...hasn't really been working out in the heat. I did notice a little extra tiredness after pounding the 11th rebar into terra extra firma this afternoon, but not too bad.
I made the mistake of laying out the desired number of reinforcing bar on the tailgate of the truck at the beginning of the staking. Apparently a white Chevy pickup tailgate can be used to substitute for a steel foundry on a hot West Texas day. I think I've got 1st degree burns on my fingertips from handling the two bit rebars. The flagging did not make an adequate handle and I ended up throwing some of them towards the desired final resting place to keep from carrying them the entire way. Where's my smithy's tongs?
> ...hasn't really been working out in the heat. I did notice a little extra tiredness after pounding the 11th rebar into terra extra firma this afternoon, but not too bad.
>
> I made the mistake of laying out the desired number of reinforcing bar on the tailgate of the truck at the beginning of the staking.
I KNEW where you were going with this as soon as I read the above.
> Apparently a white Chevy pickup tailgate can be used to substitute for a steel foundry on a hot West Texas day. I think I've got 1st degree burns on my fingertips from handling the two bit rebars. The flagging did not make an adequate handle and I ended up throwing some of them towards the desired final resting place to keep from carrying them the entire way. Where's my smithy's tongs?
Gloves brother.... gloves. Helps keep the razor edges of the rebar from slicing the knuckles up too.
Work gloves on the dash. But my mind can't justify putting them on. Too hot. (Isn't that an ironic excuse).
No kidding about the leather gloves when it's 100 plus out & bright sun. I make every effort to place the required rods directly into my stake bag (golf bag), so they stay shaded until I need them. But I did once burn my hand when I picked the sledge up by the head and not the wood handle. duh...
If I'm driving between points, I'll leave them on top of the work box and my tinted cap windows do nicely. Even then - putting them on the ground as you navigate to the point, they still get hot in those couple minutes.
Only a few more months and we'll be bitching about the cold....lol Don'cha love it.
yeah, left my stake bag with the machete facing the sun on the ground for a while, picked it up and slung it over my shoulder... YOW! wouldn't be surprised if there was a machete shape brand over my shoulder blade.
Yeah, I did (ever so briefly) stick the business end of a sledge under my arm when I needed both hands today. I imagine there is a "Shroud of Turin" version of a sledgehammer burned into my armpit.
I've pulled all those tricks, gaffes and boneheaded plays that you, Andy J and Andy Nold have described... Sometimes there are just not enough hands for all that we have to do to set/find corners.
Carl
Wrap the gloves around the bars, then grip the glove. It ain't perfect, but, it's much better than wearing gloves in 100+ weather.
Being that i have worked in the Arizona desert for the last 20 years where we have a min of 120 days for 100+ gloves are a must. I burn thru a pair or two a month. Not only do then help with the hot steel, they keep the cactus pins out of your hands also.
Always wear gloves when cutting brush, whether it is Mesquite, Wild Rose, Berry vines or what ever else. I have left too much blood behind from various types of stickers.
In the heat I would rather soak a pair of leather glove with sweat than burn my hands a hundred times a day.
Well I guess that a hot lesson was learned today ......
RADU
Way back in the first Gulf War I was in the USN performing searches on commercial ships for weapons in the Red Sea. Every day was 120 degrees in the shade and we had to climb and open stacked and locked steel cargo containers. It was vital to wear leather gloves (though we cut the fingers off of them) because you couldn't touch the metal, and on a ship everything is metal.
Before that, I used to have to walk uphill, both ways, through the snow, to school.
Tom
I did that, too. The school was a half mile from my home. We were on a hill. It was on the next hill. So I was walking uphill on the last half of my walk to school and on the walk back home.
Tom
HOly Cow! Uphill both ways. I never even thought of that as any more than a funny old saying until I read your post. I guess it is possible.
