Int Olden Days When I wor A Lad - Mercury Arc Recitifers

[johnb2713]

Whilst cruising round Youtube I found this video which brought back memories.

My electrical working life started out in the steelworks, in my second week was introduced to Mercury Arc Rectifiers by way of my initiation ceremony. I was grabbed, blidfolded and dragged away to some switchgear room, I was put in the enclosure securely tied up and room put into darkness whereby my workmates started the thing up, it scared the crap out me and there was much hilarity amongst my so called workmates, my mentors LOL.

 

[Richard-the-Ninth]

FYI: I watch "Talking pictures TV" before (almost) all programmes start they run a sequence of people sitting down in a very old cinema, in this clip you can see a brief glimpse of a working MAR.

Also the forums late Tony S posted lots of info about them on this very forum Click me

 

[johnb2713]

Also the forums late Tony S posted lots of info about them on this very forum Click me

I've had a quick look and loads of thing we had in the steelworks is mentioned in there. Really interesting history. Thank you.

 

[binky]

I alway expect Frankenstein to rise up when I see those things working...

 

[Geoff1946]

I knew a bit about these and even played with one at college but it was only reading the articles on here that I learned they could be used in invertor mode to generate AC from DC.

 

[johnb2713]

I knew a bit about these and even played with one at college but it was only reading the articles on here that I learned they could be used in invertor mode to generate AC from DC.

Please do tell us more.

 

[Geoff1946]

I think it's one of these articles that mentions DC to AC conversion. Either that or I've read it elsewhere or dreamed it. I'll have another browse when I have time.

 

[MikeJhn]

Why was it that large industries had this culture of bullying (disguised as an initiation ceremony) young new employee's? Was it the inadequacies of the management or the already established workforce? (rhetorical question)

 

[johnb2713]

Why was it that large industries had this culture of bullying (disguised as an initiation ceremony) young new employee's? Was it the inadequacies of the management or the already established workforce? (rhetorical question)

I really don't know, I had two initiation ceremonies the first one mentioned and the second one I was shoved along a very high tower crane jib to the end, in the middle of winter and left there out in the rain and freezing conditions with the access hatch locked so I couldn't get back. They let me down after 6 hrs.
I never took part in any such ceremonies to new apprentices but the practice did continue. One apprentice in my department for some reason got his own back on me, even though I hadn't done anything to him. He filled my workboots up with Swarfega, it was bloody horrendous, I cleaned them out as best I could but as soon as the got hot, they started sweating Swarfega, my socks and feet were all slimey. I could have merrily killed him, they were newish boots too.

 

[binky]

Why was it that large industries had this culture of bullying (disguised as an initiation ceremony) young new employee's? Was it the inadequacies of the management or the already established workforce? (rhetorical question)

It was considered 'normal'.

 

[johnb2713]

It was considered 'normal'.

Yes it was, it was also quite a relief once you'd been 'done'.

 

[poni]

I did work on one we had for a goods lift in a shop (in Camden I think), it was 3 phase and rocked about, tilt one way for up and the other way for down , it looked like an Alien in a cage

 

[johnb2713]

I did work on one we had for a goods lift in a shop (in Camden I think), it was 3 phase and rocked about, tilt one way for up and the other way for down , it looked like an Alien in a cage

Alien in a cage, brilliant and so fitting

 

[MikeJhn]

It was considered 'normal'.

Thank goodness that those days are over, gross misconduct and assault come to mind.

 

[johnb2713]

Thank goodness that those days are over, gross misconduct and assault come to mind.

Absolutely, but it was the accepted norm at the time, some of the initiations were really dangerous IMHO.

 

[binky]

Thank goodness that those days are over, gross misconduct and assault come to mind.

Yep, and in the case of the local dockyard, a dead apprentice about every 5 years - manslaughter!

 

[johnb2713]

Yep, and in the case of the local dockyard, a dead apprentice about every 5 years - manslaughter!

The army too have been guilty of such practices.