Update: My lead handed me the seaming iron last Tuesday and I think the 'tape first' rule is holding back new guys
Last Tuesday at a 12 unit apartment job in Boise my lead handed me the seaming iron on day one instead of making me tape seams for a few weeks like every other shop does. Every installer I know preaches tape and glue first for at least 6 months before you touch heat, but I watched him run a 30 foot seam with a top cutter and iron in about 3 minutes while I stood there with a taping iron. When I asked why he skipped the usual way, he said the tape guys get scared of the iron and never learn to feel the seam close under their hand. I did 9 seams that afternoon and burned 2, but by Friday I could feel the row lock before the iron was halfway down. So is the tape first thing a real skill builder or just how shops keep new guys on the slow work for a year? I want to hear from guys who learned on heat first because I'm not sure I can go back to tape now.