Sometimes it's best to call a professional.

We had large white pine at the course that started to bend over in the wind. It was hollow and had a large crack in the trunk,the assistant superintendent and myself examined the tree and decided to call in help. All trees are generally cut by golf staff, but in this case tree just was to dangerous. So we called in First Choice Tree Care. With the crack and it being hollow there was a good change the tree could barber chair or the trunk could shatter causing injury. The only way to cut was to use a bucket truck and cut it from the top on down. Even the pros said this tree was one of the most dangerous and challenging tree they have cut. 

Bird Houses

I recently cleaned out bird houses and started monitoring them for the year. It has been very cold, with some late snowfalls, so I have not had to start monitoring until now. In a normal year, the blue birds would be back around March 31st. It is important you monitor your houses every week so that you can address any problems right away. Top-opening nest boxes make monitoring easy. Checking the boxes will not cause the birds to leave as some people believe. I have found using 1/2" EMT conduit for poles works the best. Cut one 10-ft. piece of conduit in half and you have 2 poles that are just the right height. Next, cut a 10-ft. piece of  1/2" rebar in half and drive it in the ground and slide the conduit over the rebar and use a conduit coupling to secure the conduit to the rebar. I weld a small flag on the rebar to keep the whole thing from spinning. This setup is easy to put up and is relatively predator proof. You can wax the pole with car wax to make it harder for predators to climb the pole. You will want to put screw in the back of the bird house so it doesn't slide down the pole, secure the house to the pole with 2-hole conduit straps. Mount your houses in open areas, with at least 100 yards between houses. Happy birding!

Front view of the nest box

Rear view of the nest box, mounted to conduit.

Rebar with flag welded to it.

Coupling on bottom of conduit.  I added a longer screw to the coupling to get a better grip on the rebar.

Small trailer

Recently I built a small trailer for hauling a walking greens mower,or other small equipment. The trailer is36"x48". Axles and hubs came from a salvaged beverage trailer. Metal costs were 180 dollars.

Stripped Threads

Stripped threads are a common problem on machinery, especially when bolts are threaded into aluminum housings.  There are a number of different thread kits that can be used to repair your threads.  The kit that I have had the best luck with is TIME-SERT.  The TIME-SERT inserts are thin-walled steel and are locked into place with an expander. 

Picture of the stripped hole.

Contents of the TIME-SERT kit - drill, countersink, special tap, installation tool and thin wall insert.

Drilling hole and countersinking.

Tapping of hole.

Installing insert with tool.  The tool installs the insert, expands it, and locks it into the hole.

Completed project.

New tool cart

I recently purchased a new tool cart from harbor freight. The purchase price was 169 dollars. The new cart seems very nice. The cart rolls well, the drawers have roller bearing slides. I made some hangers for my impact wrenches, and loaded it up. The cart is a big up
grade from my old cart. I took a few shots of my cart, I hope you enjoy.

Welcome to the blog for Tim Johnson, Equipment Manager for Oliphant Golf at Bull's Eye Country Club in Wisconsin Rapids, WI.