frizbeedog
Senior Member
- Location
- Oregon
ultramegabob said:
We can't let you off that easy. :grin:
Fess up. It's theraputic.
You did what?
- Thread starter frizbeedog
- Start date
- Status
We can't let you off that easy. :grin:
Fess up. It's theraputic.
ultramegabob
Senior Member
- Location
- Indiana
frizbeedog said:
cut through a set of underground cables feeding streetlights in an apt. complex, probley only 20 ft. from the transformer. I think it would normally cost someone a bunch of money when they do that, but I think my boss had some friends in the utillity company that took care of it, my boss called me sparky for a while after that, it happend probly 10 years ago, its still embarrassing... lol, so like Holey Moley says... "Call before ya dig!!!"
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About 1970 was working graveyard shift in an underground mine. We lost power. I took the train outside, no power there either. Called POCO, it was a miserable stormy night, all the linemen were busy. Two old timers who had not worked in field for years showed up. We went into the switchyard and looked around, figured which breaker had tripped, some kind of mumble jumble talk - they were not certain? Guy's were u.g. without any hoist operating to get them out, and it looked right to me, I did not close our feed, I opened the feed to the little town down the road. Easy to see what I did - we could see the town go black. I immediately closed that breaker, and the breaker to the mine - it was the other one! Next day half the crew was late to work....
Fast forward 28 years. Got a call over the radio from the control room. I was doing start up at a new power plant. The operators had started up the plant, and were ready to synchronize, but first had to close the breaker in the switchyard. They couldn't close it. I was only a short distance away and got to the control room immediately. Asked them what they did, they sorta stammered around a bit, so I explained all they had to do was put this control handle to the local position, and rotate this other control handle to the close position. They just looked at me with these blank looks. So I said do you want me to close the breaker. They sorta look at me blankly, and each other, so I said o.k. I'll close it. No sweat it closed. Well, when they close that breaker they would need to call the Utility, the utility would set up their system to take the change in load. The Utility had been called, but that was at least 5 minutes ago, and they thought we gave up? Anyway they weren't ready. I made everything go black for 110 miles up the road, and a good portion of the city of ................ I can't say, I can only hope they forgot it was me. It did make the newspapers, but thankfully left out my name. Hey it was day time, as far as I know nobody was late to work!
I was still the ace - my manager blamed them for not moving fast enough - and he was in a hurry.
Fast forward 28 years. Got a call over the radio from the control room. I was doing start up at a new power plant. The operators had started up the plant, and were ready to synchronize, but first had to close the breaker in the switchyard. They couldn't close it. I was only a short distance away and got to the control room immediately. Asked them what they did, they sorta stammered around a bit, so I explained all they had to do was put this control handle to the local position, and rotate this other control handle to the close position. They just looked at me with these blank looks. So I said do you want me to close the breaker. They sorta look at me blankly, and each other, so I said o.k. I'll close it. No sweat it closed. Well, when they close that breaker they would need to call the Utility, the utility would set up their system to take the change in load. The Utility had been called, but that was at least 5 minutes ago, and they thought we gave up? Anyway they weren't ready. I made everything go black for 110 miles up the road, and a good portion of the city of ................ I can't say, I can only hope they forgot it was me. It did make the newspapers, but thankfully left out my name. Hey it was day time, as far as I know nobody was late to work!
I was still the ace - my manager blamed them for not moving fast enough - and he was in a hurry.
jrclen
Senior Member
- Location
- Central Wisconsin
stickboy1375 said:
I forgot all about the time I pushed a brand new ideal fish tape through a conduit into a live 208 panel. I put a piece of cardboard in the panel to deflect the fish away from the bus as it entered the panel. Didn't work. Boom.
frizbeedog
Senior Member
- Location
- Oregon
But not the longest me thinks
But not the longest me thinks
WOW
:grin: :grin: :grin:
Now go rate that thread.
But not the longest me thinks
WOW
:grin: :grin: :grin:
Now go rate that thread.
Electron_Sam78
Senior Member
- Location
- Palm Bay, FL
I was an electrician/lineman in the Air Force. In 98 we were deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia to maintian the power grid fed by portable generator power plants putting out 2400/4160. Well, this deployable electrical system was designed for a maximum of 6 months and when we got there the lines and equipment were going on three years. This was the middle of the summer and the circuits were overloaded so we spent most of the summer constantly replacing burned up equipment, making splices, and replacing load break elbows. Once we got a call that the another circuit had lost power so we went to the location, shut off the secondary breakers and pulled the primary fused cutouts from the SDC (Secondary Distribution Center, a transformer/distribution panel all in one box) and proceeded with a visual inspection but found no signs of a burn up. So we checked the fuses in the cutouts we just pulled- all good. Finally we got the HV meter out and checked the primary power. All good! :-? Re-installed fused cutouts, secondary power all good. Come to find out, it was a miscommunication somewhere and that was not the circuit that was down. Oh well, no harm right? Wrong! This was the hospital circuit and when we turned off power to the SDC to check it out, there just happened to be a surgery in progess! Doh! That must be why a guy ran out and fired up the backup generator soon after we pulled the fuses.
commonslob
Member
I don't know that I can call any one stupidest, but i cringe to think of all the dumb things i did as a apprentice. Standing on the rails of a fully extended lift, changing many live 277v ballasts, wrestling with parking lot lights on a lift on uneven ground, levled out with planks, pulling cables through the rafters 40 ft up while dragging two planks with me. The things you do when you're young and don't know any better, i'm lucky I didn't meet with a bad end. Kind of makes me mad that I was let do stuff like that for 6 bucks an hour. I'd like to claim I've smartened up, you won't catch me even thiniking of doing that stuff anymore. the stupidest thing I've done in the past few years was listening to co-workers when they told me things were dead. Like a 480 AC unit I was cutting out. Fortunately I had developed the habit of cutting one wire at a time and only got a minor belt when I had taken off the locknut and was removing the cable. Everything gets tested now
frizbeedog
Senior Member
- Location
- Oregon
Bonehead Apprentice
Bonehead Apprentice
I'm doing trim on a house boat and had to install a chandelier over a split level stairwell. from the top landing to the window ledge we placed an extension ladder and out I went, walking on the rungs. Standing under the outlet to fasten the hardware I pulled the wires out of the box and realize wires are too long. No big deal. I reach for my linemans and clip all three concutors to the desired length.
Whabam! Kablooie!
All the workers around me were astounded that I didn't flinch and fall. I quickly resumed as if nothing had happend.
Outside I was cool as a cuccumber. but inside I was.......
View attachment 1465
Bonehead Apprentice
I'm doing trim on a house boat and had to install a chandelier over a split level stairwell. from the top landing to the window ledge we placed an extension ladder and out I went, walking on the rungs. Standing under the outlet to fasten the hardware I pulled the wires out of the box and realize wires are too long. No big deal. I reach for my linemans and clip all three concutors to the desired length.
Whabam! Kablooie!
All the workers around me were astounded that I didn't flinch and fall. I quickly resumed as if nothing had happend.
Outside I was cool as a cuccumber. but inside I was.......
View attachment 1465
mattsilkwood
Senior Member
- Location
- missouri
wired the painters airless up to the bastard leg. he could paint the moon for a sec. boy those things hold alot of smoke:grin:
Praedatus1
Member
- Location
- Portland, Oregon
got soooooo angry on a friday b/c "new" apprentice didnt show up till 11am with 60oz coffee and doghnuts and a goofy smile, meanwhile siding guy cut my wire feeding o/s outlet so I spliced it in the wall behind the cut-in box and made it long enough to get into the box, meanwhile other apprentice made up o/s outlet on FRONT of house and when he screwed in the outlet, he had the ground touching the neutral screw and of course, the GFI stayed tripped. Being friday, I didnt check the circuit and contractor called boss on saturday saying GFI wouldnt reset, boss went to job and of COURSE looked in MY o/s outlet FIRST, saw the splice behind the box, and I got REAMED monday. I will never do that again.
frogneck77
Senior Member
- Location
- Shelton,CT
I tried to drill a hole in the back of a CT cabinet- wanted to come out the back with my pipe to the meter.The service was hot. I woke on the cold concrete floor-thought I was in my bedroom dreaming. When I realized what had happened I went to my truck and looked in the mirror. I had two red marks on my head where I had leaned forward into the lugs! I feel lucky to be here writing this.
frizbeedog
Senior Member
- Location
- Oregon
frogneck77 said:
Glad you're here.
Wow.
Podagrower
Member
- Location
- Central Fl
Falling thru the ceiling
Falling thru the ceiling
Years ago, when I did houses, our big boss was having a new home built. My helper and me were trimming out the house when the boss showed up and told us the drywallers had covered two recess cans. I went up to the attic since it was not insulated yet, and cut out the cans from the backside. On my way back across the attic, in a hurry, I misstepped, lost my balance, and didn't fall thru! I felt so lucky, until I went back downstairs and saw the perfect imprint of my boot busted out of the family room ceiling:grin:
The best fall thru.
Show up to trim out a house with a green helper. Rough in crew failed to run a wire for the hydrotub. Not a big deal, attic access in garage, attic access
in master closet, send in the helper. I'm waiting by the master closet access, and waiting, and waiting.....my helper finally appears, and the following conversation occurs.
H "You know that pink stuff up here?"
M "The insulation?"
H "Yeah--did you know you can't walk on it"
The rocket scientist had tried to walk between the trusses and had fallen thru the ceiling in the dining room, got back up in the attic, and still brought me the wire. Not too bright, but did as he was told.
Falling thru the ceiling
Years ago, when I did houses, our big boss was having a new home built. My helper and me were trimming out the house when the boss showed up and told us the drywallers had covered two recess cans. I went up to the attic since it was not insulated yet, and cut out the cans from the backside. On my way back across the attic, in a hurry, I misstepped, lost my balance, and didn't fall thru! I felt so lucky, until I went back downstairs and saw the perfect imprint of my boot busted out of the family room ceiling:grin:
The best fall thru.
Show up to trim out a house with a green helper. Rough in crew failed to run a wire for the hydrotub. Not a big deal, attic access in garage, attic access
in master closet, send in the helper. I'm waiting by the master closet access, and waiting, and waiting.....my helper finally appears, and the following conversation occurs.
H "You know that pink stuff up here?"
M "The insulation?"
H "Yeah--did you know you can't walk on it"
The rocket scientist had tried to walk between the trusses and had fallen thru the ceiling in the dining room, got back up in the attic, and still brought me the wire. Not too bright, but did as he was told.
I was a 2nd yr. app. working on a drugstore remodel. J.W. instructed me to go to the basement and install breakers in 3 phase panel and terminate new cash register circuts so we could open new section of store. Found several open spaces in panel to put new 20a. 1pole breakers,all on B phase,how conveinient.Before this day I never heard of a "high leg" service. O.K. kid turn them on said my J.W. I Didn't know cash registers contained "smoke"!! JW came down to basement ,took a look at the panel and promptly said,"well you did what I told you to,come on kid its time for coffee" . We returned after my lesson on "high B phase" panels and my JW called the boss and took all the blame. Best JW I ever worked with!!
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