and now for something completely different

[Rosco the Iroc]

On a whim I applied to a place that makes these.



All but the metal parts are custom in house. I have a second interview with a skills try out Monday. I can make stuff but I never did anything like this. So why not.

Pros
is don't see the market for these going away anytime soon
M-F normal day shift
NOT RETAIL
It's jeans and comfy can get dirty dress
learn some new skills
The boss man like I was a vet and that I worked at the shooting range. But didn't say exactly why.
NOT RETAIL
I never posted it on here but I have a lot of side work fixing inop and restoring rusty or old guns and some of that has to translate over.

Cons
entry level $10hr
no stools I'd be on my feet all day
NO CLUE why I did this
in fact I can run a vac form machine from watching mythbusters
30-40min commute
never been around med types will I mesh?
never did this before

Then again I never ran a shop of 40 sailors to sand or glass bead blast stuff and powder coat it till I did and got a metal for it I did it so well- so as my song go's
Where ever I may Roam!

[dalesys]

You just want to play footsie...

[Slave to the Phone]

*snorts at dalesys* Good one

Seriously, Rosco, while I can see the disadvantages of working there, you will be learning a trade that will be in demand until they start cloning parts and maybe even after, I can also see the disadvantages.

Will you be standing on a production line or using your own work station? If you are going to be at your own work station, it would be reasonable to ask for a stool if it wouldn't slow you down.

The new boss might like knowing that you work at a shooting range because he wants to talk about guns, or because he knows that it means that you also work on things with little tiny fiddly parts and springs. Many employers get government perks for hiring vets.

Once you get used to that commute, unless its always ugly, it will start to feel like down time. Of course, this is being said by someone who thinks that just a 30 minute drive to work is almost as good as sliced bread.

10 an hour isn't great, but its entry level. How long will it be before you are able to advance? How much advancement is available/possible?

All things to think about

BTW, my sweetie was cleaning his Kimber and lost one of those little tiny springs. We looked all over and it was gone. He called Kimber to buy another one and they just sent him out 2 more because people break that spring all the time. Bad spring, good customer service. We do like oru Kimbers.

[wolfie]

Those aren't vacuum-formed, they're fiberglass (although they're made using a vacuum bag to help minimize the amount of excess resin). Bear in mind that you'll also be repairing stuff, and I've heard that some of it (especially replacing sheepskin liners) can be somewhat gross.

[Rosco the Iroc]

You just want to play footsie...

LOL

I know they aren't vac formed but the base form that's built from seems to be. But what do I know.
Commute is not bad same as my last 2 jobs. I live in the woods, to get something close is a holy grail.
Money- yes it's an entry level so no sweat. He says good chance to get promoted and up to $13.
Being that if file my LLC paperwork they stop unemployment and it's up soon what choice do I have? Plus if I went crawling back to AZ autoparts it would be the same plus the joys of retail again.


The CFO is who I talked to and took me around, I've seen the face before I think he was a customer at the range. Guys a bit high strung and I got maybe 4 words in edge wise. So I guess I'll find out whenever. As long as it's a positive I'm good.

Ret combat Vet with 80% VA rating- yea there's a tax break them.

It doesn't look like you stand at the same place all day. A stool would get in the way. I'll play it by ear.

[drunkenwildmage]

Sounds like working at the gun range gave you a leg up on getting the new job.

[EricKei]

edit: Eligibility may vary. See Taz's link, below.

An hour a day sounds like enough to make claiming the Mileage Allowance on your taxes worthwhile (54c/mi, so $32.40/day as a tax deduction (NOT a credit), assuming 30 miles each way. That's $8,100/yr in deductions if you can claim it all). That's only a factor if you Itemize (meaning, do that OR take the standard deduction, but if yer already doing it, well... All you really need for proof is a little notebook with daily odometer logs (4/day: home-office in am, (lunch doesn't count), then office-home in pm). Take a photo with the date/time marks on it at the start of each work week (or more often, if you like), or use stamped photos AS your log, to help back it up in case of an audit. Talk with whoever helps you with your taxes (if applicable) if you're considering it, to make sure you're eligible.

[dalesys]

... some of it (especially replacing sheepskin liners) can be somewhat gross.

A tech I worked with: Their prior job had been servicing/adjusting X-Ray machines.
First task: Remove all the covers and clean out all the congealed Barium Enema Plus...

[Taz]

EricKei - you can't claim normal commute mileage - home to work or vice versa - on federal taxes in the USA. Some states may allow it on the state return but not on the Federal return. My husband would have been doing this years ago if it was allowed. Figure B - here - shows when commuting mileage is deductible.

[Aislin]

My husband is an amputee and the variety of prosthetics they can make is amazing. many are carbon fiber. The initial impression is made in plaster then cast in resin then fitted. We went to a fitting thursday and the final will be made once i get the custom cloth I designed back from the printer for the outside. The casting was a little loose so they will add a sock to the inside and cover it with resin to tighten it up in places. Its an exciting process and the tech who is doing the prosthetic is working for this company while going to school to become a prosthetisist (sp?). its rewarding work. The gentleman we go to is an independent company but he worked for Hanger and set up their clinics in the area and his son will take over when his father retires. they hold multiple degrees and are part of the military family around here. We went to him because we had a bad experience with Hanger and the assumed that we didn't have a choice but to go with them. Luckily we did our own research and have had a better time with our independent guy. Our insurance likes him too because he doesn't cast too early so sometimes you can get away with just one socket instead of having 3-4 in a year like with Hanger.

[EricKei]

Taz - Thanks! I have added a caveat to my OP. I guess you could say....your Mileage may vary.

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)>⌐■-■

(⌐ ͡■ ͜ʖ ͡■)

Huh. I used to work as a contractor doing onsite tech support out of an office, and I got a Mileage allowance for my onsite sessions (I never bothered checking for my primary place of work because I lived really close by). Kinda odd that primary work would not be eligible tho -- but then again, that's why I included the "check for eligibility" thing in the last line At the time, they had given me the impression that normal commutes were eligible if they exceeded a certain distance. Wouldn't have been the only thing that place got wrong when it came to taxes >_>

[Rosco the Iroc]

It went well today. I sanded and smoothed out a boot form. They have a room full of what could be scary sanders and mill machines. I just needed to know where the on switch was.
I guess they had people come in there and freeze up. Or could not sand a straight line to a mirror smooth finish. The vac machine was for custom shoe inserts.
Here's a shotgun I restored. By hand.
Stevens from about 1905.
Before-



During-



After-




So some grinding and sanding is what I do. I take pride in my work.

(side story is the friend who I did this for is ducking payment me for parts only for this an a .22 I restored so screw him I have a nice shot gun for small game now)

[LillFilly]

Friend of mine is a doctor in a practice that makes these. He lives streams his work on facebook sometimes. It's so amazing, art and science!

[Shyla]

I think it sounds interesting. 30 minutes isn't an awful commute. I don't know about "med types". I would think the others doing the same job are a lot like you. I have no idea if you can work on your feet all day. You know best. Just remember interviews are a two way street. You are also interviewing them to see if it's a good place for you. I'm sure you don't have to have every single skill before you start. They'll teach you.

[Slave to the Phone]

That is some beautiful work on that rifle. Its hard to believe its the same gun.

If you decide to take this job, I'll bet you will rock at helping people gain comfortable mobility.