Fab schools?

[Kiefer316]

Well I have been thinking about what i wanna do other then working in a retail store for rest of my life. Is there any fabrication schools or would that be something that you just take a class at say warren tech or something? I wanna do this while im going through school for mechanics.

I just want some thoughts, opinions and answers. Im going to be gettin my good enough degree here in the next month so i would like to get started on all this stuff...

[DutchVDub]

WyoTech has a bunch of different classes on chassis fabrication, welding, and other such things. It depends on what field you're interested in. Personally I don't recommend being an Auto Mechanic if you like doing it as a hobby. I've been a diesel mechanic for almost 9yrs now and I am really tired of it.

Another way to learn basic fab stuff is to get a job at a shop. I learned how to weld by getting a job at a welding shop. I was hired to literally sweep and clean the shop. Basically I was getting paid 12$/hr to be the shop bitch. However I showed I can read a tape measure and blue prints and quickly moved on to using the various metal working machines and then welding.

I also learned a lot when I worked at SpiderTrax. My job there was basically warehouse bitch. I then moved on to the glorious task of using an Arbor press to press the studs one at a time into every single wheel spacer. Eventually I started messing around a bit with other things and even got to work the CNC machines. I also spent a lot of time getting paid to pick the hell out of Tom and Eddy's brains. Asking them all kinds of questions about suspensions and the like.

[Kiefer316]

WyoTech has a bunch of different classes on chassis fabrication, welding, and other such things. It depends on what field you're interested in. Personally I don't recommend being an Auto Mechanic if you like doing it as a hobby. I've been a diesel mechanic for almost 9yrs now and I am really tired of it.

Another way to learn basic fab stuff is to get a job at a shop. I learned how to weld by getting a job at a welding shop. I was hired to literally sweep and clean the shop. Basically I was getting paid 12$/hr to be the shop bitch. However I showed I can read a tape measure and blue prints and quickly moved on to using the various metal working machines and then welding.

I also learned a lot when I worked at SpiderTrax. My job there was basically warehouse bitch. I then moved on to the glorious task of using an Arbor press to press the studs one at a time into every single wheel spacer. Eventually I started messing around a bit with other things and even got to work the CNC machines. I also spent a lot of time getting paid to pick the hell out of Tom and Eddy's brains. Asking them all kinds of questions about suspensions and the like.

Well I am more looking to just fab stuff up. I wouldn't mind maybe structural work on buildings and such like welding. (my friend used to work at sams club on wadsworth when they started the remodel. They were welding I beams or something of that sort) That is what i would really like to get into.
I like working on cars but i probably couldn't do it for a living.

[Beezle]

Lately Ive been considering the Emily Griffith Opportunity School (http://www.egos-school.com/site/public/StartPage) for welding just cause Its something that Ive been interested in for awhile and Im having a hard time finding a job. Anybody have any experience with this school?

[Kiefer316]

Wow...http://www.egos-school.com/site/public-file/trades/welding.pdf

[YELLAHEEP]

X2 on auto mechanics as both a career and hobby...... hard to live with both. I went to Warren Tech and REALLY enjoyed the experience. I learned everything I wanted to know for the most part, got to participate in a few competitions and built some displays for the shop. I was able to jump right into some ASE schools and got 7 certifications and figured I was all set - a prime candidate for a dealership job or large company working fleet maintenance....... nope. The only work I could find was with service stations or mom & pop shops that can only survive if their service writers are stickin' it to the customer, selling them shit they don't need. I hated that aspect of the job.

BUUUUUTTTTTT..... the experience I got from tech school and the few mechanic jobs I had sure has paid BIG dividends in maintaining my own vehicles and paying for my hobbies. My neighbors come over to see what I'm working on and always say "I imagine you save huge money doing this work yourself - wish I had the knowledge." :thumbup:

[Kiefer316]

X2 on auto mechanics as both a career and hobby...... hard to live with both. I went to Warren Tech and REALLY enjoyed the experience. I learned everything I wanted to know for the most part, got to participate in a few competitions and built some displays for the shop. I was able to jump right into some ASE schools and got 7 certifications and figured I was all set - a prime candidate for a dealership job or large company working fleet maintenance....... nope. The only work I could find was with service stations or mom & pop shops that can only survive if their service writers are stickin' it to the customer, selling them shit they don't need. I hated that aspect of the job.

BUUUUUTTTTTT..... the experience I got from tech school and the few mechanic jobs I had sure has paid BIG dividends in maintaining my own vehicles and paying for my hobbies. My neighbors come over to see what I'm working on and always say "I imagine you save huge money doing this work yourself - wish I had the knowledge." :thumbup:

Well from just going over to your place working on vehicles i have learned WAY more then i thought i would.

But I have now decided that i am gonna do a Fab type class deal. I think i would like that a lot more then working on cars every day. I did work at pep boys for a few weeks and that shoed me i liked working on cars but, i didn't like doing it on different types of cars. With that said who knows of any other good schools/classes? I would really like to get started on this as soon as possible.

[YELLAHEEP]

See that's the thing Keifer...... for it to be a good school and for you to get as much out of it as you can, you'd need to enroll in a school like WyoTech. You'd likely end up with a sizeable school loan to pay off afterwards, but if that's the career path you feel suits you, then it should pay off.

Otherwise, most folks learn the trade just as Dutch said - ya gotta start pushin' a broom at a shop and show lots of interest and initiative. Ask to work up to using the machines, tools, etc. and pay good attention when you get an oportunity to have one of the guys show you how to design, plan, measure, etc....

I'd suggest hitting up some of the large shops around town to see if they need an entry level employee or shop "bitch" and get your hands dirty..... :thumbup:

[jimgrms]

Kiefer go to the nearest Navy recruiter and sign up get a promise of ship fitters (Hull ) school Or damage control school you will learn so much about welding cutting and fitting ( navy talk for fabricating ) You will also get to chase honeys in foreign lands plus other adventures that make jeeping pale by comparison and if you stay for 20 you will be Troys age when you retire and they will send you money every month till you are older than me ' don't know what the pay is now but you can google it ,really check into it , maybe the other navy vets can add to this


just googled the pay scales and the first 6 months is 13500 then you go to e3 which will be 1550 not shabby beings they are training you anf housing and feeding and furnishing clothes

[in4aride]

Personally. I love workin on stuff at work just to come home and play with jeep. I am not nearly at experience or skill level of troy or dutch. But i learn a lot about of lot of different cars. So when my neighbor shows up and needs some brakes or suspension parts replaced i can get it done in the garage. Most people dont just jump into a custom fab job. You usually have to do same work repeatedly for a while then move on to other repeatative jobs :) . Cant be a hot shot without the basics

[XJinPA]

You could always visit the east coast and go to WTTI. I know a lot of guys who have gone there and they do well as far as pay and love their jobs.

[XCastleXJ]

i started as shop bitch at a place in commerce city. i wasnt even getting paid but i still kept showin up just to learn. i was lucky if they let me sweep at first, then after showing the guys that i actually wanted to be there and i wanted to learn, they started teching. started with oil changes and spark plugs, moved to brakes, then i dabbled in paint/body work, and ended up working with them on vehicle restoration and i would watch them weld any chance i got because thats what i really wanted to learn.

it was a good time, and they all gave me a ton of shit for not knowing anything but i loved it.

then i moved to Tucson AZ and took a couple welding classes. one semester and i know hom to weld using both MIG and TIG processes. they also had structrual welding classes, stick, pipe, blueprint reading classes and all that stuff down there.

i know front range has welding classses, same as emily griffith and im sure there are others.

IMO no one can really teach you how to weld. you can be taught the science behind welding which is really helpful, but its really about having someone good show you how and then you practice practice practice.

i was forrtunate enough to get some shop experience and take formal classes, both were really benificial. HTH