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A typical day

On site around 6:30am or in the shop by 7. In the shop you read a drawing, mark out flat metal, run it through a shear and a brake, and build the piece. In the field you carry duct up to a ceiling, hang it on rod and strap, seal the joints and connect the units on the roof. Lots of overhead work, lots of ladder time, hands in gloves against sharp edges. The job is measured in how much you got installed before the end of the shift.