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Author Topic: crazy things you have done  (Read 6724 times)

Offline starmac

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crazy things you have done
« on: December 26, 2017, 04:29:44 PM »
What are some of the crazier things you have done and got away with in the woods.

Here is one that somewhat pertains to logging.
Years ago in Texas I had some crews clearing 28 miles of row for a new transmission line that was heavily wooded. 99% of this was done with dozers with just a small percentage of saw work.

The row went across a new lake that had just in the last 5 or 6 years filled up, There was 400 feet of mature trees standing dead in the water that had to be cut 4 feet above the water line, so boaters could see them.

Since I had more saw experience than any of my hands along with more boating experience, I decided to do the saw work myself.
I did take my labor foreman with me in the 14 foot aluminum flat bottom, he couldn't swim so I insisted that he wear a life preserver, I didn't because of the heat. lol
As soon as paddled a few feet from bank, he threw his back, insisting it was too hot, and if I didn't have to wear one he didn't either.
I really didn't see too much problems, so went along with it. lol

We took one end of a 500 foot spool of 1/2 inch nylon rope to pull the tree out with the other end hooked to a D 6 dozer.

Anybody see any problems yet? lol
Well I pick a tree that is probably around 18 inches across, these trees have been dead several years but still have their limbs. Anyway, standing in the boat, as soon as I tried to make a cut, the boat just started to go around the tree, so my helper had to tie off his end to steady the boat, before I started I tied the rope as high as I could, planning to cut it approximately half way and let the dozer pull it down after we had paddled away a safe distance. I really do have safety in mind you understand.lol

After we paddled back 20 or 30 feet I motioned for the dozer to pull it down, well have any of you got any idea how far a wet 1/2 inch nylon rope will stretch, geesh it seemed like a 1/4 mile, but I stupidly still do not see a problem, I mean the most that can happen is the rope breaks, big deal.

Well all of a sudden there was an explosion, I am talking the tree literally exploded, complete with the noise and everything. About a 2 foot section of the trunk that the rope was tied to , not only never cleared the approximately 400 feet of water, but probably was another 100 feet or more over land before it touched down and it was literally raining wood, big wood. I dove in, so did my helper, remember he can't swim, but drowning at the time I guess looked better than what was coming down on us. lol

The boat was damaged some, but I fished my helper out and neither had any injuries to speak of. lol
I do not think there was a piece of that tree anywhere that was over 4 or 5 feet long.

Offline furu

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Re: crazy things you have done
« Reply #1 on: December 26, 2017, 05:29:59 PM »
I know it was not funny at the time; however I am in near hysterical laughter as I read your description of the event.
Thank you for my daily laugh. 

The only thing that I can really say that was all that crazy was when  my mulching machine (14K) was sliding pretty much uncontrolled down the hillside sideways as it lost traction as I was proceeding to work my way up the hill mulching/masticating.  It was wet and thus rather slippery and when the tracks came in contact symmetrically with some downed material it spun me sideways so I was neither pointed up or down but was sideways on the slope.  A lot of bad things go through your mind during a slide like that.
Integrity is not just doing the right thing.
Integrity is not just doing the right thing when no one is looking.
Integrity is doing the right thing when no one else will ever even know.

Offline joasis

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Re: crazy things you have done
« Reply #2 on: December 27, 2017, 08:33:34 AM »
I don't think I have ever thought of this as "funny", but.....when I was a kid working the summer at the grain elevators in my town, we loaded rail cars with wheat for shipment, and as we filled one, we would release the brakes and get it to roll down the siding. We used an LA Case tractor, and it had a heavy old 1 inch cable maybe 50 feet long looped around the swing frame. We were always told to hang the cable on the old work light on the tractor, and not let it drag the ground.

I never paid much attention to stuff like this, and was pretty smart...so I go in the habit of dragging the cable back up the right of way....and as I crossed the tracks on the last time I did that, I felt the tractor "tug" ( I was in road gear, probably 10 mph), and turned around to see the cable fly over my head by maybe as inch. Maybe less.

It had hooked on something and by the Grace of God, slid over and missed me on the way by. Had it not slipped over, it would have flipped the tractor. Had it hit me, I would not be typing this.

I still shiver when I think of that day in 1976. 
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Offline starmac

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Re: crazy things you have done
« Reply #3 on: December 27, 2017, 03:08:12 PM »
Joasis, a friend of mine had a farm tractor stuck, he hooked on to it to pull it out with a huge tow strap he had just because of the safety factor over a cable or chain. There was nothing to hook the strap to on the tractor, so they used a short piece of chain to tie to.
The chain broke, and the stretched strap was like a souped up sling shot, the chain came through the back glass and killed him instantly.

Offline joasis

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Re: crazy things you have done
« Reply #4 on: December 28, 2017, 08:29:15 AM »
I can count 3 as the number of people killed that I personally knew by accidents while pulling with chains, and one was 14 at the time.

I know guys who still think you cannot break a chain, but if it it as load tested to #3000 or so, or even double, and you hit it with a vehicle weighing thousands, it will happen.
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If anyone has any issues, I can be reached at the number above, anytime.

Offline drobertson

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Re: crazy things you have done
« Reply #5 on: December 28, 2017, 09:49:27 AM »
With you guys talking about pulling and straps and all, it did bring back a memory for me, it borders more stupid than crazy looking back at it,, Just after getting married, the next month actually, me and the bride were on a little drive around the back roads and river, (stream more like it) Jacks fork, any way, we were in my 68 3/4 ton,2wd, and I got the notion I could cross at the Harlow ford,, its possible with a 2wd, if you take the right angle. We were coming back across from the other side to our side when I missed the angle, drove into the drop off and sat on the frame, like snap quick, so had to walk up the hill and call, yes my FIL to bail me out, he had his old 65 chevy short bed,4wd and the tow strap, 2 hard pulls and nothing to show but deep trenches in the sand and pea gravel, the old saying third time's the charm, you bet, he backed up and took off,  I dumped the clutch and shot out like sling shot, nothing broke that I remember, but I had a good heaping of humble pie, from time to time I still get reminded of that, and there's still pie left,,

Offline Ox

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Re: crazy things you have done
« Reply #6 on: December 28, 2017, 11:24:16 AM »
One night many years ago while drunk and crazy I rode my 4 wheeler right through the middle of town (it's a small town but we now have a Dollar General and there's two bars now) around midnight or so to get a beer at the tavern.  Snuck in past some run down buildings and parked behind one of them, over the bank and hidden in the ding weeds.  Closed the bar down and rode back out.  I know all the cowpaths around so if a trooper just happened to see me at that time of night it wasn't a big deal.

This is just one reason I stay away from alcohol now.  I used to get crazier'nhell.  I also learned there's a very, very fine line (almost invisible) between crazy and stupid.  However, even in my worst times and craziest times I was still totally honest and forthright.  I will brag on myself about that because there's not much else I can brag about.

Another crazy thing was I put a 302 fuel injected engine I rebuilt into the backhoe once many years ago.  I changed it over to carbureted (heads, intake, carb), made a short driveshaft with u joints and had two transmissions and a Ford truck clutch.  It was impractical so I tore it all out and then rebuilt the diesel.
K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Stupid
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without
1989 GMC 3500 4x4 diesel dump and plow truck, 1964 Oliver 1600 Industrial with Parsons loader and backhoe, 1986 Zetor 5211, Cat's Claw sharpener, single tooth setter, homemade Linn Lumber 1900 style mill, old tools

Offline starmac

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Re: crazy things you have done
« Reply #7 on: December 30, 2017, 01:08:41 AM »
Ox, don't feel bad, I have done that a bunch,with no drinking involved. lol

For a while back in my drinking days, I lived on a little lake at Orange Tx. I could take my boat down a bayou and through a power line cut to the sabine river, or go to a few different bars. One night my wife and her sister came down to the bar, and it came a flood. It probably rained 2 inches or more before closing time. My SiS took my pickup back and the wife went with me in the boat. There was a foot or more of water in the boat when we left, so I decided to take the cut and go to the river, pulling the plug to drain the water. This was in febuary and during a cold  spell, on the way back I ran out of gas, but was right by the marina, which was closed. I docked the boat and walked home, it was only 1/4 mile by road, but a couple of miles by water.
Anyway I got the pickup and went back and gathered my wife and left the boat until the next morning.
My sis lived next door, but about 430 in the morning she stuck her head in the bedroom, she was soaking wet and shivering to beat the devil.
It turned out that since we hadn't come back when she thought we should have, she called her boyfriend and they took off in one of those paddle boats looking for us, and it SUNK, they had to swim ashore, then walk through the swamp to get back, all the while we were in a nice warm bed. lol Gotta love them days.

Offline drobertson

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Re: crazy things you have done
« Reply #8 on: December 30, 2017, 08:54:40 AM »
Starmac, that sounds like a typical  good/bad ending, depending on which end you are on!  It also sounds like what it what it was like before cell phones? 

Offline Ox

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Re: crazy things you have done
« Reply #9 on: December 30, 2017, 11:00:09 AM »
Before cell phones!  I think about this all the time.  Since the country is now "cell phoned" I imagine if I broke down out and about and I knock on someone's door to ask to use their phone I'd be looked at quite suspiciously nowadays, huh?  After all, why didn't I use my cell phone, right?  I still don't own one and I really don't plan on it.  Maybe, just maybe when we do our big move south I might consider getting a cheap one just because I can see how it would simplify things and keep the stress down.  But until then?  Nah.  :)
K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Stupid
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without
1989 GMC 3500 4x4 diesel dump and plow truck, 1964 Oliver 1600 Industrial with Parsons loader and backhoe, 1986 Zetor 5211, Cat's Claw sharpener, single tooth setter, homemade Linn Lumber 1900 style mill, old tools

Offline HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader

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Re: crazy things you have done
« Reply #10 on: December 30, 2017, 04:02:27 PM »
Cell phones are the biggest plague to hit the world. Look at all the "important" people walking around talking, or with the damn thing in their hand, talking or texting while driving, shooting videos instead of helping someone that is being attacked, etc., etc., etc.

Offline Ox

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Re: crazy things you have done
« Reply #11 on: December 30, 2017, 07:11:32 PM »
My brother's spoiled kids (me and him are like night and day) have had those big screen phones that play video games and stuff since they were barely walking.  It makes me sick to think how sheltered they're going to be when they hit the big world.  They'll probably be part of those kids that never leave home...
K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Stupid
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without
1989 GMC 3500 4x4 diesel dump and plow truck, 1964 Oliver 1600 Industrial with Parsons loader and backhoe, 1986 Zetor 5211, Cat's Claw sharpener, single tooth setter, homemade Linn Lumber 1900 style mill, old tools