#welding facilities

[jasminocorporation]

Behind the Mask: Understanding Welding Safety Equipment

Welding is a fascinating and essential skill, but it comes with its fair share of hazards. From intense heat and bright light to flying sparks and harmful fumes, welders face various risks on the job. That's where welding safety equipment comes into play. In this post, we'll delve into the importance of safety gear and explore the essential equipment that protects welders from harm.

Welding Helmet: One of the most critical pieces of safety equipment for welders is the welding helmet. This specialized helmet is designed to shield the eyes and face from the intense light and heat produced during welding. Equipped with a shaded lens that automatically darkens when exposed to the arc, welding helmets provide essential eye protection while allowing welders to see their work clearly. Some helmets also feature adjustable settings, such as sensitivity and delay, to customize the level of protection based on the welding process and environment.

Welding Gloves: Another indispensable piece of safety gear for welders is welding gloves. These gloves are specifically designed to protect the hands from burns, sparks, and molten metal. Constructed from heat-resistant materials such as leather or Kevlar, welding gloves provide a barrier between the skin and the hazards of welding. Look for gloves with reinforced palms and fingers for added durability and dexterity, as well as a proper fit for maximum comfort and control.

Welding Jacket: In addition to gloves, welders often wear a welding jacket to protect their upper body from heat, sparks, and spatter. Welding jackets are typically made from flame-resistant materials such as leather or cotton and feature adjustable cuffs and a collar to seal out heat and debris. Some jackets also include additional features like pockets for storing tools and accessories, as well as ventilation panels to help keep welders cool and comfortable on the job.

Welding Apron: For added protection, especially when working in tight spaces or overhead, welders may wear a welding apron. This garment covers the torso and upper legs, providing an extra layer of defense against heat and sparks. Welding aprons are typically made from the same flame-resistant materials as welding jackets and feature adjustable straps for a secure fit. Look for an apron with multiple pockets for storing tools and accessories, as well as a durable construction that can withstand the rigors of the welding environment.

Respiratory Protection: In addition to protecting against heat and sparks, welders must also safeguard their respiratory health from harmful fumes and gases produced during welding. Respiratory protection such as a respirator or welding respirator is essential for filtering out airborne contaminants and preventing respiratory illnesses. Look for respirators with filters specifically designed for welding fumes and gases, as well as a comfortable fit and adjustable straps for maximum effectiveness.

Ear Protection: Welding can be a noisy process, with loud machinery and equipment generating high levels of noise in the workshop. To protect against hearing damage, welders should wear ear protection such as earplugs or earmuffs. Look for earplugs with a high noise reduction rating (NRR) and earmuffs with cushioned ear cups for maximum comfort and protection.

In conclusion, welding safety equipment is essential for protecting welders from the numerous hazards they face on the job. From welding helmets and gloves to respiratory protection and ear protection, each piece of safety gear plays a crucial role in ensuring a safe and productive welding environment. By investing in quality safety equipment and following proper safety practices, welders can enjoy their craft with confidence and peace of mind.

#welding process #welding techniques #welding #welding facilities #welding procedures #industry #manufacturing #tools #equipment

[don-lichterman]

Weld County retail food inspection reports for May 30-June 3, 2022

Weld County retail food inspection reports for May 30-June 3, 2022

Weld County evaluates restaurants, schools, grocery stores and other facilities that handle food on a scale of three categories — pass, re-inspection required, and closed. As part of the county’s scoring index, officials evaluate facilities on factors such as cooling, reheating, cooking refrigeration and hot-holding equipment, cross-contamination between raw foods and ready-to-eat foods and…

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#30June #categories #closed #County #Evans #facilities #food #Greeley #grocery stores #handle #inspection #pass #re-inspection required #Reports #restaurants #Retail #scale #schools #three #Weld #Weld County #Windsor

[charliemwrites]

Ding dong it’s time for more bodyguard!Gaz Thoughts™️

Gaz’s researcher is a Scientist through and through. They just so happen to be hired by the gov’ment. It becomes painfully obvious when they interact with military personnel.

Not! Because they think they’re smarter than military people, but because they have a very Civilian reaction to things. They don’t refer to anyone, not even Price, as “sir” or “ma’am” unless they’re being scathingly sarcastic. They don’t salute, they roll their eyes about curfew. Being ordered around is met with the flattest, rudest, “excuse you?”

A colonel once asked what they thought they were doing (in a part of the facility they were meant to be in no less!) and they just looked him up and down before walking off, Gaz calling apologies over his shoulder.

That said, Gaz is a clear Favorite. He’s earned credibility with them by never asking for things “just because.” So if he tells them it’s time to go, or to stay away from an area, or don’t leave without telling him, they (try really hard to) comply. And the rest of their lab follows suit.

Which leads to the hilarious and mildly horrifying scenarios where they disregard, ignore, or sass anyone that’s not Gaz:

“You need to come with me.”

“I need you to get out of my lab.”

“This wasn’t a request, that was—“

“I don’t care what is was, mind your damn tone.”

Kyle comes into the room, ignoring the other soldier. “We need you on the tarmac, chickadee, there’s something you’ll wanna get your hands on.”

They perk up, instantly abandoning a welding tool that their assistant scrambles to turn off.

“Ooh!” They trill, bouncing up to Kyle. They loop a couple fingers in his belt, automatic after this long, insurance they don’t wander off or get lost. “Is it something with holes or something with bits?”

“You’ll have to come find out.”

And just like that he’s rounded up them, their entire lab, and has a little procession of researchers following him happily to the tarmac. As the last assistant is leaving, they scrunch their nose at the first soldier. Honestly, what did he think? Kyle didn’t introduce him at all!

“So rude!” the assistant huffs, and locks the lab after them.

#my writing #fanfiction #cod #kyle gaz garrick #gaz #bodyguard!gaz #tell me if this is getting annoying #I just love him a lot #thoughts™️

[silverskye13]

I've... been watching Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood again.....

Blurbles about all the hermits under the cut!

Rendog: Wolf Chimera. He has a human form he rarely uses, and generally gets away in public with the glaringly obvious lie of "Oh all this hair? It's a... uh... rare skin condition." It does help that his best friend is a known doctor and somewhat mad scientist. Shortly after he was created he killed his creator and stole their philosopher stone, entrusting it to Doc, a friend he had before his chimera-fication. He and Mumbo came from the same facility.

Docm77: Military and Cosmetic Automail Engineer. Started off in Rush Valley and, once he decided he knew enough about automail, started to work his way up through the military building specialized prosthetics. He's been trying to launch a body modification program for years, viewing it as a more humane was of augmenting humanity than the fleshcraft that comes with human transmutation. He was, understandably, horrified when Ren showed up on his doorstep one day as a chimera.

Bdubs: Istvalan Creation Alchemist. Bdubs is a freelance alchemist not associated with any military powers -- and he's trying desperately to keep it that way. His creations are intricate, and he specializes in a wide variety of materials. He's best known for his experimental [and extremely temperamental] "Pretty-Alchemy", where he McGuivers transmutation circles and equations on how they "feel" instead of how alchemically sound they are.

Welsknight [and Helsknight]: Soul-bound armor. A pair of swordsmen who were forced into a suit of armor to guard the chimeric facility that created so many monsters. Welsknight, the brains of the operation, is situated in the helmet while Helsknight, the stronger fighter, is bound to the chestplate. They spent a lot of time bickering amongst each other, but when their goals happen to align, they are a force to be reckoned with. When their facility was destroyed, they were ordered to kill the escaping chimeras -- until a very charismatic Ren convinced them to flee instead.

False: Military sniper. She spends a lot of time fending off Doc's advances [ie. automail modifications to help her shoot and aim better]. She's worked her way up through the ranks because of her skill, but her general aversion to leading and governing keeps her out of the upper echelons of Central Command. Instead she finds herself bouncing between command stations whenever uprisings occur in Amestris. She was one of the military officers sent to respond to the chimera facility's collapse. When she recognized Ren among the people escaping, she found there was "too much smoke" to take proper aim at the escaping creatures. She was demoted shortly after the event, not that it bothered her much.

Grian: The Updraft Alchemist. One of the few alchemists who have ever taken up Doc on his offer for cosmetic automail. The wings attach to nerves in his shoulder blades, and after several years of tweaking, actually respond to his movements. He can't fly with them per-se, they function more like an incredibly sensitive glider -- which works just fine for Grian, since he specializes in temperature alchemy, causing dramatic updraft/downdrafts. He was not at the chimera facility event, but has become good friends with many of the people involved through Doc -- he spends so much time getting his wings repaired after his various crashes, he almost lives in Doc's work room.

Tangotek: The Fuse-Metal Alchemist. He mostly uses alchemy in welding and crafting, though he's been known to create fire and weapons on the fly when he needs to. As a state alchemist, he's expected to be a living weapon on some level -- and his powerful alchemy definitely helps with that, though he's best at making walls and fortresses than he is at real standing combat. No one knows how he got ahold of his philosopher's stone -- in fact, most people don't even know he has one. He only uses it when he feels like his life is threatened [or needs a good kick to make something truly impressive]. He used to work in the chimera facility, making containment for the more volatile creatures. He's absorbed a lot of the theory on human transmutation, but has yet to use it.

Mumbo: Lizard Chimera and Chimera Expert. Mumbo's first miraculous use of transmutation was to turn himself into a chimera. Unfortunately, lizards aren't quite as smart as people are, so it took some time to relearn the formula and materials involved. He was subject 0 at the chimera facility, and, once he'd regained his wits, helped in the experimentation into chimera crafting -- though he was under the impression all the subjects were willing volunteers like he was... oh dear. He was the one who orchestrated the escape, and, having befriended Ren by then, escaped with him when the facility collapsed. He swears he'll never do human transmutation again -- except maybe on himself. Like, being able to climb up walls is nice and all, but imagine what he could do with bird wings? Or a bull's strength? Or--

#spazzcat doodles #fullmetal alchemist brotherhood #hermitcraft au #rendog #docm77 #bdoubleo100 #welsknight #helsknight #falsesymmetry #grian #tangotek #mumbo jumbo #yes i have more ideas but this is all i could draw tonight and my shoulder hurts ahah #its late anyway i should sleep #anyway enjoy this silly au

[allthecanadianpolitics]

A controversial pipeline meant to transport natural gas across northern British Columbia has passed a major milestone. On Monday, TC Energy announced it has finished installing pipe on its Coastal GasLink pipeline project. "That means that all 670 kilometres of pipe has been welded, coated, lowered into the trench, rigorously tested, and backfilled," the company said in a release. First planned more than a decade ago, the pipeline will carry natural gas from near Dawson Creek in the province's northeast to a massive LNG Canada processing facility in Kitimat on the West Coast, where it is to be liquefied and shipped to Asia, opening up new markets for Canadian producers. [...] While the pipeline has buy-in from several elected First Nations bands along its route, it has faced high-profile opposition from a group of hereditary chiefs who assert that Wet'suwet'en territory has never been ceded to the federal government and that pre-colonial governance structures are still responsible for the land. In November 2021, 29 people were arrested over two days of police action in Wet'suwet'en territory as RCMP moved in on a resistance camp, known as Coyote camp, that had been occupying a key work site for Coastal GasLink, a number of whom are now facing charges of criminal contempt.

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @politicsofcanada

#first nations #Indigenous #wet'suwet'en #Coastal Gas Link #LNG #cdnpoli #canada #canadian politics

[hitomisuzuya]

Yandere! Scaramouche x fem!reader. College AU (by request of sorts from @that-one-gay-writer1227. They really said they really liked College AU Scara) Smut. Halloween themed. Chase in the woods. Obsessive behavior. Possessive!Scaramouche. Choking. Praise. Degradation. Outdoor sex at night. I think I covered it all.

Tagging @xxventiswindblumexx cause smut soulmate <3

When you asked him to go to the haunted attraction the campus set up every year for Halloween with you, he'd told you it was stupid. He asked you what the point was. You said the idea was to have fun and get scared. He'd been all set to shut you down and spend the night watching horror movies with you.

Until you said that Halloween was your favorite holiday.

Now Scaramouche couldn't say no.

So here he was, standing in line with you and one of your friends, who came with her boyfriend from the campus choir class. At least that was what you told him. He didn't expect the gaggle of geese that followed you around the equestrian facility to come along. Uninvited.

Scaramouche had a glare reserved for each one of them. They were intruding on his time with you. He even considered paying off the stupid brats so they would leave. Your friend and her boyfriend were going to leave you alone since this was a date for them too.

Putting arm around you, he pulled you against him, inhaling your scent. He'd taken great care in making sure your clothes smelt like him, unmistakable to anyone breathing near you. He sprayed your perfume on your clothes to, mingling the two scents together. You even smelt faintly of *sweet fresh hay.

Even making sure it smelt faintly like cigarettes, weed and leather. It was a further sign of possessive dominance.

All scents you loved and made you feel comfortable. Damn it, he really does love you.

It started off exactly like he knew he it would. People jumping out and trying to scaring everyone. Screaming people and shrill laughing. Scaramouche swore he thought his ears were going to bleed. Until he watched how you were acting.

You having fun, but not in the way everyone else was. No, you were having fun in a different way. A way that captivated him. And excited him.

Scaramouche watched you approach someone who was overacting. He thought he recognized from some classes or another but he couldn't be sure. He was dressed as the stereotypical chainsaw welding horror movie characters. It was easy to see where they got the inspiration for the costume, seeing as how he watched a few movies from the franchise with you. You were picky about your slasher movies. You preferred more supernatural horror than anything.

You calmly approached what's his name, smiling somewhat at him, completely unfazed by him being in character.

He loved that you seemed so fearless and unfazed. Of course, why would you be easily rattled? You navigated a very hateful creature who outweighed out by a thousand pounds at least around a course of jumps with more than five or six feet in height. He'd never seen anything like it before. Your posture always perfect and straight, your eyes focused ahead but around you at the same time, looking for anything that might disrupt you. The tedious multitasking almost seemed unreal to him everytime he watched. Watched more often than not with jealousy. Jealousy that you weren't riding him instead.

Scaramouche enjoyed seeing you act this way. But here is where it got unfortunate for the other boy. He knew no one was supposed to touch anyone during this. But Scaramouche still felt threatened. No one was allowed to touch you. Ever. Only he was allowed. Platonic hugs with your friends who were girls were the only thing acceptable to him.

So when Scaramouche felt that this poor unfortunate fellow got too close to you, his life flashed before his eyes. He couldn't decide who scared him more. Not only was he unnerved by your reaction to him, but Scaramouche was staring into his eyes with a look that he had never seen before.

One that made his blood run cold. It was a dark, possessive look, one with cold rationality. It said if you even think about touching what's mine, I will end you.

Scaramouche put his hands on your shoulders to further push his point. Mine. Not yours. All mine.

He suddenly felt an interesting reaction that quivered through your body. He felt it vibrate against his fingers like electricity. Scaramouche had startled you. And you smiled, like you were aroused.

He had to be sure. Scaramouche could read your body like a book. But he wanted to test his theory. His fingers itched to. He waited for you to relax and continue passing everyone trying to scare you by, giving them a wave or reminding some of them that a paper was due in a few days. There was that disgusting consideration for other people showing again. Why were you like that? He didn't understand.

Scaramouche capitalized on your letting your guard down when you came to a room with a wooden owl on the table. "Aww, look at the cute owl!" The girl jumped out from under the table. You screamed, blushing embarrassed but you were only startled.

Not scared.

"Boo," he whispered in your ear, suddenly wrapping his arms around you. You jumped, giggling. Since it was dark, the air hanging cloudy from a fog machine and flashing lights, Scaramouche groped you discreetly, making you whimper. "You are getting off on me scaring you, aren't you," he whispered, his fingers brushing against one of your nipples for a moment before anyone noticed.

Why not wind you up more? Make you cave a little faster before he fucked you tonight.

Rinse and repeat until you reached the end of the of the maze in the woods. He scared you a little more each time. You were wet by the time you said goodnight to everyone and started to walk back to the dorms with him.

"You wanna try something that I think you'll like, and one I will enjoy?" He poised the question with anticipation.

"Oh? What do you have in mind?" You replied, feeling suspicious. Scaramouche had made it evident that he was only tolerating tonight because you enjoyed Halloween. So why wasn't he grumbling about how long it took or how stupid it had been?

"Let's have some fun. Why don't I chase my little kitten through the woods and catch you. I'm sure you know where this is headed, now get moving. I'm not giving you a headstart," laughing as he tried to grab your hair.

You giggled and yelped, darting around him and running into the woods.

"Here kitty, kitty, I'm coming for you. Your body looks extra soft today, pliable in my hands," Scaramouche called out when he saw you cut a hard left, looking over your shoulder for a moment to see how far behind you he was. Your heart was pounding. The more he called out to you into the night, saying he was getting closer made you feel even wetter. But you weren't going to make it easy for him.

And Scaramouche didn't want you to either. He wanted you to run fast. He knew you were fast. You had to be to deal with horses, especially thinking fast. Which is what you did.

You danced away from him with ease, making it feel impossible for him to reach you. And it turned him on. "Run, run, slut. My hands are going to wrap around your pretty throat when I catch you."

When you showed one second of fatigue, your ankle rolled out from under you, making you trip. You tried to scramble to your feet but you just weren't fast enough. Or maybe you wanted to be caught.

"Gotcha!" Scaramouche exclaimed, laughing as he grabbed your ankle, dragging you back down onto the ground. Pinning you down, he put a knee between your legs.

You mewled, your body immediately going limp underneath him. "Ha! You were always the best at submitting to me in every way," he rubbed his knee roughly between your legs, feeling your arousal dampening against your pants onto his knee. "I knew you were getting off on me scaring you. You are absolutely wet and no doubt throbbing for me."

Scaramouche pressed a thumb down on your windpipe, smirking when you struggled to moan as the air was cut off from your lungs gradually. He unbuttoned your pants and thrust two fingers inside of you. "You really are a slut for me! I don't have to prepare you. Your pussy is going to swallow my cock well, you are that wet."

You moaned, grinding desperately into his fingers. He held your legs open when you tried to close them around his arm for more friction. Your fingernails clawed at his arm, your body twitching from harsh stimulation.

Scaramouche took his thumb from your windpipe, his hand tearing your shirt and your bra as he did away with your pants and your panties. He shivered when he saw just how wet you were. Your slick was shining wet in the moonlight. He licked his lips.

"Go on, kitten! Tell them all who pleases you like this! And you'd better call me Master, slut. I own everything about you!" He glared down at you, his eyes hazy with a feral lust.

You cried out in pleasure when Scaramouche roughly thrust inside of you, snapping his hips to bottom out against your cervix. "Go on! Say it! Tell them who is fucking you dumb! Did I stutter, slut?!"

AH! AH! It's you, Master! It's you, Scaramouche!" You cried out, digging your fingernails into his back.

Grunting, he moaned huskily in your ear, his pace ruthless and rough. His fingers dug into your hips. Each thrust practically made you see stars. He kissed you roughly, growling as he licked inside of your mouth, curling his tongue around yours.

Scaramouche grinded his teeth harshly against your lower lip as he reluctantly pulled away. Panting, he squeezed your throat, making your body jolt with with pleasure.

His thrusts remained frenzied, but they turned sloppy the more your walls clamped around his cock. The more he squeezed the tighter you felt. Hissing in pain, he pried one of your hands from his back. He put it against your clit. "Rub yourself while I cum inside of you," he ordered, his eyes transfixed on his cock sliding in and out of your cunt, your fingers circling your clit desperately trying to chase the high you felt building up in your core.

"Fuck, I am cumming.." Scaramouche babbled, releasing his hold on your throat. His cock twitched inside of you. You gasped when your felt his cum spill inside of you. The feeling of him cumming and rubbing your clit ushered in your orgasm.

Snatching your hand, he licked your fingers, fucking you through your orgasm. When he was satisfied, he collapsed on top of you, burying his face in your neck. You stroked his hair to calm him down.

"You tore my shirt and broke my bra," you giggled, making him scoff against your neck as he nuzzled his cheek against your jaw.

"So what? You threw your jacket over there," he pointed in the direction where it lay a few feet away without picking his head up.. "I would've taken off your jacket myself. I don't want any assholes leering at what's mine. You belong to me, remember."

"Of course, dear. That fact will never change," you replied, rubbing your fingers against his scalp.

Scaramouche laughed softly, lifting your body so he hold you against him, his fingers stroking behind your ear. "Damn right it won't."

*fresh hay smells really good.

#genshin impact #genshin smut #fem!reader #scaramouche #scaramouche smut #yandere scaramouche #scaramouche x reader #scaramouche x y/n #scaramouche x you #suzu after dark

[usafphantom2]

To help reduce the radar cross-section the pie shaped and rectangular shapes were used around the outer edges of the SR 71. This is one of many reasons why they did not allow photographs. The SR -71 was made of 93% aged titanium and 7% composites. The fins and triangle wedges that framed the outer edge of the aircraft were composite constructionsmade from a mixture of asbestos and epoxy. They provided high-temperature radar absorbent characteristics to reduce the aircraft radar cross-section. They found that to attach thin, titanium skin to heavier wing structures, simple standoff clips were developed. These gave structural integrity while providing a heat shield between components with different expansion rates.

According to Wisconsin Metal Tech, the engineers of the SR-71 were among the first people in history to make real use of the material. In that process, they ended up throwing away a lot of material, some through necessity, some through error. At times the engineers were perplexed as to what was causing problems, but thankfully they documented and cataloged everything, which helped find trends in their failures. They discovered that spot welded parts made in the summer were failing very early in their life, but those welded in winter were fine. They eventually tracked the problem to the fact that the Burbank water treatment facility was adding chlorine to the water they used to clean the parts to prevent algae blooms in summer, but took it out in winter. Chlorine reacts with titanium, so they began using distilled water from this point on.

They discovered that their cadmium plated tools were leaving trace amounts of cadmium on bolts, which would cause galvanic corrosion and cause the bolts to fail. This discovery led to all cadmium tools to be removed from the workshop.

Linda Sheffield

@Habubrats71 via X

[sparkarrestor]

Bulleid's Proposed Locomotives

So it turns out Bulleid had so many of his designs dropped for one reason or another, and since I can't stick with a single project for more than a few seconds, I wrote up histories for all of them!

Enjoy the ramblings of a madman who spent a good long while finding free number slots for them.

Southern Railway Warship Class

The Southern Railway was the most financially successful of the "Big Four", but this was largely based on investment in suburban and main line electrification. After the successful introduction of the SR Schools class in 1930, the railway had lagged behind the others in terms of modernizing its aging fleet of steam locomotives, as they were more focused on Electrification. Following the retirement of the general manager of the Southern Railway Sir Herbert Walker and Richard Maunsell the Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) in 1937, their successors considered that the time had come to change this situation. In March 1938 the new general manager Gilbert Szlumper authorized Oliver Bulleid, Maunsell's replacement, to prepare designs for twenty express passenger locomotives. The deteriorating international situation prior to the Second World War was an additional factor in this decision.

Originally, Bulleid had wanted a 4-8-2 Mountain Type, but the Civil Engineering department had resisted this based on size and weight, so a 2-8-2 was chosen instead. Bulleid had worked with Gresley on his P2 2-8-2 express engines, so he already had some background knowledge, especially with the P2’s problems and ideas on how to solve them. Of course, due to the war, they were classified as heavy mixed-traffic engines to get around wartime regulations.

They were built with high-pressure 280 PSI boilers and three 18inx26in cylinders, as well as being the first engines to use Bulleid’s chain-driven valve gear, though the middle cylinder had to be inclined steeply to clear the first driven axle. The boiler was partly welded to save on cost, and the inner firebox was made of steel. The Southern had no facilities to build these boilers, so it was subcontracted to the North British Locomotive Co., as well as Beyer Peacock. They were also fitted with Bulleid’s Air-Smooth Casing. Unlike later designs that utilized this, the casing on the Warships both served their function purpose as labor saving as well as being able to be passed off as some sort of streamlining. How Bulleid got that one through during the war is a mystery! The Warship’s were also the first to use Bulleid’s Firth-Brown Wheels.

10 of these engines were constructed in 1940. More were set to be produced, but once again, the Civil Engineering Department expressed their discomfort at such a large engine running at high speeds with only a single pony-truck in front, despite other engines of a similar design getting on fine elsewhere. This would lead Bulleid to designing and building 30 of his well-known Merchant Navy Class 4-6-2s. 

They were named after Warships as a way to increase morale, with 11D1 being officially named “Dreadnought” in April 1940. They performed well in service, hauling heavy passenger and express goods, though the Chain-Driven valve gear was sensitive and required high maintenance, as well as the oil-bath having leaking problems, contributing to wheel-slips(Though the extra wheel helped negate this as well). The casing, while it did save on labor during cleaning, and the more streamlined appearance helped with publicity, it made maintenance hard to carry out. Surprisingly, thanks to their different front ends, they never really experienced drifting smoke like Bulleid’s Pacifics.

All 10 of the engines would be passed into British Railways, numbered 37001-37010, where their duties mostly stayed the same. 11D8 “Black Charles'' took part in the 1948 locomotive exchange trials, where it was compared to LMS Duchess pacifics and LNER A4’s and A2/2s, where it performed favorably, though the chain driven valve gear and its oil bath still caused headaches. After the Crewkerne incident, BR chose a rebuilding program of any engines that still used Bulleid’s Chain Driven motion, however, as the Warships had required far less modifications that the Pacifics, they were on the bottom of the list in the rebuilding program. In the end, only 37003 “Triumph”, 37009 “Warspite”, and 37010 “Exeter” were rebuilt in 1956, 1957, and 1959.

Despite their status as a class with very few engines, all ten would survive until the end of southern steam, going between 1965-1966.

Two are preserved, both being rescued from Barry Scrapyard in Wales. These examples are Class Pioneer 11D1 “Dreadnought”, as well as 11D3 “Triumph”.

Stats

Power Classification - 8MT

Built - 1940 to 1941

Boiler Pressure - 280 PSI

Cylinders (3) - 18in x 26in

Wheels (Driven) - 6ft 2in

Wheels (Leading) - 3ft 1in

Wheels (Trailing) - 3ft 7in

Wheels (Tender) 3ft 7in

Tractive Effort - 40,640 lbf

Total Length - 74ft 8in

Fleet

11D1 (37001) - Dreadnought

11D2 (37002) - Anson

11D3 (37003) - Triumph

11D4 (37004) - Vanguard

11D5 (37005) - Ark Royal

11D6 (37006) - Audacity 

11D7 (37007) - Valiant

11D8 (37008) - Black Charles

11D9 (37009) - Warspite

11D10 (37010) - Exeter

Southern Railway Prototype Light Pacific

(Pic by Sttophat on twitter)

     In 1941, Bulleid had introduced his Warship Mikado's and Merchant Navy Pacific's to become the main motive power for the Southern Railway’s Express passenger trains, though while they performed well, they were restricted by their weight, especially since the condition of the rails were hampered by the Second World War. Initially, trains on the lighter sections were handled by the Q1 0-6-0 freight engines and other, older engines, but they couldn’t handle the faster trains that were anticipated after the war. There was also the planned electrification of certain areas after the war, so the new design also needed to handle freight traffic as well, fast enough to not impede electric services.

     What was decided on in the end was a downsized version of the Merchant Navy’s, fitted with the same design theory of the Q1’s to create a “Light Pacific”. The Locomotive was completed in 1942 alongside the Q1’s, and was trialed for a short time before entering service. It was deemed a success, and numbered 21C201. It was powerful enough to handle fast, heavy trains, as well as having an extremely light axle loading for a pacific at 16.5 Tons, enabling it to be used on almost every part of the UK Network as a whole. However, Bulleid decided to go with a different approach, creating simply a downsized Merchant Navy with no Q1 elements. This would increase the axle load, though this wasn’t much of an issue, as the Battle of Britain and West Country Class Light Pacifics still had a high enough route availability for the work they were assigned. Thus, the “Q1 Light Pacific'' would remain a one-off.

     During the war, No.21C201 would actually travel a fair amount, and would regularly venture out of Southern territory, its light axle-load coming in handy. After the war however, it would mostly stay in the South. Performance-wise, it seemed to inherit all of the good qualities from the Q1’s and the pacific’s. The light-weight was already a plus, coupled with a great, free-steaming boiler and additions that made the driver and fireman’s life easier. However, it also inherited the bad aspects as well. The chain-driven valve gear was a well-known headache on bulleid locomotives, but there was also the issue that its light-weight caused. The regular Light Pacifics had trouble starting heavy trains thanks to their weight, but No.21C201 had it worse, especially with the well-known issues with the oil bath the valve gear was situated in. The light weight would also affect braking power as well, making unfitted trains harder to stop, a trait inherited from the Q1’s.

     No.21C201 (Now Renumbered 34000) was not considered for rebuilding like the other Bulleid Pacifics due to its one-off status. It would be given a general repair in 1960 before spending the rest of its life at Nine-Elms, mainly working express and semi-fast goods trains and the occasional passenger turn during peak period and summer excursions. It was withdrawn from service in 1966 and broken up at Eastleigh. 

Stats

Power Classification - 6MT

Built - 1942

Wheels (Driven) - 6ft 2in

Wheels (Leading) 3ft 1in

Wheels (Trailing) - 3ft 7in

Wheels (Tender) - 3ft 7in

Boiler Pressure - 250 psi

Cylinders (3) - 16.5in x 24in

Tractive Effort - 28,145lbf

Total Built - 1

Southern Railway L1 Class

Bulleid designed these locomotives during the Second World War, but construction didn’t begin until 1946. They shared many components with Bulleid’s Q1 0-6-0 goods engines, and were essentially the Q1’s with an Air-Smoothed Casing and a bigger boiler (though the firebox was identical with that of a Q1’s).

Twelve of these engines would be constructed between 1946 and 1948, with the final 3 being built by British Railways. They were originally numbered 22C1 to 22C12, though they were renumbered in 1949 to 36101 to 36112. They were originally meant for short distance goods and passenger services, though they never really found their footing in this role. The passenger trains that usually necessitated big tank engines were already being handled by electric engines, and everything else usually required smaller and lighter engines, which meant that, despite inheriting the power and efficiency of the Q1, the added weight and size meant that they were barred from where they could be most effective. The goods work they were meant for were also in the care of both Q1’s and Maunsell’s Q Class, as well as the many N class moguls already in service. In the end they spent their time hopping from shed-to-shed before settling on ex-LSWR territory, and even venturing into Western Region territory.

They were withdrawn between 1962-1964. Only one survives, 22C9 (36109) on the Bluebell Railway.

Stats

Power Classification - 5F 4P

Built - 1946 to 1948

Boiler Pressure - 230 PSI

Cylinders (2) - 19in x 26in

Wheels (Driven) - 5ft 1in

Wheels (Bogies) - 3ft 1in

Tractive Effort - 30,080 lbf

Southern Railway Dock Class

After the Second World War, many of the Southern Railway’s shunters (mainly those at Southampton) inherited from pre-grouping companies were worn out and needed overhauling. As such, Bulleid opted to replace them outright with his own design of 0-6-0T, with a short wheelbase of 10 feet to enable it to negotiate the tight curves. Like many of Bulleid’s designs, he equipped it with a relatively high boiler pressure.

Six would enter service in 1946, and while a total of 18 were planned, this would never come to be, as Eastleigh works was not in a position to build new locomotives with the backlog from the war. In the end, the southern found it cheaper to purchase ex-USATC S100 dock shunters, as they fulfilled most of the requirements needed.

They were numbered C201 to C206, and were renumbered to 30071 to 30076 in British Railways days. The first, 30071, was built with the Idaglass boiler lagging and casing as used in the Q1 class, while the other 5 were built with conventional boiler lagging and tanks. 30071 would be rebuilt like the others in 1953.

The class would lead uninteresting lives as dock shunters in Southampton and Dover until their withdrawal between 1961-1962. One was initially purchased for preservation but the deal fell through. None are preserved.

Stats

Power Classification - 3F

Built - 1946

Boiler Pressure - 220 PSI

Cylinders (2) - 16in x 24in

Wheels (Driven) - 4ft 6in

Tractive Effort - 21,276 lbf

#oliver bulleid #what-if engines #train #I have way more of these if you guys want to see them #or maybe I'll just do it anyways lol

[the-crimson]

I wrote a super quick fic about the fed worker in bbh’s basement tw for torture and manipulation

Enjoy! :D

(Part 2 here)

Heavy machinery cranks and grinding stones reverberate in the still air as the wall slides back into place, the demon’s silhouette vanishing as the worker hugs the cold stone of its cell. The skeletal vulture sits on the cell’s small window watching as its master disappears. Its claws clink on the metal as it shifts and the worker holds its breath.

Sniff

Sniff

The bird almost purrs as its snake-like neck shifts so its glowing eyes lock onto the worker. Its knees give and the worker slides to the ground, body wracked with tremors as its muscles lock. All it can think is to run, to fight, to scream, but it can only sit helplessly as the demon’s pet hops from the cell bars to the stone floor.

It tilts its skeletal head to the side as its wings puff out the sides, revealing the souls trapped in its rib cage. Another purr rumbles through the bird's body and the worker barely raises its arms in front of its face before the monster shrieks and lunges.

Its claws screech on the worker’s metallic exterior and if it could scream it would as the vulture’s beak tears wiring from its shoulder and its talons throw its arm across the cell.

Sparks dance with the embers of trapped souls as the sound of shredding metal and avian screams echoes on the stone.

Silence eventually falls within the dungeon as the bird realizes its prey has no soul to steal and becomes disinterested. The vulture sits on the small window and starts cleaning its feathers, picking bits of metal and wire from its plumage.

The occasional spark causes disjointed limbs to twitch. The worker’s remaining vision wavers as its thoughts pulse in and out of focus through electrical surges and it tries to remember. Its vision darkens as the ground shifts and the wall starts to raise. All it sees before the merciful void takes it is the silhouette of the demon’s shoes and the scythe dragging on the ground behind him.

—-

There is a tingling in its shoulder. It can feel wires being welded and bolts being fastened. The worker internally sighs. It must be back in the federation’s facilities for repairs. Cucurucho must have found it. Finally. It doesn’t even know how long it’s been trapped without sunlight.

But… wait. Federation facilities are warm. It could always hear the hum of electricity surging through the walls but now… nothing. Just the clinking of metal tools and the faint chill of stone.

Someone is humming. It doesn’t recognize the melody but it recognizes the voice and nearly short circuits from the jolt of fear.

“I know you are awake.” That voice. It sends terror through the worker but the tone is wrong. Softer. The venom from before replaced with… exhaustion. “I hope you didn’t think I would let you die. That would be silly.”

The worker looks at the demon with baited breath, still too terrified to even attempt moving. The demon sits in the cage with it, beside it, tinkering with the worker’s mangled arm. He leans against the bars slouched almost… it could laugh at the absurdity… almost childlike. But there is no wonder or childlike naïveté in the pupiless white eyes and void of a face. There is… nothing. No malice. No sick joy. He looks at the machinery in his hands with a blank if focused expression. The two sit in silence for a long moment, the worker watching its capture repair its limb in fearful paralysis, before the demon tilts his head and observes his handiwork.

“That should work.” He shifts and lines the arm up with the worker’s shoulder. It looks away and braces for more pain, sure that the demon would take pleasure in attaching the arm in the most painful manner possible… but the pain never comes. The demon connects wires and welds carefully, intently. He takes his time and doesn’t say a word as hands that had only been cruel handle the worker’s delicate insides with the utmost care. There is a surge of electrical tingling as the limb reattaches… and the worker wiggles its fingers.

The demon watches his handiwork and a small smile crosses his face. “My son would be proud.” The smile fades and the demon leans back, closes his eyes.

The worker looks between its captor and one of the tools just within reach of its newly repaired hand. Both its legs and other arm are out of commission but it doesn’t care. This might be its only chance. Its fingertips brush the smooth metal as the demon starts humming again, the same melody. It freezes as the demon starts singing.

“You are my sunshine

My only sunshine

You make me happy

When skies are gray

You'll never know, dear

How much I love you

Please don't take

My sunshine away “

The worker stares at the demon barely able to breathe, hand shaking at the force it holds the wrench but… it simply looks on entranced.

“The other night, dear

As I lay sleeping

I dreamed I held you

In my arms

When I awoke, dear

I was mistaken

So I hung my head and I cried-”

His voice breaks as a bead of white escapes the demon’s eye and leaves a glowing trail across the void of his skin like a comet passing through the atmosphere.

“Where did you go, my little sunshines?”

The worker’s grip on the wrench loosens. Is this pity? It grips the wrench with renewed strength. He let that monster tear my appart, I will not pity him! It lurches forwards and swings the wrench towards the demon’s head but he easily grabs the worker’s wrist mid air and eyes still closed. The worker tries to pull its arm back but it is caught in the devil’s grip.

White soulless eyes open and the worker would scream if it could as it tries in vain to tear free its one remaining limb. The demon’s nails pierce steel and the worker feels the panic of a prey animal caught in a wolf’s den surging through it. No no no no I’m sorry I’m sorry I didn’t mean it I didn’t mean it please please please-

The demon prys the wrench from the worker’s hand and releases its arm, which the worker yanks back to its chest. It doesn’t take its vision off the demon as he sits forward and brings a knee to his chest, taps the wrench in his opposite palm.

“My son taught me everything I know about machines.” Those white eyes lift and lock on the worker’s featureless face.

He stands suddenly and the worker flinches. The demon stands back to it for a moment before he tosses a pearl with a flick of the wrist and teleports through the bars in a burst of purple particles. The worker crawls with one arm to the bars and reaches for him, silently shouting wait!

The demon glances to the side back at the worker and for a moment it recognizes the sick grin that is quickly coached into careful despair.

“My friends need me but I’ll finish repairing you when I come back.”

Gears shift loudly as the wall starts lowering between them.

“Maybe I’ll make brownies we can share while I work…” his words are nearly drowned in the grinding of stone and gears and all too soon the worker is once again alone in the dark.

It brings its arm to its chest and holds itself as best it can in its state.

It’s never had brownies but… they sound nice.

#qsmp #crimson writes #q!bbh #badboyhalo #it might be too late and no one will see this #but what ever #lol #qsmp fanfiction

[lokibrainrot]

What. Who is that. What,, oh! His name is Weldnut. Or Welly. He fixes the pipes in facilities! Squarer head to fit his welding helmet better :o)

#lethal company #artists on tumblr #lethal company oc #lethal company nutcracker #silly guy i made #so happy #made him for cap btw.... lore incoming (i say that about everything now yeesh) #anyway #you can ask me questions about him now :oD #oh yeah!! thank you for helping me with making him Koka!

[speaker-of-the-void-cats]

Seeing the murals above the Veil enclosure

These murals are loaded with meaning. My feeling's been that they represent the Veil in many ways. For one, we have the duality of Light and Dark, not opposites, not the same, but a dyad, essential to each other, joined by the thinnest of lines. We see this in the middle mural where people hold the pillars up, separating above from below, Heaven from Hell.

Cousin Asher, you would find the concept of vacuum welding upsetting—press two sheets of metal together in void, and their atoms cannot tell which sheet they belong to. They cross freely. The two become one.

We see this again in Avalon, a side that looks like Egregore and a side that looks like the Tree of Silver Wings. A pillar sits behind. A sun hangs above. It is impossibly white.

It makes me think of the blight in the Nokris fight in Arrivals and in the battleground this season. It looks like a sun. It looks like it's been Taken.

Turn the Veil vertically like in the Ishtar Facility and what do you get?

A chalice holding the souls of all who have gone before. It rests in an unfamiliar place, a place it does not call home.

An hourglass of Light|Dark, ticking away time, life, death, until nothing.

Only two others have transcended their design. The first, an hourglass counting down with infinite patience. The second, a forgotten blade sharpened anew. And now, the Dredgen. Visit us again. We wish for you to understand what we understand. For now, it is my purpose to speak to you and you alone… but only if you remain worthy.

A pillar holding all the universe within itself, but also keeping it woven together, held aloft by those who struggle in the realm between life and death, god and man, here and beyond.

What happens if that pillar crumbles?

There's been a lot of invocation of Unveiling, the Garden, and implications that there's a bigger picture we're missing lately. We heard from the Veil's artist that it is represents "the mind and memory of the universe."

Truth to Power talks of black hole super computers and the idea of the data of all life being archived, of how

YOU MUST CAST ALL THE LIFE YOU CHERISH INTO A BLACK HOLE.

We've seen "black box" archives for destroyed civilizations discussed all over.

WHO|WHAT|WHERE IS OXA|TAOX

U. "Black holes are the densest possible computers in the physical universe. They are also the most secure, since they can be made to retain their information until they evaporate in the deep cosmic future. The Hive operate small singularity computers, such as the World's Grave, and the Vex sometimes pack enough energy and information into a small area of spacetime to collapse it into kugelblitz black hole like the one you can see outside. But a true stellar-mass or galactic-mass black hole computer is inconceivably more powerful.

"If Savathûn plans to predicate her existence on the concealment of her secrets, as Oryx predicated his upon the sword logic, it would be logical for her to safeguard her deepest secrets and her throne world in a supermassive black hole computer. To defeat her would require a journey below the event horizon and the exposure of her most jealously guarded truths." GOTO R.

Z. You leap from the Tower and escape Quria's simulation.

What is that purple and pink kaleidescopic energy in the dark, egregore goblet of the Veil? When Ghost links to the Veil, that energy seems to be what rockets to the Traveler and pierces it, allowing the Witness to part the curtains of reality and enter somewhere above and beyond us.

And then Nezarec, Master of the Void is freed. Wardcliffe Coil's lore refers to the Void as the basement of the universe. Inanna/Ishtar is thought of by Savathun in reference to the Veil and Neomuna, which Osiris hears as well. He then speaks of myths of the underworld. Katabasis. Hades. Hell. Perdition. The inferno. The Abyss.

O: [sips tea] Though my senses were darkened, that much was clear through the murk of her throne world. There was a secret she kept veiled, even to the last.

O: [sighs] I do not fully understand what I saw, and for a Human to understand a Hive mind... How many legends of katabasis do we have, Ikora?

I: We currently have dozens of stories about descending to the realms of the dead, though research has indicated many more must have existed, lost in the layers of Human history we will never lay eyes on. Mathematically, there were likely hundreds.

I: [pauses] Inanna and Dumuzid and Geshtinanna, Orpheus and Eurydice, Izanagi and Izanami, to name a few. Gods and goddesses, mortal and immortal lovers, always seeking to descend and return with the lost.

O: And neither the lost nor those who searched for them were ever returned the same.

I:...Is that how you think of yourself?

O: [scoffs] Do I sound that dire? All Guardians, all Lightbearers have done as much. But others, well... I wonder, do our former enemies have similar stories...

I: What exactly are you getting at?

O: Frequently, the underworld—or those realms beyond mortal existence—possess wisdom the living do not. What then, is knowledge from a dead Hive god vested in deception.... [long pause]

I: So. Neptune, and secrets.

O:...Inanna...

I: What is it?

O:...A thought. An echo of one. The return from the underworld, and Inanna cast off her veil... It makes sense. I did not understand, when I first felt clutching whispers. Carrying wisdom away from Kur when she strode into the sunlight again.

Ishtar entered the underworld and faced seven gates. At each gate she was stripped of clothing until she entered into that place naked and alone.

If you do not open the gate for me to come in, I shall smash the door and shatter the bolt, I shall smash the doorpost and overturn the doors, I shall raise up the dead and they shall eat the living: And the dead shall outnumber the living!

She is killed. After three days in death, she is rescued by two beings sent by one of the gods

From Wikipedia:

After Ishtar descends to the underworld, all sexual activity ceases on earth. The god Papsukkal, the Akkadian counterpart to Ninshubur, reports the situation to Ea, the god of wisdom and culture. Ea creates an androgynous being called Asu-shu-namir and sends them to Ereshkigal, telling them to invoke "the name of the great gods" against her and to ask for the bag containing the waters of life. Ereshkigal becomes enraged when she hears Asu-shu-namir's demand, but she is forced to give them the water of life. Asu-shu-namir sprinkles Ishtar with this water, reviving her. Then, Ishtar passes back through the seven gates, receiving one article of clothing back at each gate, and exiting the final gate fully clothed.

Eliksni servitors contain a record of their people, archives of those who have entered into death before the living. They are built in the image of the Traveler, a great machine with an unknown purpose, but which has exhibited a drive to protect and preserve life, all life, whether we understand its actions as such or not. It has shown, time and time again, a willingness to throw itself in front of the blade, for us. Its neutronium shell is heavy, dense beyond imagining. It's movements do not come without great effort and intent.

I believe the Witness has, in linking Ghost to the Veil, created a union of two types of records of civilization. One, the record of death, the other, the record of life. The Witness has entered into the Void, the afterlife, underworld, basement, and end of the universe, in order to face the greater gods. Or maybe, to unleash them...

Things I saw inside A wild river and a broken dam (or maybe it's just the sea crashing through a narrow gap I can't be sure). Waves slam through the gap and where they hit the stone they throw up pillars of spray that pierce the mist and crash down in thunder. There's a giant in the cataract, trying to wade against the current, and I can tell it wants to reach the lever and pull the lever which will seal off the flow or maybe give it the sword, but the torrent throws it back so it just keeps its head down and tries to push on. I can't see the face but it breathes out white smoke. I feel for it hard. A world painted around the interior like a stranger Earth everted and glued inside itself but I don't believe this one it's too much like a metaphor. A switchboard or a train station, empty, dead (waiting). The tunnels branch off into infinity. I stare down one for a long time and see a pale worm move in hungry coils around itself. I think this one is the most likely although I might have brought the worm. An egg but I'm not sure if the broth inside is warm still, or if it's gone to rot, or if the warmth comes from the struggles of the tiny winged zygote or the bleed from the wound or the thoughts of something thinking very hard. A star I think. We count on stars as steady friends because they always rise and always shine but a star's a delicate truce: an explosion caught by its own mass so that it can't erupt and can't collapse. Thus I imagine the state of the machine might be. But one force or another has gone awry and now it rests here, snuffed and broken, waiting for the two rival forms of ruin to be set in balance again.

Ghost Fragment: Mysteries 2 — Ingress via dreams alone

#destiny lore #the veil #the witness #the traveler #the void #follow the daito rabbit #destiny 2 #destiny the game #destiny #destinythegame #destiny2 #d2 #call me the grandmaster of semiosis

[jasminocorporation]

Mastering the Arc: A Comprehensive Guide to Welding Facilities and Procedures

Introduction:

Welding is a vital skill in many industries, from construction to automotive manufacturing. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced welder, understanding welding facilities and procedures is crucial for achieving quality welds safely. In this comprehensive guide, we'll delve into the world of welding facilities and procedures, providing you with essential knowledge to master the arc.

Understanding Welding Facilities:

Welding facilities refer to the physical spaces where welding operations take place. These facilities can vary widely depending on the scale of the project and the specific welding techniques used. Common components of welding facilities include:

Work Area: A designated space where welding activities occur. This area should be well-ventilated and free from flammable materials to ensure safety.

Welding Equipment: This includes welding machines, electrodes, protective gear such as helmets and gloves, as well as auxiliary tools like clamps and brushes.

Power Source: Welding machines require a stable power source, typically electricity or compressed gases such as oxygen and acetylene.

Safety Measures: Welding facilities should be equipped with fire extinguishers, first aid kits, and emergency exits to mitigate potential hazards.

Safety Procedures:

Safety should always be a top priority when welding. Here are some essential safety procedures to follow:

Wear Protective Gear: Always wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) such as welding helmets, gloves, and flame-resistant clothing to protect yourself from sparks, UV radiation, and molten metal.

Ventilation: Ensure adequate ventilation in the welding area to prevent the buildup of harmful fumes and gases.

Inspect Equipment: Regularly inspect welding equipment for damage or defects, and ensure proper maintenance to prevent accidents.

Follow Operating Instructions: Familiarize yourself with the operating instructions of welding machines and tools, and adhere to safety guidelines provided by manufacturers.

Fire Prevention: Keep flammable materials away from the welding area, and have fire extinguishing equipment readily available in case of emergencies.

Common Welding Procedures:

Several welding techniques are used in various industries, each with its unique procedures. Some common welding procedures include:

Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW): Also known as stick welding, SMAW involves the use of a flux-coated electrode to create welds. The electrode melts and forms a protective gas shield around the weld pool, preventing contamination.

Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW): Also referred to as MIG welding, GMAW uses a continuous wire electrode and a shielding gas to create strong welds. This process is versatile and suitable for welding a wide range of materials.

Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW): GTAW, or TIG welding, utilizes a non-consumable tungsten electrode and a separate filler material to create precise welds. This process is commonly used for thin materials and critical welds.

Flux-Cored Arc Welding (FCAW): FCAW combines elements of both stick and MIG welding, using a tubular wire electrode with flux inside. This process is ideal for outdoor welding and works well on dirty or rusty materials.

Submerged Arc Welding (SAW): SAW involves the formation of welds beneath a layer of granular flux, which protects the molten weld pool from atmospheric contamination. This process is highly efficient for welding thick materials in a single pass.

Conclusion:

Mastering welding facilities and procedures is essential for achieving quality welds efficiently and safely. By understanding the components of welding facilities, adhering to safety procedures, and mastering common welding techniques, you can become a skilled welder capable of tackling a variety of projects with confidence. Remember to always prioritize safety and continuous learning in your welding journey.

#welding #welding techniques #welding facilities #welding procedures #materials #wellding material #welding process #manufacturing #automobile industry #industry

[rainworld-oc-showdown]

Architect by @moss-and-marimos VERSUS The Eradicator by @frnletorres - Round 2 set 1

The Architect- Description:

The architect is a modified survivor slugcat, and so the amount of food pips would be similar to survivor but at least some of them would be required to be carnivorous. This is in order to sustain the energy output used by the slugcat's special ability, this being that they can weld things with their hands. They also have more physical strength than survivor and would most likely do 2 spear damage instead of one. This is in part because they are able to weld spears together to make them larger and more powerful, as well as helping the player to move around the map more easily. They would be bad at swimming, but because of this ability are able to more easily traverse terrain requiring more complicated parkour.

Story:

The Architect is a purposed organism made by Sewn Ends In Lilacs (one of my iterator ocs) to repair an ancient iterator that she found out about. This other iterator was built so early on that the ancients didnt know how huge of an issue the rains would be, and so was built without a retaining wall. Because of this, his structure is falling apart from beneath and around him, and is a similar state to moons in canon, though more overgrown rather than flooded. The course of the campaign if it was actually a game would be traveling from Lilacs' can to the can of Digital Dandelions, the broken down iterator, to repair his puppet and bring it back online, and then to connect communications between him and lilacs. Though this likely wouldnt be a part of the actual game, the architect would then focus on the long task of repairing and updating DD's structure.

The Eradicator- Description:

Stats: Needs 7 (10 max) pips to hibernate. Can only eat corpses, with batflies giving 1/4 pip and baby centipedes/noodleflies one pip. Starts with the glow and the mark. Can dual wield, has 1.5 spear damage and has a stronger maul than artificer. Can also throw spears upwards. Heavier than survivor. Regular lung capacity and swim speed. Slightly slower than survivor when walking, but crawling and climbing speed is the same. Can do very high and long jumps however, and even leap vertically, allowing it to reach high places without having to backflip. Longer slides.

Abilities: It can secrete a sticky substance from its hands, allowing it to: Temporarily climb walls, with a meter depleting everytime you climb up and recovering as long as you’re not on a wall. Craft bombs and bomb spears with cherrybombs Cling onto big creatures, letting you maul or stab them before being shaken off. It has a thick skin, making it harder to get stunned, giving it more time before being incapacitated by predator bites, and a small chance to survive spear hits. It can hold items with its mouth, with the drawback of not being able to eat or maul while doing so.

Campaign: The campaign would take place on a new map, composed mainly of an iterator and its city with a connection to the void sea through a mining facility under it. Most of the campaign would be spent in the city, divided in regions and with a focus on verticality and climbing, similar to metropolis. In exchange of not having to deal with the rain while in the city, and besides the day/night cycle, the shelters in each region will not open until a specific number or type of creature are killed. Once enough kills are achieved, that region will be “cleared out”, permanently opening its shelters, reducing its creature spawns, and unlocking the gate to the next region. The rest of the regions (Inside the iterator, under it and on the surface) function as normal. There would be a high quantity of vultures, introducing more variants of them (such as juveniles), with the final region being a vulture nest with a final boss at the highest point to end the campaign.

Story:

They where created by an iterator in response of his city being overwhelmed with vultures and other creatures, with its main task of being basically pest control. Without getting to deep into said iterators lore, the reason he chose a slugcat for the mission is he already had experience working with their species, using them as workers to maintain his structure. The Eradicator can either attempt to fulfill its mission, or dip and take a swim in the void sea.

Fun Facts:

While it doesn’t really affect its abilities or story, its kind of a slugcat and lizard mix, shown by its frills and coloration. Also is genetically engineered to hate birds.

#rain world #rain world oc tournament #rain world ocs #architect #the eradicator #round 2 #r2 set 1

[beefromanoff]

Project Mockingbird Ch. 3

summary: the first official encounter with James Buchanan Barnes is...not exactly love at first sight.

pairing: Bucky Barnes x OC

author's note: let me know what you think! thanks for reading, xox!

tag list: @bangtanxberm (let me know if you want to be added <3)

chapter list

_________________________________________________________

I was exhausted. 

For my first full day, we’d toured the entire facility, and I still felt like there was so much I hadn’t seen. There were rooms full of screens with dozens of agents talking on headsets, rooms with mechanical arms and welding sparks flying, rooms with so many weapons I felt like I was on a military base. It seemed to go on forever. Hangars, shooting ranges, labs, even an extensive medical wing for mission or training injuries. Natasha and Steve had been more than accommodating, staying with me through dinner. I’d met a few other Avengers, ones I recognized from either the news or online. It felt like a strange, high-tech college dorm, with ultra-powerful roommates. Not that I knew what that was like. 

I’d spent what should have been my college years in living hell. Not something I wanted to think about at that particular moment, though. I was just glad to be back in my room. Just glad to have a room to call my own, really. I twisted on the bed, my back sinking into the plush bedding. The feeling of a comfortable bed after a hot shower would never lose that euphoric feeling. Not when I’d gone so long without it before. 

This room was unfamiliar, yet strangely comforting. Soft light filtered through the curtains, casting a gentle glow on the walls. The bed felt good beneath me, oddly similar to those of the luxurious suites I’d grown so accustomed to in Vegas over the past few weeks. 

A shiver tore through my body as an unwelcome thought reminded me of the cold, rickety hospital bed I’d spent so many nights sleeping on before my escape. How long ago was that? Years? Decades? I shook my head, willing the thoughts to fall out of my ears and never return. There was so much I still didn’t remember. 

Taking a deep breath, I focused on something good. A friend. Natasha had assured me this was a safe place, but could I really trust it? Could I trust her?

I squeezed my eyes shut and tried again to silence the doubts swirling in my mind.

This room, it's like a cage that's too comfortable to be real. How did I end up here? How did Natasha convince me to trust her, to trust them? I’ve spent so long avoiding people, avoiding connections. And now, I’m here, surrounded by... superheroes? I’m supposed to believe they have no other motive? 

She said I don’t have to work with them, I don’t have to fight. Why would she say that if it isn’t true? To get me to come with her. God, I’m so dumb. Of course they’ll want me to fight. Why else would they want me here at all. The only thing I can do is fight. 

At least if I’m here, I’d be fighting for the good guys this time. At least, I hope so. 

Natasha, she’s different. Right? I saw it in her eyes. She understands what it means to fight against the darkness. She told me the Avengers are a family, a team. She had no one before them. I have no one now. Can I really have that too? Would they accept me if they knew…knew everything?

Closing my eyes tighter, I try to push away the memories of the experiments, the pain, the fear. Flashes of white, hot anger and blinding rage. 

Natasha said they'd protect me. She said I could start anew here. But how can I trust these people I barely know? What if this is just another trap, another illusion to get me to do someone’s bidding?

I feel a lump forming in my throat. 

I have to give it a chance, don't I? I have to believe in something. Believe in someone. Maybe this room, this bed, is more than just a comfortable cage. Maybe it’s a sanctuary, a haven where I can rebuild what HYDRA took away from me.

Maybe I can have a life here. 

Taking a deep breath, I remind myself that I'm not alone anymore. I'm not that scared, fragile girl they took to their labs so long ago. I’m not the angry, violent assassin who escaped them. 

I’m Charlotte Rossi, and I survived. I survived all of it. I survived for a reason.  

Maybe, just maybe, I can learn to trust these Avengers. Maybe I can find a new purpose here, a reason to fight back.

As sleep started to claim me, I took a shuddering breath, making a promise to myself:

I'll give them a chance. I’ll trust them. For Natasha. For me.

And with that, I let the darkness take me, hoping that when I woke, I'd find the strength to face this new chapter of my life, whatever it may bring.

The night had been turbulent, the remnants of my nightmares still lingering in the corners of my mind like cobwebs. I had always found solace in the quiet hours before dawn, where the world seemed to hold its breath, and the horrors of the past felt momentarily distant. 

Slipping out of bed, I padded through the dark common room to the balcony, my bare feet cold against the smooth tiles. Like everything here, the balcony was pristine and expanse. It stretched in a large semi-circle, boasting the best view of the entire compound. Except maybe the one you’d get from any of their impressive aircraft. 

The first hints of sunrise painted the sky in soft hues of pink and orange, casting a serene glow over the lake. As I settled into a chair, the tranquility of the morning wrapped around me like a comforting blanket. Nightmares weren’t new to me, but I never quite learned to quickly bounce back from them. There was still a cold sheen of sweat on my chest as I leaned back, taking in my surroundings. 

My attention was drawn to the trail surrounding the compound's lake, where a figure emerged from the early morning mist. I tensed out of instinct. He moved with a surprising amount of grace for someone of his size, every step purposeful and powerful. Even from a distance, I recognized him - James Buchanan Barnes, the Winter Soldier. 

There was an undeniable magnetism about him, something in the way he carried himself, a nearly predatory confidence that was both captivating and intimidating. A shiver ran through me as I watched him turn a corner and disappear from sight. 

I knew I’d see him eventually, it was inevitable. Some part of me found peace in the kindness of the rest of the team. If there was going to be an issue with my being here, surely I’d have picked up on it by now. Why would they have even brought me here if anyone had a problem with it?

Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t notice Steve approaching until his shadow fell over me. He held out a steaming mug of coffee, the aroma rich and inviting. "Couldn’t sleep either?" he asked, his blue eyes kind and understanding.

I accepted the coffee with a grateful nod, the warmth seeping into my hands as I wrapped them around the mug. "Thank you," I murmured, taking a tentative sip.

"Want something to do today?" Steve’s voice was casual, inviting. "I have a training session with some of the agents. You're welcome to watch. Might give you a sense of what we do here."

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the prospect of witnessing their training firsthand, but cautious about any hidden motive. 

“Don’t worry, I’m not trying to rope you into participating.” Steve lowered his own mug. “I don’t like ulterior motives. If there’s ever something I think, you’ll know it. I’m just a guy who was new here at one point too, I know the first few weeks can be a little…aimless.” 

Chuckling, I nodded. “Yeah, you could say that. I was hoping for some kind of activities list, like at summer camp.”

“You went to summer camp?” He looked incredulous. 

“I’ve seen movies.” 

“Ah,” He sipped his coffee. “That’s where I learned about -” He gestured vaguely. “Everything, I suppose.”

There was a moment of silence as he decided if he was going to address the obvious. 

“I had a lot to catch up on, too.” He spoke softly. “For a while, I had to write down everything new about the world that I wanted to remember. I watched a lot of movies, probably not historically accurate, but I definitely enjoyed learning that way.” He smiled, looking back at me. “Not a lot of people can relate. Just know I’m here.” 

“Thanks, Steve.” I pressed my lips together in a small smile. 

“For what it’s worth, you’re much more well-adjusted than I ever was. You must catch on quick.”

“You have no idea.” 

We leisurely finished our coffee before going to our respective rooms to get dressed. I had returned to my room to find a small pile of folded black clothes on the bed beneath a handwritten note.

‘In case you don’t feel like wearing sequins all week - xo, Nat’

I grinned, pulling out a set of black workout tights and a matching long sleeved top. It was chilly out here, which I guess was to be expected from upstate New York in October. Not nearly the balmy temperatures of Nevada. I did a quick change, laced up my sneakers, and met Steve back in the common room so we could make our way to the training wing. 

The moment I stepped inside, I was awestruck by the high-tech setup. The room was a marvel of modern design, sleek and functional, with state-of-the-art exercise equipment lining the walls. Rows of punching bags hung from the ceiling, several sparring rings placed throughout the massive room. 

The sound of bodies moving and the echo of instructions filled the air. Agents in SHIELD uniforms were scattered across the training mats, engaged in various forms of combat. Steve led me to a vantage point where I could observe the proceedings without being in the way.

A small group of six agents stood around one of the mats, waiting for him. They paused their stretching to greet him as we walked up. 

“Team, this is Charlotte. She’s going to be around for a while, I trust you’ll all make her feel welcome.” Steve’s words were met with nods and various greetings towards me, to which I smiled and tried to look as non-threatening as possible. Maybe they’ll think I’m just someone’s long-lost cousin, here to visit for a few months. 

Steve’s movements were a symphony of precision and power as he demonstrated different combat techniques to the agents. His punches were lightning-fast, his blocks seamless. Each motion was deliberate, a testament to his expertise. The way he moved, the way he fought, it was both beautiful and awe-inspiring. I could tell he was pulling his punches, using as much effort to go easy on the agents as they were to try and land a single blow on him. Super soldier strength was no joke. 

I watched, captivated, as he guided the agents, offering corrections and encouragement in equal measure. There was a quiet intensity about him, a dedication to his craft that was impossible to miss. At that moment, I understood why he was the leader of the Avengers, why he was Captain America. He was confident, not arrogant. Kind, yet firm. He had their respect but he so clearly respected them as well. He was the kind of guy you’d want to follow into battle. 

As the training session continued, I found myself drawn into the rhythm of their movements, the energy in the room palpable. Despite myself, I felt familiar patterns happening within me. My eyes tracked their movements, clocking every position, every wince, every shift of weight from one foot to the other. With an almost computerized precision, my mind began to catalog the fighting style of all six agents and the super soldier right in front of me. 

Later that day, I retreated to the workout facility in the Avengers’ building. It was smaller, but equally as nice. There were small modifications, clearly for accommodating superhumans. For starters, the ceilings were much higher, likely to accommodate for those who could clear a 30 foot tree in a single jump. The weights ranged far beyond the standard 45 lb plates and 100 lb dumbbells, which was where the other facility capped out. 

I punched a few buttons on the treadmill and worked up to a moderate pace. The row of treadmills faced the lake, already one of my favorite things to look at. I focused on the trees, the wind rustling through them. I controlled my breathing, thankful for the peace and quiet. The solitude lasted a good half hour before I heard the door slide open. 

“Hey stranger,” Natasha’s familiar rasp announced her presence. 

“Long time no see,” I tugged the safety cord out of the treadmill and let myself slide off the back, landing on my feet. 

“Heard you got to see Rogers in action today?” She strode over and took a seat on the bench nearest me. 

I shrugged. “The basket weaving class was full.” 

“Well, if you want to see the more exciting training sessions, I help out with weapons and hand-to-hand a few days a week.” She winked.

“If I had known that, I wouldn’t have wasted my first training session on Steve!” I mocked a tantrum. 

“Hey, super-soldier hearing here.” Steve strode through the door, right on cue.

“Beat it, Rogers, we’re having a girl talk.” 

Dropping his bag, Steve pulled out a roll of tape and began wrapping his hands for what I assume would be a round of sparring, either with the punching bag or an actual person. “You’re just mad I set the bar so high with Charlotte’s first training experience.” He grinned. 

Raising my eyebrow, I watched as Natasha rolled her eyes and grinned. There was so clearly something between them, it took me less than 48 hours to pick up on it. I wondered if it was something they’d explored yet, or if they lived in denial. 

Before I could make a snappy remark, the doors opened again and in strode the one man I wasn’t sure I was ready to see yet. 

Blue eyes snapped up to look at me, and he stopped in his tracks as the door slid shut behind him. Based on the way his jaw clenched, I don’t think he was quite ready to see me either. The world felt like it slowed to half speed, I felt my thoughts get muddled. I was slipping away from reality. No, please no, not here, not now -

White hot light exploded in my skull as I collapsed to my knees, fighting against myself.

“Charlotte!” Natasha was at my side instantly, holding my arm.

“Stop…Me…” My breathing was labored, I spat each word out through gritted teeth as I felt myself losing the internal battle for control.

“What do you mean, what’s going on?” She gripped my upper arm tightly, looking at Steve in concern. He hovered over me, halfway crouched. 

Then it all went black. 

________________

Steve looked from Natasha to Bucky, still frozen by the door. Charlotte had collapsed to her knees, face contorted in pain. In the few seconds since she’d cried out, sweat had already broken on the back of her neck. 

“Stop…Me…” Her voice was somewhere between a growl and a plea. 

“What do you mean, what’s going on?” Natasha asked, looking up at Steve. Before anyone could react, Charlotte sent them both tumbling backwards. In one fluid movement, she’d rolled forward and closed the distance between her and Bucky. Her momentum carried her from the roll straight into a fighting stance. Before Nat or Steve could scramble to their feet, she’d swung into a roundhouse kick straight at Bucky’s head. 

He ducked, eyes wide with surprise but movements instinctive. Charlotte went straight from her kick into a crouch, swinging her leg to sweep his out from under him. He landed on his back and rolled away from her as she advanced. Left hook, right jab, knee to the ribs, Bucky narrowly blocked each one. She was quick. 

For a split second, Bucky took his eyes off of her fists and looked at her face. A chill nearly paralyzed him as he saw the blank expression on her face, the unseeing and glassy eyes. His pause was costly, and he felt the full weight of that when her foot collided with the side of his head. He spat blood on the ground just as Steve’s feet stepped between him and Charlotte. 

Steve blocked her jabs as rapidly as they came, with Natasha running up from behind. 

“Get the hell out of here!” He yelled at Bucky, still on the ground as blood pooled from the cut on his eyebrow. “Go!” 

Bucky didn’t question it, rolling to his feet and sprinting out the door. 

Natasha came from above and wrapped her legs around Charlotte’s neck, throwing her to the ground. Without releasing her, she continued to squeeze. Steve dropped down, pinning her arms as she writhed against Natasha. After a violent resistance, she went limp as she finally passed out. 

“What…the hell just happened.” Nat fell back on her elbows, breathing hard. 

“I have no idea,” Steve held a hand out, helping her to stand. “Do you think she needs medical?” 

“Well, I don’t think we should just go tuck her into bed after this.” Natasha rubbed her sleeve across her forehead, wiping sweat off. “You go check on Barnes, I’ll call up to the room and see if anyone’s here to help me take her in.”

Nodding, Steve took off in a jog after Bucky, following the trail of blood splattered on the ground.

#bucky barnes #james bucky barnes #avengers #bucky barnes x oc #bucky fanfic #bucky fluff #winter soldier #sebastian stan #winter soldier fluff #winter solider x reader

[afriendlywizard]

My review of a warehouse I found on Earth's Moon in the video game Starfield

I work at a cidery in the PNW. We have a pretty hefty canning line that can handle what I like to call a Solid Chunk of Volumetric Output. Our fulfillment and warehouse team touches several hundred pallets a day. We handle ingredients that come in drums, plastic IBC totes, 5 gallon buckets, and raw ingredients off the back of people’s Ford Raptors. We have pipes and valves and connectors. We talk about glycol and peracetic acid a lot. We have standard 4 level pallet racks, as well as push-back pallet racking and back-load pallet racking that maintains a First In First Out order.

I manage our Quality Assurance team, which means I spend most of my team at a desk or in a lab. I have driven our forklifts and our scissor lifts. I’ve blended our ingredients into our batching tanks. I verify our sanitation practices, and I help solve problems as needed. I spend a lot of my day staring at stainless steel pipes and mumbling about dissolved oxygen to myself.

That’s all to say, I’m not an expert. I would call myself a warehouse hobbyist and enthusiast. Not out loud to anyone, but when I play a video game that has a warehouse in it, I like to spend my time looking at how the warehouse is put together.

In addition to this, a note on Forklift Certification: It’s largely made up. There are some machines that require special licenses, and OSHA has classes you can take that probably look good on a resume, but if you look at the language that OSHA uses to define who is allowed to drive a forklift it only has two requirements. “Trained operators must know how to do the job properly and do it safely as demonstrated by workplace evaluation.” It’s up to the employer how that’s interpreted. My employer had me watch a forty five minute video and then someone watched as I drove around for thirty minutes saying “oh fuck oh fuck okay okay okay don’t hit anyone.”

I took my character, Dr. FLIPJUMP DARKSWALLOW, to the moon. I brought my companion Sarah with me, she said she wouldn’t mind a detour so that we could finally live out our shared dream of owning a pair of moon boots, so down we went to explore a seemingly abandoned lunar station. It seemed to be some kind of staging facility for receiving shipments, landing dock, staff kitchen and common area, but as far as I could tell there wasn’t anywhere within a kilometer or two to send the shipments once they arrived. Typical supply chain issues, major distro hub with nothing in site to distro to. But it did have a small on-site warehouse so Sarah and I both agreed to put a pause on our moon boots dream and explore.

This is called an IBC tote. You can fill these up through a big screw-top hole on the top, super easy to use, cheap ($275 new), universal. The most common versions I’ve seen have a galvanized steel cage and a galvanized steel pallet attached to the bottom so it can be universally picked up by a forklift. They typically have a 2” drain valve with a butterfly and a camlock. This is a pretty good example of an IBC tote! You can see how the galvanized steel was welded together at each intersection, bent into place and held there. The butterfly at the bottom has a cap in place, it has a pressure valve that’s clearly labeled. This looks pretty good!

This is a pallet jack. On Earth in the present day, you roll it into the slats on a pallet, squeeze on a hand lever in the handle, and pump the handle bar up and down as it lifts. On the Moon in the future, it looks like it’s been upgraded for use in space with what I assume is probably some electric battery type of deal. Otherwise it’s very similar to a normal pallet jack! It even has the double wheels in the front, a detail I was very excited about. There doesn’t seem to be the hand lever though, or any buttons anywhere. I assume that’s because this model has a voice assistant like an Alexa in it.

It has a spring in the back as well, another neat little detail. I’d be curious to see how this works in action, there’s a decent number of mechanical parts on it for how futuristic it looks. There’s also two small… baskets, I guess? For paperwork maybe? On either end of the handle shaft. I made up the term handle shaft.

Here is what I assume is a future-forklift. And Sarah. Please ignore Sarah. I was required to take her on a mission early on, but she keeps saying things like “that’s not yours!” and “we should not break the law,” which has been definitely cramping Dr. DARKSWALLOW’s style. Anyway, this forklift is a far cry from the kinds we have in present day. Barely recognizable.

My best guess is that you stand on this platform to operate it. But there’s no buttons or levers again, no key ignition. Presumably this turns on somehow and that panel is a touchscreen, or maybe it’s another Alexa operated device. This whole thing seems pretty dangerous. There’s no roll cage. I guess maybe there’s no OSHA in the future? Or maybe this thing has a lot of safety tech built into it to protect the operator from making mistakes. Maybe it follows Asimov’s rules of robotics and can’t allow a human to come to harm, through action or inaction. But that seems like a lot of liability to pack into programming, and it seems expensive to attach a positronic brain to a forklift. I don’t know how it would anticipate other drivers doing things badly, knocking over pallets? It seems dicey.

I do like that the cabling looks like it’s painter’s taped onto the frame so it doesn’t get caught anywhere. That’s a great little detail, very much something a maintenance team might do in a pinch. A “short term hold” as they “work with supply chain details to implement a long term repair.”

I climbed up onto a pile of boxes to get this picture. It looks like they redesigned the forks in the future, kind of a high-heeled shoe thing going on at the ends there. And this forklift seems like it has reduced functionality from what forklifts here on Earth can do. Forklifts can usually do three things with the forks: lift up and down, pitch the forks back and forth, and spread the forks wider or narrower. I think this can only lift the forks up and down. There also seems to be a large orange ball on the bottom, but I don’t know what that’s used for. My best guess, given the short cylinder above it, is that the forks can control their yaw and rotate on a horizontal access? But they’re right up against the axle so I’m not sure how that would work. Maybe if you lift the forks up it’s able to rotate? But I don’t see much of an engine to ballast the center of gravity anywhere. Maybe the entire body is made with a very dense metal, it does seem to be pretty flush with the ground.

My biggest complaint is that this forklift doesn’t have any headlights or taillights. It’s important for forklifts to have a horn and bright lights to let other workers know there’s a forklift around, especially reverse lights. These might be taillights, if I’m giving some benefit here, but they’re so low to the ground I’m not sure how other drivers are going to be able to see them. But I’m not an expert in future light bulbs, maybe these work just fine.

These look like future pallets! Pallets come in different materials, with wood or plastic as the most common, but they also come in standard sizes. But these pallets look like they’re way too small for the forklift to pick up. Maybe they’re just for the pallet jack? And big note here: I really hope for the sake of the warehouse manager in this facility that OSHA doesn’t exist, because each one of those pallets standing up on its side is going to be its own fine. Overall these pallets look pretty good, if small. And this disaster of a pile seems pretty true to form with how pallets are stored, no matter how many @everyone pings on Microsoft Teams you see get sent out about stacking pallets correctly.

I suspect everyone in the warehouse crew here hates their coworkers. They have four of these pallets in a square but are stacking things randomly on top of them. None of these things are strapped down, this black cube is on a pallet that’s a different size than the pallets underneath it. Just a bizarre move. I hope everyone’s doing okay.

And then on the other side is this: … Why? Why would anyone do this? You can’t pick those rolls up, the rest will roll right off the pallet. They’re not centered on the pallet so even if you did pick it up, you couldn’t put this onto pallet racking anywhere, it’s hanging off the edge.

This is pallet racking. It seems bolted together for some reason. I haven’t seen that before on this style of racking. It seems counter-intuitive; the whole point of this type is that it’s easy to put together, it’s modular. But if you bolt it together, it’s not modular anymore. Normally you just slot the pieces in, they fall into place and don’t require additional parts. Just welded steel with drop slots.

Oof. A dead body. I’m a little surprised there aren’t more of these here. It does feel a bit dangerous.

Here’s another pallet jack, but they aren’t using it correctly. The pallet goes into the forks, why did they put a pallet on top of the forks? Ridiculous. Now they’re just lifting things for no reason. A forklift put the pallet on, now a forklift has to take the pallet off? Why use the pallet jack at all?

And lastly: a propane cage! There’s no locks on it, the maintenance team is probably screaming at everyone to make sure they Lock Out/Tag Out their equipment, but I’ll give the benefit of the doubt and sign off on it because there’s no propane tanks inside the cage so maybe the locks just aren’t necessary. Hopefully it’s just in someone’s pocket while they’re going to refill the tanks.

Overall, this is a pretty dangerous looking facility but probably usable. I’d say they ought to start working towards shoring up some safety gaps here, maybe making more intentional decisions about purchases for a while so they have the equipment they need for their process flow instead of all this equipment that requires rework and multiple touches to get anything done. But a growing business sometimes has to take what’s available! Kudos to them for getting things up and running on the moon, not an easy feat.

#starfield #forklift #hard cider #warehouse #supplychainmanagement

[blood-darkened-moon]

Isolation

Ok, the first chapter of my Alexia Ashford fic. Again, I would appreciate short reviews on whether it is worth continuing or not. I'm not mad if you say it sucks. I just want an honest opinion.

______________________________________________

Chapter 1

December 12

What do you actually write in a diary? I guess I just write whatever comes into my mind.

My name is Samantha Blair, and I’ve been stationed at the Aurora Research Facility for about a month now. This place will be my home for roughly the next 11 months. I graduated two years ago with a PhD in chemistry. This is my new job. It wasn’t easy to get it. After all, there are only a few positions available in this facility. There are 12 of us in total, and my job is to analyze ice and soil samples. It’s summer here at the moment. The sun doesn’t set this close to the South Pole any more, and at night it only gets a bit dusky, which, admittedly, bothers me more than I thought it would. Doug* gave me this journal “so I won’t lose track of time.” I wonder if that will help. At least I can try.

*Douglas Garry, station leader

December 13

Nothing interesting. After breakfast, I set about sorting the samples from the last research team and finding out which of them still needed to be analyzed and which didn’t. So the same thing I’ve been doing for over a week now. What were they thinking? “We’ll be gone soon anyway, let the next team take care of it?” After me, the deluge. Typical. Half of the samples are not properly labeled, and even for those that are, it takes forever to find out what has already been done with them. It’s all in the lab books, my ass. I can hardly do anything with the cryptic notes there if I manage to decipher the handwriting at all. On top of that, I have to pick the measurement data out of disorganized piles of paper. It was all planned differently. They were actually supposed to measure their own stuff, but towards the end of their stay, one device after another broke down. The devices are working again. Now, we’re supposed to carry out these measurements first and send them the results.

December 14

Sorting samples, searching for corresponding measurement data. Nothing new. Jeff gave me a new drill core. At least I was able to take a few measurements today.

*Jeffrey Norris, geologist

December 15

As I was going about my usual business, John* arrived and said that we were going to be hit by a heavy snowstorm in the next few days. According to the weather data, the storm will last for several days, maybe even weeks. We have to prepare the station. So we spent the whole day outside moving equipment into storage rooms or fixating it. I’m still freezing.

*John Bennings, meteorologist

December 16

Dark clouds have gathered. After so many days of sunshine, the darkness, if you can call it that, is a welcome change.

December 17

It’s been snowing since last night, and the snowfall is getting heavier, although it will be another 2-3 days before it really starts. David* expressed concerns about the dogs, but Marcus** said they don’t mind the little bit of snow. Quite the opposite. Huskies love this weather. Marcus looks after the dogs. He will know best. When I think about it, it occurs to me that we are probably one of the only stations left that still uses dog sleds. We also have snowmobiles, but Marcus always says the dogs are more reliable.

Later, we decided who should clear the paths and when. The work should continue if possible. However, if the storm gets too bad, the research buildings will remain closed until it subsides.

*David Palmer, technical chief

**Marcus Clark, responsible for the dogs, thermal engineering, welding work

December 18

The howling of the wind gets stronger and stronger. Eerie. I have hardly slept a wink. At least I’m slowly making progress with the samples.

December 19

I spent half the day clearing paths. It is a Sisyphean task. As soon as I was finished, I had to start all over because everything was covered in snow again. And the worst is yet to come. If it goes on like this, I can forget about work for a while.

December 20

Jeff was on clearing duty today. He also said there was no point. After dinner, we agreed that we would only clear the paths to the important buildings, everything else would have to wait until the storm subsided. At least the dogs are having fun. And Lena. She built a giant snowman. Lena Fuchs is still a student and the youngest of our team, and you can tell. When I see her so carefree, I sometimes think I’m getting old...

The fact that Lena is here is not a matter of course. Normally, students are not accepted for research stays. However, Lena has excellent grades, so she was selected regardless of the usual rules. At least, that’s the official reason. For those who believe it. Her father just happens to have a lot of political influence and a ton of money. It would be a true miracle if he hadn’t set the whole thing up.

She’s supposed to help me with the measurements, but that will have to wait until the samples are sorted and the storm calmed down. In the first few weeks, however, I had already shown her how to operate the measurement devices. To pass the time, I’ve now given her a pile of papers to read.

December 21

We have a visitor. The last thing you expect at the South Pole in the middle of a snowstorm is a visitor. Her name is Veronica Edwards. She is British and works at the Umbrella facility nearby. She says she is a senior researcher. There’s been a virus outbreak. She hasn’t said what kind of virus it is, only that it’s not airborne and that the likelihood of her being infected is low. In general, she kept a rather low profile. However, she said that under the circumstances she cannot stay in the Umbrella facility. If she is infected with something, we can’t let her roam around freely, but not helping her is not an option either, so we put her in quarantine. Actually, that was her suggestion. Isaac* has prepared a room in the northeast storage building for the purpose. She waited in the snowmobile she came in. The building is quite large, and it also has a shower room and restrooms. Additionally, the supply in the northeastern storage building is largely separated from the other buildings, and we can lock an area from the outside. That could work. It was supposed to be modified into another research building this summer, but the modification has been postponed for another year or so. However, it has already been largely emptied. She said two weeks of quarantine would be enough. For the time being, only Isaac and Harry** will look after her. Isaac is our doctor. Harry has volunteered. They will stay away from the rest of us to minimize the risk of a virus outbreak during that time. In case of an emergency, they have walkie-talkies.

We have offered to contact Umbrella and tell them what happened, but Dr. Edwards said she had done that before she left the Umbrella facility. They’ll send people as soon as the storm subsides. If they’re taking so long, that must mean it’s not that bad, right? Or that it’s already too late, and there’s nothing they can do anyway. Shit. We’re not prepared for incidents like this.

* Dr. Isaac Copper physician, and by necessity veterinarian

** Harold Childs vehicle mechanic

December 21 Addendum I

I have to distract myself from the thought that the woman might have infected us all with some deadly virus. And I forgot to write that our new arrival is rather strange. She was at least wearing a jacket, but underneath, she had only put on a long purple dress, high-heeled shoes, and white velvet gloves. The clothes looked anything but cheap. She looked more like she wanted to go to a gala than work in a research laboratory. Who walks around like that in Antarctica? Well, maybe she wasn’t on duty when the outbreak happened. That would also explain why she managed to escape and, according to her own statement, is probably not infected. But even as casual wear, her outfit looks pretty bizarre in a place like this.

She had to wait quite a long time in the snowmobile until the provisional quarantine was ready. Wasn’t she cold in her thin clothes? She didn’t complain. And I couldn’t see any signs that she was freezing either. Admittedly, I kept a safe distance. Speaking of snowmobiles, judging by the tracks, she was driving as if she was drunk and almost crashed into one of the buildings. Can she just not drive, or are these signs that she’s not feeling well? A fever, perhaps?

Also, I remembered Doug mentioning in the first or second week that Umbrella isn’t even doing research at the facility anymore. It’s supposed to be a materials storage facility or something like that. Well, Dr. Edwards claims she is a researcher there. I’ll ask Doug about the facility again when I get a chance.

December 21 Addendum II

Nicky*** wanted to contact AAD and ask how we should proceed with Dr. Edwards. However, due to the storm, there is currently no way through with our communication system. Always at the best possible time, of course! At least it’s not broken. Nicky has checked it. In a few days, the storm should ease a little, although not stop. She’ll try again then. Until then, we’re on our own. As old as the communication system is, I’m not surprised that it doesn’t work currently. It probably dates back to when the station was founded in the 70s.

***Nicole Windows, telecommunications, electronics, computers

AAD = Australian Antarctic Division

#resident evil #alexia ashford #🩸🌙 #fanfic