What are the responsibilities and earning potential for a skilled millwright?

[Isaac1720]

in addition what are salaries like and job prospects like ?
every bit counts thanks guys

 

[DaveC426913]

What did your own research turn up? Do you have questions about what you've read?

 

[tygerdawg]

It was back in the '70's the last time I saw an actual Union-trained Journeyman Millwright do his thing. I was a summer intern engineer at a chemical plant. Millwrights retrieved a failed gearbox from the process side of the plant. They disassembled the large gearbox and rebuilt it with new bearings, seals, and gears-on-shafts. Re-assembled and temporarily attached the gearbox to a motor for trial and vibration testing. After checkout, they took the gearbox out to the plant to mount to the gearbox support platform. Performed a sophisticated alignment procedure with dial indicators to get the gearbox level, square, and plumb. Then connected the output shaft to the process device and the input shaft to the motor. Set all the couplings. Verified alignment was "perfect", else induced vibrations at high motor speeds would destroy the entire affair. This was all on an emergency repair turnaround, so it was 36 hours straight with no sleep. After the process was operational again, this gentlemen went back to the repair shed, grabbed a broom and starting cleaning up his work area "because the job wasn't yet complete". The Operations Manager grabbed his broom away from him and assigned someone to drive him home.

This episode in my formative years confirmed my desire to study Mechanical Engineering, and provided me with great respect for Skilled Trades and a strong work ethic role model.