Welding Job: Evenings/Weekends???

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Okay so I'm registered in a 15 month welding school that starts in about 1.5 months. the hours are from 7:30am-3:00pm. The plan was to work some service job(pizza delivery, waiter etc) at night and on weekends, ~30 hrs/wk.But I was just thinking if I could find some job that would allow me to learn some welding skills, even if it pays minimum wage, that would be a lot better than some worthless service job. note: I've never welded anything before.so i was thinking I could buy some basic oxy/acet. equipement, practice a little and then try to talk my way way in to some welding job.obviously this would be a long shot but I've talked my way into positions that I wasn't qualified for before(didn't work out though). So what type of industry/ business should I target where I might be able to find some simple welding at night and/or on weekends. It has been my experience that when you can prove to an employer that you're serious about learning something, by say going to school, they tend to give you more opportunities.What say you?
Reply:HMMMMMM? After you learn the basics you might get a few repair type jobs for some extra cash. Once people know your a weldor with your own equipment, you will never starve.Disclaimer; "I am just an a$$hole welder, don't take it personally ."
Reply:Do what I am doing.  Get the equipment, advertise, work nights and weekends doing welding and repair.  I work full time as a welder for another employer and am self employed on my free time.  I just started out, but it should work nicely.
Reply:I like your attitude, but a welding job is not something you are going to "talk" yourself into.  You will have to put up or shut up.  At this stage I would not recommend attempting much side work until you get a working knowledge of the trade.  There is a liability factor involved with our kind of work, and also being inexperienced, your work may not be on par with what it should be and a bad word of mouth can follow you quite awhile.  Now I'm not trying to discourage you.  Your best bet would be look for some of the local shops or manufacturing plants that run nights or weekends and explain your situation that you are going to school to weld and you will be willing to work cheap for the learning experience.  Your worst mistake would be to go in talking and not be able to perform what is asked satisfactory.  Be upfront, and you might catch something that will benefit you.  Good luck ~JacksonI'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:I agree with Hammack.  There are too many welders out there who do not have the necessary skills and experience to be doing what they are doing.  Too many people go to college, get good enough to pass the certification test drop out, buy a used SA-200 welder and work for themselves.  Real life welding and repair is a bitch and is not something that can be taught at school and the positions and situations you have to weld are 100 times more difficult than any welding position you do at school.You seem motivated and are about where I was 5 years ago.  I was in college, not very experienced and just good enough to put a weld down and not much more.  I bought a welder/generator with hopes of starting a mobile welding business and reality hit me.  I eventually sold the welder and gave up on the dream for the time. I got a few jobs in the time between then and now and started welding on the job and gaining real world experience.  I now feel that I am just barely ready to do it and that is a LOT of hours that I have put in.  About 8,000 hours.You may want to stick with pizza delivery until you get the college thing finished up.  I know you are anxious but Hammack couldn't be more correct about this, and when I think back to when I was where you are it is like Deja Vu all over again, especially since we share a name "Nick".Last edited by WelderBoy; 08-26-2007 at 08:38 PM.
Reply:Thanks for all the replies. Great advice everyone. For now I'll just work on learning some basic welds and then maybe I'll start poking my head around a little.
Reply:When I started school for welding, I got lucky, I found a company that was looking for welders and shop help.  They could not hire me as a welder, but they brought me on as a helper.  Then I was able to learn not only a ton of info from the welders.  But I also learned how to use saws,drill press,lathe work, sand blasting and paint ( including powder coating).  Now some of you might saw sooooooo......  what's so special about that.  It was special for me due to the fact that I have never worked any other job then being a waiter and a Computer geek for 15 years.  I told him this was what I wanted to do with my life and that I wanted to learn as much as possible.  After my first month of pushing a broom, he asked me what I wanted to learn.  I said all of it.  Over the next year I was permitted to train with any department I wanted to.  I owe almost everything I know about metal work to him and that Company.  Between that and boards like this and others like it I am able to learn something new almost everyday.