Getting to Old :(

[harry strasil]

to do the things I used to.

Project: Move my old 4ft by 8ft bench with a 1.5" plywood top and 2" by 6" rectangle frame, with 2" square aluminum tube legs that fold up onto the stairs to get it out of the way till I can sell it to someone.

Procedure: Fold it up and move it over beside the stairs. C clamp vise grips on floor joist and edge of bench and small 4 part block and tackle does this job easily.

Remove stair rail, a 4' by 8' sheet can just barely be moved off the stairs into basement. 4 people short of necessary man power, just one old decrepit man, one block and tackle, 6 pair of large C clamp Vise Grips, 3 short 1/4" chains and 2 small chain comealongs, and a little rigging experience. After many trips up and down step ladder to reposition clamps and some choice persuasive language and an unknown amount of hours, its done.



Now to sort thru the treasure I found moving stuff to make room to move the bench.

[David Keller NC]

Harry - You desperately need some young men as neighbors or relatives. They have strong backs and can be easily bribed with beer!

[harry strasil]

got 3 sons in laws, but the closest is 500 miles. I have always worked by myself except for a couple of years that I had an employee in my Blacksmith shop. I found out its easier to do things myself with leverage and lifting devices, than to argue and fight with someone else trying to help.

Although this time, help would have been appreciated.

But these are my permanent helpers of choice. They always do what I want them to do, no arguments.







I can put the lil red handtruck under one end of something heavy, pull back on it and drop a short 4by4 in to keep it tilted back and then put the little 4 castered dolly under the other end, and move it easily by myself most anyplace I want to.

The little 2 wheeled contraption I use for long piece as shown, I position the piece to be moved slightly off center, then get on the light end and push down a bit and move it most anyplace I want.

[Joe Hardesty]

I found out its easier to do things myself with leverage and lifting devices, than to argue and fight with someone else trying to help.

Amen!

The other day, my wife and I was moving the 18" bandsaw. It is one big heavy gangly beast. Then we got to wondering how the two of us ever got it off the truck and into the shop a few years ago. We never did figure that out, but with some huffing and puffing, we got it moved.

[harry strasil]

This is another of my helpers, that I used to ferry 20+foot long Augers into my shop with for balancing. Its a Miniature Timber Cart made of scraps.



I once moved an 1000 lb boom I repaired out to the customers trailer with it.

[Tim Thomas]

I'm with you on the use of leverage and wheels whenever possible. I may not be what most people would consider "old" (31), but I do feel like it when I try to use muscle power instead of brain power to get something heavy moved. I have a small hand truck and two furniture dollies that I spent less than $50 on total, and they have paid for themselves MANY times over. I wish I had known about these handy little things years ago when I was moving in and out of dorms, apartments and rental houses on what seemed like a monthly basis.

[Jim Kountz]

Well Harry it looks like you got it done regardless of the trouble you went through. I completely understand about just doing things yourself rather than dicker around with someone else. First you have to explain the plan to them, tell them how you want it done, listen to their "wouldnt this be better" speech, tell them your plan all over again and try to defend your stance on the issue. By that time you could have just done it yourself.
*sigh*

[Kendall Landry]

I know how it feels not to be able to do the things I used to.
Arthritis
Sorry I wasn't there to help you.

[David G Baker]

I once moved a 16 foot 12"x12" redwood beam with one end on a skateboard and the other on my shoulder. I am finding it more difficult to move things and like Harry I try to do things myself with different devices. My favorite is my 2010 John Deer tractor with a front end loader. Sure can save the back.

[harry strasil]

This used to be my Prime Mover, of course I got paid to move things back then.



I specialized in recovering farm and construction machinery that was off road, and there have been a few times when this littlle anchor was in deep enough that the top of my truck bed was even with the ground.

[David G Baker]

Harry,
That truck looks like a lot more fun than my John Deere. I drove one of those with out the attachments when I was in the Army in Germany in the early 60s.

[harry strasil]

That one used to be an M-35 David, all I got was the cab and chassis and a canvas cab at that, I found a metal insulated cab and I built the bed and mounted the 3 winches myself. It has a stout bumber too, I used to push stalled Semis to start them.

[John Fricke]

Hey Harry,
Neat lookin ole Army wrecker you built there. There is one great thing about getting old..........it beats the crap out of the alternative.
When I compare the hands on abilities of my parents generation vs that of my kids generation I wonder how anything will get repaired or even built in the future.

[Randal Stevenson]

I wish you were my neighbor. I move almost everything by myself. I know how nice it would be to have help on occasion.

But the reason for my post, I thought you might like this, as we take to much stuff for granted.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCvx5gSnfW4

[Nick Abbott]

Nice truck.