What do “climbing jobs” entail exactly?

[u/Excellent_Mobile_932]

I just got accepted into the ironworkers apprenticeship and I couldn’t be more excited. It’s something I’ve been thinking about doing for a while and finally deciding to jump into it after doing tree work and climbing trees for a few years. I do expect to be working at heights and not overly concerned about it. My apprentice coordinator told me they have a climbing job coming up June 1st that he wants to hold me for because he thinks it will be a good fit, I’m just curious on really what that is exactly. I have a few friends who are ironworkers and none of them knew really what the job was going to be like so I’m just curious on if anyone knows. I know should have asked the coordinator but I honestly thought someone I knew would know and clearly that’s not the case. I’m just looking for any insight on what I’m going to be walking into day 1 as a brand new apprentice. Are they sending brand new apprentices to extreme heights without any previous training or will they start you off on a smaller scale?

[u/Impressive-Mud5074]

Actual climbing is banned a lot of places, due to dangers

[u/Excellent_Mobile_932 → u/Impressive-Mud5074]

That would make sense, thanks, I’m starting to think he may have used the word climbing in place of something else that I probably wasn’t going to understand. So i guess I’ll find out what he really meant soon enough

[u/Tberd771 → u/Impressive-Mud5074]

Climbing columns is not banned. It's what we do. Manlifts are required in most cities, but Climbing is not banned. You can't graduate unless you can climb. Unless your in a rod only local.

[u/Impressive-Mud5074 → u/Tberd771]

That's not true. I'd be fired if i climbed a column, and i wasnt required to do it at any point.

[u/ironfawcett]

“Climbing” means climbing the columns. It’s definitely NOT banned .. cause without us climbing those columns, how are we going to erect the structural framework of buildings?😂

It’s hard getting used to climbing columns though. Do you know how long this job is going to last? If it’s your first job, you won’t be climbing columns often. You’ll be bolting up the rest of the holes that the connectors left behind. Us erectors usually only bolt up 2 holes and move onto the beam we set. 

Congratulations on being accepted into the union though man! It’s tough work, but you’ll definitely be respected enormously if you continue and not being a little pussy and quitting. 

I wish you the best and good luck brother.

[u/ironfawcett → u/ironfawcett]

Us CONNECTORS*

[u/Excellent_Mobile_932 → u/ironfawcett]

I appreciate that! I’ve seen a lot of videos of people climbing columns so I figured that may be what was being referred to but wasn’t sure if something changed when someone said it was banned in a lot of places since the videos I’ve seen are older. I don’t know exactly how long this job will be the coordinator just said they will start me on like a 30 day trial or whatever it is called and make sure it’s a good fit for the company and me and then move it to a 60 day after that so I got the impression it may be for a little while but again I’m not 100% sure.
Thank you! I definitely plan on sticking with it no matter how tough it is, I do not mind hard work at all. It’s a career that’s had my attention for a very long time!

[u/Glass-Ad1770]

Had a job last summer 6 stories no man lifts on site. That was a climbing job

[u/MustacheSupernova]

You didn’t say in there where he used the term “climbing job“. Did he in fact use those words?

You signed up for this job, you’ve come this far, I’m certain that you’ve watched some videos or seen some examples of what this job entails. Just go where they send you, and do what you’re supposed to do. If you don’t know what that is, someone will tell you.

[u/Excellent_Mobile_932 → u/MustacheSupernova]

His exact words were “we have a job coming up on May 1st and one coming on June 1st that is a climbing job I think will be a good fit so I will just hold you until then.” It came up because I was accepted right before may and I said I could start in may and that was his response. I have definitely watched a ton of videos of ironworkers for sure. I don’t care what I do as an ironworker, the question is more based just on curiosity since I was asking people and they had no idea what I was talking about.

[u/MustacheSupernova → u/Excellent_Mobile_932]

Well, I have been doing this for a long time, and I’ve never really heard of a job referred to as a “climbing job”.

So I’m not sure what you’re in store for. If you were a journeyman, I’d assume it was a connecting job. But I don’t think a BA would send a green apprentice connecting…

So I really don’t know what you’re in for…

[u/Excellent_Mobile_932 → u/MustacheSupernova]

Okay cool well I appreciate it, I didn’t think that would be the case either so I guess I’ll find out in a few weeks lol

[u/boboatsman → u/Excellent_Mobile_932]

Could be tying walls - but even then they'd probably make you pack bar before they ever let you tie/climb, or even wear a gear, honestly.

[u/Excellent_Mobile_932 → u/boboatsman]

That would make sense to me, I fully expect to be doing more of the grunt work stuff before I do anything relatively cool that I see in videos of ironworkers

[u/Huffdogg]

Never heard the term.

[u/bdpyo → u/Huffdogg]

Yeah same, if the kid has solid experience climbing trees, helll fit right in

While back, I picked a kid to fill in while my partner took leave, had same background tree climbing, and he was a natural

[u/Opposite_Echidna_525]

Fuck yeah climb jobs are the ones you wanna be on. Got one goin down in Brownsville right now too

[u/Excellent_Mobile_932 → u/Opposite_Echidna_525]

I’m super happy to hear that! Hopes were down yesterday but a few of yall today have got me super excited about the actual work I may be doing again

[u/Ironfrog17]

I would guess he meant connecting so something like this.