JohnJ0906

I agree.

__________________
John from Baltimore
"One day at a Time"
All responses based on the '08 NEC
It's not my fault, it's not my problem, I'm not your solution.

HackWork

I was always one of those apprentices who cared and worked hard so I was usually put to work by myself. Like you, Frasbee, I would have journeyman taking material and telling me to go get them material. It was a bad situation because it was my job to get them material, altho I was also tasked with specific work that needed to be done. It became a balancing act, you really don't want to burn a bridge with the foreman OR the journeyman asking you to get him stuff (because he could very well be your foreman on the next job).

You seem to have it under control, keep up the good work!

rlc3854

I think this has been said but here it is another way. You are focused on your work/task and your Foreman is focused on you and how many other people/tasks? One of the worst things that happens on a large job with multiple for men is a Foreman telling/asking a worker to do something that is not on his crew without the knowledge of the supervising foreman. Most people will do as their asked which 9 x's out of 10 leads to problems with your Foreman and you. My advise is to always ask the Foreman if your supervisor is aware of them stopping you from your task, let them know you are not refusing and that you will call your Foreman to let him know that you are helping out another Foreman and will be away from your assigned area. When someone takes material from your assigned area to another area that is pure disrespect. Even has a helper/apprentice and you are the one running for parts/material for your job not theirs. If you see who it is let your JW know. Oh wait your working alone, no JW, regardless if it is another apprentice or JW you need to confront them and let your Foreman know that the material is being taken to another area/task. As Bob said you work, Foreman assign/track material and report to the Super so that appropriate accounting reports can be made. Another thing you have probably found is that when you are working with a JW the Forman doesn't speak directly to you. Even if your standing there and the Foreman tells the JW what is to be done and to inform you what to/go etc. don't take it personally it's just the chain of command.

nitro71

There's a bunch of companies that will work their guys into the ground, don't care about quality, don't care about code. This is the norm. Work hard, don't run, don't get in such a hurry that you hurt yourself. Ignore the work faster BS. Always do pretty good work. Nobody remembers decent work but they sure do remember shoddy work. Just remember there will be more than a couple more companies in your future.

BDB

Just remember the ole saying, give 8 for 8

__________________
Proud Father of a US Army Solider

bobelectric

You have no confidence in your abillties

Mastertorturer

You don't need people to make you feel better. What you need are tips!


Tools

Hack Saw or Saws-all
Deburring tool [It's faster and does a better job than tools not meant to ream conduit]
http://www.service.kleintools.com/CG...F58011+PRD+ENG
Torpedo Level [With magnetic strip]
http://www.idealindustries.ca/produc...=torpedo_level
Measuring Tape 25' [Get a good one.]
http://www.idealindustries.ca/produc...uring_tape.php
Conduit bending guide [Keep it with you at all times]
http://www.mikeholt.com/documents/fr...ndRaceways.pdf
Sharp pencil or Chalk.

Optional: I use this tool for 1/2" and 3/4" EMT. You don't have to ream the conduit and it's easier than a hacksaw. Some people like them and others hate them. I love it.
http://www.mygreenlee.com/GreenleeDo...c_number=11915

#1. Read that conduit guide over and over and over and over... you get the idea.

#2. Empty you pouch of everything but what you need to bend. I keep screws and wall plugs in my pouch too.

#3. Get your conduit/fittings where you need it and don't share with anyone. If you make two piles people will get the idea that it's not a free for all. You got better things to do than chase couplings down.

#4. When you're visualizing a run think about the easy way that requires the least effort. Don't throw a junction box up willy nilly and try to get a bend to it. Work from the area that requires exact placement out to an area where you can run conduit anywhere you like.

#5. When lining up offsets use the metal grain on the conduit so you don't dog-leg it. If you're lucky you have the conduit with markings on it (I wish). Don't fear chopping and using a coupling if your bend is off and no one will see it. Eventually you won't make those mistakes.

#6. Speed comes from knowledge and knowledge is earned through mistakes. You will screw stuff up. You will be slow at first. There is always more to learn so don't stop learning.

There is nothing else you need to know.

Frasbee

I've had nothing but much confidence in my pipe bending abilities. I can bend some sweet pipe, and I'm not talking about simple 90's. What I had little confidence in was my ability to live up to whatever expectations this foreman was putting on me. I was trying to move as fast as the journeymen, even though I knew it was a ridiculous bar to try to live up to, especially when I was at a technical disadvantage, 12' vs scissor lift, sawzall vs hacksaw, 10 years experience vs 2.

Oh, and Master, only use the pipe cutter for certain instances, otherwise I'm not a big fan because it leaves a sharp lip inside the pipe that still needs to be reamed.

__________________

qckrun

You should use a reamer when using that tool. It leaves a sharp edge on the conduit thus messing the wire up.

You should always use a reamer in my opinion, unless the conduit is bigger than a 1", then a file. Screw the chanelock method, or the needlenose method, it never does as good of a job as a reamer.

Mastertorturer

Check out the link I posted for that tool. The cutter scores around the conduit and then you snap it off. Smooth as butter.

You're not the first perspm to be like "Hey you gotta ream that!". Searching for better tools online is starting to rival my search for porn.

egads

Both often involve reaming......

edward

the first company i worked for pretty much only did commercial work. i was really lucky to spend my first year out of high school bending conduit. my boss there always told me, to take the few extra minutes to get it right the first time. i stayed with that company for three years, and by the last year we were really getting things done fast.

what i have noticed now, though, since i have had to work for two other companies in the last year and a half, under about a half a dozen different JM's, is that they are all different. some are demending and tough, and some are real laid back. it takes some time to work for different guys, but in the end, things will always work out just fine if you take the grief they give you with a little salt, and focus on getting the work done right.

rdr

Everybody including you has stated the obvious. Nobody in their right mind is going to expect you to be able to keep up with a good jw yet. There's a reason he makes more money than you. A good jw gets paid for what he knows almost as much as for what he does. You're not there yet but one day you will be.

IMO you're nuking this out way too much. Just relax, do your job and learn everything you can learn. The rest will come. Hell, just to prove my point look back at yourself when you very first started in the trade compared to now, and that's only 2 years. Now imagine 4 years or 10 years. You'll get there, kiddo. Just be a little more patient and keep on keepin' on .

active1

Sorry but IMO the hack saw vs a sawsall sould not be an issue it's an excuse. Make sure you have a good / solid $20 hacksaw with a reasonable blade. Hold the pipe tight against the ladder with your knee, push down with some medium force, give a few strocks and your thru. There with practice you can cut as fast or faster with a hack saw. Also your batteries wont go dead.

Everyones got their prefernces for tools to use for a job. IMO the reamer screwdriver can't be beat. The reemer tool poster earlier I have seen only 1 or 2 people use those out of 100's I worked with. They seemed a bit bulky / heavy.
http://www.service.kleintools.com/CG...88F072+PRD+ENG
For 1 1/4 or bigger I recomend a pair of curved jaw chanel locks for the outside and a pocket reamer for the inside like this:
http://www.buyplumbing.net/?pg=pd&_i=RDEBO

Good advise about keeping only the tools on you you need to rough, screws, and a few knock out plugs.

If you don't have one get a material pouch and load it up with th couplings, straps, connectors, etc. you need for about an hour. Grab more than enough material when you start.

You have to chose. Don't supply the whole job (say you your out of ? too), hide your stash of material, or bring enough for everyone. The point is you can keep making trips for material. Try to not leave your work area until the next break.

Try to figure the quality standards for your company by the others work and match it but not over exceed it.

Talk to the foreman and set goals for work for you to finish in a given time.

Try to figure how much faster the journeymen are if they are doing similar.

Look at it from a business view. If an apprentice is making 1/2 the journeyman but takes 2 tims as long it's almost a wash. But if an apprentice takes 4 times as long then it does not make financial since.

For speed use a tape measure less and cut to fit. Also use more couplings and less bends per pipe. I know I like to make complicated bends but it not a skill test.

There is a few reasons for a foreman to say the worker is too slow:

1. The worker is not getting enough done (in their opinion) in a given time.

2. The worker is seen working not efficently. From fumbling to find their tools, not having what they need when on the ladder, waisted movements, walking to get someting, or looking at the project like a deer in headlights. Keep in mind this comes form a moment a foreman happens to walk by and not see elbows moving. Or it could be your doing something that is a pet pev. Perhaps you were reaming the pipe with needle nose and they thought that was too slow campaired to a reamer.

3. The company or foreman will always push the workers saying they are too slow to try and get more out of them.

4. Others are not pulling thier weight and you are being pushed to make up the difference.

Keep in mind this is a bad time to look for a new job. Keep a positive can do attitude and say you'll try better next time.
Good Luck

brian john

Now that's funny