SH427's strange experience for the day!

Sledgehammer427 · 10-07-09, 04:57 PM

So, living on a farm, I get to deal with all sorts of quirks and antiquities of yesteryear, old milk cans, those nails that weren't round, wiring that hasn't been disturbed since it was last disturbed in 1972 (that job replaced the wiring done in 1946) as well as all sorts of old equipment (like a real sickle, this Halloween's gonna be great.)
But what my dad and I did today took the cake.
We are repainting the old chicken coop, how old is THAT you ask? Ohh, it still has lead-based paint on it. About 4 coats worth, including the original white coat. Getting in the way of all this was a 50+ year old fuel oil tank. We both assumed it was empty and has been since the house got a more recent LNG setup. So we grabbed the good ole' 1970's International tractor with hydraulic bucket and we yanked the thing out. To our surprise, the spout on the bottom corner was dripping. Dad went to tighten this, but we decided to wait until we brought the tank around to the back and got it situated above ground level. So we got it to where we wanted it and as dad went to tighten it, the piping that went from the spout (really just a threaded hole) came loose.
That's when we realized there was still over 200 gallons of pure fuel oil left in the tank.

So we did what we thought would be a good idea first. Dad plugged the hole with his finger while I ran about the property looking for a 5 gallon bucket. With about 5 gallons of fuel oil at his feet and the tractor still running, I'm surprised he wasn't passed out by the time I got back with the bucket. Then, with me plugging the hole with my finger (because the bucket filled up in seconds flat, and we didn't know there was well over 200 gallons in the tank) dad got on the tractor and tried to put the tank on it's side. That didn't work. So we tried a few experiments with trying to tip the thing on it's side so we wouldn't have to keep plugging the hole. Well, we got it on it's side about a half hour later (we had started on this little project two hours ago) after much positioning and repositioning of the tank and a group of four cinder blocks. where dad fitted a hose and a new piping assembly to keep the fuel oil in. then we had to empty about 50 gallons worth of drained fuel oil back into the tank.

By the time it was all over, it was on my shoes, in my socks, my finger got pruny being in it, all over my pants, and splashed on my shirt.
six handwashings got the fuel oil smell out of my hands, which aslo suffered a bath in the stuff. I got a new change of clothes but I'm still wearing my socks, which reek of the stuff to high heaven.

I love life on the farm

TarJak · 10-07-09, 08:34 PM

Sounds like a hoot.

Reaves · 10-07-09, 09:05 PM

another reason why people should not smoke!

Torplexed · 10-07-09, 09:14 PM

200 gallons huh? You many have stumbled on what's left of the US Strategic Reserve. Enjoy.

Sledgehammer427 · 10-07-09, 09:40 PM

WE may try to filter it and sell it.
there wasn't any water in it, so we may just have to see what we can get for it

Letum · 10-07-09, 10:58 PM

I have had a hole dug for a waste tank today.
I went down to lock up the chickens tonight and found every one of them
had fallen in the hole.
I couldn't climb out and hold chickens at the same time so I ended up
throwing them out. They made a racket as if I was wringing their necks badly.

10-07-09, 04:57 PM	#1
Sledgehammer427 PacWagon Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Drinking coffee and staring at trees in Massachusetts Posts: 2,908 Downloads: 287 Uploads: 0	SH427's strange experience for the day! So, living on a farm, I get to deal with all sorts of quirks and antiquities of yesteryear, old milk cans, those nails that weren't round, wiring that hasn't been disturbed since it was last disturbed in 1972 (that job replaced the wiring done in 1946) as well as all sorts of old equipment (like a real sickle, this Halloween's gonna be great.) But what my dad and I did today took the cake. We are repainting the old chicken coop, how old is THAT you ask? Ohh, it still has lead-based paint on it. About 4 coats worth, including the original white coat. Getting in the way of all this was a 50+ year old fuel oil tank. We both assumed it was empty and has been since the house got a more recent LNG setup. So we grabbed the good ole' 1970's International tractor with hydraulic bucket and we yanked the thing out. To our surprise, the spout on the bottom corner was dripping. Dad went to tighten this, but we decided to wait until we brought the tank around to the back and got it situated above ground level. So we got it to where we wanted it and as dad went to tighten it, the piping that went from the spout (really just a threaded hole) came loose. That's when we realized there was still over 200 gallons of pure fuel oil left in the tank. So we did what we thought would be a good idea first. Dad plugged the hole with his finger while I ran about the property looking for a 5 gallon bucket. With about 5 gallons of fuel oil at his feet and the tractor still running, I'm surprised he wasn't passed out by the time I got back with the bucket. Then, with me plugging the hole with my finger (because the bucket filled up in seconds flat, and we didn't know there was well over 200 gallons in the tank) dad got on the tractor and tried to put the tank on it's side. That didn't work. So we tried a few experiments with trying to tip the thing on it's side so we wouldn't have to keep plugging the hole. Well, we got it on it's side about a half hour later (we had started on this little project two hours ago) after much positioning and repositioning of the tank and a group of four cinder blocks. where dad fitted a hose and a new piping assembly to keep the fuel oil in. then we had to empty about 50 gallons worth of drained fuel oil back into the tank. By the time it was all over, it was on my shoes, in my socks, my finger got pruny being in it, all over my pants, and splashed on my shirt. six handwashings got the fuel oil smell out of my hands, which aslo suffered a bath in the stuff. I got a new change of clothes but I'm still wearing my socks, which reek of the stuff to high heaven. I love life on the farm __________________ Cold Waters Voice Crew - Fire Control Officer Cmdr O. Myers - C/O USS Nautilus (SS-168) 114,000 tons sunk - 4 Spec Ops completed V-boat Nutcase - Need supplies? Japanese garrison on a small island in the way? Just give us a call! D4C!

10-07-09, 09:05 PM	#3
Reaves The Old Man Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 1,509 Downloads: 4 Uploads: 0	another reason why people should not smoke! __________________

10-07-09, 09:40 PM	#5
Sledgehammer427 PacWagon Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Drinking coffee and staring at trees in Massachusetts Posts: 2,908 Downloads: 287 Uploads: 0	WE may try to filter it and sell it. there wasn't any water in it, so we may just have to see what we can get for it __________________ Cold Waters Voice Crew - Fire Control Officer Cmdr O. Myers - C/O USS Nautilus (SS-168) 114,000 tons sunk - 4 Spec Ops completed V-boat Nutcase - Need supplies? Japanese garrison on a small island in the way? Just give us a call! D4C!

10-07-09, 10:58 PM	#6
Letum Navy Seal Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: York - UK Posts: 6,079 Downloads: 43 Uploads: 0	I have had a hole dug for a waste tank today. I went down to lock up the chickens tonight and found every one of them had fallen in the hole. I couldn't climb out and hold chickens at the same time so I ended up throwing them out. They made a racket as if I was wringing their necks badly. __________________

10-07-09, 08:34 PM	#2
TarJak Fleet Admiral Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 17,052 Downloads: 150 Uploads: 8	Sounds like a hoot.

10-07-09, 09:14 PM	#4
Torplexed Let's Sink Sumptin' ! Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 5,823 Downloads: 43 Uploads: 0	200 gallons huh? You many have stumbled on what's left of the US Strategic Reserve. Enjoy.