[Otto Nobedder]

In the real "back then", it was the Rolla School of Mines.

I tried, right out of college, for a lab assistant position in the UMR experimental nuclear reactor. Actually made it to the second interview with three other candidates. My practical experience welding and fixing shit (and my electronics training) got me to that point, but I didn't have the "mentor" experience at that stage of my life, and did not get the job. Damn. That could have been a career path. I enjoy sharing what I've learned.

Amen. (Hebrew for "So be it.")

Move on, move up.

Steve S

[DLewis0289]

Yep that reactor was a big deal back then. I hit good timing. Allen Bradley had finished their R&D with Oldsmobile division mid/late 80's and I was right in the thick of personal computers and the introduction of the AB programmable controllers SLC-100/150's. Back when the baud rate jumped from 1200/2400 to 9600 you thought technology couldn't go any higher. St. Patrick's day was a big deal as well!

[Otto Nobedder]

St. Pat's WAS a deal in Rolla, and still is. (Though it pales in comparison to the New Orleans treatment.)

At my time there, the 68HC11 was the pinnacle of 8-bit processors, shortly before the release of the first 16-bit processors rendering much of what I'd learned obsolete.

Damn, I feel old just talking about it.

Steve S

[DLewis0289]

Trust me, I know the old feeling. Noticed you are by Nawlins. Years ago I did a project in Monroe, LA in a plant that had anhydrous ammonia cold storage on one side and a chlorine plant on the other. Chlorine+ammonia I was like WTF lol.

[Coldman]

Done that before on a plant that had their bank of about 20 chlorine sterilization cylinders all manifolded right outside the ammonia refrigeration plantroom and receiver. Wtf is right on man.

[sru_tx]

Hey DLewis and Otto, kindred spirit here. EE for 30 years, starting in ultrasonic flow measurement in petrochem and then research environment doing mass spec. Did a bit of dog training after walking away from EE and now metalwork. For now it's a hobby but I'm sure I'll make something that someone will eventually ask me to make one for them too. If not, no biggie as I'm enjoying the process.

Amazing how the industry has changed. I was working with 8085s and 8751s when I had an opportunity to work with brand new TI product (DSPs). Really cool stuff at the time.

I had a contract gig while in grad school doing mass spec leak detection specializing in checkings things at the end of turnarounds. Really enjoyed the fact knowing that phosgene was running around in many of the lines we were testing.

s

[DLewis0289]

OH man I did turbine meter flow proving so long ago it was with a Richard Lee pulse counter, three thermometers and a caculator LMAO. I am the curious guy that had to cut the case apart on a Micro Motion when they first came out.

[Otto Nobedder]

Phosgene used to kill welders, now and then, when brake cleaner used to contain methylene chloride. Some idiot would use brake cleaner to degrease a weld zone, and strike up before it was dry, and "poof", nerve gas.

There are still people online warning about the dangers of brake cleaner in weld prep, despite the fact that MC is no longer allowed in consumer products.

Steve S

[sru_tx]

I'vee seen the warning about brake cleaner but did not know what exactly was happening.

I remember stomping through the plant during turnaround cross-eyed from looking at the phosgene badge hanging on my hard hat's bill.

DLewis, those micro motion meters were very interesting. The demos were amazing although I never heard how well they worked in the field. I DO know that the oil measurement industry was very slow to adopt new technology.

s

[glassTransition]

I've got to say that broken cup can't be doing you any favors. There must be some tasty waves of air swirling around in your shield envelope.

[Bill Beauregard]

I've skimmed. Maybe I've missed. You're getting some great advice from some of the people who generously gave me what I know. I don't think anybody mentioned that dipping in aluminum, it squirts up the tungsten a long way. I estimate where the collet will land next time, and grind that far. Just enough to take away a thin coating of aluminum. I find that if I don't, it will contaminate. Seldom will you need more than 15 CFH.

As Zap tells us on the other network, don't dip. Zap doesn't tell us how, except to use the Ove Glove, which I agree. Jody takes it a few steps further. He sells the TIG Finger. With these two items, you then need to stumble on the day your scrap dealer happens to have some copper blocks. I have two half brick sized pieces, three 1/4 brick sized pieces, and two 1-1/2" square. One is 7" long, the other is 18". With these, or bar clamps I set up a rest close to my bead, and parallel. I'm not very steady, so a rest I can slide my hand along is a big help. I've got lots of tungsten, but I haven't ground any in months.

I think it was Minnesota Dave uses a grinder laid on its back. The wheel turns away from you. Chuck the tungsten in a small slow drill to grind.Mine was a Tractor Supply DeWalt normally 124.99, mine was mislabeled at 114.99. The scanner priced it, but I pointed out the shelf price.

Willie

[DLewis0289]

Coriolis works great for mass flow. Back then we were struggling with basically gaseous "bubbles" in NH3 affecting the measurement in them. Our hopes back then was to actually have them certified for custody transfer and replace the ball prover's. and Daniels (Omni) Flow Computers I left pipeline to go into automation and never seen the end of it. I do believe they did finally get them approved for custody transfer.

I had an old friend that was an engineer for Koch out of Wichita (he lived in Tulsa). He was working on a leak detection system for their hydrocarbon lines. Ever run across a Garland Davis?

[Sandow]

Phosgene used to kill welders, now and then, when brake cleaner used to contain methylene chloride. Some idiot would use brake cleaner to degrease a weld zone, and strike up before it was dry, and "poof", nerve gas.

There are still people online warning about the dangers of brake cleaner in weld prep, despite the fact that MC is no longer allowed in consumer products.

Steve S

Yeah, now normal brake cleaner is 90% Tetrachloroethylene rather than methylene chloride but it still decomposes into phosgene at temps over 315C. Chlorine free stuff is fine though.

-Sandow

[Otto Nobedder]

We make a point of buying clearly labelled, American made, "non-chlorinated" brake cleaner. I was not aware that TCE was still available, at least in a consumer setting, nor that it, too, could make phosgene.

Thanks for the heads-up!

Steve S