My Day At Work

longam · 07-10-09, 07:01 PM

Just wanted to vent a bit about my screw up and what turned into a suck day at work.

I hate screwing up and rarely do, but sometimes it just happens.

So our main line oven for producing fiberglass conduit at work had a melt down on the right bank. The high temp blower that circulates the heat in the one side finally gave out after years of 800 degs F temperatures. The fan just blew apart!

I spent a few days cutting out the remains of the housing and shaft with a plasma cutter because the person that built the oven didn't know squat. They built the thing one piece at a time and everything crammed together as close as possible, so there was no way to remove the blower in the correct manner.

The replacement blower and housing arrived today and I thought that this would be a simple 4 hour install. After fitting everything and fabricating, the blower was in but I had to wait and feed the shaft in after the fact. When the shafting was in place, my help had to stand on his head to get the key stock in and tighten the set screws with a whole 4" of room on each side to work with. (did I mention it was hot as hell in the shop?) We had to use a plumbers scope to see what was going on inside, that's a first for me.

I thanked the guy for his help and said I could finish from here. I installed the bearing and shaft cooler on one side and started on the drive side. Putting the bolts in the pillow block thinking I'll be done by 5pm easily I glanced in the blower and seen the I had put the squirrel cage in backwards.

OMG my heart sank, I must have checked that 2 times before!. My boss came up to see how it was going and at that time I was packing my tools.

Well after calming down and talking with my boss, I'll be going in early Monday to take it appart and turn around the blades to point the right way.

Man that sucked....

SteamWake · 07-11-09, 08:11 AM

Wait a second.... "Fiberglass Conduit" ?

Ive seen fiberglass poles, fiberglass struts, fiberglass hand holes, fiberglass man holes, fiber glass grating rails and posts, ive even seen fiberglass 'windows'.

But fiberglass Conduit?

Jimbuna · 07-11-09, 10:23 AM

If it's anything like this:

http://www.donaul.com/conduitrodders.aspx

We use it on external cabling in the garden etc.

MothBalls · 07-11-09, 12:40 PM

Just tell them the squirrel cage is installed correctly and someone else installed the oven backwards.

longam · 07-11-09, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteamWake

Wait a second.... "Fiberglass Conduit" ?

Ive seen fiberglass poles, fiberglass struts, fiberglass hand holes, fiberglass man holes, fiber glass grating rails and posts, ive even seen fiberglass 'windows'.

But fiberglass Conduit?

Its has been around now for 20+ years, just not as popular as PVC yet.

SteamWake · 07-11-09, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by longam

Its has been around now for 20+ years, just not as popular as PVC yet.

I would assume that is because PVC is not only a hellua lot cheaper but easier to work with.

longam · 07-13-09, 03:57 AM

By comparison, we are in competition to rigid steel conduit, lighter and just as strong yet corrosion resistant.. Our system uses the bell glue joint system just like PVC so installation is the same. So were cheaper and lighter then steel but as easy to install as PVC.

SteamWake · 07-13-09, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by longam

By comparison, we are in competition to rigid steel conduit, lighter and just as strong yet corrosion resistant.. Our system uses the bell glue joint system just like PVC so installation is the same. So were cheaper and lighter then steel but as easy to install as PVC.

Can it bend like pvc?

Seriously Ive been in this industry for over 30 years and never heard of fiberglass conduit. Maybe its a Euro thing but its not even mentioned in the NEC perhaps its considered RNT.

longam · 07-13-09, 10:59 AM

You have to heat it up to bend it, We bend to standards at the shop and ship it out. We also make a bullet resistant brand for under bridges so the rednecks can shoot holes in it.

If you Google 'fiberglass conduit' you can see a few of our competitors also.

07-10-09, 07:01 PM	#1
longam Admiral Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,014 Downloads: 26 Uploads: 0	My Day At Work Just wanted to vent a bit about my screw up and what turned into a suck day at work. I hate screwing up and rarely do, but sometimes it just happens. So our main line oven for producing fiberglass conduit at work had a melt down on the right bank. The high temp blower that circulates the heat in the one side finally gave out after years of 800 degs F temperatures. The fan just blew apart! I spent a few days cutting out the remains of the housing and shaft with a plasma cutter because the person that built the oven didn't know squat. They built the thing one piece at a time and everything crammed together as close as possible, so there was no way to remove the blower in the correct manner. The replacement blower and housing arrived today and I thought that this would be a simple 4 hour install. After fitting everything and fabricating, the blower was in but I had to wait and feed the shaft in after the fact. When the shafting was in place, my help had to stand on his head to get the key stock in and tighten the set screws with a whole 4" of room on each side to work with. (did I mention it was hot as hell in the shop?) We had to use a plumbers scope to see what was going on inside, that's a first for me. I thanked the guy for his help and said I could finish from here. I installed the bearing and shaft cooler on one side and started on the drive side. Putting the bolts in the pillow block thinking I'll be done by 5pm easily I glanced in the blower and seen the I had put the squirrel cage in backwards. OMG my heart sank, I must have checked that 2 times before!. My boss came up to see how it was going and at that time I was packing my tools. Well after calming down and talking with my boss, I'll be going in early Monday to take it appart and turn around the blades to point the right way. Man that sucked....

07-11-09, 08:11 AM	#2
SteamWake Rear Admiral Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 13,224 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	Wait a second.... "Fiberglass Conduit" ? Ive seen fiberglass poles, fiberglass struts, fiberglass hand holes, fiberglass man holes, fiber glass grating rails and posts, ive even seen fiberglass 'windows'. But fiberglass Conduit? __________________ Follow the progress of Mr. Mulligan : http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=147648

07-11-09, 10:23 AM	#3
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 190,473 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	If it's anything like this: http://www.donaul.com/conduitrodders.aspx We use it on external cabling in the garden etc. __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!

07-13-09, 10:59 AM	#9
longam Admiral Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,014 Downloads: 26 Uploads: 0	You have to heat it up to bend it, We bend to standards at the shop and ship it out. We also make a bullet resistant brand for under bridges so the rednecks can shoot holes in it. If you Google 'fiberglass conduit' you can see a few of our competitors also. Last edited by longam; 07-13-09 at 02:00 PM.

07-11-09, 12:40 PM	#4
MothBalls Ace of the Deep Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 1,012 Downloads: 20 Uploads: 0	Just tell them the squirrel cage is installed correctly and someone else installed the oven backwards.

07-13-09, 03:57 AM	#7
longam Admiral Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,014 Downloads: 26 Uploads: 0	By comparison, we are in competition to rigid steel conduit, lighter and just as strong yet corrosion resistant.. Our system uses the bell glue joint system just like PVC so installation is the same. So were cheaper and lighter then steel but as easy to install as PVC.