Stories of apprenticeship

[JJWalecka]

Stories of apprenticeship.


I was blessed to have worked under some smart Electricians that took me under there wings.

I was green as green can be when the licensed guy had me looking for a hen way. I was raised with a strong work ethic and didn?t question him. I looked and looked. I asked another apprentice where it was and he told me the guy was messing with me. I didn?t believe him. Finally I reluctantly came back to the Journeyman.
?What?s a hen way I can?t find it anywhere?? I said

? About two to three pounds depending on the bird. HA HA? he laughed. LOL that guy was awesome

Once he handed me a hole saw that he was just drilling with.
? Hold this? he stated

So I did and burned my hand. LOL. ?Why did you do that? he said concerned.

?YOU told me to? LOL.

I still follow orders with no question but I?m a bit wiser?.or at least I hope so.

Anyone else have anything they want to share?

 

[480sparky]

Had a new guy show up on a job site. Foreman had him dig a trench between two buildings (20', so trencher was too big). He said "Make it four feet", and walked away.

Two hours later, Barry comes in and says he's done. We go out to look at trench, and couldn't believe it. Barry says, "Well, you didn't say either 4 foot deep, or four feet wide, so I made it both."

From there on, we called him Barry the Backhoe.

 

[jmsbrush]

When I was a 2nd year apprentice, we were on a big job, 200 electricians. The jw had this 1st year apprentice going all over the place looking for a box of ohms. Every gang box he went to he asked a jw or a foreman, they would say no we don't have them but I think Mike down the way has some.
I thought it was funny then, but now as an owner I would get upset my guys wasting my labor like that.

 

[JJWalecka]

We all make mistakes. Some forget where we came from. I like to make lite of it. This story is not about me.

There was a guy who didn?t know how to bend pipe which is not a big deal. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. The forman showed him how to bend a ninty and an offset real quick.
?OK theres two nundred feet of EMT outside near the dumpster. Practice.? Said the boss.
I think that was pretty nice of him to let the guy practice? NO?

Later on the forman sees the guy come inside. He lays out some work and says ?go to it.?

? OK what do you want me to use??

? The EMT of course.?

?I used it?

?ALL TWO HUNDRED FEET!!!?

Behind the dumpster was some great looking 90 and offsets on all two hundred feet of pipe. LOL. Another guy said we need more couplings.

The boss should have been more descriptive.

JJ

 

[JJWalecka]

jmsbrush I definitely agree that horseplay is a potential safety hazard and a waist of money.

I try to keep busy even in conversation. There is always something to do.


Life is too short we all need to laugh more.

JJ

 

[PCN]

I remember the first day I worked for my fathers company, I was 15 and one his guys sent me out to the trailer find the 277 volt fluorescent lamps. I got ridden hard being the bosses kid.

I still haven't found them. :grin:

 

[SEO]

When I was an apprentice the boss told me to go change the brushes in a 3-phase motor that was on the bench. Pretty hard job being that they don't have any.

 

[infinity]

We used to send the new apprentices out to get the U-lamp bender. Or the really cruel guys would try to set them up with the water in the hickey trick. They always fell for that one. :wink:

 

[ohm]

The boss told a new guy to throw a truck tire in the back of a pickup, take it to town and have the flat fixed. Later they called and said it was ready. The boss told newbie to go get it. He assked for help. The boss said you delivered it why can't you go get it? Newbie said because they filled it with 90 lbs. of air!

 

[LarryFine]

Anyone else have anything they want to share?

The word "naive" is not in the standard dictionary.

 

[LarryFine]

From there on, we called him Barry the Backhoe.

I would have called him "Sir!"

 

[LarryFine]

When I was an apprentice the boss told me to go change the brushes in a 3-phase motor that was on the bench. Pretty hard job being that they don't have any.

How far did you disassemble it before you realized that?

 

[Greg Swartz]

We used to send new guys for a lightbulb repair kit...

 

[jayrad1122]

4" Rigid

4" Rigid

About a month or so after I started the journeyman told me what the plans were for tomorrow's job...run 4" Rigid out to a pond pump. I was like "wow!" I was all psyched for tomorrow. Later on when I got home I was thinking about it and realized that it didn't make any sense.:rollUH!

 

[Fulthrotl]

i was told to go get the fishtape, and i came back with
a new fishtape in the box from the conex, and i asked
how you unwound the tape, as it was a replacement
tape, and didn't have a holder....
and the foreman took me outside, and had me hold
the tape horizontal, waist hight, and he carefully
removed the tie wires, and instructed me to throw
it straight up in the air, and it would automatically
unspool, if i threw it upwards, and it remained
perfectly flat.....

the rest is history..... it wasn't pretty.

he did laugh so hard he had to sit down on the
ground, and couldn't walk for a while.

randy

 

[wireguru]

i was told to go get the fishtape, and i came back with
a new fishtape in the box from the conex, and i asked
how you unwound the tape, as it was a replacement
tape, and didn't have a holder....
and the foreman took me outside, and had me hold
the tape horizontal, waist hight, and he carefully
removed the tie wires, and instructed me to throw
it straight up in the air, and it would automatically
unspool, if i threw it upwards, and it remained
perfectly flat.....

the rest is history..... it wasn't pretty.

he did laugh so hard he had to sit down on the
ground, and couldn't walk for a while.

randy

that could have poked somebodys eye out

 

[ptonsparky]

I worked for a company that also did plumbing and as low man on the totem pole, you did whatever was asked. Plumber asked me to help him tamp the dirt in a trench. He was a big strong man but I still couldn't believe he managed to hold his side (one man jumping jack) so still, as the glasses were bouncing off my face. I thought it was going to be one short day for me until I noticed the GC shake his head. Still puts a smile on my face every time I think about it.

 

[jrannis]

I guess the best way to use my 1000th post is to remember that my first
2-1/2 years in the trade was working for my father as his apprentice.
We had some really good times.
Tools on at 7:00am, never knew about a morning break. Lunch in your work area at 12noon. 12:30 tools back on until 3:15.
It took me a while to figure out why no one from the shop wanted to come out to our job. They said we were machines. No failed inspections, no mistakes!
I didnt know any better, I just got out of the Corps, and he retired out of the 4 Marine ANGLICO, Gold jump wings with 50+ jumps. Never saw anything less than expert shooting badges on his uniform.
He sat for the first State License exam in Florida. His License was #67.
He would get up every morning at 4:45 read the bible for a half hour, then, sit-ups, push-ups, breakfast.
Eggs and beacon Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Cereal Tuesday and Thursday. 6am Bathroom. 6:10 get dressed for work. leave 6:20 to 6:30.
I still hear stories from some of the old timers about him.
Hes been gone several years now, buried in the National Cemetary.
I do miss the ol' Gunny but I think he likes it better where he is now.

 

[SEO]

How far did you disassemble it before you realized that?

Larry I was so green at that time I didn't even know what brushes were. I got the motor partially apart when the boss "laughing" stopped me and explained.

 

[Fulthrotl]

that could have poked somebodys eye out

yes, it could have caused injury... i wasn't the one sitting on
the ground laughing so hard i couldn't walk..... i was the one
standing there with my hands over my face for protection. :-/


randy