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We lost a good man Friday Aug 8th. A friend and coworker was driving home Friday night. They assume he was distracted while he was driving and only going 40mph or slower. No he was not drunk..!!!!
They say it looks like he over corrected for whatever reason and hit a tree head on. His welder was set down into a 4 inch pocket built into his rig bed. The machine came through the back window and killed him..
I am guilty of not bolting my welder to my truck. That will soon change. Even a small wreck can turn ugly if that machine isn't bolted down.
He was 24 years old with two kids and a wife. Life is short men lets do what we can to come home safe to our family's every night..!!!!
Sorry for your friend and fellow welder but your wright I seen small wrecks with a lot of damage mostly the oxy tanks or welders not bolted down, that's way I tacked weld my welder and bolted down the oxy tanks on any truck I ever own, prayers to the family.
Mine has 8 grade 8 bolts thru 11ga material with large thick washers....that is extreme but....I have never let a welder ride behind me in a well pocket or not unbolted. The traditional just 2x2 1/8 angle on each corner won't stop a machine on a sudden stop either. I hate it for his family but good post to prevent this for others.
The machine I am rebuilding now i believe has 6 holes in the frame already and when I rig out I intend to use all those bolt holes. I've got a friend who doesn't not bolt his down and i have said he needs to but refuses to listen. I guess it's his choice.
Sorry for your friend.
Sad loss! But a good thread to remind people!
Lets not forget that we drive in big trucks when we have even heavier pieces of gear behind us waiting to come thru!
Thank you one and all for the kind posts.
I was a big service and he was escorted to the grave side by 25 rig trucks.
His family needs all the prayers they can get..
Work is a strange place with him gone..!!!
I cant think of ONE good reason NOT to have the welder bolted down? Even on my service trucks they're bolted down in the bed, Even if i take a spare along its strapped down and secured with straps
RC,
Sorry for the loss of your friend.
I hope you and your family are doing OK.
I worry about the machine coming lose even fully bolted down. I usually have a doubler plate under bolt holes.
I suppose, hope, the mounting holes on my machine has been engineered for a sudden stop.
The sheet metal, where the mounting holes are, on my old SA 200 looked pretty flimsy to me.
I too can't image NOT bolting that chunk of metal down.
Floyd
Richard,
I am very sorry to hear about the loss of your friend and my thoughts and prayers go out to his wife and his two children. The loss of your friend, who is also a young father and husband, and to be taken so quickly, is devastating. Just remember that the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. God bless you and the family of your friend.
Heart felt and soul aching prayers for family and friends of this man.
Words feel so empty at a time like this but it is the only way we have to express our feelings. We see so soon how fragile life here is and how precious it is.
We pray the family has those around it who can reach out and comfort with the peace they have been comforted with knowing how to give true hope, peace, and strength through this time.
He Is In Control, Have a Great Day, Brent
Thank all you guys for thoughts and prayers....just saying.
The practice of putting machines in two inch deep sheet metal wells or using 1/8" thick 1-1 and 1/2 angle clips welded to the bed with a one pass 6010 is very common practice. While I agree an old SA 200 don't weigh much it will still come free of this in any kind of semi serious accident....300's or big blues forget about it...they can shred the whole cab from the truck with EASE. Seatbelt ain't gonna help to much in that scenario. 2ndly what about the minivan full of kids that machine may fly off and cream>? Who wants that on their conscious? Our work is hazardous enough without us putting more danger into it. Do we want D.O.T. regulating every rig truck or do we want to take care of it ourselves>? Simple your line of work is attaching **** to other **** in a reliable and for the most part permanent way.....so why is anything loose on our work vehicles?>
Spread that word RC ......there are WAY too many guys counting on that well in the bed!!!!!
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