The new apprentice at the Philly plant kept arguing about weld settings

Last week, he insisted his way was better on a 3/8-inch plate, even after the foreman showed him the procedure. It held up the whole crew for an hour. How do you guys handle a know-it-all greenhorn without just blowing up at them?

3 comments

3 Comments

carter.terry2mo agoMost Upvoted

Ever try pulling them aside for a one-on-one? I had a kid like that, and I just asked him to show me his method on a scrap piece right next to the book procedure. We tested both, and when his failed the bend test, it clicked for him. Sometimes they need to see it go wrong themselves without an audience.

margaret_gonzalez252mo ago

Exactly, that private test is what does it. They can't save face by arguing when the metal fails right in front of them. It just makes the lesson stick.

holly7132mo ago

Yeah, the "without an audience" part is key. My buddy had a student who kept arguing about weld settings in front of the whole class. He took her to a booth alone, let her run her way, and the bead was pure garbage. She never fought him on it again after that.