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Hi again Pete,
Some more advice....take it with a grain of salt if need be. Do yourself a favor....NOTHING FOR FREE!!!! Listen, you are entitled to make a few bucks on any job, large or small, and you cannot survive giving your time, materials, and labor for free. Even your best friend, or family, a couple bucks to pay for your welding gas and welding wire you are entitled to. If you start working for free, believe me, everyone will expect a free job........DON'T !!! I have done many jobs for my brothers and other family members, and I charge them just enough to cover my expenses. If they have to go out somewhere else to get the job done, do you think it will be for free? Ask most and they will tell you the same....family members can be the worse.....they think they are entitled to free......does their car mechanic, store owner, dentist, doctor do their services for free???? Hey, I like to see when you newbies get it going on the right track. You just, at times, need some older, wiser guidance. Been welding 40 years now....love it today as I did the first day. It is an honorable profession. HEY... Get good at it.....practice...practice...practice. If you have to start out being reasonable, at least give yourself a rate of $10/hr. not counting material. Even a quicky job....EX.: a cracked mower deck....minimum- $15......Do you think a mower deck can be bought for $15. ? Pete, just make a couple bucks on every job, put it in a cigar box, and after a year see how much you have....then go buy yourself a brand new welder and really have fun :>)))) I still have my 40 yr old cigar box........ Good luck......denny