advanced search

Short Circuits

Oct 1, 2006 12:00 PM

Raking Rookie Over the Coals

About 20 years ago, I was working as an electrician on an upscale multi-story condo project with about 10 large units per floor. I was going floor to floor, making up the meter banks that fed each unit in a common electrical room. I had caught up to the floor where a crew of about 15 guys were roughing in the metal stud walls. Working alone, I could hear them chatting about what they were doing. Earlier that day, the drywall guys had rocked the core area and covered up an outlet that they had to feed other outlets from. The leader of the crew was kind of a clown, so he instructed the greenest guy to go and fetch a “box finder” from the tool room downstairs. Wanting to get in on the action and knowing the rookie would pass by me on the way to the elevator, I looked around the electrical room floor and found a scrap piece of ceiling wire about 2 feet long. I quickly made several random bends on it with my pliers, screwed wire nuts on each end, placed the contraption in the bottom of my toolbox, and closed the lid. After a minute or so, the “victim” turned the corner and spotted me. After asking him if he needed anything, he explained that he was going downstairs to look for a “box finder.” He was so relieved when I told him I had a spare. Reaching into my toolbox, I handed him the tool, adding, “‘Don't drop it, it's brand new.” He turned around and headed back to the other guys. About 30 seconds later, I heard an eruption of laughter from the entire rough-in crew. Fortunately, the “green horn” was good natured about the practical joke.
Terry Cameron
Birmingham, Ala.

Wrath of the Runaway Reel

One Friday, I ordered a 500-foot reel of 500 kcmil wire to be delivered to the jobsite on Monday morning. When I arrived on site, however, I found out the concrete floor would be poured that day. So I had to send the material back to the electrical supply house, as there was no place to store it. Realizing I could install the wire on Tuesday, I went to the supply house and put the reel of wire in my van, blocking the reel so it wouldn't roll around in my truck — so I thought. Although I drove very slowly to the jobsite, when I arrived and opened the back roll-up door, I found the whole inside of my truck, including material and tools, covered with white paint. Crushed by the reel, a gallon of white paint I had in the truck had exploded. Not thinking straight due to my anger, I rolled the reel out of my truck and onto the new concrete floor. Things went downhill from there. Realizing that I was putting a depression in the new floor, I quickly put 2-inch by 12-inch boards under the reels to serve as runners. To make matters worse, when I went back to my truck to grab my hammer drill, I found that the reel had also crushed my new metal case with the hammer drill in it. Needless to say, this was not a very good day.
Grant Cinder
Warren, Mich.

Got a story about a jobsite blunder? Send it to egroup@penton.com. If we publish it, we'll send you a check for $25.

Illustrations by Clint Metcalf

Want to use this article? Click here for options!

© 2012 Penton Business Media, Inc.

---

Acceptable Use Policy blog comments powered by Disqus

Browse Back Issues Select an Issue EC&M Magazine | April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 1, 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 1, 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 1, 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 1, 2006 May 1, 2006 April 2006 March 1, 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 1, 2004 January 1, 2004 December 1, 2003 November 1, 2003 October 1, 2003 September 1, 2003 August 1, 2003 July 1, 2003 June 1, 2003 May 1, 2003 April 1, 2003 March 1, 2003 February 1, 2003 January 1, 2003 December 1, 2002 November 1, 2002 October 1, 2002 September 1, 2002 August 1, 2002 July 1, 2002 June 1, 2002 May 1, 2002 April 1, 2002 March 1, 2002 February 1, 2002 January 1, 2002 December 1, 2001 November 1, 2001 October 1, 2001 September 1, 2001 August 1, 2001 July 1, 2001 June 1, 2001 May 1, 2001 April 1, 2001 March 1, 2001 February 1, 2001 February 1, 1995 January 1, 2001 December 1, 2000 November 1, 2000 October 1, 2000 September 1, 2000 August 1, 2000 July 1, 2000 June 1, 2000 May 1, 2000 April 1, 2000 March 1, 2000 February 1, 2000 January 1, 2000 December 1, 1999 November 1, 1999 October 1, 1999 September 1, 1999 August 1, 1999 July 1, 1999 June 1, 1999 May 1, 1999 April 1, 1999 March 1, 1999 February 1, 1999 January 1, 1999 December 1, 1998 November 1, 1998 October 1, 1998 September 1, 1998 August 1, 1998 July 1, 1998 June 1, 1998 May 1, 1998 April 1, 1998 March 1, 1998 February 1, 1998 January 1, 1998 December 1, 1997 November 1, 1997 December 1, 1996 November 1, 1996 October 1, 1996 September 1, 1996 August 1, 1996 July 1, 1996 June 1, 1996 May 1, 1996 April 1, 1996 March 1, 1996 February 1, 1996 January 1, 1996 December 1, 1995 November 30, 1995 November 1, 1995 October 1, 1995 September 1, 1995 August 1, 1995 July 1, 1995 June 1, 1995 May 1, 1995 April 1, 1995 March 1, 1995

browse e-newsletters