• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Fun with the apprentice at work....

Assembling the crew station of the F-16, an inspection step was to hook a fish scale to the egress handle that blew the canopy, with a dunny load to check the amount of force it took to pull the handle. To break in a new inspector someone would put the end of a sealant tube in a empty sealant tube and at the same time the inspector would pull the handle, put shop air to the sealant tube. BOOM
 
We have a product that needs the inside diameter honed to a couple ten thousands of an inch. A new female engineer took up the product line and I was mentoring her. She was supposed to be doing a cost out exercise and wanted to try a different type of hone....a "ball" hone...but she didn't know what it was called. Of course I told her the "proper" name which was a "dingleberry" hone, and she was off to the suppliers trying to get one at the proper size. About an hour later I got an ear full from her as the suppliers explained that it was a "ball" hone, and she got educated to what a dingleberry was.

Another know it all new engineer was assisting me and we needed to hold something in place on the unit we were working on. I told him to go to maintenance to ask for an aluminum magnet, and they played along. About two hours later he came back to explain to me that aluminum was not magnetic....something he will never forget.
 
At a Dodge dealer I worked at, we had a heavy truck shop in the back. We would send the CAP students to the tool room for the "heavy oil" for the big trucks. 5 gallon pale filled with wheel weights, with the top 2 inches sealed off and topped with gear oil, so when you opened the cap, there was fluid on top. Funny as hell. We would hide all the hand trucks and watch them try to get across the shop with it.
 
Man I still have fun with the ole' HENWAY, that's a good one!
 
when building my shop, I had my nephew calling tool rentals looking for a sky hook.......... I think he made 4 calls before someone clued him in
 
As an apprentice, I had my share of tricks pulled on me but what comes to mind here is on me. (I was second year apprentice construction millwright).

I was doing an alignment check on a very large pump at a nuclear power plant maintenance shut down.
To do the check I had to rotate the shaft of the whole unit. So I went to the tool room to check out a large chain style pipe wrench.
I told the guy at the counter I needed a big chain wrench. He asked what size? I said the biggest one you have cause the pump I was working on was big. (to me it was big).
He asked again if I wanted their --biggest-- chain wrench. I said yes please.
He smiled-winked at me and called for another guy to help him bring me a chain wrench.
When I saw these two guys dragging the wrench toward me---(It had a 6ft bar with at least a 60 lb head and 10-15ft of chain) I said wait I was wrong.:)

That job lasted a couple of weeks and every time I asked for something at the tool room they asked if I wanted their biggest one?:poke:

I had a lot of good times as an apprentice but learned the value of not advertising the fact.
 
I had a few younger carpenters especially
{or sparkies, dingbatting "roughing in"}
that'd drop their pouches on the floor
go over to their truck, a window sill or roof etc.
to have a smoke or drink a coke have a chew/plug etc.

I use to go around behind them & nail their pouches to the floor...
Not damaging them, usually nailed them thru a belt hole etc.
Not to mess someone's pouches/tool bags up...

1 of my 1st rules were during work hrs,
more so especially while framing, roughing in,
unless it's a scheduled break, lunch etc.,
to keep your pouches on at all time, not waste time constantly
{& many did, It does add up, 5 min here & there several times a day}
just have your smokes or what ever on you need
"on you & in them"
not be wasting precious co. time running around
to chase smokes, drinks, etc.

Yes it was a pet peeve, but it turned practical joke,
all my older guys knew it too...

They got the hint usually after the 1st time,
kept the pouches on,
kept their smokes, chew on them etc...

I'd usually come behind them with a flat bar or catspaw in hand
smiling like a Cheshire cat & hand it to them...
They'd get the hint...

I know it was childish too, most all took it, as it was intended
as needling, a joke & just picking on the new guy...
I had guys who'd wear their pouches to the porta-lou,
afraid I'd mistaking nail their pouches down...
I was in their head... :poke: I worked :lol:

A few got pissed & they didn't last long...
I didn't care either, there were plenty more out there...
 
Last edited:
Photon440 said:
Sounds like the kind of boss everyone wants. But metal cutting chain saws exist, ask your fire department. :)
Click to expand...
They didn't exist as far as i know back then. I think there are chains for thiner material but in the case i was talking about were talking almost 1/2" wall thickness
 
I was a rookie at a shop where we built dragster frames. We used TIG welding. I was welding on a part laying on the table. One of the guys came up, and shot some carb cleaner under my helmet. The fireball was huge.
 
We would take .22 shots and squeeze them in our kleins with the primer side down and walk up behind guys dicking around and drop them on the concrete floor which would scare the crap out of them, It meant get back to work!
 
Used to tape firecrackers to the backside of someone's welds, then wait. Of course if someone was showing to much plumbers crack anti-spatter worked on that.
 
Years back, I was leading a group of young rookie engineers doing prototype mechcanical assemblies for an aerospace program. We had a pain in the *** purchasing agent who constantly complained that every part that we ordered was needed yesterday. To pay back this whiner, I gave him a request for a "1/2 Spool of Galvinized Pipe Thread" and told him we need this ASAP. Have it shipped overnight when he finds it. I had one of my Engineers bug him hourly for status of the order. It took 2 days until he figured it out.

He was pissed.
 
kiwigtx said:
I had one of our apprentices cut some steel channel this morning with the drop saw. I told him to make sure that he smoothed off all the edges of the cuts with a file. The other apprentice told him that the name for the rough bits of steel was "Peed"....and that he should ask our boss for the appropriate file to smooth the edges out.

So off he goes to ask the boss for a "Peed File"...........that's when the penny dropped.:lol:

Tell us your gags for apprentice training. :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

OK, kiwigtx.. I got to bite on this one. WTF is the joke all about? I ain't getting the "peed file" joke.....
 
Big Bad Dad said:
OK, kiwigtx.. I got to bite on this one.? I ain't getting the "peed file" joke.....
Click to expand...

Same as...

Screenshot_20170707-163913.jpg
 
Oh... You must have one of them funny accents. We speak Appalachian American 'round here. :rofl:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

turbine68rt
Back Story With The Charger and Miss Mopar at Carlisle
Replies
5
Views
795
turbine68rt
turbine68rt
70ChargerRT
Asking opinions of the value of this 69 Road Runner.
3 4 5
Replies
86
Views
5K
Runcharger
Runcharger
Richard Cranium
Bob Beckwith, 9/11 rescuer who stood next to President George W. Bush atop debris, dies at 91
Replies
13
Views
661
GetX'd
GetX'd
Just Call Me B
This changes things...
2 3
Replies
40
Views
3K
Just Call Me B
Just Call Me B
moparedtn
"When I come down off this ladder..." - Ed Story Time
2
Replies
21
Views
1K
1967coronet
1967coronet
Auto Transport Service
Back
Top