Heavy duty mechanic yes or no?

[byronkentgraham]

And my 8 days a month make a 42hour work week, so its hard to deal with all my time off.......


How do you guys fill your twenty some days off a month?

I don't have 20 days off a month. I'm sure you fill it with cooking and cleaning though.

 

[Cyle]

$41/h

Ya in fort mac where a laborer almost makes that? Generally speaking, they are paid less then most trades unless they are dual ticket.

 

[snoqueen]

My hubby is a HD Mechanic. He started as a ticketed welder, then did some millwrighting, then had an opportunity to get his HD Ticket, and has been certified for the last 12 years. He loves it.....so much opportunity and the money is awesome. At the present time he works on mining equipment, but has worked on the forestry end of things until mining started taking off in Northern B.C. He runs a service truck at the mines through one of the big dealerships. There is so much work out there, the dealership where he works is always looking for people, as the mines seem to be pretty picky about who does their running repairs. Anyway, you can't go wrong with getting your HD ticket, lots of work in Northern B.C. for ya!

 

[slednk]

I work for manitoulin transport and I'm a first year hd mechanic and no matter what I get 8hrs a day unless I take the day off...I go to nait for school April 23 .... And I love it lol 8-5 and weekends off


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[allthrottle]

Millwright is one of the most Interesting and diverse trades.

 

[Polarblu]

Always the same BS from Millwrights!! Same example needs to be explained!! If you want to change a gearbox with a rebuilt one be a millwright, if you want to do the rebuilding be a mechanic. If you want to own your own business a mechanic ticket gives you more options as you are more specialized. You dont see Millwright shops, you see mechanics shops. Millwrights get a broad overview about alot of trades, glorified handyman with an education. They make excellent helpers i have employed a few and they are handy but limited in knowledge about in depth problem solving in most fields.

 

[RXN]

Always the same BS from Millwrights!! Same example needs to be explained!! If you want to change a gearbox with a rebuilt one be a millwright, if you want to do the rebuilding be a mechanic. If you want to own your own business a mechanic ticket gives you more options as you are more specialized. You dont see Millwright shops, you see mechanics shops. Millwrights get a broad overview about alot of trades, glorified handyman with an education. They make excellent helpers i have employed a few and they are handy but limited in knowledge about in depth problem solving in most fields.

Hey hey hey, we get paid pretty damn good to replace parts, ha ha.
But I do agree, when I worked on the natural gas engines and compressors we mechaniced. Now working maintenance at a place I feel I've lost the skill, all we do is replace. Hammer mechanics now.

 

[gm3d]

I would NOT think that we are parts replacers. We are about to do a shutdown and overhaul a turbine and the compresser. When we are done, align the turbine, gearbox and compresser. Exellent work. You can say sometime bad about any place that you work. You have to find a situation that works for you. What I like the most is the machine shop that is attached to our shop. I can build stuff for sleds, cars and almost anything that people ask us to fix. Great perk of where I work.

 

[Polarblu]

I would NOT think that we are parts replacers. We are about to do a shutdown and overhaul a turbine and the compresser. When we are done, align the turbine, gearbox and compresser. Exellent work. You can say sometime bad about any place that you work. You have to find a situation that works for you. What I like the most is the machine shop that is attached to our shop. I can build stuff for sleds, cars and almost anything that people ask us to fix. Great perk of where I work.

I can assure you that you will not be overhauling any turbines or compressors, you will be ASSISTING a mechanic or machinist in the overhauls!! You will not be aligning anything but ASSISTING a machinist in this procedure, even mechanics have to lean on the machinist on some stuff!! Its a game of accountability and liability and a millwright just isn't qualified, does not mean you aren't capable.

 

[RXN]

I can assure you that you will not be overhauling any turbines or compressors, you will be ASSISTING a mechanic or machinist in the overhauls!! You will not be aligning anything but ASSISTING a machinist in this procedure, even mechanics have to lean on the machinist on some stuff!! Its a game of accountability and liability and a millwright just isn't qualified, does not mean you aren't capable.

We did all of our engines and compressors as Millwrights, they were large recips. But the Turbines we had a Rep with us from that turbine outfit. The plant I'm at now, we rebuild all our own pumps, couple of guys are duel ticketed and handle the machining, Our gear boxes do get sent offsite for O/H's and Elliott Will handle our turbines. We do try to do most of our work in house, big heavy chains, Pumps, bucket elevators and conveyors. do all our own alignments, and get little smily faces each time, Not bad for assistances assisting each other.

I did work with one heavy duty guy when i worked at Rival, used to drive him nuts, I'd use my adjustable 9/16th's for tubing, He'd get right mad.
Sent him over the top once time, used a 24" pipe wrench to remove 1/4" tubing. It was pretty funny. After that I never heard how much more holier heavy duty is over Millwright. He never figured it out that I was doing it to drive him nuts.

Depends on which field of millwrighting one gets into. Amusement park millwrights don't make much, the ones in the food industry don't speak much english, Gas plants and Chemical plants do great. Some of the Contract ones leave a bad name for most others (we call those ones MillWrongs), but some contract Millwrights actually take pride in their work and those are the ones who make it on their own.

Guess I'm trying to say don't mix millwrights with the millwrongs.

 

[DRD]

I can assure you that you will not be overhauling any turbines or compressors, you will be ASSISTING a mechanic or machinist in the overhauls!! You will not be aligning anything but ASSISTING a machinist in this procedure, even mechanics have to lean on the machinist on some stuff!! Its a game of accountability and liability and a millwright just isn't qualified, does not mean you aren't capable.

Umm, you don't know what you are talking about. I'm thinking you don't have any plant experience?
MW or mechanics will be doing the alignment, the machinist is back in the shop making square stuff round or vice-versa.

 

[RXN]

Seems there are a few Millwrights on here. What fields everyone in? I started in 2001 with Rival engine and compressor services. Hit a dead spot in 2009/2010 jumped over to RevTech, which lead me to Agrium. Where I hired on in 2010. Completly different skill and mind set. Not sure if I've made too many screw ups but they stuck me in Turn around planning for millwrights. It's not bad. Pays the bills.

 

[Polarblu]

Umm, you don't know what you are talking about. I'm thinking you don't have any plant experience?
MW or mechanics will be doing the alignment, the machinist is back in the shop making square stuff round or vice-versa.

No the machinist is on site line boring the block and doing the alignment while his apprentice is in the shop.

 

[RXN]

No the machinist is on site line boring the block and doing the alignment while his apprentice is in the shop.

Yeah line boring is a different story altogether. Definitely a machinist job. We did assist the line borers when blocks were done in place.

 

[Polarblu]

Yeah line boring is a different story altogether. Definitely a machinist job. We did assist the line borers when blocks were done in place.

Most good outfits have a machinist on staff, they do regular mech work most of the time but when it comes time for anything alignment or blueprinting new aditions, ie mod a cooling system, mod the compressor, the machinist does that as the mechs are swinging heads and setting up the top end. Then after he has the math we talk about horsepower and fueling issues if any. Machinists are key in a smooth operation.

 

[john s]

Thank you for all of the replys you guys are a welth of knowlage one question but if i did go learn to be a heavy duty mechanic. How do you start getting tools because i bet you need a lot and a lot of dollors lol.

 

[Luke The Drifter]

I just finished my last year of my HD apprenticeship and I'll give what advice I can:
-It takes a certain person to actually like pulling wrenches, lots of guys get into the trade but you can tell they're only in it for the money, not because they actually enjoy it. I've seen tons of guys get into the trade and then later on hate it because there is a lot more to it than they think
-Stick the offroad side, from what I've seen theres a lot more good offroad companies to work for than there is on-road. Plus the pay is generally better and trucks are boring
-Its hard on your body, so look after yourself
-Expect to be out on the coldest days of the year working on something in the middle of nowhere and cursing it if you decide to go into field service. On that same note, the field forces you to learn and theres always something new to see
-Tools are expensive, get used to it, they make your living so they're worth the money
-Wear earplugs/muffs as much as you can, lots of guys have hearing damage in this trade myself included
Me? Currently I'm working for a mining equipment company up in Fort Mac, 2 weeks on 2 weeks off. Its a pretty good gig, I work less than half the year and make six figures doing it. And yes I do love my job!

 

[Luke The Drifter]

Thank you for all of the replys you guys are a welth of knowlage one question but if i did go learn to be a heavy duty mechanic. How do you start getting tools because i bet you need a lot and a lot of dollors lol.

Start small and keep building as you go. I don't know anybody that drops 50k in tools right off the bat.

 

[Polarblu]

Thank you for all of the replys you guys are a welth of knowlage one question but if i did go learn to be a heavy duty mechanic. How do you start getting tools because i bet you need a lot and a lot of dollors lol.

Call your local Snap-on dealer, tell him your starting out, he will have a used box kicking around from a trade in. The basics are the tools you will use everyday for the next 10+ years, so dont cheap out. You dont need name brand wrenches as your second set, but your main set is how you make a living!!

 

[john s]

I just finished my last year of my HD apprenticeship and I'll give what advice I can:
-It takes a certain person to actually like pulling wrenches, lots of guys get into the trade but you can tell they're only in it for the money, not because they actually enjoy it. I've seen tons of guys get into the trade and then later on hate it because there is a lot more to it than they think
-Stick the offroad side, from what I've seen theres a lot more good offroad companies to work for than there is on-road. Plus the pay is generally better and trucks are boring
-Its hard on your body, so look after yourself
-Expect to be out on the coldest days of the year working on something in the middle of nowhere and cursing it if you decide to go into field service. On that same note, the field forces you to learn and theres always something new to see
-Tools are expensive, get used to it, they make your living so they're worth the money
-Wear earplugs/muffs as much as you can, lots of guys have hearing damage in this trade myself included
Me? Currently I'm working for a mining equipment company up in Fort Mac, 2 weeks on 2 weeks off. Its a pretty good gig, I work less than half the year and make six figures doing it. And yes I do love my job!

Thank you for the info appreciate it.