Aaaaaaaarrrgh!!

I’m cursed…

I’ve only rammed a few layers this afternoon, and now the compressor has stopped. I first thought it may have been water or other crap in the fuel, as I’ve only just refuelled it and that was from a drum which used to hold hydraulic oil for the bobcat. It was flushed out with old fuel, but still…

But no. I cranked the compressor a few times without it starting, and I (naturally) started to smell fuel in the exhaust. Then when it finally did fire, it backfired with a jet of flame a foot long out the exhaust. It ran for a few minutes, got up to pressure and then stopped.

Permanently.

I can’t even turn the crank with the rip cord, it’s seized solid. I’ve taken the spark plug out to eliminate compression lock, but that’s not it and I can’t turn it at all. It hasn’t done 15 hours work yet!

Shit! Shit! Shit!

What am I going to do now? I’ve got about two thirds of a wall, and I can’t stop now otherwise I’ll end up with a dry joint. I can’t have that! This is a structural wall, and even though it’s got reo in it I get the feeling I’ll have to pull it down and start again.

My only option is to ram it by hand with the crow bar. This is going to be fun…