Did something dumb today.

[DWyatt]

My turn. This weekend Dad and I were cutting some tapered posts for Grandma's new house, documented in the Whatcha Sawing thread. The easiest way to load them into the box jig that Dad made was to use the tractor and bring the post to the mill then I would just up on the mill and roll the post into the box. This worked fine for the first two. One the third I grabbed the post and started to roll it then my right foot shot out from under me. I had stepped onto a loose scrap of wood that we were using for one of the spacers. My right foot went over the bed rails and my left foot went through the frame almost to the ground. I suppose you could say I got lucky because I didn't fall all of the way to the ground. Luckily the top of the outrigger was there to catch me, squarely in my lower back.  : 

[Old Greenhorn]

That could have been ugly. Hope you are feeling OK today.

[Nebraska]

Ouch.....btw I've never encountered a cat like that.

[rusticretreater]

I am one lucky dude.  I was taking out a tree. After cutting down 30-40 other trees I guess I got overconfident.  One of the techniques I was using is making an angled hinge to control the direction of the fall.  For those not familiar with this technique, its simply making the hinge thicker on the side you want to direct the fall towards.  Looking at it over head, its kinda like a triangle.  Only I cut it too thin.  I was pounding the wedges in for the drop when there was a crack and the tree fell 90 degrees from the intended direction.  Looking at it, the pointy end of the triangle was 1", the thick end was 2" and it just snapped off.  It should be more like 2" and 3" at least.

I immediately saw it was going to miss my newly installed 30x40 metal building, but a long branch got the front corner.  Bent three purlins(called hat racks in the metal building industry), a trim gutter, a roof panel and a piece of trim.  $800 bucks for the parts delivered.  I am gonna try to straighten some things.  The roof is still secure and watertight, just bent.

So I learned three things from this: the first which is reoccurring from time to time, slow down and think;  the second is to be accurate with the cut to the hinge(overconfidence); the third is to put a double wedge in the side where you really don't want the tree to fall.

[sawguy21]

OOOOOPS! :D I'm glad it's only your pride and the building that were hurt.

[SawyerTed]

Glad it wasn't any worse!  The building damage sounds like it can be fixed.  Sorry it happened that way.   

Who hasn't had a tree go less than the ideal direction?  Not me! No never!  (Hope that God's aim with lightning bolt is off today)!  I've actually had two notable miscalculations cutting trees.  The last was a couple years ago, I was fortunate that no damage occurred and the road was blocked only a few minutes.  :

[Old Greenhorn]

Rustic, how big was that tree? Was it dead or alive? I've only had one hinge snap on me like that and it was a dead ash about 14" DBH. no wedging, but the hinge snapped as the fall began and the stick went 90° off course.

 Sounds like that hinge might have been thicker than you needed. I just did a flaky one by my shed Saturday but with the risk involved, I threw a rope 20' and pulled it with the mule as I cut. There wasn't much on that stump to work with.



 

[rusticretreater]

It was a 20 inch DBH tree growing up but crooked all over, the kind that goes to one side then the other and then the branches go another direction.  I probably had the one side heavier than I thought it would be. The butt was solid all the way through.  

I'm still mad at my building for jumping in the way to try and break its fall. >:( >:(

[Crusarius]

last time I did that I flattened the kids playground it could have been much worse.

[Old Greenhorn]

 :D :D :D :D :D :D :D (sorry). I bet the dinner conversation was interesting that night. ;D

[Crusarius]

The words exchanged with the tree and the saw were enough to make a sailor blush

[fluidpowerpro]

Did something today that was a first for me and hopefully the last. A friend of mine that I have not seen for years came for a visit. He has a bunch of pine logs that he wants me to mill for him next spring. Anyway, he brought with him a small black walnut log that he wanted slabbed. The blade on the mill was dull so I replaced it with one I resharpened myself. Unfortunately the blade I put on happened to be the one blade I had that at one time had been damaged. I had tried to reset it but soon found out it wasn't right because during the cut, the blade dove really bad. It was a short log so I tried to keep going to get though, but I didn't make it. The blade ended up getting so hot, even with lube, that it started smoking. I shut down with the blade in the log and went to replace it with a new blade. When I went to replace the blade I found that because it had gotten so hot, the blade stuck to the tires on my band wheels after it cooled. I had to actually re-heat the blade again with a torch to separate it from the tires using a putty knife. Put the new blade on and fortunately it still cut fine in spite of my newly shaped tires.
Notes to self.
Don't do that again!
Make sure and mark any blades I think could be marginal.
Order a new set of band wheel tires.

[Resonator]

That had to be smokin'!

[rusticretreater]

Brute force and ignorance sometimes leads to finesse and knowledge. Sometimes.

[Magicman]

Today I decided to finish filling the firewood rack here at the house so I backed the trailer up to the firewood rack to load up.  I thought about gloves but I doubted that I would pick up a splinter so no gloves.

I grabbed the first two sticks and immediately Zoweeee!!!  A Yellowjacket was clinging to the underside of the stick and it had brought it's own splinter to the party. 

[doc henderson]

without a picture, you know it did not happen.  they are moving slower up here.

[Magicman]

Wasn't much left to take a picture of but a flat greasy spot.  :D 

First time that I remember being stung on the palm side of my thumb. 

 

[doc henderson]

your hands are tougher than the wasp.

[moosehunter]

Sawing last Saturday, had to change fuel tanks. Sunday I was using my tractor and it was low on fuel. Did not have another can so I used what was in the mill tank. All of it. Then in a stroke of genius put the empty tank back on the mill, even hooking up the lines. 
I picked up more fuel Thursday after work. I put the fuel in the garage.
Today I needed to cut 7 2x6 in half for a project so I put them on the mill, starting the mill to warm it up. At the same time that I hit the clutch switch the air got to the injectors. It sputtered and died.
My genius does not stop there, no I have to diagnose the fuel problem and don't realize what I did until I have the bleeder loose and am pumping the primer bulb!
That dang cataperkins will not run on air.
With a full tank and a quick bleed it started right up.
mh

[Jim_Rogers]

Well, here is the background.
My pickup truck is on its last legs. So instead of putting more money into it, I bought a SUV to drive around town and other business trips.



 

I got this 2013 Chevy Captiva. That could be my first mistake. But what I am writing about is what happened while I was driving it.

I had a business trip planned to drive to Kansas City, MO. My gps program said 18 hours drive. So, I was going to do two days driving 9 hours each day as to not overdue it. (Per wife's instructions).

Well, I packed up the SUV with the tools I was taking and my luggage. Filled the gas tank full and started out.

Along the way west from my home in eastern NC, I stopped to see a friend at his house. Then continued on.

As I drove, I was watching the gas gauge and it was going down, per usual and I said I'd have to stop for gas when it gets to 1/4 of a tank.

I kept driving. Little did I know or realize that the gas gauge sending unit was broken.

I drove 500 miles and ran it out of gas. Boy did I feel dumb. The gas gauge read 1/2 tank.

I was sitting on the side of the highway in Knoxville TN out of gas.

I called AAA to ask for roadside assistance and to bring me some gas. 
Before they could get there, another roadside assistance fellow stopped and asked what the matter was. I told him I ran it out of gas. He poured in a gallon and asked if that would be enough. I said how far is the nearest gas station? He said two exits down the highway.

I managed to get to the gas station, without running out again.

While filling up AAA called and asked where was I?

I canceled them and they said no problem as they hadn't sent out a truck yet.

The remainder of my trip I had to use the trip odometer to keep track of my mileage and filled up every 300 miles.

Today, I am home, and it was a long drive over there and back.

Jim Rogers

[firefighter ontheside]

Oh man, that's a rough way to find out your gas gauge doesn't work.  At least help showed up and it didn't involve you walking miles for gas.  I guess you'll be in the shop soon getting that fixed.

[Jim_Rogers]

Oh man, that's a rough way to find out your gas gauge doesn't work.  At least help showed up and it didn't involve you walking miles for gas.  I guess you'll be in the shop soon getting that fixed.

I've got to take it to a couple of repair garages to get several prices for replacing the fuel pump/sending unit in the gas tank.
Jim Rogers

[Hilltop366]

I'd do a bit of google research about the vehicle before going to a garage Jim, it could very well be the sending unit but the few GM vehicles I have had had lots of electrical and dash issues.

[Resonator]

X2. Have them do an electrical check- test make sure it's not a wiring issue.
I've heard of Captiva's referred to with a letter R added in the name...

[beenthere]

Jim, so how many miles per gallon did you end up getting on this trip?