For some reason, I thought I recalled hearing that there was someone who was sharpening these, maybe it was on another site? I did purchase a spare set of blades when I first got my Lite Flite going on 4 seasons ago.
I do my best to take care of them, and I’m happy to have gotten 3 complete seasons from the originals, but it grates against my sensibilities to just throw them out. The originals are not dull, but I can clearly tell that my drill is working harder than when they were new.
I guess I’ll swap in a replacement set, and maybe give those originals a touch up on the Work Sharp and see what happens. They should clean up well since there are no dings.
If anyone hears of a source for sharpening the Lazer Lite Flite blades, please post here.

50 year anniversary one year from today.
I find it sad that it’s hardly remembered any longer.
If you are intrigued by the event and want the most in depth information on it, look up (I’m not going to try to post a link) History Mystery Man Edmund Fitzgerald on youtube and watch all the videos with Captain Darrell Walton. Disgusting how it was and still is covered up.

All’s well that ends well.

My condolences on your loss.
Not many things better than a good dog, and not enough days in a good dog’s life.

Good on you Sheldon for stepping up as you always do. You are a tremendous resource for this site, not only for your knowledge, but for lessons given on how to be a good man. And even if no one here ever noticed, there is someone who will know

I caught a 16 inch Rainbow trout just after midnight with a chicken liver on the bottom of a lake with a max depth of 11 feet. Trout are not listed as present in this body of water. I felt bad because he swallowed it and couldn’t be released.

Some helms/hydraulic systems are nearly impossible to get all the air out.

How much cavitation plate is out of the water at WOT? Try lowering the trim while running WOT and see if steering improves. When approaching the height when steering response goes away, usually the motor will turn better in one direction than the other.

Could it be he gave his PFD to those he was assisting. I can’t believe a ranger would go into such a situation without a PFD.
Heart attack?

I searched the Hudson area for non-oxygenated fuel and the only current options are 91 octane. Fleet Farm used to sell 89 octane non-ethanol, the pumps are still there, but for at least 4 years now, those pumps have been labeled as Temporarily Unavailable. I believe the same tankers fill the Hudson stations that fill the Twin Cities stations.

Ethanol Shield additive would be a good option. I recommend it.

Another, less desirable, option would be to fill with 87 octane and buy a transfer pump, then when you know the boat may sit for a few weeks or longer, you could transfer the fuel from the boat into the family vehicles, add some non-ethanol to the boat and run it through the Optimax to clear the system of ethanol.

Knowing Sheldon, I’m surprised he didn’t mention having the Optimax flashed to run 91 octane – extra power and no ethanol worries. Just have to be careful if you get into a situation where premium is not available.

When a saw is prone to flooding, my protocol is to never pull more than 2-3 pulls on full choke, whether I hear it pop or not. Keep spare plugs handy.

Dallas Stars are carried by Victory+ channel, that channel does not appear to be available on Vsee, though some of their programs are available after the event has taken place – similar to a Bally Sports Replay.

I was told that VSee does not carry Bally Sports North, but they do carry Bally Sports North Extra. No Wild or Twins.
If you have other info, please post here.

A six year deal right now would almost certainly be a poor deal. There are currently no indicators showing improvement in the U.S. economy, and the global instability makes a recovery in that period less likely.
6 years from now, these workers could be worse off than they are now, even with a 50% increase. I would guess their last contract was also longer term, I can’t imagine feeling good about their current wages if the last contract was signed in 2018.

I do not own a modern Stihl, but on every other saw I’ve owned, the brake has nothing to do with starting the saw. It’s just a recommendation because on high idle, the chain will be turning at a good clip if the brake is off – an unwary user could be injured if they start a saw and didn’t expect that. I think it’s very unlikely the brake must be engaged in order for the saw to start, but in this era of lawsuits anything is possible.

I’ve been happy with my mid grade custom fit Carver cover.

Sun and weather exposure does take a toll, but flapping is what destroys covers fastest, so the more you keep it taut, the longer it will last. Also, try to keep it clean, and hit it once or twice a season with Star Brite or 303 waterproofing spray. Use enough support poles so water can’t pool on it, then everything under the cover will stay dry.

It takes a bit more work, but if you rig the straps so they go from one side of the cover under the boat to the other side of the boat, instead of to the trailer frame, it will keep the cover tighter and allow less air underneath, which means the cover will flap less and not be as stressed when the boat moves/bounces while trailering.

I shot in a sanctioned trap league one year just after high school, back when Hudson Gun Club was St. Croix Valley Rod & Gun Club and won the Class “C” Championship with my only shotgun – a Browning Auto-5. Waterfowl, upland, and target shooting, it did everything very well.

They are a tremendous do-all gun, with a recoil-operated action that forces them to shoot a bit high if they have a ribbed barrel, so they excel at trap shooting. I didn’t learn that until I replaced it with a Benelli SBE and struggled to hit consistently. Once I pattern tested the Benelli, and realized it shot substantially lower, I improved. I switched to skeet shooting and won the BESA (Bald Eagle) skeet championship two years in a row with the Benelli – to the dismay of all the guys with expensive over unders who hated my solid black plastic stocked 3 1/2″ goose gun.

The high-shooting Auto-5’s help a great deal with target visibility. Some Auto-5’s have excellent triggers from the factory also, primarily the 80’s and earlier models. If you check them out, be sure to test the trigger, they are definitely not the best on the Mossberg SA-20’s.

I also recommend learning to shoot with both eyes open. It came naturally to me when shotgun shooting, but most people learn to shoot rifles early on using just the dominant eye, then it’s more difficult to transition to using both eyes.

I have owned thousands of dollars worth of choke tubes over the years, and I now shoot Trulock chokes almost exclusively. From skeet to super long range waterfowl to slugs and even predators, George Trulock makes quality products that are a great value. I recommend Improved Modified for trap – somewhere around .025″ of constriction from the true bore diameter.

Carver Covers are a good choice for less than a custom cover. Choice of material quality/warranty and colors. Waterproof, guaranteed fit for specific models, trailerable, and decent price. Be sure to add extra straps and poles to make it fit properly for trailering and to prevent water pooling.
Several online retailers carry them.

Haha, I was just going to recommend Kirby myself. He knows these motors inside and out and is very fair. Works out of his garage.
Last time I contacted him, his number was 952-270-7610.

The arborist and forestry forums have a ton of good info, and the regular guys there KNOW saws. The important factor in choosing is knowing what you need.
I have no experience with the Dewalt, but I choose the cordless at least 80% of the time, but I wouldn’t want to be without a gas saw – yet.
Whatever you get, please invest AND USE safety equipment – chaps, gloves, head, eye and ear protection (if running gas saws.)

West Marine has a retail location in Stillwater as well, they show 5 of the Mustang PFD’s in stock at the time of this post.

I vote for overdriven after watching several times in slow mo.

The bow gets substantial loft from the previous wave, comes down hard, and is immediately thrown upward from the next wave. The slow rate of bow climb after cresting that wave, indicates too much trim and thrust from the motor, not anything in the water, caused the bow lift to become excessive. You can tell when the prop begins to lose grip with the water, as the bow stops lifting and starts to torque the boat to starboard, then the bow immediately drops as the prop loses grip completely. The torque of the prop turned the motor, and as the boat re-enters the water, the impact throws him across the boat, and the motor separates from the transom, allowing the boat to spin clockwise 180 degrees.

john23 wrote:

Not sure if it’s out yet, but my vote is the Leisen Family Farm stand just south of 94 on the Highway 12 exit in Hudson.

They set up last week.
This is good stuff. Self serve stand about 500 feet south of I94 on exit 4. They change out the trailer multiple times per day, and at times there will be a line of cars waiting for the next trailer to arrive – especially on Fridays/weekends.

Dutchboy wrote:

Every time I see those kids I shake my head at how time fly’s. Won’t be long and they will be driving.

Good job dad.

Make no mistake, it won’t be long until the boys are amused by how dad smiles when they take him fishing.

Not many things better than making good memories with young ones. Good on you and Sparkles.

I can 2nd Three Lakes Enterprises between Hudson and New Richmond. John Shirley has been doing prop and skeg repair for nearly 50 years. One man shop (currently training his granddaughter to take over someday,) he does very solid work, quick turnaround, and nobody will beat his prices. He can be a crotchety old man, and will talk forever if you let him, but after nearly 50 years he has earned the right I guess – whatever you do, don’t get him started on politics or taxes

I have invested heavily in Milwaukee power tools, I have very few air tools in use any longer, but I use the air gun almost daily, and the old noisy compressor was almost painful to be around. I used my air nailer for the first time in 10 years or so building a trailer jack block from some scrap 2×4’s the other day – the new compressor left me smiling.

Says a lot for that hull. I would have expected a boat that size to just cave in on impact. She took it like a champ. Likely to do more damage trying to get it off the wall.

Add a secondary bilge pump and keep fishing.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mojo wrote:</div>
recently bought one of their Fortress brand Ultra Quiet air compressors, and I have been thoroughly impressed with the compressor and how Harbor Freight can sell that level of capability for the price. I smile every time it kicks on, my old compressor used to make me cringe and walk away when it ran.

Which one did you get? I really like that 10 gallon it’s big enough to be useful but small enough to still be portable if needed.

I’m in exactly the same boat with compressors. My old one is still good but the noise drives me crazy and deaf.

I went with the 26 gallon 175 psi model. I was so close to buying a California Air Tools 10 gallon from Amazon for $399, but on paper the Fortress was so much better. More pressure, way more capacity, 1dB quieter, and better price. Then when HF offered the 20% off for club members, I couldn’t resist any longer, ended up being around $314 out the door. This one has a very similar footprint to the CAT 10 gallon that everyone seems to love, but it’s taller, so I only gave up a bit of vertical space, which was painless for me since it’s parked under a shelf. Honestly, my biggest use is the air gun – blowing stuff clean/dry and I can tell you, 175 psi will dislodge some of the nastiest gunk and buildup from tools/equipment, even a chainsaw that was put away packed with oil covered dust and debris for years got 95% clean after a one second blast of the air gun trigger – be sure to wear eye protection every time. Right now today and tomorrow, HF has the 20% off one item in store for members ($30/year) PLUS and additional 10% off that! THEN ON TOP OF THAT, if you apply for their credit card (credit score above 660 almost guarantees acceptance) you get ANOTHER 10% OFF!!! Their credit card gets 10% off every purchase PLUS 5% cash back. AND they have 0% interest for 36 months on all purchases over $299. I would jump on a compressor if you can find one near you in stock. The 26 gallon Ultra Quiet would come to around $240 plus tax plus the $30 membership if you’re not already enrolled. PLUS they are giving a free Earthquake impact wrench with the purchase of the compressor. AND you would have 36 months zero interest to pay it off if you pad your purchase to over $299, and would also get 5% cash back on the card.
If I recall, you are in Oakdale area, a quick check shows it’s in stock in Maplewood

I was invested in Milwaukee before Bauer came around, but I would definitely try Bauer if I was just beginning to collect battery powered tools.
I have been very impressed with the improvement in HF product quality over the last couple years – lightyears better than what they used to offer. I recently bought one of their Fortress brand Ultra Quiet air compressors, and I have been thoroughly impressed with the compressor and how Harbor Freight can sell that level of capability for the price. I smile every time it kicks on, my old compressor used to make me cringe and walk away when it ran.

Just east of the metro near exit 4 in Hudson is Imperial Boat Repair. Owner, Jim is kinda flaky, but his guys do great work and his pricing is less than most – especially if you can wait until off-season.