Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

[Darkrider]

Originally Posted by cheesy

The reckoning was postponed by Dorian. SHTF tomorrow.

Beaufort had the week off while the field guys worked. Which was good because we weren’t constantly interrupted with stupid questions from CS while trying to get some work done. I expect two of those idiots to be cut. Engineering will be brought down a peg or two. A couple of good guys there but arrogance towards the field staff is rampant. Purchasing has already had the ‘Come to Jesus’ talk from the new CEO and there has been a marked improvement, yet I can’t fathom why the PA needs three assistants when the PA in Elgin did the entire job by herself. The factory floor will be pretty much be decimated. Time to tear that down and start again. Two, maybe three, people are safe there. I imagine there will also be shake ups in management and sales. TS(Harold, Jason, and I)are the safest of the lot. We are ‘the company’. But if cuts do come to TS, I’ll be the first to volunteer.

Cheesy:

[cheesy]

It started.
Management waited until the very, very, expensive Cantenary truck was finished and shipped. A year late.
Today, the worthless shipping supervisor got cut. He cost us $4500.00 last week by shipping the wrong equipment to the wrong customer. One of the do-nothing purchasing guys got let go, too.
The CFO blew a gasket when he got the final tally of what was spent, and how it was spent, on a blanket PO with the supplier that has been screwing us with help from a couple of employees. That should be interesting come later in the week. May be law enforcement involved.
The Chief Engineer and Shop Supervisor are also in serious trouble for the above because it happened under their noses.
Should be an interesting week.

[bogieboy]

[cheesy]

I get to be in Beaufort next week. Yay? Am I really going to instruct in train air installation or am I being cut? Don’t know, don’t care.

[cheesy]

Jeez, what a ghost town here. Most of upper management that was going to get an earful from me is at a trade show in Minneapolis. On the other hand, anyone that has the authority to cut me is at a trade show in Minneapolis. So, screwed both ways. And they didn’t even invite me. Could be because my disdain of the REMSA trade show is legendary in our outfit. That’s a whole ‘nother thread.
Looks like most of the inmates have taken this time not to be here, too. So it’s pretty quiet. The guy that got pegged to replace the stoner shipping/stockroom supervisor has already gotten a handle on the mess the stoner created. The stockroom hasn’t looked this organized since Elgin. Sad part about this is that he was originally hired to be the supervisor but the nitwits in management didn’t think he was ready so they hired the stoner. He wasn’t the only one they did that to.
As far as the project I am down here for, I already made three orders with McMaster for crap that isn’t in the kit and one with Amazon for something that wasn’t in stock. All on my company card because I still do not trust Purchasing to do it in a timely manner.

Will keep you in the loop.

[cheesy]

Wrapped up the project Thursday afternoon. Because Beaufort is such a great location, an overnight delivery from McMaster takes two to three days. Gah. The guy they had for me to train may have been a waste of my time. A good guy and sharp but a little bird told me that he’s giving his notice in November. He signed on to a two year welding contract that will pay him 100K a year. I’d do it, too.
Anyway, the install went pretty good except for my screw up of ordering 3/8 bspp fittings instead of 1/4 bspp. Couldn’t wait for replacements from McMaster, so I ran down to Savannah, where there is a real hydraulic shop, and got my twenty bucks worth of parts.

Al got back Thursday afternoon and came out to see how the job was going. I had just tightened the last fitting and was crawling out from underneath the machine. I was covered in dirt, cut up, and bruised. All that idiot asked was “Does it work and did you get any one trained?” I blew an effing gasket. He bolted pretty quick.

I had breakfast with Harold yesterday and gave him the run down on how things went and my set to with Al. Harold just said that Al has worked with me for over twenty years and he ought to know when to stay away by now. I just said Al is Al. Al is not a CEO. Harold asked for my plans for next week and I told him not a damn thing. He said good, work from home. Yay!

So, thought I was going to get home before 5pm yesterday. That would be the first time in two months. Nope. All day t-storms in Chicago gave me a four hour delay. The delay did allow me to have a conversation with a consultant on the limo ride home. Got some good pointers on how to make dealing with my outfit profitable to me after I retire. It’s pretty obvious that they don’t have a plan for when I’m gone.

[Weldangrind]

I hate BSP. God created NPT for a reason.
I'd love to hear those consultant pointers.

[cheesy]

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

I hate BSP. God created NPT for a reason.
I'd love to hear those consultant pointers.

Most railroads in North America will not accept NPT for use in hydraulic applications. O-ring port seals are required, which leaves SAE o-ring boss (orb for short) or BSPP. As the bulk of our equipment is designed, if not built, in Europe, BSPP it is. However, and if no one is looking, NPT can be used in a BSPP port with Teflon tape. I’ve told people that I can make it right in three days if I wait on the correct fitting, or I can make it work now if they don’t look. Until Beaufort, I had no problem with BSPP. Now, if say I need a BSPP fitting from what passes for a local hydraulic shop, I get the deer in the headlight stare.*

As far as pointers, in a nutshell, hold my ground with my future former employer. I need to get something from them before they get something from me. Because I took the time to learn it does not entitle them to easy answers.

*You should see the stares when I ask for -16 six wire 7500psi hose with 1” Grade 61 flange fittings on each end. All the place in Savannah would do is ask, “How long?”

[bogieboy]

Originally Posted by cheesy

Most railroads in North America will not accept NPT for use in hydraulic applications. O-ring port seals are required, which leaves SAE o-ring boss (orb for short) or BSPP. As the bulk of our equipment is designed, if not built, in Europe, BSPP it is. However, and if no one is looking, NPT can be used in a BSPP port with Teflon tape. I’ve told people that I can make it right in three days if I wait on the correct fitting, or I can make it work now if they don’t look. Until Beaufort, I had no problem with BSPP. Now, if say I need a BSPP fitting from what passes for a local hydraulic shop, I get the deer in the headlight stare.*

As far as pointers, in a nutshell, hold my ground with my future former employer. I need to get something from them before they get something from me. Because I took the time to learn it does not entitle them to easy answers.

*You should see the stares when I ask for -16 six wire 7500psi hose with 1” Grade 61 flange fittings on each end. All the place in Savannah would do is ask, “How long?”

i actually know what that all means.... glad i never had to make one though.... mostly just 3/8-1/2 stuff with either JIC or ORB.... and never over 4500psi... now i dont even mess with it anymore, moved out of the ag oriented shop to another shop thats all lawn and garden....

[Weldangrind]

Our stuff at work is either ORB or JIC, although most of the Techs don't even know that. They simply remove and replace according to part number. Never heard of six wire; must be capable of much more than 7500psi.

[cheesy]

Routing a -16 hose is like trying to bend a sewer pipe some days. I used to be able to do Eaton GH-781 up to 1”. Anything over 4 wire was made by our local shop because our equipment couldn’t handle it. I used to make stuff rated over 10,000 psi at my old job.

Customers would bitch about the cost of 6 wire from us, so they’d go to a local shop and get whatever that guy had on his shelf. They’d usually call a week later with a PO for the correct stuff.

We use SAE, BSPP, NPT, NPS, and, God help us, Metric. All x JIC. I have wanted to punch the engineers that spec JIC -5(5/16) and -10(5/8).

[cheesy]

Sheesh. Just got a 7am call from the knuckleheads in Beaufort. “What model John Deere engine is in the crane?” What I wanted to say was “Open the goddam hood. It’s on the valve cover in big letters. It’s in all the advertising. It’s in the Operators manual. Jeez, I’m not on the clock for another hour.”
Instead, I was polite and said, “Power-Tech 4.5.” And hung up.

[JerryHawk250]

Originally Posted by cheesy

Sheesh. Just got a 7am call from the knuckleheads in Beaufort. “What model John Deere engine is in the crane?” What I wanted to say was “Open the goddam hood. It’s on the valve cover in big letters. It’s in all the advertising. It’s in the Operators manual. Jeez, I’m not on the clock for another hour.”
Instead, I was polite and said, “Power-Tech 4.5.” And hung up.

I get that kind of calls all day long when bidding jobs. Lady from the concrete plant calls like clockwork on every job I send her. Same questions. About how many Cubic yards of concrete on this project? I'm thinking to myself. Did you even open the plans?, She works for a concrete plant. If its a 200,000 sf building it's going to be a lot. If it's a few side walks it going to be small. Please don't put any effort into it.

I got one guy as soon as I send out the plans he calls and ask is this a big job. I've been knowing the guy for years and give him hell and reply "Did You Open The Plans?" "Do you want be to estimate it for you Too?" Then we just laugh about it after.


The best ones are like the Brick mason. "Are there brick on the job?" I reply "Why do you think I sent it to you?"

Some people are just down right lazy.

[Sport Rider]

if you think you have problems, THIS is what I work with. before you ask....this is a young man who was hired under our "technical youth" program.

[minimac]

What a very nice safe place. Revoke his man card....NOW!