Being one who could never make a pancake work, I have been relegated to a Jackson Pipeliner. Now as a recovering welder and self styled famous third party inspector I look on my learning as somewhat entertaining. Like before companies adopted facial hair policy's. After a night of drinking and inconsiderate passion, I was fitting a flange to a scraper trap on a crude oil line. Did it dawn on me this was a CRUDE OIL line? As a helper it was my job to jump through my a$$ when the welder hollered froggy. He hollered, I held and we both heard that "SWOOOOOOOOOSH POW" as flammable gas escapes.
Lit.
Hairy face in front of the flange, didn't want the flange to be out of level and the flange pins were on the face side. Hair lit up, helper threw down flange and welder started cussing at me. Me hung over and stinking chased formerly swearing welder down ROW with slag hammer in hand with the firm intent of putting pointed end between welders eyes. Whole crew laughing thinking it was funny. Then me having to explain to the boss where mustache, eyebrows, front of my beard and the welder was. BTW, the welder lit out and the boss gave him a ride to town. It was a lot funnier that evening after a few beers than just that minute. And since my head is like a gallon tomato can turned on its side, I learned to get my hats fitted with a long enough bill to cover my ears. That sizzle just before the pain hits then the metallic taste at the back of your throat as the BB works its way through your ear system? Oh what FUN! That, and an incident while welding on a loaded LPG line made me decide to become a self styled famous third party inspector. For those who don't know about maintenance welding on product pipelines, Yes, you weld with 400-600 PSI looking you in the face. You tend to either be very religious or not at all.
Thats my story. Yup boring Sunday in Middle GA from a recovering Welder