# Funniest Thing You've Found in Equipment?



## Big John (May 23, 2010)

Because Cletis isn't the only one who can post asinine threads:

What's the strangest or funniest thing you've found in a piece of equipment?

Before today the winner for me was discovering a whole bunch of Tootsie-Pops crammed into a motor starter in a power plant.

Today I opened up a 300kVA 4160V transformer and found it chocked full of Playboys. Apparently someone decided to try and hide the first batch by shoving them through the vent slot at the top and thankfully for them they couldn't reach their d*ck-beaters in there to get them back out... I found the rest of of them shoved underneath. :laughing:

-John


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## big2bird (Oct 1, 2012)

I found a torque wrench on top of tranny E core once. Probably sat there 10 years or more.:blink:


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

big2bird said:


> I found a torque wrench on top of tranny E core once. Probably sat there 10 years or more.:blink:


 That's a pretty awesome find, that'd make my day.

One of the guys I work with told a story of opening a piece of 480V gear and seeing a cardboard box sitting on top of all 3 phases of busing: It was full of about 20 pounds of long metal shims.

-John


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## Aegis (Mar 18, 2011)

Photos or it didn't happen.


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## Chris1971 (Dec 27, 2010)

Found a customers video **** collection while doing some work in a drop ceiling. Another customer had mannequins in his house in various poses and dress.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

Big John said:


> That's a pretty awesome find, that'd make my day.
> 
> One of the guys I work with told a story of opening a piece of 480V gear and seeing a cardboard box sitting on top of all 3 phases of busing: It was full of about 20 pounds of long metal shims.
> 
> -John


Now that's a good one,must have been Friday afternoon ..:blink::laughing:


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## LightsOn81 (Jan 6, 2012)

Nothing too outlandish. Just a screwdriver in a GE motor starter


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

Playgirls and softcover gay **** novels from the early 70s in a basement hidden behind a wall.


No I did not keep them .....


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## Dash Dingo (Mar 3, 2012)

Crack and hippie lettuce pipes in receptacle and switch boxes.


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

Something seems to be stuck in the gears.


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## Mshea (Jan 17, 2011)

Box end wrench still on a live buss bolt. Less tha 1/2 inch from grounded metal on a 600 volt board.
A few mice, A screw driver. Dirty magazines, dope and other contraband in the jail.
Note that I never said a thing to anyone about the stuff I have seen in outlet boxes in jails. I would hate to get my screw driver installed in my back.


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## eejack (Jul 14, 2012)

I once found a home made picture book inside some switch gear. They had left a note on top that the job was done by so and so and they had a foreman who they hated. So they made a picture book about the foreman and the job. It had pictures of hawks and woman's cleansing products and some unmentionables, each with a few lines of poetry underneath the picture.

It must have taken them hours, if not days, to make.

It was not very complimentary about the foreman.

The binding was hand stitched with the same wax string they laced all the gear with, the covers were bakerlite sheets.

We all read it, realized that probably everyone involved was either retired or dead and put it back where we found it, with a note that we all had read it and had a good chuckle over it.


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## partyman97_3 (Oct 11, 2009)

Not really electrical, but when I was in high school, a buddy and I rebuilt an old chevy engine. When we took the intake manifold off, we found a 3/8th drive ratchet and a 9/16th deep well socket laying inside. When I took it back to the old guy I bought the engine from, he said, hmm, I wondered where I left that.


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

Found a shoe box missing a cover filled with "toys" on the top shelf of a closet leading to the scuttle hole into the attic...

I did a lot of work for that lady in the coming next year .... :devil2:


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## Chris1971 (Dec 27, 2010)

B4T said:


> Found a shoe box missing a cover filled with "toys" on the top shelf of a closet leading to the scuttle hole into the attic...
> 
> I did a lot of work for that lady in the coming next year .... :devil2:


Did you work on her or her home.:whistling2:


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## Flytyingyaker (Jun 9, 2011)

A copperhead snake


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## drsparky (Nov 13, 2008)

Snakes is a radio power supply, seven garter snakes keeping warm.


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## Elephante (Nov 16, 2011)

I found a karate kid vhs sleeve inside a panel...thats all i got sorry


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## sparky970 (Mar 19, 2008)

It wasn't in any equipment, but I found a couple ounces of weed behind a bucket. Then I noticed trimmings all over the bench and floor.


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## local134gt (Dec 24, 2008)

220/221 said:


> Something seems to be stuck in the gears.


What is that?


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## CanadianSparky (May 10, 2011)

Walked into a rental home once and there was a stripper pole in the middle of the living room, lesbian pictures all other the walls and upstairs she had clear plastic organizer drawers neatly filled with condoms, magazines and toys. She just spoke to us like nothing was up....except me.


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## MollyHatchet29 (Jan 24, 2012)

CanadianSparky said:


> Walked into a rental home once and there was a stripper pole in the middle of the living room, lesbian pictures all other the walls and upstairs she had clear plastic organizer drawers neatly filled with condoms, magazines and toys. She just spoke to us like nothing was up....except me.


Funny.. I don't remember you doing work at my place... 

Oddest thing I've found was a vintage dr pepper can/bowl in the interstitial of the VA Hospital. It looked like it'd been there for quite some time. You never know what you'll find up there..


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## D-Bo (Apr 15, 2012)

local134gt said:


> What is that?


The geico lizard of course


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## Industrialsparky (Jul 10, 2012)

Was in a crawl space one time of a really old house and found a whole box of embalming fluid it was a little creepy


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## LARMGUY (Aug 22, 2010)

A note written in sharpie from the previous technician on the inside cover of a Cardkey access control box stating, "If this MF ever starts working close the door gently and RUN LIKE HELL!"


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## niteshift (Nov 21, 2007)

Whats the odds....
open the cabinet door, and bam, 
this falls out.:laughing:


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

Found a pistol hidden behind the panel during a service change.


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## niteshift (Nov 21, 2007)

Found a pistol too, was on the sill plate, long forgotten.


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## JoeKP (Nov 16, 2009)

Nothing good for me

Above a drop ceiling (different times)
-brand new roll of jack chain
-new cases of zip ties
-tool that I left last time I was there
-rolls of wire

Inside walls
-old coins/bills
-newspapers.
-small tools

In yards
-b4t buried boxes...

Nothing good found in gear or panels yet.


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## BIGRED (Jan 22, 2007)

I found a dil** in a drop ceilng. The young dude that lived in the house said to the guy I was working for " I think that is Grandmoms".


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## jlevi (Dec 21, 2011)

found sixties ****, gave it to the home owner to throw out. He was quite amused!


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

Hired by a local realtor to do some work in a remote home here, previously owned by a deceased ex-nazi cross dresser

It was sort of like Fredricks of hollywoood meets the 3rd Riech, all through the place....

~CS~


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## hardworkingstiff (Jan 22, 2007)

Believe it or not, back in the mid 70's I found a small metal box (about 10" wide x 8" x 4" deep) under some insulation in attic of an attorney's home when my boss and I were installing a new switch. I'm a curious guy so I opened the box and  found $80,000 in 100's, 50's, and 20's.

Turns out this guy represented some shady characters. 

The rest of the story is classified (by me) (no, I did not take $80,000, but I was tempted).


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## duramaxdarren (Sep 12, 2012)

found a barbecued mouse wedged behind a 200a main. got tin through a open ko. found porno video above boiler on blueboard. found a used condom in the homeowners waste basket next to the night stand. ugly couple with lots o money and they knew we were coming. found a pair of channies above a drop ceiling


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## RGH (Sep 12, 2011)

A giant black thong stuck to my boot panel in laundryroom of a rental chic was huge ....wth is this omg almost piss my self we were laughing so hard and trying to be quiet


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

I leave notes all the time for the next person. I also like to leave newspapers folded inside walls or under cabinets. 
I like to Draw "Kilroy was here" art in places were people rarely go.


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

Ive found a bottle of whisky hidden on a top shelf of a nurses station in a hospital.

A guy told me a story: They were in the tunnels of a hospital and they were scoping out a run and found a room that had a mattress, porno mags and candles, they went back and told the guys and had a chuckle about it. One guy decided to go check it out and there were 2 dudes going to pound town in there. He was white as a ghost apparently. 

Ive stumbled across areas in the bush where the old bushmen must of had a timber camp and a party from the amount of old bottles and remains of timber slab huts completely untouched for over a hundred years. I leave that stuff as is for the next guy and hope other people do the same.


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## JRaef (Mar 23, 2009)

I lost track of the number of rattlers I've come across in pump panels. I learned to bang hard on the door before opening it. Snakes can't hear, but they feel the pressure and rattle a warning. I had one helper say WTF when I banged a door once, then he heard the rattle inside. He learned from that too. 

Opened a 4160V soft starter from the factory to install it, found a jalapeño pepper inside on top of a control board. I have a picture of that one somewhere.


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## Julius793 (Nov 29, 2011)

Quite a large stack of porno under insulation and dead mice when changing some outlets.....


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## ptcrtn (Mar 14, 2011)

found empty a lot of 
wiskey bottles in cable tray at power house


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Found someone's chew spit cup inside a panel just the other day. I think that guy was bucking for the biggest pig award.


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## Zog (Apr 15, 2009)

Found some crazy stuff in rooftop and remote substations over the years, one had a bed with TV (Tapped off switchgear control power) tucked up on top of a 3000kVA transformer. Another one had a leather recliner, radio, mini fridge, and stand up ash tray full of roaches hidden behind some switchgear. 

Worst I ever found was remains of a guy stealing HV bus from a sub in Detroit just minutes after power was restored during the 2003 blackout. Pretty much just a jacket and hacksaw left.


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## hardworkingstiff (Jan 22, 2007)

Zog said:


> Another one had a leather recliner, radio, mini fridge, and stand up ash tray full of roaches hidden behind some switchgear.


What attracted those little bugs?


> Worst I ever found was remains of a guy stealing HV bus from a sub in Detroit just minutes after power was restored during the 2003 blackout. Pretty much just a jacket and hacksaw left.


That's truly sad.


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## denny3992 (Jul 12, 2010)

**** and booze and a klein adjustable wrench which i still have... ( found it 14 yrs ago)


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Zog's post reminded me of when I found an army cot, alarm clock and jerry-rigged PA speaker in a rectifier penthouse one time. No ash tray or radio. That guy only half did it.


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

best thing ive found, that i can remember, is a 7/8" unibit. My jobs are pretty boring.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

TOOL_5150 said:


> best thing ive found, that i can remember, is a 7/8" unibit. My jobs are pretty boring.


Found my share of misplaced misc fitting and bolt boxes/cans here and there in odd places, but very seldom tools. Nice score if that bit was still sharp. 40 bucks in the pocket.


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## Zog (Apr 15, 2009)

hardworkingstiff said:


> What attracted those little bugs?


 To be honest, the UAW (No offense).



hardworkingstiff said:


> That's truly sad.


 It was nasty


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

MDShunk said:


> Found my share of misplaced misc fitting and bolt boxes/cans here and there in odd places, but very seldom tools. Nice score if that bit was still sharp. 40 bucks in the pocket.


I found it months ago, never used it. its still sitting in the "wirenut disposal" box in my bedroom.

Its amazing how much little stuff comes home with me in the pockets... wirenuts, screws... etc.

One of my co-workers told me somewhat jokingly that he has 2 tubs on top of his clothes washer... 1 for the wirenuts that were removed from pockets before the wash, and a jug for wirenuts that have been washed.:laughing:


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Yeah, we have a 3-gallon ice cream bucket in the laundry room filled with wire nuts, twist bits, various nuts and bolts, and keys to projects that I have no idea what they're for anymore. How all that crap ends up in my pants pockets, I have no idea. Every once in a while I'll sort it all out.


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## JRaef (Mar 23, 2009)

Zog said:


> Found some crazy stuff in rooftop and remote substations over the years, one had a bed with TV (Tapped off switchgear control power) tucked up on top of a 3000kVA transformer. Another one had a leather recliner, radio, mini fridge, and stand up ash tray full of roaches hidden behind some switchgear. ...


Reminds me of when I was doing a big project at Boeing in Everett on the overhead crane system. We were running around in catwalks 200ft in the air in places where nobody had reason to go for years. Came across a little niche some guy had made for himself behind switchgear, where he had a bed, a TV and a little fridge We later tried to find it from the ground and apparently made a false cabinet door from a spare unit. So from the ground, it looked like a piece of the gear, locked up. But from the catwalk, you could see everything. We never ratted him out, but because we were working up there, safety people were too and they finally noticed. I heard he lost his job.


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

Now I don't know what kind of snake this is from. I just found it outside. 
I think tomorrow I'll go stick it in a panel or MCC.
Lets see how long it takes someone to find it.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

If anyone finds a Fluke 233 in a cabinet with an MDSMS asset tag on it, I'd sorta like to have it back. Thanks.


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## Zog (Apr 15, 2009)

MDShunk said:


> If anyone finds a Fluke 233 in a cabinet with an MDSMS asset tag on it, I'd sorta like to have it back. Thanks.


 Check Ebay


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## cuba_pete (Dec 8, 2011)

The USS Vella Guf had Turbo Dog beer cans in every nook and cranny when the Navy took delivery. The crew made the Turbo Dog the ship's mascot.


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## ace24wright (Jul 10, 2012)

220/221 said:


> Something seems to be stuck in the gears.


 poor guy!


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

cuba_pete said:


> The USS Vella Guf had Turbo Dog beer cans in every nook and cranny when the Navy took delivery. The crew made the Turbo Dog the ship's mascot.


Above the ceilings at the Great Lakes naval hospital there were hundreds of PBR beer cans. Since the building was open in 1960, all of them were the style that needed a church key to open. 
We left them all lined up on the I-beams were they were found. 
Above the ICU there were more recent bottles and cans next to them. But that was due to the ICU & OR sections being remodeled and updated every 10 years or so.


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## JohnR (Apr 12, 2010)

Flashlight, tic tester, awl, 2 pairs of linesmans, fish tape-snake all wrapped around in a switchgear, tin snips, notes from a previous electrician kind of a poetry in sharpie. One job had poetry written on each jb cover. If you went the way he installed them, it made sense.


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## drumnut08 (Sep 23, 2012)

A 1/2" drive torque wrench laying across A and B phase bus bars on a factory assembled section of 2,000 amp , 480 volt switchgear . Luckily found that before turning it on , lol ! A nice gift from the folks at General Electric , lol !


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

drumnut08 said:


> A 1/2" drive torque wrench laying across A and B phase bus bars on a factory assembled section of 2,000 amp , 480 volt switchgear . Luckily found that before turning it on , lol ! A nice gift from the folks at General Electric , lol !


 I assumed that these places hipoted their gear before sending it out the door. So much for quality control. :icon_eek:

-John


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## drumnut08 (Sep 23, 2012)

Yeah , no kidding ! They heard about it though . I always do my own check for continuity after the sections are Bolted up . That's how I found the torque wrench .


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

Opened a 480 VAC CT cabinet and found 36" of cigarette butts about 1" below the bus. 

Not sure what would have happened if they reached the bus.

The engineers desk was next to the CT cabinet and there was a screen vent, he used this for his ash tray.

The CT cabinet was at least 42"x36" that is a heck of a lot of smokes.


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## JohnR (Apr 12, 2010)

I hope you filled his bottom drawer with that mess. and saved the rest for his lunchbox.


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

Big John said:


> I assumed that these places hipoted their gear before sending it out the door. So much for quality control. :icon_eek:
> 
> -John


you know what "they" say.......:thumbup:


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## Open Delta (Apr 17, 2012)

I did a service call for a lady. when I opened the panel a couple playboys and dirty movies were inside. Her 13 year old son was using it as a hiding place. She was standing there when I opened it. Busted!


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

Open Delta said:


> I did a service call for a lady. when I opened the panel a couple playboys and dirty movies were inside. Her 13 year old son was using it as a hiding place. She was standing there when I opened it. Busted!


Must have been a big panel


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

I have been known to plant a rubber chicken inside of a junction box for future electricians to find.
It would be an interesting story that they would tell for years.
In fact, I think its time to restock.


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## Optohmus Prime (Jan 4, 2011)

-greenlee volt tic in a gas station attic
-separately cut **** ads from a magazine in a 120/208 panel
-a mirror with a card a straw on a garbage can
-some gross chick's drawers stuck to the laundry room floor
-**** mag seen across a bunch of tiles in a chinese restaurant kitchen
-**** in a basement bathroom drop ceiling.
-dead animals
-blue klein sidecutters in an attic from the first exhaust fan i put in a few months prior
-holesaw arbor on a muddy road
-**** on a bathroom floor right under the switches and fan i needed to work on
-the odd old screwdriver


i've also lost things that i'm sure others have found. guess we all contribute to each other.


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## ohmontherange (May 7, 2008)

Never found a damn thing except misc screws, the odd circuit breaker, cut off zip ties, panel blanks, that's about it...


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## wireman64 (Feb 2, 2012)

I was moving a dryer outlet one time and out of nowhere this black painted can fell on my head , i picked it up and inside was syringes, the rubber things you tie around your arm and different little bottles of some sort of drugs , i threw it out ... But i have no idea where the hell it came from, and this basement was creepy as hell , HUGE tunnel it the floor. I wish i could have took pics


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## wireman64 (Feb 2, 2012)

JohnR said:


> Flashlight, tic tester, awl, 2 pairs of linesmans, fish tape-snake all wrapped around in a switchgear, tin snips, notes from a previous electrician kind of a poetry in sharpie. One job had poetry written on each jb cover. If you went the way he installed them, it made sense.


Ive done that , just to mess with the next guy when he opens my jb's


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## 123electric (Jun 3, 2012)

Found a dead rat laying across phase in a 400 amp fused switch. Needless to say I replace the fuse and told the owner to get on a pest control program.


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## davis9 (Mar 21, 2009)

300 baggies of heroin in a drop ceiling. Was scared that the dealer was coming any moment.LOL Gave it to the management... Wish the $$$ was in there instead..

TTom


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## 123electric (Jun 3, 2012)

How did you determine the bags contained herion?


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## davis9 (Mar 21, 2009)

Had fancy stamps on it, they were pretty old by the amount of dust on it.

Tom


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## Nick0danger (Aug 19, 2012)

drumnut08 said:


> Yeah , no kidding ! They heard about it though . I always do my own check for continuity after the sections are Bolted up . That's how I found the torque wrench .


Always megger the bus, even if we just turn it off to add a piece of gear always.


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## bobelectric (Feb 24, 2007)

Went on a no power to elevator call. Went up to the penthouse and found a raccoon across the 480 buss.My labors both manned the rails.


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## Going_Commando (Oct 1, 2011)

bobelectric said:


> Went on a no power to elevator call. Went up to the penthouse and found a raccoon across the 480 buss.My labors both manned the rails.


That must have been one crispy critter.


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## D-Bo (Apr 15, 2012)

I've always left notes on racks I construct. Simple notes like how far to center of bend and what angle of bend I used or the kick off the wall. I do it mostly for myself since I'll probably be the one adding to the rack but hopefully it can make someone elses job a little easier someday


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## kennydmeek (Sep 12, 2009)

sparky970 said:


> It wasn't in any equipment, but I found a couple ounces of weed behind a bucket. Then I noticed trimmings all over the bench and floor.


Found a vial full on top of a panel that must have been there for about 10 years. Not going to say how I determined that...:whistling2:


.....and that was quite a few years ago..


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## LARMGUY (Aug 22, 2010)

Someone is going to find a nice new Fluke 73 someplace.


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## Tommy W (Mar 16, 2012)

We ripped out some sheet rock around 1992 in a police building. and out came an old newspaper my buddy reached it first. It was in perfect condition, Headlines that read Charels Manson arested. We had fun at lunch time reading the prices of food and car adds.


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

wireman64 said:


> ...But i have no idea where the hell it came from, and this basement was creepy as hell , HUGE tunnel it the floor. I wish i could have took pics


 How's that? There was a tunnel in the floor?!

-John


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## Theriot (Aug 27, 2011)

No I didn't wire this one up o was just there to add another countertop recp. Outdoor kitchen poolside.


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

Theriot said:


> No I didn't wire this one up o was just there to add another countertop recp. Outdoor kitchen poolside.


 That's not so much "funny" as it is "bitey." 

-John


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## Awg-Dawg (Jan 23, 2007)

I found a hammer in a switchgear.


It was forgotten by a coworker of mine....

20 years earlier.


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

Not electrical, but helping a friend work on a piece of heavy equipment and found a box end wrench in the oil pan. From the factory. The pan had never been pulled and the loader was 10 years old.


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## socalelect (Nov 14, 2011)

Theriot said:


> No I didn't wire this one up o was just there to add another countertop recp. Outdoor kitchen poolside.


Those things are mean as ****. Did 700 fillers in damage to my dog, they are also quite fast I learned not to smack them with a shovel I just shoot them with 22 hollow points now


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## etb (Sep 8, 2010)

socalelect said:


> Those things are mean as ****. Did 700 fillers in damage to my dog, they are also quite fast I learned not to smack them with a shovel I just shoot them with 22 hollow points now


Only mean when cornered; they usually run away. 22 does work good but when you're in a building or a tunnel that's not an option. Take a 2x4 or shovel and pin their head, grab tail, remove shovel as you yang it out and swing it in into the concrete. That makes them play dead, then you can carry outside and kill it dead.


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## socalelect (Nov 14, 2011)

etb said:


> Only mean when cornered; they usually run away. 22 does work good but when you're in a building or a tunnel that's not an option. Take a 2x4 or shovel and pin their head, grab tail, remove shovel as you yang it out and swing it in into the concrete. That makes them play dead, then you can carry outside and kill it dead.


I was surprised at how fast they could run


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## etb (Sep 8, 2010)

socalelect said:


> I was surprised at how fast they could run


Wait till you see a scared armadillo. I've never tried to shoot anything that moved that fast!

Oh right, things in panels... Nothing that hasn't been posted here. Outside of panels, neatest thing was an old wiskey bottle behind some lath & plaster and some horseshoe nails still in their original box, from the 40's I think.


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## socalelect (Nov 14, 2011)

etb said:


> Wait till you see a scared armadillo. I've never tried to shoot anything that moved that fast!
> 
> Oh right, things in panels... Nothing that hasn't been posted here. Outside of panels, neatest thing was an old wiskey bottle behind some lath & plaster and some horseshoe nails still in their original box, from the 40's I think.


I have a friend in the k falls area of Oregon he says the badgers will chase you down if u screw with them


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

Nothing particularly funny that I can recall. Mostly just a bunch of critters, my flat shovel gets lots of use offing snakes.


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## JoeKP (Nov 16, 2009)

Not in equipment but today doing a rewire in an apartment that caught fire I found a bag of crack in the ceiling. (Twas a drop ceiling). It looked to be quite old. But my boss still figured out it was crack. We joked about it for the rest of the day.


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

JoeKP said:


> Not in equipment but today doing a rewire in an apartment that caught fire I found a bag of crack in the ceiling. (Twas a drop ceiling). It looked to be quite old. But my boss still figured out it was crack. We joked about it for the rest of the day.


Did it make you work real fast?


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## retiredsparktech (Mar 8, 2011)

socalelect said:


> I have a friend in the k falls area of Oregon he says the badgers will chase you down if u screw with them


I know you are refering to Oregon, but Wisconsin is the Badger state.
Does that mean " Don't mess with any of us. "


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## wireman64 (Feb 2, 2012)

niteshift said:


> Whats the odds....
> open the cabinet door, and bam,
> this falls out.:laughing:


Put it back ! Quick !


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## Linhawk (Apr 13, 2012)

I opened a 45KVA transformer the other day and found an Xcelite 7/16" nutdriver. I found an Estwing framing hammer and a Malco sheetmetal cutter in an attic years ago.


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## jrclen (Oct 23, 2007)

A note in a 480/277 panel which said "be careful, someone used a green for a hot in here."

The funniest part was it was written by the "know it all - top maintenance electrician" of the facility. The conductor was attached to the circuit breaker and powered a bunch of lights, passing through a dozen J boxes. No notes were left in the J boxes. That gave me the willies.

I was there for an unrelated install and got the foreman to allow me to pull a new yellow wire.

I kept the note for laughs over beers after work.


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## mdfriday (May 14, 2007)

jrclen said:


> A note in a 480/277 panel which said "be careful, someone used a green for a hot in here."
> 
> The funniest part was it was written by the "know it all - top maintenance electrician" of the facility. The conductor was attached to the circuit breaker and powered a bunch of lights, passing through a dozen J boxes. No notes were left in the J boxes. That gave me the willies.
> 
> ...


Were you at any point in history allowed to use green as a hot or phase conductor? I was told by an old timer you could. He never showed me an old code book....


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## jrclen (Oct 23, 2007)

mdfriday said:


> Were you at any point in history allowed to use green as a hot or phase conductor? I was told by an old timer you could. He never showed me an old code book....


I don't know. This building was built in the early seventies, so I know it was not right at that time. Interesting question though.


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## JoeKP (Nov 16, 2009)

mdfriday said:


> Were you at any point in history allowed to use green as a hot or phase conductor? I was told by an old timer you could. He never showed me an old code book....


I bet I it was it would be during the switch from k&t to the new standard.


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## retiredsparktech (Mar 8, 2011)

mdfriday said:


> Were you at any point in history allowed to use green as a hot or phase conductor? I was told by an old timer you could. He never showed me an old code book....


Evidently, it was allowed until the later 50's.
I did some work in an older home, that had a service upgrade in the mid-50's, that had a green wire feeding one of the circuits. It was allowed at that point in time. :001_huh:


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## jrclen (Oct 23, 2007)

I wish my dad was still alive so I could ask him. I've been doing this for almost 50 years and I've never run across this before. I can believe there was no code article prohibiting it early on. We went a long time without grounding conductors at all. It would be interesting to look through some of the old code books. I have some copies from the early 1900's and some from the 60's and 70's but none in between.


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## hardworkingstiff (Jan 22, 2007)

mdfriday said:


> Were you at any point in history allowed to use green as a hot or phase conductor? I was told by an old timer you could. He never showed me an old code book....


Since grounds were not pulled in branch circuits, were there grounds in the service as we understand grounds today? I mean was there a time when the only color that identified a function was white (and "natural" gray)?


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## jrclen (Oct 23, 2007)

hardworkingstiff said:


> Since grounds were not pulled in branch circuits, were there grounds in the service as we understand grounds today? I mean was there a time when the only color that identified a function was white (and "natural" gray)?


In the 1919 code book there is a reference to the grounded (neutral) conductor color needing to be identified properly, but I don't have the notes it refers to which actually tell the color.

The grounds that code talks about are the GEC and it says that conductor must be copper or another material which resists corrosion and then goes on to talk about rods and pipes. It gives a minimum size. But I could find nothing about grounding conductors or colors other than that.

I'd like to find a code book from the 30's or 40's.


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## Aegis (Mar 18, 2011)

Awg-Dawg said:


> I found a hammer in a switchgear.
> 
> It was forgotten by a coworker of mine....
> 
> 20 years earlier.


I like that, nice


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## Neoursa (Sep 22, 2012)

I remember a sub panel from last year. The last electrician put out his cigarettes inside and left the butts. It was a rats nest of wires and he didn't bother to use a ground bar, just split bolted the grounds.


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

Figured this was a good reason to revive this thread. Doing IR on a site that uses a ton of wood chips, and found panels were this was pretty standard:









But looking at the thermogram of the same panel made me do a double-take. Any guesses?


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

Big John said:


> What's the strangest or funniest thing you've found in a piece of equipment?


Dead body.


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## btharmy (Jan 17, 2009)

Baby rats?


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

Big John said:


>


Live body.


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## Hmacanada (Jan 16, 2014)

I do believe you got a family in there!


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

Nuts, too easy for this bunch. Yeah, this time instead of being a rats nest of wire, it was an actual rats nest.


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## Aegis (Mar 18, 2011)

Awesome. The nest found first/something moving? Then you did thermo?


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## Aegis (Mar 18, 2011)

erics37 said:


> Dead body.


Person?


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

Aegis said:


> Awesome. The nest found first/something moving? Then you did thermo?


 Found it as part of a standard PM package where we do IR on a whole bunch of their critical gear. I had no reason to believe it was anything but a pile of sawdust, so I definitely had to look twice when I saw the pile was glowing.


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## Hmacanada (Jan 16, 2014)

Big John said:


> Found it as part of a standard PM package where we do IR on a whole bunch of their critical gear. I had no reason to believe it was anything but a pile of sawdust, so I definitely had to look twice when I saw the pile was glowing.


And did you find them a new home?


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## electricdrummer (May 23, 2013)

was doing some wiremold work in an old row home. was in an upstairs bedroom and had to move the bed. their was a wool winter cap tucked away so i picked it up figuring i would put it on top of the bed, maybe it got lost. well when i grabbed it, out popped a digital scale, glass pipe, big bag of grass, and a bag of pills. i just pushed it back in the hat and tucked it back in the corner.


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## Hmacanada (Jan 16, 2014)

electricdrummer said:


> was doing some wiremold work in an old row home. was in an upstairs bedroom and had to move the bed. their was a wool winter cap tucked away so i picked it up figuring i would put it on top of the bed, maybe it got lost. well when i grabbed it, out popped a digital scale, glass pipe, big bag of grass, and a bag of pills. i just pushed it back in the hat and tucked it back in the corner.


That they would miss!!


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## sparky970 (Mar 19, 2008)

A couple years ago, I found a bunch of cardboard and 2x4's


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## the-apprentice (Jun 11, 2012)

full size maglight in the drop ceiling at a mcdonalds, and a strap on with some **** to match at a grow up we were re-wiring .. a guy lived there


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## dspiffy (Nov 25, 2013)

A 30 year old unopened can of Mountain Dew.


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## Magoo5150 (Mar 1, 2007)

We once ordered a piece of switchgear from an overseas (Asia) distributor. It took several weeks to arrive at the jobsite. When we uncrated it we found what appeared to be a 11 or 12 year old boy. He was just finishing up torqueing of connections. Talk about "just in time" at its best! No really, pretty much the only things I have found have been miscellaneous tools left be previous trades. I did find a very expensive Amprobe Megger left inside a 1200 amp breaker assembly.


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

dspiffy said:


> A 30 year old unopened can of Mountain Dew.


 So did you drink it, or what?!


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## Next72969 (Dec 9, 2012)

Big John said:


> So did you drink it, or what?!


 theres a video on youtube of some kid drinking that clear pepsi from the early 90s. After a few minutes pass he starts projectile vomiting :laughing:


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

Next72969 said:


> theres a video on youtube of some kid drinking that clear pepsi from the early 90s. After a few minutes pass he starts projectile vomiting :laughing:


 :lol: That's probably one of those things I shouldn't watch while sitting at my desk at work, but I can't help myself.


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## dspiffy (Nov 25, 2013)

Big John said:


> So did you drink it, or what?!


I was really tempted, but I thought it was too cool of a find, and left it right where it was for the next guy.


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## icdubois (Nov 16, 2013)

Wasn't in a panel but in a crawl space in a house from 1900 found a hand full of .30usa casings, a paper 16ga shot shell and an unknown rifle round. It's pretty big and rim fire to top it off. 
Sorry for the crappy pics


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## cdnelectrician (Mar 14, 2008)

Looks like a 45/70 government rimfire round


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

I found a sawed off single shot Remington rifle behind a service panel I replaced.


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## ponyboy (Nov 18, 2012)

backstay said:


> I found a sawed off single shot Remington rifle behind a service panel I replaced.


Was it in an easy to reach place or did it look like it was being hidden indefinitely


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

ponyboy said:


> Was it in an easy to reach place or did it look like it was being hidden indefinitely


Long term hiding spot.


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## icdubois (Nov 16, 2013)

cdnelectrician said:


> Looks like a 45/70 government rimfire round


Yup, that's the guys at the gun store said. Prob dates from around 1870-1880. Pretty cool find IMO.


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## guest (Feb 21, 2009)

Years ago found a pair of "tighty-whities" inside a used projector console I was delivering to a theatre in Kansas:laughing:

Found lots of "adult" mags of both genders in many projection booths, along with a lot of pot. Party on dude. 

When I was working with an EC, my co-worker and I had to run wire through a garage at a young surfer couple's house...and right in the way was a pair of his speedos hanging on a hook.  The HO face was red when he came out to the garage to see how things were going and realized what was hanging on the wall in our path. (Too bad the wife's undies weren't there, she was hot.)


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## denny3992 (Jul 12, 2010)

JohnR said:


> Flashlight, tic tester, awl, 2 pairs of linesmans, fish tape-snake all wrapped around in a switchgear, tin snips, notes from a previous electrician kind of a poetry in sharpie. One job had poetry written on each jb cover. If you went the way he installed them, it made sense.


Awl, that must have been there 30 yrs! Have seen or used one in yrs


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## denny3992 (Jul 12, 2010)

D-Bo said:


> I've always left notes on racks I construct. Simple notes like how far to center of bend and what angle of bend I used or the kick off the wall. I do it mostly for myself since I'll probably be the one adding to the rack but hopefully it can make someone elses job a little easier someday


Im workin maint at a wwtp the 2 previous guys worked 25 yrs there. Nothing was marked no circuit # on jbs no prints ( unless control for a specific panel) it amazes me how easy their job could have been... I mark EVERYTHING i touch there! About 5 yrs i should have it all done, my last 15 will be easy!


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## 8V71 (Dec 23, 2011)

icdubois said:


> Yup, that's the guys at the gun store said. Prob dates from around 1870-1880. Pretty cool find IMO.


There never was a 45-70 rimfire but the early centerfire cartridges had an internal primer held in place by the crimps at the bottom of the case. Nice find! :thumbsup:


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## kawimudslinger (Jan 29, 2010)

Next72969 said:


> theres a video on youtube of some kid drinking that clear pepsi from the early 90s. After a few minutes pass he starts projectile vomiting :laughing:


haha yeah it was L.A. Beast


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## icdubois (Nov 16, 2013)

8V71 said:


> There never was a 45-70 rimfire but the early centerfire cartridges had an internal primer held in place by the crimps at the bottom of the case. Nice find! :thumbsup:


Ah good to know.


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## kbsparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Opened an outdoor panel, found an RS-3 Amprobe hanging in there. Same one that I "lost" several years earlier. Still showing the Amps reading on the dial.

It was great to recover my earlier misfortune, I suppose that having repeat customers has its rewards .... :thumbup:


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## Nom Deplume (Jul 21, 2013)

I found two 18" steel pipe wrenches above a drop ceiling next to a sprinkler head. It must have been the last head the sprinkler guy installed.


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## jeffmoss26 (Dec 8, 2011)

Found a nice pair of Knipex pliers in a drop ceiling sitting on top of a beam.


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

jeffmoss26 said:


> Found a nice pair of Knipex pliers in a drop ceiling sitting on top of a beam.


those are mine. I'll pm my address so you can send them.


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## Toronto Sparky (Apr 12, 2009)

Once encountered the perfect skeletal remains of a rat stepping out of an empty 2" pipe on to the 600v lug in a splitter.. It was intact, very clean and was like a frozen moment in time. Foot was still being supported by the lug. (too bad is was before everyone started carrying cell cameras)


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

Toronto Sparky said:


> Once encountered the perfect skeletal remains of a rat stepping out of an empty 2" pipe on to the 600v lug in a splitter.. It was intact, very clean and was like a frozen moment in time. Foot was still being supported by the lug. (too bad is was before everyone started carrying cell cameras)


 I saw the same thing with a rat on the top of a flush mount panel. He had exposed just a tiny bit of copper on the red conductor of a14-3 with his teeth. He was just some skin and bones.


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## Meadow (Jan 14, 2011)

Not mine, but came across this, thought you guys would have a laugh :laughing:


http://www.nachi.org/forum/attachments/f19/85150d1425265287-against-code-dsc03110.jpg

http://www.nachi.org/forum/f19/against-code-99018/#post1303030


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

Dammit. I keep getting suckered into ancient threads


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## Meadow (Jan 14, 2011)

220/221 said:


> Dammit. I keep getting suckered into ancient threads



Its not your fault, my thread got moved to this one 

http://www.electriciantalk.com/f2/stangest-thing-youve-found-equipment-93065/


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## deerslayerjohn (Feb 10, 2015)

mdfriday said:


> Were you at any point in history allowed to use green as a hot or phase conductor? I was told by an old timer you could. He never showed me an old code book....


Worked in an old factory building built in the "50s and green was used as a "HOT" conductor. A lot of my guys got the "s#$T knocked out of them We learned to test every green wire before touching it.


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## Moonshot180 (Apr 1, 2012)

I think it is still funny that green means open and red means closed, breaker, and valve it is completely backwards..red open & green closed. Always gets people mixed up, and causes a conversation.


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

local134gt said:


> What is that?


Looks like some cricket or an insect at least.

I open a panel and found a mouse fried but the black racer snake that was chasing it also got fried.


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

220/221 said:


> Dammit. I keep getting suckered into ancient threads



Oddly familiar to your post on the first page

http://www.electriciantalk.com/f2/funniest-thing-youve-found-equipment-44924/#post835461


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## btharmy (Jan 17, 2009)

"Squirrel!" I found this guy inside a 200a meter base. The connector pulled out of the bottom of the can and left a gap big enough for him to sneak in.


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

deerslayerjohn said:


> Worked in an old factory building built in the "50s and green was used as a "HOT" conductor. A lot of my guys got the "s#$T knocked out of them We learned to test every green wire before touching it.


Was it always green? The blue phase in the original risers in Rockerfeller Center turned green over the years.


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## deerslayerjohn (Feb 10, 2015)

IslandGuy said:


> Was it always green? The blue phase in the original risers in Rockerfeller Center turned green over the years.


Looked green to me-grass green. In many older homes in the south, they had only two conductors-black and white, red if 220 volts. NO ground receptacles, just two prongs. Sometimes neutral was grounded but no ground wire to any thing.


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## gnuuser (Jan 13, 2013)

not in a panel but behind the monitor in the bosses office someone had placed a large d***o visible through the window behind the monitor!
he never saw it. but our female safety inspector found it a week later ( i can still hear the rafters ringing from the peeling she gave him.)


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## Mich drew (Mar 3, 2013)

In a utility transformer I found a snakeskin that had been shed by a 5 foot northern blacksnake. The snake was gone, but my apprentice, who was terrified of snakes, was very nervous the rest of the day. A month later I hear him relaying the story to some other tradesmen and he was claiming the snake must have been at least 10 foot long............


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## hardworkingstiff (Jan 22, 2007)

Mich drew said:


> In a utility transformer I found a snakeskin that had been shed by a 5 foot northern blacksnake. The snake was gone, but my apprentice, who was terrified of snakes, was very nervous the rest of the day. A month later I hear him relaying the story to some other tradesmen and he was claiming the snake must have been at least 10 foot long............


I bet in his mind, it was. :laughing:


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## jlmiverson (Apr 15, 2012)

12 yrs ago when I was just getting started we got a call from an older lady to get one of her many cats down from the pole in the middle of her yard. A few days later (x-mas eve) she called again and reminded us her grandkids were very worried. So me being low man on the pole I headed out. Pulled in the yard and saw the cat. Set up the ladder on the pole and crawled up to investigate. The little ditch cougar had crawled between the 3 old copper wires and must have got zapped and clamped down on the top wire. Our delay getting out there had allowed the little guy to stiffen up pretty solid so there was no easy way out for him. Back down the ladder to have the lady close the curtains so the little ones inside wouldn't see what it takes to get a frozen cat untangled from wires. Luckily there was 12 more black cats running around to show the kids everything was ok


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## LARMGUY (Aug 22, 2010)

I heard one electrician joking with another one about finding two snakes in a panel. Knowing the young go-fer was listening he said he didn't pay much attention to them cause he wasn't working in there yet.
He said he looked up a few minutes later and one snake had taken the other's tail into it's mouth. He said he went to the truck and back and the other snake had taken the other's tail into its' mouth. He said he finished what he was doing then looked at the panel again and the two snakes were gone. 

At the end of the day while cleaning up go-fer finally blurted out, "GDam, there ain't no Fkn way those two snakes ate each other!"


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

When I worked for the Railroad, I had to go under the locomotives to check and change out brushes.
Since the locomotives traveled up and down the eastern seaboard, there was no telling what you might find.

A guy that worked there had a "hand' looked like a real hand, made out of rubber. Felt real too.
He laid it on the top off the traction motor right where the latch was to open it.
I came out of there like a scalded dog.
You see they set me up. First by talking about these things. About people and animals getting run over and they always could not find all the parts.


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## Michigan Master (Feb 25, 2013)

Oyster crackers and mouse turds in a robot controller...


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