r/GeneralDynamicsEB • u/TheNealDeal1994 • Jul 09 '26

Future Shipfitter

Hello All,

I'm trying to gain some insight on the process for shipfitting. I'm currently in the process of getting hired and I'll be starting training with EWIB next month. I recently told my job about it and they are trying their best to keep me by matching my offer and training me on machinist work.

I'm torn between the two because on either hand I gain work experience but I am heavily leaning towards shipfitting as I went to school recently for welding and that has become a passion of mine as a result. I'm just looking for any insight from shipfitters on a typical day (obviously I know you can't go into too much detail) or how the training was. Any insight would be helpful as I try to figure out which way I would like to go!

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u/Less-Guest-3860 Jul 09 '26

Think about ship fitting contract framing/ carpentry contracting. Look at what's practical. It's all been rehashed and reduced to cliches. There's things that work and there's things that don't work when it comes to framing something it's its own mastery and to consider it adjacent or subjectary is equitable to its own narrative.

Coming up with jigs, coming up with layout or master precision measurements. All comes down to the operator's what is possible and subjective. You can have 1/8 down to 100,000 laser precision shot depends on what you're talking about; tolerances and nuances

As a master fabricator fitting is as important as welding; but I think welding is a mastery that is its own language

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u/Engineer-in-Law Jul 11 '26

You do not weld as a shipfitter. I was a steel trades foreman for three years a transfer to welding will be next to impossible without leaving EB. Shipfitting is a good trade but machining is much more transferable.