Archived Cardboard Baler Blues...

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I'm not touching that thing, it scares me. I break down my boxes and toss them in, but that's it. I also pick up some of the box bits and plastic that others leave all over the floor. If I picked up all the trash that other people leave around I'd be back there all day.
 
gsa4lyfe said:
We don’t have a full sized baler. Small format store
Click to expand...
My small format has a regular sized baler

We reallllly don't have space for it, but only making bales once a week or so is nice
 
So a little balemaking tip from my target days.

We took a slide hammer and welded a large drill bit to the end of it. Once the baler was compressed we ran the "roto rooter" through each of the openings at the top, ran the slide down and gave it a twist. Took about 30 seconds to do each slot and made running bale wire a breeze.

Took us about 5 minutes to make a bale, and bales were made at 9pm every night, and then noon every day. If a bale was needed between those timeframes the backroom tm did it. If it fell during autofill/cafs, a TL or the lod had to choose to either pull so the backroom tm could bale, or make the bale. That was the choice I gave them.

On occasion an lod or overzealous tl would see fit to usurp my system while I wasn't there, and I would make it a point to move them to the bottom of the priority list for everything for a week or two until they got the point.

Edit: This is a slide hammer. The weight slides along the shaft and turns it into a battering ram.

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60SecondsRemaining said:
So a little balemaking tip from my target days.

We took a slide hammer and welded a large drill bit to the end of it. Once the baler was compressed we ran the "roto rooter" through each of the openings at the top, ran the slide down and gave it a twist. Took about 30 seconds to do each slot and made running bale wire a breeze.

Took us about 5 minutes to make a bale, and bales were made at 9pm every night, and then noon every day. If a bale was needed between those timeframes the backroom tm did it. If it fell during autofill/cafs, a TL or the lod had to choose to either pull so the backroom tm could bale, or make the bale. That was the choice I gave them.

On occasion an lod or overzealous tl would see fit to usurp my system while I wasn't there, and I would make it a point to move them to the bottom of the priority list for everything for a week or two until they got the point.

Edit: This is a slide hammer. The weight slides along the shaft and turns it into a battering ram.

Amazon.com: OTC (1155) Basic Slide Hammer Unit - 5 lbs. Hammer: Automotive

Buy OTC (1155) Basic Slide Hammer Unit - 5 lbs. Hammer: Automotive - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
www.amazon.com
Click to expand...
Best idea ever! Wish I had one of those when I was doing bales...
 
We used a long metal rod. That thing looks sweet! I can see it being lost real soon...
 
I never made one while at Target, but my next job had a rule that if it stopped on you, you made the bale. It’s a really nice rule. It’s not hard to do and just takes a few minutes. Thinking back, now I wonder why it put our BRTMs out of commission for 20 mins...
 
ASANTS, but at my store this is how making a bale went in the good old days:

Someone, usually the LOD, calls the backroom and says we need to make a bale.
Backroom TM/TL goes to make the bale. No need to look for a baler key because there’s always one in the baler unless we’re having a visit, or there’s already a key broken off in the lock so the baler is always ready for use.

Balermaker searches the backroom for a pallet jack that actually works right and a pallet for the bale, which takes a while because half of of the decent pallet jacks are hidden by their “owners”, most of the pallets were sent back on the truck and the ones that are left are either broken or full of merchandise. Balermaker cleans off a pallet, then brings the pallet over, observes the areas in front and beside the baler and finds them covered by mountains of cardboard, boxes, trash, packing materials, and various vehicles full of crap. Balermaker wishes he hadn’t volunteered to make the bale and spends the next ten minutes (at least) cleaning up the mess.

Once the mess is cleaned up and the TM/TL can actually get to the baler, he (or she) discovers that it is so poorly loaded and overstuffed that the cardboard in the back of the baler is a foot higher than in the front, everything is sliding out, and the upper channels have market/and or chem boxes stuck in them. Balermaker goes to look for the metal hook to clear the channels, which is never near the baler where it belongs. Balermaker finds the hook in backroom where someone had used it to pull something off a top shelf, and just left it there. Balermaker returns to clear the channels and finds more boxes, cardboard and assorted crap dumped in front of the baler, and still more boxes stuffed in the baler that are sliding out to join their brethren on the floor. Balermaker wishes he hadn’t come to work today, cleans up the mess, clears the channels, pulls the excess cardboard out of the baler and restacks the cardboard to make a flat surface for the top of the bale.

Balermaker then compresses the bale, opens the baler and finds that some of the channels are blocked, and he has to make holes for the wires to go through, if he can find the screwdriver or pair of old scissors that are supposed to be kept by the baler with the safety gloves which are never there either. Balermaker starts thinking about transferring out of backroom, and starts trying to drill a hole through the cardboard with an old pair of scissors.

Once the channels are cleared it’s time to put the wires through. It takes five wires to tie off the bale, but there are only three left in the holder behind the baler, since no one ever replaces the wires until they have to, so Balermaker has to go get the wire and refill the holder before he can tie off the bale. The wire rolls have for some reason been moved out of their regular home and put on a pallet over the furniture, so it’s time to get the wave and go get one. Balermaker starts thinking about calling off tomorrow, fills the wire holder, puts the wires through, ties off the bale and sets the chains.

Balermaker comes out from behind the baler to put the pallet in place to drop the bale, and finds that someone took the pallet jack while he was off getting the wire. Balermaker starts thinking about going home sick and goes to find another pallet jack.

Balermaker comes back with the pallet jack, sets the pallet, dumps the bale, moves the bale out of the way, lines the baler floor for the next bale, unhooks the chains, closes the baler door and radios the LOD that the bale is done. To which the LOD replies “What took you so long?” Balermaker vows to himself to never make a bale again and starts thinking about pursuing career opportunities in another field.😂
 
Easy-peasy french-fries greasy!
aaf_lol.gif
 
glo said:
I never made one while at Target, but my next job had a rule that if it stopped on you, you made the bale. It’s a really nice rule. It’s not hard to do and just takes a few minutes. Thinking back, now I wonder why it put our BRTMs out of commission for 20 mins...
Click to expand...

The actual making the bale was 10min, now the 40min around that was moving all the vehicles that are jammed in the space, clearing all the cardboard that people piled everywhere, then you have find a place for the bale once its made that can take a bit to shuffle around vehicles or find keys for a crown if you need to move or stack them.
 
I'm low-key upset I can't make out what the sticky note says.
 
Black Sheep 214 said:
ASANTS, but at my store this is how making a bale went in the good old days:

Someone, usually the LOD, calls the backroom and says we need to make a bale.
Backroom TM/TL goes to make the bale. No need to look for a baler key because there’s always one in the baler unless we’re having a visit, or there’s already a key broken off in the lock so the baler is always ready for use.

Balermaker searches the backroom for a pallet jack that actually works right and a pallet for the bale, which takes a while because half of of the decent pallet jacks are hidden by their “owners”, most of the pallets were sent back on the truck and the ones that are left are either broken or full of merchandise. Balermaker cleans off a pallet, then brings the pallet over, observes the areas in front and beside the baler and finds them covered by mountains of cardboard, boxes, trash, packing materials, and various vehicles full of crap. Balermaker wishes he hadn’t volunteered to make the bale and spends the next ten minutes (at least) cleaning up the mess.

Once the mess is cleaned up and the TM/TL can actually get to the baler, he (or she) discovers that it is so poorly loaded and overstuffed that the cardboard in the back of the baler is a foot higher than in the front, everything is sliding out, and the upper channels have market/and or chem boxes stuck in them. Balermaker goes to look for the metal hook to clear the channels, which is never near the baler where it belongs. Balermaker finds the hook in backroom where someone had used it to pull something off a top shelf, and just left it there. Balermaker returns to clear the channels and finds more boxes, cardboard and assorted crap dumped in front of the baler, and still more boxes stuffed in the baler that are sliding out to join their brethren on the floor. Balermaker wishes he hadn’t come to work today, cleans up the mess, clears the channels, pulls the excess cardboard out of the baler and restacks the cardboard to make a flat surface for the top of the bale.

Balermaker then compresses the bale, opens the baler and finds that some of the channels are blocked, and he has to make holes for the wires to go through, if he can find the screwdriver or pair of old scissors that are supposed to be kept by the baler with the safety gloves which are never there either. Balermaker starts thinking about transferring out of backroom, and starts trying to drill a hole through the cardboard with an old pair of scissors.

Once the channels are cleared it’s time to put the wires through. It takes five wires to tie off the bale, but there are only three left in the holder behind the baler, since no one ever replaces the wires until they have to, so Balermaker has to go get the wire and refill the holder before he can tie off the bale. The wire rolls have for some reason been moved out of their regular home and put on a pallet over the furniture, so it’s time to get the wave and go get one. Balermaker starts thinking about calling off tomorrow, fills the wire holder, puts the wires through, ties off the bale and sets the chains.

Balermaker comes out from behind the baler to put the pallet in place to drop the bale, and finds that someone took the pallet jack while he was off getting the wire. Balermaker starts thinking about going home sick and goes to find another pallet jack.

Balermaker comes back with the pallet jack, sets the pallet, dumps the bale, moves the bale out of the way, lines the baler floor for the next bale, unhooks the chains, closes the baler door and radios the LOD that the bale is done. To which the LOD replies “What took you so long?” Balermaker vows to himself to never make a bale again and starts thinking about pursuing career opportunities in another field.😂
Click to expand...

Oh my god you described my day every time i have to make besides the scissors my district uses crowbars but wow i thought i was the only one were making a 5min bales turns into a 20min project that nobody was expecting
 
Black Sheep 214 said:
ASANTS, but at my store this is how making a bale went in the good old days:

Someone, usually the LOD, calls the backroom and says we need to make a bale.
Backroom TM/TL goes to make the bale. No need to look for a baler key because there’s always one in the baler unless we’re having a visit, or there’s already a key broken off in the lock so the baler is always ready for use.

Balermaker searches the backroom for a pallet jack that actually works right and a pallet for the bale, which takes a while because half of of the decent pallet jacks are hidden by their “owners”, most of the pallets were sent back on the truck and the ones that are left are either broken or full of merchandise. Balermaker cleans off a pallet, then brings the pallet over, observes the areas in front and beside the baler and finds them covered by mountains of cardboard, boxes, trash, packing materials, and various vehicles full of crap. Balermaker wishes he hadn’t volunteered to make the bale and spends the next ten minutes (at least) cleaning up the mess.

Once the mess is cleaned up and the TM/TL can actually get to the baler, he (or she) discovers that it is so poorly loaded and overstuffed that the cardboard in the back of the baler is a foot higher than in the front, everything is sliding out, and the upper channels have market/and or chem boxes stuck in them. Balermaker goes to look for the metal hook to clear the channels, which is never near the baler where it belongs. Balermaker finds the hook in backroom where someone had used it to pull something off a top shelf, and just left it there. Balermaker returns to clear the channels and finds more boxes, cardboard and assorted crap dumped in front of the baler, and still more boxes stuffed in the baler that are sliding out to join their brethren on the floor. Balermaker wishes he hadn’t come to work today, cleans up the mess, clears the channels, pulls the excess cardboard out of the baler and restacks the cardboard to make a flat surface for the top of the bale.

Balermaker then compresses the bale, opens the baler and finds that some of the channels are blocked, and he has to make holes for the wires to go through, if he can find the screwdriver or pair of old scissors that are supposed to be kept by the baler with the safety gloves which are never there either. Balermaker starts thinking about transferring out of backroom, and starts trying to drill a hole through the cardboard with an old pair of scissors.

Once the channels are cleared it’s time to put the wires through. It takes five wires to tie off the bale, but there are only three left in the holder behind the baler, since no one ever replaces the wires until they have to, so Balermaker has to go get the wire and refill the holder before he can tie off the bale. The wire rolls have for some reason been moved out of their regular home and put on a pallet over the furniture, so it’s time to get the wave and go get one. Balermaker starts thinking about calling off tomorrow, fills the wire holder, puts the wires through, ties off the bale and sets the chains.

Balermaker comes out from behind the baler to put the pallet in place to drop the bale, and finds that someone took the pallet jack while he was off getting the wire. Balermaker starts thinking about going home sick and goes to find another pallet jack.

Balermaker comes back with the pallet jack, sets the pallet, dumps the bale, moves the bale out of the way, lines the baler floor for the next bale, unhooks the chains, closes the baler door and radios the LOD that the bale is done. To which the LOD replies “What took you so long?” Balermaker vows to himself to never make a bale again and starts thinking about pursuing career opportunities in another field.😂
Click to expand...
You paint a very vivid picture that I have absolutely no trouble believing is 100% accurate.
 
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