What does everyone on here do for a living?

[02SE]

Started out as a young kid hanging around and apprenticing at a repair shop. Built my first engine and transmission in what would become my first car before 16. Went on to work my way up to master tech at a car dealer and independent shops. Became disillusioned with the dishonest bosses who expected me to falsely pad the bottom line, so started going to school while working as a mechanic, and eventually got an MBA. Quit the car repair business and started my own business, (which the MBA may or may not have helped) worked harder than any boss could ever legally force me to, and eventually had some success and sold the business and retired early.

Then I took up a hobby in professional racing, which has turned into yet another career. But one I can walk away from at any time, so I don't really consider it work.

 

[Gyro Gearloose]

Now this is interesting!

I’ll bet you have some stories!

When I was a kid, probably about 7 years old, we were visiting my grandparents in a small town (Greenwood, Miss) where they had a coal-fired power plant.

I asked my mom if we could go and take a tour. She contacted whoever was in charge, and they said sure, come on by. They took us on about a 1-hour tour.

The parts I remember the best are the fireboxes, where you could actually see the coal burning, and the face of the boiler, which actually had a large, visible crack! The guy giving us the tour explained that, many years before, the boiler had been overheated, which caused the crack!

That made a big impression on me!

Any stories you care to share?

@Gyro Gearloose

Yeah a coal fired boiler is rather stunning to look into. The coal is pulverized into dust and blown into the boilers. The coal dust doesn't ignite until it gets about a foot or two into the boiler so it looks odd to see a gray cloud shooting out of the wall and bursting into brilliant flames. The fire is so bright you need a welding helmet to look at it. The fire is also really moving on too, somewhere in the 20-30 mph range.

And yes, there are some stories. I've seen bearings with the steel rollers melted and extruded like they were marshmallows melted over a campfire. We had a saying in our office that clean oil was apparently hazardous to bearings because every time a bearing thoroughly melted down, it was always found to be completely full of clean fresh oil.

The most dramatic incident that happened while I worked there was the time the bus bars off one of the generators shorted out and for a few seconds there was a 100 Megawatt arc welder operating just outside the wall of the turbine room. It melted the glass blocks in the wall of the building.

The most legendary incident during my tenure actually had nothing to do with the generating equipment. It was the time the pipe fitters couldn't locate the clog in the sewer piping and decided to use compressed air to try blow the lines clear. Unfortunately the lady in the cubicle next to me had picked that exact instant to alight on one of the toilets. She retired before me but she never got over being mad about that one.

Incidents like these were actually pretty rare and overall our plant was a great place to work. Close to 300 extraordinarily dedicated people all focused on keeping the lights on. Our plant set and as far as I know still holds the record for the longest continuous run for a coal fired generating unit at 1093 days from breaker close to breaker open. Our company was not interested in the publicity from the Guiness book of records so Guiness lists a plant in Australia as the record holder, but technically we exceeded that record by a significant amount.

 

[FT92]

worked in home remodeling for 40 plus years , retired then back at it part time as i can't stand just sitting around

 

[Accent Abuser]

I drive people around.

 

[CharBaby]

I am retired now however, I was fortunate to have worked for two large corporations for 38 years(3M, 21 yrs/J&J, 17 yrs).

 

[Falcon_LS]

 

[dlundblad]

Electrician apprentice.

I was in orthopedic manufacturing for almost 10 years and changed my career a few months ago. They’re sending me to school already too, which is nice. I assumed I’d have to be there a while first.

 

[Lubener]

You mean work for a living?? Who needs to do that when Uncle Joe will take care of us.

 

[1978elcamino]

Professional BITOG bloger.

 

[Justinp91]

Railroad track maintenance for the last 7 years. Currently working as a welder helper.

 

[wings&wheels]

Ex finance exec in high tech,

Failed early retiree,

Now part of leadership at a startup.

 

[joegreen]

Mechanical Engineer turned paper pusher

Can you elaborate. I’m going to school for mechanical engineering but don’t want to push papers.

 

[Highboy]

Haul groceries for Whole Foods Market.

 

[UG_Passat]

Can you elaborate. I’m going to school for mechanical engineering but don’t want to push papers.

I oversee R&D and production programs

 

[NitroM3]

Very kool to see what all some of us do. I am surprised not to see some of the high posting count long time members giving a response? I think I will wait a little longer before posting mine.
Great stuff everyone!

 

[GON]

View attachment 65677Haul groceries for Whole Foods Market.

Hauling food in Chicago area with a tractor trailer. Very challenging job. You are my hero!

 

[cpayne5]

I am a computer scientist. My specialty is operational/quick-react solutions to difficult problems.

 

[Bud_One]

Service coordinator for a CNC & manual mills/lathes repair service dept .

 

[tyman]

Former teacher, now doing Advising/Outreach at a CC.

 

[xgmad]

Came so close to buying a brand new Golf-Jetta SportWagen TDI 6speed MT, a year before DieselGate.

The dealer was willing to put the car on the rack and let me look underneath, to learn how to climb down there, get around the lines and wires, and change the oil filter. Gotta change the fuel filter often !

Dang, lol volkswagens are not a nightmare to maintain at all.