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Up Topic Welding Industry / General Welding Discussion / Gang Box Organization
- - By mechan (**) Date 04-25-2008 07:54
Any of you guys bringing gang boxes in and out of job sites, (taking them off your truck into a power house, mill, etc.), how are you keeping them organized? In the past every contractor I've worked for always used the 5 gallon bucket approach throwing all of your items in there. A bucket is defiantly not very organized! Just wondering since most gang boxes, unless you have an upright, don't really lend to the ability of shelves and or drawers, what are you guys doing?

Thanks,

Jason
Parent - - By Kix (****) Date 04-25-2008 13:52
I toss everything in and then jump on the top while my partner pushes the locks in.;-)  Like you, I've only ever really seen the 5 gallon bucket approach.  Do you have hooks in your box for harnesses?  I think if I had my own I would fabricate some dividers and put a few more small basket stile shelves in there.
Parent - By mechan (**) Date 04-25-2008 15:31
Haha, well I never had to jump up and down on the lid, BUT! I can say many an item that didn't fit defiantly rode on top. Well this is my first time working non union so I'm sort of a virgin into setting up the box myself. I mean when you are tooling up for a job for a contractor you just toss it in the buckets or on the shelf, it doesn't really matter too much about organization, just that it isn't a huge mess. The jobs aren't permanent nor are the people that use the boxes when you are working for a union contractor so it will be used elsewhere by different people most likely. When the box is filled with your own items however there is a bit more permanence to the ordeal, so I was thinking I wanted it to be organized and able to get at items without making a mess. I was thinking about trying to set up some type of devider / shelf system.
Parent - - By pipewelder_1999 (****) Date 04-25-2008 19:08
I never brought more than I could carry out should the terms of my employement change due to unforseen circumstances. Most of the non-union contractors I worked for were pretty good about keeping a good supply of tools. I would see what the job has before toting in my tool trailer.

Gerald
Parent - - By mechan (**) Date 04-25-2008 19:11
I have a tool list of items and need to bring, so I am not bringing an overage but certainly more then I could carry. Gang boxes are a requirement upon hire as well.
Parent - - By pipewelder_1999 (****) Date 04-25-2008 19:14
You have to bring your own gang box? What type of work are you doing?  Are you working as a contr actor or for a company? I have been isolated to certain types of work. I didn't realize companies would require someone to bring there own gang box.
Parent - - By mechan (**) Date 04-25-2008 19:32
For a company, but you figure once you throw in a set of wrenches up to 1-1/4", set of metric up to 30 mm, then the same for sockets 1-1/4" and 30 mm ,2 - 12" pipe wrenches, 2 - 18" pipe wrenches, 2 - 24" pipe wrenches, couple two foot squares, 3lb sledge, 16 oz ball peen, vise grips, c clamps, tin snips, pliers, 50' tape, 30' tape, 16 meter tape, 8 meter tape, 12" crescent, 15" crescent, 15" and 18" alignment bars, and I don't know there is probably little over half a dozen other items on the list. You could probably fit it into the rat boxes the millwrights use but you'd be seriously squeezing it and then where would you put your hood, leathers, rod holder, tig cups, stinger, etc that you are required to have from the welders tool list?
Parent - - By ctdconstruction (*) Date 04-25-2008 19:38
If you figure one out -- let me know -- I use to use the Knaak box when I worked refineries -- but still my backseat seemed to always be full of those just in case tools :) -- plus may find you need one of those box alarm systems too -- cause it seems like everyone wants to borrow from the organized box....
Parent - By mechan (**) Date 04-25-2008 19:42
Yea I always found a 2 foot pipe wrench was a great box alarm system ;) haha.
Parent - - By pipewelder_1999 (****) Date 04-25-2008 19:56
I wonder what happens of someones wrench breaks while they are pulling on it and they knock all their teeth out (or worse) . You think a company would issue a safety memo indicating only approved tools could be used?

It looks like you are going in as a fitter/welder. I would definately like to have all of those tools handy if fitting and welding. I usually carry a bag when I am boilermaking. After I figure out what I need I load the bag up for the job. I like the looks on some guys faces when I hand the bag through the door and the find it weighs 40-50 lbs.

Gerald
Parent - - By mechan (**) Date 04-25-2008 21:06
haha, yea I had a fairly hefty bag when I worked union pipe, although you are only suppose to bring your torpedo, 25' tape and hood, but I worked on small crews usually so the hassle of trying to get something that was so minor like a combination square brought from a shop who knows how far aware was too much of a pain in the ass. Man those Chinese pipe wrenches will snap sure as hell too, heck I would even say the most dangerous wrench on a job is a small crescent wrench, you get reefing on that and it slips and more times than not you defiantly bust your grill all to hell. I ended up having a pretty bloody sandwich one day because of one of those little bastards and a sprinkler head haha. You know it's funny before the trades you can have perfect teeth, good knees and a great back, after a few years you will start to wonder when the hell your knees went to crap and why you need to bug the old lady for a back rub. This company is tobacco free which I haven't smoked or chewed for about 3 years now, but I am wondering getting back into things how I am going to handle not wanting to start a pretty heavy habit I had during the time I was in the trades.
Parent - - By pipewelder_1999 (****) Date 04-25-2008 21:12
The tobacco thing was tough for me. I pick up a gun, a stinger or a tig rig and I am reaching in my back pocket for a chew.
Parent - By mechan (**) Date 04-25-2008 21:26
Yup for what reason it is one of those trends to pop a chew in. I guess it is sort of like the service, get stationed around a bunch of army guys and they are all chewing atleast the airborne guys seemed to. I think I'll end up resorting to some Big League Chew to fufill my craving, :D hahah.
Up Topic Welding Industry / General Welding Discussion / Gang Box Organization

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