Lessons learned the stupid way

   / Lessons learned the stupid way #32  
My first attempt at water skiing was on New Years Day ,,, in a farm pond ,,, and none us knew how to ski. T’wasn’t a wise choice of activity. Our only excuse was we were about 15 or 16.
 
   / Lessons learned the stupid way #33  
I was RUDELY AWAKENED by the most horrific torrent of water - and it was ICE cold. For whatever reason this operation caused the discharge chute to slowly rotate. It was a bath that I really didn't need. I can still remember how very cold it was.
PICTURES!!!!
 
   / Lessons learned the stupid way #34  
It's mid- July here. Hotter than the gates to Hell. My little lake is REALLY inviting. So - on with a pair of shorts - down to the dock on the far end. A wild run down the dock and a gigantic leap off the dock end.

Man - I just about pulled the "Jesus act". Walked on water almost all the way back to the dock. This water must have just come off an Antarctic glacier.

Tried just once and had a really steep learning curve. Now we wait until late August.
View attachment 731129
Years ago we were marking wood out of a remote camp with no running water. Most weeks we went out to town on Tuesday nights to rent a shower, but Thanksgiving week was short so we didn’t. Headed home Wednesday night I was pretty rank and it was unseasonably warm, so I stopped by the river for a quick soak and soap. It wasn’t until I jumped in that I remembered 6 days earlier it had been iced over.
 
   / Lessons learned the stupid way #36  
Sorry - Newbury - no pictures were ever taken. Pond has not formed in over ten years. We are going thru an extended dry period here. Besides - lesson has been learned. I will use my trash pump in the future.
 
   / Lessons learned the stupid way #37  
I've had many "tough" learning experiences. Here's just another ...........

Many, many years ago I had my property selectively logged. A couple year afterwards I though I would make an attempt to speed up the decomposition of some of the stumps.

So ... ATV - Honda generator - Milwaukee Hole Hog - ships auger. Off I go to bore vertical holes in some of the stumps. The second or third stump - the auger bound up - the Hole Hog threw me aside like a rag doll.

I WAS NOT defeated. I put a long pipe in the hole where the handle was on the drill. A couple more stumps - the auger bound again. This time the long pipe almost beat the Holly Carp out of me.

Did I learn something - YES - clear the chips out of the hole more frequently.

I was lucky. I didn't get seriously hurt. The ships auger nor the drill received any damage.

And a side note. Those stumps that were drilled DID NOT seem to "rot away" any faster than the non-drilled stumps. I put 5 to 8 vertical holes in each stump. Each went to a depth of 12".
 
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   / Lessons learned the stupid way #38  
Those stumps that were drilled DID NOT seem to "rot away" any faster than the non-drilled stumps. I put 5 to 8 vertical holes in each stump. Each went to a depth of 12".
I found the same thing on a stump from a tree on my mother's lawn. I even poured water into it, in hopes that it would freeze and help the process along.
So ... ATV - Honda generator - Milwaukee Hole Hog - ships auger. Off I go to bore vertical holes in some of the stumps. The second or third stump - the auger bound up - the Hole Hog threw me aside like a rag doll.

I had a similar drilling experience. The box between the loader arms on my L275 had broken out. In an attempt to get one more winter from it I was trying to drill a 7/8 inch hole through the arms with a 1 1/2 hp drill, so that I could put a bolt through it. All went fine until I went through the inside of the arm; and hit the edge of the box. It ripped the drill from my hands and landed on the ground, where it proceeded to wrap the cord around itself until I was able to get it unplugged. Fortunately the trigger was an on/off switch, otherwise my finger wouldn't have fared very well. I did manage to bend the 1/2 inch shank of the bit, ruining a brand new $65 piece of steel.
 
   / Lessons learned the stupid way #39  
I have some "lesser quality" wood bits with long shanks. I learned - right away - not the bits to be using with the Hole Hog. Unless you are a fan of twisted spaghetti art.

I have one ships auger - 3/4". As I remember it was about $60 to $65. It has a shank that looks like it could be used as a pry bar.

Actually - it looks like a HD pry bar with flutes.
 

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