Weekend Steam: 1770 French Cugnot

 I remember reading about this leap in technology when I was still in grade school. It is amazing that it worked with that heavy pot boiler hanging on the front end!

Like Old Times

 I got a call for a shade tree case. I haven't had one of those since I retired nine years ago! It's a white pine that I stuck in the ground when this property belonged to a friend, who was growing Christmas trees.  I rode the planter and my friend was driving the tractor. That's long ago, and the Christmas tree operation is no more, and now this tree is next to the house of the current owner. He called me because recent winds made this tree tip over. Just out of sight in the pictures is the septic tank, which knocked out a large part of the root system.

This fork is too far gone to correct by taking off one side, and it has a large area of included bark. Not Good,...

...because that fork leans straight on to the porch on the east side of the house. There is no imminent danger, but eventually it will want to split off with a strong south wind. 

The coup de grace. That tip it got from the wind pushed the top over ten feet and brought up a big hump of root on the west side.  It's too much to pull back and heal over, especially with the septic tank on the west side.  It will be an easy takedown.  

The North Barn...

 ...appears to be groundhog free! Kind of a good thing, but also a sad thing. The possum is occupying the inside den.

Wednesday Windage, Videos From GunBlue490

 

I have followed GunBlue for many years, and he shares lots of valuable knowledge.  Susan and I at least have the dog part well covered!

Make A Proper Hinge,

 ...and DON'T CUT IT OFF! You will see people who keep cutting when a tree doesn't go. If you made a proper hinge, keep your saw away from it. This tree should have been disassembled from the top with a bucket truck. Lucky that someone wasn't smashed.

Tuesday Torque: One Of A Kind, American Tractor

 Early in the Twentieth Century, nobody knew just how a tractor should be built. It took many years before industries settled on the formats that still work today, and of course, tractors are still changing.  I saw this one at Rollag, Minnesota a few years ago.  Thanks, Merle!

Here are some photos I got of this unique machine at Rollag in 2022.

Why Do I Make Chainsaw Videos?

 The fellow in this video is a certified arborist out on the west coast, and he does a lot of tree removals, and makes a lot of YouTube videos. He should know how to drop a leaner without it barber chairing, but west coast fallers, and it seems most arborists won't bore/plunge cut the trees they cut. The primary key to prevent barber chairs is to establish a hinge of proper thickness before the tree is released and set into motion. That requires bore cutting.  There is real resistance to bore cutting, even though it is an easy skill to learn, and it is a technique that sets us apart from the axe and crosscut saw methods. I hope to keep preaching the use of proper, safe methods while I can still crank a saw.

Back To The Old Grind!

Here's the link to the full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhYggnpWYJs

And the video embedded.

Weekend Steam: Let's Make It A Steam Lorrie Weekend!

 Thanks, Merle!

Weekend Steam: Another Steam Lorrie

 

Thanks, Merle!

Change Of Seasons

 

The stoves are cold and gardening has begun!  Onions and cabbages are in the ground.