What did you do today

[Electric Miner]

Rough night at work last night. One of the shovels blew the guts out of a 600V field contactor, taking out a power supply in a different cabinet, and melting a bunch of wiring at the same time. Luckily we had a replacement contactor assembly, which already had some of the melted wiring in place. Of course, it took an hour to find the replacement. Then I had to clean the inside of a carboned up cabinet, and install the new contactor. That required tracing wiring back to it's source, since the carbon wiped out the labeling on the wires that connected to the contactor.

All this time, I have a completely useless partner, standing behind me and watching me work while doing zip-slant-nothing. This guy is 425 pounds. He can barely get through the doors of the Ford F-350s we drive at work. He constantly complains about actually having to do his job. And he smells bad. He's been there forty years, and is ROTC (retired on the clock). He keeps saying he's getting close to actually retiring. We're all praying for it to happen. In the meantime, this is the last week I have to work nights with him. Next week, he rotates out for one of our young guys who is semi-knowledgeable, but at least works.

Got everything wired, and one of the relays is not pulling in. I'm trying to determine why it isn't pulling in, like did I get a wire in the wrong place? Did I miss a wire? All the while, large and smelly is standing behind me whining "Why don't we go back to the shop and pass it on to the AM crew. How about because that's not we're being paid for? On top of which the day crew won't start drifting in for over an hour. I ignored him and kept troubleshooting. Finally, when the day crew should have started showing up, I gathered my tools and headed back to the shop.

I pass the evenings entertainment on to the lead electrician. He tells me "Yeah, we've been having issues with those contactors. Since Komatsu bought P&H, the contactors have been coming in wired backwards."

WTF! Really? Why didn't someone tell us. Send an email. Make an announcement. I passed the mess onto day crew and went home.

[mike116]

Nothing good ever happens on Halloween.    Things like this are the reason I choose to work alone.

[sourdough]

All this time, I have a completely useless partner, standing behind me and watching me work while doing zip-slant-nothing. This guy is 425 pounds. He can barely get through the doors of the Ford F-350s we drive at work. He constantly complains about actually having to do his job. And he smells bad. He's been there forty years, and is ROTC (retired on the clock). He keeps saying he's getting close to actually retiring. We're all praying for it to happen. In the meantime, this is the last week I have to work nights with him. Next week, he rotates out for one of our young guys who is semi-knowledgeable, but at least works.

Don't feel like the Lone Ranger. I have been retired going on 13 years, but I have been in your situation many times in a previous life working at a major hospital as a Plant Operator, and when the SHTF you are basically on your own, especially on late shifts, and you can't get management/supervisors to answer the phone at night as to how to proceed and have to just wing it. It is really the pits when you are paired with someone like that: no backup, your cohort deems himself a sidewalk supervisor, and does not lift a finger to the good.

Sorry to hear of your situation, sir.

Jim

[ShotgunDave]

Yessir, I feel your pain too EM. When I worked at Gulfstream, I worked second shift for a year or so. I got more done at night, by myself, than an 8 man crew did during regular daylight hours. Bunch of jackoffs. No wonder those damn planes start at 80M dollars.

All you can do is be yourself and do what you do. Guys like your 425lb smelly guy, have no self respect. And other's see it.

[Hawg]

Went to Columbus and bought a few groceries that we either can't get here or they're too expensive here. Also got my rifle out of hock.

[Electric Miner]

Lost the same contactor last night. Not as bad, so I just had to replace part of the assembly - once more on my own cause of my useless partner. For the second morning in a row told the lead that something else is going on. We've lost the same contactor three times in a week. Contactors don't just melt down for no reason. I suspect the 600 VDC/1000 amp motor this contactor controls is dying. They were getting ready to go down and dig into it when I left, and they had a call into the Komatsu techrep.

[G Dog]

It’s Saturday here and I dint do nothin cept sit under my thinning oak trees in a leaf storm and read some of ol Tom Macaulay’s Lays of Ancient Rome.  A fanciful thing. 

e.g.:

Horatio at the Gate -

Then out spake brave Horatius,
The Captain of the Gate:
"To every man upon this earth
Death cometh soon or late.
And how can man die better
Than facing fearful odds,
For the ashes of his fathers,
And the temples of his gods?"

Churchill had it all memorized by the time he was eight.  One would rather expect that of him.

Oh yea, and later I reassembled an extremely clean and greased-up Pietta Rem .36 taken down and cleaned after over a year and several hundred shots. 

Rest up boys and have a nice weekend.  Plenty of work ahead for everyone.

[Len]

Hi EM, are you wearing a gas mask when "working" with that guy?

[Electric Miner]

Log splitter!

That is all...

[mazo kid]

Couple of days ago I got the snowblower out of the shed and into the garage. Neither is heated so wanted to make sure the machine ran. When putting it away in the Spring, I drain the gas tank and run the carburetor dry. When ready to  use it again I put a bit of gas in the tank and then pull-start it (even though it has electric start) as I want to see if there are any issues. Usually it starts first or second pull, and such was the case this time. Just wanting to be prepared as we got a total of over 8" of snow last week. That is gone now, but we are getting more over the next few days.

[Hawg]

Nothing yet, I just got up. May cut the grass later. I dunno.

[Len]

Also gave the snow blower a test run today. No snow so far, but temps are around 25*F, so any time now.

[Miguel Loco]

It's motorcycle riding season here in AZ....from now until April.....then is just warmer motorcycle riding season.

Planning a shooting excursion in neighboring Benson, AZ over the next couple of weeks. My good friend Gary has over 300 BP and conversion revolvers including over a half dozen Patterson's. He's getting up in age and needs a little help getting around. Rough duty, but somebody needs to help himm go shooting....

[Pustic]

Today I went and voted.

[Miguel Loco]

Today I went and voted.

Awesome! Every one counts!