Dave Pernic - Our Machinist at the South Pole!

Meet Dave Pernic, a veteran of the Antarctic Program and a darn good machinist. Watch my interview with him in his natural habitat: the machine shop in the MAPO building.
00:27 Dave introduces his job
01:34 Dave's long history at South Pole
02:04 Summer vs Winter at Pole
03:20 Why Dave keeps coming back
04:16 Wanna do Dave's job?
04:57 Hobbies at Pole
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[@TheOtherSteel]

Now I want to see Adam Savage spend a summer season with Dave at the south Pole station. I think the KZbin episodes would be fabulous.

[@jb76489]

God that’s a terrible idea, people are actually trying to get work done they don’t need him getting in the way of everything

[@barbellbrady]

Cnc manufacturing engineer here. Before that I worked manual and prototrak for 10 years let me help him out in that shop!

[@cheerdiver]

Serious question, how do you deal with epitrochoidal envelops? CnC and magic??

[@VitaKet]

Feel like an interview with him could easily be 30+ minutes long and have tons of interesting info.

[@darenblythe5169]

I recently heard Dave was back down there for the '21 winter and found this video. I wintered with him in '00 and did four seasons with him as an Ice Cube driller. He is truly a legend. You're looking good, Dave! Thanks for posting, Joe. I'm looking forward to checking out more of your vids during lunch today.

[@tayzonday]

WOW, great question! That's what I was wondering. How on EARTH do they find a successor for him when he retires? Do any long-term workers there have spouses/children back home?

[@TheMetalButcher]

There is plenty of manual machinists. Finding one without family and doesn't mind the cold would probably provide the challenge.

[@nobytes2]

​@@TheMetalButcher is not only the cold to worry about is the complete isolation. That list has to be really really small of people willing to go down there, especially given machinist jobs pay well stateside. If I was the talent resource pool manager I would start looking now, get someone to shadow Dave and get him or her ready for when Dave decides to hangs his boots. I think they should look for younger prospects and have some experienced people on call like they do with telemedicine.

[@w3therby]

I am continuously shocked at the wide range of videos I see your comments on!

[@monicalewinskythedidnots1079]

Finding someone with the skill set to do this wouldn’t be crazy difficult. In my experience, being able to fly down enough hard alcohol and porno DVDs to be able to entice a machinist worth his salt down there is the hard part. Also, if the US Airforce is searching bags closely that could be challenging. But hey, he wouldn’t have to worry about his license being suspended from his third DUI down there so that’s a selling point.

[@TheCrazymusicfreek]

I can tell you, I have the skill set, and would go down in a heartbeat, as long as the pay is reasonable.

[@itsMatthu]

I'm addicted to these videos.

[@tomp7621]

The Bombay Gin is for cleaning parts, right?

[@JoeSpinstheGlobe]

Absolutely

[@ncsupi]

Came into the comments to see who else noticed the Bombay Sapphire

[@Sembazuru]

My favorite at pole was Blenheim Bay gin. I would get a couple litre bottles on my way through Christchurch down to pole, and a couple more on the way home.

[@peteinwisconsin2496]

Way to go Dave! Manual machining skills don't make money but more importantly, they are what keeps those at the fringe Alive. This means any remote location on this planet, including Antarctica, Alaska, rural Wisconsin. Bring a lot of skills to the party, with no need to be an expert at all of them. Devise a solution to the problem, pick up a wrench, be creative, get it done, and the whole team will survive and thrive.

[@footsorebird0365]

I am an engineering intern working with a tool and die maker. And the fact that they do not have any CNC’s is incredible, but very sensible. When I was doing my training in college I did tons of manual so I can really appreciate what goes into what they do! What I am really curious about is all the custom tooling and specialty tools that they must have for special parts that need a certain brooch. For general tolerances we just use a CNC mill and use some special G code from master cam to make it go faster.

[@CaskStrength777]

I've seen this job come up for bid every year and I thought a different person was handling it at least occasionally but I guess it comes up for bid and he gets it every year because he's been there before. I just lost my job and I'm a skilled prototype machinist with a lot of manual background. I would kill to do this job just because it's the only one left that looks engaging. This also confirms that everything down there is manual which is my jam even though I do 5 axis CNC work

[@JoeSpinstheGlobe]

If i remember correctly, he's worked many many summers but this was only his second winter. So if you're interested in the winter position, I'd still apply.

[@lindaj5492]

I suspect you’ve just disqualified yourself with the “I would kill to do this job…” comment.

[@imark7777777]

Hey it's that guy from parks and rec combined with that singer from whatever band I'm thinking of. Exactly what I would expect a machinist to look like out there.

[@teeanahera8949]

This would have been more interesting if you’d let him talk and not interrupt for questions about cribbage! Questions like: why are there no CNC machines, why no 3D Printers, computer controlled lathes, what’s the biggest job he’s tackled, do they fly stuff in or ship it, how does he work out what raw materials will be required for the Summer season etc?

[@Novacification]

What a legend. Really interesting to hear a little of his story and I'm glad that I got to appreciate his contributions through this video, however brief and condensed it may have been.

[@debt4717]

Very interesting and well made interview. Your production skills are excellent. Yours are, by far, the best videos to have come out of Antarctica. Looking forward to the next one. Thank you!

[@briansalway9529]

Thank you Dave

[@darrellmurdock6880]

That’s pretty cool 🙂😎✌️ cribbage is a contagious game , old school

[@PPGMatt]

Being a Millwright I would love to carry the torch after Dave retires! Sounds like my dream job.

[@mattrece]

Would love to see a long format interview with Dave. I am sure there is a ton of content he could talk about after making and repairing things down there for over 20 years!!

[@BaiTudorache]

I appreciate the bottle of Bombay in the back.

[@JoeSpinstheGlobe]

They had a little operation of making cups out of old bottles, worked out pretty well

[@Rags2250]

Good day Polies! I was there in 2003-04 building ( I mostly supported science projects) the new station. I'm a crane operator, equipment operator by trade. I don't recall seeing Dave Pernic there. I did see a fellow, machinist coming off 03 winter over but he was Ausie and older as I recall. I remember his frost bite scares on the sides of his legs (came to mess hall in shorts usually) and the summer over machinist was name Bobby Spots (his son came down too, name Bobby Spots also, heavy equipment operator) from Chicago U. Did I miss something? I see a great deal has changed sense I was there. The station looks great completed. And you have done a great job on the video tours! Best regards

[@briansalway9529]

Just Came Upon This Channel decided to watch a couple episodes now I find myself binge-watching the s*** out of it just wanted to thank you for your videos and I am actually learning a lot.

[@JoeSpinstheGlobe]

Awesome! 😃😃

[@charlottemarkey1146]

Thanks for sharing Dave!

[@ak12d]

Im sure this interview was a great time

[@jackmiller8851]

Machinists and fabricators are always cool people with a good sense of humor in my experience.

[@CrepitusRex]

Wow! I've been strictly a manual job shop machinist for over 45 years. Maybe I should apply. However I am semi retired but I could dig a winter down there. I'm kind of a loner and I always get envious watching theses videos. Wish I'd have known about this about 20 years ago. Stay safe down there.

[@mitchellminer9597]

Machinists are marvels. Salut! My favorite interview so far. Thanks.

[@adventureswithjosie]

Great interview! After you shorter TikTok videos over the past several months, it's nice to get to see these longer KZbin videos that go more in depth!

[@JoeSpinstheGlobe]

Glad you're enjoying it!

[@TheMedicineCouch]

It's cool to see the different people who work at the station!

[@willtoulan]

Thanks man I really like these interview style videos.

[@JoeSpinstheGlobe]

Glad you like them!

[@schwags1969]

Old school legend.

[@Dfeka]

Love your content! This guy’s story is fascinating! Stay safe

[@kurtwerner4258]

That was awesomeness

[@reformeddoomer6777]

Honestly this would be my dream job! Got me diploma in Québec recently and I've started mechanical engineering. Maybe one day I'll apply 😀

[@cordeirorichards2503]

Man I’m glad I found your TikTok this is amazing the tech we have to see some of your daily life and to learn new things is incredible! Joe keep this globe spinning💪🏾thank you.

[@JoeSpinstheGlobe]

I appreciate that!

[@C0MPUTERPHILE]

With all the jump cuts you'd think this was filmed in 2009

[@scasey1960]

Congrats to Dave. I know him & his Dad very well. Hats off to UofC.

[@calvinturko5296]

Do you have to be an American citizen to have this job? I'm Canadian but this could be the coolest job I've ever seen.

[@JoeSpinstheGlobe]

You know that's a very good question. For most jobs on station you have to be eligible to work for the US government, so not necessarily a citizen but at least a work visa. But the machinist is special in that it is supported by a university grant through the University of Chicago, which hires international personnel.

[@darenblythe5169]

They've had Kiwis on the contractor side of things before. I don't know how they got around the citizenship requirements, but this was back in the early 2000s when they were having a hard time filling all the positions to build the new station. Some of those Kiwis wintered over, too.

[@nickporter9706]

​@JoeSpinstheGlobe Im fairly green machinist in Australia, I would love to do this kind of work... or at least id love to try. If i wanted to try my luck at getting in the door is thier a particular department or person i can contact from CU, or just dave himself... just for a chat.

[@lennybuttz2162]

Dave seems like a pretty cool guy.

[@kylebianconi7441]

Hah! I'd fit right in, used to play Cribbage all the time with my grandparents :D

[@geraldgepes]

Well, this is awesome to see. I applied a few years ago for the machinist position through the University of Chicago. I ended up going through a phone interview and decided it wasn't in my best interest at the time (homeownership hurdles). It's really cool to see the shop, I honestly would like to work a stint down there at somepoint.

[@domjrl]

Do you have the full interview? I'd love to see it.

[@Chertoff88]

Pretty damn cool

[@kjsud5546]

Always make friends with the machinist or millright. They can fix everything.

[@lvxleather]

Pretty cool. I wouldn't mind doing that once. Been machining for over 20 years, that would be something awesome to add to the resume!

[@Sembazuru]

Not only isn't there a McMaster Carr down at Pole to grab something you forgot, but many of the equipment the scientists use are custom one-offs. A competent machinist is the experimental scientist's best friend.

[@ronblack7870]

would like to see a shop tour of what machines they have in the machine shop . could only see the bridgeport mill and maybe a bandsaw.

[@sshep7119]

What kind of pay does the job include? That would be my first question, second would be do they pay more for additional skills like welding certifications, commercial diver certifications, an engineering degree? This guy seems like he would have so many great stories.

[@Jason-iz6ob]

I had no idea there would be a machinist at the South Pole. Yet also, of course there has to be a machinist there…..

[@harjamanno]

Sorry I found this a year late, would have liked to pick his brain on some of the unique challenges he has had to work around in that environment, and how any cross over applications that have proven effective

[@tranquilitybase7860]

That was a nice interview with Bono.

[@Brian_yeah_that_brian_Strang]

Hells yeah

[@joepeach997]

Old school Dave, no CNC but he's the lifeblood to all the amazing instruments by using tried and true fabricating and milling machines. I'd love to catch you at a Pub one snowed in week to hear of your experiences. Rock on Dave!

[@Outland9000]

Where do you get your gear please? I'm particularly interested in the shop dungarees and those orange overcoats. Thanks.

[@Sembazuru]

It's probably all issued by the USAP (United States Antarctic Program) just like all the other ECW (Extreme Cold Weather) gear. The overalls look to be Carhartts, not sure which model. The, what you call orange, red overcoats are Canada Goose brand Expedition parkas. Known by everyone on Antarctica as "Big Red". You can get your own Big Red direct from Canada Goose if you are willing to spend over $1k for a jacket...

[@payno6643]

Does MSC deliver to the south pole?

[@myleswillis]

It absolutely breaks my heart that this fine machinist has no access to any CNC. 😭Are they still making him use a slide rule as well?

[@par4par72]

? Soo..no value proposition for a combination (CNC/manual) Mill or/and Lathe?

[@schneemann-fy6gi]

Would've liked to have seen him working on stuff, but wow. I worked in a machine shop for a summer. Very interesting industry but not for me. Id love to work in Antarctica so this is an interesting job to have there and it makes sense. They can't just order stuff. It needs to made then and there.

[@10thAveFreezeOut]

Does he have a bottle of Bombay Sapphire on the shelf behind him?

[@greatdestroyer1]

If you have the time and the mind you can make alot of stuff with manual machines.

[@JohnBird001]

Excellent tour and interview! Do you take turns checking the power plant? Have you had any tourists arriving by ski or aircraft? Check out my book about the South Pole Station: One Day, One Night: Portraits of the South Pole.

[@JoeSpinstheGlobe]

Oh hey i saw your book in the library! Yes we did take turns on holidays to give the PP guys some time off. No tourists ever since COVID started

[@tombittikoffer412]

No, that's Darryl Hall. He hiding out?

[@sammich1304]

What type of overalls are those?

[@syntaxerorr]

Why are they designing paper napkins at the south pole?

[@nameeman207]

This guy should be able to assemble flamethrower from scratch . Just saying.

[@JoeSpinstheGlobe]

I definitely want Dave on my apocalypse survival team

[@lindaj5492]

2:28 “paper napkin engineering” ? 🤔 drawing designs on a paper napkin? 4:30 “CNC machines” - what does that acronym stand for please?

[@CherylA.Murten]

Ooh he's cute 😊

[@taisgdl]

Is that, is that, is that a bottle of bombay gin at the back?

[@duncang55]

If only I was younger... 😐

[@eileenh4927]

I bet he has the kind of experience and ingenuity you can't teach

[@MiamiJato]

how was this built, you never explain how all this shit gets done and brought to the south pole, also, who do you work for the USA goverment, or a university specifically. this place is massive in size actually. was it put together like the ISS kinda?, thanks.........

[@ShainAndrews]

CNC has no place in a jobber shop.

[@notlisted-cl5ls]

sweet jeebus! dennis leery became a machinist!

[@goatboy150]

78S isn't the pole, McMurdo. Nice try.

[@roachtoasties]

When something breaks, why don't you just walk down to Home Depot for a new one?

[@johncrawford8469]

All of the constellations stay in their perfect orientation for all known history continuously doing concentric grooves every 24 hours proving we do not live on a spinning heliocentric ball flying and rotating at four different directions and speeds the constellations do concentric grooves around the North Pole a single axis You cannot get concentric grooves if the rotation isn't lined up around a single axis

[@CaskStrength777]

You don't know about celestial nutation I guess. The Earth actually nods on its axis about every 28,500 years as it's spinning the entire time so there is no circle like you think everything is an ellipse.

[@danielsea6479]

This is so awkward. The old guy is straight, the young guy is Gaaaaaay!

[@brendatenorio5721]

Scrap the tunes

[@adairjanney7109]

how do you get a job there? They ever need IT people? bet they dont it would attract IT people

[@RFC3514]

3:50 - No, it's *_not_* "very cool". Exactly the opposite.

[@Error_404_Account_Deleted]

A REAL machinist. Not a CNC Monkey (literally anyone who can read can CNC machine)

[@markdunnam2745]

Hey buddy. Next time remove your Gin bottle from the back ground. Also alcohol has absolutely no business in a machine shop, well at least the drinking kind.

[@JoeSpinstheGlobe]

In our free time we (mostly Dave) would make novelty drinking glasses out of liquor bottles donated by the crew. Any bottles you see here are empty, definitely no drinking in the shop

[@debt4717]

Hey, 'buddy', the word 'ASSUME', starts with 'ASS' for a reason.

[@danielmorris7648]

What a waste of moneg

[@craigsbully]

Nice Video but how about a tour of the shop? Or just pan around? I know the band width is a constraint but a picture from a corner to get a feel for the place would have been cool

[@sack5962]

Absolutely the best video on yt ainec. This is what the innernet was born for. Also, Dave, if you're ever looking for an apprentice. ✋I shall wait for you.