walking away from welding job

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I recently had this project come up where a steel hulled house boat was drydocked and the hull was once upon a time built out of eighth inch skin. I had removed an old outdrive and the hole in the transom needed to be filled the client was cheap and wanted a down and dirty repair. I did not want to strike an arc on his hull and open a can of worms. Some parts of the transom were inaccessable to get to due to walls, floors etc in the way (fire hazard) not to mention an epoxy coating kn the back side. You get the picture ... so I suggested alternative repair methods. I felt a little guilty about walking away from this welding job. This client seemed like a law suit in the making. Anyway when we launched this boat a hole was discovered when it hit the water and the boat began to sink. Again I chose to screw a patch over the hole with a strong marine adhesive instead of welding a patch on severely corroded steel.  I write this to see if anyone had a similar experience.
Reply:You did the right thing.  Being able to read the job and reading the people only come from experience.  Go with your gut feeling or your first impression but give jobs a fair look over.It goes hand in hand.  Experience comes from mistakes and mistakes build experience.Dan D.
Reply:You don't really want every job that comes along. Ask any one who has been in the business for a long time and they will agree.
Reply:Some jobs are more trouble then they are worth. If you are not comfortable doing the job it is better to walk away. The customer might always be right, but that doesn't mean that every customer is right for you.
Reply:Originally Posted by DanD78You did the right thing.  Being able to read the job and reading the people only come from experience.  Go with your gut feeling or your first impression but give jobs a fair look over.It goes hand in hand.  Experience comes from mistakes and mistakes build experience.Dan D.
Reply:Hi, In a case like that YOU decide what needs to be done purely because YOU are in charge of the job, not the customer.....the customer just wants the job fixed.He may not want what he gets, and he also may not get what he wants, but you are the boss of your outfit......so be one.Lay it out in writing and draw up a contract.....if the customer argues....walk away.....BTDT.Ian.
Reply:Yea I figured as much. This customer did argue with the estimated and beat him down in his estimate quite a bit. Just a ten minute weld job. This boat hull was in terrible disrepair and neglected for some years. I have never been afraid to weld on a thin hull but the deciding factor on this project was the inacessability to the interior of the house boat. Besides the interior looked like a cheesy ikea comerical. Welding the hull would have created copious amounts of smoke from an epoxy coating on the interior side of the hull and a possible fire hazard. This costomer wasnnot open to proper preperation such as opening access and so on. Just blow and go. That inner voice was telling me something was not right with this costomer wanted too fast and too cheap. My alternative was to mechanically fasten patches using a fiberglass material g-10 and marine adhesive. This way no smoke no fire and a sound repair. Just no decient profit margin. I told the project manager he should have gone with his intuition and sent him on his way. Job finished with a compromise to welding on rotten steel. what does bddt mean?
Reply:BTDT= been there done thatLeo
Reply:I used to find by 'walking away' from these types of jobs, you sometimes felt like a failure for not trying.................but better the customer go away pi&&ed at you for not doing the job at all, then have him go away being pi&&ed at you for doing a less then perfect job.  I think you did the right thing!Brian
Reply:If the boats in totally bad shape, it's a testament to the owner.  The same type of guy that will put the blame on you should anything else fail.  Phuck him.TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:Never get in "Over Your Head" because in the end your "IT"......zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:If these are pontoons they can be foam filled , usually by a roofing co, usind a USCG approved (not roof foam) called "pour foam" but installed with a pump and mix nozzle. I just had four 38"Dia X 25'  pontoons done, cost $4000.  A cheaper route if the area is accessable is to fill voids with cheaper white foam blocks, (like ice chest type), then fill the voids with the pour foam.   This can be done yourself, you can even buy cheaper cans of pour foam with mixing nozzles, but it is better left to people with experience. I have done it both ways, and when things go wrong, they really go wrong, it sticks to everything.  It expands with enough force it can actually distort and break weak spots. Coast guard approved foam will not absorb water, cheap white blocks won't for a long time, but eventually will. It adds 2lbs per cu ft of weight, so that has to be considered too.    Where are you?
Reply:Bay area California. This piece of sh.. boat just has a shallow v hull electrolzised badly. Needed to have the paint stripped and an epoxy barrier coat applied however the client didn't want to do that. Just rolled bottom paint over the steel and what old paint still adheared to the boat. It was more important to spend the money on the interior. It is surprising how many boat owners feel this way, kind of like outfall sight outfall mind, don't worry about the main structure. The other hole I patched was probably formed by the hull burning through due to electrolosis. Good idea on the foam though just not on this application. Anyway g-10, some 5200 and fasteners was a good enough repair. On this boat it was the potential of screwing up the interior that veered me away from welding plus the patches are only as strong as the parent material.
Reply:I am less than 3 hours above you. I build and repair many patio boats and houseboats.  Once they start deteriorating it's tough, unless its an area that has physical damage from beaching or docking. He should put Zink blocks at least on the hull for sacrficial anodes. If you need cheap white foam sources, they are very near you.  Last time I checked I think it was called Western Insulfoam near Vacaville, but it has been a while. They sold 4'X4'X8' blocks.  If you want better quality, closed cell styrofoam.  Henderson Marine is in the bay area. Contact me if you need more info. The pour foam sticks to the interior (if accessable) to make a fairly waterproof repair.The guy's I use also are doing Bay Area jobs currently.