How'd it go today?

[Fiddler]

Went to Sec of State today to license chip truck. Then had to find somewhere to weigh the truck, then back to SoS. The lowest license they would sell me for it is for 24k GVW. Truck is only rated at 16k. $506 all told.

 

[rangerdanger]

Made it back home with the mini and trailer today, showed it too Dad when I got in, he's stoked about it, wants to get it running as soon as we can. Hopefully within a week or two we'll get it up and going. We need to fix the fuel pump and or carb, and put in the new charging system and we should be good to go, hopefully replace the two drive motors and hydraulic pump in about a month or two.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Good luck!!!

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Katy candle making on a rainy day.
Rented some movies for the kiddos...
Me..... just chillin and bouncing ideas around with her.
Nice quiet day...

 

[MasterBlaster]

Cool.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

All her moulds have been in storage since we have been together. She just recently pulled them out and is going to start trying to market them in town and such. She has tons of moulds, colours and scents.

 

[Tucker943]

Your wife makes beautiful candles. I like them.

 

[Climbinfool.]

Well the knot took some of the strength out... But a straight, slowly increasing amount of pull was exactly what was going on. No shock load Jay. I would like to hear Dave's, Burnam's or Gerry's take on it. Wire rope would have been a better choice. I doubt anyone would have wanted to haul up enough of it for a 5-1 system on a 200' pull and hope it moved the tree.

Sounded like a fare size tree...Wire rope would have probably been the better choice as you mentioned or 3/4. But how did you have it tied off? Bowline at the top or rope running through the canopy and tied at the base ? only reason I ask this, is because you said, it broke at the knot.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Bowline at the top of the main truck section, cinched to the trunk, the crotches were too tight (really poorly attached) to get a rope through with out climbing it and tie with in reach of the ground. Multiple leaders in the upper canopy with poor attachments to use any higher crotches would have raised the risk by ripping a leader off (24" dia ave) from above the faller (me).

 

[Climbinfool.]

I see, the dilemma in your case was the height you needed for leverage. The 5/8 might have done it, but being you had a low pull,put that much more stress on the rope.

You may or may not do this already, but some sometimes when I know I'm going to stress the knot more than needed, I will take wraps accordingly above the Bowline before tieing off distributing some of the stress to the coils.

Never the less, you got the job done and everyone went home safe... and another learning experience.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

If the customer would have authorised climbing, and I had promised it would go exactly into the lay provided, I would have done a couple wraps aloft to take the stress off the rope. I was hoping to overcome the lack of leverage with wedges, and that plan failed to say the least. A little more mechanical advantage could have possibly tipped the scale with some larger rope. A jack would have been nice.
You hit the nail on the head Greg. I love how I never stop learning in this business.

 

[rangerdanger]

Hanging out, got most of my errands done for the day, dropped the mini off at our mechanics shop, gonna do a bit of trade work in exchange for them getting it running, mostly just using it to spread some gravel around their shop, so that worked out well.

 

[brendonv]

What's wrong with it? I thought it ran?

 

[rangerdanger]

Either the fuel pump is bad or something minor with the carb. Thats what Carl figured out when I was down there, shouldn't be much to fix that. Also replacing the charging system right away, gonna wait a few on the drive motors and pump.

 

[lumberjack]

It sat for near 8 months, I'm guessing a stuck float valve or plugged jet.

 

[brendonv]

A bowl clean would probably do. Damn crappy fuel.

 

[Fiddler]

Hung drywall on and off, picked up new eyeglasses and dropped off laptop to be cleaned or repaired, put half the sub-floor in the bath, talked to insurance rep, tore out a small section of wall, and moved and rewired a switch. Just a little bit of carpentry and drywall hanging to go and will be ready to finish.

Might get a head start on some of the taping tonight but going to eat first and see how I feel; kinda bushed right now.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Worked in an old growth forest, surveying for schweinitzii decay in Doug-fir. Less enthused while it rained and was cold. Better when the sun came out and it warmed up.

A good break from 'working'. Hands were a bit sore yesterday after working everyday for the last 2.5 weeks or so.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Nice paycheck though, eh!

 

[SouthSoundTree]

It was nice to go to the bank the other day, except that I let the ATM eat my card. OOPS.

Was great to get to do so much climbing. I rarely every get to climb anything at State Parks. I'll take it all the same.

 

[flushcut]

Not much going on here really. I am waiting on the go ahead for some removals and brush work but I sit and type meanwhile. I might be part of a logging operation logging off 100 acres of old growth hardwood so that is going to be a gas if I get the opportunity. The job is on Lake Geneva for some really old Chicago money. Most of the trees are 100' + and 36-50 dbh. I just really want the chance so I can say I had a part in it.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Sounds of an awesome opportunity Rajan...

I was supposed to rig a limb over a garden area off a good sized black walnut. It seems some snow snuck in last night, so I am going to reschedule it and the burning I had to do.

 

[Tucker943]

Spent time prepping the underside of my chip truck for Rust Guard today. I've started doing it to every truck I buy. It pays dividends. I was half way bored today. Today was my first day since last winter that I had nothing to do. No estimates, no work. I'm hoping to hear back on some bids.

 

[woodworkingboy]

I had a guy and his wife over to my shop for a little barbecue party, cooking on the top grill of my wood stove. I can really make some tasty meals that way. The guy is a gardner and does fantastic work, but he has an odd side that if he is stressed or something, he never shuts up and starts to get a bit argumentative. It builds from there. He is also real kindly and helpful at other times, someone I could go to if something tough came up and I needed help. You never know which one you will find when you get together with him. After about two hours I felt like slugging him. His wife is real nice all the time. He works with his older brother, and when that guy is stressed, he is an idiot beyond any proportion, other times meek and kindly. Once his bad side hit me in the head with the hook of his small crane truck. Maybe that is the problem, their working together? Naw, they don't work during Jan and Feb... Something seems askew in their mental capacities, they can't process stress. Go figure..... When it comes to garden work and pruning, among the best I have ever seen.

 

[SkwerI]

Hah! Sounds like you could be describing me!

Well, I've finally decided to raise my rates this year and began informing my regular clients a week or two ago. I haven't gotten a single complaint and most of them were either "Oh, ok" or "You deserve it." So this will mean an average of $50-$100 more per day for me this year.