Operating Techniques for the Tractor Loader Backhoe

Operating Techniques for the Tractor Loader Backhoe
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In trying to develop my homestead, I have had problem after problem with my backhoe.  Granted most of it is because it is a 50 year old machine, but a good deal comes from me not having  clue how to operate it.

That’s where Operating Techniques for the Tractor Loader Backhoe come in.  The book teaches essential pre-operation checks, vital services, and the basics of how to actually dig and trench with a backhoe.

This book was actually designed to be a textbook so each chapter has tests.  It also spends time talking about the one-call system so you won’t disrupt utility lines.

I find this book to be helpful.  While not essential, it will save the new backhoe operator a lot of headaches and time wasted with inefficient movements.

It took me a while to get the movements down to use both hands at the same time to dig a flat and smooth trench.  If I had this book at the time I would have saved hours in learning a relatively simple, yet unobvious technique.

A backhoe is a very useful tool for those wanting to develop land.  It doesn’t move as much land as a bulldozer, but it is more versatile.

The Last Lecture

Book Review: The Last Lecture
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A lot of professors give talks titled “The Last Lecture.” Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. And while they speak, audiences can’t help but mull the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?

When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn’t have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave–“Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams”–wasn’t about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because “time is all you have…and you may find one day that you have less than you think”). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living.

In this book, Randy Pausch has combined the humor, inspiration and intelligence that made his lecture such a phenomenon and given it an indelible form. It is a book that will be shared for generations to come.

“We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.” –Randy Pausch

This book means a lot to me, I had a definite change in career destination once I watched the Randy Pausch’s TED talk on The Last Lecture.  He words can change your life and is worth reading.

If it were up to me this book would be taught in schools, colleges, and employment training throughout the US.

My Side of the Mountain Trilogy

My Side of the Mountain Trilogy
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In 1959, Jean Craighead George published My Side of the Mountain. This coming-of-age story about a boy and his falcon went on to win a Newbery Honor, and for the past forty years has enthralled and entertained generations of would-be Sam Gribleys.

The two books that followed–On the Far Side of the Mountain and Frightful’s Mountain–were equally extraordinary. Now all three books are available in one deluxe yet affordable volume for veteran devotees and brand-new fans alike.

Before this I had no idea this was a trilogy.  Because of this my childhood was less.  Honestly, this book probably was the greatest literary influence of my childhood.  I am waiting patiently until I can read My Side of the Mountain with my son.

I can’t say I would be as open to WT moving to the mountains alone, but that may be because of his mother.

Jean Craighead George was the preeminent nature writer for children. She is the author of My Side of the Mountain and Julie of the Wolves, and her work spanned 50 years. She died in May 2012 at age 93.  I am interested in self reliance in large part to her work.

Leather Thumb Guard for Carving Review

Leather Thumb Guard for Carving
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When carving my first spoon with a hook-knife, I learned very quickly that my thumb and fingers needed protection.  I quickly bought a leather thumb guard so that I could carve without hurting myself.

The thumb guard I bought was an add-on item from Amazon, meaning it was so inexpensive I had to buy other items before they would ship it.  I rose to the challenge and bought a bunch of other neat stuff so I could make the video shown in this post.

Basically the thumb guard is just a leather patch that has elastic sewn onto it so that it forms a glove around your thumb.

This allow you to press against the double edged hook knife blade to carve with power and control but without pain.

I should have bought this when I got my knife, but I didn’t think it was necessary – boy was I wrong.  This tool really saved my thumb and made carving easier.

A thumb guard is not strictly necessary, but neither are shoes.  Once you have some you don’t want to go around without them.  They really make a difference in safety and comfort.

The .50 Caliber Rifle Construction Manual

Book Review: The .50 Caliber Rifle Construction Manual
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The .50 Caliber Rifle Construction Manual is a book allows do-it-yourselfers to try building their own .50 Caliber rifles.

DIY gunsmiths have been demanding the book since the best-selling Home Workshop .50-Caliber Sniper Rifle videotape first came out. In this companion book, Bill Holmes uses easy-to-follow foldout drawings and precise dimensions to take you step-by-step through the process of designing and constructing your very own .50-caliber rifle easily and inexpensively.

Find out this master gun maker’s professional secrets to fashioning the receiver, barrel and accessories, bolt, trigger assembly, buttstock, scope mount, bipod and muzzle brake using commonly acquired materials.

Once you have made all the component parts, Bill then instructs you in the right way to assemble and test-fire your new home workshop firearm. With Bill Holmes as your guide, construction is a snap.

Warning: It is your responsibility to make sure that you have complied with all local, state and federal laws with regard to the manufacture of any firearm.

I have wanted to build my own .50 Caliber Rifle for decades, and the .50 Caliber Rifle Construction Manual is a great way to go about doing it.  One day I will get around to it and try this for myself.  until then, I just look at this book.