The Construction Thread

An interesting device

I only managed to get a blurry shot of this rail clamp that the trackworkers were using to precisely align the end of a new rail section. It had a hand crank driving a chain to an exposed set of gears.
 
Instant Concrete Plant

As part of the new East River tunnel project they erected a readymix plant almost overnight. This thing took about three days to set up--pretty amazing. You can see the cement silos in the first shot, and the aggregate yard in the second.
 
Scene from the East River Tunnel Approach

Things are coming along pretty quickly.

I thought that thing in the middle of the picture was a stack of heavy bar joist that they were shaking out, until I saw a truck drive across it. It's a temporary bridge.
 
Converting the old huge Westinghouse transformer plant near me to a locomotive assembly/repair plant. Mitch Daniels scored three more companies moving or adding jobs in IN.

After weeks of rumors about a pending jobs announcement, Gov. Mitch Daniels’ office has said that the governor will be on hand at 11 a.m. Friday at the former ABB plant on Cowan Road to “announce that a manufacturing company will locate a new assembly operation in the 740,000-square-foot building” that was for decades home to a Westinghouse transformer plant.

The Star Press has learned that the announcement is likely to focus on Progress Rail Services, an Alabama-based subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc., that provides railroad-affiliated services like locomotive repair and rebuilding.

http://www.xe.com/news/2010/10/29/1...utm_content=NOGEO&utm_campaign=News_RSS_Art15
 
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I don't know how much good 2 weeks of welding is going to do you.

I had eight weeks in trade school, five days a week, 8 hours a day flat out burning rod and it wasn't enough for more than the most basic uses.

On the other hand maybe I am maladroit.
 
I don't know how much good 2 weeks of welding is going to do you.

I had eight weeks in trade school, five days a week, 8 hours a day flat out burning rod and it wasn't enough for more than the most basic uses.

On the other hand maybe I am maladroit.

Maybe you just need glasses?
 
Either your eyes are going or you simply do not have the experience. In most cases; experience can make up for the eyes.

I had no experience when I went into trade school. I had never picked up a stinger.

That was long ago. My eyes were bad then and they are worse now.
 
Hey, are you certified yet? Is the career transition complete?
I'm still practicing for the NYS DOT x-ray test. I've done some good plates and I did a total abortion this Monday. There was some invisible shit on the backing strip that caused the electrode to blow up as soon as I struck an arc.

Another couple months I'd say.
 
I'm still practicing for the NYS DOT x-ray test. I've done some good plates and I did a total abortion this Monday. There was some invisible shit on the backing strip that caused the electrode to blow up as soon as I struck an arc.

Another couple months I'd say.

A couple more months in the booth? That's a long time.
 
A couple more months in the booth? That's a long time.

It's only once a week for three hours and with the holidays coming up, I'll be missing a few sessions.

It's really boring, actually. I can barely stand to be in there for the three hours a week.
 
It's only once a week for three hours and with the holidays coming up, I'll be missing a few sessions.

It's really boring, actually. I can barely stand to be in there for the three hours a week.

If you can't stand to weld 3 hours a week, why the fuck would you want to weld for a living? I'm just wondering.....
 
If you can't stand to weld 3 hours a week, why the fuck would you want to weld for a living? I'm just wondering.....

I don't want to weld for a living. I want the ticket because I spent 10 grand on trade school and never got it.

I'm not even going to tell the hall I have it.
 
So, you're working for a ticket you'll never use?

Is that weird? I like tickets.

Also, it can come in handy on small jobs. Usually once the rig folds up, the foreman asks "anyone got their welding license?" and no one has it, and they have to call the hall. If you have it, you get to take a break from bolting up. Some welding is fun, but I don't want to be stuck on a float 40 floors up filling in column splices day in and day out.
 
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