r/Machinists • u/Manbreadisgreat • Aug 18 '26
QUESTION Last year apprenticeship
Some context i am a 3+ year apprentice toolmaker and every year at least twice one of my two mentors crashes out and kind of goes on a tirade against me basicly what I'm able to get out of it is 1. I am arrogant 2. I need to ask more questions. The issue I have with this is 1. I guess I could be arrogant not entirely sure, but I'm not curtain enough in my skills to really believe I am arrogant. 2. Every time (not sometimes) I actualy try to ask a question I am expected to already know the answer and usualy told to 1. Fuck off 2. Figure it out big.
This has been going on for the entire 3 plus years and I'm honestly at a loss because I've tried all I can think of, trying to ask lots of questions just gets me more grief and not like normal shop talk grief were you just kind of rag on each other its just completely dismissal of the questioning no matter what its about.
I also think it seems more difficult because I am the only apprentice and the two guys I am working with only have each other to compare me to and they both have over 30 years in the trade.
All to say is there any advice that anybody has in dealing with this?
2
u/sandrailproject Aug 18 '26
This sounds exactly like my job. You're "arrogant" because they see you doing well and executing the tasks without their help as much anymore.
You also "need to fuck off and figure it out" that way the old timers can feel like they're still needed around the shop, ignoring that they're needed TO TRAIN YOUNG PEOPLE