Did something dumb today.

[WV Sawmiller]

  Yeah, who would have thought cutting a limb/top off of a utility cable would cause the cable to sag even more? A reasonable person naturally assumes when you cut the weight off, it will rise back up closer to where it used to be. ???

[samandothers]

 Yeah, who would have thought cutting a limb/top off of a utility cable would cause the cable to sag even more? A reasonable person naturally assumes when you cut the weight off, it will rise back up closer to where it used to be. ???

That was before the CATV started using poplars to hold up their cables. 

[fluidpowerpro]

Just wondering....
Has anyone ever started a thread with the subject, "Did something smart today"

I've been considering starting one but I'm struggling to come up with the first post. 

[Magicman]

Smart ??? 

[doc henderson]

fluid, all the other threads are the "did something smart"...    

[Old Greenhorn]

FPP, I had thought the exact same thought about a month ago, but try as I might, I could not come up with an opening post either. At that point I realized it was just another dumb idea of mine, which brought me right back here. :D

 Truthfully though, I came to realize that this is a pretty humble group that doesn't tend toward bragging. When most folks come up with a smart idea, fix, or creation, they just call it the 'right' way. Usually when I do something others might consider 'smart' I just figure that I got lucky.

[Old Greenhorn]

I like the way Doc phrased it. Fact is, most threads are '...did (or 'doing') something' threads and we only have one for the dumb stuff, so that's not a bad ratio. ;D :D

[WDH]

In a similar vein, I have wondered about a new thread similar to the Useful Sawmill Mods that would be titled Useless Sawmill Mods, but I figured there would be no use in reading it :D.  

[doc henderson]

I was so busy at work that I went several weeks and no sawing.  the temps have been around a hundred here as well.  "Not sawin nothing" thread.

[Big_eddy]

It was yesterday, not today, but it was still dumb.

My log splitter has been down in the shed since we finished up our wood back in March. I'm building a second one, so I have been going down there regularly over the last few weeks with a flashlight and tape measure (and @#@# reading glasses) taking measurements and making notes, as I was either a lot smarter 5 years ago when I made this one, or I have a lousy memory.

Yesterday, my wife agreed to help out a neighbour who had a large poplar come down, so we headed over there with the saw and trailer and cleaned it up for her, then dragged the blocks home. Poplar is not good firewood, but it burns and we have a wood fired pool heater that is insatiable, so we decided to split it and stack it in a separate pile.

I hooked the gator up to the splitter and dragged it over to the splitting area, and set everything up nicely, with the trailer load of blocks on one side and some pallets handy to stack the splits on. Because it had been a few months since it ran, I checked the hydraulic fluid levels, fuel tank and even checked the oil. Tossed a nice straight block into the trough and fired it up. Waited a minute to warm up, then split the block. Flipped the lever to retract, AND THE PUSHER DID NOT RETRACT. Instead, the cylinder retracted towards the pusher. Took a second to figure out what was going on and slap the lever into neutral. While I had been doing my measurements, I had removed the cylinder anchor pin and left it out. DOH!!. I was millimeters from having 15+ tons of force rip the hydraulic lines out.

Fortunately the only thing damaged was my ego, but another millisecond or two and it would have been messy. The hydraulic line to the cylinder base was stretched tight around the anchor post.

[doc henderson]

now that is a good one.  glad you got it stopped.  I have hooked up my grapple bucket to hydraulics and not the quick attach.  first dump, off goes the bucket and although they tried, the ends on the hydraulic hoses could not stop and suspend that heavy bucket mid air.        lets assume I have only done it once and learned a valuable lesson.

[Nebraska]

Yikes...... I sorta did the same thing yesterday. I undid the quick attach on my grapple bucket. Saw a squirrel or something, hopped on the tractor started to move it.... By the Grace I saw movement  where it shouldn't be and I quick realized  undoing the hydraulic hoses before you move is important :...my brain had moved on to the the pallet fork attaching which was happening next.   :  
Then half an hour later the front tire got tired and  the tube let go.  Held air well enough to move it to where the tire truck can get to it.  I said to myself a couple weeks ago those front  tires need to go this fall.  Guess it's happening now if we can get  them found which will be the next obstacle.

[rusticretreater]

A "did something smart today" thread would likely be useless to a lot of folks.  People think they are so clever.  What passes for smart for one person is Captain Obvious or experience for another. Common sense, it occurred to me and really smart are subjective and differ from person to person. "Hey, I did something smart today. I remembered to bring the first aid kit for when I do something dumb."  Smart or experience? Ask three finger Wally.

Lack of sensibility, mistakes, oopsies and dumb however, are all pretty much covered by dumb.  Its just a matter of degrees.

[Resonator]

I consider just being on the Forestry Forum as doing one thing smart. ;D

[fluidpowerpro]

Just want to make sure everyone realizes my initial post was a joke....
Did something smart....can't come up with what to post.... :D

[doc henderson]

you are good fluid!  We got it Fluid!  we are all joking as well and piling on.  note all the smiley and laughing emojis!   :D :D :D

[fluidpowerpro]

Thats good. Was a little worried...
Although it is in the something dumb thread, didnt want anyone to think it should have been in the someone dumb thread. :D

[rusticretreater]

My humor is sometimes not so obvious.  I guess I was trying to be too clever.   Chalk it up to experience! ;D

[Southside]

When they want to those hydraulic hoses will be a lot stronger than one could possibly imagine.  Had a baler fire last year and after trying to put it out in vain - right as I opened the chute to dump the bale the wind picked up 30 MPH - even the FD guys who showed up asked where the wind came from.  Anyway, so I tried to put it out until that wasn't in the cards, then I decided to save the tractor, pulled the hitch pin and drove off as the flames were licking the cab of the tractor.  Baler hitch falls and digs into the ground, the PTO comes apart as planned, but the hydraulic quick connect will not let go.  Now I am dragging an 8,000 lb baler with its hitch plowing 6" into the soil by two 1/2" well aged hydraulic hoses and the flames are getting larger.  I jumped out, tried to pull them from the quick connect to no avail and decided that 300 HP and high gear will identify the weakest link,  so I jumped back into the cab, put her into a high gear, full throttle, and dumped the clutch, both front wheels came off the ground by a couple of inches and the baler stayed put, the quick connects let go.  I ended up cutting the fittings off the BBQ hose remains when things cooled down, but yea, those hoses held on tight.  

[fluidpowerpro]

My humor is sometimes not so obvious.  I guess I was trying to be too clever.   Chalk it up to experience! ;D

Yea, I'm the same way. The danger is that I assume everyone else is also and then learn the hard way. 

[Don P]

lets assume I have only done it once and learned a valuable lesson.

One of the nice things about the lull is being able to chain a big work platform to the forks, load up with tools and siding and head for the sky. When done drop off the gear and dump the trash in the dumpster. Safety is always important for one's workmates but it really sucks when one dumps the trash AND the work basket down into the bottom of a dumpster. I hate it when I'm "one" :D

[Old Greenhorn]

You know Don, they make safety chains for those, right? ;D

[K-Guy]

Speaking for myself, I've learned a lot of good lessons in life but very few by doing something smart!!  smiley_jester

Remember, although you will kick yourself at the time, if no serious injuries or damage occurs take time later to laugh about it and don't forget the lesson.

[Don P]

Todays lesson, take the truck all the way to the bottom of the hill to load, it seemed flat enough  :.

About the time I got on the deck with the bobcat it decided to slide and I really didn't want to be on that ride anymore. I was leaving the rear as the front was leaving the road, too close!



 

[Hilltop366]

The back wheels on the truck got a little light did they?

A guy around here did that, it all ended up in a pile at the end of his driveway along with his other vehicles! (down hill towards his house)