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A bad day... Update: 04/29/2019


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When you get one of those 3:00 am calls, it's usually a drunk friend or bad news.

 

Sassparilla Kid had one of those calls last night - unfortunately, not a drunk buddy... but his boss.  Fire at the shop.  Arson suspected.

 

Many of the tools - large collection of mechanics tools as well as other equipment - are the Kid's; I hope he can salvage some of them. But I suspect his lathe is toast.  No pun intended.  :(

 

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499618885_ShopFireLathe.thumb.jpg.af216a8e1e25f5206827c9da1d5365be.jpg

 

 

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Bummer! Hope they catch the perp? Inside job? Most arsons are.

Pics don’t come up here. 

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Sorry to hear that. Hope insurance covers everything

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I'm wondering if it's possible to salvage that lathe...  thinking.gif

 

It was a really sweet old LeBlond.  Here's a "Before" shot:  :mellow:

 

1494031681_ShopFireLathe1.thumb.jpg.b7bc3231ec1c95410e4ae895e8c684ac.jpg

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Thanks...  and I re-loaded the original pictures - hopefully they'll be visible now.

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Heck, Darn, other obscenities as required!  I hope that his employer covers the loss of his tools.

That lathe might be salvageable with a lot of kroil, elbow grease and a new motor and controls.

 

Good luck,

Duffield

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It's an ag mechanic shop - they maintain and repair tractors, harvesters, and other farming equipment. Couple of tractors and other implements were lost. Literally melted. At this point the "official" cause is a wiring fault in the office. Gee... that must be what set off the burglar alarm.  
 
There was a loft over the lathe, unfortunately used to store truck tires. The tires burned. Tires burn at something like 1375. The aluminum power handle at the very top of the lathe motor housing is gone; aluminum melts at 1220.
 
Is the lathe salvage-able? Maybe... if the frame escaped warping and the temper of the steel components (gears and such) isn't too critical, what Duff says might work. It'd be a pile of work, though, and not cheap.
 
Darnit... and I had decided last night to call the Kid today and ask him to shorten a Ruger Blackhawk cylinder for me.   :(
 
Other tools:  He said that his locker, which contained larger pieces and his pneumatic tools, is toast.  His tool box [below, moved to a buddy's shop] didn't fare well; he said the wrenches and sockets were all "sooty, and when I wipe 'em off instead of being all chrome shiny they're now black."  Undoubtedly have lost their temper.  I suggested he just clean 'em up and use 'em 'til they break or bend.  Torque wrenches are just a memory. Heck... the screwdrivers melted!  I can't even bear to think about his Mitutoyo micrometers and calipers and other precision instruments.   
 
Uh... I seriously doubt the Kid's boss will be able to do much toward replacing any of the Kid's tools; I kinda suspect his insurance will only partially cover his own losses. 
 
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Hardpan,

 

Sorry  to hear about the fire fire and associated loss. 

 

  Luckily no loss of life. Tell your Son somewhere in all this is a lesson.  How he pulls value out of the lesson is up to him. 

 

Capt RHK

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Those photos make me ill. 

 

We lost everything we owned when I was a kid in 11th grade to a house fire. To this day I can't smell wet ashes without thinking of that day.

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Thank you all for your kind thoughts and wishes.
 
The fire evidently started in a wall separating the office from the "chemical room," where everything from solvents to grease was stored, and spread quickly. 
 
Thankfully it's the off-season, and not the middle of harvest! Anyway, the Kid's resilient, and was back to work at the crack of dawn today (Thursday). He runs the shop, so no down time for him. They started clearing out the old facility, salvaging what little they could, and moving their "base of operations" to a smaller shop at the boss' house.  Scrambling to replace stuff; he called me this morning to ask if I had an extra printer. I did not; he said that they've made a list of things absolutely needed to start up again, ranging from a printer to a grease gun.  I suspect he'll be taking his "home" mechanic tools to work, at least temporarily, until he can replace the ruined ones. 
 
  100_5794.thumb.JPG.f78a7e44e7762824258a361f2f1dbabd.JPG   Building a Toyota 22r engine at home...  

 

 

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I see some of the tools that got burned were Kobalt tools. They have a lifetime warranty. I am pretty sure it’s a long shot but you could call Lowe’s corporate and ask about replacement. I am sure the store would tell you to pound sand but a sympathetic ear at headquarters might just authorize replacement as your son is a loyal customer...know what I mean?

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4 hours ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

I see some of the tools that got burned were Kobalt tools. They have a lifetime warranty. I am pretty sure it’s a long shot but you could call Lowe’s corporate and ask about replacement. I am sure the store would tell you to pound sand but a sympathetic ear at headquarters might just authorize replacement as your son is a loyal customer...know what I mean?

 

Good Catch.  All they can do is say no.

 

They claim hassel free lifetime guarantee.  I know other companies honor their gaurantee even if the damage was your fault. Last time I checked the can't eat you so the  worst they can do is say no.

 

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15 hours ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

Any updates?

 

Well... he's still working on setting up shop in another facility at the boss's small ranch.  

 

The insurance person came out last week, took a quick look, then declared that due to the scope of the loss they'd have to have someone evidently higher on the insurance food chain come in from Los Angeles and do whatever they do. I suspect it's going to take a while.   Personally, for the Kid's sake, I'm hopeful but not optimistic.

 

Tools.  Obviously the power tools, pneumatic tools, and precision measuring devices are history.  Some of the pieces might make interesting shop "wall art."

 

The Kid called Kobalt and asked if they would replace or consider the mechanics tools salvageable.   They listened politely, and said they'd refer his query to the tech folks and they in turn would contact him.  Nothing yet.  He says he'll be surprised if he ever does hear from them.  On the subject of warranty coverage, we looked up the terms of the Kobalt warranty... may not be covered, as there are some sort of "abuse" exclusions.  Fires can be pretty abusive!  :rolleyes:

 

So, he's set out to clean them up as much as possible.  Most of the soot and black will scrub off; I took him the brass tumbler and a supply of walnut shell lizard litter last night.  His current plan is to try to make 'em look decent, then use 'em 'til they break and at that point try to exchange 'em.  Oh, and by the way... there's some discussion that Kobalt may be replaced by Craftsman.  We'll see...

 

On a small but brighter note, he said that he thinks he can salvage his Montezuma toolbox (pictured above) by media blasting and painting, and replacing the latch/lock and pneumatic struts.  He called the Montezuma folks, told 'em what happened and asked if he could buy the parts; they said that if he sent them pictures they'd be happy to ship him the needed components free of charge.  Downright decent of 'em!  ;) 

 

 

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

Well... I'll make this short: 

 

The owner told the guys he would need all his insurance settlement funds to cover his own losses and buy new equipment; "sorry, fellas."

 

A few days ago he was overheard telling one of his vendors that he "had never told his employees to bring their own tools, so it's on them!"  [He did not provide proper tools.]

 

Sassparilla Kid is a loyal sort with a strong work ethic.  He has worked for the man for two years, usually six days a week (sometimes seven), and during harvest season as much as 20 hours a day, using his own tools and his own truck for off-site assignments.  And no "benefits."  

 

He's giving the boss one week notice this morning, and starts his new job next Monday - at 38% higher pay, weekends off, plus benefits, and a company vehicle.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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6 minutes ago, Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 said:

Well... I'll make this short: 

 

The owner told the guys he would need all his insurance settlement funds to cover his own losses and buy new equipment; "sorry, fellas."

 

A few days ago he was overheard telling one of his vendors that he "had never told his employees to bring their own tools, so it's on them!"  [He did not provide proper tools.]

 

Sassparilla Kid is a loyal sort with a strong work ethic.  He has worked for the man for two years, usually six days a week (sometimes seven), and during harvest season as much as 20 hours a day, using his own tools and his own truck for off-site assignments.  And no "benefits."  

 

He's giving the boss one week notice this morning, and starts his new job next Monday - at 38% higher pay, weekends off, plus benefits, and a company vehicle.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He should tell that jerk to KMA, and go start his new job today or take a week off.

OLG

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