I've decided to dig a hole

[AUinHsv 579]

I've decided the off season is really off this year

[Hpara759 1780]

On 5/8/2022 at 2:28 PM, CleverNickname said:

 I own a San Angelo bar. 

 

 

Nice....I've been known to drink at a couple bars in Angelo

[mininghorn88 2294]

The whole skit is pretty funny.  But the "hole" highlight is here.

[davidg 4038]

22 hours ago, G650 said:

Need to work on line and grade there my friend.

 

That's definitely some old pipe, they haven't made 4 foot joints in half a century at least. Probably non reinforced too, that line is in really good shape for its age.

 

Is your pops still with us?

I'm surprised that the line is as straight as it is.  When my grandfather decided he wanted to build the lake, he contacted the Corp of Engineers about building it for soil erosion as a lot of that was going on in that part of the country at that time and the COE said it would cost $15K or more and they would only pay about half.  He instead found an old boy that had a D8 cat with a cable operated blade and got him to build it.  They set up a 55 gal drum, leveled it off and used a 4' level across the top to sight elevations for the dam.  Whole cost was about $3k doing it that way.  

Yeah, Dad is still hanging in there.  He has physically slowed down a whole bunch from even 2 or 3 years ago and dementia is chasing his heels too.  I posted a pic of him last week in the tractor thread.  He mostly supervises these days, mainly telling me what I'm doing wrong.

[Litig8r 414]

be careful   https://www.al.com/news/2022/05/south-carolina-man-digging-hole-to-bury-woman-he-killed-dies-of-heart-attack-sheriff-says.html?outputType=amp 

[CleverNickname 1320]

My hole would be compliant with Health and Safety Code 711.008. So if I croak, my wife can just call it a private cemetery and save some cash. 

[G650 14263]

38 minutes ago, davidg said:

eah, Dad is still hanging in there.  He has physically slowed down a whole bunch from even 2 or 3 years ago and dementia is chasing his heels too.  I posted a pic of him last week in the tractor thread.  He mostly supervises these days, mainly telling me what I'm doing wrong.

Hell yeah. Tell him if he gets bored I could always use some good help.

[Judge Roybeanbag 11819]

 

[Kennythetiger 9394]

On 5/11/2022 at 2:46 PM, davidg said:

Yeah, Dad is still hanging in there.  He has physically slowed down a whole bunch from even 2 or 3 years ago and dementia is chasing his heels too.  I posted a pic of him last week in the tractor thread.  He mostly supervises these days, mainly telling me what I'm doing wrong.

Brother?  

[JSB 677]

Well fuck, was driving down to a fishing spot and damned if I didn’t fall in a hole. Got pulled out, no harm no foul but that was hairy for a moment thinking the damn truck was close to rolling onto its side.

[Brew 3049]

1 hour ago, JSB said:

Well fuck, was driving down to a fishing spot and damned if I didn’t fall in a hole. Got pulled out, no harm no foul but that was hairy for a moment thinking the damn truck was close to rolling onto its side.

That picture reminds me of one of my many stupid exploits as a teenager. I was running farm roads with a buddy in my lifted 79 Blazer. He told me to cut across a field to head back and failed to mention the irrigation ditch that ran across it. We dropped into it and almost stood the truck up on it’s nose it was so deep. It has been raining and we ended up having to get his dad and grandad to daisy chain three tractors together to get it out the next day. They completely destroyed a field in the process and were beyond pissed, I busted a drive shaft and rear end. We never ran farm roads on his property again. I also learned valuable lessons about taking directions from dumbasses and knowing what I was driving off into before just going for it.

[TexasEd 8067]

On 5/9/2022 at 1:00 PM, JSB said:

damn, I want a hole now

you are a hole, I'm a hole, we're all a holes.

 

On 5/9/2022 at 2:49 PM, Captainant said:

screw pickaxes, for soil work you'll want a nice mattock

I've got the double sided mattock/pickaxe.  

And pro-tip wear gloves when you are pounding rock, it helps prevent the arthritic hands where you can't move your fingers for a couple days.

[Judge Roybeanbag 11819]

On 5/14/2022 at 10:28 PM, Brew said:

That picture reminds me of one of my many stupid exploits as a teenager. I was running farm roads with a buddy in my lifted 79 Blazer. He told me to cut across a field to head back and failed to mention the irrigation ditch that ran across it. We dropped into it and almost stood the truck up on it’s nose it was so deep. It has been raining and we ended up having to get his dad and grandad to daisy chain three tractors together to get it out the next day. They completely destroyed a field in the process and were beyond pissed, I busted a drive shaft and rear end. We never ran farm roads on his property again. I also learned valuable lessons about taking directions from dumbasses and knowing what I was driving off into before just going for it.

I was hauling ass in a tractor across a dry rice field once when I was a teenager, hit a ditch and broke a tie rod on the tractor.  Scared the hell out of me.  

[utee94 15835]

 

[Elvis 3371]

14 hours ago, TexasEd said:

you are a hole, I'm a hole, we're all a holes.

 

I've got the double sided mattock/pickaxe.  

And pro-tip wear gloves when you are pounding rock, it helps prevent the arthritic hands where you can't move your fingers for a couple days.

And a mouth guard.  And sun glasses or safety glasses.

[davidg 4038]

On 5/14/2022 at 10:28 PM, Brew said:

That picture reminds me of one of my many stupid exploits as a teenager. I was running farm roads with a buddy in my lifted 79 Blazer. He told me to cut across a field to head back and failed to mention the irrigation ditch that ran across it. We dropped into it and almost stood the truck up on it’s nose it was so deep. It has been raining and we ended up having to get his dad and grandad to daisy chain three tractors together to get it out the next day. They completely destroyed a field in the process and were beyond pissed, I busted a drive shaft and rear end. We never ran farm roads on his property again. I also learned valuable lessons about taking directions from dumbasses and knowing what I was driving off into before just going for it.

Everyone should have a truck, tractor and hole story.  Rite of passage type thing.   One of mine involved a recently purchased jeep, the previously mention flooded big lake right after if had flooded our property, the little JD350 dozer from the tractor thread and my future wife.  Many years later my wife confided in me that if that would have been a first date, there wouldn't have been a second.  Nothing builds a relationship like burying a jeep tire deep and wading out of knee deep water and mud and then trying to come-along and dig for an hour or so before walking a mile or so to where your dad is pushing dirt to come pull you out.

[atomheartbevo 89735]

On 5/9/2022 at 3:10 PM, G650 said:

Lotta amateur hole diggers in here.

What you need to do is go to a jungle somewhere, with some easy digging, get a backhoe to dig out a really big-fucking hole, then fill it back in and make the top look like it was untouched (not hard in a jungle).  Then hire you some native to "dig" an underground house.  Film the digging, create a YouTube channel with the words "primitive" or "survival" (or both) in the channel name and put your videos on YouTube and make a tidy profit.

Bonus points: Put in a pool that has no filtration system, no fresh water constantly circulating, and come back in a month when it's a mosquito-infested cess pool.

 

 

[Not that Bob 739]

So this is a hobby, this hole digging? 

[G650 14263]

Well, it's a profession for me.

[Judge Roybeanbag 11819]

1 hour ago, G650 said:

Well, it's a profession for me.

Your name Danny?

[cabowabo 4491]

Be careful out there hole enthusiasts. 
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10831387/Parents-teen-killed-Jersey-Shore-sand-collapse-pay-tribute-touching-statements.html

[Prepuce of Doom 21085]

Post pictures of your hole. 

[Eugene11 379]

On 5/19/2022 at 4:12 AM, cabowabo said:

Be careful out there hole enthusiasts. 
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10831387/Parents-teen-killed-Jersey-Shore-sand-collapse-pay-tribute-touching-statements.html

Those parents seem really odd. That was a weird read. 

[texasdago 7575]

I used to dig holes in my garden in Houston.  Nothing but black gumbo.

Now I dig holes in my garden in Austin... shovel makes it 2-3" before hitting rocks that feel like a VW-sized boulders 

 

 

 

The Aristocrats

   

Edited May 20, 2022 by texasdago

[Jerry Callo 8704]

That is a nice looking hole, Clever.  If I had such a fine looking hole, I'd be using it to make barbacoa like the do at Vera's Backyard Bar-B-Que in Brownsville.

[CleverNickname 1320]

My ranch hand and I got back out there.

Built and erected a headframe. Just a swingset kit. Eventually we can hang a winch to pull up buckets when we get deep. I may try to figure out some way to drape a sun shade over it, although the scraggly trees worked ok for today.

Moved into place:

Got out the jackhammer

 Big enough to fit a kiddo now.

We were only good for about 2.5 hours labor. But I feel like we made some progress. Mostly got down to the next layer. Started busting that up to. 

[miguelito 11266]

You'll probably be hearing Chinese music soon.

[davidg 4038]

So what is the name of your mine?

[Celery Man 20970]

[atomheartbevo 89735]

On 5/21/2022 at 9:36 PM, davidg said:

So what is the name of your mine?

On 5/22/2022 at 11:36 AM, Celery Man said:

 

It better be named Khazad-dûm/Moria.

[High Plains Drifter 11050]

 

I'll dig the fuckin hole. I don't give a fuck. Not the first time I dug a hole. Where are the shovels?

[CleverNickname 1320]

7 hours ago, High Plains Drifter said:

 

I'll dig the fuckin hole. I don't give a fuck. Not the first time I dug a hole. Where are the shovels?

I got a new 27" transfer shovel coming in this week! Heat treated head, powder coated, D handle. A sexy shovel to add to my shovel arsenal. My current bag is 3 larger fiberglass shovels (one point, one transfer/flat, one post hole), and one smaller pointed shovel. So clearly this was a big need. It will be helpful when I get down on my knees and fill an old kitty litter bucket. The bigger shovels getting a little unwieldy. 

Spouse says no more throwing money into the hole for a bit. 😕

Hole got some good rain this week. Not sure how wet the hole will be this weekend. May need to start covering it up. But I think Thurs and Friday will be plenty dry - perfect conditions. Aside from the 97 degree high.

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

If it is a mine, then perhaps put a canary purchase into your budget. You may not have any coal and PETA may start sending letters, but as long as you have the canary sign a contract and an NDA, you may be able to avoid any trouble. Note: I'm not an attorney, but I've seen Law & Order (all versions), To Kill A Mockingbird, and A Few Good Men so I think I've covered a variety of contingencies that may arise.

If it is indeed, as you have dubbed it, a hole, then beware of @Incredulity's warning on page one ( the poster for the movie based on the fictional book, Holes). If you've read the novel or have watched the movie, you are aware of the deadly yellow spotted lizards who seek to inhabit such holes. You must begin your regimen of onion eating post-haste to save yourself from the venom. Your spouse may have something to say about that diet (in addition to being budget supervisor) but onion breath is preferable to no breath. She may also have something to say if you bring home a lipstick tube you've found during the dig, because unlike Stanley Yelnats, you likely have no long standing family curse to work out between one of your ancestors and an Egyptian fortuneteller.

Good luck!

[utee94 15835]

On 5/23/2022 at 7:43 PM, atomheartbevo said:

 

It better be named Khazad-dûm/Moria.

That's good.  I'd also allow this:

 

[Kennythetiger 9394]

I feel like when you start using a rock bar in your hole, you’re going to need some songs with rock bar rhythm. Here are a couple of suggestions to get you started on your playlist: 

 

[TexasEd 8067]

Have you seen the thread on this hole?

 

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

4 hours ago, CleverNickname said:

I got a new 27" transfer shovel coming in this week! Heat treated head, powder coated, D handle. A sexy shovel to add to my shovel arsenal. My current bag is 3 larger fiberglass shovels (one point, one transfer/flat, one post hole), and one smaller pointed shovel. So clearly this was a big need. It will be helpful when I get down on my knees and fill an old kitty litter bucket. The bigger shovels getting a little unwieldy.

A mattock was mentioned earlier and I have one and have found it useful for digging. I will say that due to its heft, it requires some getting used to and also that the edge is quite sharp. An incident wherein I let the weight carry forth with the swing of my arms backfired spectacularly when the mattock rebounded and hit my leg. Unfortunately the mishap was discovered but I was able to *lie my ass off and can still play in the dirt with my flowers.

 

*Thank the Lord for Ralphie and his Red Ryder Carbine Action Rifle.

[Hpara759 1780]

On 5/21/2022 at 5:15 PM, CleverNickname said:

My ranch hand and I got back out there.

Built and erected a headframe. Just a swingset kit. Eventually we can hang a winch to pull up buckets when we get deep. I may try to figure out some way to drape a sun shade over it, although the scraggly trees worked ok for today.

Moved into place:

Got out the jackhammer

 Big enough to fit a kiddo now.

We were only good for about 2.5 hours labor. But I feel like we made some progress. Mostly got down to the next layer. Started busting that up to. 

all that rain you guys got....fill up your hole?

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

At some point, were water to be involved, then would not the hole be considered a well? That requires a separate set of operating parameters entirely. Don't send the canary into a hole filled with water--could invalidate the terms and conditions of any contracts unless you've got that covered in the addendums. Does the budget cover small waterfowl? What about self contained underwater breathing apparatuses?

[utee94 15835]

Would it be a well, or would it be a tank?  A pool?  A pond?

(pond would be good for you)

 

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

Good point. Different water holding structures have different rules, as well as the source of the water--even on private property.

I'm in, but I am really hoping that in the future there is going to be some red hot magma involved.

[CleverNickname 1320]

2 hours ago, Mrs Whiggins said:

At some point, were water to be involved, then would not the hole be considered a well? That requires a separate set of operating parameters entirely. Don't send the canary into a hole filled with water--could invalidate the terms and conditions of any contracts unless you've got that covered in the addendums. Does the budget cover small waterfowl? What about self contained underwater breathing apparatuses?

My neighbor's well about a quarter mile away is pretty shallow. Maybe 40 ft? So there is a maximum depth I'll reach. Realistically 20-23 ft would be deep enough to have a standing room side tunnel at the bottom. It'll probably kill me before then, though. 

[NeverMarryAStripper 21907]

You might want to consider some side reinforcement if you are planning on standing at the bottom of a 20-23 foot hole you dug

[utee94 15835]

47 minutes ago, NeverMarryAStripper said:

You might want to consider some side reinforcement if you are planning on standing at the bottom of a 20-23 foot hole you dug

Or, not...

Be sure to record when you do it.

[TexasEd 8067]

4 hours ago, Mrs Whiggins said:

At some point, were water to be involved, then would not the hole be considered a well? That requires a separate set of operating parameters entirely. Don't send the canary into a hole filled with water--could invalidate the terms and conditions of any contracts unless you've got that covered in the addendums. Does the budget cover small waterfowl? What about self contained underwater breathing apparatuses?

Sounds like Sheldon's roommate agreement.

 

3 hours ago, utee94 said:

Would it be a well, or would it be a tank?  A pool?  A pond?

(pond would be good for you)

 

My vote is for a Cistern

 

[CleverNickname 1320]

2 hours ago, NeverMarryAStripper said:

You might want to consider some side reinforcement if you are planning on standing at the bottom of a 20-23 foot hole you dug

Here is my plan:

OSHA regulations stipulate that a pit of more than 5 ft needs support. So once i get that deep, I will start shoring. This is my hole digging hero

 

How to timber:

https://youtu.be/HooY2cFAvVU

 

Cutting timbers:

https://youtu.be/rWRS4TqebRE

 

Digging the shaft:

https://youtu.be/zAcElBWErT0

 

Putting in set:

https://youtu.be/VdEPVP5EdgU

[Horn_Spanker 524]

6 hours ago, CleverNickname said:

My neighbor's well about a quarter mile away

Drink his milkshake.

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

4 hours ago, TexasEd said:

Sounds like Sheldon's roommate agreement.

IRL I prefer Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock.

[JSB 677]

On 5/26/2022 at 1:40 PM, CleverNickname said:

Here is my plan:

OSHA regulations stipulate that a pit of more than 5 ft needs support. So once i get that deep, I will start shoring. This is my hole digging hero

 

How to timber:

https://youtu.be/HooY2cFAvVU

 

Cutting timbers:

https://youtu.be/rWRS4TqebRE

 

Digging the shaft:

https://youtu.be/zAcElBWErT0

 

Putting in set:

https://youtu.be/VdEPVP5EdgU

That dude is something else. 

[Kennythetiger 9394]

On 5/26/2022 at 9:32 AM, NeverMarryAStripper said:

You might want to consider some side reinforcement if you are planning on standing at the bottom of a 20-23 foot hole you dug

At the bottom of this hole lies a big, big man.