# Brittle Steel



## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

This clay spade for our Bocsh rotary hammer got a small melted spot on the edge of the blade when it welded into an unmarked electric service. We have still been using it but last week a chunk just snapped off.

So did the extreme heat screw up the tempered metal and make it brittle?


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

Yes

Sent from my iPhone 10.5


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

I bet. But what about the guy running the chipping hammer. He get lit up???


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## AlbacoreShuffle (Aug 28, 2011)

TX MECH PLUMBER said:


> I bet. But what about the guy running the chipping hammer. He get lit up???


If he did I'll bet he had this look on his face .


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

That's buck wheat. Rite??


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## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

Maybe this instead.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

TX MECH PLUMBER said:


> I bet. But what about the guy running the chipping hammer. He get lit up???


Realized he was in it and it was arcing and buzzing low. He got out of the ditch about a half send before it blew and sent sparky flames 10' in the air.

Tough day for us all. Closest I have ever been to losing a man on the job.

The utility locator lost his job.


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## ChrisConnor (Dec 31, 2009)

How deep was he digging?


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

Glad he is ok. Dig test guy dropped the ball that bad???


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

Hit the line at 1' to 18". We were going to about 4'. 

There was a pedestal about 20' away with marks going both ways. He never marked the drop to this particular trailer. He mismarked the service as coming from another direction. The hole it happened in is one of the pics in the Cleaner Mag article.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

The guys from OG&E had him pinned in his truck when I arrived.

He's damn lucky one of my guys didn't fillet his arse on the spot. SMPT (locating company) has given him the opportunity to succeed in another industry.


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## UN1TED-WE-PLUMB (Oct 3, 2012)

Scary stuff. I'm glad no one got injured.


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

Makes you think twice !!!


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## JK949 (Mar 18, 2009)

I'd need to change my shorts if it was me.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

Not that it mattered, but he missed the cable TV in the gray conduit also.


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## TallCoolOne (Dec 19, 2010)

He sure got lucky.

We have dig test come out about weekly.

I may start scanning myself and double check

Scary....


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