Shifts Explained and Major Oops.

 Our Location today is Windsor, Ontario.

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

It seems that I’m suddenly swinging back and forth between regular starting time and early shifts. This morning it was again 7:00 like most of the crew. The long shifts are attached to jobs that require the extra hours to be completed. Since I’m the only person in the Plant that actually knows how to run the Plasma Transfer Arc, it’s a blessing and a curse. The blessing is that I am needed to get the product out the door, but that is also the curse. Even though I have been training Vic how to do most of the operation, he has no intention of becoming the Second Welder in the Plant. He holds a Master’s Degree in Engineering and plans of going further into the field.

This morning I searched for work to do, before doing more cleaning around the PTA. Finally, a Centering Hole needed to be filled on an Auger. It was such a difficult job that it took Twenty Minutes, because it had to be welded using Food-Grade Stainless Steel. Once it cooled, it was cleaned, buffed, then shipped to the Customer.

When I’m not concentrating on a job it seems the Pain in my Hip/Leg become overwhelming. With nothing else to do, I was ready to call it an early day and go home. That’s when the Rebuild Nitrated Feedscrew I filled the Notches the other day, was sent to the PTA. Since I proved that doing that and cutting fresh Notches caused less problems and got them out the door faster, it’s a new standard.

I had it mounted, all the Numbers added to the PTA Spreadsheet and ran Test before lunch. Knowing how long each Pass would take I didn’t think it would be started today. Even after I mentioned having to reheat it again on Monday, Mile insisted I weld the First Pass on Zone One today.

I spoke to Kathy while she was headed to Hearing Life, and explained that I would be delayed getting home. She understood!

I suddenly had the Polishers coming over to see that I was actually starting a Feedscrew after lunch, when they heard the roar of the Burners and their Air-Tools didn’t have power enough to do their job.

Since we were using a harder Hard Surfacing Material to build the Flights, the Torch kept trying to plug up. Using a technique similar to poking a Campfire, I managed to clean them off and keep the Torch doing its job.

Around 2:30 there was a loud Crunch that came from the Shipping Door. Mike was moving a Shipping Crate with the Forklift and forgot the Door was only half open. That was a Major Oops. The Door-Co people arrived within a Half Hour and were able to temporarily get it closed, but will have to return early next week to replace Two Panels and some Hardware.

After finishing the First Pass on Zone One and getting it buried in the Sandbox for the weekend, I spoke with Mile. Since I have an appointment on Monday afternoon, he asked that I come in early to make more progress on this Rebuild. (Rebuilds take longer to do than New Feedscrews.)

I picked up Fish and Chips at the Michigan Diner on the way home. TGIF and I have Two Days off.

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

I got my friend a fridge for his birthday.

His face lit up when he opened it.