I have done quite a lot of work in light industrial and commercial settings, always in installation. This has involved working with transformer rooms, large power distribution, motors and machines, plenty of small factories, many schools, and hospitals.

I would not however class myself as an industrial electrician. I do not have enough knowledge and experience in control systems, both installation and fault finding, nor machine systems, and have never worked in heavy industry.

The work I have done in factories was generally as an outside contracted installation team to supplement the maintenance team already there. The company I worked for did everything from installing new factory floor areas at BAE systems to changing bathroom fans in council housing.
I just class myself as an electrician, as you could be asked to do any sort of task in any sort of setting.

I would not however apply for a job as industrial electrician/maintenance electrician as I would probably be out of my depth.
 
Mostly commercial work now although I have had a fair bit of light industrial experience in the past. Had a fair few years as a technician working on railway signalling systems including level crossings and points etc which I must say was one of the best learning experiences. As for domestic I have very rarely done any lol apart from my own house and bits and pieces for family etc.
 
Did my apprenticeship at a foundry in the 70's and worked in mainly automotive since, seen the introduction of PLC's, HMI's and Robotics into the industry. Over the years I've probably worked on 24VDC more than any other voltage!.

Where I work now are struggling to find maintenance personnel, although if you can't produce evidence of quals (indentures etc.) you don't even get an interview.
 
As I thought, we’re not exactly over run with the heavy lads.

One of the joys of the job was going in to work thinking “I’ve got so and so to do today”. Get there and it’s all hands to the pumps the place is in chaos, any plans you thought you had have just gone out the window.

When I married just before I came out of my time, I warned the wife “don’t expect me home when that shift rota says I should be.” God knows how she put up with me all that time, the company always came first.
My son was seven when we split, I never saw him open his Christmas presents. 14 years on the trot I was at work Christmas and Boxing Day. To add insult to injury, Boxing Day is my birthday.

I’d go back in to the fray tomorrow if I could.
 
As I thought, we’re not exactly over run with the heavy lads.

One of the joys of the job was going in to work thinking “I’ve got so and so to do today”. Get there and it’s all hands to the pumps the place is in chaos, any plans you thought you had have just gone out the window.

When I married just before I came out of my time, I warned the wife “don’t expect me home when that shift rota says I should be.” God knows how she put up with me all that time, the company always came first.
My son was seven when we split, I never saw him open his Christmas presents. 14 years on the trot I was at work Christmas and Boxing Day. To add insult to injury, Boxing Day is my birthday.

I’d go back in to the fray tomorrow if I could.
There are very few like you around Tony, almost an extinct species, you have my absolute respect Sir, Funnily enough I know another Tony who is 78 now and he was my mentor, he was like you a heavy industrial spark and he showed me things within this industry which the Electrical Trainee of today would never understand, He was the best real Electrician I have ever worked with, I used to think the world of him and used to clean his tools and make him tea every day and enjoy doing it, he taught me properly and yet I never matched his quality even though I think I did a great job compaired to the sparks they turn out today. I still speak to him every so often and he is still my idol and mentor and always will be, I would have loved to have worked for you as well fella, you 2 guys are a dying breed now.
 
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Right just got back From the Job and left Glenn down there with my lad to finish off testing etc. so I am going to nominate Glennspark for industrial, he has done 3 jobs for me now and I am impressed ( Trev this is not another love in Mate, by the way)
But I think he is gonna make a good one in the factory's the more time he spends in them, I am going to make it my mission to get him out of the Domestic sector due to the well documented fact that it is Fooked and get him doing the factory's where I think he will Blossom.
( sometimes you just get a good feeling about someone ).
 
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Afternoon Mike, how are you this fine Sunday.
Afternoon Glenn, just mowed the lawn again as I do most sunday mornings and I am just pouring a non alcoholic becks blue for a refreshing drink, wish it was alcoholic but there you are, tablets n all
 
Afternoon Glenn, just mowed the lawn again as I do most sunday mornings and I am just pouring a non alcoholic becks blue for a refreshing drink, wish it was alcoholic but there you are, tablets n all

How that all going mate.
 
Would love to move into industrial only, unfortunately never found a firm remotely interested in getting a look in

That being said have done a fair amount of workshops & garages, quite a lot of agricultural (if it counts) and work in the Nuclear industry
 
Right just got back From the Job and left Glenn down there with my lad to finish off testing etc. so I am going to nominate Glennspark for industrial, he has done 3 jobs for me now and I am impressed ( Trev this is not another love in Mate, by the way)
Having spoken to Glenn a couple of times over the phone there's no doubt that he knows his stuff mate, in fact I had someone else singing his praises just yesterday on a job I was on so you're not the first.
Even if he is a &*%&(%)%_ ^&*%$( *&^*%() &^%&^%$^%$^* %^"^$£"%^$%^(^%(
:)
 
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Glenn is also helping me on a commercial job. can't fault him.
 
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Left school and went into industrial (manufacturer of Gas cylinders) Tube Investments (Ti) , plcs, panel design and build, but they started me in maintenance as an apprentice. Nowadays, its about 45% pure industrial, 45% commercial and 10% domestic for friends and family. The industrial work is mainly, machine repairs, motors, distribution and testing with the odd plc issue thrown in.

I can see a marked difference between you well respected lads and the "others" - you all have a better command of the English language and punctuation. :)
 
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I can see a marked difference between you well respected lads and the "others" - you all have a better command of the English language and punctuation. :)

Usually a requirement for good report writing
 
Usually a requirement for good report writing

Yes ... I can see that and agree.

Not meaning to derail this thread, but when I first joined this forum I enjoyed reading the stuff posted by lads such as Tony & Eng54, Malcolm Sandford? and the others who seem to have toddled off elsewhere. Most of the stuff I confess I didn't fully understand, but it kept my brain active trying understand it and I enjoyed it and Tony's little drawings fascinated me. Now all I seem to read about is wiring sheds, RCDs tripping all over the place and forests of earth rods.

It's not the forum I signed up to - it's becoming mind-numbingly boring!

OK ... I won't clutter this thread up any more ... I'm off to find some poor sod to take the **** out of and it looks like Murdoch needs some help with a Combi boiler ..... :)
 
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I tick all the boxes to fit in here but I supposed most of you gathered that already but did take the route of domestic/commercial and the odd industrial to creating a demand for my services by learning and understanding thus self teaching control systems and theory of; before making a solid move to 100% industrial breakdown and machine upgrades...

Currently building a control for a roller cutter on a carding line and next job is a wire twisting machine using power nip/roll feed system, I enjoy the panel building side especially when everything works as expected from theoretical concepts been self employed 5yrs now and left the previous company after 20yrs and left them with a deep hole they couldn't fill ...but I call that Karma :smilewinkgrin:
 
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awww... where's sherrif buford gone?
 
awww... where's sherrif buford gone?

Ruddy hell been my Windows 8 2-minute finger painting for a good month now ....where you been looking lol... Ill look for a better picture soon as I got board of the last one and needed a change. :stooge_curly:
 
I tick all the boxes to fit in here but I supposed most of you gathered that already but did take the route of domestic/commercial and the odd industrial to creating a demand for my services by learning and understanding thus self teaching control systems and theory of; before making a solid move to 100% industrial breakdown and machine upgrades...

Currently building a control for a roller cutter on a carding line and next job is a wire twisting machine using power nip/roll feed system, I enjoy the panel building side especially when everything works as expected from theoretical concepts been self employed 5yrs now and left the previous company after 20yrs and left them with a deep hole they couldn't fill ...but I call that Karma :smilewinkgrin:

Been there & done that.

I started working for a bloke (engineering) and after the first year he was able to buy himself a brand new Ford Granada.

After the second year, he had a one year old Daimler Sovereign.

At the end of the third year he upset me and I left.

Two years after that he had no car, no business and no house.

THAT is Karma ;)
 
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Industrial Electricians Only:
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