# Apprentice 'Initiations'



## sneaky291 (Mar 2, 2014)

Good day,

Starting a union apprenticeship soon, transitioning from the military. I remember sometimes we could 'gently initiate' new guys in our unit by sending them on wild goose chases or asking them to fetch tools that don't exist. 

Any dodgy requests I should be aware of when it's my turn to be 'the new guy?'

Cheers,
Rob


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## Ptturner91 (Oct 13, 2012)

sneaky291 said:
 

> Good day, Starting a union apprenticeship soon, transitioning from the military. I remember sometimes we could 'gently initiate' new guys in our unit by sending them on wild goose chases or asking them to fetch tools that don't exist. Any dodgy requests I should be aware of when it's my turn to be 'the new guy?' Cheers, Rob


The pipe stretcher


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## plumber tim (Jul 4, 2013)

Bucket of steam.


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## MACPLUMB777 (Jun 18, 2008)

Left handed pipe wrench


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## crown36 (May 21, 2013)

Flame-less torch or anti-stack valve.


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## BOBBYTUCSON (Feb 8, 2013)

Plumbers dragon disease. That one riddled me with fear


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## Plumbbum0203 (Dec 14, 2011)

A matter daddy


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## cydejob (Feb 19, 2012)

Union Dues


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## Dpeckplb (Sep 20, 2013)

Take that cap out of the clean out so we can cable the blockage.


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## dclarke (Dec 22, 2012)

I think to a point the "initiation process" is a good thing. You get to see if the person is a complete moron. Told a guy in a residential rough in during the summer we needed to open all the windows to have air. Vaulted great room with windows at the top. Idiot really started trying to climb out there to open them too. He didn't last long.


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## Pacificpipes (Oct 1, 2013)

Dpeckplb said:


> Take that cap out of the clean out so we can cable the blockage.


That's a good one.


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## Bigwrenchjosh (Aug 22, 2011)

The worst is going to a larger job when you get sent from one journeyman to another looking for any tool or fitting that is constantly being moved.
Just work hard and smile when they catch you doing something wrong.
There is no such thing as a soil pipe bender.:no:


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## Coolcanuck (Jan 30, 2012)

Lots of different ways to get to the same finish in plumbing. Don't get worried when someone else does it differently then you've been shown. Learn from everyone how to do it their way, then find your own way after school and learning why things need to be so.


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## wyrickmech (Mar 16, 2013)

Coolcanuck said:


> Lots of different ways to get to the same finish in plumbing. Don't get worried when someone else does it differently then you've been shown. Learn from everyone how to do it their way, then find your own way after school and learning why things need to be so.


 my grandfather said , don't discount even what you see as the dumbest mans idea even they will have a good one sometimes. You will learn and relearn this trade before you retire. Hopefully if you pay attention you will improve until then.


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## ]3ones (Jun 9, 2011)

Just use common sense and you'll be fine. 
Tip: if your journey man asks you to grab a wrench or socket for a certain size bolt or threaded rod remember it's 1.5 x the bolt or rod. So a 1/2" bolt is 1.5 x 1/2" = 3/4" wrench and if they're extra heavy you to the same thing and add 1/8". Just thought that might come in handy, no matter what always be safe.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

I used to squirt water out of a spray bottle {with the nozzle on 'stream'} at my apprentice. I would hide among the metal studs in the commercial building and aim from like 15' or 20' away. He would always look up when he felt the water....:laughing: It took him quite awhile to figure out what was going on... I knew he was tipped off because one morning he came in and started telling me he spoke to a lawyer about the trick I was playing on him.....HA ha ha ....:laughing:...he was sore about it.

If an apprentice uses a plastic tool bucket, you can tapcon it to the floor and watch when he goes to pick it up.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

And everyone's favorite, bowl wax underneath the door handles;

Waiting til the guy goes into the porta-potty and then throwing a baseball-sized hunk of plumber's putty at the walls...or locking someone inside.


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## CTs2p2 (Dec 6, 2011)

The best one we did to a guy was a strap-on aquastat strategically clamped on the lower radiator hose, wired from battery to the horn wire on the van... Hilarious! Van would warm up and horn would blow nonstop until the van was shut off and cool down.. Then go all over again.. This guy new nothing about cars lol


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

cant tell you how many times we have sent helpers out of the building to bring back "leveling fluid" for the pocket levers,2ft levels,4ft levels,told them it came in gallon jugs on the truck,one kid was gone for hours looking and lookin:laughing:

as for a helpful tip to remember,on any fraction,if you want to find what half of that fraction is all you have to do is double the denominator to get the half of the fraction,for example, 1/4"-double the 4 which is the denominator,that would be 8,so half of the 1/4 fraction is 1/8",works EVERYTIME.now go get the leveling fluid,helperboy:thumbup:


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

CTs2p2 said:


> The best one we did to a guy was a strap-on aquastat strategically clamped on the lower radiator hose, wired from battery to the horn wire on the van... Hilarious! Van would warm up and horn would blow nonstop until the van was shut off and cool down.. Then go all over again.. This guy new nothing about cars lol


that pretty cool right there,like that.


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## jigs-n-fixtures (Feb 22, 2014)

We had a kid who would take a cat nap at lunch.

Had friend that worked at a hardware store that used those magnetic theft alarm strips.

Got an active strip, and put it on the kids boot sole, just in front of the heel, while he was napping. 

Set off alarms for two weeks before he found it.

Small petty people have small petty Gods.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

Spitting on the cubs from the scaffolding was always fun. :laughing: :jester:


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## sneaky291 (Mar 2, 2014)

Thanx for the heads up, boys... some of those are pretty good, some of those I'll definitely be thinking of when I start, some of those are plain evil!


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## wyrickmech (Mar 16, 2013)

sneaky291 said:


> Thanx for the heads up, boys... some of those are pretty good, some of those I'll definitely be thinking of when I start, some of those are plain evil!


watch out for the guy that pats you on the back and says he just trying to help ya. He is the kingpin.


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## Ghostmaker (Jan 12, 2013)

Golden shower test ball removal off a full of urine floor drain with a 5 lb air test.


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## Phat Cat (Apr 1, 2009)

plbgbiz said:


> Spitting on the cubs from the scaffolding was always fun. :laughing: :jester:


Fun for who?


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## wyrickmech (Mar 16, 2013)

Phat Cat said:


> Fun for who?


whoever is at the highest elevation.


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## noleakpete (Apr 5, 2012)

*Apprentice initiations*

They may ask you to go to the truck and get some new level bubbles , it's one of my favorite things to ask of a new guy


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## newyorkcity (Nov 25, 2010)

noleakpete said:


> They may ask you to go to the truck and get some new level bubbles , it's one of my favorite things to ask of a new guy


NoIntroPete, how about an introduction?

How was that, RJ?:laughing:


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

newyorkcity said:


> NoIntroPete, how about an introduction?
> 
> How was that, RJ?:laughing:


 Ya getting better with that... keep poking them with the folding ruler..


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## newyorkcity (Nov 25, 2010)

A couple of years ago I had a j-man and apprentice (who are friends) working at my accountant's house.
The apprentice complained to me that the j-man took a dump in the basement toilet, clogged it, and handed him the toilet auger to clear it.
The j-man said: "What's the difference? If it was the customer who clogged the toilet, you wouldn't snake it?"
I said: "Yes, but it can come across as a little demeaning if what you produced is still steaming, you are holding your stomach with one hand, and handing your apprentice the toilet auger..."
I guess he was performing on the job training.:laughing:


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## Greenguy (Jan 22, 2011)

We had one guy that was always late to the job site, and an ass while he was there, My journeyman sketched a cock and ball sack on his white hard hat, then made him wear it for a week like that.


If they ask for the bucket of steam, bring them a bucket of dry ice the next day. 

Victaullic lube on the truck wipers, and door handles. Can of expanding foam for in a tool box or bucket buddy, as mentioned above using drop in anchors on a metal tool box. left handed hacksaw, for the not so bright.


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## newyorkcity (Nov 25, 2010)

*You can act like a man!*

*


Greenguy said:



, My journeyman sketched a cock and ball sack on his white hard hat, then made him wear it for a week like that.

Click to expand...

*


Greenguy said:


> How can a man, regardless of his position on the job, allow another man to do that to him? Shame on the journeyman for doing that to someone, and shame on the apprentice for not being able to ACT LIKE A MAN!


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## Leach713 (Nov 1, 2013)

newyorkcity said:


> How can a man, regardless of his position on the job, allow another man to do that to him? Shame on the journeyman for doing that to someone, and shame on the apprentice for not being able to ACT LIKE A MAN!




Lmao


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## Mr-Green (Apr 29, 2013)

sneaky291 said:


> Good day, Starting a union apprenticeship soon, transitioning from the military. I remember sometimes we could 'gently initiate' new guys in our unit by sending them on wild goose chases or asking them to fetch tools that don't exist. Any dodgy requests I should be aware of when it's my turn to be 'the new guy?' Cheers, Rob


I transitioned from military to union myself what local are you out of? Did you enter through the UA VIP program?


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## arcticplumber (Feb 27, 2014)

This great j-man, though 58yr old told his apprentice to put flux on his cut... 
To help the healing process. Kinda bothered me he told him this after working with him for months. He knew he would do it the young guy wasn't the best/smartest apprentice


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## Coolcanuck (Jan 30, 2012)

arcticplumber said:


> This great j-man, though 58yr old told his apprentice to put flux on his cut...
> To help the healing process. Kinda bothered me he told him this after working with him for months. He knew he would do it the young guy wasn't the best/smartest apprentice


My damn boss was insisting on polysporin and a bandaid after a knuckle slice I had the other day and I was asking for crazy glue. Wasn't sealed 2 days later, hate those cuts when you keep splitting them. Ya flux isn't very nice, maybe he was working around arsenic lol.


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

newyorkcity said:


> *
> 
> 
> Greenguy said:
> ...


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## MrHyperPants (Mar 19, 2014)

Get the apprentice to go get a long weight.


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## BC73RS (Jan 25, 2014)

We had a pink hard hat with a spiral coil of spray foam painted brown so it look like $hiet.
When an apprentice mouthed off or screwed up they were forced to wear it for a day.


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## SSP (Dec 14, 2013)

When apprentices took too long roughing in a condo complex i was running years ago My favorite d!ck move to remind them was to screw their toolboxes to the floor...
Come pack up you'd think they just got to work by how fast they would hustle around to clean up all their tools LOL... I still laugh picturing them all excited to leave but were stuck trying to dead lift their tool boxes! 

Much worse pranks were pulled on me, i'd hate to put such devious plans in the wrong hands though so i won't


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

The quality of todays plumbers can be directly connected to the quality of the master they served under. There is another thread here about initiating apprentices by having them do stupid things and making fun of them. WHAT IN THE HELL IS UP WITH THAT! I hire apprentices with the goal of teaching them the skills, hands on, academic and interpersonal, with the expectation that when they have completed their training I will be confident in their abilities to both plumb and get along with people. Quality control begins at the top. I have hired many an apprentice that for whatever reason did not make the cut so I fired him. Hopefully, when he goes down the road to find another master, he will have either come up to speed or that master will fire him also. We need to not string along those that do not belong in the trade and WE are the ONLY ones (masters) that can directly control who does and does not obtain a license. I should say that again too make sure every master here understands that YOU have the magic wand and directly effect the course of the trade. If nobody will hire on the idiots, they are forced to find another trade or job. You want professional, skilled plumbers then start modeling the behavior you expect. Stop the stupid pranks and games and start demanding a high level from your apprentice. Nurture him, mould him, make him into the professional he will someday become.

If I owned this site or moderated it I would instantly delete the "screwing with apprentices thread" It has no place in our professional world. GROW UP

Think about that; If someone that might be interested in a plumbing career were to read that thread, what do you suppose their impression of the trade and plumbers would be? I'm telling you flat out that it ain't good. Would you want to work for some idiot sending you after tools that don't exist and having you get "buckets of steam" for them and then laugh at their ignorance ? It's your job to instruct and train. You act like a 10 year old and then ***** because nobody wants to enter the trade. DUH.......


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

I've read enough. I'm embarrased. Someone please delete this thread now.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

nhmaster3015 said:


> ...If I owned this site or moderated it I would instantly delete the "screwing with apprentices thread" It has no place in our professional world. GROW UP
> 
> Think about that; If someone that might be interested in a plumbing career were to read that thread, what do you suppose their impression of the trade and plumbers would be? I'm telling you flat out that it ain't good. Would you want to work for some idiot sending you after tools that don't exist and having you get "buckets of steam" for them and then laugh at their ignorance ? It's your job to instruct and train. You act like a 10 year old and then ***** because nobody wants to enter the trade. DUH.......


Do you really want to slalom down the slope of deciding which posts and threads could be read negatively by persons on the outside looking in? Sometimes that decisions is made, but usually on vulgarity issues. The PZ may be more subdued than some other communities but it is not likely to be completely sterile.

As far as razzing the cubs is concerned, ever been around a firehouse with rooks? The hazing does not make that a bad career or keep people from choosing it. Young men still line up to be Heat Displacement Technicians.


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

Plumbing Zone - Plumbing Professionals Only so yes, I would definately go down that slope.

Sure, lots of other trades/occupations do the hazing thing. Its no more appropriate for them than it is for us. Its not just the Plumbing Trade that is having trouble finding and keeping good people. This nonsense has gone on for too long. Its time for a positive change. The hazing isn't a rite of passage, its a bunch of immature little boys puffing their chests out. How can you, as a master expect respect when we treat people this way? What its saying to the uninitiated is do as I say not as I do.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

nhmaster3015 said:


> Plumbing Zone - Plumbing Professionals Only so yes, I would definately go down that slope.
> 
> Sure, lots of other trades/occupations do the hazing thing. Its no more appropriate for them than it is for us. Its not just the Plumbing Trade that is having trouble finding and keeping good people. This nonsense has gone on for too long. Its time for a positive change. The hazing isn't a rite of passage, its a bunch of immature little boys puffing their chests out. How can you, as a master expect respect when we treat people this way? What its saying to the uninitiated is do as I say not as I do.


Everything in moderation sir. I am not advocating depantsing on main street or putting them in skirts at the job site. There is a difference between having some fun and abuse. Yes, we should be grown up enough not to abuse. But we also need to be grown up enough to have a little fun and not be so sensitive.


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## Phat Cat (Apr 1, 2009)

plbgbiz said:


> Everything in moderation sir. I am not advocating depantsing on main street or putting them in skirts at the job site. There is a difference between having some fun and abuse. Yes, we should be grown up enough not to abuse. But we also need to be grown up enough to have a little fun and not be so sensitive.


Maybe he is yanking your chain. :whistling2:


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

Phat Cat said:


> Maybe he is yanking your chain. :whistling2:


Maybe. But he may also be exaggerating to emphasize his point of making the trade a desirable place for the youngsters. A point that I think ALL of us agree on.

How to get there? Ahhh, that's where the little nuances of fun conversation begin. :yes:


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

Here's the thing and what we sometimes lose sight of. When we hire an apprentice we are not hiring a laborer, a gofer or a friend. We are hiring a student. We agree to take this student and teach him what he needs to know to become a licensed plumber. Over the next four years this student will watch and learn from us. He will learn our good habits and he will learn our bad habits. If we are of the close enough, can't see it from my house school of plumbing, we shouldn't be surprised when he turns out the same. When he see's us acting and talking unprofessionally with colleagues and customers you can pretty much expect him to follow our lead. The publics perception of tradesmen is a direct result of the teaching failures of their masters. Again, we have the sole power to end this right here and now. Start by cleaning up our own houses and demanding a higher level of skill, attitude and behavior. from our apprentices or cast them out.


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

Phat Cat said:


> Maybe he is yanking your chain. :whistling2:


Normally there is a dancing chicken attached to my chain yanking but we don't seem to have that emoto in the library


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## plumber tim (Jul 4, 2013)

plbgbiz said:


> Everything in moderation sir. I am not advocating depantsing on main street or putting them in skirts at the job site. There is a difference between having some fun and abuse. Yes, we should be grown up enough not to abuse. But we also need to be grown up enough to have a little fun and not be so sensitive.


Last Friday one of the sprinkler fitters was walking around with a dress on. When I saw him I started laughing then asked him did you lose a bet ? He said no but I won one. He bet one of the other fitters that he would where a dress on the job site for $200. 
Let me tell ya the sight of a 6'4" guy in a dress with a hard hat fake boobs and all was hilarious.


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## BC73RS (Jan 25, 2014)

Yup, have fun at work, wearing the pink hard hat adds spice to the site, especially if the one wearing it admits to his fault and wears it tongue in cheek.


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## RW Plumbing (Aug 16, 2010)

I was never one for degradation on the job site. Nor am I a fan of wasting company time. Whether it be my time or someone that employs me. I give apprentices crap, as I would give everyone I work with. When I say give someone crap, it's to enhance the bond between guys as lame as that sounds. Doing something that humiliates someone else is crossing the line IMO. I've had apprentices that we just had dig a whole then fill it back in but that was only because he was useless and we only laid guys off on Fridays. So he would finish his week off doing that and be gone. 

I've pulled lots of crap and pranks on the job but I only ever joked with someone and never at their expense where it made them feel bad.


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## Letterrip (Jul 28, 2013)

Nothing wrong with a good putty fight since the helper can fight back, but I agree RW. Only in good fun. Not in a degrading way.


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