Two essentially simple jobs today. Firstly, complete the various outstanding painting jobs and secondly, shift that large pin holding the hydraulic ram which we need to remove before the clam shell bucket assembly can be fitted.
Well, the painting went well. Much SVCC purple and JCB yellow was applied to numerous places, such as the spud leg linkages, the control consul and cabin doors. We also found time to do the jib components, minus the bit which required the pin removal.
Our practiced procedure of drilling holes and inserting a drift and then whacking it with a sledge hammer did not work. A tiny movement was all that was achieved.
Plan B clicked in. Get the gas axe and apply much heat and then hit again. Only a sub millimetre shift was detected. Some time was spent heating around the boss to expand it - but to no avail. Then, an attempt to burn out the pin proved unsuccessful due to low oxygen levels in the cylinder.
Plan D resorted to a disc cutter, to actually cut away the pin between the boss and the cylinder. Our largest disc could only cut through about 80% of the pin, the rest had to be sawn with a hacksaw. One side was completed, but we were unable to progress the other side very far because the tight space was wearing the sides of the disc and degrading it into a condition which rendered it ineffective.
All this has delayed the primary task of getting the new hydraulic pipes mounted. On a more positive note, the new fabrication of the clam shell/rotator mount to the end of the jib has made good progress and should be completed next week.
