Bubblegum Moments

[Capn Jack]

Bubblegum Moments, I'm sure we've all had some....

Like the time you saw the tiny screw you've been looking for disappear up the shop vac nozzle.

The first time you tried to mix glue in a Styrofoam cup...

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[AMT]

Like popping out a primer that was installed upsidedown? Knowing that if you're not careful you could set it off. No matter how careful you thought you were, it went off. Then you had to go clean your pants?

 

[GOG]

One of my interesting moments was when I learned what "Garand Thumb" means.

And springs and screws that go all David Copperfield? Oh yes.

 

[L84Cabo]

Coming back from Suva, Fiji after a VERY long day. Everybody fell asleep in the taxi van. Then everybody WOKE UP as the driver lost control of the van at 60 mph as we bounced across a bridge, spun around a couple times, and then rolled down a 20 foot embankment. Everyone was pretty banged up but nothing serious. We were then told to RUN! Fiji is apparently one of those countries that hold the passengers responsible for traffic accidents and throws you in jail until you pay up.

Good times!

 

[Alexx1401]

First time I cleaned my new Ruger PC9. Took bolt outside, was cleaning it with spray cleaner. Then I found out to take it apart you just squeeze it the right way. All of a sudden it literally came apart in my hand as I am blasting it with spray cleaner. I let loose with a few choice blue words. Picked up all the parts, I hoped. Then had to open the exploded drawing to get it all back together. Damn good thing I was at least on a concrete slab or I know I would have been on the phone ordering more parts

 

[pharmseller]

Watching YouTube to learn how to put a 1911A1 back together.




P

 

[Kruel J]

Like the time you take your latest build to the range, all proud and bragging about how you only chose the best parts for this one. Only to have installed the hammer spring backwards? I've heard of that.

 

[HB of CJ]

About 12 years old and field stripped for the first time my new to me from Dad USGI Rockola M1 Carbine. When I removed the action from the stock the trigger housing pin fell out and was lost in the tall grass of the shooting range. Never did find it. Had to quit shooting the Carbine until I bought 5 USGI trigger guard pins from the regional LA CA military surplus store. Five, (5) for one dollar. I figured I would need them. Yup.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Like popping out a primer that was installed upsidedown? Knowing that if you're not careful you could set it off. No matter how careful you thought you were, it went off. Then you had to go clean your pants?

WTH!!! You were watching??? You sneaky little.......

 

[pharmseller]

Almost forgot. Launch a boat (make that attempting to launch a boat) with the plug in, you'll never forget that, but with the stern tie downs on. Pop the brakes twice trying to shake it loose, no luck. Light bulb goes on, pull the boat out, good thing no one was watching.

I did this today, as a matter of fact.




P

 

[L84Cabo]

Feb 1994...in a back alley somewhere in downtown Moscow.

Russia was just starting to open up to tourism back then but only through VERY organized and expensive tours where you were expected to expend a large amount of $$ and stay with your tour...with one exception. If you took the Trans Siberian Railway from Beijing to Moscow, they would give you a seven day "transit visa," without the tour or $$ requirements. So you could move around at your own pace and see what you wanted to see.

Now at this time the Dollar was insanely strong in Russia and there was an enormous black market for US dollars. Nobody changed money at any of the government houses because the exchange rate on black market was literally a hundred times better than what the government was paying.

Soooo, I found myself in a back alley somewhere in dowtown Moscow trading US dollars for Rubles. We were standing outside of this old building with a big iron door that looked like it was built in the 14th century and also like it hadn't been opened since then. But boy was I wrong on that.

Right as we're trading the cash, the door swings open and out walks a Russian cop.

I spent the better part of that afternoon...detained...in a cell at the local police station while they checked out my documents and my story...that I was just a dumb college student who didn't know any better. Fortunately they bought it. After paying a small fine they handed back my passport, visa, and plane ticket, noting that my flight was leaving in two days and to make absolute sure I was on it. I was.

 

[Caveman Jim]

The first time since I ETSed from the Army I decided to remove a commercial buffer tube & replace it with a milspec tube. I unscrewed the damn tube, the detent & spring went airborne, narrowly missing the ceiling light. I found the detent but I never found that damn spring.....

 

[41mag]

...or that time a .....uh....'friend'....was installing a water heater in an old square nail homestead, in an upstairs room that had been modified as an indoor bath room....

long day, last task was to hook in the 3rd wire without going down stairs, outside to breaker box, etc....

OK, just push this little wire back a bit without touching the others....av98 e=bt[large blast] q-w\y2n[0i4ha b_(&*&%R@@!!! that remains in my....uhhhn....'friends' memory....

1) blown across room in bent from waist position, to slam against wall forcefully;

2) lightning like reflexes now kick in, making the ....victim....suddenly stand straight up and bang head against the wall'

3) sudden realization dense metallic fog in top 50% of bathroom chamber was unbreathable;

4) removal to the kitchen downstairs to review what had gone wrong....AND right.....and What Not To Do Next Time....

5) sudden discovery of the formerly pristine Swiss Army Knife, now had a major melted moon shaped Missing Material, out of the middle portion of the big blade....that smelled somwhat like the fog upstairs;

6) reflections on whether that thin red plastic handle had any other life saving potential, than of electrical insulation for a crucial millisecond....

Never had anything similar happen since. Yes it was dumb.
Yes, the water heater worked thereafter. Yes, the Swiss Army Knife remains in a personal collection of 'Special Moments'.....

 

[SIG34]

Putting Red loctite on Scope Mount then finding out... Scope was loose.. ending up drilling heads off the screws haha

Only! Use Blue haha

 

[grapo13]

Installing a dryer with a pretty woman in the room. Wasn't paying attention and plugged it in before screwing on the ends. Touched them together and almost killed myself. Worked out in the end we got married.

 

[Capn Jack]

I almost forgot, although the wife never will.
While I was installing running boards on her Chevy Van, I forgot about the rear air-conditioner.
YUP! Drilled right through one of the coolant lines........Vots dot noise??

 

[Flymph]

Reminds me of the time my FIL wanted to pour gas on the fire and all he had handy was a styrofoam cup. I exclaimed "DON'T DO IT!!! Gas will melt that cup!" He of course doubts me, and we go over it another few times before I tell him "well, if ya don't believe me, just go for it and see what happens..."
Well, he got about halfway over the fire before the cup melted through and gas ignited all across the yard. I was drunk, laughing, and telling him "I told ya so!"

That time I was chiseling through the grain while making wood grips. Thought about it and said "bubblegum it" to myself... well, they the made decent tinder and kindling. Walnut is not easy to work with!

That time I was 12 and threw my fishing bag across the canoe and snapped my new ultralight in half...

The time I thought I hooked into the weeds behind me with my rapala and started to jerk it free, but it was actually my brother's arm.

That time I tried making candles on the stove by melting was in a glass container, and set the stove top aflame... probably the dumbest thing I've personally done.

 

[308]

Having a slight 'tone' when asking a redhead 'why' she did that...

Don't do this thing. Let my pain be your gain.

 

[PNWguy]

Couple of weeks ago went to go burn the last of the slash piles at the cabin. Had 6 left to go but two were just too close to heavy, un-logged timber for my comfort.

So I lit off 4 and took some pictures for my dad...



About 40 minutes later, one of the big ones, which was comprised mostly of cedar timbers, collapsed in itself and threw embers out into the forest 60' away.

I didn't realize it at first since I was down at the furthest pile cleaning up around it.

A few minutes later, I go back up to the one pile and I see small flames out in the woods and smoke rising in about 6-7 other places.

I grab my shovel and start putting out small fires. I'm running back and forth and chasing down flare-ups for about an hour. Then race back to the cabin and start grabbing every container I can find that holds water, head back down and keep digging, then drowning, then working on a fire line...



It was pretty hairy there for a while and I kept thinking about what the consequences would have been for starting a forest fire.

Thankfully, it rained a few hours later, then this week we got about 2" of rain there. My dad called and said it would probably be safe to burn again after all the rain.

I declined.

 

[Capn Jack]

Wow! Let the adrenaline flow....Even the ground burns in old growth.

Retired after over 30 years as an elevator mechanic, it's only now, there are things I can tell my wife.