Lessons learned the stupid way

[PILOON]

workinonit - "How does a wood chipper pump water". Quite well, I might add. But - I only used it that one time. Wood chipper is for trees. My trash pump is for water.

During a spring thaw in order to prevent flooding of homes a local city backed up their big highway snow blowers and 'pumped' water over the sand bag dikes. Actually did quite well and moved tons of water.

 

[PILOON]

My first attempt at water skiing was on New Years Day ,,, in a farm pond ,,, and none us knew how to ski. T’wasn’t a wise choice of activity. Our only excuse was we were about 15 or 16.

On water skiing:
I once stopped by a friends who was into water skiing and he offered me a tow.
Having only my long pants on I simply rolled them as high as I could.
Hey, I'm a ski pro, right!
Well his motor stalled and for a dunking I went.

LOL, I had been mucking around with chemistry making hydrogen and the acid fumes had penetrated my trousers and the dunking left me wearing shorts as the dunking activated the the fume imbedded acid in my pants.

 

[Jac65]

My first season with a gravely zero turn mower. I was cutting the sloped bank around around my pond. With all the steering coming from the rear wheels, once gravity grabs that mower deck out front there is pretty much no force in the universe that is going to keep you from become a U-Boat commander. (not my mower pic but exactly how I ended up)

 

[oosik]

Jac65 - block the rear wheels - engage the mower - clean all the "under deck" crud while you are there.

I drive my riding mower up on top of one of my piles of pine chips. Engage the blades - let the chips clean the underside. About 3 to 4 minuets and it's clean as a whistle.

 

[jyoutz]

A

When I use to cut firewood on my property. Went out to fell a couple ancient Ponderosa pines. The tree leaned - chainsaw got stuck in the cut.

All the way back to the shop to get my second chainsaw.

Future firewood activities always involved both saws.

A falling wedge takes care of that issue. It prevents the tree from setting back on the cut.

 

[civilian]

My first season with a gravely zero turn mower. I was cutting the sloped bank around around my pond. With all the steering coming from the rear wheels, once gravity grabs that mower deck out front there is pretty much no force in the universe that is going to keep you from become a U-Boat commander. (not my mower pic but exactly how I ended up)

That is why my dad never bought a zero turn mower. He was always afraid someone would put it in one of the ponds. Jon

 

[jyoutz]

Take a splitting wedge and a sledge to force that gap open. Theyre also good for coaxing the tree to fall according to the wedge you cut

Or put a plastic falling wedge into the kerf before the tree sets back on the saw.

 

[jyoutz]

I once dated a nymphomaniac who owned a liquor store...

Every man’s dream

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Take a splitting wedge and a sledge to force that gap open. Theyre also good for coaxing the tree to fall according to the wedge you cut

The falling wedges popular around here are plastic, and don't wreck the chain if you whack them in too far.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

He who is self-taught has a fool for a master.

Ask me how I know.

Funny, but not true. My dad was an autodidact, completely self-taught. He had to leave school in the 5th grade to herd sheep to support his family. When he retired, the job announcement to fill his position required a degree in mechanical engineering with 5 years experience.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

 

[dougtrr2]

I rolled a canoe in 7' deep cool water. I swear I took an involuntary breath under water, but I don't know how that's possible.

Its called Cold Water Shock Drowning. Lucky you escaped it.

Cold Shock - National Center for Cold Water Safetyhttp://www.coldwatersafety.org › ColdShock

Doug in SW IA