Oil Field Family Business History Part 2

[@oldroscoe2590]

You beat out the Wall Street and investment folks for my first video to watch of the day. I need to clean out my garage and the house I bought next doors years ago, years of accumulated things to good to throw away but not work keeping, it's like a diary. Last time I went to sell scrap I got 27 dollars and ruined a 200 dollar tire.

[@obfuscated3090]

The Fairbanks magnetos are desirable to old engine and tractor users. Parts remain available. If you find any four cylinder mags those were common on engine driven welders and more desirable. 11:59 is an old charging system tester/battery tester. That six cylinder magneto is a rare bird and I've not seen that style either. Could be for ancient (large) industrial engines as they made mags for Continental six bangers. That would be worth contacting a magneto rebuilder to find out what it's worth.

[@WheresmywingsRedBull]

8:56 big old chunk of brass looks like a pilot operated valve. Pilot, being air or fluid pressure. Loving these video’s lately of your family’s history!

[@hartclawson655]

Great video as always Zack. I am a third generation oil operator here in east Texas and north west Louisiana. Most operators left here are generational family people. Too stubborn to find something else to do. I really like watching your videos; they remind me of my situation so much. BTW. I think you’re right about the line up clamp. I have some of those too. Keep up the good work.

[@seanOfLegend]

I love these great grandpa was a Texas driller, grandpa ran a mud company and I was a flow tester in the last boom.

[@catman5546]

That cage is for welding casing or pipe strait , still used today !!

[@joefrederick6471]

This reminds me of when my stepdad and mom died and I was executor of their will. The farm they lived on had been bought by my stepdad’s grandparents about 150 years prior to their deaths. My stepdad was born, raised and lived on that farm his entire life. It has several old shops and storage buildings and had a lot of interesting things similar to like you are showing. Everything was kept. I found handwritten deeds and things from the mid to late 1800’s. Boxes of bank statements and owners manuals. It was like going back in time. I wish i could have kept the place but unfortunately the will had too many heirs to make agreements on keeping it and, of course, the younger ones couldn’t wait to sell it off and spend that money. Thanks for sharing.

[@TheZachLife]

Thats cool. To bad it got sold.

[@corydriver7634]

Sorry to see that office building has come into such disrepair. Seems like it will be a lot of work to clean up and salvage what you can (there is certainly a lot of antique and vintage stuff that may be worth a few bucks in there) definitely a “how do you eat an elephant” scenario. Thanks so much for taking us along on these family history videos I know I’m enjoying it.

[@jason0870]

I really appreciate hearing about your family's history man. This was super interesting to me. Thanks alot.

[@arlynsmith9196]

I love that kind of stuff! I have quite a bit of old stuff from my Dad and Grandpa that I have cleaned up and it is hanging on a wall in my house. Branding irons, crank phone etc. Thank you for showing us! Cool things!

[@TheZachLife]

Awesome. Thanks.

[@brentderksen]

I could spend all day sifting through old stuff like that. My grandpa had an old equipment parts shed that had every kind of odd and end in it!

[@demartin5366]

Another well done video, Zach. I love the oil field history in each building. If only those buildings could talk, what stories they could tell. Have you thought of maybe restoring one of them into an oil field museum? You certainly have a lot of interesting oil field tools, signs, and engines that would be interesting to display.

[@TheZachLife]

That would be really cool.

[@peterhodgkins6985]

Man oh man... Some nice ole 'junk' there! Those old cans are probably worth saving if you can find all the lids for 'em. That light in the top file cabinet reminds me of seeing those things new in the hardware stores when I was a young fella back in the 50s & 60s... It would be a great restoration project if the battery didn't get left in it. I still have an old "Head lamp" that looks similar to that only smaller. That old light would have probably taken a large 6 volt dry cell. Great stuff Zach!

[@486kyle]

18:54 ridgid #65 pipe threader and vulcan chain wrench on the ground on the left of the screen, they'd be a quick sale at 40 bucks apiece if you were only closer than a thousand miles away, lol all those mags, there's value there but finding someone to buy them is so difficult that it ain't even worth boxing them all up and sending them off to some magneto shop

[@dannywilsher4165]

I have a tally tape like that that I got from my Dad. Each foot is divided into a hundred units. For instance a joint of pipe would be 32.48 feet. We would tally a string of pipe on the pipe racks, writing down the length of each joint in a special book called a tally book. There could be hundreds of joints of pipe lengths written in the tally book. We would then go into my Dad's trailer and I would call out the numbers from the tally book and my Mother would punch the numbers into a calculator with a tape and we would get a total length of how much pipe was on the rack. While my Mother was pecking away at the calculator, my Dad was sitting close by adding the numbers up in his head. He could add as fast as my Mother could punch the numbers. When we got through, Dad would write down his total and they would compare with what the calculator had added. More often than not, the total would be exactly the same. When they didn't match, we would go back through comparing the tape with the tally book numbers and usually Mom had hit a wrong number. Dad was always right with his numbers in his head. I tried for hours to do that but never could get my brain to function like Dad's. Thanks for the journey into your life, Zack. You can't imagine how much I enjoy watching this!!!!!

[@matthewbonner2261]

Hey LOVE your show ! Used to call em “ GAGERS “. , the guys who rode from well to well reading the charts and doing maintenance , the job I always dreamed of . As close as you can get to riding the range ! I used to live in Victoria selling pipe, valves and fittings . I covered over to Port Lavaca , down to Arkansas Pass , up 37 to Jourdanton back over to Victoria . I sold Gyrolok and Hoke instrumentation valves and fittings . I LOVED following county road maps out looking for wells or compressor stations . I got in in 84 , not the best time. Still LOVED it !!!

[@shamusa943]

Again Zach a nice reveal of your family lineage and how you got to today. Keep to your past and with the oil patch - you give a foot and they take two inches. Stay health and safe my friend.

[@pl747]

Look on the bottom of the toilet lid for a date. They used to stamp the date in them. See what the active ingredients are in the weed killer. Might be 24D salts or might be something else. I seen some brush killer back in the 80's that was 245T, that was the bad stuff. But it worked good.

[@robertbullcarmichael9856]

Trip down memory lane. Thanks for sharing.

[@TuckerBroussard]

The cage thing is a line up clamp for welding pipe.

[@13donstalos]

That old paperwork is quite a find. Put that somewhere for safekeeping. I'm sure your son will be interested in seeing it when he starts working in the oil fields lol. Always interesting to hear about you family history. I wish I could trace back 5 generations. I only knew one of my grandparents well before she died.

[@larryallen8523]

The steel tape is broken up into tenths of a foot which made calculations for barrels of oil easier. Plus they were used in land measurements rather than inches. Just FYI

[@MrEric_API]

Line up clamps. Yep they are for alignment of pipe for welding. New ones look exactly the same today.

[@TheBoatman11]

Love your videos, hopefully you are on your way to making a LOT of money from KZbin

[@TheZachLife]

Hahaha thanks.

[@paulieg7702]

Entertaining and edifying as usual, Zach! Thanks for history lesson 👍

[@advancednutritioninc908]

Great video Zach! I really appreciated hearing how the oil business was worked and passed down over several generations. I could tell in the first video that i watched of yours (years ago) that you were a diligent worker and stayed after your business to keep it successful!! I have owned a small business for over 25 years. And some of my friends say similar things like you don't do anything but collect money in the mail. I love my business and it's not super hard, but I do have to stay at it pretty much every day or it will go down.

[@TheZachLife]

Thanks.

[@bigunone]

Those glass insulators are a sought after item. My dad and his sisters inherited an oil lease my grandparents had. I always thought it was a waste of money when dad got a check for 50 cents a stamp, figured by the time you added up the time the secretary had to type it up (1970s) cost of the check from the bank envelope and stamp, the oil company was loosing about $2.00 to send him that 50 cent check

[@486kyle]

everyone says that about the insulators, but I've never been able to find anyone buying them ended up with plenty of them for free though

[@stevemccoy8138]

You could fix that old office up, and use it for something.

[@straybullitt]

I agree! There is no way that Zach will tear down that building. Too much history. It doesn't look to be in that bad of condition really. Zach can just add that to his list of projects that have a cumulative date of completion sometime in the 23rd century. 😆

[@CuriousEarthMan]

oil patch air b and b! if toilet connected to a septic.

[@clayquarles7425]

Cool stuff Got some land down close to the gulf not much oil but you could have some hella gas wells lol

[@farmin4468]

Thanks for another history video Zach! I am really liking these!

[@robertldayiii]

I have now seen two of those old GI jerry cans (gas cans) in your videos. You should check out the interiors, and if they’re in good shape, press them back into service. You can get adapters to make a modern plastic spout (not the “CARB” kind…) work with them too. Great cans if not rusted out.

[@benrossbach6501]

Thanks for sharing. Both your family and oil leasing history is very interesting

[@benjaminjordan2762]

Great video, I love history and family history. The old tape is marked in 10ths of a foot instead of inches, for easier conversion to gallons or barrels. The old torch and crosscut saw as well as the Jerry can, just cool "junk".

[@TheZachLife]

Thanks.

[@Brad.whatthe]

I think them waders are done Zach

[@TheZachLife]

Hahaha

[@richardlincoln8438]

Very interesting Zach. Thanks for sharing.

[@Caeser194]

I work in the marcellus shale in northeast pa,we've been very busy.the company is using nitrogen on wells between 1yr and 12 yrs old.the pressure released into the water tanks is wild

[@adamhoffman3687]

Well Zach I hope you save the old office. Maybe used it for a small machine shop or office. Probably worth sacrificing the drywall to save the building

[@jameyforrest8966]

That brass piece looks like a pressure regulator for pressure washer. The glass insulators with wooden dowel go for around $10-$20. Thanks for sharing!

[@misterbacon4933]

You have really treasures!

[@Vile-Flesh]

Love this video. I enjoyed going through these old things It was so funny when those old waders disintegrated!

[@TheZachLife]

Hahaha Thanks.

[@ddanbudy]

Perhaps that can of captan is full of mercaptan. If it is, it's one of those situations that a drop goes a mile. Opening it would be foul and eyewatering. It could overwhelm a person. I only had to be around some residual left in an empty pipe, but you do not forget it. Thanks for the time that you spend talking oil field. I saw a lot of this equipment growing up in an old oil town and working in the oil field as a youth. It is so interesting to see this again decades later.

[@rockhunter6260]

Your right, I use to Maintain and repair Mercaptan pumps that injected it into propane at a Natural gas plant, I also worked on wick mercaptan odorizers where the land owner would get gas from our wells for his own use for heating. I also worked for a natural gas pipeline co. that odorized their gas to be sold to municipalities. By the way most gas transportation co’s do not odorize the gas the municipalities do.

[@angrybill]

That blowtorch doesn't need any restoration. Dust it off and put fuel into it and light it off. Outstanding video. Keep them coming please.

[@TheZachLife]

Hahaha probably so. Thanks.

[@missyd0g2]

That old blow torch is like my grandfathers. He was a high pressure steam fitter for power plants. Unfortunately when I was a teenager when we tried to restore it. Well it was destroyed.

[@paulvecera1723]

Really enjoy these tour videos and look forward to more. Can't imagine why you wouldn't want to give internet creeps your address though, all they want to do is give you a friendly holler at 2am. :)

[@mold1999]

Fantastic love to see the old stuff, Thanks for posting

[@FishFind3000]

I’d be curious to see that 38 special shot and see if it still works.

[@garbleduser]

That thing @8:55 looks like it could be for mixing in an additive at a metered rate, like adding odorant to natural gas.

[@danger3_255]

they did really well...nice Zach

[@jakezgab8576]

That high torque old drill that’s hanging up on that wall is worth it’s weight in silver.

[@jayingram4500]

Someone probably told you in your first part video that the cannon ball looking light was a street construction night light !! Guard light that they used back in the day , burned kerosene ..

[@stevenpederson1645]

I smiled when you said ten inches to the foot, there are viewers that probably bought that, but there are no inch relatable markings on that tape at all. We had a leather cat's tail on the dumb end of our tape so you could hang on to it without having to take your gloves off.

[@tomarmstrong4156]

Good metal roof on that building.

[@ProfaneGod]

That cage looks like what is put around a drill shaft to connect another shaft you put put it round clamp lock and it's like a wrench usually used on oil rigs now in the ocean and motorised but was a common piece of kit. at least that what it looks like to me.

[@greggb1416]

Another great video..! Zach, 5th gen., are you the last of that family, at least until you have children..? Thank you sir.

[@4GSR]

Being my luck, I'd open that bottom drawer of that filing cabinet and there would be a four foot rattler coiled up in there! Every bit of that reminds me of my granddad's place bacin the 1960's-1970's. They had a filing cabinet just like one of those full of every business transaction they had when he was in the drilling business back in the late 1950's to early 1960's. My grandmother did not throw away anything! My mom and I spend nearly a month cleaning out the homestead back when my granddad passed away. Watch those old five gallon oil cans, in that good shape they can bring $$$ to the right person. Need to move them to a safer place if I was you. Thanks for sharing.

[@TheZachLife]

Hahaha

[@kansasadventure1831]

Yes an Oklahoma Jack revisit!

[@ericlakota1847]

Those old torch where used to start motors with hot bolb on bottom like landz bulldogs and other erly monster diesels

[@MrEric_API]

Cap tan(sp?), methal mercaptan, it is used for odorizing natural gas, and propane. I'll bet grandpa used to have some equipment running off of well head gas.

[@TheZachLife]

Probably so.

[@jakezgab8576]

Looking at some serious history there.

[@kevinhoffman8214]

depression era babies saved everything , my father taught me the same , it has saved me a few times

[@mikehill9888]

Thank you for the nice video and history

[@diesellivesmatter]

That cage is for welding up liners for oil wells.

[@TheZachLife]

I bet so.

[@the_KID_b]

Really like your videos. Looks like im talking to an old friend. The Brass stuff looks like a propane carb and you will probably receive some messages for the glass insulators and mgnetos.

[@TheZachLife]

Thanks.

[@jakezgab8576]

Top of the line voltmeter, I bet it still works. History revived.

[@lonesonestarcattlecompanyj408]

Wonderful building. If is about to be torn down, give me a purchase figure to buy for oil history's sake.

[@TheZachLife]

Thanks. I'm probably going to try and keep it up.

[@MrKoakai]

Just stumbled across the channel. Not that you'd want to, but those records are always interesting to historians in the future. If you ever want to get rid of them, consider your local archive. Snapshots of local businesses can be fascinating to people in the future. Even if you just box it up and throw a note on it saying donate when I kick the bucket in the future.

[@TheZachLife]

I ageee 100% Have spent the last couple of evening organizing them and putting them into safe storage.

[@ericlakota1847]

After seing the drill rig truck I see y the late kin never threw any thing away they never knew what they might use

[@assassinlexx1993]

That torch is handy. You can use many fuels . Good for heating something like sweating pipe but not using propane. It is old but up to the job, just takes a little longer time. Works something like a old Coleman stove. Old rooms filled stuff and rattler snakes

[@johndowe7003]

yea i got one, they work good, id like to get me a Russian built one, those are better and can run off diesel or gasoline

[@assassinlexx1993]

@@johndowe7003 I haven't tried rubbing alcohol. But I bet it works.

[@tundramanq]

My dad was an artist/painter and I got to watch him use the gasoline torch a lot for stripping paint on signs. The propane torches were already around at this time but gasoline was cheaper, more portable and didn't spot heat the metal to the point of warpage near as easily.

[@matthewheinze1231]

Thanks for the tour! Those before us had things simpler, tighter, and harder. Today there would be a lawsuit if someone had to work in an office that small with just one bathroom..... Again thanks for the tour!

[@SamHarrisonMusic]

A real slice of history! Any chance of saving the building do you think? )

[@txsailor57]

I last worked in the patch in 1986 I had forgot about a "tenths tape" Is that Captan Gas odorant the stuff they add to natural gas to make it stink?

[@jjackle6431]

The cage thing is exactly what you thought it is... we still use them in the gas business.

[@Dean.F]

And piling.

[@stovebolt448]

That brass piece might be some sort of air regulator, as for the glass insulators, no there not used any more but are collectable items.😊

[@oneFreetinker]

All kinds of good junk even the kitchen sink.

[@CuriousEarthMan]

Really interesting, thank you!

[@keithaldridge8780]

Thx for sharing awsum video bud

[@robertschemonia5617]

I wonder if that big chunk of brass is a type of pressure regulator as someone else said, but used to somewhat stabilize the pressure of well gas to run a pumping unit engine. And to add, the bucket of Captan is most likely Ethyl Mercaptan, the stuff that is added to LP and natural gas as an odorant.

[@tomarmstrong4156]

Kind of looks like a pop off valve to me.

[@robertschemonia5617]

​@@tomarmstrong4156 very possibly could be indeed.

[@dannywilsher4165]

@@tomarmstrong4156 That was my thought also.

[@non11171]

Brass part might be to an old gas pump or something to that effect.

[@firewalker1372]

Another amazing history lesson, great video man!

[@garbleduser]

I just restored the exact same Justrite flashrite to the one in the top left drawer of the filing cabinet! Let me know if you want a link to an LED bulb that actually works with it. It can use 8 D cell batteries and a 12V bulb, or a spring terminal lantern battery and a 6V bulb. I have links to both voltage LED bulbs in both warm and cold white.

[@TheZachLife]

Thanks. It looks really really clean, It was set up for D cells but was empty.

[@garbleduser]

@@TheZachLife Thank god it was empty! Those alkaline cells can cause tons of damage WHEN they leak. I will send you an email when I get/find your address.

[@1Dougloid]

Don't know what kind of electric drill that was, but if it's Thor, it's really good stuff. Y'know they made motorcycles too?

[@tubeDude48]

Maybe a hydraulic control valve?

[@ericsal179]

These vids are 100% awesome!

[@TheZachLife]

Thanks.

[@TBizzell68]

Really cool, thanks for doing these.

[@robertbarnett7929]

I grew up in Midland Enjoy your show what Formation are you pumping from and how deep are your wells Thanks

[@TheZachLife]

Most of our stuff is around 1600'

[@teddysmith457]

❤ that pipe strap you had there for telling pipe is not what you think. Those measurements on there are in hundredths they’re not in inches between the feet you know they don’t use quarter inch half and 3/8 know that stuff it’s all in one hundredths of a foot.

[@bannedfromtheshow8188]

At 17:50 cage clamps for laying pipe.

[@TheBoatman11]

Man U should take some of those antiques and hang them around in your shop

[@TheZachLife]

I'm going to

[@haroldwilkerson2026]

That movie that I told you about is about a oilfield shop called Central Texas Tools.Its on KZbin

[@davethacker8410]

Those snake bite kits look like they go for over $100 each.

[@codyredman6464]

The brass piece you picked up looks like a air valve for a truck with air brakes, not sure if that’s the case but it looks similar to some of the ones I handle today

[@TheZachLife]

Thats the first thing I thought as well. Ill have to look it over again.

[@sallybrokaw6124]

RV mags are aircraft version AL B.

[@imchris5000]

theres a nice ww2 gas can in that junk room

[@ericlakota1847]

Cant wait to see the office

[@FishFind3000]

11:17 why is it only 10” per foot? Is it just so the math is easier since it’s a 10:1 or is there any obscure reason?

[@TheZachLife]

Exactly. It's for ease of calculation.

[@FishFind3000]

@@TheZachLife If I remember correctly some grade rods are in the 1:10 scale. I cant remember if the one I have is or not.

[@myfoundrylife]

Enjoyed the video. Do you have any pictures of the shop and office back when they were in use?

[@TheZachLife]

I don't think so unfortunately.

[@johndowe7003]

that rv6 magneto is about 300$ its for a allis chalmers k or l series from what ive read. also the gasoline blowtorch is nice, works well better than propane torch for cheap. pump the old oil in the water separator and call it good atleast ya will make some cash outta it lol

[@TheZachLife]

Intersting, Thanks.

[@teddysmith457]

That old office looks sort of like a big fiddleback hole😂

[@ruben_balea]

I like those drills with 100% die-cast aluminium housings, just for display though, I wouldn't want to experience a ground wire fault

[@BobSmith-cs9nq]

That's a Kilgore toilet that was made in Kilgore , Texas