Submitted by Steve Winicker.
LAST WEEKENDS SHOP ACTIVITY
Saturday, we filled the boiler with water and brought it up to 140 pounds of pressure to check for leaks some new welds had some seeps and a few plugs showed some leakage. Saturday Zach, Chuck, Brody and others filled the boiler and pressurized it with water. A few more leaks were found requiring shutting some valves and caulking some bolts. Those leaks were taken care of with the pressure holding for some time. The water was drained from the boiler and the welds around the new washout sleeves in areas leaking were rewelded. Other welding items that were needed were finished up by Zach, additional piping was applied and many of the remaining projects were moved forward. New lighting fixtures had been delivered Friday. Joe was able to install a couple replacing some of the old lights that had burned out. More plugs are needed so that project remains on the schedule once the supplies arrive. Sunday, a smaller crew worked on lapping in the blow down valves which had leaked a bit 3 of the 4 were finished while one remains to be finished. Sarah and Austin did most of the lapping work. I also attempted to sandblast the new air tanks. That started well but the sand valve blew out on the side and it was too late to pick up a new one. Heat was an issue and our time ran out, so we quit for the day.
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES
Next Friday I will plan on finishing the blow down project. There are a few parts that need straightened, yet some areas need cleaning. I will be missing Saturday until late in the day. Cleaning up the shop is beginning to be badly needed so there should be projects available if you come by. I will plan on continuing our efforts on Sunday, filling the boiler and heating the water if needed to get ready for the Hydrostatic Test on Monday. We don’t anticipate any big problems, but one never can be sure.
The hydrostatic test is scheduled for Monday with an internal inspection scheduled on Tuesday morning.
SAFETY SENSE
One of the greatest threats to our eyes is invisible UV light. Long-term exposure to invisible ultraviolet radiation can damage our eyes and lead to vision loss. Everyone is at risk, especially children.
The following are some tips to protect our eyes….
- The most important thing you can do to protect your eyes is wear sunglasses that block ultraviolet rays.
- Do not be deceived by color or cost. The ability to block UV light is not dependent on the darkness of the lens or the price tag.
- Make sure your sunglasses state they block 99 percent to 100 percent of UV-A andUV-B rays.
- Ideally, your sunglasses should wrap all the way around to your temples, so the sun’s rays cannot enter from the side.
o Safety sunglasses are an excellent product in that they provide the UV ray blockage and are constructed to ANSI standards and thus can take much more abuse than the ‘designer’ sunglasses. They can also be purchased in a polarized version to reduce glare.
- In addition to your sunglasses, wear a broad-brimmed hat to protect your eyes.
- Do not be fooled by a cloudy day. The sun’s rays can pass through the haze and thin clouds.
- Even if you wear contacts with UV protection, remember your sunglasses.
- Sunglasses should be worn whenever outside. It is especially important to wear sunglasses in the early afternoon and if you are in higher altitudes, where UV light is more intense. Typically, that is 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
Eyes are one part of our body that may not be able to heal from damage and thus one must strive to protect them and sunglasses, especially safety sunglasses, will go a long way to that end.
SAFETY IS JOB 1
SAFETY FIRST ALWAYS
