Funny stories I tell customers

[Robinh]

I love telling customers funny stories. When I meet a new customer, and start working on their machine, I like to inform them that I have 40+ years of experience working on office machines. Then I say, 'In 40 years, I've only ever set two machines on fire'.

This is actually a true story, the first time was working on a Toshiba 7816, in the loan department at the local credit union. I was in a hurry, and wanted to test the thermal fuse. I threw open the door, popped the clamshell, but failed to turn off the copier. You needed to pull the thermal fuse holder up through a gap in the fuser frame, kind of like the game "Operation". Well I touched the frame with the fuser holder, and shorted 120v AC to ground. It made a loud POP, and melted all the insulation off the wire from the fuse to the power supply. It literally made a mushroom cloud of stinky black electrical smoke, which rose above the level off the cubicles, and spread smoke all through the office. The bank manager came running with a fire extinguisher.

I was a bit "red in the face", but I ran down to the local Radio Shack, grabbed some new wire, rewired the fuse and had them up and running in an hour.

Have you ever lit one on fire?

[blackcat4866]

Re: Funny stories I tell customers

Nope. But I have had two machines start on fire without my help.

One was a Sharp Bear series. It was an early color machine with an open fuser oil pan. As a consequence there was a lot of oil vapor in the machine at all times. Every metal surface near the fuser had a thick layer of condensed silicon oil coating it. I was nearly done with my call, just finishing color calibrations. Anybody working on those machines will remember that you have to power cycle the machine 4 or 5 times in the process of doing the color calibrations. The last time I powered on the machine a little tongue of blue flame sparked and there was the flame like a small butane torch coming from the main power switch. My first thought was: "Now that's something interesting! I've never seen that before!" The customer asked: "Is it supposed to do that?" "Um ... no I don't think so." At the time, failure of the main power switch was not unheard of, so I did have a replacement on-hand.

The other was one of the early Brother color machines that used a special expensive coated paper. It was a very low-tech machine with a toaster coil fuser. No problem if the paper passed straight through, but if the paper stalled in the fuser and you didn't get it out quick enough ... well it could and did flare up. The good thing was there wasn't anything flammable (except the paper of course), so nothing is damaged, except maybe your confidence in the machine. =^..^=

Oh, I know of a third machine: Not sure what model or brand ... but the machine was getting an in-shop repair. The tech had a mist bottle of alcohol, and was misting down the inner front cover ... wiping things down, then closed the front door. The machine was on and live, and that alcohol vapor ignited with the primary charge coming on. The door blew open and the tech was knocked off his feet. Not exactly a fire ... more of an ignition.

[Robinh]

Re: Funny stories I tell customers

Nope. But I have had two machines start on fire without my help.

One was a Sharp Bear series. It was an early color machine with an open fuser oil pan. As a consequence there was a lot of oil vapor in the machine at all times. Every metal surface near the fuser had a thick layer of condensed silicon oil coating it. I was nearly done with my call, just finishing color calibrations. Anybody working on those machines will remember that you have to power cycle the machine 4 or 5 times in the process of doing the color calibrations. The last time I powered on the machine a little tongue of blue flame sparked and there was the flame like a small butane torch coming from the main power switch. My first thought was: "Now that's something interesting! I've never seen that before!" The customer asked: "Is it supposed to do that?" "Um ... no I don't think so." At the time, failure of the main power switch was not unheard of, so I did have a replacement on-hand.

The other was one of the early Brother color machines that used a special expensive coated paper. It was a very low-tech machine with a toaster coil fuser. No problem if the paper passed straight through, but if the paper stalled in the fuser and you didn't get it out quick enough ... well it could and did flare up. The good thing was there wasn't anything flammable (except the paper of course), so nothing is damaged, except maybe your confidence in the machine. =^..^=

Oh, I know of a third machine: Not sure what model or brand ... but the machine was getting an in-shop repair. The tech had a mist bottle of alcohol, and was misting down the inner front cover ... wiping things down, then closed the front door. The machine was on and live, and that alcohol vapor ignited with the primary charge coming on. The door blew open and the tech was knocked off his feet. Not exactly a fire ... more of an ignition.

One thing I miss about being self employed, is hanging out and sharing stories with other techs.

The other machine that I set on fire, was a Konica national account machine at Mailboxes etc. Not my favorite account, a picky customer, with lots of problems, where we barely got paid enough to cover costs. I was having a problem with an exposure lamp code, and as before, I was too lazy to turn the machine off, and shorted the power to the plastic lined cable that drove the optics. The plastic coating on the drive able ignited, creating a ribbon of flames. A quick puff of breath put it out, but it's always impossible to hide that smell. My propensity for working on live circuits has certainly caused me some "shocking" consequences. :-/

Thanks for sharing your stories.

[tonerhead]

Re: Funny stories I tell customers

Back in the mid90's, I was measuring voltage on a circuit board. My probe slipped and shorted an electrolytic capacitor. Well that thing sounded like a shotgun going off. Entire office stopped to look. Their manager came back to check on me....

I about died (of embarassment)

I've said this before.

One time I was working on a machine that was dead (no power). I reached under a desk to the back wall to unplug. I grabbed onto a furry dead mouse that had chewed on the cord. Screamed like a little girl.

I about died again (of embarassment)

[allan]

[slimslob]

Re: Funny stories I tell customers

I can't remember if it was a relabeled 3M or Toshiba but years ago Lanier used to sell a fluid toner/developer with a radiant dryer at the exit. If the paper got delayed in exiting they could end up spitting out balls of flame.

[BillyCarpenter]

Re: Funny stories I tell customers

Here's a funny story...I think.


When I first moved to the Gulf Coast about 20 years ago, I went to work for a very small mom and pop copier company. Besides myself, there were 2 other techs. One had moved down here from New York and we're still friends to this day. Anyway, he had just gotten out of the Army and hadn't worked on copiers for long and he got sent out on a service call on at a church to work on an VERY OLD Mita machine. I don't remember the model.

He said that the machine was filthy and had grease all over the gears so he called the idiot manager back at the shop and he told him to go buy a can of ether and spray it on the grease.


He didn't unplug the machine and when he sprayed the ether on the machine there was a loud explosion and the copier caught on fire. He said that the explosion burned his eye brows off and the hair on his arms. He said the preacher ran back to the copier room and was freaking out.

Later that day I saw him back at the shop with no eye brows. It was so funny I couldn't help but to fall out laughing.


If this New Yorker was from the country he would have known better. Country boys know all about ether and using it to seal a tire to a rim. Who knows what I'm talking about?

[copiertec]

Re: Funny stories I tell customers

Here's a funny story...I think.


When I first moved to the Gulf Coast about 20 years ago, I went to work for a very small mom and pop copier company. Besides myself, there were 2 other techs. One had moved down here from New York and we're still friends to this day. Anyway, he had just gotten out of the Army and hadn't worked on copiers for long and he got sent out on a service call on at a church to work on an VERY OLD Mita machine. I don't remember the model.

He said that the machine was filthy and had grease all over the gears so he called the idiot manager back at the shop and he told him to go buy a can of ether and spray it on the grease.


He didn't unplug the machine and when he sprayed the ether on the machine there was a loud explosion and the copier caught on fire. He said that the explosion burned his eye brows off and the hair on his arms. He said the preacher ran back to the copier room and was freaking out.

Later that day I saw him back at the shop with no eye brows. It was so funny I couldn't help but to fall out laughing.


If this New Yorker was from the country he would have known better. Country boys know all about ether and using it to seal a tire to a rim. Who knows what I'm talking about?

We had a tech that worked for us and we canned air at the time. He took off the back cover, with the machine on, and proceeded to blow canned air on to the copier. Once he hit the fuser area with it, it combusted, and he lost some of his bangs and some eye brow hair.

[Robinh]

Re: Funny stories I tell customers

Here's a funny story...I think.


When I first moved to the Gulf Coast about 20 years ago, I went to work for a very small mom and pop copier company. Besides myself, there were 2 other techs. One had moved down here from New York and we're still friends to this day. Anyway, he had just gotten out of the Army and hadn't worked on copiers for long and he got sent out on a service call on at a church to work on an VERY OLD Mita machine. I don't remember the model.

He said that the machine was filthy and had grease all over the gears so he called the idiot manager back at the shop and he told him to go buy a can of ether and spray it on the grease.


He didn't unplug the machine and when he sprayed the ether on the machine there was a loud explosion and the copier caught on fire. He said that the explosion burned his eye brows off and the hair on his arms. He said the preacher ran back to the copier room and was freaking out.

Later that day I saw him back at the shop with no eye brows. It was so funny I couldn't help but to fall out laughing.


If this New Yorker was from the country he would have known better. Country boys know all about ether and using it to seal a tire to a rim. Who knows what I'm talking about?

Ether? Oh my!

[blackcat4866]

Re: Funny stories I tell customers

Ether? Oh my!

I've seen truck tires seated with starting fluid, but I think it's essentially the same thing. You need the sudden explosion to seat the tire rim. The fire is instantly extinguished when the oxygen is consumed. =^..^=

[BillyCarpenter]

Re: Funny stories I tell customers

I've seen truck tires seated with starting fluid, but I think it's essentially the same thing. You need the sudden explosion to seat the tire rim. The fire is instantly extinguished when the oxygen is consumed. =^..^=

Yup. I seen it used on tractor tires that were as tall as I am. You have to spray most of the can in that big tractor tire.

[slimslob]

Re: Funny stories I tell customers

I've seen truck tires seated with starting fluid, but I think it's essentially the same thing. You need the sudden explosion to seat the tire rim. The fire is instantly extinguished when the oxygen is consumed. =^..^=

Ether starting fluid. Exactly the same thing.

[slimslob]

Re: Funny stories I tell customers

I've seen truck tires seated with starting fluid, but I think it's essentially the same thing. You need the sudden explosion to seat the tire rim. The fire is instantly extinguished when the oxygen is consumed. =^..^=

Yup. I seen it used on tractor tires that were as tall as I am. You have to spray most of the can in that big tractor tire.

You have to be exceeding careful with truck and trailer tire that have a split rim. They are referred to as widow makers. If you don't have a proper tire cage I would advise not to try inflating one. Watch the video closely at the 1:20 mark.

[tsbservice]

Re: Funny stories I tell customers

...
He said that the machine was filthy and had grease all over the gears so he called the idiot manager back at the shop and he told him to go buy a can of ether and spray it on the grease.


He didn't unplug the machine and when he sprayed the ether on the machine there was a loud explosion and the copier caught on fire. He said that the explosion burned his eye brows off and the hair on his arms. He said the preacher ran back to the copier room and was freaking out.

My, oh, my...only in America baby

[BillyCarpenter]

Re: Funny stories I tell customers

My, oh, my...only in America baby

I didn't see country boys were all smart. You gotta check this out. LOL