Independent welders, need some advice...

[AntiBling]

Kinda wierd day today. But as far as my training, consider it in the works.

Well I was thinking about this yesterday, posted this, never told anyone but on here about it.

Well I got a call from a company just as I was about to go turn in applications at other companies for work. This guy heard that I was out of work and he needed a welder. Now I have never expressed any interest for welding at any job before. I applied at this company a long time ago for a job in the parts/shipping dept, and my aunt works there, so the guy came in asking about me today and she called and I went and interviewed, threw down some welds for them, said I was trainable and I got the job after I pass the drug test.

The eerie part, I was thinking about this guy that died and his business here, this is the same place he got his start welding before he left to start his own welding shop.

So anyways, I start Monday, get my on the job training. Get good enough Ill start taking on work on my 3 day weekends. Of course once word spreads around that Im welding for a living, Im sure Ill have a few people buying me drinks to do welding for them. (Dont worry Im not gonna do any until Im ready).

[Dallas B]

(Dont worry Im not gonna do any until Im ready). What Drink....lol
Well Good for you...I hope it all works out. Keep a little black book.

[AntiBling]

Originally Posted by Dallas B

(Dont worry Im not gonna do any until Im ready). What Drink....lol

Bah thats the crappy part about the job, I gotta give up my weeknight drinking. No more Wonder Wednesdays for me.

[cutter]

Good luck, AntiBling. Sounds like things are all turning around for you at once.
That's the way life works sometimes.

[AntiBling]

Figured I would give an update for you guys. Started the new job yesterday. Man can welding improve fast when you do it over and over for 10 hours straight a day.

Adjusting was tough, Ive been on pretty much a 2 month vacation when I was out of work. Before that I was at a job that I mainly sat on my *** watching tv all day for 2 years. So needless to say, waking up at 5 am to get to work by 6, then to be standing and bending over welding for 10 hours was tough. My back killed me, my knees killed me (bad knees), feet, and my right hand hurt to close it.

Well today i brought some aspirin, and it was better, back still hurts, knees and feet, but not as bad. My hand, well holding the MIG gun two days now, well it hurts to open my hand now.

Luckily, its only 4 days a week, so I should have the weekend to heal.

I used to have trouble keeping steady beads, but now its pretty much flawless. I still dont have the flexibility and gun control to move around a small circle in one bead though.

I like welding for a living, but the welding the same piece over and over and over all day long, well it just gets to me. Every job I have done in my life was something that changed. Farming what you're doing changes. Tree trimming you change locations, different trees, different challenges. Service station meet different people everyday.

So the sooner I can get my own welding outfit going, the happier I will be.

The benefits are good, the pay will get better within 2005, the people are great and my boss' are people from the town where i live and grew up, know my parents and my family, and they are great to work for even if that werent the case, but just need something of my own.

[Dr Dean]

When my knees,feet, and back start hurting it usually means that it's time for new boots or insoles. It amazes me how much better I feel after new insoles in my boots. About your hand hurting would it be possible to switch hands when your (I assume) right hand gets too sore? A welding instructor I had back in high school stressed being ambidextrous (able to use either hand). He also issued some interesting challenges to his students for out of position welding. Awkard overhead(hang over the bench and weld under the table top) personally I think that those challenges were to keep us kids from getting too cocky. For some odd reason I can run my best beads when I have to contort into some of the worst places, I must have gotten too many challenges in high school........hmmmmm
Dean

[randydupree]

don't grip the gun so hard,loosen up! get the cord up over your shoulder or elbow to take the weight off your hand!it takes very little pressure to hold that switch in!put one hand down and rest the other on it,ball up the bottom hand,steer with the top hand,let gravity close the switch,by letting the weight of the gun press the switch onto the balled up lower hand..all kinds of ways to take the load off that hand..i use a 2x4 about 6'' long to rest my had on,its cooler and raises my hand up some. hey,if you think its bad now,wait untill you were bifocals!! haha! Randy

[DF5152]

congrats on the new job glad to hear everything is wrking out for you send some good luck my way please....if i were you i would subsidize the business you were thinking of starting with your new job. hopefully the job has good benefits and your in a nice clean(for welding) working environment. Buy yourself some new equipment get a good use 4x4 and set it up. now since you already have a job you can pick and choose what side work you want to do. running around 50-100 mile to do a job gets old fast too and you are responsible for your own equipment and what ever you fix. Im not trying to discourage you but just saying both jobs have there good and bad do both and hopefull the cycle will be opposite most of the time and you can make out well

[SlagKing]

Pain is fear leaving the body....or something like that.

[tommy.w-5088]

i was self employed for 5 years ,it was a good living and sometime i would make 20,000$ in a month ,then the next month make 20 cents.i had worked for a big trucking co as a mechanic ,after 9-1-1 i went back .the ragheads ruined my business ,but it is still okay i do 4 10 hour days and have 3 days to do my farming ,and do some work for local farmers .if you are going to weld for farmers get used to a 7018 rod ,in a bad spot to weld.