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Got my first solo traction job done without a call back
Three years ago, I was just a helper on a crew in Kansas City, mostly handing tools and watching. Last month, my boss put me on a full traction machine swap in a five story office building downtown. The old MCE was shot, and we had to get the new one in and lined up in a tight machine room. I spent two full days on the alignment, checking and rechecking with a feeler gauge and a laser. My hands were shaking when I powered it up for the first test run. But it ran smooth as glass, no strange noises, perfect leveling. The super just called to say it's been running fine for a full cycle now with zero issues. It's a small thing, but it feels huge. Anyone else remember that first big job you ran start to finish on your own?
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kai_webb912mo ago
My uncle ran a small engine shop and said the first solo rebuild is always the loudest silence you'll ever hear. @dylan_brown30 is right about the rush, it changes from nerves to a quiet kind of trust in your own hands. You stop waiting for it to go wrong and start knowing you fixed it right.
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dylan_brown302mo ago
How long did it take for the nerves to go away? I used to think the rush would fade, but that first solo win just makes you want more.
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phoenix_lewis1d ago
I get where you're coming from, but honestly I don't think it ever fully goes away for me. Even after thousands of jobs, that little knot in my stomach comes back every time I hit the power button on something I built from the ground up. You just learn to work with it instead of letting it freeze you, you know?
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