Iron Ring

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

I have only recently heard of this.

Canadian Engineering Graduates ( from at least some university)
Can ( by invitation) be asked to join a fraternity that wear an iron ring
To signify the ethical commitment to the craft.

Anyone out there with experience of this..

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

A badge of honour

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Shhh!

It's a closely guarded secret

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Ring

Neil

(I wonder what graduates in waste water management wear?)

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 05/11/2016 09:47:50:

 

(I wonder what graduates in waste water management wear?)

Edited By JasonB on 05/11/2016 10:06:24

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

I think we have something similar in the UK, led to believe that it might (allegedly) involve, nooses, bared chest etc.

I could not find a smiley for "tongue in cheek".

 

Edited By V8Eng on 05/11/2016 10:11:09

[John OlsenParticipant @johnolsen79199]

Isn't there some ritual involving pigs at one of your universities?

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 05/11/2016 09:47:50:

Shhh!

It's a closely guarded secret

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Ring

.

[quote]

The Iron Ring is made from either wrought iron or stainless steel.^[5]

The Iron Ring is worn on the little finger ("pinky&quot of the working (dominant) hand.^[5]

[/quote]

.

… A little worrying, both in terms of education and elfin safety

MichaelG.

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

A few of my engineers in Vancouver had this. It all seemed rather bizarre to me, rather like a cross between the silly Mercan college fraternaties (phi kappa beta? – wow) and the self-propagating institutions we have the the UK.

Of course, you are supposed to be a formally registered engineer before you can actually call yourself an engineer in Canada. Which meant I couldn't (no problem, I was the engineering director) – and those jobs that didn't require an engineering degree actually had sensible names. So you had titles like "millwright" for a guy who could cut, bend, weld, repair etc metal and machinery and "technician" for somebody who was trained to do technical work. As you know, in the UK even somebody who repairs toilets or washing machines is an engineer. Registered engineers in Canada are supposed to display their certificates prominently on their desks and can get in trouble if they don't. That's no guarantee they are any good of course….

[Roderick JenkinsParticipant @roderickjenkins93242]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 05/11/2016 10:16:46:

The Iron Ring is worn on the little finger ("pinky" of the working (dominant) hand.^[5]

… A little worrying, both in terms of education and elfin safety

MichaelG.

Indeed. Suggests a determination, once qualified as a professional engineer, never to touch a machine tool again

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

The honourable order of the iron ringpiece…

I do have a Seiko watch I always wear as a nod to nice reliable functional engineering, both my grandfather and uncle wore an auto-wind seiko and I got one for myself within a year of leaving school and starting work, it was the watch that working stiffs wore back in the 70s

It dropped off my wrist somewhere in the Highlands on a hillwalk one day 15 years later and I remember looking at that huge hillside and seriously considering going back and searching for my pal, he'd survived diesel oil, hydraulic oil, salt water, multiple bashes and even being dropped 70 feet down into a pumproom bilge one time when he fell off my wrist, he must have landed on the strap to survive that one. I only went down there to retrieve his dead body and he was fine, unbelievable.

I left seiko 1 in the highlands with a heavy heart and got a nice plain looking seiko solar titanium about 10 years ago to replace him, I have never worn any other jewellery (I don't like rings)

Edited By Ady1 on 05/11/2016 11:48:41

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

A guy I worked with quite fancied the idea of a tungsten carbide wedding ring, after seeing a few pictures of de gloved fingers he went off the idea, not good in the electrical trade anyway.

Mike

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

This explains all the grown men wearing ear rings – they're audio engineers.

[Chris Evans 6Participant @chrisevans6]

I have never worn a ring and never will. I once saw a man removing a truck battery, he shorted the spanner between battery terminal and chassis he shook his hand free and his wedding finger dropped off. After watching the safety films as an engineering apprentice I have never worn a watch or any form of jewellery.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

As Apprentices at Rolls Royce we were forbidden to wear rings, on the grounds of safety. To convince us, we were shown pictures of a man with a finger lost as he slipped down a ladder.

I have my late Grandfathers Signet ring, but have never worn it and will soon pass it to my Grandson, purely as a heirloom.

Once I managed to short a car battery to earth with my metal watchstrap. Luckily, the only injury was to my wallet, for the cost of a new wristband! If anyone doubts this, just remember that a 12 volt car battery can deliver about 300 Amps when cranking the engine.

Howard

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by John Olsen on 05/11/2016 10:11:19:

Isn't there some ritual involving pigs at one of your universities?

Only if you intend going into politics

[Enough!Participant @enough]

The iron ring was originally supposed to have been made from iron taken from a bridge that collapsed shortly after construction due to design flaws. It is intended to be a salutary reminder to Professional Engineers. It is only available to Professional Engineers who graduated from a Canadian University. (I never had one since I graduated in the UK).

And yes, the designation "Engineer" is protected in all Provinces and reserved for use by Professional Engineers registered with the Provincial associations. The only exception that I know of is the "Engineer" on a Locomotive which has historical use and is probably falling into disuse anyway these days.

In Canada you might (might) get away with calling yourself a "Model Engineer" but dropping the "Model" – as often happens here – would be a problem.

As far as "Registered engineers in Canada are supposed to display their certificates prominently on their desks and can get in trouble if they don't." I don't know what happens in BC – I never practised there – but certainly here in Ontario there was never any such compulsion during my career. A recommendation, certainly, but that's all. (The regulation of Professional Engineers in Canada is pretty much the exclusive territory of the Provinces – the Feds have very little to do with it – and the rules vary a little from province to province).

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Bandersnatch on 05/11/2016 17:57:10:

The iron ring was originally supposed to have been made from iron taken from a bridge that collapsed shortly after construction due to design flaws.

…

Was that the Quebec Bridge? It fell down twice.

Not entirely due to engineering errors if I remember correctly. I think I've read an account that was highly critical of the political background to events. About the same time there was a similar issue due to political interference with the selection of a Rifle for the Canadian Army. As Canada is much better known for getting stuff right does anyone know the background to these mishaps?

Dave

[Enough!Participant @enough]

Yes, as I recall that was the one – it's been years since I heard the details.

Political dealings?
In a construction project?
In Quebec Province?

Surely not

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

The USA, in some states, goes the other way with recognizing engineers.

I have the certificate to prove I am a Licensed Engineer in the The Great State of Montana. All based on my ability to run a 100psi steam boiler in a hospital basement and passing a half hour test on how to blow down the gauge glass and tell the difference between firetubes and watertubes.

I still display my "Engineer's License" on the wall of my shed next to my trade papers, just for laughs.

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