Ideas for finding that "perfect" shop to work for

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I don't know if the General section was the best place to ask this but oh well, here goes.I learned to weld while working in motorsports, so I was always doing something different. When I stopped racing (crappy pay, long hours)My Machining and Welding experience were a great fit for manufacturing.I decided to leave the place I worked at in January, for a number of reasons.I have work in the meantime running a courier service, so I am in no rush to jump into another shop.Around here manufacturing jobs are a dime a dozen. Some of these places have flat out lied it seems, to get me in the door.They just want another MIG monkey. "Oh sure, lots of challenging stuff around here, its good you can read prints"And sure enough, ya get out in the shop and there they are MIGn' together stacks of widgets.Or they hire me as a "welder" and Im thinkin cool, I get to handle the little welding area. I show up and the plant manager thinks he has another CNC operator.Eat me!Production is not for me, at all. It drives me nuts.So where do I look? Who needs welders? I have been to every small shop I can find.I want to find a place that repairs things, in the shop and on the road.Would the Millwright union be a good place to start?I like to work, and work hard. It just seems these people are hard up for welders and machinists that can tie there shoes, and they will give ya 20 an hour just to have someone they can trust on the floor. Even if your just doing simple stuff.So what other kinds of industries need welders on site? I have been all over, quarries, hot mix and cement plants, miller brewing etc.....And I have been to every weld shop in the phonebook. Some are closed down, some dont need welders and some have called back.Sorry for the long post, any advice guys?Last edited by Burnit; 02-27-2008 at 04:59 PM.
Reply:Good Luck with finding the "perfect" shop. Everyone I've been in usually had an equal share of good and bad. I'll be keeping an eye on this thread though...I'm sure there'll be ideas I never thought of.Anything worth doing is worth doing RIGHT
Reply:I have the perfect shop.  The roof leaks, and I have no indoor plumbing.  Its my business.  I have the nicest stuff I ever had since I opened my shop almost 4 years ago.  I have told the idiot customers "don't come back".  The customer makes my hours.  No over time, no vacation pay or sick pay.    It IS the perfect job.  I love it.  From what I read in your post,  maybe you should think about your own shop.  The work is quite  varied and you have the say in how the job is done.  It works for me.  It takes A LOT of ambition.Edit:  Hopefully by June I will be moving into a shop tripple the size of mine with an electric 14' door and indoor plumbing.Its worth the hard workDavid Last edited by David R; 02-27-2008 at 05:24 PM.Real world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:A lot has to do with your client base .If you are dealing with the public as I do presentation counts, as much as you want your product and your ability to be the focus of their decision sad fact of the matter is that is just not so. If they are prerequisites  an up stairs office and show room are a bonus as you can keep it clean, aluminium linishing and steel grinding grit has a greater ability to get through 10' of concrete greater than gamma rays!.Have a look at your neighbors if in a complex. Avoid smash repairers, in my experience they chew up parking space and 10 banged up cars is never a good first impression. (No disrespect intended, hey they are just doing their job also). But if you don't own a fork ....a neighbor that has is alway a "mate!" .Stand alone are the best but dearer.I'm in my 3rd factory and most of our stored material is aluminium in mill,powder coated ally,  glass and stainless steel . So none are very heavy like steel and so in that case NOTHING beats ceiling height.I have a 7.5m height, most ally comes in 6.5m and stainless in 6.0m .Standing stock up saves immense floor area.You can always put in a mezzanine.We utilize racking for that , we have 3 bays about 7.0m long with 4 levels in it for storage and a mez. over the top in one area.If your a fabricator with a professional (builders etc) client base , presentation doesn't count as thing are as they should be ...its the job that counts.Location near to a regular trip counts , we go to the Powder Coaters 3-6 times a week and I would like to be closer.But I chose my location so that I can be right next to my opposition (such as it is) if you are confident you have a better product that is a good move.A good guess is better than a bad measurement
Reply:Ok let me re-phrase that a bit, especially after Hammack's thread about the d-bags around here. I dont wanna sound like one of these young guys thats needs the crusts cut off their peanut butter and jelly sandwich.I know there will be d-bags everywhere and work isnt supposed to be fun all the time.What I meant by perfect is, a variety of work. Thats it. Maybe cuttin apart a trailer one day and fixin that, then maybe something else.Just not 500 piece orders day in day out
Reply:Oh, looks like I went off on a bit of a tangent there. When I first read your post it wasn't all up and your Q seemed a different one.BrettA good guess is better than a bad measurement
Reply:Originally Posted by BurnitI don't know if the General section was the best place to ask this but oh well, here goes.I learned to weld while working in motorsports, so I was always doing something different. When I stopped racing (crappy pay, long hours)My Machining and Welding experience were a great fit for manufacturing.I decided to leave the place I worked at in January, for a number of reasons.I have work in the meantime running a courier service, so I am in no rush to jump into another shop.Around here manufacturing jobs are a dime a dozen. Some of these places have flat out lied it seems, to get me in the door.They just want another MIG monkey. "Oh sure, lots of challenging stuff around here, its good you can read prints"And sure enough, ya get out in the shop and there they are MIGn' together stacks of widgets.Or they hire me as a "welder" and Im thinkin cool, I get to handle the little welding area. I show up and the plant manager thinks he has another CNC operator.Eat me!Production is not for me, at all. It drives me nuts.So where do I look? Who needs welders? I have been to every small shop I can find.I want to find a place that repairs things, in the shop and on the road.Would the Millwright union be a good place to start?I like to work, and work hard. It just seems these people are hard up for welders and machinists that can tie there shoes, and they will give ya 20 an hour just to have someone they can trust on the floor. Even if your just doing simple stuff.So what other kinds of industries need welders on site? I have been all over, quarries, hot mix and cement plants, miller brewing etc.....And I have been to every weld shop in the phonebook. Some are closed down, some dont need welders and some have called back.Sorry for the long post, any advice guys?
Reply:Then you need to think real hard about David R's suggestion...that's what you're looking for right there.Anything worth doing is worth doing RIGHT
Reply:David has already given me advice on starting my own place, and I am well on my way to getting the knowledge etc. to do just that. From researching the different types of business' to buying books on starting and running a small business I am doing it, these steps may seem elementary to some of you guys but its where I have to start.Believe me, the ultimate goal is to have my own shop.Unitl I start welding in my own building I need to find a place that wont drive me absolutely nuts.There is a relatively successfull weld/repair shop about 45 miles from here. I went out there one day just to snoop around acting like a customer. And after asking some questions etc.. I know that if he can do it, I can do itLast edited by Burnit; 02-27-2008 at 05:41 PM.
Reply:You need a place like where I work..Custom Job Shop..We do ANYTHING when it comes to metal..No production just alot of "Oneof's"One of this...One of that...Fix this..Repair that..Always something new..Wait untill tomorrow and see what comes thru the door...And you better be prepared for Anything!I concider where I am the ultimate job for being employed by someone else.....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:Exactly Zap, One day you are turning something down and maybe TIG welding on it, the next day the county has 2 plows in there and they need to be air arc'ed apart because somebody from Welding Web made a new mailbox post! lol
Reply:Originally Posted by BurnitSnip...Believe me, the ultimate goal is to have my own shop.Snip I know that if he can do it, I can do it
Reply:Originally Posted by Burnitthe next day the county has 2 plows in there and they need to be air arc'ed apart because somebody from Welding Web made a new mailbox post! lol
Reply:Originally Posted by BurnitExactly Zap, One day you are turning something down and maybe TIG welding on it, the next day the county has 2 plows in there and they need to be air arc'ed apart because somebody from Welding Web made a new mailbox post! lol
Reply:try construction companies. specifically heavy/highway , and excavating contractors. i'm a concrete contractor and am always building trailers , truck beds, rebuilding engines , besides the regular repair work . i have a pretty decent shop for what i do . that may be an option. good luck!
Reply:A proper trade certification would certainly broaden your opportunities. It has been my experience that fabricators are more valuable to employers than guys that can just weld...so if you can build things fast and do a nice job that's a feather in your cap.Lastly, regardless of where you hire on...the cream always rises to the top. If you've got the 'skills to pay the bills', it will be quickly recognized and you'll start getting interesting and challenging jobs.
Reply:Unless you find a miracle shop like Zaps' place, you are going to be hard pressed to find what you are looking for. Reasons being: As much as you don't enjoy production runs, that is where the REAL money is at. Being able to make 1,000 widgets a day where the competition can only crank out 250 is what all manufacturers are looking for. Maybe look into prototype engineering. All one off stuff, but then again, you will be making the mock up and tooling for the company to make 1 million more on the production line. We had a welder here on the board for a while who did this; he went to Mexico to reduplicate the production facility down there. Sad in a way, he built the location that would eat up his job. Hate to say it.... try a racing shop!!!And then, after so much work...... you have it in your hand, and you look over to your side...... and the runner has run off. Leaving you holding the prize, wondering when the runner will return.
Reply:Originally Posted by TinbasherA proper trade certification would certainly broaden your opportunities. . .
Reply:Originally Posted by David RI have the perfect shop.  The roof leaks, and I have no indoor plumbing.  Its my business.  I have the nicest stuff I ever had since I opened my shop almost 4 years ago.  I have told the idiot customers "don't come back".  The customer makes my hours.  No over time, no vacation pay or sick pay.    It IS the perfect job.  I love it.  From what I read in your post,  maybe you should think about your own shop.  The work is quite  varied and you have the say in how the job is done.  It works for me.  It takes A LOT of ambition.Edit:  Hopefully by June I will be moving into a shop tripple the size of mine with an electric 14' door and indoor plumbing.Its worth the hard workDavid
Reply:I think the only perfect shop would be the one that you run yourself.I've considered my own business, but never had the balls to pull the trigger.I'm too comfortable and make too much working for someone else now to take the risk.Perhaps when the kids are in school and the wife gets a job again...
Reply:Originally Posted by David RI have the perfect shop.  The roof leaks, and I have no indoor plumbing.  Its my business.  I have the nicest stuff I ever had since I opened my shop almost 4 years ago.  I have told the idiot customers "don't come back".  The customer makes my hours.  No over time, no vacation pay or sick pay.    It IS the perfect job.  I love it.  From what I read in your post,  maybe you should think about your own shop.  The work is quite  varied and you have the say in how the job is done.  It works for me.  It takes A LOT of ambition.Edit:  Hopefully by June I will be moving into a shop tripple the size of mine with an electric 14' door and indoor plumbing.Its worth the hard workDavid
Reply:Don't overlook a specialty equipment or specialty vehicle equipment shop that does custom jobs.One of friends owns www.excavac.com which is a small shop, but you'll get to weld, fabricate, engineer and all of the fun stuff....and each job is different. Get in a shop like that and you'll have a different challenge and job each day.That's why I like what I do- it's different each day. Some days suck, but it all evens out in the end.
Reply:I liked the fab shops and running a rig (except the 24-7 on call part). When I ran the rig half of the time they knew they needed something to do a job, but not how to build it or sometimes even what it needed to be. Seems the rule in the oilfield is we need something, uh, call a welder. All of that experience served me well when I finally had all of the oilfield I could take and went into construction. Seems after the first job I worked everywhere I went I became the guy who did the details, built the stuff they left out, or fixed the messes that got some other welder sent packing. I really enjoy the design and layout and building the first one, but by the time I finish the second one I am bored to death. So I definitely know what you mean. Now I own half the company and primarily work on heavy equipment and tractor trailers. Everything from making repairs to building custom heavy duty forks for skid steer loaders  or converting big front end loaders to forklifts, sometimes the occasional boat repair, repairing roll off containers. Every job is different. Probably the best thing that happened for me was the first major job I got. I redesigned the forks someone else had built for the biggest Allis-Chalmers front loader I have ever seen. That didn't really do me much good, but when it broke in half and the forks held everybody noticed. I have one customer who doesn't even care how I do whatever he needs, doesn't even want an explanation (I've done a lot of work for him now) and others who just want to know why I am doing something the way I am doing it. If you do it for yourself you need to be able to explain things where your customers can understand you. I don't even have an office or even a real shop (it for the most part just keeps the machines and tools out of the rain). My customers don't care because for the most part their offices and shops were destroyed by Katrina. Starting over has made them very understanding of those just starting out.The difference between art and craft is the quality of the workmanship. I am an artist.
Reply:Originally Posted by Rojodiablo Hate to say it.... try a racing shop!!!
Reply:good for you.  now, let see some pics when you get a chance.  i love cars.Originally Posted by David RI have the perfect shop.  The roof leaks, and I have no indoor plumbing.  Its my business.  I have the nicest stuff I ever had since I opened my shop almost 4 years ago.  I have told the idiot customers "don't come back".  The customer makes my hours.  No over time, no vacation pay or sick pay.    It IS the perfect job.  I love it.  From what I read in your post,  maybe you should think about your own shop.  The work is quite  varied and you have the say in how the job is done.  It works for me.  It takes A LOT of ambition.Edit:  Hopefully by June I will be moving into a shop tripple the size of mine with an electric 14' door and indoor plumbing.Its worth the hard workDavid
Reply:Manufacturing isn't a good place for people with adult ADD or ADHD.  Your obvious aversion to welding 1,000 duplicate widgets a day suggests at least some mild adult ADD.  (ADD and ADHD isn't just for children, these "conditions" don't end when adulthood begins.  I know!  I HATED manufacturing jobs.)A small custom fabrication shop will have more variety, maybe even some road work.  Excavation contractors have a never ending variety of repair, reinforcement, and modification work.  Logging companies and large farms do also.The biggest benefit for working for an employer (if large enough) is the pre-arranged holiday pay, sick pay, medical insurance, and retirement package.  Working on your own you are exactly that, on your own.  You personally have to deal with zoning, occupancy permits, OSHA, worker's comp and unemployment tax if you want to hire anyone, and all the other such evils of our "Free" society.  Of course, dealing with all the regulatory bureaucracies helps to break up the monotony of drawing beads in the spotlight of a welding arc all day. (But Momma!  That's where the fun is!) I wish you luck in your job search!Member, AWSLincoln ProMIG 140Lincoln AC TombstoneCraftsman Lathe 12 x 24 c1935Atlas MFC Horizontal MillCraftsman Commercial Lathe 12 x 36 c1970- - - I'll just keep on keepin' on.