What you'll learn about the entire panhandle is that with all of the bases between Panama City and Pensacola offering various services and facilities, along with no state income tax, inexpensive housing, and low sales tax , this is a great place for military retiree's to move to. Most retiree's want to supplement their income and don't need a living wage and employers around here take advantage of that fact.
Regarding FL in general, I know some former military guys that were MIG/TIG welders in the military, some retired and some not, that went into aluminum fabrication. They are making money hand over fist by either making or repairing towers for fishing boats, and other aluminum fabrication jobs. And a couple of marine diesel mechanics that have more work than they can shake a stick at that are retired Navy. Depending on the skill level, there is lots of money to be made down there and far above the average wage. It depends on what the skill is, the demand for it, and whether you work for someone else, or take the plunge and open your own business.
If the U.S. Congress was put in charge of the Sahara Desert, there would be a shortage of sand in under six months.
Well, FWIW, I've been informed I'm going to learn how to micro-laser weld, and be the company laser welding guru who will train the others.
This may be worth something, or not. We'll see. But, it's another trade. 6 years ago I didn't know what an end mill was. Nowadays, I wear out 2-3 a week. And break a couple.
Mike
Decisions have consequences, not everything in life gets an automatic mulligan. KSU Firefighter
Well, FWIW, I've been informed I'm going to learn how to micro-laser weld, and be the company laser welding guru who will train the others.
This may be worth something, or not. We'll see. But, it's another trade. 6 years ago I didn't know what an end mill was. Nowadays, I wear out 2-3 a week. And break a couple.
Mike
Well, that's a skill that once mastered will be worth something. Maybe get a raise for this when you get good at it, maybe? :tooth:
Breaking and wearing out end mills is par for the course in milling. I'll sharpen a drill bit and I'll sharpen a straight flute end mill, but when the spiral ones get dull I toss them; machine to sharpen them is too much $$$ for my taste!
If the U.S. Congress was put in charge of the Sahara Desert, there would be a shortage of sand in under six months.
Yeah, I got voluntold. I got voluntold for pad-printing (which is a LOT harder than it appears), I got voluntold for Tooling (as close to impossible as a job can be). And laser welding doesn't look like much fun either, considering this company will probably spring for a laser pointer and a set of gauge pins.
Mike
Decisions have consequences, not everything in life gets an automatic mulligan. KSU Firefighter
I already explained the whole guys in the office vs the guy in the field thing to CPJ... privately. These theoretical "systems" without listening to the people actually getting the work done get VERY expensive.
I already explained the whole guys in the office vs the guy in the field thing to CPJ... privately. These theoretical "systems" without listening to the people actually getting the work done get VERY expensive.
Explain it to "them". I already know.
Mike
Decisions have consequences, not everything in life gets an automatic mulligan. KSU Firefighter
Story goes...the skunkworks project for the SR71....they had the enginerds and machinist fabricators in the same building, in close communication. Nerds would ASK if ____was possible, not just draw a picture and say "make it."
...and with that relationship, what they did was absolutely amazing for the tech they had back then!
No CAD drawing programs back then. It was all done on drafting boards by a LOT of people drawing out every piece/part.
Regardless, there is always getting that transition from theory to practice. Some dude draws what looks like a penis, and tells someone else to build that as a new rifle cartridge ... Sometimes that transition is difficult and any time there are good communications to make the theoretical possible, it is a good thing.
For my distillery... the architect had a main drain line running right up the center of the (already existing) terrazzo floor in the tasting area. I suggested that either he can change that to where we will be pouring new floors, or show up when it is time to make those saw cuts plus get the floor to match after.
Yeah I know a bit about the engineer vs. tech issue. My first real job was in a lab. We had 5-6 techs for 80-100 scientists and engineers. I always worked closely with the techs because I was entry level and thus actually spent a lot of time in the lab working directly with them, but most of the higher ups rarely stepped foot in the lab and were very much sketch something out and "do it". I more often than not was down there doing it myself or just asking thier help when there were things I couldn't/shouldn't do on my own. The place would have absolutely fell apart without those 5-6 guys. The sad thing was though that as a senior in college and still an intern I made more than the techs who had been there 7-10 years and once I graduated and went full time I made more than the guys with 30+ years in. I always felt a bit bad for those guys and thought they deserved more.
"Finding out that you have run out of toilet paper is a good example of lack of preparation, buying 10 years worth is silly"
-DoctorWho
Yeah I know a bit about the engineer vs. tech issue. My first real job was in a lab. We had 5-6 techs for 80-100 scientists and engineers.
The sad thing was though that as a senior in college and still an intern I made more than the techs who had been there 7-10 years and once I graduated and went full time I made more than the guys with 30+ years in. I always felt a bit bad for those guys and thought they deserved more.
I don't know what industry you were in but when I worked for General Dynamics and Lockheed on several aircraft programs, virtually all of the flight line mechanics made more than low seniority engineers. Most of us made substantially more than the engineers, but they did get their own parking spots.
Story goes...the skunkworks project for the SR71....they had the enginerds and machinist fabricators in the same building, in close communication. Nerds would ASK if ____was possible, not just draw a picture and say "make it."
What a concept! It applies 100% to a story my Father told me when I was about 14 years old. He was a master fabrication welder for a heavy equipment manufacturer. Two young engineers brought him a blueprint for an improved bracket and asked him to produce a prototype. He studied the print and told them it looked like a good idea but unfortunately would not work. They insisted it would and the prototype would prove it. My Father said OK. Later that day the engineers came back and their built to spec prototype was sitting on his welding table. The engineers hurried off to get a mechanic to install it. Later they came back and sheepishly admitted the part would not work. They asked my Father what would? He reached under the table and produced a different prototype. Of course it worked perfectly. When I was 17 years old in "The Summer of 69" I worked there for a few weeks I just did odd jobs keeping my eyes and ears open learning many new things. I asked the "Big Boss" about the story of my Father and the engineers. He chuckled and said something like: "A college education is a wonderful goal and accomplishment but does not automatically make people smart. Smart comes with years of experience that includes learning from mistakes. Your Father is the smartest man I know". My Father had an 8th grade education!
Back to the original topic, I mean the president himself is hiring 70 guest workers for his resort so there clearly must not be enough qualified Americans right?
"Finding out that you have run out of toilet paper is a good example of lack of preparation, buying 10 years worth is silly"
-DoctorWho
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Regarding FL in general, I know some former military guys that were MIG/TIG welders in the military, some retired and some not, that went into aluminum fabrication. They are making money hand over fist by either making or repairing towers for fishing boats, and other aluminum fabrication jobs. And a couple of marine diesel mechanics that have more work than they can shake a stick at that are retired Navy. Depending on the skill level, there is lots of money to be made down there and far above the average wage. It depends on what the skill is, the demand for it, and whether you work for someone else, or take the plunge and open your own business.
This may be worth something, or not. We'll see. But, it's another trade. 6 years ago I didn't know what an end mill was. Nowadays, I wear out 2-3 a week. And break a couple.
Mike
KSU Firefighter
Well, that's a skill that once mastered will be worth something. Maybe get a raise for this when you get good at it, maybe? :tooth:
Breaking and wearing out end mills is par for the course in milling. I'll sharpen a drill bit and I'll sharpen a straight flute end mill, but when the spiral ones get dull I toss them; machine to sharpen them is too much $$$ for my taste!
Mike
KSU Firefighter
That's how where I work works. But, the engineers and QA guys outnumber us by about 25 to 3.
No kidding.
Mike
KSU Firefighter
Explain it to "them". I already know.
Mike
KSU Firefighter
For my distillery... the architect had a main drain line running right up the center of the (already existing) terrazzo floor in the tasting area. I suggested that either he can change that to where we will be pouring new floors, or show up when it is time to make those saw cuts plus get the floor to match after.
He changed the drawings.
I don't know what industry you were in but when I worked for General Dynamics and Lockheed on several aircraft programs, virtually all of the flight line mechanics made more than low seniority engineers. Most of us made substantially more than the engineers, but they did get their own parking spots.
Back to the original topic, I mean the president himself is hiring 70 guest workers for his resort so there clearly must not be enough qualified Americans right?