Things I've learned the hard way . . .(Part 2)

[Chauncey Gardiner]

Good thing the electrics weren't compromised, they're the hard/expensive part to fix.

Being a shop vac the only electrics are a motor and a switch. There's nothing fancy like in this professional upright that's used at our church.

The round brass component is a clutch.

 

[PhotonWrangler]

Don't ever clean a plastic lens with a paper towel. The wood fibers in it will chew up the lens.

 

[knucklegary]

Yep, I use only microfiber, and then it's got to be free from any grit or you'll still get fine scratches. Black plastic is the worse..

 

[idleprocess]

Accept that you're going to get oil pretty much everywhere doing an oil change on your automobile.

 

[bykfixer]

Accept that you're going to get oil pretty much everywhere doing an oil change on your automobile.

This one character I used to hang out with wanted to borrow my ramps one day. He was the sort that would borrow your tools and brag about all of the money his job paid while weasling out of actually doing any of the work with said tools. This one day I had made up my mind that wasn't going to happen anymore.

He comes by my house and drives his car up on the ramps. He's wearing brand new clothes including a white long sleeve t-shirt. See he'd do that so folks would take pity and "oh let me help you". But I let him crawl all over my dirty gravel driveway and next thing you know he's got an oil soaked shirt sleeve.

He stopped asking to borrow my tools after that except for the time his battery had died in a Sears parking lot. He actually asked me to bring him jumper cables since his wife had come up there with her car to help but did not have any cables. I said "I don't have any cables bruh". He was like "I saw some in your shed last time I was there". I replied "I'd bet a dollar you saw some in Sears too you tight mutha-----" and hung up the phone.

 

[knucklegary]

Byk, There must be a mold they pop-out these jerks all over the country! Same style guy lived in my old neighborhood. Constantly borrowing without giving back. One day he took off with pair of jack stands and never returned. Stands were cheapo imports from Grand Auto (late 60's) He probably did me a favor by taking them.

 

[Poppy]

Back in the day, my Dad would put in as much overtime as he could as a tractor trailer driver, where he had to handle the freight. On weekends he had a boat, and there was always something to do on it.
Sometimes he'd just go to the club have a few beers, and chat with other boat owners. He was very mechanically inclined, and would help others when he could.

Then one day he realized that he was regularly working on Tony's boat, because Tony didn't know how. He was sweating on a hot humid day, and looked up, and there was Tony sitting in the stern, enjoying a cold one.

That's when my Dad decided that he wouldn't work on Tony's boat anymore, but he would coach him in how to do it. Now he gets to enjoy a cold one.

 

[bykfixer]

One thing I learned the hard way is use your thumb when carrying heavy objects. I'm talking 15 pounds plus. Racked with shoulder injuries and going to rehab because of it one day the therapist had me using both hands, pulling a cable with 20 pounds on it downward. I used my fingers but not my thumb simply because 20 pounds was easy. He asked why I didn't use my thumb. I told him I could pull that 20 pounds down with one hand easily, maybe even two fingers. He said "and you wonder why you keep injuring your shoulder(s)". "Seriously, use your thumb" he said sternly.

From that day on I used my thumb. Welp, the other day I carried a 2.5 gallon jug of water (about 20 pounds) from the car without using my thumb and felt something in my shoulder move I knew would probably hurt later. I quickly set down the jug, and picked it back up all kung fu grip style including my thumb. So far no issues thank goodness and my rehab guy Doogie Howser. (A really young looking therapist who I asked first time I saw him was he even old enough to drive yet)

My other shoulder is injured but not because of thumb use but from a fall. Soon I'll go see Doogie again and thank him for the advice before. Lesson learned this time is a young labrador, excited can take your legs out from under you, very easily. So don't toss the frisbee when the dog is behind you.

 

[Chauncey Gardiner]

Boats are holes in the water into which the owner throws lots of money.

 

[idleprocess]

Boats are holes in the water into which the owner throws lots of money.

That's why it's better to have a friend with a boat than it is to own a boat. Be generous with the gas money, beer, bait, cookout money/consumables.

 

[Poppy]

Boats are holes in the water into which the owner throws lots of money.

The bigger the boat, the bigger the hole!

I own four kayaks.

 

[Poppy]

That's why it's better to have a friend with a boat than it is to own a boat. Be generous with the gas money, beer, bait, cookout money/consumables.

@idleprocess your words of wisdom can not be more true!

Up here in the NE there are really only maybe 16 weekends that are good boating weekends, otherwise it is too cold. Then there are other weekends that you have other commitments, like weddings, birthdays, and bad weather, that really cut into your boating time.

I recall one time that my dad invited friends onto our boat for a fishing trip. One was to pay for lunches, one for beer, soda and ice, and the other three would chip in for gas. They were indignant, We have to chip in for gas? Little did they realize. Cars are rated at miles per gallon. Boats are rated at gallons per hour.

When I was away at college in Georgia, I befriended my neighbor across the courtyard. Not because he had a bass boat, but he did have a bass boat with a 120 hp merc that did about 50-60mph on Lake Lanier. We didn't go out too often, but when ever we did, I paid to fill his tank.

When I graduated college, and my parents came down to celebrate, he offered his boat to me to take my parents out. His wife was stunned. "He never lets anyone take his boat out!"

I learned how to go "giggen for frogs" but never got to go. I did help him run a trot line, though. Yeah, those Country boys know how to survive.

I can't say that I learned it the hard way, but... I learned to build friendships, and don't be a user.

 

[idleprocess]

Cars are rated at miles per gallon. Boats are rated at gallons per hour.

And engine rebuilds per season alongside other compulsory maintenance tasks. Well, maybe not that bad but the maintenance schedules are closer to aviation than automobile.

 

[bykfixer]

Closest thing I've ever had to a boat was a float tube. Backward fins, a bicycle pump, chest waders (optional) and a plastic paddle in case of a breeze. Hell, even that was hard to find time for.

My pop had a bass boat for a while. He taught me enough to know I'd never want one. I learned the easy way by watching him learn the hard way.

 

[Poppy]

I remember one time I was lying on my back, under my car in the street, while it was raining, and I had water running down my back. I was trying to drop my drive shaft to replace a universal joint. I recall thinking... Did God Bless me with the ability, and knowledge to do this? OR Damn me?

One thing I learned the hard way was swapping out my muffler. Banging on it with a hammer trying to break it free was a real PIA, again lying on my back under the car in the street. Dirt and rust kept getting in my eyes. The next time I needed any exhaust work I took it to Midas. Never again will I do exhaust work lying on my back.

 

[Poppy]

My son was recently gifted a "hole in the water that he can throw money into."
HIs first expense was to buy a used trailer to haul the boat home.
When he backed it into his driveway, one of the four wheels to the trailer FELL OFF!!!

While he worked at pulling the engine's starter, I jacked the trailer and cleaned up the axle.
The inner bearing, was shredded, and non-existant. Therefore I didn't have one to see what the replacement should look like.

He had bought a replacement hub kit, but it didn't fit.

I went to a tractor supply, and brought the removed hub to get an actual fit bearing set, if they had one.
Well, it seemed that the outer bearing fit, but the inner bearing did not. The inner bearing fit the hub, but not the axle.
Using a vernier caliper, I took dimensions of the axle spindle and tried to find an inner bearing that would fit. I was looking for a bearing that had a tapered inner race.

I wasted a LOT of time. I quit for the day.

A couple of days later, I decided to go to a place that sells trailers, and ask for help in locating a bearing. I asked my son to send me a photo, of the axle, so I could better describe the taper of it. He sent me the above picture.

Upon close examination, and enlargement, I noted that there appeared to be a little seam at the inner aspect of the tapered cone. Sun of a gun. With some additional WD40, a prying screwdriver, and a little coaxing with a hammer, and the inner race slid off.

I was delighted when I made that discovery, and successfully installed the bearing, and the wheel.
I was disappointed though, that I wasted so much time, because I didn't know what I was doing.
I guess I learned that when things just don't make sense, there is probably a reason why.

I think my next step would have been to remove another wheel and hub, to see what the replacement bearing should look like, and take measurements and pictures of it. I would have discovered the problem pretty quickly.

 

[bykfixer]

And the next step?

Sell it!!!! Quickly!!!! lol

 

[PhotonWrangler]

My son was recently gifted a "hole in the water that he can throw money into."
HIs first expense was to buy a used trailer to haul the boat home.
When he backed it into his driveway, one of the four wheels to the trailer FELL OFF!!!

While he worked at pulling the engine's starter, I jacked the trailer and cleaned up the axle.
The inner bearing, was shredded, and non-existant. Therefore I didn't have one to see what the replacement should look like.
View attachment 45270

He had bought a replacement hub kit, but it didn't fit.

I went to a tractor supply, and brought the removed hub to get an actual fit bearing set, if they had one.
Well, it seemed that the outer bearing fit, but the inner bearing did not. The inner bearing fit the hub, but not the axle.
Using a vernier caliper, I took dimensions of the axle spindle and tried to find an inner bearing that would fit. I was looking for a bearing that had a tapered inner race.

I wasted a LOT of time. I quit for the day.

A couple of days later, I decided to go to a place that sells trailers, and ask for help in locating a bearing. I asked my son to send me a photo, of the axle, so I could better describe the taper of it. He sent me the above picture.

Upon close examination, and enlargement, I noted that there appeared to be a little seam at the inner aspect of the tapered cone. Sun of a gun. With some additional WD40, a prying screwdriver, and a little coaxing with a hammer, and the inner race slid off.

View attachment 45271

I was delighted when I made that discovery, and successfully installed the bearing, and the wheel.
I was disappointed though, that I wasted so much time, because I didn't know what I was doing.
I guess I learned that when things just don't make sense, there is probably a reason why.

I think my next step would be to remove another wheel and hub, to see what the replacement bearing should look like, and take measurements and pictures of it. I would have discovered the problem pretty quickly.

You;re so lucky that this happened in a driveway instead of on the highway!

 

[knucklegary]

@Poppy you are lucky inner bearing race remained stuck and was not spinning loose, that usually tears up spindle.
Good job for an old cook!

 

[Poppy]

And the next step?

Sell it!!!! Quickly!!!! lol

LOL... So far he's replaced the battery, and starter.
He got the wrong electric fuel pump delivered, and when he went to disconnect the old one, the metal fuel lines got all twisted up, instead of breaking free from the fitting that connects it to the fuel pump.
He ordered a new fuel line, and they shipped the wrong one. So now he is going to use rubber fuel line.
In the meantime he is waiting for a Sunday night 9PM delivery of the fuel pump.
He has already said, if that doesn't work, he's gonna drag it over to the boat house and ask the owner what he will give him for it.

You;re so lucky that this happened in a driveway instead of on the highway!

Truer words have never been spoken!

@Poppy you are lucky inner bearing race remained stuck and was not spinning loose, that usually tears up spindle.
Good job for an old cook!

Yes, and especially lucky because the spindle is welded on, not bolted on.
Whew... that was a close one!