# Shovelling boulevards



## Hukshawn (Feb 13, 2017)

for those of you who have boulevard side walks, is it common law that it's the homeowners responsibility to shovel the snow, or cut the grass otherwise punishable by the state/town?


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## Billh50 (Feb 13, 2017)

Here in New Britain it is a town ordinance that any sidewalk along the street in front of your property must be cleaned off within 24hrs of snow or you may be fined.


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## francist (Feb 13, 2017)

Yup, street frontage is the owner's responsibility. I think we have until 10:00 am to clear snow from the walks according to by-law.

-frank


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## Hukshawn (Feb 13, 2017)

Uhhg, 10" of snow over the past two days. About 200' of sidewalk in front and down the side of my house (corner lot). My spine nearly fell out.


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## Billh50 (Feb 13, 2017)

yep...those corner lots give twice as much sidewalk


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## Bill Gruby (Feb 13, 2017)

Clear or pay a $10.00 per yard  fine. No exceptions.

 "Billy G"


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## wlburton (Feb 13, 2017)

It's mandatory in Minneapolis.  (I'm noticing that our more southerly members are not chiming in on this one for some reason.)

Bill


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## Hukshawn (Feb 13, 2017)

Billh50 said:


> yep...those corner lots give twice as much sidewalk



Biggest lot on the street, the dogs love it, but a lot more maintenance. 
I'm bitter about it sometimes tho. It's a lot of green space on the side boulevard I have to maintain but am not allowed to use. And there's a public mailbox there. People always toss their junk mail on the grass. I use just a regular push mower, two tanks of gas each mow. Over an hour,usually. Don't get me wrong. I love cutting my grass in the summer..... till I get to that government grass. 

I'm just complaining about the hard work.


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## tweinke (Feb 13, 2017)

Yup have to clear sidewalk within 24 hours, and mow boulevard. Also grass must be maintained in the rest of the yard all by city ordinance.


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## RJSakowski (Feb 13, 2017)

Ah the joys of rural life.  

There is no requirement for me to clear snow ever.  I do it because I like a clean driveway and I always shovel out the approach path to the roadside mailbox first.  Sometimes, I will plow the snow on the public road near the house because I don't like them dumping it in my yard but no requirements.  

As for mowing, as long as I'm not growing an illegal substance, no one cares.


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## 4GSR (Feb 13, 2017)

Hehe...

We do have a HOA that is pretty lenient in our subdivision.  Came thru before Christmas and told up to cut down the weeds growing at the front of the driveway and trim our trees! Or they would fine us $150.  And the weeds and trees were still green!


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## bfd (Feb 13, 2017)

central coast of California whats snow for me whats a sidewalk We do have a dam to send to bill


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## woodchucker (Feb 13, 2017)

Same here.. rural NJ.. no sidewalks, only farms..  But I have a long driveway.. used to use my lawn tractor to clear it, finally bought a snow blower.. not sorry I did, much easier.


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## ch2co (Feb 13, 2017)

Hukshawn said:


> Uhhg, 10" of snow over the past two days. About 200' of sidewalk in front and down the side of my house (corner lot). My spine nearly fell out.



You young whippersnappers don't even know what snow is! Why when I was a youngster I used to get paid upwards of 75 cents to shovel the neighbors walks AND driveways!
and I shoveled 5 to 6 of them, most of 'em old folks.   10" of snow???? whats that? I remember 30" of very wet spring snow not that long ago. Two weeks ago I shoveled my walks and my neighbors after a mere 16" of  snow, and could have used some help. I'm a used up 72 year old coot. Where were those kids who should be shoveling my walks for 75 cents (OK $1.50 with inflation and all)!

Yeah we have to shovel within 24 hours of the end of a storm, but I've found its better to get out there during the storm and shove it while its still light enough not to strain the old lower back. Just have a nice warm cup of coffee ready when I get back into the house. 


You kids these days!

CHuck the grumpy old coot


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## higgite (Feb 13, 2017)

Ah, snow! When I was a kid in southeast Texas, I had to walk 5 miles to school and 8 miles back home in snow up to my chest, barefoot, uphill both ways. And then winter set in.

Tom


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## Hukshawn (Feb 14, 2017)

ch2co said:


> You young whippersnappers don't even know what snow is! Why when I was a youngster I used to get paid upwards of 75 cents to shovel the neighbors walks AND driveways!
> and I shoveled 5 to 6 of them, most of 'em old folks.   10" of snow???? whats that? I remember 30" of very wet spring snow not that long ago. Two weeks ago I shoveled my walks and my neighbors after a mere 16" of  snow, and could have used some help. I'm a used up 72 year old coot. Where were those kids who should be shoveling my walks for 75 cents (OK $1.50 with inflation and all)!
> 
> Yeah we have to shovel within 24 hours of the end of a storm, but I've found its better to get out there during the storm and shove it while its still light enough not to strain the old lower back. Just have a nice warm cup of coffee ready when I get back into the house.
> ...


I used to be that kid! 

Someone once jipped me and I spent half an hour throwing snow back on their driveway...

That 10" was after I already shovelled 4 times this storm that just went though.


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## Hukshawn (Feb 14, 2017)

higgite said:


> Ah, snow! When I was a kid in southeast Texas, I had to walk 5 miles to school and 8 miles back home in snow up to my chest, barefoot, uphill both ways. And then winter set in.
> 
> Tom


Southeast Texas??
Has snow actually ever even fallen there??


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## David S (Feb 14, 2017)

Fortunately there are no sidewalks on my side of the street.  We are in the end of a cul d sac.  However I do own the fire hydrant.  Not too sure of my responsibility.  The last couple of days we had lots of snow.  So I throttled up the snowthrower and headed across the front yard and tried to clear around the hydrant.  The house it saves could be my own .

David


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## Bill Gruby (Feb 14, 2017)

Quote from my Dad, " You youngsters have no clue what snow is, I used to walk 3 miles to school in 4 feet of snow, uphill both ways.

 "Billy G"


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## Hukshawn (Feb 14, 2017)

Bill Gruby said:


> Quote from my Dad, " You youngsters have no clue what snow is, I used to walk 3 miles to school in 4 feet of snow, uphill both ways.
> 
> "Billy G"


Yeah yeah yeah... 
I used to walk to school everyday. Easily a few miles. I used to ride my bike to work all year round before I drove. That's tricky in a foot of snow.


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## RJSakowski (Feb 14, 2017)

Bill Gruby said:


> Quote from my Dad, " You youngsters have no clue what snow is, I used to walk 3 miles to school in 4 feet of snow, uphill both ways.
> 
> "Billy G"


The old ones are. the best.  

Growing up all snow removal was by shoveling.  I have photos which show 6' high snow banks.  My Mom used to go out to shovel so my Dad could get up the driveway when he came home from work.  We kids loved the high banks because we could make snow caves.  As we got older, the shoveling became our responsibility.  The parents didn't get a snowblower until after I left home.  Here's one of my Dad. 



As a teenager, catching the school bus was an adventure in the winter.  We had weeks of -20ºF and the bus stop was at a corner about a 1/4 mile from the house.  The bus wouldn't wait if you weren't there so it was necessary to stand in the cold and wind.  Those of you who are older will remember the polished cotton pants that were fashionable then; thin enough to read through and if you had  phys. ed. ,  you wouldn't be caught dead in long johns.  I learned how to swear standing on that corner.  I wised up and started riding in with my Dad.  He would drop me off about two miles from the high school and I would run the distance.  The fronts of my legs would be so frozen by the time I reached the high school that they would burn for an hour.  Cool dudes didn't wear caps then.  Certainly not one with ear coverings.

All the manual training classes  in high school were held in a different building about a 1/2 mile from the high school and all those taking classes had to hoof it to and from and not be late for their next class.

There was no such thing as shutting down school for snow or cold weather back then and any parent would think it insane to drive the car out the the road so the kids wouldn't have to wait in the cold.


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## higgite (Feb 14, 2017)

A 6" vise is overkill for a RF45 style mill. A 4" is more appropiate for that size mill & IMO 5" max. I have a 5" GMT vise on my PM45 & it's slightly too big. Not enough Y axis travel to make use of the 5" full capacity. Better to save your money rather than getting something too big & most importantly the weight. I take my vise of the table quite often, a 6" is still light enough for me to be carried by hand but I'm glad I have a 5". I also have a 4" vise as well. I prefer the 5" though.

But those GMT 6" Premium vises are pretty nice. I'd love to have one but don't need one on my current mill. But if you plan on upgrading to a full size knee mill in the future than the 6" will be perfect.


Here's what the 5" looks like on my mill.




I couldn't even complete this cut without my bellows & DRO scale getting in the way. Not enough Y travel & the 5" vise is not even maxed out.




Here's what a 6" vise looks like on another PM45 (gt40's)
View attachment 253544


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## Hukshawn (Feb 14, 2017)

Lol 4". That's good rear wheel drive drifting weather.


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## FOMOGO (Feb 14, 2017)

78" of packed powder at home in Steamboat. Here in PR, I do have to brush the sand off my feet when I get back from the beach.  Mike


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## Hukshawn (Feb 14, 2017)

Sand!?......


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## Bill Gruby (Feb 14, 2017)

Sounds like he is in Puerto Rico (PR) at the beach.

 "Billy G"


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## 4GSR (Feb 14, 2017)

Hukshawn said:


> Southeast Texas??
> Has snow actually ever even fallen there??


In 2004, we had a white Christmas! Had about 8" of snow in our yard.  Started Christmas eve night and didn't quit until early Christmas morning.  All of us and the neighbors were outside at midnight playing the snow.  By late Christmas day, most of it had melted and refrozen that night into ice!  Even a bigger mess!  
National weather service said that was the first ever recorded on Christmas for south Texas.


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## jocat54 (Feb 14, 2017)

4gsr said:


> In 2004, we had a white Christmas! Had about 8" of snow in our yard.  Started Christmas eve night and didn't quit until early Christmas morning.  All of us and the neighbors were outside at midnight playing the snow.  By late Christmas day, most of it had melted and refrozen that night into ice!  Even a bigger mess!
> National weather service said that was the first ever recorded on Christmas for south Texas.



I couldn't remember for sure what year that was. We lived in Seguin at the time but had gone to Corpus Christi for our traditional Christmas Eve.( Corpus is my hometown) It was a long drive back home that night with all the fools who thought they should still drive 70mph on the roads. Later passed them off the side of the road


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## 4GSR (Feb 14, 2017)

Yeah, that same day, we were supposed to go to my mother in laws house for Christmas dinner.  About as far as we could get was about 10 miles from town heading to Cuero.  At about 30-35 mph lost it and wound up down in the shallow bar ditch.  Things were dry enough for me to drive right out.  We turned around and went back to the house!


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## higgite (Feb 14, 2017)

Yeah, I forgot about the 2004 "blizzard". We got less than an inch out of that one at my house. If you blinked, you missed it. But areas to south of us, like Victoria and El Campo, got in the neighborhood of a foot. Another brutal South Texas winter. 

Tom


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## 12bolts (Feb 15, 2017)

I resent that Bill





wlburton said:


> ....I'm noticing that our more southerly members are not chiming in on this one for some reason.....


Just because I live on the other side of the world doesn't mean I live on another planet....Oohh wait. Sunshine, sand, warm water,...perhaps I do!


Nah Billy





Bill Gruby said:


> Quote from my Dad, " You youngsters have no clue what snow is, I used to walk 3 miles to school in 4 feet of snow, uphill both ways.


 to quote my grandpa, "we were so poor we lived in a pothole in the road. The only time we got a bath was when it rained!

Cheers Phil


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## GA Gyro (Feb 15, 2017)

A 6" vise is overkill for a RF45 style mill. A 4" is more appropiate for that size mill & IMO 5" max. I have a 5" GMT vise on my PM45 & it's slightly too big. Not enough Y axis travel to make use of the 5" full capacity. Better to save your money rather than getting something too big & most importantly the weight. I take my vise of the table quite often, a 6" is still light enough for me to be carried by hand but I'm glad I have a 5". I also have a 4" vise as well. I prefer the 5" though.

But those GMT 6" Premium vises are pretty nice. I'd love to have one but don't need one on my current mill. But if you plan on upgrading to a full size knee mill in the future than the 6" will be perfect.


Here's what the 5" looks like on my mill.




I couldn't even complete this cut without my bellows & DRO scale getting in the way. Not enough Y travel & the 5" vise is not even maxed out.




Here's what a 6" vise looks like on another PM45 (gt40's)
View attachment 253544


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## Bill Gruby (Feb 15, 2017)

The last time we experienced a shut down was in the 70s. We got one storm that delivered 7 feet of the white stuff. The whole State was shut down. I was working when it started and did not leave the plant for the next 4 days. Awesome pay check that week, LOL .

 "Billy G"


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## Downunder Bob (Feb 19, 2017)

Snow, what is snow? I've heard it's white fluffy stuff that falls from the sky, don't get it here in down under. Not unless you go up into the mountains.


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## Bill Gruby (Feb 19, 2017)

Snow is nothing more than snow men falling from the sky, SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED


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## Grumpy Gator (Feb 19, 2017)

_This time of year I try to stay out of these "Snow " threads but since it took 2 hours to mow the grass yesterday all I can say is I'm glad it's only in the mid 70's here....LOL..._
_


	

		
			
		

		
	
      ****G****_


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## aliva (Feb 20, 2017)

I made this to make clearing snow a lot easier


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## Bill Gruby (Feb 20, 2017)

How about some pics of the connection to the blower?

 "Billy G"


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## Hukshawn (Feb 20, 2017)

aliva said:


> I made this to make clearing snow a lot easier


Oh man that's awesome...


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## David S (Feb 20, 2017)

Awesome indeed!

David


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## aliva (Feb 21, 2017)

I don't have any pics of the connection but it's just a simple 1-7/8 trailer ball hitch.


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## Bill Gruby (Feb 21, 2017)

Thank you, that's all I needed to know. Looks like I get a new ride next winter. Wonder ho it would work out behind that 6.2L chevy.  LOL

"Billy G"


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## aliva (Feb 21, 2017)

If you put the Chevy in I would strongly suggest a seat belt


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## Bill Gruby (Feb 21, 2017)

I have an old Bell full harness to use. Hmm maybe a small drag chute to.

 "Billy G:


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## aliva (Feb 21, 2017)

Be sure to attach the chute to the machine, not you LOL


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## rock_breaker (Mar 16, 2017)

No sidewalks here in the farm country but do shovel about 120 feet of walk way when not enough snow to plow with the Branson 3510 tractor. County blades the roads but usually leave a windrow in front of the driveway. I relearn my muleskinner language at least once a winter; wind makes a snow drift up the walkway from the concrete parking area to the door (about 25 feet by 2.5 feet high) 
Ray


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