flagmanruss

If I am ever in a shooting... which I sincerely hope I am not... I will continue to cover the perp and will not leave cover until the Law arrives. Bad guys have been known to get back up or pick their weapon back up... as a person all alone, it is very dangerous to attempt to disarm or secure the perps weapon because distance is your friend & you'd have to close with the perp to do so. Unless they are in pieces, it's not safe & better to keep out of that portion of the scene. I will put my weapon safely down when the Police are there (taking care not to point it at responding officers) and ask the first responder to secure my weapon as evidence. But having been through a great traumatic situation I will undoubtably be ill... will request medical transport. Too ill to make a statement at that time. It was recommended that cops get treated & ask for their union rep before making that statement. The evidence will speak for itself & the investigation will continue without my statement. I will assure the Police of my cooperation but as a civilian, I would get representation while being treated... before making any statement. Want to know why? Amanda Knox. The other roommates lawyered up, made their statements & got out of the country. Did not give LE a chance to go on a fishing expedition... & get things twisted up.

Half of the bearing & seals are already in the hub so not returnable. Cheap SOG that I am... I'm going to try the salvage.

I haven't run the backhoe in several years & it was last run a couple of years ago. I can't climb up on it without help (legs). The last time I used it... my buddy & I drove up to Maine, bought & loaded a tow behind road grader onto a trailer (loaded by hand). 2 1/2 hours of sweaty heard work. Towed it home. The next day, I picked the grader up with the hoe & set it on the ground in 15 minutes. Interesting idea to turn the trailer over. I just picked up a flexible sanding wheel... instead of the hard grinding stone I had in mind. A flexible wheel will curve around the axle... hardened axle at that... I think there's only a few thousandths of raised material that need to come off. Light passes working evenly around the spindle. At least that's the idea. Not as good as having the spindle out & in the lathe... apply a tool post grinder & problem solved. But like we said, this spindle is welded solid into a tube axle. Sooo, I'd have to get help but if other things fail, it's still an option.

Turning the axle over is going to mean cutting the U bolts. There's a Tractor Supply store nearby. Might have to look around. It this axle comes out, it's going to get springs, U bolts, new hubs (can't match to obsolete old ones). I am still hoping this axle is salvageable. But it is wise to know what the options are.

I have researched on line... Google is your friend... "repair scored spindle" Well, yes, this is caused by inner bearing failure, bearing seizes & the race spins on the axle. I wonder how many turns it made?! The articles note the worst damage is on the underside, where the weight would bear. The spindles are welded into the axle & the best solution would be to replace the axle or to not have bought this trailer at all. I am declaring this "bargain" trailer a MISTAKE as the original title of this thread asks. All I reused from the trailer was the frame & axle. Unfortunately, the only way to salvage the money I've spent is to finish the job. There's room under the spindle (to the ground) but working up hill with a file is not working. If my backhoe was running, I'd flip it over & work from the bottom. I might yet. I feel I'm pretty close... need to lay cardboard down & get down (hope I can get back up) & look up at it. Or use a mirror. I keep coming back to the idea of using a fine stone mounted in a drill to gently reduce the raised area... cut & try... until I can get the inner race on.

Not going to helicopter you out of the forest... not going to abandon the horse either. Once yer back on the pavement, not much of an issue. I didn't know I was allergic until that shoot... an hour later the swelling had spread from the sting at my elbow to my shoulder & chest. By the time I got t the ER (second hour), my throat was beginning to close. Had I taken the Antihistamine right away, probablt would not have progressed so far. Being shot full of Eppy is not much fun either... up & wired all night! I recall a ride into the management area with a group of friends. Over an hour later, the sky opened up & we broke out our ponchos & rain slickers. One gal... her horse wouldn't let her put the poncho on. She got off, put it on & got on again. About a minute later her (damned) Appy freaked. Bolted through the dozen horses & out of sight around a bend... we heard a horrible noise of breaking branches. Then the Appy was back... without her. I bailed off & caught the loose horse, other riders went looking for her. There was a hole in the woods like a Roadrunner / Wiley cartoon. & Carol was limping back onto the trail, holding her head with one hand & her back with the other. Despite the rain, she took off the poncho & threw it in the woods. In those days before cell phones... and a few miles behind locked gates... getting a Rescue in there was impossible. Either we had to self Rescue or the EMTs would have to stretcher her out. (And to get outside assistance, someone would have to ride out & take a vehicle to the nearest civilization with a phone. We did come up with a plan where 2 riders could go out, one stay with the 2 horses & the other drive out to get help. The injured person decided herself to not go with that plan. Of course the ride was turned around & re-routed to the parking by the most direct route.) She walked a bit & decided to get back up with help. We lead her horse as a slow walk to reduce jarring... for a while she was asking how bad her face looked... didn't look too bad at first. After her eye was mostly swollen closed, she stopped asking. We had all parked at an entrance just off the paved road. Her fiancée trailered the horses home, turned them out while she sat in the truck... took her to the ER. The worse damage was a broken eye socket & broken tail bone, assorted cuts & bruises. She was a long time... months... recovering. I guess showing up at the ER in riding clothes & smelling of horse is better than explaining that the fiancée didn't do this to her.

I found a few minutes today. Tried a file on the spindle. I am 100% use there's a burr or raised edge to the scoring where the old race spun but man that spindle is nearly as hard as the file! I'm barely scratching the surface with my files. I don't know what it's going to take to get the race to slide over the scoring.

I react badly to certain bee stings... found out of at outdoor shooting event! I carried a kit for years but never used it. My kit has a syringe (eppy) & chewable anti-histamines. When I was out riding (my horse) I carried Benadryl & water... I found if I started AH as soon as it was safe, I did not need further treatment... though a couple of times I went & sat in ER waiting room (having taken AH) but didn't officially check in so no charge. At home we keep the liquid Benadryl as it takes effect faster. When riding in a group I always got to ride first... sit tall in the saddle, Cowboy! (To take down cobwebs for the riders behind you.) A lot of times the first rider would stir up ground nesting yellow jackets... second & subsequent riders got it worse (usually). I got trapped on a narrow trail behind some doofus who would not move so that was why I was moved to the front. After that, anyone spots bees was the cue to give the horse their head... going to outrun them! I remember running Nick for more than a half mile & he was still an unhappy horse. We both got stung plenty... I got off to pick the bees, nasty little yellow jackets off his mane, body & under his saddle blanket. They were still trying to sting as I was picking them off & stepping on them. Yes, Benadryl cocktails all around. That ended that ride as I had to head for home in case I needed evacuation.

I wasn't able to do anything useful yesterday. The strings of yellow pine pollen filled the air... I never used o get Seasonal Allergies but I now get this one. Pollen Allergies IS an incorrect immune response. MS is an immune system problem & any infection or incident which up regulates the immune system makes MS symptoms worse. As a matter of fact MS treatments are various types of immune suppressants. My couldn't trust my legs at all so was on the walker both day and night (I usually use it at night.) Hoping today will be better.

I thought of the file too. It's pretty hard to work on because of limited clearance on the steel fender. (I can easily shoe shine the top but the bottom will be pretty hard. The inner races are a very tight fit so it wouldn't take much to screw it up. That explains why I had to cut the previous race off the spindle. I'm going to give it another go. Either I'll succeed or need to put preservative on it until we get back.

New priorities, back on this one. Seated the outer races in the hub (great fun). The inner inside race does not want to slide over the spindle. I used a wire wheel in a drill to clean up the spindle... also used brake cleaner... and razor blade & sharp scrapers. The inner inside race with (roller bearings) is a very tight fit on the 1 1/8" spindle. I am about 1/4" from the inner race seating on the spindle shoulder... the seal rides on the larger section beyond that shoulder. After I got the broken down grease off, I'm finding scoring like the bearing seized at one time & that inner race rotated. Not a lot of scoring but I'm not getting that race seated. I'm stopped for the night. I'm thinking I need a slight application of abrasives. I'm thinking either a sanding wheel on a Dremel or a strip of emery & shoe shining it. Obviously don't want to remove more than necessary but I can't force this because of the seal. Any better ideas?

Wife & I had a heated discussion. The event is one week out. My capabilities are so reduced... I can not do what she expects. This year's reenactment is within driving distance. She's going to set up a tent camp. The camper is not going. I can day trip a couple of days, stay home the rest. This is disappointing but removes the stress. We're going to have to get a HVAC guy in to look at the AC unit at some point in the future. Maybe I can do some of the other things, without a time limit. edit: The fresh water system seems to be out as well. The on/off switch does nothing (on the tank level panel on the outside wall). We did not intentionally "do anything" but it has been out of our control while the new roof coating was put on last fall. Something might have been done inadvertently OR something could have given up the ghost. If time permits with the Rendezvous Preparations, I think the first thing is to unplug the "Shore Power" to be sure the Line Currant is cut off (disabling the onboard charging system). Then I need to ensure the battery voltage (at the batteries on the trailer tongue) & trace it to the fuse panel (under the kitchen). I am remembering there's a hidden battery disconnect switch through the bottom of the battery box. Then I suppose I pull the water panel from the wall in the kitchen & test power on the back. I'll report back with results.

I've been neglecting the ToyHauler... I can't keep up with anything but having this 400 feet from the house really puts it outta sight / outta mind. Our big reenactment trip is in a couple of weeks & suddenly she's announcing all the problems like I'm supposed to magically fix them. I had a bad fall last Friday... but a divot in my head & assorted other bruises. At least the goose egg has gone down but there's a pretty good seam where I hit. Sorry to gripe... you all don't need to hear it all. After having a new rubber roof put on, it only fixed some of the wet spots... The way the roof slopes forward, the water is like Niagara Falls in a heavy rain... I'm suspicious of the front clearance lights but the way my legs are I should not be on any ladder and only my right hand is any good so ladder would need to be to the left, where the tongue is. I bought new lights & underwater marine caulk... Now she's announced the roof top AIR CONDITIONER is clicking... yup, I checked & it is random but pretty much constant. I shut of AC current (breaker) & it still did. The combo thermostat is to OFF. I tried all the breakers including the ne marked AC & it's still happening (but remember the unit has been me screwed with before... salvage title). Q: Is the roof top AIR AC current only? (If so, maybe It's not wired through a breaker?) I'm thinking I may need to pull the panel to investigate further. We never camp with electric service so happy to disconnect if we can. Oh, yes, she thinks the batteries are weak because the onboard sensor doesn't read right... but interior lights work bright & battery charger is on & humming normal. That panel is notoriously inaccurate. I started to wire a digital battery meter at one point.

I've been so wiped out... I haven't got back to this one. Had a reenactment to do... Had a bad fall (MS SUCKS) put a divot in my head & assorted other bruises. Also have nasty stomach problems at random just to F--- with my life. Oh, yes, having a heat wave & that is bad for my legs. Wife announced ATV battery is dead with acid all over. 90 day WalMart guarantee is expired. And our big reenactment trip... is in a couple of weeks. Camper still leaks after having a new rubber roof put on, fixed some leaks but coming in somewhere else. But the way my legs are, I can't go up a ladder to even look at it. The way the roof slopes forward, I'm suspicious of the clearance lights on the front. I have new LED lights to install & underwater rated Life Caulk... if I can just get up there & back down Wife has announced roof top Air is making clicking noises at random but every few seconds. It will be impossible to sleep with that noise. She also complains the crappy battery indicator says weak batteries... I haven't got in with the voltmeter but the interior lights are bright & the onboard charger is humming per normal. I'll copy this last off into a separate topic.

No, I got diverted to a re-enactment last weekend & returned home dead tired... despite a bunk of Pirates (re-enactors) who turned out all hands to take in my display for me. Kindred spirits with a love of things that go BOOM! My big outdoor (electric) scooter was balky so I had to pull the covers to get to the batteries. (2 group 27 Acid Glass Mat 100 amp for 24 volts). The batteries seem ok, 3 years old but carefully kept indoors. So likely a microswitch is croaking. This is the scooter that trailer is to transport... I had to use the bigger trailer this time.

Thanks Mike. I am going to take it somewhere but asking them to check those connections first.

The short answer is NO. Our trucks have 2 batteries to increase the amperage available but it's still 2 batteries in parallel for 12 volts. If you rewire to series you get 24 volts (or slightly higher) but is wrong for your alternator, starter, computers, etc. There are such things as step up transformers but I think it's counter productive & undoubtedly costly. I wonder if these lights can be converted to 12V?

Used it several times over this weekend towing 16 foot landscape style trailer. Is starting up better but can almost watch the fuel gauge drop. I think I can smell fuel in the cab, driving, at least some of the time. Displayed the flags exhibit... with lots of help setting up & taking down. Used my big outdoor scooter almost continuously. First time this season... I wonder if it's batteries are losing it after 3 years. (2) Group 27 Sealed Lead Acid 100 ah. Was really wiped out Sat... better today... 'just tired'!

We have a 4 foot wide balcony / deck on second story... Wife won't let me wire the suet bird feeder & I'm tired of the raccoon stacking on the railing devouring the bird feed suspended on a shepard's crook. To say nothing of the woodchuck which has raided her garden for the last 2 years.

I haven't got back to the trailer so am using my bigger landscapers style trailer this weekend... transporting my big scooter while displaying my flags & swivel cannons at a re-enactment. It's impossible to tell exactly where the spot is because I didn't park precisely... but I would say it's up by the motor, not under the tank. Yes the stock return line is in use, as well as a rubber line from the AD. The lift pump gets it's signal from the stock lift pump connection, gets it's power from it's own separate relay. I can hear the pump cycle & sounds right. Tom, I hear you on the original stock line... I've had several metal brake lines rust out... the fuel line is not exempt! Good thinking. Need to get a garage who works on diesels.

I am suspicious that I might have a fuel bleed down between lift pump & engine. I've noticed oily spot on the ground where truck was parked this winter. I'm not able to get under the truck myself anymore... as per my signature have AD 150 & big rubber lines.

Self defense is about saving your life & those of our friends & family. You really do not want to take a life... or undergo the questioning, accusations, court cases, and possible incarceration of even a good shoot. Give ground?? You bet... as long as it is to a better defensible position. Do not confuse tactics with cowardice. I will retreat to the best defensible position & make my stand. Flee a good tactical position to a lesser one?? Not likely.

I have read 2 cases in the news right now. In the first case, the homeowner lie in wait when his alarm was tripped (which I feel is justified to barricade yourself in a protected position) BUT have shot the perp he "finished him off". And waited for a second FM perp & did the same to her, firing the last shot right behind her ear. And moved the bodies & did not report until the next day. The homeowner recorded the event & his recording supports this description. His statements indicate he meant to kill the perps. I believe this amounts to murder. One can lawfully shoot in self defense but it is no longer self defense if the perp is down. Had he ceased fire when the perp ceased to be a threat... whether the perp lived or died... it would have been defensible in court. In the second case, the homeowner left the garage open & when the perp entered the garage trapped the perp inside. This case is less clear because a number of shotgun shots were made. If the home owner told him to stop & was charged by the perp, it would be self defense. If the perp was not a threat, it is not. In one case I'm aware of, an ex-cop shot his (bully) neighbor (after an altercation at ex-cops door.) Bully neighbor punched ex-cop & knocked him down. Neighbor turned to flee & ex-c shot him in the back & pursed him into the street shooting (apparently missing). Ex-c is doing time for murder. Because at the instant of the shooting, the bully was retreating & no longer a threat. If I am ever in that position I will call 911, barricade myself & if the perp breaks into my area I will shoot as he advances on me. There is a very small window between self defense & murder... I understand the frustration of honest guys being broken into repeatedly by the same punks... but that does not mean you can shoot them just because they are inside your home. Lots of gun owners do not understand this. I studied this as a gunowner & further as a part time Police Officer (shoot / don't shoot scenerios) & took additional courses on my own time & expense. Just feeling threatened is NOT ENOUGH. The perp must have the means, opportunity & proximity to cause you death or great bodily harm. There were training cases where a perp with a knife charged "officer nice" who was armed with a 38... & killed officer nice with his holstered sidearm. Officer nice, allowed the perp to close the distance & got off his traffic trike on the side towards the perp instead of using it as a shield to slow the perp down.

Yes, that's what I thought you meant, as opposed to the bolt on spindles. These hubs are obsolete. I think the industry is more standardized now. These races have the OD of the common modern 1" axle but go on a bigger spindle. I can't seem to find my note now but the spindle is 1 1/8" or 1 1/4". A modern replacement hub would likely had a bigger bearing OD and the casting would have been bigger OD as well. If it had a bigger bearing, it might have been an improvement, so long as the center hole in the wheels would still fit. I actually looked for complete replacement hubs... no wonder I couldn't find them! Well, I'm into it now, so must keep on going...

I don't know what the brown mud was in the bearings & hubs... maybe just very old standard grease. It wasn't just hot water... over dose of detergent too. I have washed off greasy hands lots of times with detergent. My favorite was "ABC" (Automatic Bilge Cleaner) intended to clean grimy boat bilges with cold salt water. 4 NAPA branded bearings cost me 27.56... the 2 NAPA seals cost 20.98. Since I knocked out all the races, they'll be all new. I found some small amount of fine grit in the sink after it dried. I've decided to spin the hub in the lathe & (now that it is de-slimed) use the wire brush / abrasives on a dowel & compressed air until I stop getting loose grit... Which could contaminate the bearings. Hopefully on the home stretch. There is no bolt on hub, it rides directly on the axle. That would have been the choice, to replace the whole axle. I should take a picture or 2.