- Joined
- Jul 11, 2014
- Messages
- 496
The photo below was taken about 25-30 years ago. That guy with the rag in his back pocket and auburn hair is me. Back when I had color in my hair and had hair to speak of on top of my head. The other guy is my boss, understandably somewhat put out. :sorry2:
:nono:
I don't remember the make of the lathe canted over at about a 45deg angle but I will always remember the day. It has a 60" faceplate and about an 18'-20' bed. I was threading 18" to 30" diameter ductile iron pipe, each piece anywhere from 8' to 15' long, and then adding a threaded flange to it. This was for one of the many phosphate mines in that area where I used to live. If you look to the left of where I am in the photo you might see the flange on the end of one of the pieces of pipe, lying where it should not lie.
To thread the big spools of pipe we had to set a chock under one of the movable 'jaws' on the faceplate and then bear down with a long bar 'two holed' in the flange. I had just finished the defunct piece you see on the floor in the background and was going to start the lathe to face the flange to complete the job.
You know what's coming don't you?
I hit the start button and became immediately aware of the lathe moving in a way it was not designed to do. I stepped over into the nearest corner away from the lathe and watched it climb up on the chock I had failed to remover and with a sinking heart waited for the inevitable. Everybody took notice so there was no getting out of this one.
Sparks flew as the wiring was torn loose and the conduit twisted out of shape. There was the awful clanging, banging, bell sound of the work hitting the floor and the lathe coming right behind it. There was the screaming of the boss and he tore out of his office and let me know, kindly of course, what I had just cost the company.:*****slap: There was the sound of silence ("Hello darkness my old friend") from me as I stood there and took it.:whiteflag:
Several thousand dollars later and a few hours, the lathe was up and running again, not noticeably worse for wear and the experience.hew:
How about you?
:nono:
I don't remember the make of the lathe canted over at about a 45deg angle but I will always remember the day. It has a 60" faceplate and about an 18'-20' bed. I was threading 18" to 30" diameter ductile iron pipe, each piece anywhere from 8' to 15' long, and then adding a threaded flange to it. This was for one of the many phosphate mines in that area where I used to live. If you look to the left of where I am in the photo you might see the flange on the end of one of the pieces of pipe, lying where it should not lie.
To thread the big spools of pipe we had to set a chock under one of the movable 'jaws' on the faceplate and then bear down with a long bar 'two holed' in the flange. I had just finished the defunct piece you see on the floor in the background and was going to start the lathe to face the flange to complete the job.
You know what's coming don't you?
I hit the start button and became immediately aware of the lathe moving in a way it was not designed to do. I stepped over into the nearest corner away from the lathe and watched it climb up on the chock I had failed to remover and with a sinking heart waited for the inevitable. Everybody took notice so there was no getting out of this one.
Sparks flew as the wiring was torn loose and the conduit twisted out of shape. There was the awful clanging, banging, bell sound of the work hitting the floor and the lathe coming right behind it. There was the screaming of the boss and he tore out of his office and let me know, kindly of course, what I had just cost the company.:*****slap: There was the sound of silence ("Hello darkness my old friend") from me as I stood there and took it.:whiteflag:
Several thousand dollars later and a few hours, the lathe was up and running again, not noticeably worse for wear and the experience.hew:
How about you?