City of Fresno #112
The Engineers' 'Glean Team', led by Joe McDonald, announced they would soon begin building a second 'Front End' Pod. Although a 'Gas Diving' Tug could easily manage two pairs of big tanks rather than one, such was too risky. Beyond the tragedy of losing a Tug crew, losing that irreplaceable Tug and those four tanks would be catastrophic, seriously constraining future options. Similarly, without a spare 'Front End', a multitude of Murphy mishaps lay in wait...
Enough folk had now completed Catering 'Hygiene', 'Barista' and/or 'Wash-Up' training that I was no longer 'valuable' in the Diner. As the passage of time brought the majority of those obscured 'Inner System' objects into clear view, it progressively shrank the error-bars of our many, many 'Preliminary' orbit determinations. Re-acquiring, identifying temporarily sub-threshold objects was now routine. So, the pace of mapping had steadily eased. And, despite several false-positives, there was only that single 'Mini-Mars'. All the rest were much, much smaller. Must be said, a quorum of those 'possibles' displayed 'Anomalous Albedo' and 'Ambiguous Spectra'. Intermittently brighter than their neighbours, they had seemed larger, were now warily short-listed for a closer look...
So, yes, I was co-opted to the Engineers' project. Upside, we had a proven design for this second 'Front End'. We knew its quirks and foibles. We knew its tolerances and margins. In fact, clever Joe had managed to 'significantly' simplify some stages, which would 'usefully' improve through-put. And, this time, we could get 'Good Enough' by stripping just one (1) 'Evac Pod'. After some discussion, the decision was made to also build a third 'Front End', to be sure, to be sure.
Our work-force consisted of four contrasting groups. Joe and several Engineers led. I was in the team who'd done much 'Evac Pod' stripping, then assembly of the first 'Front End' and its 'Main Plant'. Ms. Betrys headed up a half-dozen 'Tugger' youngsters, all scary-bright and focussed like so many comm-lasers. To no-one's surprise, Cadet Collins was 'seconded' as her 'Crew Liaison'. Pete Prentice brought a squad of 'D&D' teens. Most had helped with the earlier 'Evac Pod' strips and assembly. Some now did 'HVAC' maintenance and basic 'Ponics. All would be logging valuable 'Experience Points', augmenting both 'Real' and 'In-Game' skill levels. Their canny 'Dungeon Masters' had directed that 'Tugger' youngsters should be considered 'Honorary Hobbits', afforded appropriate respect...
Unspoken was these youngsters were, excepting a very, very few 'Last Minute' leavers' precious infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers, the only sub-teens aboard 'Fresno'. And, given we could face a possible decade of wary, near-nomadic travel before gaining enough security, enough confidence, to risk significant population growth, we faced a scary generational gap. Even before that, should our trek approach five or six years, we must begin ship-wide 'Bio-Banking', cryo-preservation of eggs and sperm before quality degraded with age...
At least, this time around, we lacked the first build's hyper-hectic, near-manic scramble. Work on the two new 'Front End' Pods was reasonably paced. It allowed us a genuine 'Teaching Opportunity', with many 'hands-on' tutorials. Better, it let us ask, 'How *else* could we do this or that ?'
There was scant room aboard a 'Rock Tug' for more than a minimal workshop. Even so, crews were remarkably adept at 'boot-strapping' that limited provision. Home-docked, both their 'Habs' carried respectable Mill / Drill / Lathes, sheet-benders and their ilk, catering to a wide range of 'Tug-sized' tasks. The Engineers had their nice 'Boutique / Bistro' facilities. Thanks to my Uncle Jack, I was familiar with several oft-disconcerting 'retro' approaches, such as spin-shaping and explosive hydro-forming. While a 'Rock Hopper', I'd improvised two unorthodox, but essential repairs. Okay, neither were to full 'Dock Workshop' standard, but the 'restricted' rating of that Stir-Welded 'Mantis Grapple' boom and my 'significant' Eddy Current annealing of a stricken flange's micro-fractures sufficed...
'City of Fresno'
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Nik_SpeakerToCats
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City of Fresno #112
If you cannot see the wood for the trees, deploy LIDAR.
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Nik_SpeakerToCats
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City of Fresno #113
City of Fresno #113
Building on the 'live' process data acquired by 'Cwm Fahr', the 'Cooberra' Tuggers filled their main tanks almost a day faster. Then, they focussed on filling the side-stream tankage. This was carefully timed for Kieffer's rapid rotation to bring them to a convenient 'sling-shot' angle to speed the return leg.
With 'Front End' and laden 'Tankage' Pods safely delivered, with Tug again docked to their 'Home Hab', the Tuggers had a party. I don't know if it was officially a youngster's early or late birthday, or a family anniversary, but every-one knew it was to celebrate the successful glean.
'Front End' construction was paused while the rest of us crawled all over that first Pod. We checked sensor calibrations, flanges' and mountings' bolt torques. We dismantled valves and pumps, checked for deposits, seal distortion or worse. We sought the spoor of subtle leaks and other woes using visible and ultra-violet lights, both as-is and polarised, plus eddy-current scans to detect micro-fractures.
Happily, we found nothing beyond a very, very welcome lack of anomalies. Still, this survey established a valuable 'Trig Point', a baseline for future comparison.
After a week, 'Cwm Fahr' loaded up a fresh pair of empty 'City' tanks, the 'side-stream' nest and the 'Front End' Pod, set off for 'Kieffer'.
'Front End' construction duly resumed. We'd just about completed the pair's assembly, had begun commissioning tests, when Lt. Svenson contacted me to summarise the latest 'Inner System' findings' status. Very little had changed beyond further error-bar shrinkage. Stacking umpteen spectral scans confirmed the 'Mini-Mars' might yet have some 'interesting' geology, but certainly lacked volatiles. Though easily big enough to settle to 'round', its surface lacked ice-caps, was thoroughly degassed. The kindest estimate was 'More So Than Mars'. Those smaller objects with 'Anomalous Albedo' remained persistently 'Un-characterised', their official, banal flag for 'WTF ??'
On a more cheerful note, Lt. 'Logistics' Baxter had been heard to express 'satisfaction' at the pace of 'Gas Diver' gleaning. 'City of Tulsa' had hauled away the last sections of Chaparral system's gas-stations, so 'Fresno' carried 'extra' tanks for our 'Last Train' run. 'Fresno' also had two pair of 'Empty Stock Movement (ESM)' tanks. Intended for the small gas-station circling 'Griffon', Xanadu System's sub-Saturnian, they were now ours. Given the circumstances, they were very, very welcome, and would be brim-filled...
Building on the 'live' process data acquired by 'Cwm Fahr', the 'Cooberra' Tuggers filled their main tanks almost a day faster. Then, they focussed on filling the side-stream tankage. This was carefully timed for Kieffer's rapid rotation to bring them to a convenient 'sling-shot' angle to speed the return leg.
With 'Front End' and laden 'Tankage' Pods safely delivered, with Tug again docked to their 'Home Hab', the Tuggers had a party. I don't know if it was officially a youngster's early or late birthday, or a family anniversary, but every-one knew it was to celebrate the successful glean.
'Front End' construction was paused while the rest of us crawled all over that first Pod. We checked sensor calibrations, flanges' and mountings' bolt torques. We dismantled valves and pumps, checked for deposits, seal distortion or worse. We sought the spoor of subtle leaks and other woes using visible and ultra-violet lights, both as-is and polarised, plus eddy-current scans to detect micro-fractures.
Happily, we found nothing beyond a very, very welcome lack of anomalies. Still, this survey established a valuable 'Trig Point', a baseline for future comparison.
After a week, 'Cwm Fahr' loaded up a fresh pair of empty 'City' tanks, the 'side-stream' nest and the 'Front End' Pod, set off for 'Kieffer'.
'Front End' construction duly resumed. We'd just about completed the pair's assembly, had begun commissioning tests, when Lt. Svenson contacted me to summarise the latest 'Inner System' findings' status. Very little had changed beyond further error-bar shrinkage. Stacking umpteen spectral scans confirmed the 'Mini-Mars' might yet have some 'interesting' geology, but certainly lacked volatiles. Though easily big enough to settle to 'round', its surface lacked ice-caps, was thoroughly degassed. The kindest estimate was 'More So Than Mars'. Those smaller objects with 'Anomalous Albedo' remained persistently 'Un-characterised', their official, banal flag for 'WTF ??'
On a more cheerful note, Lt. 'Logistics' Baxter had been heard to express 'satisfaction' at the pace of 'Gas Diver' gleaning. 'City of Tulsa' had hauled away the last sections of Chaparral system's gas-stations, so 'Fresno' carried 'extra' tanks for our 'Last Train' run. 'Fresno' also had two pair of 'Empty Stock Movement (ESM)' tanks. Intended for the small gas-station circling 'Griffon', Xanadu System's sub-Saturnian, they were now ours. Given the circumstances, they were very, very welcome, and would be brim-filled...
If you cannot see the wood for the trees, deploy LIDAR.
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Nik_SpeakerToCats
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City of Fresno #114
City of Fresno #114
Commissioning both new 'Front End' Pods at a 'reasonable' pace allowed extensive cross-training in both theory and 'Hands-On' procedures. Though some of us ranked far, far beyond this level, it was logged on formal record. Plus, most of the young folk now fully appreciated the oft counter-intuitive reasons we did some work such ways: 'Lest Murphy strike !!' AKA 'What could *possibly* go wrong ??'
A few days after the new 'Front End' Pods were officially accepted, 'Cwm Fahr' returned from 'Kieffer', docked the latest set of brimming tanks. Their party coincided with a 'Fresno'-wide fest, celebrating the first major 'Ponic potato harvest. This was mostly served as a 'side', a lidded jar containing a neat bundle of steamed and lightly seasoned 'batons', as if carrot or parsnip. Which root-crops, as it happens, were both 'Coming Along Nicely' now the Molybdenum issue had been resolved. Their sheer novelty value, plus the inimitable 'Proper' texture and flavour of 'Real Potato' rather than re-constituted powder, hugely boosted ship-wide morale. Yes, 'Fries', 'Crisps', 'Croquettes', 'Au Gratin' and even 'Hash Browns' surely lay ahead ! Yes, yes, the latter awaited a crop of 'Field Onions' rather than straw-thin 'Springs' or 'Cut and Come Again' garnish. Still, seeing all that so-tedious 'Ponic work begin to pay off told its own story...
Lt. Svenson reported the latest, and rather surprising result from those 'Anomalous' asteroids. 'Signal to Noise' progressively improved as the square root of their 'stacked' scans' count. The 'Citizen Science' team wrangling them had finally, finally acquired enough data to reliably determine each object's rotation rate. 'Wrapping' their prior scans identified that 'Excessive Albedo' as wide patches of high purity 'Silica', its glitter high-lighting otherwise 'ordinary' surfaces. As the asteroids turned, they'd seemed brighter and darker, further complicating identification by often dropping albedo below Fresno's sensor threshold...
Though the team had done very, very well, this find was remarkably weird. Investigation must wait, as it was again the turn of 'Cooberra' to go gas-diving. My business was 'Rocky Moons', yet I knew of nothing, nothing that could plausibly account for such multiple incidents of 'Pronounced Regional Enhancement'. Else-where, silica sand or gravel needed specific geology, then ample time for natural processes to erode, sort materials by size. Here, the 'Needful' seemed to be lacking. Water as agent ? No significant atmosphere. Aeolian ? Like-wise...
Hmm...
I so wanted to leverage my Geology and Amateur Astronomy, scour my references and Fresno's library. Wasn't to be: At the Stewards' urgent bidding, I again spent a lot of time 'Behind the Scenes' in our Berthing Drums' Diners, mostly loading their dish-washers. Despite appearances, this was a non-trivial task: Too many recently qualified Diner helpers were now urgently repeating their training. Though brisk 'Eco' runs always cleaned a 'fair' load, a 'busy' tray could be, um, problematic. Especially if, 'overly congested', the arrangement did not sufficiently respect the way some flat-ware etc could shelter others. Near-random loading was woefully inefficient. 'Too Neat' left 'blind spots'.
Yes, an optional 'Power' wash could get even the most laden and/or haphazard tray squeaky-clean. But that ran much, much longer than an 'Eco', needed rather more of our warily rationed supply of compatible detergent and rinse agent. True, there were multiple IBCs of those in the Berthing Drums' 'Attics', but the supply was definitely 'finite'. It was certainly not enough for a decade's worth of 'Power' washes. Yes, yes, we could make more of both, but the best, almost peroptomistic estimate was upwards of a year. Always provided, of course, that we could 'soon' locate and craft the makings for the makings of their makings...
So, for a reliable 'Eco' wash of a 'busy' tray, the trick was to introduce *just* enough 'symmetry breaking' to 'Do the Needful'. Seems I had the knack. And, even better, I could teach it...
Commissioning both new 'Front End' Pods at a 'reasonable' pace allowed extensive cross-training in both theory and 'Hands-On' procedures. Though some of us ranked far, far beyond this level, it was logged on formal record. Plus, most of the young folk now fully appreciated the oft counter-intuitive reasons we did some work such ways: 'Lest Murphy strike !!' AKA 'What could *possibly* go wrong ??'
A few days after the new 'Front End' Pods were officially accepted, 'Cwm Fahr' returned from 'Kieffer', docked the latest set of brimming tanks. Their party coincided with a 'Fresno'-wide fest, celebrating the first major 'Ponic potato harvest. This was mostly served as a 'side', a lidded jar containing a neat bundle of steamed and lightly seasoned 'batons', as if carrot or parsnip. Which root-crops, as it happens, were both 'Coming Along Nicely' now the Molybdenum issue had been resolved. Their sheer novelty value, plus the inimitable 'Proper' texture and flavour of 'Real Potato' rather than re-constituted powder, hugely boosted ship-wide morale. Yes, 'Fries', 'Crisps', 'Croquettes', 'Au Gratin' and even 'Hash Browns' surely lay ahead ! Yes, yes, the latter awaited a crop of 'Field Onions' rather than straw-thin 'Springs' or 'Cut and Come Again' garnish. Still, seeing all that so-tedious 'Ponic work begin to pay off told its own story...
Lt. Svenson reported the latest, and rather surprising result from those 'Anomalous' asteroids. 'Signal to Noise' progressively improved as the square root of their 'stacked' scans' count. The 'Citizen Science' team wrangling them had finally, finally acquired enough data to reliably determine each object's rotation rate. 'Wrapping' their prior scans identified that 'Excessive Albedo' as wide patches of high purity 'Silica', its glitter high-lighting otherwise 'ordinary' surfaces. As the asteroids turned, they'd seemed brighter and darker, further complicating identification by often dropping albedo below Fresno's sensor threshold...
Though the team had done very, very well, this find was remarkably weird. Investigation must wait, as it was again the turn of 'Cooberra' to go gas-diving. My business was 'Rocky Moons', yet I knew of nothing, nothing that could plausibly account for such multiple incidents of 'Pronounced Regional Enhancement'. Else-where, silica sand or gravel needed specific geology, then ample time for natural processes to erode, sort materials by size. Here, the 'Needful' seemed to be lacking. Water as agent ? No significant atmosphere. Aeolian ? Like-wise...
Hmm...
I so wanted to leverage my Geology and Amateur Astronomy, scour my references and Fresno's library. Wasn't to be: At the Stewards' urgent bidding, I again spent a lot of time 'Behind the Scenes' in our Berthing Drums' Diners, mostly loading their dish-washers. Despite appearances, this was a non-trivial task: Too many recently qualified Diner helpers were now urgently repeating their training. Though brisk 'Eco' runs always cleaned a 'fair' load, a 'busy' tray could be, um, problematic. Especially if, 'overly congested', the arrangement did not sufficiently respect the way some flat-ware etc could shelter others. Near-random loading was woefully inefficient. 'Too Neat' left 'blind spots'.
Yes, an optional 'Power' wash could get even the most laden and/or haphazard tray squeaky-clean. But that ran much, much longer than an 'Eco', needed rather more of our warily rationed supply of compatible detergent and rinse agent. True, there were multiple IBCs of those in the Berthing Drums' 'Attics', but the supply was definitely 'finite'. It was certainly not enough for a decade's worth of 'Power' washes. Yes, yes, we could make more of both, but the best, almost peroptomistic estimate was upwards of a year. Always provided, of course, that we could 'soon' locate and craft the makings for the makings of their makings...
So, for a reliable 'Eco' wash of a 'busy' tray, the trick was to introduce *just* enough 'symmetry breaking' to 'Do the Needful'. Seems I had the knack. And, even better, I could teach it...
If you cannot see the wood for the trees, deploy LIDAR.
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Nik_SpeakerToCats
- Posts: 2140
- Joined: Sat Dec 10, 2022 10:56 am
City of Fresno #115
City of Fresno #115
Doc. Meredith just shook his head at my next clinic's results. Some-what exasperated, he said, "Mr. Kinson, your 'Off-Piste' activities are worthy, valuable, morale up-lifting etc etc, but they are so *not* that essential 'R&R' I prescribed. I swear you have a serious talent for finding important things to do...
"An example: The 'Long Field-Shock' vs 'Pole Proximity' anti-correlation that you and your formidable partner surmised ? It is real. Really, really real. Cruelly, incontrovertibly so...
"Previous incidents, of a few here, a few there, were hard to assess. But, like it or not, Fresno's 'Long Jump' has generated a uniquely large data-set.
"My staff graphed estimates of 'Initial Cognitive Impairment' and recovery rates against 'Long Jump' location. The early 'Drop-Outs' and 'Second Time Passes' for routine 'Ponic and other training provided valuable, if tangential hard-data. Even if you allow generous margins for 'Shock & Dismay' versus 'Cognitive Reserve', the evidence is very, very clear, and scarily unambiguous...
"Your hypothesis implied groups such as the 'Tugger' families, surrounded by their braw crafts' multiple powerful 'Poles', would be least affected. That is so. Fortunately, Fresno's Crew 'Duty Stations' were either near enough to the 'Power Section' and its 'Mega-Poles' or the Hexagon 'Auxiliaries' to mitigate serious harm. You and your partner were within arm's-length of the modest 'Poles' in your 'Big Mac'. You have a small 'Pole' in your 'Nav' Augment...
"Then there is the 'Cognitive Reserve' factor, what you might term 'Nimble Wits': We found a clear, if disturbing distinction between 'Last Train' Techs and Trades with excellent but 'routine' skills, and the stand-out 'Problem Solvers'. A similar pattern was evident among Chaparral's evacuees. Despite 'Gross Dismay', Mr Prentice's 'Clan' of 'Gamers' recovered rapidly. Those 'Set in their Ways', such as 'Mater Harris' and her 'mini-sect' did not."
"The 'Diner Hackers' ?"
"It seems that 'Cognitive Impairment' affected people different ways. The Gillespies gave me 'Chapter & Verse' on the 'Dark Triad' tendencies thus un-masked. And, again, how such 'Un-Conventional' traits were potentially of great value, albeit 'In Extremis'..."
"Yeah: Per the old saw that 'Crisis equals Danger plus Opportunity'. With implied 'Out of Context' caution that some or all of so-familiar 'social rules' may have, at best, changed *unkindly*." I shuddered, but thought to ask, "How much have you heard about this star's 'Inner System' ?"
"There is a 'Mini-Mars', also some strange looking asteroids with 'Anomalous Albedo' ?" He met my gaze, added, "But we can't investigate until the 'Gas Diving' is done."
"Yeah." I nodded. "At least that seems to be going well. Thankfully, 'Front End' processing rates and enhancement ratios are at the upper end of modelling estimates. 'Main Plant' pre-processing is reliably purifying that glean up to Fresno's intake standard. Further purified, 'Good Stuff' is now slowly but steadily reaching Fresno's fuel tanks...
"How fast is another matter: I cannot get 'robust' estimates, never mind 'definitive' figures. There's a lot of understandable, near-paranoid wariness, such no-one has yet dared draw a formal 'Gantt Chart'. But, I've done enough work on 'Front End' and 'Main Plant' Pods' assembly and commissioning to extrapolate progress.
"As expected, the Tugs' steady gleaning is running well-ahead of Fresno's 'final' purification rate. That's okay, as processing can continue after Fresno leaves this system. Even so, I reckon we need another dozen or so 'Gas Diving' sorties to sufficiently stock up before a Tug may be released to venture in-system..."
"As many as that ?"
"I'm afraid so..."
"Until then, I'd better find you something interesting to do !"
Doc. Meredith just shook his head at my next clinic's results. Some-what exasperated, he said, "Mr. Kinson, your 'Off-Piste' activities are worthy, valuable, morale up-lifting etc etc, but they are so *not* that essential 'R&R' I prescribed. I swear you have a serious talent for finding important things to do...
"An example: The 'Long Field-Shock' vs 'Pole Proximity' anti-correlation that you and your formidable partner surmised ? It is real. Really, really real. Cruelly, incontrovertibly so...
"Previous incidents, of a few here, a few there, were hard to assess. But, like it or not, Fresno's 'Long Jump' has generated a uniquely large data-set.
"My staff graphed estimates of 'Initial Cognitive Impairment' and recovery rates against 'Long Jump' location. The early 'Drop-Outs' and 'Second Time Passes' for routine 'Ponic and other training provided valuable, if tangential hard-data. Even if you allow generous margins for 'Shock & Dismay' versus 'Cognitive Reserve', the evidence is very, very clear, and scarily unambiguous...
"Your hypothesis implied groups such as the 'Tugger' families, surrounded by their braw crafts' multiple powerful 'Poles', would be least affected. That is so. Fortunately, Fresno's Crew 'Duty Stations' were either near enough to the 'Power Section' and its 'Mega-Poles' or the Hexagon 'Auxiliaries' to mitigate serious harm. You and your partner were within arm's-length of the modest 'Poles' in your 'Big Mac'. You have a small 'Pole' in your 'Nav' Augment...
"Then there is the 'Cognitive Reserve' factor, what you might term 'Nimble Wits': We found a clear, if disturbing distinction between 'Last Train' Techs and Trades with excellent but 'routine' skills, and the stand-out 'Problem Solvers'. A similar pattern was evident among Chaparral's evacuees. Despite 'Gross Dismay', Mr Prentice's 'Clan' of 'Gamers' recovered rapidly. Those 'Set in their Ways', such as 'Mater Harris' and her 'mini-sect' did not."
"The 'Diner Hackers' ?"
"It seems that 'Cognitive Impairment' affected people different ways. The Gillespies gave me 'Chapter & Verse' on the 'Dark Triad' tendencies thus un-masked. And, again, how such 'Un-Conventional' traits were potentially of great value, albeit 'In Extremis'..."
"Yeah: Per the old saw that 'Crisis equals Danger plus Opportunity'. With implied 'Out of Context' caution that some or all of so-familiar 'social rules' may have, at best, changed *unkindly*." I shuddered, but thought to ask, "How much have you heard about this star's 'Inner System' ?"
"There is a 'Mini-Mars', also some strange looking asteroids with 'Anomalous Albedo' ?" He met my gaze, added, "But we can't investigate until the 'Gas Diving' is done."
"Yeah." I nodded. "At least that seems to be going well. Thankfully, 'Front End' processing rates and enhancement ratios are at the upper end of modelling estimates. 'Main Plant' pre-processing is reliably purifying that glean up to Fresno's intake standard. Further purified, 'Good Stuff' is now slowly but steadily reaching Fresno's fuel tanks...
"How fast is another matter: I cannot get 'robust' estimates, never mind 'definitive' figures. There's a lot of understandable, near-paranoid wariness, such no-one has yet dared draw a formal 'Gantt Chart'. But, I've done enough work on 'Front End' and 'Main Plant' Pods' assembly and commissioning to extrapolate progress.
"As expected, the Tugs' steady gleaning is running well-ahead of Fresno's 'final' purification rate. That's okay, as processing can continue after Fresno leaves this system. Even so, I reckon we need another dozen or so 'Gas Diving' sorties to sufficiently stock up before a Tug may be released to venture in-system..."
"As many as that ?"
"I'm afraid so..."
"Until then, I'd better find you something interesting to do !"
If you cannot see the wood for the trees, deploy LIDAR.
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Nik_SpeakerToCats
- Posts: 2140
- Joined: Sat Dec 10, 2022 10:56 am
City of Fresno #116
City of Fresno #116
I don't know if Doc. Meredith had discussed my case with the Gillespies, but the new 'prescription' was a fast-track to the Engineers' Workshop training courses. I would not be 'queue-jumping', though, as their initial, ad-hoc 'Modules' had 'refreshed' enough skills to lower immediate urgency. With those first students assessed, approved, documented, a more formal curriculum developed, based on one found in Fresno's library. And, yes, all 'students' started at the bottom.
Yes, yes, most of us were wildly over-qualified for the initial levels. The Engineers knew that. We knew that. But, we were getting our 'foundations' in order. Co-ordinating, consolidating our varied 'Shop' skills. Proving we could reliably 'Work the Blueprint', however simple. And, yes, amply demonstrating enough routine 'Shop' care to avert basic 'Murphy' failure modes...
Job by job, task by task, work assessed, critiqued and approved, boxes ticked, else repeated, our ziggurat of documented skills grew. The parts we made, to various degrees of 'quality', often became 'stock' for the next levels. Our warily turned trapezoidal 'lead-screws' and matching 'nuts', crafted to the limited precision of our dozen new 'Basic' lathes, went to the big 'Boutique' machines for a 'finishing' pass. They became both the makings of 'Intermediate' machines and a welcome up-grade for those 'Basics'.
Tool-beds were a problem: Without the 'multi-industrial' facilities to manufacture full-on 'Smart' mega-tooling, more CNC 'Boutique' machines able to track, compensate, correct for innate and loading flexure, temperature variations and such 'On the Fly', we had to compromise. Traditional big lathes and such had cast beds which were grossly over-built, then 'well-seasoned'. A year or more 'fallow' allowed internal stresses to thoroughly, thoroughly equilibrate before 'finishing'. Aboard Fresno, we lacked both the facilities to make them and time for them to settle. Annealing the strata of our new 'Basic' machines' 'laminated' beds before wary assembly only went so far. Even laminated 'bridge' or 'portal frame' bracing of the still-few 'Intermediate' machines, en-route to 'Larger' with 'modest' traversing Mill/Drill provision, did not suffice.
No, we also had to delve back into 'Historical' techniques to counter 'Hogging & Sagging'. Iron bars were long used as stays and tendons to stabilise age-wonky chimneys and walls. Similar later prevented shallow-draft river-boats and barges breaking to halves. Pre-Burn, embedded high-tensile 'studding' and cabling routinely 'pre-stressed' cast bridge modules. So, we torqued the long 'studs' fitted within our machines' 'laminated' frames unto 'true'. Some-what akin to tuning drum-heads, piano or guitar, the process needed simple laser alignment rather than pitch-pipes...
Bearings !! The 'Armourers' had just about mastered 'Batch Production' of both the alloy and fused iceteroid silicate 'Buck-shot' needed for reliable 'Spin Gun' operation. As those scary 'Jericho Trumpets' spooled up, they lifted from 'simple' to non-contacting 'air bearings', albeit with a limited working life. Hopefully, never, ever to be used in anger. Please. Unfortunately, even the most modest 'Bearing Balls' needed tolerances a full dozen times tighter than the best alloy 'Buck-shot', and in much, much 'tougher' material. As yet we had no easy way to make them in 'small-ish' sizes, never mind in 'quantity'...
Still, the 'Ball Bearing' project was not to be thwarted: Now Fresno was neither boosting nor braking, small knobbles of 'serious' steel could be induction heated to molten in 'hard' vacuum on the ship's centre-line. Naturally forming de-gassed spheres, these were allowed to cool. Tumble, tumble, tumble with coarse, fine and yet finer degrees of 'grit'. Those near-fractal iceteroid silicates took over when necessary 'grit' size dropped below 'stock'. But, like the endless months required to progressively, patiently 'figure' and polish a big telescope's rough-cast lens or mirror, progress was so very, very slow.
This was not helped by most 'Tumbling' capacity being reserved for making 'Spin Gun' ammunition. Logistics, logistics, logistics: One of the dire 'Lessons from History' was that combatants often 'Blew Through' *thrice* their worst-case ordnance consumption estimates. Another dire 'Lesson' was that sheer quantity has a grim 'Quality' all of its own. So, better to be sure, to be sure...
'Roller' bearings above a modest minimum size could be machined from 'tube' and 'rod' stock. Flat 'Thrust' bearing rollers needed a 'simple' conical taper. Conical 'Load' bearings needed little more subtlety. In the short term, urgently replacing any serious, mid-sized 'ball bearing', with what-ever capacity for multi-directional loads, would probably need a pair of larger 'Conicals' back-to back. Thankfully, most 'Spherical' bearings were big enough to be dismantled, re-furbished. Crafting such a-new lay far, far beyond our current engineering horizons...
I don't know if Doc. Meredith had discussed my case with the Gillespies, but the new 'prescription' was a fast-track to the Engineers' Workshop training courses. I would not be 'queue-jumping', though, as their initial, ad-hoc 'Modules' had 'refreshed' enough skills to lower immediate urgency. With those first students assessed, approved, documented, a more formal curriculum developed, based on one found in Fresno's library. And, yes, all 'students' started at the bottom.
Yes, yes, most of us were wildly over-qualified for the initial levels. The Engineers knew that. We knew that. But, we were getting our 'foundations' in order. Co-ordinating, consolidating our varied 'Shop' skills. Proving we could reliably 'Work the Blueprint', however simple. And, yes, amply demonstrating enough routine 'Shop' care to avert basic 'Murphy' failure modes...
Job by job, task by task, work assessed, critiqued and approved, boxes ticked, else repeated, our ziggurat of documented skills grew. The parts we made, to various degrees of 'quality', often became 'stock' for the next levels. Our warily turned trapezoidal 'lead-screws' and matching 'nuts', crafted to the limited precision of our dozen new 'Basic' lathes, went to the big 'Boutique' machines for a 'finishing' pass. They became both the makings of 'Intermediate' machines and a welcome up-grade for those 'Basics'.
Tool-beds were a problem: Without the 'multi-industrial' facilities to manufacture full-on 'Smart' mega-tooling, more CNC 'Boutique' machines able to track, compensate, correct for innate and loading flexure, temperature variations and such 'On the Fly', we had to compromise. Traditional big lathes and such had cast beds which were grossly over-built, then 'well-seasoned'. A year or more 'fallow' allowed internal stresses to thoroughly, thoroughly equilibrate before 'finishing'. Aboard Fresno, we lacked both the facilities to make them and time for them to settle. Annealing the strata of our new 'Basic' machines' 'laminated' beds before wary assembly only went so far. Even laminated 'bridge' or 'portal frame' bracing of the still-few 'Intermediate' machines, en-route to 'Larger' with 'modest' traversing Mill/Drill provision, did not suffice.
No, we also had to delve back into 'Historical' techniques to counter 'Hogging & Sagging'. Iron bars were long used as stays and tendons to stabilise age-wonky chimneys and walls. Similar later prevented shallow-draft river-boats and barges breaking to halves. Pre-Burn, embedded high-tensile 'studding' and cabling routinely 'pre-stressed' cast bridge modules. So, we torqued the long 'studs' fitted within our machines' 'laminated' frames unto 'true'. Some-what akin to tuning drum-heads, piano or guitar, the process needed simple laser alignment rather than pitch-pipes...
Bearings !! The 'Armourers' had just about mastered 'Batch Production' of both the alloy and fused iceteroid silicate 'Buck-shot' needed for reliable 'Spin Gun' operation. As those scary 'Jericho Trumpets' spooled up, they lifted from 'simple' to non-contacting 'air bearings', albeit with a limited working life. Hopefully, never, ever to be used in anger. Please. Unfortunately, even the most modest 'Bearing Balls' needed tolerances a full dozen times tighter than the best alloy 'Buck-shot', and in much, much 'tougher' material. As yet we had no easy way to make them in 'small-ish' sizes, never mind in 'quantity'...
Still, the 'Ball Bearing' project was not to be thwarted: Now Fresno was neither boosting nor braking, small knobbles of 'serious' steel could be induction heated to molten in 'hard' vacuum on the ship's centre-line. Naturally forming de-gassed spheres, these were allowed to cool. Tumble, tumble, tumble with coarse, fine and yet finer degrees of 'grit'. Those near-fractal iceteroid silicates took over when necessary 'grit' size dropped below 'stock'. But, like the endless months required to progressively, patiently 'figure' and polish a big telescope's rough-cast lens or mirror, progress was so very, very slow.
This was not helped by most 'Tumbling' capacity being reserved for making 'Spin Gun' ammunition. Logistics, logistics, logistics: One of the dire 'Lessons from History' was that combatants often 'Blew Through' *thrice* their worst-case ordnance consumption estimates. Another dire 'Lesson' was that sheer quantity has a grim 'Quality' all of its own. So, better to be sure, to be sure...
'Roller' bearings above a modest minimum size could be machined from 'tube' and 'rod' stock. Flat 'Thrust' bearing rollers needed a 'simple' conical taper. Conical 'Load' bearings needed little more subtlety. In the short term, urgently replacing any serious, mid-sized 'ball bearing', with what-ever capacity for multi-directional loads, would probably need a pair of larger 'Conicals' back-to back. Thankfully, most 'Spherical' bearings were big enough to be dismantled, re-furbished. Crafting such a-new lay far, far beyond our current engineering horizons...
If you cannot see the wood for the trees, deploy LIDAR.
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jemhouston
- Posts: 6056
- Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2022 12:38 am
Re: 'City of Fresno'
Bootstrap operation at it's finest.
Re: 'City of Fresno'
Also needing to re-understand that micrometer precision isn't really needed for a lot of items.