I literally got called out as a "rat" on my third day, and had a miserable time my first week as an apprentice, green as one can be. I don't think I fucked much up, besides promising to bring material to one guy, but didn't let him know our laydown ran out. He got in my face the next day and blamed me; I didn't know what to say. So while some journeymen will be kind to new combers, in my experience, I'd say a 1/4 of them might be in a toxic situation, and are not willing to teach or have patience with newer guys. I've heard it all: "Maybe this career isn't for you", "I don't think you will be safe working in this field", "curse words". One contractor I had a guy scream at me for hours, for weeks at a time and my only response from others was to tough it out. Another dude was so busy (or angry with me) he didn't bother to teach me anything, he'd ask the foreman to swap me out with another apprentice. So it got really ugly for me fast, and there was pressure for me to quit this career entirely. But I stuck around. I was on time and showed up to work every single day. I worked the overtime if they asked me. I kept moving. If anyone needed heavy shit moved up 3-4 flights of stairs, I'd be that guy or the guy helping that guy. The superintendent noticed I the idiot who got stuck with the moving the ugly shit and I was moving, he gave me the option to stay after the massive layoffs.
so below are things which I learned, which no one told me beforehand, because I was expected to know these. I didn't "learn" it until I got lit up by someone else.
When sorting material, organize by the size. So 1 inch go together. 3/4 go together. The two most common fittings are connectors and couplings.
All hardware likewise go together. 1/4 nuts (springnuts) go with 1/4 bolts. same with 3/8 material, so on.
If any journeymen complains about the lack of material and you're certain you don't have any on site: you run to the foreman ASAP to make sure the JW is using the right means of installation (with the right parts), and to make sure the foreman makes sure he orders it for tomorrow. That's the only reason why apprentices are tasked with doing inventory.
Trash needs to be emptied every 2 days. Electricians produce an enormous amount of trash, and more than every other trade (maybe combined). Don't push brooms unless told so. Moving trash to the dumpster is enough. Make sure you can empty trash cans before they get overfilled, then it's a fucking nightmare. Every foreman, superintendent, and higher up will notice the amount of trash on site. Even if there's beautiful work or dogshit being installed, if the site looks trashy, they will notice. And apprentices will bear that responsibility.
Apprentices open up the gangboxes in the morning, and lock up the gangboxes last making sure all the power tools are secured. That's tradition.
Power tools. There's a drill, impact, rotary hammer. A drill looks like a drill and has many responsibilities, but nowdays it's duty is to make hole. An impact looks like a drill but lacks the metal chuck in the front so that it gives it a more slim profile: it's meant to drive fasteners (think of it as a powered screw driver) and is one of the most used tools on the jobsite. A rotary hammer makes holes in masonry, and can be either small or large. Don't push hard with a rotary hammer: it should drive itself itself.
Cutting power tools: there's many of them, but the general principle when you cut, is to let one end of the cut to fall to the ground. You don't want to bind the blade. No matter what cutting tool. Band saws require the material to be FIXED/SECURED so that it will not rotary/spin in place. A metal cutting circular saw (a mini "skil saw") will allow you to cut material without being as fixed/secured in a vice but is extremely loud (wear ear protection). Also go slow with it and don't rush. You should never see sparks; go slow, so the blades make small chips in the metal to cut.
Drill. If you're drilling a hole in wood: setting 2 speed fast. Drilling in metal/ or sheet metal: setting speed 1 slow; in fact, I chuck up the drill to the max setting; not on the full torque drill function to save my wrist. When drilling in metal or sheet metal, whether that be a drill bit to make a hole or with a hole saw, make a pilot hole. A pilot hole is a small hole made with a drill (usually under 1/4) to help cut/center your hole in metal. It will save your hole saws too. The drill chucked up helps you determine how much pressure and speed to cut the metal. You want to see metal chips, and not metal sparks.
Basic tool set: 1 Tool Pouch, 2 Pairs of Channel locks, 1 Tape Measure (I find a pouch just for the tape is super handy for me), 1 Torpedo Level, 1 Pair Wire Strippers, 1 Pair of Diagonal Cutters, 1 Pair of Linesman, 6x1 screwdriver, 1 Stanley Knife, 1 Notepad (I keep paper in my helmet), 1 pencil (I use a flat carpenters with a retractable). Sure you won't carry all that shit on you (on tool bag/belt) all the time, but I stowed it away in a hand carry toolbag, bucket, or something, then bust out the tool bag/belt when time calls. If you're broke, cheap is fine, and you can upgrade later. On me at all times, no matter what situation, where I'd have to re-tool. Always have a knife, pencil, tape measure, paper/notepad in hardhat. If I'm inside and doing some kind of work, then channellocks, and 6-in-1. First thing I ask for when I get to a new jobsite is ask the foreman for nutdriver set which has 5/16", 3/8", 7/16", 1/2" and 9/16". I use two locking (not magnetic) extension bit so they don't get lost.
Instructions, material gathering, anything technical: repeat everything before taking off. repeat everything to the person telling you, and at best write it down. This is what people who've worked in service have learned and it works.
AWG = american wire gauge. 10 AWG = "10 gauge". You can read it on the wire. You will be tasked to find wire of a specific color and gauge. There's another type of wire sizing in "naughts": 1/0 is read as "1 naught" 2/0, 3/0 4/0. DO NOT SAY "10 A-W-G" or 10 "awg" (aug). 10 AWG = "10 gauge".
Rigid conduit. The pipe with threads. The caps of the 10 ft pipes are colored. Blue = whole inches (1, 2, 3) Red = quarter inches (3/4, 1 1/4). Black = half inches (1/2, 1-1/2). Rigid is heavy pipe that's historically related to the pipe plumbers and gasfitters install. EMT is light "thin wall" pipe.
To put wire together is called splicing. This can be done by exposing the bare copper by peeling off the insulation and putting it with the bare copper of another wire. Wirenuts or waygos are a splicing instruments to hold the bare copper wires together.
The most ordinary wire colors: Black = Hot = Wire with voltage. Green = Grounding Conductor = Path to Earth in case of emergency (instead of a Path THROUGH you). White = Neutral (grounded) = Wire either is the return path of the circuit (with little/no voltage), or carries the unbalanced voltage of the circuit. Neutrals have current, and are NOT safe to touch. In other countries they say bleutral, because their neutrals are blue.
General rule. Ground/Green on the longest. Then Neutral/White, then Hot/Black. Hot can be different colors. The general scheme for 120/208/240V for hot is black, red, blue. The general scheme for higher voltage 277/480 is BOY, brown orange yellow
Non-contact tester before touching anything with your bare hands or cutting wire. Don't trust anyone's word. IF you cut a cable, cut one wire at a time. Same mentality. Green on the longest, then neutral, then hot. So if you're cutting, cut the hot wire first, then the neutral, then the ground. Green is within the circuit the longest. If you're making up a circuit and putting it together. Green is the first thing you "make up" (splice), then neutral, then hots are last.
If you come in a situation where you'll be deployed with a hand bender, and be asked to bend immediately. There's a printout of common bends online. Print that sheet and keep it under your hard hat. Also write down the outside diameters of EMT, and the KO sizes.
If anything negative is coming out of your mouth, it's better left unsaid. Don't say you "can't do it". "Show me how you can do it". You don't talk back. You do as you're told. You put eagerness to a project that you know might be doomed because it will be faster for those responsible to find out: just run through what you did with your foreman because he will be interested/will ask (because they have to record what you do anyways). If you drag on something you know is not right, you'll create antagonism. You're just a pawn.
You will be asked to tie a knot. The 3 knots you NEED to learn to tie, with your eyes closed, from all different orientations. A general cinching knot : clove hitch. A knot to make a sturdy loop which won't come apart : bowline (ideally the object has a set anchor point for the loop to pass through; like a fish tape leader). A knot to make cargo loads secure: trucker's hitch.
If you don't know how to do it, ask.
If you're tasked with something you don't know how to do, ask for clarification. Don't say you "can't do it". Say you need to know how to do it.
If your journeymen can't give you an answer, or is just a shit person showing an example, rough it out for 3 weeks tops and speak to your foreman.
Most answers can be found online.
Stick to your journeymen, if assigned by your foreman, and even if you see other journeymen struggling with a task solo. Journeymen are trained to work solo. Foreman needs to keep track of manhours and it will be adjusted accordingly (the next day, usually).
No call – No show was means for termination at all my jobsites. Do it once, and the next day you'll show up to get your two checks. I've seen the some talented apprentices smoked because they no-called no showed. Show up everyday, on time, and eager to work. I stopped drinking on the weekdays and Sunday.
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