More Questions While I Work.

 Our Location today is Windsor, Ontario.

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

When I checked in with Mile this morning he wanted me to weld the Feedscrews I had already finished. The look of puzzlement on his face was priceless when I told him they were done. Then I told him what I would be working on and why. I then noted that the Machinist would be busy while I worked on Rebuilds. He just shook his head and told me I knew what I was doing.

Starting at 6:00 this morning I located the last remaining Ten Inch Diameter Feedscrew that needed to be welded. If you recall we were having issues with Pinholes in the Bearing Surfaces. A few had to be completely ground off and redone. This Feedscrew along with another were ground Sixty Thousandths of an Inch deeper and given a base of Stainless Steel to help bond the Stellite 6 Hard Surfacing to the base material. The others had all been welded with only a few remaining to be machined.

There was plenty to do just getting things ready such as changing the Powder, the Program and setting up the Safety Stands in case there was a loss of Air Pressure which is how the Tailstock supports the Feedscrews. Considering that this unit only weighs in at Three Thousand Pounds before machining, we don’t want any mishaps.

It was 7:30 exact when I hit the “Begin To Weld” button. It would take Three and a Half Hours just to do the Stainless Steel on the Bearing and Pocket Surfaces. With that finished I was able to reheat the Screw while I again changed out the Powder.

When I started the Stellite it smoothed all the imperfections of the Stainless Steel Base but it takes forever. I had talked with Kathy while using my Ear Buds as I tended the PTA.

With no worries of drifting on the Bearing Surfaces I was in the process of removing the Feedscrews that were welded yesterday from the Sandbox when Tamara found me. She didn’t look happy when she handed me her father’s Cell Phone. She said “Ted needs more information and you are the only one who knows the answer”.

It was Ted from Goshen, Indiana that we’d had the Video Conference with yesterday. The pictures he had been sent gave him more questions then answers. Being that I’m the machine operator, we spoke for nearly an Hour. Even though he did not solve the big issue Ted made a few recommendations that will make it less confusing to the Computer. ????? He might call back tomorrow.

The entire time I was talking to Ted I was watching the progress that the Plasma Transfer Arc was making. I had to walk away from it because the large Compressor that supplies the Plant with air is only Ten Feet away and can be very noisy. Sometimes I was looking through the Screen from the other side of the Welding Curtains by standing on my toes and looking over. When Mile asked what I was doing, I simply told him keeping an eye on the job. He stood there looking stunned.

It was nearly 6:30 when I buried the Feedscrew in the Sandbox for the night. The bearing needs another layer of metal along with Thirteen Feet of Flight tomorrow.

We had Fat Food for supper. Tomorrow might be another late night.

Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment unless it personally attacks someone for their opinion or is Spam.

Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

Words of Inspiration

Sometimes when we are generous in small barely detectable ways it can change someone else’s life forever.

Margaret Cho, American comedian, actress, musician, fashion designer, and author.