where to find side work?

Date 03-10-2007 16:04

I was wondering if any of you would be able to give me some advice on how to find some welding work I could do part time in my shop at home to make some extra money. I have a syncrowave 250 in my garage, a milwaukee multicutting chop saw, a portaband saw, and a grinder. My goal is to find something that would be steady work ( about $2000/month would be great). I was thinking of stopping by some of the welding and manufacturing places along my way to work. What types of companies outsource small parts for something they manufacture? I would like to find a situation where I would pick up the fabricated parts, bring them home, weld them and drop them off. It would have to be smaller parts as I do not have much working space or the ability to transport anything real big. I thought maybe some aluminum guards or small stainless tube frames would be good. I was thinking of welding up some samples of my aluminum and stainless welding to show at places I stop. Also I thought I should get some nicer clothes to wear when I stop by so I don't have on clothes with burn holes in them. I have tried the metal crafts thing. I spent a lot of time thinking up things, getting material and then hope it sells. I have a collection of things in my basement that haven't sold yet. I want to make some extra cash but still be able to have time to spend with my family and do other things that I enjoy. So if I find this type of work I thought it would be a better use of my time. Any of your tips would help out a lot. Thanks

By yorkiepap (***)

Date 03-11-2007 01:30

Hey jdove55,
There was a previous post that had a fairly good discussion on this topic. You may want to go thru some of the archives and pick up on those posts. I will offer some suggestions and you may ponder if any of them have merit for what you seek.
1.) Any small manufacturing company or machine shops may have some items they outsource and possibly know of a company looking to outsource some small piece work.
2.) Check all the auto repair shops for the same kind of outsourcing.
3.) Since you do aluminum, and believe me, that is important, go to all the fire departments in your area and show them some of your work. Listen....those fireman love their alum. diamondplate more than their wives. Also, the truckers love to add on alum. for those with alum. trailers.....mud guards, wheel well extenders, etc..
4.) Motorcycle shops.....Listen...I'm a hardcore biker and I know. We love add-ons, especially if it shines. And there are shops who need many custom items fabricated.
5.) The landscape contractors.....their crews are brutal on their equipment. Then also may pass on to others who need repairs done.
5.) Small construction contractors....they break equipment all the time...also good for references.
6.) Leave a post at all the hardware stores....many contractors go there and could see your post.

Since you indicate you work at home, I surmise you do not have a mobile welding unit. If you do not have a small (5X8, 6X10) flatbed trailer, look to find a decent used one. You can add sides any time if it becomes necessary. If you can offer a pickup/delivery service, for an additional fee of course, you will enhance your opportunity.

Yes, crafts can be a dilemma. You have to find that special niche that are items not available, very unique, and useful with a reasonable price. You'll have to really hustle for a steady $2K/mo.. Don't give up though...persistence pays off.

I hope I have helped a bit....the guys here are great & I'm sure others will chime in.....Keep us posted on your efforts....Good luck..Denny

By CWI555

Date 03-11-2007 04:03

I think Denny has given you sound advice. As for crafts, a little research would be in order. Housing remodeling stores/contractors etc, Art museums, etc. Just a few thoughts to add.

By MDG Custom Weld (***)

Date 03-11-2007 17:06

Jdove, it took us about 3 years to get enough consistent work to amount to 2k/month. The real problem is having enough time to "sell" your business to those people looking for welding services. I too had a "real job" while I was getting my shop going, and it just seems that you don't have enough time to get out to the businesses that need you. As Denny said, persistence pays off. As time went on, the people I welded for passed our name on, and it just grew from that. The problem with being a small welding shop is having people recognize and remember your name when they have a welding need. For the first 2 years I spent almost everything we made in advertising to get the name recognition. Phone books, local restaurant place mats, news papers, mailings to manufacturing companies, fund raiser sponsorship, local events sponsor, T-shirts, jackets, business cards.....you get the point, we tried everything. It was very hard to pay out that hard earned money, but in the end, it was all worth it. Once you get the name recantation, then a good reputation is soon to follow (assuming you are fair, and do good work). We built anything for anyone, with the same equipment you are starting with. It's really amazing how much you can cut with a 14" chop saw. Since at the time all of our money was going to advertising, we did not buy much equipment, and the DeWalt 14" saw was the standard method of cutting everything. We used them so much, the average life span was 6-8 months, but for 200 bucks, it was worth it. Not that I would do that again, it worked at the time with the resources we had.
Our shop is in a rural farming community, and EVERY farmer has a buzz box and thinks they are a welder. Many of them are good, some are fair, and others are not so good. We have many large vegetable producers in our area, and they are hard on equipment. It took a lot on persistence to convince them we could make things that would help them keep the equipment in the field and not in the shop. Once you get them to look at the time you can save them in downtime, they are very receptive to your services.

Our big start came when we started working with a local builder. I happened to drive by a house they were building and watched them lift up 2 guys in a pallet with makeshift sides to install a window. I did not stop in, I just took down the phone numbers and got in touch with the owner a week or two later. I built them a 6'x12' lifting platform from 2x2 tubing. I used their dimensions and incorporated a pin locking device so it could not be dumped from the forks. I stood behind all of the workmanship in the product, but required them to sign an affidavit stating I was not responsible for any misuse of the product that ended up in injury or damage. This limited our liability if something happened out of our control. They were happy to agree. Little did I know, they had 5 crews, and ordered 4 more later that summer! The next spring I had 2 other building companies that wanted one, just from word of mouth and name reorganization.

Any company that works with big trucks, heavy equipment, food service, cloths racks, construction, boats, trailers, and any other stuff made of steel and/or aluminum are worth checking into.

I think that being an expert welder is the easy part of having a shop. Getting customers and running a business takes 3x the time and effort of welding. We have been in the business now for a number of years, and it's fun, but still hard work.

Send me an e-mail if you want to chat more about getting started. mark@mdgwelding.com
BTW, where are you located??
Good Luck, Mark