KevinYarbrough Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 Embedded Software Developer - Space Shuttle Main Engine All Americans should be proud of OUR space program: The position of world leadership and cooperation that it affords us. The development of technologies that benefit us all. The inspiration for our youth to attain a quality education. The economic stimulus reaching all parts of the USA. I am proud to be just a tiny part of this wonderful endeavor. Respectfully, Kevin Yarbrough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwilliams Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 Mechanical engineer Part time pistolsmith Knifemaker artist blacksmtih Last three lose me more money than I make but they are fun and keep me busy. Ol lady is happy I am at home an smiling so its worth it, in her eyes. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zsartell Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 Desktop administrator - aka, I fix computers and networks. (it's a curse and I'd rather be smithing!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Makoz Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 Ex Airforce engine tech; diesel fitter on heavy machinery; welder/wrought iron worker; artist & designer of public artwork; most recently, studio manager of a university arts department; now house-husband (a.k.a. kept man), with one day a week teaching workshop skills (wood and metal) to sculpture students at uni. Cheers, Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryCarroll Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 I'm a retired metal finisher, working 35 years for Ford's Stamping division. Retired martial arts instructor from the AKA headquarters 30 years. Fabricating, smithing and building Black powder arms, wood working and general fix-it guy suppliment my pension and SS checks. Husband--Grampa--great grampa and Church Trustee takes some of my time too with the pay being the best ever! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcraigl Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 EGADS! Can it be true? There's TWO GIS/GPS guys on here??? I'm the GIS Coordinator for a field office of the Bureau of Land Management. Use autocad a bit, but mostly ESRI and Trimble products. Also the Task Order Manager for our local IT Support contractor, and the IT Security Manager for my office. I've finally gotten a paycheck for a bit of smithed art, and am pretty happy about that, but I don't want the pressure of feeding my family based on it. So until I start getting federal retirement system checks in the mail (in about another 20 +/- years) I'll keep it as a happy fun hobby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpworks Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 had fun over the years but presently a truck mechanic , metalworker, artist in that order i am self employed in these areas with the 1st & 2nd being 80%of my income. the artist part is fun and i like it. i enjoy the shows and have a few galleries that take work to sell. thanks for reading, Gary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waianvil Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 Electrician for university of nebraska, 35 years and counting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ertwdan Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 Mechanical Engineer in an underground salt mine pays the bills Blacksmithing keeps the soul intact. Salary has many forms.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce wilcock Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 blacksmith ,toolsmith and farrier ,all my working life ,never done mutch stick welding ,the class of work we do is fast becoming out dated ,and will se me out ,but my son will not follow me ,the work has changed ,stone masons carnt work without a disk saw ,and most carry a bucket of tools as blunt as my thumb ,as the stone dressers retire and wooden boat building yards close i hang up there patterns for tools ,the scrap man has had is eye on my hammers for a year or two .pitty but thats the end of three generations we cant turn the clock back .I have had a great time reared a clutch of kids ,and stayed solvent. the last three months i have been out of the smithy the longest time in my life , doing some boat repair work on my sons 70 foot wood fishing boat steaming heavy timbers and caulking seams ,now i am workin on the joinery in the cabins ,its nice out of the smoke and grit of the forge.and easier on the joints without the shoing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Kelley Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 Retired USAF Senior Staff Medical Administrator/special education teacher (4 years to burnout)/chief brush buster/ranch dog servant (sheltie and coon dog who think my only job is to drive them around in the pick up). I spend as much time as I can puttering in my shop. I'm a tool building addict so I spend more time building gadgets than I do producing useful or salable items. I'm learning how to make blades and do a little forging now and then using the propane forges I built last summer. Then I grind the blades on the KMG clone I built last winter. I'm also a Red Cross volunteer and work as a military case worker and disaster assistance worker for a 10 county region here in Eastern KY. The recent spate of extreme weather has kept us pretty busy in the disaster assistance role. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
latvius Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 Retired AF, currently working for the state of Florida in the data center administering the network operating system. My latest project is building a timber frame blacksmith shop that will not have electricity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mills Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 Roughneck, Carpenter, Soldier, Bus Driver, Environmental grunt, Mechanic, and now self employed billing myself as a smith and trying to make it a reality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmy seale Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 i am a driller for Nabors in co. and utah. (read glorified posthole digger, babysitter for fluffnecks) but have wrenched and operated heavy equip. and cranes, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladysmith Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 Ok...my turn. Looking back, I've done a bunch of stuff, some more fun than others... environmental chemist, full-time SCA and Ren-faire vendor, owning a knife and sword themed gift store are among the fun ones. Recently, I've gone from being hurt at work to fighting my way back to a light duty position in safety (I have previous experience). Right now I'm looking at either getting an environmental safety and health coordinator position where I work, or being forced back to worker's comp. (or laid off) until I can find something elsewhere. (I should know if I'm being kept on by the end of March.) I'm applying for lots of positions (mostly safety manager types). I've had a couple of good interviews but no offer yet. If any of you hear of an open safety manager's position, let me know. (Will move for steady job.) Pam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratel10mm Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 We've not met as such, but it sounds like a tough time so I just wanted to say good luck with the job hunt Pam. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nonjic Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 Forging 100% income for me. (but not blacksmithing) I supply forge plant all over the world. I design it, buy it, rebuild it, sell it. Hammers 80% of my work, presses the rest. Tell me what you want to forge & Ill supply the knowhow & equipment. I do development work for forging companies, and have a huge pool of resources I can draw on to make projects work (other highly specilised firms I work closely with) Machine down? - ill put a team on site to mend it. I supply Chinese power hammers to blacksmiths in the UK, and have made a lot of friends, and met a lot of intersting people in the process. The job can be very stressfull, but is very rewarding - one fringe benefit is I have a 'forge' to play in most full time smiths would be a bit jealous of, when my damascus is up to scratch ill be a bladesmith though oh yeah....... index :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 I just retired with 30 years from the state highways maintenence section. Spent 10 years taking care of roads, before that I spent 19 years as an exploration driller for bridges, foundations and the like, geotech stuff. Sent some time in the soils lab before that. Prior to the state I was a roustabout kid doing whatever. I trained as a welder fabricator but ended up operating equipment and doing a lot of field repairs, especially as a driller. September 12, 06 around 7:30 am. I forgot to heed one of Father's favorite sayings and fell off a tilt deck trailer at work shattering my left arm. Two weeks ago last tuesday I had my 4th surgery on it to encourage a non-union fracture to go union. Once I get my arm straightened out (literally right now) I intend to supplement my retirement by operating someone elses equipment while I build my shop up. Eventually I'd like to have a small wrought iron shop with an attitude. Friendly attitude but not hungry enough to let folk take advantage as so often happens. Pam: Hope workers comp is treating you as well as they're treating me. Best of luck. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbob Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 after the army I got hired on at the phone company. been doing that for the going on 37 years now...it is getting old ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donnie Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 I worked as a welder for a few years, then took another job as a welder, then another. I reckon I'm just a welder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredW Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 I'm a social worker. I work for the state of Missouri Department of Social Services; Children's Division. I work with families that have had their children removed from the home for various reasons, some because of honest mistakes, others for much more horrid reasons. Hard to keep an upbeat view of mankind from here but hangin in. When I find the time I heat some iron and reshape it, though, lately it seems I just dream about it. Buisness has been good for the Children's Division in North Missouri sad to say. Fred Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 30 yr. Postal, 20 yr. National Guard (Army), 4 yr. smithing, volunteer smith at Ft. Vancouver National Historic Site. Most important, married 27 yrs. (same gal!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 Retired draftsman. Did HVAC, plumbing and fire protection plans. Did smithing on the side for ten years , also did bronze casting during that time. Then I had a family and had to make real money to feed them.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNixon1108 Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 Inventory control foreman in a cold storage warehouse in Missouri. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_sandy_creek_forge Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 To make the money: Data Entry Specialist (Keywording and Captions) for the third largest stock photography company in the US. To stay sane and make a little money besides: Blacksmithing, and helping my friends/coworkers with "their" home improvement projects. -Aaron @ the SCF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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