The Descriptive Process

[northmanlogging]

When you need a pipe tap, so you call NAPA cause they are easy to get into with a log truck, and they don't have the right size, which is fine, I didn't expect much from this particular NAPA anyway.

So You go to Lowes cause its the only hardware store nearby you can maybe park a log truck...

And they have literally 4 different sized taps in the ENTIRE store, 1/2-13, 1/4-20, 1/4-18NPT and 10-32, But not 3/8-18NPT Even went over to the PLUMBING section to see if they were hiding some over there...

Dude told me to call NAPA, and that they were not into auto parts.... MOFO you are standing in the PLUMBING SECTION where EVERYTHING is pipe threads...

I may of called him and the NAPA morons to his face...

I might add the Tap and die section at Lowes is the same size as a nearby normal hardware store (one you won't get lost in) Yet I've never had a problem finding taps and dies through them, at least normal SAE stuff, and some Metric junk too...

Anyway, the ******* that put cheap brazed fittings on the log truck grapple cylinders and then rather then thread them weld them into the cylinder... (you know the parts that get beat on the most) need to be kicked in the teeth... with dirty boots.

 

[catbuster]

Had to use these, doubled, unplanned today...

That’s never a good thing.

 

[northmanlogging]

ok, but I bet there's a story there

 

[catbuster]

So... I have two D8s, an L model and an R model. A D8L is the size of what a new D9 is. They were working shot rock trying to punch a road alongside a blue-line stream. The guys decided the 8L, which is open station, would be run by the our new operator.

Anyway, I don’t know how, nor do I care at the moment, but somehow the big 8 found its way into said blue-line stream (ouch, expensive fines) and stuck fast. He tried to do the right thing by picking his front up with the blade and backing up, but just sunk the blade halfway into the soft spot he found his way into and put the dozer on an angle which caused oil pressure to drop and shut the dozer off. I pulled up, and promptly started shouting profanely in the direction of the operator and foreman. After I cooled off some, it occured to me that I have an old D7 with a big Carco winch that’s been sitting at the shop unused for... A while & thankfully started. So rigging commenced, other equipment was used as a deadman, the little hoe puncheoned out and did some digging around the dozer, yada yada, and I started yanking on it. It broke one of those big ass chokers. It took doubling up and driving forward with the 7 and the winch spooling in finally jerk the thing out.

It was supposed to be the last day before we take off for 12 days. I guess we’ll see about trying to repair a riparian area and haul two big dozers back to the shop tomorrow.

 

[northmanlogging]

no fun at all.

 

[rwoods]

CB can’t “like” your post but am glad the dozer is upright and out. My first up close memory of a Cat is a D-8 with a cable blade stuck in the muck with a stump between the blade frame and the crawler. As a 5 year old or so, I watched them struggle all day. Finally got it out by unhooking the frame and chaining logs across the tracks. They raked out a huge alligator turtle in the process.

Ron

 

[northmanlogging]

Some Saturday log hauling, 3 log load of figure maple...

 

[slowp]

My "education" is coming in handy, I think, for mundane things. I just put up a mailbox using the flimsy kit that is made for it. It's not very straight in our sandy soil. I'm thinking a guyline is in order and turnbuckle. I used beater falling wedges to try to straighten the post, but to no avail. Then put shims in, and it is better, but I don't like it.

Logging engineering school and seeing many twister configurations in the real world might pay off, or not. Next trip to the hardware store will be for guyline and turnbuckle. Twisters would not be suitable in the urban environment. A couple of beater cats would be a bit of overkill so I'll maybe use tent stakes for anchors.

 

[rwoods]

For the uneducated like me - I was in Lowes looking at their recent shipments of 2 by 6 studs. Sticker said Idaho group. Anyway it look like pine to me, but red. Had some real tight grain, but almost every stud had multiple fractures in the ends. What species do you think it might be? With all the fractures, it made me wonder how good of studs they were.

Today, I cut a few 6" to 8" wind blown pines of some variety (Virginia, maybe) to prevent potential spring traps from a 40" plus red oak I was falling. Anyway, I rarely cut softwood and was surprised how brittle the pine was, to the point I think I just wasted my time as they would have likely just snapped upon impact. At least the stumps are not pointy.


Ron

PS I took this picture last week as I waited in the Dunkin Donut drive-thru. Familiar to anyone here?

 

[catbuster]

For the uneducated like me - I was in Lowes looking at their recent shipments of 2 by 6 studs. Sticker said Idaho group. Anyway it look like pine to me, but red. Had some real tight grain, but almost every stud had multiple fractures in the ends. What species do you think it might be? With all the fractures, it made me wonder how good of studs they were.

Today, I cut a few 6" to 8" wind blown pines of some variety (Virginia, maybe) to prevent potential spring traps from a 40" plus red oak I was falling. Anyway, I rarely cut softwood and was surprised how brittle the pine was, to the point I think I just wasted my time as they would have likely just snapped upon impact. At least the stumps are not pointy.
View attachment 899425

Ron

PS I took this picture last week as I waited in the Dunkin Donut drive-thru. Familiar to anyone here?
View attachment 899424

Pine sucks. Fir is a much better wood for... Everything.

CA-CNF is Cleveland National Forest out of south-central California. Those boys & girls are a long way from home. Probably working burns or mopping up the end of our spring fire season in Cherokee NF if that Dunkin’ is close to you. You can call and find out if you want, they won’t bite, I promise.

 

[rwoods]

Greeneville, Tennessee. I am not aware of any fires here. Maybe help for a controlled burn? I should have swung around and asked the guy who was packing the second truck. Second truck appeared to have fixed windows, I bet that could be a little uncomfortable on the ride home.

Ron

 

[catbuster]

I might call for funsies. R8 (Kentucky down to the Gulf coast & east-west from the Atlantic to Texas) does a lot of prescribed burning this time of year. Where they are they’re either passing through or in the Cherokee.

Can’t comment on the windows, but generally any sort of engine isn’t a very comfortable ride. Most of the time the D5 or 6 I use is a better ride.

 

[northmanlogging]

For the uneducated like me - I was in Lowes looking at their recent shipments of 2 by 6 studs. Sticker said Idaho group. Anyway it look like pine to me, but red. Had some real tight grain, but almost every stud had multiple fractures in the ends. What species do you think it might be? With all the fractures, it made me wonder how good of studs they were.

Today, I cut a few 6" to 8" wind blown pines of some variety (Virginia, maybe) to prevent potential spring traps from a 40" plus red oak I was falling. Anyway, I rarely cut softwood and was surprised how brittle the pine was, to the point I think I just wasted my time as they would have likely just snapped upon impact. At least the stumps are not pointy.
View attachment 899425

Ron

PS I took this picture last week as I waited in the Dunkin Donut drive-thru. Familiar to anyone here?
View attachment 899424

Idaho, most likely Inland Doug Fir, supposedly its harder then coastal fir, and colloquially called "red fir" cause of the darker red color

Its harder then some maples, and will destroy a lesser nail even with checked ends.

 

[northmanlogging]

My "education" is coming in handy, I think, for mundane things. I just put up a mailbox using the flimsy kit that is made for it. It's not very straight in our sandy soil. I'm thinking a guyline is in order and turnbuckle. I used beater falling wedges to try to straighten the post, but to no avail. Then put shims in, and it is better, but I don't like it.

Logging engineering school and seeing many twister configurations in the real world might pay off, or not. Next trip to the hardware store will be for guyline and turnbuckle. Twisters would not be suitable in the urban environment. A couple of beater cats would be a bit of overkill so I'll maybe use tent stakes for anchors.


View attachment 899362

I suggest some rebar for tail holds, sLowes usually has some pre bent, or at leas 2' lengths.

some 3//16 aircraft wire would do ya just fine, put a itty bitty farmer/flemish eye on the ends and take out the next snow plow that attempts to check your mail.

Maybe a couple concrete filled Tonka dozers if you can find them if your going for that proper authentic scrap iron landing look.

In somewhat related news, some studies were done on the various eye splices, loggers 3 tuck, blind tuck, and Flemish/Farmers eye, and turns out the farmers eye was stronger then all of them, like by a lot. most broke at or around the last tuck, as thats the first bend point, where the farmer eye doesn't have any tucks and is a glorified molly. (the Flemish being the same thing but with a ferrule or cable clamp added to secure the otherwise loose ends)

 

[slowp]

do ya think that knitting needles could be little tiny marlin spikes? We each did one splice in a forest engineering lab--go beavers. Since I seem to have a learning disability when it comes to knots, I'd need a really slow motion youtube video to follow.

My first remedy will be driving in some rebar around the post. That might could help.
Previously, I had a flimsy, not lockable, box on a pipe in a large bucket of sand and rock. The plastic was not going to last long.

 

[slowp]

Greeneville, Tennessee. I am not aware of any fires here. Maybe help for a controlled burn? I should have swung around and asked the guy who was packing the second truck. Second truck appeared to have fixed windows, I bet that could be a little uncomfortable on the ride home.

Ron

Air conditioning is our friend. Things have come a long way from when the FS was convinced that AM radios were a safety hazard and only two employees should have 4x4s to drive.

 

[northmanlogging]

do ya think that knitting needles could be little tiny marlin spikes? We each did one splice in a forest engineering lab--go beavers. Since I seem to have a learning disability when it comes to knots, I'd need a really slow motion youtube video to follow.

My first remedy will be driving in some rebar around the post. That might could help.
Previously, I had a flimsy, not lockable, box on a pipe in a large bucket of sand and rock. The plastic was not going to last long.

A farner eye is mostly the same, but you split off a couple more lays, so there is a long tail, then do your best to keep the tail from unraveling, works fine for most things, but can hang up on brush etc and get unraveled in a hurry, hence the ferule or cable clamps to secure it.

 

[rwoods]

I've been told many times that it doesn't pay to be cheap - probably true for me today. Cutting firewood as usual, but trying to save out a saw log from a red oak that had all the limb load and lean in the wrong place creating more load than I wanted to attempt to wedge alone. No problem just use a snatch block and a 3/8" HF import winch line (cheaper than buying cable and you get a hook in the deal). The falling went well but when unhooking the cable what I find indicates that it could have been a disaster.

I will either go back to rope or buy some USA cable and use a shackle.

To make things worse, the 16' log must have been on steroids as it should have weighed right at 3000#, but I couldn't drag it with my little tractor.


No problem, I will just pull forward and winch it with my military surplus Humvee two speed hydraulic winch. Moved it about 40' and with a "pow" the winch stops working.


I don't believe that log was worth all the destruction of my cheap stuff. I guess I need to invest in better stuff or find something else to do in my spare time before somebody gets hurt.

Ron

 

[Skeans]

Breaking a set of jack is interesting when you think they’ll act the same as your old set wrong.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[catbuster]

Well that’s a load of happy horse ****. Those things are expensive