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Hit 10,000 hours of sheet metal work last week and it got me thinking about experience vs. training

So I crossed 10,000 hours doing sheet metal repairs and modifications on airframes last Wednesday. That's like the old "10,000 hours to mastery" thing people talk about. But here's the thing - I've seen guys with half that time who can do circles around me on certain repairs, and old timers with way more hours who are stuck in their ways and miss obvious stuff. Makes me wonder if hours logged really measure anything useful or if it's more about the variety of jobs you've tackled. What's your take - is there a magic number where you felt like you really knew your stuff, or is it all just a number?
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3 Comments
jordan_henderson13
Variety beats volume EVERY time.
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emmaking
emmaking17d ago
But dont you think hours alone actually do prove something? Ive seen guys with 20,000 hours who can bend metal in their sleep, no measuring twice because they just know where to cut. They might be stuck in their ways, but theyre also way faster than the new guys who are still second guessing every move. That speed counts when youre on a deadline and the client is breathing down your neck. So yeah, variety matters, but raw time builds that muscle memory you cant fake.
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alicer53
alicer5317d ago
Mate of mine hit 10k hours but still can't do drywall corners.
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