Bangladesh I would. Pakistan however--probably not. Too dangerous.

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"I'll never remove a septic tank with dynamite again"

NAR# 94042 SR
SAM# 0078

Youbetcha!
Here's the CNC-250 self-loading bending machine, now fully installed and fully operational. In these pics the Indian crew is bending a 127mm OD, 20mm wall boiler pipe up to and including 180 degrees. The machine is indeed self-loading from a pipe magazine, but the finished pipes have to be removed from the machine with a crane. Unloading is a dangerous process--because since the pipes are bent in many different configurations, the balance point is constantly changing. Crush injuries and maimings are very common in this shop. My American crewman and I stand well clear of the unloading operations! The last photo is of the machine that I shot from a catwalk up high. The machine itself is approx. 80 feet long and 40 feet wide, but it's still dwarfed by the vastness of the BHEL boiler shop.

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__________________
"I'll never remove a septic tank with dynamite again"

NAR# 94042 SR
SAM# 0078

I take it there's no worker's comp over there, eh? I'm under the impression that they're still operating in about the mode we were in during the 19th century where, for example, brakemen on railroads were frequently maimed or killed on the job with little or no compensation to them or their families. I guess they could use some more lawyers in India

I hear there's a surplus in the US these days

Doug

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YORF member #11

Heck of a machine. I know you fellas supervised it's construction and installation there. Was it built here or somewhere else, and then shipped in components? Who fixes it when it breaks?

And yeah, judging from the last photo, that is one big shop.

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Retro-grouch

The machine was built in Massilon, Ohio. Our plant is actually in Westlake, Ohio (near Cleveland) but our plant wasn't large enough to lay out a machine this size. The machine was disassemled into major components and then shipped in 5 sea containers. The first US crew oversaw it's assembly. The second US crew (whch included me) finished the wiring, hydraulic piping, and lubrication. We then did the "commissioning"--testing the machine, training the operators, and getting the customer to pay the balance.

If it breaks, Ashok, my Indian counterpart who lives near here has been trained to adjust and/or repair the machine.

__________________
"I'll never remove a septic tank with dynamite again"

NAR# 94042 SR
SAM# 0078

Yes, we get to leave today! I'll be leaving with a lot less than I brought because all of the MRE's, beef jerky, drink powders, granola bars, and snacks that I brought have been consumed. Also, I'll simply throw out my white socks and "tighty whiteys" to save luggage weight and space.

I've been to southern India many times in the last 2 1/2 years--a total 8 months in country. Every time I leave here I feel like a survivor. I've tried to get used to it, but cannot. The bonus money helps--but I'd actually take a pay cut not to come here again!

__________________
"I'll never remove a septic tank with dynamite again"

NAR# 94042 SR
SAM# 0078

Since we don't leave for Chennai to fly out until about 1500, I did some walking about to get a few more pics.

This shot is (tragically) out of focus because I had to shoot "on the fly". This woman walked past me carrying about 15Kg of bananas and mangos on her head in a handmade basket. She was walking 3 times faster than I was--even while balancing the load and wearing only flip-flops on here feet. She probably bought the fruit at the Trichy market and she's probably headed to the Trichy bus station to sell them for slightly more than she paid for them.

Her body is solid muscle and sinew and her skin is as black as coal. She looked to be around 60, but she was probably only 40. Iconic of southern India.

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__________________
"I'll never remove a septic tank with dynamite again"

NAR# 94042 SR
SAM# 0078

Also on my walkabout, I visited the "Big Fish" one last time. It was supposed to open on 4-28, but because of unseasonal rainstorms delaying it's construction it won't open until 5-4. When it opens for visitors, the entrance to the fair will be through the shark's open mouth. The admission fee will be 30 rupees (about 65 cents.)

The shark facade is completely finished now and is illuminated at night. Everything you see here was constructed without power tools and painted by hand in about 3 weeks. Even though it's not open yet, I snuck past the facade to get a glimps of the interior (being 6'5" tall and white as a sheet, I sneak like an elephant with skillets tied to it's feet.)

Anyway, past the facade the rides are still under construction and a faux Indian jungle and African savanna is being built and decorated . The elephants with mahouts and dancers atop them are constructed of a wooden form covered with plastered fabric and then painted and decorated by hand. Ironically, only 10% of real Indian elephants are "tuskers". Most never grow any tusks at all.

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__________________
"I'll never remove a septic tank with dynamite again"

NAR# 94042 SR
SAM# 0078

.....and the rest of the "big fish" photos:

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__________________
"I'll never remove a septic tank with dynamite again"

NAR# 94042 SR
SAM# 0078

....and one last shot: these posters advertising the fair are posted all over Trichy. The poster shows live elephants (and African, at that.) I don't know if there will be any live elephants at the fair or not.

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__________________
"I'll never remove a septic tank with dynamite again"

NAR# 94042 SR
SAM# 0078