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That is hilarious! I remember years ago when I was overseas, a Lieutenant from another squadron came to our shop(we washed the planes) and asked us for a bucket of prop wash, we held our composure and sent him to hazmat to check it out. He seemed like he knew he was being played, but he still went down there. It was worth a great laugh especially when all the other aircrewmen nailed him on it in front of everyone.
We had an FNG on my ship that we sent on a chase for batteries for the sound powered phones. We called ahead to each place we sent him so they were in on it too. Poor Charlie. We ran him from one end of the carrier to the other.
Bulkhead remover and deck softener were always good too.
When I worked in a refinery that produced nickel-alloy products we would send the FNGs to get an “earth quake”. We told them is shook the mold to settle the molted metal evenly in the molds.
Like nitramjr everyone in the plant who had any time in just prodded him along!
My brother would send the new guy to fetch the metric adjustable wrench. Would tell him that's the Standard one if he ever came back with the wrench. Worked for masons for a while, they'd always tell the new helpers to fetch the left-handed trowel....
when i was in the army,we used to send the FNG to the tool room to get a box of grid squares,then a few days later we would send him to the motor pool to ask for a bucket to drain the air tanks on the trucks. You would be surprised how many newbies would fall for both jokes!!
Sent a guy all over the airfield after a pad-eye wrench once. Watched him from the control tower and called each place ahead of him. Had him all set up to go to the CO to ask for the thing when somebody spilled it. We sent all the new controllers on an airfield familiarization ride during which we would have them go out to the tetrahedron (a wind indicator). We would have them 'wind it up' for a while until they finally remembered that it was free swinging. Of course, the TACAN gate key or relative bearing grease are always getting lost.
However, the BEST one I ever heard of was the Boatswain's crank, especially if you had a boatswain with a good sense of humor that would play along. Imagine a new kid fresh onboard the ship coming up to the biggest, burliest boatswain's mate and saying, "Do you know where I can find a Boatswain's crank?"
Actually, could be a joke on the wording or it could be real. I thought it was a real product, fwiw, because I know it is a big deal to wash the wood props without stripping the wax.
A quick search revealed, mostly for scale models now, there are products to wash waxed props, without removing the wax, that leaves a polmer coating to make the prop slick for less drag.
Last edited by rebocardo; Aug 13, 2007 at 05:10 PM.