Rig Welding Question

[admweld]

Well said, stickrod the reality of the job cold temps in the winter scorching hot summers it,s tuff but i love it, i laugh at my buddys with office jobs when where hangin outside somewhere and they say its cold.i guess i,m just very well weathered.

[fun4now]

i would think getting bored with it realy shouldnt be an issue, if you keep lerning you will find welding has so many directions it can take you. there are full time welders here that have been welding for 20+ years that still say there is still loads to be lerned, thouse are the ones telling the trouth

[Stick rod]

i would think getting bored with it realy shouldnt be an issue, if you keep lerning you will find welding has so many directions it can take you. there are full time welders here that have been welding for 20+ years that still say there is still loads to be lerned, thouse are the ones telling the trouth

Very true. When it`s all said and done I still wouldn`t trade my time under a hood for an office job!

[goatwelder]

[COLOR=Black]

I will put up with the long hours and piles of invoices and 3000 phone calls a day just so I can do what I want when I want.

I couldn’t have said it better.
Loved the story of the office geek. I have had my fill of those types who feel the need to try to bully other since they are so weak themselves.
I have worked with all types from in the trench workers to billionaires and I have "generally" found the most honorable, if not the most polished people to be tradesmen. The worst sorts were "generally" the rich businessmen.

[Klugger7214]

I understand it wont be easy. But it sounds as though most of you enjoy it even on the bad days. I agree that there is always more to be learned.

[admweld]

the good have out weighed the bad i will admit that.

[Stick rod]

the good have out weighed the bad i will admit that.

I`m with you on that one.

[Stick rod]

I understand it wont be easy. But it sounds as though most of you enjoy it even on the bad days. I agree that there is always more to be learned.

You pick up fast,you`ll do O.K.

[Klugger7214]

Alright, thanks to everyone who responded to this thread I've learned alot from everyone.
Thanks again,
Klugger

[fyoung]

getting work?

I have been in busniess 2 weeks with the new rig and no work yet.

Have you found any work yet? Hope you have, Farris

[Coalsmoke]

Have you found any work yet? Hope you have, Farris

Thanks for asking. In fact I have. Two days ago I did a real small repair on a 750HP grinder, took about 10 minutes of welding and charged $30, and tomorrow I'm heading out to re-weld an airbag onto this 80cubic foot bin (semi truck trailer). The air bag saddle is held on with u-bolts, but the welds keep the lower bag-assembly (mount) from spinning or shifting on the axle.

[fun4now]

took about 10 minutes of welding and charged $30,
is that your 1/2hr. minimum charge or do you have a minimum charge?? i know lots of places carrie a 1hr. minimum chargeand was wondering if you had 1 or just call it as you see it?? if every one else in your area has a 1hr min. and you have a 1/2hr. it could help get your name out there and if you get a chance to show them you are clean and profishent as well as do a great job they will likely call you back on the bigger jobs down the road. of corse the down side is you could spend all day driving around doing $30 jobs and spending $20 each on gas i supose it has its pro's and con's, but it would be a good way to get your foot in the door when startig out in an area that already has its share of mobil rigs. i was just wondering if that was your plan, and thought i would put it out there for other's that might be trying to break into an already full market. ya gota have a nitch to get them to try you insted of there regular guy when ya first start out. a line in your yellow pages add telling of a low minimum charge could go a long way.

[Coalsmoke]

Thanks Fun, advice always welcome. Unfortunately, all the phone books won't be coming out for another 8-9 months = BIG BUMMER, so it is all word of mouth and meeting people. I have driven about 600kms the last week just going everywhere that I know has some iron working wo I can introduce myself. Most have said they will use me in the future, one said to bad you weren't here 30 minutes earlier. Oh well. I don't hold a minimum charge but I do charge travel time, which I think is much more attractive than holding a 2 hour minimum. Guys can call me in for a small job if they want without a substantial penalty. For the regular joe, they get travel time both ways plus pack-up time, for people that have the potential to be big account sources of work, or if they are friends from the land-clearing business, I will usually charge travel time 1 way if it is less than an hour of travelling, and I won't charge pack-up time. That $30 consists of 10 minutes of driving, 20 minutes of waiting for them to get their act together, 10 minutes of laying bead, and 20 minutes of them showing me other stuff to be done. Came to about an hour. Since they supplied the equipment, I charge $30/hr. As soon as I need to supply anything more than myknow-how, helmet and gloves, it becomes $72 / hr, which most seem pretty happy about. generally as a rule, I won't work for people using their equipment. I bouht a decent welder for a reason, and that's to use it. But, I know this company and they are pretty strapped for money, so I don't mind helping a bit here and there for them. Off to go do an axle.