ampaterry
06-10-2009, 04:05 AM
Although all the younger guys in the shop wore tool belts on the job, a few of the older guys did not like them. They made themselves wooden boxes about eight inches wide and twelve inches long which they attached a leather strap to from end to end with a sufficient length to slip the strap over a shoulder, and the box would be a bit below the waist. They would cut a piece of rubber padding and place it on the bottom inside of the box to keep their tools from rattling and banging around during transport.
At this mill, we did everything from making the raw steel to making a lot of finished product, like fencing (Keystone), which meant we had a galvanize department. Big pans of molten lead.
The guys on third shift picked one of these guys that worked days to pull this on. They removed his tools, lifted out the rubber pad, and poured a few ounces of lead in the bottom of his box. When it cooled, they put the pad back and replaced the tools, putting the box back where he kept it.
A week later, they added a few more ounces.
This went on for months.
This poor guy was complaining about not being a strong as he used to be, as he lugged that increasingly heavy tool-box around every day, until one day he noticed the leather strap was stretching from the weight, and figured out something was going on. He took the pad out and discovered several POUNDS of lead had been added by that time.
A good sport, he got a real laugh out of it, removed the lead, and discovered he was not getting weaker at all!
At this mill, we did everything from making the raw steel to making a lot of finished product, like fencing (Keystone), which meant we had a galvanize department. Big pans of molten lead.
The guys on third shift picked one of these guys that worked days to pull this on. They removed his tools, lifted out the rubber pad, and poured a few ounces of lead in the bottom of his box. When it cooled, they put the pad back and replaced the tools, putting the box back where he kept it.
A week later, they added a few more ounces.
This went on for months.
This poor guy was complaining about not being a strong as he used to be, as he lugged that increasingly heavy tool-box around every day, until one day he noticed the leather strap was stretching from the weight, and figured out something was going on. He took the pad out and discovered several POUNDS of lead had been added by that time.
A good sport, he got a real laugh out of it, removed the lead, and discovered he was not getting weaker at all!