How many mechs here? Poll

[nubee]

John,

Ounce upon a time I worked for your company. I worked on motor-generators, jet bridges, plumbing, and electrical. I built and rebuilt computers for the Corps of Engineers for eight years. As for being a wrench twistin, grease under the fingernails everyday true mechanic, I am not I changed out a 5hp compressor motor yesterday,........ that doesn't does it

[EZMoney]

Hi
I'm am Instrument Mechanic in the pulp and paper industry. Been doing this for over 30 years. I work with 8 other mechanics and we repair and tune-up plant wide control systems (DCS) and automated controls. Kind of a Jack of all Trades, my boys and their friends call me "MacGyver". Can fix just about anything with a roll of duct tape and some machanic's wire, you should see some of my repairs

[HobbyMan]

To bad there wasn't an option for mech' in training. Right now I am pretty shade tree but I am working on it. My dad pretty much taught me everything about how to use tools and maintain cars, just enough to keep things running. Everything else that I have picked up myself. I have worked on lots of cars (chevells, chargers, town cars, suburbans, gm pickups, and a various assortment of other vehicles) Lets not forget boats and lots of XS's. Now I am learning to work on big stuff like ships. In 4 years I will be a 3rd engineer on a commercial ship. Hopefully within a few years after that I will be a chief engineer. I guess its all the same if you really think about it. The most important part is knowing how to use your tools properly to get the job done without screwing anything up. Once you get that down, it just takes a little creativity to fix or build things the way you want them.

[ExcessiveBiker]

Mech Poll

From the 60s to late 70s I worked cars for fun, professional M/C mech in Yamaha, Kawasaki and general shops. Also, Arctic Cat Snowmobiles for customers and built many successful racing sleds. Now I only wrench for fun and keeping my vehicles running.
(I rode a Yamaha 650 to work every day at the Kaw shop.)
ExcessiveBiker

[e.z.nightrider]

Worked for a few years as printing press mechanic, do most of the wrenching on my cars and bikes. I'm also a camera repair tech, but been out of the business for a few years and I keep my PC and Mac breathing (work as a printer moonlight as press repair tech and print media graphic artist).

Ed Z.

[egsols]

Have wrenched on many cars, trucks, farm equipment, bikes, etc. Have always enjoyed it. When I was fresh out of high school had the forms in my hand to set up an apprenticeship but soon changed my mind. I figured that if I ended up wrenching for a living, the enjoyment might fizzle.

[MacMcMacmac]

I'm picking up my tools again on the 18th. I'm going to be on the maintenance crew at an aerospace research facility where I'll be tending to the 11,250hp 10-stage turbocompressor, and all of its associated cooling and lube systems. Should be interesting.

[Cobia]

Shade tree here

Hi,
I will always be grateful to my father for getting me involved in messing with cars and boats and other mechanical things. He always got me involved, if nothing else just to keep him company and fetch tools, but I learned a hell of a lot from him. To this day I can pretty much take care of a lot of repairs that would cost me a pretty penny if I have someone else do them. Thanks to his teachings I've developed a sharp acumen for troubleshooting and identifying solutions that I carry to this day in my career as a network engineer. Thanks to him I've rebuilt outboards on my boats, upgraded/installed electronics on my boats, replaced leaking tanks, and done some fairly decent fiberglass work as well.
So, although I've never earned my living turning wrenches, I have a deep respect for those who make an honest living at it and at the same time help others who try to do it themselves as well.

[dale_1]

howd i miss this post that long back....

OK.......... 6 yrs old my dad taught me what safetywire pliers were and how to use em. 1972

He ruined me........

16 tinkered with all sorts of cars and my 650 heritage special

18 joined the Air Force and spent 8 yrs active duty as an F-15 crewchief.

26 after desert rd 1 went to the guard and became a weekend warrior crewchief on F-16s while working full-time on small diesel trucks (Isuzu bob-trucks 14 to 22 foot boxes) / All company vehicles to include cars, limos, forklifts and the occasional small engine .... course everything was small after being a fighter freak

29 the company I worked for wasn't getting paid by Wally World so they went broke..... I went to the local Ford dealership and was told I was waaaayy over qualified but why not.... Had a good time 'til the company changed hands and I decided I needed to go back to aircraft.

31 Worked at Reebaire in Mena..... check the timeline.... after Billy Clinton..... no drugs no money haha... took a huge cut in pay but still enjoyed it..... the last non-military aircraft I worked on was owned by Dale Earnhardt, he had just bought it for Dale jr. and his race team it was an Embraer EMB-120..... That's when the local guard unit called me and said come to work full-time.... I said rog. Tripled my pay.

33 Worked thru to the end of 2004 (three mos. shy of my 39th) at my retirement date I stopped working on anything except the house and yard..... and full-time for our computer company which has grown massively since then.... Still don't make much money but hey it's fun. "Triple A batteries to Plasma TVs and virtually everything In Between" That's just fun to say......

41 plus three mos. (lotsa threes involved) Went to work again after a short stint of laziness I guess... Besides I still needed to pay the bills. Currently field I.T. Tech and HP printerTech. for a Ricoh dealer in Longview TX. Not quite as much of a rush as jets but.... then again isn't so hard on the body.(I aint gettin no younger)

Not to mention I am still riding an XS11 I bought from my former Guitarist in 1998.

It has been through a flood in 02 and parked for almost three yrs. then I drained the cases.... It sat for three yrs with hyd fluid in it to keep it from dying. Everywhere. Runs like a beast.... Still has more ballZ than me. 60000 miles plus. had 14 when I got it.

There you go John....... Life history of a hopeless mechanic. My wife always wanted a hopeless romantic but settled for me

[JMF]

Mechanic

I've been a machinist for 41 years. I love to design and manufacture my own part and modifications. I'll be retiring at the end of the month and then I'll be starting to rebuild my "G".

[dogyear58]

Own a yamaha yer a mech...

WoW, I worked at the number 1 suzuki delership
in the us in the 70s midway sports center
when thay came out with the first GS1000
WOW what a machine.

outherwise I started working on appliances when I was 5..
With my papy..

Now I'm a appliance tech HVAC. tech locksmith,refrig.
welder,fabricator,Dry cleaning tech,Hot Rod Guru.
Tranzmisson rebilder,plumber,electriction,tin bender,
All traid technician.
I have a CFC permit, A boiler permit,you name it.
I have ben to TBI class break school.
I have fix't everthing thay make.
Nobody fools the Dog....

[Paintman]

Started out in teh USAF as a C-130 Mechanic worked on them for 4 yrs them Moved to F-16s for 3 yrs. Then worked on people for rest of my time as a Flight paramedic> before iw ent in i worked for a Honda dealer from 77-83 . Now i restore cars and do custom paint work.
Retirement means more hrs and less pay sigh

[lvrsnr]

motorcycle mechanic from 73 thru 85, at Yamaha / Honda dealership and as has been said, it was alot of fun but I realized that if i was going to make enough money to afford my bike habit I was going to need a better paying job. oh ya my company supplied bike was an 78 E that ate back tires faster than my wallet could bear.

[Redshirt]

As one of the non-mechanics here, I figured Id throw in my profession.
Im an illustrator/graphics design guy. All my mechanical experience has been of necessity. No money, no mechanic.
Prior to being a graphics designer, I was a computer technician, helping clients with failed hardware and software configuration. Back in 91 I was in the army as a Graphics Documentation Specialist (graphics design, believe it or not).. but the Army had other ideas and stuck me as a tank driver in Operation Desert Storm. I tell the story abit like this:
Sgt: "Private, can you drive a tank?"
me: "Draw a tank? Sure!"
Sgt.:"Get in."

As the "operator" of the tank, I was responsible for care and feeding it. Our unit wasnt supposed to have the tank we did so I had to learn how to perform all the maintenance the hard way; a theme that continues to this day.
Fear not the mechanical beast and electrical snakes! Theyre bites will only make you stronger.... and maybe give you ulcers.

[natemoen]

Im an illustrator/graphics design guy.

Well then you are the go to guy for any XS graphics from this point on!