Did something dumb today.

Ljohnsaw · July 23, 2024, 07:52:34 PM

My turn. Was using my 545D bucket to move rounds and scrap wood away from my mill. Uneven ground over to the dump area. On the way back for a third load and the shifting angle revealed that I hadn't check my fuel level in a while. Gauge is broken. Ran out of fuel.🙄 Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb dumb.

Bad news with a diesel. Dumped 5 gallons in the tank and cranked it over. It started, then stalled. Did that about 3 times. Then it started and ran good for 30 seconds or so, then began cutting out until it finally died.

Must have worked the air up into the pump.

My attempts to prime it have all failed. Going to post over on my 545D thread to get some advice from Andries.

rusticretreater · July 23, 2024, 10:48:54 PM

If you have someone to crank it, you can crack each of the fuel lines at the injector caps and bleed out the air. Start with the longest one first.

Ljohnsaw · July 24, 2024, 12:26:20 AM

I cracked them right at the pump and no flow😕

doc henderson · July 24, 2024, 12:30:43 AM

I did this on my JD tractor, and it helped to make a fuel tank cover with a round of Styrofoam with a hole saw. stuck the air blower nozzle in the hole and pressurized the fuel tank for some forward flow and got stuff moving forward.

Ljohnsaw · July 24, 2024, 12:36:51 AM

I tried blowing in it. I pinged Andries on my 545D thread and he pointed out a little bleed port that I will try tomorrow.

rusticretreater · July 24, 2024, 01:32:18 AM

I shoulda mentioned that. Open the port at the pump boss and make sure you have fuel flow. An electric fuel pump should overcome those problems.

Resonator · July 24, 2024, 08:34:53 AM

Maybe need a spritz from the ether bunny to start it and begin drawing fuel.

Hilltop366 · July 24, 2024, 09:33:25 AM

I ran a Case 580c out of fuel once, put 5 gallons in it and could not get it primed (gravity feed to the pump) added another 5 gallons and it primed good.

WV Sawmiller · July 28, 2024, 04:05:59 PM

Have you ever driven off and left your removable sawmill fenders at a job site? I have (once). I remember reading one way to remember is to stage them under the mill while swing. I find this works very well. When you hook up and back over them

they make enough noise you remember to go straighten them out and put them back on.

My other dumb move for the day was forgetting to hook the safety chain to the head of the mill when towing so it doesn't bounce off the travel pin. Fortunately I dodged the bullet this time and did not hit any bumps bad enough to cause the head to jump off the travel pin or do any damage.

rusticretreater · July 28, 2024, 04:15:38 PM

Make a check list and then check it twice.

GAB · July 28, 2024, 05:22:20 PM

Quote from: rusticretreater on July 28, 2024, 04:15:38 PMMake a check list and then check it twice.

Santa Claus he isn't. However give him a few years and he'll have the proper hair and beard color. He might also have the proper mid-section muscle by then.
Oh Hi Howard.
GAB

TimW · July 28, 2024, 06:07:10 PM

Quote from: GAB on July 28, 2024, 05:22:20 PM
Quote from: rusticretreater on July 28, 2024, 04:15:38 PMMake a check list and then check it twice.
Santa Claus he isn't. However give him a few years and he'll have the proper hair and beard color. He might also have the proper mid-section muscle by then.
Oh Hi Howard.
GAB

WV Sawmiller · July 28, 2024, 06:34:41 PM

See below.

Magicman · July 28, 2024, 08:06:17 PM

You are not going to bounce the sawmill head off of the pin. The problem might be if you missed the pin without noticing and the safety chain was not secure. Yes, I missed the pin once and the safety chain was secure. When I went to set up at the next site, I noticed that something was wrong and investigated before I raised the head. Even though it was not on the pin, the head had not moved during travel.

The shunt across the motor winding does an amazing job of providing braking. Yesterday I did my blade guide alignment and removed one of the motor leads so that I could easily move the saw head back and forth. You could also remove the power feed belt but to me, the motor lead is easier.

TimW · July 28, 2024, 08:23:41 PM

Lynn,
I don't think the concern is much of the sawhead moving forward or aft, but more so flexing up and down, while off the pin, on a bumpy road.

Magicman · July 28, 2024, 10:38:08 PM

Yes, I can see that. It would be bouncy.

I have no idea how I missed the pin that one time, late in the evening and shadows I reckon.

Big_eddy · July 29, 2024, 11:02:21 AM

Yesterday I went to remove my 3 point trailer mover from the tractor. I lowered it down as far as it would go (the lower ball of the 3 ball insert was about 1" off the ground) then removed the R clip from the top link pin and pulled out the pin. As I had the R clip and pin in one hand and the top link in the other, I just let the trailer mover go.
With the ball only 1" off the ground, it didn't have far to drop. However, the top arm of the trailer mover is a lot longer, and with the two lower pins still connected, it pivoted outward with force, a lot further. Unfortunately (for me) each of the two toplink ears of the trailer mover scored a direct hit where one would prefer they didn't. I let out rather loud groan and collapsed in a heap. The house windows were open and my groan was loud enough my wife stuck her head outside to check on me. When I told her what happened, she was not the least bit sympathetic.

If you're going to do the same thing, stand off to the side!

jpassardi · July 29, 2024, 11:56:36 AM

On the bright side: she didn't kick you in that same spot for pulling that maneuver...

rusticretreater · July 29, 2024, 12:03:57 PM

Usually when something like that happens, its my foot that gets the rude reminder. I guess you are still splitting your way through life.

Nebraska · July 29, 2024, 03:37:53 PM

Ouch

Magicman · August 08, 2024, 08:00:18 PM

Since it he been over a week since anyone admitted to dumb, I'll go ahead and make an entry even though I actually don't classify it as "dumb". It was an accident.

I step up onto the sawmill frame behind the engine to fill the fuel jug. Well, last week I stepped up but my foot slipped which sent my upper body onto the sawmill. My arm was up which landed me on the large nut on top of an outrigger. It hurt....bad, and especially when I cough or sneeze, it still hurts. I have no doubt that I cracked a rib.

My step stool is always out but I have never used it on that side of the sawmill, until now. It's just one more thing that I will now do to prevent a fall or mishap. Using it is so easy and so much less dumb.

TimW · August 08, 2024, 11:24:46 PM

Lynn,
If you step up on the frame often, in the field, put some stick on antiskid where you step.

rusticretreater · August 08, 2024, 11:31:07 PM

In anticipation of hurricane debby dumping a ton of water on us, I went out and started to clear some leaves that I had been ignoring out of a drain. Some kind of bee/hornet flew out of the pile right into my face. It was big.

I swatted at it in a panic knocking my glasses off and my cap fell down over my eyes. I lifted the cap to reposition it and that *DanG bee came in for a second try and got me just above my right eye in that soft area above the eyelid and below the bone.

So I got both eyes closed and am rubbing the spot when three sweat bees sting me at the same time, left torso, left arm, right arm. Swelling over my eye wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Minor pain from the other stings, didn't last any time. Bee poison, it made me a bit woozy for a bit.

Magicman · August 09, 2024, 07:01:42 AM

Quote from: TimW on August 08, 2024, 11:24:46 PMIf you step up on the frame often, in the field, put some stick on antiskid where you step.

Yes, I have it in several places but this is where the leg/foot on the swinging bed rail travels. I needed to use that stool there anyway.

WV Sawmiller · August 09, 2024, 09:39:24 AM

Quote from: rusticretreater on August 08, 2024, 11:31:07 PMIn anticipation of hurricane debby dumping a ton of water on us, I went out and started to clear some leaves that I had been ignoring out of a drain. Some kind of bee/hornet flew out of the pile right into my face. It was big.

I swatted at it in a panic knocking my glasses off and my cap fell down over my eyes. I lifted the cap to reposition it and that *DanG bee came in for a second try and got me just above my right eye in that soft area above the eyelid and below the bone.

So I got both eyes closed and am rubbing the spot when three sweat bees sting me at the same time, left torso, left arm, right arm. Swelling over my eye wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Minor pain from the other stings, didn't last any time. Bee poison, it made me a bit woozy for a bit.

That story reminds me when I bought a Gravely tractor with a 30" bushhog on the front. I ran it up into a rose bush and hit a yellowjacket nest in the ground and one flew out and stung me so I slapped the tractor in reverse and backed away till I bumped a hornet nest on a low walnut limb behind me and several of them tagged me. Some days you just can't win.

BTW - if you have a hurricane coming and worry about your boat blowing away - put the drain plug in and fill it with water to add weight then when everything is clear remove the plug and drain the water. It is also a water reserve if you need water to flush toilets or such during a water/power outage after the storm.