SUMMER13

A long week again as things progress with the company under new management. I continued to go through posted jobs on BXWA to find some work for our boys and came up with a few options. We have sent out 2 more bids over the last week. I found myself a bit nervous as I had the proposal sitting there waiting to be sent off at the correct time. Once I hit send my hard numbers can mean completely killing a job and making a ton of money, missing something and loosing a bunch, or anywhere in between! Confidence is something I am learning and getting more comfortable with as I plug my numbers in.

I just received shop drawings back from a previous job we are in the middle of and have come to find out this job is ALOT bigger than I anticipated. Though I didn't bid this job and had no real idea of how large it was it came as a shock when the final quantities of everything we need to fab came it. Looks like it is going to be a busy couple months for us as this job takes off. 80 steel balconies, 25 steel canopies, and 50 steel columns.... HERE WE GO!!!

Though this internship has been a bit out of the realm of diesel tech due to how the company has promoted me into different positions that have come available I have been able to take many things I am learning and transfer them into the diesel world. I plan on sticking around this company for years to come but the thought of having the tools to be able to transfer into the diesel industry at any point is comforting. I have kept my schooling in mind as multiple things have come up which need the experience of a BTC Diesel graduate. Things like servicing of equipment, preventative maintenance,  lifting and rigging heavy loads, thinking on your feet and making due with what you have available are all things I come in contact with. The experience I have gained over the last two years is absolutely blowing me away. Its been quite the adventure.

Hours: 62
Total:295

Phoenix MW

SummerQT JW-More New Things

After my week off for my honeymoon I am back in the swing of things and embarking and yet another new task. Now that we have gotten through one of the busiest couple weeks I have seen here at Phoenix Metalworks we are going to be needing to get more work line up for the future to keep things rolling smoothly. Bidding/Estimating steel projects is my newest venture in learning. We use a site called Builders Exchange of Washington (BXWA) where owners and/or general contractors post upcoming jobs that we are able to put bids on. Navigating through the site didn't take too long to figure out but crunching the numbers for a hard bid has proved to be quite the stretch.

Things that I am learning when it comes to bidding is being aware of steel prices as they tend to fluctuate drastically from week to week. A bid could be put in months before the project actually takes off and the steel prices can often spike or dive. Navigating through plans can be a tedious process of jumping from on sheet to another and detail to detail of a specific part of job. Things could easily be missed in doing a take-off so attention to details is highly important. Also, considering every aspect to a job needs to be included. For example, if a bid is put in for fabricating and installing steel canopies you need to consider the job site access for use with forklifts/cranes or any other needed equipment. I ran into an issue with a general on our last install that proved to be a learning experience when it came to this. Although we had been to the jobsite and planned out the install with use of forklifts and man lifts, he seemed to think we were complete newbies in doing it this way. He fought with me for 20 minutes trying to get us to rent a crane for the install which would have cost nearly $5 a minute to have somebody operate it.... NOT WHAT I WANTED TO DO!!! After winning that argument we showed up on set ready to rock that morning and had all steel erected by the end of the week. The general was extremely impressed with our decision and we have now made a solid contact with that company for future work.

Learning each and every day is exciting and stressful all at once but I am building confidence with every single lesson learned.

Hours: 40
Total: 233

Unreal

60 hours this week, 70 the week before! Things are busy and moving along. This last week was spent in the office for the most part and running a crew of 2 guys on the floor. I was able to complete another revision of shop drawings for the cornerstone building going up in Barkley village. We are fabricating the canopies and balconies for this new building.

This week I also learned more about project managing as I had a crew of 4 down in Seattle that I was in constant communication with as they installed a previously drawn project for the Mercedes Benz dealership. Keeping those guys stocked with all needed equipment proved to take up quite a bit of time in itself.  Also this week I was pretty much thrown into the middle of learning how the office runs purchase orders, keeps track of job cost, etc. needless to say I'm learning a ton in a short amount of time. Slightly overwhelmed but excited to settle in with all these new opportunities.

Below are some pictures of the job site in Seattle 

Hours 60

What a week!

This week was quite the stretch. We were 2 man down and had 13 storefront canopies to make in 5 days. A jig was built out of some steel ibeam and we were lucky enough to get them fabricated and shipped out on Saturday. This week was new for me in a lot of ways with project managing, running a shop floor, and keeping stress levels down! 

Hours: 70

Summer13 JW

Last week as been a big transition as our lead project manager is leaving. I spent much time going over bid jobs and shop drawings wrapping my head around ever detail I may need to know once our project manager leaves. I also did a steel order take off for 26 canopies that I drew earlier last quarter. The last two days have been spent down in Seattle erecting  steel at an REI and silverdale. Rigging straps and hard hats!!

I have learned a lot this last month in project management, being detailed, organization, and time efficiency. All need to be considered and practiced in the new role I will be taking in the company. Being a man down and trying something new on my part should stretch me quite thin. Bend don't break... 

Included is a picture of the hanger plates (just a small part of these canopies) as well as the beam we erected. This beam was HSS 10x6x.5  and 63ft long! At the time of the picture we were somewhere around 70ft-80ft in the air. Up and over the parapet and wedge anchor and welded the rear of the structure. Quite the experience moving iron today. 

Hours:63

Spq13 jw

Shop hours: 40

Running total: 336

Last week was spent more with hydraulics with an intro into preventive maintenance. The Bobcat mini excavator became a great teaching tool in that we were able to actually see and feel the hydraulics working and not just look at a schematic. My group and I traced through the joystick pilot controls and not only learned the system but studied about what the specific service schedules and procedures were. I feel confident in the hydraulic system in that particular machine as well as what the needed servicing. 

On a somewhat related note I was driving over the pass and had some transmission problems. Looks like I'm going to need to pull it and dive inside... More pictures to come.

Spq13 jw

This week was spent on hydraulics and we dove into the bobcat joystick and pilot control system. We looked through schematics and traced the entire system so we could see exactly how this system operated. I put to use the knowledge of schematic symbols as there were a few within this system. Not only did I learn a ton about a pilot control system but I was also able to operate the machine multiple times and refresh my memory with that. 

Spq13

Last week the highlight was going down south to BG Machinery. We were able to see a business that thrives of of everything we are learning in class. This shop takes on heavy duty machinery engines and re-furnishes them. The biggest thing I took from the tour was how their attention to detail and precision. These guys work with measurements that are 1/30th of the size of a human hair! Their product comes back more precise than when they leave the factory! It was quite the experience and despite the fact it's in Seattle it would be an awesome place to find a job at.

Shop hours: 50
Hours to date: 118

Spq13 Jared

Last week was spent studying about hydraulics and basic operations of different systems. Hydraulics are much like electricity. I spent some time on the board going through the assignments and quickly found things I didn't understand. I had to learn a few basic hydraulic symbols and their operation. One thing I learned is different valves that are restricted depending on different pressures or temperatures. Pretty cool stuff! After I figure out how to post videos I will add to this blog

Spq13 Witman

This week I continued wrapping my mind around the electrical. I focused a bit on transistors and their function. I find the transistor to be the most interesting piece of an electrical circuit that I have come across so far. Basic function that the base current can control and amplify the current between the other terminals. Wouldn't mind getting my hands on one this week and playing around with it a bit more.

I also spent time this week In the shop fabricating a hand rail and fixing downspouts we had previously built! Man!! Though it was not our mistake,patients is tried when you have to build things twice. I've Learned a lot this week about your mindset going into a job or project. It can either make or break your entire project if you come into it pissed off and mad or the opposite.

Shop hours: 42
Running total: 126

SPQ13 Jared

Last week I spent some time refreshing my memory with the test boards. Seems to have stuck with me. Although testing on the board always seems less complicated than on a truck! Another thing I worked on in class was taking apart an alternator and messing around with the slip rings and rotor. We calculated current using the ohms and our source voltage and hooked it up to create a magnet. I was brought back to what I had learned in ADTech learning about power generation and alternating current. Below are some pictures.

Shop hours:42
To date: 84

SPQ13-Jared

We started class again today Im excited to refresh my memory with some electrical. I spent a little time this evening going through some old schematics we had to color code and creating the new one for tommorow. I also was searching around the internet for some electrical videos and came across one that is pretty mind blowing. There is a bit of information out there on it but it seems to be fairly new technology that could literally change the way this world stores energy.

WOW!! The possibilities for this are endless....

This could make for some interesting topics in class?

Work hard play hard

This week I was able to make a couple things. We made a flashing rack for one of the axiom employees out of 2x2 square tube. It will be collapsible to fit in the back of a truck.i also was also able to make some attachments for a new trailer we got that is used for tying down race quads and diet bikes!

Work hard play hard!!!

3 weeks?

I've tried to publish updates on here the las three weeks with pictures but it seems to be not posting then.... I'm trying without photos this time to see what that does. The last three weeks I've done more work around the yard ( poured concrete) an we started a downspout job and have completed half of the pipe of the order. These down spouts are schedule 40 pipe with 3/8 inch knife plates. Some of these down spouts are close to 50 ft long! We were a but crammed in the shop but we made it work. New pipe and plans should be coming next week and another takeoff will start

Internal

This last week was spent on quite a few internal jobs that needed to be done. I worked a bit with the new trucks puttin on the last finishing touches with tool boxes etc. we also did quite a bit of yard clean up and did some burning.

I'm also taking a class in autocad and that is noteworthy this week as it is starting to get fairly difficult but teaching me alot. Once I finish this weeks project I will try and post a picture.

Hours: 40

Awning

This week was spent working with some smaller gauge steel than we are used to but it was steady work non the less. We built 14 awnings for a shop down in Seattle. It consisted of setting up a jig. Bending some steel sheeting, and screwing off! Non screwing off in a lazy way of course but rather than weld, these structures were screwed together.

They were prime and should be shipping out this week.

Almost complete

We continued on the trucks from last week and have all but a few little things left to put on the truck.
They look good with a heavier rack and boxes

Hours: 46 hours

Truck bed and rack

This week was spent mostly on the new trucks the company bough. They had a few ladder racks and flat beds that were built for them but needed to be renovated a bit to fit our uses. The top rack was taken off (which was 1" square tube) and was replaced with 2" steel tube. We also did a few other jobs like mounting truck boxes and a electrical panel screen for cooling.

Hours last week and prior weeks of internship: 40 hrs

Giant light fixture

I did a lot of driving this week, more than enough time spent on the highway that's for sure! But I was also able to put some work in on what I would call a giant light fixture. It is being installed with can lights and some other decor lights in a new building for the Talking Rain company down toward Seattle. Below is a picture of what it is. Another point of interest is that Phoenix Panels are shipping out their first job! I had a bit of help with that earlier in the year, things are really starting to get rolling with them. Exciting!

Flexible

Learned a bit about the work industry as a whole this week. Flexibility to do a number of different things is a must. For example a diesel mechanic might be a carpenter on a slow day, a carpenter could be a janitor when there's not much to do, and janitors may end up doing a bit of plumbing here and there. This week was somewhat slow on new fabricating jobs as we just finished our last and are moving Into our next. We spent lots of time doing things around the shop to improve productivity, scrap steel, and general clean up and organization. In the mix with all that was a few deliveries to Seattle where I dropped off some orders. All in all I learned the importance of being flexible and willing to do a number of odd jobs when things come to that. A good trait to have in any industry

Open Gate

This internship started out a bit different than I had initially thought I would go. Spending more time in steel fabrication and was also offered a position in the company to pursue structural drawing ad detailing plans. Ontop of my diesel program I am going to purse that as an option as well. It's an open gate and seems like one I should walk through.

Below are a few pictures I what I've been working on this last week. It is also a gate for a homeless housing unit in Seattle.