How'd it go today?

[FireFighterZero]

Might be a good idea to get a three key set, maybe the parts store would swap you. I checked the internet and they are available for under one hundred bucks. I looked into propane and it sounds like it likes a lot of advance. If you put your new set on, you may not be able to twist the distributor enough to get it to run right, and the vacuum advance may not be able to compensate for daily driving. I gather propane likes a lot of advance because it is slow burning and needs to be ignited sooner.

 

[squisher]

You got it. They'll swap it for sure.

 

[Limbrat]

Took down three live oaks, boy, that is the heaviest, strongest, gnarliest wood I know of. The way they sprawl you can't get a high TIP so limb walks are an adventure too. It takes a beefy splitter to split it, but it also makes some great felling wedges. I've read that many old ships including the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) were built out of live oak. I can't imagine hand sawing planks out of the stuff. Those were some tough dudes.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Man, I hate killing live oaks.

 

[Grendel]

Pictures from yesterday. . .

 

[MasterBlaster]

White stuff everywhere!!!

 

[Grendel]

yesterday was really nice, today, it's a blizzard.

 

[Limbrat]

Man, I hate killing live oaks.

Yea me too Butch, to me it's one of the most beautiful and extraordinary trees we have here. They just symbolize the old south. Some of these giants will sprawl over 100' with the limbs covered with resurrection ferns and spanish moss sometimes dipping to the ground and turning back up. I understand they can live over 500 years too. The three I took down were all in decline and threatening a house. One was just a C shaped shell of live wood.

 

[MasterBlaster]

The three I took down were all in decline and threatening a house.

That makes me feel much better! I have no problem putting them to bed. But...

It's weird... of all the dead trees I've TD over the years, for the life of me... I don't remember ONE of them being a live oak. I don't think I've EVER seen a dead live oak.

 

[rumination]

That's why they're called LIVE oaks.

 

[MasterBlaster]

It's crazy that I've never thought about it before... I've NEVER seen a dead live oak!

 

[Fiddler]

That's why they're called LIVE oaks.

Got home about 9pm last night. drove 250 miles through snowdrifts puling skid-steer while following the boss pulling log trailer.

Got everything done we planned on, so it was worth it just to take some pressure off the big guy.

 

[Al Smith]

I've only seen a few live oaks .For the life of me I could never see how in the world they could ever cut lumber out of that stuff to find anything long enough or straight enough .From what I gather the USS Constitution "Old Ironsides " was planked with live oak over white oak .

 

[Limbrat]

You're right Al, there's nothing straight about 'em and that's one thing that makes them so strong. Ships, yes, but don't forget railroad ties. Millions of them were sawed out of live oak then dipped in creosote. Like the giant cypress and redwoods, a lot of the big ones are no longer with us. Butch, I hunted with my brother-in-law over in Taylor County, Fl and there's thousands of live oaks on the place and yes, I noticed dead ones scattered here and there like giant grey skeletons. It's the same with cypress, outside of major droughts taking a few small ones, how many dead ones have you ever seen?

 

[Jack]

So ... how's your day goin'?
Mine's GREAT!!!

 

[rskybiz]

Jack I would much rather do that than sit in the parking lot of I -10 for the two hrs I did after picking up my father in law from the airport. Longest I've ever sat in traffic

 

[Cobleskill]

s. Butch, I hunted with my brother-in-law over in Taylor County, Fl and there's thousands of live oaks on the place and yes, I noticed dead ones scattered here and there like giant grey skeletons. It's the same with cypress, outside of major droughts taking a few small ones, how many dead ones have you ever seen?

I have been in that area. I helped pull old cypress out of swamps with a tracked Bombardier. I was impressed with the live oak, not being from down south. My bud had a place around Perry.

 

[stig]

What is that white stuff in the picture?

 

[Fiddler]

What is that white stuff in the picture?

Washing machine overflowed....

 

[Al Smith]

Ships, yes, but don't forget railroad ties. Millions of them were sawed out of live oak then dipped in creosote.

Traditionally they've made ties primarily out of some type of oak .However they've used just about every kind of wood in a pinch .

When they built the transcontinental RR in certain areas oak was not obtainable but cottonwood was .Legion has it they intermingled the cottonwood with the oak which was later replaced after the railroad was in operation .

I did a little more research on the heavy frigate Old ironsides .It appears the main ribs were in fact live oak held together with black locust pins .Some of the inner planking was live oak over lapped with 7 inch thick planks of white oak .The decking was long leaf pine .

The mighty war ship was made in a day there were shipwrights who knew their craft well .It's unlikely in this day and age if there are many alive today who could duplicate the craftsmanship and knowledge .

 

[Al Smith]

Ha it took me ten minutes to get the old Jeep started and about ten minutes to plow out the drive way .Second gear just a gettin it .

 

[stig]

I just got home from karate practice. I live 60 km from the dojo, and since the roads were dry and free of snow, even though the temps are a couple of degrees below zero, I took the bike.
Whoever designed the aerodynamics on that old BMW sure did one heck of a job. Even running at 180 km/hr I sit in a bubble of still air.
Perfect for this kind of temperature. 5 minutes before I was home, it started snowing heavily, talk about good timing

 

[woodworkingboy]

Stig, can you easily find a dojo to train at your new location?

 

[squisher]

Crap day today. Got a horse down all bunged up in this dry ass winter. He's in the horse hospital which was a decent little drive from here and unfortunately isn't covered by my medical. Yeeowtch. I coulda kept him at home but I'd never get him hydrated enough to have a chance. Tense night tonight.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Horses .... always trying to get doctor visits.... Sorry Squish...

Well... I just had my first interpreted call from I guess a hard of hearing individual...... Estimate on Sunday...