ThomasPowers Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 Thomas, I'm working on that whole perseverance thing, haha. It's always nice to hear stories of people making it in my field. Doesn't really help me much that New Orleans is like a technological wasteland, every few months or so I'll find anything in the tech field and they usually want a full stack developer with absurd experience. Well, during one of my job changes I found a job in the right location; but the qualifications was long and they were excessively high; (10 years experience in things only around 5 years, etc) and then I saw the ENTRY LEVEL POSITION. Right. I was offered the job but the one working for the National Radio Astronomy Observatory was offered me a few days later with more money; much more vacation, better benefits and a very relaxed dress code---and I prefer living in small university towns....I don't know about making it; but I've provided for a family on a single paycheck and we've paid off our house and don't owe any money. Remember too that my first coding was done using a teletype and punched paper tape if you wanted to save your basic or fortran programs. Key Punch cards, (hollerwith cards) was a huge step up when I first went to college! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forger Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 Last 15 years as an orthopaedic nurse, before that, 26 years as a farrier and blacksmith. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meadowgrove Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 Process operator at a PE coating factory. We make raw material for milk cartons, disposable cups etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 Odd jobbed till I landed a position with the State of Ak in the soils lab. Kept getting tapped as a helper on one of the drill crews, ended up doing their welding and fab work then jumped up to driller. Transferred to highways maintenance after 20 years and retired with 30. Had a sweet part time retirement job delivering equipment and material for a rental outfit almost a whole 5 miles from home then got clocked by the tree in '09. I guess heavy equipment operator, fabricator welder are the main categories. Nonstop reader, tinkerer and long time blacksmith student. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 Teacher. General primary, but in later years specialising in literacy skills, spelling, grammar etc. I did 20-odd years in the classroom and another 20 or so with School of the Air teaching remote area children via HF radio from Mount Isa Base, Western Qld and from Cairns. Spent some time as a journo and photographer, and now I am the curator of a Historic Village. Daily blacksmith demos are part of my job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tzelik Hammar Posted October 7, 2017 Share Posted October 7, 2017 I'm a forklift (I pick things up, I put them down) at the local mechanic shop. I don't actually get paid but they give me scrap steel, knowledge and occasionally lunch. College dropout, Walmart janitor. I moved to work in the gas field near cleburne tx doing water transfer for fracture operations at about 20. Then became a bouncer and repo guy and ended up collecting a baseball bat to the head at 23. Results: TBI and a stroke after the fact. Currently on SSD in my 30s and trying to get back to real work. I've always wanted to be a blacksmith and tried to make a go of it for a while as a stock removal guy and some armor stuff, but finally got up to really forging things and it's awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Ling Posted October 7, 2017 Share Posted October 7, 2017 cleburne tx I've got a friend in Cleburne, Matt Marti, He forges hammers and other blacksmithing tools. Small world! Littleblacksmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyBiker Posted October 7, 2017 Share Posted October 7, 2017 And your point Is? :-) 9 to go till I retire, that is all. If I could alter this meme it'd say... " if most people could walk in my shoes... they'd need new shoes!" ! Mod Edit: Photo removed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted October 7, 2017 Share Posted October 7, 2017 Grumpy, I see you have a proper reason reason to be reality chalanged! Me, I was born this way ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tzelik Hammar Posted October 7, 2017 Share Posted October 7, 2017 I've got a friend in Cleburne, Matt Marti, He forges hammers and other blacksmithing tools. Small world! Nice! I'm heading that way the last week of October. My brother still lives there and they're expecting kid number 4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HammerMonkey Posted October 7, 2017 Share Posted October 7, 2017 I build airplanes, airforce tankers and freighters. Shady, looks like we have another thing in common. We should meet up sometime. Nice... Where are you? EMC, Flight test, EDC, Factory?? Meeting up would be great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4elements Posted October 7, 2017 Share Posted October 7, 2017 I'm in the factory in final body join, swing shift. I found you on the work computer, I'll contact you there, or PM here of you think that's better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HammerMonkey Posted October 8, 2017 Share Posted October 8, 2017 Either is fine. I’m on days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anachronist58 Posted October 8, 2017 Share Posted October 8, 2017 Tool & Cutter Grinder 'A', tool Presetter. Work for the British, building Rolls Royce (and other) jet engine components. Invited to work seven nights a week. Really interferes with my passion to hammer, though I get to use my Japan four ounce ball peen every night. .008" (,02 mm) radius on tungsten carbide. Robert Taylor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 Anachronist58 at the last shop I worked at we had solid carbide endmills that were 4 flute and .006" or .008" diameter. I would have loved to see how those were made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anachronist58 Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 1 hour ago, BIGGUNDOCTOR said: I would have loved to see how those were made. BIGGUNDOCTOR - imagine how fine-grained the carbide and the grinding media would have to be - I am using 600 grit diamond on the above tool, and that is almost too coarse for the job. Mind boggling, but simply a matter of scale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFC Snuffy Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Operations Technician, 5.56mm Case Line, Lake City Army Ammunition Plant Before that, 21 combined years in the US Army and Army National Guard, several odd jobs (mostly delivery of one type or another), and half of a BS in geology. My other full-time job is being a husband to my lovely wife of 15 years and father to my three-and-a-half year-old son. That might be two full-time jobs right there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 3 year old? Full time with mandatory overtime! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans Richter Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 The last 15 years as an certified work safety advisor in petrochemical contracting and metal industry. Therefore 20 years all-round metalworker lock/blacksmith, welder (process 111, 135, 141) Next to that I carry out free-lance welding coordination as IWC-S on several small/midsize metalwork companies. Was running a blacksmith shop for 9 years, but my two blonde ‘investments’ at home (45 & 14 y/o) made me decide to work for an employer again ( fixed pay check, you know ……) See Hans more then 20 years ago below (the handsome guy in the middle ) as 'Mr. May' on the local calender of this year finishing a four arms 60 lbs anchor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBojangles Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 Veterinarian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 It's always a real pleasure to be able to come here and ask a question, and no mater how far afield and specialized you find a real expert lurking in the wings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 59 minutes ago, Charles R. Stevens said: It's always a real pleasure to be able to come here and ask a question, and no mater how far afield and specialized you find a real expert lurking in the wings. No one has yet asked me about how to facilitate significant and effective philanthropy, but I’m confident that that day will come. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genesaika Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 Well JHCC, how DO you facilitate significant and effective philanthropy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 Yeah, enquiring minds want to know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 Me too John, that sounds like a skill I could use. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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