A Life of Diesel.

[Tinkicker]

Me thinks you are quite hiding your light under bushel...  

[smallfrowne]

On 24/08/2024 at 22:05, bud said:

Some of those torque figures are crazy. I would need a very long extension bar.

Yeah that does sound quite high. The biggest I've done is about 2000Nm, but that was be 'and wi' a big norbar torque wrench . Oh how they watched me struggle when I first did it. Needed a running start to get it to click/deflect, before I developed the right belly for it. 

It was to joint a new section to the top of these red hot poker things.

 

If you didn't do it right (dreaded cross thread, not nipped up, debris in the delicate graphite threads...) it could mean the thing drops off into the furnace. Major pain and pretty costly, one because they just are expensive and two because now your steel is picking up carbon, and three you are in delay. 

 

Ahh nostalgia. I also used to drive the overhead crane (sat up there in the cab) that hoisted them up and out of their furnace arm clamp, they didn't half swing about. You had to be at one with the controls, they weren't like the little joysticks you see Greg Wallace going crackers over in modern equipment, I'm pretty sure they were bakelite switches which applied power in discrete notches, not like a fine throttle control. One notch and woosh it takes off. One notch back timed just right to cancel out the swing. Oh no, you didn't time it right... Wild swinging and the thing is rocking about near alsorts of equipment and the tip is glowing white at 1500°C whilst someone is (not) patiently waiting at the bottom to joint the thing. A delay can cause big issues when you are supplying a continuous caster which has to stop - not very continuous then is it? But what can you do when the guy on the floor can't be bothered to give you clear directions to guide it down for some unhelpful reason, somehow expecting you to magically negate the weird perspective you've got of the operation from way up yonder. No radios, and shouting in that noise isn't going to work, so you inch it in and don't mention it later because what's the point. Usually they were fine, but it wer all'us wun that wer a git. 

You really don't want to snap one either. We did drop one - not my fault I'll add, they opened up the wrong clamp and had a del boy's chandelier moment - but there was so much dust under the furnace that it landed  softly and mostly upright. I think the clamp's controls were wired up in reverse directions on the two furnaces, probably as a laugh by the German installers. Nerve wrecking job releasing the electrode clamp, which required counting and tapping the knobs in the right order 3 times before you did it.

 

I'll stop now, I'm getting all wistful. 

[smallfrowne]

On 24/08/2024 at 22:05, bud said:

 

 

Double post whoopsie daisies. But I'll put a picture of a random ladle in a ladle car with the ladle crane legs hanging about just for fun. 

 

 

And I'll just add that I'm enjoying the stories tinkicker.

Edited August 30, 2024 by smallfrowne
Double rambling

[curlylegend]

I too, worked in in a steelworks with an electric arc furnace.  Something else, aren't they ?  The huge power cables writhing about like demented giant anacondas. And that roar ? Awesome memories !!

[RideWithStyles]

, machinery and equipment to respect.

 

a single picture that would send a H&S personnel into a ranting rage and breaking many keyboards typing many emails of disapproval, referring to many directives while trying to keep themselves in a job (if their not at the minimum legal requirement already) beyond the minimum notice of their contract.

[bud]

10 hours ago, smallfrowne said:

Yeah that does sound quite high. The biggest I've done is about 2000Nm, but that was be 'and wi' a big norbar torque wrench . Oh how they watched me struggle when I first did it. Needed a running start to get it to click/deflect, before I developed the right belly for it. 

It was to joint a new section to the top of these red hot poker things.

 

If you didn't do it right (dreaded cross thread, not nipped up, debris in the delicate graphite threads...) it could mean the thing drops off into the furnace. Major pain and pretty costly, one because they just are expensive and two because now your steel is picking up carbon, and three you are in delay. 

 

Ahh nostalgia. I also used to drive the overhead crane (sat up there in the cab) that hoisted them up and out of their furnace arm clamp, they didn't half swing about. You had to be at one with the controls, they weren't like the little joysticks you see Greg Wallace going crackers over in modern equipment, I'm pretty sure they were bakelite switches which applied power in discrete notches, not like a fine throttle control. One notch and woosh it takes off. One notch back timed just right to cancel out the swing. Oh no, you didn't time it right... Wild swinging and the thing is rocking about near alsorts of equipment and the tip is glowing white at 1500°C whilst someone is (not) patiently waiting at the bottom to joint the thing. A delay can cause big issues when you are supplying a continuous caster which has to stop - not very continuous then is it? But what can you do when the guy on the floor can't be bothered to give you clear directions to guide it down for some unhelpful reason, somehow expecting you to magically negate the weird perspective you've got of the operation from way up yonder. No radios, and shouting in that noise isn't going to work, so you inch it in and don't mention it later because what's the point. Usually they were fine, but it wer all'us wun that wer a git. 

You really don't want to snap one either. We did drop one - not my fault I'll add, they opened up the wrong clamp and had a del boy's chandelier moment - but there was so much dust under the furnace that it landed  softly and mostly upright. I think the clamp's controls were wired up in reverse directions on the two furnaces, probably as a laugh by the German installers. Nerve wrecking job releasing the electrode clamp, which required counting and tapping the knobs in the right order 3 times before you did it.

 

I'll stop now, I'm getting all wistful. 

That sounds like quite an adventure every day.

[smallfrowne]

Yeah health and safety I always thought was quite sensible in that place. Though they still had pictures up of the old boys doing it in waistcoats and flat caps. I suppose it was a bit of an adventure, always something going off. I always thought it was quite hard to show people around, trying to describe from a little distance what things were, to them everything was just another random dust covered object, with a strange name like tundish. 

And yes the power cables dancing about was a reminder of the power on tap haha. We had some French guys in to upgrade our furnace arm regulation. Nice guys and really smoothed out the power delivery, made our pm ladle furnaces sing, well, gently hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm 

[Tinkicker]

Looking forward to an easy week next week.  Driver went to ICL Boulby to pick up a Clarke Hurth axle from a Manitou telehandler.  Nice week for once.

 

Driver gets there and looks for the axle.  Apparently it was coming up from pit bottom in the materials elevator.  Said elevator appears with two axles and a bloke in a hard hat and clipboard.

 

One, the Clarke Hurth.  The other a Clarke 19D.  Worthy with clipboard says " theres ya two axles" Driver says I cannot get two on without being overloaded..I only came for the smaller one.

 

"Oh well, the big un is urgent, machine is stood, we already have a recon manitou axle in stores,  you will have to come back for the manitou on monday".

 

Just great.  I think I may throw a sickie.

 

Manitou Telehandler..

 

 

 

 

Clarke 19Ds fitted in an Atlas Copco/ Wagner  ST7.  Aw Crap.  Much sweat and tears in my future.  Already sweated buckets over it on thursday.  Right hand side final reduction gears have completely shat themselves.  Every thing welded together with the heat involved.  Took three hours to get the hub off.  Usually a half hour job.

 

Edited August 31, 2024 by Tinkicker

[Tinkicker]

So after much sweat dripping off nose and out of hair,   including two blokes simultaneously whaling away with two 20lb sledgehammers to get the brake housings off the axle case, job done.  Just got to lift the diff assembly out tomorrow.  Everything is undone, just need the overhead crane, which someone else was using.

 

Before removing the brake housings, I recalled describing the internal brake system on here and also that bigger stuff have the brakes acting directly on the hub, and not through the halfshafts like the smaller stuff.

Hub removed, outer brake housing reaction plate removed and we have the brake disc assembly exposed.  Time for a pic...

 

[Tinkicker]

Its like soddin groundhog day...

 

That big clarke gave me a bit of trouble, but its now back 3500ft under the north sea.  Was I glad to see the back of that one.

 

As I breathed a sigh of relief.  I got a cryptic "your mate is back" from the office.

 

Yup.  After shovelling the assorted pieces of shattered metal back onto a stillage and sending it back to the customer, way back when it was warm, sunny and I had a pleasant evening beer, sat in a sunny garden to look forward to at the end of the working day...

 

It is now freezing cold, the missus is currently on a heating strike to " punish" the greedy energy suppliers, while I am sat on the sofa, in a onesy, with icicles hanging off the end of my nose and the golden rule is now in force " no beer on a schoolnight, unless it is a lovely evening outside".

 

Seems the customer could not find a replacement unit, could not find anyone else willing to take it on, and once more sent the pile of mangled steel in my direction with a plea that I screw it back together for them, with a hefty bill of course.  I doubt they will see change out of £25k.

 

This time I have no pleasant thoughts of a nice beer in the garden to make it better...  Yup, it is back...and it is going to be a right sod to repair.

 

 

 

[Tinkicker]

On 30/08/2024 at 12:38, smallfrowne said:

 

Double post whoopsie daisies. But I'll put a picture of a random ladle in a ladle car with the ladle crane legs hanging about just for fun. 

 

 

And I'll just add that I'm enjoying the stories tinkicker.

 

 

Used to go on site, servicing vans and trucks at Scunthorpe Steelworks.  Almost under a blast furnace called " Queen Anne".  You have no conception of how big those things are really, until you hear a rumble and see a train rolling along, about halfway up the side of one.  It looked like a model train...

 

I too remember the dust or more often, deep, rusty mud... You had to be quick underneath the vehicle before the crawler board sank and the mud pulled your spanners into its depths.

Also remember going to an Escort van on the same site that was broken down.  Took hours to dig the engine out of the dried mudhole under the bonnet.

Mitie Maintenance was the firm hiring the vans, and once the contract hire was over, the vans working the steelworks were pretty much, rusted, worthless scrap at 3 years old.  The ferrous dust used to eat its way straight through the paint on the bonnets and roofs.

Edited October 14, 2024 by Tinkicker

[AstronautNinja]

2 hours ago, Tinkicker said:

Its like soddin groundhog day...

 

That big clarke gave me a bit of trouble, but its now back 3500ft under the north sea.  Was I glad to see the back of that one.

 

As I breathed a sigh of relief.  I got a cryptic "your mate is back" from the office.

 

Yup.  After shovelling the assorted pieces of shattered metal back onto a stillage and sending it back to the customer, way back when it was warm, sunny and I had a pleasant evening beer, sat in a sunny garden to look forward to at the end of the working day...

 

It is now freezing cold, the missus is currently on a heating strike to " punish" the greedy energy suppliers, while I am sat on the sofa, in a onesy, with icicles hanging off the end of my nose and the golden rule is now in force " no beer on a schoolnight, unless it is a lovely evening outside".

 

Seems the customer could not find a replacement unit, could not find anyone else willing to take it on, and once more sent the pile of mangled steel in my direction with a plea that I screw it back together for them, with a hefty bill of course.  I doubt they will see change out of £25k.

 

This time I have no pleasant thoughts of a nice beer in the garden to make it better...  Yup, it is back...and it is going to be a right sod to repair.

 

 

 

I'll turn an extra heater on in your honour

[Nick the wanderer]

The wife and I have this stupid game of chicken when it comes to putting the heating on, who will cave first and turn it on. lol.

So far I'm up to 3 layers and it's meant to be a bit milder this week, only just got the jumpers out!