Murphy's Law - Stainless Steel Piece goes flying

[Metal Troll]

Well its a black day .

We finally finished a large 304 16ga stainless steel piece with a #4 finish today and we loaded it on the truck . My guys hop in the truck and head out to deliver it and I get a call about 20 minutes later and I am told that the wind caught the piece and flipped it out of the back of the truck going 65 mile per hour down the the freewway . We had been welding, banging on it with hammers, putting a finish and hand polishing the thing for a week. The only good thing is the only thing hurt is are pride and pocket book and nobody driving down the road behind us.

I am sure its happened to all of you in some fashion or another and all you can do is sigh and start fixing the problem. I just needed to vent some frustration.

We cut all the damaged pieces out started welding the darn thing back together. Man what a day.

[plasmajoe]

I feel for you Metal Troll. That really sucks. All that hard work and for an act of nature like that to happen, yep I see the frustration in it.

[WSS]

That is a bad day.

Your thankful attitude that no one was hurt will help in the rebuild as well.

Good luck,

WSS

[plain ol Bill]

I,d have a talk with the guys about tying down loads. In WA. it is a felony if you lose a load like that.

[Metal Troll]

We had it tied down but we didn't rachet it down hard enough for fear of denting the finished piece because every inch is exposed. As they were driving down the road the vibration and the spring of the steel popped the strap off. My driver noticed it right away (one eye on the road and one on the piece) and started to slow down and pull off but it as soon as he took his foot off the gas the wind caught it and flipped it out of the back of the truck like a coin. He was pretty upset about it and he has been working for us for 4 years now and hasn't had one thing every come off the back of the truck in that time. To error is human and if I could see the future I would be in Vegas playing slots not working steel. We are going to use ropes and lots of them instead of rachet straps the next time and hopefully get it there safe.

The second one is going together alot faster. Big suprise there .

Happy Holidays

Nick

[Eagle Mtn Metal Works]

Hey Nick
Glad no one got hurt. Witch freeway did it happen on? I did not see anything on the news.
Do you have any scrap? I would like to try cutting some-thing's out of stainless.

I have some ideas for stuff and I want to cut it in stainless.
only need at least 2' x 2' 14 or 16ga.
Send me a PM if you are willing to sell some scrap no really.


Eagle Mountain Design & Decor
If it's Worth Doing Do it Well
Rod S in AZ

[WSS]

The second one will not only go together faster but probably be a better product.

Isn't the bright side a nice place to look at?

WSS

[Metal Troll]

It was on the 202 after rush hour in the morning and lucky we were the only ones on the road at the time and we had it picked up in seconds. The piece actually stayed together and none of are welds broke at all. As for as scrap goes we actually saved a large portion of and the remainer is kind of like a crushed soda can. So not much saving to it.

[Eagle Mtn Metal Works]

Hey Nick:
Glad to hear the you were able to salvage most of it. Do you use a lot of stainless or was that just for that job? I am looking for someone that uses a lot of stainless to buy some scrap to work with. I am east of Wickenburg and there is not too many shop that do stainless out hear.

Eagle Mountain Design & Decor
If it's Worth Doing Do it Well
Rod S in AZ

[Metal Troll]

We dont do alot of stainless it was more for this job.