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How long does it take to get good?

Birken Vogt

Charter Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2003
Messages
5,305
Location
Grass Valley, Ca
You will be a student till the day you retire . With all the different equipment and changes to said equipment ,you should be learning something new every day.

But it is so much easier if you have already been in a while. That way the changes seem incremental and not all thrown at you at once in a big mess. When I started things had computers to run the injection pump, ABS and a few other things, but mostly mechanical, and of course the old mechanical stuff was still around to provide you with plain experience on the simple stuff in between computer glitches, to clear the mind. Nowadays it is always interconnected computer nonsense it seems. And there is a general lack of access to manufacturers' smart guys nowadays if you get stuck. You have to build up a network of who to call for help and that takes years and decades.
 

kshansen

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Messages
11,129
Location
Central New York, USA
Occupation
Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
That's not right. Everyone should have a face-to-face with their direct supervisor at least once a year to discuss their performance over the last 12 months. After discussion both people sign it and it goes in the personnel file. That's the way it works.

I've heard that scenario before but not the way it was where I worked for 40+ years. I'm trying to remember one time in all that time where I was given a formal evaluation where I signed off on anything of that nature! I could be wrong but seem to recall saying something to one of my supervisors at one time about an evaluation and I got a reply something like "You're doing good no complaints!"
 

kshansen

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Messages
11,129
Location
Central New York, USA
Occupation
Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
I was referring to the world of Cat dealers, because I thought that’s where the OP was working c
Understood, but being the outfit I worked for all those years, especially the last half of them, was a very large multi-national company one might expect them to run more like a major company than a small mom and pop three man operation!

Actually the first few years were better before the merger fever got going, the President of the company if he didn't know you by sight probably knew your father by name and what he did in the plant.
 

crane operator

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2009
Messages
8,275
Location
sw missouri
I disassembled the roll around cart at the hospital nursery. My mom placed my 1 1/2 year older sister inside the playpen, and me outside, to save her from certain destruction. Evidently climbing out was no problem but I couldn't get back in.

The kintergarden paint easel never had a chance. At 8 years old, the red snapper lawn mower met its demise.

High school was a rolling revolution of vehicles from a 67 cutlass complete with green seat cover and two mismatched doors, to a '72 chevy c-10 with 307 and no bed, with mud sprayed all over the back windows.

To this day, I can dismantle virtually anything, usually with just a big hammer and torch.

So- while some of my skills were innate at birth, it has taken me a lifetime to gain the knowledge to really do a excellent job of tearing all the pieces apart. Putting things back together and having them work correctly? That's still a roll of the dice for me.

A toolbox size restriction sounds stupid- why would they care how big your storage is for your personal tools? Why should those guys have to get rid of their $15,000 toolboxes?

Asking the employees when they are going to be worth what they are paid, sounds like a invitation to load up the toolbox for the next job. They knew how much experience you had when they hired you, that's their fault, not yours. Ask them when they are going to get smart enough- to not have a shop full of guys- all with under 4 years of experience. You guys lack of experience is all on the hiring department, not you.
 

92U 3406

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2017
Messages
3,099
Location
Western Canuckistan
Occupation
Wrench Bender
I've been in this game over a decade. It's only been in the last year or so that I've really felt like I'm getting "good" at what I do. I constantly learn and I still have those "humbling moments" (although less frequently than in the first year or two).

All you can do is show up on time every day and give it your best. The only way to get better is to do it, make the odd mistake, move on and keep learning.
 

Welder Dave

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2014
Messages
12,259
Location
Canada
For most trades there is continual learning and the people that want to be skilled craftsman will take all they they can get. Some people just want to put in time and get paid. There has to be experienced people to mentor the newbie's. If there isn't there is no way the shop can be efficient. First thing to do is get good at your job, then you can work on doing it faster. Quality over quantity. Very few people are both good and fast. The ones that are have usually been doing it for decades. This is changing though with more technology coming in the last 20-25 years it's hard for anyone to keep up.

When I was welding I worked in a couple shops where a few guys thought it was a race. One guy would put 2 passes where 3 were specified on the blueprints. Then he'd stand around like he was the king or something. That makes a huge difference when welding cross members on a 10 ton skid and certainly doesn't meet the engineers requirements. Another shop a guy was too busy trying to show off he wasn't paying enough attention. He did 8 or 9 root passes on vessels in record time before going on holidays. 6 of them failed X-ray after the complete seams were welded up. I got stuck having to grind them out and fix them. In the end it took almost 3 times longer plus the additional costs of having the X-ray techs. come back. When things are booming you can quit and get another job. When things are slow it might not be an option. Shops can't expect everybody to be the worlds greatest in the least amount of time, especially with no training or experienced mentors.
 
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Volvomad

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
476
Location
Ireland
Dont forget to work safe ,especially if you are being rushed . To be good you need to keep a good clear head ,10 fingers ,as many toes as possible and everything inbetween. I do believe in a bit of physical exertion but with care .Mind your posture and do not kneel on the bare ground .
 

KenAl

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 30, 2007
Messages
194
Location
north
I was a second year apprentice (Heavy Duty Mechanic Canada) we had a very knowledgeable mechanic quit. The position needed to be filled. I asked another mechanic who I respected very much “how long to replace him with all his experience”? He said, how long has he been here? I said 22 years. His response was, it will 22 years to replace that experience. I always remember that.
 

Tugger2

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2018
Messages
1,366
Location
British Columbia
Over the years I have often asked employees did ya lose any sleep over that last night? Referring to some challenge on the job ,kind of weeds out who is on your side and whos just there for the check. The ones who lost some sleep generally come to work the next day with a plan good or bad maybe ,the others just come and ask you whats next.
 

kshansen

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Messages
11,129
Location
Central New York, USA
Occupation
Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
Over the years I have often asked employees did ya lose any sleep over that last night? Referring to some challenge on the job ,kind of weeds out who is on your side and whos just there for the check. The ones who lost some sleep generally come to work the next day with a plan good or bad maybe ,the others just come and ask you whats next.

I can remember more than once waking up in the middle of the night and either remembering something I had forgot to check during the day or having something pop into my mind of something to be sure to check the next day!
 

Welder Dave

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2014
Messages
12,259
Location
Canada
Many times I've fought with something and couldn't figure it out. Maybe from being tired or over frustrated it takes over your thought process. Those are the times you just have to leave it and have a fresh start the next day. 9 times out of 10 when you come back with a clear head something clicks and you figure it out or you come on here and someone else has done it that can help you.
 

AzIron

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2016
Messages
1,541
Location
Az
Many times I've fought with something and couldn't figure it out. Maybe from being tired or over frustrated it takes over your thought process. Those are the times you just have to leave it and have a fresh start the next day. 9 times out of 10 when you come back with a clear head something clicks and you figure it out or you come on here and someone else has done it that can help you.
Nan that is the truth happens to me more often than not
 

Welder Dave

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2014
Messages
12,259
Location
Canada
The problem I have now is I can respond to posts but the Post New Thread box doesn't show up so I can't start a new thread. It shows up in shop talk but no other forums. Anybody else have this problem?

I think I figured it out. Had something to do with my internet security settings.
 
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kshansen

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Messages
11,129
Location
Central New York, USA
Occupation
Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
Just did a quick check and if I click on "Forums" up at top of the page and then scroll down to say "Track Loaders" over towards the right of the page there is a Blue tab that says "Start New Thread" or something to that idea and I click on that a box opens up where I can fill in the "Subject" for the new thread and then fill in the text box.

I have not started many new Threads lately but that is what I think I usually do.
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And this is another way I can do it.
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Say you just want to start a new thread and you are already in the section you want to start a new thread, for instance "shop talk" click on the tab where the red arrow is pointing to "Shop Talk"
new thread01.png
That should take you to the next screen like below and there is the blue tab the red arrow is pointing at. Click on that and the box to put the title in and the text box should appear.
new thread02.png

If those don't work I'm not sure what to say!
 
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