Tag: line

How to Improvise a Hydraulic Line End Cap

Buy at Amazon

In working on the backhoe I had to keep removing lines and valves. Unfortunately I had no idea how long the hydraulic shop would take. I was working with a good, fast, cheap, pick any two mechanic and I choose good and cheap. Therefore, I had no idea how log the hose lines would be disconnected.

Old tractors use non-detergent oil for hydraulics and that means water in the system causes havok. I needed a plug but out in the middle of the woods I had to make an improvised end cap.

To make my hydraulic line cap I tried to fit the fingers of thick latex gloves over the lines and tie them in place.

This worked very well for the non-pressurized lines, but on the cylinders under pressure, the back pressure blew my finger caps up like balloons. Some even popped over time.

If you are going to do this, I would recommend putting the hydraulic cylinders in a non-pressurized position, for a backhoe, that means resting on the ground. Luckily I also taped the hoses into groups and places the ends of the individual groups inside ziploc bags and taped the bags shut around the line ends, so even the improvised caps that failed did not get water in the line.

May 12, 2016
Knots: Taut Line Hitch
Buy at Amazon

Today’s knot is the Taut Line Hitch.

Since it can be slipped to tighten or loosen a line, and it also holds well under load, it is a great not for camping.

This makes it useful for lines that may need adjustment.

I learned it in the boy scouts and use it to tie tent and tarps to stakes, because it slides freely, yet jams under load, which makes adjustments easy.

Tying a Tautline Hitch
- Make a turn around a post or other object several feet from the free end.
- Coil the free end twice around the standing line working back toward the post.
- Make one additional coil around the standing line on the outside of the coils just made.
- Tighten the knot and slide it on the standing line to adjust tension.
The taut line hitch was the first knot I learned in the Boy Scouts (but I already knew the square knot from my dad). This knot is perfect for guy lines on tarps and tents.

I can think of 8 taut line hitch knots being used semi-permanently at the land – tying down the tarp at my campsite, and trying down a tarp on the back of the shed.
December 24, 2015
Water Line Installation

Buy at Amazon

Today we are going to test and discuss my water line installation. I rented a trencher to put in a new water line and while I was at work my buddy installed a water hydrant like the one pictured here.

He also put in an underground connection for the tiny house. Additionally Smitty put in a stub so that later we can branch off and run water to a future goat barn.

To ensure we have no leaks before we fill the hole back in Smitty put in a temporary stand pipe and attached an air gauge.

We attached an air line and pressurized the system to 80 psi for about 4 hours. If the pressure stays in the system there are no leaks.

If the pressure drops then you know you have a leak.

To find the leak add three drops of dish soap into a bottle of water. Simply spray the water around the couplings and air the system back up. Leaks will blow bubbles with the solution.

You can then fix your water line installation problem.

We also put the water line to the tiny house in a bucket buried in the ground and added a shutoff. This is useful because if the plumbing in the house needed to be worked on, you can shut it off from the outside so that you don’t have water leaking all in the building.

May 14, 2015
What is a Blue Line Glock

Buy at Amazon

A blue line Glock is a Glock packages to be sold to law enforcement personnel. A Glock dealer is selected to participate in the program and then stocks a certain amount of these “blue line” guns.

The Glock is not any different from a non blue line gun, but it did used to carry an extra magazine in the package. Now that all Glocks come with 3 magazines that no longer applies.

Blue line guns are only the popular Law Enforcement duty models, so basically full size and compact 9mm, .40 and .45 calibers. You won’t find a long slide ported 10mm in the blue line.

To me the biggest seller of the blue line gun is that if you present identification showing employment as a police officer, correction officer, or armed security you can get your gun a little cheaper.

The trade off is that quantities are limited, and so is selection.

I have never purchases a blue label Glock because I like the OD green models and since they are not available in this package I tend to get mine in other ways.

A large dealer in south eastern TN (Craigs firearms) has a deal where if you get a letter from the head of your law enforcement agency stating you have public safety duties you can buy one gun a year at contract pricing. The gun does need to be a duty type gun so it is limited to things like ARs, Shotguns, and duty handguns. This is normally how I get mine.

November 13, 2014