sawing job

drumuns · Jun 3, 2005

Hi All
I have been a long time reader of this forum (18 months) and not really posted anything. This is sort of OT, but i figured this would be the best place to ask such questions.
I am a college student and just got a job for the summer. I work at a company that manufactures pallet racking. I have a few questions about some safety concerns I have. I run one of two bandsaws, one a vert. Marvel and the other, a large horizontal Wagner. I have noticed that the air quality is horrible and wonder what the long-term health effects may be of working in the presence of the metal chip and coolant mist filled air?
I have also welded there, and it seems that the processes are much too hurried. The frames we build are welded w/ ususally deltaweld 302 or cv305 3 phase welders running at like 27 volts and wide open on the wirespeed. The welds look decent when finished, but does not seem like a proper weld for a somewhat critical joint. Is this "pull the trigger and run" type of welding an accepted process?
And one last question. What do you think a job like this should pay. It is in a semi-rural area and i work usually 5am to 4pm. It involves quite a bit of manual labor along with welding and fixing the machines if they break down.

Thanks

John Chamberlain · Jun 3, 2005

Breathing anything except air and small quantities of water is bad.

When I am working in the presence of "particulates" I wear a respirator and close fitting nitrile gloves.

I've been looking into the feasibility of wearing scuba gear.

By the way don't wear work gloves when operating saws or any other machinery with exposed moving parts for that matter. It's the #1 cause of accidents.

drumuns · Jun 3, 2005

i know better than to wear gloves, but this is just another instance in which no one there has a clue it seems

Ox · Jun 3, 2005

You don't smoke doo you?

Lucky Strikes possibly?

Anybody else around you smoke?

How aboot wearing WAY too bloody much perfume?

Think Snow Eh!
Ox

John Chamberlain · Jun 3, 2005

I've heard perfume is bad for you. Definitely avoid the stuff.

snowman · Jun 3, 2005

All the guys in the shop that used to smoke told me that I should start. It puts a "protective" layer on the lungs.

We would clean all the fans, within a month they would be nasty again.

I'm not so sure that they are that far off :-/

-Jacob

SND · Jun 4, 2005

That dirty air is certainly bad for you. Do what you can to stay out of it.

For whats of that welding. It seems to be the common practice. Fluxcore is used a lot, many places don't use stick welders at all anymore. Fluxcore is much faster, requires very little skill to run in flat position, so they can hire cheap unskilled labor.

A good skilled welder can run it wide open when all circonstances allow it and get very good strong welds. Problem is when you have unskilled people running it wide open who have no clue what they're looking at.

Is this place certified and did they have those welding procedures tested ? Do they test all new employees ? And I mean a real test.
Do they require all employees to have welding tickets in atleast the type of welding the they will do?

HuFlungDung · Jun 4, 2005

Strange as it may sound, I heard that coal miners were better off to breathe a mixture of diesel fumes along with their coal dust. The diesel fumes caused enough irritation that they would cough up the dust. Pretty grim, I don't know if it was the truth.

Forrest Addy · Jun 5, 2005

Sounds like you got sucked into a dirty sweatshop. Don't complain or make too many suggestions unasked. Let them work your a$$ off until you find a better job. You need their good reference.

Face you're a young guy on the bottom of the heap. Don't look for much in wages, conditions, or prospects until you get some time and experience.

drumuns · Jun 6, 2005

thanks i guess

Machinery_E · Jun 6, 2005

Just curious drumuns , whats the name of the company that you work at?

drumuns · Jun 6, 2005

don't really want to post that, why bite the hand that feeds i guess

SLOEIT · Jun 6, 2005

Just curious, what are you going to school for?

Nick

drumuns · Jun 6, 2005

Manufacturing / Engineering Technology
includes everything from materials science to machining to plant layout etc. etc.

toolguy · Jun 6, 2005

good for you getting some hands on. You may actually design something that can be built. On a serious note sometimes learning what you shouldnt do is as important as learning what to do.

Machinery_E · Jun 7, 2005

Hey, thats fine, I understand, you never know who might be reading this!
Maybe you are working for the company I am thinking about, as it sounds like what you describe. The one I know about is in SE Ohio
As to your question of pay, it depends on who you work for. Someone like W.C.C. (The company name), from what I hear, doesn't pay very good.
By the way, what college are you going to?
Eric

drumuns · Jun 7, 2005

South Dakota State U, that should be enough for you to figure out where i work w/ a simple search of google or switchboard

Jon Bohlander · Jun 7, 2005

drumuns

I would take whatever wages you can get in Brookings. SD wages +lots of competition from other students is a bad combo. Just think of it as a resume and experience builder. Sounds like "how not to do it" experience

Brother-in-law used to build dies at a place in Watertown or Brookings that stamped parts for Gateway. Sounded like a decent place to work. You might check them out. Sorry I can't remember the name but I can get the name if you want.

Good luck, Jon

Machinery_E · Jun 8, 2005

Interesting, guess it is different than the company I was thinking about.
Anyway, I wish you the best with your job, and your education!

sawing job

Plastic

Aluminum

Plastic

Diamond

Aluminum

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Plastic

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Stainless

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