Above 1200 Sq/FT The Salvage Garage

[Roundhouse]

Yall need to hire a chick that knows how to keep up with the money and answer the phone etc

 

[86turbodsl]

I am glad your dad listened to you and you have made progress. I wish i could have gotten my dad to listen to me. But he never did.

Well done!

 

[Strouty]

Thanks 86, as for hiring someone with excel experience, I think it would be good, but I really need someone with database experience, someone that can help me to implement things for total access from a phone or tablet.

 

[cbacres]

Thanks 86, as for hiring someone with excel experience, I think it would be good, but I really need someone with database experience, someone that can help me to implement things for total access from a phone or tablet.

Need someone who can do all that and still crack the whip to keep you on task!

 

[Strouty]

I have to be mindful of that for sure, I do have a tendency to wander. Not having to focus on the hours will allow me to focus on things that are more important. Having a steady income will really allow me to focus on the work.

 

[PelicanPines]

Expectations... please don't set them in unrealistic territory from the start. You are not going to get a world wide database access setup etc in one or three steps. Don't avoid moving forward unless you can get everything.

Tiny steps brother will get you somewhere... not taking any steps... gets you nowhere.

 

[Strouty]

I have figured things would take a year or more to get setup, then another year to have everything inputted correctly. Right now I am using dropbox and it is working for my needs, while I am sure there is a better way to deal with it, it may end up being the thing that gets used forever.

 

[PelicanPines]

Drop box is actually a pretty damn good solution.

Let the chick you hire know... you will share her picture.

 

[Strouty]

Really, it sounds like I should just hire you.

 

[PelicanPines]

I'm a problem solving expert... I wrote parts of excel and access when I worked at MS...

One problem. I have been retired for 15 years... the db stuff is a distant memory...
Other issue... I'm wack expensive and have nobody to Bill for me anymore.
Main issue... I'm not a chick. Chicks are FAR MORE qualified for your needs.

 

[86turbodsl]

i'm a problem solving expert... I wrote parts of excel and access when i worked at ms...

One problem. I have been retired for 15 years... The db stuff is a distant memory...
Other issue... I'm wack expensive and have nobody to bill for me anymore.
Main issue... I'm not a chick. Chicks are far more qualified for your needs.

rotflmao!!!! :d

 

[Strouty]

I could try and hire Tampa and his ladies, I would have a full security force then.

 

[xtremek]

thanks for the post dinner chuckle gents. I'm glad things seem to be working out for you Strouty.

 

[jakemac]

Congratulations on having that sit down with your father and working out a plan.
It couldn’t have been easy, but it needed to happen.
I hope it works out for the both of you.


Sent from my iPad using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[Strouty]

Thanks Jake, been busy with the job, today I did a couple little things, but had my cousins in from out of town, so spent the afternoon and evening with them.

My lathe spindle with the D1-4 mount arrived, seems to be in good shape, I am going to measure the current spindle runout so I have an idea of where I am starting, this way I will know if the things is way out or not. I am may end up having to order some new bearings, in reality if I can get the old ones off, I should be able to reuse them. I do not think I will tackle this project right now, I still need to get a few things out of the way first, then I will have the space to work without worrying about huge interruptions.

 

[Strouty]

Been less stressed the last few days, even the mess at the shop isn’t as stressful. Hopefully this will translate into productivity, maybe even the termination of a few or several projects. Assessments are being made, I think I need to start writing things down more, don’t need to clog up my brain with that **** too. Looking at what needs to be done, pretty sure the next step is to buy another conex, this way I can sort as I move things, the real benefit is there are lots of things that could go in a conex, but my current one is full. The plan had always been to get rid of the box trailers and replace them with a conex anyways, so it would allow me to clean up and organize as I go.

 

[shortykorte]

Good to hear talk went well.

Leave Tampa, just get the ladies. You know you want them.

Have you considered Quickbooks. Accounting database already built.


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[Strouty]

We use quickbooks, but the issue is that there are multiple companies and each has a different file. I wanted to have everything into one, but the accountant thought it would become a nightmare. Quickbooks has lots of limitations too, so the database would be more for leases and customer equipment info as well as the individual tower sites and capacities/specifications. There is a lot of info you need when you have a tower, if a new customer is looking for space, you have to examine the structure, in order to do that, you need to know dimensions of everything and where it is located on the tower. Tracking that is not easy as some customers do "upgrades" without permission.

 

[TwoBytes]

Strouty,

If I was you mate, I'd be looking at a platform that takes care of the mobile apps and backend database, application and web tiers, and all the related security stuff. Trying to set all of that up yourself and then maintain it is a full time job.

Something like Salesforce.com CRM might not be a perfect fit, but it's highly customisable, and they already have mobile clients for iOS and Android.

Salesforce Service Cloud would be relatively easy to setup yourself initially, and skills are readily available when you need to start customising by adding custom fields, forms, reports, etc.

I have no affiliation with Salesforce or any other cloud provider, this is just my 2c.

Mat.

 

[Strouty]

Interesting idea, may need to do a bit of recon.

 

[Orionrising]

A gis database might actual work for that. Scale model of each side of the tower with scale antennaes. I know it could be done in arcgis with click through databases to the documents. No idea what it would cost though it's out of my normal area of use.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

 

[Orionrising]

Hmm Google shows there are actually a variety of existing tms software vendors out there.

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[Strouty]

You guys keep using acronyms like I understand this stuff.............

 

[Orionrising]

GIS is geographic information system mostly used for mapping, but is designed to link information together with databases behind it. it would be pretty easy probably to setup each face of a tower as a flat map basically and build a database behind it to store documents for each fixture.

TMS is the acronym they seem to use for tower software, tower management system.
edit: also seem to use TAMS tower asset management system.
couple examples of vendors
https://www.rigstar.ca/communication-towers/tower-asset-management-software-tams/
https://www.geoamps.com/products/comamps
http://www.treefrogsoftware.net/

dunno what they all actually do, most of the sites are very buzzwordy.

 

[Strouty]

Well, that is almost embarrassing, I usually know more about that stuff, but I haven't run across anyone using that type of software yet. I now have a lot of research to do.

 

[Strouty]

I decided to start tackling the large spindle swap, no idea why I chose to do it starting at 4 PM, but I did. I made a couple mistakes, don’t think I have destroyed anything yet. I also learned a few things, strange snap ring retainers, I had never seen them before, thought I broke one in half, you know the sound of spring steel when it goes too far, well it was a trick, they are two pieces and I didn’t realize it. Anyways, the only thing that is going to slow me down is the bearing race. Not sure if I have to swap the new one and old one, it is a tapered roller bearing, I feel it should be fine.

 

[xtremek]

That is a very interesting looking snap rings. Looks like you're up to your armpits in lathe parts.

 

[Strouty]

I am almost done with the swap, need to find some oil, then figure out how tight the bearings should be, it doesn’t seem like a wheel bearing, definitely needs to be tighter, but I reused bearings, so who knows what it will sound like. I figured I would try them, if they don’t work, I will buy a new set and reinstall things. It wasn’t as hard as it was scary.





So glad I bought the bearing heater, it worked awesome.

 

[Strouty]

I have been defeated. The spindle is larger (2 1/4”) on the end than the original spindle (2”), so the tone ring for my RPM won’t fit. Luckily it isn’t hardened, so I should just be able to machine it out, except I don’t think I have the right tools to do it. I guess I need to figure things out, I am not sure if it will mess up the large or if I will just lose my tachometer. I have had enough for tonight and I need oil anyways.




Notice the step down from the threaded part.

 

[Strouty]

So now I need to figure out how much preload should be on the bearings, basically one at the front the is fixed and one at the rear that has a threaded piece to tighten both at once. I figure it needs to be smacked a few times with a dead blow hammer and retightened. Going to also run it and then recheck things a few times.

 

[Orionrising]

boring bar is what you need id say.

 

[shortykorte]

boring bar is what you need id say.

What fun is a boring bar? Lol.

Strouty good luck finding an all exclusive software package....that’s affordable.
There are several options for GIS which can be free. GIS would be a good tool to management the physical assets and their location. It uses tables that could be joined to financial tables. Can be a learning curve but once set up you should be good to go.


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[Strouty]

I think I have a boring bar, but it takes insert cutters and I don’t know if I have the right ones. Will have to play around a bit. Need to put the lathe back together with more oil.

Shorty, the software is always a learning curve.

 

[86turbodsl]

Best to just take the insert out of the boring bar and see if it matches what you have on hand. Or don't you have any inserts?

 

[Strouty]

I have a bunch of inserts, but no clue what the go to or what they are designed to cut.

 

[86turbodsl]

They're so cheap, i'd just try one on a hunk of steel and see if it works. If it does, go to town.

 

[Strouty]

I will take a look later today for the lathe tooling, if I don't have it or if I can't use my lathe, I have a buddy that already said he would help, he is about two hours away, but it would be good to have a visit anyways.

I also called about locking mechanisms for the fire truck, figured I would start with the local E-One suppler, he sounded curious, but said he wasn't sure if they had anything. Will need to figure this out before proceeding any further, if I can't lock the doors then I am not wasting my time. I am sure it can be done, but I don't want to have to spend too much money on this, in the end it is only a toy.

RacerRick is stopping by tomorrow to pick up the 56 chevy cab, looking forward to having that gone.

I ran into a guy today at the local convenience store, he was trying to buy their used cooking oil, so I told him I had some, he stopped by the shop and is willing to buy the totes and the oil. We got talking and he has interest in some other things as well. Seems like he may be a good contact as they are always doing diesel related stuff.

 

[86turbodsl]

Wait, you guys pay for oil over there???? wow. My suppliers can barely give it away. I've got thousands of gallons sitting around.

 

[Strouty]

These guys pay 42 cents per gallon, after they run it through a centrifuge. This is for cooking oil, I know people that give away used motor oil, but even that has a price, it all gets recycled.

Right now I am in hydraulic hell, I have the rams from the Mitsu excavator blade sitting in the middle of the floor, Clark's lift cylinder drops so fast you can watch it drop while moving, the C-70 crane has an out rigger that won't stay down and the boom and all out riggers are also leaking, the Mitsu has at least three other rams leaking badly. Looks like I am going to have to have some rams repaired.

 

[Strouty]

Snap On guy is trying to get me killed, he keeps coming up with deals, I am not sure I can pull this one off, it is essentially messing with my priorities, at least financially. It is just so easy to make the payments, it only hurts when you total them up...................

On the fire truck front, looks like I may be in lock (see what I did there?), they are confirming with the VIN now, should know tomorrow. What do we think they will cost??????

I haven't done anything with the lathe today, I forgot to pick up the oil, so on my way home I am going to grab that.

I also forgot to tell you guys that I found a "brand new" 1994 K2500 suburban chassis, it was a GM donation to a vocational school, it had 4 miles on it. The frame is perfect, the body might be salvageable, the rear end and front end are brand new, no motor, trans, or transfer case, but it does have a few more goodies available. Only problem is location, Chesapeake, Virginia, only a 30 hour round trip, is it worth it? I am not even sure, but it would be nice to start with a brand new chassis, I can clean off the paint and send it to the galvanizer, never need to worry about it again.