Chapter 31: I DO

Sergey repaired the bull gear on the crane, which you probably already figured out when I admitted we’re using it. A little detail on how it was repaired might inspire someone with a similar problem in the future. Don’t try and convince me everyone of you has a perfectly functioning crane. More than half the gear was still intact and attached to the crane main gear shaft. Sergey clamped a piece of plywood to this remnant and traced around all the teeth. Shifting the plywood around, he continued tracing teeth until he formed a complete circle on the plywiood. Lining up with the teeth on the intact portion and clamping the plywood again, Sergey clamped the broken pieces of gear in the traced teeth guides on the plywood filling in the circle. It was trial and error to discover where the pieces fit. After tacking all the pieces back together with stainless steel welding rod, he removed the plywood. That allowed him to thoroughly weld the pieces of the gear together. Regular welding rod won’t stick to cast iron and cast steel. Stainless rod will. The repaired gear whirrs beautifully and smoothly. Sergey rebuilt the gear perfectly round. I’m impressed and quite pleased with him.

Sergey was running the crane one day when we were flattening stripped car carcasses by dropping a three ton block on them. Sergey picked up the block, and I saw the counter weight on back of the crane lurch upwards. I waved Sergey off, to shut down the crane.

When the crane resettled onto its base, the center pivot pin fell out. The nut had stripped off. The threads are worn out and somebody had wrapped wire in the threads to make them grip awhile longer. This failed.

Sergey took the nut to a machine shop, and had the center cut out on a big lathe. There was a step in the middle. By that, I mean a smaller hole was cut half way through on one side, while the other side was a larger hole. Then he had them turn a plug on the lathe, with a step on the perimeter that fit snugly inside the bored out nut.

This plug was then center bored and threaded slightly smaller than the threads on the center pin bolt. These threads on the bolt were next dressed slightly smaller to match the new size threads in the plug. Then Sergey tack welded the plug in the hollowed out nut. The steps or lips keep the plug from pulling through the nut.

In effect, he created, or had created, a round threaded nut to fit remachined threads on the bolt. The old nut only provided the flats for engaging a wrench.

Smart man Sergey. The crane was only out of operation four hours. Gives me chills to imagine the crane tumbling off the flat car, with Sergey inside. We were very close to that happening.

Other recent innovations and improved methods. We no longer make fried tortilla bowls, we bake them. It’s simpler, healthier, and faster.

The tortilla dough, or masa, is rolled out thin and draped over a small stainless mixing bowl. The edges of the dough are hand lifted so the dough sinks into the bowl. Excess is trimmed off and returned to the unused portion of dough. A series of these bowls wth the masa lining is shoved in the oven to bake. When baked, they go under the broiler a few minutes to toast brown. Tada! A lot less calories minus all that grease. Very appreciated by the ladies who ordered the salad.