Wibbly wobbly bendy windy uppy things
Adjustment handles to be precise.
First thing to do was get some knurling done on the brass.
I can't really get a super duper knurling job done just by holding the tool in my hand, but it doesn't turn out too bad. At least it's a bit more grippy than if I didn't.
I laid out what I thought the sizes should be and again with one of my much misused and abused turning tools (thankfully they forgive me and allow me to sharpen them up easily) I did a little "machining". Just a quick scrape away of some of the knurling.
Cut them to length, go on ask me how I do that :lol:
Then it's back in the chuck for a quick facing off and a little rounding over. A quick tickle with some abrasive and this little stage is completed.
I tell you what I'm bloody knackered. Got called out at 02:20, bloody oil alarm at Panteg primary and as I'm really close control decided I should go have a look-see. Anyway I got up there, fought with the entrance gate (why some b****** can't get it fixed PROPERLY I'll never know) and in I go. There's the warning light quite happily blinking away, oblivious to the fact it's disturbed my nighty nighty bye byes, telling me transformer No1 has a low oil condition.
So I ring control telling them what they see on their screens is correct, low oil level trans 1. " Okay Al' can you go out and see if we've got a leak" ??????????? :roll:
In my mind I'm saying "why **** !!!!!!! %%%%%%%££££ &&&**** ((((((((( :::: @@@ " .
"Sure, No problem I'll call you back" is my actual response. So from the relative warmth of the switch room I venture out into the compound. It's bloody freezing!
Torch in hand I carry out a little detective work. There's actually quite a lot to look at, but we just shut up and get on with it. So I do.
About 10 minutes and I ain't got any warmer, not physically or in my hunt for a leak #-o
Then there's this voice, "Oi you! What the f*** you up to in there?" So I turn only to get a full blast of led torch in the eyes, TW...! :evil: So the voice gets about 10 million candle power back at him, ha! Take that!!
Stalemate, so me being me (I've already figured this is one of the local constabularies finest), I say "What's it to you?"
So cocky wocky action jackson copper gives it, "You ain't supposed to be in there".
"Umm, really?" :? Actually he wasn't completely wrong, I should have been home cwtched up to the good woman.
So now it's my turn :evil:
"Right!, I'm here on business. It's something past three, I'm freaking freezing. If you were doing your job properly you'll notice that the doors have been unlocked, with a key. Which I have here in my pocket. Not forced open. I'm wearing my outer jacket that has ELECTRICITY printed across the back in 3" high reflective letters. I also made bloody sure I closed and locked the access gate, so there's nothing that should have raised your suspicions. You should know the crack, we are a 24 hour operation and your control rooms first port of call if someone is reported being in a substation late at night, should be to our control room to see if we are working. Instead young man you've spotted the lights on, on the car and in the building. Got yourself all stiff and excited. Then decided to get all gung ho, think you're the SAS and jump in feet first. Now climb back over the gate the same way you came and f off".
I'm renowned for my calm demeanour, especially when I've been woken up on a freezing cold night. Wet I can handle, never the cold. Plus, I've always loved the jumped up little jobsworths of the world.
Silence. Then this little voice says "Oh sorry mate, didn't realise you were working. Problems? I'll leave you get on. Bye, sorry, bye" and off he trots.
********.
So now completely and utterly peed the f off and still bloody freezing I continue what I came out for, searching for a freaking oil leak. And I find it.
Back in the switch room I check the log book and sure enough, Thursday the 3rd MAINTENANCE!!!
Some flat footed, fat asst, useless, waste of good oxygen, organ donor in the waiting, first class prick, gold plated, ocean going (enough now, you get the idea) fitter has gone and not fully tightened the drain tap...........
Well as you can imagine n0legs just gives a ho! hum!.
I've got cold. Accosted by the law. Woken up from my bed, and when the good woman's in it it's my favourite place in the world to be. Just because some bone head fitter can't check he's done the tap up tight. God am I pizzzed off! Someone's getting it big time and that's gonna' be even after the big boss has had a word or two.
God that feels better! Where was I??
Oh! The only upside of this little late night jaunt (apart from I get paid for this nonsense). I'd taken my car, scooby do, and being Panteg is right on the side of the bypass and it's late at night and the roads are quiet. A little late night blasting about was called for. Strictly 70 of course :wink:
Right, for real now where was I.
I marked it out now for a hole to be drilled. I thought drilling a hole across it would allow me to work back towards it, creating the slot I need for their attachment to the threaded bits. I went with a 4mm, deciding I'd aim for setting the slot at about a third of the diameter. Thankfully the drilling went okay, no biggie really.
To create the slot I decided I would go all old school and make a few cuts, then file it out.
Well after a quick smoke, daydream and think I decided "let's get this sped up a bit". I dug out one of the 3" discs for my air cutoff tool. Found a suitable bolt and a couple of washers and came up with this. Look away now if you're the squeamish sort :lol:
Now I'm not completely daft, of course I ain't. I've worked with risk for years, so know how to dial it back. I lowered the speed on the drill to it's lowest setting. Put on my full face visor. Clamped up as tight as a M/F the brass bit in the drill vice and got on with it. Risk assessment filled in. Is there risk, is it acceptable? Yes.
Actually was easy peasey. No jumping about. Drill didn't struggle. Nothing flew off. No problems at all, the grinding disc just gently turned the brass I didn't need in to a very fine dust. A few minutes and a quick height adjustment during and the slot is done. Lovely
A little filing and a quick rub (Mmmmm!) with some scotch and this stage is complete.
So presuming I can catch up on some sleep and I get an hour spare, we'll get the threaded bits filed down to make a tongue to fit in these slots. We're not too far away now folks, before you know it we'll have taken over the world
Just a quick thought. You just know that copper will be gunning for me if we ever meet again. Worried?? Nah! I've seen First Blood :lol:
Stay safe, much love.
Adjustment handles to be precise.
First thing to do was get some knurling done on the brass.
I can't really get a super duper knurling job done just by holding the tool in my hand, but it doesn't turn out too bad. At least it's a bit more grippy than if I didn't.
I laid out what I thought the sizes should be and again with one of my much misused and abused turning tools (thankfully they forgive me and allow me to sharpen them up easily) I did a little "machining". Just a quick scrape away of some of the knurling.
Cut them to length, go on ask me how I do that :lol:
Then it's back in the chuck for a quick facing off and a little rounding over. A quick tickle with some abrasive and this little stage is completed.
I tell you what I'm bloody knackered. Got called out at 02:20, bloody oil alarm at Panteg primary and as I'm really close control decided I should go have a look-see. Anyway I got up there, fought with the entrance gate (why some b****** can't get it fixed PROPERLY I'll never know) and in I go. There's the warning light quite happily blinking away, oblivious to the fact it's disturbed my nighty nighty bye byes, telling me transformer No1 has a low oil condition.
So I ring control telling them what they see on their screens is correct, low oil level trans 1. " Okay Al' can you go out and see if we've got a leak" ??????????? :roll:
In my mind I'm saying "why **** !!!!!!! %%%%%%%££££ &&&**** ((((((((( :::: @@@ " .
"Sure, No problem I'll call you back" is my actual response. So from the relative warmth of the switch room I venture out into the compound. It's bloody freezing!
Torch in hand I carry out a little detective work. There's actually quite a lot to look at, but we just shut up and get on with it. So I do.
About 10 minutes and I ain't got any warmer, not physically or in my hunt for a leak #-o
Then there's this voice, "Oi you! What the f*** you up to in there?" So I turn only to get a full blast of led torch in the eyes, TW...! :evil: So the voice gets about 10 million candle power back at him, ha! Take that!!
Stalemate, so me being me (I've already figured this is one of the local constabularies finest), I say "What's it to you?"
So cocky wocky action jackson copper gives it, "You ain't supposed to be in there".
"Umm, really?" :? Actually he wasn't completely wrong, I should have been home cwtched up to the good woman.
So now it's my turn :evil:
"Right!, I'm here on business. It's something past three, I'm freaking freezing. If you were doing your job properly you'll notice that the doors have been unlocked, with a key. Which I have here in my pocket. Not forced open. I'm wearing my outer jacket that has ELECTRICITY printed across the back in 3" high reflective letters. I also made bloody sure I closed and locked the access gate, so there's nothing that should have raised your suspicions. You should know the crack, we are a 24 hour operation and your control rooms first port of call if someone is reported being in a substation late at night, should be to our control room to see if we are working. Instead young man you've spotted the lights on, on the car and in the building. Got yourself all stiff and excited. Then decided to get all gung ho, think you're the SAS and jump in feet first. Now climb back over the gate the same way you came and f off".
I'm renowned for my calm demeanour, especially when I've been woken up on a freezing cold night. Wet I can handle, never the cold. Plus, I've always loved the jumped up little jobsworths of the world.
Silence. Then this little voice says "Oh sorry mate, didn't realise you were working. Problems? I'll leave you get on. Bye, sorry, bye" and off he trots.
********.
So now completely and utterly peed the f off and still bloody freezing I continue what I came out for, searching for a freaking oil leak. And I find it.
Back in the switch room I check the log book and sure enough, Thursday the 3rd MAINTENANCE!!!
Some flat footed, fat asst, useless, waste of good oxygen, organ donor in the waiting, first class prick, gold plated, ocean going (enough now, you get the idea) fitter has gone and not fully tightened the drain tap...........
Well as you can imagine n0legs just gives a ho! hum!.
I've got cold. Accosted by the law. Woken up from my bed, and when the good woman's in it it's my favourite place in the world to be. Just because some bone head fitter can't check he's done the tap up tight. God am I pizzzed off! Someone's getting it big time and that's gonna' be even after the big boss has had a word or two.
God that feels better! Where was I??
Oh! The only upside of this little late night jaunt (apart from I get paid for this nonsense). I'd taken my car, scooby do, and being Panteg is right on the side of the bypass and it's late at night and the roads are quiet. A little late night blasting about was called for. Strictly 70 of course :wink:
Right, for real now where was I.
I marked it out now for a hole to be drilled. I thought drilling a hole across it would allow me to work back towards it, creating the slot I need for their attachment to the threaded bits. I went with a 4mm, deciding I'd aim for setting the slot at about a third of the diameter. Thankfully the drilling went okay, no biggie really.
To create the slot I decided I would go all old school and make a few cuts, then file it out.
Well after a quick smoke, daydream and think I decided "let's get this sped up a bit". I dug out one of the 3" discs for my air cutoff tool. Found a suitable bolt and a couple of washers and came up with this. Look away now if you're the squeamish sort :lol:
Now I'm not completely daft, of course I ain't. I've worked with risk for years, so know how to dial it back. I lowered the speed on the drill to it's lowest setting. Put on my full face visor. Clamped up as tight as a M/F the brass bit in the drill vice and got on with it. Risk assessment filled in. Is there risk, is it acceptable? Yes.
Actually was easy peasey. No jumping about. Drill didn't struggle. Nothing flew off. No problems at all, the grinding disc just gently turned the brass I didn't need in to a very fine dust. A few minutes and a quick height adjustment during and the slot is done. Lovely
A little filing and a quick rub (Mmmmm!) with some scotch and this stage is complete.
So presuming I can catch up on some sleep and I get an hour spare, we'll get the threaded bits filed down to make a tongue to fit in these slots. We're not too far away now folks, before you know it we'll have taken over the world
Just a quick thought. You just know that copper will be gunning for me if we ever meet again. Worried?? Nah! I've seen First Blood :lol:
Stay safe, much love.
