Posted on 07/21/2010 7:26:30 AM PDT by Lusis
//Metalwork. Weld, grind, sharpen, straighten, bend//
Those are good skills and you can do some creative work too. And I will bet that if you know how to look/scrounge around you can get your metals for not to much at all.
I tune pianos in Nashville.
I make a trip to the local scrapyard about once a month, weather permitting. He'll let me take my truck back into the yard, and dig around in the piles looking for the good stuff. You need to be on good terms with the yard owner to do this. He has to know you're not going to steal from him, or try to sue him if you get hurt.
I make a trip to the local scrapyard about once a month, weather permitting. He'll let me take my truck back into the yard, and dig around in the piles looking for the good stuff. You need to be on good terms with the yard owner to do this. He has to know you're not going to steal from him, or try to sue him if you get hurt.
//Become a human guinea pig//
Is that why you are now a smokingfrog?
Yeah I wish I took welding in High School. I may spring for a cheap TIG welder and take up the skill since I like to work on my car (71 F100).
Other than that I’m decent with computers and photoshop/illustrator.
You can teach yourself to weld. Get the books and the welder and there you go.
I would suggest dont get the cheapest welder though. I have seen some of my buddies buy a welder that once they start knowing how to weld the welder aint up to the job. That doesn’t mean mortgage the house for a welder either ;0, I would think the best is if you could find a good used one at an estate auction etc.
I own a business (environmental consulting) now, so I don’t have to worry about it. Kinda like your accountant, people need help navigating the regulations.
I worked in a millwork plant for 20 years (mainly making doors). In lean times I have installed doors for stores like Home Depot (put your cards up discretely in the door displays, otherwise the insurance they want you to carry is prohibitive). If you have yard tools and other hand tools, I know a guy who works for cash only and makes a great living doing yard work and other handy work (this is in South Texas). Had a realtor tell me she could keep me busy full time doing handy work. Repair fences, light plumbing, etc. These are country folk, salt of the earth.
I own a business (environmental consulting) now, so I don’t have to worry about it. Kinda like your accountant, people need help navigating the regulations.
I worked in a millwork plant for 20 years (mainly making doors). In lean times I have installed doors for stores like Home Depot (put your cards up discretely in the door displays, otherwise the insurance they want you to carry is prohibitive). If you have yard tools and other hand tools, I know a guy who works for cash only and makes a great living doing yard work and other handy work (this is in South Texas). Had a realtor tell me she could keep me busy full time doing handy work. Repair fences, light plumbing, etc. These are country folk, salt of the earth.
I know a guy who has a tire shop, he makes a killing off of old ladies. He picks up their cars for them and returns them and treats them like queens. Of course, he sends the car home with one of those stickers that tells you when the next oil change is needed and I think they all call him the second the odometer turns over.
I own a business (environmental consulting) now, so I don’t have to worry about it. Kinda like your accountant, people need help navigating the regulations. I worked in a millwork plant for 20 years (mainly making doors). In lean times I have installed doors for stores like Home Depot (put your cards up discretely in the door displays, their insurance requirements are ridiculous). If you have yard tools and other hand tools you can do handy work. I know a guy who works for cash only and makes a great living. Had a realtor tell me she could keep me busy full time doing handy work. Repair fences, light plumbing, etc. Check with realtors. They need to keep the lawns and houses they are listing presentable.
I tutor, my husband umpires baseball. We save the income for unexpected costs. It’s been a big help.
Rice and beans. Reminds me of my mother. We had quite a few non-meat meals. Some of those were traditional fare that was popular back in the Depression simply because meat was scarce. My mother was Italian; my father was Austrian; so we often had pasta e fagioli (pasta and beans) or krautnudel (cabbage and noodles). Both were good, filling and cheap.
Mom also had this old cookbook with an article in the back entitled something like “How to Feed a Family of Four on $15 a Week.” I don’t think you can feed yourself on $15 a week nowadays, let alone a family of four, but a number of the tips and suggestions in that article are still good today.
~ Timeless Advice ~
A Pep Talk from Mr. Sawdust
We will allow no one to come into our school and start a discussion of “how bad things are”—and how they will have to get a lot worse before they get better.” We don’t wear blinders. We’re realists. But this kind of negative talk is wasteful of both energy and time.
THERE IS AN INNATE VIBRANCE IN THIS COUNTRY that will prevail through all our times of weak leadership, economic confusion, gutless politicians. Recession or depression, there is a pioneer strength in this country that is very much alive. Whatever comes is momentary -- even though the “moment” is a year or two -- and those, especially those who can work in a craftsman-like manner with their hands, will not only endure -- but will be the first to surface in the good times -- like a crocus in the spring.
NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO FOR A LIVING TODAY, LOOK AT YOUR HANDS. (Look at them!)
They are your answer to almost every mental and medical problem you’ll ever have. Your fingertips are like electrical outlets -- draining off the mental exasperations you encounter during the day. The product of well-trained hands builds personal satisfaction, a pride, and provides an immediate therapeutic value. Better yet, a fine piece of workmanship exists as a personal tribute to your craftsmanship -- longer than you’ll live.
For the 30 year old, look to your hands for a healthy and sane future. For the 40-year- old, TOOL UP -- invest in good tools. Secure adequate shop space. Set aside shop time out of each day to master your equipment. Remember this: your tools may someday be your most valuable physical asset. For the 50-year-olds, understand that most great success-stories have happened to people over 50 – so GET GOING! And for all of us old duffers, let’s get down to cases: This thing called “Retirement” was created by insurance companies and big corporations. It was a well-designed plan to get rid of us during a boom of War babies. WE HAVE THE REALLY GREAT VALUE ... and Retirement, as they figured it, is Death.
But we don’t see it that way. RETIRE? YES. But retire to some kind of proud productivity. The young people need us. There are too few of us left to re-establish standards of quality and performance. Craftsmanship must become a re-plenishable resource – and it’s our obligation to fill the cup and to keep it full!
AS LONG AS YOU CAN STAND AT A WORKBENCH (or even sit!) you’re young enough to command respect, turn out exemplary work, stay happy, and “make a buck” if you KNOW what you’re doing. —W.M.Kunkel
Work with the CIA to sell drugs to black kids. Well, that’s what the black people say we white people do.
I ain’t tellin.
One drawback. You WILL get calls at all hours from people with really stupid questions and easily resolved problems. One common trait among those who would be your customers...they are unable or refuse to think for themselves. You are their Techno-Crutch and they WILL use that crutch.
Unless you put a structured fee schedule for such calls in front of them, they'll drive you nuts. Even then they will expect to "ask just one little question" and not expect to pay for the advice or help.
I speak from experience. You must have the patience of a saint to make that type of side work worthwhile.
Nice catch. I love that movie and find it eminently quotable.
I’ve seen it several times myself; have yet to see a Clint Eastwood movie that I didn’t like.
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