DMiller
Senior Member
Buttwipes STILL Require a Degree, cannot bend the rules for ANY reason so languish and I made certain to note that of our last contact.
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This will be an interesting thread moving forward......
- Thread starter Vetech63
- Start date
treemuncher
Senior Member
Your situation reminds me of a night course in machining that I took many years ago. I NEVER forgot what our instructor said one night.
"For those of you who continue your education and become engineers or machine designers, you will NEVER know as much as the guys running the machines in the shop. If you want the best advice on how to build a project, ask the guys in the shop who will have to machine what you design. They know the most efficient ways to do the job. They know more about making things than you ever will. Give them the respect they deserve and work WITH them to make the best designs possible. Your degree is nothing more than a piece of paper, not a list of accomplishments."
It's not about having a degree to prove that you spent time in a classroom to pass a test that means next to nothing. Real life experience is more important than any textbook theories can provide. Just look at the overeducated idiots that are running the country into the ground for a good example. No real business experience, just theoretical unicorn farts on how to run things with an endless supply of money that they steal from us.
It's frustrating to see elites run a school in such a manner as to deny those with the most experience to teach a class that is sorely needed.
kshansen
Senior Member
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2012
- Messages
- 11,165
- Location
- Central New York, USA
- Occupation
- Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
And if the trade schools around there are like they have been here for over 50 years the kids the local school districts want to send there are the kids that are causing trouble and they use the trade schools as a dumping ground.
I know this from both sides of the problem.
When I was in 10 grade they were starting a trade school in the county and I tried to get assigned to go there. I was told by guidance councilor that I was to smart for that school. About three years after graduating with a more or less useless degree from High School I dropped out of Community College when I got the chance to work as a mechanics helper at the quarry where dad had worked for years. That job only lasted 45 years and I was the only mechanic there when I retired.
On the other hand my older brother who spent around 20 years in Air Force and while in there got his Masters Degree came out and taught math and science for a few years then moved in to assistant principal at the trade school not far from the one I was refused admission to. And sure enough something like 30+ years after I ran into that attitude he had to deal with the same thing from the local high schools.
And this was even after all the advances in technology for cars and heavy equipment! Maybe back in the mid to late 1960's one could get by with out much training or knowledge of the fine points. But things had gotten much more high tech in those years. One of his favorite things when to ask when some high school administrator or guidance counselor wanted to "dump" some reject into one of the trades classes would be to ask them if they really wanted that drug addict good for nothing kid working on their wife's or kid's cars brakes or steering? Hate to say it but most of the time that just got the "deer in the headlights stare" from them as they just could not see the point he was making!
I know this from both sides of the problem.
When I was in 10 grade they were starting a trade school in the county and I tried to get assigned to go there. I was told by guidance councilor that I was to smart for that school. About three years after graduating with a more or less useless degree from High School I dropped out of Community College when I got the chance to work as a mechanics helper at the quarry where dad had worked for years. That job only lasted 45 years and I was the only mechanic there when I retired.
On the other hand my older brother who spent around 20 years in Air Force and while in there got his Masters Degree came out and taught math and science for a few years then moved in to assistant principal at the trade school not far from the one I was refused admission to. And sure enough something like 30+ years after I ran into that attitude he had to deal with the same thing from the local high schools.
And this was even after all the advances in technology for cars and heavy equipment! Maybe back in the mid to late 1960's one could get by with out much training or knowledge of the fine points. But things had gotten much more high tech in those years. One of his favorite things when to ask when some high school administrator or guidance counselor wanted to "dump" some reject into one of the trades classes would be to ask them if they really wanted that drug addict good for nothing kid working on their wife's or kid's cars brakes or steering? Hate to say it but most of the time that just got the "deer in the headlights stare" from them as they just could not see the point he was making!
Truck Shop
Senior Member
I already was approached by the local WWCC program here, I was one their board years back.
No thanks--not butting heads with office types.
Truck Shop
Senior Member
We had a young buck working in the shop about 6 years back, I gave him the shop name of {Weed Hopper}.
Gayle the other in the shop I worked with just loved yelling out-HOPPER what the hell are you doing?
Hopper came from WWCC with a degree.
Had a truck come in with a A/C issue. We turned Hopper loose on it {he was taught A/C in school}.
He's got the Robbin hooked up sucking it down and Gayle plus I walk over to take a look see.
We both see the same thing at the same time. Gayle yells out {HOPPER} it would help if you would
open your eyes first.
The A/C clutch was toast and the belt burnt to a crisp.
Gayle the other in the shop I worked with just loved yelling out-HOPPER what the hell are you doing?
Hopper came from WWCC with a degree.
Had a truck come in with a A/C issue. We turned Hopper loose on it {he was taught A/C in school}.
He's got the Robbin hooked up sucking it down and Gayle plus I walk over to take a look see.
We both see the same thing at the same time. Gayle yells out {HOPPER} it would help if you would
open your eyes first.
The A/C clutch was toast and the belt burnt to a crisp.
I was just sent this by text message with "Can you help us out?"
2.5 hour drive to this job site, tomorrow is Friday, and the closest place to the jobsite that is capable of building a hose................providing that's what it is...........is 1.5 hours away from the jobsite in a different direction.
Looks like one of those 12-14 hour days again.
2.5 hour drive to this job site, tomorrow is Friday, and the closest place to the jobsite that is capable of building a hose................providing that's what it is...........is 1.5 hours away from the jobsite in a different direction.
Looks like one of those 12-14 hour days again.
John C.
Senior Member
Just tie wire a strip of rubber around it and add some more oil till you get the new hose.
I did my time as president of the advisory committee for diesel tech at a CC. The teachers were all about keeping pay checks rolling in and whine about what they didn't have to teach with. None were current with industry in their own knowledge and the employers wouldn't deal with them anymore. I taught apprenticeship courses at nights and most of those kids hated that I took attendance and turned in those who missed classes. Then they would show up and sign in and leave so I made them sign out as well. Two heads would take turns staying the whole time while the other signed both out. Both got thrown out of jobs with the longshoremen. Probably the worst decisions anyone ever made on a sure lifetime job.
I did my time as president of the advisory committee for diesel tech at a CC. The teachers were all about keeping pay checks rolling in and whine about what they didn't have to teach with. None were current with industry in their own knowledge and the employers wouldn't deal with them anymore. I taught apprenticeship courses at nights and most of those kids hated that I took attendance and turned in those who missed classes. Then they would show up and sign in and leave so I made them sign out as well. Two heads would take turns staying the whole time while the other signed both out. Both got thrown out of jobs with the longshoremen. Probably the worst decisions anyone ever made on a sure lifetime job.
I was just sent this by text message with "Can you help us out?"
View attachment 264367
2.5 hour drive to this job site, tomorrow is Friday, and the closest place to the jobsite that is capable of building a hose................providing that's what it is...........is 1.5 hours away from the jobsite in a different direction.
In fairness if they are a good customer and look after equipment and try to catch things before they fail, **** does happen and hoses that look fine can blow so it's hard to fault them for wanting to get something fixed asap, IF they look after stuff and are just as quick as paying as they expect the repair to be.
Welder Dave
Senior Member
I had to fight to get into a trade school. Excellent teachers with years of experience. It was usually referred to as a dummy school by students in regular high schools. When asked you never really wanted to say what school you went to. There were some not too bright students but there were also a lot of good students who just didn't get all the academic crap they teach in a regular school. The school had an excellent reputation with businesses though. I got out of school early because I had 2 offers to start an apprenticeship. My teacher said I had good marks and I should take the job I liked the best. I started at $7.31/hr. in 1981. Later in the year they had a 13.58% wage increase and I went up to $8.30/hr. The graduates from reg. high schools were fighting for a min. wage job at McDonalds which was about $5/hr.
The school changed to a standard school in 1991. I used to visit my teacher and he said there wasn't enough interest in the trades anymore. The city had wanted to change the school for a few years because of the growing population. I don't think it was because there was less interest in the trades. I think in large part it was due to not promoting the trades anymore to Jr. High students. I remember a few people coming to my Jr. High that were promoting the trades. I think they stopped doing that and the dummy school moniker didn't help. There are quite a few students who went to the dummy school and ended up with very prominent jobs in some very large companies. They certainly aren't dummies.
The school changed to a standard school in 1991. I used to visit my teacher and he said there wasn't enough interest in the trades anymore. The city had wanted to change the school for a few years because of the growing population. I don't think it was because there was less interest in the trades. I think in large part it was due to not promoting the trades anymore to Jr. High students. I remember a few people coming to my Jr. High that were promoting the trades. I think they stopped doing that and the dummy school moniker didn't help. There are quite a few students who went to the dummy school and ended up with very prominent jobs in some very large companies. They certainly aren't dummies.
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Truck Shop
Senior Member
I learned more about metal working and welding in high school from a part time teacher that
worked the Bremerton ship yards, That fellow could run a torch like no one I've ever seen.
worked the Bremerton ship yards, That fellow could run a torch like no one I've ever seen.
There is definitely still a ton of the trades are for dumb people mentality around here. As a teenager I was already working construction with my dad, I had multiple teachers tell me I had to use my gift in math and get a university education, one half kidding told me she would track me down if she found out I didn't pursue something related to math. Some days I do wonder how things would have been different if I pursed something like an engineering degree. But I tried 1 semester of college and hated it. I could never work in an office. In one way I get it, maybe they just meant not doing something physical labor for forever which I would never want to do, but i've never minded working outside too much. I mean sure I could do math problems in my head and didn't need to show up or put in any effort to be good at math, but I don't see how much of that translates to a very good career. A lot of the stuff you learn is things you'll never use anyway.
Welder Dave
Senior Member
I went to a trade show in the early 80's and watched a rep. from Smith cut people's names with a torch by hand. You'd swear it was cut in a pattern tracer if you hadn't seen him do it. Ever since then I wanted to try and get that good. I'm pretty good with a torch but was never quite at that level of precision. The biggest problem most have is not taking the time to clean the tip. It takes about 10 seconds.
Truck Shop
Senior Member
This guy had some tricked torches. He even admitted they were custom for burning heavy plate.
muddog1975
Well-Known Member
Bahahaha!!!Flex tape
Welder Dave
Senior Member
I like cutting heavy plate. The biggest issue is keeping the torch square to the plate. If your torch angle is off just a degree. Your plate is off even more the thicker it is.
oarwhat
Senior Member
I was just sent this by text message with "Can you help us out?"
View attachment 264367
2.5 hour drive to this job site, tomorrow is Friday, and the closest place to the jobsite that is capable of building a hose................providing that's what it is...........is 1.5 hours away from the jobsite in a different direction.
What machine is that? What a horrible design to have all those hoses jammed in at the king pin.
428 miles today for one hose replacement. The good news was I found a Napa nearby that was able to make the oring face hose replacement. Just this one small blow in the hose, inside the abrasion cover with no abrasions, cracks, stretches or bends.
This hose was over 9 feet long and ran through multiple welded loom rings up to a valve in the upper front frame. It sucked but I've had a lot worse.
This hose was over 9 feet long and ran through multiple welded loom rings up to a valve in the upper front frame. It sucked but I've had a lot worse.
Truck Shop
Senior Member
Stuff happens/weak link.
Wednesday morning I got to work at 7 am Jeff pulled up at the same time. We were getting out of our
rigs and heard a rather loud boom. A U.S. Food Service trailer that had been parked in the lot for two
days-had a right front outside tire that decided it was time to blow the sidewall. Made a nice dust
cloud. Toyo-had 60% tread virgin casing.
I never trust truck tires.