Think before you build
Back in the 1930s, Benjamin Klinger spent 4 years building a boat in his basement. Then discovered he couldn't get the boat out of his basement.
Unfortunately, I can't find any report that tells what ended up happening. Did he tear down a wall to get the boat out? Or is the boat still sitting there to this day?
Sources: Milwaukee Sentinel - Jun 22, 1935; and San Bernardino County Sun - Jun 22, 1935.
Unfortunately, I can't find any report that tells what ended up happening. Did he tear down a wall to get the boat out? Or is the boat still sitting there to this day?
Sources: Milwaukee Sentinel - Jun 22, 1935; and San Bernardino County Sun - Jun 22, 1935.
Comments
Well Leroy Jethro Gibbs said, in reference to the four boats he built in his basement, to get the ship out of the bottle, you have to break the bottle.
Posted by Jimpy on 05/15/15 at 10:18 AM
@Jimpy: You beat me to it! Jethro has been at this for the past 12 years now.
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 05/15/15 at 11:25 AM
I loved Gibbs' boat! I can just imagine the writers sitting around, wracking their brains for some way to make the character something of an enigma without making it a big storyline. That was the perfect image! I had to keep watching the series to find out what happened to it.
Posted by Phideaux on 05/15/15 at 01:53 PM
OMG!My brother-in-law did this with a table he built for my mother. He built chairs for it and then he built a big table. When he attempted to bring it up from the basement he realized it wouldn't fit through basement door
He ended up cutting a couple of inches off of one of the legs so that he could buttonhole it through and then reattaching the piece after the fact. We still tease him about it and there is still that little scar on one leg of the table. Could not solve the problem with a boat that way though.
He ended up cutting a couple of inches off of one of the legs so that he could buttonhole it through and then reattaching the piece after the fact. We still tease him about it and there is still that little scar on one leg of the table. Could not solve the problem with a boat that way though.
Posted by Patty in Ohio, USA on 05/15/15 at 02:22 PM
Measure once, cut twice!
I once worked on the design and installation of heavy duty machinery for a small manufacturing firm. It was mostly one-of-a-kind machines for mining companies. We did have our share of SNAFUs but nothing major. At every installation the company workers that we worked with would tell us horror stories and point out the bone-yard of past mistakes.
I once worked on the design and installation of heavy duty machinery for a small manufacturing firm. It was mostly one-of-a-kind machines for mining companies. We did have our share of SNAFUs but nothing major. At every installation the company workers that we worked with would tell us horror stories and point out the bone-yard of past mistakes.
Posted by BMN on 05/15/15 at 04:14 PM
It could have been worse - he could have built an airplane.
Posted by KDP on 05/15/15 at 04:53 PM
Just mowed this afternoon and it's so wet here that I need an amphibious lawn tractor. Anyone know where I can get one ? .. It rained this morning and is supposed to rain the next three days here in the midwest.
Posted by BrokeDad in Midwest US on 05/15/15 at 08:10 PM
@BD... Of the top of my head: A hover craft / mower / leaf blower? If you can get the money, I have two possible designs.
Posted by BMN on 05/15/15 at 09:08 PM
@BrokeDad -- You might want to check out old episodes of TopGear (UK). Sounds like something they'd have built. I mean, how hard can it be?
Posted by Phideaux on 05/15/15 at 11:49 PM
@Phideaux -- where are my hammers?
Posted by Justin on 05/16/15 at 12:54 AM
This allegedly happened to Henry Ford in his early days. He had to knock out part of a barn wall to get his new creation out.
Posted by Dave Plechaty on 05/17/15 at 02:19 AM
I knew a guy who built a full size 2 seat airplane in his living room. He stuck the tail out the side by side windows in front. Prior to attaching the wings he removed part of the wall, all according to plan.
Posted by Old Texan on 05/17/15 at 01:39 PM
The hover craft / mower was based on this:
http://www.weirduniverse.net/blog/comments/herb_bartlett/
Attached to and below the lifting prop would be the cutting blade.
http://www.weirduniverse.net/blog/comments/herb_bartlett/
Attached to and below the lifting prop would be the cutting blade.
Posted by BMN on 05/17/15 at 02:41 PM
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Category: Boats | 1930s