| electrician@electrician2.com 2006-04-14, 3:21 pm |
| On the pipeline, at Valdez, and on Alaska's north slope we used
stainless steel bands to band metal clad cable to insulated pipelines.
We used tie wraps mainly for tieing down cables in cable trays. Some
will argue that you don't need to tie cables down in cable trays, but
if you want to avoid a rat's nest, the cables have to be laid out
straight and tied down about every 6 feet preferably with the cut end
at the bottom outside the tray. Also, we teach apprentices to twist
the excess tie wrap off using kliens. If they are cut the sharp edges
are a hazard. It is an absolute no no to cut tie wraps. It is a sure
way of getting a reputation as a sloppy electrician if you cut them.
We also file and paint the ends of cut unistrut, something that sloppy
electricians do not do. Of course, working with union electricians on
the trans-Alaska pipeline, Valdez Marine Terminal, and the North Slope
has over the years brought me in contact with some of the finest
craftsmen and mechanics the world has known. I just wish that more
electricians could have the experience of working with some of them.
Unfortunately, most of them have retired or died. I am afraid that the
craftsman of the past are going to be replaced by cheap illegal
immigrants that will not take pride in their work and who will
deteriorate the craft. We have seen what happens when cheap foreign
labor does in Alaska with the Red Dog Mine modules that were built in
the Philippines and the sea water treatment barge used at Prudhoe Bay
that was built in Korea. They were disasters in craftsmanship and
required many man-hours of rework. I am getting off the subject here
but the tie wrap workmanship brings up many memories.
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