Lessons learned the stupid way

Larry Caldwell · Jan 29, 2022

oosik said:
I've had many "tough" learning experiences. Here's just another ...........

Many, many years ago I had my property selectively logged. A couple year afterwards I though I would make an attempt to speed up the decomposition of some of the stumps.

So ... ATV - Honda generator - Milwaukee Hole Hog - ships auger. Off I go to bore vertical holes in some of the stumps. The second or third stump - the auger bound up - the Hole Hog threw me aside like a rag doll.

I WAS NOT defeated. I put a long pipe in the hole where the handle was on the drill. A couple more stumps - the auger bound again. This time the long pipe almost beat the Holly Carp out of me.

Did I learn something - YES - clear the chips out of the hole more frequently.

I was lucky. I didn't get seriously hurt. The ships auger nor the drill received any damage.

And a side note. Those stumps that were drilled DID NOT seem to "rot away" any faster than the non-drilled stumps. I put 5 to 8 vertical holes in each stump. Each went to a depth of 12".

The trick is to add nitrate fertilizer to the hole so the wood composts faster.

3 Horse Ranch · Jan 29, 2022

Some great stories. As my kids were growing up I told them that they have to learn from other peoples mistakes because they won't live long enough to make them all themselves.

2LaneCruzer · Jan 30, 2022

orezok said:
Early in my career (in another century) then were still using these ancient jumping jacks in trenches. They weighed hundreds of pounds and could kill you if you weren’t careful.

View attachment 731056

I've seen the Barco tamper at work; as I recall, it was based on a single cylinder gasoline engine that only fired when you pulled the handle. Those darn things are really scary.

Here's what the old pneumatic tampers looked like:

kenmbz · Jan 30, 2022

I learned to never depend on a cotter pin.
At my uncles on his inexpensive ride on mower.
Heading down towards the big crab apple tree.
All of a sudden , no steering. Whack into the tree. Luckily the thing didn't go fast and my head missed the tree.
Cotter pin had actually broken on the steering column. This mower must have had maybe 20 hours on it in 3 years.

Why I won't buy junk. and why I have replaced many pins with something a little beefier.

Larry Caldwell · Jan 30, 2022

2LaneCruzer said:
I've seen the Barco tamper at work; as I recall, it was based on a single cylinder gasoline engine that only fired when you pulled the handle. Those darn things are really scary.

Here's what the old pneumatic tampers looked like:

The old guy in the middle knows how to run one. Done right, running one is almost effortless.

bunyip · Jan 30, 2022

Left school and soon learned not to trust anyone, I was an electronic apprentice and my boss was a very clever but eccentric Russian, one day he calls me over to a piece of equipment he is working on, he is holding it and instructs me to 'hold ze orange vire', I did, he then sits there looking bewildered and muttering to himself that this is not the high tension, thanks a lot.