 Scale GP40 Locomotive Project Introduction

Introduction of a new project for me, a 1:8 scale GP-40 locomotive!

I’ve purchased the plans for the project from JT Engineering. I still have a lot to figure out, but this won’t be a main focus of the channel, just a brief introduction to what I’ll be working on from time to time.

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Check out my blog: https://www.mylilmule.us
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June 14, 2026

Black Diamond Drill Grinder – Making the diamond nib holders

Finishing up the holders for the diamond nibs. Almost. I’m still undecided if I need to add a locking screw for the adjustable piece.

Anchorlube: https://amzn.to/3Y8LmLz
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Check out my blog: https://www.mylilmule.us
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June 10, 2026

Union Pacific #4014 – Big Boy

Got to experience the worlds largest operating steam locomotive this past weekend as it passed by a friends property in NE Ohio. It was huge and loud! Quite the sight to see.

#bigboy #trainspotting #steamlocomotive #unionpacific #4014

June 7, 2026

King of the Way Alignment Tools – Part 1

I’ve been wanting to build my own version of a King Way Alignment tool for some time. I took inspiration from the original patented tool, as well as examples from several YouTube videos, and came up with my own.

Special thanks to PCBWay for helping sponsor part of this build: https://www.pcbway.com

Anchorlube: https://amzn.to/3Y8LmLz

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Check out my blog: https://www.mylilmule.us
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mylilmule/
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May 31, 2026

Black Diamond Drill Grinder Repair – Making the holder for the diamond nib adjuster.

Working on the Black Diamond Drill Grinder this week. Getting the piece prepped that will eventually hold the diamond nib adjuster.

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Check out my blog: https://www.mylilmule.us
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May 24, 2026

Black Diamond Drill Grinder – Progress on the Wheel Dresser

Making some slow but sure progress on the Black Diamond wheel dressing mechanism. I have some CRS that is perfect for the pivoting section of the dresser, and a surprise eBay find made a part of this build considerably easier!

Anchorlube: https://amzn.to/3Y8LmLz
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Check out my blog: https://www.mylilmule.us
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mylilmule/
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May 17, 2026

I attended a Keith Rucker Hand Scraping Class!

I recently made the long drive from Ohio down to Tifton, Georgia to attend one of Keith Rucker’s hand scraping classes, and in this video I take you along for the entire experience. Over several days we covered spotting, sharpening, scraping technique, precision measurement, and machine rebuilding concepts while hand scraping cast iron straight edges using traditional methods. This wasn’t my first exposure to scraping, but spending several full days immersed in the process gave me a much greater appreciation for the skill, patience, and consistency required to do it well. Along the way you’ll see demonstrations of power scraping and flaking with a Biax scraper, discussions on rebuilding machine tools, plenty of cast iron chips being made, and even a visit to the Georgia Museum of Agriculture where many of Keith’s earlier videos were filmed.

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Check out my blog: https://www.mylilmule.us
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