James1979
Member
- Messages
- 8,434
- Location
- Orkney
Been there done that.
Really careful who I recommend now. It causes lots of fallout if you’re not careful.
I can count the number of people who I’d recommended for anything on one hand.
- Thread starter Rich#1984
- Start date
Really careful who I recommend now. It causes lots of fallout if you’re not careful.
I can count the number of people who I’d recommended for anything on one hand.
redlig
Member
- Messages
- 4,188
- Location
- wiltshire uk
Not saying that I'm antisocial but I don't have a handful left.
I can count genuine friends on one hand.
Mick Annick
Forum Supporter
- Messages
- 2,896
- Location
- Burgundy, France (450 miles SE of Somerset)
It was pretty well organised for us. Orders were taken, money collected, order phoned through one of the older apprentices was sent to collect them.
The system only failed once when a lad called 'oss chops' (because he had a long horse face, can't remember what his actual name was) came back with the chippy order. He didn't say anything before dolling out the orders but it very quickly became apparent that something was amiss. He'd come hurtling round a bend and a car pulled out in front of the service van. Oss chops slammed the anchors on and swerved, missed the car but dumped the entire order into the footwell of the service van. So he decided, no doubt in a panic, to scrape everything (including curry sauce etc) back into it's wrappers/pots. The first fitter to open theirs found a battered sausage intermittently speckled with curry sauce, gravy, sawdust, oily black lumps and christ knows what.
The cry went up, Oss chops ran, he was caught and shoved down the pit with the railways sleepers put back over and left there until the late shift went home. Every week for a month he was 'docked' the value of that week's chip order which was most of his wages. It was months before he was included in the chip order again.
We had a tea boy (in his 70’s!) that went into the village every day to get the breakfast and then the Friday fish and chips.
Trevorleach
Member
- Messages
- 1,485
- Location
- UK
It was a pound an inch 30 years ago.
Trevorleach
Member
- Messages
- 1,485
- Location
- UK
Got asked to weld a suzuki mini van thing a couple of months ago, he came around and showed me the rot, I said ton a corner (x3) not heard a peep since!
Mick Annick
Forum Supporter
- Messages
- 2,896
- Location
- Burgundy, France (450 miles SE of Somerset)
He was lovely old chap, did the workshop cleaning too, his nickname was snaggle gob as he only had two teeth!
Cobbler
Codger bodger
- Messages
- 8,034
- Location
- Gloucestershire UK
He had central eating then
Cato
Member
- Messages
- 2,171
- Location
- Birmingham, UK
Now that I think about it, there were a lot of people who I worked with or worked in the same place that I knew well but couldn't tell you their real name I'd have to guess from their nicknames. Faulty, Lucky, Chalky, Empty (short for empty head), Axe man (he was a semi pro wrestler), Afro (white bloke, bald as a coot) the list goes on.
I guess at least partly it was a carry over from the factory floors as it was Coventry in the early '80s so many came into the workshop having been made redundant at the likes of Alfred Herberts, the Morris, Humber, Rootes/Chrysler and the large supply firms that only existed to provide stuff to the factories.
The widespread/common use of nicknames seems to have faded out about the same time as boiler suits?
slim_boy_fat
Member
- Messages
- 29,532
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
^^ Many years ago we had an office Junior who was nicknamed 'Harpic' - because he was clean round the bend. 
MetalMonkey
Member
- Messages
- 3,302
- Location
- UK
I was thinking about this thread earlier.
Coincidentally the back box fell off mine on the way home this week, on inspection it was as rotten as a pear and I wouldn't normally even consider trying to repair one - but sods law out of stock everywhere I tried and I needed the car the following day.
Took an inordinate amount of time and effort trying to patch and weld as the entire end plate was rotten, just wire brushing the muck off was enough to go through the metal, like welding rusty tinfoil. Just keep gobbing it over the holes and hope for the best.
Not a pretty result, but solid, gas tight and good enough for me to make the planned journey while I was waiting for a replacement.
I think it cost more in gas and wire to repair than a replacement, but sometimes it is handy to have the option when you are stuck.
I'm patching up another vehicle with some rotten sills, and again there would be no profit in the job if you were trying to make a living - but if you have the tools and the time, it can save a lot of hassle.
Cobbler
Codger bodger
- Messages
- 8,034
- Location
- Gloucestershire UK
I remade the silencer for my son’s mk1 Golf years ago, plated the whole of it right round. When my son was home, it was “Dad, exhausts blowing again” & I could never get one at the weekend, so weld it up. Over time I put so much metal in it, it weighed a ton, after we sold the car I could imagine an exhaust fitter pinned to the ground shouting HELP.
- Messages
- 23,373
- Location
- Birmingham
I've known a few over the years such as "never sweat" and sheepsh***er
It hasn't died out yet, at my last place one guy was known as "Bob the bull****er" due to his tall stories, the odd thing was he was called Bob by so many that he would even answer to that on the radio even though his name was Andy!
Cato
Member
- Messages
- 2,171
- Location
- Birmingham, UK
Perhaps I'm just no longer used to working with other people. Not something I intend to change.I've known a few over the years such as "never sweat" and sheepsh***er
It hasn't died out yet, at my last place one guy was known as "Bob the bull****er" due to his tall stories, the odd thing was he was called Bob by so many that he would even answer to that on the radio even though his name was Andy!
Fraserb
Member
- Messages
- 1,562
- Location
- Scottish Borders
I've known a few over the years such as "never sweat" and sheepsh***er
It hasn't died out yet, at my last place one guy was known as "Bob the bull****er" due to his tall stories, the odd thing was he was called Bob by so many that he would even answer to that on the radio even though his name was Andy!
We were on a night out once and a policeman stopped and asked if we knew xyz, we said no sorry and went on our way, as we were leaving we wondered why they'd asked us in particular so doubled back to the copper, he said they had this lad at the station and he had been on a night out with work mates and we looked like we fitted the description, we commented it was funny as we were on a works night out and a couple of our lads had went awol but not the guy they had, a few hours later we remembered we all knew our guy by his nickname and had forgotten his real name, not sure the coppers believed us when we went to recover him.
that's cheap enough. Those vans are starting to get strong money now
Trevorleach
Member
- Messages
- 1,485
- Location
- UK
Yes but he is one of them always on about how cheap he got stuff etc, and of course he wanted the welding cheap or more likely foc.
stuff that then, get him to buy the all the gear, then cut everything else that's rotten out and weld it up. he might realise how much of a bargain that price is.
Cato
Member
- Messages
- 2,171
- Location
- Birmingham, UK
I find "Not interested thanks." is quicker and saves the issue coming up again.
