Shop Time w/T.W. Friends

Boss: whats taking so long?
BananaMan: hold up Im posting this on the internet first...
Boss: wth???

 

That's fugly!

 

Morning all!

we have one of those ESABs at our shop, it’s disliked among our welding crew. I heard the high frequency start for stainless wasn’t very smooth. It sits in a corner for the most part.

 

Update on the tank situation. Our vendors were able to source replacement pumps, but they're two days out. The exact pump from the original company is a 16-20 week lead time, so that's definitely not happening. Flushed the old pumps, put new filters on and new fluid in the tank. About to put it back together and hope for the best for the next two days.

 

Looks like the filters were doing their job, and beyond. I think those pumps will still be ok but surely not like new.

Good share and keeping this going. I've a real simple machining set up about to go so I'll throw that up shortly.

 

Well, the entire reason we pulled this out was because this hydraulic unit powers some feed roll cylinders on one of our sawing machines. One set of cylinders was acting very laggy and slow. One of the two pumps attached to this motor sounded like marbles in a blender when activated, but it's been sounding that way for months supposedly (before I started at this location). We swapped valves, replaced cylinders, tried everything without having to pull this apart. Finally the only thing left is the pump, so here we are. And when I pulled those filters off, the smell of burnt hydraulic filled the shop.

I guess the point of that explanation, is that the pumps are toast, but not fully cooked yet.

 

Someone needs to update the PM routines!

 

According to the site supervisor, this hasn't been apart since he's been here. (Nearly 5 years) and this unit runs 10 hours a day five days a week.

 

More like toast, but not yet fully cremated.
If it was run while sounding like marbles for that long of a time good luck.

 

Here's a cover that needs modification done. Basically just machining off two of the inside lips off for ease of installation. Most of them throughout the panthave been done already. I bet haven't had to do one in 10 years. Valve Team guy said this was a spare that hadn't been done and sitting for a long time.

 

I hope no one in management had the spheres to act surprised or upset by the failure.

 

It's a bit frustrating that I said "hey, it's probably the pump." On day one, but the supervisors insisted on trying every valve/cylinder combination and going over diagrams and schematics for three days before finally saying "we're pretty sure it's the pump."

At least we finally agreed on that decision and got it out and figured out. At the end of the day I've done my job, done what I was told, and got praise for doing exactly that.

 

"it sounded that way for months"

I couldn't count how many times people have said that to me over the years.

I'm here every day, why the didn't you say something ---

 

I'll smooth the edges after lunch then clean it out real good and be done. Mirror check on opposite side.

 

Final update on the hydraulic fun. Total start to finish time was five hours. That's with nobody present having ever taken it apart before and not knowing what we were going to find inside. I think I could do the whole operation in two hours next time as long as it's just changing the filters and putting it back together. The whole unit has been assembled for an hour and runs fine, new filters and the pump runs quiet again. All functions are present and accounted for as well. New pumps will be arriving in two days and then I'll pull it back apart to swap those in, and keep the old ones for emergency backups.

 

FTFY

 

I'd vote for running the original pumps until failure. Chances are they're better units than whatever the vendor found for replacement.
Just saying because you mentioned something about the original unit types are 16 weeks out. Put those new ones on a shelf for spares. Read vendor manual if it mentions anything in regards to long term storage.

 

Working in a "small" sawmill, that's been neglected for 6 months, the routine is "when it needs it". I don't agree with it, but I am also the only guy here to do it all. I just got a trainee two weeks ago, so he's helping a bit.

 

That's what I wanted to do, but the site supervisor told me he wants it done his way. And ultimately I answer to him, so that's the way I get to do it. I'll enjoy the day I get to make my own choices.