Any Skilled Tradesmen here I can ask some questions?

brocster
Profile picture for user brocster
Posts
3608
Joined
6/9/2009
Location
Aliso Viejo, CA US
brocster 2/11/2019 9:50am
2/11/2019 9:50am
Jeff_Wilson wrote:
Instrumentation is how Plants automatically control pressures, temperatures, flows, and levels of the process. This field is constantly advancing, and will always need Techs to maintain...
Instrumentation is how Plants automatically control pressures, temperatures, flows, and levels of the process. This field is constantly advancing, and will always need Techs to maintain and set-up the control valves, transmitters, and DCS systems to make sure these industries run 24/7 . Different Plants include Chemical, Refineries, Power Plants, Water and Wastewater treatment plants. I have worked in all of these places, plus prisons, hospitals, colleges, pipelines, NASA, slaughter houses, and even a government facility that assembles Nukes ! There will always be a demand for this.
logan_140 wrote:
Do you go to a tech school for this? What is the degree called?
Jeff_Wilson wrote:
I got an Associate degree in Instrumentation Technology from a Community College. That was a long time ago, and I have heard that most contract companies...
I got an Associate degree in Instrumentation Technology from a Community College. That was a long time ago, and I have heard that most contract companies are looking for NCCER certifications over the degree. It seems though, that most of the big Plants (like DOW ,where I worked), are still wanting the 2 yr degree.
I went to a Instrumentation specific school that was started by a retiree from Shell Oil Co. its no longer in business but almost every trade school and junior college in Louisiana has and Instrumentation course or curriculum.

You can also get a certification through the ISA ( international society of automation) Its called CSST (certified control systems technicinan) 1 , 2 or 3. However, this test would be hard to pass without any formal training.
Taylor415
Profile picture for user Taylor415
Posts
355
Joined
1/30/2017
Location
Midlothian, TX US
Taylor415 2/11/2019 9:52am
2/11/2019 9:52am
I’m a union electrician. It’s been great for me. I do mostly controls/ industrial. Great pay, great benefits, and fortunately I have a company vehicle.
scrallex
Profile picture for user scrallex
Posts
167
Joined
12/18/2018
Location
Austin, TX US
scrallex 2/11/2019 9:54am
2/11/2019 9:54am
As a mechanical engineer working at a production facility, I can tell you that getting a welding gig is not a bad idea. I'm 4 years in on an expensive degree and most of the welders here start out at around the same pay. Of course, my ceiling is higher, but right out of the gate you'll be making a decent living without having to go into debt with a degree.
Kkawi
Profile picture for user Kkawi
Posts
164
Joined
6/14/2014
Location
Northville, MI US
Kkawi 2/13/2019 10:44pm
2/13/2019 10:44pm
2stroked wrote:
Im a 15 year IBEW inside wireman. Started my apprenticeship when I was 19. Turned out and was foreman by 25 making six figures. Ive been...
Im a 15 year IBEW inside wireman. Started my apprenticeship when I was 19. Turned out and was foreman by 25 making six figures. Ive been able to climb the ladder and I have never made under 100k in the last 10 years.

Ive read through a lot of the stuff in here. There's some good, and bad, advice in here.

If the OP, or anyone, is truly interested in working in the electrical industry (including instrumentation/controls) find your local IBEW office and ask about enrolling in either the inside wireman or lineman apprenticeship program. Both are PAID on the job training and zero cost to you education and schooling. The programs are usually 4-5 years long but while your in school and working your making a decent wage that goes up every 6 months, plus benefits.

Dont go to a trade school. Dont get sucked into these vocational training centers like UTI/MMI/whatever. They are snakes in the grass and you dont get licensed.
I want to apply for an apprenticeship at my local IBEW, I've been looking into it. It seems fairly simple, and I'm sure I can pass the written test, but I've heard a lot about how unions can be hard to get into. Is that true?

The Shop

See All »
GasGasOrAss
Profile picture for user GasGasOrAss
Posts
153
Joined
1/24/2019
Location
Clark Fork, ID US
GasGasOrAss 2/14/2019 5:12am
2/14/2019 5:12am
2stroked wrote:
Im a 15 year IBEW inside wireman. Started my apprenticeship when I was 19. Turned out and was foreman by 25 making six figures. Ive been...
Im a 15 year IBEW inside wireman. Started my apprenticeship when I was 19. Turned out and was foreman by 25 making six figures. Ive been able to climb the ladder and I have never made under 100k in the last 10 years.

Ive read through a lot of the stuff in here. There's some good, and bad, advice in here.

If the OP, or anyone, is truly interested in working in the electrical industry (including instrumentation/controls) find your local IBEW office and ask about enrolling in either the inside wireman or lineman apprenticeship program. Both are PAID on the job training and zero cost to you education and schooling. The programs are usually 4-5 years long but while your in school and working your making a decent wage that goes up every 6 months, plus benefits.

Dont go to a trade school. Dont get sucked into these vocational training centers like UTI/MMI/whatever. They are snakes in the grass and you dont get licensed.
Kkawi wrote:
I want to apply for an apprenticeship at my local IBEW, I've been looking into it. It seems fairly simple, and I'm sure I can pass...
I want to apply for an apprenticeship at my local IBEW, I've been looking into it. It seems fairly simple, and I'm sure I can pass the written test, but I've heard a lot about how unions can be hard to get into. Is that true?
Depending on your area, yes. They’ll score your test and then score your interview. You will be ranked on a list according to those scores. When it is time to hire they determine how many they want to take and will take the top X amount of people from that list to meet that number. If you don’t get it your first time, keep trying.
stillwelding
Profile picture for user stillwelding
Posts
3189
Joined
1/22/2007
Location
Santa Clarita, CA US
stillwelding 2/17/2019 1:23pm
2/17/2019 1:23pm Edited Date/Time 2/17/2019 1:24pm
Looks like welding is getting its ass kicked 10 to 1, to electricians, just like the salary level ??? in the real world.
newmann
Profile picture for user newmann
Posts
24444
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
US
newmann 2/17/2019 6:00pm
2/17/2019 6:00pm
stillwelding wrote:
Looks like welding is getting its ass kicked 10 to 1, to electricians, just like the salary level ??? in the real world.
I took welding shop in high school for two years. All I wanted to do was learn to tig and weld aluminum. For two years, the machine sat there broken and all we ever did was braze and stick weld. I got pretty good though, welded all my own stuff for contests while the teacher ran beads with a 7024 rod for all the flunkies. It did turn me off to welding as a career though. To this day, I still want to learn to tig. So much so I bought me a nice setup for some future semi retirement action at home. Never been plugged in when the house flooded...Angry still need to take it in and see if it is salvageable as I continue to sort through shit a year and a half later. Low hour mig went under for a week as well.


motogrady
Profile picture for user motogrady
Posts
3931
Joined
1/27/2008
Location
WV US
motogrady 2/17/2019 7:00pm
2/17/2019 7:00pm
stillwelding wrote:
Looks like welding is getting its ass kicked 10 to 1, to electricians, just like the salary level ??? in the real world.
newmann wrote:
I took welding shop in high school for two years. All I wanted to do was learn to tig and weld aluminum. For two years, the...
I took welding shop in high school for two years. All I wanted to do was learn to tig and weld aluminum. For two years, the machine sat there broken and all we ever did was braze and stick weld. I got pretty good though, welded all my own stuff for contests while the teacher ran beads with a 7024 rod for all the flunkies. It did turn me off to welding as a career though. To this day, I still want to learn to tig. So much so I bought me a nice setup for some future semi retirement action at home. Never been plugged in when the house flooded...Angry still need to take it in and see if it is salvageable as I continue to sort through shit a year and a half later. Low hour mig went under for a week as well.



Tig, to me, is easier than mig.
Reminds me of oxy acetylene welding.

Get the oxygen and gas right, grab a metal coat hanger, yer there.

Tig, get the heat and argon flow rate dialed in, a stick of aluminum, yer there.

Mig, u need the above, plus correct wire size and spool speed to get that good frying bacon sound.


I work mostly with light gauge steel. 16ga and lighter. Gimme my little red Lincoln, a handful of 6011 x 1/8 rods,
turn that thing up, and move fastSmile
Gravity Cavity 3/2/2019 9:25am
3/2/2019 9:25am
Good feedback everyone. My son just did a semester of college in Boston and so far it is not for him. Has the grades but wants to work more with his hands. He has applied to take the electrical union test, but he is also looking into aircraft mechanics. There is a certificate course at a local college with hands on experience that prepares you for the FAA test. Is anyone out there working in the aircraft industry and would you recommend a career in that field?
Thanks
plowboy
Profile picture for user plowboy
Posts
11631
Joined
1/3/2010
Location
Norwich, KS US
plowboy 3/2/2019 11:46am
3/2/2019 11:46am
Gravity Cavity wrote:
Good feedback everyone. My son just did a semester of college in Boston and so far it is not for him. Has the grades but wants...
Good feedback everyone. My son just did a semester of college in Boston and so far it is not for him. Has the grades but wants to work more with his hands. He has applied to take the electrical union test, but he is also looking into aircraft mechanics. There is a certificate course at a local college with hands on experience that prepares you for the FAA test. Is anyone out there working in the aircraft industry and would you recommend a career in that field?
Thanks
As a matter of fact....I can answer that. If your son is reasonably mechanically inclined...he can get his Airframe and Power plant licence and make a decent living. I would avoid general aviation (prop planes or small FBO's). The large companies, Textron (Cessna, Beechcraft), Boeing, Lockheed pay very well with regular raises. There is also good pay for contracting in the aircraft industry. Lots of jobs easily earn 100k annually. It's a very diverse field and there's no excuse for an A&P to ever hurt for money.

Note: the people that own small prop planes or cheapish small jets are on a budget. The places that hire mechanics to work on them tend to pay lower wages. Hence my warning about general aviation maintenance jobs. That isn't a hard and fast rule but true more often than not.
davis224
Profile picture for user davis224
Posts
6250
Joined
8/15/2006
Location
Cornland, IL US
Fantasy
165th
davis224 3/2/2019 3:23pm
3/2/2019 3:23pm
Joining a bit late, but I'm a 30 y.o. millwright/ironworker/whatever they need that day. If I could start over at 18, I'd start a union electrician apprenticeship. Easy, (usually) clean work, tons of jobs, big pay. I know if you own your own truck/welder and get on a pipeline job, a welder can make enough money to quit when they hit around $190K to avoid the next tax bracket. But you work nonstop, and those jobs are few and far between. I'll take the $35-45 hour job with a monday-friday schedule instead.
SEEMEFIRST
Profile picture for user SEEMEFIRST
Posts
10987
Joined
8/21/2006
Location
Arlington, TX US
SEEMEFIRST 3/2/2019 6:51pm
3/2/2019 6:51pm
PLC control is very lucrative too.
One thing is you hardly ever see anything over 24 volts, and secondly there is rarely any ass busting happening.
I'm good enough to be dangerous, so we have guys who are qualified to do it right.
It's a lot of computer work, but the biggest tool you generally use is a tweaker screwdriver. (As in small).
Gworm
Profile picture for user Gworm
Posts
1617
Joined
4/5/2017
Location
Monett, MO US
Gworm 3/2/2019 10:27pm
3/2/2019 10:27pm Edited Date/Time 3/2/2019 10:31pm
There is a pilot shortage. Good job as you get older. And you don’t have to be nearly as smart as the guys that work on them!
SEEMEFIRST
Profile picture for user SEEMEFIRST
Posts
10987
Joined
8/21/2006
Location
Arlington, TX US
SEEMEFIRST 3/2/2019 10:36pm
3/2/2019 10:36pm
Gworm wrote:
There is a pilot shortage. Good job as you get older. And you don’t have to be nearly as smart as the guys that work on...
There is a pilot shortage. Good job as you get older. And you don’t have to be nearly as smart as the guys that work on them!
Hahaha, thanks G.
I don't build fighter aircraft these days, but it's always nice to hear the users appreciate your work.
plowboy
Profile picture for user plowboy
Posts
11631
Joined
1/3/2010
Location
Norwich, KS US
plowboy 3/3/2019 10:42am
3/3/2019 10:42am
Textron owns a lot of companies. One of them is ATAC (Airborne Tactical Advantage Company). They contract with the DOD (mostly Navy) and act as aggressor forces against the fleets and all sorts other training. Of course they prefer prior military but a HIGHLY motivated new A&P could get his foot in the door here as well. It's a fast paced almost war time tempo but very team oriented and extremely well managed/organised. An unparalleled entry level experience and produces excellent mechanics/employees. Note: this is a job for hustlers with above average mechanical aptitude and exceptional situational awareness. If I was 40 years younger...I'd be all over it.

Of course the locations don't suck either...from Newport News down the coast to the Keys. Hawaii and many more.
plowboy
Profile picture for user plowboy
Posts
11631
Joined
1/3/2010
Location
Norwich, KS US
plowboy 3/3/2019 11:01am
3/3/2019 11:01am
Gworm wrote:
There is a pilot shortage. Good job as you get older. And you don’t have to be nearly as smart as the guys that work on...
There is a pilot shortage. Good job as you get older. And you don’t have to be nearly as smart as the guys that work on them!
Lol. Just a different skill set. I am always in awe of my pilots that can completely block out fear/panic and just follow the checklist. I never forget that I'm sending a human being up in a machine that I am personally assuring is "airworthy". I can't tell you how many times I have driven back into work to "double check" a fitting or safety that I couldn't remember if I had done it as I replayed the day in my sleep. We have every drawer in our toolbox shadowed not because it looks cool but so I know that I didn't leave a tool in the aircraft.

At this point in my career I spend more time planning/organising than I used too but i place more emphasis on training my guys than anything.
Mr. G
Profile picture for user Mr. G
Posts
4193
Joined
12/23/2009
Location
Riverside, CA US
Mr. G 3/3/2019 7:46pm
3/3/2019 7:46pm
Start your own company. It's really easy and you make way more money. Seriously, few people know how easy it is.
newmann
Profile picture for user newmann
Posts
24444
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
US
newmann 3/4/2019 5:35am
3/4/2019 5:35am
Mr. G wrote:
Start your own company. It's really easy and you make way more money. Seriously, few people know how easy it is.
Woohoo

Pit Row

See All »
JAFO92
Profile picture for user JAFO92
Posts
4256
Joined
3/21/2016
Location
BFE, TX US
JAFO92 3/4/2019 7:05am
3/4/2019 7:05am
Mr. G wrote:
Start your own company. It's really easy and you make way more money. Seriously, few people know how easy it is.
Super easy. I mean, Newmann has built his empire from nothing more than a gallon of Bondo and few cases of rattle can.

Woohoo


el moto diablo 3/4/2019 8:34am
3/4/2019 8:34am
It should be noted that like a real college degree the trades will wèed out the unworthy. The work, the hours, the on call aren't for everyone. I'm in telecom and not only is our work demanding but we ask a lot from our hvac, electrical, and facilities vendors too. I've known their journeymen for years but apprentices seem to come and go like models on the arm of a rock star. If you have a strong work ethic and aren't a dumb ass you can carve out a nice living.

Post a reply to: Any Skilled Tradesmen here I can ask some questions?