The Ultimate Job
If you ask any mechanical engineer what their dream job looks like, working on a Francis turbine overhaul at a hydro power station would be pretty high on the list. That's exactly where I found myself — and honestly it's the kind of opportunity that only comes from being in the right place at the right time and knowing the right people.
A Francis turbine is the type of water turbine used in hydroelectric power stations to generate electricity. They're massive, precision-engineered pieces of kit that run almost constantly — so when a major planned shutdown comes around every few years, a large team of specialists gets brought in to go through everything from top to bottom. This one ran for six months.
My role was part of the turbine rotor work — specifically a reshrink of the rotor keys. The old keys were removed and new ones fitted using a heat shrink process, where components are heated to expand, fitted together precisely, and as they cool they contract to form an incredibly tight and permanent fit.
But that was just one part of a much bigger job. Over the course of the shutdown there was machining, welding, working alongside other contractors and the station's own staff, working at heights, confined space work, operating around high voltage equipment, cleaning and prep, and sourcing and organising new parts. The kind of job that keeps you on your toes every single day.
It's not the sort of work that shows up on a website — it comes from building relationships in the industry over years and being someone people trust to show up and do the job properly. Grateful to have been part of it.
The Factory Fit-Out
One of the best things about being a contractor is the variety. You meet people on jobs, word gets around, and next thing you're getting a phone call asking for help with something completely different.
That's exactly how this one came about. Sometimes the work doesn't come directly from the end customer — I get brought in as a subcontractor by other businesses who need an extra pair of hands with the steel and fabrication side of things. It's a good setup. They manage the project, I show up and get the work done.
This job was a factory fit-out. A company had acquired a new building — they're a steel supplier and reinforcing company — and needed all their machinery moved in, cleaned up, serviced and reassembled. Wire processing machines, beam lines, dust extraction, stacking machines, water piping, cable routing. The works.
These were older machines with years of grime built up on them, so there was plenty of cleaning and painting involved, plus replacing worn parts along the way. On top of the machinery work there was fabrication — walkway platforms, handrails, dust extraction chutes and trolleys.
The kind of job where you just show up with your tools and get stuck in. Exactly the sort of varied work that keeps things interesting when you're out on your own. No two days the same.
Meet the rig
When you run your own business, you need a good vehicle. I'd always pictured myself rolling up to jobs in an old Land Cruiser with the Arrowsmith logo on the side — but they're not cheap, and I wasn't keen on financing one. So I did what I do best: used my love of fixing things and being a tight arse to find a bargain.
Enter a 2006 HZJ79 with 215,000 kms on the clock. Naturally aspirated 1HZ 4.2, no frills, no fuss. It had lived a hard life — towing jet boats and farm trailers up long shingle roads and farm tracks. Panel damage down one side, clapped out springs, rusty deck, no carpet, a blown windscreen from when the bonnet flew up at speed and dented the roof, and a gearbox that had seen better days. A real junk heap. But it still passed a WOF, so I drove it to work for a while and started making a list.
I knew it needed a big alloy service body on the back. Not having time to build one myself I ordered one in — powder coated white, with shelves and drawers. Funny how it ended up costing more than the truck itself.
Off came the deck, the sides were cut down, and I put in a new 3mm steel floor. I wanted steel specifically so I could use the tray as a workbench for fab work on site. Being an older ute it's perfect — isolate the battery, crack out the gear, get to work. Most of this was done on weekends in a rush between jobs, but it came together.
Next up was a 2 inch lift with 750kg rated parabolic springs on the rear to handle the weight of the box and towing. I drove it around for a bit like that — ugly black door, dents and all — because it worked and I had jobs to do.
Eventually I got it resprayed. New bonnet, front quarter panels, fresh paint all round. While it was away I sprayed the deck and added some kwila timber to the sides. When it came back I sanded the chassis and diffs, gave them a coat, and fitted an ARB bull bar. I'd thought about fabricating my own bar, but it just wasn't practical for the money and honestly the ARB looks so good on the older Toyotas. Loses a bit of approach angle but it's a work truck, not a rock crawler.
Most recently the gearbox and transfer case came out for new bearings and seals — the transfer actually threw a bearing so that forced my hand. Being a tight arse I did it in the driveway.
Eventually I'd love to convert this thing to electric. I reckon that would be pretty cool and would line up well with some of the companies I work with.
Not a bad result for a truck that looked like it belonged at the wreckers.
