highland145
Lifer
- Oct 12, 2009
- 43,973
- 6,338
- 136
- May 18, 2001
- 7,882
- 380
- 126
Sometime before Saturday I'm going to auction off dibs on Mrs. Ned, just in case things get messy.
highland145
Lifer
- Oct 12, 2009
- 43,973
- 6,338
- 136
- May 18, 2001
- 7,882
- 380
- 126
highland145
Lifer
- Oct 12, 2009
- 43,973
- 6,338
- 136
Well, if she can cook...
Reference for those that may have missed it....
Soon after I got home, I eagerly decided to give it a shot. “Hey honey, I want you to get on the kitchen counter.”
“Huh? Ok.” Maybe it was just my imagination, but it seemed like she had a strange, trancelike look in her eyes. The fact that she was agreeable with my request made me cautiously optimistic that it was working.
“Then I want you to take off your clothes…”
“Wow. Ok, whatever you want.” She started to disrobe. I actually couldn’t believe it. Maybe I should pinch myself? This was too good to be true. She was completely under my power, submitting herself to my every whim. The Day of Ned had at long last arrived.
“…and put on nothing but this climbing harness.” I handed her the harness. Ok, so it’s a weird unfulfilled fantasy I’ve had ever since I first started climbing. For whatever reason, she’s always been resistant to it. I’ve always figured if she would agree to do it, I would put an anchor in the ceiling above the bed so I could do some top-roping, if you know what I mean. Technically, this request was a bit of an overreach on my part, but since I was obviously in complete control I figured there was no reason to not swing for the fence.
“…Huh? Wha??? What the heck are you talking about??!??”
The glazed look left her eyes. The magic moment was gone. I realized it. She realized it. My powers had left me at the worst possible instant. I clumsily scrambled to salvage anything from the flaming wreckage: “I said, I want you to get on the kitchen counter.” The weakness in my voice was apparent. I was no longer in command, if I ever had been. Right before storming out of the room, she promptly gave me helpful suggestions about where and how deep I could shove the kitchen counter.
Reference for those that may have missed it....
Soon after I got home, I eagerly decided to give it a shot. “Hey honey, I want you to get on the kitchen counter.”
“Huh? Ok.” Maybe it was just my imagination, but it seemed like she had a strange, trancelike look in her eyes. The fact that she was agreeable with my request made me cautiously optimistic that it was working.
“Then I want you to take off your clothes…”
“Wow. Ok, whatever you want.” She started to disrobe. I actually couldn’t believe it. Maybe I should pinch myself? This was too good to be true. She was completely under my power, submitting herself to my every whim. The Day of Ned had at long last arrived.
“…and put on nothing but this climbing harness.” I handed her the harness. Ok, so it’s a weird unfulfilled fantasy I’ve had ever since I first started climbing. For whatever reason, she’s always been resistant to it. I’ve always figured if she would agree to do it, I would put an anchor in the ceiling above the bed so I could do some top-roping, if you know what I mean. Technically, this request was a bit of an overreach on my part, but since I was obviously in complete control I figured there was no reason to not swing for the fence.
“…Huh? Wha??? What the heck are you talking about??!??”
The glazed look left her eyes. The magic moment was gone. I realized it. She realized it. My powers had left me at the worst possible instant. I clumsily scrambled to salvage anything from the flaming wreckage: “I said, I want you to get on the kitchen counter.” The weakness in my voice was apparent. I was no longer in command, if I ever had been. Right before storming out of the room, she promptly gave me helpful suggestions about where and how deep I could shove the kitchen counter.
So if things don't get messy it will be kind of like a time share thing?
Thebobo
Lifer
- Jun 19, 2006
- 18,574
- 7,672
- 136
- May 18, 2001
- 7,882
- 380
- 126
small update - I got the tree down this past weekend with a lot of anxiety but without any real trouble. Just to recap: I had a large dead tree that had fallen into a live tree, both of which were hovering over the area where the wall is going to be. The trunk had about a 16"-17" diameter because my 18" chainsaw just barely got through it.
Cutting any tree is always risky, especially one that is hung up. In addition, this tree was pretty big, so my strategy Saturday was to do everything as slow & controlled as necessary.
It took 4 cuts to get the tree on the ground, and I ended up taking about 10' out of the trunk before it finally fell. I used the step-down cutting method & a come-along for the 1st cut to get it off its trunk, then also for the next 2 cuts, each of which took about 3' apiece out of the trunk. Still the danged thing wouldn't get unhung from the live tree so it could fall. After 3 cuts, the tree was at about a 45 - 50 degree angle, I was worn out (exhausting work), and I was getting real frustrated that it was taking so long. So for the 4th cut I did a more traditional front wedge cut on about 4' of trunk, hoping that the tree would buckle on the hinge and then get unhung as it fell. At this point, the tree was being held up by the tiniest of branches but still wouldn't rock free. So the tree did buckle on the hinge exactly as planned, but the hinge didn't break so nothing moved. Not sure what else to do, I did 4 plunge cuts directly in the hinge but perpendicular to it in hopes that I would weaken it enough for the tree's weight to break it. On the 4th plunge, I heard a pop so I got my saw out. A gentle push with my foot and the tree safely fell to the ground, and I would spend the rest of the day cutting it up. As it turns out, the tree hit the ground exactly where the wall will be, so it was necessary to get it down.
Now I'm ready to start digging holes & try to get my 3 poles in the ground. The weather has been pretty rotten the past few weekends, so I'd like things to dry out. The area near the wall is always kind of marshy, so I've decided that after I get the wall built I'm going to spend a day digging a French well with a drain line in hopes to dry it out.
I'm still waiting on 2 poles to be delivered, so when I see my lineman friend I may jog his memory about bringing them to me.
I had to buy the come-along, so $50 expense. I sort of don't want to count this as a project expense because I needed one anyway...
Cutting any tree is always risky, especially one that is hung up. In addition, this tree was pretty big, so my strategy Saturday was to do everything as slow & controlled as necessary.
It took 4 cuts to get the tree on the ground, and I ended up taking about 10' out of the trunk before it finally fell. I used the step-down cutting method & a come-along for the 1st cut to get it off its trunk, then also for the next 2 cuts, each of which took about 3' apiece out of the trunk. Still the danged thing wouldn't get unhung from the live tree so it could fall. After 3 cuts, the tree was at about a 45 - 50 degree angle, I was worn out (exhausting work), and I was getting real frustrated that it was taking so long. So for the 4th cut I did a more traditional front wedge cut on about 4' of trunk, hoping that the tree would buckle on the hinge and then get unhung as it fell. At this point, the tree was being held up by the tiniest of branches but still wouldn't rock free. So the tree did buckle on the hinge exactly as planned, but the hinge didn't break so nothing moved. Not sure what else to do, I did 4 plunge cuts directly in the hinge but perpendicular to it in hopes that I would weaken it enough for the tree's weight to break it. On the 4th plunge, I heard a pop so I got my saw out. A gentle push with my foot and the tree safely fell to the ground, and I would spend the rest of the day cutting it up. As it turns out, the tree hit the ground exactly where the wall will be, so it was necessary to get it down.
Now I'm ready to start digging holes & try to get my 3 poles in the ground. The weather has been pretty rotten the past few weekends, so I'd like things to dry out. The area near the wall is always kind of marshy, so I've decided that after I get the wall built I'm going to spend a day digging a French well with a drain line in hopes to dry it out.
I'm still waiting on 2 poles to be delivered, so when I see my lineman friend I may jog his memory about bringing them to me.
I had to buy the come-along, so $50 expense. I sort of don't want to count this as a project expense because I needed one anyway...
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lxskllr
No Lifer
- Nov 30, 2004
- 60,127
- 10,590
- 126
- May 18, 2001
- 7,882
- 380
- 126
Since you obviously survived getting the tree down how would you like to work out the timesharing of your wife? You can take weekends if you prefer, I like Wednesdays and Thursdays. How does that sound to you, my schedule is flexible though so if you prefer other days just let me know?
- May 18, 2001
- 7,882
- 380
- 126
and another small update...
This weekend I had the intention of getting at least one pole in the ground, but it didn't happen for reasons that will be clear below.
First, I went to the hardware store & bought 1) some high strength cordage - $10, and 2) 5 2x4's - $20
The test hole I had dug a few weeks ago was too small for the pole I am going to put into it. The pole has a diameter of 10 1/2", so I figured I needed a 14" hole (party to account for the space that will be taken up by the backstop). So I spent some time expanding the hole, and then I hammered 3 2x4's into it to create the backstop. So far so good. To be sure that the hole was big enough, I cut a small piece of 2x4 that had a hypotenuse of 10 1/2", nailed it on the end of another 2x4 in a T shape, then lowered it into the hole & made sure that the hole is large enough all the way to the bottom. I figure that I am going to get only 1 easy shot at getting this right... one screwup and my 2nd attempt will be much, much harder. It turns out that even with the backstop a 14" hole is significantly too big. For the next pole I might dig just a 12" diameter hole & save myself some digging.
With Mrs. Ned's help & a fulcrum/lever, I got a pole up onto the cart I made for the purpose of moving the poles. The pole I chose probably is the heaviest one I have, so I figure if I can get it in the hole, I should be able to do all of them. The pole is heavy enough that it immediately flattened one of my tires... bummer. The cart was somewhat useful in helping move the pole around, but less than I had hoped. Had the tire not flattened it probably would have been much more useful.
So I backed my truck up close to the hole and attached my come-along to the tow hitch. I also built a short "runway" out of 2x4's that led to the hole, to help fine-tune the end of the pole into the exact position I wanted up against the backstop and to keep it from plowing through the mud. I got the pole into position with relative ease. At this point, even Mrs. Ned (my greatest skeptic) admitted that to her amazement things were working exactly as my meager engineering skills said they would.
Part of the plan for lifting the pole is to attach 2 lengths of cordage to the pole near where the tow chain is attached (about the midpoint of the pole). The cordage will be staked to the ground on either side of the pole to prevent it from wagging side to side as it is lifted. While I was still back in my shop I fabricated some stakes that I think will hold securely enough.
Now for the problem... The cordage I'm using is high strength & should have no problem controlling the wag so long as there is no shock load. To prevent shock loads, the plan is to pull the pole as straight as possible, with as much slow control as possible. To do this, instead of pulling the pole with my truck, I'm going to use the truck as an anchor for my come-along and use it for the pulling. I really need the truck to be lined up with the pole as straight as possible to make this work right. So I needed my truck to back up about 4 feet.
The truck was parked in my own private marsh in several inches of mud. I absolutely could not get the truck to back up those 4 feet - it was like trying to drive in Crisco. The truck fishtailed all over the place and just dug itself even deeper into the muck. It's super frustrating to be so close but so far... So after a while I called it a day. Hopefully we'll have some warm, dry days and I can try again next weekend.
This weekend I had the intention of getting at least one pole in the ground, but it didn't happen for reasons that will be clear below.
First, I went to the hardware store & bought 1) some high strength cordage - $10, and 2) 5 2x4's - $20
The test hole I had dug a few weeks ago was too small for the pole I am going to put into it. The pole has a diameter of 10 1/2", so I figured I needed a 14" hole (party to account for the space that will be taken up by the backstop). So I spent some time expanding the hole, and then I hammered 3 2x4's into it to create the backstop. So far so good. To be sure that the hole was big enough, I cut a small piece of 2x4 that had a hypotenuse of 10 1/2", nailed it on the end of another 2x4 in a T shape, then lowered it into the hole & made sure that the hole is large enough all the way to the bottom. I figure that I am going to get only 1 easy shot at getting this right... one screwup and my 2nd attempt will be much, much harder. It turns out that even with the backstop a 14" hole is significantly too big. For the next pole I might dig just a 12" diameter hole & save myself some digging.
With Mrs. Ned's help & a fulcrum/lever, I got a pole up onto the cart I made for the purpose of moving the poles. The pole I chose probably is the heaviest one I have, so I figure if I can get it in the hole, I should be able to do all of them. The pole is heavy enough that it immediately flattened one of my tires... bummer. The cart was somewhat useful in helping move the pole around, but less than I had hoped. Had the tire not flattened it probably would have been much more useful.
So I backed my truck up close to the hole and attached my come-along to the tow hitch. I also built a short "runway" out of 2x4's that led to the hole, to help fine-tune the end of the pole into the exact position I wanted up against the backstop and to keep it from plowing through the mud. I got the pole into position with relative ease. At this point, even Mrs. Ned (my greatest skeptic) admitted that to her amazement things were working exactly as my meager engineering skills said they would.
Part of the plan for lifting the pole is to attach 2 lengths of cordage to the pole near where the tow chain is attached (about the midpoint of the pole). The cordage will be staked to the ground on either side of the pole to prevent it from wagging side to side as it is lifted. While I was still back in my shop I fabricated some stakes that I think will hold securely enough.
Now for the problem... The cordage I'm using is high strength & should have no problem controlling the wag so long as there is no shock load. To prevent shock loads, the plan is to pull the pole as straight as possible, with as much slow control as possible. To do this, instead of pulling the pole with my truck, I'm going to use the truck as an anchor for my come-along and use it for the pulling. I really need the truck to be lined up with the pole as straight as possible to make this work right. So I needed my truck to back up about 4 feet.
The truck was parked in my own private marsh in several inches of mud. I absolutely could not get the truck to back up those 4 feet - it was like trying to drive in Crisco. The truck fishtailed all over the place and just dug itself even deeper into the muck. It's super frustrating to be so close but so far... So after a while I called it a day. Hopefully we'll have some warm, dry days and I can try again next weekend.
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- May 18, 2001
- 7,882
- 380
- 126
...and more news. Pole #4 was delivered this morning, and it's a freakin' monster... 35', making it the largest pole so far (the others are 25', 25', & 29'). Now I'm rethinking my pole configuration. If #5 turns out to be long (i.e. ~30' or more), and I'm able to actually move these poles (since they are so big), I may build upwards a little more. My most recent plan has my climbing surfaces stopping at 16' tall, but depending on how long pole #5 is, I might be able to build up to 24', which is what I originally wanted. Exciting times; I hope they bring #5 asap
- May 18, 2001
- 7,882
- 380
- 126
Pole #5 arrived last night, and it's a good one - 29' long and in nice shape. So now that I have all my poles I know for sure my sequencing. I have 2x25', 2x29', & 1x35'. So I'll make the wall nice & symmetric - 25' - 29' - 35' - 29' - 25'. This puts the stoutest pole at the middle, which I think will be good for stability. Since the wall is going to roughly be in an "S" shape, all the poles will be tied with lumber to this central pole. This also means that my central 2 climbing faces (out of 4) can be tall - probably 24' of vertical climbing space. Plus since it is the tallest, I think I may be able to get by with only one anchor point in it (for the rope) for the entire wall; I think I may drill all the way through it near the top, place a large eye bolt, then clip a carabineer on it.
We're supposed to have 2-3 days of warm, dry weather, so I'm seriously hoping that this Saturday my swamp will have dried up enough to try to lift at least one pole if not several.
We're supposed to have 2-3 days of warm, dry weather, so I'm seriously hoping that this Saturday my swamp will have dried up enough to try to lift at least one pole if not several.
- May 18, 2001
- 7,882
- 380
- 126
Not really... but I've put a ton of genuine research into how to do this safely, and talked to a lot of intelligent people (mostly at work) about what I'm doing & how I'm doing it.
Wow, so many jokes from your post considering our new time-sharing agreement with Mrs Ned but I'm a bigger man than to rub it in.
As for the wall, although not the progress you wanted obviously at least you have all of your main pieces now and a complete plan of action. Can't wait to see it finished.
As for the wall, although not the progress you wanted obviously at least you have all of your main pieces now and a complete plan of action. Can't wait to see it finished.
- May 18, 2001
- 7,882
- 380
- 126
The Cap'n
https://goo.gl/photos/MXoJvhBmbgd1g2AZ7
The pole teasing the hole
https://goo.gl/photos/QaFyGUi7ARKa491H9
Getting my chain back
https://goo.gl/photos/Pg2mHDstpG2Qcobx6
"Monster"
https://goo.gl/photos/ZvHAtVgxqhJ9JLT39
https://goo.gl/photos/MXoJvhBmbgd1g2AZ7
The pole teasing the hole
https://goo.gl/photos/QaFyGUi7ARKa491H9
Getting my chain back
https://goo.gl/photos/Pg2mHDstpG2Qcobx6
"Monster"
https://goo.gl/photos/ZvHAtVgxqhJ9JLT39
- May 18, 2001
- 7,882
- 380
- 126
So as you can see, Saturday I got my first pole lifted. It took longer than expected, but in the end I learned a ton and am confident that 3 of 4 of the remaining poles will go quickly.
Last weekend I failed to lift the pole because the area around the hole was so marshy that I couldn't get my truck into position where I needed it to be. The ground was a little damp this weekend, but much improved overall so I gave it a shot. The pole was in perfect position where I left it last week. I got the truck into position without any difficulty, got the chain around the pole about halfway up its length, attached the chain to the comealong, and attached the comealong to the tow hitch of the truck.
Attempt #1: Using the comealong, I pulled the pole into the 2x4 backstop. From what I read on the Internet, at this point the pole is supposed to begin lifting because the backstop is preventing the hole-end of the pole from moving... In reality, I just kept pulling the pole tighter and tighter into the backstop with no lifting going on. I heard the backstop crack, and decided that it wasn't working - I was getting lots of pull but no lift.
Attempt #2: I moved the pole out of position, and dug a shallow trench (maybe 6"-8" deep) to try to angle the pole downwards into the hole enough to get a little lift. I put the pole back into position, pulled it into the backstop, and discovered that I had not fixed the problem... I was pulling the pole into the backstop, but now I was hitting the 2x4's under the ground level. So the 2x4s were no longer in danger of breaking, but I was still getting no liftoff because the flat butt-end of the pole was still pulled tight into the 2x4s. I began to doubt myself a little.
Attempt #3: So when in doubt, add a chain saw to the mix. At the butt-end of the pole, I sawed off a small triangular-shaped wedge to create a pointy linear "hinge" upon which the pole could rotate upwards. I also had plenty of chain length left, so I moved my attachment point further up the pole to lengthen my torque arm. I tightened the comealong again, and still no liftoff, but it seemed like the pole might have moved a little. Suddenly encouraged, I knew what I needed to do.
Attempt #4: I moved the pole back out of position, dug the trench maybe another 2'-3' longer and down to 2' deep at the hole end in an effort to increase the pole's angle even more. I put the pole back into position, pulled it tight with the comealong, and started cranking. I had my back to the pole to do the cranking and suddenly something changed - maybe something started sounding different. I looked over my shoulder and was thrilled to see the pole a foot or so off the ground.
One thing I learned immediately is that the trench was keeping the pole from swinging side to side, so no guy wires were needed. I cranked the heck out of that comealong until the pole was at about a 70 degree angle, then ran into an unexpected issue. As the angle of the pole increased, the angle of the cable also increased. Since my comealong was connected directly to my tow hitch, as the pole got higher I found my "cranking angle" between the cable and my tailgate significantly decreased, so that near the end I could only catch a single tooth, then eventually no ratchet action at all. At that point, I jumped in the truck and very slowly pulled the pole the rest of the way. I could tell the pole was in position because when it fell into the hole, I could see the chain go slack in my rearview mirror.
Since Saturday's R&D took more time than I had expected, I spent the rest of the day moving the 2 newest poles from one end of my property up to where I'm building the wall. The big pole, which my wife has named "Monster," is going to be a challenge. It is so big & heavy I'm going to have to engineer the crap out of the thing. That said, I now have my proof-of-concept and have lifted what I consider to be my 2nd biggest/heaviest pole (after "Monster"). Weather permitting, it is the next pole I'll try to lift next weekend.
Last weekend I failed to lift the pole because the area around the hole was so marshy that I couldn't get my truck into position where I needed it to be. The ground was a little damp this weekend, but much improved overall so I gave it a shot. The pole was in perfect position where I left it last week. I got the truck into position without any difficulty, got the chain around the pole about halfway up its length, attached the chain to the comealong, and attached the comealong to the tow hitch of the truck.
Attempt #1: Using the comealong, I pulled the pole into the 2x4 backstop. From what I read on the Internet, at this point the pole is supposed to begin lifting because the backstop is preventing the hole-end of the pole from moving... In reality, I just kept pulling the pole tighter and tighter into the backstop with no lifting going on. I heard the backstop crack, and decided that it wasn't working - I was getting lots of pull but no lift.
Attempt #2: I moved the pole out of position, and dug a shallow trench (maybe 6"-8" deep) to try to angle the pole downwards into the hole enough to get a little lift. I put the pole back into position, pulled it into the backstop, and discovered that I had not fixed the problem... I was pulling the pole into the backstop, but now I was hitting the 2x4's under the ground level. So the 2x4s were no longer in danger of breaking, but I was still getting no liftoff because the flat butt-end of the pole was still pulled tight into the 2x4s. I began to doubt myself a little.
Attempt #3: So when in doubt, add a chain saw to the mix. At the butt-end of the pole, I sawed off a small triangular-shaped wedge to create a pointy linear "hinge" upon which the pole could rotate upwards. I also had plenty of chain length left, so I moved my attachment point further up the pole to lengthen my torque arm. I tightened the comealong again, and still no liftoff, but it seemed like the pole might have moved a little. Suddenly encouraged, I knew what I needed to do.
Attempt #4: I moved the pole back out of position, dug the trench maybe another 2'-3' longer and down to 2' deep at the hole end in an effort to increase the pole's angle even more. I put the pole back into position, pulled it tight with the comealong, and started cranking. I had my back to the pole to do the cranking and suddenly something changed - maybe something started sounding different. I looked over my shoulder and was thrilled to see the pole a foot or so off the ground.
One thing I learned immediately is that the trench was keeping the pole from swinging side to side, so no guy wires were needed. I cranked the heck out of that comealong until the pole was at about a 70 degree angle, then ran into an unexpected issue. As the angle of the pole increased, the angle of the cable also increased. Since my comealong was connected directly to my tow hitch, as the pole got higher I found my "cranking angle" between the cable and my tailgate significantly decreased, so that near the end I could only catch a single tooth, then eventually no ratchet action at all. At that point, I jumped in the truck and very slowly pulled the pole the rest of the way. I could tell the pole was in position because when it fell into the hole, I could see the chain go slack in my rearview mirror.
Since Saturday's R&D took more time than I had expected, I spent the rest of the day moving the 2 newest poles from one end of my property up to where I'm building the wall. The big pole, which my wife has named "Monster," is going to be a challenge. It is so big & heavy I'm going to have to engineer the crap out of the thing. That said, I now have my proof-of-concept and have lifted what I consider to be my 2nd biggest/heaviest pole (after "Monster"). Weather permitting, it is the next pole I'll try to lift next weekend.
Last edited:
- May 18, 2001
- 7,882
- 380
- 126
Saturday was a complete wash. It had rained late in the week, so the area around the climbing wall was a marsh. I spent the day catching up on yard chores that are being preempted by the wall project.
On Sunday, things had dried up a lot so I decided to try to work on the largest pole. It turned out to ultimately be a bust, but I learned some important things.
For logistical reasons, I need to raise the largest pole next. So I measured off & marked the spot where the pole is going to go. Then I needed to drag the pole into position with my truck. The plan was then to dig the hole & get the pole raised. To drag the pole, I needed to get my tow chain around it, which meant that I needed to lift one end of the pole an inch or two. Last weekend, with Mrs. Ned's help, this exact chore turned into a real challenge. She was out of town yesterday, so I had to figure out how to do it on my own... which I did. Not only did I get the pole lifted enough to attach it to the truck, but it actually turned out to be a relatively easy job. So the gears in my head started spinning...
I reasoned that if it would be possible to get the pole lifted enough to get my recently-repaired cart under it, moving, positioning, & ultimately standing the pole would be much easier. Lifting the pole high enough for the cart would be a patient, time-consuming process, but the benefits seemed to make it time well spent. So I spent the next 3 hours gradually getting it lifted, a fraction of an inch at a time. I got the cart under it, and attached it to the truck. I pulled it roughly 15 feet, and hit my mud hole, where the truck spun to a stop. I backed the truck up a couple of feet with the intention of gunning it forward, hoping to use the momentum to reach the other side of the muck. When I gunned it, the pole somehow popped off the cart, and 3 hours of work got flushed.
It was getting late in the afternoon. I spent the rest of the day using a level, fulcrum, & chocks to rotate the pole into a better position for my work to resume next weekend.
So I learned a couple of important things: 1) I can (relatively) easily rotate & roll the pole, and 2) I can lift the pole off the ground much higher than I thought. So while I don't have a lot of tangible success from this weekend, I'm going into next weekend with a lot of confidence that I'll get "Monster" lifted & upright. Until Saturday, I was skeptical that I was going to be able to use this pole at all due to its size and weight. Thankfully, next weekend looks sunny & dry, so if the forecast holds I might be able to stand the 4 remaining poles.
Expenses: I spent ~$2.00 on a can of Crisco to use as a lubricant on the backstop. I originally wanted to use something less environmentally friendly, but someone at work shamed me into the greener option.
On Sunday, things had dried up a lot so I decided to try to work on the largest pole. It turned out to ultimately be a bust, but I learned some important things.
For logistical reasons, I need to raise the largest pole next. So I measured off & marked the spot where the pole is going to go. Then I needed to drag the pole into position with my truck. The plan was then to dig the hole & get the pole raised. To drag the pole, I needed to get my tow chain around it, which meant that I needed to lift one end of the pole an inch or two. Last weekend, with Mrs. Ned's help, this exact chore turned into a real challenge. She was out of town yesterday, so I had to figure out how to do it on my own... which I did. Not only did I get the pole lifted enough to attach it to the truck, but it actually turned out to be a relatively easy job. So the gears in my head started spinning...
I reasoned that if it would be possible to get the pole lifted enough to get my recently-repaired cart under it, moving, positioning, & ultimately standing the pole would be much easier. Lifting the pole high enough for the cart would be a patient, time-consuming process, but the benefits seemed to make it time well spent. So I spent the next 3 hours gradually getting it lifted, a fraction of an inch at a time. I got the cart under it, and attached it to the truck. I pulled it roughly 15 feet, and hit my mud hole, where the truck spun to a stop. I backed the truck up a couple of feet with the intention of gunning it forward, hoping to use the momentum to reach the other side of the muck. When I gunned it, the pole somehow popped off the cart, and 3 hours of work got flushed.
It was getting late in the afternoon. I spent the rest of the day using a level, fulcrum, & chocks to rotate the pole into a better position for my work to resume next weekend.
So I learned a couple of important things: 1) I can (relatively) easily rotate & roll the pole, and 2) I can lift the pole off the ground much higher than I thought. So while I don't have a lot of tangible success from this weekend, I'm going into next weekend with a lot of confidence that I'll get "Monster" lifted & upright. Until Saturday, I was skeptical that I was going to be able to use this pole at all due to its size and weight. Thankfully, next weekend looks sunny & dry, so if the forecast holds I might be able to stand the 4 remaining poles.
Expenses: I spent ~$2.00 on a can of Crisco to use as a lubricant on the backstop. I originally wanted to use something less environmentally friendly, but someone at work shamed me into the greener option.
Wow, damn fine job! I could have never accomplished such a feat, you are truly a man among men my friend.
- May 18, 2001
- 7,882
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@Darwin333
Many thanks... but hold your applause until I get "Monster" standing. Once I have it up, then I'll celebrate.
...and for what it's worth, I've never done anything like this. I'm pretty amazed that I'm capable of getting it done. It's been a huge learning experience.
Many thanks... but hold your applause until I get "Monster" standing. Once I have it up, then I'll celebrate.
...and for what it's worth, I've never done anything like this. I'm pretty amazed that I'm capable of getting it done. It's been a huge learning experience.
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