At Home In The Woods

[Obed]

Here are some pictures of the basement after getting things cleaned up.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Obed.

I wanted to take a welding class like you also but same story here. I just wanted a couple week class in the evenings, maybe 8 to 12 hours of the basics.

In the long run I watched every thing I could on You Tube and shows where they do fab work like Hot Rod shows and stuff. I then bought 2 welders and went at it. One welder is a 250 amp Miller Stick Welder. The other is a 180 amp Hobart Wire Welder. This got me started but I still had some questions so I found a local fab shop. I started paying the guy to do projects for me and talked him into letting me watch if I helped out doing other things like cleaning up. I really learned a lot doing this.

I would not weld a bridge together or anything like that now but I fix broken stuff all the time. I figure if it can kill me I will let the pros do the final welding like when I built my log splitter I cut everything, tacked it together, then paid them $100 to do the final welds. Looks factory built.

Chris

 

[dstig1]

Obed it looks like your cleaning has revealed a little mouse hiding back in the corner there! Very cute.

 

[dstig1]

Community colleges or other 2-year colleges are the ones that have the best chances. The other thing to do if you don't see anything in the catalog is call and ask. And if they say no, ask if they have considered offering anything like that. I know there is interest. You may have to go up the chain a little to find anyone that might be able to do something about it. It sure does help.

We have 2 on this side of the Twin Cities that offer some welding classes off hours. One is a public trade school (St Paul Technical College) and the other is private 2-year place (Century College). The first one is a lot bigger with better offerings. They have a stick class that I took many years back, and re-took last year that runs 4 hrs one night a week and then a TIG class that ran 4hrs on Sat AM. Both were full semester. I didn't know about the TIG class until after I started or I would have done that one too. A number of the people in my class took both at the same time.

Otherwise if you can find someone to give you lessons 1-1, that is hard to beat.

 

[tony Cecil]

Garage sure looks good I hope by the end of this year to join you Tony

 

[clemsonfor]

M7, I get envious everytime I see all the stuff you make with your welder. I couldn't tell if your man-cage was welded or screwed together but it still reminded my of your welding projects.

You actually motivated me to check the local colleges a few weeks ago to see if I could find a beginning welding class. I struck out; all the classes I found were full-blown one year welding curriculum. I might look around some more. I thought I might take a class just to see if I would be interested enough to buy my own welder.

Obed

I taught myself how to weld on a $89 harbor freight mig fluxcore welder. Its not hard, just buy one if interested and watch videos on the net and read. We have a welding section here on TBN. Once your good or like it then spend some real $$ one one. But i can weld some pretty good stuff for my cheap welder. Im not welding trailer hitches on or anything but fix implements weld my boat fenders back on things like that. Lawnmower deck repairs, buddies dock frame, you name it i have got my $90 worth.

I had it in a closet for a year or more cause i thought it was cheap and did not work, i took my time and monkied with the settings and figured it out with some angle iron and welding on it. It turned out i was just going to fast to begin with. Get some thicker 3/8 or so stuff and take your time to learn motion and speed, then you can try thinner stuff.

 

[MotorSeven]

M7, I get envious everytime I see all the stuff you make with your welder. I couldn't tell if your man-cage was welded or screwed together but it still reminded my of your welding projects.

You actually motivated me to check the local colleges a few weeks ago to see if I could find a beginning welding class. I struck out; all the classes I found were full-blown one year welding curriculum. I might look around some more. I thought I might take a class just to see if I would be interested enough to buy my own welder.

Obed

The Man Cage is all welded.

Like Clemson, I just bought a Mig, read up on it and started welding(even a Caveman can Mig). Don't get me wrong, there is a lot to learn and still today I would love to take a class if I get the chance. That being said, for what most homeowners do, the welds don't have to be perfect. Getting a decent machine is important and a 175 or larger is my preference. Craigslist deals abound and I picked up my Millermatic 210 from a Firefighter that was trying to buy his first house...$800 and it was basically brand new. I bought it in late 2006, and looking at all the fixes and projects I would guess I have saved $3K so far. Just one project alone was the 16' extension for my sawmill. Factory 6'8" extensions were $600+ each, so I would have needed 3 to the tune of $1800. The 16'-er I built cost me about $600 in new steel.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Obed,
get any of that snow last week?

 

[Obed]

Obed,
get any of that snow last week?

Yes but it didn't last long. As soon as the sun came out, it melted away.

It was in the 70s today. This is our time of year when it can be on the teens one week and in the 70s the next.
Obed

 

[Obed]

I got to use my trailer for cutting firewood. That's one of the primary reasons I bought it. My process in the past has been to cut the logs into 6 to 9 ft lengths at the log pile and transport them on the FEL forks to the area beside the house where I do my final cutting and splitting splitting. This time I changed things up a little. I decided to cut the logs into firewood lengths at the log pile and put them on the trailer. With the trailer parked facing downhill, I could set the 18" long logs on the trailer and roll them downhill to the front of the trailer.

I had a little trouble wrapping the chain around the ends of one of the logs because I couldn't get the chain under the log. I've considered getting some log skidding tongs but wanted to see if I if I could get by without them. However, after spending 15 minutes trying to wrap the chain around the end of that heavy red oak log, I think I'll get a pair of $40 tongs. The tongs would speed up the process of pulling the logs off the pile and with 80 logs still needing cutting up, I can use every minute of time savings.

I had intended to cut up one more log than I actually cut up. However, when I just had 9 feet of a log left to cut up, my 20" chainsaw stopped running. I suspect the spark plug is fouled. So I went back to the house and got my 14" chainsaw to finish cutting up a 16" red oak log. Cutting with my 14" saw is much much much slow slower. I felt like I was trying to use a toy. Thus, I stopped pulling logs off the pile when I finished cutting up the current log.

 

[Obed]

I pulled the trailer full of firewood long lengths of wood to the area beside the house where I do my splitting. I located the back of the trailer close to the log splitter. This orientation allowed me to pick up the heavy logs and place them on the splitter without having to manuever them around on the ground to position them on the splitter. My back appreciated that setup.

I split and filled a couple pallets of wood. My wife put some plastic over the wood remaining in the trailer. A few weeks ago I moved some 6' to 9' long log sections from the wood pile to my splitting area. I didn't get to cut them up at that time so I left them on the ground. By the time I got around to cutting them up and splitting them, they had gotten wet sitting on the ground through a few rains. Being able to park the wood on the trailer under some plastic allows me to split a little at a time without the wood getting rained on in the meantime.

I believe I finally have enough wood cut and split to last through the winter. I still have the need to cut up and split next's year's supply to get as much drying time as possible. Of course, I have other projects that will compete with my time. We need to finish our back porch and deck and need to get the garden started.

 

[Obed]

I've been fighting a nasty cold the past 2 weeks and I'm still badly under the weather. Something ugly went around work and I caught it. Unfortunately, we had some things break at work so I was up until after midnight several nights in a row working. The lack of rest didn't help my body fight the cold and, I suspect as a result, I've gotten really sick.

I'm getting ready to take a nap. This afternoon I may split a few hickory pieces, move a pallet of wood into the garage, and call it a day. Not much else productive will happen on my end this weekend except hopefully get some needed rest. The firewood pictures I just posted were from work I did last Saturday before my cold made me stop.

On the positive side, the night temps are in the 20s and we have a nice warm fire burning!

 

[dstig1]

Here's what you need. A poker welded on one end and a slip hook on the other. Loop that around the log and then hook a chain from your tractor with a grab hook onto the chain:

From a quick web search here:
Log Harvesting & Log Skidding

You can make that as easily as anything. The poker helps you get it under logs on the ground. If you had that welder you've been talking about, you'd be able to make that up quick. There we go spending your money again...

 

[CurlyDave]

... However, after spending 15 minutes trying to wrap the chain around the end of that heavy red oak log, I think I'll get a pair of $40 tongs. The tongs would speed up the process of pulling the logs off the pile and with 80 logs still needing cutting up, I can use every minute of time savings...

The terminology is a little confusing, but by "a pair of tongs" I presume you mean one set of tongs. Just like a pair of pliers is actually only one item.

Tongs are frequently used in pairs of sets. For example, think of one set of tongs hanging from a short chain at each end of your FEL bucket. This allows you to pick up a log and keep it more or less level even though you might not be centered on the exact balance point. This is going to be really helpful with the large log pile you have.

 

[Obed]

Here's what you need. A poker welded on one end and a slip hook on the other. Loop that around the log and then hook a chain from your tractor with a grab hook onto the chain:

From a quick web search here:
Log Harvesting & Log Skidding

You can make that as easily as anything. The poker helps you get it under logs on the ground. If you had that welder you've been talking about, you'd be able to make that up quick. There we go spending your money again...

Dave, the poker would work well if the log were on the ground. However, at times, it would not work very well getting the chain around the log on the log pile depending upon the orientation of the logs. A set of tongs would work every time and be very quick to attach to the log.
Obed

 

[Obed]

The terminology is a little confusing, but by "a pair of tongs" I presume you mean one set of tongs. Just like a pair of pliers is actually only one item.

Tongs are frequently used in pairs of sets. For example, think of one set of tongs hanging from a short chain at each end of your FEL bucket. This allows you to pick up a log and keep it more or less level even though you might not be centered on the exact balance point. This is going to be really helpful with the large log pile you have.

CurlyDave, yes I meant one set of tongs like one pair of pliers. I could see how having two sets of tongs could add even more capabilities. I will probably start out with one set of tongs and see how it goes.
Obed

 

[clemsonfor]

I got an old set of tongs from my family farm. There cast. I think they used them for logs back in the day for skidding maybe. I used them for pulling 8ft lengths off my big trailer when a logger loaded 8ft logs on it. I used it attached to a chain and my boom pole on my tractor.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

I've been fighting a nasty cold the past 2 weeks and I'm still badly under the weather. Something ugly went around work and I caught it. Unfortunately, we had some things break at work so I was up until after midnight several nights in a row working. The lack of rest didn't help my body fight the cold and, I suspect as a result, I've gotten really sick.

Same here Obed. Whole family has been down. Started kind of like an allergy, then we all got to vomiting and such. Then the phlegm and cough just won't go away. The following week, my young children ran persistent fever that got up to 104 so we took them to the doc. After an x ray, the doc says that it seems like a bronchial infection and prescribed antibiotics. It still took 2 days and 4 doses of antibiotic for the fever to subside. We are all still coughing and coughing. If your daughter gets fever or symptoms, I recommend a trip to the doc ASAP.

 

[RadarTech]

I hope you both get to filing better soon...
The 5th season starts soon and we all know that during Tractor season it us really tough when the tractor is a calling for attention and your sick...

Chin up... Sickness out rest well and hope to hear good news soon!!

 

[Obed]

We had to go hide out in the basement twice today/tonight due to tornado warnings. My wife and girl went down to the basement while I was leaving work. That storm missed our property. Then tonight we went into the basement again when the weather service observed a tornado located right where we live. We got hit with hail and heavy rain and wind. The noise of the storm was ferocious. The radar showed the strongest part of the storm going right over us. We'll see tomorrow if we have noticeable hail damage.

Two days ago a tornado hit 4 miles from the 61 acres we sold last year. That tornado killed 2 people and made a swath 6 miles long and 2 miles long. It destroyed 7 houses and damaged 50 more. With that news fresh in my mind, the new storms that came through today got my attention.

Fortunately, the tornado did not hit us. I'm hoping the vehicles didn't get dented up. I put our new car (2003 Subaru) in our garage 15 minutes before the hail arrived. I wonder how the plastic John Deere tractor did?

Obed