my instructor told us that....... [Archive]

JONATHAN20

08-29-2007, 11:24 PM

My instructor told us that as apprentices we better know how to bend pipe for the guy standing on the ladder or were gonna be making alot of coffee runs......i thought that was hilarious....any of you contractors agree?

iwire

08-30-2007, 05:06 AM

I would not put it those exact words but the gist of it is true.

On a construction site if you have the least trade skills you will be the coffee runner.

So if you don't like the idea of trying to get coffee for everyone every day, quickly apply yourself to learning the tasks being done on that job, might be pipe bending, or pulling cable etc.

But in the end I always use the least productive person to make the coffee run.

George Stolz

08-30-2007, 07:35 AM

I don't think I've ever seen a coffee run.

08-30-2007, 07:46 AM

Some of the coffee runners here don't do so bad when he's getting coffee for a big crew. The rule here is he keeps all the change. Sometimes he makes an extra $25 or so + he gets his coffee for free. Not to bad for 1/2hr work if you call getting coffee work.

LawnGuyLandSparky

08-30-2007, 10:41 AM

In NYC, getting coffee for a large crew is work. Between the guys that want diet Kiwi-strawberry Snapple ONLY, I gotta have Tropicana Grovestand style only, and the Foreman smokes Benson & Hedges deluxe ultra lights 100's menthol box, the apprentices earn their money. But they're rotated weekly so the apprentice with the least number of years or the least skilled doesn't remain that way.

tomP

08-30-2007, 11:16 AM

Boy, your apprentices get treated nice. Coffee runs??
Back, way back, when I was an apprentice one of my first conduit jobs the journeyman was on a three section scaffold.
I bent the conduit and tossed it up to him, he tried it and if it didn't fit it would come back down a lot faster than it went up,
usually really close to me.
Didn't take too long to learn.
You could say I'm a fast learner when its raining conduit.

raider1

08-30-2007, 11:46 AM

coffee runs

Isn't that what you get when you buy bad coffee?:D

Chris

ryan_618

08-30-2007, 05:54 PM

I can't imagine getting somebody other than my wife a cup of coffee.

iwire

08-30-2007, 06:22 PM

I can't imagine getting somebody other than my wife a cup of coffee.

LOL...I here you and I agree with lawnsparky...it is work.

Any of our jobs with big crews have a coffee runner (or two).

When you get to the job you sign in and write down what you want for break and leave the money there.

The runners go either to the coffee truck or to a coffee shop if no truck.

I can not even imagine the PITA it is to order 30 different sandwiches, coffees, teas, milks etc.

But that is how we do it, the coffee runner is of course on the clock and gets his break with the rest of the guys.....all the while the guys complain he forgot straws or that somebody is allergic to mayonnaise or some such nonsense.:rolleyes:

It usually makes the slackers try hard to get of coffee duty.:D

celtic

08-30-2007, 07:34 PM

It usually makes the slackers try hard to get of coffee duty.:D
That's when the fun really starts ;)

The slacker will do just about anything NOT to have to be the coffee girl/boy and get 50 orders right ( and she/he better not forget to at least offer the change back).

In their zeal to please, they WILL go in search of:
ID-Ten-t's
Seal tight couplings (both set screw and compression)
Buckets of steam/amps
Skyhooks and henweighs
Wire stretchers and U-bulb benders
3/16" snakes
...and the fun just continues.

:D

Dennis Alwon

08-30-2007, 07:38 PM

I don't think I've ever seen a coffee run.

I know you have seen a stocking run and a toilet bowl.

wshoard

09-10-2007, 04:09 AM

That's when the fun really starts ;)

The slacker will do just about anything NOT to have to be the coffee girl/boy and get 50 orders right ( and she/he better not forget to at least offer the change back).

In their zeal to please, they WILL go in search of:
ID-Ten-t's
Seal tight couplings (both set screw and compression)
Buckets of steam/amps
Skyhooks and henweighs
Wire stretchers and U-bulb benders
3/16" snakes
...and the fun just continues.

:D

Henweighs, man that takes me back, so what does a henweigh now days?? :D

Jomaul

09-10-2007, 04:06 PM

the same as it did when we were green

celtic

09-10-2007, 05:36 PM

Henweighs, man that takes me back, so what does a henweigh now days?? :Dthe same as it did when we were green
The last search party has yet to return with a henweigh - so I don't know? :D

benmin

09-10-2007, 06:34 PM

That's when the fun really starts ;)

The slacker will do just about anything NOT to have to be the coffee girl/boy and get 50 orders right ( and she/he better not forget to at least offer the change back).

In their zeal to please, they WILL go in search of:
ID-Ten-t's
Seal tight couplings (both set screw and compression)
Buckets of steam/amps
Skyhooks and henweighs
Wire stretchers and U-bulb benders
3/16" snakes
...and the fun just continues.

:D

The left handed screwdriver, anti gravity sensor and extra wet water work good for the go getter

480sparky

09-10-2007, 07:27 PM

The left handed screwdriver, anti gravity sensor and extra wet water work good for the go getter

You forgot about the copper conductors with the electricity pre-installed.

e57

09-25-2007, 06:49 AM

I leave the house with a full pot in a thermos and a cup to drive with! I'm pouring 16oz cup #2 as I arrive at work.

Other than that, first task on a large job is to line up "La Cooka-rocha" for my dog food/egg roll/burrito fix.

(FYI "La Cooka-rocha" has some really funny lyrics BTW)

480sparky

09-25-2007, 11:20 AM

Henweighs, man that takes me back, so what does a henweigh now days?? :D

Not as much as a smoke bender, or a sky hook.

But more than a hammerfor, a dozen grid squares or a quart of breaker fluid.

Just fill out your I-D-ten-T form in triplicate.

Inspectorcliff

09-25-2007, 04:54 PM

Go out by the barn and get me a sky hook, and I said what? and he said you know its laying right by the current bush. As, I left with my mind wondering, I could hear him laughin, Heck he's probably still laughin bless him. Now, Do they still make current bushes??;)

480sparky

09-25-2007, 05:04 PM

Now, Do they still make current bushes??;)

Yes, but you have to buy a case of flight line to get one.

Inspectorcliff

09-25-2007, 05:18 PM

Yes, but you have to buy a case of flight line to get one.
Oh, I hope the store is open when I get there...:)

wireman71

09-25-2007, 08:32 PM

So how is having one guy spend company time getting coffee cost effective?

celtic

09-25-2007, 09:22 PM

So how is having one guy spend company time getting coffee cost effective?

Because one kid is cheaper than 30 men.

30 of your men head out to the roach coach ....along with 50 other tradesmen....each order takes 1 minutes to make and exchange the money....that's 80 minutes of time gone PLUS the time to actually have the break...another 15 minutes.
Everyone cannot be first at the roach coach and everyone wants their 15 minutes.

So you send one helper out....as does the other 3 trades...
- money is exchanged faster ($2.00 - $1.75 x 80 times is slow compared to $100 - $96.50 x 4times)....
- the men all stop/start at the same time (when the kid gets back)
- the only "real money" lost is the kid's wages for 1 hour (still less than the price of 1 journeyman for 1 hour).

On some larger jobs, a roach coach will actually set anchor right on-site to ensure THEY get all the money .... first thing in the morning, break, lunch, and a soda on the way out - some of these guys make good money setting anchor.

480sparky

09-25-2007, 09:50 PM

Because one kid is cheaper than 30 men.

In short, so you don't have "a dollar waiting on a dime".

celtic

09-25-2007, 11:00 PM

In short, so you don't have "a dollar waiting on a dime".

...or that :D

Mister Kool

09-26-2007, 02:32 AM

the lowest man gets the coffie...period
he could be the best apprentice around BUT he has to pay his dues if he has the least amount of time as an apprentice...lol

its like initiation "Go get the coffie ROOKIE!!!!!"

TOOL_5150

09-27-2007, 12:25 AM

You cant forget about sending a helper to get the bucket of refill smoke after he causes something to 'let the smoke out'

~Matt

brian john

10-17-2007, 10:37 PM

So how is having one guy spend company time getting coffee cost effective?

It is thought of as a right of the worker, breaks can be beneficial to moral, I always by break or lunch if I am around at that time or slip the apprentice money for break/lunch if I am not going to be around at break/lunch. Take break away and see what it cost you.

By buying I speed up the process, no checking with anybody, I order 10 of this 10 of that 10 more of these when the apprentice returns radio eveyone let's eat.

My 3rd day in the trade I went for 26 men and screwed up royally. Learned quickly and the rest of the summer I was the favorite helper, I got the order right, gave change and made 20.00+ pocket money everyday at a time when we only made 24.00 dollars a day before taxes.

IN response to the original post, It sure will enhance your usefulness if you can bend conduit. Learn as much as you can..it will not hurt at layoff time that's for sure or any other time for that matter.

POWER_PIG

11-18-2007, 04:32 PM

Ah Yes, I remember it well.
"Hey ********, hot foot it down the road and get us a cup"
LOL! I swore that man was out to kill me. My first 18 months (back in the early 80's) resembled boot camp. Looking back now, I see why he was such a grumpy old fart. Wiring a concrete plant with a green helper under foot would certainly stress me out too!

DBack Elec

11-20-2007, 08:38 PM

The left handed screwdriver, anti gravity sensor and extra wet water work good for the go getter
We were sent for a box of switch lags.

donselectric

11-21-2007, 11:44 AM

We were sent for a box of switch lags.
lags ??? legs is better

DBack Elec

11-21-2007, 12:57 PM

lags ??? legs is better
I stand corrected. Raised in the south still haven't learned Enlish yet. :smile:

electricalperson

02-06-2008, 04:37 PM

first day in the field, one of the other guys tried sending me out for a lamp bender. i never fell for any of those tricks at all. my high school warned us of that :grin:

travis301

02-06-2008, 07:19 PM

We got to go after pink wirenuts, an electric hole mover and some #15 gauge wire.:smile:

izak

02-06-2008, 07:54 PM

'B phase grounding block'

and my personal favorite - '6 inch fender washer'

I actually know someone who was able to locate a skyhook... took the parts house an hour to find one.. . at something like $30,000 plus....

must have been more than one green helper involved in that one