How'd it go today?

[Tucker943]

It really was a delight Jack. I've been foolish enough to miss out on too much stuff with my kids to grow this business. I've never even taken my kids trick or treating. Always out chasing work. frig that. My nearly 3 year old daughter and I spent all morning crawling around on the floor pretending to be "scary monsters". I've been realizing lately im on a bad path of putting work too far ahead of my kids. That, will be changing.

 

[Jack]

 

[FJR]

That is awesome Chris. It is nice to stop and smell the roses. I bet your kids were tickled pink too.

We have been moving and shaking here, in some pretty shitty weather lately. Pruned 22 mature Burr Oaks yesterday in the rain. Would have taken two full days with two climbers and a wraptor. I kept thinking about that while I was in the air. Today was pruning 5 mature Silver Maples, and removing a some what smaller one. Tomorrow some mature Burr Oak removals, on what looks like golf course quality lawn. Then Friday, off to New Orleans. It will be my first real vacation in years, even though its only for four days I am looking forward to it. Bring on the jambalaya!

 

[Tucker943]

Id kill to taste some food down in New Orleans. I bet its delicious.

 

[squisher]

I know the feeling at times too.

Pushing hard into some lousier weather for around here too, although it never really gets to bad here. Cold and wet has been the norm for the last bit. I've gotten a nice little batch of handfalling here of late for a big highway change/project just down the road from me. It was alot of fun, culminated in the worst tree left to last a 36"DBH cottonwood leaning really hard over the rotten railway tracks and tel/power. Had full highway stoppage for it and two big hoes at my disposal for it. It was lots of fun, a guy and a pull line anchored to bomb proof anchors. The projects going to take nearly a year to complete for the road/construction crew so lots of time for bragging lol.

Now I've got some more boring but much creamier city work to carry me into the winter aways. Fully booked and booking spring work like mad. Starting to get alot pickier about work, no hedging/low work and no stumps unless I make them. A couple of my sort of competitors have had some major screw-ups recently which is helping to boost my demand I think. Trying to stay careful and focused so I don't have any myself.

 

[Tucker943]

You're in a good position bro.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Good to hear, you guys!



Came back to the office after finishing up a park and Christmas came early. Our WRAPTOR and 600' of rope was sitting there!!!!

We will have a Wraptor training day next week, weather permitting, then go out to a park at a boat- access only island to deadwood a camp ground. What timing, a bunch of climbing work and a Wraptor!

 

[MasterBlaster]

That's sweet!

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Congratulations on the Wraptor!!!!! Awesome!

 

[flushcut]

It was a good day subbing for a guy just doing some stumping. He needed them ground the same day they came down all smallish but PITA access.
Wraptor envy!

 

[Maximalist]

A few photos of today's work.

 

[stig]

Got rained out of the woods today, so we went home and looped some chains.
I made a lazy Susan thingie on the lathe ( in about 10 minutes) for the rolls of chain to sit on, that really speeded the process up.
Logging season is only weeks away, so it is good to be prepared.

 

[Jack]

Trade show was great ... lots of cool stuff ... met many old friends ...

And, AND, got me some ZK2, bee-line, pintos ...
Gonna do me some WRENCHIN' TOMORROW!!!
WHAHOO!

 

[Al Smith]

Another one of my half-fast fixes that doesn't warrent a thread .8 HP industrial briggs engine ,ball bearing crank shaft that flung a rod through the block

In case it's not apparent the rods are the weak link on a Briggs .They can't take sustained speeds in excess of normal governed speeds of 3600 RPMs very long before the rod exits the side .Normally the valves will float above 4000-4500 rpm but they will run faster if set lean and usually they fly part as did his one .Blew a hole the size of a golf ball .

Most people would have junked the engine except old junk yard dawg Al .Landed a rod and piston from flea bay on the cheap and plated the hole over with 12 gauge aluminum and sheet rubber Buna-N for a gasket .

Ran it at half throttle for about 20 minutes ,no leaky oily .

 

[Burnham]

That's amazing, Al.

 

[MasterBlaster]

The Amazing Al!!!

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Bon Fire time...... Hopefully some video comes out ok. Everyone had a great time.

 

[cory]

Good stuff, Al

 

[Al Smith]

Ha I told ole Tom I got it running ,he couldn't believe it .I landed a couple other engines real cheap from Craigs list .

One was another 8 HP Briggs that was a cart engine with a Comet clutch .As such they have to turn the crank end down to 3/4" and it can't really be used for anything else .As I type that one is on my bench getting another crank I had landed from flea bay .Crank,rod ,piston 25 bucks including the shipping .

For those who do not know Briggs made those flat head engines in three basic forms .The I'C meaning iron cylinder bushed main bearing .The I'c industrial ,ball bearing crank iron cylinder .Plus a third ,plain bearing chrome cylinder which is the least desirable.The mains are merely the aluminum housing no brass insert bearing .

This last engine being the cheapy is what I'm working on now but they do work and work well just not like the other two as far as robust. I'll have to dig up a governer for it though should I ever use it which shouldn't be that hard for an old dumpster diver like me .

 

[1BUS]

I had one job today, just remove some dead wood from a large oak, got a nice early start, I set two climb lines, went back to the truck to get my harness and no harness no gear bag, it was on my back porch at home, I forgot to put it in the truck, its a first for me, after that everything else has gone pretty good.

 

[Al Smith]

In spite of farting away most of the morning once I got in gear got a lot done .Changed the oil in everything I own .Finished the last of the Briggs engines and test ran it ,stowed in away .Insulated the flue liner .Hauled a load of firewood to the garage .Stowed all the lawn furniture for winter now ----beer thirty .

 

[Cobleskill]

Did you use the vermiculite based insulation, Al?

 

[Al Smith]

I was going to but changed my mind .I stuffed unfaced fiberglass batting about 5 feet down from the top .This is the portion that sticks above the house subjected to the wind .

It's also the top portion of the liner which would loose the most heat and in theory collect the most creosote .Fiberglass doesn't melt until it hits about 2300 degrees and all I'm trying to go is keep it as close to 300 as I can .If it got that hot it would do goofy things to the liner any way . It's inside a clay lined masonary chimeny .

I tried a little fire a few days ago to see how well that 7" round liner would draw .I do believe it has more that the 9" square clay liner .That I don't quite understand so I'll have to review my theory on physics .

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Seems like a 7" round pipe cross section would be 3.5x3.5x3.14= about 38 sq. in., whereas the 9" square would be over double that. It seems that it would take a lot more heat to get that column of cold air to rise. A smaller amount of fresh air would enter the firebox, making it harder to get a strong fire going. Taken to either extreme, a huge cross section or a drinking straw cross section would probably not work. Maybe its just a matter of having a better 'happy medium'.

 

[pete mctree]

Had a really busy couple of weeks. Some woodland work & alot of highway trees to kill. Not had much energy for much else to be honest