Hardest welding job

[ksmeggy]

It wasn't a particularly difficult job from a welding point of view, but it's the one I'm proud of. I bought a sailboat off eBay in 2001, it was in NYC. I got a manufacturer's flyer with 3 dimensions for the boat (length, width, depth of keel) and a picture of the boat. I made a trailer for it, drove down to NYC in October, the yard put the boat on my trailer. It needed a 2" shim under the keel, and the front of the boat cleared the roof of my van by about 8". When it was on and strapped down, I could shift the tongue of the trailer by hand. Drove it home to Montreal without even opening the hatch, only to discover that the boat had 3' of water inside (which means I hauled home an additional 4000 lbs or so of water, on top of the boat and trailer's combined weight of 6,000 lbs). I still use the trailer as my cradle, I've only ever had to do one repair (flat tire).

Yes I drove that rig through the cloud of smoke coming off the ruins, blowing across the Washington bridge. It was a little surreal.

[D94r]

So far, my only welding job has been my front bumper on my Jeep. So, hardest and my proudest job all at the same time.

Next up is the boxing of my trucks frame, cross members, and IRS fab into the frame.

[arandall]

It wasn't a particularly difficult job from a welding point of view, but it's the one I'm proud of. I bought a sailboat off eBay in 2001, it was in NYC. I got a manufacturer's flyer with 3 dimensions for the boat (length, width, depth of keel) and a picture of the boat. I made a trailer for it, drove down to NYC in October, the yard put the boat on my trailer. It needed a 2" shim under the keel, and the front of the boat cleared the roof of my van by about 8". When it was on and strapped down, I could shift the tongue of the trailer by hand. Drove it home to Montreal without even opening the hatch, only to discover that the boat had 3' of water inside (which means I hauled home an additional 4000 lbs or so of water, on top of the boat and trailer's combined weight of 6,000 lbs). I still use the trailer as my cradle, I've only ever had to do one repair (flat tire).

Yes I drove that rig through the cloud of smoke coming off the ruins, blowing across the Washington bridge. It was a little surreal.

Nice going Ksmeggy.
- It must have taken quite a bit of nerve to build a trailer for a boat sight unseen. The water sloshing around must have made the ride a little unpredictable!

Cheers,
Art R.

[ksmeggy]

Nice going Ksmeggy.
- It must have taken quite a bit of nerve to build a trailer for a boat sight unseen. The water sloshing around must have made the ride a little unpredictable!

Cheers,
Art R.

I didn't feel the water at all! If I had, I would have broken the lock on the hatch and pumped it, it only takes half an hour or so to empty the boat.

Nerve? I was scared @#$%@#$%@#$%@#$%less. I had a plan: if the boat shifted so I couldn't drive, or just fell off the trailer (especially in NYC proper), I was going to unhook the trailer, grab my license plate, and vamoose.

But it drove like a charm, including through freezing rain in upstate NY. Of course by then I was thinking "just turn around and head for the Gulf of Mexico... why are you hauling a sailboat North?"

[KHK]

The boat story makes life worth living!! You hav a good one to tell your grandchildren...

[junes]

That sounds like a really tough project especially not seeing it what did you tow it with.

[bhardy501]

I was working on a Boiler Making crew building a recovery boiler at a local paper mill. The structure was 11 stories high and had a small framed structure that would be on top (penthouse). A small bracket for a pulley needed to be welded on to one of the support beams on the side of the penthouse to put a ropw throught to hoist light small items up and down. The foreman gave me the task of welding it on. It needed to be placed on the outside beam, 12 stories straight to the ground. I asked how I was suppoed to get up there. He told me my ride was on its way. About that time the crane swung around and dropped the bucket for me to get into. You know how hard it is to hold on for dear life with one hand and place and weld a bracket on with the other. All being done with your eyes closed. I figured out then that steel structural work was not for me.

[arandall]

I didn't feel the water at all! If I had, I would have broken the lock on the hatch and pumped it, it only takes half an hour or so to empty the boat.

Nerve? I was scared @#$%@#$%@#$%@#$%less. I had a plan: if the boat shifted so I couldn't drive, or just fell off the trailer (especially in NYC proper), I was going to unhook the trailer, grab my license plate, and vamoose.

But it drove like a charm, including through freezing rain in upstate NY. Of course by then I was thinking "just turn around and head for the Gulf of Mexico... why are you hauling a sailboat North?"

Now that right there - that's a good plan!! - Glad you didn't have to use it

Art R.

---------- Post added at 01:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:19 PM ----------

I was working on a Boiler Making crew building a recovery boiler at a local paper mill. The structure was 11 stories high and had a small framed structure that would be on top (penthouse). A small bracket for a pulley needed to be welded on to one of the support beams on the side of the penthouse to put a ropw throught to hoist light small items up and down. The foreman gave me the task of welding it on. It needed to be placed on the outside beam, 12 stories straight to the ground. I asked how I was suppoed to get up there. He told me my ride was on its way. About that time the crane swung around and dropped the bucket for me to get into. You know how hard it is to hold on for dear life with one hand and place and weld a bracket on with the other. All being done with your eyes closed. I figured out then that steel structural work was not for me.

Too bad you didn't have that one on video - I bet itd would have gone viral on "u-tube".

Art R.

[junes]

Haha that sounds like quite the fun welding job hanging off with one hand that's sweet bet they couldn't get you there again to weld another puley.

[bhardy501]

Haha that sounds like quite the fun welding job hanging off with one hand that's sweet bet they couldn't get you there again to weld another puley.

Not in a Million years.