Folks Of Interest Fabricators: How Did You Learn Your Trade?

Calm down man, most of us are on your side. People just take the piss out of each other on here, that's just the way we communicate on these threads. We know your not not a lazy $&@@, I read and understood all your posts, You already proved that you are generally the mvp employee (fork lift story), and a sharp guy, you definately aren't the typical millennial, but even you know what we are talkin about when we say things have changed with young people. I was like you, at a very young age I was the best kid on the crew and always quickly became the owner's right hand man.

I don't know why people keep talking about you getting your GED and joining the military when in your second post you told us you did both, (a lot of dudes here are really old and can't retain information I guess, a lot are actually A-holes for sure)

I don't earn a living with cars, just do it for fun. But I do own my own business building furniture in my own shop, and I can tell you that it is exactly the same as any customer service small business, the best way to get in is at the bottom and patiently work your way up. I kept jumping around, changing careers, etc. that hurt me in a lot of ways. I also work on tv and movies building sets. A lot of my peers in both worlds are doing a lot better than me because they stayed on their paths when I didn't. If I could go back, I would start at the bottom again, like I did, but stick to one.

Also, Don't take a lot of us that seriously. I have been on and off Hamb over the years because I thought a lot of people were ****heads, it was only when I got a superfast new Iphone did I start participating, now I can react with blazing speed in a good internet battle and reference facts and cut/paste images to taunt back with no mercy.

 

Well I'm done here. I like traditional hot rods and there's good tech here but I'm done. I've grown tired of getting **** on. Ill be working on my ****, practicing metal work, buying more equipment, and next semester I'll be finishing the next cl***es to get my machine tool certificate. I'll leave you all to bicker.

 

Good luck to you.
Seriously. Good luck!

 

Sorry if I said something that was out of line.

 

Wow. He's done with us now because someone out of 3 pages of us trying to help said something he didn't like. Now I have a different at***ude about him as well.

 

I guess you just found out that there are a lot of amateur psychiatrists on this site. Don't let it bother you. You have a good at***ude and you're going to go a long way. I'm an hour and a half north of you so feel free to send me a PM if I can help you out in any way. Good luck....

 

I'm not sure what set you off in this thread.
I tried to go back and see what it might have been and I really can't see it.
Hopefully it wasn't my commentary directed to Barsteel's post on the last page.
Perhaps the rant above holds the clues.

 

Well i learned the "0L" monkey see monkey do ...
and followed instructions...
and was the (young)cleanup guy...
and being young -n- willing to
remove the tire and ajax/scrub the both sides, for my mentors, sure went a LONG way...
at 12 they'd let (trusted) me drive ALL there HOT RODS 30's ,40's ,drag cars,vettes etc. etc. etc,
ALL of them... that trust has its rewards...
and school/math sure DIDN'T HURT...
They GAVE me cars for FREE, yes FREE, and i'd make em run,(most of the time)
at 8 years old i bought my own 1st legit car (my own paper route money)10bucks,
the cars in front of that age were free so i didn't count those.
they bought me motors manuals -n- more books ,one neighbor guy paid for a mag subscription in 1961,...

i 'd look at the pictures in them books seemed to help MORE than the WORDS (most of the time)

and so it begins/began, grease -n- oil in my veins -n- paint fumes in the nostrils.
It sure is fun being a car NUT...

 

all jokes aside, if you want to learn this craft, place yourself in the best situation you can to learn it.
I have a friend of mine with a fab shop that is begging for someone that can show up, pay attention, and be willing to be taught how to do things the way he(shop owner) wants things to be done.
notice that I didn't mention being a master welder or fabricator
most folks who are hiring are looking for people with basic knowledge and skills but are TEACHABLE
if you want his info PM me
the shop is located in AL

 

Others have said what to do, here are my rules TODAY for any young person today (after 45 years in the power utility business) BUY A LUNCH PAIL, PUT YOUR PHONE ON SILENT AND LEAVE IT IN THERE UNTIL QUITTING TIME. Anyone giving you a chance is not hiring social media they are hiring you, all of you all the time you're in their shop.
Basic welding skills are a must and over all these years my oxy/acetylene training at El Camino JC made learning other type of welding easier. The best words out of your mouth are "yes sir".
If it doesn't work out go to a lineman training school and make $200K+ a year and make your car building a hobby. Good luck.

 

lot of half@$$ed wannabe racers whose power went out for a couple minutes ha funny
can't hold the tech side of a conversation LIVE but there keyboard searches make them giants...lol
ah that a different subject altogether ...
find your p***ion work for free let the people who truly know teach you.

 

Dude, I'm a total flop, and a loser, I'll admit it wholeheartedly and have a laugh about it, no worries...

But HE will pop a blood vessel on his forehead and have an internet superbattle as he bleeds out! That'll be on you, man!


I love ya both. He he!

 

clunker you da man... lol....-n- i'd say purdy KQQL too...

 

The fact that a little **** and he runs away. Maybe that says why he has a tough time every where he goes. You gotta have a thick skin to survive in the world today.

 

Anything I ever wanted to know how to do I got a job doing it. Sometimes I was able to get work learning and others I had to bluff my way in and learn on the fly.

I had some advantages that others didn't have. I took Ag Shop in high school and learned how to weld. My Ol' Man was an automotive machinist and my granddad was big on math so I grew up playing with things like micrometers and slide rules, and I learned problem solving at a very young age. If you want to fabricate you have to be able to look at the problem and cipher a solution.

 

People that start later in life are an a disadvantage over those who took stuff apart as a little kid. We were encouraged to see how things worked and we were using power tools by age 9. Still have a scar on my left hand from a table saw incident. When I had a little hand, it was a big scar.

You find out what works and what doesn't. Take a logical approach and boil it down to a few possibilities quickly. Success teaches us nothing... I have a pretty good pile of machined parts from my hydraulic clutch linkage attempts from earlier this year. This is also what fills up your hardware collection with nuts & bolts that didn't work... but you don't want to bring them back to the store.

 

Those nuts and bolts always get used, eventually.

I had a peddle car when I was real little. I found enough tools to take it apart in the garage one day. The Ol' Man came home to find me in the driveway surrounded by parts and asked what I was doing. I told him it needed a tune up. He laughed and walked into the house and came back out with a kitchen chair. Then proceeded to sit down and tell me that I better finish up 'cause dinner was on the stove. We ate late, but he sat right there while I put it back together.

 

True about the German students, F&J. But it was 'dated', occurred in the old Daimler-Benz Ins***ute, and the material was a square block (50 MM. square, about 2")
The students had to file the block into a round ball, which was measured by the Cl***room Moniter, at 8 'stations', with a caliper. Not all of them p***ed. Those that didn't went to the People's Army.
This story was related to me at the BMW of North America in Culver City, CA.

 

Don't count collision tech schools out. It may not be true today but at Dunwoody Ins***ute (how's that for traditional) now Dunwoody Tech, in Minneapolis we had to demonstrate that we could metal finish panels before learning about lead and plastic filler in that order. One who can metal finish proves he understands the principles of shrink and stretch in sheet metal. Metal shaping is nothing but shrinking and /or stretching to various degrees.
Knowing how to paint and weld, which is taught at collision schools, is valuable even to a metal shaper.

 

I agree with Jimmy Six get a good career going and build cars as a hobby. I spent 44 years in the Line trade-great job, great benefits, great retirement as well-all very important. Have a son, two nephews and grandson who didn't know what they wanted to do for a career. All went to Lineman's school and all are now doing well in the Line trade and making 6 figures plus-playing with cars on the side. The car/hot rod interest goes in cycles and may not hold steady as the demographics change. I have done maybe 30-35 cars over the years and my job allowed it without degrading family needs and wants.

 

If he is really "all done" because of a little "****", he won't be back to read anything else. He seems to have a lot of "poor little me" excuses for not finishing stuff. Somehow he believes he is the only guy that has had challenges in his life. Some good advice has been offered, if he fails to consider some of it, its on him. Everyone has a right to fail. Gene

 

Extra extra read all about it
Gypsy generation
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wait-but-why/generation-y-unhappy_b_3930620.html

 

Well. Have had time to thinks things over and look at things with a perspective. Sometimes that helps. Everyone has their own opinions. I wasn't making excuses the way I see it. At least I really didn't mean what I've said that way but you'll take it however you want. Everyone sees things differently. I've already got several hours towards a machine tool diploma and only need a couple hours for my 1st certificate so I'm going to try and pick up where I left off. Will work on metal shaping as I get time and money for new equipment. If I fail, it wouldn't be the first time, I probably will inevitably fail again. I don't think I'm the only person to have struggled, I may be a Loathe some human being but I'm not narcissistic enough to believe that. Many people have had it worse than me. Probably just complain a lot more than I realize. I'm a downer. And apparently I'm a puss, too. Damn it! Stop being a little *****. Stop being a little *****. Stop being a little *****. Stop being a little *****.

 

I gotta take a dump and get some sleep. Sorry I've off my meds for too long! The side effects ****. Have a nice night everybody.

 

is there a point that an area on a fender is too stretched? And just needs to be cut out? I understand shrinking and stretch better now I think. As well as on and off dolly hmmering. Just wish it had been on a junk fender and not a nice straight rust and filler free Texas fender. I really screwed that one up!

 

Cool man, don't be hard on yourself. Glad you are giving it another shot. Engaging in dialogue with people that have similar p***ions as you will really be helpful. Even if you disagree with someone, the conversation is still valuable. When something at first seems to be an insult, try to figure out the subtext and it usually isn't. I put a lot of stock in what these old farts say, because they have all been through it (life) before themselves, and their experiences are important, and they are willing to share. (I'm half way to achieving "old fartdom", but haven't earned it yet, so don't listen to anything I say)

Have fun. Talk shop. I personally find the most interesting part of this forum is when people connect on a human level. Also the humor is awesome, maybe that's my favorite part.

 

@indestructableforce , keep your head up. This thread has lost a lot because you've deleted a lot of the first posts. I had to read through to figure out what was happening.

I have a young guy working for me who could do with some of this advice. He's a great guy with ADHD but is lazy, en***led, and has been through a ton of jobs. He'll last with me awhile because I don't pay him much. It's mainly because he can't retain what I teach him.

Heed some of the work ethic advice that has been given and keep trying. Failure just means you tried. Accidental success or having something handed to you doesn't teach a damn thing.

 

Olscrounger, funny how it works, I started line work in 65 and retired in 2013. My son is in his 26th year and now is a trouble man, his son starts lineman school right after Thanksgiving, he's a Marine reservist and an Eagle Scout to boot. Funny one see a way to make it in life.

 

For the most part everyone is trying to be supportive. I have been a manager, and a sr manager that always employed unionized tradesmen on projects. A skilled union tradesman makes good money that is in the same range as well paid university graduates. Definitely more money than most graduates. The union makes sure that the apprentice gets the the education to go from apprentice to tradesman, get the pay increases as one moves up in the trade and in the end the tradesman is making a great living without a huge student debt load to pay off.
So lets work the math which may put this path in perspective. If you are say mid to late 20s then there is about 40 work years left.
Say the unionized tradesman made $20,000 over the average wage per year x 40 years is $800k more in a lifetime. If one makes $30k over median then it is $1,200,000. On & on. Learn the average working wage vs a unionized tradesman or even a well paid non union. The benefits of health care, vacation pay & pensions is about 25% -30% of the hourly rate on top of that. Take the costs of a good family health insurance plan per year and multiply that by 40 years. They are eye opening numbers. Being able to retire with a good pension is escaping people more and more. Being retired to have some savings and be paid to breathe until the end of time is nice. There is money to dream, build hot rods and stay financially afloat.

I lunch or coffee with the crews and many of them have their own businesses on the side. Some had their own shops where they did custom iron work, HVAC guys hang their shingle out and made good money on their off time, some one always needs, electricians, plumbers, steam fitters, carpenters etc. Lots of opportunity to make side money or eventually go ones own way. Many take their money and invested it in real estate to own & grow rental income houses, apartments and commercial properties all with the intent to retire early and live a happy life. A lot of money on the table to play if managed well.

The good income allows one to have a better life. Good income can fuel your p***ion as the money is there to take good metal shaping cl***es, have a shop with some tools and once you have reached a marketable metal shaping skill level then hang a shingle out and take work in. If it pays then the opportunity is there to go for it. If you work out of a union hall then you could work a couple jobs a year to maintain your trade employment and always have a golden safety net. A lot of businesses fail and the difference with winners is the ability to reinvent themselves, look at lessons learned and come back again.

One caution on making good money is not live to the limits and leverage everything on max earnings. Nothing is left and it is a hard treadmill as one has to work continually to pay the beast which is the debt to live like a king. Those that made good money lived modestly, drove the older truck and car & had a regular house were the winners. The difference is that the money smart ones can go down to the car dealer and pay cash for anything on the lot but choose not as their self worth is not based on appearances. I have had good men in my office in tears trying to work with me to get home to their families and stay employed as we worked wicked hours and too far to commute. The work paid unionized people contractor staff supervisor rates which is about another $20 per hour on top of the trade rates. The distressed ones all have one or two new vehicles, one or two families, dream house etc that is all a financial house of cards. They have to work as every penny goes to debt payment which is the treadmill. There is no stopping and no breaks and no money to play. The money is addictive, men put in long hours, away from home. money puts a lot of stress into their personal lives and the irony is that families meant to live well break down. The exact opposite of what they wanted. Those with balance use their money wisely, take time off to keep their family life healthy and pick and choose when & where they work.

Many people will tell a person things for their good to try to get one to do things better, do it their way etc.. It depends on ones filter whether they take it as comment to aid & improve or internalize as personal to turn see as criticism as personal attack switching to anger. It is communication, listen to a person, process it and do not personalize it. Everyone has worked their way up under mentors and sometimes it is less than perfect but sticking it out and getting to where we needed to be has forged a good person. A person mentoring needs to do it with respect and speak to the subject to avoid demeaning behavior as it fails the mentor & student.

I was short tempered as a kid & owe it to my dad as we had many a chat. Old me smiles when I look back on myself. One of the traits that allowed me to become a sr. manager was my calm in the face of the worst, ability to process, learn what the real facts are without reacting immediately and make the right decisions. I also stand up for my crew, take the spear for the team and then we go back and calmly resolve the situation. People think I have patience beyond patience but really inside the pot wants to boil over but I have learned to keep a lid on it. I have had guys twice my size screaming in my face and staying calm has brought them down to a level where we can communicate. My company put me into the most difficult situations as they had confidence that I would prevail and build bridges with the project owners. I have disciplined guys, treated them justly and they have become some of my best guys. Screaming and yelling back fuels the situation where calm takes down the energy.

all the best in whatever direction you choose.

 

^^^ proverbs 22-7
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.

Thousands of years old wisdom