Things you hear on a rig...

[Klause]

Just back for two days, then gone again.

Not THAT busy, but PD doesn't have enough guys to get the work done... almost every rig is short handed. Come on, send out your 20something sons to the patch... learn work ethic, and discipline!

Anyways, things you hear / see out there:

1. Sask farm boys know how to run a rig right.

2. Kids these days are lazy and brain dead.

3. The pay has to be better (coming from a driller taking home 6K every two weeks).

4. Lots of older hands (consultants... pushes.... etc) retiring, and not enough new blood to fill in.

5. Work has gotten too easy. Some of these new hands don't even know what pulling slips and making tongs bite means.



Now, for some stupid $h*t that has caused me to smack guys' hard hats this year:


1. "The glycol is frozen" (it's stored in a heated shack... and it's... um... glycol... - hand didn't know to take the plug out the bottom of the tank).

2. "We'll make the electricity flow the other way if we put the breaker in upside down" (referring to making power flow from a steam boiler to a diesel-electric power plant"

3. "Hydraulics... that's like.... oil in a tank, right"? (Coming from a motorhand - the rig mechanic).

4. "Is that a drill bit?" .... "No. That's a spade with a broken off handle".


What is this world coming to?


I know, not ag related really, but still something curious.

[Hopperbin]

Your not that old yourself but maybe give some people a little slack. The work requires that people learn, work hard and pay attention. When I was young I was a machinist learning for a couple years and was applying for a job at the time to learn injection mold making. As the company owner and boss was interviewing me and showing me the shop I remember I leaned against the the Injection Molding machine just touching it with my hand and looking at it I asked where is the injection molding machine. The machine wieghed in at 30 ton. He never told me where it was at the time. Somehow I got to try out machining making mold parts, repairing broken molds, making new molds. Even was told I sucked in the first few days, somehow it did not bother me and I liked learning the work. Math skills were a big plus for me and appreciated. The boss enjoyed me cause when he told me something I would not go away to do it unless I understood what to do, which is one skill or ability that a lot of young people lack. Learning something new every day, every project was a different challenge and I liked it. I give the 2 months notice was going back farming in the spring. Went on to work the next 10 winters as could not be replaced and was always a value to the company to have around, eventually quit to be a full time farmer. What I am trying to say is sometimes people can say silly things just need a chance to learn. Most people will eventually become good at something.

[sumdumguy]

When work is ridiculous, our moto is, "its all
pensionable service". Just mellow.

[hobbyfrmr]

Hopper,
I kind of have possession of a used plastic
injection machine. Van Dorn 75 i think. Cant
recall.
One guy wants to start a business with it. I kind
of understand the concept.
This guy suggests the machine can push out 100
grand worth of production per year. Trouble is,
the rest of the details are weak. Like what are
we going to make and where is the mould and
what type of plastic pelletes. I called supply
people and they said there is 200 different types
of pellets for different mould dimensions
Dare i throw money into this project?
I am more of the marketing /risk management
type. If we can make something i can sell it. Im
pretty weak on details about this industry .Any
insight would be appreciated.

[farmaholic]

Sorry Klause for getting off topic.

Hobby: I have an old grain hopper that
is on it's last leg and have never found
one like it(in many ways) since. It was
flexible enough it didn't crack(break)
when frozen and it is about twice as
thick as the new ones. Even the
geometry of it was better than some of
the new ones, whether the auger was
extended high or low it was reasonably
level. I've had ones that are too thin
or too hard and broke easily. Had one
that the bottom of it got eaten away by
the auger flight because of
design(ridges for strength). Westfield
makes a good one for a 10 inch unloading
auger for under hopper bins, cleans out
well, less than a 20 liter pail of grain
left in it when the auger can't get
anymore out. Doubt if you will get rich
making grain hoppers though!!

[hobbyfrmr]

Sorry as well Klause.
It's interesting to see how the oilfield
demographics have changed. When I graduated ,
that was the only place to go for work and money.
Then you had to go on a waiting list for hire. The
new guys / labourers had to compete with newfies
for jobs.

Thanks for the insight hopper.

[Hopperbin]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsGVkyFLGDE

Van Dorm 75 the 75 refers to 75 tons of clamping force. In the video the cycle time was 10 seconds which is quite fast, some molds can take up to a minute or more depending on plastic thickness. The reason for the high clamping force is that the plastic is melted in what is like a heated internal screw which turns backwards inside a thick metal tube drawing the plastic pellets in and melting in the process, then the next step is injecting the melted plastic under high pressure typically 5 to 20 thousand psi. depending on the type of plastic. Yes must talk to supplier to know what you would want. So if you have a mold including part sprue and runners with a surface area between the two mold halves of 10 square inches you need an injection molding machine that can clamp safely say 5 thousand pounds times 10 equals 50 thousand pounds, 23 ton very minimum. The machine clamps shut timed so as to solidify and pack the plastic enough before the ejection cycle where you see it open and the part most times can be made to just fall out. And the press reclamp for the next injection cycle. There will be newly melted plastic in the injection screw before the mold is reclamped so as soon as the press clamps back together the plastic is being injected. Injection, pack, solidify, eject, clamp, injection, repeat runs by itself typically. If cheaper built mold is in the order cause of part numbers or experimental then maybe more time eject and work to do to part. Depending on how much time and work one wants to spend making the mold to the amount of parts to be made to determine the cost. Some times if less parts to make then more after work on the plastic part to finish it. How old is that particular machine? I would think you should hold onto it. It could be worth something, where the hell did you get it from? To run it is extremely simple. molds can be made for from say 1000 dollars to a few hundred thousand or more. Do you have any ideas of what you would like to make or invent? I can oversee the making of a mold. When I was working at the shop I was I did have other parts being made at other shops at times. One project took 6 months once. Could give some advice or steer you in the right direction. Lots of business with local machinery manufacturers etc. Also lots of competition from Chinese mold makers these days. I say to hang onto the machine as some day someone can use it. Molds can be made in China and the injecting and mold repair can be done here is also a good option so that parts can be made and shipped much more timely.

[Hopperbin]

May not be straight forward to just take a mold that was operating in China or another shop and run it in your Injection Molding machine. There is a bit of an art, experience in the process of running the machine to get it right. Melting temp. packing pressure, packing time, different plastics shrink to a different size. More precision parts in a mold may need to be made over or under size, cause plastic shrinks on cooling which every part is different cause of thickness and pressure and distance of injection sprue. So re machining is common to make say threaded parts or close fitting parts. You can take material away from a mold easier than adding. Adding requires putting in an insert.

[hobbyfrmr]

Hopper, it's a long story, I would like to discuss it.
A researcher got it from a moulding company in
Saskatoon. Nt sure the arrangement.
He wants to run it and create employment in small
town. Then take that business model and apply it
to more small towns. Ultruistic plans. I don't know
how far this will go, but I want to at least try and
help best I can.
In order to discuss more, can you email me?
hobbyfrmr@yahoo.ca.
I may be a little slow to respond, loading trucks
and tending children, and pulling wrenches.

[blackpowder]

Klause, you will have funnier stories yet before
you're done. Stay safe.

[notaredneck]

A consultant once told me "There's only tow kinds of people in the patch. Guys that are from sask and guys that wish they were from sask.

[ALLFARMER]

6000 every 2 weeks is not too much money.
Some truck drivers are making that. Oilfield cries
and cries cant get workers. Ya work away from
home for weeks on end like maybe a month
straight, nightshirt, with some real winners, freeze
your butt off. Maybe a hydraulic line will blow hot
oil all over you. Go dig out a mud tank that got
hard...... It's 35 degrees but keep your hard hat
and coveralls on .....o ya we ran acid in that well
so the mud tank might give you a rash/itch. Ride
around in the back of a pick up with your boss
whos doing 140km/h on a bush road. Radio
cranked to max. Something goes wrong with a big
piece of equipment your laid off. Cancelled project
your laid off. Gets to warm in the bush can't move
the rig your laid off.

Ya keep crying about can't get guys

[RD414]

Local tire shop is paying roughneck wage hourly,I know you get more hours on a 12 hour shift, but here you are home every night and no expense of gettin to RedEarth or Fort Mac. This is for guys with no papers, will train on job. Rig wages suck now.

[chuckChuck]

THe oil patch has alot of money but they sure like to nickel and dime landowners when it comes to surface leases and pipelines. Enbridge just put in a 16 inch line from Steelman SK. to Cromer MB to move Bakken oil from North Dakota into the US market (go figure)and paid the landowners only $1000 per acre in capital damages for a project that took at least 6 acres per 1/4. Landowners don't do their home work. Even if 20% per cent of the landowners had hired an agent or formed a group to negotiate on their behalf they would have made considerably more from the project. The life span of this pipeline is at least 30 years and there is at least 30 years of risk and lots of soil disturbance, compaction and yield loss. All for a $1000 per acre up front damages plus crop damages that have to be negotiated every year? What a joke. What are they paying for pipeline easements in North Dakota, Alberta,and Texas?

[oneoff]

Oh dear chuck
"Even if 20% per cent of the landowners had hired an agent or formed a group to negotiate on their behalf they would have made considerably more from the project."

There are a lot more benefits than just the money that might accrue; but from experience I know that your ideas aren't feasible amongst more than a few like minded individuals.

In fact; even during the time period when the group is being organized; there will be inside conspirators and collaborators who will undermine that groups position; and use information to their personal advantage; and to the detriment of all other members.
It would sorely test your faith in your neighbors and humanity in general.