the hammer story

[" Jim McMullan" <macthehammer@xxxx>]

I spent 38 years working as a aircraft engine mecanic.Now from the first 
day mechanics are thought that you handle aircraft parts like they were the 
family juels.You did not drop them ,Let them bang together,Nick,Scratch.Or in 
anyway abuse them. So I was walking through the shop one night and a Forman 
stopped me with a problem.Seams they had a JT8D engine(re 737 power plant) that 
had sheared the long shaft at the number 4and1/2 bearing.The long shaft connects 
the front compressor to the rear turbine wheals.To take it apart you have to 
hold the turbine wheal with a fixture ,slide a long splined wrench down the 
shaft and with the ade of a SWEENY (12 x1 gearbox)unscrew the coupling.The 
engine was already on its nose in a vertical position with a work stand around 
it.So with the aid of a 8lb brass hammer and a 18in drift I proceeded to smash 
the turbine blades and the guide vanes out of the way.They were all junk anyway 
The compressor and turbine turn at 8000 R.P.M. on this engine.I then made a 
long welding rod with a 90 bend on the end .Lined up the two parts of the shaft 
and working through the 3and1/2 inch I.D of the shaft put 3 one inch welds 
at the break.There were about 100 people looking by this time.I took the shaft 
out just as the day shift arrived .The day shift bosses said the shaft could not 
have been sheared!So I took my hammer and hit it at the break.It fell in two but 
the welds looked peaty good.For the next 10 years I was known as Hammer Mac 
until I got a new monicer.Jim . P.S. A month latter the same thing happened and 
they took high speed grinders and cut a $48000 diffuser case in too.Guess 
they showed me what engineers could do.Fell free to forward if you like, maybe 
someone will get a kick. 



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--- macthehammer@xxxx 

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