Re: Was a long week...

[Anonymous-0]

I hear you. People in offices are getting all the latest in ergonomic chairs, computer keyboards, etc., etc. to make it easier on them and their body's. About all welders get to make their job easier is a flexible head TIG torch or an oval shaped MIG gun. No such thing as ergonomics when you have to be a contortionist and end up getting burn't because there's no other way to do it. Don't know why your post is out of place? Dave

 

[bc]

And don't you just hate it when an overweight secretary bumps her knee on a desk, has a papercut, or trips walking the stairs? Off to the doctor they go. There are certain orthopods who make a living doing carpal tunnel surgeries on an assembly line at the hospital. Half the time the surgery makes it worse.

I remember the time my right thumb got run around a drive chain and sprocket on a Gleaner C combine in high school. It's a little wider, flatter, missing some meat and part of the nail, and the scarred area won't let it work on my cell phone touch screen, but filing a workcomp claim never entered my mind.

Same for when a joint of 5" drill pipe slipped off a blowout preventer and landed on my foot. Same for when some worn out drill pipe tongs wouldn't bite and the driller told me to stick a one inch wrench in there for a dutchman. The tongs pulled around trapping my right hand holding the wrench with the other tong bending the wrench in a 90 degree angle and laid my hand open about 3" on the palm. Toolpusher told me to sterilize it with diesel fuel but I passed. Got it stitched up and back to work and no work comp claim ever entered my mind. Same for when I made the mistake of helping a guy move an oil drum and he zigged with his end when I zagged with my end and smashed a finger and lost the nail. Lost the diagonal tip of my left forefinger on the table saw in high school shop. No claims, no lost time accidents, and no gripes from me.

 

[Puddles]

bc that was back in the days where we had the mind set of “just rub some dirt on it!”

I just started with a new company, was trying to guide some equipment into a very tight spot with a crane. The equipment got in a bind, I ask the singleman to come down on the load a little so I could reposition it. I pulled real hard, when it found it's way it jumped real hard and hit me under the chin, and knocked me flat of my back, gashed my chin real good. The superintendent was watching from the seat of his pickup a short distance away. I walked over to him to look in his mirror, he said jump in I'll run you to the hospital for some stitches. I replied naw, got any duct tape, I'll finish my shift and go after work. From that point on I could do no wrong in his eyes.
The down side, within 6-months every tooth in my mouth had to be worked on! :lol:

 

[Anonymous-0]

What about the secretary that forgets to bill a customer for $75,000 for work performed and it doesn't get caught for a year? You can teach a monkey to run a bead, a good bookkeeper/accountant is hard to come by.

 

[Puddles]

(quoted from post at 14:18:58 10/23/10) What about the secretary that forgets to bill a customer for $75,000 for work performed and it doesn't get caught for a year? You can teach a monkey to run a bead, a good bookkeeper/accountant is hard to come by.

You mean to tell me no one in the entire office caught that for a year? Two things come to mind, either this office / company has too much money, or everyone is spending too much time on porn sites!

Post up some pictures of your monkey's welds, that you taught to weld, oh never mind just post up some pictures of your welds if it's so easy! :lol:

 

[redtom]

I work in a fortune 500 company in a large plant that has its own fire dept and ambulance. They actually have to dispatch the ambulance to the offices for a paper cut! Company policy! We have weekly safety meetings where they report on the number of cases that people went to the medical department because of wrist/elbow pain from "excessive keyboarding"! We had a campaign in the spring where every container must be marked..."trash", oil, etc. Our educated engineer boss came out in the shop, looked at a propane tank off of a forklift being worked on and said, "What's in the propane tank?" He's in charge cuz he's just thaaat smart!

 

[Goose]

I have. More than once. You've probably just never worked in an office.

On one occasion, a secretary was filling out a form for the company president. Among all the usual info, there was a box for the date. The secretary asked the president what to put in the box.

He told her, "Today's date, of course".

So that's what she entered in the box, "Today's date".

The president told her on the spot she had 30 days to find another job.

 

[Anonymous-0]

if you think that you can teach a monkey to run a GOOD bead you haven't done much welding or you are just simply a complete idiot!

 

[Uncle Ernie]

Yea and I bet you are good lookin and well hung too!!
Tell it to the boys down the street!

 

[JDseller]

I have welded bridge beams and ran an office. Both have different challenges. The truth is that good workers are hard to find and keep. The last implement dealer I worked at had one older lady that did the books, answered the phone, and helped keep the billing done. She was a dream to work with. She retired when she was seventy-five. LOL that is right. She is now eighty-four and helps do taxes during the winter. After she retired the dealer had to hire two women to keep the work done that she did.
So I would not rate any skilled worker over another. Each has great value when they do good work. Examples. The best cook in the world can"t have a good restaurant with out good serving help. A great welder can"t weld if they don"t have the materials to weld with.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Welding is the most tested trade there is. Even pressure welders that have been doing it for 30 years, still have to renew their qualifications every 2 years for every type of metal and every process they use. Running a good bead isn't that hard. Running a good bead while standing on your head or laying on your back is the hard part. When you have a good weld going, you don't stop just cause a hot spark has burned through your coveralls and is burning into your skin. It hurts like heck but the experienced welders don't even flinch. When they're finished welding, they'll have a few choice words though. I've got a few good scabs from getting burnt. Dave

 

[Anonymous-0]

If you're paying a grand a week in taxes, you must be making some serious money. You're also a project manager. If the young punks were paid the same as you and the other old guys were getting paid $3/hr more than you, would you feel the same way? I have another week to go to see if I get up to journeyman rate. If I get a bunch of excuses, I think I'll slow down just a little. The 3rd that was hired is good guy but just doesn't have the 20+ years of experience I have and he says it's only fair that I get paid more. He's not a big fan of this shop either. They seem to expect you to know how to do stuff you've never done before. I've never worked in a shop before that expected you to know how to build complex things you've never built before. Dave

 

[Anonymous-0]

Like "Super Hunky" in Dirt Bike magazine used to say; "When my knuckles went flying into the frame rails at 100MPH, I knew I needed some serious first aid... so I poured some beer on them and sucked my knuckles for half an hour". Dave

 

[52 M37]

Below is some paraphrasing from Section IX QW-322.1 and 322.2
ASME code section IX states that a welders qualifications can be revoked if:
a. They have not welded in process during a 6 month period
or
b. There is a specific reason to question their ability to make welds that meet the specification (only the process in question will be revoked)

I have to weld in process every six months to maintain my qualifications as a code welder. I do not have to weld each type of metal I qualify for. Good thing as some of the exotics are very expensive. If at any time a welder has his qualifications revoked they can requalify with one test coupon in any position with plate or pipe any material and any thickness.

Any inspector worth his salt will stop a welder if the conditions for welding are not as they are supposed to be ( I have done this many times). Sorry to say though usually the welder takes the brunt of the blame from their bosses if something goes wrong. I've been on the recieving end of that too!! Some inspectors have never really worked as a welder. I try to help out the welder whenever I can so they have an easier time welding and I don't have to reject a weld. Things go really smooth and everyone is happy! Some inspectors just like giving people a hard time and will watch a welder screw up and wait until the end to raise cain. I don't see any sense in that. Of course on the other hand cocky welders who won't listen to any suggestions because they don't know the inspectors background can aggravate inspectors. When I run into these I explain where my suggestions are coming from and my experiences in welding. i never try to step on toes, just try to make the job a little simpler and hopefully easier on us both.

 

[mnoliverguy]

But what about all of your expierence????????

 

[Anonymous-0]

I only accepted a lower wage because I haven't worked in oilfield fab shop for quite a few years. They said they'd review my wage after a month. I think I've proven I know what I'm doing. Apparently a bunch of other welders(that applied)weld tests didn't match all their hype. Dave

 

[mnoliverguy]

Good luck with your job Dave,I am not trying to be a smart a$$,just wondering why you are so unhappy?