Anyone here own their own small welding business?

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Who's self employed with their own welding business and what do you do? Repairs, Construction,Crafts ?
Reply:Ran my own welding biz for 28 yrs.....welded pipelines, booster stations, gas plants. I also owned a fab shop that would do whatever would pay the bills. Both are gone now and I am just an inspector.A young green pipe welder asked an old salt one day...How can I make the weld on the bottom of the pipe look like the top.......The old salt replied....Screw up the top......
Reply:We lost our shop a few years ago was my partners place but i have my potable to do repair welding i just wish that somebody would go to work and break something so i can weld itBacked my CATMA over your CARMA oops clusmy me  What would SATAN do ?? Miller Trailblazer 302 AirPakMiller Digital Elite  Optrel Welding HatArcair K4000Suitcase 12RC / 12 VSHypertherm PM-45Rage 3 sawRusty old Truck
Reply:Their are very few shops around me left and those are now one man operation no one fixes there broken stuff they buy new. One old guy that just retierd that had a shop told me your wife better have a good job.
Reply:Hey Titan,Yes, I still have my own shop(just me) that I enjoy even now retired. I do welding, fabrication, & machining, repairs, mobile unit, all processes, & make crafts & classic/show car resto's & show car accessories. I make replacement parts for a lot of the old farm equipment here in SW PA beause of non-availability. Repair work is steady as many are getting things fixed rather than replaced because of the economy. I work the construction sites(eq. repair), new home construction(beam apps) & like to park my mobile unit at the local racetrack on the weekends..... I get in free. Are you considering starting/getting into your own operation? Lots of homework to do. You may fare better by starting p/t & see what comes thru the door & at least, get an idea of the possibilities in your particular area. Good luck....DennyComplete Welding/Machine/Fab. ShopMobile UnitFinally retired*Moderator*"A man's word is his honor...without honor there is nothing.""Words are like bullets.... Once they leave your muzzle, you cannot get them back."
Reply:I do small repairs for neighbors, but one day I'd like to own my own buisness.-Alex-AlexSears/Craftsman 230A Buzzy BoxSears/Craftsman 180A Buzzy BoxChicago Electric 80A InverterALL STICK...ALL THE TIME!I spent a lot of time with the square peg and round hole.
Reply:Yes, I do.I make fabricated metal weldments. Started 32 years ago doing job shop welding for sheet metal and machine shops. About 50/50 tig-mig.After a while I got known for my aluminum work. I was asked to cut parts, drill, deburr and grind the weldments. This grew into lite machine work and finishing. From there we hired labor to help out. Eventually we went into lite structural alum weldments for entertainment, satilite telemetry, electronic ground support, and small part manufacturing for defense applications.But all through the years it has been the welding that propped up the bussiness and that is what I am known for. Our ratio is 80% alum, with tig being the vast majority of the welding process. I am lucky to have a brilliant crew of 2 machinists, 5 weldors, 2 shop helpers, my wife in the office and myself as fire captian and babysitter. Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.
Reply:I have and have had for close to 30 years. You cannot be a one process weldor if you do or you will miss some work. This last week started with me finishing a small metal building that I started the last week. Next day was replacing metal on a huge disc plow that was bent or broke. Next day was repairing some old cast aluminum furniture for the guy that does my powder coating. Later in the day I made some curtain rods and hangers for an interior decorator. Next day I was welding cracks in a couple cast iron pressure pumps for the local well service guy. I hunted Friday and Saturday. Today, yes on Sunday, I brazed up pin holes in the bottom of some old antique smudge pots and welded in 5/16" square stock to extend the shaft on antique door knobs so they could be used in a modern house. Tomorrow I will be in some horse stalls installing grills that I built a couple weeks ago.So you see, you need a varied skill set to stay in work and I have been busy all through these tight times. I agree that you might want to take it on part time until you get busy enough and well known enough to have work all the time.
Reply:I have been running part time for about 3 years now. Mostly work for local farmers, but just got hooked up with a general contractor and have started picking up more job shop type work and repairs on his equipment. Right now I am in the process of rebuilding a 28' stock trailer, next week I have aluminum steps to repair on a dump truck. I consistently run 20 to 30 hours a week between my portable and shop. I agree your skill set needs to be varied, and it takes a while to get known. I have been fortunate to start with a good customer base and go out of my way to make everything right with them. I am easing in to making it a full time gig, but I want to have my base equipment paid for, no payments.
Reply:I've been doing side welding work for 9yrs now and finally scrapped up enough to build me a new 40x72 shop. I never plan on making it full time, although there's plenty of work around here if I so desired to do so, but I have great bennifits at my "real job." Approx 90% of my work is for the heavy construction industry (my bread and butter).-DoogieMiller 350PMiller Trailblazer 325 EFI w/ Excel PowerLincoln LN25 suitcase welderXMT 304/22a feederMiller Syncrowave 350LXMiller EconotigHobart Handler 140(2) Uni-Hydro 42-14Hypertherm 65 plasmaWEBB Gap bed lathe
Reply:I have a small fab shop. Its me and three other guys. I dont think it will be open much longer. Its really hard to get jobs and it is even harder to get paid. Builders are the worst customers for getting paid. I actually cant wait to close it. Then Im gonna work form a rig. If I had it to do all over again I would never haves started a shop. Its really tough and the overhead is very high. Once jobs are not coming in the bills will stack up. I design, fabricate and erect architectural, ornamental and structural metal work.. I love the work but I am soo tired of the ups and downs, and really tired of working my *** off for no money. Here are some pics of the ornamental stuff. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Capozz...6753?sk=photosWelding everything, from the crack of dawn to a broken heart.
Reply:you do some really beautiful work. typical how everyone wants 1st class work at minimum  wage.
Reply:Thanks for the compliment exwldr, Hey, are you an ex-welder, what happened you got fed up too?Welding everything, from the crack of dawn to a broken heart.
Reply:hello  capozzoli :no i still weld. been doing it since 1980 but recently i needed  back surgery. long recovery time, & i am not there yet .still problems.but do what i can when i can..i am in bucks county pa. probably not that far from where you are from. exwldr......                                               ("politicians are like diapers ,you need to change them often & for the same reason"......)Last edited by exwldr; 01-19-2012 at 04:38 AM.