I'm converting a Howse middle buster into a tree puller. The howse has 3/4X6 " plate for the MB connected to the 3pt frame by 2-3/4" bolts. I keep my torches in the country so I can't always work on my stuff as "the country" is 140 miles away from here. I bought a 36" piece of 3/4X8" plate to replace the mb arm. I figured I could have 2 tool using the same frame by simply moving 2 bolts. On the 36" piece I wanted to cut 1 15" piece for the arm and use the remaining 21 inches to make a skid with a long V cut into it so I can back up to small trees, wedge them into the V and pull them out with the 3pth.
Anyway, I buy the steel here in houston and haul it to the country to cut. I get out my AO set and adjust the OA at 30/10 #s, (3-1) as I was taught to do. It won't cut anything and LOTs of slag. I move the O to 40#. still a horrible cut. A to 12#, still bad cuts, too much slag. Adjust O everywhere from 30-60#, cuts still suck. My valves are open all the way, full tanks of both O&A. What the heck is wrong. I try again the next day, no luck. Must be the torch. I bring the steel and torch back to Houston wanting to find someone to cut the steel and someone to fix the torch.
I go into a what looks to be a small fabrication shop only about 6 blocks from my house. I've never been there before. As I pull inside the high fence I discover it is much larger than I realized, a coupla acres and 30+ employees, but almost all outdoors so no big buildings per say. I find someone who speaks english and ask him if they are willing to do this job, thinking it is too small for them to mess with. The guy, (Tony) says no problem. I want him to troubleshoot what I had done so far. He tells me I didn't have enough O pressure. I say full tank, valves open all the way, I think it's the torch. He say's let him try the torch. He hooks my torch up to his tanks and it cuts no problem at all. I'm upset because I can't understand why my torch wouldn't work for me. He cuts the design out, 30" of total cut. I say to him you cut so nice and I need to put these 2 holes in this 3/4" plate, should "we" cut them instead of drill them? He responds no problem again. He marks the holes and takes it over to a machine that punches the holes out. In 20 seconds. I'm shocked.
He also gives me a 3X3/4X12" piece of steel so when I figure out what is wrong with my torch I can have a heavy cutting guide.
When it is all said and done I asked what I owed. He says "I'm going to save you some money". His fee? 0. He tells me I owe him nothing. Nada. Not only that, he tells me to bring my guages in and he will check them out for me. I can't take this. I try to give him a 20 and he refuses, 2X, completely. I have to shove it in his pocket to get him to take it.
Moral: You never know who your going to meet anywhere, anytime. I tend to be a sindic(sp), but I was jarred into reality today.
Thanks Tony!
Anyway, I buy the steel here in houston and haul it to the country to cut. I get out my AO set and adjust the OA at 30/10 #s, (3-1) as I was taught to do. It won't cut anything and LOTs of slag. I move the O to 40#. still a horrible cut. A to 12#, still bad cuts, too much slag. Adjust O everywhere from 30-60#, cuts still suck. My valves are open all the way, full tanks of both O&A. What the heck is wrong. I try again the next day, no luck. Must be the torch. I bring the steel and torch back to Houston wanting to find someone to cut the steel and someone to fix the torch.
I go into a what looks to be a small fabrication shop only about 6 blocks from my house. I've never been there before. As I pull inside the high fence I discover it is much larger than I realized, a coupla acres and 30+ employees, but almost all outdoors so no big buildings per say. I find someone who speaks english and ask him if they are willing to do this job, thinking it is too small for them to mess with. The guy, (Tony) says no problem. I want him to troubleshoot what I had done so far. He tells me I didn't have enough O pressure. I say full tank, valves open all the way, I think it's the torch. He say's let him try the torch. He hooks my torch up to his tanks and it cuts no problem at all. I'm upset because I can't understand why my torch wouldn't work for me. He cuts the design out, 30" of total cut. I say to him you cut so nice and I need to put these 2 holes in this 3/4" plate, should "we" cut them instead of drill them? He responds no problem again. He marks the holes and takes it over to a machine that punches the holes out. In 20 seconds. I'm shocked.
He also gives me a 3X3/4X12" piece of steel so when I figure out what is wrong with my torch I can have a heavy cutting guide.
When it is all said and done I asked what I owed. He says "I'm going to save you some money". His fee? 0. He tells me I owe him nothing. Nada. Not only that, he tells me to bring my guages in and he will check them out for me. I can't take this. I try to give him a 20 and he refuses, 2X, completely. I have to shove it in his pocket to get him to take it.
Moral: You never know who your going to meet anywhere, anytime. I tend to be a sindic(sp), but I was jarred into reality today.
Thanks Tony!
