Squirm Space

Friday June 10, 2011

Worked at the same place, 1325 Fitzgerald.  This time we were adding plugs and lights to the house.  On Monday we will probably be running baseboard heaters into the house.  The crawlspace was terrible.  I could barely fit between the 2x12s and the dirt floor which was supremely uneven and rocky.  It sloped up in the corner that the wires were fed to and where the first plug had to go.  Max crawled to that corner once while I helped him locate where the holes he needed to drill would go and passed him the tools he needed.  He missed.  After that I crawled into the impossible spot and worked down there for quite some time, drilling holes and pulling wires.

After we got all the wires to the centre and deeper part of the crawlspace the work went quicker and easier.  I installed a bunch of GFIC plugs into the kitchen and bathroom and hung a pair of light fixtures, one in the hallway and one in the kitchen.

No need to date this one

Thursday June 9, 2011

Worked with Max today at 1234 Fitzgerald, at the corner of thirteenth.  We we removing an old 100Amp service box and installing a new 100Amp service box.  Just like the three phase stuff of yesterday, I doubt I will get to see a lot of 100Amp stuff anymore.  We installed a new mast, mostly because the old one looked terrible, (actually it was probably not up to code, but imo, it should have been replaced regardless).  I also had to dig a fairly big friggin hole to mount a giant ass ground plate.  Good times with a shovel.  I did not actually mount the wires to the box using those little plastic thingers or tie them to the 15 or 20 amp switches.  Perhaps next time.

The guy told me his name but I do not remember it.  Even though I wrote it down.  It was a bit odd, but that’s no excuse.  Hopefully I can find that particular chunk of 2x4 before I see him again.  Otherwise I will look like an ass.  Good thing I was not introduced to his lady friend.

Not much happened to day after the work day.   I called my mommy and Jenn called me.  Almost took credit for that.  Sent a number of emails, did dishes and ate food.  Again with a lie: it was just cereal.

Bike to Work Year

Wednesday June 8, 2011

Finally biked to work.  Took me *four minutes to get into Comox, five to get out, four to cross dike road and lastly seven minutes along cliff avenue for a total of 20 minutes.  Pretty damn sweet. The bike ride was gorgeous:  beautiful weather and the towns of Courtney and Comox are pretty ideal for biking.  One brutal hill, both directions, lots of straight flat riding either around slow moving cars or with a bike lane.  Might look at Google Maps and try to figure out a cool way of biking along the shore, rather than on the main drag.

Jason, the apprentice version, was not working with me so I got to do all of the work that was asked of me by Doug.  This involved working by myself to route another data line, helping to detach a couple of gigantic metal-working three phase machines and installing a punch of plugs and outlets.  We also used a King Canada oscillating multi tool.  Ugh.  The Fein is so much superior.  This was to get through the four layers of drywall, and 18” total depth of wall to route the big cable for the much bigger compressor.

Talked with the Mr. Jay waters about getting a key to the tool shed, and signed the T1’s and the slip saying I was going to pay for my tools.  He was very helpful in regards to me riding a bike to work.  Doug was less generous, but I guess that’s because it effects him directly.  And he’s just jelly [sic].

After the ol work and another 20 minute cycle home I watched Canucks lose another game, astonishingly 4-0, that ties the series at two games apiece.  Good times watching hockey.  After that we played a few minutes of badminton, I swing all wrong, so I am going to be feeling it in the morning.  But it was fun.  I like My aunt and uncle.  Makes me think I should give my other ones a call.  And I guess my parents.

Another day at the office

Tuesday June 7^th

Second day of work.  Started with routing a bunch of cat6 cables from one side of the building to the other through the ceiling joists.  Used the wire snake through a bunch of ipex tubes to the various offices below. Four runs of cat 6 is perhaps a little excessive.  Wouldn’t one run and a switch be enough?  After we were done that we put in a bunch of boxes and switches into the main office rooms.  Something, oddly enough, that I had not done before.  And just like that I am perfectly comfortable doing that any day of the week.  Just remember, everything goes clockwise always.  The last job done today was fishing wires from a box half way to the destination and then carrying on from there on the wall.  This was some hefty stuff, three phase power that is suitable for 45Amps 208V pretty continuously.  You should see the compressor that plugs into this beast.

After work I filled up the car.  $25.  We have decided that each day use of the car should add $5 to my running tab.  Still have not yet figured out the price of rent and food yet.  Obviously the Ashwell’s are pretty awesome to deal with.

For entertainment I repaired my bike, helped (not really) with the baking of cookies, bread and dinner, and went for a half hour coastal wander.  

First Day of the Work

Monday June 6th

On my first day of work with Jay Waters electric I worked with Jason Roberts and Not Dave.  Craig is probably going to be the journey man that I am going to be spending more time with.  He just started a new job at Camex?  I need to start to take better notes at work in the pre work meetings.  They run from 7:30 to 8am and are less than mandatory.  But I am here to learn, why would I miss them?

I am already learning.  I purchased a bunch of Klein tools.  At Camosun a few students had Klein strippers, I was not impressed by them.  Hopefully these will serve me well, they feel pretty sturdy.

The first on the job chore was pulling wires from one building to the others.  You set up the spools on a 3/4” pipe suspended on a pair of specific holders, called racketeers.  This allows them to spin pretty easily. The wire, in this case Coaxial, Power and Gel lined Cat6 cable.  Cat6 is being used so that they can use the same port for voice and data, and this is an office building so it probably costs less for parts and installation.

The next job I helped with was running power and switches to five gas roof-mounted furnaces.  Jay Waters prefers to hide the cables behind the drywall, but this work has been done interestingly by the General.  We used lengths and lengths of armoured  12 and 14 gauge 120V wire.  It might have been better to run single wires up and through pipes.  Better means cheaper and cleaner looking.  As it was we used a box of drywall, wood, and metal self-threading screws to mount hangers with.

We also began to wire the fans up, in pretty much the same fashion.  A solid state five amp speed controller is used for the fans.  They are not very big, and there are only three, so on a gorgeous day like today I imagine that they are going to be spinning full tilt all day.

Technical stuff: Insulated wire needs to go through an insulated hole for a box, armoured stuff goes through a much bigger fitting.  A red sleeve called an anti-short protects wire from its armour.  And the things that connect two or more wires together are called -blue caps-.  Ground wires need to go clock wise around the screw, that way they do not loosen as the screw is tightening.

Well, that’s that.  Tomorrows another early start, for me, so I am going to sleep.  Silly internet.

Comox: Day One

Well, I have made the big move.  I moved away from Monica and Dave's house about six years ago in pursuit of higher education.  Which I accomplished, but here I am back in their house starting a job I could have done straight out of high school.  But I am smarter than I was coming out of high school.  Much.

Dad and Jenn arrived at around eleven to help me finish packing and cleaning.  We were done at noon.  All of my life's possessions, more or less, fit inside of the families newish Kia Magenta.

First Day of work tomorrow, and the weather should be beautiful, 20 degrees and sunny.  Hopefully I can get off work before 5pm so that I can watch the third game in the Stanley cup finals.  We are taking on the Bruins and are up two games in the series.

Well, theres the first post.  Short, Sweet, and to the point.  Expect more like these.