Shop Time w/T.W. Friends. Rusty's art poll, see post #89179 and vote now for awesomeness.

"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.

 

As long as them upstairs get that.

 

They do, they just want me to "keep the mill running and try to catch up all the broken/worn out stuff" at the moment. Eventually we'll get this place back to the point of only needing PM's. But for right now I'm dealing with a large amount of worn out stuff that has been modified or hodge podged together and needs to be fixed correctly.

 

Brother, I wore those exact shoes -- they suck...

Hopefully the folks you report to support you, the fact that you got a helper is a positive. At least you have someone who you can train to do things correctly, hopefully he works out.

 

And always keep yourself and your trainee safe. I think about these things now having kids that are and will be joining work force somewhere.

 

Thankfully they do support me. They understood they took me from a completely different mill that runs different wood and production numbers to a mill that's 15 years dated and in general different.

 

The opposite has happened to us. The building used to have ample downtime to repair stuff and keep it in shape. They'd crash a sorter here and there, but nothing extreme. Well now they're running it almost 24/7 and stuff is going past its recommended run time/life. Makes for interesting failures, but upper big wigs don't understand why downtime is increasing. Yea, you're running the shit out of the equipment that wasn't designed for that...

 

The old addage an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure rings true today.

I've worked for bosses that have all the answers and 10 tons of cure, but not enough sense for an ounce of prevention. All you can do is try.

I'm learning this buy once cry once thing may have some credence as well. As opposed to buying the cheap one and having it nickle and dime and hassle you to death.

 

For most things there are a cheapest/worst and expensive/best option and I've always tried to spend my money somewhere in the middle.

 

At my old job the policy over the years became "do a little more with a little less".

Less people, less time, cheaper materials -- and shot their foot dozens of times because of it.

 

Buy once, cry once: If you are going to use it heavy, get a good one.

As far as hand tools go, cheap tools have come a long way over the years. Harbor Freight used to sell the same crap as the rolling tool sales that set up in the local Legion Hall, real junk.

Today the HF wrenches & sockets are pretty nice for the cash you put out - would they hold up in a high volume heavy equipment shop? I don't know. For the guy at home they are work fine. At the old job we bought hardware store brand stuff, Do It, Channel Lock, Irwin, etc. (workers would steal high end stuff) and for whatever factory abuse they took there was never an issue with them failing.

 

Irwin now owned by SBD has come up in quality in the past 3 years. Doit Best is now owned by Apex Tool (which owns Craftsman) and is steadily bringing it in-line with its overseas Blackhawk line. Channel Lock is still its own company and has continued to be made in the USA with USA materials.

 

Doesn't really matter if they last, can get free replacements (for now).

 

I was super happy that HF let me exchange the floor jack no questions asked pretty much. I just told the manager that I thought the regular low profile would work since they were out of the long reach one at the time.
I have a ball joint press that I've used a bunch and loaned a couple times as well.