Originally Posted by
TiHabanero
How about teaching yourself? Start with lugs and work your way into tig, presuming you have a bit of experience with tig as it is more difficult to do well than brazing lugs.
Mistakes happen as an apprentice or self-taught, so why not? Mistakes are a very good way to permanently learn something.
This is likely the most realistic option. I have welded with TIG, off and on for a few years. I usually weld stick or MIG though, for the projects and work I've done.
Self teaching would be great. The idea of passion/hobby and work colliding into the same is a fantasy, usually, but there's also benefits to keeping them separate.. 😊
In the future I intend to finish a shop space and expand into some frame building.
Originally Posted by
Nessism
Bringing an apprentice into your shop would expose you to liability risk. Pretty sure if they got hurt, for example, you would be responsible even if they volunteered to work there for free.
There's liability, sure, but I don't think you're responsible in full, especially with proper paperwork and such. There is the issue of an L&I claim raising your per employee L&I contribution though. I previously owned a business with some mild to dangerous equipment, after talks with a decent lawyer the solution was paperwork and release forms. I think it could be done for any shop, I can't imagine shipyards, boat builders, logging, etc. But.... Then again they would have to be willing to do that. A good point for sure, thank you.
Originally Posted by
Andrew R Stewart
Which is why the employee path is the only realistic (however few the openings are) one to expect. Andy