Jump to content

Zipper Truck


Mark P

Recommended Posts

I love it.

Back in the '70s in New England, the crews that I worked with had a rather gruesome nickname for those large concrete blocks. I've never heard the term used out west and I wonder how widespread it was.

Does anyone else recall this slang term?

Are you talking about a "Dead Man"? We used them for an anchor point for bracing shear wall forms.

If that cowboy hat is a hard hat, you can't wear one on a real construction site because the turned up brim can catch debris.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love it.

Back in the '70s in New England, the crews that I worked with had a rather gruesome nickname for those large concrete blocks. I've never heard the term used out west and I wonder how widespread it was.

Does anyone else recall this slang term?

Are you talking about a "Dead Man"? We used them for an anchor point for bracing shear wall forms.

The term was "Mafia block," which a quick search on Google tells me is still in use.

If that cowboy hat is a hard hat, you can't wear one on a real construction site because the turned up brim can catch debris.

Those cowboy hardhats are very common out here. So far, I've never seen the OSHA guys object to them. We work right through the winter and when it's pouring rain regular hardhats can be a real problem because the water just drips off the hat on onto whatever you're working on. The cowboy style hats channel it behind you.

I also found this opinion from OSHA on the subject:

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadis ... p_id=22673

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Back in the mid 80's contractors here could dig a pit in the yard and dump all of their debris from construction in the pit. Paint cans, lumber you name it. Of course all of those debris fields have now settled.

That video makes me thing what it must be like to dig out a debris pit, located under your driveway or maybe even under a part of your foundation.

The last time I saw a debris pit excavated it took three full size roll offs to handle all of the stuff.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love it.

Back in the '70s in New England, the crews that I worked with had a rather gruesome nickname for those large concrete blocks. I've never heard the term used out west and I wonder how widespread it was.

Does anyone else recall this slang term?

Are you talking about a "Dead Man"? We used them for an anchor point for bracing shear wall forms.

The term was "Mafia block," which a quick search on Google tells me is still in use.

If that cowboy hat is a hard hat, you can't wear one on a real construction site because the turned up brim can catch debris.

Those cowboy hardhats are very common out here. So far, I've never seen the OSHA guys object to them. We work right through the winter and when it's pouring rain regular hardhats can be a real problem because the water just drips off the hat on onto whatever you're working on. The cowboy style hats channel it behind you.

I also found this opinion from OSHA on the subject:

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadis ... p_id=22673

New to me. Never heard them anything but dead men before. As far as those hats go, around here, on a union job, you're not wearing one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If that's a union job where's the caulk?

The union carpenters I know are pretty bad. They hire scabs to picket.

First of all, we don't caulk much of anything except where a countertop meets a wall. That's painter's work.

No, they don't hire scabs. The hall sends guys that aren't working and pays them a pittance for showing up. Everyone is obligated to participate twice year, working or not.

Sorry to hear about your experience with the bad.

The UBC training is second to none. Everything from door hardware certification, solid surface fabrication and installation, OSHA 10 & 30, Rigging, fall protection, confined space, lead paint, Scaffold, and a number of other certifications you can't get anywhere else in one place. Try not to confuse trade unions with industrial unions. Different animals.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some folks don't like it.

Mafia Block

Marc

No doubt, which is one of the reasons why I was curious if anyone else was aware of the term, had remembered it, or still used it.

At the time, it was Italian-American construction workers who used the term. They certainly didn't take offense at it.

They use mafia blocks as shoes when they want someone to sleep with the fishes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...