Whats the hardest lesson you have learned?

flip · August 23, 2010, 01:17:40 PM

me thinking to myself, "I know I can squeeze that between my guides".

Halfway through the log. "Hmmmm, guess it was wider than I thought".

me pulling broken band out of log too big to fit between guides. "You idiot, I will never do this again"!

next week.... "I know I can squeeze that between my guides". :

Banjo picker · August 23, 2010, 06:50:40 PM

I seem to resemble several of those lessons as well....thanks for the tmi info..now I know..

I don't do much texting...when I try I mess it up about half the time ...Tim

Okrafarmer · August 23, 2010, 09:31:54 PM

Quote from: Banjo picker on August 23, 2010, 06:50:40 PM
I seem to resemble several of those lessons as well....thanks for the tmi info..now I know.. I don't do much texting...when I try I mess it up about half the time ...Tim

Just so you know, when people use the phrase TMI, it often implies that they strayed farther than necessary into an embarrassing topic. Like telling everybody that you need to go poop when it would have sufficed to say "I'll be back in a few minutes." :-[

:-\ :

paul case · August 23, 2010, 10:54:16 PM

Quote from: Okrafarmer on August 23, 2010, 09:31:54 PM
Quote from: Banjo picker on August 23, 2010, 06:50:40 PM
I seem to resemble several of those lessons as well....thanks for the tmi info..now I know.. I don't do much texting...when I try I mess it up about half the time ...Tim

Just so you know, when people use the phrase TMI, it often implies that they strayed farther than necessary into an embarrassing topic. Like telling everybody that you need to go poop when it would have sufficed to say "I'll be back in a few minutes." :-[ :-\ :

that truly was tmi i think we were using the term tmi way before cell phones and texting. pc

Okrafarmer · August 23, 2010, 11:02:02 PM

Quote from: paul case on August 23, 2010, 10:54:16 PMthat truly was tmi i think we were using the term tmi way before cell phones and texting. pc

I know I was using it before I ever texted. 8)

Texas Ranger · August 24, 2010, 09:47:48 AM

Never tick off the first guy on the green chain.

Piston · August 24, 2010, 11:19:28 AM

After the mill has been sitting a while, always check for hornets nests!

WDH · August 24, 2010, 09:24:00 PM

That hornet comment makes me think about another hard lesson that I have learned:

After harrowing over a yellow jacket nest, don't jump off the tractor onto one leg while the tractor is still running

.

Okrafarmer · August 24, 2010, 09:54:57 PM

Don't lose your cell phone. Or your keys. Or your wallet. Been guilty of all this in the last year. Much of it in the last week!

Magicman · August 24, 2010, 10:05:03 PM

It started raining, so I sent my help to raise the windows in the truck. He also hit the wrong button and.....locked the truck. Did I say that it had started raining. My cell phone was also in the truck cab, and we were about a mile back in.

I don't work in the rain, but I can get wet in the rain.

Okrafarmer · August 24, 2010, 10:08:43 PM

Quote from: Magicman on August 24, 2010, 10:05:03 PM
It started raining, so I sent my help to raise the windows in the truck. He also hit the wrong button and.....locked the truck. Did I say that it had started raining. My cell phone was also in the truck cab, and we were about a mile back in.

I don't work in the rain, but I can get wet in the rain.

:D ;D :D ;D :D ;D :D ;D

smile_banjoman

"Good help, good help, good help, good help is SO hard to find!
I've searched the world over and I'm losing my mind,
Good help is SO hard to find!
Good help, good help, good help-- good help is SO hard to find!
I've tried and I've failed, but oh, never mind,
Good help is SO hard to find!"

Banjo picker · August 24, 2010, 10:13:11 PM

Quote from: Magicman on August 24, 2010, 10:05:03 PM
I don't work in the rain, but I can get wet in the rain.

Did he break the news to you or just let you find out on your own? Tim

Magicman · August 24, 2010, 11:08:02 PM

I happened to be looking toward the truck. I guess that he knew, cause he immediately tried to open the door. Then he went around to the other side and tried it. :

There is a spare truck key in the toolbox now. ;)

Okrafarmer · August 24, 2010, 11:09:47 PM

Always check for wind before cutting a tall straight tree.

paul case · August 24, 2010, 11:29:12 PM

Quote from: Okrafarmer on August 24, 2010, 11:09:47 PM
Always check for wind before cutting a tall straight tree.

was you fixing fence , calling the insurance agent , or worse?pc

Okrafarmer · August 25, 2010, 12:03:10 AM

Thankfully it never went too badly for me, Paul, but some guys got paid to come cut down white pines in my trailer park I used to live in-- I had wanted to do it, but because I had no insurance they didn't let me-- or they thought I couldn't do it-- one nice 3' diameter plus 100' white pine I had always admired and wanted to cut-- nice and straight as an arrow-- they took it down and it went 90 degrees on them and took out the power line and started a brush fire! Wasn't their day! Unfortunately they got to keep all the wood. I would have sold it to the mill if I could have done it.

backwoods sawyer · August 25, 2010, 12:13:35 AM

It took me a while but I finally learned that there are some places that that a pack of dogs chasing a bear can go, that my truck could not. Nevertheless, there are still a lot of places it can go that it should not go. Still working on where the mill should and should not go. ;D

JBS 181 · August 27, 2010, 01:49:46 PM

I have not posted in a while because I have been out of the business for a bit but will soon be back to cutting a few boards on a small bandmill for local customers.
I wouldn't say this was a hard lesson and I should have known better. If you happen to go into business with somebody else be very sure that is what you want to do even if it is somebody you know well.
You could end up doing most of the work, thinking, repairing etc. for the same pay.

medic1289 · August 27, 2010, 03:06:54 PM

Do not assume the mill key is in the truck you're actually using to drive to a distant job!!

The BEST lesson I've learned is: if there is a big ring of keys for the horse trailer in said truck, one of them MIGHT just fit the mill, listen to your better half and check before you try to hotwire the mill

Bad happens, good happens, but you just never know which will be when.

Life is good, sy

Chris Burchfield · August 27, 2010, 08:19:01 PM

Being stung by a couple of red wasp who set up home in your mill is less painful and cheaper than running, falling on your knee busting your meniscus, having to have surgery then paying what insurance won't.

WDH · August 27, 2010, 08:49:09 PM

Amen.......

sigidi · August 28, 2010, 06:12:17 AM

You can never "guarantee" what will come out a log

Cedarman · August 28, 2010, 08:56:56 AM

Never put something away so you won't lose it. You will find the thing you put away to keep from losing it shortly after you buy the replacement.

paul case · August 28, 2010, 09:08:27 AM

Quote from: Cedarman on August 28, 2010, 08:56:56 AM
Never put something away so you won't lose it. You will find the thing you put away to keep from losing it shortly after you buy the replacement.

me 2. got a good inventory of safe parts somewhere.pc

Banjo picker · August 28, 2010, 12:35:37 PM

Quote from: JBS 181 on August 27, 2010, 01:49:46 PM
I have not posted in a while because I have been out of the business for a bit but will soon be back to cutting a few boards on a small bandmill for local customers.
I wouldn't say this was a hard lesson and I should have known better. If you happen to go into business with somebody else be very sure that is what you want to do even if it is somebody you know well.
You could end up doing most of the work, thinking, repairing etc. for the same pay.

Amen...I learned that lesson while in the concrete business...Tim