Hammer & Shovel Technique

[Dizzy_Maskell]

Just been talking about my old apprentice days and was telling my colleague about the first time I completed my own install,
My supervisor said right you are qualified so you build it test it and then you turn it on.
I was understandably nervous but all tested fine turned it on to an almighty bang raw fear and dread and the smell of poo faded after only a few seconds and turned to rage as I saw my supervisor and the other lads stood round laughing holding a shovel and hammer.

So here's the question what's the best story people have to offer on this subject.

 

[Farmelectrics]

I would of hit him with the shovel lol

 

[Andy78]

Had similar done to me, but with a fire door pushed over onto a concrete floor. Hell of a bang.

 

[telectrix]

blown up paper bag in my case, many moons ago.

 

[Knobhead]

A 1000W MBFU dropped just behind me from an overhead crane.

 

[Andy78]

Just remembered another one thanks to Tony's last post, not a prank though a manufacturer fail.

We had installed some lowbay lighting hung from chains in a new crane workshop install. They were the box type fitting with catch glasses to fit, about 2' by 1' by 1/4" thick. The catch glasses were held in place by rails that you screwed on, not an integral part of the fitting.

So one morning me and my mate walked in, turned the lights on, and BOOM ! one of the catch glasses fell from about 30' up and smashed on the concrete floor right next to us. After changing our pants we had a look up on the scissor lift.
On closer inspection, the rails were just not wide enough to hold the catch glasses, and the vibration of the start-up in the fitting had shaken one loose.

We called the manufacturers to inform them. " Oh yeah that's a known issue, the wrong rails went out with a few batches, we'll send you the right ones and a new glass." :S

 

[Dizzy_Maskell]

Ok chaps I was also after pranks done by you or to you (we have a new apprentice) not that I will be doing anything to him of course just nice to hear I was not the only guy who had a "initiation"

 

[mechelec]

I was deep in concentration oxy acetylene welding years ago when my old supervisor popped a balloon behind me. He thought it was funny at least, I never did like him.

 

[Dizzy_Maskell]

I was deep in concentration oxy acetylene welding years ago when my old supervisor popped a balloon behind me. He thought it was funny at least, I never did like him.

The old ones are the best I don't think that's the first time he did that

 

[Andy78]

Ok chaps I was also after pranks done by you or to you (we have a new apprentice) not that I will be doing anything to him of course just nice to hear I was not the only guy who had a "initiation"

Ones I have had done to me
Thick globs of grease under car door handle
General hiding of my tools/steps/materials
Sent for a long stand etc
Been sent to black the scuffs on SWA with boot polish
Spade bit left in the finger of my glove ( never found out who that nasty git was )

Ones i have done to others
Took all tools out of a guys toolbox and replaced them with bricks
Eaten someones snap
Sent the contracts manager to the wholesaler for a female coil and 3 metres of fallopian tube.
Tied someones shoelaces together without them knowing

Ones I have heard of (but might be best not to try)
Tied to a post naked and ******** painted with red lead
Shout "catch", then chuck him a charged capacitor
Fill his toolbox with swarf/silicone sealant/cement
Come up behind a guy whilst knelt second fixing a socket, whop out the tackle over his shoulder and call his name so he turns round and gets a face full
Joiners once got a lippy apprentice and nailed him to the floor for a few hours

 

[Dizzy_Maskell]

Heard once about a guy on site who was using the porta loo and got lifted up by the crane and dunked in a lake/pond
He told us he did lose his job as sparked the crane driver out cold.

The old grease trick was another favourite if mine but I loved hiding it on the ceeform/commando plugs

 

[Phoenix]

Bloke staggered towards me at college struggling to carry a 2'6" length of 4" steel round bar, called for me to catch as he was dropping it, so I did. As soon as he stood up some b4st4rd welded a length of angle iron across the top of my steelies. Both of them!!!!

 

[shanky887614]

Ones I have had done to me
Thick globs of grease under car door handle
General hiding of my tools/steps/materials
Sent for a long stand etc
Been sent to black the scuffs on SWA with boot polish
Spade bit left in the finger of my glove ( never found out who that nasty git was )

Ones i have done to others
Took all tools out of a guys toolbox and replaced them with bricks
Eaten someones snap
Sent the contracts manager to the wholesaler for a female coil and 3 metres of fallopian tube.
Tied someones shoelaces together without them knowing

Ones I have heard of (but might be best not to try)
Tied to a post naked and ******** painted with red lead
Shout "catch", then chuck him a charged capacitor
Fill his toolbox with swarf/silicone sealant/cement
Come up behind a guy whilst knelt second fixing a socket, whop out the tackle over his shoulder and call his name so he turns round and gets a face full
Joiners once got a lippy apprentice and nailed him to the floor for a few hours

I know of a guy that had toolbox filled with cement with all there tools in it.
Couple ive seen

A guy was using people for target practise with plasterboard fixings and a length of conduit.

Always wear a belt, especially when up a pair of steps or they will pull trousers down.

Painting a guys hardhat purple etc

 

[Tiny Spark]

Ive never been caught out by such pranks luckily but I have pulled and seen a few done.

1) A contractor covered my mentors tools in PVA glue so in revenge he dipped his brand spanking new Dewalt drill in PVA glue. (totally knackered it)

2) My 2 apprentices tried to freeze my sarnie, So in revenge for this I spiked the one lads sandwich filler with tobasco sauce and the other (main culprit) I picked the lock on his tool box, Sprayed all his gear with WD40 then tipped loads of dead flys over them (acquired out of the high bay light fittings)

3) Smashing a length of unistrut down on the work bench while the apprentice powers on his circuit.

4) Handing the apprentice the freshly removed plug of a knackered high bay Sodium light (gets a nice blast off the internal capacitor)

Sure ive done lots of other evil things as well but none that spring to mind atm....

 

[Dizzy_Maskell]

Great guys try keep this going good for a laugh

 

[StevieTee]

Done a few pranks and been pranked a few times,

- Put jack chain on my tradesman van's tow bar and around a steal beam,
- Insulation resistance test to tradesman whilest he's up steps connecting a light,
- Getting 1st year apprentice to try pull a 40m coil of 185mm2 up 3 flights of stairs,
- Swapping people's tools in tool kit with someone else's,
- Asking first year to shout a call point to see if it is working,
- cling filming subby's car
been caught out,

- joiners using nail gun whilst I'm connecting cables in a bus bar! What a bang, s**t me self big time!
- jacket nailed to floor,
- trying to pull a cable through a wall whilest guy I'm working with is holding it on the other side,

A lot more, but those are some of the best. All good laughs, gladly no one took it serious though!

 

[fuel]

Working on wires on something or other then the wood butcher decides to use his 'effin nail gun...

 

[ferg]

As an apprentice was working inside a cabinet.

Mentor hit it with a lump hammer..........

 

[Knobhead]

While I was a production manager I had bawled out two of the girls on my shift.

Later I was stood near a stanchion and they approached me, at the last moment they suddenly split up. They had a roll of industrial cling film between them. I was fastened to the stanchion for nearly 2 hrs. The works manager arrived, “who’ve you upset?” He just left me there.

It was the first time I’d ever had to work with females, never again!
Up until then I’d been in quarrying, you hardly ever heard swearing. I’d 10 girls on my shift, to say I was shocked is an understatement.

 

[ferg]

I did my time in a pharmaceutical factory.

I was physically scared of the bench fitters, fitters, welders, sparks.
You can wear a split lip or black eye as a badge of honour.
The thing that terrified me the most, and thankfully I only saw it happen to someone else, Was an entire shop floor of women shouting and laughing whilst wiggling their pinkies