2005 - We came to our first chunk to see the air cannons; primarily because Mark had been playing around with various spud guns that he had built.
We were somewhat disappointed that we couldn't see the pumpkins because they were moving so fast but we didn't lose faith, we fell in love with the mechanicals. There were so many different ideas and designs! Wow! Yankee Siege, King Arthur, Pumpkin Hammer! Hmmmm, wouldn't it really be cool to build something like that. Here's where the story begins…ideas, concepts and what should we name it.
2006 - Bruce Bradford and the team of Second Amendment graciously allowed us to hang out with them. Thanks again guys! This was a much better vantage point since we were now behind the cannons. This is exciting, we could see the pumpkin and follow it's flight. The field change that is planned for 2007 would make viewing the air cannons better for spectators.
2007 - Last minute entry, final design and building began 2 months before the chunk. Plenty of time, right? Not! (But as John Huber, Association Vice President, had mentioned in an email to all participants… (You guys have had a year to get your pictures, and papers in), Barbara wasted no time in reminding me that I too, had a year to get the "Hurler" completed. Just days before the chunk, the Hurler was finished and ready for testing. Why won't the a!(*@%%)sdfkv! pumpkin release? The queen of "why don't you" is seriously getting on my nerves with all her suggestions! "Why don't you" go back in the house! Videotaping begins to try to explain the mystery. Multiple pin angles tested. Still NADA and it was beginning to look like we were as Barbara said, "wasting pumpkins". Testing continues and a pumpkin shell fragment to the head injures our next-door neighbor Jeff Meyer. Blood! He had just sat in Barbara's seat at the picnic table. Serves him right (Just kidding, Jeff). After much debate, we shortened the sling length, changed the pin angle orientation (Queen of… What If…) and success!!!!!!! Tear 'er down we're going to Delaware in 2 days, not propped but it throws!
Thursday morning we should have been on the road 3 hours ago! Opps forgot to weld the pin (Just a minor detail) that holds the counterweight plates. Mark had just tacked it and the welds broke! Ugh! Quick stop (two hours, if you call that quick… ) at Arban Precast Stone in Dumfries for a last minute fix from the Millermatic 185. " On the road again" sing it Willie! We arrive at the new location dazed and confused. How do we do this? Where do we go? Safety inspection, fire extinguisher (but it's made of aluminum and steel… it can't burn), first aid kit (oh yeah, remember what happened to our neighbor, Jeff)? So many machines are already set up. Finally we find our pit…81 (Little did Barbara know, but that number (81) would have to be in "Sharpie" hundreds of times on every regulation pumpkin that we would throw! Look at Hypertension in pit 82 they have a hole dug under their machine what's up with that? HMMM? No time we're late we have got to get busy. The hurler weighs about 1500 lbs total with the lightest piece being 150 lbs. This is a lot of work to throw 3 pumpkins! Ok we're tired, let's find the Days Inn, we can finish Friday morning.
Friday morning, before the setup is finished, Barbara makes a mad dash to the local Walmart to buy the fire extinguisher that has to be mounted (Rule 18) on the machine and first aid kit (Rule 18) in plain view for all to see. With minutes to spare, it's down to the wire and we throw 389. Kind of went up not out but Whoo Hoo we are on the books! Hypertension throws XXXX feet WOW gotta get me one of those! We went to the Jo Dee Messina concert and then off to bed although Mark didn't sleep much thinking about "The Trigger". He continued to work on the "Trigger Mechanism" that "in Theory" will release the arm and the counterweight simultaneously. Saturday, the pin angle is changed again and we throw 424 feet. Good call I guess. Sunday we are going to be "Heroes or Zeros! Captains meeting 7am What? You're changing the order we throw in? NOOOOO we won't have time to finish and throw "Super propped"!!! OK time is up we will have to throw as is !()!((& oh well…"yes dear, I shudda started sooner". 426 feet - not bad for beginners.
Finally, we get it propped and ready to fire after the competition was over and NADA (so much for theory - maybe next year we should engage the help of our Engineer daughter to run some calcs and forget the Kentucky Windage and elevation stuff - we did spend a lot of money for both of those degrees, right?)! Too much pressure on the trigger! We actually pulled the entire machine sideways and it still wouldn't release! Ok not bad for beginners and at least we threw 3 times and they all went forward. Success of some kind and we did meet a lot of people and hopefully made some new friends. We are already looking forward to next year.
Monday morning it's now time to tear the Hurler down and load up. Along the way, we stop and say goodbye to Rich Foley of Team Pumpkin Hammer and he graciously shares some wisdom about triggers and releases. With this wealth of knowledge, we are once again encouraged and head for home in Stafford VA and the shores of Accokeek Creek. We arrive home and get everything unloaded (again) and the "Queen" begins to paint. This should have been done before we left, but……you can't paint, when there is nothing to paint. Choice of paint colors is decided (Va Tech Chicago Maroon and Burnt Orange, of course), but what's wrong with the maroon (Honey are you colored blind, it doesn't look right). Barbara finally concedes that this "will to do for now", but before we go to the 2008 chunk, we will be buying that new "Glidden" College Collection at our local Home Depot. Next, start locating Va Tech graphics and logos. So much to do, so little time…
Friday 11/23/07 the Hurler is now reassembled overlooking Accokeek Creek. A test pumpkin is fired and it still works….whew. New Harbor Freight electric winch installed, how do those Chinese do it so cheap? Now no more loading counterweight plates off a stepladder! Oh No… all this trigger stuff is not going to work! Back to the Etch-A-Sketch! At least we have 343 days left!
