Who
What
I repair equipment, but it goes much deeper than that because I am an RSE Heavy Duty Mechanic and an RSE ‘A’ Level Welder. This means that I am qualified and schooled in several welding processes including TIG so I am qualified for hardwire, flux core, stick, and TIG. Stick being the most common in the field, and by far, the main process that I use.
I have worked on ore trailers, transport trailers, farming equipment, logging equipment, excavating equipment, mining equipment (including shovels and 240-ton+ haul trucks, electric and mechanical driven).
I also branched off into millwrighting and worked on food processing equipment, ball mills, and sawmills.
How Long
I started this field of work by around 8 years old (I say this, because I have a picture of me welding at 8, and I also had been operating small crawlers by this age). My father had an excavating business in Price Rupert, BC, and if I wanted to hang out with Dad, I had to work too, so I did. This is where I learned how to work and how to keep equipment running.
Where
These jobs have taken me from all four corners of BC and everywhere in between, the same in Alberta, as well as the interior of Saskatchewan and southern Saskatchewan. They’ve also taken me all the way up to Mary River Mine on Baffin Island in Nunavut.
Now, I live in Kelowna, BC.
Why
I didn’t choose this as a career path, actually, it chose me. Somehow I understood what makes machines work. I remember years ago my mother telling me that at 4 years old, I was showing her how gears work with my Mechano set. She said she didn’t have a clue what I was talking about, but I clearly understood it.
When I turned 14, I bought my Snap-on tool set (paid for with my paper route money), so then my path was set in stone.
When I was 17, I rebuilt my first 327 for my 55 Chevy 2-door HT in shop class at high school. Wish I still had it.
For Fun
For fun, I like camping, skiing, hiking, 4x4ing. I also like to build things at home, could be anything from a stainless hot water heater to a small block Chevy. I recently built a naturally aspirated fuel-injected 383 SB Chevy Stroker for a buddy of mine. The Dyno shop guys were quite surprised when they saw the numbers. With a mild RV cam, it made 432 HP and 492 lb’s ft of torque on pump gas. They called it a “heavy engine”. They didn’t ask how I did this, and I’m not telling.
I always say, “do what you love, love what you do.” Another one is “if you like your work, you’re probably good at it!”
Comments are closed.