Technical This poll is for those of us amateurs with no formal training

Depends on who is looking....A long sleeved clean-skin who has never beaten or wrenched looks at stuff I made and says "What- you actually MADE that?", so he would give me a 10. Any old "dirty paw" like most hot rodders would give me maybe a 5. I can't stitch (havent got a machine...yet), or count, so I give myself a "C".

 

Yeah, I had more time back then, too! No telling where he got all those cans of nails, or how old they were. Probably came from from my Great Grandpa on Mom’s side, he was a part time carpenter and full time pack rat.

 

You forgot the most important things........your desire and the fortitude to work thru things in order make and have what you want.....no, what you desire. Can't teach that. Much respect to you sir!

 

When I first joined the HAMB I was an easy high 7 or an 8 depending on who you ask. After reading, listening, comparing, doing, more listening, improving, re-learning, re-defining, and evolving...I find myself now a solid-ish 3.

 

I get by just fine, have been doing this stuff for over 50 years as a hobbyist and for a living but couldn't begin to compare with the talent pool exhibited on this site. Both, humbling and inspirational. I rated myself pretty low but that gives me room for improvement.

 

Hello,

When I was a teenager, there wasn’t anything I could not do or try to do. The only thing I saw as a limiting factor was “arc welding.” It did not matter how many times I tried to make a good bead, the $%$#@dark lens kept me from seeing what was going on in front of me. It was the blind leading the blind. The gas welding was not as bad and I could get a better bead for all applications, at the time.

We had no formal training and my brother and I were “learn to do” people. We read, kept lists, got the projects in what order of necessary builds required and could tear apart/rebuild just about any automotive part. (Including a generator. It was a a big slot car motor and construction…) but, when speed part was necessary for a motor rebuild or modifying various stuff, it was the cleanliness of the project that was the “do not like” phase.

“Do not like” was body work or sanding. There was a definite dislike of those products and applications. So, for my first official outside of home teenage job? Drilling and sanding cabinet doors for a trailer company. Liked the drilling, but hated the sanding. The funny thing was, the direct contact and applications of surfboard shaping, sanding, layering, more sanding, and glossing was part of my up bringing in the surfing world. But, the dislike of sanding in any phase of the surfboard industry was a total dislike.

The added fact that any type of airborne “stuff” got all over everything and itched to no end. Despite the full head covering, gloves, long sleeve shirts/turtle neck sweatshirts and a neck gaiter did nothing to lessen the afterwards itching. That industry and I would not get along well and did not. We let the others do the work, while we enjoyed the fruits of their “lahor.”

Jnaki

For all of the hot rod stuff we did for our own builds and for our friends’ modifications to their hot rods, we were lucky there was minimal sanding involved. Just tear down and replace new speed stuff, with care was the order of the day. We felt confident enough to tackle a complete build of a 283 SBC, then months later, a total disassembly of that motor to increase it to a 292 C.I. SBC block, ready for the next phase of a blower spec motor, with all new parts and accessories.
Similar motor to our first 671 supercharged SBC motor

So, for us, we could do just about anything as far as hot rods were concerned. No formal training involved. Just plenty of reading, planning and the right tools was all we could afford to complete any project. If we could not, we knew plenty of people and great shops nearby that could fix the problem. We were good and our results were praised by some top racers and builders of the day. That was good enough for a couple of teenagers that were involved in hot rods and drag racing, way back in those early days.

 

I don't have any formal training other than an auto shop class, and one semester of automotive engineering. Had to stop college to eat tough choice.
I am good enough to satisfy myself. Wish I was better and at 71 am still working on getting better.
Still have people coming to me and asking for work to be done so I must be getting better.

 

The worst GI was #10-thou

 

Like others have said....depends! Engine, transmission, metal work, fabrication , electrical, I would rate my self real high. Body work..... well , while I have done some, my ratings here would go down! As long as it’s a flat surface I’m good! Just use the surrounding surfaces for guides and I am golden. Put me in a place where I have to sculp curves or ridges, o boy! Lol Paint? I better with a brush! Lol
I had no really “ formal” training in cars. But I made my living for most of my life working on things made of metal.







Bones

 

Zero, like not'a on the formal training thing. I've been a Hot Rodder from birth! I Hot Rodded my toys, bicycles, go karts, mini bikes, etc. etc. But for a living I did HVAC work my whole life. { thanks dad } Hot Rods, and toys have just been a hobby. A hobby that I loved way TOO much! I've been blessed with the most talented friends on the planet. Years ago, my wife compared me to Tim the tool man on the TV show { Home Improvements } Yeah, I break stuff! lol

 

The crowd that hangs with me think of me as a 10. Real world thought of myself. A 4 that fluctuates from the rare 10 to an often feels like 1.

 

I can’t even rate myself because I’m such a hack, somehow I’ve turn out a few kool projects.

 

Weellll, I don't like to brag.....BUT ... ok , I can't brag!!... as one of our HAMB brothers at line states " in the land of the blind the one eyed man is king!!"..... to some I am unbelievably skilled....to some on here I would barely rate as a hack....but I ENJOY building my projects and just looking at them or going for a ride makes me happier than I usually already am!!

 

I’m not qualified for participation in this thread or the poll
My training as a welder fabricator and the 25 years of field experience and after that 22 years of providing others with formal training makes me ineligible.
Please carry on the thread is a good one.

 

Self taught all around. Trust my fabrication enough to put family in my builds. So.....

 

I can patch some things together. Locally considered to be pretty handy, but the skills of guys here make me look like a chump.

Sent from my Pixel 3a using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

I went with 10,as what I always have done,is the very best I could,weather some one other then me,like's it or not !