The Importance of Pliers
by
Gary L. Clark
Reprint from the 1997 Summer Roundup
Many tools
are required when we construct our Monolithic Domes. I cannot tell you
the number of times I have needed a pocket knife or a pair of pliers.
So we strongly urge our employees to carry a pocket knife and a pair of
pliers at all times. It saves valuable time having these tools on hand
rather than walking back and forth to the tool box. The story I am about
to tell did not take place at a dome construction site. It takes place
at a gasoline station.
We build domes all over the place and that requires a lot of travel. Many
times we travel in pickups pulling trailers with our equipment and tools.
One day we stopped at a gas station in Ogden, Utah. Riding with me was
a good friend and co-worker Ben Olsen. After we stopped, Ben immediately
jumped out and said, "I will be right back. I have got to go to the rest
room."
While he was in the rest room, we proceeded to fuel the truck, check the
oil, and do all those fun necessary things that one does at a fuel station.
Sitting in the pickup, engine running, ready to leave, we were beginning
to get concerned - no Ben. We had no idea where he was. After about 10
to 15 minutes Ben finally came running to the passenger door. He threw
it open, almost out of breath, and with his pliers clutched in his right
hand he said, "I will always be grateful that Randy suggested that I carry
my pliers."
Of course that made us wonder. He told us how he had gone into the rest
room to use the facilities. After washing his hands he was ready to return.
He found that the inside door of the rest room did not have a door knob.
He struggled for several minutes hoping and praying that someone would
come to free him.
Finally, he used his pliers and was able to open the door and make his
escape.
You never know when or where a good pair of pliers will come in handy.
As with
most projects we build, when we first inflate the Airform we always
attract quite a crowd. It seems that people come from far and near just
to watch air go inside this balloon. The dome that we built for a church
in Houston was quite large, over 140 feet in diameter and 5 stories tall.
Needless to say it takes more than just a few minutes to inflate.
During inflation I usually walk completely around the exterior of the
dome. I check if it is connected properly in all the right places and
that none of the connections, straps, or bolts are coming loose.
While I was making one such inspection of a half-inflated Airform, I heard
laughing and giggling and talking on one side of the dome. I was not alarmed
since there was quite a crowd of people there.
As a dome inflates it becomes a little like a soft pillow. Or like a white
cloud that floats with the breeze that generally pushes it around until
it reaches full pressure. As I got to the back side of the Airform I noticed
several members of the crowd thought it was fun to "ride" the dome skin.
They would take off their shoes and socks and try to run up the sloping
inclines of the Airform and then sit down. As wind would blow the Airform
it would gently lift them up and they would slide down it like a slippery
slide.
I am not saying it was safe, but it was enjoyable for those people.
After the dome was completely inflated, we started doing some of our preliminary
work. The crowd began to leave when it became apparent that one young
man was missing. We searched the tool sheds, the cars, and the nearby
woods to no avail. Yes, we even searched inside the portable toilets.
He was nowhere to be found and his parents were beginning to get very
worried.
Then a thought struck me. I stepped inside the dome looked up.
During a nice sunny day the inside of the Airform is quite translucent.
The light flows through quite readily, therefore, it was easy to see at
the pinnacle of the dome the shadow of this young man. I called out his
name and yelled, "Is that you?"
You could see him stand up and through sobbing tears he screamed, "Get
me off of here!"
Of course we shut off the fans and allowed the dome to deflate. After
a while it lowered enough for this young man to finally slide off the
dome and back to safety.
I am sure there are several morals to this story, you may choose your
own, and always remember there are many things a little on the lighter
side of dome construction.
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