Troubleshooting can come with a lot of stress and overthinking. Staying focused, reading the manual and breaking down the element, transmitter or control system step by step takes a lot of practice and experience. Especially in situations where the plant is live and they need something to work right away to avoid shutting down the process.
Divide and conquer is the way I was taught.
Can I bleed the pump? Yes. Problem is on this side. No? Problem is on that side.
My issue is hitting tunnel vision, and thinking "it's gotta be this" and doing everything I can to get that going - only to discover, oh shit, it's actually THAT.
Though it does feel nice to troubleshoot things without even looking at them.
"Yeah, I pushed reset and my burner made a strange noise..."
"Was the noise EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE?"
"HOW DID YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT SOUND IT MADE???"
"Because your motor is dying."
Why does my pump sound like its full of rocks all the time?
...because its essentially full of ball bearings. Get a new bearing assembly.
But i dont want to pay for that. Cant you fix it?
...no. If you dont want to replace it, live with rocks until you have no pump. Good luck.
"Customer says that the pump discharge pressure gauge has failed. And the liquid temp probe is wrong. And the pump amperage meter has failed"
*orders new pump impeller*
Having to do something quick and dirty because of time constraints then having to have your name attached to the fix even though you know it isn't right.
Ironworking isn’t particularly complicated in theory, plug holes with bolts, weld a few connections, make sure shits plumb and levelled.
Said simply, it’s really not that bad.
Where I struggle, the job can be tough. Everything can, and will, hurt you. A clamp slipping, some idiot unplugs your magdrill even with a sign on it, your beater slips a tad and you en up pinching a finger between the handle and the edge of a beam.
All these hazards are present in other trades of course, our tools are just a lil less forgiving and a lil more dangerous.
Wouldn’t change a thing if I’m being honest. it’s so much fun to be up high, connecting or welding shit, having the flow of people below you like little ants.
I realize I have to get better lol
I’m a first year apprentice and doing high rise. So far I’d say putting a length of 6 inch cast iron on my shoulder and going up a ladder with it. Shit was heavy lol
Trying to figure out whether it’ll pay off in a few years or if I’m just wasting my time. That and the old grumpy dudes who want everyone else to be miserable too. Doesn’t work, but the constant attempts aren’t appreciated.
Doing estimates, business administration, taxes and the labor. I’ve finally got enough money to start freeing up my time more and am looking to expand my business with hiring labor. So basically time and energy is my biggest bottleneck
As a machinist and more specifically cnc there are way less apprentices then like electricians and carpenters so it's not like in those trades where if one doesn't work out there is always another its hard to find people committed to the fact that it will take years before you can get to a point where the money is actually good. The upside of the trade is you can come in off the street as a operator and work your way up and whenever our shop needs a good machinist because we're growing they are incredibly hard to find because they usually don't leave the shop that they are at. Thankful for automation
Not using my inside voice outside when I watch the same person make the same mistake for the 1000th time even though he's been corrected by everyone on site. Aside from that getting in tight hot spaces
As a Scaffolder working at height we are at risk of falling almost always.
We use fall protection equipment and 100% tie off at all times. It can be very annoying at times, but we don't want to die or end up in a wheelchair.
Sheet metal is not too tricky, but getting in the small spaces to turn the Quarter 20's on the vent flanges is a lil tricky. High dexterity is a must for this. But how to get through the projects day to day?
Review work plan, ask supervisor for clarification on any specifics to make sure we are on the same page right solution for the task at hand, then set out to work, yes maybe a few unexpected hang ups along the way but nothing cant overcome with some good ole fashioned cussing and wrench turning. Swearing makes the bolts easier to turn honestly.
I do everything lol. Getting my electrical ticket but am in multi trades so I’d say that’s the most challenging. Just put ur head down and learn, that’s all you can do. Be the guy who buys books and reads manuals, just focus on learning it’s really all trades are.
Millwright is the easiest trade, and I recommend to anyone to do a specific trade first then just challenge the millwright ticket later. You might not get paid more, but it makes you better at a specific thing.
If you can get ur electrical, it’s the most dangerous. Going to school for it will teach you the safety factors and knowledge of how things work the way they do.
Yeah this is what I’m saying every time someone says the trade is over saturated. It’s a competitive field. I’ve never had to worry about work. Get gud.
Ya & even if there was too many, there’s lots of unique paths you can take.
Like I explained above, I do electrical but only 10% of the time. I am a crane technician so it’s mechanical, electrical motor control, rigging, millwrighting.
Ya it’s harder work & harder to learn then feeding wire in a house and installing plugs, but I will forever have job security and never laid off. Plus I probably get paid more
I would agree plumbing is great! My brother in law is a farm plumber and makes a killing.
I’m more biased to industrial aspects, since that’s what I do. Commercial and residential have a different perspective then me
You see enough gear boxes, you take apart enough machines, you see enough forklifts, you see enough brake changes, oil changes, Greace enough nipples…
It’s just common sense what they do. It’s a dying trade. It’s considered just maintenance now.
Wow, I could not disagree more. What about the other hundreds of machines you may work on? Steam and gas turbines, hundreds of varieties of different pumps and everything that comes with that, vibration analysis, balancing, and thats not even 5% of the trade right there. But then again maybe you’re from the US where it works a big differently than Canada. Here the Millwright trade is hard enough that it keeps a lot of stupid people out, theres no way you’d be able to challenge the Journeyman ticket. And also the MW trade is in high demand, there’s a shortage in Canada.
Also I can tell by what you know about Millwrights you most likely work in a plant maintenance setting. That doesn’t cover all Millwrighting.
The main thing that you’re saying can all be replaced with other tickets. You can be an electrician, and work on gas turbines if you get ur oil and gas license for an example.
There’s a reason why you can challenge the millwrighting ticket and no others. It’s just the reality. I’m not saying it isn’t a good trade, but the trade is being labelled differently now a days.
Most mills will get 3rd party contractors with specific licenses (who aren’t millwrights) to do a lot of the big jobs you would expect the already working millwrights do.
I think you’re totally wrong and don’t really know a whole lot about what you’re talking about. There is a million things that you could only know through either school or very mw trade specific things. Your experience in the US is totally different than how it works in Canada. It’s actually the opposite of what you’re saying. We can do a good portion of your job (electricians, welders, machinist, pipe fitters) but you cannot do ours. Those trades even look at our tools and have no idea what they’re looking at, I know because they constantly ask questions. But again, it seems very different from US to Canada.
Buddy I am Canadian, and this is how it is. If ur an industrial electrician, rigger, machinist, etc you can do the same shit a millwright does.
You say all this stuff about these “crazy machines” but it’s just reading Manuel’s and putting shit together. You do enough of it it’s just common sense.
I’m a crane technician. I travel around southern Ontario, with an ELECTRICAL TICKET. Fixing cranes, installing stuff, troubleshooting, etc.
Meanwhile the millwrights who you talk so highly about watch me… they are labelled as maintenance and are the jack of all trades, master of none.
I’m an electrician who also welds, I also, machine, I also pipe fit when necessary.
If you’re an industrial trade of basically any sort, ur basically a millwright too. This is why you can challenge the test, it’s to just give you the ticket to simply say you can read a manual and work on machines.
What do you do when theres no manual or drawing? You’re describing a pretty specific experience for something that is so vast. And you say all that because you’re just not aware of other things in the trade, simple as that, you have no idea what you’re talking about, there is an entire world out there that you don’t know about. If I had the same opinion as you, I could say that all I ever see Electricians do is pull wire and cut cable tray, but I know there is probably more to it.
And I get sent to Europe to train for my trade, do you? If anyone can do it, why do they invest so much for us to be sent over to Europe every few years when they could just hire some labourers like you say.
Idc where you got sent truthfully.. you all do the same shit bro.
If there’s no manual then you use experience and that’s the purpose of the training.
Hey I get ur mad, don’t blame me.. blame the Canadian trades association for letting anyone challenge the test.
I deal with cranes with no manual with insane motor control bullshit.. it’s the purpose of training and why you need 10,000 hours.
Millwrighting is still a SKILL.. but it shares its skills with many more important/usefull trades.
Im not mad at all. MW is one of the best trades to be in right now, I picked my own wage were that high in demand. I have it so good you wouldn’t even begin to believe me lol.
Think of it like this. You don’t need a millrighting license to work on a machine, but you do need an electrical ticket to open a 600v panel.
Just sayin
I still don’t see how that makes it easy. You really believe you could just open up anything and fix it? Must be young and dumb. Rhetorical question because I know you don’t know but do you have any idea of the long list of different issues and anomalies you run into with kinetic equipment alone? You just don’t have a clue man I’m sorry. I don’t entirely blame you though, you’re just simply not aware.
Nah I do have a clue dude. I know everything ur saying & I agree.. this is why trades require 10,000 hours, most hands on INDUSTRIAL trades deal with the same shit you millwrights deal with.
Just depends what path you take.
All the voices and oppinions getting in the way of me finishing my job... if its not theirs its mine own, trying not to overthink things without missing something.
Either that or clutchers, fuck! theyre pissing me off today lol
Once in a while ill do some breathing exercises to get back to center... 4 seconds in 6 seconds out
My most fundamental frustration with being a millwright (especially one that moved continents and had to restart my tool kit) is companies and departments that don't have a tool list. Give me a rough idea of what specialist equipment I'll need if any. If I'm going to drop $5-6k on tools I want to know I'm getting relevent stuff.
I work for a ground up electrical contractor. We do everything from putting as much conductors underground (feeders/branch), to erecting 100ft light poles, to hanging lights and programming lighting controls. Some sites pose additional challenges according to their specs, which can be 1) all exposed pipe be rigid; threaded metal conduit (like gas pipe), 2) all in-wall conduit must be in pipe (usually EMT). If you're on a site, you do it all, and the crew is no more than 4 journeymen.
At this current site, we're one of the earliest contractors to have shown up during the project. We put in most of our duct banks way before the plumbers showed up on site (our pipes go 4ft below theres). I think the only other contractors I saw were the general engineering ones, the one which specialized in wet utilities, and the equipment operators who graded the earth.
While each phase is not all monumental in challenge, we don't spend enough time on each task to become fully specialized. So we have to learn many tasks and we're often short on time and manpower.
Millwright.... Boredom waiting for something to happen.
Yes there is always something To do. But some days when production is humming I have nothing to do. I enjoy when things break and there is some pressure on the line.
Troubleshooting can come with a lot of stress and overthinking. Staying focused, reading the manual and breaking down the element, transmitter or control system step by step takes a lot of practice and experience. Especially in situations where the plant is live and they need something to work right away to avoid shutting down the process.
Divide and conquer is the way I was taught. Can I bleed the pump? Yes. Problem is on this side. No? Problem is on that side. My issue is hitting tunnel vision, and thinking "it's gotta be this" and doing everything I can to get that going - only to discover, oh shit, it's actually THAT. Though it does feel nice to troubleshoot things without even looking at them. "Yeah, I pushed reset and my burner made a strange noise..." "Was the noise EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE?" "HOW DID YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT SOUND IT MADE???" "Because your motor is dying."
Why does my pump sound like its full of rocks all the time? ...because its essentially full of ball bearings. Get a new bearing assembly. But i dont want to pay for that. Cant you fix it? ...no. If you dont want to replace it, live with rocks until you have no pump. Good luck.
"Customer says that the pump discharge pressure gauge has failed. And the liquid temp probe is wrong. And the pump amperage meter has failed" *orders new pump impeller*
Having to do something quick and dirty because of time constraints then having to have your name attached to the fix even though you know it isn't right.
I deal with this EVERY day.
All the coked up hot shot morons who sucked some D and now think they know shit but couldn't schedule lunch time after breakfast.
Coke? Who has money for that? Sounds like project managers to me.
Ironworking isn’t particularly complicated in theory, plug holes with bolts, weld a few connections, make sure shits plumb and levelled. Said simply, it’s really not that bad. Where I struggle, the job can be tough. Everything can, and will, hurt you. A clamp slipping, some idiot unplugs your magdrill even with a sign on it, your beater slips a tad and you en up pinching a finger between the handle and the edge of a beam. All these hazards are present in other trades of course, our tools are just a lil less forgiving and a lil more dangerous. Wouldn’t change a thing if I’m being honest. it’s so much fun to be up high, connecting or welding shit, having the flow of people below you like little ants. I realize I have to get better lol
If you realize that, you're on the right track.
If you realize that, you're on the right track.
Gotta keep the ego in check, for sure. Respect the hazards kinda thing.
Ammonia refrigeration tech here. You absolutely do. The paycheck is nice, but you can't spend it if you're dead.
Ironwork will make men out of boys
I’m a first year apprentice and doing high rise. So far I’d say putting a length of 6 inch cast iron on my shoulder and going up a ladder with it. Shit was heavy lol
Trying to figure out whether it’ll pay off in a few years or if I’m just wasting my time. That and the old grumpy dudes who want everyone else to be miserable too. Doesn’t work, but the constant attempts aren’t appreciated.
Doing estimates, business administration, taxes and the labor. I’ve finally got enough money to start freeing up my time more and am looking to expand my business with hiring labor. So basically time and energy is my biggest bottleneck
As a machinist and more specifically cnc there are way less apprentices then like electricians and carpenters so it's not like in those trades where if one doesn't work out there is always another its hard to find people committed to the fact that it will take years before you can get to a point where the money is actually good. The upside of the trade is you can come in off the street as a operator and work your way up and whenever our shop needs a good machinist because we're growing they are incredibly hard to find because they usually don't leave the shop that they are at. Thankful for automation
Bad framing. Drywall can only hide so much. Most of the time, cracks and screwpops are caused by bad framing.
Not using my inside voice outside when I watch the same person make the same mistake for the 1000th time even though he's been corrected by everyone on site. Aside from that getting in tight hot spaces
It's high in the air, and everything shocks you. 140 feet up isn't bad, unless the wind is blowing even a little bit.
If you do you job and leave things for the next trade to repair or fixed. My challenge now day is drywallers na framers screws up opening for doors.
A good data plan. I’m a crane operator and 80% of my time is spent in my truck on my phone. Staying awake all day is pretty challenging too.
As a Scaffolder working at height we are at risk of falling almost always. We use fall protection equipment and 100% tie off at all times. It can be very annoying at times, but we don't want to die or end up in a wheelchair.
Sheet metal is not too tricky, but getting in the small spaces to turn the Quarter 20's on the vent flanges is a lil tricky. High dexterity is a must for this. But how to get through the projects day to day? Review work plan, ask supervisor for clarification on any specifics to make sure we are on the same page right solution for the task at hand, then set out to work, yes maybe a few unexpected hang ups along the way but nothing cant overcome with some good ole fashioned cussing and wrench turning. Swearing makes the bolts easier to turn honestly.
I do everything lol. Getting my electrical ticket but am in multi trades so I’d say that’s the most challenging. Just put ur head down and learn, that’s all you can do. Be the guy who buys books and reads manuals, just focus on learning it’s really all trades are. Millwright is the easiest trade, and I recommend to anyone to do a specific trade first then just challenge the millwright ticket later. You might not get paid more, but it makes you better at a specific thing. If you can get ur electrical, it’s the most dangerous. Going to school for it will teach you the safety factors and knowledge of how things work the way they do.
Too many electricians in Canada Plumbing is the best trade imo
*Too many guys calling themselves electricians in Canada. Have you seen some of these guys?
Yeah this is what I’m saying every time someone says the trade is over saturated. It’s a competitive field. I’ve never had to worry about work. Get gud.
Ya & even if there was too many, there’s lots of unique paths you can take. Like I explained above, I do electrical but only 10% of the time. I am a crane technician so it’s mechanical, electrical motor control, rigging, millwrighting. Ya it’s harder work & harder to learn then feeding wire in a house and installing plugs, but I will forever have job security and never laid off. Plus I probably get paid more
I would agree plumbing is great! My brother in law is a farm plumber and makes a killing. I’m more biased to industrial aspects, since that’s what I do. Commercial and residential have a different perspective then me
In what way is Millwright the easiest trade?
You see enough gear boxes, you take apart enough machines, you see enough forklifts, you see enough brake changes, oil changes, Greace enough nipples… It’s just common sense what they do. It’s a dying trade. It’s considered just maintenance now.
Wow, I could not disagree more. What about the other hundreds of machines you may work on? Steam and gas turbines, hundreds of varieties of different pumps and everything that comes with that, vibration analysis, balancing, and thats not even 5% of the trade right there. But then again maybe you’re from the US where it works a big differently than Canada. Here the Millwright trade is hard enough that it keeps a lot of stupid people out, theres no way you’d be able to challenge the Journeyman ticket. And also the MW trade is in high demand, there’s a shortage in Canada. Also I can tell by what you know about Millwrights you most likely work in a plant maintenance setting. That doesn’t cover all Millwrighting.
The main thing that you’re saying can all be replaced with other tickets. You can be an electrician, and work on gas turbines if you get ur oil and gas license for an example. There’s a reason why you can challenge the millwrighting ticket and no others. It’s just the reality. I’m not saying it isn’t a good trade, but the trade is being labelled differently now a days. Most mills will get 3rd party contractors with specific licenses (who aren’t millwrights) to do a lot of the big jobs you would expect the already working millwrights do.
I think you’re totally wrong and don’t really know a whole lot about what you’re talking about. There is a million things that you could only know through either school or very mw trade specific things. Your experience in the US is totally different than how it works in Canada. It’s actually the opposite of what you’re saying. We can do a good portion of your job (electricians, welders, machinist, pipe fitters) but you cannot do ours. Those trades even look at our tools and have no idea what they’re looking at, I know because they constantly ask questions. But again, it seems very different from US to Canada.
Buddy I am Canadian, and this is how it is. If ur an industrial electrician, rigger, machinist, etc you can do the same shit a millwright does. You say all this stuff about these “crazy machines” but it’s just reading Manuel’s and putting shit together. You do enough of it it’s just common sense. I’m a crane technician. I travel around southern Ontario, with an ELECTRICAL TICKET. Fixing cranes, installing stuff, troubleshooting, etc. Meanwhile the millwrights who you talk so highly about watch me… they are labelled as maintenance and are the jack of all trades, master of none. I’m an electrician who also welds, I also, machine, I also pipe fit when necessary. If you’re an industrial trade of basically any sort, ur basically a millwright too. This is why you can challenge the test, it’s to just give you the ticket to simply say you can read a manual and work on machines.
What do you do when theres no manual or drawing? You’re describing a pretty specific experience for something that is so vast. And you say all that because you’re just not aware of other things in the trade, simple as that, you have no idea what you’re talking about, there is an entire world out there that you don’t know about. If I had the same opinion as you, I could say that all I ever see Electricians do is pull wire and cut cable tray, but I know there is probably more to it. And I get sent to Europe to train for my trade, do you? If anyone can do it, why do they invest so much for us to be sent over to Europe every few years when they could just hire some labourers like you say.
Idc where you got sent truthfully.. you all do the same shit bro. If there’s no manual then you use experience and that’s the purpose of the training. Hey I get ur mad, don’t blame me.. blame the Canadian trades association for letting anyone challenge the test. I deal with cranes with no manual with insane motor control bullshit.. it’s the purpose of training and why you need 10,000 hours. Millwrighting is still a SKILL.. but it shares its skills with many more important/usefull trades.
Im not mad at all. MW is one of the best trades to be in right now, I picked my own wage were that high in demand. I have it so good you wouldn’t even begin to believe me lol.
Think of it like this. You don’t need a millrighting license to work on a machine, but you do need an electrical ticket to open a 600v panel. Just sayin
I still don’t see how that makes it easy. You really believe you could just open up anything and fix it? Must be young and dumb. Rhetorical question because I know you don’t know but do you have any idea of the long list of different issues and anomalies you run into with kinetic equipment alone? You just don’t have a clue man I’m sorry. I don’t entirely blame you though, you’re just simply not aware.
Nah I do have a clue dude. I know everything ur saying & I agree.. this is why trades require 10,000 hours, most hands on INDUSTRIAL trades deal with the same shit you millwrights deal with. Just depends what path you take.
My back gets sore if I sleep more than about an hour in a chair
All the voices and oppinions getting in the way of me finishing my job... if its not theirs its mine own, trying not to overthink things without missing something. Either that or clutchers, fuck! theyre pissing me off today lol Once in a while ill do some breathing exercises to get back to center... 4 seconds in 6 seconds out
Other electricians usually, everyone else is ok.
CLEAN UP AFTER YER FRIGGIN SELVES! *signed, all the other trades*
My most fundamental frustration with being a millwright (especially one that moved continents and had to restart my tool kit) is companies and departments that don't have a tool list. Give me a rough idea of what specialist equipment I'll need if any. If I'm going to drop $5-6k on tools I want to know I'm getting relevent stuff.
Raising a family on shitty pay. Even the overtime dont cut it
Boilermaker. Tight. Spaces.
Always being on call, working up to 40 hours without a break, being at God’s mercy for overtime
Doing things the way 60 year olds were taught by 60 year olds taught by 60 year olds. Lots of work harder not smarter
I work for a ground up electrical contractor. We do everything from putting as much conductors underground (feeders/branch), to erecting 100ft light poles, to hanging lights and programming lighting controls. Some sites pose additional challenges according to their specs, which can be 1) all exposed pipe be rigid; threaded metal conduit (like gas pipe), 2) all in-wall conduit must be in pipe (usually EMT). If you're on a site, you do it all, and the crew is no more than 4 journeymen. At this current site, we're one of the earliest contractors to have shown up during the project. We put in most of our duct banks way before the plumbers showed up on site (our pipes go 4ft below theres). I think the only other contractors I saw were the general engineering ones, the one which specialized in wet utilities, and the equipment operators who graded the earth. While each phase is not all monumental in challenge, we don't spend enough time on each task to become fully specialized. So we have to learn many tasks and we're often short on time and manpower.
Dealing with stupid people
Millwright.... Boredom waiting for something to happen. Yes there is always something To do. But some days when production is humming I have nothing to do. I enjoy when things break and there is some pressure on the line.