Welding on the side

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I know a lot of you guys on here weld for a living, while many others just do it as a hobby. Are there any guys here that weld consistently as a side job. Im not talking about like formally starting a business or whatever, just slowly spreading the word and doing small jobs at night/on the weekends. What kind of welding and what kind of work do you guys do? How successful has it been? What kind of money are you making if you dont mind me asking?
Reply:Been welding on the side 13yrs now been good to me.Trailers,dumpsters,snowplows,dump bodys,floorpans,buckets,crushers,shredders,etc.etc  .
Reply:Originally Posted by Ridr4lfe96I know a lot of you guys on here weld for a living, while many others just do it as a hobby. Are there any guys here that weld consistently as a side job. Im not talking about like formally starting a business or whatever, just slowly spreading the word and doing small jobs at night/on the weekends. What kind of welding and what kind of work do you guys do? How successful has it been? What kind of money are you making if you dont mind me asking?
Reply:Originally Posted by RojodiabloI Anything I do for kids is basically free. Cracked bike frames, surfboard racks, scooter repairs, whatever it is, I want them happy more than I want to be rich. Maybe I will con them into stealing some homemade cookies from the house for me, or help me wash the truck.
Reply:I do side jobs 40 to 60 hours a week......David Real world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:I've been working on the side, a couple Saturdays a month and a few weekday evenings a month, for the last 8 months or so.  Mostly the work is repairing bent and mangled equipment and trailers for a local landscaping and tree trimming company.  I've also done some equipment stands for local companies.  My rates for these jobs are comparable to Rojodiablo's.  Work for the neighbors on their lawn art, tools, and lawnmowers is free.  I rescued a few neighbors from flooding basements, caused by heavy rains during power outages.  That paid for my welder's diesel for the last 4 months, and I didn't even ask for money, they showered me with $5s and $10s when it was all over...Now they all have portable generators, so I'm not counting on this the next time it rains.  As far as how much money I've made...I've made a couple thousand $$$ in 2008, but I'm in the red to the tune of ~$8K for the year.  There's lots of equipment to buy when you first start out...I'm sure I'll recoup the investment over the next few years, and I haven't done my taxes to see what I can recoup in writeoffs.  There's constant expenses you have to deal with as well, if you're going to be legit...liability insurance, state and local business fees, fuel, and maintenance, etc. I'm not surprised or unhappy with how it's gone so far.  But unless you're a serious hobby welder/fabricator already, starting a business is an expensive undertaking...Benson's Mobile Welding - Dayton, OH metro area - AWS Certified Welding Inspector
Reply:Welding is not my first job. I do     a day here and ther on large houses that have steel in them along with the odd repair to big trucks and equipment. Usually landscapers. I am in a real expensive area where all the rates are inflated so I charge @100 usd per hour. Which is the lower end of the rate here. Did 17K this year on this type of work. Set up expences are a lot TB302-5kLeads, clamps, rods,grinders..1K+Mag drill-6009" steel cutting saw and blades 600And thers more, but I got to stop its starting to depress me as my shopping list is ongoing. Decide what you want type of work you want to do and just get the tools to do it. You can add toys later. -d love an XMT for around the shop...but I don't need it!G
Reply:How do you guys spread the word to get work? Also, have you had and requests to work on more exotic/less common metals (copper, titanium, magnesium)?
Reply:Show up on time and do a good job
Reply:...Well i just earned my self 375usd for some repair work on a corroded automatic stoker, and there was about 14 hours in it. so i got my first customer ¤If you got money, i've got time
Reply:Keep this in mind: As a part time/side job/evenings and weekends guy you will only pick up the worse work in your area, and the slowest paying, little to no profit work.The minute you start to get good work, that produces a nice profit and pays on time, the established, local welding contractors will put you squarely in their sights, rightfully so. Because if you want to take money out of their childrens mouths, you should expect hard core competition. That means you'd better have your business ducks in a row, ie liability insurance, business license, workmans comp policy (I don't care if you have no employees), liability policy, ect, ect, ect. These people won't give ground without a serious fight, that's the American way. Competition improves the breed, but if you are trying to slip your way in cheap you will be eaten up and spit out like the last 80 or 100 people who tried that.Business is hard, harsh and people will actively plot to put you under if you are chipping away at their livelyhood. They'll rat you out to the irs, to the city/county/state, to MSHA, to the state contractors board, to workmans comp, to anybody that can drop the hammer on you. So it's best to be legit and legal in all aspects.Just a heads up.JTMcC.
Reply:JTMcC, all of the legal items you mentioned, do you consider those necessary for doing small scale work? Or only if one were to start doing say subcontractor work or work for a larger company, for example.
Reply:Well... for this matter, i have only one thing to say i get paid in Zimbabwe dollar, that is the best currency¤If you got money, i've got time
Reply:Originally Posted by Ridr4lfe96JTMcC, all of the legal items you mentioned, do you consider those necessary for doing small scale work? Or only if one were to start doing say subcontractor work or work for a larger company, for example.
Reply:You say in your first post you don't want to formally start a business, but you want to make money welding.Sorry, but it doesn't work that way, if you want to make money welding, legitimatly (and a lot of people don't do it legit, just like a lot of people sell crack on a corner, non legit), you have the same set of rules/regulations that the real business' have. Your only alternative is to work , like the crack dealer, outside the mainstream and hope you don't get caught. A lot of people don't. But it only takes once. And like I said, you'll only pick up bottom end work.JTMcC.
Reply:Just so you know, I have insurance, keep books, got ONE cert for vertical up and LOTS of equipment.  I am kind of lucky.   Each time I do a big job, I buy more equipment.  I have been at it this time for about 5 years, so I don't really need much more equipment.... Well, maybe a ....  If you do good work and KEEP YOUR WORD, work will come on its own.  Price is not really a deciding factor.  If it is, then the customer may not be one you want.DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:I work about 15 hours/week on the side. Around here the oilfield has been so good that most of the full timers wont take on any other work than their best 2 or 3 customers. That opens the door for others to get some work. I worked for a Caterpillar dealer for 12 years as a field mechanic and welder, so some of the 15 or so hours goes to mechanical repairs. I can get all the work I can stand, and even turn some down. I usually charge $75 an hour for mechanical work, and $60 an hour for welding. I get alot of welding on dozers and farm equipment, but the deer feeders, trailers, bbq pits, etc. seem to have made me a few dollars also. I tell most customers that they can expect a slow turn around, due to the fact that I also work a full time job, but they dont seem to mind. My suggestion is to be careful with the liabilities, do a good honest job, and dont take work out of your skill level. Best of luck to you..............................."Look Good Doing It"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reply:I second what JTMcC says. All of it.  I decided to out on my own nearly 3 years ago when I bought my first welder.  It wasn't til a year and a half ago I took the leap of faith.  Best decision I've ever made and also the scariest.  Couldn't get a $4,500 loan from the bank with perfect credit (they said I didn't have enough credit yet).  So I did what everyone else does- I put everything on high interest credit cards.  I was nearly $50,000 in debt one year ago.  I am still paying on the cards with about $15,000 left.  My 2003 F-550 welding truck and all tools I own outright.  Last week I just paid cash for a 2002 Sierra.  My point being, if you want to join the welding bussiness and make money at it, you'll have to jump in with two feet.
Reply:I don't know that I see everything as being as cut throat as JTMC.  I think it depends on the locale you're in and what the supply and demand is for welders.Here in SW Ohio, there's plenty of big outfits that service the large contractors.  But I have a sense there are relatively few small, one man operations that are willing to work for other small businesses.  The big outfits don't have time for the small jobs I can take on.  That said, I'm not earning a full time living on these small jobs.  But I'll either accumulate enough small customers to transition to working for myself full time.  Or I'll earn enough money to square my debts and pay for all the equipment I'll need, then save enough to take the plunge without undue financial risk.I do work for one customer in particular who continues to call me because I do quality work and have the right tools and skills for the job.  He had someone else working for him, and I've spent a fair amount of time scrapping 'bird droppings' off the previous repairs.  If I do it, and it's not right, I do it over for free.  If I can't do it, I don't do it.  If I make a promise, I keep it.That said, I agree completely with having your state tax ID, following the laws and regulations pertaining to collecting sales tax, having liability insurance, and a business policy that protects your equipment and your customer's equipment and facilities, and maintaining some kind of certification(AWS, ASME, API, state contractor's lisence, whatever fits) that's relevant to the work you do.Benson's Mobile Welding - Dayton, OH metro area - AWS Certified Welding Inspector
Reply:Originally Posted by David RJust so you know, I have insurance, keep books, got ONE cert for vertical up and LOTS of equipment.  I am kind of lucky.   Each time I do a big job, I buy more equipment.  I have been at it this time for about 5 years, so I don't really need much more equipment.... Well, maybe a ....  If you do good work and KEEP YOUR WORD, work will come on its own.  Price is not really a deciding factor.  If it is, then the customer may not be one you want.David
Reply:A certification looks good to the uninformed .  To those in the welding industry, it says you're at least capable of getting the right cert. for whatever the job is.I hold an AWS cert on mild steel pipe in 6G, for TIG and Stick.  This covers me for structural work on plate in all positions, and a reasonable range of pipe diameters and wall thicknesses in all positions.  If I were doing more pipe, I'd get the ASME or API certs that were applicable for the job.  If the work was high volume welding, I'd get the MIG/FCAW certs that were appropriate.  The reality is that most of my work is not done to any specific code, it just has to hold.Get the cert for whatever work you're doing most often.  Get the others on an as needed basis and don't forget to pass the cost along to whichever customer needs to see the certification in question. Originally Posted by admsweldingWhat is one cert,vertical up going to do for you.Seems like a waste of time to me,what if you have to weld overhead?
Reply:Originally Posted by admsweldingWhat is one cert,vertical up going to do for you.Seems like a waste of time to me,what if you have to weld overhead?
Reply:Originally Posted by David RIt got me this job and others like it.http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=26136David
Reply:Originally Posted by admsweldingThats good but where i am if you don,t have certs for welding overhead you won,t be welding any bridges.AWS- D1.5/ and a 6g pipe cert won,t work either.JMO Whatever works for ya i guess.
Reply:whats the min.you would charge to to do a mobile job[QUOTE=A_DAB_will_do;239736]I don't know that I see everything as being as cut throat as JTMC.  I think it depends on the locale you're in and what the supply and demand is for welders. QUOTE]I read on the internet, several times per year, where people not in the welding business give this advise to people contemplating entering the fray: Find the unmet need in your area, work that nobody is doing.The only work that the established companies don't want is the work they can't make money on, or work for companies that don't pay properly. There is no magical "work that people just aren't doing". Contractors actively seek out and pursue any work that has profit potential. They hire salesmen who's only job is to search, and find, and get.So when you start a new business, you are venturing out to get work that's currently being done by an existing business. Those existing business' will gladly let you pick up low profit work. But the day hopefully comes that you are able to start getting jobs that will actually support a business, not after work or on weekends, but pay the bills, and provide a living for one or more people. When that happens, the contractor that has been doing the work will notice, and will do what he can ro regain the work. Why would that be hard to understand? Some will use every honest, ethical method at their disposal to get the work. If he's successful, the newcomer is either out of business or looking at other fields. There isn't any mean or bad intent involved, I just intend to go after the work I want, and very aggressively at that. If anyone intends to compete with me, for the work I do, they should never underestimate how much effort I'll put into preserving my business, livelihood and keep my kids in beans and potatoes. Some won't be quite so ethical, and those guys will use every method available whether it's legal, honest, moral or not. These are the guys that kickback, that buy season tickets and wine & dine your potential customers at ball games, that send a crew to put in a (free) $20,000 stainless steel kitchen in the customers house, that see bids before turning in their numbers, they'll lie about you, they'll get their friends to lie about you, ect. These people will see true justice in the end, but they may damage or put you out of business before that happens. I've been a keen observer of this contracting world since I first entered the construction workforce in '84, and it's always interesting, sometimes in a good way and sometimes not. This isn't new, it's human nature and I'd guess it has been this way since about the time Cain left the garden.I'd imagine most everyone has seen the same behavior as an employee working for others, there are coworkers who will do what they deem necessary to climb the ladder, some ethical, some not, some nice but determined, some willing to lie, steal, cheat.  But when you encounter this in business you have much more to lose than a promotion or a job.It's not to dissuade people from starting a welding business, but like I said, a heads up of what you will encounter when you start doing real, business sustaining levels of work.Some peoples demeanor is suited to to working in that environment but a lot of people aren't.My wife/chic and I have watched hundreds of welding start ups come an go since we started in '92, none of them have lasted over a few years and most are gone within 1 year. One went about 5 years but he auctioned off everything a month ago. The ones that were in business when we started are all (but one) still going. I work all across the country, and human nature is the same in South Carolina as it is in Oregon.My best advise (and I know, nobody asked), is do extensive homework on all fronts before entering the market because it can be a harsh place for OJT. And don't take advise from people with no experience, YOU have a lot at stake when you own the whole gig.JTMcC.
Reply:You've got it on the head Partagas with the CERTS. If your a normal shop then 95% of your customers could care less about that piece of paper certifing you can weld. A farmer, trucker, car owner or BBQ owner only wants to know if you can fix their broken stuff and do so at a reasonable cost. Now get into Gov't work wiith specs and mil q's,  ISO  requirements, Aerospace, production, certain heavy equipment, medical and those certs become a requirement to have as well as  to have up to date.Co-Own CNC shop:Miller :1251 plasma cutter, MaxStar 700 TIG/Stick, & XMT 456 Multiprocess Welder.&  2 Hypertherm HPR260's Plasma CutterSorry I had a bad stroke but now I am back.
Reply:jtmcc,  thank you for hitting this one out of the park.Last edited by Scott Young; 01-02-2009 at 01:41 PM.
Reply:Unsolicited advice is still read and appreciated in some circles.  Thanks for the insights.Your experiences are why I'm still working for someone else fulltime, and gathering information on 'the business' when and where I can.I will say that I still see a matter of scale that's relevant.  You mentioned an experience where another contractor paid for a $20K kitchen in order to win the customer's business.  That alone is literally 10x larger than the largest job I'd consider taking on at this point.  I can easily imagine the kind of cutthroat competition you're describing where the profit margin can accomodate that sort of expense, or the contractor could afford to eat that sort of loss against the prospect of future business.I have no illusions or desires about competing at that level of business.  I don't want a crew of guys working for me.  I don't want the headaches that come from operating at that scale; and yes, I'm willing to live small(er) in order to avoid the headaches.All the work I've taken on at this point has been for one of two reasons:  I either replaced someone who performed inferior quality work, or I approached someone who had some kind of un-realized need.  By this I mean someone who says, "Oh, you can do that?  I never knew about that, and that solves a problem I didn't know I had or hadn't spent time finding a solution."  I'm looking at work that someone else lost, or nobody has done before...I freely admit that I'm working in a small pond, and not going to reach economic self-sufficiency with the limited pool of work I'm drawing from.  But there is a niche here for the beginning entrepeneur, and one that isn't as hostile as the larger scale contracting world I think you're working in.  I can save what I earn and use it to outfit myself with the right equipment, and more importantly use the extra income to pay off all my debts and/or save the working capital I'd need to live off of until my business was large enough to pay me a living wage.It's not until I make the transition to working for myself that the risks you describe are a daily concern.  For now, it's enough to be reminded that those risks are out there, and to begin watching who the big fish are in the business and how they conduct business.Maybe it's 2 years before I make a transition to full time self employment, or maybe I lose my full time job next week and have to make a leap of faith.  Either way, I'm better off than the person dependent on their employer and with no prospects for bettering their life except through promotion at work.Must be the new year that's got me waxing philosophical.  Let me close by saying JTMcC, I hear what you're saying and I'll be on the lookout.  I might even get on the phone and talk to my uncle who's a general contractor for commercial construction down in the DC area....  Thanks again.[QUOTE=JTMcC;239974I read on the internet, several times per year, where people not in the welding business give this advise to people contemplating entering the fray: Find the unmet need in your area, work that nobody is doing....I've been a keen observer of this contracting world since I first entered the construction workforce in '84, and it's always interesting, sometimes in a good way and sometimes not. This isn't new, it's human nature and I'd guess it has been this way since about the time Cain left the garden.I'd imagine most everyone has seen the same behavior as an employee working for others, there are coworkers who will do what they deem necessary to climb the ladder, some ethical, some not, some nice but determined, some willing to lie, steal, cheat.  But when you encounter this in business you have much more to lose than a promotion or a job.JTMcC.[/QUOTE]Benson's Mobile Welding - Dayton, OH metro area - AWS Certified Welding Inspector
Reply:I'm not being pessimistic here, I'm the ultimate optimist, but just take a look at the number of start ups that don't make it, the majority of folks who start out don't survive, that means they did something (or more likely a series of things) wrong. It's too bad because I've seen some very nice people lose their life savings and go bankrupt. There is great opportunity out there, more so in America than anyplace else. But the market says that risk accompanies opportunity. And we didn't even get into the old boys network (OBN), the guys that only do business with their Mason, Elk, Moose or Great Buffalo Lodge Brothers, the guys that sit and sip cocktails and smoke cigars plotting the destruction of all who oppose their mighty powerThe guys that have known each other since before the 1st grade, and really do think they own the town.But I enjoy it, it's pretty entertaining most days.Don't underestimate the amount of gross you'll have to make per year to provide a comfortable living for a family plus some retirement and health and life insurance. I'll quit now as I've veered way off track of the original question.JTMcC.
Reply:You will NEVER get an education like working for your self until you do it.  I remember making a sales call to a prospective customer.  He looked at me a young determined fellow just starting out and said "I could use you" with a gleam in his eye.  I saw through it and realized he would do just that, use me.  I did no work for him by my choice.  You will never know some one until you have done work for them.  Don't work for your friends if you want them to remain friends.  Sure little freebies or small buck jobs, but when it gets into big business, watch out.  Been there done that.  I have had 4 successful profitable business.  All of them ended because I was married..... I am now single and have had this business for almost 5 years and it keeps getting better.  8 out of 10 new business fail because of lack of capitol, poor management or failure to pay taxes, have proper licenses or insurance.   It takes a TON of ambition and determination.  Sacrifice on your part etc......   Yes I am working this sunday......I doubt I will ever be rich, but I can say I have made it on my own.  David Independent R  Real world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:I have been doing side work for quite some time. I have found that the number one rule, is don't do anything you don't want to. I have done some jobs that I thought were going to be challenging, and have been very happy. I have also done some that put up a red flag, and I should have turned them down. Having a regular day job helps this out a lot. If I had to make a living off of the work, it might be different, and I would just charge more.I have found the side thing to be very rewarding indeed. It pays for a little extra stuff here and there, and being able to pick and choose your projects is a dream come true. Plus, you meet a lot of very cool people.I am too risk adverse to ever go on my own I think, so this keeps me out of trouble.