Please forgive the incredibly ignorant question but what is the difference between the two. When I read the definitions for each I think 'but that's a machinist, or but that's a millwright'. Can someone please enlighten me. I'm a Safety professional and do not want to offend my clients when speaking about their profession.
Thank you kindly!
.
.
a millwright is a field machinist. they can take drawings, order supplies, fabricate parts, install and align parts in machines, test and debug machines and maintain machines as needed.
.
often they are more a jack of all trades and master of few. but they often can find solutions faster when everything is not perfect. think mcgyver . welder, steel worker, machinist, surveyor, many trades often done. but not everybody is the same with same abilities
.
optical transit has bad 2 speed high precision screw, think of design, create drawing, order materials, fabricate a 127 tpi tap and create 127 tpi screw and split nut, install in transit, calibrate and use transit. or design and fabricate a special high precision level using castings made in home made foundry
.
few years later by running a cnc making 11 ton parts and week after doing manual machining, week after making programs for small single piece jobs.
.
many millwrights are like Mcgyver. often looked down upon as inferior machinist even though they may have made many many things that are astounding and awe inspiring.