Next time you survive the sharp, steely corners and upside-down loops of
a roller-coaster, thank a millwright. Better yet, thank the owner of the roller-coaster
who hired a millwright to repair and update the creaky equipment.
Millwrights learn the "biology" of all machines. They assemble and repair
machines such as fans, furnaces, escalators, pulleys, gaming machines and
robots. Gears and wheels are aligned, motors are attached and belts are connected
using the manufacturer's blueprints and drawings as a map.
Millwright Rita Moore enjoys seeing new products first and understanding
how things are made. "I saw the new Honda minivan before it was in car showrooms,
and I know how they make chewing gum." Wherever there is a machine, there
is a need for a millwright.
No two days are alike. "There is nothing routine about the job," says Moore.
"We might work at an auto manufacturer one week and repair a nuclear power
plant the next."
And yet, says Moore, you know you can do the job at hand successfully because
"this type of conveyor is the same whether it moves sugar or tin cans." The
bonus, too, is that each time you fix a new machine, you learn a new industry,
she says.
Brian Boese also likes the constantly changing environment. He has been
contracted to work at paper mills, steel mills, power generation plants, automobile
manufacturing plants, refineries, printing plants and quarries.
Good math skills are a must. To do their jobs, millwrights measure angles,
material thicknesses and distances with tools like squares and micrometers.
Other tools they use include lasers, ultrasonic measuring tools, cutting torches,
soldering guns and welding machines. In fact, Moore's toolbox alone weighs
90 pounds.
Which brings us to the physical and strenuous part of the job. Moore says
she doesn't consider herself strong, but she can lift 90 pounds. The job involves
rigging pulleys, hoisting cables and using hydraulic lift-trucks or crane
operators.
Job hazards include falls and bad backs. In addition, Boese says that because
millwrights work in factories and in confined spaces, there is a threat of
inhaling deadly gases, lead, silicone and asbestos.
Besides special devices, however, millwrights also rely on the most important
tools -- their hands -- to make minor adjustments to machinery. Plus, you
better tolerate grease and dirt well, says Boese. Don't be scared to get dirty!
Most work is done when the hiring factory or mill is experiencing downtime,
so expect to work holidays and summer vacations. Jobs also are sporadic because
it is contract work.
Most millwrights work out of a hiring hall or union. Big companies like
General Motors contact the hiring halls and request a certain number of millwrights
for a job.
The hiring halls consult their master list of workers and call those at
the top of the list. Millwrights carry cell phones, says Moore, because they
don't want to miss an opportunity.