How'd it go today?

[Paul B]

Have fun LJ!

 

[SkwerI]

I cut down a dozen eucalyptus trees today, all back yard work. Nasty nasty trees. And I'm out of shape from not working much, so I'm not going to be doing a lot of moving around tonight.

As I was finishing up, my buddy called me to tell me his boat broke down out on the river about 2 miles from the ramp. I was going to take my boat and go tow him in but my boat hasn't been out since last August. So I started getting it ready, it actually fired off even with the old gas in it. But the steering was locked up and I couldn't turn the motor side to side. Finally got it loose with PB Blaster and a pry bar then loaded it up with grease.

Was just about ready to hook it up to the truck and Mike called again saying he got a tow in to the nearest ramp (not the one he launched from). So I drove up to pick him up and bring him to his truck, then back to retrieve the boat. Just getting back in.

Think I'm gonna order a pizza and bring it over to Mike's so we can discuss his dead boat, fishing, tree work, women and the economy.

 

[OTGBOSTON]

ever meet the stump from hell???

This one is in a historic part of town with brick sidewalks and gas lamps and all that la-dee-da bullships.

I had a tree removed that had swallowed a tree protection thingy (picture 1inch cast iron rods every 4 inches or so 16 inchees in diameter in the middle of a stump)

contractor calls me and says he can't grind the stump, it ruining the teeth...fine by me, I'll have highway pull it with a backhoe. They can't or rather won't do it. Total shit show, they keep calling my office and requesting the stump be removed!!! I mean several different people several times a day. I call their supervisor. He says "well Greg, we tried to pull it with our machine and we're afraid we're gonna break the sidewalk, or the building, or worse." Ok. I say, soooo you want me to go over there and break the sidewalk??? You guys DO fix sidewalks right? Your telling me that the highway department for the City of Boston is reling on the Parks department tree crew to do their job?!?! "yup" he says.

I go to my big boss with the BS, he says fock 'em, don't do it. I think this is great, I have a boss who gets it. We're tree guys, we cut trees and plant them we don't fix friggin' sidewalks

Well today my boss decides to do a 180, he calls me and says make this headache go away.....

I call in the troops and we go at this stump with everything we got, cut here, pull with log truck repeat. Two hours later we stop a guy in a backhoe who is working on the street he was able to pop the section with the iron in it, but when he tried to get it out of the hole he hooked the electrical service

We bolted, called the utility and called it a day

two hours later (I'm at home by this point) my boss calls, utility co wants us to remove the remainder of the stump so they can access the broken line

Call contractor with stumpgrinder, he says no problem I'm on my way (god bless him) He just called me about ten mins ago....never had to take the machine off of the trailer. It seems the "trouble crew" for the utility was putting on a stall tactic by calling in their "underground supervisor" if they work one minute past midnight they get an automatic 8hrs OT

........I need a beer.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Good stories

 

[cybergeek23851]

It wears you thin quick Jay!! I know!
About the time you get settled in and into a movie, or playing with the kid, or working on a project, the phone rings. "Well, gotta go!"

My problem here is I am having to wait out my time in my on-call area. I live an hour and a half away from my main on-call area, and an hour from the closet call site in my main on-call area(5 minutes in my secondary area ).

From A to B is about 2 and a half hours.

 

[Dave Shepard]

Al, I heard that there is no acetylene made in the US, and the last plant in Canada is going to, ore already has, shut down. I'll switch to propane at some point. Not as hot, but way cheaper, and less volatile.

 

[cybergeek23851]

Went to get gas for my cutting torch today ,they certainly are proud of that stuff ,costa plenty anymore .

I know what you mean... last MC cylinder was 30.00 for a bottle swap.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Well I tried to get some rest today, but the kids won't let me. Hate being sick. Bored...... Need I say more.. But I did need a day off. More money came in today from jobs we have been doing, and the receivables were climbing to a level I am not comfortable with. I really like a balance of both receivables and cash. Paid some bills though and got to catch up on some things at home. Rob got a couple small jobs off the books so I am thankful there too, they are a biatch to schedule. So back to Jericho on the tube and soup. Still a good day for all its worth.

 

[Newfie]

My problem here is I am having to wait out my time in my on-call area. I live an hour and a half away from my main on-call area, and an hour from the closet call site in my main on-call area(5 minutes in my secondary area ).

From A to B is about 2 and a half hours.

Just have them give you the rest of Virginia as well. Seems like you have a big piece now.

 

[Al Smith]

Al, I heard that there is no acetylene made in the US, and the last plant in Canada is going to, ore already has, shut down. I'll switch to propane at some point. Not as hot, but way cheaper, and less volatile.

I guess the outfit I buy it from ,one time called Airco is owned by some German concern now BOC .When they bought out Airco they doubled the price of acetelene . I dispise propane and Mapp gas .It is cheaper though but doesn't burn as clean nor as hot . I might think about changing over if I used more of it . My two mid sized gas and o2 cost me almost 70 bucks .It used to be 8 for the oxegon and 12 for the acetelene .

I have the two mid sized sets plus inherited my dads' large tanks and I have 4 sets of torchs .I keep one set at the house and the rest at my shop .

In addition to the torchs 4-5 welders at the shop .I thought about bringing one to the house but changed my mind .If people knew I had one here they would be annoying me to death wanting something welded at all hours . I've been down that road before ,ain't going there again .

 

[Dave Shepard]

I, too, prefer acetylene, but propane will get the job done. The story we got from the welding shop is that insurance for an acetylene plant is either cost prohibitive, or unavailable. For some reason, I always burn the hair off my arm starting the propane torch.

 

[sotc]

shoot jason, haf your area is cover by water, i feel sorry for your coworkers

 

[stehansen]

How about switching to plasma Al? is that doable? I have large tanks and my actylene was $65 about 6 months ago if I remember right. I freakin left it on and had to fill it again about a week later. Made a couple of cuts with it.

 

[Al Smith]

I don't do enough fabrication and repair work to warrent the cost of a plasma cutter . I will admit though they are nice .

As far as the gas ,it varies .I might only get two sets filled per year or once a week depending on what I'm doing at the time . I could likely make a living doing fab and repair work but it is work .The cush job I have now is like semi retirement but hey ,somebody has to do it ,it might as well be me .

 

[Al Smith]

I freakin left it on and had to fill it again about a week later. Made a couple of cuts with it.

I missed this the first time through .To tell the truth most of mine vents off from having my head in butt and not turning off the tank valves . Evidently I'm not the only one .

 

[stehansen]

There are a lot of people doing that type work around here. I think it would be hard to break into that business here.

 

[Old Monkey]

I climbed a willow that was more like a pillar of mud than a tree. In retrospect I probably shouldn't have climbed it.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Well at least your safe and sound Darin.... Careful man!

 

[sotc]

i climbed a birch like that today to. had mushrooms growing inside it!

 

[sawinredneck]

Plasma is nice, but it doesn't give the versatilty that gas does. I have to cut some 1 1/4" plate in the near future, slow going with gas, but doable. Buy a plasma outfit that will cut that and talk to me!!

The nights affairs are over!!! Sat at a table with the wifes bosses, bosses, boss!! Oddly eonugh, I had met him years ago in a drunken stupor, odder yet, he remebebered, EVEN ODDER, he LIKED ME!!!It was an intersesting evening!! Wife kept telling me "I think he needs another beer. Say something witty! Talk some more, he likes you and this is good for me!"
Never thought any of that would come back and be HELPFULL!!!

 

[Newfie]

Sounds like an uncomfortable evening, Andy. Hopefully you looked Mahvelous in your new suit.

 

[sawinredneck]

Sounds like an uncomfortable evening, Andy. Hopefully you looked Mahvelous in your new suit.

You nailed that one!! Her direct boss sat across from me!! Pics of the suit to come!

 

[NeTree]

PICS PICS PICS!!!!



Picked up a rental truck today, since I've discovered that the leaf spring stacks on the side of my truck that was hit are more like loose leafs. Bunch of other things messed up... insurance has already pegged it a total loss.

Sucks... I liked that truck!

 

[Stumper]

It wwas coooold and windy. Temps were actyually above freezing but the wind was biting, Ground a small stump, bid 3 jobs crown reduced 3 smallish cottonwoods pruned 2 young ashes, went to the bank, knocked off at 2;00pm and cleaned up for an outing to Co Springs to have dinner with friends and attend the Gaither concert at the World Arena.
Dang. No wonder I'm tired.

 

[vharrison]

I am headed to the mainland this morning, doing what I can to stimulate the economy!! Going to Georgia for Thanksgiving and I need something to wear.