Sling Shot

[ddrieck]

Sooooo, This has nothing to do with boating but its contribution to SHT. I bought my first house about 20 years ago and the back yard looked more like a cow pasture than a lawn. I get the new mower out to cut my new grass and after about 5 min. I hit a wood fence post stub and bend the crank on the new mower....arg. I get to looking and there are about 20 posts that have been cut off about 2'' from the ground. I get out the shovel and the high lift jack and begin to remove the stubs as my father had shown me years before, jack them out of the ground. Well....this is taking to long so I in my infanite wisdom, go get my truck and 3'' dia recovery strech rope. I hook one end ( did I mention the new widshield) to the stub and the other to the winch bumper (Did I mention windshild was installed that morning). I slowly start to back up and get the rope tight. Still backing up slowly I had an apifany....maybe I shoud lay a blanket over that rope to absorb the shock....all of a sudden, while having the apifany, the stub comes out of the ground and is headed at the windshield at mach 10. I stomp the throttle to the floor try and get ahead of the missle and to my supprise I go nowhere fast (did I mention truck was in 4 low).

long story short: The stub came through the windshield(did I mention the new winshield installed that morning) just missing my head as I duck out of the way, threw the back window and lands in the bed......Moral of the story: Listen to what your elders say and teach. And by all means slow down life is to short to get hit by a mach 10 fence post stub!!!

 

[Maclin]

Re: Sling Shot

That is classic...glad you avoided serious injury dude!

 

[new_boater]

Re: Sling Shot

 

[Matthew_B]

Re: Sling Shot

Chain is your friend for this kind of work. No stretch, so no snap back.

 

[57whitehouse]

Re: Sling Shot

how many more stumps do you have to pull?

 

[MikDee]

Re: Sling Shot

Glad you're Ok,,, Stranger then fiction, and I thought stuff like this only happens to me See, you should have been boating instead!

 

[manykids]

Re: Sling Shot

Chain is your friend for this kind of work. No stretch, so no snap back.

I disagree. I grew up on a farm and have seen more than one log chain recoil into one of the vehicles (depending on where the chain breaks). It does have a tendency to remove the rear glass in a pickup with great efficiency!

 

[boltonranger]

Chain not so friendly...

Chain not so friendly...

I agree.
The boys out in the back of the shop wanted to use a chain and tow-motor to pull a drag loaded wood pallet / skid. I advised against it but...well boys will be boys. The biggest fellow, (probably a blessing here) cinched the load; climbed aboard and took off. The chain pulled through the wood it was anchored around and sling-shotted him right in the middle of his back! Made a red welt the size and perfect shape of the chain in his skin when he lifted his shirt. Thank heavens he had enough "padding" to shield his spine...
I can still hear the "thunk" it made when it hit him. Gives me the shudders.
-br

 

[Matthew_B]

Re: Sling Shot

I disagree. I grew up on a farm and have seen more than one log chain recoil into one of the vehicles (depending on where the chain breaks). It does have a tendency to remove the rear glass in a pickup with great efficiency!

Scratching my head here. I have seen a chain snap and fall right in place. I wonder if it's a case of different grades of chain.

 

[wire2]

Re: Sling Shot

Chain is like bolt grades. A huge difference in tensile strength depending on alloy material and heat treatment.

 

[Matthew_B]

Re: Sling Shot

Chain is like bolt grades. A huge difference in tensile strength depending on alloy material and heat treatment.

So does that mean grade 30 won't snap and grade 70 will.

Sort of makes sense since the chain I saw snap was 3/8" grade 30.

 

[ddrieck]

Re: Sling Shot

So does that mean grade 30 won't snap and grade 70 will.

Sort of makes sense since the chain I saw snap was 3/8" grade 30.

Think of chain like fishing line...20# test will hold 20 # and 100# test will hold 100#....but...give it a sudden yank and it will snap since the sudden yank has just exceeded its weight limit....chain "WILL" do the same thing as will cable, rope, strap....