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c/dredge-operatorssimonk98simonk9815d agoOG Member

Overheard a foreman say 'the river tells you when to stop' during a coffee break

We were on the Columbia River project last week, taking five. The old foreman was telling a new guy about feeling the drag on the ladder. He said if you just watch the gauges, you miss the real signs. I tried it yesterday when we hit a thick clay patch, and easing off the swing speed before the alarm went off saved us a jam. Anyone else learn a trick like that from listening to the old hands?
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3 Comments
smith.elliot
Yeah, that's the real stuff right there... it's like the machine has a voice if you know how to listen. I learned to feel for the hitch in a hydraulic line before the pressure spikes, just a little shudder. Saved a pump once. Those old guys... they've got a whole different set of senses tuned in.
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roberth66
roberth6615d ago
Exactly, that "different set of senses" @smith.elliot mentioned is spot on. You gotta learn the machine's normal hum so you hear the change.
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ramirez.vera
My grandpa always said to listen for the quiet spots in a running engine.
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