The day I learned what a magneto is...

[echris 1,425]

@pullstart's post earlier today reminded me of my first experience with a Wisconsin magneto.

 

I grew up with small block Chevy's and Briggs.

At the lawnmower shop, I was maybe 13-14.
Old Vernon came from Jamaica every summer to work in the shop. He was over 6' tall and probably as wide.
And he new everything about every motor, machine, everything. Just a brilliant man.

He called me - "Speedle Wheedle" - Which he told me meant "Little Rat" in Jamaican. lol

One day he says, "Speedle Wheedle, come here mon. Hold this mon...." And he spins the gear on the magneto and the current flies through me and I jump back and yell.

All 300lbs of Old Vernon were jiggling while he laughed harder than I ever saw him laugh. At my expense.

In only seconds, I learned about Magneto's that day. 

[Pullstart 62,799]

Didn’t know whether to laugh or love it, it’s a love it story!  I do realize the power of a magneto, but couldn’t believe the small effort to get spark!  

[echris 1,425]

I agree, magneto's can be a real pain. Take it from me. 

But the real story here is Old Vernon. I have so many great stories from that old timer.

Like the time he hit me in the head with a 3lb sledge.

[tom2p 2,394]

59 minutes ago, echris said:

I agree, magneto's can be a real pain. Take it from me. 

But the real story here is Old Vernon. I have so many great stories from that old timer.

Like the time he hit me in the head with a 3lb sledge.

did you have to reimburse him for the damage to the sledge ?

 

 

[echris 1,425]

Just now, tom2p said:

did you have to reimburse him for the damage to the sledge ?

 

 

Fortunately for me, my skull only chipped the sledge a tiny bit.

[Bill D 1,908]

25 minutes ago, echris said:

Fortunately for me, my skull only chipped the sledge a tiny bit.

One of these days I have to meet you!

[echris 1,425]

And when you meet me you'll say, "Wait a minute, he's only 5'6", no way he chipped that sledge." lol

Here's how it happened: (I love Old Vernon stories)
We serviced a lot of Yazoo Master Mowers. 60-72" front deck.
They often came in mangled.
Old Vernon is hitting the bend in the deck with a torch and swinging a hand sledge.
I about 6' away, directly in front of Old Vernon with a 6' pry bar pulling the deck downwards.
Old Vernon swings his hammer again and again and again.
It seemed like Old Vernon was starting to get tired.....
Head over handle, head over handle, the sledge leapt
Towards my head,
It connected.

I didn't get ded, just got my bell rung. Then we finished straightening the deck. 

The good old days. 

[Pullstart 62,799]

I think he might be me, but not so Jamaican and not quite 300 lbs, and surely not close to 6’ tall!

[echris 1,425]

Here's two more Old Vernon's:
He's rebuilding (I think) a Wisconsin buttoning up the base gasket. He hits one side of the base gasket with sticky glue, the other side with grease.
I ask him, "Vernon, isn't that going to leak?"
He replied, "No mon, it'll never leak and if I made a mistake, I take the engine apart and not waste a gasket." 

And the last one:
We had a washroom with hot water and 175PSI. Every machine got a bath.
One time I had a WH in the shower, letting her run and dry off.
Vernon says, "Speedle Wheedle, did you put oil back in that machine before you started her?"
Oh $h1_!

He says, "No matter mon, she's an old machine and sounds just fine.

He could have ratted me out. Old Vernon would have rather taught a lesson.
And he taught me a lot.

[ebinmaine 67,290]

Awesome stuff. Absolutely awesome.

[Pullstart 62,799]

8 hours ago, echris said:

Here's two more Old Vernon's:
He's rebuilding (I think) a Wisconsin buttoning up the base gasket. He hits one side of the base gasket with sticky glue, the other side with grease.
I ask him, "Vernon, isn't that going to leak?"
He replied, "No mon, it'll never leak and if I made a mistake, I take the engine apart and not waste a gasket." 

And the last one:
We had a washroom with hot water and 175PSI. Every machine got a bath.
One time I had a WH in the shower, letting her run and dry off.
Vernon says, "Speedle Wheedle, did you put oil back in that machine before you started her?"
Oh $h1_!

He says, "No matter mon, she's an old machine and sounds just fine.

He could have ratted me out. Old Vernon would have rather taught a lesson.
And he taught me a lot.

Now that last story, you sound more like me, even the same height!  

[8ntruck 6,991]

Sounds like you learned a lot from Old Vernon.  He sounds like one of those mentors who had an effective way of making sure his lessons stuck.

 

 

[echris 1,425]

On 11/10/2020 at 8:17 AM, pullstart said:

Now that last story, you sound more like me, even the same height!  

YOU DON'T NEED OIL.... - Zip Ties and Bias Plies.

If you're not familiar with him, look him up on YouTube. Start with HOW TO WHEELIE A 1 TON!!
LMAO

[echris 1,425]

On 11/10/2020 at 12:01 PM, 8ntruck said:

Sounds like you learned a lot from Old Vernon.  He sounds like one of those mentors who had an effective way of making sure his lessons stuck.

 

 

That's exactly him.

We were sitting around the workbenches eating lunch one day and out of the blue he points to the straw in my soda and he says, "Speedle Wheedle, if you take that straw and throw it hard enough and straight enough, it will go right through that steel workbench."

I'm somewhere between 13 and 17 years old when he tells me this and of course I reply, "That's BS."

I'd come to find Old Vernon, of course, was correct.