You don't know Barry. He get as much work done as two men and a horse. He's a dedicated family man, very dedicated to his church (he and my uncle wired it!) and does nothing but smile.
Got a kick out of this.....
- Thread starter daleuger
- Start date
- Status
You don't know Barry. He get as much work done as two men and a horse. He's a dedicated family man, very dedicated to his church (he and my uncle wired it!) and does nothing but smile.
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
There's a warning sign. :wink:
peter d
Senior Member
- Location
- New England
I guess I'm looking at it from my perspective of "rocks with a little bit of dirt" as our usual soil conditions.
But still, I think there's something you're not letting on here.
You'd just have to meet the man and watch him do his thing. His work ethic is stuck in overdrive.
peter d
Senior Member
- Location
- New England
24 cubic yards of dirt in 2 hours. By hand. That's a superhuman feat if you ask me.
stickboy1375
Senior Member
- Location
- Litchfield, CT
Back to the focus....anybody got any more good green stories?
I remembered one on myself a bit earlier. My first year I was working with a j-man I'd barely met before. He was doing something or other (don't remember) in a mechanical room with the doors open about 20 feet from a granite pole I was working on. I went up an extension ladder to push a fish tape down through the pole. I could have SWORN I'd seen him just come off that ladder a few minutes before....according to him later he'd just laid it there.....so I ASSUMED it was set ok and didn't really look at it before I went up. I'm oup on the ladder about 15' off the ground giving that tape hell when I feel the ladder go. My first instinct was to wrap around that pole like a koala rather than ride that ladder down to the ground, but I slid a good foot, foot and a half before I got a good grip. Then I jumped down after the ladder crashed down. I was skinned up pretty good on my arms, chest, and stomach. That story spread around our like wild fire, and I was still hearing it a year later. I ran into that guy on another job some time later and he swore up and down he thought I had a couple more years in the trade than I did, and he wouldn't have ridden me so hard if he'd known. In hind sight I'm glad he did. I worked with him for about 3 more months after that and I learned a LOT.
I remembered one on myself a bit earlier. My first year I was working with a j-man I'd barely met before. He was doing something or other (don't remember) in a mechanical room with the doors open about 20 feet from a granite pole I was working on. I went up an extension ladder to push a fish tape down through the pole. I could have SWORN I'd seen him just come off that ladder a few minutes before....according to him later he'd just laid it there.....so I ASSUMED it was set ok and didn't really look at it before I went up. I'm oup on the ladder about 15' off the ground giving that tape hell when I feel the ladder go. My first instinct was to wrap around that pole like a koala rather than ride that ladder down to the ground, but I slid a good foot, foot and a half before I got a good grip. Then I jumped down after the ladder crashed down. I was skinned up pretty good on my arms, chest, and stomach. That story spread around our like wild fire, and I was still hearing it a year later. I ran into that guy on another job some time later and he swore up and down he thought I had a couple more years in the trade than I did, and he wouldn't have ridden me so hard if he'd known. In hind sight I'm glad he did. I worked with him for about 3 more months after that and I learned a LOT.
I installed quite a few pumped storage sewer systems for the owner of a old apartment complex, and a few rental houses that this guy owned.
This guy is a retired Navy man, which he joined after doing 4 years in the Marine Corp, and he is a Ditch Digging Son Of a Gun.
Forget the trencher, he wants to, and does all of the trenching by hand.
He even has a assortment of special shovels and hand tools that he's created to do the job.
One installation had a 4ft diameter x 6ft deep collection tank that had to be buried, and he dug the hole by himself.
The trenches that he dug were perfectly straight, the correct depth to the inch, and the bottoms were so clean that they looked like he swept them out with a broom.
I'm talking maybe 10 holes of various diameter from 3' to 6', depths of 4' to 6', and probably 200' of trenching.
This all was in rocky soil, so there were a lot of rocks laying around when he finished.
I've never met anyone like him, that guy loves to dig in the ground.
It's not about saving money either.
steve
This guy is a retired Navy man, which he joined after doing 4 years in the Marine Corp, and he is a Ditch Digging Son Of a Gun.
Forget the trencher, he wants to, and does all of the trenching by hand.
He even has a assortment of special shovels and hand tools that he's created to do the job.
One installation had a 4ft diameter x 6ft deep collection tank that had to be buried, and he dug the hole by himself.
The trenches that he dug were perfectly straight, the correct depth to the inch, and the bottoms were so clean that they looked like he swept them out with a broom.
I'm talking maybe 10 holes of various diameter from 3' to 6', depths of 4' to 6', and probably 200' of trenching.
This all was in rocky soil, so there were a lot of rocks laying around when he finished.
I've never met anyone like him, that guy loves to dig in the ground.
It's not about saving money either.
steve
glene77is
Senior Member
- Location
- Memphis, TN
Hillbilly,
I like that story of the 'Trencher'. He is obviously not afraid of some work,
and he must have some "smart techniques" for this work.
I had rather use a small ditch-witch,
but I supplement its efforts with home-made deflectors
and a set of tools used 'not as advertised'.
Which reminds me, we have 700' more of trenching
through/into Mississippi 'MUCK' clay during this coming week.
Either we use smart techniques or we wear ourselves out.
I like that story of the 'Trencher'. He is obviously not afraid of some work,
and he must have some "smart techniques" for this work.
I had rather use a small ditch-witch,
but I supplement its efforts with home-made deflectors
and a set of tools used 'not as advertised'.
Which reminds me, we have 700' more of trenching
through/into Mississippi 'MUCK' clay during this coming week.
Either we use smart techniques or we wear ourselves out.
glene77is
Senior Member
- Location
- Memphis, TN
Dale,
I have a helper, and related stories I suppose, but he is helpful.
The "Site":
So, we have worked in a warehouse/manufacturing site,
wherein the POCO supplies 408 Delta, and one corner has 'become' grounded.
The master still swears this isn't so,
but we have an odd circuit supplying mose of the HID luminaires in the place.
The "Finding":
Putting up the HID lights, I find a hot wire with 240 to the other conductor.
This other conductor reads zero volts to ground.
Still not a neutral, but used as if it were, red and white colors.
The "Punch-line":
The 480 transformer supplies 3 phase 266, with 135 to neutral buss.
Originally the 208 HID luminaires were attached to this circuit.
My helper was helpful in simply reading the voltage at the buss bars
and agreeing with his readings.
The helper "helped" even in the face of other JM telling him
that the 'theory' said otherwise.
Eventually, others were coerced into physically reading the voltage and agreeing,
and shaking their heads.
The "Results":
Of course, this should be from a Wye secondary.
I expect that we will eventually fix this anomaly,
which may raise the branch circuit voltage
from 266 / 135 to 277 / 142,
and that will cause other problems! ha, ha.
The "Prognosis":
All the 208 HID luminaires will have to be rewired to 277!
I expect we will be back here again.
I have a helper, and related stories I suppose, but he is helpful.
The "Site":
So, we have worked in a warehouse/manufacturing site,
wherein the POCO supplies 408 Delta, and one corner has 'become' grounded.
The master still swears this isn't so,
but we have an odd circuit supplying mose of the HID luminaires in the place.
The "Finding":
Putting up the HID lights, I find a hot wire with 240 to the other conductor.
This other conductor reads zero volts to ground.
Still not a neutral, but used as if it were, red and white colors.
The "Punch-line":
The 480 transformer supplies 3 phase 266, with 135 to neutral buss.
Originally the 208 HID luminaires were attached to this circuit.
My helper was helpful in simply reading the voltage at the buss bars
and agreeing with his readings.
The helper "helped" even in the face of other JM telling him
that the 'theory' said otherwise.
Eventually, others were coerced into physically reading the voltage and agreeing,
and shaking their heads.
The "Results":
Of course, this should be from a Wye secondary.
I expect that we will eventually fix this anomaly,
which may raise the branch circuit voltage
from 266 / 135 to 277 / 142,
and that will cause other problems! ha, ha.
The "Prognosis":
All the 208 HID luminaires will have to be rewired to 277!
I expect we will be back here again.
walkerj
Senior Member
- Location
- Baton Rouge
Some people just don't have any sense.
I watched a young man try to get the holesaw off of its arbor.
It was stuck, so he chucked it up in his drill, held the saw with his channel-locks, and pulled the trigger.
Ouch! Tore the palm of his hand up REAL bad.
Another time I watched an "electrician" try to cut out some 6" cans in 7/8" wood on a guard shack drive-thru
So, he busted out the hole-hawg and the 6 3/8" hole saw, and climbed on top of the van.
I usually drill a pilot hole and start the hole slowly.
This genius pulled in the trigger all the way on high gear and was doing great until the pilot made it through and the teeth caught.
Ouch! Drill popped him in the forehead, he caves in the van ceiling and falls to the ground.
So I leave and come back later and all six cans he cut out fell out on ceiling joists
I watched a young man try to get the holesaw off of its arbor.
It was stuck, so he chucked it up in his drill, held the saw with his channel-locks, and pulled the trigger.
Ouch! Tore the palm of his hand up REAL bad.
Another time I watched an "electrician" try to cut out some 6" cans in 7/8" wood on a guard shack drive-thru
So, he busted out the hole-hawg and the 6 3/8" hole saw, and climbed on top of the van.
I usually drill a pilot hole and start the hole slowly.
This genius pulled in the trigger all the way on high gear and was doing great until the pilot made it through and the teeth caught.
Ouch! Drill popped him in the forehead, he caves in the van ceiling and falls to the ground.
So I leave and come back later and all six cans he cut out fell out on ceiling joists
big john
Senior Member
- Location
- Portland, ME
He'd already tried to drive a ground rod by jamming the rod into the chuck of the rotary hammer and "drilling" the rod into the ground. Then came that little jem with the "fish tape". But when he was told to throw out the old light fixture boxes, and he just started grabbing all the boxes and tossing them in the dumpster, light fixtures and all... it was decided he probably needed to find another line of work. :roll:
In all fairness, I do this all the time with cordless drills, and it works fine. Drop 'em into low gear and ease on to the trigger.
Another time I watched an "electrician" try to cut out some 6" cans in 7/8" wood on a guard shack drive-thru So, he busted out the hole-hawg and the 6 3/8" hole saw, and climbed on top of the van. I usually drill a pilot hole and start the hole slowly. This genius pulled in the trigger all the way on high gear and was doing great until the pilot made it through and the teeth caught.
Ouch! Drill popped him in the forehead, he caves in the van ceiling and falls to the ground. So I leave and come back later and all six cans he cut out fell out on ceiling joists
I have to ask a couple of questions cause I was almost in tears when I read it. How long had he been in the trade? And before I even go off on the overkill of busting out the hole hawg......any idea why he got on top of the van?
walkerj
Senior Member
- Location
- Baton Rouge
He has been doing electrical for about 15 years or so.
He was a roadie...
Very few brain cells left:grin:
He was a roadie...
Very few brain cells left:grin:
I had a partner for several years that was one of the worst wanna bees I have ever seen. He had a degree as an EE but could not find a job that would work with his family life ( I never figured out what that meant). It took me six houses to teach him how to wire a switched recepticle. He never, after eighty houses learned how to hook up a three/four way light switch set up and make it work the first or third time. He called wire nuts "Jujubees" and keep them all mixed up in one box for his use. We had a rotary hammer drill/ chisel that ran off a portable compressor set at 100 psi. The drill had a slug that went in it to take up the spline space when using the chisel. This slug would peen over after alot of use and the chisel would no longer hammer. Simple to just drop out the slug and put in a new one, if you did not use it too long and the slug peen itself into the splines. He had done so and decided to get the slug out with a screwdriver. He took out the chisel and set the hammer up on the floor while he leaned over it. The trigger was on the back side of the handle and engaged when it hit the floor, shooting the slug out and into his throat from about two feet away. The DA had never disconnected the air hose!
But the best I ever laughed about was a J-man who keep getting shocked in the stomach by a wire during a refurb. Every time he would cuss and pull out his proximity tester to chech the wire. It took four times before some one asked him when Sharpie started making proxy testers before he realized what the problem was.
Gene
____________________________________
Remember - Speed Kills and its not always you!
But the best I ever laughed about was a J-man who keep getting shocked in the stomach by a wire during a refurb. Every time he would cuss and pull out his proximity tester to chech the wire. It took four times before some one asked him when Sharpie started making proxy testers before he realized what the problem was.
Gene
____________________________________
Remember - Speed Kills and its not always you!
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
Brunette: "Hey, is my turn signal working?"
Blonde: "Yes...no...yes...no...yes...no..."
Now, that would have made Homer Simpson proud! D-oh!
Last edited:
IMM_Doctor
Senior Member
Watching Plumber apprentice
Watching Plumber apprentice
We are industrial electrical contractors and often get involved in plant machinery moves. This inlvolves typically three trades. Electricians, Riggers, and Pipe Fitters (Plumbers).
We we connecting power to several large machines, pipe and wire. There were plumbers bringing plant water systems to the machinery with 2" black or galvanized pipe.
I was watching the journeyman plumber threading about a 15' piece of 2" pipe. He had the pipe in a tr-stand threadding machine. And, as oppsed to using an idler (roller) stand 10 feet away for the loose end of the pipe, he had it idling on the V-jaws of a tri-stand chain vice. This was thier MO all morning long. Well one pipe started to chatter and bounce on the idling pipe stand, so the apprentice thought he would just throw the chain over to keep it from bouncing.
What happened it a blink of an eye: The chain was thrown over in the same direction as the prip war rotatng, and cinched up, the tri-stand pipe stand, and the tri-stand threader BOTH imeediatley began to twist over, roll and violently buck and jump like a bad mechanical Rodeo, with threader oil buckets getting knocked over, equipment geting banged up.
It took the journeyman about 20 seconds after he backed away to run to the wall and unplug his threader.
Fortunatley the apprentice, nor no one else was injured. Once all the trades realized that there were no injuries, we all had a good laugh.
Watching Plumber apprentice
We are industrial electrical contractors and often get involved in plant machinery moves. This inlvolves typically three trades. Electricians, Riggers, and Pipe Fitters (Plumbers).
We we connecting power to several large machines, pipe and wire. There were plumbers bringing plant water systems to the machinery with 2" black or galvanized pipe.
I was watching the journeyman plumber threading about a 15' piece of 2" pipe. He had the pipe in a tr-stand threadding machine. And, as oppsed to using an idler (roller) stand 10 feet away for the loose end of the pipe, he had it idling on the V-jaws of a tri-stand chain vice. This was thier MO all morning long. Well one pipe started to chatter and bounce on the idling pipe stand, so the apprentice thought he would just throw the chain over to keep it from bouncing.
What happened it a blink of an eye: The chain was thrown over in the same direction as the prip war rotatng, and cinched up, the tri-stand pipe stand, and the tri-stand threader BOTH imeediatley began to twist over, roll and violently buck and jump like a bad mechanical Rodeo, with threader oil buckets getting knocked over, equipment geting banged up.
It took the journeyman about 20 seconds after he backed away to run to the wall and unplug his threader.
Fortunatley the apprentice, nor no one else was injured. Once all the trades realized that there were no injuries, we all had a good laugh.
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