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Post by woodeye on Jan 11, 2023 11:00:46 GMT -6
Lookin good woodeye ! Bet it feels good to be back at it and enjoying the progress you're making.
It won't be long now!
Thank you, rdback! Indeed it does, I simply cannot wait to use my Stand n' Plant for the onion transplants (5 years since I've planted onions), and to know that the onion blades will not be eaten to the ground gives me a wonderful feeling. The high winds will keep me from getting up on the ladder every day for awhile, but hopefully there will be a calm day now and then sandwiched between the windy days. Regardless, the countdown continues...
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Jan 11, 2023 22:16:27 GMT -6
That was an awesome read Woodeye. I enjoy seeing you making progress again. Ironically, I think the best deer attractant is just something out of place to look at.
One year, I built a deer stand from an old school bus seat and some old, used 2x4s that had been painted painted purple to build a step ladder leading upward to the bus seat. My brother told me I'd better have a high-powered scope opening day, because no deer in its right mind would walk within a mile of that deer purple ladder.
On opening day, a doe and her button buck fawn walked right up to the ladder and licked the paint, then milled around for several minutes getting a drink of water out of a nearby puddle. I genuinely think they walked there, just to get a closer look at that purple ladder.
Another time, I got frozen out of the deer stand and decided it was lunchtime, so I climbed down, built a fire, and roasted a hotdog. While I was sitting on the ground, roasting a hotdog, a doe caught wind of the smoke and followed her nose right to the end of my weiner stick. I never saw anything like that in my life. I've had deer walk over to smell a cup of hot coffee while taking a mid-morning break as well. I think they just come to anything that's different.
Every year when I raise my beds and lay fresh Plasticulture, the deer walk right down the middle of my rows, poking holes in the new beds with their sharp hooves. Who knows how many times I've planted seeds without digging holes because I had so many fresh deer tracks poked through the plastic seed beds?
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Post by woodeye on Jan 12, 2023 5:33:24 GMT -6
Thank you, heavyhitterokra. that is valuable info. I didn't get to work on it yesterday because of having to take my pickup for service. (an appointment) Today the wind would make it dangerous for standing on a ladder, but tomorrow looks to be calmer, so I hope to finish out hanging the fence fabric.
The curiosity of deer is amazing for such an animal that normally shies away so easily. They are no doubt amazing creatures, and I don't want them to lose that trait, however I do want them to only amaze me by the things that they do when they are outside the fence. Time, lots of pipe, fence fabric, and tie wire, will tell...
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Post by woodeye on Jan 14, 2023 6:21:31 GMT -6
It's said, "To Err is Human".
Boy I proved I was human yesterday at the Iron Curtain. The fence fabric was already laid out for the next upper section, so all I had to do was move the Kubota over about 25 feet to the south. The only obstacle on the east side is a drainage ditch that I cut years ago when I was using another garden spot that is farther east of the Iron Curtain. I was fully aware of the drainage ditch and watched closely as I backed the Kubota up so that I could move to the spot I needed to hoist the fence fabric.
As I was backing up, I was also turning the steering wheel to make the move. The 20 foot installation pipe was still clamped to the front loader. As I watched (too closely) to make sure that I didn't back off into the drainage ditch, the installation pipe hooked into the existing fence fabric and ripped a gaping hole in it, bent the installation pipe beyond repair, and ruined one of my C-clamps that was holding the pipe to the front loader. On the bright side, it did test the strength of the fence. The fence fabric ripped before warping the posts or tearing the fabric off the posts.
This was not good, this was a disastrous start to a perfect day to work on fence fabric installation. I do not have another heavy pipe like that, but there is a chance there may be one at the fence boneyard. I chose to hang the remaining fence fabric on the east side by only using the front loader. That didn't work well, but I got it done, sort of. The length of wire came up 8 feet short, and by the time I had wrestled it for a couple of hours to install it, I was totally worn down. I guess you could say I quit yesterday due to natural causes, I was beat.
Yesterday was another bump in the road, but it won't stop me, I'll be back at it on the first non-windy day that comes along. Most likely Monday...
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Post by amyinowasso on Jan 14, 2023 9:34:48 GMT -6
I'm sorry to hear this. Be careful not to injury yourself.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Jan 14, 2023 13:18:41 GMT -6
Woodeye,
I hate days like that!
Losing a length of heavy pipe is still better than turning your tractor over. A friend of mine down the road from here about half a mile turned his backhoe over doing the very same thing, except he was watching the load on the bucket too closely and backed into an open ditch. He broke his lower back and had to be air-lifted out of his pasture.
If your pipe is bent at a sharp angle, you might be able to cut the buckled section out and repair it by splitting another short piece of pipe with a cut-off blade on a 4" inch grinder. I just did something similar to that about a week ago. I cut long-wise down one side of a 3" inch pipe and opened it slightly with a chisel and hammer. Then, I used that section of pipe to couple two other pieces of 3" inch pipe together. I drilled holes and used stitch screws to fasten them together.
If the pipe is just bowed, you might try placing the pipe in the fork of a tree and pushing against it with your bucket. I've bent quite a bit of pipe and several many fence posts in my life using the fork of a tree.
You can get hurt doing things like that though, one time, the fork of the tree spit off. One time, the steel post snapped in two. Another time, I was bending a kink out of a 1" inch rigid pipe using the back of a forklift on a slick concrete floor, when the pipe slipped on the slick concrete and I busted my butt on the floor. Sometimes, it's just better to throw the pipe away.
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Post by chrysanthemum on Jan 14, 2023 14:46:30 GMT -6
woodeye, I’m sorry about the fence and the pipe, but I’m glad that you and the tractor are safe. That must have been a lot of force to bend heavy pipe.
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Post by woodeye on Jan 14, 2023 17:39:06 GMT -6
Thank You, amyinowasso, heavyhitterokra, and chrysanthemum.
Yes, it was just one of those aggravating things that happens sometimes. I agree, it was much better to tear a hole in the existing fence and bend the pipe than it would be to tear me and the tractor up. That's a good idea about salvaging the pipe, and I would do that if I had lots more fence fabric to install. The longest piece I have left to put up on the top section is 12 feet long, so I can use a piece of regular top rail for that...
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Jan 16, 2023 8:20:45 GMT -6
Awesome! I didn't know you were so close to the end of the sides. That's great news!
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Post by woodeye on Jan 17, 2023 15:15:20 GMT -6
Believe it or not, no errors today. The fence fabric hanging job on the east and west sides is complete. It is not pretty, and may never be pretty, but with a few choice days of wiring and hog-ringing permanently, at least it will be functional. Actually I am on schedule, although I have to consult with the engineering department to find out why the top rail is about 6 inches too low at the top of the SE corner. It can be fixed, but will require me to drill a few more holes and raise up the top rail, then wire it securely again. All in all, I'm satisfied with the way it turned out and very happy that the fence fabric is hanging in the air now, and not still rolled up in a pile...
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Post by chrysanthemum on Jan 17, 2023 21:10:20 GMT -6
Woo hoo, woodeye! That is some exciting news. Just look at all that garden area that is on schedule to be protected from deer! Good work, and thanks for the update!
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Jan 18, 2023 16:38:56 GMT -6
I doubt the deer will hardly notice that 6" inch difference.
I've noticed sometimes when that happens to me, if I stand back far enough, a lot of times I can't even see it.
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Post by woodeye on Jan 19, 2023 7:40:06 GMT -6
I doubt the deer will hardly notice that 6" inch difference.
I've noticed sometimes when that happens to me, if I stand back far enough, a lot of times I can't even see it. That's just good old fashioned observance at work. I will keep that in mind, and will also check it out during the night, it should be okay at that time also...
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Post by woodeye on Jan 19, 2023 7:46:16 GMT -6
Woo hoo, woodeye ! That is some exciting news. Just look at all that garden area that is on schedule to be protected from deer! Good work, and thanks for the update! Thank You, chrysanthemum. There will be 1,575 square feet enclosed in the Iron Curtain...
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Post by rdback on Jan 19, 2023 10:27:58 GMT -6
Hot dog! The walls are done. Now on to the ends with these "swinging" gates? I'm definitely gonna be paying attention!
Great progress Teddy!
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