I often get the sense that I’m in the only one here doing manual labor but I’m sure there are others.
Identify yourselves.
I debug the worst spaghetti code you have seen. Does that count as getting my hands dirty?
No…?
Ok, never mind…
Machinist here. But not just any machinist. I work almost exclusively with graphite. I’m sure you can imagine what a mess that makes. We do have a powerful dust collector that runs all day, but it doesn’t catch everything. We get covered in the dust every day. The company does have a locker room and showers for us though, so it’s not too bad. We still leave nice and clean.
What kind of things need to be machined out of graphite?
Charts.
Environmental protection. I dig through the dirt to figure out where wetlands were after people fuck them up.
It’s not really “dirty” in the same sense but I’m a massage therapist. Don’t think it gets more literally hands-on as far as a job goes lol. I primarily do deep tissue work, I REALLY enjoy injury-focused work, so it can be a bit tiring but it’s generally pretty satisfying.
I used to be a programmer, but I got sick of the whole corporate scene. Now I build and maintain houses - and my hands are dirty a good amount of the time!
Damn that’s a crazy transition. How do you like it?
Well, it’s been about twenty years and I haven’t gone back to the cubicle farm!
Wash them??
Hurr durr!
Proctologists need not reply.
Facility maintenance. We grease motors, change belts, tighten bolts. One of the fuel pumps on our generator has a leak, so that’s a fun bit of dirty hands.
My approach to maintenance also involves a lot of cleaning, because I believe clean equipment runs better over time. So cleaning off fan blades, insides of electrical cabinets, sumps, etc. We also fix sinks and toilets.
Soil scientist. I spent 10 years stomping through the bush and digging pits when I got there.
Now I sit behind a desk.
That’s a good picture, great beard. And it’s exactly how I imagined someone in your profession.
Best I can grow is a Syndey Crosby playoff beard, but you’re not far off for most of my colleagues
There’s hope, at least for Halloween and if you have access to a 3D printer.
Behold! https://youtu.be/_MR7JzPXWNU
How can I reduce my poly count IRL to look more like a Dire Straights video like you do?
Shipwright welder. I crawl all throughout the bowels of Navy and civilian ships with my gear in tow. I build new areas, cut out old areas, and perform repairs on hulls and pipes.
I love welding. One of my favourite things to do in my previous job. I’m highly skilled at oxy-acetylene welding steel pipes in really tight and difficult places but my favourite one was TiG welding stainless steel with automatic and ventilated mask while listening to podcasts. Really meditative just being in your own bubble staring at the bright spot of molten metal.
I’m shit at welding for someone who’s generally handy in just about every other area. If you want two pieces of metal that barely stick together, with wires sticking out all across the seam, then I’m your guy!
Right? I tried my hand at welding a rec tube to a plate to make an oil tank for knife making. I had to use epoxy to keep it water tight.
So… what’s your hand are routine?
Do you get covered from head to toe with grease and grime? Does it pay well? I have a friend who’s about ready to wrap up his underwater welding classes, and supposedly he’ll make some big bucks after he graduates.
Caretaker for my father. Lots of poop.
Also still paying my dues to the electrical union. That was a dirty AF job. Miss it a bunch, tho.
Asbestos remediation. I work on roofs, basements, boiler rooms,fireplaces, lofts, house walls etc removing asbestos in every shape and form + other materials. Using crowbars, sledgehammers, i saw through steel and crush steel with the sledgehammer etc while wearing masks, I also enter oil tanks to clean them. I have done more shitty stuff with another branch of the firm that deals with more shitty stuff + old barn lofts etc on a regular basis too 😆 all of this work involves heavy lifting and carrying heavy stuff around, I have become really strong from it. If you want to get strong and get payed at the same time, I will recommend it. It’s tough as hell, and only unique people work with it.
My boss just had me change two coworkers’ passwords so they wouldn’t be able to log back in.
I keep washing and washing, but the blood won’t come off.
Diesel mechanic, the black never washes off!!
Woodworker. Hands are always dirty after sharpening blades.
