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1 Nov 2016

Demolishing a Trailer with a Backhoe

I wanted to tear down the trailer in a way that made good use of the lumber, but after almost two years of messing around, I decided to just do it.

The video above shows my backhoe demolishing a trailer. This was so much easier than knocking boards with a sledgehammer.

Using the backhoe made this a lot more fun. Additionally it was easier and took minutes instead of weeks.

I don’t have much more to do to finish cleaning the trailer up.

The stopping point now is removing the trash. A burn permit helped with much of the wood that was not able to be salvaged, and the Sheetrock is being composted down to help amend my soil.

My dad and I also figured out the easiest way to take the deck off the metal frame.

Once the top is cleared off I will show that process.

I can’t wait until the trailer demolishing is completed, as I need the double wide gone before I can build the range and set up the sawmill in a semi-permanent location.

All in all I think a Backhoe Demolishing a Trailer is the way to go. If I ever have to do this again, this is how I am going to do it.

1 Nov 2016

Disconnecting a Trailer Marriage Wall

Disconnecting a Trailer Marriage Wall is not something that is easily found on the internet.

I know I searched for hours trying to find out how to do it.

Finally, I sucked up my fear of heights and got my big self up on a ladder and started tearing into things until I found the bolts that connected the two halves of the double wide together.

I looked at the problem with a view toward how these trailers are delivered. Starting out, I knew that they come on site in two complete pieces. I also knew that the top and bottom had to be easy to get to.

Common sense said the top cap of the shingles should have been installed after the two halves were bolted together. I started there and found that the shingles at the top of the trailer were easy to pull up.

A thin piece of chip board sat under the shingles and this board was not nailed or anything. Under that board was the bolts.

There were not a lot of bolts, but the were two different sizes and un equally spaced throughout the top of the marriage wall.

Once these bolts were removed, the two trailers were disconnected at the top.

There were still a lot of bolts under the trailer, but we never really got them all – I gave up and dug out the backhoe.

1 Nov 2016

Mortar Shotgun Round Experiment

I wanted to see if I could make my black powder mortar that I got from Backpowder Cannons work as a shotgun.

The first thing I did was take my soda cans and open up the top. The idea was to use the soda can as a sabot to hold the “buckshot” together and then discard after the projectile left the barrel.

I have a buckshot mold, but it takes so long to get rounds that I used gravel for my test.

As you can see in the video, it worked. Additionally, it might not be apparent is that gravel is too light for a mortar shotgun.

I should have used my cast lead buckshot. The weight of the lead would have made a difference. At some point I want to redo this experiment as I think a mortar shotgun is a cool thing to have. Nothing says get off my lawn like a few hundred rounds of 000 buckshot raining down from the mountaintop.

Actually, I would never use this offensively, but I really want to see what it would do to a target.

I really enjoy my black powder mortar, and you really should think about getting one.

1 Nov 2016

Shooting a Beer Can Mortar into a Mobile Home

Blackpowder Can Mortar — Buy a Cannon, Click on the Picture

Of all the toys I have have had, nothing is as fun as my Beer Can Mortar. I love making up rounds and then experimenting with how different powders impact my range.

Since I was tearing down the trailer anyway, I decided to have a little fun. I wanted to see if I could shoot my cannon into the wall of the trailer.

I did not know what to expect, and I was a little nervous.

Luckily, there was nothing to be nervous about. The loose fit of the mortar, and the small amount of powder I used kept the can mortar round from doing too much damage.

Actually, the mortar is not designed to be a direct fire weapon. Rather it lobs the rounds up and over to land down on the target. The round probably would have done more damage if I shot it froma farther distance and let the cement filled soda can fall down from the sky.

In the end, it did not matter how much damage the round did, as I was only trying to have a little fun showing off my can cannon.

Once again, I think everyone should own a beer can mortar.

1 Nov 2016

Truck Pulling Down a Trailer Wall

I used the backhoe to tear down most of the trailer, but due to the hillside behind the trailer, I could not get the tractor into position to tear the building completely down. Lucky I had some chain and a receiver hitch shackle like the one pictured.

I simply clipped the chain to the shackle and the other end to the walls I wanted to pull down and away we went. This is not rocket science, and the video of my Dad’s truck pulling down a trailer wall is pretty short.

We just filmed it so I could show my wife that I do work when I go to the land.

She thinks I go to get out of the house and we don’t really do anything out there. To be fair, when I do convince her to come visit the land she can’t really tell what has changed.

Developing a homestead can be overwhelming, especially when you live far away and have budget AND time issues.

However, there is a big difference in the place now that I have most of the trailer down and gone.

The first couple of times we wrapped the chain around the ball, but that was dangerous and it kept slipping. Eventually I bought a shackle and it helped immensely in Pulling Down a Trailer Wall